Pittsburgh Wrenches

[Thax]

If you are a DIY guy then buy what works best for you and your budget. Husky, Kobalt, Pittsburgh pro are all great choices for a fix it yourself scenario. In a professional environment its is better to get the best quality hand tools you can afford. Snap on , MAC , Matco and Cornwell all make awesome hardline tools. SK and Wright are just as good also.
Im a pro auto/light duty tech, I have all of these brands in my box. Id say the key is to get the best possible tool that you can get for the job. Its probably best to meet in the middle , some things you need to be high end others can be low end and be perfectly fine.

 

[Mr_B]

The HF large wrenches are just pittsburgh standard line not the pro line so no life warranty. With coupon the set is 43bucks which is good value for occasional user .
They certainly usable, seems after sae you likely put a used set together of better brand if got time look. New truck brand on wrenches from 1" to 2" is big money for occasional farm use scenario . I see a lot of guy's in agricultural and hydraulic work using some off brand wrenches and doing just fine for years .

 

[Lisamelting]

I love it. The OP, who's been a member since 2013, starts up another "is Harbor Freight any good" post.

 

[gdpolk]

They are good enough to get the job done. Fit and finish is average. The cost is below average. While I would not call them "good" tools, I will say that they are adequate and a very "good value" if it is going to be something that is somewhat infrequently used and not a critical tool. If you plan to wrench with it every day for work for the next 30 years, it will be worth the coin to get something better. If you are just going to use it here and there, then save the money and use a cheaper wrench that still meets ANSI specs. When you get into larger fastener sizes the fit/finish of a tool become less critical anyway.

All that being said, for my larger tools I have gone to a quality adjustable wrench or sockets because I almost always have room for an adjustable wrench anyway and if I don't a socket will work. I keep combinations in the more typical sizes but when it comes time for big nuts/bolts like what holds a towing ball on the tongue and what not, an adjustable wrench is just as easy and far more efficient for me to store and use than keeping a pile of infrequently used large wrenches.

 

[SMLWinds]

Guys-Those are great answers and much appreciated. I largely expected most of what was said but it was good to hear it. I certainly don't know everything by any stretch so value opinions.

I do have this question--folks repeatedly asked "how often with you use it?" Is this because A) Lower end tools will initially do the job well but wear out if used daily? or B) Because folks feel if you don't use it frequently it isn't worth putting money into and you can just occassionally suffer through using it?

The truth is my tools will not see heavy use relatively--they will be used infrequently by comparison to a mechanic's. So, if a middle level tool will do the job and the only problem is it will wear out after 500 uses instead of 50000 for Snap On it will likely serve my needs. On the other hand, if it will not do a good job the first time I use it, I would rather fork out the money and get what I need so I avoid frustration. I hate saying this but just so folks understand, I have the money to buy any of it--but that doesn't mean I want to waste money for no reason.

Where does Tekton fall in quality terms?

As for sizes, I need 1 1/4 up to 2". Happy to hear opinions or modifications of opinions based on that feedback. Thanks so much!

 

[Al Borland]

ashamsi, I'm going to assume you're illiterate, and just more on.
As to why I would not let a mechanic near anything I own with them, I've had several sets of wrenches from harbor fright myself, from india, to china, to taiwan. Every one of those sets had at least two or three broken wrenches. I have never had any other known brand wrench actually fail, the old craftsman raised panels would spread and slip over under pressure, and with enough use, especially backing up an impact you'll eventually wear out even the box end of a good wrench to the point it'll slip, but the ones from harbor fright just snap. It's dangerous, and happens way too easily. Wrenches are one of the most used tools a mechanic owns, even new snap on is a relatively minor investment for the amount of time you'll be spending with them. Take yourself and your work seriously enough to invest a little.

Haven't broken any HF yet, including removing jammed core bits.
This usually involves laying the machine on it's side, putting a wrench (open end) on the spindle, another on the bit and stomping on one wrench (300 Lbs. of redneck x the length of the wrench...) Broke some "decent" wrenches, but the "Horrid Fright" wrenches are unscathed so far.

 

[jgromada]

There are always lots of people that seem to want to dump on Harbor Freight but frankly I have heard very few people every say they broke a HF hand tool or that a HF tool caused a problem on something by its use.

