OT Tool Rant

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: OT Tool Rant
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul Booth on Friday, September 12, 2014 - 10:12 pm:

Can someone tell me where to buy a decent set of drill bits??? Possibly a floor jack that l lasts longer than 2 months?

Man I'm getting sick of this junk they are trying to sell us. And no HF is not a store frequent.

Sorry for the cry baby rant just needed to vent.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Friday, September 12, 2014 - 10:15 pm:

Hang out at auctions. Buy good stuff cheap. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Stan Howe Helena, Montana on Friday, September 12, 2014 - 10:19 pm:

MSCDIRECT.COM Top quality American Made drill bits. Good floor jacks are available from them, too. Or from Blackhawk.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bud Holzschuh - Panama City, FL on Friday, September 12, 2014 - 10:39 pm:

Harbor freight is a bit of a crapshoot. I have bought excellent tools from them (among them a torque wrench, a miter saw, and a angle grinder). I have also bought a few items that were pure junk.

Problem is how do you tell the difference before you buy. Unless you have a friend who has bought and used the same item .... you can't.

Most of the Sears Craftsman tools I've bought over the years have not disappointed me. My Craftsman drill bit set is over 20 years old and still going strong.

If your doing commercial work, it really pays to spend the extra money. Steve's advice is probably the best way to get good tools cheap.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fred Dimock, Newfields NH, USA on Saturday, September 13, 2014 - 12:16 am:

i agree with Bud on Harbor Freight and Sears Craftsman.
Most of my hand tools came from Sears with a few larger items from Harbor Freight.
The tools are usually bought in sets and I have replaced a few of them with the guarantee.
After years of use on a Sears floor jack I bought a Harbor freight 3 ton jack on sale and it is great - I am watching thew adds and will get another because it will be nice to have two
I also have a set set of HF pry bars, a few air nailers, torque wrenches and tool boxes.
about tool boxes -- My wife got a big one for the kitchen from HF and I had tool box envy so I got a matching one for the garage. Best purchase we ever made and a great conversation when people come to visit.
I can't take my wife to HF because she usually finds something she wants :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Saturday, September 13, 2014 - 06:29 am:

Sorry guys, but I don't think 'quality tools' when I think Harbor Freight. Actually.....the opposite. I'm sure there are exceptions, but...... Not to say I don't go there. I do, but usually when I need something that I will only use on occasion and don't want or can't spend the money for good stuff.

I used to be a fan of Craftsman tools and that is what I mostly have, but their quality has really gone downhill over the last few years. I cringe when I break one and have to replace it. The difference is often visible. Ratchets and screwdrivers are the worst. I think their sockets and wrenches are still pretty good. I'm pretty happy with my Craftsman floor jack. Bought my son one just like it and he's pretty happy with it too.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By keith g barrier on Saturday, September 13, 2014 - 06:36 am:

Stan, Blackhawk tools are no more, a few years ago the snap-on man told me they had only one floor jack that was not made in china. All our good American made tools are about a thing of the past unless you find old ones, very sad.KG


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ronnie wehba on Saturday, September 13, 2014 - 06:54 am:

Was gonna get a set of ratchet wrenches at sears took em to checkout and was looking at them " made in where"China did not buy them told salesman I don't buy china but is getting to the point if you want or need it ,it is made in China crap


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard Wolf on Saturday, September 13, 2014 - 07:14 am:

Had a Sears floor jack for 30 yrs. Finally died on me. Bought another Sears jack just a while back. There all Made in China now.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Saturday, September 13, 2014 - 07:43 am:

Sometimes you get lucky:



Bought this one from Frank Harris' sister.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By George_Cherry Hill NJ on Saturday, September 13, 2014 - 08:19 am:

The Chinese build Submarines that some say are better at stealth than you know who...

The Chinese still launch solid rockets for space exploration and sell seats to other countries ...

The Chinese apparently build fighter jets that can give any late model F-series jet from you know who a good run for their money...

The Chinese have built their own equivalent of the Interstate Highway System in less than 5 years...

The Chinese have been making parts and assemblies for USA brand name aviation since 1986...

The Chinese now have national train service where the train moves at 300MPH and they have done all of that in the last 8 years. (The USA offered to share with them Acela technology but they said no thanks)...

The Chinese now build more Buicks than the rest of global Buick assembly plants combined...

The Chinese have Wal-marts, but they are smaller than ours yet still sell food, etc. Chinese will food shop there, buy the K-mart type items there, but they don't have a tool department...

