These definitely some great stuff from the old harbor freight… if you snap that big pipe wrench your a better man then me… I’ve had a 6’ long section of 2” black pipe stuck on the end of one of those and my 280 pounds I’ve stepped up and jumped on that to bust loose a pipe fitting!!! The Pittsburgh stuff isn’t bad quality and it’s got a lifetime warranty too! I love their cheap ratchets!!! Especially those plastic or whatever they are… they are great when it’s freezing cold as you aren’t grabbing a cold steel tool… and for your $20 bucks apiece their long 3/8’s ratchets are pretty dang strong and they feel better in my hand then my SnapOn does… call me crazy but I’m not afraid to like what I like and I don’t care about that name anymore… I use whatever I think feels the best… If ya haven’t tried those cheap Pittsburgh ratchets you definitely want to give them a shot… the 64 detent I drop everything in a little plastic container of oil to get their gears lubed good… you can save a lot of money with the hand tools!
The problem isn't the tool breaking, it's the teeth wearing off, not biting, and slipping after one use. In my experience, nothing I get from harbor frieght ever works properly, and all it does is cause frustration. I'd rather spend 200 on something that will grip as opposed to trying to tighten the pipe wrench nut with a 16-inch pair of channel locks bc the pipe wrench isn't biting.
I have a Ridgid 48” iron. It’s a bad day as a heavy equipment mechanic when I need to pull that out. I like being lazy and using the crane on my truck to pull on the wrench!
For low usage tools or for extra sets, I have been getting tools from Harbor Freight or store brands. If I use it enough where the quality becomes an issue, then I upgrade.
I've been abusing angle head open end wrench set to 2 inch for 10 years and haven't had to exchange one yet. I agree with upgrading if you have problems or I look at something and decide I didn't like the build quality upgrade before I buy. The only warrior electric I have was a freebie
I was swapping 15 psi pressure relief valves for 25psi and needed a big wrench to do it. I was stress sweating thinking about going to Grainger and stopped at harbor freight hoping to find it a little cheaper. Imagine my relief when I saw that exact red 36in pipe wrench at that price point. It was so cheap that I still have it just to show friends and keep around as a Halloween prop.
You are exactly correct. I'm not going to spend $200 on a something I'm just going to beat the hell out of. I have my rigid aluminum close corner pipe wrenches and I have my Pittsburgh clothes corner aluminum pipe wrenches which were a fraction of the cost those I will beat on before I'll beat on my rigids
Im an underground plumber and have 2 of every size pipe wrench Harbor Freight sells. Only had 2 break in 10 yrs of plumbing, just returned them for new ones. Mad that they got rid of the 45° version. All in all worth every penny.
My dad's a career plumber and has pipe wrenches up to 8' long. He has mostly rigid but has cheap ones for when he thinks he might break something. My dad is 80 and has broken a 8' pipe wrench in the last year.
I got one of those 36" rigid wrenches at a resale shop for 35 dollars a couple years ago, I'm still proud of that. It has pink paint and hammer marks from the previous owner, I bought it because I had some money burning a hole in my pocket back then, not knowing how awesome they are.
The first time you need a tool, you get it from Harbor Freight. You may use it once and never touch it again, or you may use it everyday until it breaks. If you use a tool enough to break it, buy a name brand. My $300 worth of Harbor Freight could easily be $1000 of name brand stuff, but I don't use a 5mm socket everyday. I don't use a 1/2" drive 9" extender everyday. I don't use a 3/8" drive angle adapter everyday. But when I need them, they're very nice to have, and I still have money in my wallet to spend on shitty car parts.
The thing I like about harbor freight is that if you are getting into a new hobby or something the entry few is low. Helps open gate ways to what kind of tools are out there and what fits your purpose. If it doesn't work out it's no harm
How much you spend on tools should reflect how often the tool is used, if you rarely use it cheap is good, if you use on a regular basis it's worth it to spend the extra money.
My favorite Harbor Fraught buy - my T wrecking bar. Great at prying stuff up while I'm on my feet comfortably. Helped tear out my bathroom and looks cool too.
I buy some stuff from harbor freight. That being said, I have never seen a Ridgid with a bent and twisted handle. I have seen hundreds of cheap ones with bent and twisted handles. Also I have experienced the jaws slipping off the pipe with the cheap ones. On this tool I’d rather “buy once cry once”.
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Agree, not a big deal to have that kind of wrenches from a budget level brand. They’ll do the job.
