Are cheap tools worth it?

[Anonymous No.1974614]

Do you have to spend money or big brand-name tools or can you get by with cheap tools if you're not using them every day or making money with them? How do you guys look at these sorts of things?
I was at a store today and saw this pack of pliers for $20 CAD ($16 USD):

>Includes: 6" (15.24 cm) diagonal cut, 8" (20.32 cm) slip joint, 8" (20.32 cm) lineman's, 10" (25.4 cm) adjustable wrench, 10" (25.4 cm) tongue and groove, 6" (15.24 cm) long nose
>The adjustable wrench is designed for easy to read measurements and the long nose, diagonal and lineman's pliers have heat-treated cutting edges for strength
>Clear, anti-rust coating for ultimate rust resistance
>Carbon steel
>Double-shot handle with comfort grips
>Tested for hardness and tempering
>Made in Taiwan

Is this worth it or should I find some other set?

[Anonymous No.1974621]

Buy the cheap stuff. As it breaks, or when you're missing a feature you need for a project, move to a better model

[Anonymous No.1974622]

I wouldn't pay new prices for it. I got tons of cheap tools I buy from garage sales and stuff, you get a whole bucket of them for $5. I use them all the time, even more than my good tools, if they break or I lose them, fuck it.

[Anonymous No.1974624]

>>1974621
>consoom, consoom, then consoooooom some more!

[Anonymous No.1974625]

>>1974614
Cheap pliers and cheap adjustable wrenches are fucking awful to use, dont listen to people telling you otherwise.

[Anonymous No.1974642]

>>1974624
Lol buying ten cheap tools and then three good ones is cheaper than buying ten good tools.

Not everybody needs all Milwaukee... sometimes a few harbor freight pieces mixed in with dewalt will get you to the finish line with good quality work

[Anonymous No.1974651]

>>1974642
In the long run you end up with ten cheap tools and ten good tools.
And all of those 10 good tools you buy right in the middle of a project as your trash tool breaks when you need it most.

Being poor is expensive as they say

[Anonymous No.1974661]

>>1974651
Yeah... I had a hammer, hoe, rake, and oscillating tool break on me in the middle of projects just this last 18 months, all cheap except the oscillating tool. Probably spent an extra $80 replacing the cheap stuff, on top of the original costs

But, I bought the cheapest table saw I could find and with an extra hour or two spent learning how to work around its shortcomings, I probably saved $200 or $300.

But... I do plan to get a better saw after covid. Wouldn't have been able to talk my wife into that $500 before I used the cheap one to save a couple thousand on labor costs around the house though

[Anonymous No.1974662]

>>1974661
The thing with table saws and other bigger equipment is that you can buy used and get lot of bang for your buck
I have a cast iron, belt driven craftsman saw with a decent align-a-rip fence I only paid $75 for. It absolutely rapes all jobsite saws and is as good as the lauded Rigid and Delta saws you buy new for $6-700, Even if I would have paid $200 for it, would have been a good deal.

But this is still buying good instead of junk, it just so happens its worth buying used to get that good stuff when its something bigger

[Anonymous No.1974666]

>>1974661
How do you manage to break a hammer?

[Anonymous No.1974667]

>>1974614
No

[Anonymous No.1974685]

>>1974666
Checked

I hit things with it. Very hard once or twice. I don't know what kind of wood they used for the handle, but it broke right where the handle goes into the head.

[Anonymous No.1974695]

My wife bought me one of these and let me tell you it is the biggest piece of shit I've ever owned. The blade wouldn't stand up perfectly at 90°, it wasn't square with the fence, nor was the fence square with the table. I cant even make a custom zero clearance insert because the blade doesn't retract all of the way. I would never get rid of it though. All of the time I've spent figuring out why nothing worked and fixing it, this thing is my bitch. Fuck hand tools.

[Anonymous No.1974727]

Only buy expensive if you need the tool to be good quality. Hammers and wrenches you can generally get away with buying cheap. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for though.

