I’m an electrician and work for the railroad fixing trains. I use that 3/8s extendable ratchet every day had it for over a year it even doubles as a hammer sometime! That thing is seriously the best ratchet I’ve ever owned
Easily the best tool they sell. I recommend the non comfort grip one. Just because my jack handle fits over the end. Breaker bar and Pittsburgh jack are easily the 2 best items they sell
You made me laugh on this one! I had to buy the gold plated icon from your first video. I showed my wife and she just shook her head, cursed, and walked off. By that, I knew I chosen well.
between the cars & the garage, ive got 4 of those 1/2" braker bars & if someone out there has legitimately broken one, without a huge cheater bar, id be impressed... cause they are darn near indestructible! thanx bear & god bless dude
I had to break a flywheel on a jetski engine the other day, thing was torqued to 185flbs +the damn thing was rusted and corroded on there. I had the break bar and then maybe another 2 feet of a cheater. Breaker bar was flexing and I told my buddy to back TF up but ya know what, the damn thing didn't break haha! For less $20 (when I picked it up) those things are great.
Pittsburgh Swivel Pad C-Clamp Locking Pliers - I love these things. I use them all the time, I've thrown them around a bit, they've fallen off work benches, and they just continue to work. Love those things!
I saw that 1/4- 3/8 ratchet and said that is so neat I have to buy it. Turns out it is one of the most used ratchets in my garage. Nothing like having a long handle ratchet to bust those tough 1/4 nuts! The impact sockets work great as well. Shine on!
My policy is, if I find tools that are made in Taiwan at harbor freight, I'll pretty much buy them. They will eventually go up in price, then get relabeled as "professional grade" with 2-3X price tag, and then get replaced with Made in China/India items. I've been shopping at Harbor Freight since the 90's and I've seen it many times. So those Doyle pliers (made in Taiwan) are a no brainer
@@puregsr You could publish a book on the historical marketing practices throughout the shifting generations. I'll get the audiobook so long as there is a free trial available to me from Audible or somethin'...
Has Taiwan always made quality tools? I didn't realize until the not so distant past when I was sorting a toolbox full of sockets that used to be my Dad's. Most have seen at least a couple decades and any labeled "Taiwan" were in far better condition than the Chinesium ones. Same also for those stamped USA or JAPAN of course.
@@robertcortright It's just like everything around the world. Started off with cheap quality, then as time progresses, labor cost/environment concern rises, R&D increases, ultimately quality improves. Same can be said about Japanese made products from the 60's compared to the 80's. For example, back in the 80's, I think Taiwan made most of the bicycles around the world (think Giant), Japan made the midrange bikes. Then as factories move to China/India to save cost, you can't find a made-in-Taiwan bicycle for at least 300 dollars in the 90's, now probably at least 1200 dollars. Unfortunately, bias against Taiwanese products is still pervasive due to Chinese propaganda around the world, so people who are actually informed can scoop up Taiwanese products for a bargain. Overall, you have to pay a fortune for USA/Germany made tools and God knows if it's 100% truly made in the US or not, the law can be quite vague. Japanese tools are rare in the US and just like the term "made in the USA," made in Japan is often faked/counterfeited. So I find Taiwanese tools to be the most consistent in terms of overall quality.
The tap and die set was an excellent call. Few people need one very often but a real life saver when changing faucet washers or dealing with any old plumbing fixtures or elderly vehicles.....saved my behind a time or two. Shine on!
Buddy I just stumbled into your channel and I love it. I love Harbor Freight and anything tool related. My wife loves the talking bear so much that she'll sit and watch it with me. Good stuff. I am subscribed
I lucked out and picked up the Gold Icon Ratchet on Friday. The store I went to just got them in and they only received 2. I got 1, and one of the employees bought the other one.
I love the 4-in-1 hammer. I do a ton of furniture assembly, wall mountings & other handyman/DIY work and that’s a very versatile tool to have in your bag.
I am driving at 3am and your wit and advice is keeping me wide awake. Entertaining af. That last purchase suggestion is hilarious 😆🤠 THE GOLDEN RATCHET!!!
I have the socket set and the extendable wrench in 1/2 inch and the 3/8-1/4. Those extendable wrenches are fantastic. Great for low torque stuff like oil plugs, valve cover gaskets, even brake calipers. That way I have just one wrench instead of multiple and if I needed some breaker bar power, not too much obviously, I just extend the handle, bam, more torque
Me too. My scissors are now collecting dust. Trying to find some use for the scissors. I also need to go get my haircut fixed when I tried to get a different use out of them. Attending a wedding in 2 days. Wife is still mad. Lunchables to the rescue.
Totally surprised me at how many of your "chosen" tools I already use in my shop for work. Woodworking clamps - some of which are for welding , tap and die for re-doing pieces which don't quite fit right and preparing to tap threads in wood for special circumstances, the hammers for "adjustments", and those calipers - where were these when I began. Good call on so many.