I agree with the price point I own alot of harbor freight tools air tools power tools battery tools hand tools a few have failed but not many I bought a foldable wagon that was a a great addition to my van a electric winch that I made a piece to put on a ladder to get stuff on a roof works great also made a connecter to go in an attic if there is enough room it works great for bringing units in the attic I work alone and I like it because I know the job is done how I want it
Just today I bought two squeeze-action bar clamps at HF -- 6" capacity for $3.79 each. Are they master woodworker quality? No, but I'm going to use them to hold a board with a reloading press mounted onto a porch rail; they don't need to be perfect. I also got a set of drill bits, 12 bits in a plastic case, 1/16 to 3/8, for $2.98. Are they good bits? No; if I use them to drill steel they'll probably last one hole each -- but I need them to drill three holes of one size in plywood. They'll do that job, and a good bit would have cost that much for a single and I probably won't use them again this year. If you need a tool for one job, get it at Harbor Freight. If you're making your living with it, get a brand with a good warranty and that can be repaired.
I have a set of harbor freight pipe wrenches with aluminum handles, granted the rigid is lighter, and better but I used my set for over twenty years now and aside from breaking the handle on the 24” they all still work as good as when I bought them. It should be mentioned that I am a plumber, they get used often.
When I first heard I went and sat at harbor freight and stared at the pipe wrenches for sever minutes. Like you said they get little use depending on the task and at the cost I said screw it and bought every size they had even though I didn't need them and doubled up on a couple sizes. I originally went there cause I needed another 12" to help bust loose a stubborn old cylinder so I can rebuild it. Threw the 12" on there and right away I was impressed with its jaw grip. Didn't slip once and gave me the leverage I needed to get the gland nut spinning loose. Definitely worth the buy rather in a pinch and need it or use it daily
I'm lucky enough to have gotten a bunch of my Grandpa's old pipe wrenches, but I've had pretty good luck with harbor freight hand tools for other things 😉
Yes for you guys those are great and yes they break by professionals.i own both and have snapped one ridgid spring stick,twisted a kobolt,snapped the junction of a husky(still use it) but the Pittsburgh handle bent to 30° after one demo(aluminum)and the 24" the junction ripped off
If you got the money to buy all name brand stuff go ahead but not everybody has that kind of money to spend. It’s ok to by cheap tools if you need them. Just b aware some cheap tools are great and last long some cheap tools are load of crap and break easily.
I have a few Pittsburgh pipe wrenches and they are fine, they tend to get stuck on pipe rather than slip in reverse a lot worse than ridged but they always get the job done. Ridged is worth it if you use them a lot though, I use small pipe wrenches a lot but my big ones rarely leave the van.
I constantly go back to some advice am old boss gave me "cost vs value" If it's absolutely mission critical, plop down the coin for the best. However if it's not mission critical, and we use it very infrequently, buy 3 of the cheap ones because we're absolutely going to use it for not intended purposes. Now it's value is just as high as the expensive tool.
Honestly its hard to beat the sockets and ratchets too. Ive been in the automotive and heavy diesel repair field for nigh on 25yrs now and still have the first Pittsburgh ratchets and some of the sockets that i first bought from their 301pc kit. Ive had one ratchet in all that time fail and it didnt break just locked up inside but it was also horribly abused being my "beater" ratchet and seeing a lot of use in cold wet salty weather. Ive never broken any of the sockets except for a couple smaller bit sockets (common with every brand as tool steel when that thin is very brittle). I have some better sockets now but honestly that 301pc set was the largest range of sockets ive ever bought in a single kit and i still have a good portion of them at work for that reason. The large quinn brand kit isnt bad but if all you want is the sockets and a separate wrench set get the cheaper 301pc Pittsburgh set. Everything besides the ratchets and scokets in the set is pretty much junk but the sockets are hard to beat. Dont go into debt on the tool trucks. Buy yhe cheaper stuff that works and then upgrade later of you feel the need. Tekton makes nice sets as well as does gear wrench.
the napa carlyle one is on sale for 138. regular is about 196. i always recommended customers who dont plan on using tools more than once to just go to harbor freight.
my hands are tied by my finances. I can't afford to buy American-made quality. Not when a single wrench costs $100 & up, but I still have to pay the bills.
Absolutely. I have a lot of harbor freight stuff that I can replace many times before I would end up spending as much on snap on. I can break snap on too but not gonna because I'll never pay that much for tools I can get cheaper
I gave $35 for a 36" at Tractor Supply. I use a cheater pipe often but it seems to bend the 36er from hf pretty easily. The worm gear likes to become loose with TS one but the teeth grip better and the shaft doesn't bend as easy.
I worked at home Depot for 7 years. Rigid was one of our corporate brands. Another words home Depot produced it. Same thing with husky if you want to know the truth. I'm sure you would be surprised to learn. Both of those wrenches were probably made in the same factory. Harbor freight just like home Depot buys them all from the same distributor and just slaps their name on it. So whether you buy rigid from home Depot or you buy Pittsburgh from harbor freight you're getting the same product. One just cost more.
