Garage Gazette
TOOLS AND THE SHOP => GENERAL TOOL AND MACHINE DISCUSSION => Topic started by: bonneyman on September 08, 2018, 03:40:37 PM
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Harbor freight was having this liquidation sale, crazy discounts off of their already low prices. So.....I went in and bought a pair of their composite ratchets. Been thinking about it for a year after Jacks recommendation. Lighter, comfort curved handle, non-conductive (compared to steel), and less apt to mar finishes. Something just kept holding me back. Well, for $16 and change for the two of them I now have a 1/4" and 3/8". Don't ride me too hard that they're not Bonney's! :(
I asked the cashier why the liquidation? Were they closing? No, she said, just getting in new inventory.
Hmm. I don't know.
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Were you able to get the hang tags off?
I think the majority of us have HF tools - I do for some of the users and about half my junk yard kit is HF.
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Yeah, the hang tags come off.
For $8 and $9 I had to pull the trigger. Give them a try out, see how they perform. I don't need any more ratchets, but the lighter weight and comfort handle just demanded a personal review.
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The HF near me has a liquidation sale about once a month or two. I found one of these ratchets in 1/4" at a yard sale for a dollar. I personally didn't like the handle. The rest was ok.
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I've checked one out and it seemed like a decent tool, but no matter the quality I just feel a bit shameful or guilty about a tool with China or Taiwan on it.
I would like to be able to appreciate such tools if they can be useful, but growing up all my tools were cheapos from Taiwan or China and I got sick of it.
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When I was growing up the cheap tools said USA or Japan.
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When I was growing up the cheap tools said USA or Japan.
I had a couple older Japan sets too.
I don't want to bring this off topic, but I'm not sure my post made much sense.
Here's the best analogy I can think of.
Say growing up the only protein your mom cooked with was beef , good or bad you probably wouldn't choose a beef dish if given the choice.
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No hf in my toolbox ...never.
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I've got one of the 1/4 drives and its not too bad. I use it quite a bit. nice light weight fine tooth ratchet.
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I will admit the handle shape might take a bit to get used to. The 1/4"er seems fine - the 3/8"er seems a bit big for the drive size. But at those prices I figured I gotta try it.
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Stanley was my first flagship brand and supplimented by any cheap stuff I could afford.
That included cheap Asain and old crap.
If a HF opened here I would be there four days a week to just get high on uncured rubber.
Not sure I would buy much but to have the selection would be great.
For me the non mechanic homeowner crap has bigger appeal. Two uses a year before setting in useful clutter catagory a long time.....
Why park a lot of money?
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Harbor freight was having this liquidation sale, crazy discounts off of their already low prices. So.....I went in and bought a pair of their composite ratchets. Been thinking about it for a year after Jacks recommendation. Lighter, comfort curved handle, non-conductive (compared to steel), and less apt to mar finishes. Something just kept holding me back. Well, for $16 and change for the two of them I now have a 1/4" and 3/8". Don't ride me too hard that they're not Bonney's! :(
I asked the cashier why the liquidation? Were they closing? No, she said, just getting in new inventory.
Hmm. I don't know.
No worries Bonneyman, just ride the hell out of them and give us a report on how they hold up.
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Those composite ratchets are good workers. Had a 1/4" one iny work box till I upgraded to Matco.
Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk
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Just saw a video where the guy reviews these ratchets (actually the Tekton equivalent), and he cuts into the handle - revealing the steel core that runs about 2/3 the way down. I'm split on my reaction. Happy theirs some steel in there so I know it'll take some torque, but pissed that they advertized composite and it's just a coating. But then again what can I complain about over an $8 ratchet?
Guess I'll have to do my own review and post it for you guys.
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No hf in my toolbox ...never.
I don't have much HF stuff in my box, but I will admit to a few bits and pieces here and there. I will never have much HF in there though. I would sort of feel like I was diluting/corrupting the bloodline of my tools....... :)) :))
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No hf in my toolbox ...never.
