Autozone/Duralast questions.

[briggsguy17]

And just recently, they've gotten pretty damned good at it too.

I agree, the Honda clones aren't half bad. Service and support are terrible though.

The Chinese simply obtain a specimen from a well-respected name brand (i.e. Snap-On), they then disassemble, make tooling and make exact copies. The problems come with materials and quality control.

I firmly believe that one day Chinese stuff will be as heralded as Japanese stuff. When I was a kid all of those Japanese cars were junk........we now see where that attitude got us, didn't we?

 

[jeffk14]

I agree, the Honda clones aren't half bad. Service and support are terrible though.

The Chinese simply obtain a specimen from a well-respected name brand (i.e. Snap-On), they then disassemble, make tooling and make exact copies. The problems come with materials and quality control.

I firmly believe that one day Chinese stuff will be as heralded as Japanese stuff. When I was a kid all of those Japanese cars were junk........we now see where that attitude got us, didn't we?

I've got a generator made/imported by these folks.
http://championpowerequipment.com/
They have pretty good support compared to the other Chinese generators that are for sale everywhere. Mine is fairly quiet and powers my 30 foot camper just fine, including the A/C.

 

[RLRRLRLL]

BTW:
Anyone know if the ratchets that come in the socket sets are the same as the individual ratchets? I ask because the standard 73-870 3/8" ratchet is $19.99 , But you can buy the 70-501 22pc socket set for the same price..... Free sockets and case? or cheaper ratchet? http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...&fromString=search&itemIdentifier=484028_0_0_

Yes, in the 70-501 and 70-502 they are the good ratchets. I bought the 70-502 set a couple years ago....its original price is 99.99. Working there i bought it with my discount and at the time we were getting 30% off for some reason. So i paid 70 for it...and now its on sale for 40....next paycheck im probly ordering another one...just for extras...

 

[38D]

Ok, so my experience with Duralast is limited, but it was not good. I bought a T50 torx socket and snapped it off in one use (Porsche head bolt). Bought the same socket from snap on, and it worked like a charm.

 

[Toolhorder]

Sorry but I'm not drinking the Duralast Kool-aid. I'll keep buying SO. I don't need my knuckles busted or cut up just to save 80 bucks and I know an American is counting on me to buy American made. If you keep buying imported junk he'll lose his job just like the poor bastards in Sabrina, Ohio.

 

[Elroy]

Ok, so my experience with Duralast is limited, but it was not good. I bought a T50 torx socket and snapped it off in one use (Porsche head bolt). Bought the same socket from snap on, and it worked like a charm.

Exactly. You go push a Duralast ratchet good and hard and watch it explode too. In Elroy's humble opinion there are better tools available.

 

[I can fix anything]

Exactly. You go push a Duralast ratchet good and hard and watch it explode too. In Elroy's humble opinion there are better tools available.

Maybe, but or $19.99 I doubt you will find many. I have still never been able to break one in 6 years of useage.

 

[I can fix anything]

Ok, so my experience with Duralast is limited, but it was not good. I bought a T50 torx socket and snapped it off in one use (Porsche head bolt). Bought the same socket from snap on, and it worked like a charm.

This is about ratchets not torx bits. Those torx bits are not very good, of course a snap on was better.

 

[stricht8]

Ok. I really hate to admit this. I was helping a friend replace a starter this weekend and we ended up needing a flex head ratchet. It was starting to get dark so we needed it fast. The closest and most convenient place was Ghettozone. I told him that I hate Asian hand tools but the Duralast got some good reviews here. He bought the Duralast 3/8 " flexhead and we used it. It was definitely of superior quality and felt like tool truck quality. If I were to buy one it would end up in my trunk toolbox as I won't keep a Taiwan tool next to my SO, CM, Facom, SK, Plomb, etc ratchets.

 

[Elroy]

Maybe, but or $19.99 I doubt you will find many. I have still never been able to break one in 6 years of useage.

We had a Hydraulic pump out of a 150 ton press pulled down last week that would have claimed it in nothing flat.

