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Could you re-test the pittsburgh breaker bar? I feel like they no longer use the same metal composition at the tip that they did when this product was first released. We have had 3 brand new bars break back to back out of the box on their first day of use doing a simple tire change at what we feel is an estimated 215 lbs of force. The breaking point is at the ball in the socket holder. all three breaks were on lug nuts, that another brand (snap-on) breaker bar took off with no issues.
I've been a mechanic for 23 years and spent a fortune on snap-on.I wish I could have realized it's not about the name it's about saving money and still getting a quality tool for the job. Habor freight you stoled my heart.
I agree with you, Sub-On is just a brand name, but the quality is not the best. If you want high quality, buy German tools such as Hazet or Japanese tools such as Ko Ken
@BRYAN SCHALLHORN NO, that's not the case. These don't actually break very often. No more often than the high dollar bars - but you're more than welcome to keep buying the snap on name.
Don't forget it also applied the most amount of torque. So not only is it alot less price but it also applied more torque and if you need it replaced then you can do it the same day or even within an hour depending where the closest Harbor Freight is to you.
I love my HF breaker bar, I have been known to stand on it and bounce to get lugs loose and I weigh 265lbs. It's never failed me yet and it's still straight.
Even without a warranty, you'd have to break 8 of them to make it not worth it. I've never broken a breaker bar in my life and I've used a cheater bar dozens of times.
@@truthsmiles I broke mine but I was putting probly 400ftlbs on it, broke at the detent ball. they replaced it no questions. vw axle nuts are no joke lol.
@@goodride2004 HaHa!! You got that right man. I made an axle nut sledgehammer wrench by welding a heavy duty socket onto the end of a heavy steel bar... Works like a charm! 👍😅
$150 for the Matco and Snap On, versus $19 for the Harbor Freight? This is a breaker bar, not a pair of Italian leather footwear. I own the 1/2" 25 inch, 1/2" 18 inch, and 3/8" 17 inch - all Harbor Freight, and all without the comfort grip. All 3 = $27 + tax. The big one got the axle nut off of a 98 Acura TL. Anything else on that car, including transmission, is cake comparatively. When I started that job, I was prepared to buy the Harbor Freight 3/4" drive breaker bar if I needed to. I spent the money I saved on tools on Gucci loafers.
I am diesel mechanic and i got so sick and tired of replacing harbor fright crap. Im actually saving money in the long run not having to drive to harbor fright all the time!! When you need the big torque in a small space harbor fright cant hold a candle!
Mechanics. They make the least amount of money and spend the most on tools of all the trades. As an electrician...... you know what I do when I melt a pair of wire strippers? Throw them the frick out and spend $20 for a new set. Im probably making thousands on the job anyway. A mechanic destroys a set of pliers..... and most of them are on the phone with snap-on spending another $100 on a job they are making $300 on. Haven't met a mechanic that was smart with money yet.
I work on my 03 TL with mostly Harbor Freight tools. So far, so good! Granted, my breaker bar is a Tektonic bar, but it was still only $25. I can't see why people pay such outrageous prices for name brand tools. My car doesn't care what tools were used. Nor does it perform better using more expensive tools!
Steven your knuckles, fingers, eyes and mental stamina will sure notice a difference. I cherish my good tools, a lot of them are made with the hands of someone who actually cares about the finished product. Quality matters, you’ll find out once you use a real good screwdriver, or high tooth ratchet in a tight space. Have you broken a breaker bar or a wrench yet? Oh boy you’re in for a treat if you haven’t. Once that metal pings and your exposed fingers hit the inevitability sharpest, hardest and dirtiest possible piece of steel in the engine bay; you’ll think of this comment and go looking for a snap-on truck.
i guess some people sleep better at night knowing they bought American. I sleep better at night knowing I saved my family $125 dollars on a simple tool.
It really depends on your expectations of the tool. I've snapped 2 of the Harbor Freight breaker bars in my own garage, and had to stop and go get a replacement. I've seen the Snap On take abuse you wouldn't believe in the field on diesel duty. There is a difference in quality to be sure, but it may not be necessary for most peoples needs. And a company like Snap On isn't going to be interested in making 'budget' tools anyways.
If you plan on breaking a breaker bar, you might add a doctor's appt to that cost because I don't want to smash my hand or head into something if a breaker bar snaps.
This guy's reviews and testing are on point. Factual, unbiased, and backed up with real world tests with legit testing equipment. I've saved some serious money watching his videos, and now I know which breaker bar I'm going to buy this weekend. (Hint: It's the really good one that doesn't have the 90% 'brand tax' applied.)
HF also allows professionals to go in and pick up great tools (read reviews to figure out if it's worth your time) at an awesome price. Their hammer drills for instance will last a professional with regular use many years. There are some things there that you couldn't pay me to take though as I'd just end up having to throw the damn thing away. If it's a mission critical tool, buy 2 and a warranty and you've always got a spare, again that's IF (can't make it as big of an IF that it needs to be) it's a tool that checks out with the internet.
Jo Wh um no they don't... just becouse something made in another country and not your precious us. there is this great thing called the Internet if your not sure if what your saying is bullshit or not
this man is the most hated person by snap on.. my snap on guy doesn't even talk to me anymore after i schooled him on his own product using these results
I've got a ratchet & a air impact on the S/O truck, spend all the 💰 I had with me late that day & we were hungry so we shared a Ham Torta & a Coca Cola, then we saw the S/O truck parked at Apple's parking lot; son of a gun.
I use a Pittsburgh breaker all day, 5 days a week. They're good but the joint nut gets loose after 3 weeks...... That's a joke. You just tighten it up and keep going for a year till somebody torques down their lives to 300 and, dude, when it bends, you back the fuck off and drill that bitch out
I used to be a HF hater, calling them "movie props"... well times have changed. My income as a professional auto mechanic has not gone up in 25 years, the prices of "tool truck" tools has. I recently bought a SET of long pattern metric wrenches from HF to do alignments, out the door for $22.00 when ONE of the wrenches was over $100.00 from Snap On. I am lucky to have a HF store a block off my drive home, the breaker bar like the long pattern wrenches I bought look like a good value. Money looks better in the bank, work hard, spend wisely.
25 year tech myself. I had the same opinion about HB stuff until a few years ago. I own a good amount of Pittsburgh tools now. And I'm quite pleased with them.
Being a high school student price is top priority I like to buy American but sometimes I can't. I have a Pittsburgh one without the comfort grip. It works great and gets the job done
I agree, Daniel. I have all 3 of the HF non-comfort-grip breaker bars (0.5"/25" - 0.5"/18" - 3/8"/17"). One set of leather work gloves replaces the comfort-grip on all 3. I spent under $30 for all 3.
I have had the Pittsburgh for over a year and cannot tell the difference from when using the snap on one from my old job. And i got it when it was on sale for 16$ this is absolutely the best value out of all of them. The HF premium hand tools are basically as good now a days. I also use the same ratchets
It's nothing to special about a breaker bar, and the test was a side by side comparison and all held up just fine and for the money I would go with the Pittsburgh and I'll use my 20% off coupon for the better deal. Thanks for the video
This is why most Mechanics are broke, they buy waaaay overpriced tools then make "payments" similar to a payday loan . Snap on is a rip off before and after the sale. Defend them, use them, stay broke, its your choice.
I'm all for shopping local, supporting mom 'n' pop hardware stores, and buying products made in America but I too would buy the Harbor Freight one. For the record, I'm just a DIY car enthusiast and not a mechanic by trade.
@@ryanmickelwait1521 They do sorta, they will put out coupons and discontinue them months before they were to expire, they also wont honor the price either! Only because its a good deal!
In 1976 I was a service teck for a national mfg. As such overhauling customers equipt. was always a challange! I was stuck on one job in particular where I had to remove a internal safety relief valve and I only had a 1/2 inch drive Craftsman breaker bar it was a 24"! the only socket available anywhere near was a 1 3/4" by 3/4 drive. I had to use it with a 3/4" x 1/2" reducer and the 1/2" x 24" Craftsman breaker bar,and a 6' pipe on the end and 2 people at once trying to take out this s/r valve ! The valve didnt come out but we did bend the Craftsmen breaker bar 8" out of shape before the 1/2" drive shattered like a .457 magnum gun shot. Say what you will about Craftsman tools, but after that I swore by Craftsman Tools , they were tough!
Still in production? Harbor frieght: when was this bought? Me: about a month ago, but I lost the receipt. Harbor freight: **exchanges** *Limited lifetime warranty achieved.*
David Piehl yeah I broke my 3/8th torque wrench because I was desperate and used it as a breaker bar. Went in and just said some of the teeth broke and the guy just told me to grab another one and sign an exchange receipt. Didn’t need my number or original receipt. After that I was like damn, should buy everything from here.
it's like in the old days when you dig up a wrench in the backyard and you were pretty sure it might say Craftsman on it and Sears was just like sure fuck it take whatever you want.
Real Tool Reviews I'd also like to see the failure point on each using the calibrated equipment. I think it would give a quantified answer to the age old question of hf vs. usa
I've been a professional auto tech for 25 years. I've amassed a good amount of Craftsman, Snap-on, Mac, Matco and Cornwell tools in that time, but I have a lot of Pittsburgh tools! They are becoming what Craftsman used to be. The quality is improving and the prices are impossible to beat. GREAT comparison video!