[Anonymous No.1974730]

>>1974685
>I hit things with it. Very hard once or twice. I don't know what kind of wood they used for the handle, but it broke right where the handle goes into the head.
I've been using a hammer from Dollar General for 3+ years almost every week and it's fine. It has a fiberglass handle.
I laugh at retards who buy $30+ hammers.

[Anonymous No.1974736]

>>1974614
Flea market/farmers market/ReStore. I wouldn't buy that shit, you can get better quality for cheaper buying old tools

[Anonymous No.1974737]

>>1974736
>Flea market/farmers market/ReStore
During Corona? LOL
Dude, where THE FUCK have you been for the past 8 months?

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.1974767]

>>1974614
Better than not having it. I got pic related in the clearance aisle for <$20 like 10 years ago and it has saved my ass so many times being in the back of the car.

Cheap tools on important parts or rusted and seized parts is no fun though. You wreck the part and/or bust some knuckles when the tool breaks, and that meand more work.

[Anonymous No.1974772]

>>1974767
>10 years ago and it has saved my ass so many times being in the back of the car.

10 years and it looks brand new. List three of the "so many times" it saved your ass.

[Anonymous No.1974773]

Cheap tools are better than no tools. If that is what you can afford and need to get started then go for it Anon. Everyone has got to start somewhere.

[Anonymous No.1974791]

>>1974685
Only time I had that happen was a handle where the grain twisted. If you are going to buy a wood handle you need to inspect the grain. It should be straight through out and ideally parallel to the head.

[Anonymous No.1974811]

>>1974695
I wasn't impressed with the DeWalt jobsite saw when I was doing research on some portable table saws. It seemed like they had a good rack and pinion though and that was about that. Doesn't accept dados either.

The metabo HPT one seems like a similar build quality with a little worse rack and pinion but it seems to be fairly accurate. However it says the rip max is 36 inches which I tried and not worth it. The arms that support your ply during that cut are so flimsy and each bump on the fence throws the measurement off so if you don't realize you're going to cut it about 1/4 too big and there's not much you can do. Good for rough carpentry I'm sure

[Anonymous No.1975080]

>>1974614
>How do you guys look at these sorts of things?
i have a job, i can afford nice
i generally dont buy tools i see no need for. When i buy i will happily spent the € for made in germany, it just pays off over the years.

mike experience with chink tools from relatives are not positive
cheap cutter fail at fine braided and dull fast
cheap pliers often have trouble closing parallel or gripping stuff due to dull teeth
cheap crimpers, especially for ring terminals often fail at their one job miserably. they are a fucking fire hazzard.

for someone like a fresh homeowner with no tools and no idea what he needs i recommend a stocked mil surplus toolbox. decent selection of stuff for cheap
for bulk stuff like spanners and screwdriver the magic word on ebay is Convolute

[Anonymous No.1975084]

op the amount of harbor freight tools i see getting used every day by professionals makes me wonder if anyone on this board actually uses their tools.

[Anonymous No.1975129]

>>1974666
Checked and hailed

Chinese hammers are very easy to break

[Anonymous No.1975148]

Tool quality is over blown, people focus too much these days on spending money than getting things done. Of course it matters in some applications, at some times, but once you've been around enough you can generally see what is the really shitty stuff and what's good. Many men have done greater things with much worse than any of us crying about what made in taiwan pair of pliers you have.

[Anonymous No.1975172]

>>1974614
I don't do a lot of work with tools (I mostly use them when working with guns, I live in an apartment so I don't do much repair work) but I've noticed a big difference between high quality tools and low quality ones. I always buy high quality tools if I need one because they'll last forever if I treat them right.

[Anonymous No.1975173]

>>1974736
>>1974737

>>1974727
Eh, if you do any serious amount of hammering get a good hammer. My buddy who frames houses for a living always recommends new hires get a good hammer, and he's not usually a guy who goes for expensive stuff.

[Anonymous No.1975174]

>>1975173

>>1974736
>>1974737
I was going to add that estate sales (sales where they sell off everything in someone's house after they die that the heirs don't want) can be fantastic places to find tools.

[Anonymous No.1975178]

>>1975174
The important thing here is only if you enjoy the hunt and if you don't need the tool right now..

