About the Stubby ratchet. Tekton makes a nice one where the handle folds over the top. You can get in to tight spaces, open it up, get a little torque, then fold it back up small again.
I think the benefit of harbor freight is that I wouldn't be bothered if I had to modify one of their tools to fit a particular purpose or task. Looks like you already have one you like, but I can't imagine it would take all that much to stub the handle down to a one or two finger length that you were looking for. A cut wheel, and a lil kiss with the flap disk? And you'll always know it's your's 😎
Everyone used to complain about the free screwdrivers being junk. First of all, theyre free. You cant beat the price. They are junk as screwdrivers but theyre nice to have for when youre making a custom tool and want it to have a handle.
And at that length, you know you're never stripping a gear.. so who cares about the warranty anyway? Keeper oiled up and properly stored, will last a lifetime... Probably.
@@DiscipleDown I've had my Harbor Freight Warranty tools I've modified. If you get in good with the store manager and employees it can make your HF experience so much better. At my store they tell me about promotions early. or if a tool I'm about to buy is going on sale in the next few days, when free tool, or bucket weekend is comming, etc.
Yeah, those little ratchets from Milwaukee are dope. I’m actually pretty impressed with their ratchets in general. They have a 1/4” sized ratchet with a 3/8” drive. Butter smoooothh..
I have the transfer punches, and they work great. I use them for woodworking, so I expect them to last forever. I also have the Icon pliers wrench. It has replaced all but the very smallest Crescent / adjustable wrenches I have. It's faster, and grips better. I'm pretty sure they only have the Icon version, with no Pittsburgh nor Quinn equivalents.
I'm glad to see you covering Harbor Freight. I'm not a fan boy. I generally believe in buying the best you can, but HF is a great option if you choose carefully. If you're using it once a year, HF might be the way to go. I like Icon wrenches. Have a couple of the Hercules line, they don't match my Milwaukee or my Dewalt, but they're a surprisingly good value. They are working toward a full line of Icon, but I think they still have a way to go...like stubby ratchets.
That is very Bad advice....Never hit another hammer with a hammer. I was a carpenter & did that & large part of the hammer shot through my arm & I had to go to the hospital for surgery!
Add me to this list. Newsflash, a splitting maul is not a wedge on a stick. It’s a hammer with a wedge end. A chip came off that thing and made it to the center of my calf. Oops.
Great review Tim, I agree with theses tools, Big thanks for the Princess Auto call out , I live in Winnipeg where they started and was just in there yesterday afternoon buying those must haves even picked up a cheap battery powered fuel transfer pump for $30 bucks and put 2 AA batteries in it when i got home and drained a fuel tank that was 3/4 fuel after removing the rear seat funny it only took less than 10 minutes, the fuel was 3 yrs old, LOL, and all Princess Auto tools like Harbor Freight are lifetime warranty, i got tools from there that over 25 yrs old and no problems yet 👍
For my hand tools I’m a HF guy. Love my icon tools. Love my US general tool boxes. I’m just an at home mechanic. These tools will last me the rest of my life and if I have any problem I can just walk into the store and get a no questions asked warranty.
The only issue I have with harbor freight is they don’t make individual replacements like sockets or wrenches so lose one you have to buy a complete set.
