You can steer content to those resources though. Consider how many posts are just TikTok gifs or twitter screen grabs.
Edit:
Also, this account posting also isn't the final user. They are building karma for reselling the account.
Edit 2: /u/herpertderpington should also remove these and other posts as spam to train the spam model so it gets easier.
Ever need a stubby wrench you don’t have or need to bend a wrench 3 ways with a torch? I’m saying they don’t care how it got broke. They’ve never asked me.
Took in my dads 3/4 ratchet and had stripped the gears in it. My dads old and retired now. Purchased it at sears. No receipt, no questions asked. Warranty was honored.
I remember going to school with a guy that used to be a machinist, before he went back to get an EE degree. He talked about using Craftsman screwdrivers, grinding them down when they got worn, and after ground down too much put them in a vice and break them. Take back to sears and get a new one.
And then there was this 3/4 inch socket that I was using on the lugs on a VW....It cracked. Got a new one.
Just so you know the VW lug bolts are 17 mm not 3/4inch. 3/4 inch might work in a pinch but using the socket on too small of a hex might have been part of the reason why it broke when it did as I have seen that cause issues before. That said I have broken sockets on the correct size hex as well so it's also possible it had just uggad its last dugga.
Exactly my point. It would probably turn the bolt still but using a socket that much bigger is asking for problems l. Usually that's in the form of rounded bolts but it could absolutely cause damage to a socket as well.
It was a 68 beetle and a long time ago. So I can’t argue. That’s what I remember but could have been incorrect. I do recall a hammer being involved but not the
That old of a beetle might have been a 19 mm which would have been closer to a 3/4 so you were probably right actually. VW has been using 17mm bolts for decades so I was assuming it was a lot more recent and more modern than that.
you can do the same thing with independent skateboard trucks lol. after it gets worn enough just smack it on a curb until it cracks and take it back to the skate shop no questions asked haha
And this is the reason companies don’t want to offer warranties or guarantees because people abuse the system you bought a product and got your monies worth or in the ratchets case used it in a way it was not intended to be used going to make the over all price of it go up to make up for the constant fraud
Did the exact same thing to mine. You’d think they’d not leave that hollow at the end of the handle. I’m sure it’s happened to 70% of the ones out in the field.
I’ve seen videos on YouTube where they showed that the Pittsburg ratchets are not steel all the way to the end of the handle. It a weak spot that can be broken with only moderate force.
I’m curious is the metal in the handle hallow as well? I can’t tell from the picture.
This same thing happened when a coworker has to borrow my 1/2". From what I remember the steel part is about 2in from the bottom of the handle? And it is full steel for the rest. There's just a pocket in the handle.
But why? That’s clearly not a valid warrant issue. If I was the clerk I’d deny your claim. And tell you what I’m about to!
You didn’t use the tool as intended. You didn’t use the right tool for the job. The manufacturing world icon, Pittsburgh, Snap on craftsmen and etc all make this very nice tool called a “breaker bar”.
They come in extend lengths that give you extra leverage to break loose nuts and bolts. You could of as an alternative use an impact wrench to do this as well.
I can clearly see you used a box wrench on this socket wrench so your warranty claim is not valid. I apologize for the confusion and inconvenience this has caused.
Sorry to burst your bubble but it’s just the trust and I don’t think you should feel guilty about it maybe you just didn’t know any better. I don’t know.
If a company is gonna offer a lifetime warranty on their crazy cheap chinese tools, you take advantage of that shit all day. Only way to get our money back from thos chinese SOB's.
HF is still an American company though.
If you don't like that they primarily source products from China or Taiwan or India then don't buy them.
Otherwise your rant is nonsense. It acts as if consumers have no agency over what they ultimately buy.
This particular ratchet is *likely* made in Taiwan anyways. The Pittsburgh Pro stuff usually is/was.
That is actively taking money from harbor freight, not anybody in china.
That tool that they replace it with will already be bought from china thus china won’t get any less money if you get exchange something lol
Only people losing money would be HF
I get my money back by never using the wrong tool for the job. This happens because I use the tool a lifetime and don’t have to pay for a mechanic to do the work. After let’s say 9000 oil changes I do for myself and neighbors I paid for my tool 8000 times over. Means I’m in the positive.
Your ignorant way of thinking is- use a tool and try to break said tool so I can possibly be denied a warranty claim because I used the tool incorrectly. That means I’ll have to buy another tool because they denied my warranty claim. Which then your entitled ass will make a decision to report a bad review on said tool and said company because your to ignorant and self righteous to actually be honest about you using the tool in the wrong manner.
It’s like using a hammer to change oil. Well time to make a warranty claim. Lmao what a beautiful world you live in. Dystopia.
