Cheap Torque wrenches
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 3,473
Likes: 691
From: West Virginia
Cheap Torque wrenches
Was in local Harbor Freight today to pick up some drill bits - I do a lot of trim work in oak, and to make it neat, drilling 1/16 pilots for finish nails is a good idea - anyway they sell packs of 1/16 bits.
BUT while there I picked up 1/4" and a 3/8" torque wrenches for $10 and change each. Checked the 3/8 against my (expensive) 1/2 wrench, and it is spot on.
They have a major sale on - their 12" double bevel miter saw is on for $137, and yes that includes a decent blade. I've used one for a couple years now and it does the job.
Tool stock up time!
BUT while there I picked up 1/4" and a 3/8" torque wrenches for $10 and change each. Checked the 3/8 against my (expensive) 1/2 wrench, and it is spot on.
They have a major sale on - their 12" double bevel miter saw is on for $137, and yes that includes a decent blade. I've used one for a couple years now and it does the job.
Tool stock up time!
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,747
Likes: 224
From: Hillsboro Oregon
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 3,638
Likes: 245
Was in local Harbor Freight today to pick up some drill bits - I do a lot of trim work in oak, and to make it neat, drilling 1/16 pilots for finish nails is a good idea - anyway they sell packs of 1/16 bits.
BUT while there I picked up 1/4" and a 3/8" torque wrenches for $10 and change each. Checked the 3/8 against my (expensive) 1/2 wrench, and it is spot on.
They have a major sale on - their 12" double bevel miter saw is on for $137, and yes that includes a decent blade. I've used one for a couple years now and it does the job.
Tool stock up time!
BUT while there I picked up 1/4" and a 3/8" torque wrenches for $10 and change each. Checked the 3/8 against my (expensive) 1/2 wrench, and it is spot on.
They have a major sale on - their 12" double bevel miter saw is on for $137, and yes that includes a decent blade. I've used one for a couple years now and it does the job.
Tool stock up time!
Super cheap prices and great tool much better than Craftsman. They give new replacement wrenches and ratchets from the shelf if yours fails. That includes the Torque Wrenches!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,764
Likes: 374
From: Central Florida
With tools you get what you pay for.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 914
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From: Reidsville North Carolina
Reminds me of the old story about the Indian selling handmade bowls beside of the road..
He had bowls for $5 and bowls for $20. Guy ask what is the difference between the bowls?
The old Indian says...Some people want a five dollar bowl and some people want a 20 dollar bowl.
He had bowls for $5 and bowls for $20. Guy ask what is the difference between the bowls?
The old Indian says...Some people want a five dollar bowl and some people want a 20 dollar bowl.
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I've bought a few tools from them - they have held up fine so far.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,764
Likes: 374
From: Central Florida
Reminds me of the old story about the Indian selling handmade bowls beside of the road..
He had bowls for $5 and bowls for $20. Guy ask what is the difference between the bowls?
The old Indian says...Some people want a five dollar bowl and some people want a 20 dollar bowl.
He had bowls for $5 and bowls for $20. Guy ask what is the difference between the bowls?
The old Indian says...Some people want a five dollar bowl and some people want a 20 dollar bowl.
but does not apply to tools IMO 
It's like anything....if you are digging a hole in your yard twice a year, buy a cheap shovel, if you are a landscaper your going to spend serious money on a forged head shovel and going to sharpen the edge, it cuts through roots like butter. I personally would rather barrow a real quality torque wrench than use a cheap one.
Last edited by Forcedvert; Jun 11, 2016 at 12:02 AM.
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Drifting
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,256
Likes: 157
From: Pennsylvania
I spent some time working for a tire store and they required all lug nuts be torqued. The shop had 2 torque wrenches and all the techs had there own. Every day you had to test the torque wrenches to see if they were still accurate we had a calibrated torque meter affixed to the wall. As much as I hate to say it ( my tool box is all snap on and matco) the cheap ones were just as accurate as the expensive ones plus they took a lot more abuse being that the shop owned them and not the techs.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 3,473
Likes: 691
From: West Virginia
I have a lot of HF stuff - I've lived near a store for a long time now - and a lot of older "good" stuff. NO difference. Blindfold me and I would not know whether my wrenches were Snap On or HF. What's not to like? I am just not paying for the guy in his van delivering to me.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
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From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
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HF has good tools if you watch which ones to buy. I keep a 1/2" and 3/8" drive torque wrenches in my car trailer tool box. Their website shows the $10 torque wrenches, but they also show $80 wrenches too 
The specs read the same....