@@Second.Nature.Lawn.Michigan ..and now StanleyBlack&Decker thinks Craftsman should be a reasonably good(not great) tool for a great(as in too much) price...similar quality tools to Husky, Kobalt, Pittsburgh for 2-3 times the price...no thanks...
I don't know how many times I've got back to the shop saying "Harbor Freight for the WIN!! ". I own a lot of Snap On also. Some things I only buy from Snap On and some things I only buy from HF.
My father was an auto mechanic his whole life. His snap-on tool sets at work and home were insane. He had an affinity for Harbor Freight for some things and I never understood it. Now I do.
Harbor freight has some great products but you have to know what you’re looking for it’s a hit or miss with them I have the icon flex 1/4in and fixed 3/8in and 1/2in comfort grip ratchets and a set of metric icon sockets I beat the hell out of them and they still take it like a champ and haven’t had to use warranty once yet the impact sockets are great as well they perform just as well as husky and the Quinn serious is their competitor to kobalt and icon is their competitor to snap-on Maddox has some great specialty tools no issues so far and I have a us general cart with single lid and drawer I got for $80 can’t complain they work great
@@calebikner4925 I used to only buy craftsman or Stanley. Now I'm exclusively Pittsburgh or Icon. I don't work full time at a shop so don't need to worry about "it breaking" and they have never let me down. The cheap $20 drills or buffers are hit or miss though.
I'm a heavy equipment mechanic and own tools from just about every manufacturer. My 1/2 drive breaker bar is a harbor freight 9 dollar special without the comfort grip and I've never have had a problem with it. Just about every time I use it I put a pipe on it and it keeps holding up... to me $20 vs $140 is a no brainer
I just discovered this channel, after doing some research into Harbor Freight Automotive 3-Ton Jacks. To say I suddenly have a severe case of tool envy is an understatement! I've been binge watching your videos and can't get enough! Awesome channel with fantastic, non-biased reviews and real world scenarios! I look forward to your future videos!
My 1/2 Porter Cable impact blew up it's valve in the trigger and it was cheaper to buy a 3/4 XT with more than double the torque.....back in the 30's my uncle had a garage & gas station which we either ran or rented out. We bought Craftsman tools and had money left over for equipment and those "specialty" tools.
I have an earthquake XT and one from Cornwell tools. I recommend Cornwell over the earthquake. Its lighter and has more torque even though its advertised has having less. The earthquake was advertised as 1100 ft lbs or break away. Not even close. My cornwell was advertised as having 1000 it easily has 1200
@@larryhood9162 So have you used calibrated testing equipment to verify anything? Cause some of the most well known tool testers have (real tool review & AvE ) and the XT appears to be a world beater on performance / cost by all accounts. I suggest you watch some more reviews. As for Cornwell, never heard of them or seen them in my neck of the woods, had to google them. They look nice enough, seem to be in the Napa Carlyle price range, they even share that nice blue color, does Cornwell make Napas tools?
pop eye Funny you say that, they certainly covered mine the sheared the drive head off. He even chuckled as he asked how long of a pipe I had on it as he handed me a new bar.
it just depends on your snap on guy. I have the half inch ratchet with the rubber soft grip handle. snapped part of the handle clean off near the bottom using my cheater pipe and he smiled at me and said "now don't go askin that pipe for help again, or he's paying for your next one".
my dealer used to have a 30 something mm long ring spanner on the truck that he warrantied, because it was bent in half when a truck was lowered onto it.
Anybody who watched this and still buys a Snap On, Mac, or Matco breaker bar......well, good luck to ya. Snap On needs to make toilet paper and sell it for $7 a roll. They'd make a killing. People would buy it. You know they would.
They'll justify it by saying that Snap On toliet paper won't break and get poop on their fingers and after they've wiped their ass they can re-use the same sheet of tp for the rest of the month. You can't get that kind of quality with Charmin.
It's worth the quality tools. I was a mechanic for a while and went through a ton of cheap tools until I started replacing them with Mac Tools. Even then those break but Mac, Snap-On, Cornwell and all those guys have lifetime warranties and they never did me wrong.
I got the harbor freight one, but I also bought the Mac one for 65 bucks since I got a student discount. Am I still an imbecile? I just really like the Mac logo... (Not being sarcastic. ^_^)
sjpro1 your justification makes no sense. he said they're all warrantied... so go through 6 for free smart one. also it did the most torque in this test. idk what their limits are but most people probably couldn't find a spot to need more than around 200 ft lbs anyway. You over paid, you know it and now you're trying yo justify it. sometimes it just sucks to suck man. we all make buying mistakes
Yes you can get habor freight replaced but some people can't stop everything and run to the store to replace it and job still needs done snapon or Mac won't break as often and in pinch all you have to do is call your tool dealer and he will bring one out to you
You can't stop by HF on your lunch break, but you can wait a week for the dealer to come by? lol Get the fuck out of here... Every real mechanic has a spare for essential tools anyway.
Geez, that pittsburg is easier to warranty out the same day too if you ever needed to. My favorite is Armstrong. It's about $60 when I bought mine and you just never have to warranty it out. It's a beast! Chrome is chipping from flex fatigue and abuse, but what a trooper!
I have only broken one Pittsburgh socket. I went to Harbor Freight and they gave me a new one. The quality is there for hand tools. Can't see spending 150 plus instead of 20. Great video.
Bryan took me 15 years to snap my 3/4 bar and they gave me a brand new one no questions asked. And I got it from my dad and I don’t know how long he owned it but I know it was used commercially as he owned his own auto shop. A 10 foot black iron pipe is when finally killed it
@@joeframer9642 Taiwan is not China. I am all about USA-made tools. I really try to stay away from Chinese-made tools if I can help it. Really don't trust them at all. Not to mention the whole unmentionable bs we all know about. But Taiwan makes good quality tools for the money. Some even better than the old USA-made tools. Hurts to say, but true. Hopefully in the future that can change.
One time I bought a bearing puller set from a tool magazine, for 29.99, when I received it I was shocked to see it was the exact same 199 dls set my buddy had from Matco, everything was the same, the only thing my set was missing was the "Matco" sticker on the case, dont be fooled by brands.
I fixed my Harley Road King this summer. I replaced the stator and for those of you who've done it knows that the compensator nut is a MF to break loose. My buddy who owns a mechanic garage let me borrow his snap on breaker bar. And of course I used a cheater bar on it, and of course it's obviously called snap on because it snapped on me (damn! Luckily he got it replaced under warranty lol) I then borrowed my other buddies HF one. So I'm thinking if the snap on snapped so will this cheap one! Yup got the job done!!!! Went out and bought one too. Thanks HF!!!!!!
While I love and own many quality tools, I did purchase a HF breaker bar a couple of months ago during a parking lot sale. It was $12. Pretty hard to beat.
I did break a Harbor Freight breaker bar, my 240 pounds bouncing on it trying to get a shock bolt loose. I did not warranty it, I am certain most breaker bars would have broken. But I took my happy ass down bought another one and use it still today. So I am out 40 bucks and maybe 20 minutes of my time. FYI when it broke it did sound like a gun going off.
Rusted and Trusted There was no warranty what so ever??? I was under the impression all PITTSBURGH tools are a life time warranty. You simply bring in the broken tool and you get a new one no question ask.
There are those of us that have a modicum of personal ethics where we believe that if we have done something clearly abusive to a tool that we don't warrantee it because it's not morally right. I, and apparently Rusted and Trusted, feel the same way about this.
Well wrong and very wrong Sean. I'm a PhD electrical engineer who worked for forty years in the semiconductor industry prior to my retirement and if I own 500 shares of Snap-On stock, which I mention above, at the current market value of SNA: 170.76 per share that means I own $85,280 worth. And, that's not my biggest stock holding so the poor part doesn't seem too likely unless of course I'm being compared to Warren Buffet. The scum balls don't always win.
If I lived in the US I would probably buy all harbor freight tools. The price is just unbeatable. It's as simple as that and if you do happen to break one of these breaker bars then you need a bigger bar for the job anyway.
I am a huge Harbor Freight fan, and when it comes to certain tools you can't go wrong. Breaker bars, for example. I have the Pittsburgh Pro breaker bar and I love it. When it comes to power tools, however, I wouldn't recommend buying a $10 angle grinder.
Paul the Hutt at military Aviation we use snap on and Proto torque wrenches only I've seen them taking all kinds of abuse and keep getting certified for accuracy every 90 days
I've had the Pittsburgh breaker for many years. Removed countless lug nuts, axle nuts and other suspension components. I've even jumped on it to remove a stubborn axle nut. The thing just works and is a fraction of the price of the "tool truck" brands. Definitely a gem from Harbor Freight.
Thank you so much for having a no nonsense review! I work with guys who have 60,000 dollars worth of snap on tools and there are some things that snap on does better than others, but hf does make some pretty good stuff too!
Great video I loved it but because I usually only work on my cars 90 % of my tools are from harbor freight the other 10% are craftsman but it's always nice to have an idea about the difference among each one of these tools....
@Trippy_Trolls I disagree after my experience. Their finish is awful, had to send back 2 brand new, still wrapped sets of flank drives. Multiple wrenches in each set had chrome cracks or debris on the wrench that was just chromed over. Absolutely pathetic for a premium brand like snap on
My cousins have an auto salvage here in mid missouri and we use a variety of tools from old MAC, Craftsman, Sears Tool Co, and Snap On. While we typically use Snap On in the shop and the cheap tools out in the yard we have found that tools are going to brake regarless of how well you treat them. Obviously they will last longer if you tree them well, but we have broke just as many Snap On tools as we have of any other brand. My particular favorite is an old Craftsman 1/2 breaker bar with a 36 inch chrome moly handel from the 60's
I have a S-K that's nearly 40 years old. If it got stolen and I needed to replace it I'd get the Harbor Freight, maybe a Tekton, perhaps a Kobalt. Gearwrench and Performance Tool are other alternatives. I'm with you on this; breaker bars aren't rocket science.
