Bucking Bars: Quality vs. Price?

[bruceh]

Does anyone have experience with using this Harbor Freight Bucking Bar (at $7.99) vs. this Avery Bucking Bar (at $23) or looks like the same one from Aircraft Spruce for $32!

It would seem to me that a bucking bar is a bucking bar. As long as it is heavy and the face is polished, the cheaper the better!

Is the Avery one worth 3X the price? I'm getting ready to buy the Avery tool kit and would like to delete this if the HF one is comparable for 1/3 the price.

 

[xavierm]

had one

I had one. I did not see a difference between the HF one and the one I received in my toolkit.

It's a lot more, but consider going with a tungsten bar.

 

[Pirkka]

It would seem to me that a bucking bar is a bucking bar. As long as it is heavy and the face is polished, the cheaper the better!

Many of us have found bucking bars made of tungsten most favorable. The weight by unit of volume for them is close to gold i.e. they are heavy compared to size. Therefore they fit well in many places. Tungsten is however quite expensive material (not at level of gold anyway ) and therefore I would say that more expensive the better!

However this has been discussed a lot so here are some threads for a start:

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=13900&highlight=tungsten
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=39958&highlight=tungsten
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=14674&highlight=tungsten
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=26730&highlight=tungsten
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=11285&highlight=tungsten

...and you can easily find dozen more with search function of the website.

What comes to those el cheapo bars you mentioned, you are most probably right that the no need to pay extra.

 

[bruceh]

definitely will get a tungsten bar

Just to clarify, the Avery RV builders kit comes with a tungsten bucking bar and 2 other iron bucking bars. Both of these iron bars can be had at HF for $7.99. I just wanted to know if the iron Avery versions were worth the extra price or not.

Thanks!

 

[RV7Ron]

Tungsten

I know this is not quite the question you asked, but for me personally, I couldnt live without my tungsten bucking bar...expensive but well worth IMHO.

 

[Steve]

It looks like the HF bar has the Aircraft Tool Supply diamond logo but without the "ATS" letters inside the diamond.

Steve

 

[alpinelakespilot2000]

Does anyone have experience with using this Harbor Freight Bucking Bar (at $7.99) vs. this Avery Bucking Bar (at $23) or looks like the same one from Aircraft Spruce for $32!

It would seem to me that a bucking bar is a bucking bar. As long as it is heavy and the face is polished, the cheaper the better!

Is the Avery one worth 3X the price? I'm getting ready to buy the Avery tool kit and would like to delete this if the HF one is comparable for 1/3 the price.

jA piece of steel is a piece of steel. So long as it is polished (or can be polished) on whichever side your bucking with, it should be just fine. I'd say go for it and use the money saved to buy some other tool.

By the time you are done with your build, you'll find that you'll have used lots of things you have laying around the shop as bucking bars, including the ends of socket wrenchs and rivet squeezer yokes.

I've heard the tungsten bars are fantastic. Perhaps on my next build, but 2-3 steel bars + misc other things used as bucking bars have been more than adequate for every rivet on the airframe.

 

[blackbeard10]

tungsten bucking bars

I second that steel is steel but once you've used a tungsten bar, you'll only use the steel in hard to reach spots. Definitely worth the money. Got mine from a guy on ebay at a good price.
Mark Wyss
RV4
skinning fuse

 

[airguy]

I bought my tungsten bar early in the empennage kit, and I am now only a few hours short of closing the wings. I think I have picked up my steel bucking bars 3 or 4 times since I got my tungsten bar, I use it for everything. If it got lost today, I'd order another and pay overnight shipping.

 

[Paul the Overlord]

bars

Hello,

We have a nice little (but heavy) tungsten bar at SteinAir. Call me if you need one.

 

[vfrazier]

I second the comments about tungsten bars being totally worth the money. I was so impressed after using one that I bought a boatload just to offer them on our store. 3 types available.

I now have about 20 steel bucking bars of various shapes that do nothing, I mean nothing, but collect dust.

Quality tools are always a bargain.