No more dept store power equipment for me

blades said:

I think Ridgid is owned by HD now days- make sure you read the fine print on that lifetime warranty battery wise- They changed that too awhile ago.

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HD is a distributor, Emerson is the owner for Ridgid, and started making electric motors in 1890.

A carpenter friend of mine only buys rockwood?. He goes through a drill driver every 6 months. But that's better than every 2 months he says. I've had petty good luck with my Porter cable driver set from amazon

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blades said:

I think Ridgid is owned by HD now days- make sure you read the fine print on that lifetime warranty battery wise- They changed that too awhile ago.

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My son was just telling me today he is considering the Rigid Tools due to the lifetime warranty. Ill have to tell him.

I have had pretty good luck with Tekton hand tools. Amazon sells them, they seem to hold up, definitely better looking than the HF wrenches.

I have the big stacked roll around in my basement with my main tool set, but out in my garage I have a Crescent Brand combined metric and American tool set in a carrying case. I am fixing up an 1987 Bronco and its mix of metric and American so have a mixed tool set at hand is nice option. If I want to throw a set in the back of my truck, this is the one. It supposedly is lifetime guarantee. It covers most of my needs until I get into the large metric sizes on my Unimog. I also have a 3/4" drive breaker bar for the big stuff on the mog. The jumbo wrench sets from HF are really loose. I have a set of 3/4 inch drive HF sockets for the big stuff but actually bought Craftsman combination wrenches for the really large sizes (22to 50 MM). .

OP, did you mean all power or just electric?

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zrock said:

Gas powered for sure and also leaning towards electric as well... even the quality of a Dewalt from department store is not the same as from your local tool or hardware store.. Bought a brand new dewalt impact all 3 batteries could not drive in 10 - 3/4 roofing screws in predrilled holes... Had to laugh when i took it back they told me i bought the homeowners series and i needed the contractor grade..LOL

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all the gas i have are pre 1995, except trimmer, echo st225, so far so good, 3 years. surprisingly, my 5 ton electric HF splitter has held up for 3 yrs now with no issues. under $100 with coupons.

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blades said:

I think Ridgid is owned by HD now days- make sure you read the fine print on that lifetime warranty battery wise- They changed that too awhile ago.

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Ridgid power tools are made by Emerson electric, the company that used to make the old craftsman tools when they were about bullet proof. The Ridgid power tools that I own (12" miter saw, router & table saw) all seem to be built with the same quality. I am planning on switching over my cordless tools to Ridgid 18v also.

moey said:

Read the reviews most the time you get what you pay for. But sometimes there are some cheap tools that actually are decent. I bought a electric chain saw for $40 from Lowes. I wanted it to cut at stumps and not destroy my good chainsaw with dirt. It worked wonders I was able to cut several stumps below the surface in a short period of time. Saw survived and I was impressed with it.

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of course now-a-days reviews are fake and posted by paid people in third world countries for .25 cents per post, so even reviews arent reliable any more.

Jotel me this said:

of course now-a-days reviews are fake and posted by paid people in third world countries for .25 cents per post, so even reviews arent reliable any more.

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Hmm... I suspect that depends on where you're reading them. For example, doesn't Amazon only permit reviews from people who have purchased that product on Amazon?

Jotel me this said:

of course now-a-days reviews are fake and posted by paid people in third world countries for .25 cents per post, so even reviews arent reliable any more.

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I usually look for reviews that are crappy and see what the person is complaining about and go from there. Sometimes the complaints are so stupid someone could not make up the stuff.

moey said:

I usually look for reviews that are crappy and see what the person is complaining about and go from there. Sometimes the complaints are so stupid someone could not make up the stuff.

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Same here . . . and I tend to discount many of the ones which are completely negative or over-the-top in their enthusiasm for the product.

moey said:

Sometimes the complaints are so stupid someone could not make up the stuff.

