Central Machinery/Harbor Freight sheet metal brake: experiences?

Unionvillehaunt,

I agree this isn't / shouldn't be a political board, but whenever HF is mentioned, someone references "chink" etc...

I travel to the mainland and Taiwan and have always been treated with the utmost respect and courtesy. THEIR culture is 5,000 years old and they have survived...although as I recall, the Roman, Ottoman, Greek (Alexander the Great) empires have all failed. I served HONORABLY in the Marine Corps, so anyone that wants to challenge my patriotism, GO RIGHT AHEAD, but our society wants to make $35.00 an hour just for showing up to work everyday, but doesn't want to pay more than 39 cents for a loaf of bread...doesn't work that way.

I've bought HF tools that have worked like a champ and some that broke the first time I used them. Same for Sears and Robuck, Lowes and HD tools. The Chinese didn't invent these tools, and if demand for $1000.00 sheet metal brakes were high enough, we'd be making them right here in Detroit, Indianapolis etc...unfortunately, nobody wants to spend that much, they want it for $100.00. If the demand for low cost tools wasn't there, the Chinese, Indians, Malaysians wouldn't have anything to make.

 

For those of you who have one of these brakes, I have a question: When you clamp yours down with the handles on the sides, does raising the handles up and back (with the cam) lock the clamp down, or do you pull the handles down toward the ground to lock it down?

On mine, I have to push the handles away from me to lock the clamp down, which seams counter-intuitive.

-Brad

 

Mine you pull the handles down to lock the metal in place.....but this is the one I have...

 

the suggestion about checking out the garage journel is the most sensible thing posted in this thread. give it 10 years or less and the box will say"made in vietnam!" and then a whole different group of people will have something to ***** about.if the tool performs and it fall within projected budget buy it. habour freight never even bats a eye on their warrenty,try that at SEARS!

 

"You get what you pay for". I've never had a overseas made tool hold up to other brands, like Craftsman, etc.

Dont buy a $50 tool and expect it perform like a $500 one.

Now, Some HF products are worth the money. I've never had a problem with their welders (both stick and wire), cherrypickers, engine stands, torches, bench grinders, presses (just to name a few)

Some HF products are a waste of money, like the drill bits, hammers, grinders, light duty jacks, and other **** I cannot currently recall.

Harbor Freight has saved me a few times. When I first got into rodding, I/we bought around $1200 of tools from HF (when a metal brake costs $30, engine stand was like $70, stick and wire welders were around $200 - $250. you can imagine how much **** that is). I really cant complain, 90% of the stuff i've bought from em has exceeded my needs.

I feel I may have gone a lil O/T...

So in closing i'd like to say.... HF metal brakes = worth the money.

 

seriously dude **** off, we've had several jobs at our shop come back from china cause they run nothing but garbage..."MADE IN THE U.S.A." still stands for something in my eyes and views like yours is what is making this country turn to ****!!

 

The one I thought we were talking about is red, comes with legs that extend to the floor - I've never seen that one.

 

Hmmm.

 

Yeah, that's the one. Here's the link to HarborFreight.

www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91012

I'd rather have something made in America, but it's just not in the budget. If we could get back to paying high-school drop outs and unskilled laborers what they're worth, prices would come down and we'd be the world's manufacturing leader again. Until then I have to buy what I can afford, when I can afford it.

-Brad

 

We were.... This is the 48" model....but the pull down to lock and it's adjustment should be the same.