The Harbor Freight PASS/FAIL Thread...

[Bolster]

The problem with HF is that some of their stuff is OK, and some of it is horrible. But you never know which is which, till you buy it and try it.

So what if we made a thread where we posted our HF purchases with a PASS or FAIL grade? After awhile we could check this thread and see what's what.

Pre-emptive apologies to all those who hate HF, (particularly Merkava, who will be compelled to wreak havoc in this thread)!

EDIT:

Originally Posted by bchee

I figured out a cool way to view this thread. Search for "harbor freight pass fail" using the search function. It will highlight PASS and FAIL in red, making it easier to read.

Thread started: 12/27/2008

[Bolster]

I'll start.

Paint Gun Cleaning Set (contains mostly small bristle brushes): FAIL. The bristles fall off when you are cleaning the gun and lodge inside your paint gun, making an even bigger mess which requires tweezers and patience. On second thought, DOUBLE FAIL.

[Could not find photo]

Buffing Wheels: barely PASS, and if you have high expectations, then FAIL. They throw off a lot more threads than 'real' buffing wheels, take longer to break in, and seem to be more off-center, too. But they work once they are broken in.



Microfiber towels, major PASS, I can't believe the price on these. First microfiber cloth I saw was for cleaning optical glasses and was $20 for a 3 inche square...HF sells you four big towels for a few bucks...great for cleaning before painting.



Castors with Red Wheels: PASS, they work OK so far, no complaints.



Metal Socket Rails: PASS, can't tell the difference between these and Craftsman, except for the vinyl coated handle on the Cman.



Pipe Clamps (red): FAIL, they don't seem to get tight, and they twist more than 'real' (Jorgensen) pipe clamps. Purchased as disposable clamps for outdoor use, but not even good enough for that.



Dial Gauge on Magnetic Base: PASS, are the same as sold by Lee Valley/Veritas. Obviously no competition for Starrett, but a temporary solution.



Dial Calipers (stainless steel): one PASS, one FAIL, these are also the same as sold by Lee Valley/Vertias. One pair closed askew, the replacement pair closed fine. The replacement one is the best thing I have purchased from HF so far.

[Merkava_4]

Fail!! Bawahahahahahahahaha!!

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Originally Posted by Bolster

The problem with HF is that some of their stuff is OK, and some of it is horrible. But you never know which is which, till you buy it and try it. So what if we made a thread where we posted our HF purchases with a PASS or FAIL grade? After awhile we could check this thread and see what's what.

Sounds like a good idea...but you'll have to ban Merkava!

[ImportTuner]

Ok ... I bought two items from HF recently and they both PASS ..
First item was a floor jack saddle pad and the second item was a 3 lb neon orange dead blow hammer ...

[LoRollinLS]

digital vernier caliper for $15: PASS

Can we get a sticky on this thread? I think we need one of these threads for northern tool also...!

[Nik_95Cobra]

I didn't know they sold urethane jack pads. Maybe I can stomach going in there and pick one up for my jack.

[Stanger]

I like the idea of this thread as well. I'm planning a trip soon and would like to make a list. So far, urethane jack pad and dead blow.

My contribution is the right angle die grinder:

PASS- I use this ALOT and it works great.

[unclethumbtack]

1/2 inch drive impact sockets: Pass
12 ton Jack Stands: Pass
Full Polished combo end wrenches: Pass so far
Grinders: Fail
Ratchet Straps:Fail

[J.A.F.E.]

2 Ton cherry picker with foldable legs: Pass
Engine leveler for above: Fail
3 ton and 6 Ton jack stands: Pass
US General 44" roll cab: Pass
Wooden handled hammers: Fail
Nitrile Gloves (dark blue 50/box): Pass

~Steve

[MikeN]

6" Digital Caliper - PASS


1/2" Crown Air Stapler - PASS (although it lacks a safety, still value at $20)


MOTORCYCLE WHEEL CHOCK - PASS


BUTANE PENCIL TORCH - PASS / FAIL
Was great while it lasted, but didn't even get a year of use out of it. Cheap enough though.

[ImportTuner]

The HF digital caliper sure looks like the Mitutoyo caliper ...

[bchee]

I think the Drill Master unibits PASS. Some members made some positive comments about them. They always seem to be on sale too
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91616

[bchee]

I would give the 1/4 rotohead ratchet a PASS. It's been working fine so far.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=96781

[oldtools]

1/2 inch impact socket: Pass
1/2 and 3/8 impact extensions: Pass
1/2 25" breaker bar: Pass
4 piece professional adjustable wrenches: Pass
Midget hammer: Pass
2 pieces rubber strap wrench set: Pass
2 pieces "talon" wrench set: Pass
3 pieces hex drill extension: Pass
1/2, 3/8, 1/4 tumb ratchets: Pass
4 pieces socket adapters: Pass
45 pieces tap and die: Pass
OBD II code reader: Pass
Inline spark checker: Pass
4 piece nomarring scrapper set: Pass
magnetic tray: Pass
AC manifold gauge set: Pass
Funnels: Pass
Disc brake tool set: Pass
Coil spring compressor: Almost pass
Sandpaper (their lowest quality version): Fail

And too many others to list

[Coach James]

Digital caliper: Pass

Boxes of chip brushes and foam brushes: Pass

Step drill bits: Pass

Blue tarp: Pass

1" rotary hammer a friend bought: Pass

Rubber mallet: Pass

15" adjustable wrench: Pass but I only use it to fix toilets and urinals...i.e. not much torque.

Welding pliers: Pass
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93062

Swivel Pad pliers: Pass
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=37006

Sandpaper: FAIL..sanding with a piece of toast would be better.

1 ton chain hoist: Pass. My buddy uses his on his farm and no problems.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...Itemnumber=996

Magnetic parts bowl: Pass

Carpenter pencil: Pass


Coach

[Lhorn]

HF flare nut wrench set - Fail. Rounded off the flare nuts like crazy. If your flare nuts are pristine, they may do the job, but if they're a bit crusty forget about it. Craftsman replacement worked perfectly.

1/2 in drive impact socket set - pass

[bchee]

disc brake pad piston compressor - PASS
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=34304

[iamhistory]

Large size, black handle, telescoping magnetic pickup tool: Passes nicely

Small pocket size (orange in color) telescoping magnetic pickup tool: Fail, flimsy, bent easily and magnet falls out

Black plastic handle (SO look alikes) heavy duty type screwdrivers on sale for $4.49 for a set of 8: Pass w/ no problems so far and I actually like using them

Metric Stubby combination wrenches: Pass. They aren't comparable to my Williams set of SAE stubbies, but they are a nice little set of stubbies.

Round tractor utility lights: Pass, all though I thought they were floods and they ended up being a spotlight type style.

