Tool Time
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,171
Likes: 4,244
From: U.S.A. Upstate N. Y.
Tool Time
Just to give you and Idea, In the seventies I bought the largest Mac roller cabinet and top box,back then it was $1.200 bucks for them. Saw one like in line for almost $3 grand. Mac comb wrench set from 1/4 inch to 1- 1/4 inch, chrome. I paid $250 bucks for them, now same set is over $800+.. Snap on 3/8 drive ratchets, 30 bucks back then, now $100 or more..I have 1/4,3/8,1/2 SAE & Metric deep and shallow wall chrome and impact sockets, wrenches, ratchets.1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 drive & air tools. SawsAll by Mac, made in the USA, $ 450 back then, chisels, punches, pullers, presses,hammers, gages screwdrivers,meters, tack and dwell, ohms meters, test lights, specialty tools ,you name it..When you work as a mechanic in a shop the tool dealer is there every week, had a account with both the Mac and Snap on guys.You always needed something, something broke , etc. Glad I bought them back then,you would go broke today trying to replace them..
I've had Craftman inch pound and foot pound torque wrenches for somewhere between twenty and thirty years. They have been great tools. I have also had Harbor Freight torque wrenches. When I measure them against the Craftsman wrenches there is no appreciable difference. I'm pretty sure the Craftman wrenches I have were made in the USA. I'm not so sure the ones you can get now would be. The thing about it is, when you go to Lowes, Homedepot, Sears, or any other hardware store the wrenches there are made in China, just like Harbor Freight. Whether the torque wrenches are made in China, I can't say. Today at Harbor Freight you can get any torque wrench with an online coupon for $9.99. A similar Husky wrench at Homedepot is $89.97. That's three complete sets of Harbor Freight torque wrenches for the price of one Homedepot wrench. As long as they measure torque accurately what difference does it make where you buy them or how much they cost? The Husky wrench isn't that expensive and it has a lifetime warranty, they say no questions asked. The Harbor Freight has a lifetime warranty with limitations. Basically it's your choice. It has been my experience that both will measure torque accurately.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,171
Likes: 4,244
From: U.S.A. Upstate N. Y.
Tool Time
Good points, I broke a Mac ratchet last year.I walked onto the Mac tool truck,first time in three decades. The dealer took the ratchet and looked at and asked when did you buy this, I replied about thirty five years ago.. He laughed and handed me a new one, lifetime guarantee he said, free.. As far as accuracy goes, a company I worked for send nuts and bolts out to be tested at an independent lab for their ability to hold torque accuracy. They had to their own tool room, the only two brands of tools they had were Snap on and Mac Tool. Why ? The only two brands that torqued to correct tightness specs when certified by independent lab testing. I worked with guys who worked at the Snap on factory. They said their tools are tested for accuracy, they are perfect when they leave the factory. If defective they were scrapped and destroyed. When I worked at a Cadillac dealership Snap on and Mac were the only tools we used..at the GM training center, the same..
Good points, I broke a Mac ratchet last year.I walked onto the Mac tool truck,first time in three decades. The dealer took the ratchet and looked at and asked when did you buy this, I replied about thirty five years ago.. He laughed and handed me a new one, lifetime guarantee he said, free.. As far as accuracy goes, a company I worked for send nuts and bolts out to be tested at an independent lab for their ability to hold torque accuracy. They had to their own tool room, the only two brands of tools they had were Snap on and Mac Tool. Why ? The only two brands that torqued to correct tightness specs when certified by independent lab testing. I worked with guys who worked at the Snap on factory. They said their tools are tested for accuracy, they are perfect when they leave the factory. If defective they were scrapped and destroyed. When I worked at a Cadillac dealership Snap on and Mac were the only tools we used..at the GM training center, the same..
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,171
Likes: 4,244
From: U.S.A. Upstate N. Y.
Tool Tine
I agree...When I started auto mechanics I was in my late teens,and making a living with them. For the average guy it nakes no sense spending that kind of money. Glad I hung onto them all these years, I will pass them down someday to my son..
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 760
Likes: 273
From: Olympia, WA
+1 Harbor Freight torque wrench will measure torque accurately. I also use 40 year old Craftsman beam type. Harley torque spec ranges are large enough so don't sweat it.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,432
Likes: 290
From: FL
I had Craftsman 3/8" and 1/2". Started working professionally as a MC Tech and had the Craftsman rep test for accuracy in his truck. He showed me, both were off by 15%, his torque wrenches we off by 1%. I bought the Snapon TechAngleŽ Flex-Head Torque Wrenches and never looked back. I've had the Snapon Torque wrenches for over 3 years and use them regularly, have them tested ever couple months and they stay spot on. You get what you pay for.
Lets talk about fasteners and reasons for torque. When a fastener is tightened, an axial tension is applied to it. This stress stretches the fastener and reduces its diameter slightly. As we tighten the fastener more, we reach the yield point. Continuing to tighten the fastener moves it into the plastic range in which we are permanently stretching the fastener. If we continue to tighten the fastener, we will reach the ultimate tensile strength of the fastener and shortly thereafter the bolt will break. For any fastener to work properly, it must be stretched sufficiently to produce a static preload (clamping force) that is greater than the expected external loads. This is what the torque applied to the fastener does. Bolts and screws stretch like a spring and then return to their original length when tightened in the elastic range. It is critical that the fastener be tightened the right amount. Too little and they will loosen, too much and they may break or damage threads. Fasteners tightened into the plastic range will be permanently stretched and should be replaced.
Lets talk about fasteners and reasons for torque. When a fastener is tightened, an axial tension is applied to it. This stress stretches the fastener and reduces its diameter slightly. As we tighten the fastener more, we reach the yield point. Continuing to tighten the fastener moves it into the plastic range in which we are permanently stretching the fastener. If we continue to tighten the fastener, we will reach the ultimate tensile strength of the fastener and shortly thereafter the bolt will break. For any fastener to work properly, it must be stretched sufficiently to produce a static preload (clamping force) that is greater than the expected external loads. This is what the torque applied to the fastener does. Bolts and screws stretch like a spring and then return to their original length when tightened in the elastic range. It is critical that the fastener be tightened the right amount. Too little and they will loosen, too much and they may break or damage threads. Fasteners tightened into the plastic range will be permanently stretched and should be replaced.
Club Member
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,375
Likes: 2,312
From: Tampa Bay Area
I am more of a carpenter than a mechanic, but either way tools are a critical part of any job. Been "investing" in tools since my teen years and having a quality tool for the job will pay dividends for a long time. I still have an Estwing framing hammer in my box from a 1980s (?) purchase - it was easily 3~5 times the cost of the other hammers on the rack at that time,
Buy the best you can afford and enjoy..
Buy the best you can afford and enjoy..