I don't have much HF stuff in my box, but I will admit to a few bits and pieces here and there. I will never have much HF in there though. I would sort of feel like I was diluting/corrupting the bloodline of my tools....... :)) :))
Well, at least they're not as bad as the Barcalos! :)
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First impressions are that I like the 1/4". The big bulge of the handle actually helps, as most 1/4 ratchets are too small for my hands. With the 3/8 it's the opposite. The handle is just too darn big. Much prefer the handle on my S-K roundhead or Thorsen open gear.
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So.... no HF or BB but Oxwall is still ok then?
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First impressions are that I like the 1/4". The big bulge of the handle actually helps, as most 1/4 ratchets are too small for my hands. ...
So then I guess you wouldn't like the Plomb 4751 (not my pic).
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v84/Electron2002/Tools/4751/null_zpse3e9905f.jpg)
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First impressions are that I like the 1/4". The big bulge of the handle actually helps, as most 1/4 ratchets are too small for my hands. ...
So then I guess you wouldn't like the Plomb 4751 (not my pic).
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v84/Electron2002/Tools/4751/null_zpse3e9905f.jpg)
:-\ Heck, I should just surgically install a 1/4" drive plug into my thumb!
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I dont much care for the offsets. Dont like the handles. I do have the long composite from HFand like it though.
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I dont much care for the offsets. Dont like the handles. I do have the long composite from HFand like it though.
I've been mulling it over for a year or so. My first perusal of the ratchets I was turned off by the handle on the 3/8". I thought I might eventually get the 1/4". But with their liquidation sale and such a blowout price I sprung for the pair. We'll see how they work out in actual use.
The longer straight composites looked OK, but were twice the price. Maybe next time.
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:-\ Heck, I should just surgically install a 1/4" drive plug into my thumb!
That might be pretty handy actually if it ratchets.
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:-\ Heck, I should just surgically install a 1/4" drive plug into my thumb!
That might be pretty handy actually if it ratchets.
I don't know - with the arthritis it might! :D
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At least the COO would be known.
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Well, I have a Lay-z-boy recliner with loose armrests, and decided to see if I could get it apart and tighten things up. And I pulled out my HF 3/8" composite ratchet to give it a try. During the job I FORGOT I was using it! It was so comfortable, such a nice fine action, good feel, I forgot it was a test. Very happy with it so far!
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If you had a BarcaLounger that was probably put together with Barcalo tools, it wouldn’t need repairing. Just sayin’. ;)
-Don
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A Barcalo Barcalounger :))
All of the sudden, I feel like taking a nap in front of the tv
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I'm not a pro mechanic by any means but I spent most of my days in the garage doing something. Even when I was young I made the decision not to by Snap On or Mac because of the expense. My Craftsman worked well but I had bits and pieces that I got from friends. My first real sets were SK and now that's my main tools to use. I have all their wrench and socket sets. That being said I have read were people use HF stuff for stubborn bolts or hard to do things so they don't hurt their shinny stuff. To me that's a heck of a advertisement for HF tools. I guess they have no fear of rounding off bolts or the wrench slipping and getting hurt. I recently bought a Daytona jack and use it for my lift with no worrys at all. I would say for the young person just getting into cars or a job where he needs his own tools try HF. Make some money and by more expensive if you like. Now you guys that own SO or Mac and there are no other tools in the world don't jump on me, It's just my opinion.
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I'm not a pro mechanic by any means but I spent most of my days in the garage doing something. Even when I was young I made the decision not to by Snap On or Mac because of the expense. My Craftsman worked well but I had bits and pieces that I got from friends. My first real sets were SK and now that's my main tools to use. I have all their wrench and socket sets. That being said I have read were people use HF stuff for stubborn bolts or hard to do things so they don't hurt their shinny stuff. To me that's a heck of a advertisement for HF tools. I guess they have no fear of rounding off bolts or the wrench slipping and getting hurt. I recently bought a Daytona jack and use it for my lift with no worrys at all. I would say for the young person just getting into cars or a job where he needs his own tools try HF. Make some money and by more expensive if you like. Now you guys that own SO or Mac and there are no other tools in the world don't jump on me, It's just my opinion.
