In 1981 I moved to another shop that was 12 miles away and just across the state line. Brand new shop with 2 of us working repairing trucks. trailers, forklifts etc for a steel company. Couldn't get a tool truck to stop. Chased down local snap on dealers when I saw their trucks at other shops, got nothing but lip service. Wrote a letter to Snap On corporate, and got a reply about 6 months later promising to have a dealer stop, but it never happened. Never got any of my broken tools replaced. Snap On has been a scumbag company that weasels out of their "Lifetime Warranty" for a long long time.
Preach Brother! I won’t say much bad things about Snap-on’s products. I like/ damn near love most of my tools from em. With that said if you’re not a big pro shop and your dealer does a lot of business Good Luck. I’ve had a few times where it was a bear to get replacements. Like anything from tools to equipment to even lawn mowers your local dealer is the deciding factor to a Companies warranty process. Some are great and will bend over backwards and some tell you to pound sand. And that’s the sad truth anymore.
I don’t know how snap on gets away with it to be honest regardless of quality of tool you gotta make it right with your customers I don’t have any tool trucks come to our shop we had a cornwell dealer that would come a couple times but since we didn’t need him to stop every week since we do a lot of field work he stopped showing up and the last shop I worked at had one show up every other day and we’d get tool truck fatigue and the Matco dealer all but made you feel unwelcome if you didn’t buy anything They better shape up cuz we have a lot of options for quality tools with excellent service I would like to find an independent tool truck in my area
So much of it comes down to the individual dealers. If you’ve got a good one they’ll take care of you and can sometimes make miracles happen. If you get a bad, or even mediocre, one you get what they feel like. And, corporate isn’t gonna pull their license for a dealer not stopping at a few small shops unless you’ve got some big connection or influence. I’ve had dealers that whine and moan about warranty on stuff I’ve bought from them. And, I’ve had dealers that don’t make a fuss at all with warranty and will warranty stuff people found at yard sales and such.
Ill never buy another new tool truck brand box or a husky. My matco box is nice but way overpriced. The husky wasnt good enough for a home box. My next box will most likely be another us general.
The harbor freight warranty is literally as easy as walking in and grabbing the replacement off the shelf and walking to the counter. Simple as that. Much easier than chasing down a tool truck.
love this guy, down to earth, understands value and quality and what they are worth to him and others, doesn't meat ride any brands, and he treats others tools with respect. Keep up the good work man.
Just to let you guys and gals know I did try to push them bushings out with the Snap-On. It also didn’t budge them but it also didn’t flex as much as the Icon. Like I said in the video it is asking a lot to push them out.
Usually everything I touch requires a press a torch and an air hammer 💀 so people dont be quick to judge the press usually the shit that needs a press is fucked 🤣
The times I've rented an OTC-style ball joint press, my experience has been less than stellar. Can't wait to pick one up and never have to rent a one from a parts store again.
Can’t stand the rental tools. Always beat to hell. Went to rent a caliper compression kit (Before I bought my own) and I heard the guy drop the kit, parts scattering. Came back up front and told me it was broken😂
Thank you. Really proud of it. We built the whole thing ourselves besides putting the over head door in. Luckily we built it 17 years ago when things were a lot cheaper. I couldn't afford to build it now a days.
I own a box full of Snap-On tools, They are the best "BUT" as an old retired guy, the warranty to this DIY is worthless. Good luck to those not at a big visited shop getting a dealer to warranty anything. Every excuse has been fed to me.(reciepts/Call back later, where did I get these?) My advice to kids Buy from Tekton, Icon/Harbor Freight and Amazon. My experience with selling used Snap-On tools is 30% of $ paid, your milage may vary.
I agree. Snap-on makes great tools. Have several but warranty is the issue for the regular folks. Most dealers don’t want to deal with us. I get it. We don’t really bring them much if any business. There are some great dealers still out there though. It’s just hard to find em.