[Anonymous No.1975181]

>>1975178
Yeah, never go to estate sales with the expectation that you'll find something. Even if there's something in the listing you want, you might not be the first one there to get it. If you really need a tool, just buy it.

That said, almost all estate sales are listed on www.estatesales.net so you can see pictures of what's for sale before you go.

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.1975217]

>>1974772
You have to fuck up pretty good to make those chrome tools rust.

[Anonymous No.1975256]

>>1974614
Cheap tools are for situations when it's rarely needed, and having any are better than none, or situations where anything would work, and there's a good chance it will get lost or stolen. So a bag in your trunk? Cheap tools. Bag in your desk for when people ask you to borrow a tool? Cheap tools. The ones you need to work, and not chew up screws and bolts, because using them is part of your job? Not Cheap Tools.

[Anonymous No.1975359]

>>1974614
My rule it to buy cheap tools ONLY if it has no moving mechanisms
>i buy the cheapest box end wrench but spend more for a ratcheting box end wrench

[Anonymous No.1975403]

>>1974614
The sexy stockings on the knipex are worth the price alone.

[Anonymous No.1975423]

>>1974695
I think it's normal that you have to set those saws up yourself, I don't think any of the cheaper ones come with anything set correctly.

[Anonymous No.1975446]

>>1974614
Depends what you're using them for.
I've found that general purpose hand tools like you've listed, along with shit like hammers or crowbars, you can cheap out for basic DIY projects and handyman business around the home.

If you're wrenching on your car at home or doing a similar level of technical shit (idk, stripping down a rifle or reconditioning farm equipment) then you want to at least buy mid-range priced sockets, ratchets, extensions, spanners, vice grips, etc. Cheap shit just doesn't cut it for the serious jobs.

Same goes for power tools, but warranty and battery compatibility become more of an issue there than with hand tools. Do some research before you buy.

>>1975359
I've found the dirt-cheap chinese spanners/wrenches are great for rounding off tight bolts.

[Anonymous No.1975456]

>>1975446
>I've found the dirt-cheap chinese spanners/wrenches are great for rounding off tight bolts.
lmao, quit lying

[Anonymous No.1975457]

>>1975446
>>1975456
https://www.sears.com/craftsman-9-16-in-wrench-6-pt-combination/p-00944386000P
literally $6. maybe you should use the right size next time

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.1975462]

>>1975403
>not the manly L-E-N-O-X

[Anonymous No.1975553]

>>1975462
I saw these recently at the hardware store
They are chincy, I have no doubt in my mind they would break if you used them hard.

[Anonymous No.1975560]

>>1974621
This is what I was going to say, and I’m exceptionally smart.

[Anonymous No.1975562]

>>1974614
There's nothing wrong with a cheap pair of pliers.

As soon as motors get involved it becomes a big deal.

[Anonymous No.1975568]

>>1975562
>There's nothing wrong with a cheap pair of pliers.

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.1975579]

>>1975553
The Irwin ones are less than half the price of the Knipex, and they’re still way better than using a shitty adjustable wrench. I haven’t abused them with anything stupid, but they have worked well for me so far. I just grabbed the Lenox because the 3” jaw capacity intrigued me on 10” pliers, they were $40 tho, so not as much of a price break compared to Knipex.

I just re-read the comment, have you used them from any of the companies? They’re quite tough and you can put a lot of pressure on the Knipex with no issue.

>>1975562
You would be surprised. It’s like screwdrivers, they look stupid-proof and even the HF cheap version would be fine, but then you strip a bunch of screws with shitty screwdrivers, and the jaws on your cheap pliers are soft as cheese and won’t grip the second time you use them. Oh and when the jaws slip on those shitty channellocks, have fun.

Guess which tools were made in a first world country? Tip: not the one with the rolled over teeth with mild use.

[Anonymous No.1975605]

>>1974614

Some tools worth the investment and are mandatory for everyone imho.
A good screwdriver with a set of interchangeable points, a scissor, a mooltitool like a leatherman and some nedles and thread. Those are mandatory for everyone and need to be really good cause you can keep them with you all live long.
Imho an medium quality hammer, a small drill are also good tools.

