TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Sep 11, 2007 4:29 pm

That thing is sweet. No effort at all. The true test would be the axle nut.

Tue Sep 11, 2007 4:31 pm

Thanks for the info - I'll get a couple for both my wife's and daughter's cars.

Tue Sep 11, 2007 4:55 pm

Don't forget that the Lowes brand of sockets is made by Snap-On (or was last I heard). They have thicker walls and other differences, but like the Snap-on guy told me, they are made in the USA at the same factory and by the same Union machinists that make the top of the line stuff.

Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:13 am

My local Harbor Freight gives discount coupons to the emergency room.
:?

Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:54 am

gmag69 wrote: coW wrote: Soul wrote: reasley wrote: You are quite right about some of the import quality. The new product that you find at flea markets is the worst of the worst. They only look like tools. That being said, most of the tools being sold today are coming from China regardless of the name on the tool. It is not a matter of getting waht you pay for, but of being an astute buyer. Look carefully at the tools before you buy. Buy from companies that will allow you to return the tool if you are not happy with it. You don't have to buy Snap-On to get a good tool.

I agreee with the above post. I purchased a set of metric deepwell sockets from Sears to round out my emergency tool kit. They are chrome vanadium plated, lazer etched, and cost me $10.00 on sale.

A buddy of mine asked me to ride out to HF with him and I'd figured I'd go to pick up another set of jack stands. While looking at the hand tools I noticed the same exact lazer etched socket set I purchased from Sears just repackaged under the Pittsburg brand on sale of $6.99. The HF sockets had a lifetime warrenty and the Sears set didn't.

I'm with you on the Sears tools. Most my handtools are by them.
I think all their mechanic hand tools carry a life time warrenty, though.

The Sears tools may carry a lifetime warranty but as far as I know they now give you remanufactured tools instead of new when you turn in a broken tool. My dad returned a rachet not to long ago and was given a reman one as a replacement. Craftsmen are decent tools but they are like anything else. You beat the crap out of them they are going to break. I'll buy HF hand tools anytime. They are cheap enough that you're not out alot if it breaks.

Maybe this depends on the store? I just returned a ratchet and they had me grab a replacement off the rack. My boy had a charger go bad for his cordless drill. When the rep didn't have exact charger to swap out he just swapped out the entire kit, drill, new batteries everything. There sure isn't any pedigree to my tool collection. A combination of Snap-on, Craftsmen, Mac, Northern, HF and any thing else I can get my hands on.

Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:56 am

gmag69 wrote: The Sears tools may carry a lifetime warranty but as far as I know they now give you remanufactured tools instead of new when you turn in a broken tool.

That's not the case. I've been buying Craftsman tools all my life and broken a few. Never been handed a reman replacement.

gmag69 wrote: My dad returned a rachet not to long ago and was given a reman one as a replacement.

He should've raised hell. He purchased a new tool, not a reman. He should've gotten a new tool in replacement.

Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:19 am

coad wrote: Don't forget that the Lowes brand of sockets is made by Snap-On (or was last I heard). They have thicker walls and other differences, but like the Snap-on guy told me, they are made in the USA at the same factory and by the same Union machinists that make the top of the line stuff.

It looks like they still carry Kobalt but they are not made by Snap-On.

Quote: Kobalt wrenches, sockets and ratchets are made by Danaher. Several years ago, Lowes switched from JH Williams to Danaher for these items. Check out the Danaher website. They make hand tools for several top quality lines.

Back when JH Williams made the Kobalt mechanics tools, Lowes got into some hot water due to some of their sales people telling customers that Kobalt WAS Snap On with a different name. The Snap On company did not look kindly upon that.

Home Depot's Husky line is made by Stanley.

Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:43 pm

Their motorcycle/ATV jack makes pulling bus engines a breeze.

Wed Sep 12, 2007 11:32 pm

Has anyone had any luck with their aluminum racing jacks? If so which one do you have the rapid pump or the other one. I have been looking into getting a new one but don't want one that falls apart on me. :wink:

Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:03 am

I just saw that Sams Club had a real nice aluminum one for around $90.00 you might check there.

Fri Sep 14, 2007 1:11 am

Too bad, I don't have a membership to Sams club. Well that and I don't shop there or I try and avoid shopping at anything that has involvement with Wal-mart altogether. But I do stop once in a awhile for ammo, before I go to the firing range :oops:

Fri Sep 14, 2007 6:01 am

Wally-mart. The retailer that everyone loves to hate! :P

Tue Sep 18, 2007 9:16 pm

you bet! after my 5 year old got ripped off 3 times in one transaction, spending her very own money, and the manager says "well, the prices must have been wrong on the shelf, there's nothing i can do about it"...and my kid leaves the store sobbing...you bet i love to hate them! don't mess with a mama hen's chicks! btw, i very loudly annouced as we were leaving that we were going to target instead. and we did. and i gave her an extra $10 to spend, which she did quite happily and quickly. haven't been to walmart since then (almost a year).

Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:53 am

RussellK wrote: gmag69 wrote: coW wrote: Soul wrote: reasley wrote: You are quite right about some of the import quality. The new product that you find at flea markets is the worst of the worst. They only look like tools. That being said, most of the tools being sold today are coming from China regardless of the name on the tool. It is not a matter of getting waht you pay for, but of being an astute buyer. Look carefully at the tools before you buy. Buy from companies that will allow you to return the tool if you are not happy with it. You don't have to buy Snap-On to get a good tool.

I agreee with the above post. I purchased a set of metric deepwell sockets from Sears to round out my emergency tool kit. They are chrome vanadium plated, lazer etched, and cost me $10.00 on sale.

A buddy of mine asked me to ride out to HF with him and I'd figured I'd go to pick up another set of jack stands. While looking at the hand tools I noticed the same exact lazer etched socket set I purchased from Sears just repackaged under the Pittsburg brand on sale of $6.99. The HF sockets had a lifetime warrenty and the Sears set didn't.

I'm with you on the Sears tools. Most my handtools are by them.
I think all their mechanic hand tools carry a life time warrenty, though.

The Sears tools may carry a lifetime warranty but as far as I know they now give you remanufactured tools instead of new when you turn in a broken tool. My dad returned a rachet not to long ago and was given a reman one as a replacement. Craftsmen are decent tools but they are like anything else. You beat the crap out of them they are going to break. I'll buy HF hand tools anytime. They are cheap enough that you're not out alot if it breaks.

Maybe this depends on the store? I just returned a ratchet and they had me grab a replacement off the rack. My boy had a charger go bad for his cordless drill. When the rep didn't have exact charger to swap out he just swapped out the entire kit, drill, new batteries everything. There sure isn't any pedigree to my tool collection. A combination of Snap-on, Craftsmen, Mac, Northern, HF and any thing else I can get my hands on.

I got fed up a few years ago with Sears. I bought a Craftsman floor jack at Western Auto (they were selling Sears tools at the time). When I wnet to use it a day later, I found that one of the wheels had a flat spot and would not roll. Now since I knew there were no more in stock at WA, I went to the local Sears store for a replacement (1 year warranty). Even with the receipt they said I had to take it back to WA to get it replaced. I waited a week and the guy at WA even carried it out to my car for me.

My Dad had a Craftsman radial arm saw that had the motor burn out after 5 years and Sears told him that they no longer had a replacement motor for it. I'll never buy a Sears power tool.

I have a set of wrenches I got when I was 10 in 1969, have beat them to hell, and they're still good. Mom bought them with trading stamps. My power tools? Porter Cable, DeWalt, Delta, and HF (depends on the tool). No complaints with any. Hand tools? All different brands, but mostly Craftsman, HF, Stanley.

Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:07 am

What is the return policy at Harbor Frieght? I have a buffer/sander that is on the fritz and was wondering if they take returns without reciepts?

I have the box and all but no reciept? It is a year old.

Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:12 am

SiggyManx#33 wrote: What is the return policy at Harbor Frieght? I have a buffer/sander that is on the fritz and was wondering if they take returns without reciepts?

I have the box and all but no reciept? It is a year old.

I don't know the policy, but if it is not lifetime guaranteed and you don't have the receipt, you cannot prove it is not out of warranty. I have a little two drawer filing cabinet in my shop where I keep all of my owners manuals. I just staple the receipt to the manual so that I will have it if needed.

Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:38 am

SiggyManx#33 wrote: What is the return policy at Harbor Frieght? I have a buffer/sander that is on the fritz and was wondering if they take returns without reciepts?

I have the box and all but no reciept? It is a year old.

Just go back to the store and find out.

Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:56 am

SiggyManx#33 wrote: What is the return policy at Harbor Frieght? I have a buffer/sander that is on the fritz and was wondering if they take returns without reciepts?

I have the box and all but no reciept? It is a year old.

1-800-444-3353

Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:17 am

I just bought a tig/arc welder at Harbor Frieght, was only $199 plus I got another 15% off of that. I bought the extended warranty, but for less than $200, I'll give it a shot.

Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:28 am

So, a couple of monthe ago, I'm helping my son and his friends put a new deck on our car trailer. We are installing some new "D" rings for heavy tie downs. My son and his friends are into rock crawlin and have built some pretty awsome Jeeps. Anyway, we need to drill some 1/2 in holes into the frame of the trailer. His buddy pulls out this Harbor Freight 1/2 inch drill and begins to drill the holes. On the second hole that he is drilling, the drill bit catches and jerks the drill pretty hard. The front handle snaps off of the drill, the drill continues to run and winds up the entire cord around the drill before it finally becomes unplugged. The thing damn near broke the kids wrist! Be careful what you purchase. I said this before. Many of the tools that are sold at Harbor Freight are Junk!