online tools- where do you buy?

[rrausch]

I've bought a lot of SK tools from 7corners Ace Hardware up in Michigan. I don't know if you can order on-line from them or not anymore, but they ship all over the country.

 

[Dkevdog]

While I do buy a few hand tools from harbor frieght from time to time, I would offer only this advice: "You get what you pay for"



I do buy their hand held grinders- less than $15 for a 4. 5" grinder. After 6 months I throw them out and buy new ones. At that price, even though they are noisy and poorly built, they will do the job.



I do have some of their sockets- just dont torque down on them too hard .



Kev

 

[bmoeller]

Originally posted by will24

For my 6th birthday... .

Born on leap day?

 

[Will24]

ummm, nope

 

[Will24]

Still curious for a reason behind your post bmoeller

 

[Mel Swanson]

Got a garage half full of this stuff. Quality is below best or good to crap. The price is right and a 100% gareentee. We call it China Freight or Junk Freight. ('')

mel



http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/aboutus.taf

 

[Koa Man]

I don't think Japan made tools are junk. Those made in China, Korea, India, Malaysia etc. , are junk. I only buy tools if they are made in Germany, Japan or USA. Some of the best a/c leak detectors are made in Japan.

 

[Sticks]

Originally posted by MSwanson

Got a garage half full of this stuff. Quality is below best or good to crap. The price is right and a 100% gareentee. We call it China Freight or Junk Freight. ('')

mel



http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/aboutus.taf

For the price of the Snap On, Mac, SK, & Craftsman, I have no problem buying a HF set of tools and if one of them breaks, I can go buy 10 more sets and still not be anywhere near the big boys prices. More and more of the HF tools have a 100% lifetime guarantee, break it and free replacement.



Most of my tools are HF, and I have only broken 1 (22mm deep well impact socket - stubborn lug nut) and one of my metric wrenches is a bit off (11mm = 10. 90mm).



It's always a good idea to keep some cheapo tools on hand in case you have to make a custom tool. You can't put a funky bend in a high end tool with out it snapping.



I am also one of those who wants one of every size. I. E. - 8 - 30 mm, no skipping the 11, 15, 16, 18, 21, then have to buy them separate at 1/3 the price of the whole set, each.

 

[MO'Donnell]

I was told, but have no hard evidence, that the top-line tools sold at Home Depot & Lowe's are made by the same co. that make Sears tools.



I swore off of the no-name China/Taiwan stuff when I nearly broke my arm thanks to a cheap-o extension that snapped - and I was NOT using a cheater pipe on the rachet. My buddy and I threw out all of the no-name junk he had in his tool box and bought a set from Sears. I double-checked my toolbox when I got home, and threw out the few remaining no-name items I had.



The moral of the story is: Tools can hurt you when they fail, so buy the best you can honestly afford.

 

[Koa Man]

I'm kind of leery of the rachets Sears has been selling for the past 10 years. I had two that failed. They just didn't rachet anymore. Also, Sears doesn't give lifetime warranty of certain tools, torque wrenches for example.

 

[Scot]

Pawn shops in my area seem to have a pretty low opinion of Proto wrenches. I have assembled a couple of sets over the years. They are a lot better quality than anything Sears has built in a long while.

 

[nickleinonen]

Originally posted by bmoeller

www.grainger.com Their catalog book is about 4" thick.

don't get westward brand from there... i have those at work and they are crap. the open end wrenches spread. the proto ones are nice. and the armstrong stuff is pretty good...



and iirc, the lowes branded hand tools are rebranded snapon...

 

[C.]

http://thetoolwarehouse.net/



Excellent prices ONLINE, there mail order catalog is slightly higher.



If you can find cheaper prices some where else for same item/tools let me know!



I just received an order from them today.



They sell SK and also some cheap Taiwan & Chinese stuff, the pricing on the cheap import tools is typically cheaper from Harbor Frieght.

 

[Matt400]

Originally posted by C.

http://thetoolwarehouse.net/

Thanks for that link, I see some pretty good buys on name brand stuff like Fluke.

 

[rbattelle]

Just a couple comments

Back in '97 or '98 I bought a set of Craftsman SAE combination wrenches. Then I received another set of the same wrenches (Craftsman SAE combo's) just back in September 2003. Rather than typing what I discovered, see the attached picture. The older wrench is in the top of the photo, and is noticeably thinner.



I try to buy quality US-made hand tools wherever possible, and use Harbor Freight for one-off oddballs I need, or stuff I think is hard to screw up. Example - recently bought a 14-lb sledge from them (hard to screw up).

 

[rbattelle]

The pic.

 

[Blakers]

Originally posted by rbattelle

The older wrench is in the top of the photo, and is noticeably thinner.

I have noticed that too. Probably depends on their supplier at that time period. The thinner ones are much nicer and easier to get into tight places.



I do like their professional series tools now though - almost like Snap On.



Cornwell is another good make of tool and they're made just a few miles from me, right on the Ohio - Pa line.

 

[Andy Perreault]

Originally posted by DFrank

I used to go to Sears for stuff like this, but they moved out of Boulder a year or two ago.

Dave, my grandparents used to live in Boulder, on Sunset Blvd off High St. Is McGuckin Hardware still in business? My dad and I used to go there and browse for hours on end. That was one of the best hardware stores I've ever been in!

Andy