Originally Posted by Dave9
Originally Posted by dlundblad
Originally Posted by Dave9
If it only needs to work once, get the loaner tool from Autozone or Advance Auto.
"Quality" is an elusive thing at HF. One specimen of widget will be fine. The next may have show-stopping defect(s).
No thanks.
I rented a ball joint press years ago and it turned out to be broken. Same with a fuel pressure gauge I rented last month. A bad fuel pressure gauge also acts like a bad fuel pump.
If I need a tool for a job, it's worth buying too.
Then take it back and get a different one. If breakage was too common then they would switch to a different supplier. I've used them many times and a couple there were pieces missing when I went to get it, so I just always inspect the kit before leaving with it.
If you buy discount tools, you also risk it breaking but then a lot more hassle to get a replacement that you probably don't want because your confidence in the brand is gone, if they won't issue a refund without a hassle and if it's mail-order or warranty replacement then "somebody" is paying return shipping. Depends on where you bought it and how long ago, and of course if a short warranty has expired, you eat the loss.
Guess it could also depend on how far away an Autozone or Advance Auto is, here there are 3 within 3 miles that I drive by daily and for a while one of the Autozones was open 24/7.
This is a good BITOG frog hair splitting extra anal post. My bad fuel gauge was a show stopping defect. I replaced the darn fuel pump with 15 gallons of fuel in the tank.
Take it back and get another? It was a rental. The store only has one. You're saying I should wait and waste more time on finishing the job? How about I have the counter guy call me when it's in and wait some more? Maybe I should have putted all over town and try to find another store that had one. Maybe I should have driven 20 mins north and tried all of their stores too. At that rate, I'll just drive to the big city and try all 6 stores of each major car parts retailer. I don't operate this way. I'm always go go go. Can't sit still. I drive my wife nuts at times, but she likes my work ethic.
It seems to me that your issue is with HF as opposed to my mindset of simply buying the tool. That is fine and you're certainly entitled to your opinion, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say anything a parts store has for a rental is about the same as what you'll get at HF. The rental stuff fails all the time. I used to work at Oreillys. Saw it a lot. They just replace the components as needed. The large c clamp in a ball joint set for example.
Inspect the kit before leaving the store. Good one! Just exactly what does one look for in a faulty gauge if it's guts have been destroyed?
Happy Friday and weekend my friend.