Branick Spring Compressors

[Blacknwhitepit]

I have been looking into buying a spring compressor. I was looking at both OTC and Branick but I can't find out if they are USA made.

I have noticed a lot of OTC stuff is now overseas made, but haven't dealt with much Branick.

Anyone know about Branick quality?

-BWP

 

[kartracer55]

Are talking about the Branick Wall mount?

This is an Excellent quality compressor. I have dont TONS of struts on this thing without any problems. Plenty of adjustability, and no indications that the thing is going to "let go" and kill me at any time. Ya dont get that warm fuzzy feeling with cheap tools like this. My one complaint is that it takes ALONG time to run the top down on a strut, but it isnt the end of the world.

Jim

 

[Blacknwhitepit]

For value sake, I was considering a Clamshell (I know we have gone through Spring Compressors in another link). However, I have been watching a wall mounted Branick on Ebay for a short time. If the price is right, I may go there.

Ebay has a Snap on clamshell that is going for $199.99 and looks pretty beat up, but it does not look like a rebadged OTC/MAC one. Since MAC has pretty much sold itself overseas, I am currently assuming the OTC/MAC one is made overseas as well.

But what I cannot tell is where Branick is made. My gut always says that if it doesn't say MADE IN USA there is a 99% chance it isn't. I have seen pictures of several Branick products that have the company address on it as Fargo, North Dakota. However that is becoming commonplace on items such as Porter Cable, which only puts the address of the company on the label.

-BWP

 

[Moltar]

We have both the Branick wall mount and the OTC strut tamer at work. Every tech except for me has shot a spring out the bottom of the Branick. Thus the reason we bought the OTC. Tommorow I will check to see if the OTC says Made In USA on it.

 

[drbill]

Contact them and ask where it's made http://www.branick.com/core/index.php

 

[SteveU]

How does the strut tamer compare to the Branick as far as ease of use, quality, etc? I have only seen them in pics in catalogs, kind of hard to make a comparison like that.

 

[Moltar]

How does the strut tamer compare to the Branick as far as ease of use, quality, etc? I have only seen them in pics in catalogs, kind of hard to make a comparison like that.

I just looked at the strut tamer and it doesn't say where it's made. So I'm assuming it's not USA made. As far as ease of use and quality, it's better than Branick. There's almost no way for the spring to come flying out since it clamps completely around the coil and locks down on it. I've only had one issue. I wasn't able to completely compress the spring (the two arms were touching) on a front strut for an 04 Altima. Which is bad for me since I work at a Nissan dealer and that's the most common strut being replaced.

 

[TNToy]

This is the reason I prefer a clamshell to a wall-mount. Versatility.

The clamshell is the safest compressor around that's really fast (run it on & off with a 3/4" socket on your impact) to use, can be used on a bench or even on the vehicle, always runs down evenly, and most importantly, isn't a wall mount.

There are quite a few vehicles I haven't been able to get a strut to properly index into a wall-mount, or it took 10-15 minutes to halfway get it to work, if I did. Time is money in the car repair industry.

I like the clamshells because they're quite safe (Just make sure the jaws are slightly past the center-line of the coil, so it won't bow outward if it slips. That's the only trick to safe use.) ... they come as close to working on everything as possible, and they're the fastest, to boot.

I don't know if there's a US-made one... and I really couldn't care less. When it's the absolute best tool for the job, I will buy the foreign-made one without a second thought. If it were a cheap, fragile, cast design that might explode if run down too tightly or dropped while compressing a coil? Yeah, then I'd care.

This the what I'm talking about. The tech next to me owns it. Gets about a dozen uses a week, and has for 15 years straight...