I have a Snap on I purchased used from an estate sale, it is date coded 1950, minus the plastic handle it is pretty much the same as a new one after cleaning it with acetone then hitting it on my buffer it looks as good as when the dead guy that originally purchased it and used if professionally for probably 40 years. I have had two Harbor Freight Breaker bars the first one I purchased when I work there back in 1998 maybe 1999 the end broke off it when I was trying to get a rusty lug nut off a 1960 Cadillac. I warranted it back in 2007 maybe 2008 for another one and it's plastic handle loosened up I am not a fan of having a tool break when I need it I'm not telling anybody to buy snap on Mac or Matco but you pay for what you get and a tool truck tool is an heirloom Quality Tool that will more than likely outlive you. Now that being said my HF breaker bar is now in my junk yard tool box because it was cheap enough that if I lose it or break it I'm not going to be mad where is my Snap-on breaker bar is in my toolbox in my personal garage and I am scared to loan it to anyone because of how much they cost
Atomic Reverend Alexander you’re absolutely right, you get what you pay for! If breaking from rusted nuts and grips loosening up is all I need to worry about for the rest of my life, I’d gladly pay for 9 breaker bars from harbor freight before I ever bought 1 from snap on. However, harbor freight has a lifetime warranty on them so at the end of the day I’ll pay 1/10th of what I ever would buying snap on and always get the same results.
Atomic Reverend Alexander Another die hard snap on junky with a proven 100 year old snap on tool still going strong but uses cheap harbor freight tools and breaks them twice as much as anyone else. Yeah right!!! The only reason you still have the snap on is because you don’t use it because it’s to “ valuable “ just like every other snap on snob out there. They all claim they are the best and in the same sentence say they pull out their harbor freight tool to get the job done. That $16 HF beaker bar is just as good as Snap-on. All tools break and mostly at the blame of the operator not the tool.
I've been a professional mechanic at many dealerships since 1992 and I used to think only snap-on or Mac tools were acceptable. Currently I have two of the Pittsburgh 24 inch breaker bars and have nothing but good results with them. Granted I wouldn't buy Chinese air tools since I think they're junk, but for something simple like a 1/2 inch breaker bar with a lifetime warranty for less than 20 bucks is a no brainer, even it breaks 👍
i agree with almost everything except for the air tool part. i dont know where they are made, but air cat air tools are way better (and cheaper) than their snap on or mac twins.
Just to let you know that most the top Milwaukee, DeWalt, and Makita are mostly made in China. Milwaukee warranty their tools for 5 years and Snop-On only 1 year. Time has changed.
well I have a snap on and mac one both and about four years ago I went and bought 4 of the Pittsburg ones because I put a cheater on my mac and tore the handle up and got sick to my stomach because of the price and I figured since the the 4 Hf ones where so cheap I they would brake easy but I am still on the first one and and can't brake it even with a 3 foot cheater
South main auto repair. lol You should know since you do awesome vids too. Comparing tools is almost as bad as comparing truck brands. You get the fan bois fighting and it never ends. lol I'm occasionally evil. I have been known to say my dad says fords are better. lol
Harbor freight looks like a savings on paper, but in the real world you will spend just as much or more on the other 17 things you didn't go in there for. Seriously that place is addicting.
I am proud to say that I am a full time HF mechanic. I have a family to support. I don't need a lifetime of tool payments on top of it. Every video you see will show you HF keep right up with all those big brand name tool companies for a fraction of the price.
Tony West I weigh 260lbs I put a 5 food steel pipe on my harbor freight breaker bar as a “Chester’s pipe” so probably 6 feet total and had me and another guy pushing down on it to snap a lugnut of an Isuzu aircraft fueling truck and it has no bend at all
@@DiscordCriminal So something to the tune of 2000 ft-lbs LOL. Might as well attach an engine block to the handle end and use the hoist as leverage if you're dealing with those forces.
@@nothankyou5524 It's to see what manufacturer cheapens out on design. I mean, that was kind of an easy response. Took me no effort at all to think about it lol
I’m a mechanic for the railroad and I use a lot of bluepoint and snap on tools. In my personal life I use harbor freight tools for convenience. There is no difference in comparison besides ratcheting wrenches which is the gear ratio. Big tool companies are making a killing off “name brand”
How could anyone who is being honest with themself dislike this video? There was no observable bias and the facts were presented in a clear no nonsense manner.
There is another good choice if you are not fixated on a comfort grip. The Proto 24" is made in USA and has a street price around $33. Zoro often has 20% off coupons and a flat shipping rate of $5 and free for orders over $50. The straight knurled handle will also stand up better than a comfort grip if you do use a cheater pipe.
My son is a diesel tech. While he does have Mac and Snap On tools, he mainly uses Tekton. They have lifetime warranty. You break something, you take a photo and they ship you a new one. He went with Tekton because of the student discount and reward points they offered Tech Students. He didn't want to start his career off in debt. He said that he would figure out as he progresses what was marketing versus useful tools. I am proud of him being open minded. After two years on the job in a Tractor & Trailer shop his tools are still performing well.
Many people would think that the Pittsburgh bar is of inferior quality because it is made in Taiwan. But unlike China, Taiwan is an advanced economy and developed country that is known to make very high quality products. Taiwan companies pay their workers a fair living wage. The reason that the Pittsburgh bar could cost so little is because companies like Harbor Freight has a very low profit margin. Do you think the founders of Snap On became billionaires by charging fair prices on American made goods? They are exploiting the Made in America sticker on their products to charge a premium.
The Snap On soft handles swell and fall apart if you get any oil on them. If you're going with Snap On, I would get the one without the rubber grip. The Harbor Freight one doesn't have this issue, you can get oil on them for years, nothing happens.
yep/ i have a 3/8 wrench with comfort grip that wont stay on and even though i had to pay them to fix it 3 times it still never fixed it and so wont warranty it. S/O is dishonest when it comes to warranty.
My dad was a master mechanic for over 50 years . He took me to the place where it worked at 7 I could take a car apart and back together by 12 . He had almost all craftsman tools but a few snap on proto matco and a few no names. He told me always by the tool that lasts and has a great warranty.When be passed away I got his tool and there worth over 70k I have almost all craftsman when I buy a new tool. I got sad when the started making them in china now there sold to stanley. Then the 2 sears closed which were 45 miles now I have to go 64 miles. I do not have to buy tools very often so I am trying harbor freight I would like this test craftsman one and see what it does.
Lowes is starting to carry craftsman now. I don't know if the quality is as good as it used to be. Turns out at Lowes it is the bigger things like toolboxes, etc... Not the regular hand tools.
Your videos are excellent. Very thorough with succinct explanations. Thank you. The "old" Craftsman tools were great for lifetime warranties. I can't imagine name branded (Snap on, MAC, SK, etc.) wrenches, breaker bars, or torque wrenches (other than ratcheting unit) that broke without the help of a cheater bar/pipe.
After breaking countless snap-on ratchets to the point my dealer refuses to repair them any longer I've just recently purchased a Pittsburgh long handled ratchet with the 5 degree head, it performs awsome and was only $26. That's less then what snap on wants for a rebuild kit. Yes it's not as convenient as having the truck roll in once a week but the store has better hours and is open every day... no waiting for the truck to pull in.
I've been buying Snap-On, Mac and Matco for many years and I always wondered how bad I'm getting ripped off, its a shame they didn't have tests like this 20-30 years ago.
Ripped off? No. Made in the USA means workers with a good hourly wage, health benefits, retirement benefits, time off benefits, fair work hours. Made in Taiwan means $5 an hour workers with no benefits. It doesnt take a genius to know that Made in the USA costs a lot more.
I'm digging Harbor Freight tools more and more these days. I don't have many tools. What I have is cheap, Mickey Mouse junk. I don't even have a tool box yet. But I'm looking into Harbor Freight tools very closely. Tool boxes too. For a simple, trucker like me, I don't need tens of thousands of dollars in tools. Just the basics.
I have had my 20 dollar harbor freight for I don't even know now and YES I have a 4 foot steel pipe I slide over the end I call the rust equalizer and have never had a problem
k my 2 cents...I have a bar from hf and one from snap on, im not real sure how that happened but I have em both...but I also have a hf 3/4 drive ratchet...yeah doesn't have a lot to do w a breaker bar but my point is that I was loosening u bolt nuts to remove an axle from a military truck, they hadn't been touched in 25 years, and I was using this ratchet cuz they were too close to the ground to use an impact...but I was using a 10 ft length of antenna mast as a cheater bar...and I was lunging on that bar with all I had, it had to be around 400 to 800 lbs ft of torque and I got all 8 of them off w no damage to that ratchet...hf tools don't fear the cheater! lol that reminds me of an old song...anyway I like hf stuff, if u do ur homework and kno what ur buying, they r great
I'm going to picking up one of the HF Pro breaker bars shortly, I just had a Crapsman breaker bar replaced because it broke, and have yet to catch up with the Snap On truck to replace my Snap On breaker bar that is also broke. Neither of the 2 liked a 2 foot pipe on them.