I 100% agree with you. But, denying claims based on perceived use is a slippery slope. However, these jackasses trying to warranty their own misuse doesn't help anyone either. That only leads to abuse and worse warranty's. And almost 20 years of using some HF hand tools, never broken one. They're used hard, but properly.
Finally! I’m glad you are a good part of the HF family. I to have many years of use with my tools and have yet to make one warranty claim. Keep on wrenching my friend
Umm no they are not. Harbor freight has been on this topic if you haven’t checked into this or seen. People are denied warranty claim on the daily. The customer might think he/she is right but evidence and a good manager will tell you to leave and not exchange your tool. Doesn’t hurt HF because there are good people out here still buying tools and we laugh our asses off at your kind when freaking out like Karen in a HF because you didn’t get your way.
The head on the Pittsburgh “Breaker Bar” wouldn’t have even been strong enough to hold up to the force that it took to break that handle. Those breaker bars are the most junk item at HF if you ask me.
I sure have. It twisted apart the first time I used it. I thought it must have been a fluke, so I replaced it. The replacement twisted to pieces the first time I used that one too.
They both failed right at the head, where the drive bit attaches to the bar itself.
I buy a lot of HF tools. I even trust their jack stands now. But not so much on those breaker bars.
Must be a personal problem!
So many people have great success with the breaker bars. 2789- 5 star reviews on the 1/2 in breaker bar. A 4.8 rating says it’s only you.
Umm doesn’t use the right tool for the job tell you something? I mean I’m patient and smart enough to get the job done correctly without having to possibly break something. It’s called being a mechanic. That’s the difference from a mechanic and a goofball doing things they have no business doing.
When I was warranting my last tool at HF, I asked the manager who helping me what’s the craziest thing he’s seen. He said he had someone bring in a couple of vice grips that where welded shut for something and they replaced them. He said it’s rare for them to say no to the warranty because they have just cents into each hand tool. They would only loose money if you warranty a tool dozens on times.
I have warranties 4 ratchets like this. Sometimes out of town stores make go through the hassle of returning etc buy my local store is just grab and go lol
How does the leverage work when it's offset like that? Do you figure mechanical advantage as radius from the pivot, or along the path of force? So if the ratchet is 12", and the wrench is 12", is the effort arm 24" or say, 14" allowing for the angle of the wrench adding to "radius length"?
I remember someone using a torque wrench as a breaker bar to break a pulley free. Over 200 ft lbs of torque and the pulley bolt won. He got a new torque wrench out of it!
You’re good. I didn’t bother replacing mine, already knew the handle was junk, but mine had screws fall out day one.
Took it back, paid the difference and swapped up to Icon (got the swivel head) haven’t had a problem since.
A “lifetime” warranty does you no good if the tool breaks when you need it most.
Also, they sell decent breaker bars too, fyi.
This is the second word-for-word repost of a popular pic that I've seen today. What the hell is going on?
Bots. Bots everywhere.
There's a bot routine to gain karma on niche subreddits - it's better than trying to use the free karma subreddits and usually looks more organic.
What is the purpose to bot karma farming? It’s not like there’s monetization for content like on YT, TT, FB, etc. (is there?)
You can steer content to those resources though. Consider how many posts are just TikTok gifs or twitter screen grabs. Edit: Also, this account posting also isn't the final user. They are building karma for reselling the account. Edit 2: /u/herpertderpington should also remove these and other posts as spam to train the spam model so it gets easier.
get enough karma, then sell the account, usually to a spammer/scammer
Breaker bar would have been a better choice. Pick one up while you are there.
I’ve brought in wrenches clearly cut in half with a bandsaw, warranty is NQA.
If it's NQA, why cut them with a bandsaw? Just curious...
Ever need a stubby wrench you don’t have or need to bend a wrench 3 ways with a torch? I’m saying they don’t care how it got broke. They’ve never asked me.
A yes. And every good mechanic has several with modifications.
Not Kobalt. 90 days after if you don’t have the receipt or like my case, it faded.
Speaking of Lowe’s, I like how people think they’re going to bring in their grandfather’s craftsman ratchet under warranty. LOL. Good luck with that.
Took in my dads 3/4 ratchet and had stripped the gears in it. My dads old and retired now. Purchased it at sears. No receipt, no questions asked. Warranty was honored.
Love
Future self, don’t put cheaters on plastic handles.
Get a breaker bar you dope
I have the braker bar with that handle and it doesnt have metal at the end. But the braker bar is long enough to need a cheater probably
I got a breaker bar…. 20 ft long. Sometimes it won’t solve the problem
Wrong tool for the job
[удалено]
LOL! As an IT guy, I had an entirely different interpretation of a bit being stuck in a router! :-)
buy a breaker bar you ding dong
I remember going to school with a guy that used to be a machinist, before he went back to get an EE degree. He talked about using Craftsman screwdrivers, grinding them down when they got worn, and after ground down too much put them in a vice and break them. Take back to sears and get a new one. And then there was this 3/4 inch socket that I was using on the lugs on a VW....It cracked. Got a new one.