I too catch myself thinking this way often and I have to catch myself, because we have all lived/watched the opposite. Nobody my age (40) or older ever dreamed Sears and with it, craftsman could fail and go the way of the dodo. Even towards the end in my area, I thought, they’ll keep the “home store” franchises alive, kenmore and craftsman can and will keep that branch of the company valid. And it would have. Nobody dreamed they’d milk the company and those brands to the criminal levels that they did. SBD was out of it’s mind to by the craftsman name for the amount they paid, but if you are the largest “American” tool manufacturer, what’s the biggest trophy you could ever get? It will never pay dividends on the exorbitant price tag they paid but they would have paid half that price tag just to bury the brand forever, to never be a thorn in their side again. I’m going off on a tangent. What I’m trying to get at here, and I’ll use my own personal experience in my midwestern geographic location. Things are great right now. The icon stuff is decent, I have a store less than 20 miles from my house (just like I used to have Sears), but I didn’t 10 years ago, and icon didn’t exist, closest store was 60 miles. 20 years ago, it was over 100 miles to my nearest store, the tools were dirt cheap but garbage, even pittsburg was trash. What is that warranty worth if icon isn’t sustainable and it disappears, because it’s already common knowledge that it’s been stated unofficially that if icon goes away, our warranty will get us whatever the next best thing is that they have on the shelf. What’s that warranty worth if they close my local store and I have to go to that one 60 miles away? What if it closes too and it’s 100+? If both happen, icon fails and store numbers shrink, that warranty really is worthless! Don’t take this the wrong way, I’m not telling you that I think your stupid or ignorant or anything. I catch myself slip into this same mind set, because I long for the good ole days of Sears craftsman, tried and true, you could bank on it. You didn’t have to shop, you didn’t have to research, everything matched. Many of us got everything possible in craftsman. The only reason to stray was if they just didn’t make it or rebrand it, or if there was something that we just needed an actual professional duty tool or a real precision tool for a specific thing. The sad part is, there is not and probably never will be another brand/warranty that gives that confidence. The only one I can think of that is really trying to give that level of confidence is tekton. And it’s not just the warranty, it’s the attitude about the “idea” of a warranty. The business model they have and where they fit in in the market. When you buy a tekton tool, you feel Ike you’re investing in a company not just a brand. Whenever I buy something at harbor freight I feel like I’m picking a flavor, and that is by design. Icon is the flavor of right now, I don’t think they expect it to or care if it’s lasts even 10 years before it’s fades into obscurity. tekton is trying to build a brand to weather the test of time. To be a legacy brand the likes of craftsman, proto, sk, Williams, stanley (before Walmart), wright, Armstrong. Maybe even snap on/Mac/cornwell/Matco in some aspects. Some days I can’t help my bargain hunter side and wanting to try different flavors, but if I’m in need of something and I put thought into it, I can’t help but be drawn to tekton.
Love your input. I'm not a mechanic so yes I would call that a stubby but fear not I agree your point is valid. Maybe calling it a mini and than having a "true" stubby as well. My bother who is a mechanic (Small engines and what he has learned on his own) gave me some of what you call a stubby and I love them. As a wood worker I don't need handles a foot long and the short ones are great.
I agree that the ratchet isn't a true stubby. You could always cut the handle down to size, round it off, paint it, and then wrap the handle with heat shrink.
3:05 hammer on hammer is no bueno - hammers are typically hardened and can shatter sending shards out at dangerous speeds unless you KNOW one is soft (like a brass hammer)
@@terrysmith4465 Just because Mythbusters couldn't confirm it with their limited testing doesn't mean it's a myth. It's just physics. Hardened steel can be brittle, and not all hammers are made to the same quality levels or hardnesses. When you strike two hardened metal objects together, shard(s) can fly off - and at dangerous speeds. Not likely to kill you unless you're extremely unlucky, but still not a good idea. Do you really need a story about someone being killed by doing something dumb, to not do that dumb thing yourself?
Klein makes a Pliers Wrench too, it has a reversible jaw for using on pipes. Between icon and knipex on price. I love them. I have the Icon pair as well, and like those too.
If you aren't sure if you need a tool or it might be a one time use, I always buy the cheapest version I can find that should do the job. If you use it enough to wear it out then spend more money on a replacement. Speaking of harbor freight, as a DIYer I've had good luck overall with their tools.
