Cheap tools getting better?

Loganwayne

Loganwayne

#BTL
Joined
Feb 15, 2013
Location
Clyde, North Carolina
I ended up needing a new table saw after my dewalt died. I dont use it a ton so I got a harbor freight one and ordered a vevor stand off Amazon for it. Sitting it by my delwalt it is the same saw except 200ish dollars cheaper and the vevor stand is a copy of a bosch universal stand.
 
Harbor freight sure has upped the quality game, and I’ve gotten some vevor tools for single project need. But I go back to makita for anything I’ll use on the regular
 
I grabbed a set of Icon flex head ratcheting wrenches yesterday and promptly used the 17 and 19 mm.

The fit, finish and use (albeit only slight use) shows that they are quality.

HF has definitely upped their game.
 
ghost said:
Personally I just think they are all being manufactured in the same factories in China.
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That's a proven fact. The company that American tool makers hire to manufacture products get the design and tooling to make the products for them but turn around and make the same product after the legit product runs are done for the day or week. Same factory, tooling, designs, etc.,
 
I buy alot of cheaper tools in the right situations. Some I don’t cheap out on though. So many diagnostic tools can be had for Pennie’s on the dollar compared to name brand tools. I remember paying 1500$ for a smoke machine now 60$ gets a decent amazon unit. Same with many tools. I would never buy a 20$ torque wrench for example. Also I will say snap on sockets and wrenches to fit 10x better. I have tried to take out a bolt before with another socket or wrench that slips and a snap on sockets bite it no problem. I wanna try some icon stuff for sure.
 
I read an article of saw something along the way…. The original owner of HF turned the business over to his kids. The kids are among a concerted effort to improve the quality of the tools offering lifetime warranties on some with the overall goal of improving their reputation.

All of my heavy use, precision and power tools are the best quality i can afford. Those one-off jobs with unusual / specialty tools…. HF and Amazon. I can’t justify buying a $100 piston press for building the reverse(?) clutch on my c4 which I’ll use 2-3x when there’s a $20 version avail on Amazon…..
 
Jeffncs said:
I read an article of saw something along the way…. The original owner of HF turned the business over to his kids. The kids are among a concerted effort to improve the quality of the tools offering lifetime warranties on some with the overall goal of improving their reputation.

All of my heavy use, precision and power tools are the best quality i can afford. Those one-off jobs with unusual / specialty tools…. HF and Amazon. I can’t justify buying a $100 piston press for building the reverse(?) clutch on my c4 which I’ll use 2-3x when there’s a $20 version avail on Amazon…..
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I got the HF 3/4 ratchet set for removing some trailer tires and ended up dropping the ratchet on the shop floor while working on the old Ford tractor. I took it back to HF and they asked if I had the whole set. It happened to be in the truck. they sapped the whole set out. I was pleasantly surprised.
 
Icon stuff is genuinely nice. Better quality than old US-made Craftsman hand tools from the 80s and 90s, for sure. I have a couple of their torque wrenches, the long ratcheting box ends, and some other random stuff. I kinda wish they'd sell individual sockets.

I'm not sure they qualify as "cheap", except as compared to the tool truck
 
shawn said:
Icon stuff is genuinely nice. Better quality than old US-made Craftsman hand tools from the 80s and 90s, for sure. I have a couple of their torque wrenches, the long ratcheting box ends, and some other random stuff. I kinda wish they'd sell individual sockets.

I'm not sure they qualify as "cheap", except as compared to the tool truck
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Yea, I was thinking that when I typed it out. That set I bought was 200 bucks, certainly more than Kobalt or Gearwrench. But way less than SnapOn.
 
shawn said:
Icon stuff is genuinely nice. Better quality than old US-made Craftsman hand tools from the 80s and 90s, for sure. I have a couple of their torque wrenches, the long ratcheting box ends, and some other random stuff. I kinda wish they'd sell individual sockets.

I'm not sure they qualify as "cheap", except as compared to the tool truck
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You can buy individual sockets from hobo freight. Just not at the store. Have to go to the website (corporate).
 
As much as I hate how much Harbor Freight is a major peddler of cheap chinese shit, I gotta give em credit for driving the quality forward. The stuff they have now is worlds better than the junk they were selling 15-20 years ago. Now if they would just reorient their checkout lines so you didn't have to stand there awkwardly and play "Who's next" and which register is about to open every time you go to checkout. Plus having to walk straight through that every time you go in.
 
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