It's worthy opinion. I'd be hard pressed not to buy HF if I were starting over these days.
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It's worthy opinion. I'd be hard pressed not to buy HF if I were starting over these days.
It seems there is a trend to do just that among the new techs. HF isn't opening 2 stores a week (they opened 100 stores from 2017 to 2018) without a solid base of new buyers. They donated over a million in tools to LA Unified School District and donated all the tools to the auto program at Pierce Collage (a local community college).
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Although I am embarrassed about owning a HF portable aluminum air tank and die grinder, if I were starting a collection of hand tools I would suggest estate sales, flea markets and garage sales. One can often find top quality American made hand tools at these sales for pennies on the dollar. Why buy new offshore tools of suspect quality when for even less money you can find top quality tools that will last a lifetime? I’m pretty sure those Pittsburgh branded tools aren’t actually made in Pittsburgh!
-Don
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Although I am embarrassed about owning a HF portable aluminum air tank and die grinder, if I were starting a collection of hand tools I would suggest estate sales, flea markets and garage sales. One can often find top quality American made hand tools at these sales for pennies on the dollar. Why buy new offshore tools of suspect quality when for even less money you can find top quality tools that will last a lifetime? I’m pretty sure those Pittsburgh branded tools aren’t actually made in Pittsburgh!
-Don
For sure, Don. Don't get me wrong, I'm all in on scrounging through the used places and finding quality tools. I'm just saying if I were starting over - looking back at how I was from the vantage point I'm at now - I can't really nuke young guys buying the cheaper stuff. (It used to be Craftsman, but then Craftsman was decent, made in USA tools). I'd also recommend they hunt for good vintage tools, but, guys who need a starter set can't wait 6-12 months to "find" that good set. Maybe people like fatfillup who sell tools would be somewhere we could recommend beginners go get a set of tools that aren't foreign?
I don't know how the noobies do it these days. Even in HVAC - I just can't see how techs just starting out do it with the demand for electronic everything and the prices companies charge. And even the long-standing companies who've been making AC tools for years and still making those tools have dropped the quality while raising the price. I don't know how the young guys do it. Maybe because they don't know any different they just accept it. Gosh I'd love to get 3 or 4 young people and teach them the old way with real tools and established procedures. Not just plugging in some electronic thing and it telling them what's wrong.
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If a new tech needed tools NOW, HF would be a good choice and replace with better as money allows. Used tools can be had at bargain prices but its tough to find all you need quickly, its more a process and adventure (which is why we do it)
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I don't know how the noobies do it these days. Even in HVAC - I just can't see how techs just starting out do it with the demand for electronic everything and the prices companies charge. And even the long-standing companies who've been making AC tools for years and still making those tools have dropped the quality while raising the price. I don't know how the young guys do it. Maybe because they don't know any different they just accept it. ...
The so called Millennials and the now emerging Generation Z are used to it - it is a way of life. I believe it starts with cell phones and electronics that are old at a couple years and are replaced frequently and they are not trivial purchases money wise.
I had a millennial working for me a few years back and she wanted Ughs (remember that fad?) and found a pair of cheap imitations. I mentioned I thought they were made cheaply and her response was basically who cares they will last about as long as her interest in them. So buying stuff with a short life expectation seems to be the norm. I know shoes aren't tools but the mindset I think is pretty much the same.
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Even auctions and garage sales are no longer the place to get good USA tools every time. Went to a large tool auction Saturday and 98 percent of it was China---walked away.
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Most of the estate sales around here have very little in the way of metrics and none of the "specialty" tools required of newer auto repairs.
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I have probably seen more busted USA tools than HF. I have encountered a few of the Cen-Tech and just China marked ones broken but not any Pittsburgh. I must say that HF has stepped up to the plate on quality as they knew they had to. Is HF my first choice in tools? No, but if they were all I had I'm sure I would get along just fine.