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In a picture they look the same. I suspect if Jaime is selling it, he has faith in it. I wouldn't hesitate to use it. I just like the Jim's/George's inner cam bearing puller's design better.
My purpose wasn't to slam the Heartland tool, or others with that design. The fact is, the Heartland one worked fine. It never failed to pull an inner cam bearing.
It's just that one bearing was a little sketchy. It could have been that particular bearing, my technique/application of the tool, or the tool. I can't say for sure what caused that little glitch. It just gave me pause. That experience caused me to try the different design of the Jim's & George's tools.
IMHO, the Jim's and George's inner cam bearing puller is a superior design to the plate pullers, but they come at a higher cost. Totally a preference decision, and the extra cost didn't bother me.
Both Jim's and George's use that same plate design for their installers. So that plate design has merit....
I'll share my inner can bearing tool thoughts and experience....
A while ago, I bought the Heartland USA, inner cam bearing tool. I noticed just today, that Heartland USA no longer seems to offer the tool I have, nor any Harley engine tools at all....
I used the Heartland tool 3 times. The 3rd time, one of the inner cam bearings (for whatever reason) was hard to remove. I was starting to get nervous that something was amiss, when it finally gave up, and came out. That bearing removal experience left me a little nervous. I could feel the plate/tools flex a little before the bearing popped loose and gave up.
It could have been because the Heartland tool had a thinner plate than other similar styles, or sub standard bearing collets, etc, etc., I just don't know... I'm not a machinist nor a tool maker. I know the Heartland tool was cheaper than most on Amazon (or was it eBay?). I thought it would only be used once or twice.
I really like the "window" on the tool's plate because you can easily see what is going on with the bearing when either installing or pulling. I never had any issue installing bearings with the Heartland tool
I had a few more cam chests I knew I was going to do work in, and who knows how many others. So I bought the Jim's B148 Inner cam bearing removal tool. I like the fact that it uses a cylinder for the bearing collet to pull against, instead of a plate. I have used it 4 times now. I also bought the Jim's Cam Bearing installer, which just happens to have a double headed bearing pilot that can install both B148 & B168 bearings.
When it came time for the B168 bearing cam chest, I had discovered George's tools. He makes quality tools on par with Jim's, just at a cheaper price point. So I bought the George's B168 inner cam bearing removal tool. It is the same design as the Jim's, and a bunch cheaper. (Jim's @ $325 and George's @ $96)
The George's tool performed every bit as well as the Jim's tool. While removing the bearings, both felt very solid. The bearings came out without any trouble, smooth as silk.
The Jim's installer tool worked very well. It uses a plate to install the bearings just like the Heartland tool. The Jim's tool, however. doesn't have the window like the Heartland, so it's hard to see what the tool is doing. I probably should have kept the Heartland for installs, and used the Jim's/George's for removals. I could have saved the $225 cost of the Jim's installer tool.
IMHO.....
If I was tool buying now, with the benefit of my experiences, I would buy the George's inner cam bearing removal tool(s) (B-148 @ $85.25 and/or B-168 @ $95.50). Then get the George's appropriate size inner cam bearing installation tool @ $82.25. If/when needed I would only need to buy the other sized bearing install pilot for $39.95.
Note: There are a bunch of combined installer/removal tools on Amazon around $80. They copy the basic design of the tools I mentioned above. I am skeptical, however, of their quality, fit, and/or function. If you plan to use it only once, try one of them and let us know how it works.
For me, I like tools. I like quality tools. I also like supporting USA companies that make quality products... So I'll check first for a George's tool for any needed new tools in the future.
I hope some of this info helps...
When I did my S&S kit on my M8, I used a cheapo tool from Amazon. The only thing bad about it was the instructions. The tool itself was flawless. I did however read the reviews on them carefully before I selected.
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I'm not a machinist nor a tool maker. I know the Heartland tool was cheaper than most on Amazon (or was it eBay?). I thought it would only be used once or twice.