@@peekee186 Yeah 3/4" hardware is just so much more BEEF in the diameter, it can handle an absolute abusing. Mine are proto and wright, but I'd bet those HF's with that thickness are stout as can be.
I have been buying harbor freight tools for years now. not one complaint. I have broken many I have lost many but never been screwed around on getting a replacment. I fell into the snap on deal when I was young do yourself a favor dont.
i have been using the the the Pittsburgh one. It is a beast. I managed to pick up a corner of the van trying to break loose an axle nut. The bar bent about 30 degrees but stayed together and became straight again. (btw, i lift weights). I thought it was going to break, but it didnt.
The gap between harbor freight and the pro tools is shrinking. 90% of my tools are HF but I do own the snappy tools that are actually important. I wouldn't touch a tool truck unless I was in 10 years minimum and had cash to burn. And most of the snap on stuff is made by other vendors private label for them. Buying direct from those vendors can save tons of money.
best one is snap on rebranding CDI torque wrenches got 3/8 and 1/2 for about 150 each on Amazon still cheaper than one snap on branded one. snap on makes nice ratchets but most everything else is a huge rip off.
Snap-on owns CDI and there is difference between them. The obvious is the ratchet end, the Snap-on is a USA made head that Snap-on manufactures and the CDI is a Taiwan head and there are other differences as well.
I have a Pittsburg from Harbor Freight, a Duralast from Autozone and a Power Torque from O'Reilly Auto Parts. They work good. Never had an issue with anyone of them. Lifetime warranty on all of them as well.
I broke a 3/8 Drive 18" Harbor Freight breaker bar with one arm... I walked in and got an identical looking replacement, no questions asked... The replacement bar has held up to everything I've given it. Harbor freight tools are cheap but the quality of the heat treatment on each batch varies.
Assuming that I am able to do that test at some point.....what constitutes failure? A bend (permanent) in the tool? The head shearing off? The pivot bolt snapping? The grip slipping off? I think that there are a lot of possibilities --- and this would be another big argument between everyone, because (for example) if the Snap on bent @ 400 ft-lbs & wouldn't go back straight --- but the Matco snapped at 402 ft-lbs.....1/2 the people would say Matco is better --- and 1/2 would say that Snap-on is better, since is "just bent". Do you see the problem here?
Real Tool Reviews doesn't matter what people say. Do the failure tests and present them. I would say that even if you would test one bar 3 times, you would get different failures. So double the mark and see which one makes it or survive the most and what happens when they don't.
I am a mechanic and working in the field a failure would be anything that causes the tool to be useless and not able to make you money. a bend is still usable and able to make someone money. however all 4 tools do have a lifetime warrantee but also now comes to the convience factor of the warrantee I know from personal experience snap on mac and matco all fix or replace with no issues and they come to me atleast once a week so there is no down time in your busy day. I have no experience trying to warrantee things at harbor freight so I can not comment there.
Harbor freight warranties anything with zero questions. I've spent over $10,000 there and only time something broke was when it was abused in a reckless manner I knew would probably result in death of the tool. They really don't care.
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2:31 AM Same Here
Could you re-test the pittsburgh breaker bar?
I feel like they no longer use the same metal composition at the tip that they did when this product was first released. We have had 3 brand new bars break back to back out of the box on their first day of use doing a simple tire change at what we feel is an estimated 215 lbs of force.
The breaking point is at the ball in the socket holder.
all three breaks were on lug nuts, that another brand (snap-on) breaker bar took off with no issues.
it's 4am and I'm watching a comparison of breaker bars.... being single sucks
PGH_Random it's 3am, I'm not single, but I'm also here watching videos.
lol, same bro
PGH_Random Being single is better. At least you get to watch a breaker bar video when you want to.
Sometimes it's better to watch breaker bar video's then being with a complaining woman ;)
Dave Biddle hell yeah
"I paid over 400 dollars for these" no you paid over 400 dollars for 3 of them and bought the 4th for 15 bucks.
Hahahahaha
$400 + $15 doesn't equal "over $400"?
@@CenobiteBeldar you failed to see the joke. Move on bruh
@@CenobiteBeldar r/wooosh
$15? Sucker overpaid. Those Breaker Bars go on sale every few months for $10.
I've been a mechanic for 23 years and spent a fortune on snap-on.I wish I could have realized it's not about the name it's about saving money and still getting a quality tool for the job. Habor freight you stoled my heart.
The second biggest shame is that what you said is true.....
And if the harbor freight one breaks, who cares get another, don’t know if anyone has used $150 worth of H.F. breaker bars over their entire career
I agree with you, Sub-On is just a brand name, but the quality is not the best. If you want high quality, buy German tools such as Hazet or Japanese tools such as Ko Ken
I've been s tech for about that long too....... But "quality" and "harbor freight" don't go in the same sentence unless you're saying what I'm saying.
pittsburgh all day long, unless i go retarded
_This is the most informative and detailed review in human history on 4 straight random bars of steel lol._
rofl!
They’re breaker bars. Harbor freight won when prices were announced.
It also won when the torque numbers were announced.
@BRYAN SCHALLHORN NO, that's not the case. These don't actually break very often. No more often than the high dollar bars - but you're more than welcome to keep buying the snap on name.
Patstar777 lol exactly. People act like snap on won’t break given the right situation.
I snapped the 1/2" drive off on a Snap On breaker bar with a Pittsburg pro impact socket trying to break loose an axle nut. The socket was fine.
Don't forget it also applied the most amount of torque. So not only is it alot less price but it also applied more torque and if you need it replaced then you can do it the same day or even within an hour depending where the closest Harbor Freight is to you.
I love my HF breaker bar, I have been known to stand on it and bounce to get lugs loose and I weigh 265lbs. It's never failed me yet and it's still straight.
I did that once, I'm just shy of 250, broke the bolt, breaker bar was fine though haha
$150! Someplaces for $150 you can get a breaker bar, case of beer, hooker, and have money left for penicillin.
Too funny.. glad I read comments
nice one my sides are hurting from laughing.
I’ve had the same Pittsburgh for two years, used it more than I count and zero problems.
Harbor freight. With coupon. And if it breaks I can get new 1 same day.
Joe Smith exactly
Even without a warranty, you'd have to break 8 of them to make it not worth it. I've never broken a breaker bar in my life and I've used a cheater bar dozens of times.
@@truthsmiles I broke mine but I was putting probly 400ftlbs on it, broke at the detent ball. they replaced it no questions. vw axle nuts are no joke lol.
I snapped my Pittsburgh. Haven't returned it yet. Guess I should get to that.
@@goodride2004 HaHa!! You got that right man. I made an axle nut sledgehammer wrench by welding a heavy duty socket onto the end of a heavy steel bar... Works like a charm! 👍😅
$150 for the Matco and Snap On, versus $19 for the Harbor Freight?
This is a breaker bar, not a pair of Italian leather footwear.
I own the 1/2" 25 inch, 1/2" 18 inch, and 3/8" 17 inch - all Harbor Freight, and all without the comfort grip. All 3 = $27 + tax. The big one got the axle nut off of a 98 Acura TL. Anything else on that car, including transmission, is cake comparatively. When I started that job, I was prepared to buy the Harbor Freight 3/4" drive breaker bar if I needed to.
I spent the money I saved on tools on Gucci loafers.
Aye cheers ive got a 98 acura tl too, a v6. Harbor freight works for most of its maintainence? If so i def will invest more into harbor freight
I am diesel mechanic and i got so sick and tired of replacing harbor fright crap. Im actually saving money in the long run not having to drive to harbor fright all the time!! When you need the big torque in a small space harbor fright cant hold a candle!
Mechanics. They make the least amount of money and spend the most on tools of all the trades. As an electrician...... you know what I do when I melt a pair of wire strippers? Throw them the frick out and spend $20 for a new set. Im probably making thousands on the job anyway. A mechanic destroys a set of pliers..... and most of them are on the phone with snap-on spending another $100 on a job they are making $300 on. Haven't met a mechanic that was smart with money yet.
I work on my 03 TL with mostly Harbor Freight tools. So far, so good! Granted, my breaker bar is a Tektonic bar, but it was still only $25. I can't see why people pay such outrageous prices for name brand tools. My car doesn't care what tools were used. Nor does it perform better using more expensive tools!
Steven your knuckles, fingers, eyes and mental stamina will sure notice a difference. I cherish my good tools, a lot of them are made with the hands of someone who actually cares about the finished product. Quality matters, you’ll find out once you use a real good screwdriver, or high tooth ratchet in a tight space. Have you broken a breaker bar or a wrench yet? Oh boy you’re in for a treat if you haven’t. Once that metal pings and your exposed fingers hit the inevitability sharpest, hardest and dirtiest possible piece of steel in the engine bay; you’ll think of this comment and go looking for a snap-on truck.
i guess some people sleep better at night knowing they bought American. I sleep better at night knowing I saved my family $125 dollars on a simple tool.
Rob Banta
Best comment so far!
Rob Banta
Best comment so far!
It really depends on your expectations of the tool. I've snapped 2 of the Harbor Freight breaker bars in my own garage, and had to stop and go get a replacement. I've seen the Snap On take abuse you wouldn't believe in the field on diesel duty. There is a difference in quality to be sure, but it may not be necessary for most peoples needs. And a company like Snap On isn't going to be interested in making 'budget' tools anyways.
