Recommend me a bearing splitter set

[wolfsburged]

I'm looking for a bearing splitter set for mostly old electric motors, stationary power tool repair, and some occasional automotive use. It seems there is a big gap between the ~$40 Harbor Freight set and the $400-500 OTC sets (once you count the necessary accessories). Is there anything in the middle worth buying? Would rather not go HF but can't justify the higher cost for something I won't use all that often. Saw an OTC "Stinger" set for reasonable $$ but reviews made it sound about as good as the HF, made in China, etc...

 

[eddiemeddiem]

I'm just a garage mechanic like most on here... I've used my harbor freight bearing splitter set a few times and it hasn't failed me yet.

Granted, it's less than a handful of uses in five years, but it's done the job perfectly fine so I can't complain.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dagny]

Bought mine about 1980 at a local hardware store that dealt in sk tools Im sure it was in a sk cat. but it has otc marked on it very good quallity.

 

[theknurl]

decide what sizes you need........

and buy OTC on Ebay

 

[ChevyEFI]

Do the fiscally wise thing.

Buy the HF.

As you find a common-use size splitter, puller, rods, or other related tool needing upgraded, reward yourself with a higher-line tool that you actually need instead of trying to buy a whole line of stuff and having a lot of it sitting around.

I have OTC pullers, HF hydraulic puller, HF and another Taiwan make slide hammers, OTC adapters, Kent-Moore related drivers and related parts. I have what I need, nothing that sits around longer than 6 months, and if a piece fails or I need an upgrade, I buy it at the best price I can find, instead of having a huge $ set that largely sits around.

IMO, OTC has held their pricing reasonably well in the last 15 years, but makes more overseas than they did 20 years ago. I have no qualms about buying their product.

 

[2oolhound]

I like quality bearing splitters. If you work on performance machinery that has shrink fit tolerances the surfaces and threads etc have to stand hop to tremendous forces. The cheap **** falls apart real fast. I had an 6" OTC 30 yr old one made in the US that was awesome but I wouldn't buy one of their new off shore ones. I like the snap-on style with the off set threaded holes for the draw bar apparatus.

How many years of wrenching do you have left in you? If only a few then you can go cheap but if you have 10 years or more pay the price and get something that ail last.