Other than that I would recomand to keep it simple more than keep it cheap. A good handsaw is cheap and you can change the blades to cut wood or steel. It will surelly take you more time to use than something more sophisticated, but if you have to use it just two or three time in all your life.

I just suggest you do don't go too cheap. Otherwise you could have problem doing your work.

[Anonymous No.1975608]

>>1975579
Ive worn out teeth of Irwin Groovelocks because they arent tempered well at all.
Why would their shitty pliers wrench knock offs be held to any higher standard?

The fact that they just threw on some huge jaws and charged $40 after slapping a Lenox logo on them isnt going to suddenly make them better.
The lenox ones felt like fucking trash, you are pretty fucking stupid for buying them.

They will probably work fine for installing and removing plastic nuts on faucets, as they are intended. They arent going to work for much of anything else.

[Anonymous No.1975631]

I use my channellocks as my go to plier. The only thing it really doesn't so well is cut, so I rely on tin snips (bullpup).

[Anonymous No.1975636]

>>1974730
I have a wal-mart hammer I paid $2 for 30 years ago - still going strong

[Anonymous No.1975752]

>>1975456
>>1975457
No, I mean the absolute cheapest bargain bin ones that look like they're made out of pot metal.

[Anonymous No.1975755]

>>1974624
that's not how the meme works retard

[Anonymous No.1976017]

For something like a screw driver, buy cheap. Pliers and drill bits should be from something like bahco

[Anonymous No.1976018]

>>1975755
Its not a meme, its reality

[Anonymous No.1976047]

>>1974614
My personal take is that it is indeed better to buy good tools the first time. I've had plenty of €1 screwdrivers/pliers from discount outlets, they all break when given a little stress.

Not saying you should be buying A-brands only, just don't get the junk. You will be replacing that shit over and over again, even if you don't use them often.

Good tools can potentially last decades if you're just using them for home /diy/.

Also consider getting some stuff 2nd hand.

[Anonymous No.1976066]

>>1974622
>>1974621
old power tools tend to be pretty good, and repairable. handheld tools cheap tends to get the stuff done.

i'd recommend buying new cordless power tools if you have too, as batteries tend to go in a few years. corded things from the 50's work fine if you don't mind the occasional electrification

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.1976170]

>>1975608
Yeah I don’t expect the Lenox ones to be able to bust loose axle nuts or anything like that. Mostly for plumbing stuff where you need to get past like 5 threads before the fitting is off. Having super high HRC jaws on the pliers wrench doesn’t matter quite as much as the Cobras, and I have used the Irwin pliers wrench quite a bit, especially on air and water hoses, they have been doing good so far. They don’t feel quite as well built as the Knipex, but it’s also $25 compared to $50.

>>1976017
Cheap screwdrivers are just as bad as cheap drill bits, especially when you get down to the smaller sizes. Considering how much they get used, it’s worth buying at least a mid-range set of screwdrivers and hex-torx. Plus you can get decent ones for not that much money, Bondhus is a good US brand that won’t rape you and I got a 3pk of folding keys (mm/SAE hex, torx) for <$25, the machining is miles better than cheap Chinese stuff and still noticeably better than Craftsman.

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.1976174]

>>1976170
>>1976017
And pic related in the last one shows the difference between generic Chinese, Craftsman in the middle, and Wiha. I believe that Craftsman was US-made as well. Plus that was a middle size, like T-20, once you get down to T-10 or T-8, those imperfections make a much larger impact when it comes to destroying hardware.

[Anonymous No.1976369]

>>1974695
I have a slightly older version of this at work. The rack&pinion thing was always iffy, but especially when some fucktards fucked it up. Somehow managed to cut sideways (???) into the fence as well. So the fence is pretty fucked and i cant find any info on replacing it. Now we hold contests on who can get it to kickback pieces the furthest (rigged up a method where we don't touch the thing/stand in the danger zobe to do so).

[Anonymous No.1976419]

>>1976170
Craftsman bulk pack screwdrivers have been historically massive piles of shit, western forge made them for home depot and sears when they were still US made and they might as well be butter, whipped out philiips tips after a cam out or two or any screw made out of good steel.. But that's better attributed for what the customer spec'ed than the quality of their facility.