Buying 2 Pittys and you can still save $100 dollars! Sounds like a sound choice to me...
If you plan on breaking a breaker bar, you might add a doctor's appt to that cost because I don't want to smash my hand or head into something if a breaker bar snaps.
This guy's reviews and testing are on point. Factual, unbiased, and backed up with real world tests with legit testing equipment. I've saved some serious money watching his videos, and now I know which breaker bar I'm going to buy this weekend. (Hint: It's the really good one that doesn't have the 90% 'brand tax' applied.)
Harbor freight allows guys like myself to own tools I won't use for myself often but when I need them you have them.
KINGOFOUTWEST and you can go in and get a free replacement same day if you snap it.
Yeah, and the price doesn't break your bank account! There's a lot of quality for a good price!
HF also allows professionals to go in and pick up great tools (read reviews to figure out if it's worth your time) at an awesome price. Their hammer drills for instance will last a professional with regular use many years. There are some things there that you couldn't pay me to take though as I'd just end up having to throw the damn thing away. If it's a mission critical tool, buy 2 and a warranty and you've always got a spare, again that's IF (can't make it as big of an IF that it needs to be) it's a tool that checks out with the internet.
KINGOFOUTWEST. harbor fright, supporting slave wages and communism with every purchase.
Jo Wh um no they don't... just becouse something made in another country and not your precious us. there is this great thing called the Internet if your not sure if what your saying is bullshit or not
this man is the most hated person by snap on.. my snap on guy doesn't even talk to me anymore after i schooled him on his own product using these results
Hahahaha....nice
Well now you got way more time and $$ !!!!! Nice !!
The true hurt!
The true hurt?!? WTF
The Hoss be nice it's not his fault Google translate failed him.
My kids aren't going to college but my Snap On dealer's kids are going to Harvard.
HaaaaVood
Matthew Rhett Larson Haahvaahd
Don’t feel bad a liberal college like Harvard would only poison them.
Every body doesn't need to go to college. Its more money that you don't need to spend.
I've got a ratchet & a air impact on the S/O truck, spend all the 💰 I had with me late that day & we were hungry so we shared a Ham Torta & a Coca Cola, then we saw the S/O truck parked at Apple's parking lot; son of a gun.
I laughed when he said it cost him 16 bucks. I was expecting like 50 or 30 but 16. That’s insane over 148 for the snap-on.
I use a Pittsburgh breaker all day, 5 days a week. They're good but the joint nut gets loose after 3 weeks...... That's a joke. You just tighten it up and keep going for a year till somebody torques down their lives to 300 and, dude, when it bends, you back the fuck off and drill that bitch out
I used to be a HF hater, calling them "movie props"... well times have changed. My income as a professional auto mechanic has not gone up in 25 years, the prices of "tool truck" tools has. I recently bought a SET of long pattern metric wrenches from HF to do alignments, out the door for $22.00 when ONE of the wrenches was over $100.00 from Snap On. I am lucky to have a HF store a block off my drive home, the breaker bar like the long pattern wrenches I bought look like a good value. Money looks better in the bank, work hard, spend wisely.
Well said.
I understand all too well.. In a perfect world I would buy my tools at Sears, cost be dammed!
@@masquedebe713 Maybe Harbor Freight help put Sears out of business.
Well said
25 year tech myself. I had the same opinion about HB stuff until a few years ago. I own a good amount of Pittsburgh tools now. And I'm quite pleased with them.
Being a high school student price is top priority I like to buy American but sometimes I can't. I have a Pittsburgh one without the comfort grip. It works great and gets the job done
Daniel Johnson and you saved yourself a lot of money which is a important factor.
Same
I agree, Daniel. I have all 3 of the HF non-comfort-grip breaker bars (0.5"/25" - 0.5"/18" - 3/8"/17"). One set of leather work gloves replaces the comfort-grip on all 3. I spent under $30 for all 3.
Yeah, I have the cheapie $9 HF one. Works nicely for my occasional use.
I've had that one for years. Works great.
I've been using a Harbor Freight bar for over ten years on everything from Lola Formula 3 cars to John Deere tractors. I paid $10.
GarthKlaus Hell yeah!!
Wow, the BS is knee deep round here.
I have had the Pittsburgh for over a year and cannot tell the difference from when using the snap on one from my old job. And i got it when it was on sale for 16$ this is absolutely the best value out of all of them. The HF premium hand tools are basically as good now a days. I also use the same ratchets
i git a pittsburgh and i take it to exchange everyother weeknd
Icon brand lands in the middle.
It's nothing to special about a breaker bar, and the test was a side by side comparison and all held up just fine and for the money I would go with the Pittsburgh and I'll use my 20% off coupon for the better deal. Thanks for the video
Jerry Fife Damn right!
Problem with the Pittsburgh is the bolt in the swivel will break long before the bar does. Had 2 of them break in year
This is why most Mechanics are broke, they buy waaaay overpriced tools then make "payments" similar to a payday loan . Snap on is a rip off before and after the sale. Defend them, use them, stay broke, its your choice.
I'm all for shopping local, supporting mom 'n' pop hardware stores, and buying products made in America but I too would buy the Harbor Freight one. For the record, I'm just a DIY car enthusiast and not a mechanic by trade.
Dont forget the free item
I work at harbor freight and they just showed you video for training lol
Is that a joke?
@@ryanmickelwait1521 Nope ive heard harbor freight using a lot of creators videos for information, thats why theres new colors of carts.
@@shaneomac7536 So they are about the only company that listens to people who use their stuff?
that's just awesome
@@ryanmickelwait1521 They do sorta, they will put out coupons and discontinue them months before they were to expire, they also wont honor the price either! Only because its a good deal!
Harbor freight bar. The rest of the cash was used on beer 👍
American made beer!!!
In 1976 I was a service teck for a national mfg. As such overhauling customers equipt. was always a challange! I was stuck on one job in particular where I had to remove a internal safety relief valve and I only had a 1/2 inch drive Craftsman breaker bar it was a 24"! the only socket available anywhere near was a 1 3/4" by 3/4 drive. I had to use it with a 3/4" x 1/2" reducer and the 1/2" x 24" Craftsman breaker bar,and a 6' pipe on the end and 2 people at once trying to take out this s/r valve ! The valve didnt come out but we did bend the Craftsmen breaker bar 8" out of shape before the 1/2" drive shattered like a .457 magnum gun shot. Say what you will about Craftsman tools, but after that I swore by Craftsman Tools , they were tough!
Still in production?
Harbor frieght: when was this bought?
Me: about a month ago, but I lost the receipt.
Harbor freight: **exchanges**
*Limited lifetime warranty achieved.*
Hand tools all have a lifetime warranty. Even if they changed the design. Take it in and grab a new one lol
David Piehl yeah I broke my 3/8th torque wrench because I was desperate and used it as a breaker bar. Went in and just said some of the teeth broke and the guy just told me to grab another one and sign an exchange receipt. Didn’t need my number or original receipt. After that I was like damn, should buy everything from here.
J J all warranties say that.
ive never needed a receipt to exchange a tool but ive only ever broken ratchets
it's like in the old days when you dig up a wrench in the backyard and you were pretty sure it might say Craftsman on it and Sears was just like sure fuck it take whatever you want.
Do some destructive testing now ! Would love to know the failure point of each !
alaskanshannon he can't do it because he will be out $400. they don't warranty abuse.
+alaskanshannon hmmm...I show proof with calibrated equipment....not quite a theory is it?
+Real Tool Reviews careful, don't feed the trolls
Real Tool Reviews I'd also like to see the failure point on each using the calibrated equipment. I think it would give a quantified answer to the age old question of hf vs. usa
Agreed, they are all warrantied anyways, guessing the anvil/screw will break first anyways.
I've been a professional auto tech for 25 years. I've amassed a good amount of Craftsman, Snap-on, Mac, Matco and Cornwell tools in that time, but I have a lot of Pittsburgh tools! They are becoming what Craftsman used to be. The quality is improving and the prices are impossible to beat. GREAT comparison video!
I was thinking that too. Craftsman used to be a great tool for reasonable price.
@@Second.Nature.Lawn.Michigan ..and now StanleyBlack&Decker thinks Craftsman should be a reasonably good(not great) tool for a great(as in too much) price...similar quality tools to Husky, Kobalt, Pittsburgh for 2-3 times the price...no thanks...
I bought a normal Pittsburgh breaker bar which is 25 inches no rubber grip. That thing has came in handy quite a few times.
Does it flex a bunch?
I'll spend more on power or complex tools but 99% of simple shit like this is great from HF.
I own the Pittsburg and it's been a very good tool. No complaints at all....
Saved myself a hundred bucks....
Bought the pittsburgh pro breaker bar this weekend for $10. $10 freaken dollars
I don't know how many times I've got back to the shop saying "Harbor Freight for the WIN!! ". I own a lot of Snap On also. Some things I only buy from Snap On and some things I only buy from HF.
My father was an auto mechanic his whole life. His snap-on tool sets at work and home were insane. He had an affinity for Harbor Freight for some things and I never understood it. Now I do.
So the $17 breaker bar did the same thing as the ones that cost $120 - $150.
Yessir, I’m picking up the Pittsburg for mainly lugs, and normal stuff with a lifetime warranty you can’t beat it!
