Torque Wrench
Banned
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,580
Likes: 7
From: The Internet (& Dyer, Indiana)
Kind of hurts, seeing so many people fight to the death in favor of skimping on tools,...... then spending a fortune on nonfunctional chrome to pretty up their bike.
Seems backwards to me. You can save a fortune simply by purchasing less chrome, but that seems to have priority over well made tools.
What is this world coming to? He he!
Seems backwards to me. You can save a fortune simply by purchasing less chrome, but that seems to have priority over well made tools.
What is this world coming to? He he!
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,182
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix
Kind of hurts, seeing so many people fight to the death in favor of skimping on tools,...... then spending a fortune on nonfunctional chrome to pretty up their bike.
Seems backwards to me. You can save a fortune simply by purchasing less chrome, but that seems to have priority over well made tools.
What is this world coming to? He he!
Seems backwards to me. You can save a fortune simply by purchasing less chrome, but that seems to have priority over well made tools.
What is this world coming to? He he!
I have bad news for you. Not everything that is expensive is worth the money. Not everything that is inexpensive is crap. Perceived value isn't actual value.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 442
Likes: 0
I can create a fairly capable garage with HF products for a little more than a grand. Or I can build one out of all these greatest tools on earth for 4X that amount if I get lucky. In the end it's how deep into your pockets do you want to go.
Banned
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,580
Likes: 7
From: The Internet (& Dyer, Indiana)
So, do you buy everything on a perceived value based on the cost of it? Craftsman tools aren't any better than Kobolt or Husky, yet the Kobolt and Husky tools are cheaper. All three have a "lifetime warranty". All three are functionally identical. I have a 69" tall 16-speed free-standing belt drive drill press that I bought from Harbor Freight for $170. I will stack it up against the Craftsman equivalent if there is one.
I have bad news for you. Not everything that is expensive is worth the money. Not everything that is inexpensive is crap. Perceived value isn't actual value.
I have bad news for you. Not everything that is expensive is worth the money. Not everything that is inexpensive is crap. Perceived value isn't actual value.
I do however agree that "everything expensive is not necessarily worth the money". (I'm not stupid)
But with tools, chances are less cost will indeed equal less quality. Maybe not in EVERY case, but the odds are against you. Not worth the gamble to me.
I work too hard, and refuse to add problems to the job because of crap tools.
I have used enough tools and spent enough hours with them to know that the cheap ones don't need to be in my box.
The open end wrench that slips off a too tight bolt, the box ends that crack and the sockets that crack. Brand for brand, there are some that do it often, and some that do it rarely. I prefer the brands that do it rarely.
I give a crap about warranty. I don't want busted knuckles because a socket failed, and I don't want to be running across town looking for free replacements.
I want the frigging thing to do what it is suppose to do, so as to get the job done smoothly with the least amount of interruptions.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,182
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix
I get the feeling you don't do a heck-of-a-lot of wrenching.
I do however agree that "everything expensive is not necessarily worth the money". (I'm not stupid)
But with tools, chances are less cost will indeed equal less quality. Maybe not in EVERY case, but the odds are against you. Not worth the gamble to me.
I work too hard, and refuse to add problems to the job because of crap tools.
I have used enough tools and spent enough hours with them to know that the cheap ones don't need to be in my box.
The open end wrench that slips off a too tight bolt, the box ends that crack and the sockets that crack. Brand for brand, there are some that do it often, and some that do it rarely. I prefer the brands that do it rarely.
I give a crap about warranty. I don't want busted knuckles because a socket failed, and I don't want to be running across town looking for free replacements.
I want the frigging thing to do what it is suppose to do, so as to get the job done smoothly with the least amount of interruptions.
I do however agree that "everything expensive is not necessarily worth the money". (I'm not stupid)
But with tools, chances are less cost will indeed equal less quality. Maybe not in EVERY case, but the odds are against you. Not worth the gamble to me.
I work too hard, and refuse to add problems to the job because of crap tools.