[yellowbox]

disc brake pad tool FAIL X2
brass hammer PASS used for years at 5.99 good deal now cost 25.00
tap and die set PASS so havent used too many times
ball pein hammer PASS came loose after much use repaired good as new
stubby metric wrenches PASS dont use alot but come in handy and didnt cost 150.00
automotive boost box FAIL biggest piece of shit i ever bought dont think it would start a lawnmower
drill bits PASS barely but price was right
rubber shot filled hammer PASS use the hell out of it
pliers PASS but only good for at home not at work
xx large pliers PASS the only pair i use at work to remove stubborn oil filters has paid for itself many times
3/8 drive impact sockets PASS have broken a few and tossed away but they lasted for yrs and if i lose one ...oh well ....do these have a warrenty?

[eschoendorff]

Originally Posted by Bolster

The problem with HF is that some of their stuff is OK, and some of it is horrible. But you never know which is which, till you buy it and try it.

So what if we made a thread where we posted our HF purchases with a PASS or FAIL grade? After awhile we could check this thread and see what's what.

Pre-emptive apologies to all those who hate HF, (particularly Merkava, who will be compelled to wreak havoc in this thread), and to all others who would never shop there, and are offended that this thread even exists.

Oddly enough, there is already a new Yahoo group dedicated to this, although it is relatively new, not many posts yet:


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rate_h...guid=254625666


I prefer a thread like this though. The Yahoo group formats are a lot more of a PITA to use compare to these vBulletin forums. You guys might want to check it out though....


Then there is this thread that has been running on pirate4x4.com forever:

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthrea...harbor+freight

I'm surprised that I beat Nissan Crawler to this one

[Rickster]

Metal socket rails with clips: PASS
Brad Nailer, the purple one: PASS
Angle grinder: Pass - cheap & lightweight, but will break down
Western Safety work gloves: PASS marginably, OK for general work
Dust Mask, get the doctor style: Pass

[Stephenw]

Originally Posted by eschoendorff

Then there is this thread that has been running on pirate4x4.com forever:

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthrea...harbor+freight

I'm surprised that I beat Nissan Crawler to this one

I never noticed you were on pirate4x4 before.

I think this was the original HF good tools thread...

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=434877

and the do not buy...

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=552514

[unclethumbtack]

Originally Posted by Stephenw

I never noticed you were on pirate4x4 before.

I think this was the original HF good tools thread...

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=434877

and the do not buy...

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=552514

Pirate4x4 has consumed more of my time than all the other website combined.

[blue302stang]

Originally Posted by Stanger

My contribution is the right angle die grinder:

PASS- I use this ALOT and it works great.

I would have to go with fail on this one. The head keeps on loosening up on its own or just completely falling apart.


Fail, fills tires with air, but gauge is about 20psi off

Chrome 3/8 12pt sockets: Pass, i was actually really impressed with the
quality.


Can't beat the price, and they actually hold up pretty well.

[gotmud13613]

Ball joint - U-joint press PASS ( mines been used and abused )
3pc hose gripper pliers PASS
Long shaft (orange) Elec die grinder PASS So good I bought 2
Inline spark checker PASS (great for small engines)
Pocket type blow gun PASS
Retaining Ring Pliers FAIL (these things plain suck)
Orange dead blow hammer PASS
Black dead blow hammer FAIL ( breaks off in chunks )
HD cable cutters (orange handle) PASS
Brake cailper kit PASS (so far)
Extra deep 5/8" plug socket PASS fit and finish on these are really good
Bungee Cords in container FAIL ( only good for about 3 uses then stretch out)
4pc 3 jaw pullers PASS

Forgot a couple of things

3 pc steps drills PASS
Pry Bars PASS (if your not tring to move or lift an engine)

[tacoma_2002]

3/8" drive central pneumatic impact wrench - pass (and i've used the crap out of it) only 75ft lbs though

BUT! i bought a 1/2" drive that is supposed to put out 250ft lbs and it was a FAIL! bought one and returned it for another and it was the same way! the 3/8" drive will loosen things that the 1/2" wont!

soon to have a review on a air ratchet and die grinder

-Andrew

[blue302stang]

Forgot one


Was really suprised by the quality, drawers can handle quite a bit of weight and made out of a pretty thick gauge steel. Plus i like the rhino type liner all over the box.

[jay50]

One box of wood screws: Pass........LOL

[kwhitelaw]

PASS:
these or the black ones that can be had for $1.99 a pack sometimes...

As long as you dont overwork them (prying too far, use when extremely cold) they work just as good as the ones you can get from bojo that cost 5 times as much...

and if you break one (like I did when I tried using one one extremely cold night) you are only out pocket change. I ended up filling down the point where it cracked and now can use it again.

Bojo makes a couple different hardnesses for these, so if interior panel removal is a normal thing for you, you may want to pick up a couple sets from there also. can never have too many.

kevin

[JB740i]

Originally Posted by MikeN

[IMG]


BUTANE PENCIL TORCH - PASS / FAIL
Was great while it lasted, but didn't even get a year of use out of it. Cheap enough though.

Maybe we need to identify a level of pass/fail. If something doesn't last a year that isn't specifically designed to be disposable then I'd say it a FAIL.

But maybe you used it everyday or something. I would only use it as a novelty.

[Stephenw]

Originally Posted by blue302stang

I would have to go with fail on this one. The head keeps on loosening up on its own or just completely falling apart.

They all do that. I've owned several over the years, from Ingersoll Rand, to Blue Point, to Campbell Hausfeld, to Harbor Freight.

A friend owns an older one (I don't know the brand) where the angle portion is cast as a solid piece. I wish you could still get them like that.

I've used high strength threadlocker on mine.

[Russell]

I'm usually pretty easy on my tools but a few have been used beyond their usage specs like two guys pushing on the breaker bar to undo the axle nut on a '97 Accord.

Goodyear air compressor hose: PASS
Impact socket set: PASS
Impact gun both 1/2" and 3/8": PASS
Alumimum jack: PASS
Welding helmet: PASS
Welding cart: PASS
Transmission jack (scissor kind): PASS
Breaker bars: PASS
File set: PASS
Angle grinder: PASS
5lb sledge: PASS
Pry bar set: FAIL (bend like noodles)
Universal joint socket adapters: FAIL (pins popped out)

[MarkH]

With HF offering about 3 versions of everything. We need to mention model numbers and when purchased.

The when purchased is important since there may be a hidden change of manufacturer of a key part that changes the quality. They did this with some paint guns from fair to skip it.

[NSXSOON]

Diamond core drill bits-Pass I was really skeptical about buying two sets of two different sizes for about $5 each on sale. I thought they would each drill a couple of holes and be trash, not so, I've used one size to drill 30 plus holes in glass building block and it's still working like new. Can't beat them for the price.

[blue302stang]

Originally Posted by Stephenw

They all do that. I've owned several over the years, from Ingersoll Rand, to Blue Point, to Campbell Hausfeld, to Harbor Freight.

