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Disciple of Pain posted:Use Ebay to buy real professional grade tools for some stuff and supplement with Harbor Freight stuff for things that I rarely use/aren't all that breakable. quote:Or should I buy a Craftsman set? Speaking of Harbor Freight, they have started to carry an extensive line of stuff from Pittsburgh which is actually quite good, especially their Pittsburgh Professional line. Some of the best price/performance out there right now. What I won't buy at Harbor Freight, though, are precision instruments (think torque wrench, calipers, dial gauge, etc) and anything with an electrical motor in it. For those I cough up for quality manufacturers like Milwaukee. ease posted:I got this set from sears onsale for 200$ a few months ago :
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Aug 16, 2008 01:03
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EnergizerFellow posted:What I won't buy at Harbor Freight, though, are precision instruments (think torque wrench, calipers, dial gauge, etc) I have a HF digital caliper and it's a POS other than it's accurate enough, and cheap. My HF torque wrench, however, it just dandy and is working quite well and most people I've heard from with one have been satisfied.
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Aug 16, 2008 02:31
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I'm getting a good sized garage and workshop built really soon. The guy who's supposed to level and prep the pad was due yesterday actually, didn't show of course. Once it's done a lift and at least 1 maybe 2 4 point lifts are planned. Does anyone have experience with the HF lifts? Specifically these: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=97842 http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=98169 I'm also seeing some on Ebay cheaper but not sure how I'd feel using an Ebay lift, HF is scary enoough I think.
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Aug 16, 2008 15:05
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ChiliMac posted:I have a HF digital caliper and it's a POS other than it's accurate enough, and cheap. My HF torque wrench, however, it just dandy and is working quite well and most people I've heard from with one have been satisfied. I'm not arguing with what you're saying, but how do you even know that the HF torque wrench is torquing to what it is set to?
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Aug 17, 2008 02:22
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Contraband posted:I'm not arguing with what you're saying, but how do you even know that the HF torque wrench is torquing to what it is set to? Didn't some site do tool comparisons tests with Lowes, Sears, Home Depot and Harbor Freight a few years ago? If memory serves the HF stuff did pretty well.
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Aug 17, 2008 02:24
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Elviscat posted:on the topic of Dremel clone, I have a B&D knockoff that has a motor on a swivel mounted base, with a felxible driveshaft to a little handpiece, and it's loving great, shitloads of torque, and the handpiece is so small it'll fit anywhere. So it's a good one. Black and Decker used to be pretty good tools, but in the last 20 years they're complete poo poo. I burned up a brand new B&D drill on two 1/4 inch holes in sheet metal. True, it was the cheapest one Wallly World had, but Goddamn. Napa hand tools are surprisingly good. I've pretty much given up on Craftsman, sadly. They used to be my standby. For power tools I go with Milwaukee or Bosch. More expensive, but I'll never have to replace them. There are other good ones, but I know those two.\ HF is hit or miss, thy may work great at first, then burn up next week. Not bad for one of those "I've never needed this before" tools.
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Aug 17, 2008 05:48
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Contraband posted:I'm not arguing with what you're saying, but how do you even know that the HF torque wrench is torquing to what it is set to? How do you know with any torque wrench?
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Aug 17, 2008 14:50
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Disciple of Pain posted:How do you know with any torque wrench?
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Aug 18, 2008 04:32
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EnergizerFellow posted:Quality torque wrenches will have serial numbers and a NIST certification certificate. HF tools come with a certificate as well. That doesn't mean they are accurate when you are using them. It just means they were at the factory. Same with a pricey wrench.
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Aug 18, 2008 12:27
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...and you should probably get them calibrated once a year as well, but buying a new HF wrench every year would probably be cheaper. I suppose if you are worried you can check it against a beam wrench first.
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Aug 18, 2008 14:45
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ChiliMac posted:I suppose if you are worried you can check it against a beam wrench first. I came in here to say the exact same thing. Weld two nuts together (the larger, the better), lock them in a vise, and put your beam on one side, your clicker on the other. Set the clicker at 20ft-lbs, and watch the beam scale as you push them against one another. Repeat again at 40, 60, and 100 ft-lbs.
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Aug 18, 2008 15:04
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sharkytm posted:I came in here to say the exact same thing. Weld two nuts together (the larger, the better), lock them in a vise, and put your beam on one side, your clicker on the other. Set the clicker at 20ft-lbs, and watch the beam scale as you push them against one another. Repeat again at 40, 60, and 100 ft-lbs. Why not just buy a beam style and be done with it?
