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InitialDave posted:Irwin do removal tools for rounded fasteners, kind of like inside-out easy-outs: I have a set of these, and the few times I've had to use them, they have been a lifesaver  Definitely worth picking up, especially if you work on older/abused vehicles (like I tend to  ).
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Aug 9, 2009 22:07
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Stopped by HF today and picked up this guy: Completely forgot about the extra 25% off, so I got it for $36. Was thinking about picking up a new engine hoist as well, but the one they had there was... meh. I'll probably splurge the extra $ and grab the Torin 1-ton from Northern Tool for $169. After getting the extension cord and work light reels for Christmas, there'll be no more hand-rolling cords and hoses for me! 
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Jan 2, 2010 00:48
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CatBus posted:Let me know how you like that air hose reel, since that was next on my list. Well, I haven't actually USED the air hose reel, other than with a blow gun to confirm air came out and that my connections were good, but I got it mounted and plumbed in tonight. Some thoughts:
All in all, it's worth the $36 I paid for it, and I'd say even worth the $59 or whatever it normally costs. I'll probably pick up one of the 50' air/water reels closer to spring to use as my car-washing hose, so I can just reel it up when I'm not using it or in the winter.  
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Jan 5, 2010 06:28
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Drunk Pledge Driver posted:Use a zip-tie around your electrical cords as a stopper for the balls. Works wonders. Good idea on the zip ties. And yea, mounting it straight to the drywall would be a bad idea. It's pretty hefty on its own, and pulling down on the hose would probably pull it right out. The rafters are only 4" wide, so I couldn't have mounted it through the drywall to the rafter, since the holes are 5-1/4" apart or so. If you don't have any scrap boards, just hit your local Home Depot or whatever. Mine always has a big bin of "scrap" boards that are really cheap. This one was a 30" 2x8 that I got for 51 cents. I'm in the same situation with outlets, the one in the ceiling is on a separate circuit from the one on the wall by the panel, so if the compressor blows the wall outlet breaker, I still have lights. If I were more comfortable with home electrical wiring, I'd toss another 20A outlet in the corner by the compressor, and a second one on the wall by the panel. There's no main breaker on the panel though, just all the individual breakers.
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Jan 6, 2010 00:17
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I've got the craftsman compression kit as well, it's pretty nice even compared to the OTC one we have at school. Rubber cover on the gauge itself, which protects it if you drop it, and makes it easy to wedge somewhere so you can see it while cranking the car. Looks like the Mityvac one is probably made by the same manufacturer, just with a different name stamped on it.
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May 17, 2010 16:45
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Anybody have one of the 13 drawer roller cabinets that HF sells? I'm thinking about picking one up to replace my cheap 3-piece Craftsman box, since I'm borderline outgrowing it. Don't think I'll need a top box yet, but I'll probably pick one up come spring. Looks like a much better quality box than my friction-slide Craftsman setup, plus it'd give me a bit more workspace in the garage. http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/rolling-cabinets/13-drawer-red-industrial-quality-roller-cabinet-90320.html
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Dec 4, 2010 04:01
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oxbrain posted:For the price you can get something better at sears or home depot. Really? It's been a while since I've shopped tool cabinets, but everything I find online through Sears or HD is usually quite a bit more for a similar sized chest. The Sears ones are all either smaller ball-bearing chests in the 26" range, or by the time you get up to the 40" range you're looking at $700-800+. HD has one that's the same range and slightly smaller, but it's online-only. I'm hoping one of the local HF stores has them next time I'm up that way, so I can compare it to the Craftsman BB units. Lowes and HD are on my shopping rounds tomorrow morning anyway, so I'll be able to check out their offerings in person as well.
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Dec 5, 2010 05:21
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I use the baggie method, and write the part description on the bag with a felt pen. The cheap store brand freezer (not storage) bags work great for this. I either attach the baggie to the part, or put them in a tray to keep them together, and in order of removal. Then I just work backwards through the tray when it goes back together.
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Dec 18, 2010 18:31
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I've never had the writing smudge so that I couldn't read it, but like I said, I usually keep them on the workbench in a plastic tub, away from my work area. If they're attached to the part they belong to, its not as big of a deal.PBCrunch posted:If the bag were to be rubbed with chemical the writing might disappear. You might be better off writing on a little scrap of paper inside the bag.
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Dec 20, 2010 18:46
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For anybody within spitting distance of Ohio (I live in MN), Tooltopia (vendor on Amazon, not sure if they have their own website/storefront) is an excellent place to grab specialty tools. I ordered the GM torque strut tool for the FWD 3100/3400 V6 motors on Thursday afternoon, and it was at my door Saturday morning via Fedex. Finding specialty tools anywhere within an hour or two drive of me is a hassle, and I'd rather buy my own than have to rent/borrow/loan one all the time.