[Anonymous No.1976540]

>>1975148
Not true. Good linesman pliers are a 100 times better to use then cheap ones. They feel different and work much better then the cheap shit which marginally work. The difference is great. Same with screw drivers and water pump pliers.

[Anonymous No.1976556]

>>1976540
Better at their designed task? Perhaps. Enough to be the difference of being in able to complete a task or not, in the case of someone who has to buy a $16 6 pack of pliers because they physically do not own anything else? Probably not.
The biggest jump in capability is from nothing to something, if the $3 sets of pliers means he has the right type of tool to do a task, rather than trying to use the technically superior tool for the incorrect task because he could only afford one for the price like pulling nails with a set of cutters, or tighten bolts with a pair of tongue and groove pliers, what's the better value?
If his use case is to pull nails during a remodel, twist or cut some wires or loosen some water fittings, is he really pushing the viable limits of a tool?
If someone is posting on the fucking diy board of 4chan about buying a pair of pliers, which mean he probably doesn't even have any experience doing shit, because if he did he would on a pair of pliers, I doubt they're pushing things to the limit.

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.1976586]

>>1976419
But they’re still not bottom tier drivers. That’s the thing. There is some black magic voodoo that good driver companies do and they just work better, even on a basic thing like a PH2. The mid range stuff isn’t too bad, as long as the tip is properly machined and hardened. I got those diamond tip Husky pliers and they’te not too bad.

>>1976556
I don’t think anybody here is saying you would be better off with no tool than with good tools. Also there is a giant leap between the $2 bottom bin Anvil pliers at Home Depot and a better Asian one like Irwin or even the Husky stuff. $10-$15 Irwin or Milwaukee and $35 Klein, not so much, but still might be worth it if it’s one of your most used tools. Having the joint slip on cheap slip joint pliers when you’re really leaning into them fucking sucks, as does having a $3 round head ratchet explode on you when a $15 Taiwan ratchet would run for years.

[Anonymous No.1976621]

>>1976586
>But they’re still not bottom tier drivers
If there is worse than those clear handle drivers I never used them, perhaps the stanley bulk ones sold at walmart 15 years ago too, but no worse. Even the old free harbor freight drivers seem harder and the Pittsburgh pro are pretty decent for bulk readily purchasable sub $1 per handle screwdrivers.
>I don’t think anybody here is saying you would be better off with no tool than with good tools. Also there is a giant leap between the $2 bottom bin Anvil pliers at Home Depot and a better Asian one like Irwin or even the Husky stuff. $10-$15 Irwin or Milwaukee and $35 Klein, not so much, but still might be worth it if it’s one of your most used tools. Having the joint slip on cheap slip joint pliers when you’re really leaning into them fucking sucks, as does having a $3 round head ratchet explode on you when a $15 Taiwan ratchet would run for years.

A lot of the husky stuff was or has been chinese tounge and groove pliers and while not ideal that got a house or two renovated a decade ago and now they sit in the container of derelict tools that still work but have been phased out by comically large amounts of $1 channellocks, protos or petersons I've bought over the years.
OP said his stuff was Taiwanese, and the pictures don't look that bad, looks better than the husky I had handle/machining wise.. My father the turbo kike alcoholic 30+ years ago did a house from roof down with the cheapest shit from the independent import tool store that sold shit like calhawk and still had the shit when I had to deal with it after he croaked 15 years later and the house wasn't bad. Shitty shit now is far and away better than shitty shit of yesteryear.
I would rather deal with mediocrity of the cheap set for $2.60 a handle to fill in the gap instead of buying more expensive store brand mediocre shit while I figure out what I use the most or find shit used.

[Anonymous No.1976624]

>>1976621
Ratchets these days you'd have to go out of your way to find something bad aside from those infamous round heads that come in the $4 harbor freight socket sets and all the cheap socket sets years ago, that and the craftsman 36 tooth pear heads, but that's more because I hate them compared to literally anything else.

[Anonymous No.1976625]

I try to buy tools that I can pass onto my kids because I think in timescales greater than 1 year.

