[Nick B]

Does anyone own one of these by Harbor Freight ? For $12.99 is it any good or should I buy the one at Sears for 35 bucks ?
Yes I know I don't really need one for the springs but I like to work alone and also the closest Auto Zone is 40 miles away.
TIA, Nick

[BILL G]

I have one I bought at Autozone and it works great.People say that you don't need them.I wouldn't be without them I work alone also but even if I had help I would still use them.Makes things so much eaisier.

[Muddeprived]

Alot of jeepers say you don't need them but realistically, 1/2 of us need them. I couldn't get mine out with it, even with the t-bar and sway links disconnected. I had the other side jacked up all the way and no luck. Yes i could've just unbolted the arms but teh time it took me to compress and remove is much faster and easier than unbolting the control arms. They are worth it IMO.

[silvergoat]

12.99 for something that holds that much pressure? I say spend alittle more and get a quality tool.

[lupinsea]

If it's what I think it is, these spring compressors are just oddly shaped chunks of metal at the end of a threaded rod. Apart from some really massive screwup in making the alloy. . . how could there be much chance of a quality control goof in making these things?

I'd be willing to give them a shot for $13.

[Longspoon]

Is one all that is needed? From what I remember from crgrissom's movie it looked like he had like two or three on his spring... Or am I mistaken about what constitutes A coil spring compressor?

[silvergoat]

most come with two to a set. And Lupin the harbor freight tools such as spring compressors and pitman arm pullers are made from cast steel overseas, and the casting is of very poor quality. Use them and you can put your eye out.

[JeepRide]

generally speaking you get what you pay for

[silvergoat]

Yes, when it comes to tools your right.

[rljsrubicon]

That's normally true and I've followed the concept for years. I have two complete sets of Craftsman hand tools, but I also have a number of lessor tools. There are lots of times when a HF (Chicago, whatever) tool works great. Take a look at the $20 torque wrenches for a start. They are exactly the same that others sell for $50 and mine are just as accurate as my $150 Craftsman. The "impact" 6-point sockets sold by some are very strong, for use as standard hand tools. I've had a few sets for twenty years and used them everywhere. It's one thing to buy a professional tool to use everyday, but something to use one time is a different issue. It all depends on what you have to do, how often you plan on doing it and how much money you have. JMHO.. Ron

Originally Posted by silvergoat

Yes, when it comes to tools your right.

[1 ton yj]

Springs and batteries are the two most dangerous items on a car. I've seen springs let go from strut machines and through brick walls. No way would I trust some $13 harbor freight peice of ****. If you're only going to do it once and don't want to pay for a quality tool, find someone who did and toss them a couple beans to do it for you.

There is a reason everything at Harbor Freight is cheap, because it's all made in China garbage.

[rljsrubicon]

Yes and that's the problem. Most everyone else buys them from the same place, stamps their name on them and seels for $x10.. Ron

Originally Posted by 1 ton yj

Springs and batteries are the two most dangerous items on a car. I've seen springs let go from strut machines and through brick walls. No way would I trust some $13 harbor freight peice of **** If you're only going to do it once and don't want to pay for a quality tool, find someone who did and toss them a couple beans to do it for you.

There is a reason everything at Harbor Freight is cheap, because it's all made in China garbage.

[lupinsea]

This is what I'm thinking about, too. I've rented spring compressors from the autoparts store before. They've worked. But they also look and feel exactly like the cheap ones from Harbor Freight. Given how many "manufacturers" simply slap on sticker on something another company made it gets a bit complicated trying to sus out the good tools. But I'm not ready to shell out 2-3 times the HF purchase price if the more expensive stuff is the same thing but with a different sticker on it (so to speak).

I don't like buying crappy tools as they are a pain to work with and tend not to hold up over time. That being said, some tools seem hard to screw up from a manufacturing stand point. . . namely, big hunks of metal.

It's the "big hunks of metal" type of simple tools that are used infrequently that I'll relegate to a Harbor Freight purchse. Such has my taller jack stands. The welds were good, the basic metals and constructuion seemed "standard" and I have no problem paying only $19 for them. These spring compressors appear to me to be one of those types of tools, too. They are chunks of metal with a threaded rod through them. It would seem to me that it'd be hard to screw them up. Even if weeker materials are used the examples I've seen appear to have enough "meat" to the component to compensate for any design/engineering dificiencies.

However, I'm no expert on this and perhaps there's an issue with the metals used and what not.

[rljsrubicon]

I work in Engineering at a major university and our metallurgy department is involved with a lot of these things. Our faculty also act as "professional specialists" for court cases and such (metal/structural failure) and for the most part regarding alloy's and such "they are all the same". There are some obvious cheap stuff, but it's easy to tell just by looking. Common sense is always applied, but it X brand looks just like Z brand it often is.. Ron

Originally Posted by lupinsea

This is what I'm thinking about, too. I've rented spring compressors from the autoparts store before. They've worked. But they also look and feel exactly like the cheap ones from Harbor Freight. Given how many "manufacturers" simply slap on sticker on something another company made it gets a bit complicated trying to sus out the good tools. But I'm not ready to shell out 2-3 times the HF purchase price if the more expensive stuff is the same thing but with a different sticker on it (so to speak).

I don't like buying crappy tools as they are a pain to work with and tend not to hold up over time. That being said, some tools seem hard to screw up from a manufacturing stand point. . . namely, big hunks of metal.

It's the "big hunks of metal" type of simple tools that are used infrequently that I'll relegate to a Harbor Freight purchse. Such has my taller jack stands. The welds were good, the basic metals and constructuion seemed "standard" and I have no problem paying only $19 for them. These spring compressors appear to me to be one of those types of tools, too. They are chunks of metal with a threaded rod through them. It would seem to me that it'd be hard to screw them up. Even if weeker materials are used the examples I've seen appear to have enough "meat" to the component to compensate for any design/engineering dificiencies.

However, I'm no expert on this and perhaps there's an issue with the metals used and what not.

[RobFromRI]

i bought a pair from harbor freight and worked perfectly fine for me...