I don't think they're as short as the milwaukee, but they do have the three pack flex head srubbys. I think it's the shortest I've ever seen at Harbor freight. Part number 70170
I bought the Pittsburgh 1/4 flexhead ratchet cut down the grip sanded it smooth ..stubby flexhead for less than $20 bucks and gets the job done when needed
On the icon boxes it tells you the size of the ratchet on the side. I believe it is also the actual size photo, you can put your hand next to it to see how it will look
I love harbor freight 90% of all my tools are from HF and if they break or I lose it while I’m at work I can just replace it with their warranty or buy a new one for cheap 🤷🏻♂️
Non diablo paddle bits and blades. :) The fact that all three of the nearby home depots and Aces near me ONLY sell diablo inserts and nothing else has made me a bit weary and rebellious towards them. I like Harbor Freight because I can get bits and blades that **AREN'T DIABLO** there. (Not related to Harbor Freight but): I discovered that I like Makita's very thin sawblades but I'm disappointed that I can only get them online because of their stubborn overdependence on only stocking friggin.. diablo...
I love going to HF and looking for things I can't live without but I have to say I'm a bit miffed about the guys that have been tossed out of HF for filming in there.
The shortest Harbor Freight stubby ratchet I have seen is a Pittsburgh 1/4” Dr. stubby #62191 but it’s still 4 5/8” long. That’s not even close to the Milwaukee stubby!
Please! No hammer on hammer violence! Hardened faces can shatter sending shrapnel out like a shotgun. It will go through your clothes and skin… or eyes!
Which ones? I have several sets and never had one round something off. I generally use my gearwrench or truck brand sockets but have Pittsburgh sockets in all my vehicles and even at work.
Which ones? I have several sets and never had one round something off. I generally use my gearwrench or truck brand sockets but have Pittsburgh sockets in all my vehicles and even at work.
Americans should do their BEST to avoid buying Harbor Freight products. They are an anti American CCP company and anti firearm company although they sell related safes and such. I am not against the Chinese people just their government which is who you would be supporting. Do you best to support Americans. Thanks.
![5 Must Have Tools for the Shop from Harbor Freight [and Elsewhere]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/T-OKh44bhMg/mqdefault.jpg)
![5 Must Have Tools for the Shop from Harbor Freight [and Elsewhere]](/img/tr.png)
Agreed 100%. Icon hand tools are phenomenal. Love the warranty that ratchets a little novelty-ish so to speak lol but it’s definitely not a stubby.
About the Stubby ratchet. Tekton makes a nice one where the handle folds over the top. You can get in to tight spaces, open it up, get a little torque, then fold it back up small again.
I think the benefit of harbor freight is that I wouldn't be bothered if I had to modify one of their tools to fit a particular purpose or task. Looks like you already have one you like, but I can't imagine it would take all that much to stub the handle down to a one or two finger length that you were looking for. A cut wheel, and a lil kiss with the flap disk? And you'll always know it's your's 😎
Everyone used to complain about the free screwdrivers being junk. First of all, theyre free. You cant beat the price. They are junk as screwdrivers but theyre nice to have for when youre making a custom tool and want it to have a handle.
And at that length, you know you're never stripping a gear.. so who cares about the warranty anyway? Keeper oiled up and properly stored, will last a lifetime... Probably.
@@DiscipleDown I've had my Harbor Freight Warranty tools I've modified. If you get in good with the store manager and employees it can make your HF experience so much better. At my store they tell me about promotions early. or if a tool I'm about to buy is going on sale in the next few days, when free tool, or bucket weekend is comming, etc.
Yeah, those little ratchets from Milwaukee are dope. I’m actually pretty impressed with their ratchets in general. They have a 1/4” sized ratchet with a 3/8” drive. Butter smoooothh..
Milwaukee ratchets they are good? I've been hesitant because I have had DeWalt ratchet and that shit was garbage.
My general rule is don't buy hand tools from power tool companies and visa versa.
I have the transfer punches, and they work great. I use them for woodworking, so I expect them to last forever.
I also have the Icon pliers wrench. It has replaced all but the very smallest Crescent / adjustable wrenches I have. It's faster, and grips better.