 

[Mr_B]

Let your needs guide your purchase, you not going see much benefit from 70bucks a wrench to 70bucks the set .
More expensive may have tighter tolerances and bit more strength as will have batter grade alloy and will have more durable finish but I can not see it going benefit your scenario .
Sunex do a 7pc set for about 100bucks atd do a 10 piece set for 120, Neiko do a 10pc black oxide set about same money.
All these and the HF ones same raised panel design and much same in finish .
I picked up used set of neiko metric and sae and they been used on farm equipment with no issues, being oxide finish I have slugged them at times and not busted any yet or wished for better .
Choose a set based on your design preference and size coverage and be done with it.

 

[Tallpilot]

Where does Tekton fall in quality terms?

As for sizes, I need 1 1/4 up to 2". Happy to hear opinions or modifications of opinions based on that feedback. Thanks so much!

Tekton is a full polish wrench. The HF ‘jumbos’ are high carbon steel raised panel wrenches. Notice how thin the neck is. They are also less rigid than alloy steel.

Look at this set from Northern Tool.
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200612514_200612514

Unpolished chrome but not raised panel. Stronger and more comfortable to use design. On a tight budget that is what I would go with. Pittsburgh will work but you can get much better for similar money.

The Tekton is going to have a much nicer finish and a narrower open end because it’s made from a stronger alloy. But at least twice as expensive as the Klutch.

https://www.tekton.com/combination-wrenches?quantity=1&inch-size=2-in&unit=inch

Only you know how much money you are comfortable spending. Like almost all economic calculations diminishing marginal utility kicks in. The little extra for the Klutch buys you a great deal while the step up to Tekton costs more for less gain. Note: I have Tekton to 1-1/2 and 39mm.

Husky and Kobalt don’t have sizes larger than 1-1/2 that I can find.

 

[Tallpilot]

Let your needs guide your purchase, you not going see much benefit from 70bucks a wrench to 70bucks the set .
More expensive may have tighter tolerances and bit more strength as will have batter grade alloy and will have more durable finish but I can not see it going benefit your scenario .
Sunex do a 7pc set for about 100bucks atd do a 10 piece set for 120, Neiko do a 10pc black oxide set about same money.
All these and the HF ones same raised panel design and much same in finish .
I picked up used set of neiko metric and sae and they been used on farm equipment with no issues, being oxide finish I have slugged them at times and not busted any yet or wished for better .
Choose a set based on your design preference and size coverage and be done with it.

Good and practical advice from Mr. B as always.

My irrational hatred for raised panel wrenches is only exceeded by my irrational hatred for round head ratchets especially with ‘Tootsie roll’ handles. I can’t explain it but I can’t get over it either.

 

[unslow1]

My brother outfits crew trucks for remote jobs. He uses HF for a lot of it. The expense for tool truck tools that will very likely be lost or rust in the truck isn't worth it. The HF will get the job done and the higher priced tools can stay in the shop. It's also amazing how few get "lost" when they are HF vs Snapon.

I know several farmers and most that I see use the cheaper big wrenches. I asked one guy why the expensive small tools and cheap big ones. He explained that big tools really won't break and tool truck ones that large are stupid expensive.

 

[sberry]

500 or 50000, not sure but they really don't wear out. The only thing that happens is they can get stretched from regular use hammering against impacts. I have cheap wrenches with hard use and thousands ofcycles over decades now.
30 years ago I would have said different, they creeped in, found out they worked.
They certainly are as good as cman which I used over a career and know a lot of others done the same. I have a few snaps, nothing wrong with them. They are 6 flanks, on occasion they have their place.
They are not what I reach for first and have cheap ones with special features for occasions too.

 

[barrybeefburger]

52 posts and Ive still not seen a picture of a broken HF "Large" wrench

 

[SMLWinds]

Thanks for all the responses. Yes, I know this is somewhat of a basic topic and will generate as many opinions as Ford vs. Chevy but largely I have found the responses very informative and helpful--thanks!

I must show my wrench ignorance a bit--can someone please tell me what exactly it means (and what it matters) to have polished vs. unpolished, raised vs. not, etc.?

Aside from name brands (which I am obviously still learning as well) I am ignorant on what makes a good, bad, or great wrench. Thanks!

 

[derosa]

Thanks for all the responses. Yes, I know this is somewhat of a basic topic and will generate as many opinions as Ford vs. Chevy but largely I have found the responses very informative and helpful--thanks!

I must show my wrench ignorance a bit--can someone please tell me what exactly it means (and what it matters) to have polished vs. unpolished, raised vs. not, etc.?

