I keep breaking 1/2 ratchets on my lug nuts.

[5030]

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I do, do stuff other than hobby farm hay (as you call it).... I've done very well financially with my machine and fabrication shop actually. Nice source of income plus it supports 2 full time machinists. I do all the welding myself however and operate the Shop Saber 10 foot plasma table, which has a pretty steady diet of cutting work.

Kind of concerned as to how the tariff's will impact my bottom line however. We will see I guess.

 

[WranglerX]

Like 5030 said, very few people read the instructions!! I haven't!!
I do understand the mechanics of a Torque Multiplier, and it would increase the torque going to the nut or bolt. That number can be calculated, but I wouldn't trust it.
David from jax

And what would you trust if torque value was above your present torque wrench range..... Go out and buy a $600 model that will see 99.8% of its life in a box on shelf....

 

[RayIN]

Of course.

The next question though is, has anybody calibrated their torque wrench?

I checked my Harbor Freight ½" torque wrench with my neighbors Snap-On ½" torque wrench. Both read the same, but I never checked against a calibration machine.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

I was a mechanic in another lifetime. Now, I have a bunch of Craftsman, Snap On, Matco assorted ratchets, reducers, extensions etc that are broken and no place to return. Yes, I could drive around with them in my truck and hope I see a dealer, hope he has replacements on truck. Not happening. I was talking with a Snap On dealer at a brewery, he said, just give to a Snap On dealer when you see them.
Craftsman are a lost cause, unless someone knows something I don't...

I did inherit some no name ratchets from my Pop, not chinese, and they have held up better than the Snap On etc from the 80's.

 

[scootr]

I was a mechanic in another lifetime. Now, I have a bunch of Craftsman, Snap On, Matco assorted ratchets, reducers, extensions etc that are broken and no place to return. Yes, I could drive around with them in my truck and hope I see a dealer, hope he has replacements on truck. Not happening. I was talking with a Snap On dealer at a brewery, he said, just give to a Snap On dealer when you see them.
Craftsman are a lost cause, unless someone knows something I don't...

I did inherit some no name ratchets from my Pop, not chinese, and they have held up better than the Snap On etc from the 80's.

I don't want a tool with a lifetime warranty.... I want a tool that will last a lifetime

 

[sandman2234]

I had a pair of Snap-on ball peen hammers in a toolbox that was seldom used. They literally turned to dust. I called Snap-on and they required me to send them in, and in a couple weeks, I got a new pair back. Snap-on handled all costs.
David from jax

 

[WinterDeere]

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I'm sure you have all experienced deja vous, at one time or another. But I'll swear that I or one of my friends owned that exact set of sockets, at one point. Wish I could remember when and where.

 

[Hay Dude]

I'm sure you have all experienced deja vous, at one time or another. But I'll swear that I or one of my friends owned that exact set of sockets, at one point. Wish I could remember when and where.

Those sets are mostly made in Taiwan.
I use my black 3/4” impact sockets way more.

 

[WinterDeere]

Kind of concerned as to how the tariff's will impact my bottom line however. We will see I guess.

I work in the electronics industry, where tariffs have been a "thing" for awhile now. Many distributors have taken to just adding the tariff like sales tax at checkout, which used to feel deceitful... show me one price, and then I pay another... but now I understand a lot better.

I design and build components for high power and industrial electronics, and award of contract usually happens 3 - 10 months after first quote, and project duration usually 14 - 18 weeks. With the way tariffs are hopping around, I've been thinking I need to follow the precedent already set by the distributors, and not even try to include it in the quoted price. I'm leaning toward just a statement that, "component and material tariffs to be forwarded with no more than 5% pass-thru fee", or something to that effect, such that I adjust my bill according to wherever the tariffs are on the date I buy the material.

Even that is a huge cost, trying to track the tariff portion of each component or project order cost. It's a real mess, just due to the way it can change at any time without warning.

 

[bcp]

Why is everybody recommending bigger wrenches and not the other alternative? Maybe he can keep his 1/2 inch drive and just get smaller wheel studs and nuts, like maybe 1/4 inch.



Bruce