Ratings Of Tools By Brand: Difference between revisions

Line 17:

*Value (1-5) Why? (1 is worst value, 5 is best value.)

*Warranty (1-5) Describes warranty, dealer availability for warranty, and turn around time. (1 bad, 5 good)

*~~Usablity~~ (does it work how it's supposed to?) (1-5) Why or why not? (1 doesn't work 5 you keep finding new uses for old tools.)

*Usability (does it work how it's supposed to?) (1-5) Why or why not? (1 doesn't work 5 you keep finding new uses for old tools.)

*Overall rating (1-5)

Line 62:

Cost: 2.5 Fairly good tools at a cheap price.

Value: 4 Cheap price offsets crappy warranty. Tools are ~~definately~~ not ultra high quality. I have a set of 1/4 drive deepset sockets, and I have been using them at work for almost a year with virtually no problems at all. Sockets do not fit on bolts as snugly as Craftsman, Snap-On, or Blue-Point. Wrench quality is suspect - I would avoid Companion wrenches.

Value: 4 Cheap price offsets crappy warranty. Tools are definitely not ultra high quality. I have a set of 1/4 drive deepset sockets, and I have been using them at work for almost a year with virtually no problems at all. Sockets do not fit on bolts as snugly as Craftsman, Snap-On, or Blue-Point. Wrench quality is suspect - I would avoid Companion wrenches.

Warranty: 1 Non existent.

Line 106:

Cost: 1 Harbor Freight sells cheap cheap cheap tools. Between one quarter to half the Craftsman price.

Value: 2 While incredibly inexpensive, HF tools are also very cheap, particularly the hand tools. They're made in China, and have highly variable quality control. Some of the tools are fine, but some of them fall apart before you use them the first time. Interestingly, the more complex and expensive the tool, the higher quality they seem to be (I have an air impact wrench which cost $18 and has held up fairly well under light use).

Value: 2 While incredibly inexpensive, HF tools are also very cheap, particularly the hand tools. They're made in China and have highly variable quality control. Some of the tools are fine, but some of them fall apart before you use them the first time. Interestingly, the more complex and expensive the tool, the higher quality they seem to be (I have an air impact wrench which cost $18 and has held up fairly well under light use).

Warranty: There's a warranty? Actually, within their warranty time (which is 30 days? 90? Something like that), the HF store I've dealt with has been very good about exchanges with no questions. It's a very short warranty period, though.

Line 116:

==Other Options==

NAPA Autoparts has a "Professional Series" ratchet set for $70 or so. They seem to be durable and of "Great Neck" (middle of the road) quality. The set includes: deepwells and short sockets both metric and standard from sizes 4mm-19mm and 5/32"-7/8", two ratchets, two extensions, a converter for 3/8" to 1/4" drive, a ~~nutdriver~~, two spark plug sockets and a nice plastic carry-all attache' to keep it all in place. There is not a single 12 point socket in the whole set. Overall, I found it to be a very good value for someone who does not regularly do heavy duty work. I do not know if they would hold up to hard labor, but I think so.

NAPA Autoparts has a "Professional Series" ratchet set for $70 or so. They seem to be durable and of "Great Neck" (middle of the road) quality. The set includes: deepwells and short sockets both metric and standard from sizes 4mm-19mm and 5/32"-7/8", two ratchets, two extensions, a converter for 3/8" to 1/4" drive, a nut driver, two spark plug sockets and a nice plastic carry-all attache' to keep it all in place. There is not a single 12 point socket in the whole set. Overall, I found it to be a very good value for someone who does not regularly do heavy duty work. I do not know if they would hold up to hard labor, but I think so.

I have a Greatneck pullbar and a two Greatneck torque wrenches that also fill the bill. No problems so far. All my other tools are Craftsman. For the householder or the guy who likes to do his own oil changes and valve adjustments, I highly recommend both Napa and Greatneck. But for the ~~pro's~~, probably not.

I have a Greatneck pullbar and a two Greatneck torque wrenches that also fill the bill. No problems so far. All my other tools are Craftsman. For the householder or the guy who likes to do his own oil changes and valve adjustments, I highly recommend both Napa and Greatneck. But for the pros, probably not.