Aside from name brands (which I am obviously still learning as well) I am ignorant on what makes a good, bad, or great wrench. Thanks!

polished is when the chrome is nice and shiny vs say a satin finish which is still chromed just not polished. I see it as a matte finish and some people really prefer it, I know I do.
Raised panel refers to the fact that there is a panel on each side of the wrench that sticks out from the beam that usually has the name stamped on it along with size and other info. I find these uncomfortable vs a wrench with a flat beam. Personally I stick with wright as I really like the feel of the satin finish and they have a thick beam that doesn't cut into my hand.
My dealings with pittsburg have been that they're fine for ordinary every day items but they slip quicker or easier when really putting pressure on them which can result in slammed knuckles if you don't react fast enough to the slipping. A common problem with a unmaintained bicycles is for cheap cartridge bottom brackets to be rusted into place, this means bolting the specialty tool to the BB and putting a 32mm wrench on it which you stand on or even jump on. Although it exceeds expected use pittsburg did not hold up to the abuse, better brands continue to do so.
I don't use anything HF, working in a bicycle shop on high quality stuff that could easily exceed 10,000 I wanted tools precise enough to not slip or cause any form of damage. While typically fixing 15-20 cheap, used, abused or well-loved bikes a day things had to be durable to last. Though I've moved on from that I still fix my own family's fleet of bicycles of which there are 15 as well as for friends and neighbors. I take pride in the work I do and I like taking pride in the tools I do it with, they don't have to be the best, they just need to not fail me.
edit: my 5 year old just installed his first bell with no help and my 3 year old likes to "help" with repairs, I also want my tools to survive them.

 

[SMLWinds]

Derosa-Thank you for that explanation!

Tallpilot--I just wanted to thank you for your response. I appreciate everyone who added their opinion and learned a lot from many. Your response was exceptionally concise, logical, and informative. I am very appreciative of your insight and the links to examples. That was very helpful!

Many thanks to all who gave their opinions and thoughts. I am leaning towards finding a set of Wright or similar brand wrenches to order, although I have trouble finding a nice set online (please feel free to add links to sets that would suit my needs). Truth be known, money is not an issue for me at all--I just want to make sure I am getting something for my money because a fool and his money soon part.

Lastly, I have to respond to those who issued criticism for me asking this question and accused me of putting up a "troll thread," which I assume I understand the meaning of. I am a legitimate individual who is blessed financially but does not have the knowledge of tools that most all of you do. Thus, I am asking for help. I honestly want to get quality tools without spending completely unnecessary money. I feel your answers have helped me accomplish that goal and for that, I am appreciative. I am admittedly ignorant on many tool topics and this board has been incredibly helpful. While I appreciate those who suggest that I try it out of buy what I feel is best in my experience, I am in a situation where I don't have a wealth of experience and want to have tools that will serve me well as I gain experience. Although I don't have experience, I still want to make sure I don't make purchases I will regret and I am deeply indebted to those on this site who take of their time to offer their experience, knowledge and expertise. Thank you!

 

[CR888]

That's what the site should be about, helping others as well as ourselves by sharing knowledge & experience. Between the membership pretty much all tools have been bought, sold, tried, tested, compared to others etc. Sometimes a good way to get advice is to list your budget on said tool/tools, your intended use for them and what similar tools you already have.

 

[LNKMK8]

I buy a ton of tools at estate sales; I'm fortunate to be in an area where there a lot of sales each week. With a little patience, I've bought V-Series Craftsman, S-K, Bonney, MAC, and Snap-on tools for the same price as new Harbor Freight tools. Win-Win

 

[azchrisf]

Heres my opinion: Don't buy HF wrenches. They have tolerance problems and sometimes the wrench won't even fit the fastener. I'd pick up Husky, Kobalt or China Craftsman before I'd touch a HF wrench.

I don't know about you, but I don't have the time to be running around exchanging ****** tools that broke or didn't work right all the time, when I could have paid a few dollars more for something I don't need to worry about.

Now, if were talking for pro-use in really tough situations, pay for SK, Wright or Snapon. You'll be glad you did.

I am a home user and I have Snap on and Wright wrenches. Is it worth it? Yes and no. It's a ripoff of a price but I know I will VERY likely never have to do anything but pick up that wrench the rest of my life when I need it.

 

[Tallpilot]

Tallpilot--I just wanted to thank you for your response. I appreciate everyone who added their opinion and learned a lot from many. Your response was exceptionally concise, logical, and informative. I am very appreciative of your insight and the links to examples. That was very helpful!