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Mar 7, 2011 20:40
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PainterofCrap posted:Came to post this, now can't find the picture of my toolbox. The solution, of course, is a big box for the garage, and a portable tool kit for emergencies. I doubt I need air tools, engine rebuild tools, or all the power tools at a show, but a ratchet set, screwdrivers, wrenches, etc would all be handy.
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Mar 18, 2011 03:52
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Well, if you're outgrowing your mobile tool kit... get a little matching trailer for the car, like some guys use for track tires? A guy I know does that, since he drives his car to/from road course events.
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Mar 19, 2011 03:59
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You can find > 19mm and < 10mm sockets in 3/8" drive, but I've never seen them as part of a set. My Craftsman set did include 8mm and 9mm, but anything outside that you'll have to buy individually. I will agree with PBCrunch though, I can't really think of many times I've wanted anything outside of 10-17mm in a 3/8". Bigger usually means more torque than I can get from a 3/8" ratchet, and smaller than 8mm and you run a chance of putting too much torque into the fastener/threads.
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Apr 7, 2011 05:37
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Any recommendations for a low-profile floor jack? The one I have now works great for my truck and regular vehicles, but my car is about an inch too low to clear it. I'm thinking about the HF 2-ton aluminum jack, but I'm waiting for a same or big coupon before I pick it up.
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May 12, 2011 00:06
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When my dad and I built a few retaining walls out of 8x8 timbers, we made all the cuts with a chain saw. This was mostly straight cuts, with a few angle cuts where the wall made a turn. Just mark your angle, and cut carefully. It probably won't be absolutely perfect, but it'll probably be good enough. Plus, it gives you an excuse to buy a chain saw! I do recall sharpening the chain a lot, but this was probably... 150' worth of 5 or 6 timber height walls, plus the tiebacks into the hillside (looks like a big T, with the top buried in the dirt and the bottom nailed into the wall between 2 other timbers). All in all, it was a LOT of cutting.
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Jun 1, 2011 05:15
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I bought one of the cheap composite-handled Pittsburgh 3/8" ratchets back in the spring, and I've been using it all summer without issue. The action is much finer than my 10-year-old Craftsman, and the handle is slightly more comfortable. It is a bit fatter, so I still grab the Craftsman for tight spaces, but I'll grab the Pittsburgh 9 times out of 10. And when I say "all summer", I mean I usually spend at least 2-3 hours a week wrenching on something. I'll get way more use out of it over the winter, when I'm busier fixing cars instead of detailing and driving them.
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Sep 15, 2011 04:39
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The Pittsburgh steel low-profile jack is really tempting. I VERY rarely have to haul the jack anywhere except across my garage, and it looks like it would definitely clear even the lowered car. Maybe I'll stop by the store when I'm up there next week...
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Dec 30, 2011 02:11
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Check with a tire shop. I can't imagine they'd charge much to remove the locks and toss on a regular lug nut. What style locks are they? If they're the splined type, you could try a nut extractor. Of they're the McGard type, not sure what you can do short of hammering on an impact socket, which might wreck the socket.
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Feb 16, 2012 20:02
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is the HF 3/4" breaker bar any good? I snapped my Craftsman 1/2", and while I'm getting it replaced, I think I should step up to a 3/4" drive and sockets for axle nuts. I normally have a 4' cheater pipe for stubborn stuff, which is how the 1/2" met its demise.
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Mar 19, 2012 02:51
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I'd been eyeing that Pittsburgh jack for a while as well. My current jack is too tall to fit under my lowered car easily, and it starting to show signs of a leaky seal. Maybe I'll have to buy it this weekend, and donate my old jack to my parents' garage up north.
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Mar 28, 2012 23:56
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Review time! First: Harbor Freight 20 ton Hydraulic Press http://www.harborfreight.com/20-ton-shop-press-32879.html  I picked this up in Feb, because I was doing a pair of press-in wheel bearings, and charging enough to buy the press. Since then, it's paid for itself a couple times over doing various press jobs. Pros:
Overall, I think it was a worthwhile purchase. It's done everything I asked without complaint. I did buy a set of the aluminum seal/bearing drivers that HF sells at the same time, and they've been very useful. I cross-shopped with Northern Tool, but didn't feel like the step up to one of the more expensive ones was worth it for me right now. I'm sure I could sell this on Craigslist for some cash if I ever decided to upgrade. Also helpful is having an assortment of scrap metal pieces for shimming stuff in the work space. I've got some 3/4" square stock, plus various thinner bits that I use to help balance pieces flat on the table. Old bearing races are handy as well, I've saved the ones that I've taken out so far just in case.