A friend owns an older one (I don't know the brand) where the angle portion is cast as a solid piece. I wish you could still get them like that.

I've used high strength threadlocker on mine.

I have a cornwell that the head is one piece but it's a gearless one. I like it the best out of all the angle grinders I have used

[383astro]

Aviation Snips....Fail Miserably

orange handle Pry Bars..... so so, dont hold up to much

1/2 Deep Impact Sockets....Pass, had for about 10 years and have taken thousands of lugnuts off

5 pc wood handle ball peins....pass

spinning deburr tool with screwdriver handle....fail, never worked, handle was locked up and wont spin freely, took bit out and use it in drill

stepped drill bits...pass, work nicely

1/2 breaker bar....Pass, very nice piece, very strong and has a allen head bolt instead of a press pin, one of my better buys

thats all I can think of right now

[ZRX61]

Harbor Freight shopping carts, the ones you use to carry everything to the check-out: FAIL!

Had one collapse under the weight of a few tools, my comment to the store worker that "maybe you shouldn't source your shopping carts where you get the rest of your crap" raised a smile..

[Kurn]

HF reciprocating saw-PASS. !0 yrs old,can't kill it.
HF portable band saw-FAIL. Burned up after 2 yrs of limited use
3/4 impact sockets-PASS
1/2 impact sockets-PASS

[Danglerb]

Harbor Freight utility cart, seems identical to the rubbermaid version, PASS.

CFL shop light, PASS

Quality is "usually" Pittsburgh Pro, Pittsburgh, something else.

[bgarrett]

ALL LED lights FAIL


Actually an LED will burn forever so I think its their switches or maybe the electronic parts that fail.

Damn shame too because LEDS are wonderful and will replace all other lights soon

[johnny1290]

Just a quicky:

That air powered 90 degree grinder pictured above-I got about a year out of the first one, just bought another and it's doa out of the box. I'll still give it a pass as it's cheap enough on sale and broke at the head as others described.

The 8 dollar electric angle grinders 4.5"- PASS
Not smooth like a makita, but work fine for the price and i'd have to kill 12 of them before Id have paid as much as he did for one. Surprisingly durable in the face of abuse.

1/2" impact-FAIL so awful I threw it away immediately. It was their cheapest model.

Edit: step drill bits PASS-get on sale for 8.99/3
$1.99 airgun-with the small metal tube to direct air-FAIL broke in first use
Small tool bags you get free with coupons-PASS
6" digital caliper-PASS
Black Goodyear 50ft. Air hose-PASS $20 on sale
Full face shield-FAIL x 2 can't see anything out of it
Earplugs-FAIL don't expand again like better ones do
Cutting discs for 3" cutoff wheel. FAIL made in Russia and prone to fly apart. Get what you pay for but I keep buying them cuz they're there. I have a 3m cutoff wheel green? I got who knows where that's lasted probably 2 or 3 times as long as the hf. Same with their 4.5", unless you find dewalt discs

[danc333]

I have a 28 degree pneumatic framing nailer that I used to frame the walls in my downstairs den. It has worked very well. (PASS). My dad has a flooring nailer that he has used to put about 2500 sq ft of T&G hardwood flooring down with. Considering a name brand new one is several hundred dollars and the HF one is about $129. I'd say (PASS). I will try to find model numbers.

[shaunwhite11188]

4" Capacity Swivel Base Drill Press Vise- Pass
4 Piece Steel Adjustable Wrench Set-Fail
60 Piece SAE/Metric Tap and Die Set-Pass
1/8" Air Micro Die Grinder-Pass
6" Dial Caliper-Pass
Pick Set-Pass
18 Piece T-Handle Ball Point and Hex Key Wrench Set-Pass(used everyday and dont even budge wwhen cheater bar is on them)
5 minute epoxy-Pass
1/4 Torque wrench-Pass(Has lifetime warranty surprisingly and only used until i purchase a snap on or cdi)
7 Piece, 3/8" Shank, 1/4" to 1" Titanium Nitride Coated Forstner Bit Set-Pass
4 Piece Socket Adapter Set-Pass but only used step up and in low torque applications
Loctite-Pass
TOTAL CONTROL HACKSAW-Fail Handle broken in half
10 Piece Color Coded T-Handle Metric and SAE Hex Key Set-Fail twisted

[WVBrady]

Mover's dolly 38970-1VGA Pass
Hydraulic lift table-don't see the one that I have; not the high lift one. Worked ok, but paint flecked off, showing rusty metal underneath. Used lift to unload my 550 pound
gun safe from the pickup and load it onto the dolly to move it into my house.

[wyndycity]

4" angle grinder = Fail

After three separate light uses, it decided to just literally fall apart in my hands while cutting some exposed nail ends. I think vibration just caused the gear housing screws to loosen enabling the gearing to separate.

I knew what I was getting myself into when buying a HF power tool but didn't think it'd fail on me so quickly. I revived it with new screws and some loctite though but too bad I hardly use it now that I wised up and bought a 4.5" Makita.

[bugdust]

Great thread

*40 ln pressure pot sandblaster - FAIL, I broke two pieces while assembling it, went to ACE and replaced them, then never could get it to work right, returned to HF for refund
*20 lb pressure pot sandblaster - PASS, same brand/style as above, just 1/2 the size, works great
*dead-man valve for sandblaster - PASS
*4" cut-off wheels, 7/8" hole - PASS, not Dewalt quality but not Dewalt price either
*weld wire - I've bought .023 and .035 from there, both seem to rust a little quicker than name brand but better than what I've bought at Tractor Supply so - PASS
*blue casters - PASS, just because of the price. I have them on my engine stand (VW engines). They work but one squeeks bad and is stiff...may be my fault since I welded them on

I've bought other stuff ther but that's all that comes to mind right now. Is Cummins Tools still around? I bought a lot of stuff from there a few years ago with mixed results.
*black 5" swivel casters - PASS, I just put four on a body rotisserie and they seem to work great. I'll know for sure when I put the body on this week
*glass beads - PASS, work fine. I usually use Dupont StarBlast though
*3 pc step-drill set - PASS, just bought for $8+, have used two of them on 1/4" steel and they seem to work fine

[beelsr]

chain saw chain sharpener - don't waste your time, way too much flex. Major FAIL.

grinders - if you get the more expensive/higher amp model: PASS, otherwise maybe FAIL. I keep a few with different wheels/grits ready so I don't have to stop and change wheels in the middle of what I'm doing. Had a few for years and they sound like there's sand in the bearings but they keep running just fine.

Black-handled pry bars - haven't broken one yet in 10 years. A little bendy but metal's supposed to bend, right?

1/2 deep impact sockets - thousands of lugnuts as well. 1 failure, warrantied no problem.

wooden ball-pein hammers, wood shrunk, had to add wedges. fine otherwise. i'd get fiberglass if buying new ones. heads haven't chipped.

step drill - fine but i only use them for crap holes. for good stuff, I use my irwins.

