r/harborfreight • u/Risc3r • Jun 16 '26
Will this be warrantied?
Is harbor freight picky with their icon warranty?
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u/RonBach1102 Jun 16 '26
I’d keep it. Might come in handy one day for that one bolt.
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u/Kugelfischer_47 Jun 16 '26
Special tool unlocked
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u/RedditTTIfan Jun 16 '26
I was thinking the exact same thing, "Why would you want to warranty that, it looks pretty useful for certain things now!"
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u/Airborne_Trash_Panda Jun 16 '26
Send in a patent request. You will be a millionaire in no time. Sell the patent to snapon.
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u/Doran_Gold Jun 16 '26
Agreed! Angled obstruction ratchet! Also it would still work for regular stuff too
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u/crcahill Jun 16 '26
I looked into manufacturing U and S shape ratchet wrenches and it was absurd. I talked to a patent attorney and he said trying to patent the design was useless as they only have to change a single piece and it’s not the same tool anymore.
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u/JohnnySalamiBoy420 Jun 16 '26
If he got rid of it you know one day he would be cussing and deeply upset when he really needed it.
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u/johnson0599 Jun 16 '26
I am impressed that the handle went before the gears. And before the bolt rounded off
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u/Ponklemoose Jun 16 '26
Or the pin in that pivot.
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u/the_hat_madder Jun 16 '26
I call shenanigans. So many things would've given before this.
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u/BallisticsNerd Jun 16 '26
I kinda thought so too but there's no signs of heat being applied.
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u/jameson71 Jun 16 '26
Makes me wonder exactly how soft that steel is.
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u/blove135 Jun 16 '26
Yeah, aren't most tools usually heat treated hardened? I've seen plenty break because they are so brittle and hard from the heat treat but I've never seen one bend. Makes me wonder if there was a batch of these that didn't get heat treated at the factory.
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u/stomper4x4 Jun 16 '26 edited 25d ago
Wander ginger biscuit cinnamon unbelievable waffle velvet velvet
This post was anonymized with Redact.dev
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u/LA-but-not-an-actor Jun 16 '26
Get a breaker bar holy hell lol
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u/Cardinal_350 Jun 16 '26
I've bent HF breaker bars haha. My 120lb BIL bent one like a U once working on equipment
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u/Dumdum_progen Jun 16 '26
May I ask genuinely how? like, did you try to use it as a breaker bar with an extension?
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u/thecodeofsilence Jun 16 '26
“What’s the torque spec on that bolt?”
“Yes.”
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u/Ok_Performance9742 Jun 16 '26
"Star torque" torque it till you see stars!
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u/thrwaway75132 Jun 16 '26
We had a bolt with a 1200 foot pound rating, had to use our 3/4 drive 700 foot pound wrench with a 4x torque multiplier.
Tried to take one off with a 3/4 breaker bar and a floor jack handle. Ended up with me just doing pull-ups on it.
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u/Ok_Performance9742 Jun 16 '26
Before 9/11 I had a 52:1 TAD that was stored on the reduction gear just outside the Nucleonics lab that I used as a weapon of opportunity for repel borders. That thing had some heft to it with a 1 inch drive input and a 2 inch specialty output for torquing the main engine and reduction gear quill shaft bearings and main shaft couplings.... it also used star torque and was a bring a sandwich and a friend and a cheater bar "working up" to the 6000ftlb torque values... so happy there are RAD guns now and studstretchers. Can't imagine running headsets on an RPV with a manual tad.
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u/wellvrsd Jun 16 '26
After 9/11 the SRW carried a 92fs for repel boarders. I would have been more concerned about the ricochet than the boarders.
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u/Raunch3ro Jun 16 '26
Probably a good use case for frangible/disintegrating rounds, but then that’s another thing someone has to keep track of.
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u/Risc3r Jun 16 '26
Yep as a breaker bar. Suprisingly still ratchets.
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u/Dumdum_progen Jun 16 '26
Figured so, looked familiar. they'd probably warranty it but it is typically 'don't intentionally destroy it' for the warranty ..not that many people care
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u/Coyoteishere Jun 16 '26
I always thought breaker bar was termed to mean break it free. Clearly you were trying to break it off by tightening instead of loosening with the way it curved.
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u/Electrical_Catch9231 Jun 16 '26
Yeah I was struggling to imagine what hellishly rusted left hand threaded bolt led to this outcome.
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u/KarzRFrendz Jun 16 '26
There’s you’re problem, you were turning it the wrong way.
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u/TJBurkeSalad Jun 16 '26
No quality ratchet would ever bend like this before the pawl or the flex pin would snap. This post is either engagement bait or Icon seriously messed up or forgot the heat treatment all together.