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.1976687]

>>1976624
>craftsman pear heads
It’s amazing how life changes when you pick up a moderately priced Taiwan ratchet. I mostly hate those Craftsmans because the short ass handle on a 3/8” is such a pain in the ass, you almost need the 1/2” drive for any nuts and bolts >1/2”.

>>1976621
I don’t understand the argument.

The turbo kike alcoholic must prefer to have the extra $10 for beer instead of knuckles that aren’t torn to shreds. Maybe it’s the automotive stuff, having a tool fail and busting a knuckle is one thing, but destroying a part is worse. It’s real easy to waste half a day taking extra shit apart because your cheap bits fucked up a fastener on an important part where you can’t get a drill.

I don’t think the acetate handle Craftsmans were the worst, these red handle screwdrivers are sold all over the place and it’s worse machining than the Craftsman with a chrome plating. They work, but I won’t go near anything important with them.

[Anonymous No.1976755]

buy once cry once
buy the nicest tools you can afford AND/OR tools with a great warranty policy. I'm biased because I just like hand tools - it's something I'm into. But a lot of the better tools also have a great warranty. So in the rare event that something does go wrong, you can get it replaced.

[Anonymous No.1976837]

>>1974614
Anywhere were the hardening is relevant get proper ones. When hardness is less relevant like a wrench you'll mostly be using on even softer brass fittings why not.
Some stores have store brands that are genuinely decent.

[Anonymous No.1976839]

>>1976017
Of all things I'd say screwdrivers are definetly worth getting good ones of, like even good ones are affordable, but the soft ones are going to be so frustrating.

[Anonymous No.1976878]

>>1975608
You are a retard, I’m an electrician that regularly works with rigid pipe as well as tearing out the plumbers bullshit when needed and the Irwin’s are my favorite. I use the shit out of them and have literally stood on them full force while locked onto a pipe and not fucked them up

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.1976996]

>>1976839
This. Your 250pc socket set, you don’t need Snappy, the Tekton is plenty good. Your main set of screwdrivers and like 3 or 4 most used pliers, it’s worth dropping $15-$25 on some good ones.

>>1976878
The pliers wrench or knockoff Cobras? There is one anon here who hates them, but haven’t heard much good or bad beyond the one anon.

[Anonymous No.1977184]

>>1974614
>fellow canuck here
We have that shit at work, I really really don't reccomend that particular set

[Anonymous No.1977205]

>>1974730
There's nothing wrong with a cheap fiberglass hammer for general use. That being said I wouldn't frame a house or do any demo with it.

[Anonymous No.1977208]

>>1975403
Kek

[Anonymous No.1977210]

>>1976878
>I baby my tools therefore nobody has ever worn them out

"ok"

>>1976996
Ive heard a lot of people bitch about the Irwins on here. But if you want to pretend its a singular anon who disagrees with you, have at it I guess.

[Anonymous No.1977237]

>>1974614
i dont care about brands but buy good ones when i can and i mostly go by feel and looks, from OPs picture i can tell 1,2 and 4 will be ok the others shit. but even they will do the job in a pinch.
>a cheap wrench is always better than no wrench

[Anonymous No.1977260]

>>1976996
I guess they would be the knockoff Cobras. I beat the shit out of them for over a year and only recently replaced them, with another pair of the same ones, because I lost them.
>>1977210
You are a retarded faggot and have never worked a day in your life. If you had done any kind of trades work you would know that they’re great pliers and absolutely beat the shit out of your standard blue channellock pieces of shit

[Anonymous No.1977278]

>>1974624
channel lock woo

[Anonymous No.1977453]

>>1977237
>from OPs picture i can tell 1,2 and 4 will be ok the others shit
why are they shit, anon?

[Anonymous No.1977472]

>>1977260
>You are a retarded faggot and have never worked a day in your life. If you had done any kind of trades work you would know that they’re great pliers and absolutely beat the shit out of your standard blue channellock pieces of shit
cope

[Anonymous No.1977479]

>>1974772
There is visible wear on almost every tool

[Anonymous No.1977489]

>>1974767
Literally only used one screw bit a few times, PZ2.

