Quality of Harbor Freight impact socket sets and US General tool boxes
- Thread starter Mscircle1
- Start date
shoturtle
Well-known member
they have a very good box, that will hold up well, their impact sockets are good quality. Those two things are the best items they sell. Are there better yes, the matco/armstrong and craftsman impact swivel are much nicer.
It is a good value getting impact items and the box form HF.
It is a good value getting impact items and the box form HF.
Mickey O
Well-known member
Low.
Aetsh
Well-known member
I use the HF deep 19 + 22mm Impact sockets rotating tires on 20-30 cars a day (lots of 1/2 and 3/4 ton Chevys with 6 and 8 lugs per wheel) for the past year.. no problems at all.
Would buy again
Would buy again
NC-Fordguy
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- Mar 10, 2012
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- 1,391
I don't have the box but do have the impact sockets. I've used them for years with no problems.
ishiboo
Well-known member
There are about a billion threads of praise for the HF boxes (excepting the black $150 one). Go feel and play with one - they're the best bang for your buck. Above almost all hardware store/etc. boxes. Not Snap-on quality of course.
I own two HF boxes and the black cart - love them all. Also have the impact sockets but I have used them for very few things so I can't comment other than to say they fit well!
I own two HF boxes and the black cart - love them all. Also have the impact sockets but I have used them for very few things so I can't comment other than to say they fit well!
bigbearcraig
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- May 26, 2012
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- 129
I believe their impact sockets are made in Taiwan and hear they are pretty good.
chris142
Well-known member
I've been using the 42 inch box daily at my shop for about 4 yrs now and it's held up fine . I have many of there impact sockets for home use. they so fine and I'm sure they would be fine at a shop but I keep my truck brands at work.
beerdog
Well-known member
I have their basic impact sockets. No complaints. Only thing I don't like is the surface finish is rough so they hold more dirt. Their sets are missing 2-3 sizes so keep that in mind. It may go from 10mm to 024mm but it is missing a few inbetween. Pisses you off when you first discover that.
bczygan
Well-known member
A lot of space has been devoted to this, as you say you have seen, above. Believe it. No need for another rehash. Just go buy them.
Pittsburgh impact sockets: CR-V. Cheap ****** feel to them. Rough gritty surface finish. I have not broke one, but they see little use since I don't like them. If you buy these for $10, you get about $10 worth of tools. I don't think I'd buy them again. No idea of COO.
Pittsburgh PRO impact sockets: CR-MO. Excellent. Good, smooth finish. Tough. I've abused mine, used them as bushing drivers, beaten them with a 4# sledge, and no so much as a single crack or deformation. And they work great on an impact wrench as well! They have thru holes to be used on a pinned anvil if you're into that sort of thing. I have tried to break these things, and I can't. I have not put a dent in any of them. The surface coating is gone on my 9/16" and 3/4" ones, but that is the only complaint after 2 years daily use wrenching ag machinery. Best $32 I ever spent on tools. EVER. No idea COO. Don't care, either. Good quality, good price, that's all that matters.
Pittsburgh PRO impact sockets: CR-MO. Excellent. Good, smooth finish. Tough. I've abused mine, used them as bushing drivers, beaten them with a 4# sledge, and no so much as a single crack or deformation. And they work great on an impact wrench as well! They have thru holes to be used on a pinned anvil if you're into that sort of thing. I have tried to break these things, and I can't. I have not put a dent in any of them. The surface coating is gone on my 9/16" and 3/4" ones, but that is the only complaint after 2 years daily use wrenching ag machinery. Best $32 I ever spent on tools. EVER. No idea COO. Don't care, either. Good quality, good price, that's all that matters.
shoturtle
Well-known member
well their sets are missing some of the larger sizes. That may not be an issues for regular stuff, but may be an issue with what you are getting into with diesel. So I would check out what is missing in 1/2 and the 3/4 set to see if you can work without the missing ones.
shoturtle
Well-known member
that is true, I just like things in full sets normally. 
transittech
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- Feb 27, 2012
- Messages
- 299
The impact sockets almost always get great reviews from the afore-mentioned dead horse threads.
For a box in a professional, daily use environment, my advice would be pass on Harbor Freight tool boxes and keep looking. (At home is a different story). You're going to be putting literally miles on the wheels pushing it around, depending on the size of your shop. Every time you hit even a small crack in the concrete you're going to be racking the welds, the sliders, and flexing the cabinet, especially when loaded down with big/heavy tools for diesel repair. The big boxes have suspension wheels for this reason. Most old concrete floors aren't level, let alone even, so you'll have to be careful where you park your box, so the drawers don't all open at once (depending on model). Professional boxes have deeper drawers, (less chance of tipping), etc, etc...
