The Good, The Bad and Ugly from Harbor Freight

[FrankieD]

I bought a 7" Variable buffer for $24 and $10 for a 2 yr warrenty after I burened 2 that I had (Craftsman and a Wen) rubbing out and polishing a 27' cruiser I had I went a fwew times around with the H F one and still working. I just bought the 3 ton floor jack for $49and $75 torch kit haven't used it yet but so far so good. Auto shade Helmet works and a bunch of other stuff, ya just gotta figure out how much you are going to use it and how close they are to you for returns..

[FrankieD]

If any one is intersted 20% off on $100 or more.



http://widgets.harborfreight.com/wsw...9&keycode=0000

[FrankieD]

They have a big bottom box on sale for $369 and they have a 20% off coupon that makes it under $300. Sale starts tomorrow I am going to go and pick up one. I have been looking at it for a while and it is built better than my Craftsman. Here are the links:

http://widgets.harborfreight.com/wsw...9&keycode=0000

http://www.harborfreight.com/retail-...campaign=0711a

[blitz'd]

Originally Posted by Shane

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

Ive had one of those angle grinders for almost 10 years now and its still running great. The handle broke off of it several years ago so I bought a Northern Tool brand which went out after about a year. Made a new handle for the harbor freight model and started using it again.

Ive built 5 cars with that thing, no telling how many hours of run time it has. Im thinking about buying another one also, one for cutting and one for grinding.

[blitz'd]

One item to avoid is thier air powered trim nailer, it jammed on me last weekend several times and screwed up some expensive trim when it miss fired a few times. It met my mini sledge to it after about 2 hours of messing with it. I could have returned it but at that point it was worth the $29 to relieve my frustrations on it. LOL.

[Shane]

Originally Posted by FrankieD

They have a big bottom box on sale for $369 and they have a 20% off coupon that makes it under $300. Sale starts tomorrow I am going to go and pick up one. I have been looking at it for a while and it is built better than my Craftsman. Here are the links:

http://widgets.harborfreight.com/wsw...9&keycode=0000

http://www.harborfreight.com/retail-...campaign=0711a

better read the fine print on those new 20% coupons ... tool boxes don't qualify, plus it's an item that's already on sale, which negates the 20% coupon too.

just a fyi ...

[mitch1965]

the good
I use the step drills from HF on a regular basis. Catch them on sale. I've found them to last as long or longer than step drills i've paid 3 times more for.
I found the motorcycle tire changer on craigslist, that originally came from HF to be good, too. Only paid $35 for the whole thing, changed several motorcycle and trailer tires with it.

[KrazyRay]

My HF 4 1/2" angle grinder lasted me about 8 years...the last 5 being held together with duct tape. I used to buy craftsman tools until Kmart bought out Sears. Now, their ratchets are so bad (they slip and slam your knuckles into sharp metal) that I would rather use a cheap made in China ratchet than a craftsman.
Stay away from HF air fittings...they leak bad.

[lilpoindexter]

Originally Posted by KrazyRay

Stay away from HF air fittings...they leak bad.

Hell yeah...I thought I wasn't putting enough thread tape on them, or not tightening them enough or something...

[ChevyTruckGuy]

Originally Posted by KrazyRay

My HF 4 1/2" angle grinder lasted me about 8 years...the last 5 being held together with duct tape. I used to buy craftsman tools until Kmart bought out Sears. Now, their ratchets are so bad (they slip and slam your knuckles into sharp metal) that I would rather use a cheap made in China ratchet than a craftsman.
Stay away from HF air fittings...they leak bad.

Good point, they do leak bad. I like hf. But will not join there little club for $25 or whatever.....
I just got the new ad in the mail. Its right here next to me. Going to go look at it...

[DLOE65]

Well said Cableguy!

[k1rodeoboater]

their bolt/nut splitters are crap...stripped mine trying to split a nut.

Once I have a place of my own I plan on getting one of their rolling service carts with drawers to hold my tools (I don't have much so it all should fit...maybe). I've looked at a few of the other brands out there and they seem like the best deal even if you have to upgrade the hardware and/or wheels.

Their grinders take a beat and keep on going. I literally ran mine for over an hour straight without turning it off stripping who knows how many layers of paint off of my rear bumper with a flap disc. It got hot but didn't give up, and I'm still using it. I'm sold on them.

I have a 90 degree drill that I got from my dad from them. It's a corded version, and honestly it's pretty dang handy to have sometimes. I've had no issues with it either. It drilled through my cross sills fine which impressed me, I figured I would have killed it. I'm probably going to pick up a regular corded drill from them sometime just to have both. The 90 is good for tight places but sucks to use a wire wheel with (won't ever use one on a grinder again...sorta got one stuck/siezed on there once)

hammers...well a hammer is a hammer is a hammer. I beat stuff with it and I don't care.

prybars with the black handles have been invaluable, got a 6 piece kit and find I really only use the middle length ones (12" gets the most use). The large ones are better replaced with a good ole crowbar IMHO.

