Husky Tools - not so good

[Jgordon]

So I'm up helping my friend put new wheels on his car, and it turns out that I left my 1/2 inch drive 17 mm socket in my car. d'oh. So we go to home depot, and no single sockets in metric. We go for the 1/2 inch to 3/8 inch drive converter, as he has a 3/8 17 mm.

Two lug nuts in, we get this:




This is what we get for buying something made in china with a "Guaranteed Forever" logo FOLLOWED BY AN ASTERISK (seriously, how can you caveat "guaranteed forever")? I'm glad I didn't buy the Husky 3-Ton jack for $40.

We did get the wheels on, which resulted in this effect:




So not all bad. If you squint, his car looks like a 911.

[doozer]

Husky - sucks!

No China in my tool box!

Good ones are:
Snap-On
Mac
Cobalt - Make sure it says USA ( some dont )

[TimT]

I woudlnt blame that tool.
Ive broke S&K, and Snap-On 1/2-3/8 adapters

BTW Snap-On doesnt warrant that adapter if it breaks.

[KobaltBlau]

TimT beat me to it, but there's a reason snap-on's version of this tool says "not guaranteed" right on it. Don't blame the tools when you're using an adapter where you shouldn't.

I have no opinion on the quality of husky tools, but adapters are vulnerable.

[KobaltBlau]

On the same topic, an experienced friend of mine did the same thing with a snap-on 3/4-1/2 adapter, at the race track (limited tools), on a friend's 914 rear hub nut. He split his eyebrow when he hit his head on the fender. His first words after the impact were "I shouldn't have been using an adapter"

granted, the 914 rear hub nut torque spec is rather high.

[doozer]

My point was, if spending the money, keep it in the USA...

[Jim Sims]

Any tool can be overloaded to failure including Snap-On.

[Jgordon]

If there is a torque limit on the piece, shouldn't that be specified? We actually should only have been using it up to 90 lb/ft, but the morons at the dealership where he has his car serviced used an impact wrench and put his lug nuts on tighter than any I've ever felt. I would have been using all 1/2 inch craftsman, but that's the socket (17 mm) I leave in my car for the lug nuts.

Seriously though, what's an adaptor for if not to adapt? Home Depot did replace it, as we walked back in 20 mins after purchase. But if this thing is only good to a certain spec, it seems like it might be appropriate to point that out to the consumer.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Agree with all the previous posts about adapters, but the basic point about tools is pay me now or pay me later. Can't imagine how much money I've spent on scheiss tools before figuring out I should have bought the class act in the first place. Buy stuff at Harbor Freight, Northern Hydraulic or Home Despot only if you plan on temporary use.

Stephan

[craigster59]

The most expensive thing you can do is buy cheap. I tell this to my wife every time I shop for tools.

[KobaltBlau]

An adapter is certainly useful to adapt, but basically you have to remember to keep your torque loading down to what you would use with the smaller size. when you have the long lever arm of the bigger size ratchet or breaker, it's easy to go overboard.

[Wayne 962]

Any tool can be broken with enough force...

-Wayne

[randywebb]

Fusky is not known for the best quality, but 3/8" is a bit small for a high torque force like you used. It's something that a mechanic is "supposed" to know....

BTW, Snap-Off is apparently not the strongest stuff out there. In his engine class, Jerry Woods mentioned that the Snap-On tool often failed but the German tools never did. It was something on the cyl. heads - I forget exactly what.

[makaio]

Originally posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts
Any tool can be broken with enough force...

-Wayne

Amen

[David]

These are probably the most easily broken tool in your tool box. Manufacturer is only slightly to blame.

[Jim Smolka]

I have broken many of reducing adapters. Then gave Snap-On a try. No more broken adapters.

[masraum]

I'd expect a 3/8 to break on lug nuts.

Husky's not great, but I definitely wouldn't blame them for this one.

[rbcsaver]

My son was home from school for a few days over the holidays. I decided to change the oil, plugs etc in his car. I also wanted to check his wheel lug nuts because the discount (RE: grad.student) oill/tire places that he uses in Phila are destroying his Neon. Last year at one of the nation brake chain stores, some garage clown with the impact wrench sheared a front wheel stud off, then didn't tell him and put the hubcap back on to hide it. He eventually got them to repair it at no charge. Since then, I have had him using antisieze on the lugs....so now they get the nuts on tighter. In checking his lug nuts I had to use my 24" Breaker bar with a 3 foot pipe extension. Even even ruined my good soft socket in the process. He would have never gotten them off to fix a flat, evenwith the Gorilla bar I gave him. They also over torqued the oil pan plug, ripping out the aluminum threads and I had to over size it.

I would take the broken adapter to the garage that put the tires on last and throw the pieces at the clown with the impact wrench.
regards,
Steve

[masraum]

If it was a 1/2 that broke I might complain, but a 3/8. At some point it's just too small for the torque.

[edward993]

Perhaps I know nothing, but I don't see a decent-quality 3/8" adapter breaking at lug-nut torques. I've abused quite a few craftsman tools in the past (yes, "abused" ...don't ask ). When I was younger with less mean$ and only few tools, I had used a 1/2-to-3/8 adapter on a 1/2" breaker bar to loosen nuts and bolts more times than I can remember and NEVER had a break. Am I lucky or is craftsman that good. Probably a bit of both, but that husky should not have broken at that modest torque. It's junk plain and simple.

Craftsman certainly aren't the best tools on the planet, but their hand tools are the absolute Best for the buck for any home shop. In over a couple of decades of turning wrenches as a backyard guy, spending more for "pretty" hand tools, or spending less, are both a waste of money IMHO. (Pros need pro tools, of course) Just my .02 anyway.

Edward