I call my 3lb sledge the “attitude adjuster”. And I love having a digital torque wrench. The one I have is the Kobalt, but would love to pick up the HF brand just to compare it.
You'll spend a pretty penny, but the Irwin metric/SAE tap and die set is quite excellent. Same thing as the Snap-On or Mac tools one, but lower pricing.
Gotta agree on Doyle. I needed really big ChannelLock jaws for a job, but not super strength. Bought the largest Doyle and it looks like a red ChannelLock. Works great for occasional big jaw jobs. I still search for old U.S. made Vise-Grips, but I admit to using a few HF locking pliers for many lighter jobs. And I do have their 3 and 4 lb. hammers, but check how well they are hung. Catch the digital calipers on sale, then always take the battery out when not using. They eat batteries and the dead ones leak. My old vernier calipers are more accurate, but I’m to the point I need glasses or magnifier to read a verier to .001 these days.
I bought an all steel Pittsburgh hammer for under $9 and it works great. It’s held up very well for the rough duty it’s seen. If I need to I’ll buy another one but don’t think that’ll be any time soon. It’s estwing quality with Pittsburg pricing
One tool that I like from Dollar Tree is the small pry/crow bar. I have two and came in clutch for changing axles on a fwd car. Nothing else would work. For a dollar you could buy ten and not worry if you broke one or two. But they are rarely in the store.
I absolutely love my icon half inch ratchet with the flex head it’s an absolute beast and I have literally stood on it and bounced to break a bolt and it took it like a champ mind you I’m 350 pounds and that ratchet still works like new
I have been turning wrenches for the better part of 40 years and have used named brands to downright cheap pliers, get the Doyle, they are excellent pliers and especially for the money. I have not had any issues with them and used them fairly often. They are not the quality of the other more expensive name brand tools, but they are close enough.
The Doyle stuff is by enlarge made by Apex Tools, and is good! I have turned quite a few of the fast adjust “ knypix “ style for Through the lock as well as the Bremen locking pliers and made tons of entries with them
I have used the set to make axles, I had no problem cutting quality threads into medium steel round stock. As for the Taps I had no problem threading holes into half inch cold rolled diamond plate. The key to longevity when using these tools is to use them correctly, using cutting oil, and rocking the taps, and dies back and forth cutting small portions with each sweep.
Hey Bear, I have just about all the hand tools you listed plus a hell of a lot more, plus their tool chests to put everything in. Never regretted a single purchase. As always you reviews are spot on. Plus I worked there so the employee discount was a plus but would have bought them anyway. Anywho, have a question about harbor Freight’s linkable shop lights. How reliable are they? Do you need a make to male electric plug to link them together? Can they hooked up to a regular 120v light switch or do you have to use the pull chain? They don’t give that much info on their website. How about doing a review on this rascals in the new future. Remover I reserve the right to arm bears. Shine on.
The composite material handled hammer is great for the tool box and general use especially at $6. The wood handled one though is made from balsa. I broke the handle with zero effort pulling a nail. I bought a new handle from ace hardware and now I have a perfectly acceptable $15 hammer.
I have a 1/4 and 3/8 extendable...it works well. It’s also stronger then you think. I had the torque adapter..it was wonderful...it was so good it got legs and walked away lol. I tell people Harbor Freight hand tools are not as bad as they once were. They have really upped their game on tools
for gentle persuading, i prefer a drilling hammer over an engineers hammer. they are typically a hair lighter and the shorter handle helps with precision a bit more.
Harbor Freight's bar clamps are good and are a great asset to be able to bring to bear on a project, but I've also recently become a true believer in the Masterforce F-clamp. The throat depth is almost twice that of the HF clamp, and the overall construction is clean and heavy duty. The price is two to three times that of HF's, so I don't have a swarm of them the way I do with the cheaper ones. Still, they are just the tool for the times I've needed a powerful clamp with a big bite.
There's a combo impact set metric & sae they sell, comes with impact extensions and impact grade 3/8to1/2 & 1/2to3/8 adapters... Six point sockets, kit was about 35-40$
I'm a new tech and love the videos thank you for all the great information. Never heard of tekton before your videos definitely got me wanting some now.
My best recommendation is the Professional Flip Utility Knife by Doyle. It's identical to the Milwaukee Fastback in terms of performance. I have both and say get whichever is cheaper.
I ran across one of the ten best and ten not to buy videos. A few years old. Need to do more. Top 10 power tools, and other things plus the 10 worst. Not just HF. I have the torque adapter, works great and it's FUN! The gold ratchet would make a great retirement gift for a mechanic.
My new hand tools go-to for 'truck box tools' is the Quinn line. Quality and looks to work on a truck in the parking lot or the woods. Someone breaks in and takes the tools...a reason to go back to HF.
