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Why does nobody talk about the difference between a $30 harbor freight torque wrench and a Snap-on for critical engine work?
Used the cheap one on a Lycoming cylinder base, got a 15% variance across the pattern. The Snap-on was dead on every time, but the price tag hurts. When does the tool actually matter versus just being good enough?
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jamie_adams2mo ago
That's the whole game right there, good enough versus right. Harbor freight stuff is fine for lug nuts or a lawnmower blade. But when a mistake means taking the whole engine apart again, or worse, that's when the good tool pays for itself. You see it everywhere, people buying the cheap version of something that really matters. The price tag hurts once, but doing the job twice hurts a lot more.
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gavin3651mo ago
Totally get it, man. Saw that from @jamie_adams and he's spot on. Had a similar scare with a cheap socket wrench on a water pump job, the thing just flexed. Felt that "do it twice" pain right in the wallet.
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