Harbor Freight Fail

A failure on my part! 

What am I doing wrong? I have clipped away the blue retaining rod that goes across all the sockets. Now, I pull as hard as I can and I can not get the black sockets to release from the blue base. 

Is there a trick I am unaware of? 

What is the intended method of removal? 

Pull harder?  They are just stuck on there, and it is supposed to act as a storage rail for them. 

Intended method of removal is to pull hard while twisting. 

Then throw away that rail and never use it again. 

In reply to John Welsh :

Don't feel bad, one kicked my ass Saturday.  The pull and twist method works.

Fire.

Duh 

No 10mm.. ugh.

In reply to dculberson :

Nothing to lose that way. It is better that way.

Yep, twist and pull.  If the plastic thing comes off the rail (which it will), punch it out with an extension on the bench vise.

heat or fire is actually not a bad solution, if you have good ventilation as the burning plastic isn’t exactly the healthiest thing to breath.

I’m guessing lots of theft led to that terrible solution.

Pull, twist and destroy that rail to get the sockets off is the only way I know how to do it.

My assumption is wrong, you are not intended to have a handy blue and black rail for storage that can even be hung on a peg board hook.  That would make too much sense. 

It required these additional tools to open my tools. 

Thanks all

Hidden on the back in "black on black" are these "instructions". 

EvanB said:

Intended method of removal is to pull hard while twisting. 

Then throw away that rail and never use it again. 

1000%

Because shoplifting. 

One of these opened up 5 minutes from my house.  I haven't bought a single tool there yet. Rather drive out to the old Ace.

I've still got a handful of sockets that have the plastic still stuck in them. No amount of pounding has budged them. If I ever need them I'll have to burn them out.

That thing wouldn't even make a good hammer

Odd, I don't think I've seen those blue tabs before. 

I'll have to check the half inch set I bought over the weekend for in the truck, but I think it just had the regular black sometimes reusable tabs. 

Why shoplift from harbor freight? Buy a set, keep the piece you need, and return it. Fills up the clearance section, and judging by my local clearance section, that's what everyone does. 

RevRico said:Why shoplift from harbor freight? Buy a set, keep the piece you need, and return it. Fills up the clearance section, and judging by my local clearance section, that's what everyone does. 

Have you met a shoplifter?  They aren't exactly the brightest bulb in the bunch....

In reply to Stefan :

I like to think the petty criminals are smart enough to steal quality goods that have a resale value. Otherwise, what's the point?

Then again, I see people selling the free tape measures and flashlights on Craigslist for more than they cost to buy in the store, without the free coupon. 

Human stupidity never ceases to amaze me. 

dculberson said:

No 10mm.. ugh.

If you need an impact socket for a 10 mm head you have bigger problems anyway

Suprf1y said:

dculberson said:

No 10mm.. ugh.

If you need an impact socket for a 10 mm head you have bigger problems anyway

More infuriating, my set of 3/8" drive impact sockets from them came with a 10mm and a 16mm socket but skips right over 15mm

Same problem.  I had to destroy the retainer to free the sockets. 

I just bought the identical set, except with a Kobalt label. Easy.

Next step is to jam a large flat blade screwdriver into the gap between the plastic and the bottom of the socket. Twist, repeat on the other side, pull. 

Suprf1y said:

dculberson said:

No 10mm.. ugh.

If you need an impact socket for a 10 mm head you have bigger problems anyway

Probably true, but I have several impact socket sets, all include a 10mm. Even the 1/2" drive sets. I guess this one covers a wide range of sizes, from 11mm - 24mm. I tend to buy "complete" sets that require buying two, a small (10-19mm) and a large (20mm-??bigmm)

Suprf1y said:

dculberson said:

No 10mm.. ugh.

If you need an impact socket for a 10 mm head you have bigger problems anyway

It just means you own a Jeep. Which may be saying the same thing.

fasted58 said:

That thing wouldn't even make a good hammer

Those blue rails are the toughest thing Harbor Freight sells.