I purchased the orange dead blow hammer from Harbor Freight when I was putting in a Luxury Vinyl Plank floor. It was 1/3 the cost of the same one at Lowe's and Home Depot.
After seeing your video on the gold plated ratchet I ordered one online. It came in a week ago. There is just something about those gold collectors tools I like. I have Craftsman, MAC and now Icon.
I bought the Pittsburgh metric 1/2 socket set before I found Tekton, but I haven’t any complaints or need to switch out right now and I traded the ICON stubby metric wrench set, that I bought and never used, for the ICON 1/2” breaker bar; that item has had plenty of use. I know...I know I could’ve traded for the Pittsburgh Pro version and had money left over, but I don’t regret it.
Yes an no impact sockets only won because you can buy them individually Tekton pliers no an screwdrivers look nice but I like that they mail everything 2 you
I really like their levels, especially the longer, more heavy duty ones. They look great (that bright yellow), and also work well as a straight edge for my circular saw. I have about 3 of them and they perform very well.
Picked one up the other day for $11. Don’t use levels much but need a long one on the occasion we set up scaffold for roofing. Gets the job done and don’t need it perfect just close so I’m not worried too much about perfect bubble level haha.
I've since ppurchased the gold ratchet - and then a second, so I can use one and put the other on display because it looks so good, but it also works incredibly well too
The click type torque wrenches can be had for $10 when there’s a coupon or sale. Though, make sure you get a “Made in Taiwan” version (no shrink wrap around case, usually). There are some differences in material quality/build and the Taiwan versions are heavier than the Chinese ones. At a glance, the made in Taiwan version reminds me of the Tekton torque wrench that I have (may be made by the same manufacturer, who knows).
Harbor freight stuff is decent for the most part. I have all tool brands at the shop with a few harbor freight tools (stethoscope, impact screwdriver come to mind) but at home I have a ton of harbor freight with a few tool truck tools. I get the same amount of work done with the harbor freight stuff generally. If I could only have one obviously I’m going with my high dollar set of tools, but if i was just wrenching in the garage on weekends I would be fine with harbor freight.
I got the two each of the 1 5, the 3, and the 4 pound dead blow hammers to use as substitute Indian clubs for exercise (I refuse to pay $75+ for narrow neck bowling pins) but guess what, they are excellent dead blow hammers. When I needed to hand chisel out a divot, the 3 lb was perfect!
The digital calipers are fine, but pull the battery and leave it in the case if they aren't used much. The biggest difference between high end calipers and junk is the passive draw when they are off, cheap ones are always dead when you go to use them
4lb engineer's hammer is where it's at "how many time do I have to teach you this lesson old man" that phrase was intended to be directed toward whatever you're trying to move.
Red, the only complaint I have about those HF F Style Clamps is that I beat them up so bad that first, the pads have a seriously awful time staying attached to it. Second, the little "paper clip" spring is prone to failure. FINALLY, this newer version sometimes spins off the rubber handles on the screw. But like I said, I beat them up a lot..... and at $2.99 retail EACH, I can replace any of the sixteen 6 inch ones I have...
The only reason for a 20mm socket, is for the lug nuts that fit 19mm but because of the cheap design you need a 20 mm to accommodate for the swollen lug nuts. I work at a Ford dealer, I use my 20mm as much as the 21mm and 19mm. Also 22mm is needed for the truck lug nuts too. And sometimes you need a 19.5mm or 21.5 mm which is more specialized. To add to my comment, I have the Icon stubby ratchet wrenches, and while I don't use them too often. I am thankful I have them when I need them.
I have to agree with most of the tools listed. I have a semi truck I have to work on because I can't afford to pay a mechanic to and Harbor Freight is great for decent large 3/4" and some 1" tools needed for the large equipment and fitting sizes. PS: my engineers hammer is what I call my attitude adjustment hammer!
The Allen keys are soft, on my set that doesn't get used much(I'm a woodworker) most of the smaller ones have either rounded off or the ball heads have just snapped off. On the bright side 10 seconds on the sander or grinder and you are down to a new tip!
I got the tap and die set about 2 years ago haven't broken a tap yet, it doesn't compare to the mac tools tap and die set but will do. I would give it a 5/5 very good.
I'll have to look into those digital torque wrench adapters. I got the wrenches but I see the appeal. I love the Harbor Freight F clamps, used them today. Now I'll have to get more for welding, great tip! The Harbor Freight needle-nose "locking pliers" (vise grips) I got on clearance a few years ago are pretty crummy, they twist and don't stay locked. But hey now that I can weld, I'll use them for that. I got those deep well impact sockets, half inch drive, from Harbor Freight, because prices elsewhere are extreme... They're great so far, though I did have to go buy the missing 15mm socket from my kit. Cost me like $7 at Menards, so like a third the price of the whole set... I waited way too long before getting a dead blow hammer. Such a great "move, dang it" tool - the fluorescent whacky stick. (My breaker bar is an Allen brand, pretty sturdy. I also have Crescent brand vise grips, and Stanley adjustable wrenches and channel slip pliers. I apparently never buy the tool from the company that made it famous.)