I'm pretty sure they only have the Icon version, with no Pittsburgh nor Quinn equivalents.
I'm glad to see you covering Harbor Freight. I'm not a fan boy. I generally believe in buying the best you can, but HF is a great option if you choose carefully. If you're using it once a year, HF might be the way to go. I like Icon wrenches. Have a couple of the Hercules line, they don't match my Milwaukee or my Dewalt, but they're a surprisingly good value. They are working toward a full line of Icon, but I think they still have a way to go...like stubby ratchets.
That is very Bad advice....Never hit another hammer with a hammer. I was a carpenter & did that & large part of the hammer shot through my arm & I had to go to the hospital for surgery!
Holy shit that must of hurt bad don’t do that anymore
This is construction 101. You use a punch or a soft face hammer
Add me to this list.
Newsflash, a splitting maul is not a wedge on a stick. It’s a hammer with a wedge end.
A chip came off that thing and made it to the center of my calf.
Oops.
@tonypimm8940 thanks man - I have done that before and gotten lucky... won't again now
Thanks TIM JOHNSON. I got the HF drop blade folding knife finally (had to order none in any stores around me) and it is very sweet. A must have!
We saw it in the store when we were in there, but we didn't buy it....yet. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for doing what you do, Tim. Your efforts don't go unnoticed. Cheers!
Great review Tim, I agree with theses tools, Big thanks for the Princess Auto call out , I live in Winnipeg where they started and was just in there yesterday afternoon buying those must haves even picked up a cheap battery powered fuel transfer pump for $30 bucks and put 2 AA batteries in it when i got home and drained a fuel tank that was 3/4 fuel after removing the rear seat funny it only took less than 10 minutes, the fuel was 3 yrs old, LOL, and all Princess Auto tools like Harbor Freight are lifetime warranty, i got tools from there that over 25 yrs old and no problems yet 👍
For my hand tools I’m a HF guy. Love my icon tools. Love my US general tool boxes. I’m just an at home mechanic. These tools will last me the rest of my life and if I have any problem I can just walk into the store and get a no questions asked warranty.
It's hard to argue with that. Thanks for watching.
The only issue I have with harbor freight is they don’t make individual replacements like sockets or wrenches so lose one you have to buy a complete set.
I too catch myself thinking this way often and I have to catch myself, because we have all lived/watched the opposite. Nobody my age (40) or older ever dreamed Sears and with it, craftsman could fail and go the way of the dodo. Even towards the end in my area, I thought, they’ll keep the “home store” franchises alive, kenmore and craftsman can and will keep that branch of the company valid. And it would have. Nobody dreamed they’d milk the company and those brands to the criminal levels that they did. SBD was out of it’s mind to by the craftsman name for the amount they paid, but if you are the largest “American” tool manufacturer, what’s the biggest trophy you could ever get? It will never pay dividends on the exorbitant price tag they paid but they would have paid half that price tag just to bury the brand forever, to never be a thorn in their side again.
I’m going off on a tangent. What I’m trying to get at here, and I’ll use my own personal experience in my midwestern geographic location. Things are great right now. The icon stuff is decent, I have a store less than 20 miles from my house (just like I used to have Sears), but I didn’t 10 years ago, and icon didn’t exist, closest store was 60 miles. 20 years ago, it was over 100 miles to my nearest store, the tools were dirt cheap but garbage, even pittsburg was trash. What is that warranty worth if icon isn’t sustainable and it disappears, because it’s already common knowledge that it’s been stated unofficially that if icon goes away, our warranty will get us whatever the next best thing is that they have on the shelf. What’s that warranty worth if they close my local store and I have to go to that one 60 miles away? What if it closes too and it’s 100+? If both happen, icon fails and store numbers shrink, that warranty really is worthless! Don’t take this the wrong way, I’m not telling you that I think your stupid or ignorant or anything. I catch myself slip into this same mind set, because I long for the good ole days of Sears craftsman, tried and true, you could bank on it. You didn’t have to shop, you didn’t have to research, everything matched. Many of us got everything possible in craftsman. The only reason to stray was if they just didn’t make it or rebrand it, or if there was something that we just needed an actual professional duty tool or a real precision tool for a specific thing.