Will HF it do it? Most likely. However, a professional box will offer years of service, vs. the HF quick, temporary fix. There's a good reason sane people pay $8,000+ for a tool box: its worth it in the long haul.
I bought the 5 drawer cart at Christmas last year, and its already started wearing. The bottom tray the wheels bolt to has dented from me trying to push the box over a small extension cord. It won't roll over anything more than about 6mm/1/4 in. diameter. The paint has softened up from wiping it down with hand cleaner wipes, and one of the gas lid struts has died. I still would buy it again, but be prepared to make repairs as needed.
As always, YMMV. Good luck!
For a box in a professional, daily use environment, my advice would be pass on Harbor Freight tool boxes and keep looking. (At home is a different story). You're going to be putting literally miles on the wheels pushing it around, depending on the size of your shop. Every time you hit even a small crack in the concrete you're going to be racking the welds, the sliders, and flexing the cabinet, especially when loaded down with big/heavy tools for diesel repair. The big boxes have suspension wheels for this reason. Most old concrete floors aren't level, let alone even, so you'll have to be careful where you park your box, so the drawers don't all open at once (depending on model). Professional boxes have deeper drawers, (less chance of tipping), etc, etc...
Will HF it do it? Most likely. However, a professional box will offer years of service, vs. the HF quick, temporary fix. There's a good reason sane people pay $8,000+ for a tool box: its worth it in the long haul.
I bought the 5 drawer cart at Christmas last year, and its already started wearing. The bottom tray the wheels bolt to has dented from me trying to push the box over a small extension cord. It won't roll over anything more than about 6mm/1/4 in. diameter. The paint has softened up from wiping it down with hand cleaner wipes, and one of the gas lid struts has died. I still would buy it again, but be prepared to make repairs as needed.
As always, YMMV. Good luck!
shoturtle
Well-known member
The HF will more then likely break down over time if you load it with allot of 3/4 drive and 1/2 stuff. But it should last till he get settle into a regular job after he finish school, then go for a pro level box. And if the box holds up, switch it to the home box for his home tools.
O_M_Jeep
Banned
I tend to think of it as 1 year from a $160 cart, or 10 years from a $1600 cart.
The 13pc 1/2" drive deep impacts are very beefy, the 37pc 3/8" & 1/2"drive set are pretty thin imo.
Posted from Garagejournal.com App for Android
The 13pc 1/2" drive deep impacts are very beefy, the 37pc 3/8" & 1/2"drive set are pretty thin imo.
Posted from Garagejournal.com App for Android
freemanni[
New member
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- May 22, 2014
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- 1
been using there sockets for years (pro series impact). not a single socket broken or cracked. The only thing ive noticed is the black color fading. I put them to heavy use as a diesel mechanic. very satisfied with the ase socket set but the metrics are missing a few sizes
I've used almost exclusively Craftsman sockets since the '80s when I started working on my cars as a teenager. I really liked their value which was boosted by the lifetime warranty. Yearly, I'd collect all the broken sockets and wrenches and take them into a Sears to get replacements.
About 10-years ago, I started buying HF sockets and the SK brand from Home Depot (because they have sockets with built-in universals). On more then one occasion, I didn't have the correct size in the impact socket, so I used the regular chrome-plated ones. One thing I've noticed is my yearly trip to get sockets replaced suddenly stopped. I just left the broken Craftmans one in the "broken" box and used whatever I had left from the HF set. So far, I've only averaged about 1 broken HF socket a year, mostly from using non-impact sockets with my Rand-2135; about 1/3rd the rate that the Craftsman ones were breaking. None of the HF impact sockets have broken on me, and I've turned the wrench all the way up to its max 1000-lb*ft rating. From this experience, I'd say that the HF impact-socket quality is better than Craftmans.
About 10-years ago, I started buying HF sockets and the SK brand from Home Depot (because they have sockets with built-in universals). On more then one occasion, I didn't have the correct size in the impact socket, so I used the regular chrome-plated ones. One thing I've noticed is my yearly trip to get sockets replaced suddenly stopped. I just left the broken Craftmans one in the "broken" box and used whatever I had left from the HF set. So far, I've only averaged about 1 broken HF socket a year, mostly from using non-impact sockets with my Rand-2135; about 1/3rd the rate that the Craftsman ones were breaking. None of the HF impact sockets have broken on me, and I've turned the wrench all the way up to its max 1000-lb*ft rating. From this experience, I'd say that the HF impact-socket quality is better than Craftmans.
