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The Northern Tool PASS / FAIL thread

kerryt1

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 12, 2009
Messages
324
Location
Oklahoma
I've bought selectively from Northern before, but they recently opened a local store. I've found the "HF Pass / Fail" thread useful, so why not do the same for Northern? I've copied the guidelines from that thread and since it works, we can follow that here.

A couple things to keep in mind:
1) If you have to fix it before it works, it's an automatic FAIL.
2) This thread is for identifying quality HF tools, and for warning fellow tool-heads away from low quality HF tools. It's NOT a thread for rejoicing about low cost.
3) Don't review tools until you've used them awhile. Posting self-congratulatory praise immediately after your purchase is not helpful. Use the tool awhile, then post.
4) Please post a product number or photo if possible.

Use the blue "Search This Thread" button above to find what you're looking for.
 
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ranger302

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
288
Location
RALEIGH NC
I have the 3/8 universal sockets in mm and SAE and they are great.
Jumbo crows feet (1-1/16” – 2”) awesome!
Red air hose (non Goodyear) FAIL. Like 3 weeks before it let go.
Pitman arm puller, Giant FAIL!!! Ripped both feet off first use.

375 plasma Huge WIN! Love it love it love it! All my welders are Lincoln and this thing works just as good as they do.
 

Pro-Painter

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 4, 2010
Messages
924
Location
Winston-Salem, NC
I can start.

Northern full polished long combo and stubby wrenches = PASS.
Pros:
:A lot of bang for the buck.
:Longer and cheaper then Craftsman.
: Don't hurt hands.
: Come in many sizes 5.5mm to 30mm and 1/4" to 1.5"
: Matching stubbies, twist wrenches & extra long SAE.
: "Surface drive" box ends (same as grearwrench by Danaher)
: Near perfect chrome.

Cons:
:Made in china (although the best china wrench Ive ever seen)
:Quality control. Especially wrenches that come in sets.

Overall opinion, Better then Craftsman RP wrenches, but not as nice as (old) craftsman professional's. Much better then any wrench HF has to offer. Great for the light duty tech, homeowner or as a spare set.

NorthernvsCraftsmanwrenchset.jpg

NorthernMetricWrenchSet4.jpg

DSC_0525.jpg


:Northern U-joint socket sets: PASS

Pros:
: PRICE! 7pc sets for $15 ( I only paid $10 for mine on sale)
: Quality is much better then you would expect from the price.
: Near perfect finish.

Cons:
: Limited sizes
: Pins and not torx bolts.
: Pins are the weak point. too small IMO.

Overall opinion, For the amount you will actually use U-joint sockets this set is perfect. They wont handle huge amounts of torque, but anything under 80ft lbs should be fine. Great for anyone doing automotive work. Mine have been very handy and held up fine.
DSC_0026.jpg
 

RangerDaleXp

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 7, 2011
Messages
872
Location
Commiefornia
I have had this for over 3 years and will give this a High Passing mark as well....
 

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diesel research

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 12, 2010
Messages
5,440
Location
gulf coast, TEXAS
A majority of my channellocks come from their retail store down the street. I don't feel the need to give a detailed review on such a familiar product and brand. They are good, enough said. Best prices in town for channellocks. Well, I don't know now that walmart has them. PASS

Sunex 39pc SAE 1/2 drive set. Very excellent and complete set. Very robust. 7yrs+ shop use. Up to 1-1/2". 1-1/2" was used daily as a lug socket on heavy trucks with super singles on deuces. PASS

Bondhus L hex keys with ball tip. PASS
 

99LeCouch

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 18, 2011
Messages
1,053
Location
Rochester, NY
Northern Tool 24v Cordless Impact: PASS

I've had mine for about a year, and have used it numerous times installing various car parts and rotating tires. There's enough torque to get all but the most stubborn lug nuts off, and when used with penetrating oil and a fresh battery can even do the occasional axle nut. It's saved me a lot of time and frustration removing high-torque fasteners. It definitely does better when no extensions are used on the socket, which is a bit of a pain at times. The two batteries are nice since one gets charged while the other gets used. The included lug nut sockets are junky, but they do the job. Wear ear plugs when using, since this puppy is LOUD!

NT discontinued it under the Northern Tool name, and are now branding it as "Klutch" for a much higher price. I paid $85 for mine a year ago, while the now-Klutch-branded one is $160.

1506080_lg.jpg
 

RangerDaleXp

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 7, 2011
Messages
872
Location
Commiefornia
I can start.

