Decent screwdrivers

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Randy in Maine
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Decent screwdrivers

Post by Randy in Maine » Fri Oct 23, 2015 4:01 am

These are actually pretty good for the money. They have a "nut" on the end of them so that you can get some additional torque on them with a 13mm wrench/socket.

Usually I am loathe to buy much from these guys but this is actually worth the money.

http://www.harborfreight.com/8-piece-bo ... 94899.html
79 VW Bus

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asiab3
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Re: Decent screwdrivers

Post by asiab3 » Fri Oct 23, 2015 7:30 am

Iiiiiinteresting. How are the tips? You only need to break one before you're scared to use them... :drunken:

I prefer my old trusty screwdrivers with Vise-Grip markings all over the handles... Good torque that way too, although not usable with a torque wrench. But at least the Vise-Grip teeth marks then give you some traction when you torque by hand.. :blackeye:

Robbie
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

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Randy in Maine
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Re: Decent screwdrivers

Post by Randy in Maine » Fri Oct 23, 2015 7:46 am

So far the tips have held up well and actually fit a lot of the screws on the bus. Pretty rugged steel.

For the record, most HF stuff scares me (although I do own a 1000 pound engine stand, a set of the 6 ton jack stands, and a one ton "shop crane" which all work).

I used the screwdrivers last night as I replaced the timer on my Amana washer and it worked very well. It also worked well as I did some lubricating work on my Troybuilt Snowblower/s auger and trackdrive to get it ready for the season.
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wcfvw69
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Re: Decent screwdrivers

Post by wcfvw69 » Fri Oct 23, 2015 9:46 am

I agree Randy with HF being hit and miss w/their quality. I shop there for random tools as well. I bought there ball joint press for $50 bucks several years ago hoping it would last long enough to replace the ball joints in my 67 bug. It worked great pressing them out/in and it even worked pressing out/in the ball joints in my 70' bus. It's been a good tool.

Then, I bought a seal puller with the long handle. It broke in half the first time I used it. HF took it back and refunded my $. I should of know better before buying it. It looked "iffy" at best when I bought it.

For me, if it's a tool I'll only occasionally use, I'll buy it there. If it's a tool that needs to be good quality like gauges or impacts, I'll shop somewhere else.

Decades ago I only bought Snap-on tools. While they are very nice quality and made in America, the prices of the tools can make you feel faint..
1970 Westfalia bus. Stock 1776 dual port type 1 engine. Restored German Solex 34-3. Restored 205Q distributor, restored to factory appearance engine.

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asiab3
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Re: Decent screwdrivers

Post by asiab3 » Fri Oct 23, 2015 1:19 pm

I had a HF oil filter wrench explode in my hand last year, and I still remember the pieces hitting my safety goggles... They took the remaining pieces back for a refund, but it still scared me... I guess I'm OK buying larger equipment there. They do have about 300 tools that are all based on a bottle jack function, like lifts, hoists, and presses. Those seem to be good.

I LIKE the fact that my long "tuning" flat-head screwdriver has a wooden handle and engravings of some madman from the 1950's. How boring would my toolbox look if it was all the same.. ;)
1969 bus, "Buddy."
145k miles with me.
322k miles on Earth.

VWinVT
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Re: Decent screwdrivers

Post by VWinVT » Sat Oct 24, 2015 6:16 am

asiab3 wrote:I had a HF oil filter wrench explode in my hand last year, and I still remember the pieces hitting my safety goggles... They took the remaining pieces back for a refund, but it still scared me... I guess I'm OK buying larger equipment there. They do have about 300 tools that are all based on a bottle jack function, like lifts, hoists, and presses. Those seem to be good.

I LIKE the fact that my long "tuning" flat-head screwdriver has a wooden handle and engravings of some madman from the 1950's. How boring would my toolbox look if it was all the same.. ;)
I have a black wooden handle screwdriver too!! It was my grandfathers. I have many of his tools in my eclectic tool box. I do regret however that in my dairy farming days I lost his vise grips that had our last name engraved on it....those vise grips saved my butt hundreds of times when the barn cleaner would break (always in January of February...), a vacuum line broke, the vacuum pump quit, the spring pump leaked, etc....... I do miss dairy farming. :compress: But yes...tools are an important extension of you and quality matters, regardless of where it is purchased.

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Ronin10
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Re: Decent screwdrivers

Post by Ronin10 » Tue Nov 10, 2015 2:24 pm

The "nut" on the end of those is a handy addition.

I'm always hesitant when buying from Harbor Freight, but they do fill the niche of having on hand a lot of specialty tools you can't find anywhere else unless you go hunting on the internet. That, and they're just about in every major area. They're kind of like an ultra cheap version of the old school tool/hardware shop before big box store mentality killed those off.

Now, all that said, there are a few circumstances where I will go to them:
  • I can't find it locally anywhere else in better quality so why pay more?
  • It's an oddball tool that I only need for a one-off use so if it breaks after one use, so what.
  • I'm in a pickle and there's no ready alternative.
By way of an FYI, GarageJournal has a pass fail thread where people rate Harbor Freight tools. I try to always looking there for warnings before spending at HF.

Cheers,
Oscar: 1976 Sage Green Bus, Stock Motor, Solid Lifters, Manual Transaxle

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tristessa
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Re: Decent screwdrivers

Post by tristessa » Thu Nov 12, 2015 2:59 pm

Ronin10 wrote:By way of an FYI, GarageJournal has a pass fail thread where people rate Harbor Freight tools. I try to always looking there for warnings before spending at HF.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/show ... hp?t=27192

Be warned, that thread is 389 pages long the last time I checked it...
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