so are those pittsburgh wrenches any good?

[Bran Diezel]

i spent some money at HF this weekend. I always see those wrenches and wonder if i should just go ahead and drop like $200 to have like every wrench they have for the home garage. I mean I could get standard, metric, long, short, "S", half moon, offset box, etc...

i mean damn the whole set of deep offset metric 8mm to 21mm for $14.95

well, that and i don't have any "S" shaped wrenches at work and $13 to use them maybe 10x in my whole life would prob be worth it.

 

[Sterff]

I wouldn't buy them. If you use wrenches often enough you will find they are made pretty cheap. My uncle bought a set and broke off the open end of a 9/16" and 1/2". I would get a set of Craftsman's or something better.

 

[RLRRLRLL]

I know of a guy thats a local race car driver that uses pittsburg wrenches. Idk if he has any issues with them, but thats what i saw laying out on his race car while it was being torn down. Ive seen mechanics use Ace Pro wrenches, which are probly about the same quality, and even some no name wrenches. As long as u use them for what they are made for you should be alright, if not, they have a warrenty.

 

[marrt]

A lot of people consider HF stuff as complete junk. And if you didn't already have 70 posts, many would think you must be a troll for asking such a blasphemous question. However, I've bought several of there sockets and wrenches. I also have a huge set of craftsman stuff. Guess what...I reach for the HF stuff first. Especially their extra long wrenches. For occasional use, they're hard to beat. I mean...how complicated is it to form a wrench anyway? Don't put a cheater bar on anything and they'll very likely last you a lifetime.

 

[TireTracks]

As long as you dont have some idea they will be as good as snap on, and dont abuse them, they will work just fine for home use.

Look at the better Pittsburgh pro wrenches, The ultra cheap no name ones arnt that great.

 

[Lushdrunk]

I bought the "long handle" metric wrench set from them and they where a joke. The 15mm was sized like a 5/8" It was too big for normal 15mm bolts and would slip at nothing. Other things I noticed wrong with them, They where missing the 13mm in the set, The open ends where always too tight. Like they machined the tools then added a thick layer of chrome to them.

HF tools are 1 time use only tools, or they are also handy to keep around for the times when people ask to borrow your tools.

 

[Bolster]

I know of a guy thats a local race car driver that uses pittsburg wrenches. Idk if he has any issues with them, but thats what i saw laying out on his race car while it was being torn down. ...

I dunno about that inference, RLR. I have race car drivin' friends too, and they are poor as church mice, will use any tool they can get their hands on.

 

[FoMoCoPower]

They are junk. The open-ends spread and break easily,the closed ends are usually good for making bolts/nuts round. But then again,if you never do any actual work,what ddo you have to lose?

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

My Dad has these sets:

http://www.harborfreight.com/11-pie...long-handle-combination-wrench-set-44718.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/11-pie...long-handle-combination-wrench-set-47067.html

I've used them and think they are very good for the money. He uses them all the time and says they've been great.

 

[brian90505]

Why stop with wrenches? Buy all their disposable junk if you like those prices.

 

[Bran Diezel]

Why stop with wrenches? Buy all their disposable junk if you like those prices.

haha i'm like you at work i won't touch anything but big truck brands. im just trying to be a cheap *** at home

my home wrenches right now are the Cman pro SAE, Blue Point USA MM set (the same as the current SO but not chrome), and the 2 Gearwrench $39.95 sets that were on sale last month.

I had a hard time swallowing my tongue and buying the GW Gearbox SAE and Metric o degree wrenches on sale this month at NAPA but I have to say I will prob buy another set of the MM for home use instead of buying another SO non ratcheting 0 degree set.

 

[sanddrag]

I have a lot of HF tools that I like a lot, but wrenches is one thing I wouldn't buy there, unless it was for really big ones. They aren't sized as accurately and as mentioned above, the open ends spread and the closed ends round off. Look for some better ones.

 

[...rohit]

I bought the "long handle" metric wrench set from them and they where a joke. The 15mm was sized like a 5/8" It was too big for normal 15mm bolts and would slip at nothing. Other things I noticed wrong with them, They where missing the 13mm in the set, The open ends where always too tight. Like they machined the tools then added a thick layer of chrome to them.

HF tools are 1 time use only tools, or they are also handy to keep around for the times when people ask to borrow your tools.

I had the exact same experience, trust me, i am no HF hater, I go in there at least once a month, but wrenches, I would stay away from. Mine are either slightly too big for the bolt and I will eventually strip them or too small. I now use my CMan wrenches, HF wrenches would be decent if you don't plan on using them for working on cars and such. Just my experience though.