Harbor freight has some great products but you have to know what you’re looking for it’s a hit or miss with them I have the icon flex 1/4in and fixed 3/8in and 1/2in comfort grip ratchets and a set of metric icon sockets I beat the hell out of them and they still take it like a champ and haven’t had to use warranty once yet the impact sockets are great as well they perform just as well as husky and the Quinn serious is their competitor to kobalt and icon is their competitor to snap-on Maddox has some great specialty tools no issues so far and I have a us general cart with single lid and drawer I got for $80 can’t complain they work great
@@calebikner4925 I used to only buy craftsman or Stanley. Now I'm exclusively Pittsburgh or Icon. I don't work full time at a shop so don't need to worry about "it breaking" and they have never let me down. The cheap $20 drills or buffers are hit or miss though.
Yeah but it doesn't last as long as a good quality one
@@funfromupnorth6808 lol I snapped the anvil off my snap-on bar. No pun intended.
I'm a heavy equipment mechanic and own tools from just about every manufacturer. My 1/2 drive breaker bar is a harbor freight 9 dollar special without the comfort grip and I've never have had a problem with it. Just about every time I use it I put a pipe on it and it keeps holding up... to me $20 vs $140 is a no brainer
Deere Green if it holds up doing heavy equipment with a pipe it's a damn good breaker bar then.
Deere Green
I just discovered this channel, after doing some research into Harbor Freight Automotive 3-Ton Jacks. To say I suddenly have a severe case of tool envy is an understatement! I've been binge watching your videos and can't get enough! Awesome channel with fantastic, non-biased reviews and real world scenarios! I look forward to your future videos!
The Dayton 3 ton at hf rock's
I got one first came out n use it allot on the farm
I hope Harbor Freight is paying you. You have probably sold 20,000 Earthquake XTs all by yourself.
When AvE says they are good and this guy says they are good then you better just go buy one.
My 1/2 Porter Cable impact blew up it's valve in the trigger and it was cheaper to buy a 3/4 XT with more than double the torque.....back in the 30's my uncle had a garage & gas station which we either ran or rented out. We bought Craftsman tools and had money left over for equipment and those "specialty" tools.
I have an earthquake XT and one from Cornwell tools. I recommend Cornwell over the earthquake. Its lighter and has more torque even though its advertised has having less. The earthquake was advertised as 1100 ft lbs or break away. Not even close. My cornwell was advertised as having 1000 it easily has 1200
@@larryhood9162 So have you used calibrated testing equipment to verify anything? Cause some of the most well known tool testers have (real tool review & AvE ) and the XT appears to be a world beater on performance / cost by all accounts. I suggest you watch some more reviews. As for Cornwell, never heard of them or seen them in my neck of the woods, had to google them. They look nice enough, seem to be in the Napa Carlyle price range, they even share that nice blue color, does Cornwell make Napas tools?
Pft, ain't a real test until you put a 5 or 6 foot cheater pipe on the end of it. That's when things get interesting!
snap on wont cover your a ss if you do that
pop eye Funny you say that, they certainly covered mine the sheared the drive head off. He even chuckled as he asked how long of a pipe I had on it as he handed me a new bar.
it just depends on your snap on guy. I have the half inch ratchet with the rubber soft grip handle. snapped part of the handle clean off near the bottom using my cheater pipe and he smiled at me and said "now don't go askin that pipe for help again, or he's paying for your next one".
my dealer used to have a 30 something mm long ring spanner on the truck that he warrantied, because it was bent in half when a truck was lowered onto it.
I'm sitting here thinking how is that comfort grip going to look after we use the 5 foot pipe.
Anybody who watched this and still buys a Snap On, Mac, or Matco breaker bar......well, good luck to ya. Snap On needs to make toilet paper and sell it for $7 a roll. They'd make a killing. People would buy it. You know they would.
They'll justify it by saying that Snap On toliet paper won't break and get poop on their fingers and after they've wiped their ass they can re-use the same sheet of tp for the rest of the month.
You can't get that kind of quality with Charmin.
Yep they would. It all comes down to marketing the product and price are secondary.
Adam Moore , you yanks are hilarious, “buy American” and keep jobs in the country, unless they’re expensive of course!
It's worth the quality tools. I was a mechanic for a while and went through a ton of cheap tools until I started replacing them with Mac Tools. Even then those break but Mac, Snap-On, Cornwell and all those guys have lifetime warranties and they never did me wrong.
I got the harbor freight one, but I also bought the Mac one for 65 bucks since I got a student discount. Am I still an imbecile? I just really like the Mac logo... (Not being sarcastic. ^_^)
Snap-on, keeping mechanics broke since they were introduced.
@tim smith I don't disagree
with you. However I have no problem giving my money to a company that has a great product for a better price.
@@Fnoel98356 That's what's great about capitalism. Consumer wins in the end.
@@G34RH34D cap
Sounds like the best choice is obvious. You could go through six of the Pittsburghs before coming close to the others price wise.
Shawn_358 I could break 6 in a week lol. Rather buy the snapon and get another if it ever breaks
sjpro1 your justification makes no sense. he said they're all warrantied... so go through 6 for free smart one. also it did the most torque in this test. idk what their limits are but most people probably couldn't find a spot to need more than around 200 ft lbs anyway. You over paid, you know it and now you're trying yo justify it. sometimes it just sucks to suck man. we all make buying mistakes
Yes you can get habor freight replaced but some people can't stop everything and run to the store to replace it and job still needs done snapon or Mac won't break as often and in pinch all you have to do is call your tool dealer and he will bring one out to you
You'd still be under the price of the closest priced bar.
You can't stop by HF on your lunch break, but you can wait a week for the dealer to come by? lol Get the fuck out of here... Every real mechanic has a spare for essential tools anyway.
Geez, that pittsburg is easier to warranty out the same day too if you ever needed to. My favorite is Armstrong. It's about $60 when I bought mine and you just never have to warranty it out. It's a beast! Chrome is chipping from flex fatigue and abuse, but what a trooper!
Sadly Armstrong is no more....APEX Tool Group killed it & is shutting down the factory! www.thestate.com/news/business/article126068444.html
Real Tool Reviews wow that is sad. I got some Armstrong stuff here and there. Great stuff.
briansmobile1
Armstrong actually makes the matco bars .
I have only broken one Pittsburgh socket. I went to Harbor Freight and they gave me a new one. The quality is there for hand tools. Can't see spending 150 plus instead of 20. Great video.
I've tried to break HF sockets and they stand up just as well as any.
I proudly paid $14.99 for my Pittsburgh pro with a coupon and I absolutely love it.
Bryan took me 15 years to snap my 3/4 bar and they gave me a brand new one no questions asked. And I got it from my dad and I don’t know how long he owned it but I know it was used commercially as he owned his own auto shop. A 10 foot black iron pipe is when finally killed it
DIZZY KNUTSAK so you enjoy supporting a communist country and giving money to build their military against the USA?
@@joeframer9642 Taiwan is a Democracy!
@@joeframer9642 Last I checked Taiwan isn't communist. And I have some very high quality tools made in Taiwan.
@@joeframer9642 Taiwan is not China. I am all about USA-made tools. I really try to stay away from Chinese-made tools if I can help it. Really don't trust them at all. Not to mention the whole unmentionable bs we all know about. But Taiwan makes good quality tools for the money. Some even better than the old USA-made tools. Hurts to say, but true. Hopefully in the future that can change.
One time I bought a bearing puller set from a tool magazine, for 29.99, when I received it I was shocked to see it was the exact same 199 dls set my buddy had from Matco, everything was the same, the only thing my set was missing was the "Matco" sticker on the case, dont be fooled by brands.
Funny, some of these "sets" that you can buy from Harbor Freight go for half the price on Amazon now...
Matco is Chinese
I'm a poor man, so I'll take the Pittsburgh.
I fixed my Harley Road King this summer. I replaced the stator and for those of you who've done it knows that the compensator nut is a MF to break loose. My buddy who owns a mechanic garage let me borrow his snap on breaker bar. And of course I used a cheater bar on it, and of course it's obviously called snap on because it snapped on me (damn! Luckily he got it replaced under warranty lol) I then borrowed my other buddies HF one. So I'm thinking if the snap on snapped so will this cheap one! Yup got the job done!!!! Went out and bought one too. Thanks HF!!!!!!
While I love and own many quality tools, I did purchase a HF breaker bar a couple of months ago during a parking lot sale. It was $12. Pretty hard to beat.
I just bought a bunch of Pittsburgh tools and for a good price too! I would definitely say go for them if you're on a budget. They're very durable!
Why am I watching this? I don't even need a breaker bar.
+Trey Hornick correction....you didn't know you needed a breaker bar 😉
Same
Trey Hornick everyone needs a breaker bar your ratchets will last way longer if you use breaker bar first;)
Everyone needs a breaker bar. You look so much more badass using it on intruder than a golf club.
...and I guess why am I reading reviews? I've got to find something to do.
I did break a Harbor Freight breaker bar, my 240 pounds bouncing on it trying to get a shock bolt loose. I did not warranty it, I am certain most breaker bars would have broken. But I took my happy ass down bought another one and use it still today. So I am out 40 bucks and maybe 20 minutes of my time. FYI when it broke it did sound like a gun going off.
Rusted and Trusted There was no warranty what so ever??? I was under the impression all PITTSBURGH tools are a life time warranty. You simply bring in the broken tool and you get a new one no question ask.
There are those of us that have a modicum of personal ethics where we believe that if we have done something clearly abusive to a tool that we don't warrantee it because it's not morally right. I, and apparently Rusted and Trusted, feel the same way about this.
