Looked at the Hazard Fraught iFixit clone toolkit - my thoughts

I blurred the address with my card/receipt information (this is for privacy/security reasons). The store information has also been blurred. The reason for this is the store you go to doesn't matter as the price will be the same. HOWEVER, I'm willing to provide a copy with the top address left alone and the other sensitive info blocked if there's enough demand (card info/receipt number/HF barcode). I am providing this to show I put my own money down to check this and my opinions are not influenced.

Anyway, I had to try and battle the Kia from he-double hockey sticks to try and get additional keys programmed after I had issues between 2 tools (one specialized, all system scanner. Even the locksmith struggled, so it's the ECU or wiring being squirrely, as I suspected), and HF was nearby. As I said when it came out in January, I'd see if I can find one. I found three and bought one.

First, the most significant negative I have quickly found is that the "sorting tray" is a marketing embellishment. My issue is that it lacks any sorting mechanism (such as built-in ridges that act as a sorting tray) like the iFixit driver kit is known for. This line is borderline misleading at best unless you are sorting completely identical screws.

POTENTIALLY POSITIVE UPDATE: I checked to see if the tray issue I took issue with here is resolved. IT MAY HAVE BEEN :-). The site has since changed the language to "Magnetized case with built-in storage tray." That said, I'm leaving my comment about it alone until I can check a box in person (no, I'm not buying one to check marketing corrections).

The biggest thing I immediately noticed is the bit length is marginally shorter than the iFixit bits. I don't anticipate this will be an issue, as it passed a test I use when I have it handy (I use a Wii controller). Given it worked on a Wii controller, it's marginally shorter. I don't anticipate any issues with most devices but beware: Historically difficult devices like Playstation controllers, which even struggle with the iFixit kit, will almost certainly struggle with the HF kit. To be honest, I am posting this more as a caution to anyone considering this toolkit to consider the issue before purchasing it (or at least purchase standalone drivers at the same time).

There are a few other significant differences between the HF kit vs. the iFixit kit:

• Same bit count, but some bits are missing
  • Notable examples
    • SIM eject
    • Y000
    • Y00
    • Hex 2.5
• The bit extension is noticeably flimsier than the iFixit kit and uses magnets for the bit retention; that said, anyone who remembers the older Pro Techs will know this was a thing with older iFixit kits until it was revised. It "works" and helps bring the cost down in manufacturing at scale, but it means you need to watch your bits closely. It's okay, but don't expect it to be as good as the iFixit extension.
  • WHILE I AM CALLING THIS OUT, I'm not docking it, given the price of the HF toolkit. As mentioned above, the iFixit kit also used a magnet for a long time (original Pro Tech and early Gen2 Pro Tech revisions). It works, but it's nowhere near as good as the friction fit extension iFixit uses.
• Subpar manufacturing tolerances cause the foam that holds the bits, extension, and handle to slip out of the case. This is not an issue with the iFixit product. The top case is pretty easy to align since it uses magnets, so this will largely help mitigate issues like bit loss.
  • While I'm going easy on the kit, I am a little concerned about this being a potential issue (more on this later in the "replacement part" notes). I had the same problem with two toolkits.
  • Potential fix: To mitigate this, the foam is glue-friendly, so you could put a drop of fabric glue on the corners in a nonvisible area. Super Glue or PVA glue is your best bet.

They are long enough for a Wii controller (which has a screw hole length that is long enough it is notorious for testing screwdriver bits and handles like this as a lot of sets do not work). It passed the "Wii controller test", so this marginal difference shouldn't be an issue for most repairs.

Remember: There will always be that repair that needs a one-off tool purchase you don't have. It's about WHEN it happens.

This is why I'm mentioning it as a heads up rather than a points dock: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A ONE SIZE FITS ALL REPAIRS TOOLKIT.

While it will likely be rare, the slightly shorter bits could pose a problem with some repairs; that said, I'd argue that repairs prone to driver length issues are known to be a potential issue, and it's better to be prepared with a standalone driver just in case it is needed. As such, I'm not docking points from this kit given some repairs just require standalone tools by default.

Left (Flathead): HF

Right (P2): iFixit (Repair kit)

CAUTION: Unlike the iFixit kit, HF does not sell replacement parts. There isn't a manual, so I had to call to find out. This is largely offset with enough of the tools being replaceable with 3rd party replacements purchased independently (with a few custom items being impossible to source outside short or pilfering incomplete sets with the needed item). I’ve called HF and confirmed this is the case to be sure.

