Imported tools have come a long way over the years. Some are getting just as good as USA tools but anything made in China is consistently junk. It makes me wonder why evolution has made no difference over there ? If these are their tools then how in the hell can they work on anything over there ?

 

Don't kid yourself, the companies that stuff are making money or they would quit doing it. China has made impressive advances in space, military and other fields. So, apparently they can get things done. Harbor Freight is a big all China place -- and some of the stuff is OK -- especially if it's something that I only need for very occasional use. And a lot of US tool companies are getting stuff from China.
If you're a professional mechanic, you want all good stuff because you need it to be good and reliable. I love top drawer tools, they just feel right when you're using them and they generally make the job much easier. Doesn't mean I'm going to spend big bucks on something that I might use twice in a year -- if that.
Not trying to tell you to fill your toolbox with Harbor Freight -- this is just my $.02

hj

 

Craftsman has a nice article out about making tools in America again.................from globally sourced parts.

The good news is, we're employing Americans ..........the same old story is, the components are still being made to manufacturer's specs whether they are made in China or Ft Worth, TX.

Anyone ever notice how Lowe's has partnered with Craftsman? Lowe's gets to sell a product that was assembled in the US and Craftsman gets to take advantage of Lowe's national footprint and marketing abilities. Everyone feels good.

 

Thats kinda funny, thinking that those tools put a space ship together.

 

You can't seriously believe that the Made in China tools that you buy at Harbor Freight, Home Depot, Lowes, etc are the same tools that the Chinese technicians and scientists use to build nuclear weapons and ICBM's.

Of course the Chinese are capable of manufacturing and / or importing quality tools. Remember, most iPhones are manufactured in China. It all comes down to dollars. If your specifications for that widget set manufacturing cost as the first priority then you get Harbor Freight level quality. If you establish minimum acceptable quality standards for the manufacture of your product then you get iPhones for $1,000+.

American companies, manufacturing their products in the United States are perfectly capable of producing crap. American (and Chinese) companies producing their products in China are equally capable of producing quality products.

It all comes down to the dollars. Ya gets what ya pay for.

 

There are good and bad tools anywhere you go and it just depends on if you are willing to pay for them.

I have all sorts of different brand tools in my kits, Snap On, Craftsman, Stahlwile, Wright, Kllutch, NAPA, Williams, Chinese brands I can't even read. I carry a combination socket set from Northern tools in the truck all the time along with a few common hand tools of different brands because they are convenient and do the job in a pinch. After 6 years of use I finally broke a 1/2" drive breaker bar I bought from a Chinese tool shop in San Jose, we were using it pulling bolts out of a coupling on a generator when the eye snapped. That'll happen when you are using a 1700 ftlbs impact and a breaker bar anyway. I still have some of the modified tools we used in my previous life.

I do have a tendency on certain items to buy name brand when it comes to lifting and rigging equipment because I've seen the cheap China items fail so rather err on the side of caution.

 

I admit, I have a fair amount of Harbor Freight tools. The majority of my ratchets and sockets are theirs. I have their numbered & lettered cobalt drill bit set also.

I like their flex ratchet heads. Their long handle 1/2" flex head ratchet is one of my most used tools. I thought ahead with it and bought a 2nd that I never use as a spare - I do anticipate it giving out and in the middle of a big job that is a really bad deal.

I never went with the "breaker bar". Dad had some and a large socket set (Craftsmen since we're on that subject, from the early 2000's I think - I believe they are still good tools, not the new made in China stuff, but I am not certain) I got had, what I will call, a "short" 1/2" breaker bar.

I was working in the Ag industry for quite a few years and one of the shops where I worked the techs used extremely long ratchets to work the axle studs on the large equipment, among other areas. I went looking for such a ratchet a number of years ago and came up with EZ Red. They make a 40" or so extendable ratchet in 3/4" and 1" drive. I went with the 3/4". Link below. I'm not sure where it is made. In any event, this is what I use instead of a "breaker bar". I find it works a million times better - and ratchets (though, the increments are coarse, so working in tight spots can be a pain if you can even get a single click in - but still better than a fixed head breaker bar - and cheater pipe).

https://ezred.com/product/34-inch-dr...ble-ratchet-2/

I can tell you for certain the giant ratchet is extremely handy. I rebuilt the front end of my truck a couple years back and even the ratchet alone wasn't enough to get the track bar ball joint nut loose. It is a down facing nut. So I put a bottle jack under it to hold pressure on the socket then rigged my utility winch to one of the rear leaf spring mounts and gave some winch power to the giant ratchet handle. I had it bowed like a leaf spring. I thought something might go "bang" but it didn't. I didn't want to put too much flex on the ratchet, so with it bowed I started tapping it with a hammer to give the force on the nut some banging. It came loose. That was after having been soaking with PB Blaster for about a week. I don't think many pneumatic or electric impacts would have been able to break that loose. You would need a heavy 1" with a 1/2" air line and compressor that could keep up to have a chance at it. Since that job I have a heavy 3/4" impact, but I don't have much air right now so its still back to the giant ratchet to break most stuff loose, unfortunately.

For what it is worth - the Pittsburgh (HF brand) 3/4" and 1" drive socket sets are decent for the money.

There is a large following, that I came to realize, with the HF horizontal/vertical metal cutting bandsaw. If you go to the Hobby Machinist forums you can read for days on the HF horisontal/vertical bandsaws - going back 10-20 years. They have had a few variations of it over the years, but the general consensus is guys get them expecting them to be "cheap" then tune them and modify them to make them better. I did some research in to them a few years back as I needed a bandsaw and after reading all the threads I was on the same wavelength - I expected it to be "cheap", but after all the reading I was satisfied with the number of people that had decent luck, and better luck after some changes, that I figured it was worth the buy. It ended up being a PITA to get, though. I went to 3 stores and they were gone by the time I got there. When I tried to find out from store managers what the deal was apparently they go fast all over the place and stores only get 1 or 2 in at a time, if that. When I found a store that had one in stock, supposedly, I asked for them to hold it until I got there, or to pay over the phone. They would not let me do so - it was first come, first serve, no holds. That was from a store manager. So I explained my situation that I was having trouble getting one - by the time I got to the store it was gone. The manager pretty much said "sorry about your luck, I can't help you". I took my chances and drove out there and they still had that one. Then I tried to open the box and check parts inventory. They would not let me open the box until I had paid for it and walked out the door. They would also not take any returns or handle any item issues (parts shortages, etc) - you had to call a customer service line. So before I left the parking lot I did open the box on my truck tailgate, checked inventory, and everything was there. So I was in OK shape. It was just a ridiculous buying experience. The saw has been fine. It does seem cheap, and I am not sure how long the motor will last, but it does the job.