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Sears is currently showing a number of deals on Craftsman mechanics tools. Their 1/2 inch drive torque wrench is $36 (normally $80) I have been needing a click style torque wrench - seems like a good deal.
I am NOT trying to promote a brand - just passing the word on about the sale....
Does anyone have a brand they recommend over Craftsman?
I have two Torque wrenches. One is the I don't care in the ball park one from HF. The other is I really need it correct from Lowes. I bought in at the time when Snap on was making the better tools.
I use Craftsman most but I use Kolbalt, Husky,SK, Lisle the list goes on depends if I will use it alot.
My Harbor Freight torque is just as accurate as the snap on one of the guys I work with uses. In fact, it was actually pretty **** close to being dead nuts before even being calibrated (which ya'll really need to do with ANY new torque wrench...just sayin').
Will it last as long? Don't care. It's held it's calibration for 6 months of professional use so far, I'll keep buying a new one every year for the $10-20 they go for.
I'll buy literally anything over Craftsman, and especially Harbor Freight. I REALLY like the Pro line of hand tools, same warranty as Craftsman, and they are built so much better. I've yet to break any of my Pittsburgh Pro (Harbor Freight brand) hand tools. The "regular" Pittsburgh stuff is about on par with Craftsman in my experience. Again, this is through professional use as well, 40-80 hours a week on those ratchets, torque wrenches, T handles, etc.
I won't even bother returning my current Craftsman tools, the last few replacements I got were so hilariously bad it just wasn't worth it. The side cutters I got couldn't cut anything since the blades weren't cut straight, and even after a proper sharpening they dull way too quick. Broken a handful of sockets by just looking at them funny...the only good thing I have from them is a torque wrench purchased at least 15-20 years ago...when they actually made usable stuff.
I'll have to check out the harbor freight stuff. I was changing an O2 sensor on a friend's truck this past weekend, which opened my eyes. As I'm trying to break it loose, and cranking on this thing and then BAM! I thought I got it loose...nope. Ratchet was toast.
This was just a cheap ratchet that came with a socket set. I had a MAC ratchet laying around that got the job done though.
I think a better question to ask yourself is, how much use am I going to put tool “X” to and base the quality on that answer. One of the criteria that any hand tool I buy must meet is a lifetime warranty. If it doesn’t come with it, the price better reflect it! I won’t spend a lot on tools that get only very occasional light use, no need to. I put money into the tools I depend on and use nearly all the time. Other tangible things that need to be considered, things that may not be apparent to others or even to you at the time of purchase are:
Hand feel/comfort/ergonomics - Exceedingly important in high torque situations or if the tool is used a lot. Rounded edges, smooth or high grip surface, handle shapes, weight…
Fit and finish - Is a black oxide finish good enough? Zinc? Chrome? In any case the finish needs to be durable and take a beating. My hands have been cut by flaking chrome on low end brands. How about handle material?
Accuracy and quality - Torque wrenches were mentioned above. I know what brands I have at home and at work which range from an inch pound to my 42”, ¾ drive 600 ft/pound. Overall quality may not be important to you, but for me it is. When I’m reassembling a $250k Rolls Royce Merlin I need to have the confidence the wrench is accurate. I’m not about to trust a budget brand “X” wrench. Likewise, when I’m coiled up to hells fury and giving the 600 pounder max sweat, the quality needs to be there for me to have the confidence to do that since I don’t fancy flying across the shop like I’ve been shot out of a cannon if any part of it cuts loose on me!
Other general overall considerations include, how tight are the ratchet pawls and forward/reverse shift in them? How fine is the ratchet spline…a super important consideration when working in tight spaces. How tight is the retention ball in the drive adaptor? Does the drive adaptor have a button release? How tight (or loose) does a driver fit on -or in- the driven fastener? How thick is the socket wall for the same given stength? What quality is the metallurgy of the drivers from sockets to screwdriver tips to extensions, etc. (The first time you twist a reducer or extension off and smash your hand into an immovable object, you’ll curse all the way to the emergency room wishing you’d ponied up a few extra dollars for the good one…much less expensive and painful than a broken whatever!).
There are a lot of good quality tools out there…price and brand are not the tell all’s. The best way to tool shop is to go to the store (or truck), put the tool in your hands and let it sell itself to you.
Be very careful when buying pneumatic tools and cutting tools…they are not created equal. In general, cheap out and get ripped off!
A lot of good advice here John. I haven't professionally pulled wrenches in nearly 40 years or so. Back in the day I used SnapOn and BluePoint.
What do you like for Torque - Ratchets - Flat Wrenches (non-ratcheting) - Air?
Well, the intent of my input is not to list all the brands I have –or in some cases wish I had! Rather, it’s to try and open the readers mind to what their needs are based on expected usage and what they can afford. To be honest, my employer pays for the tools I select to do the job here at work so that has a significant bearing on what I buy…but that doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all to buy the most expensive brands either! I do have a budget I need to stay within or I hear about it. My choices for home are not far from what I buy at work. I like quality tools and firmly believe quality tools don’t cost, they pay! Snap-on, Mac, S-K, Armstrong, Klein, Matco just to name a few are all very good…there are many more. Any good professional grade driver, torque measuring or otherwise, is going to -or should- have most of the criteria I listed earlier. The only way to know for sure that it does is to hold it in your hands and fiddle with it. If you can’t because it’s a mail order, make sure you’re clear on the return policy and be willing to use it! For the drivers and torque wrenches I landed on Snap-On/CDI for availability and customer service if/when needed but there are other super quality pieces out there that are just as good. Yes, there was a major pucker factor on the ¾ drive, 600 ft/pound torque wrench (It was as much as some back yarders have invested in their entire tool sets!) but again, this is a classic case of getting what one pays for! My selection of flat wrenches varies, again, depending on expected usage. High end professional tools typically fit fasteners better, are lighter/thinner then lower end stuff and are typically much stronger even though they have smaller cross-sections. For my big box/opens from 1¼ up to about 2½ I have mainly black oxide finished Armstrong because they are reasonably priced, still have great hand feel but don’t need the expensive chrome finish since they are not used daily like the smaller sizes are. Black oxide also offers a little more grip on the gloves. Don’t cheap out on screw drivers!!! Hardened, replaceable tips or only! When I was in the “Cheap camp” I twisted off more screw driver tips or rounded out more Phillips heads than I can count…no more…all that junk went in the recycling bin the day I wised up years ago. A lot of air tool manufacturers offer homeowner grade to high end professional grade. Watch for good body construction, good motor sealing, good grip/ergo’s, and superior trigger control, especially on the drill motors. I have a love/hate relationship with my ¾ inch impact wrench. It’s a heavy, powerful BRUTE to be sure but a body saver without question. It’s not designed for paper pushing wimps and the first time it’s picked it up, it’s clearly understood that badass will put the hurt on ya if not treated with respect!
11/30/15 | 03:40 PM
