Thoughts on this ratcheting wrench set?

Is the family that owns HF not American? The wrenches are made in Taiwan just like the Icon, the warranty is a moot point, both are excellent. Don't get me wrong Tekton is fine but there is nothing that would entice me to buy them over other brands, the offset on the Icon is worth considering.
 
There's also the GW -- I think they call 'em Gearbox?

One wrench is the same size on each end but one is fixed with the "protrusion" and the other end is ratcheting, but not reversible.

Ah, I see the 120XP version is also flex at the ratcheting end, but spline drive. The older versions are still available and you avoid spline but lose flex.

It's a compromise at every turn....
 
Sam_Julier said:
Plus I like support a US family owned company.
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Agreed; I lean hard towards buying American. That's a key reason I've purchased 3 vehicles and inherited 1 from the Fremont, CA plant.
We live in a global economy. I was very disappointed when I learned Milwaukee is now a Hong Kong based company.

I thought 99% of the stuff HF offered was imported from China; glad to see I was wrong or things changed or whatever.
Would we all like Snap On, Williams, etc? Sure. We do the best we can.
 
Trav said:
Is the family that owns HF not American? The wrenches are made in Taiwan just like the Icon, the warranty is a moot point, both are excellent. Don't get me wrong Tekton is fine but there is nothing that would entice me to buy them over other brands, the offset on the Icon is worth considering.
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All good points.
 
personally I would not buy anything off E-bay ,to easy to get burned on junk,go even to a big box store to get what is needed (watch for sales) as you can return under warrenty if broken,,lot depends on how you use the tool,just around the house or on the job.
 
facility1 said:
personally I would not buy anything off E-bay ,to easy to get burned on junk,go even to a big box store to get what is needed (watch for sales) as you can return under warrenty if broken,,lot depends on how you use the tool,just around the house or on the job.
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Meh, it also depends on how and where you work and live. For hand tools (and most power tools) today I'd rather warranty through the mail. Tekton just wants a pic of the failure and they send out another.

I'm rarely near a big box store and to me it's more soul-sucking to walk in and try to find an employee who understands.

Milwaukee pays shipping both ways, but it is slow.

SnapOn usually just sends out whatever I need with minimal fuss, but it's slow, too.

Anymore I usually have duplicates of most things so waiting for turnaround time is rarely a big deal.

I'm a solid hour one-way from a Harbor Freight, so in-store warranty is not a huge selling point for me.

But I understand some people like buying and warrantying in-store, and that has its merits, too. As demands on my time grow I prefer to just have things delivered to my home/shop (and ship off broken tools from my home/shop when required).
 
The HF store is not even a mile from me, that being said they only offer a few product lines I am really interested in but who knows they may improve or add other products. I also buy most of my tools online but for USA made stuff the pickings are getting slimmer every day.
Just last week I noticed my aviation snips were getting more than a little tired, I have old USA Wiss and Rigid made in Ireland, Wiss today claims made in the USA but the small print says with global components, I bought them from Midwest and a pair from Bessey, long gone are the days of going to the homeless despot and walking out with a high quality tool.
 
The Critic said:
Agreed. These are high warranty items due to their length -- they break a lot. The HF set is top notch if you can stand spline, and they're an excellent value if you buy them with a coupon.
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What’s better if you don’t want spline?
 
No doubt Snap on is the best but wow at that price you better be using them daily to make them worth it. At almost 67 I don't do as much as I did years ago, I still do much bigger jobs than the average home gamer would attempt but not daily so for me the value is not there in that particular type of tool. Still, if you have the wood and only want the best....
 
One thing I’ve never been able to get over regarding gear wrench is their shape. I’ve never had a wrench that hurts to pull on other than a gear wrench. Bought one ratcheting set 10 years ago and I’ve all but gave them away. Only kept the 8-11mm wrenches.
 
BrendanC said:
One thing I’ve never been able to get over regarding gear wrench is their shape. I’ve never had a wrench that hurts to pull on other than a gear wrench. Bought one ratcheting set 10 years ago and I’ve all but gave them away. Only kept the 8-11mm wrenches.
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In the standard length stuff the newer 90T is much better as they thickened the beams. It only took them ~30 years to figure it out. I haven't handled the longer 90T products so I just don't know

The XL Kabos mentioned here have the same problem: not only do the thin beams deflect, but they cut into your hands. This is why I still keep my Tilman MIG/TIG gloves close by when wrenching -- I can apply a lot more force to a lever by hand when it's not cutting into my fingers AND I'm not worried about scraping knuckles if something slips.
 
I'm a little late to this party but I can comment on ABN. I have a few of their non-wrench items and they work fine. I had one wrench and it worked but i did not like it as well as my Craftsman. I would not pay $50+ for that set.

Instead I would probably get Tekton and just dream of Snap-on. BTW a used set is available on ebay right now for a "good" price (same as the new price at SO)!

:ROFLMAO:

Screenshot_20240809_194031.jpg
 
A ratcheting wrench is the best thing that’s ever been invented, it comes close to running water in the house
 
KYMISTWALKER said:
A ratcheting wrench is the best thing that’s ever been invented, it comes close to running water in the house
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A ratcheting wrench is the best thing for one's toolbox when you have a limited collection of ratchets and sockets. If you have a comprehensive range of socket depths to choose from, you will rarely use your ratcheting wrenches.
 
JeffKeryk said:
I have been wanting a set like this for awhile. I hate cheap tools!
Decent quality is critical to me; I have never been sorry I bought quality.

Ratcheting Wrench Set

Your thoughts? Thanks in advance.
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Garage Journal said they aren't pretty or well finished but will get the job done. Supposedly they are rebranded tools from Streck? But can't confirm. The general consensus is that they're a notch or two above cheapo Chinese clones.
 
In general, I use ratcheting box wrenches only for work in tight spots and try not to use them for breaking loose a really tight bolt. I’ll use a ratcheting box to finish removing the fasteners. One thing that I found that helps ratcheting box wrenches work better is an occasional soaking in ATF. It cleans them up and they work much better.
 
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