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May 1, 2012 00:05
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Next up: Pittsburgh 2.5 ton floor jack http://www.harborfreight.com/25-ton-heavy-duty-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-68049.html  It was time to finally replace my 3 ton Craftsman SUV jack. It didn't clear the car after I lowered it, and the hydraulics were starting to get a little weak. I debated between this one and the 2 ton low-profile Pittsburgh, but liked the extra heft. I didn't want an aluminum jack, because I rarely have to haul it anywhere. Pros:
Cons:
Another decent purchase. It is a HEAVY jack, so if you're carrying it around to a track, I'd go aluminum. Otherwise for a home shop, it's ideal. I paid $85, again with a 2yr replacement plan. Same story as the press, I guess it's just something that the cashiers do at my local store. PitViper fucked around with this message at 00:21 on May 1, 2012 |
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May 1, 2012 00:18
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Exactly. I know that the beam that the Jack presses on isn't super snug against the siderails, but I might pick up some thin poly sheet to make some thin shims to remedy it.
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May 1, 2012 17:37
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Has anyone seen, or owns, a cheaper OBD2 diagnostic logging dongle that you can leave in a car for a week or two? Something that I can plug into a sporadically-misbehaving car, send someone on their way, and tell them to call me when the fault happens again. My handheld scanner is not something I'd want to send with a person, and more often than not, they're automotively-challenged anyway. I'd just like to see what the ECU is seeing during a fault condition, without me having to drive around town trying to duplicate said issue.
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Aug 25, 2012 01:11
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Motronic posted:That's just mode $03.....the ECU is storing that and you are retrieving it. Yup, similar to that. I'd just like to be able to see what the ECU is seeing at the time of the fault. $99 is a bit higher than I'd like, but seems to be about par for the course. Might be worth it, if I can make sure they don't drive off and never come back.
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Aug 25, 2012 03:57
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BrokenKnucklez posted:I have been super pleased with my composite 3/8 ratchet from HF. The ratchet action is pretty good, and so far, it has worked well as a hammer too. I picked up the composite Pittsburgh ratchet a few months back, and I've been very happy with it for the price. I have nicked up the casing in a few spots, and the color has worn off the grip, but it still ratchets as nicely as it did even after almost daily use for the last 3-4 months. Even if I replace it yearly, it's still dirt cheap compared to one of the Snap-On ratchets. I'm probably going to grab one of the 1/4" ratchets next time I'm there, since my Craftsman ones have both broken. The ball detent that holds the socket on both has broken internally, even on the one I just exchanged in April.
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Aug 30, 2012 05:20
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My rule of thumb is if I've used it enough to break it, I should buy a better quality piece anyway. That said, I don't think I've broken hardly anything from HF that wasn't "disposable" anyway (sacrificial screwdrivers and such), so maybe I'm just really careful about picking what I can get cheap, versus what I should buy quality.
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Sep 3, 2012 21:11
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Sorry, stuff like sockets and the like I'd definitely take back, no excuse for something simple like that to break. Anything more complex than a breaker bar, maybe a ratchet, and I consider most of what HF sells to be "good enough". Power tools, air tools, electrical stuff, etc. is where The cheapness starts to become evident, and the closest HF to me is at least an hour and a half away. I'll spend the extra cash on a better built, major manufacturer warrantied piece if it's something important enough to replace.
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Sep 4, 2012 03:07
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I have the H frame 20 ton press, and its similar in build. I shimmed my ram platform with some nylon spacers, and I'd like to replace the junk arbor plates, but otherwise its done plenty of wheel bearings and such. For the money, and the number of times I use it, its perfectly adequate.
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Dec 18, 2012 14:31
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Phone posted:Anybody have any complaints about the 12-ton HF press? I've got the 20 ton, which is similar, just a beefier frame. Other than the arbor plates being kinda junk, it's done what I've needed it to do. The frame is good, and the bottle jack is pretty good for HF. If you snag the 20 on sale, it's only $150. I know it was on coupon recently.