I have the multi head hammer. The threads wear out after a while and the head won't stay on. Probably could be fixed with blue loctite. It's a good tool if you only use it once in a while.
PITTSBURGH Flex Head Stubby Ratchet Set, 3 Pc $10.99. Amazing deal that helped me get to an unreachable socket that was deep in my engine and against the firewall and a normal ratchet wouldn't fit. it seems perfectly strong and is not huge. And you get three sizes.
They have a skinny Pittsburgh dual head ratchet that I like a lot. It isn't something you'd want to use all day but it fits in everywhere which is a high priority for an car tool bag.
Great list. Love your videos. Easy to bear. 😉 I actually have that 1/4 & 3/8 ratchet as well as the breaker bar. Holding up well. When I first saw them I really like the Breman locking pliers. Have a couple and they are great. I have had that digital caliper for years. Close enough for what I do. And the dead blows are a no brainer. I get people wanting to buy American and I have my share of Channel Lock, some Tekton American made items, Crescent, etc. Most of my tools are Craftsman but the newest is likely 10 years old or more. All American made. No Craftsman for me any more.....unless they come back. If I am going to get Chinesium, I want to pay Chinesium prices. Your 80/20 rule makes sense especially if you have a tight budget.
The only downside to their ryoba is that it doesn't have a rip cut side, both are sharpened as crosscut. I picked up a cheap Irwin ryoba from Lowe's, and it's got the ripcut teeth on the course side, but the harbor freight is still my go to for cuts in thicker posts
There’s supposed to be a new Harbor Freight store moving into my area I’m really hoping they put it in sometime next year I don’t know the exact date yet.
1/2" torque wrenched from HF have been solid for me. Never tried their 3/8". I had 3x 1/4" ratchets and none of them lasted. Hex set is nice except the skip 1/4" which I seem to come across a lot!
Harbor freight is a god send for young and cash strapped handy bears. Even after getting established I still go to harbor freight more than lowes. Only had one tool break down and that was a 8 buck heat gun. Replaced with no question. Try that at big box
I’m an electrician and work for the railroad fixing trains. I use that 3/8s extendable ratchet every day had it for over a year it even doubles as a hammer sometime! That thing is seriously the best ratchet I’ve ever owned
That breaker bar is no joke. I put a floor jack under the end to break stubborn suspension bolts.
it sounds like you’re in a rusty area too. I’m in Pennsylvania.
Easily the best tool they sell. I recommend the non comfort grip one. Just because my jack handle fits over the end.
Breaker bar and Pittsburgh jack are easily the 2 best items they sell
You made me laugh on this one! I had to buy the gold plated icon from your first video. I showed my wife and she just shook her head, cursed, and walked off. By that, I knew I chosen well.
Lmao
between the cars & the garage, ive got 4 of those 1/2" braker bars & if someone out there has legitimately broken one, without a huge cheater bar, id be impressed... cause they are darn near indestructible! thanx bear & god bless dude
I had to break a flywheel on a jetski engine the other day, thing was torqued to 185flbs +the damn thing was rusted and corroded on there. I had the break bar and then maybe another 2 feet of a cheater. Breaker bar was flexing and I told my buddy to back TF up but ya know what, the damn thing didn't break haha! For less $20 (when I picked it up) those things are great.
Pittsburgh Swivel Pad C-Clamp Locking Pliers - I love these things. I use them all the time, I've thrown them around a bit, they've fallen off work benches, and they just continue to work. Love those things!
I saw that 1/4- 3/8 ratchet and said that is so neat I have to buy it. Turns out it is one of the most used ratchets in my garage. Nothing like having a long handle ratchet to bust those tough 1/4 nuts! The impact sockets work great as well. Shine on!
I ended up getting all 3 torque wrenches for under $30. But I will definitely be looking into the HF digital solution as well. Nice work bear 🐻 👍🏻
Shaved my dome this morning. Wore a hat to a birthday get together. Took off my hat and said " Shine On!" Nobody got the joke. 😆
I really like this channel!
Doyle pliers ROCK! Ignore the cheaper ones a foot away on the rack...pretend they aren't there and you'll not be disappointed.
My policy is, if I find tools that are made in Taiwan at harbor freight, I'll pretty much buy them.
They will eventually go up in price, then get relabeled as "professional grade" with 2-3X price tag, and then get replaced with Made in China/India items. I've been shopping at Harbor Freight since the 90's and I've seen it many times. So those Doyle pliers (made in Taiwan) are a no brainer
@@puregsr You could publish a book on the historical marketing practices throughout the shifting generations. I'll get the audiobook so long as there is a free trial available to me from Audible or somethin'...
