Did you know that most (if not all) of the Pittsburg tools at HF are lifetime warranty?

 

I have had good success with HF impact sockets. I just recently had one break, but it's been in my tool box for 20-years. I've purchased from Northern but always the name brand stuff when it was on clearance. For ratchets and stuff like that I stick with Craftsman, MAC, Snap On etc.

 

I've got to say here, that lately I have had two different Craftsman ratchets go bad. Both straight out of the box, one wouldn't hold onto sockets because the spring behind the locking ball seems to be missing. And the other a newer one, with the plastic lever to change forward and reverse sticks horribly. Craftsman tools are getting to be worse than what I got from HF. Oh yeh, and the set of laser etched sockets I bought also had 2 that don't have any size etchings on them. Glad I can pretty well tell by looking at them what they are.

 

I prefer Craftsman due to the ease of returning defective tools.

 

Thanks for the responses. They are very helpful in giving me a sense of what to expect. Some of the NT stuff is so absurdly inexpensive, it is almost weird. Like $9.95 for a torque wrench. I was thinking of getting a 3/4 ratchet and socket set. Very costly from the "good" brands, but you can get a 21 pc set from NT for $79. Problem is, something like that is one thing that, when you need it, you need it to work (and hold up).

Anyway, thanks again, the help is appreciated.

Mark

 

Watch your local classified and sites like craigslist. There are alot of tools on them because of the economy. As said some of the Chinesse stuff will work but some is abolute crap. A freind who is a pro wrench had a HF hammer explode on him beating out a ball joint. A piece lodgged in his chest and had to have it remove surgically.

 

I got a set of basic Craftsman tool at 16 and have added to them all my life. When I started My Apprenticeship in 1968 I bought another set and added to them for years, we got $300 allowance every 916 hrs while training so I bought more every time with that..
Now at 60 and retired I have two sets of most everything anyone would need in the mechanics field. I have had several brake and with these and some others U only have to buy once with lifetime replacement. Now thats hard to beat.

Most of the ones I bought for home I got when Sears have there tool sales, just keep an eye out for them and U'll get a good deal and save a bunch of money,, in the end U won't have much more money in them than the cheaper throw aways..

 

Same here,over the years have bought a lot of stuff of this Co.Some of their tools are an absolute bargin,for example, impact sockets,none better to be had.Most of my tools are from Snap-On and the other large tool suppliers.

 

you can do what i saw a guy do at sears one day he came in with a hand full of old sears tools and asked for new one and the guy told him to go get them(about 15 pieces) I looked at the tools and said i have worse one's in my tool box, guy behind counter say this guy does this all the time he buys the tools at yard sales and brings them in here for new ones. I have a set of allen wenrhs fome NT made by titan been using them for two yrs and they are still perfect and i use these on my press everyday

 

I have bought a few items from them as well. Three torque wrenches and an air compresser. So far so good.