I have Many HF tools, some good , some ok and some that wasn't worth bringing home, but for the most part the biggest majority of them have worked every time I've needed them.
When given advice on how to build my tools, I was told by a wise old timer, start harbor freight, replace them with name brand over time. This was in the context of students signing over their soul for a snap on taco wagon.
I bent one of those pretty good a couple days ago, with no joy. Good thing I didn't pay an arm and leg for it. Only difference I see is, HF charges a reasonable price and sells many, while Grainger sells a few and overcharges. I've seen this movie before.
The only issue I had with Pittsburg pipe wrenches is the hardness of the jaws. They don't bite like higher quality wrenches and are more likely to slip in my experience.
I bought a set of HF pipe threading dies. The set of six cost less than the call out fee for a plumber. So far I have only used _one_ die, _once_ (it worked perfectly), but I am already ahead. 😃
Bought two of those big ridges one time it was a 36 or 32 and a 24 I know and I bought them in aluminum they weren't quite as heavy still had them until I had a yard sale and I got rid of them wasn't doing that type of plumbing , irrigation anymore. had a couple open end and box wrenches they were like two and a quarter two and a half inch good paper weights door stops. don't know what I use them on something when I was turning wrenches 🤔🤗. I think it had to do with working on the Thermo King units on the semis.
I have two Pittsburgh pipe wrenches that I've used maybe four times in the 20 odd years I've had them. If I needed a 36" pipe wrench every day I'd buy a Ridgid, in fact I have a 15" I use all the time that's 35 years old.
Working on a drilling rig I used 48 inch pipe wrench Rigid are the only way to go in construction love the Aluminum , for a guy like me in my shop sure HF pipe wrench is fine , I have bent a 24 inch with a 8 foot pipe as a cheat bar hammering on the handle the roll pin for the bottom jaw fell out, the jaw wear out to fast . maybe my old roughneck skills are just to hard on tools .
I have spun many pieces of pipe and well…..I will always spend the money on the aluminum rigid. I have used their shops for brand ones a few times but I’d not waste my time on them because the jaws do not grip anywhere near well enough. I keep a 12 inch aluminum in my tool box and have put two feet of pipe on it and it’s still going strong 20ish years later!
I have rigid harbor freight and even Walmart pipe wrenches they all work fine I do like the aluminum rigid because of the weight difference you grab a 36 or a 48 inch pipe wrench and it's heavy
Who cares if it breaks? You saved $176, which will pay for a lot of shopping sprees at HFT while you get your wrench replaced for free under the Pittsburgh lifetime warranty...
One time, I needed a 1 and 3/4 inch wrench if I’m not mistaken (cause I kept borrowing it from my coworker). Snap on truck came by and they could get one for me for $150 or $180 can’t remember which. Went to Harbor Freight, got 6! wrenches for $60!
I buy Harbour Frieght and other inexpensive tools for stuff that I know will get used a little and sit a lot. I don't do anything professionally with any tools that I have currently, so there's that too.
When you talk about “reliability” of machines like these (or watches too) the reliability is like one that will last 300 years and one that will last 50… like for the average consumer doesn’t really matter
That 36 is cheaper than the jaw replacements for my big boy..bent a 20' 3" steel (black/chinese/Ferguson) pipe "cheater bar" off the side of our Lull trying to break a union at the US foods plant here in NC. . And that's why I keep 4'+ pope wrenches I'm the service truck...Eventually ? No production pipe wrench is enough. Ever seen 2 4 footers, 2 20' cheaters and scissor lifts on either side of say an 18k above ground? Yeah, good times....
I have some harbor freight sockets and wrenches but when it comes to pipe wrenches I only use rigid or Milwaukee. I may have just gotten a bad Pittsburg pipe wrench but I tried it and stopped using it the same day the jaws were just awful had to re adjust every other turn seemed like
What do u do where do you work at I saw a video where you mentioned I believe you have two 1000 gallon air compressor tanks in the “ plant “ and then I saw a video of you talking about. They snapped a bolt on a plastic injection machine. Are you working in a injection mold facility?