Has Taiwan always made quality tools? I didn't realize until the not so distant past when I was sorting a toolbox full of sockets that used to be my Dad's. Most have seen at least a couple decades and any labeled "Taiwan" were in far better condition than the Chinesium ones. Same also for those stamped USA or JAPAN of course.
@@robertcortright It's just like everything around the world. Started off with cheap quality, then as time progresses, labor cost/environment concern rises, R&D increases, ultimately quality improves. Same can be said about Japanese made products from the 60's compared to the 80's.
For example, back in the 80's, I think Taiwan made most of the bicycles around the world (think Giant), Japan made the midrange bikes. Then as factories move to China/India to save cost, you can't find a made-in-Taiwan bicycle for at least 300 dollars in the 90's, now probably at least 1200 dollars.
Unfortunately, bias against Taiwanese products is still pervasive due to Chinese propaganda around the world, so people who are actually informed can scoop up Taiwanese products for a bargain.
Overall, you have to pay a fortune for USA/Germany made tools and God knows if it's 100% truly made in the US or not, the law can be quite vague. Japanese tools are rare in the US and just like the term "made in the USA," made in Japan is often faked/counterfeited. So I find Taiwanese tools to be the most consistent in terms of overall quality.
The tap and die set was an excellent call. Few people need one very often but a real life saver when changing faucet washers or dealing with any old plumbing fixtures or elderly vehicles.....saved my behind a time or two. Shine on!
Buddy I just stumbled into your channel and I love it. I love Harbor Freight and anything tool related. My wife loves the talking bear so much that she'll sit and watch it with me. Good stuff. I am subscribed
Great. Just great. Now I have a whole other shopping list at Harbor Freight.
The Harbor Freight in North Charleston, SC is very picked over, and every shelf is almost empty. They raised a lot of their prices too.
I lucked out and picked up the Gold Icon Ratchet on Friday. The store I went to just got them in and they only received 2. I got 1, and one of the employees bought the other one.
I love the 4-in-1 hammer. I do a ton of furniture assembly, wall mountings & other handyman/DIY work and that’s a very versatile tool to have in your bag.
I am driving at 3am and your wit and advice is keeping me wide awake. Entertaining af. That last purchase suggestion is hilarious 😆🤠 THE GOLDEN RATCHET!!!
I have the socket set and the extendable wrench in 1/2 inch and the 3/8-1/4. Those extendable wrenches are fantastic. Great for low torque stuff like oil plugs, valve cover gaskets, even brake calipers. That way I have just one wrench instead of multiple and if I needed some breaker bar power, not too much obviously, I just extend the handle, bam, more torque
Went to HF yesterday to get a dust collector, felt so wrong to check out without any coupons😭
I feel ya. I miss them a lot. I wish they would bring them back
I like the new instant savings. But the 20% coupon was nice.
Me too. My scissors are now collecting dust. Trying to find some use for the scissors. I also need to go get my haircut fixed when I tried to get a different use out of them. Attending a wedding in 2 days. Wife is still mad. Lunchables to the rescue.
I got the 1/2 impact sockets mainly for the the 27mm. That is the size of the rear axle nut on my dirt bike. Best thing ever!
Totally surprised me at how many of your "chosen" tools I already use in my shop for work. Woodworking clamps - some of which are for welding , tap and die for re-doing pieces which don't quite fit right and preparing to tap threads in wood for special circumstances, the hammers for "adjustments", and those calipers - where were these when I began. Good call on so many.
I call my 3lb sledge the “attitude adjuster”. And I love having a digital torque wrench. The one I have is the Kobalt, but would love to pick up the HF brand just to compare it.
I bought that engineers hammer and put it next to my 24" pipe wrench
You'll spend a pretty penny, but the Irwin metric/SAE tap and die set is quite excellent. Same thing as the Snap-On or Mac tools one, but lower pricing.
Gotta agree on Doyle. I needed really big ChannelLock jaws for a job, but not super strength. Bought the largest Doyle and it looks like a red ChannelLock. Works great for occasional big jaw jobs. I still search for old U.S. made Vise-Grips, but I admit to using a few HF locking pliers for many lighter jobs. And I do have their 3 and 4 lb. hammers, but check how well they are hung. Catch the digital calipers on sale, then always take the battery out when not using. They eat batteries and the dead ones leak. My old vernier calipers are more accurate, but I’m to the point I need glasses or magnifier to read a verier to .001 these days.
Missing the 20off coupon. Was great for these items.
I started buying more Tekton.with 10% back and free shipping and no tax.
I bought an all steel Pittsburgh hammer for under $9 and it works great. It’s held up very well for the rough duty it’s seen.