We broke a gearwrench like it was nothing. Applied a Cornwell to the limited access task and it failed as well. It sheared the snap ring off the selector and it split the dog in half

The Proto we had was too big to fit but a 30 year old Snap-On removed the bell housing just fine and yes we using a cheater bar on it. People who hold these Auto-Zone ratchets up for all to see are as full of Corn as the Christmas Turkey.

When you have half million dollar piece of equipment down and your paying a factory service technician $200 an hour the customer doesn't give a **** about broken tools he just wants the job done and the equipment back on line. In this case the Duralast came in last.

 

[Toolhorder]

Maybe, but or $19.99 I doubt you will find many. I have still never been able to break one in 6 years of useage.

You get what you pay for in this life.
Kinda like Autozone parts, cheap and don't last.
Not to mention the store just ***** in general. The way they run it is horrible. The people working there can't look up anything unless it's American and involves a small block V8. I had to check oil pressure once on a car I was working on so I go and ask if they have an oil pressure tester/gauge for testing oil pressure. Guy hands me an Autometer oil pressure gauge you mount under the dash or whatever. Yeah ok.
If you ever return anything they make you wait in the parts counter line behind 15 mexicans looking for something they can't pronounce in english while I'm idling around waiting to get to the counter guy just to get my money back on some outsourced piece of **** part that didn't work out of the box or died shortly after being installed.
The place is like a welfare line most of the time.
I went there for a bolt or something last week and had to stand behind a couple of winners in life that gave me a contact high they were so blunted out looking for sumpin for they ride.
Did I mention I hate Autozone? They need a people of AutoZone website.

 

[Pro-Painter]

Exactly. You go push a Duralast ratchet good and hard and watch it explode too. In Elroy's humble opinion there are better tools available.

And what's up with everyone comparing it to a duel 80 snap-on?? I don't believe anyone has or will say duralast is better then snap on...
We all know better.
It's like comparing a craftsman to snap on. The winner is quite clear.


For people like me, paying the snap on prices is just a pure waste of money. I won't get the benefits you pay for. No weekly truck visit or tool credit for me.
And if I do break a Snap-on, I either got to carry it around in the car for weeks until I spot a truck, (then deal with them being a smart *** for stopping them.) Or pay more money to ship it to snap on and wait weeks to get it back.

Sure I would love to have a box loaded with nothing but snap on, But the benefits of other brands are much better for me. Autozone's are everywhere. $20 is much better then $80


And as for saving an American job goes,

How many people do you think work for snap-on? Autozone employees way more people then Snap-on does. Their is at least 10 Autozone stores per snap on truck.
Imagine how many people work for autozone in the USA.
Market researchers, buyers, supervisors, managers, stock boys, warehouse workers, truck drivers, and the 16yr old nit wit behind the counter.

And that don't include ALL the jobs they provide when they build a new store. Imagine all the contractors, electricians, painters, paving crews, roofers, brick layers, insulation crews, etc that autozone has paid.

Just imagine how many people that really is.

 

[I can fix anything]

You get what you pay for in this life.
Kinda like Autozone parts, cheap and don't last.
Not to mention the store just ***** in general. The way they run it is horrible. The people working there can't look up anything unless it's American and involves a small block V8. I had to check oil pressure once on a car I was working on so I go and ask if they have an oil pressure tester/gauge for testing oil pressure. Guy hands me an Autometer oil pressure gauge you mount under the dash or whatever. Yeah ok.
If you ever return anything they make you wait in the parts counter line behind 15 mexicans looking for something they can't pronounce in english while I'm idling around waiting to get to the counter guy just to get my money back on some outsourced piece of **** part that didn't work out of the box or died shortly after being installed.
The place is like a welfare line most of the time.
I went there for a bolt or something last week and had to stand behind a couple of winners in life that gave me a contact high they were so blunted out looking for sumpin for they ride.
Did I mention I hate Autozone? They need a people of AutoZone website.

All that and no mention of the ratchet being discussed

 

[I can fix anything]

We had a Hydraulic pump out of a 150 ton press pulled down last week that would have claimed it in nothing flat.