Ive been kitting out my toolbox with harbor freight, if i break anything i buy a quality replacement (not including power tools, Milwaukee all the way)
I live on a flood control lake in Ohio (that is an artificial lake created to control flooding from the spring snow melt and added rains). That means that every winter, they lower the water level by about 10 feet in order to be ready for a large amount of water come spring. As an enjoyable activity, I like to walk along the newly exposed shoreline every winter and see what items people have dropped while out boating. Usually, it is fishing poles, beer cans, and the occasional anchor that wasn't tied off correctly. But every now and then, you get something good. One year, I was walking with my dad, and we had the metal detector out to see if there was anything buried. This time, we got a strong signal from the detector and started to dig.about 6 inches down, buried in muck, was a 36in rigid pipe wrench. It was in great condition considering it was buried for who knows how long, but we could never guess why it was out there. We were in the middle of a bay. There was nothing around for hundreds of feet in any direction. I carried that heavy mother fucker 2 miles back home and cleaned it up. My dad uses it to pull the pipe that holds our docks in place out of the ground when he needs to repair them. That was not the heaviest thing I found and decided it was a good idea to walk miles back holding, but it was up there.
@Chris Satterwhite maybe, but the location was bad for a body dump or to get rid of evidence. The lake has a max depth of 40 feet, so why drop it in a shallow bay that only is 7 feet deep and is exposed every winter?
Things you use regularly do you want something that fits your hand and is a very good quality. However something you seldom use and in this case some thing that if you use it correctly, you cannot injure yourself if you’re careful the price differences in no-brainer. I have all high-quality tools as a multi craftsman tradesperson. But I have some Harbor freight and some Chyna crud direct from China. Most of my tools are high-quality, but I’m not gonna spend a lot of money on something I don’t use nearly that often. Plus I switched all my pipe wrenches, to aluminum or steel jaws. 20 years ago lol.
I've got the same in adjustable wrenches and channel locks starting with 6 inch going to 48 inch and that a big ass wrench I've got one 48 inch pipe wrench I had to weld a 3 foot piece of pipe to extend the handle for leverage
I'm pretty cheap when it comes to tools and for homeowners the Pittsburgh will probably hold up but I've snapped a 36" steal Pittsburgh by hand once and got lucky not to get hurt, Ive also seen a guy snap one and bust his face open with the broken handle.
Hey at 1/8 the price, buy 2! You'll never be stuck if it does break and Harbor Freight does have lifetime warranty so...
What about when the second one breaks seconds later.
@@ryanbrashier9817 I’ve never broken mine but even if it did I would just go grab a new one lifetime warranty.
@@ryanbrashier9817 what about tou dont have the strength in your whole body to break either one lmao
@@ryanbrashier9817 then you're doing something wrong.
This philosophy served me well with Craftsman tools versus Snap On.
These definitely some great stuff from the old harbor freight… if you snap that big pipe wrench your a better man then me… I’ve had a 6’ long section of 2” black pipe stuck on the end of one of those and my 280 pounds I’ve stepped up and jumped on that to bust loose a pipe fitting!!! The Pittsburgh stuff isn’t bad quality and it’s got a lifetime warranty too! I love their cheap ratchets!!! Especially those plastic or whatever they are… they are great when it’s freezing cold as you aren’t grabbing a cold steel tool… and for your $20 bucks apiece their long 3/8’s ratchets are pretty dang strong and they feel better in my hand then my SnapOn does… call me crazy but I’m not afraid to like what I like and I don’t care about that name anymore… I use whatever I think feels the best… If ya haven’t tried those cheap Pittsburgh ratchets you definitely want to give them a shot… the 64 detent I drop everything in a little plastic container of oil to get their gears lubed good… you can save a lot of money with the hand tools!
Harbor Freight is great “sometimes”and totally good enough for a wrench like that have a good day dan
I bought a harbor freight pipe wrench when I was in a bind.... still use it all the time.
The problem isn't the tool breaking, it's the teeth wearing off, not biting, and slipping after one use. In my experience, nothing I get from harbor frieght ever works properly, and all it does is cause frustration. I'd rather spend 200 on something that will grip as opposed to trying to tighten the pipe wrench nut with a 16-inch pair of channel locks bc the pipe wrench isn't biting.
💯 You're exactly right about this! Their big honkin' pump pliers (under $10 when I got it) is the same story! 😎✌🏼
Harbor Freight is single handedly keeping the trades alive.
I have a Ridgid 48” iron. It’s a bad day as a heavy equipment mechanic when I need to pull that out. I like being lazy and using the crane on my truck to pull on the wrench!
I worked with a pipe fitter for a fea years. He had the pitsburg wrenches and swapped the jaws to rigid when they wore out.
Totally agree! I use Harbor Fright for one off tools and bigger wrenches like my 24” adjustable wrench…$40 vs. $280 for name brand.
Excellent consumer report.
For low usage tools or for extra sets, I have been getting tools from Harbor Freight or store brands. If I use it enough where the quality becomes an issue, then I upgrade.