The sad part is, there is not and probably never will be another brand/warranty that gives that confidence. The only one I can think of that is really trying to give that level of confidence is tekton. And it’s not just the warranty, it’s the attitude about the “idea” of a warranty. The business model they have and where they fit in in the market. When you buy a tekton tool, you feel Ike you’re investing in a company not just a brand. Whenever I buy something at harbor freight I feel like I’m picking a flavor, and that is by design. Icon is the flavor of right now, I don’t think they expect it to or care if it’s lasts even 10 years before it’s fades into obscurity. tekton is trying to build a brand to weather the test of time. To be a legacy brand the likes of craftsman, proto, sk, Williams, stanley (before Walmart), wright, Armstrong. Maybe even snap on/Mac/cornwell/Matco in some aspects.
Some days I can’t help my bargain hunter side and wanting to try different flavors, but if I’m in need of something and I put thought into it, I can’t help but be drawn to tekton.
Love your input. I'm not a mechanic so yes I would call that a stubby but fear not I agree your point is valid. Maybe calling it a mini and than having a "true" stubby as well. My bother who is a mechanic (Small engines and what he has learned on his own) gave me some of what you call a stubby and I love them. As a wood worker I don't need handles a foot long and the short ones are great.
I agree that the ratchet isn't a true stubby. You could always cut the handle down to size, round it off, paint it, and then wrap the handle with heat shrink.
3:05 hammer on hammer is no bueno - hammers are typically hardened and can shatter sending shards out at dangerous speeds unless you KNOW one is soft (like a brass hammer)
It's a myth
@@terrysmith4465 Yeah, no, it's not.
@@Justin-C Find one story about somebody being killed by 2 f****** hammers being smacked together.
@@terrysmith4465 Just because Mythbusters couldn't confirm it with their limited testing doesn't mean it's a myth. It's just physics. Hardened steel can be brittle, and not all hammers are made to the same quality levels or hardnesses. When you strike two hardened metal objects together, shard(s) can fly off - and at dangerous speeds. Not likely to kill you unless you're extremely unlucky, but still not a good idea.
Do you really need a story about someone being killed by doing something dumb, to not do that dumb thing yourself?
@@Justin-C Do you even own tools
Klein makes a Pliers Wrench too, it has a reversible jaw for using on pipes. Between icon and knipex on price. I love them. I have the Icon pair as well, and like those too.
If you aren't sure if you need a tool or it might be a one time use, I always buy the cheapest version I can find that should do the job. If you use it enough to wear it out then spend more money on a replacement. Speaking of harbor freight, as a DIYer I've had good luck overall with their tools.
I don't think they're as short as the milwaukee, but they do have the three pack flex head srubbys. I think it's the shortest I've ever seen at Harbor freight. Part number 70170
I have that set and they are pretty low quality. I don't know if it really matters because you can't put much torque on them.
I bought the Pittsburgh 1/4 flexhead ratchet cut down the grip sanded it smooth ..stubby flexhead for less than $20 bucks and gets the job done when needed
The ratchet looks like a standard 1/4 ratchet
On the icon boxes it tells you the size of the ratchet on the side. I believe it is also the actual size photo, you can put your hand next to it to see how it will look
I really like the transfer punch set. I will probably get that soon
That's not a stubby ratchet. Tekton has some very nice stubby ratchets too include 3/8 drive in a 1/4 body. Thanks for sharing!!!!
Never go face to face with a hammer, they can explode.
Transfer punches for sure if you want betones sur ebut them but for like 1/5 the price definitely worth
do you like the universal snap ring pliers? or would you have a full set of icons? i work on motorcycles…would rather be one and done.
