What Harbor freight tools do you give 5 stars?

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Originally Posted by Trav
Some of the Pittsburgh Pro ratchets have very decent quality even when compared to tools costing 10X times more, the price for for you get makes them a great value.
I am no fan of HF but lets be honest, a good tool is a good tool.
I have some Sunex impact torx inside/outside bits (made in Taiwan) that were throw away cheap (I am not taking an impact to nice chrome torx tools), surprisingly they take everything I can throw at them and come back for more and I don't baby them..

I bought the Pittsburgh 1/2" drive flex head ratchet; sits in the same box as the numerous Snap-On ratchets.
It gets the job done...
 
I really like the HF ratchets and breaker bars and ratcheting wrenches. No complaints there. I prefer my Craftsmen combination wrenches to the HF Pitt.
 
I was going to get a set of the ratcheting wrenches from Harbor Freight, but found the sets from GearWrench at my local Rural King for $19.99. So I grabbed a metric and SAE set.

L8R,
Matt
 
Ok I'll add another one. Their vise grips are very good quality. A couple days ago I got 6 of the $7.99 straight jaw and the fit- finish and function is (at first use) as good and pretty much identical to my 30 year old Vise grips.
 
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I just bought a set of 1/2" metric sockets. They are OK.
Wish I had known about the new Icon sockets.
Gonna check 'em out one of these days.

He who dies with the most tools wins.
 
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Originally Posted by P10crew
Ok I'll add another one. Their vise grips are very good quality. A couple days ago I got 6 of the $7.99 straight jaw and the fit- finish and function is (at first use) as good and pretty much identical to my 30 year old Vise grips.


I didn't care much for their Pittsburgh vise grips but their new "Bremen" brand seems good. Probably the jaws are not as hard as the old US-made Peterson vise grips (I have some of those) but other than that they seem very serviceable.
 
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
I just bought a set of 1/2" metric sockets. They are OK.
Wish I had known about the new Icon sockets.
Gonna check 'em out one of these days.

He who dies with the most tools wins.


I looked over the Icon tools yesterday, the sockets look decent enough, similar to Williams Taiwan stuff.
The ratchets are nothing spectacular. Fancy packaging with a cleaning rag but once that goes in the bin you see the ratchet is not much more than a Pittsburgh Pro.

For one thing that smooth 90 tooth mechanism isn't any smoother than the 72 tooth Pro and in no way compares to a SO or other top shelf tool inc the XP120, the SO style on/off switch stands way too proud off the body.

The comfort grip is identical to the pro only with reverse colors and the same deal with no replacements available.'
The only major difference is they are available with smooth chrome grip and the pro isn't. At the significantly higher price they are not a good value at all IMO, the $20 and less pro is a real deal.

My first impression of them is they are a high priced mediocre tool with fancy packaging with no replacement parts available, I like ratchets and sort of collect them but also use them, I wont be owning any of these.
It is too bad they didnt let mechanics that know and use high end tools to critique these and point out the flaws before the try and cut a notch in the pro tool market.

IMHO these ratchets at least are a loser right out of the gate.
 
Well...there we have it. Trav threw the bs card!
Trav your professional opinion carries a ton of weight!
I was at HF today and planned on looking at the icon junk but didn't get down that isle. Trav do you think the ratchets would amount to anything promising with a good brake in?
 
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I saw some migrant workers bring back two full cart full loads of tools. Tools that were HEAVILY used for construction. Harbor Freight no questions asked swapped all the tools out for brand new tools.

They brought two carts worth of well used tools in, and left with two brand new cart fulls of new tools. No money exchanged.
 
The million dollar question would be to ask the dude at the till for a rebuild kit for an icon ratchet. If the answer was no then that would be it ..... done deal. I honestly don't think HF can get serious about any tools even though they talk the talk about their icon junk.
 
Originally Posted by P10crew
Well...there we have it. Trav threw the bs card!
Trav your professional opinion carries a ton of weight!
I was at HF today and planned on looking at the icon junk but didn't get down that isle. Trav do you think the ratchets would amount to anything promising with a good brake in?


I went there to buy a gallon of WD40 (I use it to preserve injector internals especially the old iron core ones, it does a good job) and saw these locked up on wire rope like they were special next to the dozens of pro ratchets on pegs.
They hype for these is way over the top, they don't come close. The selector switch is going to be an issue without any doubt, its going to hit everything in a tight space and you end with a reversing fiasco. I don't thing breaking this in or changing the lube is going to make a lot of difference in the long run.

Smoothness and just as importantly back drag is is not bad but not great on these Icon. As I said throw the box and cleaning cloth away and you have IMHO a so so tool at a high price for what it is.
With so many decent tools on the market these days I rather for example have a Facom Italian made Proto 72 tooth for very little if any more money, its a superior and rebuildable tool. Tooth count is not everything, I have some Hazet and Stahlwille 36 tooth ratchets that are very smooth and nice to use, the more use they get the better they feel like the Snap on (higher price but very nice ratchets you can get a kit for for under $15 for many).

