Pittsburgh Wrenches

[SMLWinds]

So today a John Deere repair guy came to install some parts on my tractor and had Pittsburgh wrenches. He said they were just as good as any he had ever used. I came home and looked them up and see they are sold at Harbor Freight. I must admit, I am a bit biased against HF (perhaps unfairly?) because the first description I had of the store was that they sold super cheap tools for super cheap prices.

Are the Pittsburgh wrenches decent? Are they anywhere close to comparable to any of the more common names--Craftsman, Snap On, Wright, or even Kobalt?

I have plenty of quality wrenches up to 1 1/4" but I am in need of a set of larger wrenches. Any recommendations?

 

[southalabama]

The larger ones aren't as critical as to fit and finish.

I'd look around for used american made ones but the HF will be perfectly fine for most uses.

 

[MrDeerHunter]

The 5 brands you listed are all in their own classes. Pitt pro tools are not bad, they are not great either. Middle of the road. The open ends twist on large torque loads, but their is a lifetime warranty on them. I would not trust them as the only wrench in my box. They are great if you are portable and might lose some, because they are cheap to replace. Don't buy the large ones. I had them snap. Buy quality old on eBay. Cheaper than new and just as good.

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[SMLWinds]

What is a good quality set for larger size wrenches?

 

[Zewnten]

Co-workers have them, regular combo angle. They hold up. Open ends to spread but that's why they include the closed end . Seem to hold up ok to pretty serious abuse (including a wrench extender) but I don't know if this particular person has the made in India wrenches you get now or the slightly higher quality wrenches HF previously sold.

 

[deberly12]

I would definitely buy Pittsburg over any Craftsman or kobalt. I don't have enough experience with Snap-on or wright but at multiple times the price I but alot of Pittsburgh. It should be noted that today's Pittsburg tools are not the ones from 20 years ago. The old ones were on the level of grocery store tool bin. Now they are as good or better that any of the store brands (cman, husky, kobalt, duralast,...). I say buy them. You could probably buy 3 more sets for the price of a snap on

Sent from my XT1635-01 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[B_Bimmer]

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.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Buying by brand with zero effort to understand features making a tool good or not so good is a rookie mistake.

Buying the most expensive so you "don't have to deal with issues" is a quick way to spend yourself broke.

For a low use tool, inspect, buy cheap if it will do the job, and let it be a consumable. If it works forever, great. If it works for a while, you probably got your value from it. If it ***** to use or fails, go buy a different, better model or brand. And sometimes, a comfy ratchet or screwdriver grip you just plain like, or buying higher end for a tool you know you'll use a whole lot, is okay too.

Letting your use and actual needs filter your purchases, instead of allowing perceived quality cloud your decisions, is the way to go.

This is all spelled out in the beginning if those terrible, inadequate, perfectly useless Haynes auto repair manuals.

 

[Wamsutta]

So today a John Deere repair guy came to install some parts on my tractor and had Pittsburgh wrenches. He said they were just as good as any he had ever used. I came home and looked them up and see they are sold at Harbor Freight. I must admit, I am a bit biased against HF (perhaps unfairly?) because the first description I had of the store was that they sold super cheap tools for super cheap prices.

Are the Pittsburgh wrenches decent? Are they anywhere close to comparable to any of the more common names--Craftsman, Snap On, Wright, or even Kobalt?

I have plenty of quality wrenches up to 1 1/4" but I am in need of a set of larger wrenches. Any recommendations?

That entirely depends on who you're asking and what their exposure is to various brands of wrenches. What about you the OP; which brands of wrenches have you tried and which brands of wrenches have you not tried?

 

[nutsnbolts]

What is a good quality set for larger size wrenches?

I think SK tools are hard to go wrong with for American made. They will be significantly more expensive than Pittsburgh though.


I found Williams ratcheting wrenches for about $100 a set on Ebay for the metric 8mm-19mm set and SAE 3/8 to 7/8. For bigger wrenches, I have found Armstrong wrenches on Ebay from time to time, one here and there, for like $15 apiece. My friend was a mechanic of sorts in the National Guard and he said the military mostly uses Armstrong, so I figured that was a pretty good endorsement for solid, sturdy tools.

