Combination Square advice needed
- Thread starter sanangelo
- Start date
GregBradley
Member
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2011
- Messages
- 191
PEC uses an "H" after the part number to indicate the hardened heads. I can't recall seeing those items in HJE listings.
I believe Starret's hardened heads are forged instead of cast but don't know if PEC's are also. I'm sure neither Starrett or PEC do casting or forging on site. I'm sure both Boston, MA and Los Angeles, CA are almost impossible locations to do either.
I believe forging would eliminate the pits that are the major defect type in the cast heads. They cast iron and then machine it to size, which sometimes opens a small air pocket. That is basically harmless unless it is in the area where the blade sits. The blades are all hardened and most of HJE prices for the square are less than a blade costs normally. Of course, they usually do a half-hearted grind over the brand name to make sure you can't warranty it as a first.
My biggest complaint is that I also have use for metric tools and HJE only carries inch system tools. I have only seen a couple blades that weren't perfect so I'm assuming most of the seconds are the heads. I would like a couple metric blade seconds. It is hard to pay full price when you know what a deal you got on seconds.
I believe Starret's hardened heads are forged instead of cast but don't know if PEC's are also. I'm sure neither Starrett or PEC do casting or forging on site. I'm sure both Boston, MA and Los Angeles, CA are almost impossible locations to do either.
I believe forging would eliminate the pits that are the major defect type in the cast heads. They cast iron and then machine it to size, which sometimes opens a small air pocket. That is basically harmless unless it is in the area where the blade sits. The blades are all hardened and most of HJE prices for the square are less than a blade costs normally. Of course, they usually do a half-hearted grind over the brand name to make sure you can't warranty it as a first.
My biggest complaint is that I also have use for metric tools and HJE only carries inch system tools. I have only seen a couple blades that weren't perfect so I'm assuming most of the seconds are the heads. I would like a couple metric blade seconds. It is hard to pay full price when you know what a deal you got on seconds.
In the shop I use Starrett products. I wanted a good quality square that was accurate and robust for on site use. When I saw the PEC squares on the Epstein site I took a chance and bought one. I've had Empire, Swanson, Stanley, and others in my tool bag before but they're never perfectly square and the hardware eventually gives up.
I am quite pleased with the quality of it, for my site bag it's perfect. It feels substantial in the hand and is just as accurate as my Starrett square (I checked them against one another).
For $20 you really can't go wrong.
I am quite pleased with the quality of it, for my site bag it's perfect. It feels substantial in the hand and is just as accurate as my Starrett square (I checked them against one another).
For $20 you really can't go wrong.
