Craigslist and pawnshops are the best places to find used tools. HF is okay for some stuff, but I'd look elsewhere first, find a better machine for the same money...
Even some of the brand name stuff is made in china...I have and use 2 of the HF abrasive saws. One is over 15 years old, the other about 8. I have not yet replaced brushes. As someone said, either consider it a throwaway or buy the extra warranty and make sure something goes wrong during the last month... .
i bought a nice makita off of ebay for $90............very happy with it... in my opinion, you'd be better off buying a good quality used one than wasting money on a so-so new one
i have one (black and grey) and i beat the heck out of it. guess i just got a good one, but if you can spring for a better one i would do that
I just bought that saw this week in the sliding version, which allows to cut bigger material. It seems to work well for most of the big material but I had a little bit of a tough time with the smaller finish work (shoe molding etc..) All and all thier tools could usually use a few engineering upgrades but they work pretty well for the money, until you can upgrade . I have also owned a Dewalt, Ryobi and hitachi And obtained pretty much the same result with the HF model and I use them every day to make my living. Hope this helps.
I have one. It sucks. Pivot is loose lots of slop...accuracy bites. repeatability bites also. I am only keeping it until grage sale season.
I have a HF and a Dewalt chop saw. Hands down....the HF model sucks! It Vibrates like no other. Thats why I bought the dewalt. Never trust a Hf power tool that could shatter and take your head off!
My Makita is 20 years old and still cuts as it did when I got it new.... When it breaks I will buy another one............ Rich
I was in a similar situation, needed to outfit a shop *fast* for cheap...I ended up buying a used one off craigslist for $25 I think Its been rode hard and put away wet, but it works OK until I get around to buying a better name brand one used, then I'll just sell this dumb thing for $20 and call it a day You may have more replies from people that have experience with that saw on the garage journal, in fact there's a thread on there for what's good at HF. I wouldn't spend $99 on one of their chopsaws, I could get a really great one used for that much. I'd take a used brand name one anyday over new HF, but that's just me. Plus, you can always sell it for about what you paid for it. Not so with Chicago Electric or any tool painted orange
I bought a chop saw at a yard sale 3 years ago for $10. It looked brand new. It was so cheap I suspected it was hot. This was before I knew much about Harbor Freight. It quit on me the second time I used it and the problem was burned up brushes. I tracked the thing back to Harbor Freight and ordered a new set for $1 and downloaded a manual with a parts list. I used the saw several more times and it died on me again. Once more the brushes were burned up. The brushes are made from very brittle material. I can't tell if they are carbon or graphite. I tried to do a cross match and get some American made brushes but didn't have much luck. Hmmm - my first reaction was to just chunk it and then I remembered I had started being more patient with cutting time and the brushes lasted a lot longer. I ordered a handfull of replacement brushes from Chicago Electric and I figure I am still ahead of the game even if I have to replace them from time to time and I have only invested a total of $21 so far. That said - I still wouldn't buy another piece of HF equipment brand new.
I do buy junk from them but I always expect it to break .And it usually never lets me down.My 2 cents
I just bought the 2hp -whatever 14 inch chop saw to finish up my floors. To my surprise its not the old orange one they used to sell that came with a tile saw. Nice upgrade from the old orange crap they use to sell. The body is stronger and it didnt vibrate. The only thing that sucks is the disc, doesnt cut very well so thats what I going to replace. I guess this is what wears out the brushes faster than anything else. But that can happen even with a good saw using a cheap wheels.
for occasional use it's fine. you wouldn't wanna use it to make a living though. my HF 4 inch grinder is goin on 2 years and i run the shit out of it. still on the original brushes although it came with spares. not a popular opinion i know but i can't afford the $$ associated with big name brands.
HF tools are one-job-only or can be treated as disposable tools; the stuff I've bought from them wears out in time, I've used up a couple of grinders, but they're so cheap if I lose one somewhere, I can just break out a new one from my stash when I get home.
Buy a Horrible Fright item, take it home, plug it in. If it works for five or more minutes it'll probably last for years, at least that has been my experience. I do NOT buy safety items from them however, things like auto shade welding helmets or such.
Ive got this one beat.I have a pepboys one ,Only problem is lots of amps .Need a designated circuit to allow for the amps of the saw.Im a tinkerer so ,I use it once and a while.It works on what I need it for 2x3 or 2x4 tubing ,Im on my second blade....