Not readily replaceable:

• Suction cup (Appears to be completely custom, not easily replaced; will need a substitute)
• Screwdriver bit set (Bit length appears to be custom for HF, and made by a supplier just for them that will not sell it to anyone else. This also appears to be true for the screwdriver handle). IF YOU LOSE ANY OF THESE, YOU MAY NOT FIND A REPLACEMENT AS HF DOES NOT SELL PARTS FOR THIS KIT IF IT IS LOST OR NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY; this design appears to be barely legal to avoid legal issues.
  • Due to these issues finding replacement parts, the screwdriver set is almost certainly disposable long term, unless you buy the iFixit bits and lose/break nothing else. Sigh.
• Tool roll
  • Similar to iFixit Pro Tech, but this will probably not interchange as the HF one is a little shorter. This is 110% disposable.

WHAT CAN BE REPLACED THROUGH ALTERNATIVE MEANS:

• Nylon reverse tweezers (Multiple solutions)
  • Whole tweezer replacement: Cross compatible with iFixit ones or other 3rd party replacements of similar design. Not hard to find replacements on sites like AliExpress or Amazon. ($3-5 fix iFixit, less on AliExpress.)
  • Tip replacement: If using replacement iFixit tips, they DO fit on the HF version. As long as it's the same or very close, 3rd party replacements SHOULD WORK but you may run into problems with future tip replacements. Bare tips cannot be readily purchased outside of buying them from iFixit; otherwise you will need to buy tweezers with extra tips Aliexpress or iFixit at an economical price. ($3 fix from iFixit, $10 Amazon with possible fit issues, ~$4 Aliexpress with extra bundled tips)
• Clone Jimmy: iFixit one fits the roll on the HF kit, this is easily replaced. NO 3RD PARTY EQUIVALENTS AVAILABLE*.
  *In the US. Look up "LCD opener" on eBay for a dupe for ~$2, but this will come from China so budget a few weeks to get it. It's $8 on iFixit, so you save $6 if you can wait. IMO: Not worth it, don't buy these individually; grab at least 2 to justify the extra wait from China.

Items here are readily available through multiple 3rd party sellers, there is nothing special to consider when finding replacements:

• Metal tweezers: Common design, easily replaced ($10 iFixit, $6 on Amazon, ~$1-3 for a set on Aliexpress)
• ESD strap: Generic strap, any identical strap will work. It's even a generic shade of blue for those of you who are perfectionists and want to color match the original.
• Spudger: Common design, easily replaced

Everything else looks standard or can be readily replaced with third-party replacements, like the pry tools and spudgers. However, check the measurements first. I suspect 90% of the "common" designs will fit in the roll without issues.

CONSUMBALES (included for guidance when replacing worn items):

• Guitar picks: Very common Chinese design included with things like low cost toolkits that come with a lot of 3rd party parts on eBay. Can substitute with almost any plastic pick from a music store, online shop, iFixit or Aliexpress.
• Plastic pry tools: Can't buy the orginal HF ones once broken. But anything that fits in the roll will be compatible. Check measurements. As long as it is ~3" long, it will probably fit.

The magnet design is similar to an older Pro Tech revision; I can't place the year down, but it's not recent and is based on the older Pro Tech.

It's not a terrible toolkit, but the screwdriver case is flimsy, and the bits may not reach well in some cases. However, these issues are minor for the price, and the toolkit will likely hold up for a long time with hobbyist use.

My points of concern I made in January stand, especially after trying it: For professional use, skip this and get the iFixit kit; the extra money is worth it.

While I like it for hobbyist use, I'd STRONGLY RECOMMEND buying two just in case you lose something that cannot be readily replaced. As far as replacing lost/damaged tools, the majority of them are readily replaceable, but there are a few tools in this set that aren't replaceable as they are too custom to find in the open market.

