I'm curious what the gearheads here think about Autozone's Duralast tools.
Disclaimer: I'm not a mechanic; rather, I'm a woodworker. However, I use hand tools often to perform basic maintenance on my vehicles, mowers and power tools. I worked at Autozone in the late 90s when I was a youngster and didn't know much about tools, or even vehicles, for that matter. I don't remember what the quality of Duralast tools was like back then.
I now own S-K (vintage), Williams (vintage and modern), Wright (vintage and modern), Snap-On (vintage), Proto (modern) and Craftsman (vintage and modern) ratchets and wrenches, and recently bought a Duralast 3/8 drive SAE socket set to keep in my trunk for on-the-fly maintenance. It came with a Snap-On copy ratchet, which is a little tight to the turn. However, the chrome is flawless and the sockets appear to be much better forged and finished than the likes of the Husky, Kobalt or Stanley crap that you get at Home Depot, Lowe's or Wal-Mart. I also bought the Duralast 72-tooth ratchet, which I put in the set in place of the 32-tooth rat that came with it. I oiled it and it's smooth as butter (I also packed the SO copy with white lithium grease and it purrs}.
(I haven't put the sockets to a test, though, to see how strong the steel is; I watched a YouTube review of some Rolson sockets, and the guy actually STRIPPED the sockets just trying to turn a couple bolts on a pump motor ... an incomprehensible breach of quality I've never, ever seen.}
That said, I may buy a set of the reversible Duralast ratcheting wrenches and a 1/2 inch fine-tooth ratchet to use for my everyday maintenance of my car, lawnmower and other power tools (It's silly, I know, because I, likely, needlessly and indulgently bought Wright-Grip wrenches and a 1/2 inch Wright six-point socket wrench set to use, but they're just so pretty and perfect and I'm loathe to mar them at all by using them ... they're truly, in my eyes, works of art). I honestly like to just sit and look at them. Does anyone else share similar sentiment, or am I just a sinful waster of money and good tools?
The Duralast tools are pretty, use chrome vanadium steel, have GREAT chrome, and are reasonably priced. They also seem to be better tools than the house brands I've seen from the box stores and O'Reilly and Advance). I'm curious what the auto folks, DIYers and otherwise tinkerers here think about them?
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Disclaimer: I'm not a mechanic; rather, I'm a woodworker. However, I use hand tools often to perform basic maintenance on my vehicles, mowers and power tools. I worked at Autozone in the late 90s when I was a youngster and didn't know much about tools, or even vehicles, for that matter. I don't remember what the quality of Duralast tools was like back then.
I now own S-K (vintage), Williams (vintage and modern), Wright (vintage and modern), Snap-On (vintage), Proto (modern) and Craftsman (vintage and modern) ratchets and wrenches, and recently bought a Duralast 3/8 drive SAE socket set to keep in my trunk for on-the-fly maintenance. It came with a Snap-On copy ratchet, which is a little tight to the turn. However, the chrome is flawless and the sockets appear to be much better forged and finished than the likes of the Husky, Kobalt or Stanley crap that you get at Home Depot, Lowe's or Wal-Mart. I also bought the Duralast 72-tooth ratchet, which I put in the set in place of the 32-tooth rat that came with it. I oiled it and it's smooth as butter (I also packed the SO copy with white lithium grease and it purrs}.
(I haven't put the sockets to a test, though, to see how strong the steel is; I watched a YouTube review of some Rolson sockets, and the guy actually STRIPPED the sockets just trying to turn a couple bolts on a pump motor ... an incomprehensible breach of quality I've never, ever seen.}
That said, I may buy a set of the reversible Duralast ratcheting wrenches and a 1/2 inch fine-tooth ratchet to use for my everyday maintenance of my car, lawnmower and other power tools (It's silly, I know, because I, likely, needlessly and indulgently bought Wright-Grip wrenches and a 1/2 inch Wright six-point socket wrench set to use, but they're just so pretty and perfect and I'm loathe to mar them at all by using them ... they're truly, in my eyes, works of art). I honestly like to just sit and look at them. Does anyone else share similar sentiment, or am I just a sinful waster of money and good tools?
The Duralast tools are pretty, use chrome vanadium steel, have GREAT chrome, and are reasonably priced. They also seem to be better tools than the house brands I've seen from the box stores and O'Reilly and Advance). I'm curious what the auto folks, DIYers and otherwise tinkerers here think about them?
Show less