Many thanks to all who gave their opinions and thoughts. I am leaning towards finding a set of Wright or similar brand wrenches to order, although I have trouble finding a nice set online (please feel free to add links to sets that would suit my needs). Truth be known, money is not an issue for me at all--I just want to make sure I am getting something for my money because a fool and his money soon part.

My pleasure. Any of the high end brands will serve you well. The differences between brands will come down to length and open end features.

WrightGrip, Flank Drive+, etc will grip fasteners tighter and allow more turning force to be transmitted without slipping but they will leave marks on the fastener. Depending on what you are working on that might be undesirable.

 

[zendriver]

The OP's The story is a bit anti-climactic, in that the John Deere Technician didn't round off any bolt heads, or had to run to HF for a warranty replacement.

Oh well, maybe on the next repair job, or the one after that!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[azchrisf]

Oh he decided on Wright wrenches eh?
VERY good choice. An American made product that works excellent - and to boot, it's made from 4140 Steel - same as Snapon.

You'll likely have those the rest of your life too ;-)
Enjoy!

 

[PFSard]

I buy a ton of tools at estate sales; I'm fortunate to be in an area where there a lot of sales each week. With a little patience, I've bought V-Series Craftsman, S-K, Bonney, MAC, and Snap-on tools for the same price as new Harbor Freight tools. Win-Win

That's cheating. Not good for increasing GDP. Not good for contributing to the ever growing landfills. LOL I'm with you.

OP :: Good luck. You have the right attitude. Let us know how you finally make out. Brands you decide to buy and your impression of the price/quality/value.

 

[derosa]

Not good for contributing to the ever growing landfills. LOL I'm with you.

I don't think anyone's tools on here contribute to the landfill, when the tools get too old and worn to not shine further you just buy a new box to put the new tools in and shove the old ones into the corner

OP: If money isn't really a concern than Epsteins, Amazon and Toolbarn all have the best price on wright wrenches, and are within a buck of each other. If money matters toolbarn runs sales and coupons and I got my 18pc metric set for 160.00 rather than 215. I needed all 18 pieces and still had to buy a 6mm separate for what I work on, the 11 and 12 piece sets may fit your need. The there are the same with inch wrenches.
As others have mentioned one brand isn't everything and for me Bondhus is the goto for hex sets. We'd had a 150.00 shifter with a sweat corroded fixing bolt on a mtb in the shop at one time and 2 other 3mm allen keys had rounded off, the bondhus twisted a bit before the bolt finally gave with a loud crack, the allan wrench stayed slightly twisted but still worked fine for another year and saved us a lot of trouble.
I'd really like to look at the SK x-frame ratchet wrenches but have been buying the snap on one at a time as the truck drives all around town and I know they'll last. I think snap-on regular wrenches are overpriced for the simple item they are but their ratchet wrenches are worth the cost for the quality. Vary brands based on specialty and balance cost vs durabiltiy.
Like azchrisf, I'm a home user who just doesn't want issues and takes pride in what I do and work with. I wasted time one day with 5 cracked 19mm sockets including 2 HF impacts; I have kids and a wife and my time is limited I'm not going to waste my day running around for tools. And while I'm not even close to rich I can afford to have others fix my stuff, I just take pride and joy in being able to and showing my sons how to and I want my tools to make the process enjoyable.

 

[barev]

I recently bought a set of SK wrenches after having only HF wrenches and one thing I noticed immediately was that the tolerances on the SK were much better than the HF wrenches. So much so that a nut I would use a 1/2" HF wrench on required the 13mm SK.

 

[SMLWinds]

Once again, thanks to everyone who contributed. I always posts threads looking for the "best" which I fully realize is subjective. I always get a few sarcastic or critical folks who feel compelled to point out there isn't a "best" or call my post a troll, but have never failed to get the info I need on here. The truth is that I don't have a ton of knowledge or experience bu t want to buy tools I will never need to upgrade or that I will outgrow. So, although my initial needs could be satisfied with the cheapest of tools, I want tools that will never limit me.

With that said, I plan to buy BOTH the Pittsburgh and Wright sets largely discussed in this post. I will put the Pitt's in my mobile box so I don't cry if I lose one, gets stolen, etc. Also, I need a few larger wrenches urgently the other day and happened to pass HF (which I had never been in) so bought a set of jumbo wrenches for $50. At that price, they paid for themselves with the work they did that afternoon! I know they aren't top quality, but at that price you have a hard time not getting your money's worth.