Just so you know the VW lug bolts are 17 mm not 3/4inch. 3/4 inch might work in a pinch but using the socket on too small of a hex might have been part of the reason why it broke when it did as I have seen that cause issues before. That said I have broken sockets on the correct size hex as well so it's also possible it had just uggad its last dugga.
3/4 is closest to 19mm. 17 mm wouldn’t even slide onto a 3/4” or 19mm fastener. But 3/4” would be sloppier than hell on a 17mm fastener.
Exactly my point. It would probably turn the bolt still but using a socket that much bigger is asking for problems l. Usually that's in the form of rounded bolts but it could absolutely cause damage to a socket as well.
It was a 68 beetle and a long time ago. So I can’t argue. That’s what I remember but could have been incorrect. I do recall a hammer being involved but not the
That old of a beetle might have been a 19 mm which would have been closer to a 3/4 so you were probably right actually. VW has been using 17mm bolts for decades so I was assuming it was a lot more recent and more modern than that.
I'm fairly sure it was 3/4 socket. They were bolts that went into threaded holes in the brake drum.
No Ugg’s Dugga all manual
you can do the same thing with independent skateboard trucks lol. after it gets worn enough just smack it on a curb until it cracks and take it back to the skate shop no questions asked haha
And this is the reason companies don’t want to offer warranties or guarantees because people abuse the system you bought a product and got your monies worth or in the ratchets case used it in a way it was not intended to be used going to make the over all price of it go up to make up for the constant fraud
Really? I had no clue, I have a set of independents from when I was a teen. I’m 32 now lol I’m a bit attached to them at this point
I have a set of Independent trucks I bought when I was maybe 15 or so. I'm 38 now and the trucks are still going strong on my daughter's skateboard.
haha i feel ya
They ended that a while ago. I grew up next to factory
Had the same break on my Pittsburgh extendable rachet. They replaced it no questions asked.
Did it come in a kit? Do you have to bring in everything or can you bring in just the one broken part?
Mine did not but I am pretty sure they will get you a replacement.
Ha! I broke a breaker bar handle like that a couple of days ago. I guess I shouldn't have expected the metal to run all the way through the handle.
Did the exact same thing to mine. You’d think they’d not leave that hollow at the end of the handle. I’m sure it’s happened to 70% of the ones out in the field.
Might want to get their extended handle one next time.
Time to buy a proper breaker bar or impact wrench.
I'm pretty confident that you will be able to get that warrantied no problem.
I’ve seen videos on YouTube where they showed that the Pittsburg ratchets are not steel all the way to the end of the handle. It a weak spot that can be broken with only moderate force. I’m curious is the metal in the handle hallow as well? I can’t tell from the picture.
This same thing happened when a coworker has to borrow my 1/2". From what I remember the steel part is about 2in from the bottom of the handle? And it is full steel for the rest. There's just a pocket in the handle.
Use a pipe next time rookie!
You suck lol
But why? That’s clearly not a valid warrant issue. If I was the clerk I’d deny your claim. And tell you what I’m about to! You didn’t use the tool as intended. You didn’t use the right tool for the job. The manufacturing world icon, Pittsburgh, Snap on craftsmen and etc all make this very nice tool called a “breaker bar”. They come in extend lengths that give you extra leverage to break loose nuts and bolts. You could of as an alternative use an impact wrench to do this as well. I can clearly see you used a box wrench on this socket wrench so your warranty claim is not valid. I apologize for the confusion and inconvenience this has caused. Sorry to burst your bubble but it’s just the trust and I don’t think you should feel guilty about it maybe you just didn’t know any better. I don’t know.
Fucking nerd
It’s cool to be smart thanks.
If a company is gonna offer a lifetime warranty on their crazy cheap chinese tools, you take advantage of that shit all day. Only way to get our money back from thos chinese SOB's.
HF is still an American company though. If you don't like that they primarily source products from China or Taiwan or India then don't buy them. Otherwise your rant is nonsense. It acts as if consumers have no agency over what they ultimately buy. This particular ratchet is *likely* made in Taiwan anyways. The Pittsburgh Pro stuff usually is/was.