If I need to I’ll buy another one but don’t think that’ll be any time soon. It’s estwing quality with Pittsburg pricing
One tool that I like from Dollar Tree is the small pry/crow bar. I have two and came in clutch for changing axles on a fwd car. Nothing else would work. For a dollar you could buy ten and not worry if you broke one or two. But they are rarely in the store.
The digital torque and impact driver sockets got me.. thx! 👍👍
Great to see and hear Da Bear on Sunday. For chrome sockets it is texton I was in the craftsman camp also but no more.
I absolutely love my icon half inch ratchet with the flex head it’s an absolute beast and I have literally stood on it and bounced to break a bolt and it took it like a champ mind you I’m 350 pounds and that ratchet still works like new
I have been turning wrenches for the better part of 40 years and have used named brands to downright cheap pliers, get the Doyle, they are excellent pliers and especially for the money. I have not had any issues with them and used them fairly often. They are not the quality of the other more expensive name brand tools, but they are close enough.
The Doyle stuff is by enlarge made by Apex Tools, and is good! I have turned quite a few of the fast adjust “ knypix “ style for Through the lock as well as the Bremen locking pliers and made tons of entries with them
Irwin at Lowe’s sells a 2 pack fir cheaper, $20) I buy yearly cuz I lose em working
i literally lol'd at the space shuttle bit ... great stuff
The doyle demo screw drivers are quite nice. I get a lot of use out of those
I absolutely love my 1/4x3/8 dual drive ratchet picked it up as soon as I saw it
This
, but with the extendable handle. 🙌 Life saver.
Liked mine so much I bought one for my Mom.
I have the ones with the black and green handles. They are pretty handy to have around
Good video. Question, how do you rate the 60 piece tap and die set SAE and Metric in the case? Keep up the good work.
I have used the set to make axles, I had no problem cutting quality threads into medium steel round stock. As for the Taps I had no problem threading holes into half inch cold rolled diamond plate. The key to longevity when using these tools is to use them correctly, using cutting oil, and rocking the taps, and dies back and forth cutting small portions with each sweep.
Thank you, really needed this for stuff around the house.
I have the doyle needle nose pliers, love them and use them almost exclusively for daily proffesional use.
Those pull saws are great. I keep one in the tool box. Cheap and sharp. Cut through a 4x4 with one.
Hey Bear, I have just about all the hand tools you listed plus a hell of a lot more, plus their tool chests to put everything in. Never regretted a single purchase. As always you reviews are spot on. Plus I worked there so the employee discount was a plus but would have bought them anyway. Anywho, have a question about harbor Freight’s linkable shop lights. How reliable are they? Do you need a make to male electric plug to link them together? Can they hooked up to a regular 120v light switch or do you have to use the pull chain? They don’t give that much info on their website. How about doing a review on this rascals in the new future. Remover I reserve the right to arm bears. Shine on.
The composite material handled hammer is great for the tool box and general use especially at $6.
The wood handled one though is made from balsa. I broke the handle with zero effort pulling a nail. I bought a new handle from ace hardware and now I have a perfectly acceptable $15 hammer.
I have a 1/4 and 3/8 extendable...it works well. It’s also stronger then you think. I had the torque adapter..it was wonderful...it was so good it got legs and walked away lol. I tell people Harbor Freight hand tools are not as bad as they once were. They have really upped their game on tools
for gentle persuading, i prefer a drilling hammer over an engineers hammer. they are typically a hair lighter and the shorter handle helps with precision a bit more.
I like your reviews. Mostly agree but even when I don't you give good reason. Going by what you say I know
What to give a look. Keep it . Thank you
For all you professionals the Icon line is the absolute bomb.
Man I love this guy....
I'm a huge fan of the Pittsburgh double end flex head ratchet! (item 67994) 1/4 inch drive on end & 3/8 on the other.
"I don't do live stream, I'm talent".🤣. I love you man.
Harbor Freight's bar clamps are good and are a great asset to be able to bring to bear on a project, but I've also recently become a true believer in the Masterforce F-clamp. The throat depth is almost twice that of the HF clamp, and the overall construction is clean and heavy duty. The price is two to three times that of HF's, so I don't have a swarm of them the way I do with the cheaper ones. Still, they are just the tool for the times I've needed a powerful clamp with a big bite.
There's a combo impact set metric & sae they sell, comes with impact extensions and impact grade 3/8to1/2 & 1/2to3/8 adapters... Six point sockets, kit was about 35-40$
I'm a new tech and love the videos thank you for all the great information. Never heard of tekton before your videos definitely got me wanting some now.
Malco is making the US made locking pliers. About $37.00 on Amazon.
Good work man. Love your channel
The first time I saw one of your vids I rolled my eyes a little at the talking bear.
But I have to admit I really like your channel.
Thanks Bear, I needed this video.
My best recommendation is the Professional Flip Utility Knife by Doyle. It's identical to the Milwaukee Fastback in terms of performance. I have both and say get whichever is cheaper.