Keep regularly uploading videos dude and you’ll make it pretty far on here, your video quality and editing is really good for someone just starting out, and thank you for the video, I’m looking at getting this one now after I just got quoted 1700 for all 4 ball joints replacement in my 2012 Silverado 1500
Man, I truly appreciate this comment. It should push them 1/2 ton balls with ease. If it struggles use heat and hit the side of the an arm. They will come out. It’s crazy what shops charge nowadays. I get it but damn everything is out of sight anymore.
I bought an ATD ball joint press and it survived an inch drive Ingersoll Rand impact gun when I forgot to remove the snap ring when I was doing the ball joints on a 92 F350.
I picked up a Maddox press from HF, save even more getting it over the Icon. I have abused it for a year now with great results. One ton ball joints, u joints, no problem. Less than $100.
been a tech for 40 years . bought a ball joint kit from otc many many years ago and got a second set for 4x4 for free . i paid like 500.00 can. still using them to this day. the same kits now sell for well over 1k now and i find are much better then the snap on kit. way more adapters
I have an old otc somewhere. That’s what I used till I got a snap on. I just like the cups snapping together so you don’t need 5 hands. I use to tape my otc which worked but still a pain. At the end of the day if it works it works
Wouldn't it be nice if there was some kind of flat surface on those presses? So it could readily be clamped in a vise and stay there. I always look for Acme threads on the forcing screw. Far more durable than V threads. Good video, thanks.
The flanges are removed in the center section so you can use it in the vise. That’s how I do all my u-joints. I think they should come with flat “cups/anvils” so one can use it more like a vise. That would be very helpful for bushings.
I've been in the automotive shops and industrial shops for years . Having the best is great. But making more money & spending less to make that money is even better. I had the best and most of the time, other brands work just as good if you use them right. They will reach fail points faster on certain tools but they're still worth it compared to warranty & price If I return to wrenching full time, I'm not buying all the best next time around
Hey Jeff sent me over to your channel and I see why HONESTY that's how he is too. Great video I'll subscribe and get caught up. Thank you for your expertise
Thanks for stopping by. Hope you find something worth while. I’m really new at this. Just trying to help people out. I have a lot of videos in the works. Just not enough time to get them all finished. Tell Jeff I appreciate him helping me out. Thanks again
I went into my local pawn shop, and saw a BJP1 set for $300! Was complete ad looked like it was never even used. Shit a brick on the spot, and bought it. The following week i took it to my Snap-On dealer, told him about it to make sure it wasn’t his, and how much i paid for it. After he shat a brick, he told me “he didn’t sell it”. Was a damn good day
Only problem with the Icon stuff is that they want you to bring in the entire set of tools if you break one and exchange the entire set instead of just the single wrench or single socket that you broke and while that’s annoying I think they did that on purpose because if you loose one then you can’t do a warranty exchange on another part of that set because you no longer have the entire set. So the Icon tools are great if you are getting single tools not items that come in sets. I honestly don’t know why Harbor Freight started that exchange policy because that’s what made their tools attractive before they were cheap and broke but hassle free exchanges were the norm but now they’ve done away with that. Also advice on the control arm bushings, take the gas axe to the rubber first but you don’t need to burn it completely out of their just burn it enough that they press out with minimal effort and no flex on the stamped steel control arms so you can press the new ones in after it cools down without any distortion to the metal
You definitely don't have to bring the entire set. They warranty single pieces from sets all the time. Why do you think they have the open box section with 1-2 pieces missing from sets? Btw good tip on the bushings.
@@paulp7561 they previously did the exchanges with single pieces of a set when they broke but not now not with Icon, I found that out from personal experience when I broke a wrench but when I took it in they said I needed the entire set and because I lost one they wouldn’t exchange it and same BS was told to me at both stores in my area because I tried both stores
It must just depend on which one you go to. I went to Harbor Freight today and asked them about this. My local one said I don't have to bring the whole set in. They also said that you might as well bring your whole set in and get a new one. If that's the case what are they doing with the left over used good tools that are getting traded in? Just throwing them in the trash? Seems dumb.