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Aug 18, 2008 19:12
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Kynetx posted:Why not just buy a beam style and be done with it? Beam wrenches are for when you're assembling your engine or transmission. For anything else they're overkill. For most work a clicker wrench is more than adequate, and they're much easier to use.
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Aug 18, 2008 20:13
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Kynetx posted:Why not just buy a beam style and be done with it? Its useless in 80% of situations, where you can't see the scale, or don't have room for the width, etc.
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Aug 18, 2008 23:09
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I apologize for having not read all of this thread, but it's a quick question. So this is the first time I've lived somewhere that I'm not 30mins away from a garage full of decent tools, which means it's time to start my own set. I have literally nothing, and am just looking for the basics. I grew up using Craftsman tools, I've only ever broke one ever while working with them, and sears replaced it that day. Is Craftsman still a good brand? I'm talking very basic stuff here, screwdrivers, wrenches, sockets. Also, with regards to wrenches, I see all kinds with weird ratcheting features, or the socket-style end rotated 90*, what are your feelings on these, improvement? Or just get the good ol' and simple?
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Sep 6, 2008 18:25
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I only buy Craftsman stuff if it's on sale for a decent price. Stuff like screwdrivers and wrenches aren't going to break enough to justify spending more for the warranty to me. I'm always afraid of those fancy wrenches breaking on me. It is a pretty unjustified fear because I haven't heard of them breaking, but I admire a solid piece of drop-forged steel for it's strength.
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Sep 6, 2008 18:39
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Got a 1-ton folding shop crane (read: engine hoist) from Harbor Freight today with a $68 off coupon - normally $164.99, on sale for $97.  Will post some pics and thoughts after i get it assembled this afternoon.
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Sep 6, 2008 19:18
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Korwen posted:Craftsman stuff is passable, but not what it used to be. I've been buying Blackhawk and K-D from Napa and Carquest lately. If it's what's available you can do much worse than Craftsman, but it isn't something to seek out anymore. I wouldn't get ratchet wrenches and that kind of thing until you've built up a good collection of the basic stuff. A set of combination wrenches, ratchet sets in 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2, the regular old school toolkit. Then if you find a need for something special, like "MAN that one drat battery clamp is hard to get to and I take it off a lot, a 1/2" rathet wrench would be just the thing!", go get a 1/2" ratchet wrench, not a whole set.
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Sep 6, 2008 19:39
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Buy good 3/8, 1/4, and 1/2 ratchets. They all wear out eventually but the ones that come in like wal mart sets and even those blackhawk ones I have worn out very very quickly. Craftsman wear out too but generally hold up much better than those previously mentioned and when they wear out you just get a free replacement.
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Sep 6, 2008 20:13
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Honestly, Harbor Freight stuff is quite good if you're just looking for simple hand tools and the warranty is as good as Sears.
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Sep 6, 2008 21:29
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For any UK guys, Halfords have got an offer on this weekend for 10% discount if you reserve stuff online, in addition to a pretty big discount on their socket sets (They're decent quality, and have lifetime warranty). I also picked myself up a new gadget. It's made by a company called Inovex, and is basically a five-gallon tub with a 12v pump and hose fittings, so you can run it off your lighter socket. It works pretty well - certainly good enough for washing the car or cleaning down mountain bikes, which is what I got it for. I wouldn't have paid £40 for one, but they're on offer for £20 at the minute, and at that price I'd definitely recommend it.
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Sep 6, 2008 22:43
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RealKyleH posted:Buy good 3/8, 1/4, and 1/2 ratchets. They all wear out eventually but the ones that come in like wal mart sets and even those blackhawk ones I have worn out very very quickly. Craftsman wear out too but generally hold up much better than those previously mentioned and when they wear out you just get a free replacement. The problem I've had with Craftsman ratchets lately is the little selector lever breaking off. They used to be pot metal, but now they're just plastic and come off easily. Then I take it to Sears and they won't exchange it on the spot anymore, they send it off somewhere and I get a rebuilt one in the mail like a month later. Maybe that's just my Sears, but they've made it not worth the effort. I need to bite the bullet and chase down a Snapon truck.
