Do You Think there's a Difference?
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Uncle Buck
Banned
Cannot really tell without having one of each in hand. Look the same by the pics.
Doesn't look like there is much of a difference; very similar to the Husky's that Home Depot sells ... my experience with this design is that it is very easy to accidently hit the button/pin and have the socket fall out; the SK and Snap On design is alot better ... just my 2 cents ... 
chappys4life
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just hunt ebay for some snap on extensions better quality and probably around the same price for the gearwrench ones.
Doesn't look like there is much of a difference; very similar to the Husky's that Home Depot sells ... my experience with this design is that it is very easy to accidently hit the button/pin and have the socket fall out; the SK and Snap On design is alot better ... just my 2 cents ...
So for the snap on there is a difference??
chappys4life
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Uncle Buck
Banned
on here snap on is always best
Not always true, there are some things Snap-on is not king of the heap on!
eschoendorff
Well-known member
So for the snap on there is a difference??
Of course: "Snap On: there is a difference."
Well, for $13, I took a chance and ordered 'em. When they come I'll take one down to Sears and compare it to the Gearwrench. The lowest SK price I found was about twice the Gearwrench which is already more than twice the Northern. These are low stress and low tolerance items; can't see why to spend more if I don't have to, although they do come with a lifetime warranty. If they feel inferior to the GW, I can send them back.
DarrenF
Well-known member
I hate to even admit this, but I bought a set of ~36" 3/8 and 1/2" extensions at Northern several years ago. I needed them for doing transmission R&R's. They have been fine, and have no signs of wear.
Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
The Gearwrench set is probably from Taiwan and the Northern set is probably from China. The differences may not be that great to judge from pictures. I would want to compare the locking capabilities (socket holding) between the two sets.
The bottom line is "You get what you pay for" .....
billymade
Well-known member
I think you should be more concerned with the "design" of the extensions and "how" they lock/unlock. The push down lock style seems better and as others have said, hitting the "button" that sticks out would make the sockets fall off. I bought some Craftsman ones that had a little "slide" button, they worked ok but the button was made of plastic, so I took them back. The metal style with the cylindrical looking lock seems to be the best design; I haven't gotten any yet but maybe owners of these can comment on their quality.
Judging by the photos, the sets don't contain the same length extensions.
There are two sizes that seems to be common to both sets, but one set has one that is longer, and the other set has one that is shorter.
You would have to buy both sets to get one of each size pictured, but then you would have an extra extension of both common sizes.
How did I do?
There are two sizes that seems to be common to both sets, but one set has one that is longer, and the other set has one that is shorter.
You would have to buy both sets to get one of each size pictured, but then you would have an extra extension of both common sizes.
How did I do?
hamburglar
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I you told me I had to buy more extensions, I'd probably go to eBay and buy name brand impact extensions.
Judging by the photos, the sets don't contain the same length extensions.
How did I do?
It's trick photography!
They are both 3, 5, and 10 inch sets. If the Gearwrench set is packaged so that I can remove the extensions without destroying it, I'll compare them and report on them.eschoendorff
Well-known member
huh? If you've never broken one, why buy only S*K or off the trucks? Branch out a little... explore the world! In my experience, the Taiwanese GearWrench/Northern/Husky/MIT tools extensions are just fine. In fact, many of the imports have some more thoughtful details than their domestic counterparts (knurling). I have a set of MIT Tools wobble extensions and they work really well.
I wouldn't hesitate to try out those Taiwanese extensions... China is another story (unless it is made to Danaher's specs in China...)
It's trick photography!
I don't think it's trick photography, I think it's bad photography. The tools in the photos are obviously not the same lengths.
Agreed on the bad photography. But here are links to each photo and description: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200304225_200304225
http://www.gearwrench.com/catalog/e.../locking_extensions/setdetails.jsp?part=81302
http://www.gearwrench.com/catalog/e.../locking_extensions/setdetails.jsp?part=81302
kvom
Well-known member
I bought the 1/2" extension set at NT and it seems just as good as those that came with my Craftsman socket set. Seems pretty hard to mess up something like an extension, as long as the sockets and wrenches fit properly.
Uncle Buck
Banned
I think the greatest difference you will find between cheap extensions and the higher quality ones is how well the finish will look over time and a lot of use, additionally I do think that if you do something like hammer at the and of an extension the cheap ones would mushroom at the ens much quicker than the better ones. (they will all mushroom at some point though) The big thing I have noticed in cheap tools is that in time the finish will look real bad compared to the quality counterpart which will still have a quality look and feel with no plating peeling etc.
Extensions are pretty much the same; locking extensions are a different story... the SK design will almost guarantee you don't drop the socket or leave it stuck on a spark plug ... I was using my Husky locking socket trying to remove a spark plug on my Explorer ... for some reason, the Husky locking extension would let go and I could not remove the plug or socket... at that time, I happened to have a Sidewinder extension that is identical to the SK/SO design and I was able to use that to remove the spark plug and socket ... just my 2 cents ...