We broke a gearwrench like it was nothing. Applied a Cornwell to the limited access task and it failed as well. It sheared the snap ring off the selector and it split the dog in half

The Proto we had was too big to fit but a 30 year old Snap-On removed the bell housing just fine and yes we using a cheater bar on it. People who hold these Auto-Zone ratchets up for all to see are as full of Corn as the Christmas Turkey.

When you have half million dollar piece of equipment down and your paying a factory service technician $200 an hour the customer doesn't give a **** about broken tools he just wants the job done and the equipment back on line. In this case the Duralast came in last.

If elroy did not try it, how did elroy know it would not work?

 

[Toolhorder]

All that and no mention of the ratchet being discussed

See "you get what you pay for" in the beginning.

 

[Toolhorder]

And what's up with everyone comparing it to a duel 80 snap-on?? I don't believe anyone has or will say duralast is better then snap on...
We all know better.
It's like comparing a craftsman to snap on. The winner is quite clear.


For people like me, paying the snap on prices is just a pure waste of money. I won't get the benefits you pay for. No weekly truck visit or tool credit for me.
And if I do break a Snap-on, I either got to carry it around in the car for weeks until I spot a truck, (then deal with them being a smart *** for stopping them.) Or pay more money to ship it to snap on and wait weeks to get it back.

Sure I would love to have a box loaded with nothing but snap on, But the benefits of other brands are much better for me. Autozone's are everywhere. $20 is much better then $80


And as for saving an American job goes,

How many people do you think work for snap-on? Autozone employees way more people then Snap-on does. Their is at least 10 Autozone stores per snap on truck.
Imagine how many people work for autozone in the USA.
Market researchers, buyers, supervisors, managers, stock boys, warehouse workers, truck drivers, and the 16yr old nit wit behind the counter.

And that don't include ALL the jobs they provide when they build a new store. Imagine all the contractors, electricians, painters, paving crews, roofers, brick layers, insulation crews, etc that autozone has paid.

Just imagine how many people that really is.

As far as the American jobs comment in rebutal you can say the same thing about Snap On. They have factories that employ Americans as line workers, stockboys, warehouse people, they have district offices, tool truck owners/operators, district managers, on and on.
To a end consumer it may seem that Autozone has more stores then tool trucks but you'd be surprised I think to find how many tool truck guys are out there. I know Autozone isn't in every state in America too. Just something to think about.

 

[novadude]

We broke a gearwrench like it was nothing. Applied a Cornwell to the limited access task and it failed as well. It sheared the snap ring off the selector and it split the dog in half

Did Elroy ever hear of a breaker bar?

 

[kams1973]

You get what you pay for in this life.
Kinda like Autozone parts, cheap and don't last.
Not to mention the store just ***** in general. The way they run it is horrible. The people working there can't look up anything unless it's American and involves a small block V8. I had to check oil pressure once on a car I was working on so I go and ask if they have an oil pressure tester/gauge for testing oil pressure. Guy hands me an Autometer oil pressure gauge you mount under the dash or whatever. Yeah ok.
If you ever return anything they make you wait in the parts counter line behind 15 mexicans looking for something they can't pronounce in english while I'm idling around waiting to get to the counter guy just to get my money back on some outsourced piece of **** part that didn't work out of the box or died shortly after being installed.
The place is like a welfare line most of the time.
I went there for a bolt or something last week and had to stand behind a couple of winners in life that gave me a contact high they were so blunted out looking for sumpin for they ride. Did I mention I hate Autozone? They need a people of AutoZone website.

Seems to be more a reflection of the neighborhood you are in than that of the franchise. JMO

 

[Davefr]

Snap-On removed the bell housing just fine and yes we using a cheater bar on it. People who hold these Auto-Zone ratchets up for all to see are as full of Corn as the Christmas Turkey.

When you have half million dollar piece of equipment down and your paying a factory service technician $200 an hour the customer doesn't give a **** about broken tools he just wants the job done and the equipment back on line. In this case the Duralast came in last.

It sounds like the $200/hr factory tech is an idiot if he depends on using a ratchet with a cheater bar. That's clearly beyond normal use.

 

[NWphotog]

It sounds like the $200/hr factory tech is an idiot if he depends on using a ratchet with a cheater bar. That's clearly beyond normal use.

