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

Remember the saying, "you get what you pay for". One can not expect the same quality from a DeWalt grinder as one from HF. I have a small die grinder I bought for under $10 that has seen a LOT of use. Damn thing won't die, but I do oil it before each use. Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware)

 

I buy their digital calipers when they are on sale with a coupon for $9.99.I will not buy anything that has to be pluged in AC

 

....Only thing I brought there was some C-clamps.....they were made in the USA.....

 

they sell low end knock off tools at low end prices ... you get what you pay for ... if you need cheap then get it.

 

Glad to see a thread not critical of HF When I made a living with my tools I was owned by the Snap On guy. but after I became a hobbyist HF became my store of choice actually got turned on by a friend who was agorophobic couldn't go out and shop like you and I and he ordered stuff through HF mostly consumables. One day on a business trip I passed one of their first stores maybe Lexington KY. just went in and looked around. As they opened more stores it became my store. yeah a 10 dollar air tool won't last forever but if it lasts 5 years how many can you buy in a lifetime? I have three hydraulic jacks the first replaced a Hein Werner probably thirty years ago sits outside now but has never failed . just bought a low aluminum jack not out of box yet. today I started installing an overhead air hose reel I have a HF Motorcycle lift a HF foldable engine hoist a HF pipe bender several air tools buy their cheap spray guns for rough painting they are cheaper than a rebuild kit for my Devilbiss or Binks. I have one of their sandblast cabinets my 1/2 inch air drill has all the power i can use. have their mill lathe combo. Very few of my Harbor freight tools have disappointed me. And with their discount coupons you can score some really good deals in my opinion I just thought of a few more like my air saw and my portable sand blaster. and my brake and slip roller bought second hand at an auction his loss my gain!

 

They have emery cloth in course grits. Could not find it at Lowe's or Home Depot. But HF had it. I used it to detail cast and forged pieces. You can buy sheets and rolls. Seems to dull out faster than the domestic stuff but it is much cheaper and it is available.

That said, I was disappointed with the mandrels in their 80 grit sandpaper roll and cone sets. They kept breaking. And HF does not sell them individually. So I now have a Zip Loc bag full of rolls and cones that I can not use).

A similar (the same?) product is available from Eastwood for more money and they also offer the mandrels individually.

Pictures show some detail work that I have done with HF abrasives.

 

i have run into some buffing rolls that cost $10 more at Eastwood than HF i vote cheep

 

I just bought a welding drop cloth that works great. Keeps the sparks/slag from going all over the place and did NOT burn up! Good Goat Skin welding gloves also.

 

They have some really nice Trailer Wheel Chocks.......oh and I bought a cheapy plastic tarp there to cover up my tractor while my barn was being built......

 

Normally I avoid HF, but damn if they don't often have the odd-ball specialty that no one either has, has heard of, or is reasonably affordable.

That damn GM door spring found on '60-'90s cars and trucks, that needs to be removed/installed when replacing the hinge pin/hinge pin bushings.
The local ORLY quoted 30+ for it and a week wait. Was going to just make one out of black iron, a carriage bolt, wing nut, and a nut bolt as a hinge.


U.S. General 95344 GM Vehicle Door Spring Tool. $6.99 at the local HF.

Needed a small transmission jack that I could easily move and fine tune the height. Most tranny jacks are either converted 3 ton floor jacks that arc and can be a PITA to work with, or are uber-expensive $500+ jacks that are still not much better and have silly chain/hooks rather than a nylon strap.
That and I'm not to fond of relying on a hydraulic jack while trying to maneuver a 200+lb object.


Central Hydraulics 39178 450lb Capacity Transmission Jack. Picked it up for ~$65 a while ago. Only complaint was the Allen head and lock nut on the threaded jack shaft were loose. It was not that hard to jack the transmission with a 1/2" drive ratchet.

I have some steels, and super stocks that have old tires on them. Local tire shop wanted 15-20 to dismount and dispose the tires.


Central Hydraulics 34542-9VGA Tire Changer $35.99. Says nothing larger than 16 x 7.5 but I think that has more to do with the bar. Not the highest of quality, and I would not use it on any old mag or rim that is worth more than 50 bucks. But for removing spent tires or for trailer tires it's fine.
Harbor Freight manual tire changer Part 1
Harbor Freight tire changer Part 2
The videos are more comedy than anything, maybe I'll pickup a No Mar in a year or so.

 

I think people that won't by H.F. because it's Chinese need to get over themselves, I don't like the idea of sending my money over there either but if you think your not buying foreign stuff at some point throughout your day your just fooling yourself. At least at H. F. you know what your getting into . People brag about buying German because of the quality ( Mercedes ) and engineering like it's ok but any of the 'nese's ( Jap Tiwan Chin etc.) is like the plague. I try to buy USA if it's possible but to be honest it rarely is. That said I have a lot of stuff from H. F. and most of it is fine, but I look it over good first, some things just ooze crap and I avoid them. I rarely buy hand tools like wrenches and sockets/ratchets but bigger shop tools have been ok. I have one of the Craftsman 2 ton aluminum racing jacks...that was a turd...but most of my hand stuff is Craftsman...and who knows where it all comes from. I am buying a new Chevy truck today actually, and all my vehicles are or have been new Chevys because I try to buy USA, but I bet most of it isn't....I just really don't want to know....I can't do anything about it anyway.