1/2" breaker - hasn't failed me yet and I've jumped on it and piped it.

nylon trim pry bars - yellow and blue ones work great.

seal puller - FAIL broke the tip on the first seal I used it on. Cursed my B-i-L who stole my Lisle puller. Ended up doing the screw & slide hammer trick on that one.

screwdrivers - when using them as the base of a custom tool they're OK. Pretty much crap otherwise but I do have a drawer full of the screwdrivers I got for free with coupons. The same with their cheaper wrenches.

plastic pinch-type hose clamp pliers - work just as well as others if you get the nylon type. The plain plastic type loo like crap and I wouldn't trust them.

dead blow hammers - PASS

[captf71]

Item# 3418 - 2/10/55 Battery Charger - Starter = FAIL !!!

Bought this on sale for when I'd need it. When using it the first time, it appeared to work fine for 5 minutes then just stopped working. Could not return as I'd had it past the warranty period.

[bomber]

Motorcycle Lift Table = Pass (especially for the price) --

Impact Sockets = Pass (very seldom used, but work fine when needed)

[CatfishXpress]

Dead blow hammer - pass
Magnetic parts tray- pass

[rsanter]

Originally Posted by ImportTuner

The HF digital caliper sure looks like the Mitutoyo caliper ...

it looks alot like it but they are nowhere close to the real thing
for general service work PASS
for high precision work FAIL

bob

[musgofasta]

My list:

41'' rolling box - PASS PASS - $325ish with the 20% off coupons- great deal
4 drawer rolling tool cart - PASS - kinda wimpy casters but they'll be getting replaced
4.5'' grinder - PASS - better than Ryobi or other low end Asian models - $19 or less
90Amp Flux-only "MIG" welder - Marginal PASS - decent to learn on for $100 new - good in a pinch in the field - stock wire is crap - decent heat and wire speed
$10 HVLP Gun - PASS PASS - painted cabinets with it, shot lots of auto primer through it, hell of a value with the coupon
Above angle die grinder - PASS - won't die
Air Die Grinder - FAIL
Pittsburgh Crescent adjustable wrenches - decent PASS
Goodyear Air Hoses - PASS
6Ton Hydraulic press - PASS - it's just a bottle jack and metal frame

[Danglerb]

Originally Posted by rsanter

it looks alot like it but they are nowhere close to the real thing
for general service work PASS
for high precision work FAIL

bob

Caliper isn't a high precision tool regardless of who makes it, its a 0.001" type tool, not something for tenths.

99 cent plastic 6" caliper, PASS, should be in every toolbox.

Drill Master set of 100 security bits, PASS, all the bits you need, haven't broken one yet, and cheap enough I don't think twice about hammering one in with a ball peen on a messed up bolt.

Drill Master 8pc bolt extractor set, 4 reverse drills and 4 matching extractor things. PASS

[JayL]

Here is another HF Thread from weldingweb.com


http://weldingweb.com/forumdisplay.php?f=28

[Chris Adams]

Aviation Snips....Fail, even on thin sheet metal
Black-handled Pry bar set…. pass Work great, been abused for five years, still in great shape
Die grinders… pass I have two, both work great
Air nibbler… pass lots of years, still works great
Air ratchet 3/8… pass, works better than my Mac, darn it.
Impact sockets ½…. Pass, very good, some hogging after years of use.
1/2 breaker bar....Pass
Flex head ratchet wrenches pro metric… PASS, work as well as my Gearwrench.
Step Bits small and Large… pass Work almost as well as my ‘unibit’ brand.
10 Piece Color Coded T-Handle Metric and SAE Hex Key Set … pass, haven’t broken one yet, had them a year.
Blue handle screwdriver set with bolt head… Pass, darn it. I hate the way they look/feel and I’ve used them for every kind of prying, pounded on them, just plain abused them. None have failed in any way. Still hate the way they look.
Orange deadblow hammer….pass
Black deadblow hammer….pass
Red Socket trays, three set…. Pass. Always get them on sale, with coupon. Pay average of less than 2.00 a tray, and they work fine.
Socket Rails… Pass. Average cost under 70 cents a rail on sale. Made in Taiwan and very good.
Magnetic parts tray- pass bought three for a dollar…
8 inch grinder… Pass but way too heavy for my needs.
Air swivel 3/8 … Fail. Leaks like a sieve.
Air Hose Reel… Pass. The ten dollar one. Use it daily with 100 feet of 3/8 hose. Swivel valve leaks a little when cold but the reel is a big hit.
5 minute epoxy…Pass
Gorilla tape… Pass
Gorilla glue…. Pass
1/4 Torque wrench-Pass
½ inch Torque wrench-pass
Small cut off saw… Pass use it for stuff that is way too big.
3/8 pro ratchet...Pass, beat the tar out of it, works great

[Phatsub]

I've had these for a couple years now and they've held up very nicely. They're the 10" model.

[bgarrett]

Originally Posted by Phatsub

I've had these for a couple years now and they've held up very nicely. They're the 10" model.

Hey phatsub, What are those used for?

[mickeyone]

black handle pry bar set pass
3piece high voltage Pittsburgh Plier set..Not Kleins ...but better than craftsman ,dykes are sharp enough pass
Ratchetting PVC tubing cutter pass

[Phatsub]

I use them for cutting metal stuff like screws and nails. they work well for quick cuts on rubber hose too instead of using a utility knife.

[JayL]

9 Piece Hollow Punch Set - Fail

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=3838

These are very soft.

[RickP330]

[quote=Stephenw;355188]
QUOTE]

I have to disagree on this one. it's a FAIL. I bought this one and it's totally useless. The arbor is so out of true that if you use a scotch bright pad on it it will damage most surfaces you are trying to clean. It's got to be over 1/8" out at the edge of the pad. I don't know what it's still doing in my box....
RickP

[mhm993]

4'x4' utility trailer kit. Extremely chinese looking and feeling, but assembled it with care and some modification, and, darn it, was a PASS.

Of course, the package of nuts, bolts, washers and pins had thoroughly the wrong number of everything, but no matter.

[3 at 8]

[quote=RickP330;356033]

Originally Posted by Stephenw

QUOTE]

I have to disagree on this one. it's a FAIL. I bought this one and it's totally useless. The arbor is so out of true that if you use a scotch bright pad on it it will damage most surfaces you are trying to clean. It's got to be over 1/8" out at the edge of the pad. I don't know what it's still doing in my box....
RickP

Great; I just bought this today for $14.

[eschoendorff]

Originally Posted by captf71

Item# 3418 - 2/10/55 Battery Charger - Starter = FAIL !!!

Bought this on sale for when I'd need it. When using it the first time, it appeared to work fine for 5 minutes then just stopped working. Could not return as I'd had it past the warranty period.

I have teh same one. Still works, even after surviving a significant drop!