There is a building engineer at work that has like 20 years experience and he uses Harbor Freight tools exclusively. He is a tightwad and he is proud of that. He says he doesn't see any reason to spend good money on tools, and that if he breaks something, he can just take it back after work and get a new one. He has come and asked me to borrow tools on occasion when he broke his, and other people say he asks them too. So for most common applications, such as changing the oil or other everyday uses, they are probably fine. But when you are tearing apart industrial pumps and compressors and boilers and whatnot, the tool is completely outmatched.

 

[Snakebyt]

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.

nothing at all wrong with a tech using those tools, we have a guy at work, master tech of over 35 years, he has every brand you can think of, including Pittsburgh. we also have a tech there with nothing but tool truck brand tools, and he is not someone that i would let work on my car. I have some tool truck, some HF, Cman, Parts store tools, husky ect. You cant tell the level of work you will get based on tools the guy uses. but thats just my opinion

 

[rtz]

The big questions about the Pittsburgh wrenches is: are the ones made in India better than the ones made in China? The ones I looked at; one make was raised panels, and the other was smooth.

 

[CR888]

At tech trade school these days they no longer have any practical exams or tests to approve qualification. Instead all students must lay out there tools on a table and an inspector wearing a lab coat with a clipboard walks past to assess your tools. Points are given or deducted on brand, country of origin, chrome plating & ones ability to polish up his tools. The qualification board came up with this new method after spending time gathering the best data on Garage-Journal. These days a freshly qualified tech may not know how to change a spark plug or tire but knows exactly which tool companies know how to chrome plate to perfection. Many here will feel warm & fuzzy inside knowing the trade is going in the right direction with a bright mirror polished future. For-forks-sake G.J!

 

[d.mcfarland]

Broadly stating - the $10 wrench set provides more than $10 worth of value. The actually fit fasteners fairly decent.

 

[rijndael]

I have plenty of quality wrenches up to 1 1/4" but I am in need of a set of larger wrenches.

How often will you use them?

 

[woody 73]

Nothing wrong with the HF wrenches from China, but I don't get that feeling from their products coming from India.


Just my two cents for what it is worth on the GJ...

 

[Mr_B]

The raised panel 6pc sae set not bad as a large size occasional use set,
use a 20% coupon and you laughing

 

[deberly12]

I am not a pro wrencher but my tools get used hard when I use them (rust belt farm use). When anyone asks me what hand tools to buy I tell them buy the best value you can find. Usually Pittsburg. If it fails you more than once you should probably get a better one (once is a fluke, twice is an underperforming tool). The key here is you will only need to upgrade 20% of your box. You will have saved tons of money by have the rest in value tools.

As far as apearance: I would trust a mechanic that had a variety of brands far more than one that had a complete off the truck tool set. Why: 1. He may not be experienced / smart enough to understand tools so he just buy snap-on cus people say there good. 2. I don't want a mechanic that doesn't care about spending money. If he loves spending his own money how much more will he love spending mine. Buying oem when aftermarket is as good or better and much cheaper and such.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[ReggieR]

What is a good quality set for larger size wrenches?

What sizes ? 2" ? 3" ? or only up to 1 1/2 ?
If I were after GIANT wrenches I'd buy Tekton but one by one, as needed.
If this is a regularly used item bust out the wallet and do it Wright....or Martin


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004E3WCF0/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[6PTsocket]

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.

My neighbor is a contractor who installs HVAC on new construction. He was working on a piece of HVAC equipment in his back yard and I was surprised to see him using a Ryobi drill driver. Competence has nothing to do with the brand of tools used. A full set of SnapOn or Mikwaukee cannot turn a **** into an ace mechanic. Most stuff sold at HF meets ANSI specs. It is not the best but it will usually get the job done. When I reach for a wrench or a socket, I look at the size, not the brand.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[dnschmidt]

Harbor Freight is perfectly adequate for many wrenches. For example, their stubby ratcheting box wrenches are the only way to go. Reason? With a wrench this short it's physically impossible to overload them. The HULK couldn't do it. Depending on the application and the amount of abuse you intend to impart to the tool HF is good value for dollar.

