Comments by "Paul Frederick" (@1pcfred) on "Are Flare Nut Wrenches Any Better? Let's Settle This!" video.

I don't have flare nut wrenches. I do have Vise Grips though. If Vise Grips can't get it then the line gets cut and it gets an impact socket on it. It's coming apart one way, or another. I can guarantee that.
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@jvcyt298 I'm the type of guy that gets it done. If a fitting isn't cracking there's a good reason for that. The same reason it needs to get replaced too. I've blown brake lines. I can't say I recommend it. The only thing worse than a car that won't start is one that won't stop.
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OK Archimedes.
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Williams didn't do bad. They came out third. First in value I'd say.
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Snap-On is still doing the best heat treating in the industry. That's what you're paying for. Heat treating is an art. Snap-On is practicing the art at a very high level too. They use a triple treatment process. Which is one treatment more than everyone else does.
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Stanley Black & Decker owns Proto today.
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@TigDegner no one is beating Snap-On when it comes to wrenches and ratchets. No one. If you buy other Snap-On tools that's on you. But those are not Snap-On's core products and in many cases they don't even manufacture them. I get that some people want everything coordinated. Those people deserve to be taken advantage of.
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The problem with vintage tools is they're no longer available to purchase today. So it is pointless to test them now. Because no one's going to be able to get them.
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A half inch is 12.7mm and 9/16" = 14.29mm so the metric sizes are a smidge smaller. But then there's tool tolerances. A half inch wrench wouldn't fit on a half inch fastener. It'd just be too tight. I mean you could hammer it on. I'm not sure how you'd get it back off. Generally anything less than 4 thousandths difference is an interference fit. You need some slop. 3/4 - 19mm is another close match too. They're basically the same size. You don't need both of those tools.
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@NoNo-df5tl when I suggested that someone acted like I'd shot the Pope. But it is a viable option for really stuck fittings to me.
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@TigDegner maybe some people need the peak of performance but I'm not that guy. If you're not in a formula pit crew you're probably not either. Great tools won't make crappy hardware any better. A little technique can go a long ways towards getting the job done though. It isn't always just put the tool on and pull for all you're worth. That don't always do it. When it don't then you have bigger problems on your hands too.
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@Bloody_crow if what you have is doing the job then great. If not then this video has enough information to do something about it.
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Snap-On looked like the best here to me.
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One problem with cheap products is a lack of consistency. Some may test well and others may not. The only way to really test is to get a sampling and test a number. Part of low prices is a complete lack of quality control in the manufacturing process. Everything that comes off the line gets shipped out. No one's looking very hard at anything either. A high end manufacturer pulls random samples and tests them. Or they may even test everything. Doing that costs a lot though.
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I'd have liked to have seen Vise Grips up against the competition in this line up. That's what I use on flare nuts if I don't just cut the line and put a socket on it. When stuff is that messed up it's getting replaced anyways.
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@Sainte305 Proto got bought by Stanley and Stanley is indeed a company that will not be beaten. Their bean counters don't leave any meat on the bone. Which can affect overall quality.
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@unregistereduser1088 I am partial to Snap-On ratchets myself. I like their reversing lever. Some copy it backwards. That annoys me to no end. The Snappy design is easy to service too.
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@logmeindog and how did you manage to break those? Ratchets are not breaker bars. You really shouldn't be reefing hard on ratchets. They're more of a luxury convenience item. Just because you can do some things doesn't mean you should.
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@logmeindog it's always people. Snap-On does have the nicest design for servicing. I took apart a little SK once to grease it. It has one of those spring windey retainer deals. I was just about driven to tears to get it back together. I finally did manage it. But I vowed to never do that again. That's the secret to making cheap ratchets seem premium. Grease them. Not too much though. Just a thin film. It gets rid of the ping.
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@Bloody_crow sweet!
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