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Jun 7, 2013 17:43
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Any recommendations on garage heaters? Currently I use a 50-80k BTU propane torpedo heater whenever I'm planning on working, but running out of gas in the middle of a job sucks, plus the fumes from running it indoors can be an issue if I'm working all day. I have a little electric space heater, but that can't maintain temp during most of the winter, and it eats up valuable wattage for power tools. I've got a 22x20, 10' ceilings, one wall and half the ceiling is finished. I've got 40A of 120V service on 2 20A sets of outlets, and the easy option of running a natural gas line before I insulate and sheetrock the rest of the garage. I've been browsing hanging vented heaters, as well as some ventless wall units, but I wa nted to see if anyone has any firsthand experience. I'm in MN, so the winters can be cold, but being able to bring the garage up to 50* and keep it there is more than sufficient.
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Dec 5, 2013 04:57
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Ideally I'd run it all winter, at least to keep the garage above freezing. I'd only turn it up to 50-60* when I'm actually out there, which is at least a couple days a week. I've looked at some ceiling-hanging 45k BTU units like sharkytm mentioned, I'd like to preserve as much of my floor space as I can. The garage will be insulated and finished, but I'd like to figure out my heat options before I start that. My furnace/water heater and all utilities hookups are in an interior room right next to the garage, which is why I'd really like something NG-powered. Minimal electrical draw, plenty of heat output. The only downsides to the heater I have now are the fumes and the lack of 24/7 usability. I saw some of the panel-type heaters (like a gas-fired baseboard heater) that were less expensive, but lower BTUs, plus I'd sacrifice floor space in front of it. Since I own the home, and plan to stay at least 8-10 years, I'd like to make it as comfortable as possible.
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Dec 5, 2013 18:38
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Sharky, how difficult was the install on yours? As cheap as a used home furnace would be, I'm definitely thinking a hanging one is the way I'll end up going. I'll be doing the garage finishing myself, but I'm wondering if I want to get an HVAC guy to hook the heater up.
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Dec 7, 2013 18:34
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Are there any ball joint presses that don't suck? I've done the loaners from O'Reilly and Autozone, and half the time it doesn't fit around the stack of cups and adapters needed to actually remove said ball joint (mid-late 90's Accords, I'm looking at you!). Normally I just use the adapters and the 20 ton press, but sometimes that's a whole lot of sketchy piles and bracing needed to level out the knuckles, and I fear for my safety. But I always wear my safety glasses! I'll probably just end up buying an adapter set from someplace, and keep adding to my collection of scrap metal and bearing races to level oddball stuff out on the 20 ton.
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Apr 10, 2014 04:34
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I've got the 2 ton steel Pittsburgh jack from Harbor Freight. Its lifted everything I've needed to, from lowered coupes to the Ford F250 diesel I worked on yesterday. Its heavy as hell, but it just lives in the garage, and I normally only have to take it somewhere a couple times a year. Edit: or maybe its the 3 ton posted above mine. I'd have to check. Its one of the two lo-profile Pittsburgh steel ones. PitViper fucked around with this message at 14:54 on Apr 10, 2014 |
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Apr 10, 2014 14:51
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kastein posted:Unless it's rusted in place in which case hahahaha advertising words. I twisted the head of a 1/2" Craftsman breaker bar doing this, and never did end up getting the axle nut off. I believe my buddy sold the car with a bad axle. I really should buy a 3/4" breaker bar and 3/4" drive sockets in all the common axle nut sizes.
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Jun 5, 2014 22:08
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That HF impact looks physically identical to my 10-year-old Craftsman. Works great for 99% of what I do, but struggles sometimes with axle nuts and crank pulley bolts. Eventually I'll get one of the higher-torque models, but it's not high on my list.
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Jul 5, 2014 14:57
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Rhyno posted:Did you look at the right box? Yea. The super-cheap HF boxes are the usual friction-slide, thin-metal crap. The $389 44" and $799 56" chests are solid though. Ignore the $189 combo, it's crappier than my cheap Craftsman combo I have now.
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Aug 31, 2014 18:14
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Recommendations on brake line flaring tools? I just used a loaner bar-style to reflare one end of a premade line (screw you Ford, bubble flare on one end and SAE double flare on the other?) and it was pretty terrible. Not that I do them often, but I don't want to repeat the experience using the bar-style again. Is there a particular inline set that's better than another? Anyone a baller and used one of the fancy hydraulic ones?
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Nov 25, 2014 00:24
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| # ¿ May 4, 2024 01:28 |
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I was on a time crunch yesterday, hence the loaner flare tool and buying whatever line I could get at the local parts place. I only had to cut/flare one end, since they had a length that worked with a correct fitting on one end. I'm probably going to end up ordering a coil of Cunifer 3/16, a pack of fittings, and an inline flare tool to do bubble and double flare SAE. Probably worth keeping on hand for the couple times a year I get asked to replace a rusty line.
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Nov 25, 2014 16:05
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