your best cheap tool surprise ?

[ct111]

what was your best inexpensive or cheap tool that you bought not expecting much but were pleasently surprised at how well it worked ?

 

[Lost Road]

I have a $75 chasing hammer and a $15 chasing hammer, and I use them equally. The head is coming loose on the more expensive Fretz hammer, while the cheapo is still solid.

 

[ct111]

mine was a 30 pc tekton combination wrench set metric and sae long and stubby off ebay for $9.52 + $10 shipping. i only wanted to use a couple of the stubby wrenches to work on a small project at the the time. i was just hoping for them to be functionable. but was completely surprised that they all fit and work very well and are fully polished. they were made in india which was the reason i was very doubtful. but seam to be of decent quality so far. i haven't rounded off any nuts or bent anything so far. reason i purchased to begin with was i was really short on funds that month.

 

[bsaint]

Wera bit set.

 

[Pro-Painter]

Northern wrenches, especially stubbies. And as always, the famous Duralast ratchet.

(Notice the center wrench?)

Northern wrenches are cheap as dirt, but extremely well finished and as strong as needed. Ive used mine many times to hold the nut while using my 1100ft lbs matco impact. IMHO, they are better then any other import stubby.

 

[Sh1thead]

Tool aid wire strippers ... picked them up new for $10 and work surprisingly well so far

 

[Paco Pena]

I bought a 3/8th inch Roto-head ratchet, stubby with a comfort handle by proformance tool for 3.99. I have used that thing more times than I can count.

Paco

 

[DanCo]

Skil 1/4" cordless ratchet. Got it when it first came out paid $50 @ HD. Got a couple of years use out of it, it died. Then got another on closeout from Lowes. Too bad they are discontinued.

Dan

 

[crewchief888]

nearly everything i've bought from HF

 

[fourtythree]

$5 Big Lots hammer. 15 years of abuse and still going.

Great Neck O2 sensor wrench. Who knew GN didn't completely ****.

And...the Duralast ratchet. I love that damn thing.

 

[wafrederick]

My 1/4" earthquake air ratchet and impact extension bars from Harbor Freight.The air ratchet is a year old and still works with no problems,not bad for a $50.00 air ratchet.

 

[wreckerman5357]

HF impact sockets. I have 5 years of use on them. Can't remember what I paid but it wasn't much of anything and they have stood up to professional use. I hope the Earthquake impact I bought works half as well.

 

[walwalka]

HF plastic panel tools, paid 6 bucks and lasted 6 months of daily use until the first one broke. re-shaped it with my grinder and plan to use it for another 6 months till I get back around to HF again..

 

[plinker]

GRIP 16oz ball peen hammer, first one I bought way back when, Still very effective at wacking ****, but I usually use a 24oz anymore.

(I think) GRIP made in china 3.5" vise, First vise I owned, has a small crack in it by the jaw but as far as I know still works if it isnt froze up from storage. I'm surprised it didnt break given what it has been through.

 

[SweetD]

I have to say, I bought the HF 5" RO Palm Sander "Chicago Tools" brand for like $15 two years ago.

I bought it to sand the ablative paint off the bottom of my boat (an annual chore that *****!...really messy and intrusive dust) - and I fully expected the sander to die during the process.

The damn thing has lasted and I plan on using it this month again for the same ****** job.

 

[JoeyMitch]

Definately my HF High Speed Air cutter. For $6.99, this thing paid for itself ten times over!

 

[buffalobill]

HF dead blow and drilling hammers. I own better, but i don't feel bad beating HF stuff to death. And the dead blow has been cracked down the middle of the head for 2 years and its still going, so i guess i got my 2 dollars out of it, or however much it was when i bought it....

 

[chris142]

I bought a impact tool set @ HF. It has a 1/2 impact gun, a 3/8ths air ratchet and an assortment of sockets from 3/8 to 1 inch plus an adapter to use the sockets on the air ratchet.

All in a box with a place for everything. It's great for "normal" stuff. Works fine for removing my lugnuts and other light duty projects. I think I paid $29.99 for it 5 or so years ago.

 

[ianguilly]

HF da sander, only bought it cause I was starting out and was broke and it was $50, I still use it to this day 6 months later and it works great. I reach for it over my Hutchinson sander!

 

[mypov]

Sought advice from people on here and bought two sets of grey pneumatic impact socket sets - they are working great and I've been using them for 6-8 months multiple times per day. They were 100 dollars canadian for 8-24mm skipping 23, and wouldn't go back on my decision.

