Buying the Cheapest Wrenches I could

General Discussion
81

I have 3 or 4 full sets of tools. I hate walking to get this or that so I have them located where the work typically gets done. I certainly can’t justify for all of them to be top of the line. The best tools are scattered throughout the sets, where they are in demand the most. The lesser quality tools round out each location.

I would think it would be frustrating to be a pro with a massive set of expensive tools sitting in boxes at work when I have a broken down car or project at home…you can’t always anticipate what you need to bring them home…do you have two sets of snap on/matco tools? or is your home set lesser quality?

82

I guess don’t forget that there are counterfeit products coming from our friends in China all over the place. They look the same, have the name brand names stamped in them, but are cheap inferior products. Stuff is found all the time in the shipping containers being unloaded. That’s why its so hard to rely on brand names or anything anymore. You just don’t know where it actually came from. Then toss in Chinese Buicks . . .

83

My home set of tools are generally of lesser quality . . . craftsman versus snap-on

With one exception . . . even my home ratchets are snap-on

84

I guess I have Craftsman and the last I bought was from Lowes. Husky or something I think. They actually seem pretty good and I can read the markings on them and they are color coded blue and red, just like I painted the tops on my other sockets. I needed a set for the car tool box so I didn’t have to take them from the garage all the time. Of course you need both SAE and Metric from small to large so you end up having to buy four different sets. Then there’s the wrenches. I know I’m going to open a drawer someday and there’ll be about 10 10mm wrenches in there that have been lost. The color coding was actually one of the best things I’ve done to keep my sockets straight.

85

OK44 had me laughing for a solid 5 minutes… The Dog and Grannys rocker does not a Good Pickup Coil make…or anything else made of metal I’d imagine. I’d have to agree. I’m sure he’s damn close to the truth on those smelting pots.

Twin Turbo makes a great point as well… I think we are all guilty of having a mixed bag of tools… I can tell you my travel bags are a mix for sure… Pro stuff…maybe some Craftsman Pro…regular craftsman and maybe a few errant pieces of junk… Many times you need multiples of the same tool as well…that happens a lot. Mixed bags have their place and I am a proponent…aren’t we all?

I would be a mental wreck if I was dragging Snap On tools all over the place with me…Salvage Yards, Camping/Riding Quads…Tools in a Backpack or out in some field helping someone… I’d have some kind of other mental condition to add to the ones I already possess worrying about where they are, if I rounded them all up or if they are trying to walk away.

I have many different mixed bags/kits to prevent the brain condition of
"ProtoolNeurosis" I know some guys who turn jobs down because of the offsite location and their refusal to bring the hardware out in the real world…I’m not bringing $5000 of tools from my $25K tool chest to do a $300 dollar job…NO WAY. LOL…I get that, a little, I do…but I go out…its what to do. But when the heavy hitters and specialty items need to be onsite…they are…and you can bet I keep an eye out for them.

Good Lord…I have an Ocean of Tools…its getting a little nuts

Blackbird

86

Yes, I usually have some “mixed bags” of tools in my vehicles for on the road repairs. Some cars have fasteners of only certain sizes. If it is a cheap set, I will break it up. One car may need the odd metric sizes while the other has all even metric sizes, with a few exceptions. Breaking up a toolset for such purposes is a great reason for HF stuff you don’t plan to use all the time.

I have bought quite a bit at HF and usually read the reviews if it is anything of much cost, otherwise, I take my chances. Some of the reviews have steered me away from what was apparently a junk tool. There have been a few things I saw that were pretty junky looking and decided to forego upon a quick look. I haven’t had any real issues with anything I bought there. The stuff that broke was stuff I was abusing and the reason I bought it there was I knew it was going to be put to hard use so didn’t want to destroy a good tool.

The sockets (impact and otherwise) seem to be decent as do the wrenches. I have also bought some cheap drills, a grinder, and such and was pleasantly surprised.

I know of people who have bought the Chinese small engines there for use on log splitters, tillers, etc. and were all quite happy with them. They claim to have a cast iron cylinder bore which is a good sign for durability. I have had a few of these engines come on equipment I bought used and they seem decent. I changed the oil and never had issues with them.

As for the busy bodies and trespassers, those people drive me nuts. I hate those who think your life needs to be their business. There are plenty of them around and sometimes the elderly are the WORST. It is like they have nothing better to do so have to do this instead.

87

Speaking of tools, this really grinds my gears- why can’t we have fewer varieties of ball joints???

Gotta do lowers on my TB. My “basic” kit has only ONE cup that can be used on this truck. To have all of the pieces needed to do both uppers and lowers, you need FOUR of their adapter sets to get all the parts you need. Or, you have to buy the master kit, which amazingly, is about the same cost as the 4 smaller kits. Grrr…

I used to enjoy collecting tools. Guess I still do. But I don’t like being held hostage. It’s akin to going into McDonalds and having to buy one of everything on the menu to get your desired meal…I want ALA CARTE! :wink:

88

Welcome to the Marketing section of the tool catalogue…

89

I used to work with a guy, he would borrow a tool, and remark how well it worked

A few days later, when the snap on tool guy came around, he would buy that same tool for himself

Then he would walk around the shop, telling ALL the guys “Look at this awesome tool”

When I bought a new toolbox, he bought the same one, same color, for himself. He was bragging to everybody about his toolbox

A few days later, he crashed a car into his toolbox. Messed it up, but good :naughty:

90

I was looking for my protractor today and found a couple of those really cheap $5 socket sets in my tool chest. I’m not sure what to do with them except throw them in a little box and make some needed room in my tool chest. I just can’t seem to throw stuff away-even worthless stuff like that.

