Rant: dropped $180 on a hydraulic torque wrench that couldn't handle a single flange bolt
Bought it off a tool truck in Tulsa thinking I'd save my arms on a 6-inch line job, and the thing stripped out on the third bolt and the guy won't take it back, so what budget brand are you all actually trusting for flange work?
Man, third bolt? That thing didn't even make it through a warmup. For that kind of money I'd be camped out on that guy's lot until he made it right, tool truck guys live on repeat business and word of mouth so letting a bad sale stand is nuts. Harbor Freight's higher end line has honestly held up fine for me on flange work, just skip the cheapo stuff at that price point.
camped out on that guy's lot" is honestly the right move and it bugs me how many people just eat the loss instead. I see this everywhere now, not just tools. People buy something expensive, it fails, and they just shrug and buy another one because going back feels awkward. My neighbor dropped close to two grand on a "lifetime" mower and it quit in eight months, and he never even called the dealer once. @kai463 is right that word of mouth still runs these small tool businesses, so one guy telling ten buddies he got stuck with a dud costs that truck way more than just swapping the tool.