I have used enough tools and spent enough hours with them to know that the cheap ones don't need to be in my box.
The open end wrench that slips off a too tight bolt, the box ends that crack and the sockets that crack. Brand for brand, there are some that do it often, and some that do it rarely. I prefer the brands that do it rarely.
I give a crap about warranty. I don't want busted knuckles because a socket failed, and I don't want to be running across town looking for free replacements.
I want the frigging thing to do what it is suppose to do, so as to get the job done smoothly with the least amount of interruptions.
I have had more Craftsman sockets break on me than I have had HF ones break on me. Conversely, I have had more HF torx bits break on me than Craftsman ones.
I have yet to have an HF tool not "do what it is supposed to do" short of that one torx bit (T27 to be exact). That includes box-end wrenches.
Banned
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,580
Likes: 7
From: The Internet (& Dyer, Indiana)
You'd be wrong with your assessment of me and my mechanical ability...
I have had more Craftsman sockets break on me than I have had HF ones break on me. Conversely, I have had more HF torx bits break on me than Craftsman ones.
I have yet to have an HF tool not "do what it is supposed to do" short of that one torx bit (T27 to be exact). That includes box-end wrenches.
I have had more Craftsman sockets break on me than I have had HF ones break on me. Conversely, I have had more HF torx bits break on me than Craftsman ones.
I have yet to have an HF tool not "do what it is supposed to do" short of that one torx bit (T27 to be exact). That includes box-end wrenches.
Gee, I must have imagined all my broken tools, and the open end wrenches that seem to "open farther" when torque is applied.
But I did NOT imagine the pain from bloody knuckles when a socket broke, and I did NOT imagine the interrupted jobs where I had to get in the car and go chase replacement tools instead of completing the job.
Do what you want dude, but my box ain't gonna see no more cheap crap.
I'm glad that you are having such wonderful luck with bargain tools.
Goes against that phrase: "You get what you pay for".
BTW: I wasn't praising Craftsman tools. They are not the best either. But I'll take them over HF any day.
Club Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 66,125
Likes: 51,446
From: Niles Canyon Ca.
A word in here if I may , like anything in the world now you gotta pick and choose before buying . While 20 yrs ago there were hard lines on tool quality between brands and performance jump forward and those lines are faint at best . Working pro's will always go Snap-on for to many reasons to begin to explain to the casual mechanic . Here's something to chew on , craftsman , mac , Matco , proto , husky , S&K and a number of other lesser known names are made or were a few yrs back at the same damn factories . The finishing processes and some trade marked higher end stuff being the big difference .
I've got a set of Armstrong & Snap-on long combo wrenchs damn little difference in looks , feel and work the exact same $200 apart price wise .
5 yrs ago I wouldn't throw a HF tool at somebody I didn't like they were so bad and a bunch of their stuff is still crap . Don't buy any small hand electric tools they are throw aways . Under $500 HF ,Sears , ect. bigger shop tools , drill press's ect. all come form Taiwan or China , price jumps 4x for what little doesn't .
The general HF hand tools like socket sets are made by Blaco who is now making Snap-on stuff . I,ve used the 1/2" impact sockets and the hex head impact 1/2" sockets on field jobs where tools tend to walk off beat bloody hell out of this stuff with air guns doing big steel work , never broke any rounded or distorted the heads on anything and the finish is better than my Mac 1/2" stuff & snap-on allen sets . I'm pretty sure all the low to mid range torque wrenches & entry measuring tools like calipers and cheap mics are coming from the same place just different name tags . I've had a lot of them side by side and there was no difference could see .
As somebody said earlier inexpensive doesn't always mean cheap , the world economy has been good in that way . Do your homework the net is a great place for stuff besides this forum and **** .
I've got a set of Armstrong & Snap-on long combo wrenchs damn little difference in looks , feel and work the exact same $200 apart price wise .