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Sep 6, 2008 23:03
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That stupid little plastic lever is a real bitch. I've seen them snap off very easily. And I don't think I've heard of any Sears exchanging ratchets now. You won't get a new one, only a rebuilt one. I don't really mind rebuilt ratchets so much, but waiting that long for one is ridiculous.
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Sep 6, 2008 23:17
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multiprotocol posted:Got a 1-ton folding shop crane (read: engine hoist) from Harbor Freight today with a $68 off coupon - normally $164.99, on sale for $97. I got that one, and found it was too small to lift my little 4 cylindar motor  The 2 ton was overkill, but it worked great. Anyone wanna buy a used 2 ton engine hoist? I think im done with it.
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Sep 6, 2008 23:40
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SNiPER_Magnum posted:I only buy Craftsman stuff if it's on sale for a decent price. Stuff like screwdrivers and wrenches aren't going to break enough to justify spending more for the warranty to me. I haven't used anything nicer than Craftsman, but I can't stand cheap screwdrivers. Everything I've owned except for the Craftsman ones has either stripped the tip of the screwdriver or failed to grip the screw properly. I got a set of 8 Craftsman screwdrivers for like $15, which I feel is a solid investment.
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Sep 7, 2008 00:09
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Uthor posted:I got a set of 8 Craftsman screwdrivers for like $15, which I feel is a solid investment. I'm sold on Klein screwdrivers now. A bit pricey, but they're absolutely wonderful screwdrivers. Their pliers rock, too.
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Sep 7, 2008 00:12
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Klein pliers do rock. On a side note, does anybody else hate the Snap-On side cutters? Mine were dull within the first month. My friend has the same pair and his are the exact same way. He bought a pair of Mastercraft (similar to craftsman) for like 10 bucks and they work 10x better then the 40 dollar snap on ones.
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Sep 7, 2008 00:51
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I use Kobalt screwdrivers. They seem equal to Craftsmen in terms of quality, are cheaper, and supposedly have the no-questions-asked warranty (which I've never had to use). Actually, whenever I need hand tools, Lowes is my first stop now.
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Sep 7, 2008 00:58
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SNiPER_Magnum posted:Actually, whenever I need hand tools, Lowes is my first stop now. Also, $1 tape measures work just as well as $10 tape measures. grover fucked around with this message at 01:08 on Sep 7, 2008 |
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Sep 7, 2008 01:03
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Am I the only one who prefers using a magnetic screw driver handle with a big set of bits rather than regular screw drivers? They are relatively disposable with massive sets costing virtually nothing. Only real downsides I've seen are when you have a really tight, deep hole you need to get into or having to hammer on them.Tim706 posted:Klein pliers do rock. quote:On a side note, does anybody else hate the Snap-On side cutters? Mine were dull within the first month. My friend has the same pair and his are the exact same way. He bought a pair of Mastercraft (similar to craftsman) for like 10 bucks and they work 10x better then the 40 dollar snap on ones. EvilDonald posted:The problem I've had with Craftsman ratchets lately is the little selector lever breaking off. They used to be pot metal, but now they're just plastic and come off easily. Then I take it to Sears and they won't exchange it on the spot anymore, they send it off somewhere and I get a rebuilt one in the mail like a month later. I recently discovered the Pittsburgh Professional swivel head ratchets at Harbor Freight. Quite good and $15-20/ea with the utility of a swivel head. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96781 http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96782 http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96783 Korwen posted:So this is the first time I've lived somewhere that I'm not 30mins away from a garage full of decent tools, which means it's time to start my own set. I have literally nothing, and am just looking for the basics. For sockets specifically, if you're thinking of going impact anytime soon, you may as well start with impact sockets. Here are a couple of complete, cheap impact kits I found: http://www.wescotools.com/p-7604-86pc-38-12-combo-standard-deep-impact-socket-set-sk34c86-by-ingersoll-rand.aspx http://www.wescotools.com/p-8774-55-piece-14-drive-impact-socket-set-tf255ms-by-genius-tool.aspx Speaking of impact stuff, anybody try Sunex stuff? They are a new brand to me, but the quality looks quite good for a reasonable price. Looks to be Taiwanese in origin and may be the same stuff as the high-end Harbor Freight (Pittsburgh Professional, Earthquake), but with a much larger catalog. quote:Also, with regards to wrenches, I see all kinds with weird ratcheting features, or the socket-style end rotated 90*, what are your feelings on these, improvement? Or just get the good ol' and simple? EnergizerFellow fucked around with this message at 09:40 on Sep 7, 2008 |
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Sep 7, 2008 07:24
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I use Wiha screw drivers and hex keys, they are awesome. My ratchets and stuff are from Canadian Tire though, Mastercraft Maximum, actually pretty good stuff.
