HF Torque Wrench FTW

[markseven]

In the latest issue of GRM, they compare the $16 Harbor Freight TW against a $70 Craftsman and a $240 'twin beam' Snap-on. The HF unit was brand new, the Craftsman and the SO were a few years old but very well taken care of (never dropped, un-torqued when in storage, etc.). Guess which one was the most accurate? The Harbor Freight was dead on! The Snap-on was up to 20lbs over torqued at settings over 80lbs. The Craftsman was not as accurate as the HF, but far better than the SO...

[M-technik-3]

Talking non digital units correct? Also they need to be periodically calibrated so how is this a real test?

[ten2doyle102]

I don't know about that... I recently used a snap on and that thing was perfect everytime. Or atleast it felt like it.

[Fast Frankie]

awesome! I use a HF one!

[StereoInstaller1]

Snap On has taken such a shit lately.

Wrenches, sockets, extensions and screwdrivers.

Everything else is either HUGELY overpriced ($65/pair for fucking pliers? lick my cats ass, fuckheads!) or piss-poor quality.

All in all, fuck SnapOn.

Luke

[george graves]

Sample size is a little low don't you think? It's meaningless with a sample size of one.

[Mossman]

yeah comparing 1 of each is stupid and comparing used to brand new is stupid. Also with cheap chinese crap even if it's not defective out of the box the problem is consistency. As much as I like craftsman and think snap on is a rip off I would bet that if you took 10 of each wrenches the snap ons would be most consistent just because of more care in design, manufacturing, handling, etc.

[mentaleeill]

i wouldnt trust anything that has to have precision from harbor freight. my brother and my buddy both have the digital snap on tw, and everytime you need to use it the damn batteries are dead. i love my s-k torque wrenches.

[markseven]

Hey, just relaying the message!

[JTapper]

About a year ago I was at HF picking up some wire wheels and whatnot and was looking at their sockets. I asked a guy about them who was buying a set and he said he's been using them for several years in his mobile equipment shop. He said they hold up the same as any $10 sockets he's ever had, they they're $10/set. I picked up a set of 1/2" drive and 3/8" drive and have been beating the shit out of them since. I'd hate to say it, but I'm not likely to ever go back to Craftsman sockets.

FWIW, the HF sockets are all lifetime guaranteed.

[SkinnyVT]

i love my s-k torque wrenches.

+1..my HF one that I bought when I was a poor college kid always felt like it took a different amount of force for each lug to get to the "same" torque. My SK feels the same on every lug every time.

And as for HF sockets, those things break like they are plastic. Craftsman still wins in my book when it comes to reasonably priced hand tools.

[Adrian_Visser]

Comparing a used torque wrench to a new one is like apples to oranges. Torque wrenches go out of calibration and need to be tested periodically, the reason the HF wrench is so cheap is because it is mass produced in a factory where the quality control is lower i.e. one wrench may read dead on then the next one will be high, then the next low etc etc. Besides who is to say the the brand new HF wrench will stay in calibration after say ten uses?

That said I must concede that the cheaper wrenches like those from princess auto (Canada's answer to harbour freight) Do often test well compared to the snap-on ones

I do agree that snap-on's quality has taken a shit, they have outsourced alot of their manufacturing to china. Their pliers and side cutters are still a cut above (pun intended) all others I would say I mean you try and take a pair of craftsmen side cutters and cut stainless cotterpins with only the tip and compare the two, I guarantee that the snap on ones will win... the HF ones? they won't even cut the stainless pin in the middle of the jaw.

At my shop we have a digital torque wrench calibration tester. Alot of guys have the new version of the 1/4'' drive 20-200'' lb wrench, when they were tested pretty much all of the new style wrenches were found to read low by at least 10'' lbs. I guess snap on's calibrator was off or something.

As a professional you have to see the advantage of snap on and why you may be willing to pay a little more. You have a snap on rep that comes to you to warranty the tools and can cut you "deals" on stuff. If anything it ends up being a convenience thing almost. I mean I don't really feel like going shopping for tools for work in my spare time do you?

For the DIY'er I think snap on is kind of over kill no? I wish the craftsmen tools we got in Canada were the same as those you guys in the states get, we get a total different line of tools which are made in china... they SUCK

[CorvallisBMW]

Kind of interesting, but to really make the test accurate you need many random samplings of all 3 types or torque wrenches when brand new.

[2002maniac]

I'm happy with my HF torque wrench so far.