I have a Dewalt chop saw. It's made in China! Good news is I've had it for 9 yrs and it just keeps going.
99% of you bashers haven't even used the tool he asked about. There are a lot of name brand tools that are made in China. But if it makes you feel better to bash HF and use your Name Brand tool that was made in the same place (but you paid 3 times the cost) go for it. You wouldn't want to use these tools if you are running them hours every day, but for the hobbiest that just uses them every once in a while, they serve a purpose. I have the chop saw in question and it has never given me any problems... Now how many of the negative responses have actually used the tool???
I have an electric impact gun that I bought from them a few years ago and I abuse the hell out of it. Still works like a champ.
I bought a HF chop saw about a year ago (needed one in a pinch) It lasted 6 months...plain and simple, you get what you pay for and then there is Harbor freight.
Cheap Tools ie: HF [ we have supercheap in NZ ] give you an opportunity to fill up your toolbox with what you would normally borrow from friends. If you need it for a one-off job then fine go buy it. You'll need to mark your angles manually with a scriber etc[ dont rely on the angles on the saw ] The cheap chop-saws [drop-saws downunder ] flex in the base ,so getting consistent cuts is a challenge in you want it to stay portable. You could spend a couple of hours strengthening the base, or you can spend a couple of hours earning extra money to buy a better unit. Better yet! Buy the HF model and spend an etra couple of hours + money saved working on your project.
I buy throw my away tools from HF. $10 die grinders, sanders, etc. They've all lasted years of hard abuse with no oiling. I've never had one go bad. I have about 15 different pneumatic tools from HF. I did buy a $20 electric angle ginder from them, it worked fine til I dropped it. They replaced it for free and the new one has lasted 5 years of abuse. I got their 14" chop saw for around $75 a few years ago. It was flimsy and the blade would deflect and make crooked cuts on anything over 1.5". Good for small stuff, but on the bigger stuff I had to go back with a cut-off wheel and clean up the cut edge. It finally broke and I ended up buying an Evolution 380...this thing is the best money I've spent in a long time. Not an abraisive cutter, it chips away at the steel, leaves a perfect cut, and it's cool to the touch right after the cut. I highly recommend the Evolution.
I have a Makita with a carbide blade. Cuts through metal like butter with no sparks and cool to the touch on the metal. I just dont like all those sparks and meal particls ftying all over.
I've bought the table top 7" x 10" lathe on sale for 369.00 a couple of years back for my small scale hobby stuff. Plus the 2.00" dia. mini cut off wheel for 20 bucks... That same 7 x 10 lathe went on sale again for 499. this week. Glad I bought it a couple of years ago and saved myself a few bucks. HF does have a few good items. Those are the only items I bought from HF.. Doh! I take that back... I also bought a couple airbrush kits that I haven't tried yet...
X2 on the Makita- I bought one at least 18 years ago, used it, abused it and still runs as good as new- Looks like hell but it doesn't owe me anything. If you plan on using a tool for years to come buy a quality tool. You won't regret it. Good luck with your projects
Who makes your power tools? Techtronic Industries Company Ltd. Ryobi Craftsman RIDGID Bissell Dirt Devil Homelite Royal Appliances Mfg. Atlas Copco's tool division, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation AEG Power Tools DreBo One of the world's leading manufacturers of corded and cordless power hand tools as well as a leading manufacturer of vacuum c...leaners and other floor care products. Based in Hong Kong, and initially an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) behind such brands as Craftsman, RIDGID (for Home Depot), Bissell, and Dirt Devil, Techtronic has made a drive into the branded arena at the beginning of the 21st century. Since the late 1990s, Techtronic has acquired a number of major brand names, including Ryobi (excluding Japan); Vax, the U.K. and Australian vacuum cleaner leader; Homelite, in the United States, a maker of lawn and garden tools and equipment; and Royal Appliances Mfg. Co., also in the United States, a leading maker of vacuum cleaners and floor care products. In January 2005, Techtronic completed its acquisition of Atlas Copco's tool division, adding the Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation, in the United States, and Germany's AEG Power Tools, as well as the DreBo brand of carbide drill bits. These acquisitions have not only given the company a global brand portfolio, they also have enabled the company to establish a manufacturing presence worldwide. Techtronic Industries is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and is led by founder and Chairman Horst Pudwill. In 2004, the company's sales topped $2.1 billion.
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