SATAMAN Schmidt morally right? You sir are dumb and probably poor
Well wrong and very wrong Sean. I'm a PhD electrical engineer who worked for forty years in the semiconductor industry prior to my retirement and if I own 500 shares of Snap-On stock, which I mention above, at the current market value of SNA: 170.76 per share that means I own $85,280 worth. And, that's not my biggest stock holding so the poor part doesn't seem too likely unless of course I'm being compared to Warren Buffet. The scum balls don't always win.
They shouldn't pay for my stupid.
Thank you Real Tool for the videos. Because of you I don't waste my money on cheap grade tools any more.
Nor do you waste your money on over-priced over-hyped tools.
If I lived in the US I would probably buy all harbor freight tools. The price is just unbeatable. It's as simple as that and if you do happen to break one of these breaker bars then you need a bigger bar for the job anyway.
I am a huge Harbor Freight fan, and when it comes to certain tools you can't go wrong. Breaker bars, for example. I have the Pittsburgh Pro breaker bar and I love it. When it comes to power tools, however, I wouldn't recommend buying a $10 angle grinder.
I have their 2HP dust collector. It's fantastic, and much cheaper than name brands.
Hand tools fuck yeah, power tools ehhh depends on the job lol
fanosoX their newer air tools are solid. Loot at AvE's Earthquake XT video.
Yea anything over 50 dollars is too damn much for a any mechanical hand tool.
I'm grateful I can buy tools here and there, never really buy big name brands but harbor freight gets the job done
I'd love to see a similar video on ratcheting torque wrenches.
Stay tuned.....I have torque wrench testers also.....
Paul the Hutt at military Aviation we use snap on and Proto torque wrenches only I've seen them taking all kinds of abuse and keep getting certified for accuracy every 90 days
Paul the Hutt subscribed for the next video
Airman glad to see my tax dollars being used to buy quality tools made in America
I've heard/read that one can get them calibrated by ARP @ NHRA events.
I've had the Pittsburgh breaker for many years. Removed countless lug nuts, axle nuts and other suspension components. I've even jumped on it to remove a stubborn axle nut. The thing just works and is a fraction of the price of the "tool truck" brands. Definitely a gem from Harbor Freight.
Harbor freight breaker bars all day long !!! price and quality are great.
Thank you so much for having a no nonsense review! I work with guys who have 60,000 dollars worth of snap on tools and there are some things that snap on does better than others, but hf does make some pretty good stuff too!
Snapon are the only company who make hammers that are in spec to .0000001 grams. You should spend $100 per snapon hammer. They are also self cleaning.
Great video I loved it but because I usually only work on my cars 90 % of my tools are from harbor freight the other 10% are craftsman but it's always nice to have an idea about the difference among each one of these tools....
It blows my mind that people think they need snap on everything
Same kind of mentality that makes people line up outside the Apple Store for every new iPhone
Trippy_Trolls true
@Trippy_Trolls I disagree after my experience. Their finish is awful, had to send back 2 brand new, still wrapped sets of flank drives. Multiple wrenches in each set had chrome cracks or debris on the wrench that was just chromed over. Absolutely pathetic for a premium brand like snap on
My cousins have an auto salvage here in mid missouri and we use a variety of tools from old MAC, Craftsman, Sears Tool Co, and Snap On. While we typically use Snap On in the shop and the cheap tools out in the yard we have found that tools are going to brake regarless of how well you treat them. Obviously they will last longer if you tree them well, but we have broke just as many Snap On tools as we have of any other brand. My particular favorite is an old Craftsman 1/2 breaker bar with a 36 inch chrome moly handel from the 60's
I have one of them as well. I have broke it once and they replaced it right away. That was before Kmart bought it and ran Sears into the ground.
I have a snap on and a Pittsburgh brand 1/2 inch breaker bars. I use the Pittsburgh the most.
I have a S-K that's nearly 40 years old. If it got stolen and I needed to replace it I'd get the Harbor Freight, maybe a Tekton, perhaps a Kobalt. Gearwrench and Performance Tool are other alternatives. I'm with you on this; breaker bars aren't rocket science.
I do the same. I have a "cheapy" alternative for most of my "premiums" and usually use the cheap ones because they are easier to replace.
I have a Snap on I purchased used from an estate sale, it is date coded 1950, minus the plastic handle it is pretty much the same as a new one after cleaning it with acetone then hitting it on my buffer it looks as good as when the dead guy that originally purchased it and used if professionally for probably 40 years. I have had two Harbor Freight Breaker bars the first one I purchased when I work there back in 1998 maybe 1999 the end broke off it when I was trying to get a rusty lug nut off a 1960 Cadillac. I warranted it back in 2007 maybe 2008 for another one and it's plastic handle loosened up I am not a fan of having a tool break when I need it I'm not telling anybody to buy snap on Mac or Matco but you pay for what you get and a tool truck tool is an heirloom Quality Tool that will more than likely outlive you. Now that being said my HF breaker bar is now in my junk yard tool box because it was cheap enough that if I lose it or break it I'm not going to be mad where is my Snap-on breaker bar is in my toolbox in my personal garage and I am scared to loan it to anyone because of how much they cost
Atomic Reverend Alexander you’re absolutely right, you get what you pay for! If breaking from rusted nuts and grips loosening up is all I need to worry about for the rest of my life, I’d gladly pay for 9 breaker bars from harbor freight before I ever bought 1 from snap on. However, harbor freight has a lifetime warranty on them so at the end of the day I’ll pay 1/10th of what I ever would buying snap on and always get the same results.
Atomic Reverend Alexander Another die hard snap on junky with a proven 100 year old snap on tool still going strong but uses cheap harbor freight tools and breaks them twice as much as anyone else. Yeah right!!! The only reason you still have the snap on is because you don’t use it because it’s to “ valuable “ just like every other snap on snob out there. They all claim they are the best and in the same sentence say they pull out their harbor freight tool to get the job done. That $16 HF beaker bar is just as good as Snap-on. All tools break and mostly at the blame of the operator not the tool.
I've been a professional mechanic at many dealerships since 1992 and I used to think only snap-on or Mac tools were acceptable. Currently I have two of the Pittsburgh 24 inch breaker bars and have nothing but good results with them. Granted I wouldn't buy Chinese air tools since I think they're junk, but for something simple like a 1/2 inch breaker bar with a lifetime warranty for less than 20 bucks is a no brainer, even it breaks 👍
i agree with almost everything except for the air tool part. i dont know where they are made, but air cat air tools are way better (and cheaper) than their snap on or mac twins.
Just to let you know that most the top Milwaukee, DeWalt, and Makita are mostly made in China. Milwaukee warranty their tools for 5 years and Snop-On only 1 year. Time has changed.
the new harbor freight earthquake air tools are decent...
@@workingshlub8861 fuck yes they are
Thanks for this video. It's great having these comparisons. Glad that the brands that spend more on marketing than others, can be put to the test.
well I have a snap on and mac one both and about four years ago I went and bought 4 of the Pittsburg ones because I put a cheater on my mac and tore the handle up and got sick to my stomach because of the price and I figured since the the 4 Hf ones where so cheap I they would brake easy but I am still on the first one and and can't brake it even with a 3 foot cheater
That's why I don't buy comfort grip
ohh boooyy.. Time to grab some popcorn. These comments are sure to be off the hook. lol
That's what I was thinking lol
Haha I came here for the comments too. Any Time Snap-on and Harbor Freight are in the title you know the comment section is gonna be good :D
Absolutely.
Auto Fix Pal yea listen to all the idiots
South main auto repair. lol You should know since you do awesome vids too. Comparing tools is almost as bad as comparing truck brands. You get the fan bois fighting and it never ends. lol
I'm occasionally evil. I have been known to say my dad says fords are better. lol
Harbor freight looks like a savings on paper, but in the real world you will spend just as much or more on the other 17 things you didn't go in there for. Seriously that place is addicting.
Same can be said with snap on and macco trucks. Only youd spend a few hundred at HF and a few thousand with snap on and macco
I was new with working on cars when I bought the Pittsburgh Pro breaker bar and for only $15 it has been a great investment for sure
GREAT video and GREAT channel!! Love your work, keep it going.
Earned my sub. I've watched a few of your videos now and your content is superb 👌
Was hoping to see the breaking point.
I am proud to say that I am a full time HF mechanic. I have a family to support. I don't need a lifetime of tool payments on top of it. Every video you see will show you HF keep right up with all those big brand name tool companies for a fraction of the price.
I GOT MY 1/2 INCH PITTSBURGH BREAKER BAR FOR $14.99
SWEET DEAL ~ THE GREATEST TOOL IN THE STORE.
I'd like to know at which point each break.
Tony West I weigh 260lbs I put a 5 food steel pipe on my harbor freight breaker bar as a “Chester’s pipe” so probably 6 feet total and had me and another guy pushing down on it to snap a lugnut of an Isuzu aircraft fueling truck and it has no bend at all
Why? If its a true concern for you, you should never have tools in your hands.
@@DiscordCriminal So something to the tune of 2000 ft-lbs LOL. Might as well attach an engine block to the handle end and use the hoist as leverage if you're dealing with those forces.