I've been abusing angle head open end wrench set to 2 inch for 10 years and haven't had to exchange one yet. I agree with upgrading if you have problems or I look at something and decide I didn't like the build quality upgrade before I buy. The only warrior electric I have was a freebie
I was swapping 15 psi pressure relief valves for 25psi and needed a big wrench to do it. I was stress sweating thinking about going to Grainger and stopped at harbor freight hoping to find it a little cheaper. Imagine my relief when I saw that exact red 36in pipe wrench at that price point. It was so cheap that I still have it just to show friends and keep around as a Halloween prop.
Buy from Zoro if you can plan in advance of a job.
You are exactly correct. I'm not going to spend $200 on a something I'm just going to beat the hell out of. I have my rigid aluminum close corner pipe wrenches and I have my Pittsburgh clothes corner aluminum pipe wrenches which were a fraction of the cost those I will beat on before I'll beat on my rigids
Im an underground plumber and have 2 of every size pipe wrench Harbor Freight sells. Only had 2 break in 10 yrs of plumbing, just returned them for new ones. Mad that they got rid of the 45° version. All in all worth every penny.
Hell yeah, Stilsons never let you down!
My dad's a career plumber and has pipe wrenches up to 8' long. He has mostly rigid but has cheap ones for when he thinks he might break something. My dad is 80 and has broken a 8' pipe wrench in the last year.
One thing I've learned in my life is don't mess with a pipefitter They're strong like ox.
@@spdergodthe biggest pipe wrench I’ve ever used was a six footer , don’t recall ever seeing a eight foot one , I guess their out there . 👍🇨🇦
I dunno, dad has a drill press from Harbor Freight. More than 40 years old and still works.
And not to mention the Pittsburg is lifetime warranty 🤣
Alright I’ve liked about 30 of your shorts, bout time I subscribe
thanks for the support!!
The best tool for the job is the one that gets the job done
I got one of those 36" rigid wrenches at a resale shop for 35 dollars a couple years ago, I'm still proud of that.
It has pink paint and hammer marks from the previous owner, I bought it because I had some money burning a hole in my pocket back then, not knowing how awesome they are.
The first time you need a tool, you get it from Harbor Freight. You may use it once and never touch it again, or you may use it everyday until it breaks. If you use a tool enough to break it, buy a name brand. My $300 worth of Harbor Freight could easily be $1000 of name brand stuff, but I don't use a 5mm socket everyday. I don't use a 1/2" drive 9" extender everyday. I don't use a 3/8" drive angle adapter everyday. But when I need them, they're very nice to have, and I still have money in my wallet to spend on shitty car parts.
The thing I like about harbor freight is that if you are getting into a new hobby or something the entry few is low. Helps open gate ways to what kind of tools are out there and what fits your purpose. If it doesn't work out it's no harm
How much you spend on tools should reflect how often the tool is used, if you rarely use it cheap is good, if you use on a regular basis it's worth it to spend the extra money.
My favorite Harbor Fraught buy - my T wrecking bar. Great at prying stuff up while I'm on my feet comfortably. Helped tear out my bathroom and looks cool too.
Im a plumber. I buy ridgid, but things i rarely use, ill buy harbor freight.
I buy some stuff from harbor freight. That being said, I have never seen a Ridgid with a bent and twisted handle. I have seen hundreds of cheap ones with bent and twisted handles. Also I have experienced the jaws slipping off the pipe with the cheap ones. On this tool I’d rather “buy once cry once”.
Agree, not a big deal to have that kind of wrenches from a budget level brand. They’ll do the job.
Lifetime warranty on the Pittsburgh too
Good advice
I agree with the price point I own alot of harbor freight tools air tools power tools battery tools hand tools a few have failed but not many I bought a foldable wagon that was a a great addition to my van a electric winch that I made a piece to put on a ladder to get stuff on a roof works great also made a connecter to go in an attic if there is enough room it works great for bringing units in the attic I work alone and I like it because I know the job is done how I want it
Just today I bought two squeeze-action bar clamps at HF -- 6" capacity for $3.79 each. Are they master woodworker quality? No, but I'm going to use them to hold a board with a reloading press mounted onto a porch rail; they don't need to be perfect. I also got a set of drill bits, 12 bits in a plastic case, 1/16 to 3/8, for $2.98. Are they good bits? No; if I use them to drill steel they'll probably last one hole each -- but I need them to drill three holes of one size in plywood. They'll do that job, and a good bit would have cost that much for a single and I probably won't use them again this year.
If you need a tool for one job, get it at Harbor Freight. If you're making your living with it, get a brand with a good warranty and that can be repaired.
I have a set of harbor freight pipe wrenches with aluminum handles, granted the rigid is lighter, and better but I used my set for over twenty years now and aside from breaking the handle on the 24” they all still work as good as when I bought them. It should be mentioned that I am a plumber, they get used often.
