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Dear Harbor Freight

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n8n

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If you're going to sell apparently good stuff for cheap, please at least include all the sizes in your sets, or else sell singles.

Seriously, am I the only person who's completely frustrated at how useless it is to buy sets of metric tools at HF? SAE isn't so bad, as there's fewer sizes, but I already had a lot of those already.
 
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ChevyEFI

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Be specific.

Allow responders to suggest other brands as fill-in or better overall options entirely. :)
 
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n8n

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Hah. Yeah, the zip ties are especially garbage. My shop-owning friend refuses to believe me when I tell him that they aren't the same as the ones from the electrical supply, but I remember breaking three in a row simply tightening them up, then throwing the package in the trash.

That said, I used a 1-1/4" Pittsburgh Pro impact socket to service a tapered-axle Dana 44 ('64 Studebaker) last week, and as often as I'll do that, I'm sure that it'll last my lifetime.

Specific complaint is that a young tech asked me to swing by and get him some long pattern combos and some hex sockets; both skipped important sizes like 13mm. Really...?

To get appreciably better quality, I think you probably have to step up to something like S-K or Proto, as well as mail order... don't think that's in his budget right now, although it would be my recommendation.
 
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healing

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Jan 8, 2006
Messages
176
K-Dog said:
I have had Harbor Freight zip ties fail on me.

Zip ties.

If you cant get a zip tie right.....
Click to expand...

I made the mistake of buying some zip ties from HF and they seem to fail when you take them out of the package :shocking:
 
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fiv216

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Apr 13, 2014
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I thought the point of HF was to make 'eh' quality stuff but make it so cheap we accept it? How much cheaper could they possibly make production of a piece of plastic. :Twitch:

.. Thinking about it last time I bought them was at wal mart and they've held up already. :headscrat
 
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n8n

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Givl Reggin said:
Is there any logical reason some sizes are skipped? Like maybe there's a metric/SAE size close enough that it can be substituted?
Click to expand...

I think it's the Asian-centric flavor of the store. You'll rarely see a 13mm hex head or nut on a Japanese car, for example, but it's probably one of the most common sizes on a German one. But you'd think by now they'd have realized that if they're selling in the YooEss, they need to include all the sizes, or at least all those used in all the various standards (ASME, ISO, DIN, JIS) as a typical user could be working on something conforming to any of those (or if a pro, all on any given day!)
 
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2ndGearRubber

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Buy your metric stuff from harbor freight. The fill in the blank spots with craftsman, snap-on, gearwrench, sunex, matco, whatever.

The fact that I spent an additional $60 between the cornwell/matco trucks to complete my first alignment wrench set a few years back, and still kept me under $100 for wrenches I still use professionally today, was worth the "extra" effort... Although my go-to wrenches are now sunex.




Same deal for impact sockets. $35 gives you a damn good start for your deep socket collection. Add in sizes like 11,15,18,20 from another supplier.
 
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JonnyMac

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Victoria, Australia
I got a basic Cman sae set a couple of years ago 13 piece from memory. I always thought the sizes didnt flow along my rack that well but I hardly ever use sae. I bought an engraved rack for them which had 11/32 marked on it and when I filled it up I was missing that size... most annoying trying to get a single wrench sent from the US just to fill a spot!!
 
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n8n

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yeah, sadly, Cman isn't much better these days. It was a 3/8" drive socket, can't remember 6 or 12 point, but there's a snappy one holding down the 20mm space on my rail because Cman doesn't even make that socket anymore...! At least they do sell singles of the stuff that they do make, but in another year they'll all be offshored :/ I hate buying single sockets anyway as all my Cman stuff is pre-laser etching, I know, picky picky...
 
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Denwad

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Oct 16, 2012
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Chandler, AZ
i wish i could buy the colored sockets individually, i'm missing a 3/8ths drive 17 mm deep well and a few 1/4 deep sockets as well

i suppose i could just buy new sets being that it would probably be less than 40$ to buy a new 3/8ths deep set and a 1/4 deep and normal socket set.

just seems like i'll have a bunch of other sockets floating around i don't need any more lol
 
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BDT/NWMN

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Jan 22, 2012
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Erskine, Mn
Pittsburgh long pattern metric combination wrench set:::10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 24, 26.

KD standard length 13, 18.

Gearwrench ratcheting 10, 12, 13, 14


Kobalt 15X17 flare nut wrench,
Kobalt 13X14 flare nut wrench,
Allen 10X12 flare nut wrench...

My matching set of metric wrenches in the **** kit...
So nice and shiney..:)
 
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G_P

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Central CT
How the hell do you sell any metric set and not include a 13mm? I use 13mm all the time.
 
