HF jumbo pipe wrenches

[gdocktor3]

Any real men out there use the jumbo 36" and 48" pipe wrenches from Harbor Freight? Anyone break or bend one?

 

[fatfillup]

I have not used HF pipe wrenches but have used plenty of other brands. Ridgid is by far my preferred choice. I would not use a big HF pipe wrench if you have to put a cheater on it. I would worry about the teeth slipping more then the handle breaking personally. That has always been the issue with cheaper pipe wrenches in my experience whether using a cheater or not.

 

[dogdog]

Any real men out there use the jumbo 36" and 48" pipe wrenches from Harbor Freight? Anyone break or bend one?

haven't broke mine.... I have the HF ones and the Ridgid 36" steel ones.... the HF jaw doesn't bite as good as the Ridgid ones ....both works. and you probably needed both/two of them, one for counter direction.

Haven't broke any of the ones even using a 10' cheater bar with it to broke loose a 50+ years old 2" steam black pipe. But then again I haven't used it too often after that.

 

[BD1]

Save your money and buy a used RIDGID from craigs list , my advice. Especially if you will used more then a few times.

HOWEVER, the 36'' is on sale for Sale: $22.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/36-inch-steel-pipe-wrench-1132.html
Lifetime Warranty. We guarantee this Tool to be free from defects in material and workmanship for the life of the product. Limitations apply.
Not sure what '' LIMITATIONS APPLY '' mean. G
Well with 20% coupon comes down to around $18.00.

 

[nh_yota]

Ridgid pipe wrenches pop up on my local CL all the time. Might want to see if you can find one of those before you go get some Chinese iron.

 

[gdocktor3]

I'm not looking to buy one I'm just curious. I already have Ridgid, Reed and Craftsman USA pipe wenches.

 

[dogdog]

........
Not sure what '' LIMITATIONS APPLY '' mean. G
Well with 20% coupon comes down to around $18.00.

probably means you can't use that as a hammer or a skull massager .

 

[TigerDude]

that is an awful big wrench to worry about it breaking. put you in the hospital.

 

[dvo]

I have used it on backhoe hydraulics with 10ft cheater. Broke loose those gland bolts that were torque to 2000+ ft/lb without breaking.

 

[joeya]

I have the 36" aluminum wrench and grab it before the steel 36" ridgid beside it.


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[B_Bimmer]

I wish ours would break so I could justify a rigid, but so far so good despite a ten foot cheater as said by others.

 

[thebeekeeper1]

I have the 36" aluminum wrench and grab it before the steel 36" ridgid beside it.


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Me too. I put a cheater on it and jumped up and down trying to break the big square nut on a farm disk gang and never broke either. I finally had to go to the implement dealer and pay to have a 1" impact break them loose.

 

[bigredmf]

We bought a 36" at work roughly 5 years ago

We were trying to tighten 1.5 or 2" red brass *******

It did not work as the teeth just slipped on the brass

Grandad's 36" steel rigid did work

Red


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[fatfillup]

Brass is real "slippery" so to speak. definitely need good hard teeth to bite into.

And that seems to be the difference in pipe wrench quality, how well do the teeth bite.

Note, if using a cheater, pick an iron wrench over an aluminum one as the aluminum one will break much easier.

 

[bb_max]

Boss' box has the big aluminum cheap pipe wrenches. Ive used them a few times and never broken one. But the 48" has been welded previously.

 

[fatfillup]

but I would feel pretty safe using a HF wrench normally (aka without any cheaters on it) as long as the teeth grab and dig in like they are supposed to.

I think this is the correct way to look at HF pipe wrenches

 

[goodysgotacuda]

I haven't put loads through the 48" I have to make it wince. I have put a few hundred ft-lb through it while tightening a pinion crush sleeve. All good.