Vevor - buyers beware!

[Iceni John]

I recently bought a torque multiplier from Vevor so I can change wheels if needed. I wanted one with the greatest multiplication ratio to make it easier to undo any over-tightened nuts, so I naively thought that if I ordered a 1:78 ratio tool that would be what I get. Wrong! Today I saw that my not-so-positive 3-star review is no longer on Vevor's website - what a surprise... Here is the review I posted but was later taken down by Vevor:

What did I get?
I ordered the 1:78 Vevor torque multiplier, but what was delivered is NOT 1:78! I count only 56 input turns per output turn. Vevor's advertising is similarly contradictory: my tool's flimsy plastic case has a label that clearly says in big letters "HT78 Labor Saving Wrench" and "Trans-speed Ratio 1:78", but Vevor's website blurb for the tool I ordered says "1:64" no less than six times, and almost all the photos of it show another different model of torque multiplier with a slightly shorter body and arm, except for the last photo that shows (as far as I can tell) the same tool that I received. So, I have no idea exactly what I got! While this type of advertising may be legal or at least acceptable in China, Chinese companies like Vevor who choose to do business in North America and Europe have to understand that misrepresenting their products is illegal and possibly fraudulent. I know that in Europe any vendor that operates like most Chinese companies do here would be prosecuted or shut down immediately. The tool seems to be completely dry inside. As is usual with Chinese tools, grease is conspicuous by its absence, presumably because it would cost too much to add enough of it during assembly? No matter, I'm well used to this by now, so I'll take off the snap ring and add some good graphite grease of my own, then it won't feel like metal-on-metal grinding. After I've greased this tool I'll try it on my bus's wheels and see if it works at all, or minimally, or maybe even satisfactorily. We'll see! If it breaks, back to Vevor it will go. I've given it (very generously, I think) three stars, because I actually got it, it seems approximately what I ordered, and it may work to some extent. Come on Vevor, get your act together. Advertise accurately and honestly, and don't sell low-quality junk.

I tried to post a follow-up review after I had tested the tool a few days later, but, surprise surprise, that review also mysteriously vanished... Here it is:

What did I get? (Part 2)
As expected, there was hardly any grease inside it, so I put almost a cupful onto the splines and three geartrains. All the internal parts are in a raw as-cast state, but with sufficient grease they should be adequate for their task. I then tried the tool on my bus's front wheel, and it loosened a nut but with some considerable effort. However, when I tried to loosen a rear wheel nut I found that the foot of the reaction arm was much too wide to fit in the small gap between the nuts and the inner curve of the wheel. I spent over an hour grinding down the smaller end of the foot to make it a smooth radius there, so now it fits, just. This torque multiplier is advertised as a tool for heavy-duty trucks and buses, but it evidently does not work on steel Budd rear dual wheels such as my Crown's 8.25" x 22.5" wheels. These wheels are not uncommon here, so must I need to modify the tool just to make it work on them? The four sockets have holes drilled through their collars for a retention ball, (which this tool's ouput end lacks!), but these holes are so crooked that they don't line up with the centers of the flats! Apart from that, they seem to work OK. I still give this tool only three stars because it works (sort of), but I cannot recommend it as-is. Why should I need to do what I've done to it, just to make it work right?

So, the moral of the story is, A) don't trust review ratings, and B) Vevor is as crooked as most Chinese companies here, showing no scruples or integrity and evidently not caring about advertising accuracy. Some of their products look almost half-decent, but do companies like Vevor really deserve our hard-earned cash? I've now added Vevor to my shitlist of companies from whom I will never buy anything ever again!

Here's Vevor's website page for the tool I bought (and sort-of received?):
https://www.vevor.com/air-impact-wre...p_010466862709
I wonder how many other less-than-positive reviews also got censored, and what the true star rating would be if they were still posted? (I think it's safe to say it probably would not be 4.9 out of 5!)

Has anyone else here used any Vevor products or used any torque multipliers?

John

[sportyrick]

Yes I have used them, I have a 4:1 and an 18:1 that reduces down to 13:1 after friction is taken into account (per instructions). I don't understand your 1:78, I can't imagine they make such a thing, it would have to be at least 1 1/2" drive. I have used the higher ratio reducer to tighten 1 1/4" bolts on Cat's, it's amazing. I was putting @ 1700 ft/lbs or more on those bolts (breaker bar with cheater). Not used on wheel nuts that I can remember but have them just in case. My Williams reducer retails for @ $2000 but got it for $650 off ebay.
Milwaukee M18V 3/4" impact puts out 800 ft/lb to tighten and 1200 ft/lb to loosen, that seems to work just fine on my bus wheels.

[flattracker]

I have changed wheels/tires on the "old Crown". When I bought the parts Crown it had bigger tires and wheels and in better shape than the "old Crown" did. I found that the 3/4" drive Harbor Freight air wrench didn't have sufficient torque so I bought the 1" drive version and that did work.


When it was time to move the fire truck to Oregon I discovered it had a flat tire. I was able to use the 1" drive air wrench with a 4 hp gas engine compressor to remove the bud lug nuts (and later install them). I could remove two lug nuts before I had to wait on the compressor.


When on the road my planning for if a tire failure occurs is to call a mobile mechanic.


Could I change a tire on the Crown by myself? Yes. But is it the best approach?


I would be interested in what others plan or already do in response to tire failure.

[sportyrick]

That's why I have a credit card, call a big tire place.

[Tejon7]

I got a Vevor 36" manual sheet metal brake. It was significantly cheaper than any other light-duty sheet metal bender that I could find, and the build quality reflects that. Just like Iceni, I also had to do some grinding to get it to work right, but now it does it's job reasonably well. Sounds like this is par for the course for these guys.