I thought the new weld prep tool from Harbor Freight was junk, but it saved a job in Cleveland last week.

Everyone on site was using the expensive brand name ones, and I figured the $29 version would just gum up or break. We had a tight schedule on a boiler feed line repair, and my usual tool was back at the shop. The Harbor Freight cutter gave me a perfect 37.5 degree bevel on the 8-inch pipe in two passes. I've been using it for three days straight now with no issues. Has anyone else had a good run with a tool they were sure would let them down?

3 comments

3 Comments

shane_reed23d ago

Man, that happens all the time. We get sold on brand names being the only reliable option. Sometimes the cheap tool is just the right tool for the job.

the_gray23d ago

My buddy needed a cheap wrench for a one-time fix on his dryer. He grabbed a no-name one from the hardware store bin for like five bucks. That thing worked perfectly and is still in his junk drawer years later. He always says it saved him fifty bucks and proved the fancy set wasn't needed. Brand loyalty can really blind you to a simple solution.

hugo1536d ago

Wait, a perfect 37.5 degree bevel? That's the part that gets me, that's such a weirdly specific angle to hit right with a budget tool. It's one thing for it to just work, but to be that precise is wild. I totally get what @shane_reed is saying about brand names, but this feels like a whole other level of luck. Makes you wonder how many jobs we overthink just because of the price tag on the box.