happiness is more hand tools - part 1

 

For someone who does everything himself I have significant collection of tools of all sort. However I generally only buy what I must have to solve a new problem. Up until now I rely on a $12 Harbor Freight 1/2" torque wrench even for most of my track cars. I do have a 3/4" Made in USA torque wrench for the single lug nut center hub race cars as they required torque of 250 lb-ft.

For the Sprinter motorhome and the new GMC Ultimate truck the cheap $12 torque wrench is just too short for the claimed max torque value. I decided to get this 25 inch long torque wrench which the vendor claims it is made in Taiwan. I was attracted to it because of this as well as the high contrast marking of yellow over black. It is under $55 from Amazon.

nowhere on the box says it is made in Taiwan

the dead giveaway it is made in China is the Harbor Freight tool smell that is so common with China made tools; it stinks so bad that I have to air the plastic case

The vendor also claims each of the tool comes with a certificate of calibration. Yes, right! Of course it is fake as no manufacture can afford to calibrate a hand tool sold for $55 retail. It is just a printed paper they throw in with each, without an unique serial number means jack S. Next is to do a sanity check on the claimed accuracy. I would be quite happy to see +/- 5% with clicker type wrench.

I just want a quick and dirty sanity check rather using a measured lever arm with a known weight. I used a Harbor Freight electronic torque gauge. If both agree with each other to a few single digit I would call it good. They came within a few ft-lb at 150 ft-lb so it is a keeper.

I have been looking for a 1/2" deep socket set for a long time. What had been the holdup is most sets simply has too many gaps. The other problem is most vendors kit together a set starting with very small size and show you how many pieces in the set. The uninitiated consumers tend to fixate on the number of pieces and not checking the gaps (the missing sizes) and the sizes of the pieces you are buying.

To cut to the chase, for not much money I decide to buy this 1/2" set by DeWalt to augment the sets I already have. I only buy 6-point socket sets unless there is other compelling reason. The deep sockets are mostly used on wheel lugs.

for circa $30 this set is hard to beat for the quality and size range

the set includes 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, and 24 mm

I was delighted to find out it is made in Taiwan

It is hard to shop online and get good result as the odds are stacked against you, unless you take the time to scrutinize the most minute details. Both of these are winners.