On the flip side, I want a nice set so intend to buy Wright. I am still having trouble finding a set of large Wright wrenches. Toolbarn has a set of 26 for $2000. I assume that is just what you can expect to pay for large wrenches? I only need the sizes above 1 1/4" up to 2" or so as I have some decent quality small wrenches but can't find a set with just that. If that is what quality costs, I will likely just bite the bullet and buy them--I want a quality set to keep in my shop.

If anyone can find me a set of jumbo only Wright wrenches I would appreciate it. Thanks again for the guidance and opinions.

 

[sberry]

Have you used a 2 inch? Its,so rare for me an adjustable works, I needed a 1 5/8 yesterday but it was too tight for hand, used an impac, in the end didn't need it. A guy could use a 1 1/2 on occasio as it fits a 1 inch machine nut and some water heater elements.

 

[Sliding T-Handle]

Pittsburgh is much cheaper than Wright, SK, or Proto but if you break one you can walk in any Harbor Freight and they'll give you a new one. I still have too much admiration for American made tools to Resort to Harbor Freight as of yet. but our local transmission repair man bought Snap-on his entire life and now in his seventies he has switch to Harbor Freight. My dad is pro harbor freight as well. He thinks I'm crazy for paying extra for American made. I both collect and use tools.

There's just something about a tool that has "USA" stamped on it. But if you want wrenches to put through the ringer, I would not be afraid of Harbor Freight because all Pittsburgh hand tools are lifetime warranty as I understand it.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk

 

[kctyphoon]

If the HF wrenches were as bad as some people try to make them sound, there wouldn't be so many positive reviews on the websites, or as many positive reviews online.. are there "better" more expensive options out there - of course. But a lot of "more expensive" options are also coming from the same overseas countries too.

Just cause you're buying something doesn't mean cheaper won't serve you just as well or last year u just as long. My craftsman stuff has been going for 25+ years, but I've also bought plenty of other sets of similar quality like husky and gearwrench and tekton that work just as well for me.. I've never once said to myself "hold on, I'm gonna walk back inside and get my old USA made wrench for this" instead of using what was in front of me.

 

[Eric29]

I think it depends on your use of the tools. When I was a kid, we would use whatever tools we had. My dad had a number of old JH Williams wrenches, and I could always get under a car and yank on those as hard as I needed to break things free since we didn’t have any impact wrenches. When we didn’t have the right size and I used a cheap wrench, I would end up often almost breaking my knuckles when it slipped or broke. It’s kind of how I learned how to work on cars and how I learned that there is a difference between tools. So if you’re not using the harbor freight wrenches very hard, of course they will work and the wrenches would get a good review.

If the HF wrenches were as bad as some people try to make them sound, there wouldn't be so many positive reviews on the websites, or as many positive reviews online.. are there "better" more expensive options out there - of course. But a lot of "more expensive" options are also coming from the same overseas countries too.

Just cause you're buying something doesn't mean cheaper won't serve you just as well or last year u just as long. My craftsman stuff has been going for 25+ years, but I've also bought plenty of other sets of similar quality like husky and gearwrench and tekton that work just as well for me.. I've never once said to myself "hold on, I'm gonna walk back inside and get my old USA made wrench for this" instead of using what was in front of me.

 

[Wamsutta]

Wow! The OP came back.

I might have been wrong about him being a troll.

If the OP wants tools that will last and forever and never worry about outgrowing, there's a little tool company in Elizabethton Tennessee that makes excellent tools.

 

[metlmunchr]

On the flip side, I want a nice set so intend to buy Wright. I am still having trouble finding a set of large Wright wrenches. Toolbarn has a set of 26 for $2000. I assume that is just what you can expect to pay for large wrenches? I only need the sizes above 1 1/4" up to 2" or so as I have some decent quality small wrenches but can't find a set with just that. If that is what quality costs, I will likely just bite the bullet and buy them--I want a quality set to keep in my shop.

If anyone can find me a set of jumbo only Wright wrenches I would appreciate it. Thanks again for the guidance and opinions.

Wright's catalog doesn't show a separate set of the large wrenches. Amazon has the 26 piece set for $1095. Search Amazon for Wright 726. If you look up Wright 715 on Amazon, it's about $225 and goes up thru 1 1/4", so you're paying an additional $870 for the wrenches up to 2".

I've got Wright combination wrenches up thru 1 1/4" and Proto up thru 1 1/2", both sets bought long ago when there were essentially no imported wrench sets sold in the US other than some Globemaster and similar junk.

