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By Joe Brown / June 24, 2024 6:15 pm EST
Torque wrenches are extremely versatile tools that no home mechanic can live without. A good-quality torque wrench provides precise torque measurements for optimal safety and consistency at work or in the garage. If you’re shopping for cheap, reliable DIY tools, there are many essential tools for home mechanics at Harbor Freight, including a selection of torque wrenches. But what brand are Harbor Freight’s torque wrenches, and do any of them offer lifetime warranty?
If you’ve shopped at Harbor Freight before, you’ll know that the company sometimes offers products that cover multiple brands. For instance, Harbor Freight heat guns are made by three different brands: Bauer, Hercules, and Warrior, which are all in-house brands of Harbor Freight. A similar story is in place for Harbor Freight’s torque wrenches, which cater to all budget types. If you’re curious which brands make Harbor Freight’s torque wrenches, read on to discover what options are available to purchase and what customers have to say.
What brand are Harbor Freight’s torque wrenches?
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Harbor Freight’s torque wrenches are made from three of its in-house brands. Each brand adopts a different price range, so you can pick a torque wrench that suits your budget. Starting with the most affordable brand, you can pick up ½-inch, ¼-inch, ¾-inch, and ⅜-inch torque wrenches by Pittsburgh. These torque wrenches are built for the everyday mechanic who might not be looking for the most premium model. As well as being excellent value, the torque wrenches offer a wide torque range and feature an easy, click-type functionality. Most of Pittsburgh’s torque wrenches are valued around $20, which makes it significantly cheaper than its competition.
In the mid-range pricing tier is Quinn, another in-house Harbor Freight brand, offering a range of torque wrenches with precise measurements. Contributing to Quinn’s higher price range, you’ll find models with a high-quality build and finish, plus extra features like torque preset options for added convenience. Quinn offers both click-type and digital angle torque wrenches, with the latter being the more expensive type.
Finally, the more premium brand of Harbor Freight’s torque wrenches is ICON. With this brand, you’ll find torque wrenches of a broader torque range and improved accuracy. Many of ICON’s torque wrenches hold a factory certificate of calibration, making them a reliable choice for industry work. Designed for heavy-duty applications, ICON torque wrenches come with many desirable perks for professionals, including easy-to-read LCD displays, up to nine preset torque values, and several measurement options, covering in-lb, ft-lb, Nm, Kgm, plus angle measurements.
Do any of Harbor Freight’s torque wrenches offer lifetime warranty?
As part of Harbor Freight’s ICON series tools, all hand tools, including torque wrenches, sold by the in-house company offer a free manufacturer’s lifetime warranty. This is particularly useful as Harbor Freight’s warranty is only 90 days, meaning if an in-house brand hasn’t specified a warranty, this is what you’re getting. Harbor Freight also states that any shipping and handling charges are nonrefundable.
What about Harbor Freight’s other torque wrench brands? Despite being the cheapest in-house brand, all four of Pittsburgh’s torque wrenches currently available offer a free lifetime warranty. If you’re increasing your budget to get a Quinn torque wrench, things are a little more complicated. All of Quinn’s products include a lifetime warranty, with the exception of its digital angle torque wrenches. This is quite a shame, given that these torque wrench types are the most expensive. So, if you’re not happy with buying an expensive product with only a 90-day warranty and returns period, consider a different brand.
Are Harbor Freight’s torque wrenches any good?
As each of Harbor Freight’s torque wrench brands are set at different price ranges, it’s sensible to adjust your expectations depending on which brand you choose. Harbor Freight’s ICON torque wrenches are the best received brand on the site, with overwhelmingly positive reviews. ICON’s ⅜-inch Flex Head Click Torque Wrench is a great example, which features 93 five-star reviews collected from 99 customer reviews, with the remaining six being four-star. Many reviewers highlight the wrench’s accuracy and strong build, while others are happy with the lifetime warranty provided.
As for Quinn, customer reviews are overall positive, with most products holding a rating of 4.5 stars or above. However, some people have reported calibration issues on certain products, such as the ½-inch Digital Angle Torque Wrench. Last and not least is Pittsburgh, which has the lowest customer ratings out of the three brands. While the overall ratings are far from anything shocking, being just over four stars on average, many users have concerns about the accuracy of the torque levels described. Meanwhile, others have reported breakages and difficulties getting the wrench to work for their specific applications.
Overall, you can expect a reasonable quality if you’re choosing Pittsburgh or Quinn as your next torque wrench provider. But if you’re after seamless, long-life quality, Harbor Freight’s professional-grade ICON torque wrenches will leave you far from disappointed.
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