A 50 amp starting boost is a JOKE! Won't even help my tractor (Onan B48M engine) turn over.



There is another patter emerging... the "fails" are often HF's cheapest offerings. Come on, guys, buying HF's cheapest impact gun and expecting it to work is just naive and stupid!

[eschoendorff]

[quote=3 at 8;356388]

Originally Posted by RickP330

Great; I just bought this today for $14.

Not to worry - I have the same one and it works great! Not a smooth runner, but it does just fine for what it is. Try yours out and, if it doesn't work, take it back and exchange it for one that does!

[Ray-CA]

Pneumatic riveter-pass
Pneumatic 3/8ths drill-pass
Pneumatic 3/8ths right angle drill-pass
uni-bits-pass
25-pack of double-ended 1/8th drill bits-pass
1/2" drive impact sockets-pass
various sockets/wrenches/pliers etc.-pass (but they are all in my "pick-n-pull" tool bag and only used there)
rubber gloves-fail
pry bars-pass (but I haven't used them much)
grinder stand (used for 4-inch vise) pass
10-inch wet tile saw-pass (cuts concrete bricks also)
Magnetic trailer lights-pass
right angle electric drill-fail (arbor wobbled as did the two replacements i tried at the store before I got a refund)

Various other items bought, used until they broke, or didn't work but it wasn't worth driving 30-miles just to return--fail

HF store personnel-pass (have always been helpful and friendly)

I look at HF items if I need a tool for a single job. If it lasts for that particular job, fine. If it last longer, great. It I need a tool to last, I buy one to last.

Ray

[Coach James]

Originally Posted by bgarrett

Hey phatsub, What are those used for?

I have the Channellock version of those. Good for cutting nails and wire and I also use them as a nail puller.

Coach

[beelsr]

some more...

Air nibbler - F-i-L has one, used it to cut his new house's air ducts. still going strong. PASS
magnetic bowls - PASS
20 ton press - you need to assemble it carefully and true it up but it's really just a metal frame. pass
jack stands - never bought them and never would. FAIL without even thinking about it (more below)
nitrile/latex gloves - FAIL, buy them at costco/sam's. HF's are pre-hardened and brittle.

Reinforcing what eschoendorff & Ray-Ca say: if it's a one-off and you think the tool will last the job, go for it. If you want something to last, either buy their nicest model (the cream of the crap :-) or shop somewhere else.

If I want something precision, I'll go somewhere else. If I want something that could kill me if it fails (like a jackstand), there ain't no way in H$LL I'm buying it at HF!

[Chris Adams]

What is it about HF jack stands? I've sold five brands (three US made, two import) back when I was in autoparts.
None were any better than the HF stands, most were inferior.
Never had a claim, never had a failed one, except for a car one that was used under a motorhome, no one hurt but the guy wanted to sue, after using it at 10 times it's rating. Settled for a new jack stand...

I've been using the HF ones under a F-350 Superduty dually, F-150 new model and of course cars. Show me any weakness in them before posting 'fail' without even trying one.

[Phatsub]

As for their jack stands, I remember long ago the frame support area was made out of pot metal and would break very easily. I think today they're made with better steel.

[eschoendorff]

Originally Posted by Chris Adams

What is it about HF jack stands? I've sold five brands (three US made, two import) back when I was in autoparts.
None were any better than the HF stands, most were inferior.
Never had a claim, never had a failed one, except for a car one that was used under a motorhome, no one hurt but the guy wanted to sue, after using it at 10 times it's rating. Settled for a new jack stand...

I've been using the HF ones under a F-350 Superduty dually, F-150 new model and of course cars. Show me any weakness in them before posting 'fail' without even trying one.

Shit... I've been using a set of the orange 6 ton jackstands for a few years. Convince me that they are any different than the Chinese ones with a different brand on them....

[Frank]

Originally Posted by Stephenw

They all do that. I've owned several over the years, from Ingersoll Rand, to Blue Point, to Campbell Hausfeld, to Harbor Freight.

A friend owns an older one (I don't know the brand) where the angle portion is cast as a solid piece. I wish you could still get them like that.

I've used high strength threadlocker on mine.

Mine fell apart too so I was thinking of shopping for a better make, but may not be worth it. I like the idea of the threadlocker.

[Frank]

Originally Posted by blue302stang

Forgot one


Was really suprised by the quality, drawers can handle quite a bit of weight and made out of a pretty thick gauge steel. Plus i like the rhino type liner all over the box.

That's the first yellow box I have seen. I thought they only came in red. I agree looking at them in the store and comparing the quality with the Craftsman, they really appear to be a good value. The steel seems just as heavy if not better. I also like that they come with drawer liner already and the ability to label the drawer handles. I am looking at getting the 13 drawer box myself and make room for it under my bench so it doesn't take up another footprint of garage space. The closest comparison I found were the Mastercraft or whatever it is TSC carries. They are the same price but missing one drawer and come in a dark green.

[J.A.F.E.]

Originally Posted by Frank

That's the first yellow box I have seen. I thought they only came in red. I agree looking at them in the store and comparing the quality with the Craftsman, they really appear to be a good value. The steel seems just as heavy if not better. I also like that they come with drawer liner already and the ability to label the drawer handles. I am looking at getting the 13 drawer box myself and make room for it under my bench so it doesn't take up another footprint of garage space. The closest comparison I found were the Mastercraft or whatever it is TSC carries. They are the same price but missing one drawer and come in a dark green.

They are available in black, yellow and red. The deep drawers have four BB slides. IMO the're a very good bargain. Much better and much nicer available but not for anywhere near the price.

~Steve

[Stephenw]

Originally Posted by Stephenw

Originally Posted by RickP330

I have to disagree on this one. it's a FAIL.

I think you may have mis-read what I posted. I didn't endorse the Harbor Freight angle grinder. I stated that the heads have fallen apart on all of them I have owned, from an expensive Ingersoll Rand, to a cheap Harbor Freight model.

[Chris Adams]

To those against the HF Jack Stands, without even trying them, I did find a pair of Jack stands today that I wouldn't use, even under a Metro.

But they were at Kragens.


Shape was like the HF ones, but about .6 scale. Those I wouldn't use. Seriously, they are dinky. What would be the point?

eschoendorff, the HF six ton jack stands are great, if you don't mind lifting the truck WAY up in the air. I can't use my six tons under my F150 due to the low celing in my Garage. But I have used them under my Class A motorhome in the driveway. That's about 4 tons on the two of them. No problem, but my 20 ton bottle jack wasn't too happy.

[Coach James]

I got my jack stands at Advance Auto and another set at Mao Mart. One of my friends got a set at Agri-Supply. Except for different paint, they all look the same as the HF ones.


"Never had a claim, never had a failed one, except for a car one that was used under a motorhome, no one hurt but the guy wanted to sue, after using it at 10 times it's rating. Settled for a new jack stand..."