@@TwoTurtlesAndAWrench honestly I think it’s a scheme to not honor the warranty when they should be, if someone comes in with a broken tool but is missing part of that set they don’t have to do the exchange then. I only have 2 stores that are relatively close to me and both those stores had the same exchange policy. I’m not against the Harbor Freight stuff but I’ve learned to be selective and with their Icon stuff now I’ll just buy stuff like single ratchets or whatever as long as it’s not part of a set, I’m also a fan of their newer brand of Welders called Vulcan they are actually really good. Harbor Freight has stepped up their game on some quality tools just wish they wouldn’t play the stupid games with policies on exchanges and what not
It's honestly crazy that the Schley Products (Matco) ball joint kit costs so much. It's like $1200!! That shit is just plain ridiculous!! It's not even made in the USA....
It is crazy. I would like to try one just to compare but there’s no way I’m paying that. I wasn’t even comfortable paying for the snap-on one and I bought it used.
I agree. As a pro mechanic quality definitely pays for itself quick. I made this video more for people that are not pros but are more than a once a month mechanic
Honestly after years of buying snap on, icon gets the job done just as good as snap on, for new technicians who need to buy their own tool , harbor freight is key
I've used the Snap-on one for like 15 years. The original one lasted 10 and we've had to have it replaced 4-5 times since. They must have changed something in the steel but it just isn't as durable as it used to be, and we don't use an impact on it. According to the rep Snap-on says not to use an impact. BTW: on the OG unit we just used wheel bearing grease. Since then we've tried everything from cheap grease, to grease/oil combos, to lubriplate, and anti-seize (recommended by rep) and it still fails (screw threads get sharp fast). We primarily use them on Jeep ball joints.
I just use general purpose grease cause that’s what’s in my gun. I was thinkin about using like a thread lube say like ARP but I’ve never tried it. Ive always assumed they don’t want you using an impact but man it works so much better. Hard to find quality stuff anymore. Crazy how things today get made worse yet technology gets better.
I accidentally removed a comment from a guy asking you if they have been replacing just the screw or the whole thing? If you could help out it would be appreciated. Thank you
@@TwoTurtlesAndAWrench At first snap-on was just replacing the screw. After a few replacements they swapped out the whole thing. What I've noticed is that even a brand new unit heavily greased feels like it has so much more friction than the original one did. I can only assume they changed suppliers and that something in the steel is different.
Thank you. Pretty proud of it. Built the whole thing ourselves besides installing the overhead door. Luckily we built it 15 plus years ago when everything was a lot cheaper. Couldn’t afford to build one nowadays.
Now that’s a good video… appreciate the honesty.. I’m a snapon guy but I have bought all these icon specialty kits . I agree I really like them. The seal and bushing driver kit is a super value for under 100 bucks. Use it all the time for my trailers
Thanks. I’ll have to check out that driver set. I use an old borgwarner tranny set and the lisle heavy duty one right now. Probably time to get a decent smaller diameter set.
Note to self: start a rating system. Lol I think that thing will work for most cars and small trucks. I get reluctant when we start talking full size pickups. Lol
It definitely will shine on cars and light duty trucks. Rusted heavy duty trucks it will struggle. It will need heat and persuasion on hd trucks for sure.
A little Ian Rousell playing in the background! He builds some crazy stuff. HF & ICON are definitely stepping up their game lately for sure. Used to be throw away tools, now they're actually nice decent quality tools for not a bad price! 👍🏻👌🏻🛠️🔧🔩🦺 ✊🏻🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸✊🏻
I like your thumb 'bandage'! Been there done that! I like how the cups have a retaining system of some kind. Holding both the cups, the clamp & the impact all together and tightening it is a real struggle sometimes with some of the other cheaper versions that don't do that! I really like that system, I'll have to put this ICON press on my 'list' for sure! 👍🏻👌🏻🛠️🗜️ ✊🏻🇺🇸🦅
Still using my American made OTC set from the mid 70's. Don't remember the price but I bought it new and not a bad price back then. Yea I'm getting old.