 

[shampoop]

hf 1/4" and 3/8" drive composite ratchets.

 

[blue dog]

My nupla 2sg deadblow with one steel face. Got it last year on amazon madness sale for $22.00 . Best deadblow i have and for 22 bucks is incredible.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004J0ZHPU/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Brad54]

HF stepped drill bits.
Very pleasantly surprised with them.

Possibly cheap by most professionals' standards, but my Craftsman 3/8-drive flex head ratchet with the black handle grip lives in my hand when I'm in the shop. I've used and abused it for ten years.

A small 6-inch Craftsman nail-puller/pry-bar. It's thin, it's small, and it gets a lot of use. I think it was $1.99.

Finally, a small ball peen hammer... it was free from my grandma's house when she died. Little head, small metal handle about 6 or 8 inches long, with a knurled area for a hand grip. It's my most used hammer. It'll move big things if you need it to, but it'll move small stubborn things without breaking them. It applies finger-pressure force, when your fingers aren't supplying enough force.

I handed it to my friend one day while working on getting a bellhousing separated from an engine. He was pissed and said "Hand me a real hammer!" I said "get started with that one while I go get another."
"um... hey... this little thing is actually working pretty well..."
I bought him and my other buddy each one, when I found a pair for sale here.

-Brad

 

[dankicksass]

GRIP triple-square (XZN) bit set, was under ten bucks for sizes 5-12 1in and 3in bits, never let me down yet. Only downside, they're insert bits and came with a 1/2dr holder so it can be a little bulky for seat bolts and other limited-clearance apps.

 

[illmatyk]

Benchtop wrenches. Found them in a repo'd car about 7 years ago, they were brand new, still in package and never been used. Today I use them as my main wrench set.

 

[venturesomerite]

The tool I was most surprised at how well it worked was an it impact I recently got was left in the rain for about 10 years because "It died". I took It apart and lubed it up and it out torques my husky by a mile.

 

[Kev442]

HF Torx driver set and orange handled screwdrivers. They are magnetic and show no noticeable wear after 7 years in my work kit. They replaced non magnetic Cman that were showing quite a bit of wear at 10 years old. I have $10 total invested in them.

 

[znowaczyk]

HF impact sockets...for $20, they have lasted me 7 years professionally so far

 

[elderstarr]

7 Piece Titan Socket Universal/Adapter set. Seen plenty of use and abuse. 12 bucks.
Lifetime warranty through Princess Auto.

 

[Risin_Outlaw]

I actually got quite of bit of luck on some things like the harbor freight impact sockets and extensions. Had great luck with harbor freight electric impact wrench 1/2 in dr. Got some tektron line wrenches that work well. Had great luck with the hf long handle wrench sets in sae & metric. Got some regular sears offset wrenches that work great.

 

[route246]

Big orange HF dead blow mallet.

 

[Toolhorder]

This thing,

 

[Johnny chaos]

spring loaded punch from harbor freight. $1.99 and I use it a ton

 

[woody 73]

HF had a fire sale some time back on 3/8 & 1/2 breaker bars for $2.99 each. I kid you not they are still going strong!

 

[koditten]

HF 1.99 clearance saled multimeter. I picked up 4 of them several years ago. Dropped 2 of them. One shattered, the other seems fine. Never once was thinking "this is gonna make an expensive sound". I cant even remember the last time I had my Fluke meter out.

 

[lithdoc]

My vote goes for GearWrench 56 piece ratcheting screwdriver set.

Scored it for $12 from sears some 4 years ago and it has served me very well. You can use it as a nut driver and as a screwdriver. Ratcheting mechanism is flawless. Very nice and easy to use for most low-torque situations when doing car work, such as interior and electrical jobs.

 

[tonym]

I have no cheap tools...just cheap friends(tools)....

313TSYA for 100.00 bux off CL

 

[Lkdelta]

bought two sets of grey pneumatic impact socket sets - they are working great and I've been using them
and I wouldn't go back on my decision.

Grey Pneumatic 10 to 36 mm .....and 3/8" to 1-1/2"

And the professional grade sawz-all from HF

The little red multi-meter from the "middle-of-the-aisle" sale at sears..about $15
That little meter has saved me massive aggravation
Craftman 82141

And the circuit breaker locator has saved me time not having to run up and down the cellar stairs

 

[supersteve]

$14 HF die grinder.

The one the salesman tried to sell me a $12 warranty on.........

 

[DrkMtnDew]

HF Impact Sockets and Die Grinder.