Oppopinion?

"VincentMalamute-Kim" (VincentMalamute-Kim)
03/24/2020 at 17:50 • Filed to: None

Prompted by @facw’s comment about changing springs, I checked Craigslist and this was posted today.

I’ve always used the same manual spring compressors like everyone else. My friend is an ENT surgeon and he repairs the extensive facial fractures those can cause. Instilling some fear in me isn’t a bad thing.

I bought a hydraulic floor mount Harbor Freight spring compressor years ago but it doesn’t fit the springs on struts well and it’s arms are a soft steel and bend with just Caravan springs. Scares me more than the manual stuff. No way it’ll work on my Transit springs.

I’ll save you guys some money - don’t buy this. I usually don’t buy HF if it could involve death or disfigurement. Maybe this purchase started that rule.

OTOH, I heard Branick is good. $450 seems like a good price. Anyone have experience with these? Is this indeed a good price?

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DISCUSSION (9)

VincentMalamute-Kim > VincentMalamute-Kim
03/24/2020 at 18:07

I went and googled after posting instead of before. I found the model 7600 for $735 new . 7600 looks like a better design with the hooks. In which case, I’m thinking the older 7200 isn’t worth $450 as I’d rather have the 7600?

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > VincentMalamute-Kim
03/24/2020 at 18:16

I’m unsure how you can hurt yourself with a manual spring compressor. Putting your face right up to the springy end of it seems to me to be the only real way to do it, and if you’re doing that, you probably shouldn’t be using a spring compressor...

VincentMalamute-Kim > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker
03/24/2020 at 18:23

Those manual arms can and have slipped off. There’s probably a few thousand lbs of potential energy you’ve imparted into the spring when you compress it.

Which is rapidly converted into kinetic energy. You’d be amazed at how far that spring can travel. Your face doesn’t need to be near it.

Ask an ENT surgeon if he’s seen any “face vs spring” patients.

kanadanmajava1 > VincentMalamute-Kim
03/24/2020 at 18:30

I have been using this kind of spring compressors. They feel quite safety to use.

Kinja'd!!!

WildlyMild > VincentMalamute-Kim
03/24/2020 at 19:03

A work ours has a thick’ish chain with a couple of those screw style chain links. Looped over the top and through the spring. Its not like you compress the spring all the way so the chain has plenty of room in most instances. Also two pairs of vice grips if you have them. When the assembly is placed in the tool and the holders are equally spaced and such use them to clamp the spring next to the holders so it won’t be as likely to rotate.

Over the years I’ve seen a spring fly through a garage door, to the other end of a 200ft building and through a coworkers outer two knuckles. Tips and tricks help but maybe if you could just buy assemblies or carry them to a shop with old guys who are familiar with the tool you could save yourself a few hundred dollars

VincentMalamute-Kim > kanadanmajava1
03/24/2020 at 20:27

hm. Hadn’t seen those. They look better. Do you know if they are known to be safer?

K eep the tremendous potential energy stored in compressed springs in mind regardless .

VincentMalamute-Kim > WildlyMild
03/24/2020 at 20:30

I use steel cables to loop through the spring in case of accident. Thanks for sharing your first hand accounts. My story is second hand from my surgeon friend.

I do like buying the assemblies. Probably not available for my Transit. yeah, it makes no sense financially to buy this tool I’ll use once every few years. I do like having the tools and the capability. Probably more than I like having the money.

kanadanmajava1 > VincentMalamute-Kim
03/24/2020 at 21:04

The design seems to be quite fail safe as the spring has very little changes of escaping from the paws. The ones that have used were quite stu rdy too so I don’t believe that they co uld give up either.

The spring failure is of course a thing that could happen with any of these. If I would compressing a really bad looking spring I would probably use a safety strap inside the spring to lessen the possibility of flying spring parts.

VincentMalamute-Kim > kanadanmajava1
03/24/2020 at 21:51

Thanks. I may consider those. Makes more sense in terms of price v use than the pro stuff.