Pssst...what did/do they do for tools, kidnap the Snap-on man??? :-):-):-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mack Cole ---- Earth on Saturday, September 13, 2014 - 08:22 am:

They sure as heck dont chop wood with the hatchets they sell over here and they dont build or fix anything with the tools they send over here or NONE of the above woulda happened.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bill Z , Candlewood Lake, CT on Saturday, September 13, 2014 - 08:50 am:

Well, it seems to me that when the government of a country considers its massive population "expendable", they could accomplish a tremendous amount in a short period of time. Just say'in...


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By JohnCodman on Saturday, September 13, 2014 - 09:00 am:

China makes some very good stuff. They also make a lot of junk. The problem is not the Chinese - it's the American retailers who beat down their suppliers to the last penny. If you want something cheaper, the only way to get it is to make it cheaper. I was in HD the other day to buy some plumbing fittings. The store employee there said that all of their stuff was made in China. I told him that I wanted quality schedule L USA-made fittings. He said that they were no longer available. I drove to my local hardware store and bought the fittings that were all American-manufactured (for about the same price ad HD).


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Georgetown TX on Saturday, September 13, 2014 - 09:38 am:

John is correct. Harbor Freight is an American company run by a very smart man. He knows that "Cheap Charlie" will buy a set of 10 alloyed lead drill bits for 99 cents that will be worthless after 5 minutes of use instead of buying good cobalt drill bits from MSC for 99 cents each that will last a long time.

Here's where to get the good stuff:
http://www.mscdirect.com/browse/Holemaking?navid=12106067


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tim Wrenn on Saturday, September 13, 2014 - 09:56 am:

I've said before, until we return to the manufacturing giant this country used to be, our very future is in dire straights. Still not showing any signs of getting any better.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Stan Howe Helena, Montana on Saturday, September 13, 2014 - 10:45 am:

Call them and ask them, the answer is "Made in USA." $509.40 + shipping.

MSC #: 85242642
Big Book #: 2312
Compare
Brand:Proto
Mfr Part #:J3100B
In Stock
Price: $509.40 ea.
Qty: Add to Cart
Toggle Dropdown
Order Qty of 1 = (1) 14 Piece Set
Tool Type Open End
System of Measurement Inch
Size Range (Inch) 3/8 - 1-1/4
Number of Pieces 14
Sizes Included (Inch) 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16, 3/4, 13/16, 7/8, 15/16, 1, 1-1/16, 1-1/8, 1-1/4
Finish/Coating Full Polish
Container Type Nylon Roll
Offset Angle (Degrees) 15, 60

It's like anything else. You can be good, cheap or profitable but you can't be all three. Proto is good but not cheap.

While I won't argue with all the experts on here, I looked at the Blackhawk tools hanging on the racks at the local Carquest store yesterday and they were made in USA. The also have tools from China and India.

Incidentally, I don't like Snapon hand tools and donated mine one or two or three at a time to various employees and others over the years. I buy Stanley and Bostitch at Wally World. Some are China, some Taiwan. Never had a problem. Cheap, crappy Chinese Neikko 1/2 wrench broke a couple weeks ago, it was a combination box end/open end, I was standing on it or maybe bouncing up and down on the cheater bar I had on it and it snapped. I dunno, used it for 20 years and the POS broke. I've beat on them with hammers, jumped on them with cheater bars, lost them in the field and found them a few years later, beadblasted and back to work, must be that they are Chinese, not that they are as nice a set of wrenches as I've ever owned. I don't take my Proto set out of the shop, always just had these Neikko ones as loser wrenches. I dunno.

I quit buying Craftsman tools when the started putting 6 inch cords on tools to save money and when they quit wanting to warranty them and just made them klutzier and more awkward to use. I haven't bought a Craftsman tool in years. I did go to the local store looking for some tools for the kids, the ones in the sale flyer were not available at this Sears store, only the sets that were not on sale. No wonder they went broke.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By keith g barrier on Saturday, September 13, 2014 - 09:27 pm:

Stan, you are right, Blackhawk is still being made but is now a division of proto. I only know car quest here gave them up several years ago. I was lucky
and got my ratchet repaired before they could no longer get the parts. KGB


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Les VonNordheim on Sunday, September 14, 2014 - 01:02 am:

Before retiring, the machine shop where I was working bought individual drills and drill sets from McMaster Carr. I was happy with the quality of drills received from McMaster Carr.
Besides carbon high speed steel, drills are now offered in different materials and coatings....depending on what material you are working with.


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