Blue Point has always been Snap On’s “budget brand”
It’s clearly lower quality, and usually was designed by somebody other than Snap On
It doesn’t surprise me that most Blue Point tools are Chinese or Taiwanese
I have bought tools at HF and so far have been happy. I am not a mechanic, so my needs are different. My torque wrenches get used around once a month.
I recently needed a 3 ton jack. Looked at the Craftsman and the reviews stated that the quality has gone down. The warranty was also less than it used to be. The 3 ton jack was not low enough and would not lift high enough. I have a lower car and also an SUV and do not have much room to store 3 floor jacks. HF had a low profile 3 ton jack and also lifts high, so fits my need. It was only $10 less than the one from Sears. I have used it a few times and so far it has been fine. I am using my older stands, so haven’t tried their stands.
I am not sure, I mean I have alot of made in usa stuff that works well, made in china stuff seems to work well also, but I will tell you true I feel alot more comfortable under my old car ramps made in USA rather than if I bought a new made in China car ramps.
Reporting back
My local AutoZone loans a metal pump. Not all AZ loan the pump. They sell one that is plastic and has “MityVac” embossed on it, despite being the “OEM” brand AutoZone sells. I thought the one they sell is metal but seems not.
… is the AZ loan program straightforward? It looks like it can vary considerably, since one shop will loan the pump while the other doesn’t because of problems with parts disappearing.
They probably require a deposit just in case you like their tool more than they do. The deposit will be refunded when you return the tool.
Yeah, the AZ tool loan program usually works by selling you the tool at full price and giving you a full refund when returned, at least around here. The tools are typically well used but good condition. Beats buying a tool you’ll only use once in several years. Last one I loaned was a ball joint press for my Explorer. Probably will not need to use another one in the foreseeable future.
Barky, I personally prefer the molded plastic ramps to any stamped metal ramps. I see some advantages. One is that the load on the molded ramps follows a path entirely supported by material under compression. It’s impossible for them to flatten, as someone here had happen on his metal ramps. The second is that there are no edges to cut into my driveway, a problem I had with my metal ramps. The third, a minor advantage, is that they’re lighter and easier to move around.
I prefer the plastic ramps, too. I’ve never had problems with them.
I only wish I could find plastic ramps with a longer ramp and higher lift. So my belly doesn’t get caught on the chassis parts.
Or, I suppose I could lose the belly. Naw, forget I said that…
Actually, I found some, called “race ramps”, that raise the car 10", but they’re $299. Blah!
“So my belly doesn’t get caught on the chassis parts.”
I also have that problem
Yes, my friend, cars are definitely getting lower…
I bought a plastic one years ago at an auto parts store and never had any problem at all with it. I don’t use it to bleed brakes though, for the most part I only use it just to check for vacuum leaks. Which I do – what – maybe once or twice a year. When you need it, you definitely need it. But you don’t need it very often. Which makes an inexpensive but less robust version a good choice for the DIY’er. Even though I’ve had it a long time, I’d be surprised if I used it more than 20 or 30 times total. It does sometimes come in handy as a fluid pump too on occasion. If I was thinking of using one as a fluid pump or to bleed brakes, I’d probably choose a higher priced version, metal rather than plastic.
BTW, I’ve never heard anyone here say they’ve gotten very good results bleeding brakes with these gadgets. I think if you try it, you’ll find there will be problems, such as collapsing hoses, hoses coming off the bleed port, etc. It’s easier to push a fluid than to pull it.
I would think you could pull air through the threads of the loosened bleeder which would look like air coming from the caliper/cylinder.
Yes, the one time I tried it, air getting into the line was the result. Never tried it again.
The main reason I bought mine was to bleed the brakes. I’m usually stuck doing it alone. I got mine with the vacuum-tight cup and bleeder adapters. I found that pushing the adapters fully over the bleeder such that it seals on the casing does a good job. Pump up a good vacuum and monitor the fluid and air draw through the clear hoses. I use it to change out the brake fluid as I can draw out the dirty fluid and know when I get to the clean fluid.
it looks like I will try the MityVac model MV8500. This one is up a price point from the plastic one. Amazon has it. I was impressed with the manual which is available online, as it has specific car parts and how to test them, and also a diagram for the pump itself with service kits. Also a specific section on bench bleeding the brake master cylinder which (as some of the locals know) I need to do. I was not interested in renting one from AutoZone because if it breaks - and it seems that is a possibility, what then? not sure if the plastic one has the same manual as MV8500.