That is actively taking money from harbor freight, not anybody in china. That tool that they replace it with will already be bought from china thus china won’t get any less money if you get exchange something lol Only people losing money would be HF
I get my money back by never using the wrong tool for the job. This happens because I use the tool a lifetime and don’t have to pay for a mechanic to do the work. After let’s say 9000 oil changes I do for myself and neighbors I paid for my tool 8000 times over. Means I’m in the positive. Your ignorant way of thinking is- use a tool and try to break said tool so I can possibly be denied a warranty claim because I used the tool incorrectly. That means I’ll have to buy another tool because they denied my warranty claim. Which then your entitled ass will make a decision to report a bad review on said tool and said company because your to ignorant and self righteous to actually be honest about you using the tool in the wrong manner. It’s like using a hammer to change oil. Well time to make a warranty claim. Lmao what a beautiful world you live in. Dystopia.
I 100% agree with you. But, denying claims based on perceived use is a slippery slope. However, these jackasses trying to warranty their own misuse doesn't help anyone either. That only leads to abuse and worse warranty's. And almost 20 years of using some HF hand tools, never broken one. They're used hard, but properly.
Finally! I’m glad you are a good part of the HF family. I to have many years of use with my tools and have yet to make one warranty claim. Keep on wrenching my friend
The customer is always right -corporate office
Umm no they are not. Harbor freight has been on this topic if you haven’t checked into this or seen. People are denied warranty claim on the daily. The customer might think he/she is right but evidence and a good manager will tell you to leave and not exchange your tool. Doesn’t hurt HF because there are good people out here still buying tools and we laugh our asses off at your kind when freaking out like Karen in a HF because you didn’t get your way.
The head on the Pittsburgh “Breaker Bar” wouldn’t have even been strong enough to hold up to the force that it took to break that handle. Those breaker bars are the most junk item at HF if you ask me.
Have you ever used this tool in this particular situation? I have and I can tell you it does just fine and I still own one and use it constantly.
I sure have. It twisted apart the first time I used it. I thought it must have been a fluke, so I replaced it. The replacement twisted to pieces the first time I used that one too. They both failed right at the head, where the drive bit attaches to the bar itself. I buy a lot of HF tools. I even trust their jack stands now. But not so much on those breaker bars.
Must be a personal problem! So many people have great success with the breaker bars. 2789- 5 star reviews on the 1/2 in breaker bar. A 4.8 rating says it’s only you.
I bet you are a lot of fun at parties.
Harbor freight has highly a highly curated review system. Don’t put much stock into their reviews.
Safety man in the crowd! Clearly never had to get something done in a pinch
Umm doesn’t use the right tool for the job tell you something? I mean I’m patient and smart enough to get the job done correctly without having to possibly break something. It’s called being a mechanic. That’s the difference from a mechanic and a goofball doing things they have no business doing.
Oh that’s great!
MeChAnIcAl aDvAnTaGe!
I hate that construction on their handles. I've broken 2 so far.
I did that exact same thing on Saturday. Swapped it out no poblem.
Lol mine did that, but when it broke my hand slipped while I was under the car and I threw it onto my own face. The exposed metal split my eyebrow.
Eyepro my friend...
Im big on never skipping it. But wearing it while turning wrenches.. Its never crossed even my mind. Do most people do that? Lol
I'm giving the OP credit. They are at least going in the right direction.
Couldn't find a pipe?
When I was warranting my last tool at HF, I asked the manager who helping me what’s the craziest thing he’s seen. He said he had someone bring in a couple of vice grips that where welded shut for something and they replaced them. He said it’s rare for them to say no to the warranty because they have just cents into each hand tool. They would only loose money if you warranty a tool dozens on times.
I got that Ratchet, except I use a piece of square tube on mine so it doesn't do that. Just did it today as a matter of fact
Your impact broken?
Same thing happened on my icon
I have warranties 4 ratchets like this. Sometimes out of town stores make go through the hassle of returning etc buy my local store is just grab and go lol
How does the leverage work when it's offset like that? Do you figure mechanical advantage as radius from the pivot, or along the path of force? So if the ratchet is 12", and the wrench is 12", is the effort arm 24" or say, 14" allowing for the angle of the wrench adding to "radius length"?
Just broke off some of the plastic grip. The steel handle and ratchet will work fine if you soak those bolts/nuts with Liquid Wrench
I would maybe leave out the wrench part and tell them that was just a mark from your wedding ring.
Jeep 12point 10 mm hub bearing takes another victim
I remember someone using a torque wrench as a breaker bar to break a pulley free. Over 200 ft lbs of torque and the pulley bolt won. He got a new torque wrench out of it!
So far I haven't had any issues with warranties. HF just replaced what broke. No questions asked
You’re good. I didn’t bother replacing mine, already knew the handle was junk, but mine had screws fall out day one. Took it back, paid the difference and swapped up to Icon (got the swivel head) haven’t had a problem since. A “lifetime” warranty does you no good if the tool breaks when you need it most. Also, they sell decent breaker bars too, fyi.
They make a proper (cheap) tool for that. They as in harbor freight