The Good, The Bad and Ugly from Harbor Freight

[Allensracing]

my apologies for the political, and I did post the tools that have served me well from harbor freight

[swampfox]

The good ,3/4 in drive socket sets I have standard and metric.I have used them on a impact without problem.
The bad the ratchets that come in the set . About all they are good for is to take up space.

[cableguy0]

I was just saying we have to be careful about the politics because in the end thats what it all comes down to but for obvious reasons its as bad a topic on an internet forum as it is a bar full of strangers.

[orbot]

Ive bought hand tools, wire terminals, tape, tarps, caster wheels, angle finders and everything has been good. besides lifetime warranty on hand tools id preffer them instead of crapsman anyday.
The only bad thing ive bought was a damn mallet it came loose at the first strike.

[stevieB]

I love em,

90 amp flux core wire feed 4 tears and still running strong not bad for 80 bucks!

vertical belt sander 5 years still running strong 70 bucks,

7 dollar air chisel, 3 years its good to go.

1/2 earthquake impact and 3/8 air ratchet. the BOMB!

HVLP purple paint gun, Works great.

3/8 torque wrench. good

I havent really had anything bad from there and being a weekend warrior doing few paint jobs in my life or doing that many ball joints it very impracticle to buy a really expensive name brand tool.

Just an FYI not everything from HF is made in asia, there is alot of stuff made in the USA there.

[t&tkennels]

good: grinder. impact sockets. da sander (has had the crap beat out of it),sawzall (havent used it much)air cut off tool. so-so : flux core welder. bad : grinding wheels, test lite, knockoff vice grips. i think for the weekend mechanic its hard to beat harbor frieght.

[Fixwhataintbroke]

Good: Well for me all Pittsburgh brand handtools (pliers, sockets, channel locks, wire snippers, etc.) are doing great, the ratchets are arguable but with a little shake they still do the job. Over the past 10 years i've had them ive put quite a bit of abuse into them and surprisingly they still work.

The bad: cut-off wheels....

[NONHOG]

Every electrical powered tool I've used from them is weak at best. That being said they are still usable. Had a belt/disc combo sander that is very poor quality and told myself when it dies I upgrade. problem is it won't die.

Bought wobbly extensions and took them back after seeing them out of the box.

The new wrenches, work great (so far) I do question the strength.

Snap ring pliers (bought years ago) were total crap. Rolled them up in a ball
with only my hands they were that soft.

[dfwright]

They are great for buying one-time or rarely used items. I'm happy with the bearing race/seal driver set I got there.

I don't buy anything with an electric motor from them, and I've had bad results from consumables like cutting blades/etc. so I don't buy those anymore.

Some things are unbeatable though. When they have their full-face protectors on sale for $2.99 I usually get an armload. When they get scratched up, I use another. They have multimeters for $3.99 -- cheaper than you can replace the batteries. I have several of these stored all over.

Their prices on casters and wheels are unbeatable, and I haven't had trouble with any I've bought so far.

I also have a sandblast cabinet, and a pressurized sandblaster and am happy with both.

[jbgroby]

Good:
Stud Welder/Dent puller system

Bad
Wheel Dolly's bb baring casters fell apart, will replace wheels

[Stano]

I have bought several items from HF and been pleased with the performance. I do collision repair and use several of their hand tools and sockets on a daily basis. I turned to them when I kept breaking my snap on ratchets regularly and sockets splitting. I have had no prob with their sockets at all, since I have went with Kobalt and Stanley ratchets they are cheap and decent for daily use. Besides our local snap on dealer is always on hold with snap on corporate because no one around here can afford to pay him lately and if i need something I have to wait 3-6 months for him to be able to order it. Just bought new snap on creeper 4 months ago and its split in half. I cant afford to keep buying snap on tools or having them rebuilt for that matter. Cost me $135 to get my $380 Snap on 3/8 air ratchet redone and it still isnt right. Thats rediculous. So I will use tools I can afford to put food on the table for my kids and keep a light on and a roof over our heads.

[Bus Ted Knuckle]

I bought a 4inch angle grinder and got exactly 5 minutes of use out of it.

[Shane]

I've got 4 of the 4 inch grinders that have been going strong for over 5 years.

[ryans69chevy]

Originally Posted by Bus Ted Knuckle

I bought a 4inch angle grinder and got exactly 5 minutes of use out of it.

Wow you got pretty lucky. I bought a 4 1/2 inch angle grinder, I don't think I got 2 min with it.

[VA72C10]

Weird. Seems hit or miss....I have two grinders I got for 9.99 on sales and they're both over 2yrs old with no issues.

If you have an issue with one take it back and get a new one...