 

[mrholeshot]

There is some real Junk in HF, There are also some good deals to be had on some Decent quality tools. The Long Pittsburg Pro wreches are great except that in the metric set they leave out the 13 (they use to leave out the 15 and had the 13) ad for 20 dollars bothe sets are hard to beat. They are the only wrenches I would buy unless I was broke down in front of the store. The fact is some of the stuff is better than some USA stuff. I don't defend them because it's all I can afford. I defend some of the stuff because it just plain works. I have a lifetime collection of Snap-On, MAC, Matco, Cornwell (very limited) and a dozen other good brands. Ive always snubbed my nose at Asian built tools until I saw some of my younger techs using them and getting the same results for a fraction of the money that us old timers were spending. I opened up my mind and really took a look. The quality of some of the China and Tiwan tools is remarkable for what you have to spend on them. Bargins are out there if you arn't afraid to find them and have a little knowledge of tools.

I know how the haters feel, Been there done that. Ive come to the conclusion that the only way people can justify there tool truck purchaces is by bashing something you havent even looked at. The same people who wave the Flag in your face will step right out to buy Blue-Point. Blue Point is a good tool but it's built in China. people Justify it because it came off a Snap-On truck. I've seen worthless tools come from every county and good ones come from most. The same company that builds Blue-Point can't tool up and survive on just what they sell to snap-on so I Imagine the same tools come out in other name brands and even some generic brands as well.

The bottom line is you just need to shop carefully when you enter in HF. Among all the **** are some really good deals to be had. The US General 41" Boxes and related add ons are one of them, The Pittsburg Earthquake impact sockets are another. Some of the Ratchets some of the wrenches and one paticular set of screwdrivers all work really well. You just need an open mind. Everything dosent have to be Snap-On quality. Now that Ive retired I can't justify spending 400 dollars on a set of SAE wrenches when a set of Craftsman pros at 100 dollars will do the job just as well and for around the house or new technician a set of 20 dollar Pittsburg Pro SAE will make you the same money as 400 dollar snap-on. Used as intended most tools will make the grade even Craftsman standard wrenches at 30 dollars will yeild the same results. The job is more about the knowledge of the user than the tool itself. Ive been and ASE Master Auto Technician all the way back when the patches were orange and they read NIASE and have made roadside repairs some some of the most junk tools ever. I was out of town on my motorcycle when a drivshaft exited at about 100mph. With a 4.99 conveinance store 40 pc socket set, 5 dollar adjustable wrench and the motorcycles tool kit I covered the repair. I had the parts flown in to the hotel I was at and back on the road the next evening. In the end it's more about the user than the tool

 

[pp702nw]

I know of a guy thats a local race car driver that uses pittsburg wrenches. Idk if he has any issues with them, but thats what i saw laying out on his race car while it was being torn down. Ive seen mechanics use Ace Pro wrenches, which are probly about the same quality, and even some no name wrenches. As long as u use them for what they are made for you should be alright, if not, they have a warrenty.

a race car (probably) doesn't have 10+ years of rust holding on the fasteners, easy(er) to remove. Also if i were to bring tools to the track it would be cheap **** tools. I sure would rather a pittsburgh disappear than a snappy

 

[iandh]

The sockets and ratchets there are actually pretty good, the wrenches, not so much.

A lot of the wrenches are made in India, and TBH I don't think I've ever seen a good tool out of that place.

I think they are good for hobby work where you might not be running into frozen fasteners, and race car work because they're always being taken down and put back together, but in cars that have been running through mud puddles their whole lives, with bolts that only get turned every few years, you deal with a whole different set of mechanical forces.

 

[olds394]

I had a hard time swallowing my tongue and buying the GW Gearbox SAE and Metric o degree wrenches on sale this month at NAPA

Is this still going on?

 

[Abbott]

I haven't had any problems with HF wrenches, they work fine for me in my home shop.

 

[Bran Diezel]

Is this still going on?

ya through sept 31

there is a thread on the 3rd quarter flyer on the forum here.

 

[Kev442]

I agree with everyone that says skip the smaller sizes you will use a lot or get the professional Pittsburgh. I have the large size cheap Pittsburgh set for the same reason you stated, I use one of each size no more than once a year, and 20 bucks is all I want invested in that.
For small sizes, go Craftsman, Gearwrench or Kobalt.