LMAO. Is going to sue, but takes a new $6 jack stand instead!

Coach

[wrench]

[quote=3 at 8;356388]

Originally Posted by RickP330

Great; I just bought this today for $14.

I bought one last month,paid full price[$19.95} because I needed it.I usually wait till things go on sale before I buy them. I have used it several times and it works great. I use the light blue nitrile gloves all the time and they are great.I have bought the dark blue nitrile-latex gloves,and they fail miserably.They pretty much fall apart when you put them on.I bought the earthquake 1/2 air wrench a year ago and use it as a backup at work.It works very well,although it is quite heavy.definately a pass.

[Nicky9]

FInally I feel like i can contribute...
I have a Harbor Frieght store down the street... here is my pile oF pass/fail:

Lasted about a year I bought the protection plan, and ended up getting my money back since they didnt have one in stock to swap it with
3 HP, 21 Gallon, 125 PSI Cast Iron Vertical Air Compressor FAIL
3 HP, 21 Gallon, 125 PSI Cast Iron Vertical Air Compressor
[IMG] http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/pho...4699/94667.gif [/IMG]


FAIL

5 Piece Solid Brass Quick Coupler Set



FAIL

1/2" Pneumatic Impact Wrench




PASS

13 Piece 1/2" Metric Deep Wall Impact Socket Set







PASS
I have a bunch of these I think for around 2.00 a piece cant beat that… you can always use a few clamps… these are great

6" Industrial C-Clamp





PASS Got it for 10.00 bucks cant beat that deal

1500 Watt Dual Temperature Heat Gun (572°/1112°)
Two temperature settings




On the Fence
This works but I am suspect of the long term life of this unit. It smoked the first time I squeezed the trigger, but then I laid 800+ sf of hardwood floors with n more smoke… just doesn’t sound smooth inside… grinding metal… but I got it cheap and it did its job. I amp planning on getting a nice Dewalt compound miter to replace it when it goes. So that’s why I am on the fence…

10" COMPOUND MITER SAW
INCLUDES 10'' x 60 TOOTH CARBIDE BLADE




AWESOME PASS
Best item I have bought yet… I beat the living SH!T out of this and it still in great shape. I wasn’t too sure how it would hold up in a kitchen remodel, but it sure showed me. Great buy!

15-1/2" HEAVY DUTY PRY BAR
Made of Heavy Duty Steel
Rugged bevelled edges with nail slots at both ends make this powerful pry bar ideal for all kinds of prying jobs.




GREAT PASS
This is solid and one piece. There is another line that I looked at and I would recommend staying far away from. The head is GLUED on to the fiberglass shaft. I don’t know about you fellas… but I don’t usually pussyfoot a hammer. So if its not one piece I stay away. This one beat the snot out of the pry bar above and is my fav hammer in the box.
20 OZ. SOLID STEEL CLAW HAMMER
This hammer features one-piece construction, a solid steel shank, and a well-balanced design with a comfortable, nonslip rubber handle.
• Meets ANSI specifications





AWFUL FAIL
The tips are garbage. Don’t buy any screwdrivers from HF… this is where you get what you pay for.

22 Piece Screwdriver Set
• Chrome vanadium steel
• Double-injected nonslip grip
• Each driver is marked for easy identification
• Seven Phillips, eight slotted, four star, two square, one double end slotted/Phillips






AWFUL FAIL

32 Piece Screwdriver Set
• Heat treated carbon steel shanks
• Soft grip handles






Back to Awesome!

6 Ton Jack Stand Set
• Designed to safely hold most cars and trucks over 2 feet off the ground
• Super heavy-duty construction
• Perfect for repair or storage

AND

3 TON SUPER HEAVY DUTY FLOOR JACK







And back to Junk FAIL


13 Piece Titanium Nitride Coated Drill Bits
1/4'' hex shank for fast changes

[Chris Adams]

Originally Posted by Coach James

I got my jack stands at Advance Auto and another set at Mao Mart. One of my friends got a set at Agri-Supply. Except for different paint, they all look the same as the HF ones.


"Never had a claim, never had a failed one, except for a car one that was used under a motorhome, no one hurt but the guy wanted to sue, after using it at 10 times it's rating. Settled for a new jack stand..."

LMAO. Is going to sue, but takes a new $6 jack stand instead!

Coach

That's what retail is like. Customer comes in, threatening, letter of intent, throwing things.
Two hours of investigation, taking a little look at the site, etc. seeing the broken concrete in the driveway, seeing the damage the Winnebago made when it fell, seeing the 4x4's and jacks while they are still trying to lift the Class C off of the driveway... Then asking if he wanted to be countersued... Then offering to replace the stand. Yep, no problem.
Had worse.

The hot Vega with the exploding can of Freon was more fun… but the lady with the ‘ruined life’ over a 1 dollar misquote on a starter drive still tops em.
Retail, nothing else like it.

[blue302stang]

I bought these on sale for like $8 and they have held up great for what i use them for. PASS

[bchee]

Originally Posted by Nicky9

FInally I feel like i can contribute...
I have a Harbor Frieght store down the street... here is my pile oF pass/fail:

welcome and thanks for the input

[Major Ramifications]

#93608 Blasting cabinet - PASS
Can't complain about it one bit.

[autoace]

Wheel bearing press, never saw it anywhere else, works great.PASS,see link

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=45210

[autoace]

When I broke my Snap-on breaker bar, this one did the job,PASS

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=30395

[beelsr]

Originally Posted by Chris Adams

I've been using the HF ones under a F-350 Superduty dually, F-150 new model and of course cars. Show me any weakness in them before posting 'fail' without even trying one.

Well, that'sgreat that you've had good luck with them. When I was rallying, we used Lincoln jackstands and when the car had the jackstand holes in the rail, custom ones we made ourselves. Sometime in there, I got turned onto Norco jacks.

I just wouldn't trust the HF ones but, as I said, I haevn't used them and have never really looked at them too closely whilst in a store.

[nissan_crawler]

Originally Posted by eschoendorff

Oddly enough, there is already a new Yahoo group dedicated to this, although it is relatively new, not many posts yet:


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rate_h...guid=254625666


I prefer a thread like this though. The Yahoo group formats are a lot more of a PITA to use compare to these vBulletin forums. You guys might want to check it out though....


Then there is this thread that has been running on pirate4x4.com forever:

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showthrea...harbor+freight

I'm surprised that I beat Nissan Crawler to this one

Hey, I've been on vacation, give me a break.

Originally Posted by JayL

9 Piece Hollow Punch Set - Fail

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=3838

These are very soft.

I would actually nominate these for a pass, they work great for gasket material. I had no expectations that they would work on metal, though. I back mine up with hardwood or phenolic, I don't use them against metal, either.