Your gonna need those my
Boi!!!!!
When I first heard I went and sat at harbor freight and stared at the pipe wrenches for sever minutes. Like you said they get little use depending on the task and at the cost I said screw it and bought every size they had even though I didn't need them and doubled up on a couple sizes. I originally went there cause I needed another 12" to help bust loose a stubborn old cylinder so I can rebuild it. Threw the 12" on there and right away I was impressed with its jaw grip. Didn't slip once and gave me the leverage I needed to get the gland nut spinning loose. Definitely worth the buy rather in a pinch and need it or use it daily
I'm lucky enough to have gotten a bunch of my Grandpa's old pipe wrenches, but I've had pretty good luck with harbor freight hand tools for other things 😉
Yes for you guys those are great and yes they break by professionals.i own both and have snapped one ridgid spring stick,twisted a kobolt,snapped the junction of a husky(still use it) but the Pittsburgh handle bent to 30° after one demo(aluminum)and the 24" the junction ripped off
pittsburg hand tools at hf also have a lifetime warranty so iif you do manage to break it you can swap it for a new one
If you got the money to buy all name brand stuff go ahead but not everybody has that kind of money to spend. It’s ok to by cheap tools if you need them. Just b aware some cheap tools are great and last long some cheap tools are load of crap and break easily.
I have a few Pittsburgh pipe wrenches and they are fine, they tend to get stuck on pipe rather than slip in reverse a lot worse than ridged but they always get the job done. Ridged is worth it if you use them a lot though, I use small pipe wrenches a lot but my big ones rarely leave the van.
I constantly go back to some advice am old boss gave me "cost vs value"
If it's absolutely mission critical, plop down the coin for the best.
However if it's not mission critical, and we use it very infrequently, buy 3 of the cheap ones because we're absolutely going to use it for not intended purposes.
Now it's value is just as high as the expensive tool.
All of my big ridgids were second hand from swap meets and eBay, but you're correct the Pittsburgh tools are pretty skookum for the price
I'm probably gonna fill my first tool chest with harbor frieght ( sockets and rachets exempt) and replace them as they break with snap on or matco
Honestly its hard to beat the sockets and ratchets too. Ive been in the automotive and heavy diesel repair field for nigh on 25yrs now and still have the first Pittsburgh ratchets and some of the sockets that i first bought from their 301pc kit. Ive had one ratchet in all that time fail and it didnt break just locked up inside but it was also horribly abused being my "beater" ratchet and seeing a lot of use in cold wet salty weather. Ive never broken any of the sockets except for a couple smaller bit sockets (common with every brand as tool steel when that thin is very brittle). I have some better sockets now but honestly that 301pc set was the largest range of sockets ive ever bought in a single kit and i still have a good portion of them at work for that reason.
The large quinn brand kit isnt bad but if all you want is the sockets and a separate wrench set get the cheaper 301pc Pittsburgh set. Everything besides the ratchets and scokets in the set is pretty much junk but the sockets are hard to beat.
Dont go into debt on the tool trucks. Buy yhe cheaper stuff that works and then upgrade later of you feel the need. Tekton makes nice sets as well as does gear wrench.
And with lifetime warranty on hand tools, as long as a harbor freight is neby, it is definitely a no-brainer.
“Neby”!! My Yinzer senses are going off
the napa carlyle one is on sale for 138. regular is about 196. i always recommended customers who dont plan on using tools more than once to just go to harbor freight.
Got a set of 48” rigid that have literally been turned with a 350D Deere. Strong as hell
Its fine to use cheap pipe wrenches if you are not limited for space. They have too much play
my hands are tied by my finances. I can't afford to buy American-made quality. Not when a single wrench costs $100 & up, but I still have to pay the bills.
I have Rigid, for my aluminum pipe wrenches and use Pittsburgh, Steel wrenches. Everyday use for 8 years.
Absolutely. I have a lot of harbor freight stuff that I can replace many times before I would end up spending as much on snap on. I can break snap on too but not gonna because I'll never pay that much for tools I can get cheaper
I gave $35 for a 36" at Tractor Supply. I use a cheater pipe often but it seems to bend the 36er from hf pretty easily. The worm gear likes to become loose with TS one but the teeth grip better and the shaft doesn't bend as easy.
I have the same cheap version and it’s seen 20 years of abuse, teeth are a little worn now but still plenty of bite left in it!
I worked at home Depot for 7 years. Rigid was one of our corporate brands. Another words home Depot produced it. Same thing with husky if you want to know the truth. I'm sure you would be surprised to learn. Both of those wrenches were probably made in the same factory. Harbor freight just like home Depot buys them all from the same distributor and just slaps their name on it. So whether you buy rigid from home Depot or you buy Pittsburgh from harbor freight you're getting the same product. One just cost more.
