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!
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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”.
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
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.
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 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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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'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 😉
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.
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.
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 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. 😃
@@robomoto5550 You sir are incorrect. Take a look at a Ridgid Model 18 and a Bahco Model 361-12 Stillson pipe wrench and you will see the difference. From the Ridgid website and why they are different: And then in the 1920s along comes the Ridgid Tool Company who took the Stillson Wrench and reimagined it with one ultimate aim; make it simpler. The result of the redesign was a wrench with fewer moving parts, making it more durable and stronger as a result. And since then, the design has pretty much stayed the same. As I stated. the Stillson has a pivot for the jaws to move and the pipe wrench has a ridged frame and the jaws do not pivot. I have many sets of pipe wrenches, Stillsons, and Swedish two handled pipe wrenches which I use to adjust tie rods as they do not slip like Channel locks.
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.
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.
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!
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 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
You buy the crappy tools first, if you use them often enough that they break once, you get a name brand replacement. Said some smart dude in the comments once and I absolutely took that advice to heart.
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.
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.
The place my brother worked at had a 7' Stilson wrench. It was safe to say that using it was a 2 man operation. I may be exaggerating the size a bit but I was 10 when I saw that thing.
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
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.
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 .
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....
Yupper...if I am investigating a tool investment, first I'll check out a cheaper tool...if I'm going to use it a lot I'll buy the cheaper version first to see if I really need it, and how it works for me.
RIDGID pipe wrench is the best, nothing will ever beat them, one hand adjustment in the teeth, just always grip when Harbor freight and the cheaper ones slip, now if u don’t use them everyday yea cheap pipe wrenches are fine.
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)
![Largest Pipe Wrench I've Ever Seen [Restoration]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/MQ9AvvrXhaQ/mqdefault.jpg)
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!
I bought a harbor freight pipe wrench when I was in a bind.... still use it all the time.
Harbor Freight is great “sometimes”and totally good enough for a wrench like that have a good day dan
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.
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
💯 You're exactly right about this! Their big honkin' pump pliers (under $10 when I got it) is the same story! 😎✌🏼
Totally agree! I use Harbor Fright for one off tools and bigger wrenches like my 24” adjustable wrench…$40 vs. $280 for name brand.
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.
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
Alright I’ve liked about 30 of your shorts, bout time I subscribe
thanks for the support!!
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 . 👍🇨🇦
The best tool for the job is the one that gets the job done
And not to mention the Pittsburg is lifetime warranty 🤣
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.
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.
Hell yeah, Stilsons never let you down!
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.
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.
Im a plumber. I buy ridgid, but things i rarely use, ill buy harbor freight.
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 dunno, dad has a drill press from Harbor Freight. More than 40 years old and still works.
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”.
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
I rarely use my pipe wrench but i have had the same harbor freight one for ~7 years.
It does have some excessive tolerance imo but it works.
Lifetime warranty on the Pittsburgh too
Got a set of 48” rigid that have literally been turned with a 350D Deere. Strong as hell
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!
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.
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
Excellent consumer report.
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
I found that non name brands are just as good as the name brand.
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
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.
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
Good advice
Your gonna need those my
Boi!!!!!
Agree, not a big deal to have that kind of wrenches from a budget level brand. They’ll do the job.
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.
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
Totally agree!
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.
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.
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 the handle on my Rigid with a scaff tube! Now it fits in round corners. 😮
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.
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
Hey good shit Saftey man.
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 😉
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.
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.
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.
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 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. 😃
In the uk we call those stilson wrenches. After the brand
Stillson wrenches are different. Stillsons have a pivot jaw and American pipe wrenches do not pivot.
@@donho3617 no they're not different. Same thing just different names
@@robomoto5550 You sir are incorrect. Take a look at a Ridgid Model 18 and a Bahco Model 361-12 Stillson pipe wrench and you will see the difference. From the Ridgid website and why they are different: And then in the 1920s along comes the Ridgid Tool Company who took the Stillson Wrench and reimagined it with one ultimate aim; make it simpler. The result of the redesign was a wrench with fewer moving parts, making it more durable and stronger as a result. And since then, the design has pretty much stayed the same. As I stated. the Stillson has a pivot for the jaws to move and the pipe wrench has a ridged frame and the jaws do not pivot. I have many sets of pipe wrenches, Stillsons, and Swedish two handled pipe wrenches which I use to adjust tie rods as they do not slip like Channel locks.
I bought my 36" rigid aluminum pipe wrench from a pawn shop for a 100 bucks. Love that wrench.
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.
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.
A BFW? I only knew about BFH's.
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 have Rigid, for my aluminum pipe wrenches and use Pittsburgh, Steel wrenches. Everyday use for 8 years.
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!
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 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.
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.
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.
True story!
The jaws on that ridged look like they're effed.
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 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.
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.
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!
And I love across the street from one.
Live maybe??
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.
You can buy a replacement to use while you call the warranty up for the broken one and still save
Ridgid is so hard to claim warranty, at least with harbor freight you just take the tool back and they replace it!!
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.
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!
You buy the crappy tools first, if you use them often enough that they break once, you get a name brand replacement.
Said some smart dude in the comments once and I absolutely took that advice to heart.
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.
Lol. I know sometimes you need two of them but I just want to say says the man that has two of them
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 a passed down 40year old rigid, which is slightly bent, but still working fine
Looking like an 18weel dump truck hallin' meatloaf and peanut butter
When I worked in the gas fields the well tender broke the Pittsburgh wrench first day out. Rigid if you're using it daily and count on it.
The place my brother worked at had a 7' Stilson wrench. It was safe to say that using it was a 2 man operation.
I may be exaggerating the size a bit but I was 10 when I saw that thing.
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
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.
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 .
Plus... Pittsburgh tools have a lifetime warranty. Just bring the broken tool back to Harbor Freight and they will replace it free of charge.
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
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....
Here here
Well said
I feel better swinging a sledge at a $36 wrench when a bolt wont enter negotiations.
Yupper...if I am investigating a tool investment, first I'll check out a cheaper tool...if I'm going to use it a lot I'll buy the cheaper version first to see if I really need it, and how it works for me.
Well with that name brand pipe wrench you know it's gonna go threw a nuclear war and still work like you just bought it
RIDGID pipe wrench is the best, nothing will ever beat them, one hand adjustment in the teeth, just always grip when Harbor freight and the cheaper ones slip, now if u don’t use them everyday yea cheap pipe wrenches are fine.
I would check out milwaukee's "cheater pipe wrench".
It cost just alittle over 100.
You can use a long homemade handle with it if you want.
For those kind of tools I prefer to buy used ones, my 48" record pipe wrench from England is great and at 50$ it's hard to beat
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)