Above 1 1/2, I've got a Heinz 57 mix of anything from Williams and Armstrong to HF up thru 2 1/2. At the current $225 for the Wright set and $400+ for the Proto, I wouldn't buy either of them today, nor would I pay $870 for the large Wright wrenches. Nothing wrong with either brand, but there's plenty of alternatives out there now that offer far more value for the dollar.

 

[sberry]

I like the point made that the HF paid for itself in one afternoon, returned again the next time and for most people the use for large is few and far between. KC makes a good point that the hype is different than the reality.
I have found most generic fit well and are brutally tuff. Mine get hard use. I find a lot of this logic is pure speculation by self admitted part timers. I think the premium are good, no argument with that but I don't think there is night and day difference in most cases for most people. As the man said, when I got one in my hand don't go looking for another one for common work and many of the different or special features, thin, offset, etc are design related and not really "quality" per sa.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I would definitely buy Pittsburg over any Craftsman or Kobalt.

Quality is about the same and the Pittsburgh ones are a fraction of the cost,

 

[sberry]

Agree, about the same.
I have never had a customer type come sort thru and see what kind of tools or wrenches I use, never, never had one ask. Agree, they don't care.

 

[lardy1]

I bought two of these yesterday for our two vehicles: https://www.harborfreight.com/hand-...etric-combination-wrench-set-14-pc-68807.html

Made in India. WOO HOO!!!

I'm torn. I don't want to lose expensive tools along some road somewhere from my good tools. I also don't totally buy into the "buy cheap **** for the cars" mentality either because if I'm broke down and my tools are so ****** I can't do the repairs, that would frustrate me even more.

So I bought these cheap *** tools untested. It was only the third time I ever spent money in a HF store (I have the Doyle pistol grip pliers and the Pittsburgh 24" breaker bar). I'm not sure if I'll regret this or not but it was the route I decided to take. My greatest hope is that they rust away unused in the compartments of the vehicles.

And everyone can thank me for resuscitating a stale old Harbor Freight thread to bicker over.

 

[Ton ton]

Feel free to buy them and give them a try. I have. A better use of my money would be using it as toilet paper. If I was paying for a mechanic and they showed up with them I would tell them to keep on driving. They are either incompetent, don't know better (inexperienced), or cheap to the point of putting my equipment, which I intend to have for a long time, at risk. Regardless of which of those it is I am not paying for it. There is so much better available for little more it's not even funny. Buy yourself some good wrenches, if you actually use them you'll thank me.

Well said.

 

[seber]

When I was younger I spent a year wrenching motorcycles after a devastating divorce. The Craftsman wrenches I had were not getting it done. They would flex and mark the chrome plated fasteners. I quickly went to Snap-on metric wrenches. They are definitely my best but my SAE wrenches are a mix of Grays Canada, Armstrong, Snap-on, and Williams. They are all just fine. No SK because I don't like raised panel. I find them uncomfortable to work with. I haven't tried Pittsburgh but if the are Taiwan, I suspect they would be just fine. If they say China or India, they aren't coming home with me. Cheap steel does not belong in my toolbox.

 

[Mallen]

I have some of hf wrenches. They are ok, but I usually use my old proto and Par-X wrenches. But they are ok. I bought a cheap set of wrenches at Walmart because it was 5 minutes from the wrecking yard and I had to get an 9mm bolt off and the 9mm was sitting at home instead of my tool box. It didn't work. Literally, between the poor fit and the softness of the jaws, it wouldn't turn the bolt. And it damaged the corners on top of it. That's the risk of cheap wrenches. If it breaks, whatever. If it breaks when you need it on the side of the road, that really *****. Your walking, or calling an Uber and paying whatever the nearest parts store wants to charge. Not that bad, because, even money, you had to go there and get parts anyway. But if you round off the bolt, now your really screwed. But Pittsburg wrenches are probably good enough that I wouldn't overly worry and would probably keep them Ina truck box. Any wrench can round off a bolt. Good wrenches are less likely. But the Pittsburg is unlikely to be used, and even if it is, isn't particularly likely to do it, so it's a small risk multiplied by another small risk.

For some tools, I won't bother with cheap stuff. For example, universal joints. The cheap ones are just garbage. I stick with proto, Williams, and the like or old used American stuff.

 

[RedneckWelder]

I use Harbor Freight and equally cheap tools every day to work on equipment worth far more than the “If a mechanic showed up with HF tools I’d run them off!” guys will ever own.

not one customer has cared and i haven’t “damaged” anything using cheap tools

it’s not the brand it’s the knowledge to fix it that makes it happen.