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.1977553]

>>1977210
I’m open to the Irwins not being as good as the Cobras. It was a 2pk for $15 at Lowe’s. I’m sure they aren’t as hard as the Red ones, but they don’t seem to be cheese. I got the Knipex shortly after the Irwins, so I don’t use the blue ones a lot, but they don’t seem bad. I prefer the ratcheting joint to the Knipex where you have to press the button, my biggest concern is the strength of that joint when you’re putting a lot of pressure on the tool.

I got the Milwaukee ones as well, that pair stays in my backpack at work, and I have been using those quite a bit without any problems. Definitely not soft potmetal teeth, but the shape of the jaws and stuff aren’t as good as the Cobras. The Milwaukee grips are nice, probably my favorite out of the 3.

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.1977558]

>>1977479
Bepis pls

>>1977489
I don’t think that set has PZ in it.

[Anonymous No.1977704]

>>1976687
Sears and Lowes speced the bottom of the barrel shit so they pawl has poor engagement and they reverse easy. I have Napa one and it's night and day, the pawl is much better machined and you can swap the anvils out for the quick release one and it still works fine. I have like 40 ratchets so it's not like I ever used those craftsman ones besides the one time I tried to hammer one into the drain plug in a diff.
>I don’t understand the argument.
If the goal it to remove a fastener in which failure means trying to drill out a bolt in an engine block, of course quality matters. The point is that for most people, their tools are used on home owner or house related shit where the margin for error is a lot more forgiving, because it's just usually shit like, oh I need to turn a broken wood screw, or a pipe fitting.

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.1977729]

>>1977704
I never had that problem with the reverse switch on the Craftsman ratchets. I have one 1/4” Kobalt 72T as well and no issue there (aside from the giant fucking head). The one ratchet where I have an issue with the switch going back and forth on its own is a Duralast 72T, which is a shame because I really like that ratchet aside from that, it’s basically a Snap On knockoff and the head is real small which is great on the 1/4”.

[Bepis !n/ZnkB9jUw No.1977733]

>>1977704
If I called a pro for every thing aside from painting the bedroom or hanging a painting like some homeowners, I would agree. But when trying to go more handyman and work on plumbing and HVAC and automotive stuff, it’s quite beneficial to have tools that don’t destroy the stuff you’re working on. Having better tools is a better ROI the more work you do.

>>1977729
Pic related shows the Kobalt compared to Husky and Duralast. The Duralast is thicker in one dimension, like the depth, but the width of the head, like radius from the center of the square to the edge, is small, that’s something the Snappy and Williams ratchets have going for them.

I like that Husky 1/4” a lot too, it’s real smooth and small and balanced, great for those 8mm nuts in retarded spots where one hand barely fits.

[Anonymous No.1977789]

>>1977729
> I have one 1/4” Kobalt 72T
That's unrelated design wise, the taiwanese ones at least they had years ago were the same internals as the Pittsburgh pro first series composites besides the plastic release button.
They both used danaher as an OEM at times so I had a kobalt 1/4 with the same mechanism and it was also shitty, I don't think it reversed but it'd didn't work well.
The craftsman was probably rebuilt 15 years ago and was still shitty after, I always leave them behind if I see one used because they all feel kinda shit compared to basically anything else aside from the absolute worst $1 round heads.
>If I called a pro for every thing aside from painting the bedroom or hanging a painting like some homeowners, I would agree. But when trying to go more handyman and work on plumbing and HVAC and automotive stuff, it’s quite beneficial to have tools that don’t destroy the stuff you’re working on. Having better tools is a better ROI the more work you do.
I'm not arguing they are the end all be all, just if someone's asking here they probably aren't doing anything real tough, and if he's got $20 it's better to at least have more options for the right tool for the job instead of spending the same amount on a pair of channellocks and having to force those into every situation.
For surface level remodels down to doing plumbing from the sink or toilet they'll probably get the job done as well as the chink husky did for me 10 years ago and probably still be around as spares when he gets something better.

[Anonymous No.1979639]

>>1977789
taiwanese tools are good.