5 yrs ago I wouldn't throw a HF tool at somebody I didn't like they were so bad and a bunch of their stuff is still crap . Don't buy any small hand electric tools they are throw aways . Under $500 HF ,Sears , ect. bigger shop tools , drill press's ect. all come form Taiwan or China , price jumps 4x for what little doesn't .
The general HF hand tools like socket sets are made by Blaco who is now making Snap-on stuff . I,ve used the 1/2" impact sockets and the hex head impact 1/2" sockets on field jobs where tools tend to walk off beat bloody hell out of this stuff with air guns doing big steel work , never broke any rounded or distorted the heads on anything and the finish is better than my Mac 1/2" stuff & snap-on allen sets . I'm pretty sure all the low to mid range torque wrenches & entry measuring tools like calipers and cheap mics are coming from the same place just different name tags . I've had a lot of them side by side and there was no difference could see .
As somebody said earlier inexpensive doesn't always mean cheap , the world economy has been good in that way . Do your homework the net is a great place for stuff besides this forum and **** .
Last edited by TwiZted Biker; Aug 22, 2010 at 04:30 AM.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,882
Likes: 83
In the U.S.A.F our torque wrenches had to be sent in for recalibration every so often. I think it was every 90-180 days. Needless to say most civilian users to include myself when i wrenched on cars never had it *Sears brand* sent in for recalibration. So how do you know your being accurate? You don't.
Also using an extension on a torque wrench requires that you use a formula for you to compensate for using it. How many do that? That is one reason you never see an exact torque measurements. Torque values are generally between a certain range.
As to tools and quality. Craftsman tools are as good as anything on the market and have been forever. I abused the crap out of my tools with cheater bars, etc etc and i have never in my life broke a craftsman wrench. I used standard sockets on my impact wrench and i think the only socket i cracked was a 1/4 drive 10mm socket that i used on my butterfly impact
. I had a few ratchets rebuilt but from a professional user standpoint can say they are as good as you can get. Snap on tools are not better then craftsman. I did break some SO tools but the dealer quickly replaced them like Sears would do.
I remember buying a long 14mm Snap on wrench for about 100 bucks because Craftsman didn't have that style at the time. Now i bet i can get the same style craftsman for about 20 bucks or less. You do generally get what you pay for as i work in a profession that has seen the difference between American made components vs Chinese made components. Quality does come at a price. American companies buy from China simply to increase there profit margins even while product quality suffers regretfully.
Also using an extension on a torque wrench requires that you use a formula for you to compensate for using it. How many do that? That is one reason you never see an exact torque measurements. Torque values are generally between a certain range.
As to tools and quality. Craftsman tools are as good as anything on the market and have been forever. I abused the crap out of my tools with cheater bars, etc etc and i have never in my life broke a craftsman wrench. I used standard sockets on my impact wrench and i think the only socket i cracked was a 1/4 drive 10mm socket that i used on my butterfly impact
. I had a few ratchets rebuilt but from a professional user standpoint can say they are as good as you can get. Snap on tools are not better then craftsman. I did break some SO tools but the dealer quickly replaced them like Sears would do.I remember buying a long 14mm Snap on wrench for about 100 bucks because Craftsman didn't have that style at the time. Now i bet i can get the same style craftsman for about 20 bucks or less. You do generally get what you pay for as i work in a profession that has seen the difference between American made components vs Chinese made components. Quality does come at a price. American companies buy from China simply to increase there profit margins even while product quality suffers regretfully.
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 5,105
Likes: 16
From: Blaine, WA
I would be doubtful that Snap-On is outsourcing tool production, just a few years ago they were on a show (Made in America or something) that showed a number of Snap-On signed factories cranking out sockets, wrenches, etc.............included the process from casting through chrome to packagaing. I will stick with my Snap-On unless I need something right now and even then I usually replace that with SO later on. That said their profit margin is pretty huge - years ago I was in they vocational sales plan where they sell X amount of $$ value to students at a drastic price reduction..........discounts range as low as 25% or MSRP.