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monomach

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Buy the Pittsburgh Pros and grab individual sockets from whatever brand off of ebay. Problem solved.
 
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Gmonkee

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May 9, 2010
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I would have to agree that it doesn't seem a big deal to get the bulk of a full set for $12 and then add in a few other brands of similar style to fill the holes. I did that myself getting started. and stuck to the classic Proto styled stuff quite well.

Later street market used Proto replaced the cheap Asain stuff one by one until I had all Proto, everybody thought those were cool, I never told them how I got the old set most times.

Kids just getting a start in a shop don't always need the best of the best out there, most weekend warriors will never need better than HF offerings either.
Careful shopping will get you farther ahead in what really needs to be the best. The rest is holding its own in those first two years or so. Plenty of time to get all OCD and chrome bitten later when the money is better.
 
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lars

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PA
Givl Reggin said:
Is there any logical reason some sizes are skipped? Like maybe there's a metric/SAE size close enough that it can be substituted?
Click to expand...

I think it is setting a price point more than anything else. Ten piece SAE socket set - 9.99, the complementary metric set is then kept at the same price point so they just don't include certain sizes as there are more mm increments than 1/16 increments in any given size range. It seems more important that they sell you a 9.99 socket set rather than a 10.99 set with 2 more sockets.
 
K

KinzeMech

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Jul 15, 2012
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K-Dog said:
I have had Harbor Freight zip ties fail on me.
Zip ties.
If you cant get a zip tie right.....
Click to expand...

Cheap zip ties are always junk. HF, Walmart, Sam's Club, Dollar General, etc. are all places from which you should not buy zip ties.
 
A

azhatchback

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Nov 30, 2013
Messages
184
Sk sockets have the most complete sets I have seen. Both in chrome and impact. I used SK to fill the missing sockets I had in a Cman set as they sell all their stuff in singles too. Sunex has nice sets if you want to go cheaper in the impact line. They sell singles as well to fill the voids. Snap on will have all you need but dam their sockets are a rip. I love SO tools but I don't feel the sockets are worth the money. I use SO's at work because they are supplied to me but that is an SO item I stay away from when purchasing personal sockets.

SK line will fit all your needs if you decide to spend a little more money. Amazon has good deals on them and SK has the best organized web site IMO. Find what you need on their site and copy the part number over to amzon with SK infront of the part number and will find pretty much anything SK has there. Sometimes tool topia or others will be cheaper but amazon reflects this and shows who is cheaper. Other guys usually get you on shipping though so be careful.
 
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azhatchback

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Messages
184
KinzeMech said:
Cheap zip ties are always junk. HF, Walmart, Sam's Club, Dollar General, etc. are all places from which you should not buy zip ties.
Click to expand...

You are so right. I like the Thomas and betts Ty-Rap brand. They are not your traditional notch style tie. They use a metal tang and grab any where on the strap not just the notches. I thought they were funky at first but I have grown to love them. High quality nylon and the heads are smaller. They are weather proof down to -40 deg, UV resistant, and best of all made in the USA!

HF ties are total junk. I have not had one that hasn't failed right out of the pack. Home depot has decent ones in a pinch. I use a lot of zip ties working on industrial robotics. Links:

http://www.amazon.com/TY525MX-Ultraviolet-Resistant-Stainless-100-Pack/dp/B001DEHZ14/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400155339&sr=8-1&keywords=ty-wrap+zip+ties

or:

http://www.chiefaircraft.com/aircraft/installation-supplies/cable-ties-mounts.html
 
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n8n

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azhatchback said:
Sk sockets have the most complete sets I have seen. Both in chrome and impact. I used SK to fill the missing sockets I had in a Cman set as they sell all their stuff in singles too. Sunex has nice sets if you want to go cheaper in the impact line. They sell singles as well to fill the voids. Snap on will have all you need but dam their sockets are a rip. I love SO tools but I don't feel the sockets are worth the money. I use SO's at work because they are supplied to me but that is an SO item I stay away from when purchasing personal sockets.

SK line will fit all your needs if you decide to spend a little more money. Amazon has good deals on them and SK has the best organized web site IMO. Find what you need on their site and copy the part number over to amzon with SK infront of the part number and will find pretty much anything SK has there. Sometimes tool topia or others will be cheaper but amazon reflects this and shows who is cheaper. Other guys usually get you on shipping though so be careful.
Click to expand...