That's what I was thinking but I wasn't going to say it. The tool snobs are just such easy targets!

 

[Toolhorder]

Seems to be more a reflection of the neighborhood you are in than that of the franchise. JMO

You would think that but it's like every one I've visited. I guess the lowest prices attract the lowest forms of life here in CA.
I just refuse to shop there anymore. It's not worth saving any money anymore especially when the parts fail out of the box or shortly after installing them.
You don't typically have the problems like I mentioned at a Napa for example.

 

[I can fix anything]

You would think that but it's like every one I've visited. I guess the lowest prices attract the lowest forms of life here in CA.
I just refuse to shop there anymore. It's not worth saving any money anymore especially when the parts fail out of the box or shortly after installing them.
You don't typically have the problems like I mentioned at a Napa for example.

You are full of it dude, we have installed $70,000 worth of autozone parts this year. Zero failures right out of the box. Napa, orattys, Autozone its the same stuff. How many alternator factories do you think there are? All this stuff comes from the same places Ever wonder why no matter what store you go to it will have the samr part number. You need to wake up to reality

 

[Theloniousmonk]

It sounds like the $200/hr factory tech is an idiot if he depends on using a ratchet with a cheater bar. That's clearly beyond normal use.

they're paying the service co. $200 an hour, and probably 14.95 to the tech...

There will never be an opportunity for a well-trained service tech working for an equally responsible company to use a duralast anyway... there are reasons why certain tools are spec'd and used per safety guidelines... duralast probably doesn't provide paperwork on the ratchet tolerances, thus any procurement office or personal/plant safety/liability dept. worth it's salt wouldn't even consider the tool to begin with.

nothing wrong w/ the durlast ratchet I picked up after the review - works fine, not my fav. but it works fine. Duralast doesn't offer a 1" drive iirc anyway, so anything that needs a large amount of torque in an industrial application is out of the question.

 

[4x4gearhead]

You would think that but it's like every one I've visited. I guess the lowest prices attract the lowest forms of life here in CA.
I just refuse to shop there anymore. It's not worth saving any money anymore especially when the parts fail out of the box or shortly after installing them.
You don't typically have the problems like I mentioned at a Napa for example.

I actually have a lot of trouble with the local napa stores and have found that duralast parts for the most part are the same quality, napa's parts are extremely overpriced for the quality you get + the warranty on their tools isnt great I used to get heckled every time I brought a broken socket in whereas at autozone there are no questions asked just an exchange. In my opinion Napa stores can fornicate themselves with a wooden spoon!

 

[chevy302dz]

You are full of it dude, we have installed $70,000 worth of autozone parts this year. Zero failures right out of the box. Napa, orattys, Autozone its the same stuff. How many alternator factories do you think there are? All this stuff comes from the same places Ever wonder why no matter what store you go to it will have the samr part number. You need to wake up to reality

There's a huge difference in the quality of rebulit electrical parts especially when it comes to things like alternators and starters. While none of the big parts chains are perfect NAPA is by far the best and Advanced is by far the worst with Pepboy's close behind Advanced and Autozone somewhere in the middle. For things like master cylinders, wheel cylinders, water pumps, etc the quality seems to be more consistant no matter where you get them from.

 

[4x4gearhead]

There's a huge difference in the quality of rebulit electrical parts especially when it comes to things like alternators and starters. While none of the big parts chains are perfect NAPA is by far the best and Advanced is by far the worst with Pepboy's close behind Advanced and Autozone somewhere in the middle. For things like master cylinders, wheel cylinders, water pumps, etc the quality seems to be more consistant no matter where you get them from.

Ive had good luck with their starters and alternators I've put both in both my ford full sizes and they're still going years later.

 

[mrholeshot]

We had a Hydraulic pump out of a 150 ton press pulled down last week that would have claimed it in nothing flat.

We broke a gearwrench like it was nothing. Applied a Cornwell to the limited access task and it failed as well. It sheared the snap ring off the selector and it split the dog in half

The Proto we had was too big to fit but a 30 year old Snap-On removed the bell housing just fine and yes we using a cheater bar on it. People who hold these Auto-Zone ratchets up for all to see are as full of Corn as the Christmas Turkey.