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“I bought the wrong thing, and it doesn’t fit my whosywhat, so I’m giving it one star. I’d give it zero stars, if I could.”

zrock said:

A lot of places are now screening out bad reviews. In the last year I have submitted 2 reviews on a set of tires. Both reviews state they were reviewed and published. I went through 600 good reviews and could never find mine

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Well now I am just curious . . . what was the make and model of the tires?

Ashful said:

That’s funny, I’ve only bought three HF tools in my whole life, and one of them is a metal chop saw. Almost twenty years later, I still can’t kill the stupid thing. It’s no heirloom quality tool, but it has been as reliable as concrete.

The other two, you ask? Both pneumatic die grinders, one straight one angled. Both still ticking, but ready for replacement after 20 years of semi regular use. Since I’m no longer young and poor, as I was when I bought them, they’ll get replaced with a better name brand.

When you’re in your 20’s, and making difficult decisions like whether you want to fix your chimney or eat in a given month, HF can be a savior. I won’t knock anyone who buys something there, as long as they don’t try to tell me how great it is.

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Honestly, their line of earthquake pneumatic tools are pretty stout. I've seen them put up against Mac and Bosch and the only difference is the external parts and finish work.

SpaceBus said:

Honestly, their line of earthquake pneumatic tools are pretty stout. I've seen them put up against Mac and Bosch and the only difference is the external parts and finish work.

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HF does have some decent tools, but they are basic tools. If you are using them more than an occasional user they lack the little extras and the "feel" of a quality tool. When I bought my miter saw I went down the line of them at both Lowes & Home Depot, You can feel the slight differences in them plus the differences in the table locks.

Since I am a Mechanic by trade, I will put any of my tools up against a HF tool. When you use a tool all day long little things like just the way they feel in your hand or balance of a tool makes a big difference.

greg13 said:

HF does have some decent tools, but they are basic tools. If you are using them more than an occasional user they lack the little extras and the "feel" of a quality tool. When I bought my miter saw I went down the line of them at both Lowes & Home Depot, You can feel the slight differences in them plus the differences in the table locks.

Since I am a Mechanic by trade, I will put any of my tools up against a HF tool. When you use a tool all day long little things like just the way they feel in your hand or balance of a tool makes a big difference.

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You are spot on. The HF impacts are now able to perform well, but the fit, finish, and ergonomics show the humble origins. My previous school in NC had tools for students to use, but the school here in Maine does not. I'm saving up for quality set, but not necessarily brands like Mac or Snap on. Are there still companies out there that make a quality tool that maybe doesn't have the flash or high profile brand name?

SpaceBus said:

You are spot on. The HF impacts are now able to perform well, but the fit, finish, and ergonomics show the humble origins. My previous school in NC had tools for students to use, but the school here in Maine does not. I'm saving up for quality set, but not necessarily brands like Mac or Snap on. Are there still companies out there that make a quality tool that maybe doesn't have the flash or high profile brand name?

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Again, it's all in how the tool feels to you. A 9/16" Mac wrench feels different in your hand than a 9/16" Snap on. Both are quality tools,Both have a lifetime guarantee and are similar priced but they DO feel different. Little things like the edge of the wrench when you pull hard on it.

Another thing you need to watch is the guarantee it's self, Don't assume the tool has a lifetime guarantee, even Harbor Freight has started selling "extended " warranties. I just bought a new 1/2" cordless impact from Mac, It is based on Dewalt with slight differences such as case construction that is more resistant to Automotive chemicals like grease & oils.

If you are planning on going into the repair field remember there are tools that you only need to buy once that WILL last your lifetime (I still use some of my fathers tools daily that are 60 years old) and there are tools that will need updating due to changes in the industry. But you do get what you pay for.

Made the mistake of getting chinese tires once, didnt last 10k .

I just placed an order for a set of Falken Wildpeak A/T3W tires for my truck. I know a few people locally who swear by them- looks like a good tire for the money.