Has anyone here used this tool?

[rnd-motorsports]

Have not had real good luck with off brand tools but depends on how you use it. if used properly will be OK I'm sure mine is a blue point got it from snap-on and has served me great for many years have had good and bad things from harbor-freight and northern hydraulics. a cheap tool most of the time will be a cheap tool! thats not saying just because you pay more for it thats its any better either!

 

[Floridianson]

Yea I know the U joint tool called tiger tool cost me 385.00 and has a one inch head and believe it or not I had one joint so tight I had to get the truck one inch tire impact. Now that was a tight U joint.

 

[micmccon]

I can honestly say that my OTC works well. The few items I have purchased from Harbor Freight that I hoped to save a few bucks on didn't work so well. Most notable were the C clamps that twisted into pretzels with hardly any effort. It was amazing that they actually marketed them as tools! BTW, even though a ball joint press can do U joints, I have the best luck with heating the ends of the driveshaft that the U joint cups are in with a torch and then using a large composite hammer to pop them out. Just lay the driveshaft across the open jaws of a large bench vise to support 2 sides of the "cross" and hit down on the end of the shaft to force the cup facing up out. Flip the shaft 180 degrees, heat,beat, repeat. Too easy!

 

[onegmjack]

I tried about every brand.BluePoint and SnapOn was what I made a living with for 28 years,I did own about $40.000 of SnapOn tools,when you can't do the job because of broken or failed tools you lose money and sometime good customers.I hated the ujoint that have plastic.Heat it with a torch and it flys across the shop.I love the burns from the hot grease and plastic.I had the SnapOn ujoint I guess you could call it a c clamp it was steel where the OTC balljoint tool is aluminum.I have used the impact on both but I never pushed it I knew they would break or strip the threads.

 

[randini]

I have had that Harbor freight tool for a couple of years. It has worked wee for me, I used it probably 7-8 times. Never on anything as big as a Deuce, although.

 

[319]

One key to longevity of forcing tools is to keep those screws clean and lubricted with oil. Reduces friction and prevents the screw and frame from becoming "one".

 

[rango]

have one, well the peices to one, used it on my durangos lowers and snapped it in half, this was of course before realizing i was using the wrong adapter to press the joints out it made lots of pretty popping noises, ill take pics, before i destroyed it i had no issues, i of course would prefer the mac/matco/otc version but i was jobless and in a pinch

 

[Oldfart]

We have had one in our shop for years. We use it if it fits the application. No problems with the tool. Then again we have a 30 ton shop press we use most of the time. the HF tool is only used for the stuff on something that we can't get into the press.

If I am going to abuse a tool I try to make sure it is not one of my son's high dollar Snap-On's. Maybe thats why they last longer. I do have some cheapie screwdrivers that have the bits all messed up, but not from twisting screws, it's because they got used as chisels and punches.

For the money, its a good tool and it works.

 

[Jake0147]

Ball Joint Press - Great Deals on Ball Joint Presses at Harbor Freight

Saw this online and wondered if any shop guys here have used this--- OR--- maybe there's a better alternative.

Yes I have used that tool. No, it is not a quality product. it works fine for light stuff where you don't really need it. GENTLY pressed ball joints, wheel studs, non-stuck universal joints WHERE IT FITS, that sort of thing. While not "needed" for these things, it does speed up the process greatly. They are an economical solution for light duty use.

If you NEED this tool, for truly stubborn items, then this will fail. The metal is not what it could be. The frame spreads open, the threads on the frame portion distort enough to lock the forcing screw (like a properly torqued fastener that won't come loose) so your turning effort is wasted way too early in the game as far as actual clamping force goes. Spend the dollars up front the first time for the OTC (of which that tool is a clone) or look into other recognizable brands. (That OTC original is actually re-badged to a lot of the reputable brands) If you envision the need for adapters for specific items, get the appropriate kit up front. Then you get the case instead of cardboard boxes, and the overall cost will be much lower.

 

[micmccon]

I tried about every brand.BluePoint and SnapOn was what I made a living with for 28 years,I did own about $40.000 of SnapOn tools,when you can't do the job because of broken or failed tools you lose money and sometime good customers.I hated the ujoint that have plastic.Heat it with a torch and it flys across the shop.I love the burns from the hot grease and plastic.I had the SnapOn ujoint I guess you could call it a c clamp it was steel where the OTC balljoint tool is aluminum.I have used the impact on both but I never pushed it I knew they would break or strip the threads.

My OTC is definately NOT made out of aluminum. I've had it 10 years and it always works well.

 

[Tinwoodsman]

I bought the HF version to press out and reverse my lug studs and it worked fine. Today I used it to press out the windshield hinge bolts and it worked great. The bolt head fit the opening perfectly.

 

[onegmjack]

I have set number OTC 7249,mite not be aluminum.Not steel,it is grayish color.Looks like cast aluminum,I could be wrong.

 

[cajun666]

All most every thing is made in China
So just because it has snap on Mac or what on it
It still could be made in China
You get some thing cheap it going to be made cheap
Just because it cheap does it make it junk.

 

[Ray70]

A couple years ago my wife bought me a HF ball joint press for Christmas. First time I tried using it ( Ford F350 ball joints ) the P.O.S bent and I had to return it.
Now I have an OTC which is made out of hardened steel (powder coated in a silver/aluminum color ) and it will take all the force I can put on it with my impact, plus whacking the C-frame or bolt with a 5lb. sledge to shock loose the most stubborn ball joints, and it has never failed me.
The HF unit is probably fine for doing u-joints and maybe small ball boints, but it is definitely not made from steel of the same quality as the tool they copied it from! If you only need the tool on a rare occasion, most Advance Auto and Auto Zone stores will rent you an OTC press, its "free" but you have to buy it up front, then get your money back when you return it.