For the price, at least tell me the Snap-On is Made In America . . . thats the only thing that can truly justify any of their prices anymore, and the only reason to buy their stuff, but even thats never guaranteed anymore. That being said, one thing I've been pleasantly surprised by is Icon cases. Normally I'm far more concerned that the tool works properly and lasts, but I guess it is still nice that they have cases that work as intended too. I got the Icon Bearing/Seal Driver set from them not long ago, and aside from being of a very nice quality (beefy handle, comes with an air hammer attachment, and being one of the only Bearing/Seal Driver sets with such a hassle-free Lifetime Warranty), the case is very nice and heavy, it feels like it can take a fair amount of abuse and has a few extra cubbies for storing various other things. Or like the little Meme Tool, I was astonished at how stout that tiny case is; I feel like I could sit on it and it would be perfectly fine, though they probably did that with the intention of it being portable. What I am very curious on is their DIagnostic tool the T8; more and more has been coming out about it and thats all fine and dandy, but there's still too much of a grey zone for nitty gritty details about it. I know they have two other versions coming out Soon(tm), and while it all looks good on paper I am ever leery about Harbor Freight attempting to do stuff you can easily screw up on, like electronics.
OTC has a Made in USA basic kit - think I paid around $120 for the base kit with a few adapters included, and then just ordered a huge separate box of ball joint adapters from Amazon for around $40 I think. Just be sure to grease the threads on the press screw - that’s the key to preserving its longevity! One other note, those people saying Harbor Freight lifetime warranty - I don’t believe it applies to speciality automotive tools like a ball joint press. Standard warranty on those things at HFT is only 90 days!
Hows the cups that came with the OTC holding up. My buddy has the same kit and his cups are not holding up at all. We are curious if he just got a bad batch of heat treat or what. As for the warranty the website and literature says lifetime but I don't trust what harbor freight says. Hopefully I never have to actually test the warranty.
Nice midsize impact, smart guy probably told you to get one. Great review, wish more guys would review in this detail instead of shilling untested garbage.
Ya I agree but the design is very poor and the handle will fall off again. Snap-on makes great tools but their boxes and packaging could be a lot better for the price.
The Snap-On one is indeed impact rated. In fact it’s meant to be used that way. I’m sure the ICON one is too though. Also, I’d be concerned about the serviceability of the ball detents on the ICON. The nice thing about the friction rings on the Snap-On is they’re easily field serviceable.
Good to know. I always wondered if Snap-on said it’s impact rated or not. I agree with the ball detents. The Snap-on is a better design for usability, replaceability, and longevity no doubt. I assume Icon ball detents would be warrantyable.
That ICON ball joint press is really nice..for $200 it's a steal I just bought a new Astro ball joint press set..I might actually sell it and grab the ICON though
Seems like a lot of people like the Astro. I’ve never used it myself but I like when the cups snap together. You don’t need 5 hands that way. Also you can use it horizontally easier
I got astro kit been decent so far.... And was used for discount seems fine I do it my huge old flex head 1/2 in USA 1970s Craftsman wrench she's a beast
@@TwoTurtlesAndAWrench used to be... It has better clearances than a new Chinese ratchet.... You see minor from a guy that in the 60s wanted to become a mechanic. His parents bought him a bunch of stuff after high school and then he ended up doing something else. It's mostly just Craftsman USA stuff with the v on it. And Hein and Werner Jack and jack stands... I trust more then a new Daytona stand
Just to get into a press that retains the tooling is a step above. After I used a snap on ball joint press I've wanted one. I was salivating when I seen HF Icon made a similar one.
If I can't find good used then HBF is definitely the way to go. I have some HBF tools that I swear should have broken on me back in the 80s or 90s but they are still putting up a fight. There is something to be said for 'easy replacement' policies. You just have to go weekdays mid-morning or mid-afternoon to HBF when there is nobody in line.