Harbor Freight is one of the big reasons I got out of the TOPTUL business. TOPTUL's tools are light years better than Harbor Freight's equivalents but for most people that don't wrench for a living aren't going to notice anything other than the superior fit and finish of the TOPTUL over the Harbor Freight. Both will turn a bolt and for many people that's all that matters and they want to do this for the lowest possible price.

 

[zendriver]

At tech trade school these days they no longer have any practical exams or tests to approve qualification. Instead all students must lay out there tools on a table and an inspector wearing a lab coat with a clipboard walks past to assess your tools. Points are given or deducted on brand, country of origin, chrome plating & ones ability to polish up his tools. The qualification board came up with this new method after spending time gathering the best data on Garage-Journal. These days a freshly qualified tech may not know how to change a spark plug or tire but knows exactly which tool companies know how to chrome plate to perfection. Many here will feel warm & fuzzy inside knowing the trade is going in the right direction with a bright mirror polished future. For-forks-sake G.J!

I was shocked, somebody actually uses hand tools, verses endlessly debating, whether someone else's, are worse than my own.

 

[bpjr]

I don't think HF has many wrenches made in India. The only ones I've noticed are the long off sets in a bubble package...they are crude but a lot better now than the ones from a few yrs ago.

On another tack...my mechanic friend (wrenching 30+ yrs) has a 6 bay repair garage and a "pay here" used car lot with lift and repair bay. He has mostly HF tools at the car lot and snappy at the commercial garage. I asked him about the HF stuff and his reply was HF worked ok and having snappy at two locations was too pricey.

 

[Kenskip1]

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.

Bimmer: What may I ask is so bad about these wrenches?I have a set and they have worked for me on huge tractors, farm equipment and general automotive applications.What is your beef with them? The finish,the size of the grip.Honestly I am unable to afford the "Top" quality tools. However these wrenches have been in my tool box for over 6 years. An yes I do have the metric set.The standard goes from 7/16 up to 1 /1/2. Your post was the only incompetent statement of this informative thread.BTY, I have many tools from this manufacturer. Many young mechanics have started out with minimum resources. This is where some of them wind up.Your statement is totally inappropriate.Yes there are better tools available however, as mentioned many individuals are unable to afford the luxury of the name brands.And yes sir , I am one of them.

tion.

 

[Tallpilot]

I think there is a continuum from Harbor Freight to Snap-on. No doubt Pittsburgh wrenches will work in a pinch or for very occasional use. If you have a couple extra bucks and plan to use them a little more often grab some Tekton large wrenches. They are well worth the extra money. Wright or Williams would be the next step up and still about half the price of Snap-on.

 

[yamaha0343]

Now they are as good or better that any of the store brands (cman, husky, kogbalt, duralast,...).

You said you don’t have experience with Snap On, then go on to compare Pittsburgh to Snap On. Pittsburgh is fine for secondary tools, nothing wrong with having some. But to act like they’re the best thing ever to someone asking for advice is doing the person and this forum a disservice.

To the OP, you’re better off getting used or NOS name brand wrenches. Craftsman Pro, Proto, Williams, SK, Wright, etc. will all serve you very well.

 

[dogdog]

So today a John Deere repair guy came to install some parts on my tractor and had Pittsburgh wrenches. He said they were just as good as any he had ever used. I came home and looked them up and see they are sold at Harbor Freight. I must admit, I am a bit biased against HF (perhaps unfairly?) because the first description I had of the store was that they sold super cheap tools for super cheap prices.

Are the Pittsburgh wrenches decent? Are they anywhere close to comparable to any of the more common names--Craftsman, Snap On, Wright, or even Kobalt?

I have plenty of quality wrenches up to 1 1/4" but I am in need of a set of larger wrenches. Any recommendations?

Not HF ones... they sucked, when you needed some torque to loosen stuff... especially the long handle ones... alloy is too weak...

 

[BDT/NWMN]

A John Deere service tech using the cheapest wrenches on one of most expensive lines of equipment. He says His wrenches are as good as any other brand?? Oh boy!!! Hope that service truck was towing a manure spreader..

A local parts store tried to feed Me the same bs when comparing their store brand tools to Snap-on; even claiming their store brand was making the wrenches for Snap-on.

