I always believed that the dial type were accurate, but while traveling in southern Alabama my pulley bolts sheared off leaving me stranded. After getting it to the dealer the mechanic told me it looked like the bolts were over-torqued and snapped. I made sure I torqued them correctly when I put it back together. When I returned home I checked it against a friend of mine's and it was 20 lbs. off! I took it to Sears and was told that the warranty was only good for a year!! How many times do you use it in a years time??? I'm going back to the old style.

 

I didn't say the HF wrenches were better than Snap-On. I did say that my HF wrenches were more accurate based on some calibration tests performed on the four torque wrenches I had at the time. I also said that the HF torque wrenches had performed well for over 10 years and that they had a lifetime warranty. BTW, I also tested a very old Thorsen torsion-bar wrench, which predictably wasn't as accurate as the HF wrenches.

Here are the results of the tests (indicated/actual). All are clickers except the Thorsen.

Thorsen: 50/58, 100/104

Snap-On 1/2": 50/43, 75/70, 100/95, 150/140

Harbor Freight 1/2": 50/50, 100/101, 150/149

Harbor Freight 1/4" (inch/lbs): 200/200 (test device didn't go lower)

I called them and was told a calibration would cost $40. They didn't offer to do it free or come to my location to pick it up, but perhaps I should've asked. That's my only experience with Snap-On customer service.

You're over-reacting. Read my last post and you'll notice that I've had these two wrenches for 10 years with no problems or replacements. I am not a pro mechanic and do most of the work on my two cars and one MC, certainly not on a daily basis. I don't know how these wrenches would hold-up to daily professional use.

As for HF's warranty policy, I've had a few tools replaced and have never been asked for a receipt, although I did have them and do recommend keeping all paperwork. One was a set of 134A AC gauges when a plastic valve wheel broke. It was three years old and they didn't have that model in stock, so they gave me a newer model better than the old one, and they didn't ask for a receipt. I own mostly Craftsman and HF tools here, with some Snap-On and others thrown in, and I've had more Craftsman hand tools break than HF. Both have lifetime warranties on hand tools.

Tools are not a religion for me, and I have had good luck with HF. They also happen to be less expensive than most, which is a selling-point for me. I just need to get the job done, as I can't get real emotional about tools. OTOH, I confess that I do get a bit excited when I walk into the tool section of a store.

I am expressing my experiences with the HF torque wrenches and limited experience with one Snap-On wrench. That wrench may not be representative of Snap-On accuracy, but it was as I described. YMMV.

 

Congrats on your good numbers there, but nothing said about harbor freight is going to put them in the quality or professional tool category for me. No need to fire back at me. That's just my opinion.

 

"iclick" As far as any company goes, Recalibration does not fall under the catagory of warranty and tool replacement. Also how hard you are on a torque wrench will determine whether or not it stays calibrated. If someone drops one a few times i would expect it to not be within specs on calibration.

As far as coming to you i wouldnt expect that they would come to your personal residence. I was referring to them coming to a shop or business where they sell the tools at and since im usually a busy person saves me time as the closest sears is 15 min drive and the closest harbor freight is a 25 min drive from me. Not to mention time spent inside the store. I can call my Snap-on dealer on his cell and he will bring me what i need, new or replacement, right away.

I do respect your opinion and everyone is entitled to one but in my personal experience everything ive bought from HF has either broken right away or in the case of any electrical stuff (chicago electric, etc..)hasnt been powerful enough and usually burnt up within a few weeks, and happened over and over under warranty so thats what i was referring to when i said "if you have to keep replacing it".

 

Though I would not put HF in a quality as Snap on, I do think that some HF tools have their place. If I need a tool that I only plan to use once or twice then I will buy from HF. They make throw away tools and are priced well for that market. If I get more uses out of them even better.

 

FWIW Snap on torque wrenches only come with a 90 day warranty. Ive been in the business 30 years and have over $5k in snap on torques wrenches at the shops, every year we get them re-calibrated. Never got anything covered under warranty thru our industrial rep. The truck guy might slip one in, but only if hes going to make a buck on something else.

 

dont go for a dial type! they crap,craftsmen or anything semi descent will be fine!

 

I think you make a good point, and I at least alluded to this in at least one of my posts above. I am not a pro mechanic and maintain two cars and a MC, along with some sundry things like riding mowers, weed-eaters, etc. If I used my tools every day as a business, who knows how well they would hold up. Like I said, I have mostly Craftsman and HF tools here, with some Snap-On and others thrown-in the mix, and I have had less trouble with HF than Craftsman. My HF dealer is about two miles away while Sears is 5-6 miles, no big deal either way, but HF is less expensive and hand tools from both have a lifetime warranty. In the case of TQ wrenches, HF is the only brand that I know of that carries a lifetime warranty. Winner for me: HF.

My HF TQ wrenches are about 10 years old and I've been happy with them, especially considering their cost and accuracy. If they break, I'll take them back and replace them. In fact, if they broke frequently they're so inexpensive you could buy two and keep one as a spare. I just got a sale catalog yesterday that has their 1/2"-drive TQ wrench on sale for $10. Oddly, the ad says it is accurate ±6% while on the website it is ±4%, and the latter is listed at $16. I wonder if this is a misprint in the sale catalog.

BTW, I earlier listed one of my HF wrenches as a 3/8"-drive, but it is in fact a 1/2"-drive.

 

This Snap-On wrench was 50-250#, IIRC, and I bought it to potentially do some work on my car that required TQ values >150#, which was the limit on my ft/lb. HF wrench. I actually only used it a few times and it was never dropped or otherwise abused, and I always released the tension every time I used it. AFAIK it was never in calibration.

I can't say if I've dropped any of my HF wrenches, but probably have at one time or another. I can definitely say the Snap-On was never dropped, as since it cost $350 I would've winced and remembered it. It also didn't have a scratch on it when I sold it.

I would think if you bought it from them they would go to you wherever you work, as some people work out of their houses. When I spoke to the Snap-On rep I didn't even ask them about coming to me, as I would've been happy to take it to them for re-calibration, but they wanted $40 for that task. I sold it instead to a forum member with full disclosure of its need for a calibration, mostly because I wasn't using it enough and I couldn't justify the re-calibration cost or the cost of keeping it. It was a $350 wrench new, IIRC, and my $15 HF wrench was doing the job.

I will say that the torque-value etchings on the Snap-On wrench were easier to read that those on either HF wrench, and it had a very solid, high-quality look to it.

I understand, but I likely don't use my tools as much as you and have had better luck with them. I haven't bought any power tools, at least that I can recall, so I can't speak for them. I do have quite a few of their hand tools, though.