At any rate I bought a new protractor and then of course found my other one in the tool box in the car. Now I have two with one still missing. That’s the rule. Can’t find something, buy a replacement and it’ll turn up. Actually there is a prayer we learned on a trip to find missing items. It worked three times and even used it once myself to find my notebook. Don’t know why but it works but I don’t over-do it.

91

Tool Envy exists…The problem is REAL people.

92

Hey db, you know what they say about imitation…
However, it is frustrating when people claim things you thought of for themselves.

93
...found a couple of those really cheap $5 socket sets in my tool chest. I'm not sure what to do with them...

Give 'em to kids with bicycles to maintain.

94

There are cheap tools…and then there are “CHEAP” tools.

I saw a socket set at one of those flee markets…the sockets were basically stamped aluminum foil. I’ve never seen anything so cheaply made. A 1/2" socket would break the first time you’d use it. I think the set sold for $5…and even that was way too high.

95

I have looked at some of those tools sold out of flea markets or in tents on the side of the road/in parking lots and talk about CHEAP. Harbor Freight looks like Snap On compared to that crap. The worst part is they usually want somewhere between the price of a HF and Craftsman set for this stuff!

The castings look like someone did it by having a 6 year old kid make it in a sweat shop in China. They are rough and crude. Wait a minute… Some poor kid in China did make those!

96

I guess those are the type tools you’d buy for some relative you don’t really like but you’re expected to buy them a gift - and you only ever see them during the holidays anyway :wink:

97

I usually get them a set of nylon interior panel tools. I love to see the puzzled look on their faces. :wink:

98

@db Using “you” was poor writing on my part. I did not mean “you”. I meant the US population as a general statement. However, I do not back off on you interpreting things in a negative manner.

That cousin runs to help anyone in need, family or not. If a poor person dies and the family cannot pay a grave digger, he and his son go and do it free. In family, for two years, he would call me at various hours to drive him to care for an aunt and uncle well into their 90’s, out of his own pocket.

Here is what you called my wife’s cousin: “Your wife’s cousin sounds like a scheming and manipulative POS.”

It doesn’t get any more negative than that.

Now, you whine and try to portray me as some sort of bully, or whatever you are doing. If you do not want to be called out, don’t say such nasty things about other people’s family.

99

@irlandes

“My wife’s crummy cousin”

Your words

And then you go on saying how he rejected your offer, and tried to manipulate things, behind your back, to work out in his favor, even though it’s your property/road

Don’t pretend you initially made the guy out to be an angel.

you did exactly the opposite

Now you’re saying “That cousin runs to help anyone in need . . .”

You said extremely negative things about the guy. I agreed with you. And you have a problem with that

Now you’re claiming the guy is an angel, and you’re telling me “don’t say such nasty things about other people’s family.”

YOU are the one who first said nasty things about your OWN family members, about that “crummy cousin” to use your own words

You apparently have a problem with what I am saying

You may want to think about what YOU said. Please don’t be like UncleHarry, saying stuff, then getting all bent out of shape when somebody brings it up or even agrees with you :anguished: because now you claim you never said it

I’m sorry, but I’m not going to sit idly by and let you try to make me out to be some sort of evil person

YOU tell us negative things

I read what you wrote, agree with you, and say so

And you have a problem with that

Please :smirk:

I like you just fine. You have lots of great stuff to add to this forum, as do we all. But I’m not going to let you try to browbeat me

100

I’ll just add that just because a tool is inexpensive (or even cheaper than dirt) it does not mean the tool is of low quality.

We have a long time mom and pop hardware store here that carries a massive assortment of hardware, stereo equipment, nuts/bolts/hydraulic fittings, and a mountain of tools; new Taiwan and used no-name and brand name stuff along with a back building with some classic cars. It’s just piled on shelves so one has to dig around a bit.

I’ve got a large number of MAC snap-ring pliers and this place started carrying some Chinese knockoffs at one time. I bought half a dozen different pair at 2 bucks each about 5 years ago and found them to be excellent as to fit and function.

The only thing about this store that stuns me to no end is the price marking on their hardware.
They have bin after bin after bin of nuts, bolts, screws, you name it including the off the all odd stuff that most people never need or have even heard of.

Instead of the bin itself being marked every single bolt, nut, or whatever, is price marked by hand with a Sharpie pen.
If the bin has a 1000 3/8 NF Grade 2 nuts in it then all 1000 nuts are individually marked.
And the selection starts from No. 2 and 4 sizes clean up through 1".

The same goes for the plumbing. There are tens of thousands of brass, copper, aluminum, and galvanized pieces; each with a Sharpie pen scrawl on it.

My sanity would be gone inside of 5 minutes if I had to price things out like that.