USA made bearings?

5030 · Jul 25, 2023

When you get into ultra high precision bearings, the price goes up like a rocket ship and the vendors / manufacturers are not too many as well.

Dftodd · Jul 25, 2023

5030 said:
I've found (from first hand experience) that the best warranty is actually Harbor Freight on their mid grade and better hand tools and especially sockets. I've tried hard to break their impact sockets and so far, zilch.

Last time I was on a tool truck (Snap-On), I needed a 12 volt test light. The guy handed me a real pretty Snap on one in a snazzy box and I opened it and it said right on the tool, 'Made in China' It was almost a hundred bucks. I passed and went to HF and bought one for under 20 bucks.

I agree. I had a nice set of Grey pneumatic impact sockets off one of the tool trucks.

They have since quit carrying that brand. Found that out when I busted a socket.

I now own two sets of impact sockets from harbor freight. One for my toolbox in the shop. The other set is in my service truck.

I also have the Pittsburgh brand 1/2" drive ratchet with the extendable handle. Lent it to a guy on a jobsite. Dude was similar in size to the dude in the movie Green Mile. 6'4 and 300+lbs Dude was huge!!! He broke it

Swung by harbor freight and they swapped it out within a couple minutes.

Their Irwin and Bauer brands that they started carrying are comparable to any of the tool trucks hand tools in quality for 1/8 the price.

5030 · Jul 25, 2023

I think you mean 'Icon', not Irwin.

Renze · Jul 25, 2023

Dftodd said:
I also have the Pittsburgh brand 1/2" drive ratchet with the extendable handle. Lent it to a guy on a jobsite. Dude was similar in size to the dude in the movie Green Mile. 6'4 and 300+lbs Dude was huge!!! He broke it

I had a breaker bar which i tore the half inch square in a half inch to 3/4" adapter with a 36mm socket trying to unscrew a driveshaft. I welded a pipe to it and found it much easier to bring the blow to the nut, so since then ive made several of these socket wrenches from surplus half inch sockets. Reinforced the sockets by welding one or two layers of pipe around it, and the 3 foot 30mm handlebar slid into the 3 inch cross pipe welded to the end of the socket, will take a 1 3/4" scaffolding pipe effectively meaning that the nut will turn on the bolt, or -with- a part of the bolt, but it will loosen either way.

If required, i can always weld more pipe around the socket because weight is not an issue.