Northern full polished long combo and stubby wrenches = PASS.
Pros:
:A lot of bang for the buck.
:Longer and cheaper then Craftsman.
: Don't hurt hands.
: Come in many sizes 5.5mm to 30mm and 1/4" to 1.5"
: Matching stubbies, twist wrenches & extra long SAE.
: "Surface drive" box ends (same as grearwrench by Danaher)
: Near perfect chrome.

Cons:
:Made in china (although the best china wrench Ive ever seen)
:Quality control. Especially wrenches that come in sets.

Overall opinion, Better then Craftsman RP wrenches, but not as nice as (old) craftsman professional's. Much better then any wrench HF has to offer. Great for the light duty tech, homeowner or as a spare set.

NorthernvsCraftsmanwrenchset.jpg

NorthernMetricWrenchSet4.jpg

DSC_0525.jpg


:Northern U-joint socket sets: PASS

Pros:
: PRICE! 7pc sets for $15 ( I only paid $10 for mine on sale)
: Quality is much better then you would expect from the price.
: Near perfect finish.

Cons:
: Limited sizes
: Pins and not torx bolts.
: Pins are the weak point. too small IMO.

Overall opinion, For the amount you will actually use U-joint sockets this set is perfect. They wont handle huge amounts of torque, but anything under 80ft lbs should be fine. Great for anyone doing automotive work. Mine have been very handy and held up fine.
DSC_0026.jpg

I will give a +1 on all of it too:beer:
 

Butters

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 29, 2011
Messages
254
Northern Tool Foldable Trailer: PASS*
125691_lg.jpg


This trailer runs a bit over $400 and is made in Taiwan. I actually assembled it so it doesn't fold (didn't have the need). Been very happy with it. I bought it over the HF model since this one is built in Taiwan rather than China and I figured the quality might be better.

In hindsight, as happy as I've been with it, I probably would just get the HF version. From what I have seen they are virtually identical and the HF one gets good reviews as well (and is over $100 less). I don't think you can go wrong with it, but you can probably save a bit with the HF version.
 

kruegdr

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 26, 2009
Messages
176
Location
Kansas
Angle Grinder. 334787. FAIL
Caught fire in my hands the first time I turned it on.

Stubby Metric Full Polish Wrench Set. 558294. PASS
These have been great. The heads are thinner than my CMan Pro's, but I'd rather have them like that to get into smaller places.

Full Polish Wrench Set. 2551552. PASS
These stay in the truck bag, and have never failed me.

12 inch Adjustable Wrench. 558430. PASS
Also stays in the truck bag and has yet to fail.
 

cglasgow

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 12, 2010
Messages
1,139
I
: "Surface drive" box ends (same as grearwrench by Danaher)

A lot of NT's hand tool line IS Danaher! (It think it even says so in the fine print on the display card).

I've noticed that some open-stock sockets are Taiwanese, some Chinese. I usually try to get the Taiwanese if there's a choice, otherwise I take the Chinese. I've got a few complete sets, and some open stock to fill those @#$@# empty pegs on the Hansen racks. So far, all are PASS....
 

toyotadriver

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 30, 2010
Messages
1,586
I have their framing air nailer. It works but likes to jam and especially misfire regularly. Oil the **** out of it and it works ok...but not great. I would not buy another one but this one works well enough for me to keep it. Better than hand nailing but still gets on my nerves sometime.

I have their finish nailer and it works well. Never has misfired and works great.

Their 1/2 inch composite impact wrench is great. VERY powerful but still lightweight. I'd definately buy another one.
 

greasemonkey44

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 30, 2011
Messages
1,625
Location
memphis
ive got plenty of thier stuff all passes
1/2 klutch compact impact - fantastic
northern tool socket sets- ive gotten all sizes and used them at work all the time; they handle abuse great; however they are a little thick
manual tire changer- pass
1/2 swivel sockets- good
tons of other **** most pretty decent

i usually prefer northern to HF; its cleaner and they have a far better selection even if the prices are more
 

05CarbonDRZ

Well-known member
Joined
May 21, 2011
Messages
526
Location
Cottage Grove,WI
Northern Tool Foldable Trailer: PASS*
125691_lg.jpg


This trailer runs a bit over $400 and is made in Taiwan. I actually assembled it so it doesn't fold (didn't have the need). Been very happy with it. I bought it over the HF model since this one is built in Taiwan rather than China and I figured the quality might be better.

In hindsight, as happy as I've been with it, I probably would just get the HF version. From what I have seen they are virtually identical and the HF one gets good reviews as well (and is over $100 less). I don't think you can go wrong with it, but you can probably save a bit with the HF version.

I have the same trailer and am very happy with it.I built mine into a 2 place Motorcycle trailer.I used a piece of 3/4" Plywood for the decking and installed Cycle chock's and a couple of eyelets for strapping.It tow's very good behind my GMC Sonoma,It's a little hard to back due to its small size.
 