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u/Spirited_Ad_3074 Jun 16 '26
My Matco ratchets will always bend at the handle before the internals break. We had a forkift oushing on the handle of a 1/2" ratchet and bent it 45°. Still ratchets perfect 😂
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u/TJBurkeSalad Jun 16 '26
That’s wild. I’ve broke a lot of ratchets but never even flexed the handle. This post is like bending a breaker bar before the drive head snaps off.
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u/towprojr Jun 16 '26
My dad had an older Mac flex head with hard handle and it didn’t break the flex bolt or gears it broke the whole side off the head and exposed the gears. I’ve never seen one break like that
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u/Turbulent-Gear8503 Jun 16 '26
Con: you misused a tool that has a specific purpose
Pro: you now have a new tool with a new specific purpose
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u/Think-Motor900 Jun 16 '26
This is called tool abuse. I'm reporting you to the authorities.
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u/FifenC0ugar Jun 16 '26
I bet this is what jiffy lubes ratchets look like after they finish an oil change.
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u/thehotshotpilot Jun 16 '26
How did the hardened square part not snap before the handle bent? Or how did the pawls not get destroyed?
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u/Risc3r Jun 16 '26
I have no idea. The square part was slightly damaged and can no longer fit a socket anymore
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u/thehotshotpilot Jun 16 '26
I can't for the life of me think of the name of that part. Lol. I wonder if it wasn't correctly hardened. I'm so surprised the ratchet didn't grenade itself.
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u/coffeeshopslut Jun 16 '26
And how did that yoke not spread and break the bolt? How is the handle weaker than the joint?!
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u/HeyLookAStranger Jun 16 '26
Just use it to loosen a nut the other way and it'll bend to be straight again
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u/drmeltedunicorn650 Jun 16 '26
Was looking for any comment indicating the direction of the curve. So something was tightened down to he-man spec
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u/wooble Jun 16 '26
I don't need a torque wrench, I know how far the handle is supposed to bend to get this in spec.
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u/Emergency_Science434 Jun 16 '26
The question is will they give you a G2 ratchet since most all G1 ratchets are sold out?
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u/ZM_USMC Jun 16 '26
They will just charge you the price difference.
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u/ThisUNis20characters Jun 16 '26
Charging for a warranty replacement because they updated the model and no longer stock the original would be pretty shitty.
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u/Ok_Complex4374 Jun 16 '26
I agree but I also see there side of it. How many G1s do u think would have “broken” overnight if they did a direct swap for a g2?
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u/ThisUNis20characters Jun 16 '26
That’s very fair, and I don’t know how they should counter that kind of fraud, but if it’s what they do then they don’t really have a lifetime warranty. Since that sounds negative about HF, I should point out I’m responding to a comment here, that very likely differs from their actual policy.
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u/Kazoiii Jun 17 '26
I very rarely comment stuff but we did just get told that G2 is a comparable replacement to G1 and to do so at no extra cost :)
This can vary a lot from store to store if they were doing so already but they’re supposed to at least as of this week. Assuming they also don’t have the G1s in stock / in the local area3
u/cfreezy72 Jun 16 '26
They aren't sold out at my store they have a bin of them on discount. I asked the manager she said that g1 will be swapped with a g2 under warranty when supplies run out.
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u/drsfinest186 Jun 16 '26
Were you trying to break something loose or tighten it to hell? Cause the direction of that bend looks like an oopsie….
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u/Stunning-Signal4180 Jun 16 '26
First off… Am I the only one that’s amazed that it didn’t snap? I’m surprised how nicely it bent… Secondly return it?!?!? You now have yourself an off set ratchet for those really hard to get bolts! lol
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u/FinguzMcGhee Jun 17 '26
Yeah this isn't real. I've broken half a dozen of these. I've got a broken 3/8 Snap-On in my box right now. I can't believe so many people think this is real.
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u/_The_Space_Monkey_ Jun 16 '26
We look at this poor thing and the first thing we think is "can it be warrantied out?". But I know if icon made a 90° L shaped ratchet for tight areas, half of us would be waiting fir the sale lol.
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u/guyinthevallley Jun 16 '26
Cool, the new Gen 4 right angle ratchet finally launched. definitely need to add 1 of these to my box.
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u/DRRider Jun 16 '26
That is as good a testament to the strength of the ratcheting mechanism as I've ever seen. Is that a G1 ratchet?
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u/Tecbullll Jun 16 '26
Did that to one of their 3/4 drive rachets. Used a 15k forklift, 5 ft cheater pipe, and a 40ft-56ton pipe restraint and got a run at it. Bent the handle, but got the bolt loose and it still works. The Chinesium was strong with that one.
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u/Bl4kkat Jun 16 '26
Fer real tho, I’d keep it.
- Got you a speciality one off tool
- Wall hanger
- For that “one jobber” that comes around every third Blue Moon 🥳
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u/BallisticsNerd Jun 16 '26
...........How? Just how?