SK is one of my favorite tool brands, although now that I've looked into it, Proto actually has very similar sets for a similar price, and also have some sockets available as add-ons that SK does not - specifically various 11/32" sockets in 3/8" drive. I've never figured out why that size is always in a 1/4" drive set but is skipped over in a 3/8" set. Now if the smallest size was 3/8" I could understand but if the smallest socket is 1/4" or 5/16" and you skip 11/32" it offends my OCD sensibilities. So I'm going back and forth on who I'm going to use for my deep 3/8" drive SAE set (probably my next purchase, as I'm pretty well set on everything else.)

I've used both brands and would recommend both...
 
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azhatchback

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Messages
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n8n said:
SK is one of my favorite tool brands, although now that I've looked into it, Proto actually has very similar sets for a similar price, and also have some sockets available as add-ons that SK does not - specifically various 11/32" sockets in 3/8" drive. I've never figured out why that size is always in a 1/4" drive set but is skipped over in a 3/8" set. Now if the smallest size was 3/8" I could understand but if the smallest socket is 1/4" or 5/16" and you skip 11/32" it offends my OCD sensibilities. So I'm going back and forth on who I'm going to use for my deep 3/8" drive SAE set (probably my next purchase, as I'm pretty well set on everything else.)

I've used both brands and would recommend both...
Click to expand...

Interesting. I use socket racks from HF that are cheap and work well. I like that they point the business end up vs. the overpriced Hansen racks that place the socket upside down. There is not an 11/32 slot in 3/8 drive so I never put much thought into that. On the other hand the one socket I did have a hard time finding that I swear no one but blue point makes to fill my OCD needs is the Deep, 1/4 dive 5/8. Part # is BLPLS1458. I know in most cases this socket it worthless but on nylon nuts and bolts you don't need more than a 1/4 drive.
 
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Matt_C

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Apr 24, 2014
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London, UK
n8n said:
I think it's the Asian-centric flavor of the store. You'll rarely see a 13mm hex head or nut on a Japanese car, for example, but it's probably one of the most common sizes on a German one. But you'd think by now they'd have realized that if they're selling in the YooEss, they need to include all the sizes, or at least all those used in all the various standards (ASME, ISO, DIN, JIS) as a typical user could be working on something conforming to any of those (or if a pro, all on any given day!)
Click to expand...

Many Japanese cars have 13mm wiper nuts. Plenty have 12, 14, even some with 17, but still plenty with 13mm
 
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RedneckWelder

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Farmall450 said:
I didn't want to be mean, but yeah, don't be a cheap *******. It never pays...

:beer:
Click to expand...

I'm sitting here in my living room this weekend, finished up the other day a really really nice hardwood floor in it and the dining room.

All HF tools used to lay and finish it. Floor nailer, sanders, miter saw. Work just fine.

There are a lot of perfectly serviceable HF tools. Not all, but a lot. I know it doesn't make any sense for their zip ties to be **** but their impact sockets to be great but thats the way it shakes out.

Personally I say you save more than enough on the HF sockets to fill out with another brand. I'd look to Gearwrench, Husky, or Kobalt myself to fill the slots for a decent price.
 
3

331CID

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Dec 25, 2013
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84
The color coded sockets come with a 13. Or at least they did when I bought them


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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DodgeMech

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2ndGearRubber said:
Buy your metric stuff from harbor freight. The fill in the blank spots with craftsman, snap-on, gearwrench, sunex, matco, whatever.

The fact that I spent an additional $60 between the cornwell/matco trucks to complete my first alignment wrench set a few years back, and still kept me under $100 for wrenches I still use professionally today, was worth the "extra" effort... Although my go-to wrenches are now sunex.




Same deal for impact sockets. $35 gives you a damn good start for your deep socket collection. Add in sizes like 11,15,18,20 from another supplier.
Click to expand...

what have any of y'all ever actually used a 20 on? i've never ran across anything that was actually a 20...or maybe i got lucky and a 13/16 or 21 stripped it just enough to fit just right...haha

92integra said:
haha i love my long pattern combo's ! they are used 90% of the time on the alignment rack and them skipping the 13 is just stupid thats like every inner tie rod out there. thinking about picking this up now http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200612519_200612519
Click to expand...

Ma Mopar likes to use 15 or 17...i like to use my cobras most of the time haha
 
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bwringer

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Jan 1, 2013
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Indianapolis
Sometimes the midprice sets skip sizes, too. Very, very annoying, especially when you get something mostly useless like 9mm or 11mm but they skip 17mm. :mad:

I guess the overall lesson no matter what brand is to know exactly what you're buying. When you see a killer price on a set, sometimes it's because they left things out. I've seen Gearwrench gift sets pop up around Xmas like this.
 
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