 

It would help if you used an in-line air regulator to dial down the rpm's... I have 5 die grinders and each one has a dial regulator mounted on the air inlet. See if anyone sells 36 grit rolls which are great for taking down a rough cast finish and then use the 80 (medium) grit rolls for smoothing. Having a in-line regulator slows down the rpm's and makes the rolls last longer... I've used those at my old shop for doing prototype work on special aluminum and cast iron castings.... It should work good for forged steel parts also...

 

50 foot airhose (Goodyear rubber, USA MADE) for 24$$$. bought today.

 

Two more items I forgot I bought.
Haul-Master 67511 2 Piece 1000 Lb. Capacity Vehicle Dollies Usually $79.99 they are often on sale around Christmas for a ~$35 a pair. Picked two sets for $70 a few years ago. The shop floor must be free of debris as the steel rollers will jam on anything bigger than sand.


Haul-Master 9388 Mover's Dolly 1000lb usually priced at $14.99 these are often on sale for 7.99-9.99. Great for moving blocks/transmissions/stack of wheels around. I don't think you could purchase the casters alone for $10.

 

Has anyone tried the HF TIG welder? Is it any good?

 

a friend of mine got one for xmas this year, he has done a lot of gas welding in the past and he likes it, has done some aluminum also, plus its a stick welder, i bought a small 34 oz. abrasive blast gun for 26 bucks and got some baking soda to blast some polished wheels wheels that were a pain to keep nice and put a nice satin finish on them

 

i have to say i like the motorcycle jack! had it for 5 or 6 years no problems..... and thats using it for things its not meant to be used for at times !

 

When I was working I lost, dropped, or someone stole tape measures. I finally decided to give HF tape measures a try, so I bought 3 of them for $3 ea. at a sale. Funny thing is I've still got all 3! They worked great, and nobody wanted to steal them like they did my Klein tape!
I've bought some expendables from HF, and figured out which I don't want. A friend bought a holesaw set the other day, and I wa suspicious of quality, and figured they weren't like my Milwaukies, but might get a hole done. Soon as the blade hit the metal it took off all the teeth! I got a good laugh from that one!

 

I bought a trailer that had Harbor freight tools boxes inside without keys. I sent a note to the Harbor Freight Service folks and received a very prompt reply with the what to order and how to order locks with matching keys.

QUOTE: The part you are requesting can be ordered by contacting our Inbound Sales department at 1-800-423-2567. They are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. This part is in stock and ready for immediate shipment. Please allow 8-10 days for delivery.

SKU# Part# Description Price (plus tax & shipping)
12892 NONE 90320 5LOCKS W/SAME 5KEYS 1PC 30.99
27918 18 90320 LOCKANDKEY SET 1 PC 7.99
I called and ordered without any issues . They shipped the next day.
Great Service!
George

 

I've had decent luck with the red angle grinders. I have several so I don't need to change disks when I need a different kind of disk or wire brush. Stay away from their cheapest power tools that are black in color. I bought a small drill and it would probably have trouble drilling melted butter. I had a black angle grinder that got so hot I needed to wear gloves, then it seized. Their black tools are absolute junk at any price.

As for China, have you looked where Craftsman tools are made now?

 

The manual tire changer is awesome and super cheap

 

When you're low on funds and need a tool, Harbor freight comes through. If you're looking for something that you'll probably only use once or twice? Harbor Freight.

 

I still only use and buy the best in hand tools which I guess is a leftover from many years of being a mechanic. But there are a lot of things at Harbor Freight that are very usable like their cutting wheels, some abrasives, nitrile gloves, glass beads, etc
to pass them by,

 

just ran over there on Saturday and bought some butt welding clamps.

be sure to check Harbor Freight cheapies before you buy the same exact thing from Eastwood (or many other companies) for a bunch more.

 

Rustoleum self etch primer for $5.00 and change is as good as PPG and I wouldn't be surprised if HF buys it from PPG since they are both located in Northern Ohio. I used to sell to both companies so I know that is a distinct possibility. Summit wants about $16 for self etch primer.

 

I've bought a boat load of their C clamps for a welding job I had making a custom gate and fence at one of the wineries here. Also Goop hand cleaner...it's made in America!

 

Their 3" high speed electric cut off tool works pretty well for about $20.

 

I've bought many tools from HF chop saw ,angle grinders,bead roller,shear, hyd pipe bender, wrenches,the list could go on, the only really bad stuff was sheet's of sand paper and hole saws and they were a joke, most stuff for low usage will do the job. If your rude and crude with any tool they will brake eventually

 

No one's mentioned this belt/disc sander:

http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-x-48-inch-belt-and-9-inch-disc-combination-sander-6852.html


I've had it for over a year and it works pretty good, just make sure to use good quality abrasives (I get mine from McMaster Carr). If you get this sander, ditch the pulley cover. That thing was a joke.

 

I've gotten a lot of good use out of the electric impact wrench I bought a few years ago.

I was taught at an early age to be mindful of not holding a tool such as a grinder in such a way that if the disc breaks it hits you in the face. Sure, accidents such as that can happen to anyone.
It sucks, but it could probably have been avoided.