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Sep 7, 2008 09:55
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Anybody try one of the cordless electric ratchets? The only 3/8" size that I can find are Ingersoll Rand and Makita at $130 and $200, respectively. A fairly shocking $280 and $400 if you have to buy the charger/battery kit and don't have other cordless tools. http://www.irtools.com/IS/category.aspx-en-21885 http://www.makita.com/menu.php?pg=product_det&tag=BTL063 Ridgid also has a 12V impact ratchet, but is hex drive and seems to be hard to find. http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/12-Volt-Right-Angle-Impact-Driver/EN/index.htm I'm semi-seriously thinking about an IR 1/2" cordless impact kit and the 3/8" ratchet.
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Sep 7, 2008 12:27
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hippynerd posted:I got that one, and found it was too small to lift my little 4 cylindar motor How was it too little? I'm about to yank out a 6-cyl/transmission from an E30 325.  You have me paranoid now.
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Sep 7, 2008 15:44
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multiprotocol posted:How was it too little? I'm about to yank out a 6-cyl/transmission from an E30 325. Its short... The boom fully extended was about 1/2 foot short to get to my motor (2.6L I4 (g54b)). with the 2 ton, I had plenty of room to get it all the way in, and lift the motor clear of the car. My car is low, so I had to take off the front wheels to get the legs under the car. EnergizerFellow: I havnt tried the ratchets, but I do have a couple of the HF cordless impact drivers, and they work pretty good in a lot of situations, they are pretty weak, and can tend to break (the first one I got, broke the fist time I used it. I have the extended warrenty... so they just replaced it.
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Sep 7, 2008 16:39
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Kobalt tools are nice because lowes WILL exchange them no questions asked. poo poo Ive exchanged stanley and a few others while working returns with no problems. Its like craftsman without the bullshit and few plastic levers on ratchets 
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Sep 7, 2008 19:45
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This is a slight bump, but I felt compelled to introduce you to my newest tool. It is called the Common Outdoor Stick  I went to check my tire pressure today, and while I was doing that I noticed that a lot of pine needles had piled into water-runoff areas around the trunk and hood seals, so I opened both to grab all the rotting plant matter. When I opened the hood, I found a little clump of dried mud nestled in a recess of the intake manifold. It was in fact a nest belonging to whatever local flavor of Dirt Dobber calls this area home. Judging by the color of the mud, I'd say it was picked up while I was at home on Tuesday (lots of clay in it, whereas there is none to be found around here). So I found a handy stick, knocked it off. While this may not seem like important automotive maintenance, Dirt Dobbers have proven to be pretty dangerous little fuckers in the past. Edit: forgot to mention that the guy across the street working on his Stingray Corvette probably thinks I'm an idiot now that he's watched me poking at the engine bay of a Mustang with a stick. ApathyGifted fucked around with this message at 00:05 on Sep 15, 2008 |
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Sep 14, 2008 23:55
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I believe it. My sister had a '62 Bel Air, and it didn't have a fuel filter. Consequently, every now and then the float needle would get a bit of gunk in it and the carb would overfill and start choking out the engine. This symptom could be treated with a 1/2lb Rock. Apply the Rock to the problematic carburetor, carefully of course to avoid damage, and you could jostle the offending bit of crud loose from the valve.
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Sep 15, 2008 00:40
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I had a few slow drains, one in the sink, and a new one popped up in the shower. I took a 4" pvc pipe cap, and drilled a reducing hole in it with a uni bit. My air gun's tip fit snug into the hole, and I filled the sink and shower both up with a bit of water and then blasted some air down there. Way easier than snaking.
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Sep 15, 2008 17:50
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Bringing this back from the dead... Has anyone run automotive paint through one of these? How did it work out?
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Oct 22, 2008 02:23
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laymil posted:Bringing this back from the dead... I have one in the basement still in the box, someday I'll report back! I hope it'll at least be OK for spraying some primer, if I ever get my garage built I'll report back.
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Oct 22, 2008 04:20
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