Easy warranty policies definitively are nice. Sears craftsman back in the day was so easy. I’ve never warrantied any harbor cause I don’t have much but I’ve always heard it’s simple.
I bought the snappy kit, after using my shops "silver" otc, and wow I've never removed a ball joint or bushing so easy ! It was a great buy, even at full retail !😊
I totally agree. I struggled for years with the OTC and finally had enough and bought the Snap-on. The only regret I have is I should've bought it a hell of a lot sooner. Big fan of the Snap-on.
Hey man keep up the good work and fuck the haters for us home mechanics and people who work on our own stuff this is relatable and the content we wanna see!
Good video, I think I’m your second subscriber. Hah. Would be curious to see how the SnapOn does with that bushing. I’d assume well, but would still like to see.
One is made in USA, one is chinesium. I have the USA made OTC, it works great, design is similar to those, using ball detents. I definitely trust US forgings over chinesium forgings. I think you just haven't seen that one to make that blanket statement, but agree the "standard kind" are garbage.
First off when I say OTC I'm talking about the one that's like 150 bucks not the $500+ one. Secondly I agree with you on trusting US forgings. Third, I prefer American but sometimes they are really lacking in the value department. Just my two cents.
Good enough for sensible usage in pro environment & certainly affordable home gamer, semi pro kit that give you lot of job capability . Main issue is they always just copy and simplify few things for lower manufacture cost rather than add a bit of ingenuity make it better . Reducing C frame flex would of been good design input effort and you could add vise mounting spacers to the kit if more rigid C frame design didn't allow easy as is vise clamping. It is what it is though which basically a snapon clone with reduced manufacture cost with no innovative engineering thought added to it and retailed to the masses at 200 bucks, considering also currently has pretty usable warranty practise you can goof it up at least once and go get a new one :-) Used with care and duo it with air hammer on stubborn BJ's it should do fine, if get in quick with a coupon/deal on the current 200 buck price it be stupid cheap bit of kit for work it can do . Is worth noting you can get the astro kit and add in the second astro golliath c frame press for pretty much 200 buck range which is a useful robust versatile kit minus the cup holding features . Astro need do a V2 on this with nice functional cup holding solution .
Wait they give u the Honda adapters too?? The snap on press usually it’s missing a few cups u have to buy separate and the Honda cups is one of them (well it’s 2 cups for Honda)
If a guy has the Snap-on and needs the cups that the Icon offer they do inter swap. They wont snap together due to the different cup design but they do work with each other. The Icon whole set is cheaper than one set of cups from Snap-on. That's crazy
After seeing that pic, I took biggest impact and bottomed the Icon out. Then put a breaker bar on it and it still held. No pipe though. I’m not saying they’re indestructible cause they definitely will break but I have a hard time believing people are just snapping them in half all over the country.
This is the type of thing real mechanics need. Few people have the money to spend on name brand and when you have good enough quality coming from somewhere like harbor freight why wouldn’t you choose harbor freight
@@TwoTurtlesAndAWrench right now that they have their sale on all icon ratchets it would definitely be worth the trying out their ratchets. I’ve had a 3/8 icon ratchet for a year now and it’s phenomenal.
@@jefferywalton8176 Mac, Matco, Cornwell all bring their products in from Taiwan and slap their label on them. Even Snap-On has been caught doing it, their electronic items come from China just like Milwaukee. We're in the worst economy since the great depression, now is not the time to spend more, a lot more, on brand loyalty.
My snap on ball joint press broke! So I am not that impressed with it . When I was working in shop we had OTC got used for 15 years by multiple people never had issues .
I've never used it but a lot of guys in the comments say they use it with no problem. I would say if your not working on 3/4 ton and up trucks most presses will work. The Icon to me is a great option for cars and light duty trucks. Especially if you can get it with a coupon
That snap on ball joint press is worth every penny, if you can find it used. ;). We paid $400 for one for our shop and it’s great. If the icon can go toe to toe, that’s a real bargain.