The specs read the same....
Racer
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 471
Likes: 83
From: Lafayette LA
Harbor Freight is great for what it is. If you plan on using a tool once or twice a year and don't mind it not being 100% right out of the box when you get it, then HB is for you.
I got a DA Polisher from them the other day because I didn't want to spend $100+ on one, so I printed up a 20% coupon and walked in and grabbed one for a little under $50. Some parts I won't buy there, but I buy a lot of disposable things that I don't care about there. I like their cheap screw drivers because I use them to pry and hammer **** in places where I wouldn't want to bend/damage my other tools.
Here's a good flow chart to determine if you should buy a HF tool or not.
I got a DA Polisher from them the other day because I didn't want to spend $100+ on one, so I printed up a 20% coupon and walked in and grabbed one for a little under $50. Some parts I won't buy there, but I buy a lot of disposable things that I don't care about there. I like their cheap screw drivers because I use them to pry and hammer **** in places where I wouldn't want to bend/damage my other tools.
Here's a good flow chart to determine if you should buy a HF tool or not.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 6,528
Likes: 752
From: South Dakota
At $10 I bought one as a ratcheting breaker bar. It worked fine.
I also checked calibration and it was good. I bought a couple more and they are good too.
I use them for wheel lug nuts and sometimes carry one in the car.
I had one fail. The ratchet mechanism stopped working right and it would spin freely in one direction (probably because I use it very hard as a breaker bar) . I took it in to the store and they handed me a new one. They did not ask any questions as to why.
I also checked calibration and it was good. I bought a couple more and they are good too.
I use them for wheel lug nuts and sometimes carry one in the car.
I had one fail. The ratchet mechanism stopped working right and it would spin freely in one direction (probably because I use it very hard as a breaker bar) . I took it in to the store and they handed me a new one. They did not ask any questions as to why.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,594
Likes: 189
From: Wilmington DE
Quality of their tools is much better than years ago. Wrenches and sockets I still have my old craftsman stuff from 20 years ago. Some of my favorites from harbor freight include Low Profile Jack(I don't have a garage and leave it outside for years), $20 Electric Cut Off Tool (thing is a beast with a lot of power), 7.5 Amp Sawzall cut through tons of metal with this, $20 Heat gun used for my Leather and Dinoc wrap projects, $1.99 Bag of zip ties. I love getting a 20% off coupon in the mail everyweek from them
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,517
Likes: 159
From: Lafayette Louisiana
I love my Craftsman tools. Got the base set of 1/2, 3/8, 1/4 along with open end/box ends for Christmas in 1958. Only one I've broken was 13/16 spark plug socket. It's not made to loosen lug nuts the tire store put on with impact wrench. Still Sears cheerfully replaced it. I use them often. Of course, have purchased the metric sizes since then. Replaced rear hubs a couple weeks ago. Old breaker bar with 4ft cheater took axle nuts loose, no problem.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,256
Likes: 157
From: Pennsylvania
Craftsman is sufficient for the weekend repair man/ hobbyists. If you are a technician that uses your tools every day buy the good stuff snap on/matco/cornwel s&k is junk and most Mack stuff is no better than craftsman.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,517
Likes: 159
From: Lafayette Louisiana
Safety Car
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2010
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From: Sammamish WA
WA Events Coordinator
Craftsman tools rock, I have tons of them and they last. I have a 1/2" drive large Torque wrench from them When replacing the Vanos on my DD M3 I needed a small Torque wrench that read in inch pounds and HF had one cheap, it worked great. Also have a set of HD Impact sockets from them and a large upright Compressor and they all work fine.