HF 2 ton folding cherry picker - pass, but none of the freaking bolt heads were a "standard" size. Not metric, not SAE. I settled for using the least sloppy socket, but none were right. The rings on the hitchpins are booger welded and fall off if you bump them, not an important thing. Would I use it for 2 tons? Hell no. Do I have any 2 ton engines or equipment? No.

HF pipe bender - pass, if you're smart enough to figure them out. It's served its purpose

HF 6' 20 lb digging bar - PASS PASS PASS. I love these things.

HF 1000 lb flat wagon with tie rod steering - pass, but I wouldn't expect it to hold 1000 lbs. It's still damn handy.

HF porta power (forgot the ton rating, it's the big wheeled kit) - pass, especially for a rare use item.

HF drill master step bits - PASS PASS PASS

HF grinding wheels/cutoff wheels - FAAAAIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL I know they work for some people, but after digging two of them out of my sheetrock, no thanks.

HF orange 4.5" grinder - FAAAAIIIIILLLLLLL Again, they work for some people, but I let the magic smoke out of two of them in under ten minutes and they were so hot I could barely touch them. I want a grinder with some grunt behind it.

HF 40 lb sand blaster pot- pass for the most part. Throw the water separator away, it blows up and leaves a big bruise on your foot. throw the pipe fittings away, the hole in them are way too small for some reason. Great no, but it's the same junk you get for $60 more anywhere else. It is what it is.

HF torque wrenches - I haven't owned one personally, but at work they calibrate more consistently than Snap-On's. Way more people have the HF ones, and I haven't heard of ONE failing calibration, but I know of several Snap-Ons that have, including one of mine.


HF c-clamps, hand squeeze clamps - not great at all, but I keep them on hand for fabrication jobs where there's a good chance the clamp is going to get hosed. There's no point jacking up a good Wilton/etc., clamp.

HF 2.5 ton long frame jack - pass, works great. It doesn't have the locking feature for the handle that lets you lift the front of the jack to maneuver it around, but for $300 less, I'll deal with that on occasion.

HF 6 ton jack stands - pass, worked on the farm for years.

HF wheelbarrow - pass, same thing as anywhere else, but cheaper.

HF Nitrile gloves - pass, I hate getting my hands greasy (yeah, yeah)

HF ratchet straps - pass, for what they are. Again, not going to use them near max rating, or on anything I truly care about, but for holding down tree branches, demolition junk, etc., why use good straps?

I'm sure I've missed things, but there's some.

Edit: HF drill press - fail, fell apart after a year of use.

[bchee]

would it be worthwhile to 'sticky' this thread?

[3 at 8]

I was hoping someone would have reviewed this one. I've never owned this style or any 3/8" impact for that matter. Thought it might be a convienent low torque timesaver for my vintage garden tractor collection and other small stuff like that. If it has been reviewed, and I missed it, I apologize.





HF 3/8 compact: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...3100&Submit=Go

[eschoendorff]

Okay... once again, the HF items that seem to fail are the cheapest of the cheap. Seriously, Nicky9, who would use that impact wrench and expect anything from it?


A friend of my brothers, who is a tech, gave some advice that is as true today as it was 5 years ago... before you buy a tool - regardless of the brand name on it - check it out. If it seems cheap and cheesy, it probably is. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Every once in a while, you get lucky. Those HF step drill bits are a good example. They seem to be too good to be true, but so far I have drilled a lot of holes (some in 3/16" plate steel) with them.

[goodfellow]

HF 4.5" professional "paddle switch" grinder -- the only grinder HF has that's worth a damn.

HF 12" sliding compound mitre saw. I've cut a huge amount of light gauge aluminum with it and its held up great

HF 4x6" metal cutting bandsaw -- never a problem and going strong after almost 10 years

HF 14" (4 speed) wood bandsaw -- made in Taiwan and is absolutley the best deal out there. It compares to the Taiwanese Jet and Wilton models and is half the price.

HF 44142 large 3-in-1 mill/drill/lathe -- for home garage/shops with limited space, this machine tool provides a lot of function. It's not for professional machinists, but for home automotive machining tasks it has delivered a lot of value.

[wrenchr]

Fail.....................

[Bolster]

Does anybody have experience with the HF tap & die sets? Currently they're advertising a 40+ metric set for $10...

[JebNY]

This one is a pass with a warning.


1.5 AMP ONBOARD BATTERY CHARGER

They claim it is water proof and it may be when it is not in use. I used my first one for 1 1/2 years with no problems then complete failure. I dissected and it failed when the water got deep enough inside to short out the circuit board. Turns out the male AC plug is not water proof when there is a cord plugged in. I was using it on a camper battery in a protected area in the bed of my truck but water could blow in under certain circumstances. It worked well enough that I bought another one, but since I now know they are not water proof I drilled a small hole in the bottom corner to hopefully let water out faster than it comes in. Another approach would be to mount it plug down, not an option for my appliation.

It is also a bit noisy if you want to use it in an area that matters.

JebNY

[Lhorn]

I got a HF tap and die set about 5-7 years ago. The dies are about worthless. I had to put some threads on a rod and the darn thing wouldn't even begin to bite. I pretty much ended up rounding off the end of the rod. Went to Kragen's auto parts and bought a set of dies from what ever cheapo line they carry and it worked perfectly. The absolute bottom drawer set of dies from the local chain autoparts store ran circles around the HF counterpart. I might used them to clean threads in a pinch but I'll never waste a second of my time trying to actually thread something with them.

EPIC FAIL

[Danglerb]

HF actually makes a set of taps and dies that says not for use on metal, WTF?

3 pc extra long extension set, 24" 3/8, and 18" and 12" 1/4, PASS.

6 pc mini plier set, like $5 on sale, PASS

[srosa707]

[quote=Stephenw;355188]


IM going to have to disagree with some of you. Ive had this grinder and ive used the CRAP out of it and its worked great. I think it has a lifetime warranty too. I would definatley get another one if i had too.

[nissan_crawler]

I work with several people with the cheapo HF die grinders, both of which have outlived my $100 IR die grinder.

[3 at 8]

[quote=srosa707;359132]

Originally Posted by Stephenw

I think it has a lifetime warranty too.

I just bought one last week and they told me a year.

[Nicky9]

Originally Posted by eschoendorff

Okay... once again, the HF items that seem to fail are the cheapest of the cheap. Seriously, Nicky9, who would use that impact wrench and expect anything from it?

Well obviously ME!

I think its truely hit or miss... there are some good batches and some bad batches. I think the theory should be if it has a bunch of moving parts... be weary of it (im pretty sure someone on here has said that)... and expect it to fail. Price has nothing to do with it IMO.

[eschoendorff]

Originally Posted by Nicky9

Well obviously ME!

I think its truely hit or miss... there are some good batches and some bad batches. I think the theory should be if it has a bunch of moving parts... be weary of it (im pretty sure someone on here has said that)... and expect it to fail. Price has nothing to do with it IMO.

