Technical HF Professional Tool Line

Just got an email blast from HF hyping their ICON professional tool line. Seems like they are trying to up their game especially with their tool boxes. Lifetime warranty and free home/shop delivery on the big units. Any thoughts if the quality will be as hyped or just another BS come on?

 

H.F. and professional in the same line , reminds me almost exactly of Military Intelligence.

Thats seriously funny. I think they may be clearly confused on the even odds of their same difference in quality.

Oldmics

 

Harbor Freight seems to be continually stepping up the quality of their tools. The tool boxes especially. I think in the near future we will be discussing how they used to have cheap tools and now they are among the best and are expensive. The companies from the Orient have an interesting business plan. Look at Kia and Hyundai cars. They came into this country in the early 90's selling cars that you could pull the doors off with your bare hands, but were cheap. Now they are among the better cars and they are priced right with those cars.

 

I have looked at the tool boxes and may pick up a larger bottom box one day. They really look pretty good, at least on a par with my 40 year old Crapsman boxes.

 

That made me smile! As good as your Craftsman is as it is now, after 40 years of use, or as good as when it was new?

Chris

 

Professional to the hobbyist or professional to the guy who uses his tools everyday to make a living. There is a difference. UPS usually get about 600,000 miles out of a truck before they become non cost effective. They have an off brand(Mitsubishi or Hyundai or something), 220,000 miles and cost more to keep it going than what it is worth.

 

My Craftsman boxes are in great shape. I use it mainly for machine shop stuff now.

 

HF is definitely upgrading their top line tools, and for hobby use, such as a hot rodder, they deserve your consideration, especially on a cost/benefit basis.
I have quite a few tools such as large size wrenches up into the 2"+ ange that are their "Piitsburgh" line. They aren't shiny like Snap On but the are sturdy tools that work well for jobs where you seldom need them and just can't justify Snap On prices. In days gone by I used Craftsman most of all, but today they aren't worth the trouble to take them to the shop if they were free.

 

I remember when I was very young, "Made in Japan" was synonymous with "piece of crap". That changed over the years, and by the 70's the quality of manufactured goods from Japan exceeded that of the same made in the US. Much the same can be said of Korea. What makes you think the same won't happen with China?

 

Sounds like what Princess Auto has done up here. Maybe not "professional" Professional but very good for the money and I wouldn't hesitate to try to wear them out. Come into the market as inexpensive, build a following and slowly up your game while still offering some of the cheaper stuff is a pretty good plan.

 

I am sure the Chinese could make very high quality tools if there was a market.
Metallurgy is metallurgy.

 

Just out of idle curiosity, exactly what experience have you personally had with this line of tools?

 

I just don't have the free $$$ to buy everything from snap on or Cornwell, HF fills the gap. I buy used tools when I can find them, especially old vice grips ...made in Nebraska. The new ones or HF version aren't as good.

 

Some of the tools really arent that great still. But I have a couple of the side boxes on my SK toolbox, They're of good enough quality for me as a hobby mechanic.
The grinders never last that long, but at under 10 bucks its hard to justify a 150 dollar grinder of a name brand.

 

I use many of the tools from HF and I really have not has any problems.
I use them in a business everyday and have no complains with them.
I purchased one of their generators and it also works just fine everyday.

Jimbo

 

The lower line HF power tools (the black ones) are totally useless. I have some of the red 3" cutoff grinders and they have been ok so far. The wrenches etc are much better than they used to be. Geez, Crapsman is now made in China.

 

I’m a professional mechanic and never cared to enter the pissing match of who’s got the most expensive stuff. That’s money I could spend on my kids/family or my car. I’ve owned and daily use a harbor freight 56” box for over 10 yrs and still works fine, tools never fell out of it. The new ones are probably better yet. I’ll buy stuff off the tool trucks sometimes but really have no problem with the top line HF stuff

 

Two years ago i sold my 40 year Craftsmen boxes and bought three of the 56 inch bottom boxes, Loaded down with tools the drawers are smoother operating than those old boxes.bought them on sale for 699 and think they are hard to beat for the $$

 

I’ve been waiting for AN wrenches.... I’m guessing they are smart enough not to give aluminum wrenches to the average guy on the street.

 

I bought the 42” top and bottom roller chest, the ones before the series 2. I also picked up a side cabinet.

I gave away my smaller SO chest when I bought the HF stuff and have never regretted it. I have been using this stuff for a few years now and it functions just like the day I bought it.

My only regret is that I bought before they had the deeper series 2.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

The thing about the HF grinders is that when they go out, it's usually because of the brushes and like most others, extra brushes come packaged with the grinders.


Sent from my SM-G973U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I've looked at the Icon line but haven't tried any of them yet. They look and feel good and the ratchets have a very small distance between clicks that might be nice in tight spaces but may not give much tooth contact area. They look good and feel good and don't cost near what tool truck tools do.
The quality of the tools you need or use depends a lot on the reason you are using them though. For me the higher quality tools just felt better and worked smoother when I was using them to make money with every day. Now that I am retired if I need new tools the lower cost ones work fine most of the time. I still hunt yard sales, estate sales and pawn shops and even the tool bin at Habit for tool deals though.

 

I have 4 of their big bottom cabinets, took the wheels off and screwed them together on one wall with a top for the whole length . I love it and the drawers make it easy to find tools and dies for my sheet metal machines . They hold the weight and drawers work smother than my old Kennedy box .

 

Most of the ones I have seen lately are USA. Stanley owns Craftsman and is building, maybe done, a new plant in the Carolinas strictly for Craftsman.

Ben

 

Yes the original vice grips made by Petersen Mfg in Dewit, NE were a fantastic tool. When I heard they were moving their production facility, I bought all the different types I thought I would ever use. I’m glad that I did that now

 

You young guys pay attention! As for me almost every tool I buy now will be a lifetime tool....

 

About a year ago I bought a HF 56 inch roll cabinet, and a small tool box to set on top of it. I am very happy with it, the drawers roll very easy even full. I would say it is comparable quality wise to the Snap-On that I owned when I used it as a professional mechanic, but a whole lot cheaper

 

I watch Full Custom Garage and Ian Roussel seems to also like HF tools and other stuff which I find interesting.

So many guys have told me you need these expensive tools if you are really serious about building cars and I tell them Ian Roussel is without question one very very talented craftsmen and he builds top notch stuff using HF tools.

Just my opinion but I think it is the person using the tools that matters more then which brand of tools you are using.

Jimbo

 

I've got some Pittsburg I bought at a flea market before there was a HF anywhere around here. They have been good wrenches. Going to have to pick up another 15/16" and a 7/8", left them laying on the truck step and drove off and they fell off. Pulled off and walked back 1/2 mile, never found either of them.

 

"A craftsman never blames his tools"