Hand tool question??

[Gary Fowler]

I use a lot of Harbor Freight stuff and there is nothing wrong with their Pittsburg wrenches, as good a quality wrench as you will find today and warranty is great. I have 2 sets of their 3/4" drive sockets (SAE and Metric 3/4"-2" in size)and have never broken any of them. I use them with impacts /cheater bars with no problem.

None of their electric /battery tools are as good as Makita, Milwaukee, Dewalt but then they sometimes cost at least 50% less although the price of HF tools has gone up so much lately that they now are just about as expensive as Dewalt brand. I have some of their Earthquake battery powered impact guns and 4.5" grinder and they work fine (so far). I have had many of their Chicago Electric 4.5" grinders with paddle switch(highest quality ones) for years now and some are starting to go bad. I replaced them with Dewalt that are not much more in cost. I now have 4 Dewalt 4.5" grinders and 2 out of 5 of the HF that still work. I do have a 7" HF grinder that is very powerful and I have had it for years but it doesnt get much use so I cant say much about longevity.
As with any product or company, HF has some very good and some very poor products. Careful shopping and evaluation of the product is advised.

I am sure that Snap-on, Proto, etc tools bought today are not as good as the old ones so the warranty is what you are paying for. Regardless of where /what you buy if it is lifetime warranty, it is worth the price.

 

[Oaktree]

Tis the season, but for about the next month if you go to Home Depot or Lowes they likely have a brick of tools for $100, it is really a heck of a deal to get started or just to get a second set of compact tools... Last year I bought one of the Husky ones, there's 3 ratchets, 3 sets of sockets in both depths, a limited set of wrenches in metric and standard and some other basics, you just cannot replicate that for $100...

Don't overlook auto parts stores too. A few years ago I picked up a similar set (just sockets/ratchets, no wrenches) for relatively cheap money at O"Reilly to keep in my work truck. They've stood up just fine. Over the years I've probably lost more sockets and wrenches than I've broken.
You don't seem to see the super cheap (my high school shop teacher called them cream cheese) tools around much anymore.

As you noted, this is the time of year (as well as around father's day) to get a deal on a set.

 

[Dftodd]

I'm a fan of gear wrench ratcheting wrenches, and regular wrenches. They can be found in most hardware stores, fastenal carries them, as well as the big 3 tool trucks carry them. Really makes it convenient if you break one and need to swap it out since your not relegated to a specific location. Life time warranty as well, with out the hefty price tag of the tool trucks.

 

[buck12]

I have a mixture of tools that I think includes about every brand. One brand I have not seen mentioned is Capri. I bought a full set of their metric and standard hex bit sockets and internal and external torx bit sockets a couple of years ago and have been impressed. I think their warranty requires an emailed photo of the broken tool and they send a replacement.

 

[Dftodd]

I cracked/broke a couple of my sockets when I first got my impact driver. One was SnapOn, the other was ProTo. OK - so they aren't made for use with an impact tool. I now have a set of impact sockets. 1/2" drive - Mac impact sockets.

My Kubota M6040 and my Rhino 950 rear blade have required that I have a few really large 3/4" drive sockets also. In the 1 3/8 to 2 1/4 inch range.

I have and have used - Mac, ProTo & SnapOn for over 45 years now. I have found none to be superior to the other. All three have a lifetime replacement policy.

I've even found a cure for my greatest problem. Drop a socket, nut, bolt - whatever, in the deep grass of my lawns. I now have a White's metal detector. It's paid for itself many times over.

My son just followed my foot steps into a carreer as a mechanic for a rental company. He was focusing on Matco tools for his arsenal.

I had him stop by my shop when he had some free time and I ran him through my tool box. I have a heinz 57 mix of tools from Mac, Matco, and snap-on. I explained that each one has their strong points and weak points.

And that I've had the best luck with Mac tools for the most part. But each manufacturer has some exclusive gimic tools that make your life easier that are exclusive designs from one manufacturer or the other. So talk to your coworkers and find out what works best for them on a certain task to make your life easier. They most likely have come across a tool that turns that PITA job into one that is a little easier.

 

[Yjmoose]

So to add too my story, I decided on craftsman because of the warranty. Yes, snap on has a good warranty, but I don’t have regular access to a snap on truck. I don’t even know where to look for proto tools, and also have no access to a Mac truck. So for me/us, access to a warranty center is key. There are two “stocking” craftsman tool stores within a 10 min drive of my house. I pass a Harbor freight everyday on my way home from work. I went with the craftsman tools based on their warranty, maybe he wouldn’t break snap on tools but he is 16 and not earning a living with these tools (yet, who knows what the future holds for him).

 

[Doofy]

I have never broken a Craftsman tool but I have found a couple of stripped ratchets at the dump and turned them in for replacement. Tool warranties are not important to me for small hand tools.

 

[jaydee325]

I seem to recall that Craftsman tightened up their tool warranty such that it is not as simple as walking in the store with a broken tool and walking out with a new one no questions asked. Can anyone comment on that?

It may have concerned returning tools to other retailers (such as a big box store that sells Craftsman tools) but I don't recall.

 

[Oaktree]

I seem to recall that Craftsman tightened up their tool warranty such that it is not as simple as walking in the store with a broken tool and walking out with a new one no questions asked. Can anyone comment on that?

I'd be interested in knowing that too. Have heard so many conflicting statements.

 

[Popgadget]

Snap-on had a patent called flank drive. Six and 12 point sockets and wrenches had rounded points like this
Patent must have expired, better quality tools now use this design. Spline sockets (fits metric/sae) move the point of contact to the flat sides of the bolts & nuts. In the 70's a craftsman tool could round off a nut, hammer on the snap-on and break it loose.
I think craftsman, kobalt, stanley, some others have the improved design

I was going to mention this very thing, but didn’t realize that other manufacturers use the flank drive now. I was going to say from my experience on wrenches and sockets up to 3/4 or so that the snap on versions are worth the premium as they will turn fasteners that others like craftsman would slip on. For the larger sizes it’s not an issue. Over the last 60 years, I’ve collected sockets and wrenches from Sears, SnapOn, Williams, Proto, SK and many others including Harbor Freight.
For someone just starting out, you can’t go wrong with the Harbor Freight stuff. Most of it works acceptably, and it is so cheap as to be just about disposable.
He could definitely get a good start with the HF stuff and will quickly figure out which tools are substandard and need to be replaced with something better.