I have Many HF tools, some good , some ok and some that wasn't worth bringing home, but for the most part the biggest majority of them have worked every time I've needed them.
When given advice on how to build my tools, I was told by a wise old timer, start harbor freight, replace them with name brand over time. This was in the context of students signing over their soul for a snap on taco wagon.
I bent one of those pretty good a couple days ago, with no joy.
Good thing I didn't pay an arm and leg for it.
Only difference I see is, HF charges a reasonable price and sells many, while Grainger sells a few and overcharges. I've seen this movie before.
The only issue I had with Pittsburg pipe wrenches is the hardness of the jaws. They don't bite like higher quality wrenches and are more likely to slip in my experience.
Dude seems like you use them alot,get the Aluminum ones ,all our 3 and 4 footers are Aluminum and they still are heavy as shit,I can't imagine.
I bought a set of HF pipe threading dies. The set of six cost less than the call out fee for a plumber. So far I have only used _one_ die, _once_ (it worked perfectly), but I am already ahead. 😃
Plus... Pittsburgh tools have a lifetime warranty. Just bring the broken tool back to Harbor Freight and they will replace it free of charge.
Totally agree!
That’s what I said. You could buy 6 HF wrenches, pick your favorite one, throw the others away and still have enough money for a good dinner.
I bent the handle on my Rigid with a scaff tube! Now it fits in round corners. 😮
I have broken countless rigid pipe wrenches from 24” all the was up to their 64” model. In rigid defense the oilfield as a whole tends to abuse tools.
Bought two of those big ridges one time it was a 36 or 32 and a 24 I know and I bought them in aluminum they weren't quite as heavy still had them until I had a yard sale and I got rid of them wasn't doing that type of plumbing , irrigation anymore. had a couple open end and box wrenches they were like two and a quarter two and a half inch good paper weights door stops. don't know what I use them on something when I was turning wrenches 🤔🤗. I think it had to do with working on the Thermo King units on the semis.
I have two Pittsburgh pipe wrenches that I've used maybe four times in the 20 odd years I've had them. If I needed a 36" pipe wrench every day I'd buy a Ridgid, in fact I have a 15" I use all the time that's 35 years old.
A BFW? I only knew about BFH's.
Working on a drilling rig I used 48 inch pipe wrench Rigid are the only way to go in construction love the Aluminum , for a guy like me in my shop sure HF pipe wrench is fine , I have bent a 24 inch with a 8 foot pipe as a cheat bar hammering on the handle the roll pin for the bottom jaw fell out, the jaw wear out to fast . maybe my old roughneck skills are just to hard on tools .
And I love across the street from one.
Live maybe??
I have spun many pieces of pipe and well…..I will always spend the money on the aluminum rigid. I have used their shops for brand ones a few times but I’d not waste my time on them because the jaws do not grip anywhere near well enough. I keep a 12 inch aluminum in my tool box and have put two feet of pipe on it and it’s still going strong 20ish years later!
Hey good shit Saftey man.
Ridgid is so hard to claim warranty, at least with harbor freight you just take the tool back and they replace it!!
I have rigid harbor freight and even Walmart pipe wrenches they all work fine I do like the aluminum rigid because of the weight difference you grab a 36 or a 48 inch pipe wrench and it's heavy
I bought my 36" rigid aluminum pipe wrench from a pawn shop for a 100 bucks. Love that wrench.
Who cares if it breaks? You saved $176, which will pay for a lot of shopping sprees at HFT while you get your wrench replaced for free under the Pittsburgh lifetime warranty...
And harbor freight branded items come with a lifetime warranty. If you break it you take it in and get a new one
Warranty, or challenge? :p
One time, I needed a 1 and 3/4 inch wrench if I’m not mistaken (cause I kept borrowing it from my coworker). Snap on truck came by and they could get one for me for $150 or $180 can’t remember which. Went to Harbor Freight, got 6! wrenches for $60!
I buy Harbour Frieght and other inexpensive tools for stuff that I know will get used a little and sit a lot. I don't do anything professionally with any tools that I have currently, so there's that too.
When you talk about “reliability” of machines like these (or watches too) the reliability is like one that will last 300 years and one that will last 50… like for the average consumer doesn’t really matter
I found that non name brands are just as good as the name brand.
Well the Rigid's jaw is still in place while the Pittsburgh's is crooked.
Just needs a new pin but it will still work fine
Well you could still afford plenty of replacement Pittsburghs without coming close to 1 Rigid
They are spring loaded to hang forward slightly. The ridgid was the same way when new but the spring is wore out from what looks like years of use.
