1/2 vs 3/8 wrench?

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Smitty

What? No mention of Harbor Freight?
You can poopoo them all you want, but we don’t all have the $$$ for SnapOn.

HF works just fine AND you can buy 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 plus torque wrenches for low $ if you watch the ads.


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i don't think anyone mentioned brand, just size.

i use mostly hazard fraught tools at home, don't have problems with them, but they don't get used much.

Originally Posted by leevanf

Sadly i live in the philippines so those lifetime warranties dont apply or are too hassle to ship around.

What do you think about stanley and dewalt though?

it's important to remember who owns who now.



so while unaware, you literally asked if a scion or toyota was better.

stanley is their lower/homeowner grade stuff, dewalt is considered more of their contractor grade stuff, and does cost more.

either is perfectly fine, in this case, the cost is related to how much use/abuse the tool can take. if you're just tinkering on the car in your free time here and there, stanley stuff is just fine. if you start doing major work all the time, dewalt is going to be a better option.

[theadmiral976]

Originally Posted by leevanf

If you could have only one size wrench/socket/hex and torx bit, set to do most car basics,
- engine oil change
- atf/diff fluid change
- basic bolt on part swaps
- changing wheels/lugs

Would you get a 3/8 or 1/2?

Reason is ask is that i see the most versatile torque wrenches that can do smaller bolts all the way to wheel lugs are usually 1/2s. And im just wondering if i should start my entire tool set with a set of 3/8s, and then just get an adapter for 3/8s for use with a versatile 1/2 torque wrench

Or can i get away with all these basic maintenance with a full 1/2 set?

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For torque wrench, get a 3/8 drive if you're going for versatility. Other than axle nuts, crankshaft bolts, and wheel lugs, you will be fine with a 3/8. A 1/2 inch electric impact that is torque limited to say 120 ft/lbs is a very useful addition later on for wheels and other similar bolts.

Never use extensions or adapters on torque wrenches if you're aiming for precision. Hence why I always suggest getting a 3/8 torque wrench for people first building their tool sets. You'll need the 3/8 way more (oil pan, trans, diff, brakes, etc.).

In terms of what brand, etc. I don't know what's available abroad. I'd avoid anything but higher quality for your precision torque wrench. If it fails you, things can get really expensive. If a cheaper socket set or set of spanners fails, you'll generally not hurt the thing you're working on.

In the US, I have had good luck with Craftsman torque wrenches. They used to be harder to find but now Lowe's bought the line so they're everywhere. Harbor Freight is a horrible, horrible option for torque wrenches. I love HF for specific things like trim tools that seem to all be made from the same company anyway and need to be periodically replaced due to wear. But a quality torque wrench should last your lifetime, even if it doesn't say SnapOn on it.

For some of the jobs you mention, such as trans and diff bolts, depending on the rust you encounter the one set of tools that will be useful will be a good set of breaker bars in 3/8 and 1/2 drives with multiple handle lengths. Breaker bars are cheap and prevent you from damaging all of your other tools when faced with difficult bolt removal. While they are usually pretty stout, if you do bend a breaker bar handle, it's not a big deal to replace it compared to a more expensive ratchet or spanner.