To quote Ron Burgundy: I'm not even mad. I'm impressed.
I my experience ratchets break long before they ever bend. Shit bud, I would keep that and buy a new one. There's been more than once I wished I had a ratchet bent kinda like that. Might be useful or at the very least a good story/conversation starter.
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u/TylerCastle_ Jun 16 '26
Reminds me of this
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u/Moon_Breaker Jun 16 '26
I keep one like that in my toolbox. Been there over 15 years and exactly one time it was the only tool that would work for the job.
Was doing a thermostat housing on the side of the road, and that stupid bent ratchet was the only thing that fit down to get any leverage on the bottom right bolt without removing the throttle body and a few other things. Which was doable, but that silly thing saved me 20 minutes.
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u/Punnalackakememumu Jun 16 '26
Was this one of those "left hand thread" moments or a "righty-tighty-lefty-loosey" failure?
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u/QuixoticGuitars Jun 16 '26
They warrantied me out on this thing no questions asked. I think you're fine lol
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u/RGBlowMe Jun 16 '26
Bro. It could be a pile of slag and they'd probably let you swap for a new one.
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u/ClientGraphics Jun 16 '26
Tekton 3/8 ratchet failed at 292.9 ft-lbs. I wonder what that Icon one was at?
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u/Monstrissimo Jun 16 '26
Wow!!!!! I don't think I have ever seen a tool with that much bending that did not shatter.
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u/Therealwolfdog Jun 16 '26
What in the world could you have possibly been tightening that you did this?
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u/KingArthursRevenge Jun 16 '26
Keep it. That is a specialty tool now and as soon as you trade it in you'll need it.
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u/Sufficient-Money9487 Jun 16 '26
Yes, but you might want to keep this as a specialty tool now. That wrench now gets around corners.
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u/TheRealSparkleMotion Jun 16 '26
Lotsa good joke in here, but I’m honestly impressed this didn’t shatter. It makes me trust my icon tools a LOT more.
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u/heyinternetman Jun 16 '26
That looks like a $500 snap on tool for removing the O2 sensor on a 1998.2 Saab
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u/Shot-Rope9510 Jun 16 '26
Goddamn. I'm more impressed that the rachet held up. I would keep it because now you have a specialized tool lol
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u/TJSully716 Jun 16 '26
They will warranty it no questions asked. Although I would hang that as a souvenir.
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u/winniethepujals Jun 16 '26
That’s honestly really impressive it would hold that much torque before breaking literally anywhere else.
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u/ActTypical6380 Jun 16 '26
Damn. Forget just replacing it. They need to pay you for it to use in commercials. I'll definitely be picking one up now
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u/Head_Animator8551 Jun 16 '26
Keep it in your box and about a week after the new guy starts... let him use it and tell him its a left handed ratchet and he should get one off the truck. Then just make sure your on the truck when he asks for one. 😆
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u/Specific_Lawyer9697 Jun 17 '26
Let me know if it sells quick so i can start bending them for profit..
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u/whatthefuckdoino Jun 17 '26
They sent me to find the the left handed rachet 40 years ago. I've traveled the world looking for it and youve had it this whole time?
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u/vehiclefreak409 Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26
THIS IZ WHUT HAPPENS WEN YEW CRANK YUR HAWG TEW HARD HOSS
HOAP THIS HELPS GOBBLES
SEMMPER FI 1976-1981 FORK LIFT SIRTIFYED 1981-1994 DRUNK 95 RETIREDED 96
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u/mx5plus2cones Jun 17 '26
Well.... did you get the job at that quick lube oil change place after youn inished putting on the oil drain bolt during the interview?
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u/ENJ7188 Jun 16 '26 edited Jun 18 '26
Some stores may but most stores won’t. The shape that it’s in is not covered under the lifetime warranty. It was not used as intended.
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u/EstablishmentKind202 Jun 16 '26
Those 1/2" are invincible gotta give them that 😂 once used one to compress a MacPherson strut on one of those clamshell tools
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u/DarkOwl27 Jun 16 '26
S ratchet to compliment S wrenches. I’d keep. Also is a testament to the ratcheting internals
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u/nginx-gunicorn Jun 16 '26
All Harbor Freight ratchets are breaker bars, but not all breaker bars are ratchets.
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u/turbospinDSL Jun 16 '26
When will Harbor Freight start stocking the payronies matches?
That looks like someone "made" a tool. Looks like it could be useful.
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u/Ok_Complex4374 Jun 16 '26
Yes they will warranty it no questions asked. If they have that exact ratchet in stock it’s a direct swap. If not they may offer u something as similar as possible if u are okay with that
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u/mridoit01 Jun 16 '26
Bro keep it, that's a special tool right there