Comments such as " they are ok for the price" would sit better with Me; rather than their BS tactics that have the same effect as a **** bomb.

 

[Wamsutta]

A John Deere service tech using the cheapest wrenches on one of most expensive lines of equipment. He says His wrenches are as good as any other brand?? Oh boy!!! Hope that service truck was towing a manure spreader..

A local parts store tried to feed Me the same bs when comparing their store brand tools to Snap-on; even claiming their store brand was making the wrenches for Snap-on.

Comments such as " they are ok for the price" would sit better with Me; rather than their BS tactics that have the same effect as a **** bomb.

I'm pretty sure this whole thread is a troll thread. Usually when the opening post says something that's aggravating, that makes it a troll thread. Have you noticed how the OP hasn't posted anything else yet?

 

[zendriver]

Are the Pittsburgh wrenches decent?

I used them to re-do the hydraulic hoses on a 40 year old Ford backhoe, using some with a cheater bar, since most of the JIC fittings, had not been touched since new.

They barely had a scratch on them, when done, so it's hard to agree with the "occasional use" non-sense, especially since they have a lifetime warranty.

Buy them and loosen/tighten fasteners, or buy something else that you will not feel embarrassed to have in your tool box.

Surprised there is no call to have JD, give a lower repair hourly rate rebate, since the tech is not using expensive tools.

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

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.

To each their own, but I prefer to keep rigid objects away from the area of my body that requires the use of toilet paper. But hey, whatever floats your boat, who am I to judge. As Seinfeld said, “not that there is anything wrong with that”.

 

[Coach James]

I have the China made long pattern combos. I have used them mostly doing suspension and brake work, often pounding on them with a rubber mallet, and no problems so far.

Coach

 

[Al Borland]

We have some of the bigger sizes at work, and they have worked so far.
They get used like slug wrenches frequently.

 

[B_Bimmer]

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.

 

[intillzah]

I've worked with a lot of mechanics over the years, and it has been my experience that the customer who is having the work done really doesn't give two shits what they have for tools. All they care about is getting the problem taken care of and getting back to work.

I've worked with mechanics who literally had old **** mismatched tools, and they were miracle workers.. And I have also worked with a couple who had the nice Mac toolboxes and new Mac tools that they were full of, and they didn't know **** from pineapple butter..

 

[woody 73]

I'm pretty sure this whole thread is a troll thread. Usually when the opening post says something that's aggravating, that makes it a troll thread. Have you noticed how the OP hasn't posted anything else yet?

Joe tell me it ain't so is this a troll post ? Darn kids ...

 

[mudflap]

At tech trade school these days they no longer have any practical exams or tests to approve qualification. Instead all students must lay out there tools on a table and an inspector wearing a lab coat with a clipboard walks past to assess your tools. Points are given or deducted on brand, country of origin, chrome plating & ones ability to polish up his tools. The qualification board came up with this new method after spending time gathering the best data on Garage-Journal. These days a freshly qualified tech may not know how to change a spark plug or tire but knows exactly which tool companies know how to chrome plate to perfection. Many here will feel warm & fuzzy inside knowing the trade is going in the right direction with a bright mirror polished future. For-forks-sake G.J!

Not true of the schools we hire from. They come to us with their ASE Diesel Cert. And have to get their hydraulic Cert, and CDL within the first 2yrs.

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

ashamsi, I'm going to assume you're illiterate, and just more on.

Thank you. Please do note that I am a bonafied ***** and not a “more on”. Perhaps you wanted to “move on” but I apologize, my illertate mind did not understand what you meant. In any event, have a wonderful day.

 

[Sugarfryz]

Nothing wrong with them. I use the 21, 22, 24 on alignments daily often with a cheater and they bend but don’t break. I’ve out my entire weight on them and trust them, I originally just needed some bigger wrenches for alignments and the whole set was like 20 bucks. I had snap on 10-19 and each wrench bigger than that was 30 or more a piece. So I figured I’d buy the hf set and upgrade when I had the money. I haven’t found a reason fo in the four years since I bought them

 

[PugetDude]

You can always count on the SnapOn Fanboys to send a representative to raise their leg on any thread regarding Pittsburgh Pro wrenches.