Chisel with hand guard. I bought it as a disposable tool. It's edge is starting to fold, but I don't care. I only use it to finish off breaking nuts or screws off that I've partially cut with a cutoff wheel

breaker bar....LOVE IT

1/2 ratchet....LOVE IT

Impact sockets....LOVE IT and going to get the deep wells on my next trip for sure. Instead of buying normal sockets I'm just going to go with impacts for the time being since they can be used as normal ones

Impact extensions....LOVE IT

wire loom, body panel shims, automotive blade fuse sets, grommets, ect all are awesome. I will burn a 20% off coupon on them if I don't have anything else to use it on.

4 way tire iron...it's a tire iron with four heads...kinda hard to screw that one up.

sanding sponges...they're cheapest there

1000 and 1500 grit wet sanding paper...only place that has it in town

Brown unlined welding gloves...haven't used them yet but they have felt the best to me of all the ones I've tried. I actually have some tactile feel with them. Will they last...time will tell, but they're also the cheapest ones I've found locally that I like.

Screwdrivers....can't complain about them. I have yet to break one or round it out like some have said. The tips are magnetic I've found out. I've not been kind to mine either. I've used the flat blades as pry bars/wedges and the phillips as punches. If I do break one or lose one I don't really care because the whole set of 26 or something like that was $8 with a coupon.

thumb wheel ratchets....they're handy but rarely get used

wire wheels/cups....I buy them there because I doubt the better brands will last much longer anyways. Maybe I'm wrong, but it saves me an extra trip.

1/2 torque wrench...I use it all the time and it's accurate. I had it checked for calibration and it was dead on. funny though how the next one down is more expensive (the one that goes up to 40 or 20 ft/lbs).

vac gauge/fuel pressure tester....it works well enough

Free voltmeters...I've got like 6 of them...for FREE...can't complain.

Free flashlights...love the damn things, have them all over the place and they last a good long while too.

Free leather work gloves...again it's free...can't complain. Use them when handling rusty metal and stuff. I have another set that I take with me when we do jumps in case I land in a tree and have to climb down my reserve. That way if they fly out of my cargo pocket 1200 ft up I don't really care.

random orbital sander...I've used the crap out of it and it still keeps going. I recommend it. It only costs $20 IIRC and you can get the velcro backed paper for it anywhere since it's a standard size.

stud welder and slide hammer....stud welder works great...slide hammer sucks and I wonder how good the studs are since they all popped off pretty easily.

[FrankieD]

Originally Posted by Shane

better read the fine print on those new 20% coupons ... tool boxes don't qualify, plus it's an item that's already on sale, which negates the 20% coupon too.

just a fyi ...

Yea I did read them after I put that up. I have one close by so the deals are good but if you have to have it shipped might as well go some where and get the good stuff

[PennLTRex]

40 lb blast cabinet: Takes a lot of work to get it not to leak. The light also sucks.
Soda Blaster: Love it. Works great on aluminum parts and is the best thing I've found for cleaning carburators. Makes them look new.

[Lugnut64052]

Originally Posted by 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.

They change suppliers all the time. I'm guessing this has something to do with the hot and cold quality on some stuff.

I have a whole lot of Snap-On too, most of which is 20+ years old. I'm constantly amazed at special tools you can get nowadays for 1/10th the price I paid for stuff back then. Not just at Harbor Freight either; auto parts stores, etc, all have cheap stuff anymore.


The Good:
3-packs of welding gloves- They're pretty nice.
Auto-darkening welding helmet- I've used mine a lot and it works great.
2-inch pipe cutter- Haven't used it a WHOLE lot, but seems to work fine.
Welding magnets- Nothing to go wrong with them.

The So-so:
5-inch air sander- Works pretty good but is uncomfortable in my hand. My old Ingersol that I finally wore clear out was much more comfortable to hold.
Wrenches- One ear broke off the open end of a 9/16th wrench. Had a huge occlusion in it.
Sockets- They work okay, but the etching on them is worse than useless. Might as well not be there.

The Pathetic:
Zip ties. I broke the first four or five in a row just cinching them down.

[Shane]

Originally Posted by PennLTRex

40 lb blast cabinet: Takes a lot of work to get it not to leak. The light also sucks.
Soda Blaster: Love it. Works great on aluminum parts and is the best thing I've found for cleaning carburators. Makes them look new.

alot of work? one tube of clear silicone caulk will fix it right up ... you are correct on the light, sucks big time.

[ETsC10]

1000# engine stand...good for storing an engine but hard to move.
I have mine pretty well maxed out.

2-1/4 ton jack...seems safe enough but doesn't lock or unlock smoothly.
I should have bought an older quality jack and rebuilt it.

6 ton jack stands...caught on sale at $25/pr. Very good value.