Master-Mechanic

Active member
Joined
Jul 4, 2011
Messages
27
Location
Hamilton NJ
I was very pleasantly suprised how my new winch worked out for me on my new car trailer. I had a 2011 model closed deck 16' car trailer built by D&D trailers in Ewing NJ along with all the bells & whistles, extra hitch reciever made for a removable winch plate etc- you name it.
Well anyway, my father suprised me with a winch for my trailer. I was thrilled to use it, but was a little leary being that is was the harbour freight model(under $90 out the door with the 2 year warranty). But to my suprise, this thing works amazing!
The winch claims to have a 6,000 pound rolling weight rating, and a 2,000 pound dead weight rating. Well, it pulled a 4400 pound Chevy Caprice onto my trailer with the touch of a button. Didnt even flinch!
I then proceeded 14 miles each way for the customer with my 2010 Silverado HD tugging my 1800 pound trailer, 4400 pound non-running car, and 3 passengers in my extended cab. All in all it was a phenominal weekend for Chevy, HF tools, D&D trailers, and my wallet Business is GOOD!
PASS!!!
HFwinch.jpg
 
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BrokewrenchLS1

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
1,650
Location
WV
3/4" fractional socket set - moderate pass.

Case these come in is a dual-purpose metric/SAE case, so none of the sockets really fit down into their holes. Ratchet is pretty clunky and the directional switch is pretty tough to switch sometimes. Aside from that, haven't actually had any problems with it, and given the price (~$75) there's not too much to complain about. Comes with 21 sockets (7/8" - 2"), three extension bars, a t-handle, and the ratchet. We have it for disassembling large pieces of test equipment in the lab and normally just use the t-handle bar instead of the ratchet.
 

Muffduster

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
549
Location
Arkansas
...my father suprised me with a winch for my trailer. I was thrilled to use it, but was a little leary being that is was the harbour freight model(under $90 out the door with the 2 year warranty). But to my suprise, this thing works amazing!
The winch claims to have a 6,000 pound rolling weight rating, and a 2,000 pound dead weight rating. Well, it pulled a 4400 pound Chevy Caprice onto my trailer with the touch of a button. Didnt even flinch!
I then proceeded 14 miles each way for the customer with my 2010 Silverado HD tugging my 1800 pound trailer, 4400 pound non-running car, and 3 passengers in my extended cab. All in all it was a phenominal weekend for Chevy, HF tools, D&D trailers, and my wallet Business is GOOD!
PASS!!!
HFwinch.jpg

This SHOULD have been posted in the HF pass/fail thread and NOT here. This thread is specifically about NT tools.

And like they always say, it's the 29th mile that always does those Chevys in.:spit:
 

toyotadriver

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 30, 2010
Messages
1,586
Is this the wrench you're referring to?

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200307151_200307151

I've been circling around that one for a while. The NT reviews are very good but I wasn't sure I could trust an in-house board. You like it though?



Yes. I've not used it a whole lot but every time I've used it, I've been happy. It has taken off every bolt that I've asked it to. We'll see what it's doing in a few years but so far, I'd buy another one.

I don't think that they edit their reviews. I wasn't very flattering (but tactful)in my review of the nailer and it was posted as I wrote it.
 

RangerDaleXp

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 7, 2011
Messages
872
Location
Commiefornia
Yes. I've not used it a whole lot but every time I've used it, I've been happy. It has taken off every bolt that I've asked it to. We'll see what it's doing in a few years but so far, I'd buy another one.

I don't think that they edit their reviews. I wasn't very flattering (but tactful)in my review of the nailer and it was posted as I wrote it.

I would find 900 ft lbs a bit animated for this tool but would think it does an honest 500 Ft Lbs:question:. But as for there reviews, I think they are honest unlike HFs reviews that I was told that they chose them randomly:confused:, This was told to me from one of there customer service people when I complained that some reviews were not being posted:shocking:.....
 

Livin' the Dream

New member
Joined
Jul 28, 2011
Messages
1
My first post, found the thread when searching for advice on a folding trailer, thanks for all for the feedback, was very helpful.

Recently purchased a "brush grubber" #119312. Very solidly built, powerful "gription". Using a John Deere Gator to pull, working great on buck brush, small oak stumps are too tough to pull out, wondering if a tractor would have enough juice. The grubber doesn't let go, I just don't have the power to pull it out. Has saved me hours of hard work, and to be honest, its fun to rip them out. Pass.
 