I ran across one of the ten best and ten not to buy videos. A few years old. Need to do more. Top 10 power tools, and other things plus the 10 worst. Not just HF. I have the torque adapter, works great and it's FUN! The gold ratchet would make a great retirement gift for a mechanic.
My new hand tools go-to for 'truck box tools' is the Quinn line. Quality and looks to work on a truck in the parking lot or the woods. Someone breaks in and takes the tools...a reason to go back to HF.
Locking flex head ratchets would be nice. Icon is catching on with pro mechanics. A lot of my co workers have them
This this this. Especially since they recalled the 3/8 icon flex head and never brought it back.
I purchased the orange dead blow hammer from Harbor Freight when I was putting in a Luxury Vinyl Plank floor. It was 1/3 the cost of the same one at Lowe's and Home Depot.
After seeing your video on the gold plated ratchet I ordered one online. It came in a week ago. There is just something about those gold collectors tools I like. I have Craftsman, MAC and now Icon.
What are you going to use them on?
@@codyzellner Nothing. They are strictly for show. I collect them.
I am waiting for a Lifetime Carbide Machinist’s Hand Scraper.
That would be nice to see at hf
I bought the Pittsburgh metric 1/2 socket set before I found Tekton, but I haven’t any complaints or need to switch out right now and I traded the ICON stubby metric wrench set, that I bought and never used, for the ICON 1/2” breaker bar; that item has had plenty of use. I know...I know I could’ve traded for the Pittsburgh Pro version and had money left over, but I don’t regret it.
Awesome bro. Thanks for sharing
You missed the Quinn linesman pliers there awesome
Costs a few bucks more but Tekton gets my hand tool dollars, love their quality
Yes an no impact sockets only won because you can buy them individually
Tekton pliers no an screwdrivers look nice but I like that they mail everything 2 you
I really like their levels, especially the longer, more heavy duty ones. They look great (that bright yellow), and also work well as a straight edge for my circular saw. I have about 3 of them and they perform very well.
Picked one up the other day for $11. Don’t use levels much but need a long one on the occasion we set up scaffold for roofing. Gets the job done and don’t need it perfect just close so I’m not worried too much about perfect bubble level haha.
I've since ppurchased the gold ratchet - and then a second, so I can use one and put the other on display because it looks so good, but it also works incredibly well too
Doyle and Bremen are fantastic. I bought all new impact sockets, 3/8 and 1/2, in the old Pittsburgh Pro line.
The click type torque wrenches can be had for $10 when there’s a coupon or sale. Though, make sure you get a “Made in Taiwan” version (no shrink wrap around case, usually). There are some differences in material quality/build and the Taiwan versions are heavier than the Chinese ones. At a glance, the made in Taiwan version reminds me of the Tekton torque wrench that I have (may be made by the same manufacturer, who knows).
I think I got one of the chinese ones a few years ago, but only recently pitched it across the driveway when the teeth in it started jumping
I would add the QUINN 3 piece insulated pliers set. They're not great but they're very cheap and get the job done.
I own 9 ratchets at work, a few more at home. I have one of those Pittsburgh ratchets, it's fairly handy
Harbor freight stuff is decent for the most part. I have all tool brands at the shop with a few harbor freight tools (stethoscope, impact screwdriver come to mind) but at home I have a ton of harbor freight with a few tool truck tools. I get the same amount of work done with the harbor freight stuff generally. If I could only have one obviously I’m going with my high dollar set of tools, but if i was just wrenching in the garage on weekends I would be fine with harbor freight.
I got the two each of the 1 5, the 3, and the 4 pound dead blow hammers to use as substitute Indian clubs for exercise (I refuse to pay $75+ for narrow neck bowling pins) but guess what, they are excellent dead blow hammers. When I needed to hand chisel out a divot, the 3 lb was perfect!
Good show Oso!
The digital calipers are fine, but pull the battery and leave it in the case if they aren't used much. The biggest difference between high end calipers and junk is the passive draw when they are off, cheap ones are always dead when you go to use them
4lb engineer's hammer is where it's at
"how many time do I have to teach you this lesson old man"
that phrase was intended to be directed toward whatever you're trying to move.
Red, the only complaint I have about those HF F Style Clamps is that I beat them up so bad that first, the pads have a seriously awful time staying attached to it. Second, the little "paper clip" spring is prone to failure. FINALLY, this newer version sometimes spins off the rubber handles on the screw. But like I said, I beat them up a lot..... and at $2.99 retail EACH, I can replace any of the sixteen 6 inch ones I have...