When you have half million dollar piece of equipment down and your paying a factory service technician $200 an hour the customer doesn't give a **** about broken tools he just wants the job done and the equipment back on line. In this case the Duralast came in last.

All based on specultion. Mrholeshot thinks Elroy needs a physic hotline

 

[mrholeshot]

You would think that but it's like every one I've visited. I guess the lowest prices attract the lowest forms of life here in CA.
I just refuse to shop there anymore. It's not worth saving any money anymore especially when the parts fail out of the box or shortly after installing them.
You don't typically have the problems like I mentioned at a Napa for example.

Since when did shopping for the lowest price for a part and going to autozone make you a low life? It seems as though you would reserve that judgement for ******, robbers, killers and molesters. Last time I checked my law books poverty wasn't a crime.

 

[Theloniousmonk]

Since when did shopping for the lowest price for a part and going to autozone make you a low life? It seems as though you would reserve that judgement for ******, robbers, killers and molesters. Last time I checked my law books poverty wasn't a crime.

It seems to be a pseudo-crime these days, at least in the eyes of some...

and it took you long enough.

 

[Thumper]

Aw man......not this **** again....

 

[mrholeshot]

they're paying the service co. $200 an hour, and probably 14.95 to the tech...

There will never be an opportunity for a well-trained service tech working for an equally responsible company to use a duralast anyway... there are reasons why certain tools are spec'd and used per safety guidelines... duralast probably doesn't provide paperwork on the ratchet tolerances, thus and procurement office or personal/plant safety/liability dept. worth it's salt wouldn't even consider the tool to begin with.

All that gobblty gook and the 200 dollar an hour tech can't figure out how to use a breaker bar

 

[Elroy]

All based on specultion. Mrholeshot thinks Elroy needs a physic hotline

There is no speculation that the manufacturer of Duralast ratchets copied the Snap-On design to simply **** market share off a good name.

As far as the comments are concerned about being an idiot for not using a breaker bar well the combination of broach location and drive index didn't allow a breaker to to come up to the faster. There was also a bunch of hydraulic lines and a control junction box right in the way. The ratchet was the way to go.

Allow Elroy to rephrase that. The Snap-On ratchet was the way to go.

The duralast wasn't even considered. If you're EVER under the pressure we were under, you would be well advised to reconsider your endorsement of Duralast.

Elroy wrenches to earn a wage. Broken tools are simply unacceptable. It appears you endorse Autozone ratchets because they're cheap, look good and have never failed "you". Elroy on the other hands desires a domestically produced ratchet that he has confidence isn't going to fail. Duralast hasn't reached that level of confidence for Elroy



Call someone who cares about Autozone tools as Elroy doesn't.

 

[Theloniousmonk]

All that gobblty gook and the 200 dollar an hour tech can't figure out how to use a breaker bar

I like Wrights moto:

"The Wright tool for the job..." 3/8" didnt exist in my world for a while... 1/2" was considered "cute"...


that 3/8 flex duralast worked fine on a complete 1994 mb w124 front end rebuild a few weeks ago - including essentric bolts torqued to approx. 110ftlbs. and all the **** that goes w/ a 20yr old over engineered rust german car... I think the whole "industrial" application nonsense is just that, nonsense... can't compare apples to oranges. Oh, and when I did work like that - SO was not allowed - only proto/armstrong/wright, period.

You can't loose your head under pressure... you always run a risk of a tool breaking, everythign has it's limit. If you loose your marbles, regardless of what "pressure" you are under, when a tool breaks or any unforeseen setback occurs - people start loosing limbs and getting hurt. Had to tell a floor mgr. to fk off once, guy wouldn't stop hovering during a "rush" 24 call... we would rather walk away from a job, for reasons of safety if we were not given space, than get hurt or have someone else get hurt around us.

 

[I can fix anything]

There's a huge difference in the quality of rebulit electrical parts especially when it comes to things like alternators and starters. While none of the big parts chains are perfect NAPA is by far the best and Advanced is by far the worst with Pepboy's close behind Advanced and Autozone somewhere in the middle. For things like master cylinders, wheel cylinders, water pumps, etc the quality seems to be more consistant no matter where you get them from.