I own mostly Snap On but certain things I just can’t justify it. Recently bought a ICON made in the USA smoke machine. Thing is impressive! Hell some of the tool truck ones are Taiwanese made. For the money they are charging NO THANKS!
I hear you there. I seen that it was made in the US. Rather surprised. I have the autoline pro ventus. Don’t do much evap but I use it for vacuum lines. Works pretty well. I like/dislike it having its own battery but it is handy.
@TwoTurtlesAndAWrench About as well as you can have without detents. Astro pneumatic has been around since at least the 1970s, open secret among us mechanics. They make great quality stuff without frills to keep things affordable. The C-clamp is the shining star, they've redesigned it several times to maximize strength. It's on par with the Snap-On clamp in my opinion. I can't speak for the Icon press kit but on sale it's probably a great choice too. I use Icon ratchets and sockets daily, no issues.
Should have tested the snap on on the same bushing. I’ve had the snap on flex on 3/4 ton pick up ball joints but don’t know to what extent compared to icon
Ya I was really scared. No, cause I’m an idiot and never thought to. I did try it after the fact. It didn’t push it either. But it also didn’t flex like the Icon.
I tried to warranty a wrench and they said they had none. According to their website they said they had them. I asked when would they get them in. They said no idea. I asked if I can leave my number and call me when you get them. They said to just come back at a later date. I live an hour from town. I don’t get there much. So far my only experience has been negative.
@@TwoTurtlesAndAWrench I get that I am just over a hour away from a HF. I normally keep tools that need to be warrantied in my truck becuase I never know when I am going anywhere near a lowes ace or HF
Not watching the video just coming here to say that I can't think of anything snap on worth getting. Their only okay stuff is rebranded stuff at a markup, and the rest is trash/equal quality to noname china. Is there anything you guys actually use and prefer from snapon?
I think Snap-on ratchets are very nice. I know they are pricey and according to Project Farm there are far more "Superior" ratchets out there. But I have had a hard time finding a ratchet that fits in my hand better and operates at a top level. I also like the feel of their wrenches. They are a bit narrow and cut into my hand when a lot of force is needed. The only real knock I have on Snap-on is they have a very inflated price. You're paying for a warranty that most non pros will never need. If you look in my boxes you will find almost all brands cause Quality with Value is important to me. There's nothing wrong with most Twain made hand tools. But you start stepping into China made hand tools, it gets pretty worthless pretty quick.
@@VOODOOphg only certain ones work with icon. If they are promotional for Icon or like a holiday sale. The normal, everyday 20% off will not. All the exclusions, including icon, are printed at the bottom of the coupons. They won’t apply a discount even if scanned so it’s built into their software and not up to employee discretion.
I've been through a hf ball joint tool, junk, if this thing is flexing at 200, Id say no. OEM tools makes 1 which works. I have a icon 3 jaw puller the fulcrum pins are a pain in the rear as they fall out. Poor design
I thought the same when I first got it. I’m no machinist and don’t know everything about thread types. But I assume Snap-on knows what they’re doin but I’ve been wrong a lot before
@@TwoTurtlesAndAWrench Nor am I, but I do understand their usage, and that should be utilized in this application IMO. Yeah, for a grand, they could have used a little piece of acme thread! Now I totally understand the regular thread on a lower cost alternative. For the average diy/shade tree mechanic, it'll be fine, but for regular daily shop use, and the money they charge, I'd insist on the more durable thread design. Just my 2 cents which is worth nothing! I just hate seeing Snap on ripping off all these shops with their payment plans, not saying they have bad tools, their tools are fantastic, will I pay for them, not a chance, unless used or highly discounted. If folks can actually afford the brand, I'm all for them spending their hard earned dough on them, but they are like predatory lenders with the financing and the tool truck, haha! A bunch of shops have become slaves to those payments, and I guess ultimately, it was their own faults... Nice video my friend! Take care, and thanks for your response!
Icon ball join press it’s garbage! Do the research online. You will find they are broken all over. Well you got what you paid for. Not a hater!!! I like your channel. Just and observation.