If you need to start or a complete set of wrenches for your truck the 301 piece set, is good. The stubby combo ratcheting set is a butt saver
The only reason for a 20mm socket, is for the lug nuts that fit 19mm but because of the cheap design you need a 20 mm to accommodate for the swollen lug nuts. I work at a Ford dealer, I use my 20mm as much as the 21mm and 19mm. Also 22mm is needed for the truck lug nuts too. And sometimes you need a 19.5mm or 21.5 mm which is more specialized.
To add to my comment, I have the Icon stubby ratchet wrenches, and while I don't use them too often. I am thankful I have them when I need them.
I have to agree with most of the tools listed. I have a semi truck I have to work on because I can't afford to pay a mechanic to and Harbor Freight is great for decent large 3/4" and some 1" tools needed for the large equipment and fitting sizes. PS: my engineers hammer is what I call my attitude adjustment hammer!
The fun with the gold ratchet is abusing it and trying to get it swapped out at the store.
The Allen keys are soft, on my set that doesn't get used much(I'm a woodworker) most of the smaller ones have either rounded off or the ball heads have just snapped off. On the bright side 10 seconds on the sander or grinder and you are down to a new tip!
Hey Den, ever considered using an iPhone pro / iPad pro for tracking ? Those LiDar scanners are some serious Beans.
I got the tap and die set about 2 years ago haven't broken a tap yet, it doesn't compare to the mac tools tap and die set but will do. I would give it a 5/5 very good.
Great update will pass on the Goldfinger rachet and Shine on!
I'll have to look into those digital torque wrench adapters. I got the wrenches but I see the appeal. I love the Harbor Freight F clamps, used them today. Now I'll have to get more for welding, great tip!
The Harbor Freight needle-nose "locking pliers" (vise grips) I got on clearance a few years ago are pretty crummy, they twist and don't stay locked. But hey now that I can weld, I'll use them for that.
I got those deep well impact sockets, half inch drive, from Harbor Freight, because prices elsewhere are extreme... They're great so far, though I did have to go buy the missing 15mm socket from my kit. Cost me like $7 at Menards, so like a third the price of the whole set...
I waited way too long before getting a dead blow hammer. Such a great "move, dang it" tool - the fluorescent whacky stick.
(My breaker bar is an Allen brand, pretty sturdy. I also have Crescent brand vise grips, and Stanley adjustable wrenches and channel slip pliers. I apparently never buy the tool from the company that made it famous.)
Solid list 👍
tht 3lb engineers hammer and pitts. ball joint separator saved me a bunch of aggravation with frontend suspension jeep tj repairs
That Pittsburgh breaker bar is unbeatable.
I have the multi head hammer. The threads wear out after a while and the head won't stay on. Probably could be fixed with blue loctite. It's a good tool if you only use it once in a while.
PITTSBURGH Flex Head Stubby Ratchet Set, 3 Pc $10.99.
Amazing deal that helped me get to an unreachable socket that was deep in my engine and against the firewall and a normal ratchet wouldn't fit. it seems perfectly strong and is not huge. And you get three sizes.
Engineer’s hammer is good for pounding stakes (tent, shelter, etc.)
They have a skinny Pittsburgh dual head ratchet that I like a lot. It isn't something you'd want to use all day but it fits in everywhere which is a high priority for an car tool bag.
Great list. Love your videos. Easy to bear. 😉 I actually have that 1/4 & 3/8 ratchet as well as the breaker bar. Holding up well. When I first saw them I really like the Breman locking pliers. Have a couple and they are great. I have had that digital caliper for years. Close enough for what I do. And the dead blows are a no brainer. I get people wanting to buy American and I have my share of Channel Lock, some Tekton American made items, Crescent, etc. Most of my tools are Craftsman but the newest is likely 10 years old or more. All American made. No Craftsman for me any more.....unless they come back. If I am going to get Chinesium, I want to pay Chinesium prices. Your 80/20 rule makes sense especially if you have a tight budget.
Something else that could be on this list is the HF ryoba Japanese pull saw. Really works well.
It was between the pull saw and the Japanese saw. Honestly it was a tough call.
The only downside to their ryoba is that it doesn't have a rip cut side, both are sharpened as crosscut. I picked up a cheap Irwin ryoba from Lowe's, and it's got the ripcut teeth on the course side, but the harbor freight is still my go to for cuts in thicker posts
There’s supposed to be a new Harbor Freight store moving into my area I’m really hoping they put it in sometime next year I don’t know the exact date yet.
1/2" torque wrenched from HF have been solid for me. Never tried their 3/8". I had 3x 1/4" ratchets and none of them lasted.
Hex set is nice except the skip 1/4" which I seem to come across a lot!
Harbor freight is a god send for young and cash strapped handy bears. Even after getting established I still go to harbor freight more than lowes. Only had one tool break down and that was a 8 buck heat gun. Replaced with no question. Try that at big box
Hey Bear do you know if Harbor Freight will be giving out any 20% coupons for ITR members in the future . I’m looking into buying the 72” top chest.
This is a good question.