Harbor Freight = Epic Fail

[KLowD9x]

You used an impact socket on a torque wrench to tighten lug nuts?

No wonder it came apart! Those sockets are for impacting. They are very soft; so they won't explode from the impacting of your impact gun.

Get a set of chromes for torquing and a set of impacts for impacting.

I spent 20 bucks on a set of metric impact sockets from HF over 5 years ago, these are constantly beat on with an IR2135Ti that has been modified for even more impacting force, and these things are killer. I have never cracked or broken one.

 

[Dualie]

Haha warranty for the life of the tool. when you brake the tool its life is over.

 

[Carmudgeon]

Originally Posted By: jcwit
Most hand tools I buy from H/F have a slip of paper in the package giving me a lifetime warrenty. Check their web site for info.


Yeah, I'll just have to give them a call and see what level of hassle is involved. This occurred a few years ago, so it hasn't exactly been a high priority.

 

[jcwit]

Originally Posted By: Carmudgeon
Originally Posted By: jcwit
Most hand tools I buy from H/F have a slip of paper in the package giving me a lifetime warrenty. Check their web site for info.


Yeah, I'll just have to give them a call and see what level of hassle is involved. This occurred a few years ago, so it hasn't exactly been a high priority.

Don't know what your problem is/was. Had a few cheap pieces break and took them back, they were replaced no questiones asked. Not everyone out here in the world makes their living with tools and use tools as a way to work on their own vehicle, or for home improvement. I've wanted a 1/2 torque wrench for years, finally bought one at H/F for $19.00. Now I know it nowhere near the quality of a Mak or Snap-On, or even a Craftsman, but golly gee whez, I've used it twice in two years on 4 nuts each time and I'm 65 years old. So will the H/F tool work for me YOU BET, in some cases.

 

[benjamming]

jcwit,

One thing that you do have to wonder though: how accurate & precise is that TW out of the box? Of course, the same can be said for any of them that don't even come with a certificate of calibration.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: benjamming
jcwit,

One thing that you do have to wonder though: how accurate & precise is that TW out of the box? Of course, the same can be said for any of them that don't even come with a certificate of calibration.

Agreed.

My HF torque wrench is already getting "stuck" after less than ten uses. By stuck, I am referring to the rotating handle that is used to set the desired torque value-- I simply cannot turn it sometimes. This happened to my previous HF torque wrench after only a few months of use, which is why I exchanged it for my current one. But as you see, this replacement is already experiencing the same problem.

 

[jcwit]

Well like I said I've used it twice in two years, so that gives me 8 more uses. At my age of almost 66 that comes out to me being 74 years old. I think I have much more important things to concern myself with than how long my H/F torque wrench is going to last.

So far it has done exactally what I wanted it to do, with no problems. Makes an old man happy.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: The Critic

My HF torque wrench is already getting "stuck" after less than ten uses. By stuck, I am referring to the rotating handle that is used to set the desired torque value-- I simply cannot turn it sometimes. This happened to my previous HF torque wrench after only a few months of use, which is why I exchanged it for my current one. But as you see, this replacement is already experiencing the same problem.


You loosening the knurled black knob at the bottom?

My 1/2 HF torque wrench lost the little screws in the head... then the springs and clicker for the ratchet came loose. Put it all back together, except for the screws... used tape, ghetto. Those screws could have used some loctite!

BTW for saturn strut bolts I use a 4 foot pipe as a breaker bar, an ACE hardware socket wrench,

and cal-hawk impact sockets I got at a salvage store.

 

[mcshooter]

broke my 3/8 kolbalt socket wrench ,but was using a 4 ft pipe on it and took it back to lowes and got a new one, no questions asked. i am also on my third .220 hf volt spot welders, they also replaced with no questions asked, its probably ok to only weld 10 or 20 welds and then let it cool down.