.
There is no NO difference because they come from the same place

 

[Theloniousmonk]

.
There is no NO difference because they come from the same place

especially when it comes to A/C compressors and P/S pumps... there are maybe 2 domestic reman'ers and a couple asian suppliers, I learned this after ordering up some fairly expensive reman parts from a "premium" supplier and later getting an offtheshelf brand for a lesser job, same stamping, info flyer and warranty cards with the reman cases, only in diff. boxes...

 

[I can fix anything]

especially when it comes to A/C compressors and P/S pumps... there are maybe 2 domestic reman'ers and a couple asian suppliers, I learned this after ordering up some fairly expensive reman parts from a "premium" supplier and later getting an offtheshelf brand for a lesser job, same stamping, info flyer and warranty cards with the reman cases, only in diff. boxes...

Its all the same stuff, as you have learned. I get tired of people saying "so and so parts **** I don't use them". well you know what YOU DID It just depends on how much you want to pay. You go to autozone and pay less, or go to napa and pay more for the same thing.

 

[stock z/28]

I dont think I have any Duralast tools, but I would like to have one of the 1/4" flex ratchets, just because I like 1/4' stuff.

I am not crazy about them copying Snap On either.

For what its worth I think Snap On tools are probably among the best and are typically my favorite but I have broken a few ratchets over the years. It just happens.


I must agree with Elroy that in a situation like that I would probably used a Snap On or possibly Armstrong.

I cant quite figure this "Elroy" thing out though? I must be missing something about Elroy?

I do think there are a lot of tools available now that are an excellent value for all but just a few applications and/or technicians, but I would not argue about it either way.

What ever makes someone happy is cool with me.


As far as parts go, I am not big on Autozone either. There is an AC Delco WD here that I much prefer.

Elroy? I just dont understand?

 

[sk farmer]

There is no speculation that the manufacturer of Duralast ratchets copied the Snap-On design to simply **** market share off a good name.

As far as the comments are concerned about being an idiot for not using a breaker bar well the combination of broach location and drive index didn't allow a breaker to to come up to the faster. There was also a bunch of hydraulic lines and a control junction box right in the way. The ratchet was the way to go.

Allow Elroy to rephrase that. The Snap-On ratchet was the way to go.

The duralast wasn't even considered. If you're EVER under the pressure we were under, you would be well advised to reconsider your endorsement of Duralast.

Elroy wrenches to earn a wage. Broken tools are simply unacceptable. It appears you endorse Autozone ratchets because they're cheap, look good and have never failed "you". Elroy on the other hands desires a domestically produced ratchet that he has confidence isn't going to fail. Duralast hasn't reached that level of confidence for Elroy



Call someone who cares about Autozone tools as Elroy doesn't.

 

[NWphotog]

There is no speculation that the manufacturer of Duralast ratchets copied the Snap-On design to simply **** market share off a good name.

You are joking right? The SO customer is not going to consider the Duralast and vice versa. Steal market share? Haaa Haaa Haaa!

Elroy wrenches to earn a wage. Broken tools are simply unacceptable. It appears you endorse Autozone ratchets because they're cheap, look good and have never failed "you". Elroy on the other hands desires a domestically produced ratchet that he has confidence isn't going to fail. Duralast hasn't reached that level of confidence for Elroy

As has already been pointed out all brands fail. Some less than others. Nothing wrong with buying SO if that is the right choice for you. Disparaging a brand others have tested and found reliable? Pure horse manure.

Call someone who cares about Autozone tools as Elroy doesn't.

More horse hockey or you wouldn't have wasted so much time talking trash about a tool you have never used! Just admit you are a tool snob and be through with it.

 

[sk farmer]

calling elroy a tool snob? you must be kidding. if you knew the difference between a duralast and a pile of horse hockey i doubt that you would say such rubish. i do believe elroy is one of the wisest and most well respected members here. you don't have to stick your finger in a pile of horsehockey to know what it is and i don't blame elroy for not wanting to stick his finger in it.