That 36 is cheaper than the jaw replacements for my big boy..bent a 20' 3" steel (black/chinese/Ferguson) pipe "cheater bar" off the side of our Lull trying to break a union at the US foods plant here in NC. . And that's why I keep 4'+ pope wrenches I'm the service truck...Eventually ? No production pipe wrench is enough. Ever seen 2 4 footers, 2 20' cheaters and scissor lifts on either side of say an 18k above ground? Yeah, good times....
I have some harbor freight sockets and wrenches but when it comes to pipe wrenches I only use rigid or Milwaukee. I may have just gotten a bad Pittsburg pipe wrench but I tried it and stopped using it the same day the jaws were just awful had to re adjust every other turn seemed like
I feel better swinging a sledge at a $36 wrench when a bolt wont enter negotiations.
I would check out milwaukee's "cheater pipe wrench".
It cost just alittle over 100.
You can use a long homemade handle with it if you want.
Go to a Pawn shop for a 36" Rigid Pipe Wrench USED, For $25-$50 buxx. An Aluminum Pipe Wrench can be often had for the same cost$. Saves buxx!
The jaws on that ridged look like they're effed.
Lol. I know sometimes you need two of them but I just want to say says the man that has two of them
You can buy a replacement to use while you call the warranty up for the broken one and still save
Can you address the reasoning for only being able to use only the one side of all the Harbor Freight box end wrenches?
What do u do where do you work at I saw a video where you mentioned I believe you have two 1000 gallon air compressor tanks in the “ plant “ and then I saw a video of you talking about. They snapped a bolt on a plastic injection machine. Are you working in a injection mold facility?
I’m the maintenance director at a plastics manufacturing plant
Ive been kitting out my toolbox with harbor freight, if i break anything i buy a quality replacement (not including power tools, Milwaukee all the way)
I live on a flood control lake in Ohio (that is an artificial lake created to control flooding from the spring snow melt and added rains). That means that every winter, they lower the water level by about 10 feet in order to be ready for a large amount of water come spring. As an enjoyable activity, I like to walk along the newly exposed shoreline every winter and see what items people have dropped while out boating. Usually, it is fishing poles, beer cans, and the occasional anchor that wasn't tied off correctly. But every now and then, you get something good. One year, I was walking with my dad, and we had the metal detector out to see if there was anything buried. This time, we got a strong signal from the detector and started to dig.about 6 inches down, buried in muck, was a 36in rigid pipe wrench. It was in great condition considering it was buried for who knows how long, but we could never guess why it was out there. We were in the middle of a bay. There was nothing around for hundreds of feet in any direction. I carried that heavy mother fucker 2 miles back home and cleaned it up. My dad uses it to pull the pipe that holds our docks in place out of the ground when he needs to repair them. That was not the heaviest thing I found and decided it was a good idea to walk miles back holding, but it was up there.
Someone probably beat somebody to death with it😂
@Chris Satterwhite maybe, but the location was bad for a body dump or to get rid of evidence. The lake has a max depth of 40 feet, so why drop it in a shallow bay that only is 7 feet deep and is exposed every winter?
We use 62 inch Stisons at work , that's a baby wrench
HS.... where do you work? Railroad?
@@donmayberryjrsOPE we repair and manufacture hydraulic rams
@@b_141.s8 yup, you need those HUGE pipe wrenches!!
I have vintage Rigid one 24 ,18 and 12 just taking up room I never use it , I'm debating if I wanna give it to Goodwill or not
Things you use regularly do you want something that fits your hand and is a very good quality. However something you seldom use and in this case some thing that if you use it correctly, you cannot injure yourself if you’re careful the price differences in no-brainer. I have all high-quality tools as a multi craftsman tradesperson. But I have some Harbor freight and some Chyna crud direct from China. Most of my tools are high-quality, but I’m not gonna spend a lot of money on something I don’t use nearly that often. Plus I switched all my pipe wrenches, to aluminum or steel jaws. 20 years ago lol.
I have the next size down of that Pittsburgh for the exact same reasons, it gets used twice or three times a year and no sign of failing
I've got the same in adjustable wrenches and channel locks starting with 6 inch going to 48 inch and that a big ass wrench I've got one 48 inch pipe wrench I had to weld a 3 foot piece of pipe to extend the handle for leverage
I'm pretty cheap when it comes to tools and for homeowners the Pittsburgh will probably hold up but I've snapped a 36" steal Pittsburgh by hand once and got lucky not to get hurt, Ive also seen a guy snap one and bust his face open with the broken handle.
Got the 48 inch ridged good tool to have around for heavy equipment