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toyotadriver

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 30, 2010
Messages
1,586
I would find 900 ft lbs a bit animated for this tool but would think it does an honest 500 Ft Lbs:question:. But as for there reviews, I think they are honest unlike HFs reviews that I was told that they chose them randomly:confused:, This was told to me from one of there customer service people when I complained that some reviews were not being posted:shocking:.....



I think that it's better than 500 ft lbs but don't think that it's 900 either. I'd estimate 6-700. That's just a SWAG though.
 

WRX/Z28

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
690
Location
Roebling, NJ
I was very pleasantly suprised how my new winch worked out for me on my new car trailer. I had a 2011 model closed deck 16' car trailer built by D&D trailers in Ewing NJ along with all the bells & whistles, extra hitch reciever made for a removable winch plate etc- you name it.
Well anyway, my father suprised me with a winch for my trailer. I was thrilled to use it, but was a little leary being that is was the harbour freight model(under $90 out the door with the 2 year warranty). But to my suprise, this thing works amazing!
The winch claims to have a 6,000 pound rolling weight rating, and a 2,000 pound dead weight rating. Well, it pulled a 4400 pound Chevy Caprice onto my trailer with the touch of a button. Didnt even flinch!
I then proceeded 14 miles each way for the customer with my 2010 Silverado HD tugging my 1800 pound trailer, 4400 pound non-running car, and 3 passengers in my extended cab. All in all it was a phenominal weekend for Chevy, HF tools, D&D trailers, and my wallet Business is GOOD!

This is the Northern Tool Pass/Fail thread ***********... :lol_hitti
 

oldtools

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 15, 2008
Messages
2,706
I can start.

Northern full polished long combo and stubby wrenches = PASS.
Pros:
:A lot of bang for the buck.
:Longer and cheaper then Craftsman.
: Don't hurt hands.
: Come in many sizes 5.5mm to 30mm and 1/4" to 1.5"
: Matching stubbies, twist wrenches & extra long SAE.
: "Surface drive" box ends (same as grearwrench by Danaher)
: Near perfect chrome.

Cons:
:Made in china (although the best china wrench Ive ever seen)
:Quality control. Especially wrenches that come in sets.

Overall opinion, Better then Craftsman RP wrenches, but not as nice as (old) craftsman professional's. Much better then any wrench HF has to offer. Great for the light duty tech, homeowner or as a spare set.

NorthernvsCraftsmanwrenchset.jpg

NorthernMetricWrenchSet4.jpg

DSC_0525.jpg


:Northern U-joint socket sets: PASS

Pros:
: PRICE! 7pc sets for $15 ( I only paid $10 for mine on sale)
: Quality is much better then you would expect from the price.
: Near perfect finish.

Cons:
: Limited sizes
: Pins and not torx bolts.
: Pins are the weak point. too small IMO.

Overall opinion, For the amount you will actually use U-joint sockets this set is perfect. They wont handle huge amounts of torque, but anything under 80ft lbs should be fine. Great for anyone doing automotive work. Mine have been very handy and held up fine.
DSC_0026.jpg

Those wrench/chrome are gorgeous.
 

rgeudy

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2011
Messages
119
Location
Rockwell N.C.
+ 1 on the wrenches, these are some of the nicest chinese wrenches ive ever seen and used, probably on par with the "full polish" chinese craftsmans. Plus they cost next to nothing...
 

Kev442

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 15, 2009
Messages
5,386
Location
Wi
Can anyone confirm those wrenches are China? They look exactly like the Akars I mentioned a while back that are India.
 

BigSteve63

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 19, 2010
Messages
402
Location
SW Missouri
General Pump Quick Connect Pressure Washer Detergent Injector — 3500 PSI

First one - DOA -Automatic Fail :mad:
Customer Service - Outstanding! I wanted this exchanged, so I called for an RMA. The person on the phone immediately set up the replacement and told me that it was not cost effective to return my original. "Keep it for parts, see if you can fix it, or throw it away".

Replacement should be here Tuesday, will post update.
 

jhelrey

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
7,238
Location
MN
^^^ So they are finally catching on and just allowing the consumer to toss it instead of wasting all of that time and money. Smart!
 

5lima30

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2010
Messages
2,442
Location
Mountains of Western NC
The portable welding table is a decent piece of gear. I have had mine for approximately 4 months. I mounted a small vise on it to hold smaller items. I have arc welded, grinded, and cut steel on this table. The slag tray is a nice feature that catches sparks, slag, grinding dust, etc. The table weighs about 40 lbs and is easy for me to slide outside my garage where I do most of my welding. It has a built in gounding lug to clamp your welding clamp to. I still plan on adding an expanded mesh shelf under the top and castors to make it even more mobile. PASS.
 
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