@@nothankyou5524 It's to see what manufacturer cheapens out on design. I mean, that was kind of an easy response. Took me no effort at all to think about it lol
I’m a mechanic for the railroad and I use a lot of bluepoint and snap on tools. In my personal life I use harbor freight tools for convenience. There is no difference in comparison besides ratcheting wrenches which is the gear ratio. Big tool companies are making a killing off “name brand”
How could anyone who is being honest with themself dislike this video? There was no observable bias and the facts were presented in a clear no nonsense manner.
As I start to watch this video I want to appreciate and say: thanks, cz you spent your money to show us this test.
There is another good choice if you are not fixated on a comfort grip. The Proto 24" is made in USA and has a street price around $33. Zoro often has 20% off coupons and a flat shipping rate of $5 and free for orders over $50. The straight knurled handle will also stand up better than a comfort grip if you do use a cheater pipe.
I'm going to Harbor Freight.
My son is a diesel tech. While he does have Mac and Snap On tools, he mainly uses Tekton. They have lifetime warranty. You break something, you take a photo and they ship you a new one. He went with Tekton because of the student discount and reward points they offered Tech Students. He didn't want to start his career off in debt. He said that he would figure out as he progresses what was marketing versus useful tools. I am proud of him being open minded. After two years on the job in a Tractor & Trailer shop his tools are still performing well.
Many people would think that the Pittsburgh bar is of inferior quality because it is made in Taiwan. But unlike China, Taiwan is an advanced economy and developed country that is known to make very high quality products. Taiwan companies pay their workers a fair living wage. The reason that the Pittsburgh bar could cost so little is because companies like Harbor Freight has a very low profit margin. Do you think the founders of Snap On became billionaires by charging fair prices on American made goods? They are exploiting the Made in America sticker on their products to charge a premium.
The Snap On soft handles swell and fall apart if you get any oil on them. If you're going with Snap On, I would get the one without the rubber grip. The Harbor Freight one doesn't have this issue, you can get oil on them for years, nothing happens.
yep/ i have a 3/8 wrench with comfort grip that wont stay on and even though i had to pay them to fix it 3 times it still never fixed it and so wont warranty it. S/O is dishonest when it comes to warranty.
My dad was a master mechanic for over 50 years . He took me to the place where it worked at 7 I could take a car apart and back together by 12 . He had almost all craftsman tools but a few snap on proto matco and a few no names. He told me always by the tool that lasts and has a great warranty.When be passed away I got his tool and there worth over 70k I have almost all craftsman when I buy a new tool. I got sad when the started making them in china now there sold to stanley. Then the 2 sears closed which were 45 miles now I have to go 64 miles. I do not have to buy tools very often so I am trying harbor freight
I would like this test craftsman one and see what it does.
Lowes is starting to carry craftsman now. I don't know if the quality is as good as it used to be. Turns out at Lowes it is the bigger things like toolboxes, etc... Not the regular hand tools.
My Craftsman bar has never failed me. But I am in the market for a new bar trust me I am going to Harbor Freight.
Your videos are excellent. Very thorough with succinct explanations. Thank you.
The "old" Craftsman tools were great for lifetime warranties. I can't imagine name branded (Snap on, MAC, SK, etc.) wrenches, breaker bars, or torque wrenches (other than ratcheting unit) that broke without the help of a cheater bar/pipe.
It’s 2 am. I’m watching this and am not single. I guess I suck. Lol
After breaking countless snap-on ratchets to the point my dealer refuses to repair them any longer I've just recently purchased a Pittsburgh long handled ratchet with the 5 degree head, it performs awsome and was only $26. That's less then what snap on wants for a rebuild kit. Yes it's not as convenient as having the truck roll in once a week but the store has better hours and is open every day... no waiting for the truck to pull in.
I've been buying Snap-On, Mac and Matco for many years and I always wondered how bad I'm getting ripped off, its a shame they didn't have tests like this 20-30 years ago.
Well you're smarter than most people majority of guys will not admit to their mistakes
Ripped off? No. Made in the USA means workers with a good hourly wage, health benefits, retirement benefits, time off benefits, fair work hours. Made in Taiwan means $5 an hour workers with no benefits. It doesnt take a genius to know that Made in the USA costs a lot more.
I'm digging Harbor Freight tools more and more these days. I don't have many tools. What I have is cheap, Mickey Mouse junk. I don't even have a tool box yet. But I'm looking into Harbor Freight tools very closely. Tool boxes too. For a simple, trucker like me, I don't need tens of thousands of dollars in tools. Just the basics.
I have had my 20 dollar harbor freight for I don't even know now and YES I have a 4 foot steel pipe I slide over the end I call the rust equalizer and have never had a problem
I use the same pipe, only about 2 foot long, on my pipe wreches too
I used 3/4 breaker bar from harbor freight with 6 foot fence pipe to remove frozen lug nut off my peterbilt. Didn’t break the Pittsburgh tool
k my 2 cents...I have a bar from hf and one from snap on, im not real sure how that happened but I have em both...but I also have a hf 3/4 drive ratchet...yeah doesn't have a lot to do w a breaker bar but my point is that I was loosening u bolt nuts to remove an axle from a military truck, they hadn't been touched in 25 years, and I was using this ratchet cuz they were too close to the ground to use an impact...but I was using a 10 ft length of antenna mast as a cheater bar...and I was lunging on that bar with all I had, it had to be around 400 to 800 lbs ft of torque and I got all 8 of them off w no damage to that ratchet...hf tools don't fear the cheater! lol that reminds me of an old song...anyway I like hf stuff, if u do ur homework and kno what ur buying, they r great
I'm going to picking up one of the HF Pro breaker bars shortly, I just had a Crapsman breaker bar replaced because it broke, and have yet to catch up with the Snap On truck to replace my Snap On breaker bar that is also broke. Neither of the 2 liked a 2 foot pipe on them.
@@peekee186 Yeah 3/4" hardware is just so much more BEEF in the diameter, it can handle an absolute abusing. Mine are proto and wright, but I'd bet those HF's with that thickness are stout as can be.
I have been buying harbor freight tools for years now. not one complaint. I have broken many I have lost many but never been screwed around on getting a replacment. I fell into the snap on deal when I was young do yourself a favor dont.
Welp... I am now in this part of youtube.
Taco Stacks Me too. But I spend much more time over in your part of UA-cam. ;)
i have been using the the the Pittsburgh one. It is a beast. I managed to pick up a corner of the van trying to break loose an axle nut. The bar bent about 30 degrees but stayed together and became straight again. (btw, i lift weights). I thought it was going to break, but it didnt.
Living on a fixed income I would go with the harbor freight, I could not afford the others. Great review! :-)
Some people just show off that they have a snap on. But no money left for other things
Pittsburg now. after seeing this video. u can agree.
The gap between harbor freight and the pro tools is shrinking. 90% of my tools are HF but I do own the snappy tools that are actually important. I wouldn't touch a tool truck unless I was in 10 years minimum and had cash to burn. And most of the snap on stuff is made by other vendors private label for them. Buying direct from those vendors can save tons of money.
Ehahahahaa...stanley...er...um...mac tools....ehackkkk.
....dewalt..ummm....mac electric tools....hmmmm
Air cat, erm... I mean Mac impact gun.
best one is snap on rebranding CDI torque wrenches got 3/8 and 1/2 for about 150 each on Amazon still cheaper than one snap on branded one. snap on makes nice ratchets but most everything else is a huge rip off.
Snap-on owns CDI and there is difference between them. The obvious is the ratchet end, the Snap-on is a USA made head that Snap-on manufactures and the CDI is a Taiwan head and there are other differences as well.
I have a Pittsburg from Harbor Freight, a Duralast from Autozone and a Power Torque from O'Reilly Auto Parts. They work good. Never had an issue with anyone of them. Lifetime warranty on all of them as well.
I have 2 of those 3, the HF 25" with the external head design and the power torque that doubles as a long extension. Both professional quality.
I broke a 3/8 Drive 18" Harbor Freight breaker bar with one arm... I walked in and got an identical looking replacement, no questions asked... The replacement bar has held up to everything I've given it. Harbor freight tools are cheap but the quality of the heat treatment on each batch varies.
crazy Pittsburgh taking the tool world by storm who da guessed it
cool
I'd like to see what torque these fail at
Assuming that I am able to do that test at some point.....what constitutes failure? A bend (permanent) in the tool? The head shearing off? The pivot bolt snapping? The grip slipping off? I think that there are a lot of possibilities --- and this would be another big argument between everyone, because (for example) if the Snap on bent @ 400 ft-lbs & wouldn't go back straight --- but the Matco snapped at 402 ft-lbs.....1/2 the people would say Matco is better --- and 1/2 would say that Snap-on is better, since is "just bent". Do you see the problem here?
Real Tool Reviews doesn't matter what people say. Do the failure tests and present them. I would say that even if you would test one bar 3 times, you would get different failures. So double the mark and see which one makes it or survive the most and what happens when they don't.
3 tools each X $430 = $1,290.....yeah, not something I will be doing for $10 in UA-cam views.
I am a mechanic and working in the field a failure would be anything that causes the tool to be useless and not able to make you money. a bend is still usable and able to make someone money. however all 4 tools do have a lifetime warrantee but also now comes to the convience factor of the warrantee I know from personal experience snap on mac and matco all fix or replace with no issues and they come to me atleast once a week so there is no down time in your busy day. I have no experience trying to warrantee things at harbor freight so I can not comment there.
Harbor freight warranties anything with zero questions. I've spent over $10,000 there and only time something broke was when it was abused in a reckless manner I knew would probably result in death of the tool. They really don't care.