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 *Value (1-5) Why? (1 is worst value, 5 is best value.)
 *Warranty (1-5) Describes warranty, dealer availability for warranty, and turn around time. (1 bad, 5 good)
-*Usablity (does it work how it's supposed to?) (1-5) Why or why not? (1 doesn't work 5 you keep finding new uses for old tools.)
+*Usability (does it work how it's supposed to?) (1-5) Why or why not? (1 doesn't work 5 you keep finding new uses for old tools.)
 *Overall rating (1-5)
@@ Line 62: / Line 62: @@
 Cost: 2.5 Fairly good tools at a cheap price.
-Value: 4 Cheap price offsets crappy warranty. Tools are definately not ultra high quality. I have a set of 1/4 drive deepset sockets, and I have been using them at work for almost a year with virtually no problems at all. Sockets do not fit on bolts as snugly as Craftsman, Snap-On, or Blue-Point. Wrench quality is suspect - I would avoid Companion wrenches.
+Value: 4 Cheap price offsets crappy warranty. Tools are definitely not ultra high quality. I have a set of 1/4 drive deepset sockets, and I have been using them at work for almost a year with virtually no problems at all. Sockets do not fit on bolts as snugly as Craftsman, Snap-On, or Blue-Point. Wrench quality is suspect - I would avoid Companion wrenches.
 Warranty: 1 Non existent.
@@ Line 106: / Line 106: @@
 Cost: 1 Harbor Freight sells cheap cheap cheap tools. Between one quarter to half the Craftsman price.
-Value: 2 While incredibly inexpensive, HF tools are also very cheap, particularly the hand tools. They're made in China, and have highly variable quality control. Some of the tools are fine, but some of them fall apart before you use them the first time. Interestingly, the more complex and expensive the tool, the higher quality they seem to be (I have an air impact wrench which cost $18 and has held up fairly well under light use).
+Value: 2 While incredibly inexpensive, HF tools are also very cheap, particularly the hand tools. They're made in China and have highly variable quality control. Some of the tools are fine, but some of them fall apart before you use them the first time. Interestingly, the more complex and expensive the tool, the higher quality they seem to be (I have an air impact wrench which cost $18 and has held up fairly well under light use).
 Warranty: There's a warranty? Actually, within their warranty time (which is 30 days? 90? Something like that), the HF store I've dealt with has been very good about exchanges with no questions. It's a very short warranty period, though.
@@ Line 116: / Line 116: @@
 ==Other Options==
-NAPA Autoparts has a "Professional Series" ratchet set for $70 or so. They seem to be durable and of "Great Neck" (middle of the road) quality. The set includes: deepwells and short sockets both metric and standard from sizes 4mm-19mm and 5/32"-7/8", two ratchets, two extensions, a converter for 3/8" to 1/4" drive, a nutdriver, two spark plug sockets and a nice plastic carry-all attache' to keep it all in place. There is not a single 12 point socket in the whole set. Overall, I found it to be a very good value for someone who does not regularly do heavy duty work. I do not know if they would hold up to hard labor, but I think so.
+NAPA Autoparts has a "Professional Series" ratchet set for $70 or so. They seem to be durable and of "Great Neck" (middle of the road) quality. The set includes: deepwells and short sockets both metric and standard from sizes 4mm-19mm and 5/32"-7/8", two ratchets, two extensions, a converter for 3/8" to 1/4" drive, a nut driver, two spark plug sockets and a nice plastic carry-all attache' to keep it all in place. There is not a single 12 point socket in the whole set. Overall, I found it to be a very good value for someone who does not regularly do heavy duty work. I do not know if they would hold up to hard labor, but I think so.
-I have a Greatneck pullbar and a two Greatneck torque wrenches that also fill the bill. No problems so far. All my other tools are Craftsman. For the householder or the guy who likes to do his own oil changes and valve adjustments, I highly recommend both Napa and Greatneck. But for the pro's, probably not.
+I have a Greatneck pullbar and a two Greatneck torque wrenches that also fill the bill. No problems so far. All my other tools are Craftsman. For the householder or the guy who likes to do his own oil changes and valve adjustments, I highly recommend both Napa and Greatneck. But for the pros, probably not.