Just one example.

https://www.zoro.com/proto-38-drive-flex-head-ratchet-8-12-j5257f/i/G0751204/
 
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You mean like this one...



His observations were almost identical to mine only I didnt buy one, strip it down or use it. I don't need to.
 
Hey if you want to look at videos all day to make you feel better about buying one knock yourself out. I looked at them and gave my opinion of them nothing more. He does not say he likes it better but a torque test is not the be all and end all in what makes a ratchet nice to use in the real world. A great example is the HF composite ratchets, not the best in any "lets break it" test but a nice ratchet for a great price, I like them and own them.

I have worked with high quality tools since I started trade school in 1971 and own some of the best money can buy from all over the world, Snap on are very high quality tools so I have something to compare them to. They are not in the same class as a high end tool. At best IMO it is a somewhat decent Snap on knock off but way over priced. There are many better ones out there for the same money some even from the same store that are close for half the price.

Go and pick a new grip up for one at the store or a rebuild kit. I have a few grips for each of my ratchets and the cost under $5ea and always available. It takes a while for a ratchet to get broken in so it feels just right so swapping the whole tool out for a grip is asinine.
 
Originally Posted by Trav
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
I just bought a set of 1/2" metric sockets. They are OK.
Wish I had known about the new Icon sockets.
Gonna check 'em out one of these days.

He who dies with the most tools wins.


I looked over the Icon tools yesterday, the sockets look decent enough, similar to Williams Taiwan stuff.
The ratchets are nothing spectacular. Fancy packaging with a cleaning rag but once that goes in the bin you see the ratchet is not much more than a Pittsburgh Pro.

For one thing that smooth 90 tooth mechanism isn't any smoother than the 72 tooth Pro and in no way compares to a SO or other top shelf tool inc the XP120, the SO style on/off switch stands way too proud off the body.

The comfort grip is identical to the pro only with reverse colors and the same deal with no replacements available.'
The only major difference is they are available with smooth chrome grip and the pro isn't. At the significantly higher price they are not a good value at all IMO, the $20 and less pro is a real deal.

My first impression of them is they are a high priced mediocre tool with fancy packaging with no replacement parts available, I like ratchets and sort of collect them but also use them, I wont be owning any of these.
It is too bad they didnt let mechanics that know and use high end tools to critique these and point out the flaws before the try and cut a notch in the pro tool market.

IMHO these ratchets at least are a loser right out of the gate.


I don't have the extent of hands on experience, but wasn't thrilled either. I do own a composite ratchet of theirs for working around batteries, and a ratcheting breaker bar for doing valve adjustments... they're fine, but not my SK stuff let alone SO. This icon stuff looks like fancy boxes for the same ripoff stuff. Maybe they do have some superior part in them, sort of like the $200 yellow Daytona jack that is supposed to be better than real mainstream stuff... but it's not worth the cost to find out, even if I returned the ratchets.

I agree with your comments on back drag, more important than most anything else IMO because it will really make or break convenience and efficiency in tight spots and one handed use..
 
Originally Posted by Trav
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
I just bought a set of 1/2" metric sockets. They are OK.
Wish I had known about the new Icon sockets.
Gonna check 'em out one of these days.

He who dies with the most tools wins.


I looked over the Icon tools yesterday, the sockets look decent enough, similar to Williams Taiwan stuff.
The ratchets are nothing spectacular. Fancy packaging with a cleaning rag but once that goes in the bin you see the ratchet is not much more than a Pittsburgh Pro.

For one thing that smooth 90 tooth mechanism isn't any smoother than the 72 tooth Pro and in no way compares to a SO or other top shelf tool inc the XP120, the SO style on/off switch stands way too proud off the body.

The comfort grip is identical to the pro only with reverse colors and the same deal with no replacements available.'
The only major difference is they are available with smooth chrome grip and the pro isn't. At the significantly higher price they are not a good value at all IMO, the $20 and less pro is a real deal.

My first impression of them is they are a high priced mediocre tool with fancy packaging with no replacement parts available, I like ratchets and sort of collect them but also use them, I wont be owning any of these.
It is too bad they didnt let mechanics that know and use high end tools to critique these and point out the flaws before the try and cut a notch in the pro tool market.

IMHO these ratchets at least are a loser right out of the gate.

Sounds like a set of 1/2" sockets for about $50 is not a bad choice for the home guy, which is me.
I inherited my older brother's hand tools when he got cancer and died in 1996. He owned and operated Comprehensive Mechanics in Santa Cruz, CA.

If you have the ability to pay the price, I suggest Snap On ratchets are wonderful to hold in your hand.
I inherited numerous, including the wooden handle flex head. I also purchased a comfort grip 3/8" flex head.
If you are gonna spend for 1 high end tool, this ain't a bad way to go.

Makes me feel like I know what I am doing...
 
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