OK: How About a POSITIVE HARBOR FREIGHT Thread???

There are countless "Harbor Freight Sucks" threads...and they pretty much do if you think you are getting high quality tools for a dollar.

I have found that there is some decent stuff there.

I happen to like and haven't had any real issues with their:

-4.5" cutoff wheels
-Spring loaded center punches
-Drill press vices (they're cheap and I don't give them much abuse)
-Bungee cords
-Motorcycle lifts
-Gloves
-Casters
-Zip Ties
-Wire Connectors
-Carbide-Tipped Scribes
-Combination Square
-Aluminum Levels
-Air Hoses
-Air Fittings
-Electric Bug-Killing Racquets
-Adult Bibs
-Bullhorns
-Hitch balls
-Beef jerky

What do you LIKE there?

 

Transfer punches.

 

Have you started to paint without proper ventilation???

 

I dont buy from them I would much rather spend the time and hunt for American made tools than go out and buy China crap!

 

I steal the front casters off of their shopping carts and for the price they cant be beat!

 

They have some nice assortments of clips, brass washers, o-rings.

 

I got a 4.5" grinder there for $10 with a coupon about two years ago. It's still going strong after MANY hours of use.

And when it breaks, who gives a sh$t because it was only $10!!!

I've bought a ton of cutoff wheels there as well. They were Dewalt and about half what they cost at Lowes.

I haven't had the best luck with their pneumatic tools, but I'll save that for the other threads.

 

never been to one,,,,but i think id like the beef jerky too.

 

Their ads are very colorful !!

 

I buy things like

Trailer Lights
Tow Balls
Leather Gloves
Cutoff Wheels
Steel Wool
Aluminum Oxide Blast Medium
Mover's dollys (engine dollys)
Bungees
Tarps
Razor Blades
Crappy Come alongs, since they are guaranteed
Air hose and fittings
portable Air Tank

Mostly consumables, not many tools, if any.
I haven't been brave enough for the jerky.

HF has its good points.

 

the bottom line is

Chinese prison labor is just not what it used to be.

 

I live very close to a Harbor Freight store and only 10 miles from the main retail location. I can't count the times I needed a "one time use" special tool that I made from a HF tool. To go down there and buy a 1 1/8" open end wrench for $2.99....take it home, cut one end off, heat and bend the hell out of the rest of it just to do one job..........priceless! I could never bring myself to modify a MAC or Snap-on tool for that stuff.

 

Their drill bit sets are dope. They start getting dull just buy another set, if you use them mostly in a press they are great!

 

In-laws gave me a light duty air compressor for Christmas from HF, works great so far! That was 3 years ago.

 

I went thru a 3 pack of their cutoff wheels in one day! Minimal abuse. They don't do the job for me. I used the 3/M or Wurth/Winzer supplied whoever made them back when I could steal them from my old job, and they lasted a few months with some abuse. Never tried the jerky tho.

 

I like their thin little metal 6" rulers. That's about it.

 

I buy stuff I consider disposable there. I'd never get hand or power tools there if I wanted anything even decent, but the place is always fun to wander through.

 

You can't be serious...................... Take off the mask and clear your head!

 

In a pinch they are ok. I have a shrinker/stretcher set make in China of course, but I bought them when I thought I needed them NOW. Considering that I could have ordered these from an on line source and paid more for the same Chinese tools...

Likewise, I really, really, really, try to buy American, but it sucks when your choice is Chinese from this source or Chinese from another source... When this happens Harbor Freight is an ok choice. (Or when I might be able to buy American in a Harbor Freight?)

 

Live Wire is proof you can build a show car using Harbor Freight,,, even Crazier... Speedway...

 

Actually have a decent set of impact sockets from there - at least, one has not broken yet!

Other than that, nothing else has been good from there.

 

Thanks KIRK! for starting this and not being too tonque in cheek.
I bought a press from them 25 years ago - still use it. The next year I bought a drill press and ......still use it. Bought a Cambell Hausfeld Air Compressor from them about 7 years ago and you guessed it, still use it, just about everyday and it ran my buisiness for 4 of those years.
I also bought a set of Go Jacks and even though I've only used them once so far, they worked great. Along with about 20 of the very heavy duty jack stands.
Yeah they have some junk, but some good stuff too.

 

HF good for....

cut off wheels
flap discs
nitrile gloves
c-clamps
cheap vise grips
jerky
electrical tape
sawzall blades

Power tools....no.

 

I actually got a set of impact sockets from there, or similar offshore supplier over 20 years ago. The only ones that broke were the 3/4 and 13/16 from lug nuts over the years.

I still have a few of them left. I replaced all the cheapo stuff with snap on years ago, but the cheapos still roll in my junkyard toolboxes.

 

an air cutoff tool I picked up 11 years ago just gave up on me last month and I used it a lot and rarely oiled it.

 

4.5" grinders for around $10 on sale...not as smooth as my friends metabo but who cares

 

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27192&highlight=harbor+freight

 

meat grinder

 

I've had good luck if you pick and choose carefully...

Die grinders for $4.99...you don't need to change bits at that price.
220V spot welder
Bead roller...once stiffened up it works great
Throatless shear
110 v 1/2" impact. Had for 10-15 years and been a great tool
transfer punches
copper hammer
dead blow hammer

I don't care for their C-clamps or vice-grips...I buy good ones of those, but some of their bar clamps and spring clamps are good for the price.

Neal

 

Not to be a prick, but I don't believe that the shit they carried 25 years ago equates to the SHIT they carry now.