I love harbor freight 90% of all my tools are from HF and if they break or I lose it while I’m at work I can just replace it with their warranty or buy a new one for cheap 🤷🏻♂️
Non diablo paddle bits and blades. :)
The fact that all three of the nearby home depots and Aces near me ONLY sell diablo inserts and nothing else has made me a bit weary and rebellious towards them. I like Harbor Freight because I can get bits and blades that **AREN'T DIABLO** there.
(Not related to Harbor Freight but): I discovered that I like Makita's very thin sawblades but I'm disappointed that I can only get them online because of their stubborn overdependence on only stocking friggin.. diablo...
I love going to HF and looking for things I can't live without but I have to say I'm a bit miffed about the guys that have been tossed out of HF for filming in there.
wait isnt that dangerous to hit 2 hammers together? or is the engineers hammer not hardened like normal hammers?
It's a myth
No. It can happen if the tools are in bad condition. That’s why you need to be careful about making sure that they are in good condition.
The oh shit clips are a great idea
The transfer punches last longer if you tap don’t gorilla slam it with your new ball hammer. ❤ Mine.
I did buy the icon snap ring pliers set not bad at all comes in a nice case and they holding up so far in very shitty conditions.
That's great. Those do seem to be a quality set of snap-ring pliers. Thanks for watching.
Yes a stubby in Pittsburgh
The "stubby" icon is nice ratchet just not an actual stubby. I use my titan micro or reg titan for an actual stubby.
Are you making a video about the 2 hammer method of breaking out of jail? Asking for a friend.
You didn't drop any shopping links this video? Well I guess that is good, now I won't click on the links and start shopping. LOL
We'll get those added shortly. Thanks for watching.
could hvw gotten a 6 piece set of ball pin hammers from, HF for $20
1:20 CORRECTION: Because harbor freight is fkn dope! Lol
Lol. Thanks for watching.
THIS IS TIM JOHNSON - Rip 😭
LS heads on a Ford? Maybe I didn't hear it right.
A hacksaw will make it a stubby. LOL.
The shortest Harbor Freight stubby ratchet I have seen is a Pittsburgh 1/4” Dr. stubby #62191 but it’s still 4 5/8” long. That’s not even close to the Milwaukee stubby!
Yeah, we'd like to see a real stubby. They should definitely have it in the ICON series. Thanks for watching.
@@Shoptoolreviews and thanks for doing what you do, even if it does make me open up the wallet from time to time….lol!
Please! No hammer on hammer violence! Hardened faces can shatter sending shrapnel out like a shotgun. It will go through your clothes and skin… or eyes!
HF sockets round off nuts and bolts
Which ones? I have several sets and never had one round something off. I generally use my gearwrench or truck brand sockets but have Pittsburgh sockets in all my vehicles and even at work.
Which ones? I have several sets and never had one round something off. I generally use my gearwrench or truck brand sockets but have Pittsburgh sockets in all my vehicles and even at work.
You're using them wrong , you should stay away from any type of tool
Used them a lot never had any issues and I even tried to wreck them they are still work .
Definitely not a stubby ratchet!
Do you know what a ball-peen hammer is made for?
To hit ball point pen 🖊 😂
Honestly, it doesn’t really get much stubbier than that anymore it’s just non-usable
That's not a stbby 1/4"
No... that's not a stubby....😑
Thank you, we agree.
Americans should do their BEST to avoid buying Harbor Freight products. They are an anti American CCP company and anti firearm company although they sell related safes and such. I am not against the Chinese people just their government which is who you would be supporting. Do you best to support Americans. Thanks.
Yeah that's a stubby ratchet... Just like your fingers are stubby
Icon line is garbage n I love Harbor freight
That may be the case for some tools, so but may of the ICON tools are pretty good. Thanks for watching.
Bro trying so hard to pretend he ain't shilling for hongkong freight