[68GMCCustom]

Originally Posted by ryans69chevy

Wow you got pretty lucky. I bought a 4 1/2 inch angle grinder, I don't think I got 2 min with it.

I think I did a little better with mine...but not much.

[sixtyeightchevykid]

does anyone have experiance with the welders, im mostly interested in the tig welder(i dont remember much about it but right now its 429 bucks). i have been looking for one kinda cheap but still useful, any input would be helpful thanks

[sixtyeightchevykid]

http://www.harborfreight.com/tig-mma...:referralID=NA thats the link for the tig welder i am asking about...

[scrapmetalart]

I abuse the orange 4 1/2" grinders. I have 6 of them. I use them everyday. one for each different wheel so I dont have to change them...

I buy one when they go on sale. Shortly after I buy a new one I take back an old one with that new recipt & they give me a new one free no questions asked...

[Shane]

so, you admit to stealing?

[7T2]

I have so much HF stuff I don't know where to start:

Good:

Engine Crane
Large Winches
Jack Stands (be careful though, weight rating is for a PAIR, not each. Not immediately obvious.)
Blast Cabinet (don't try to move it full of media though, legs will fold)
Ratchet tie downs
Motorcycle Stand
Air/Hyd Bottle Jacks
Motorcycle Lift
Chain Fall
Utility Trailer
Oil Drain tank/Dolly
Heat Gun
Framing Nailer
1/2" Earthquake Impact Wrench (works great and sounds like a Ferrari)
1" Shallow Well Pump (has worked well for several years now, and I bought an open box one for a backup for $40 with a coupon)
Brushes
Gloves
LED Flashlights (free)
Pittsburgh wrenches and pliers (haven't broken or rounded off any yet, but cheap enough that I wouldn't care if I did)
Digital Calipers
C-Clamps
Air Cutoff Tool (haven't broken one, but at $9.99 who cares? Cutoff wheels seem to work ok for me)
Die Grinder
Chain Fall
Magnetic Driveway Cleaner
6 foot Level
Squares
Powder Coater
Retractable Hose reel
12 Volt Jump Start Power Supply (got me going a couple of times, works best if you charge it before going on a trip, not just leaving it in your vehicle)
Trailer Light Kit
Adjustable Table Saw Dolly Kit
Bench Buffer Motor
Wood Lathe with Adjustable Rotating Head (get it while it is on sale with a 20% coupon on top for less than $200, makes a great wheel polisher with a little creativity)


Be Careful:

Anything Hydraulic - all the hydraulic stuff I have seems to develop problems/leaks - Wheel Dollys (AWESOME otherwise, but have to add fluid that leaks out from time to time), Air/Hydraulic Ram (added this to my engine hoist, and it worked great to begin with, but is problematic now), Hydraulic Jacks (seem to leak more often)

Shop Press (bent over time, but still works)
Chains and Tow Straps (don't seem to be up to intended tasks, but trucker chains are nice for engine hoists, just don't try to yank a truck out of a ditch with one)
Adjustable Tow Bar (worked ok for a while, but stopped using because it was bending)
Parts Washer (good deal, but was missing pump parts. Did not realize until I unboxed well after I bought it)
Roller Stands (not good for much more than a single piece of lumber, don't turn well)
Electric Terminals (work, but very flimsy)
Manual Tire Changer (better than nothing, but it's getting bent up)
Cheap Air Hose (works, but hard to manage/too stiff)
Casters (some are good, especially for the price, but others don't want to roll straight)
Steel Wheel Dollies (don't always roll straight)
7" Variable Polisher (speed control is not very precise, changes while using)


Avoid at all costs:

High Speed Metal Saw - Air Powered (so frustrating I threw it into my pond)
Drill Bits
Plastic Spring Clamps/Ratchet Clamps (I have yet to find a use for these, spring is WAY too tight and clamp too flimsy (any size), ratchet clamps will not hold anything)
Taps/Dies
Ratchets
Portable Abrasive Blasters
12 Volt Electric Portable winch ( the one shrouded in plastic with the handle) - junk
Auto Darkening Welding Shield

The best part is getting 20% off ANYTHING (even clearance, sale, and high-dollar items)

[jbgroby]

Originally Posted by Shane

so, you admit to stealing?

It not really stealing from HF, it more like a lending library, becasue of the quality, many think that fair.

[Shane]

You can call it what you want, but if you get caught the judge will call it theft by deception. Just a FYI ...

[scrapmetalart]

Originally Posted by Shane

You can call it what you want, but if you get caught the judge will call it theft by deception. Just a FYI ...

Thanks for the info...

[Shane]

Glad to help ...