.

[LEEVON]

I have a ton of HF stuff, the big red tool box is my favorite, along with the 3 ton black/yellow jack and my earthquake 1/2 impact.

I've been wanting to replace my open/box wrench set for awhile now. I have every size I need but they are so mix-matched that it's hard to grab the right size and some are pretty used up. I read online about their wrenches and the only bad reviews were people that don't have them. The ones that do have them had great things to say. I got a coupon today for $17 for a 16 piece set, metric or SAE. I bought a set of each and they look really good. The sizes are 1/4"-1 1/4" and 6mm to 32mm. For a whopping total of $38 I replaced all of my open/box wrenches.

[FrankieD]

Hase anyone bought the wheel dolly's if so are they any good?

[a.c.ward]

I have a Auto Repair/Restoration shop that I manage and work. We have purchased a lot of HF tools for daily use.

The Cabinet Sand Blaster is invaluable. Had to seal it with industrial grade Silicone to keep down the dust. Replaced the flourscent light with a better one from the local box lumber yard. it was designed for under kitchen cabinets and much better now.

The Wheel dolly's are great. have used them on multiple projects from 51 Chevy truck to Cobra Kit car. They work great.

The 12 Ton bearing press works acceptable, for the limited amount of use we have tried.

1/4 Air Angle grinders work flawlessly. just oil them in the morning, work all day....

Air drill same.

impact the same.

On a side note, my co-owners father is a Big Truck Tool salesman. we use his stuff alot, but for consumables (nitrophyle gloves, dust masks, hand cleaner, safety glasses) HF cannot be beat.

just my opinion.

AC

[Mxracer202]

Anyone tried their welders? chop saws? air compressors? dies? torque wrenches? winches? tube bender? drill presses? haha sorry spent a while looking for things I need.

[leddzepp]

My HF 3/8 drill just crapped out yesterday....after many years of HARD labor. I tossed it, and went and got another 3/8 drill for $15

[GmtGmt]

We have most of the same stuff just diffrent color

The Good:
Palm sander
1/2" deep well impact set
4.5" grinder that thing has been used and abused
Gas less MIG welder that thing has been used and abused
2½t floor jack this thing has been bent out of shape twice and works like it allways have it has been really abused
2Ton engine hoist
6Ton Jack Stands
Creeper
Wirebrushes
Wrenches with ratched heads
Oil Drain tank
Engine stand


The Bad:
cut-off wheels dont last very long
Drill Bits break easyley and ware quickley out
angle magnet for welding it cant really keep things togther


Ugly
vice grips what a joke i took the cardbord of the ziptie while doing that i broke in two
Cable stripper the first wire i tryed to strip it with it broke the handle

[a.c.ward]

I have a 9000 lb winch from them, bought when it was on sale for $299. Mounted it to my shop made receiver hitch and use the heck out it. I made a receiver mount for the front of my 00 Z71, so that I can use it front and back. Also made a receiver mount for my 20 foot trailer, so I can use it to load and unload vehicles. Bought 50 feet of welding cable from Craig’s list, some heavy duty jumper cable ends, and fixed it so that I cannot hard mount the winch to any one location. Works great, only problem is the control switch is very short. I took a 16 gauge extension cord (50’) cut the ends off, and took apart the control head, and extended the controller so that I can work by myself loading and unload vehicles from the trailer, need to steer it on….

I have one of the big gas powered air compressors, model 99918. Use it at my home shop. Electric bills were killing me using conventional air compressors. More than capable for my needs, 18CFM at 100 PSI. only drawback is the fuel tank size, just about 2 gallons. Can get about 10 hours of run time from one tank, so not so bad.

I have one of the little 90 amp wire feed welders, works ok, flux core only, not able to convert to gas. Works good for thinner materials, requires the area to absolutely flawlessly clean to work…. Good for around the farm, but not much else.

I have a tube bender, but still in box, not used yet.

Had one of the stand up 12 speed drill presses, but traded it for a Craftsman 6 speed older model. Had no real issues with it, but the guy wanted the ability to “control” his drilling speed better.

Taps and dies, get name brand stuff, if they break, they are hell to drill and extract….

Torque wrench? Are you going to trust your motor to something that cannot be calibrated? I have used HF torque wrenches, and the teeth are not very strong in the ratchet. Tried to have it calibrated, required for my work with the Army, and it could not be brought into spec, so I bought a Craftsman ½ on sale for $79, and it passed first time.

Sorry for the long rant, but there are good deals at HF if you are willing to make it work for you….

[JWall]

Originally Posted by FrankieD

Hase anyone bought the wheel dolly's if so are they any good?

I have a set that I use for my 32 Roadster to put it up against the wall to get more room in the garage or sometime if its going to snow I will turn my 2 car garage into a 3 car garage by turning the 32 sideways upfront.

They work well for that car since its so light but I have never had a truck on them.