 

[Richie2619]

I'm a professional mechanic. I work on heavy equipment (Caterpillar engines driving Ariel gas compressors. I bought Pittsburgh wrenches from 3/8" to 2", in hopes that they'd last until I could afford something better. I use them everyday and now, have no intention of replacing them. They "ALL" fit accurately and the open end shows no signs of spreading. I'm surprised and impressed with their performance and durability. The finish isn't great but I buy tools to work, not look pretty. Again, they WORK, and they work well!

 

[3baygarage]

I once stood a Taiwan combo wrench in my vice, clamped it down hard and gave it a swift crack with a ball peen. The thing snapped in half like a "Kit-Kat Bar". Obviously the intended purpose of a wrench is not to hold up to a blow like that, but if anyone out there thinks American wrenches would break that easy is nuts. Maybe it's time I put Harbor Freight to the test.

 

[mikedprince]

I'm a professional mechanic. I work on heavy equipment (Caterpillar engines driving Ariel gas compressors. I bought Pittsburgh wrenches from 3/8" to 2", in hopes that they'd last until I could afford something better. I use them everyday and now, have no intention of replacing them. They "ALL" fit accurately and the open end shows no signs of spreading. I'm surprised and impressed with their performance and durability. The finish isn't great but I buy tools to work, not look pretty. Again, they WORK, and they work well!

I like mine just fine and am encouraged to hear your comments, as a professional. I was helping my mechanic friend work on his truck and liked his wrenches so much that I commented on them. I was surprised when told me where he got them. I went to HF and bought the long handled sets in both SAE and Metric. Good stuff!

 

[uart]

I once stood a Taiwan combo wrench in my vice, clamped it down hard and gave it a swift crack with a ball peen. The thing snapped in half like a "Kit-Kat Bar". Obviously the intended purpose of a wrench is not to hold up to a blow like that, but if anyone out there thinks American wrenches would break that easy is nuts. Maybe it's time I put Harbor Freight to the test.

That's probably the difference between a plain carbon steel and a good quality Cr-V or Cr-Mo steel.

Plain carbon tool steel however can be very strong. Correctly chosen carbon content for the type of tool and correct hardening and tempering can make a tool that is still extremely functional, despite not being a "fancy" alloy.

When it comes down to the best combination of both strength and impact resistance though, a plain carbon steel can't compete with a better alloy steel. Those wrenches may well have functioned perfectly fine as long as not used for slogging. I'll bet you would never have managed to spread one.

 

[jsonic6]

At $15 bucks, you have nothing to lose. Buy them and try them. 1 snap-on wrench cost more than a set of Pittsburghs, get me?

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

 

[moronmountain]

IMO it can go so many directions with HF stuff. To me their quality control is all over the place, and though one person may get a good tool, the next guy buying the same tool may end up with junk. I have an almost brand new compression tester that never worked even once that I lost the receipt to. =/

Also, for me when it comes to wrenches, I don't mind spending a bit extra, but I can afford it. I have rounded off a bolt or two using gear wrench (the open end) because they spread on the easy, and I'm pretty sure they are nicer than Pittsburg. I grabbed a SO FDP and the bolt came right off. Normally though I always grab for my Cornwell extra longs. They are a thing of beauty.

As far as buying every cheap wrench they make, well........... I would rather buy one high quality S shaped wrench when I discovered I needed it, instead of buying a whole set of cheaper ones.

 

[92GreenYJ]

HF tools are 1 time use only tools, or they are also handy to keep around for the times when people ask to borrow your tools.

I think HF tools do have their uses. I keep HF wrenches, sockets, etc in my Jeep for my trail tools and in a toolbox in my truck for junkyard runs, repairs on the truck. My garage boxes are filled with mostly Craftsman, Irwin, etc.

I use cheap HF tools in the Jeep and truck boxes because they are cheap enough that if I lose them, get rusty, etc it's not really a big deal. I keep the good stuff in the garage. Though I do also have a few HF items there too, but mostly stuff I only use once in a while for the odd job here and there. If it's a tool I will use heavily then I go name brand USA.

 

[bimmerZ5]

you're asking the wrong people. you need to ask the OP of this thread:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67850

He's got actual real use experience with these wrenches and he made a living with them.

 

[cburnscrx]

I have the HF combo wrenches for my road box, but if I were doing it again, I'd get these...

http://t.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Metric-Combo-Wrench-Set-10-Piece-HCW10PCMM/202934505/

If you read the reviews, the only bad reviews make references to missed sizes. One of the good things about Husky is you can buy the individual wrenches to fill in, and they're cheap.

In my opinion China > India. Not a big difference, but worth noting.