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Dec. 10, 2010 3:31 p.m. joey48442 SuperDork

I have this: http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-drive-25-inch-breaker-bar-30395.html

It's great. I've abused it. Put a cheater pipe on it and actually lifted the Miata off the jack stand trying to get a lugnut off that some genius put on too tight with an impact at a local shop.

Is this worth ten times as much? http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=63429&gr...

I don't think so. I would love to buy American made. I would pay 2 or 3 times as much to do so. But for snapon to expect me to pay ten times as much for something that will do the same job (for a home mechanic at least) is borderline insulting. This thing has lasted me three years already with no signs of giving up, and I've used it hard. I just can't justify over 100 bucks for the nearly same tool. Other than I guess I could show off to ally friends that I have a snapon wrench... But the kind of guy who de-badges his stuff.

Joey
Dec. 10, 2010 3:51 p.m. triumph5 Dork

A little bit of context here. Does a professional mechanic buy all his tools at HF? NO, they are not made or designed for that type of constant use. The harry homeowner, working in his home shop is, by far, the bulk of the buyers. Also, how often, and to what extent will a tool be used.

Example, I bought a brake bleeder for, what $20. I might use it a couple times a year, and it does the job well. Were I doing brakes once a month or week, I'd be heading to the Matco/Snap-On truck. And then there are items even as a harry apt dweller I don't go to HF for. The overwhelming bulk of my sockets and wrenches are from Sears. Break it, return it, get another free. And they're built for more than occasional use. My large impact sockets are from Sears. I don't want one shattering or deforming when I need really need it. Just keep in mind what your buying, how your going to use it, and how often. My 2 cents..
Dec. 10, 2010 4:16 p.m. joey48442 SuperDork

That /\

Joey
Dec. 10, 2010 4:43 p.m. mikeatrpi New Reader

Wally wrote:

Were getting one soon too. I won't have to pretend I want to see the in-laws

We, as in Poughkeepsie? Where? When?

On second thought, maybe its best you don't tell me...
Dec. 10, 2010 6:04 p.m. Pumpkin Escobar SuperDork

triumph5 wrote:

A little bit of context here. Does a professional mechanic buy all his tools at HF? NO, they are not made or designed for that type of constant use. The harry homeowner, working in his home shop is, by far, the bulk of the buyers. Also, how often, and to what extent will a tool be used.

Example, I bought a brake bleeder for, what $20. I might use it a couple times a year, and it does the job well. Were I doing brakes once a month or week, I'd be heading to the Matco/Snap-On truck. And then there are items even as a harry apt dweller I don't go to HF for. The overwhelming bulk of my sockets and wrenches are from Sears. Break it, return it, get another free. And they're built for more than occasional use. My large impact sockets are from Sears. I don't want one shattering or deforming when I need really need it. Just keep in mind what your buying, how your going to use it, and how often. My 2 cents..

This!

My grinder is Merkin, cuz I use it all the time, and want it to last forever. My HF miter saw is not, cuz I needed it for a quickie fix and only use it about once-a-never anymore. Most of my hand tools like wrenches and sockets are merkin, same reason...last forever. but I dont mind getting some chinese crap if I only plan to use it once every 4568 months. If I really think Im gonna use it a lot, I will find a way to get one with Made in the U.S.A. forged into it.
Dec. 10, 2010 6:44 p.m. ultraclyde Reader

Dave's shop, brought to you by Harbor Freight. Yeah, it's cheap chinese crap (I know cause I was in China recently and walked into a one-car-garage sized store that had an ENTIRE HF inventory in it.) It will probably break way before the good ones will, But it doesn't matter cause I only use that wonder widget once a year anyway.
Dec. 10, 2010 11:25 p.m. Wally SuperDork

mikeatrpi wrote:

Wally wrote:

Were getting one soon too. I won't have to pretend I want to see the in-laws

We, as in Poughkeepsie? Where? When?

On second thought, maybe its best you don't tell me...

On route 9 in the Poughkeepsie plaza. It's going to be Between Office Depot and Stop and Shop behind the Friendly's. Start saving your coupons.
Dec. 11, 2010 12:17 p.m. Appleseed SuperDork

bravenrace wrote:

Buy American before the Chinese own us.

Too late.
Dec. 11, 2010 10:16 p.m. Jensenman SuperDork

Tell you what, lots of HF stuff winds up as hammers because that's what it's best suited for. Their sockets suck, for instance. I buy Craftsman sockets.

I stick with real name brands on high useage power tools for the most part: DeWalt drills, Porter Cable sawzall and framing nailer, Makita 4" grinder, etc. I bought one of those orange Chicago Whazzit drills for around $15 and it blew up almost immediately (although my chop saw is still hanging in there). I have a MATCO air impact. Tough sumbitch, that.

OTOH, there are some good HF things... that magnetic digital angle finder, for instance. Very nice and handy little gadget, as far as I can tell very accurate too.

I have both the large and small 'racing jacks'. The small one is plugging along just fine, the big one (~10 years old) has some issues but it was, shall we say, 'overclocked' a few times. It don't owe me nothin'.

Then there's the spring loaded punch, miscellaneous lathe bits, grinding and cutoff wheels, inline die grinder, some other stuff which was inexpensive and holding up just fine.

It all comes down to it depends what you are working on and what you expect.
Dec. 11, 2010 10:49 p.m. Ranger50 Reader

Best thing I have ever bought is the foldable tamperproof torx deal. For $4, that can't be beat, especially doing as many ignitions as I have done.

Brian
Dec. 11, 2010 10:58 p.m. JoeyM Dork

I use my HF angle grinder constantly, but stopped using theirr grinding wheels. It is much cheaper to get them mail order from Lehigh Valley Abrasives (...a tip I picked up here, BTW.)
Dec. 12, 2010 9:31 a.m. 92dxman HalfDork

That 104 piece tool kit for $34 plus the 20% coupon is awfully tempting..
Dec. 12, 2010 11:34 a.m. JThw8 SuperDork

JoeyM wrote: It is much cheaper to get them mail order from Lehigh Valley Abrasives (...a tip I picked up here, BTW.)

They should really advertise here. I know I've spent a few hundred dollars with them this past year (the warburg needed alot of cutting and grinding)

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