To recap, here's where I stand on each documented issue:

• "Sorting tray" marketing is borderline misleading. This kit DOES NOT have an integrated sorting tray; this was a cut and paste. Either add it or remove this, HF. This isn't shocking, but you can do better than borderline lying on the box and in your marketing.
  • Next time I go to HF, I'll check a box or two and make sure, but this may be fixed.
• The marketing: This is a hobbyist-grade product sold as a "professional" product; they do this a lot, so I'm not surprised (and to be honest, their primary audience is someone doing a big job like an engine swap/rebuild and needs semi-disposable tools as a major DIY job they aren't going to use regularly). I'd still much rather see them improve the quality and get it to a near professional quality product; otherwise, make two: A hobbyist grade kit and a professional grade one for a few bucks more. That said, the lack of individually available parts would still put me off because professional products have spare parts available.
  • This disagreement is further reinforced by some quality compromises, such as the bit extension being "good enough" and using magnets instead of a friction design and the poor foam fitting tolerances in the screwdriver case seen on two copies.
  • I am docking points here. This CAN be better, but I'm also not being too harsh due to the price of the set. This is a far cry better than what we had for cheap toolkits when I was younger (Radio Shack was still somewhat relevant, Limewire and Bearshare ruled the file-sharing world, Pirate Bay replaced Limewire, and SOPA was a thing).
    I also have some minor issues with the driver color similarities on the bottom end. It's only a few shades away from the iFixit product. This is mostly superficial, given you're not going to mistake the two.

Take the point about the shades of blue as YOU see fit. I'm not concerned, as the drivers are so different, and it's pretty obvious it isn't an iFixit product. I did check a 2nd copy and the same shade of blue remains in use. Hopefully, this can be changed in a future revision to mitigate this concern.

As a professional kit? No. The lack of spare parts, quality shortcuts, and cautionary issues make it a hobby product; the lack of replacement parts sealed this issue for me. On the other hand, given its completeness, I think it's a valid choice for an excellent first toolkit or something to have around for hobby use (think for repairs like drones and small household electronics). Professional use? iFixit. HF? Hobbyist.

It's also a solid choice for uses like a vocational school, mainly because it doesn't include a knife (for years, many of them came with it). We all know how sensitive schools are to any remote threat and how willing they are to throw the hammer at you for an honest mistake and beat you over the head.

With all previous quality comments withstanding, I still believe a product like this is key to making repair more affordable and accessible. While I have my reservations around some of the quality shortcuts, I would rather set that aside to make repair more accessible. It is a far cry from what we used to have when I was younger unless you spent a lot of money on the iFixit set.

As a reference, this is what I had in high school (Rosewill, long since landfilled and buried over):

Harbor Freight: If we can buy replacement parts, this will fix a lot of my reservations outside of the hobby vs professional issue. The main thing that will likely be needed is components like the screwdriver set (even if you sold it as a complete set only). It would also be helpful to bundle the consumables as a set for a reasonable price to allow for replacement with the same parts that are known to fit in the tool roll. If this is what it takes, so be it.

While it is at least somewhat disposable (which is the business model, we know) but fixing the foam tolerances to be better fitting in the screwdriver case and selling the parts at a reasonable price would be a huge step forward towards graduating this from a "hobbyist" product to a basic professional kit when it is truly "good enough" for the job. If this occured, the only way I would look at it is I would only do it if I purchased it myself to eliminate bias.

However, my points stand on the marketing issues I found. NOBODY IS EXPECTING iFixit QUALITY FOR $38* (even I expected some compromises), but the weaknesses of the components warrant a caution against professional use outside of emergencies.
*~$8 or so cheaper when on sale, so it's very often ~$30.

The box is cheaply printed cardboard. The tab is plastic (it's the type where recycling viability is questionable) (1). Outside of the tab, the box is otherwise easily recycled, given its blandness. It is probably easier to recycle than the iFixit box (the iFixit box has two parts, and one has plastic over the print for a gloss effect). This COULD cause issues in recycling in comparison (if you actively recycle). The only thing needed when "recycling" is to take the plastic tab out beforehand, but this is also true for the iFixit box, which also uses a resin code last I checked (Resin code 4), which is notorious for not being recycled. Given there's no resin code on the HF tab, I can only assume it's resin codes 3-7 (all of these are known to be questionable if they are processed for recycling).

(1) Yes, recycling is still somewhat important and, in some cases, a legal obligation (often one you can "comply" with by filling the blue bin with material which can't be recycled) to make it look like you bother. That said, I'm not getting into that debate, nor the fact malicious compliance is hard to trace.

The reason I suspect it's landfilled and NOT recycled because there is no visible resin code, so it's under the "unknown" resin code category (usually 3-7). It's also a dark plastic which tends to be landfilled. A paper tab will probably fix this (or at least a clear identifiable tab).