No, price has a lot to do with it much of the time. I wont say always, but many of us who have been here a while have found that all too often you get what you pay for.

Sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes you find something at HF that is almost identical in build to an item that costs more with a different brand on it somewhere else. Generally, though, the QC for HF items are less stringent than the QC for the same item at another store.

You pay your money and roll the dice...

However, you have to use your head. Seriously, an impact wrench that's worth half a damn is not going to cost $20 new from a store.

[nissan_crawler]

It all depends, sometimes you just have to buy something knowing you're taking a chance. Dad bought a 3/8" impact for some china tool truck sale that came to town, and it actually has TOO MUCH power for a 3/8", IMHO.

Then again, I don't find much use for 3/8", I use the 1/4" or 1/2".

[Nicky9]

Originally Posted by eschoendorff

However, you have to use your head. Seriously, an impact wrench that's worth half a damn is not going to cost $20 new from a store.

I guess that depends on what you define how much "worth half a damn" is to you?
Also, I do not wrench daily, so i can get by without having a pro model, and can I afford to spend that kind of cash. Most of their stuff has a warrenty too. I can easily return any of the poo poo items since i am local to a HF store.

Seriously, I agree w/ you that most of the time you will have to pay for quality.

I will try to get us back on topic:
PASS
pack of 4 microfiber towels for $2.00.

[seetherfiend]

Their black electrical - MAJOR FAIL!!!! It won't even stick your shoes, let alone an electric cable. 3M, I am soooooooo sorry I strayed, it was just once. I swear it won't happen again!! Glenn

[Toy2]

12 volt impact///PASS used on a stranded Chevy 1/2 ton.
Mig welder////PASS after making minor adjustments.
Impact sockets////PASS
Sawzaw///PASS-gave this to my father in-law to cut branches.

I just got the $8.00 LED red for my trailer, it works so far...

[krooser]

HF Drill Press...

[eschoendorff]

Silver and Demming drill bits - pass, with flying colors. I bored a 9/16 hole into 1/4" steel plate without pre-drilling or anything. Just chucked it in my drill press and went at it. I used the lowest speed, lots of pressure and cutting oil. I got some smoke, but a lot of really nice steel curls. Nice drills for the $36 that I paid for them. I didn't expect them to be this nice.

[nissan_crawler]

Originally Posted by krooser

HF Drill Press...

I forgot that one, definite fail. Save your money for a real press.

Originally Posted by eschoendorff

Silver and Demming drill bits - pass, with flying colors.

I've heard that from many people, haven't tried them myself yet.

[Toy2]

Auto Dark welding helment////PASS

Large Rivet gun////PASS-I know a company that buys these at HF and repacks them and sells them for $30.00

LED solar light///$10- PASS/FAIL lasted about 4 months.....

[ROCK4185]

Does anyone have a report on the Pittsburgh torque wrenches??

[nissan_crawler]

pretty much a 100% success rate on them calibrating and lasting at work.

[ROCK4185]

Thanks Nissan! Sounds like it should work just fine for the occasional use.

[strizzy]

NONMARRING SCRAPER - PASS



http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/...bCategoryName=

Love theses. I believe our Snap On guy resells these of his truck. Great for removing decals off surfaces you don't want scratched (such as gel coat). If the edge is ever damaged, you can just use a file to sharpen it right back up.

[Bolster]

Storage container with 18 dividers ... FAIL. Even at $2 each they're a pain to use. Sharp pinchy latches with sharp corners that require lots of force, and need tedious filing before they work correctly...and how long can those thin little latch hinges hold up?



Edit: A session with the Foredom flex shaft, and they get a marginal PASS.

[onecheck]

Originally Posted by nissan_crawler

Hey, I've been on vacation, give me a break.



I would actually nominate these for a pass, they work great for gasket material. I had no expectations that they would work on metal, though. I back mine up with hardwood or phenolic, I don't use them against metal, either.

HF 2 ton folding cherry picker - pass, but none of the freaking bolt heads were a "standard" size. Not metric, not SAE. I settled for using the least sloppy socket, but none were right. The rings on the hitchpins are booger welded and fall off if you bump them, not an important thing. Would I use it for 2 tons? Hell no. Do I have any 2 ton engines or equipment? No.

HF pipe bender - pass, if you're smart enough to figure them out. It's served its purpose

HF 6' 20 lb digging bar - PASS PASS PASS. I love these things.

HF 1000 lb flat wagon with tie rod steering - pass, but I wouldn't expect it to hold 1000 lbs. It's still damn handy.

HF porta power (forgot the ton rating, it's the big wheeled kit) - pass, especially for a rare use item.

HF drill master step bits - PASS PASS PASS

HF grinding wheels/cutoff wheels - FAAAAIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL I know they work for some people, but after digging two of them out of my sheetrock, no thanks.

HF orange 4.5" grinder - FAAAAIIIIILLLLLLL Again, they work for some people, but I let the magic smoke out of two of them in under ten minutes and they were so hot I could barely touch them. I want a grinder with some grunt behind it.

HF 40 lb sand blaster pot- pass for the most part. Throw the water separator away, it blows up and leaves a big bruise on your foot. throw the pipe fittings away, the hole in them are way too small for some reason. Great no, but it's the same junk you get for $60 more anywhere else. It is what it is.

HF torque wrenches - I haven't owned one personally, but at work they calibrate more consistently than Snap-On's. Way more people have the HF ones, and I haven't heard of ONE failing calibration, but I know of several Snap-Ons that have, including one of mine.


HF c-clamps, hand squeeze clamps - not great at all, but I keep them on hand for fabrication jobs where there's a good chance the clamp is going to get hosed. There's no point jacking up a good Wilton/etc., clamp.

HF 2.5 ton long frame jack - pass, works great. It doesn't have the locking feature for the handle that lets you lift the front of the jack to maneuver it around, but for $300 less, I'll deal with that on occasion.

HF 6 ton jack stands - pass, worked on the farm for years.

HF wheelbarrow - pass, same thing as anywhere else, but cheaper.

HF Nitrile gloves - pass, I hate getting my hands greasy (yeah, yeah)

HF ratchet straps - pass, for what they are. Again, not going to use them near max rating, or on anything I truly care about, but for holding down tree branches, demolition junk, etc., why use good straps?

I'm sure I've missed things, but there's some.

Edit: HF drill press - fail, fell apart after a year of use.

Which Torque wrench did they use?

http://search.harborfreight.com/cpis...ench&Submit=Go

[nissan_crawler]

Originally Posted by onecheck

Which Torque wrench did they use?

http://search.harborfreight.com/cpis...ench&Submit=Go

the plain mechanical ones with the knob in the bottom to lock it from turning.

I have a 1/2" hong kong louis torque wrench off a cummins tool truck. I paid $9 for it 10 years ago, still meets calibration. I'm not too sure it's not the exact same as what HF sells.

[Bolster]

Since I started this thread, I nominate myself as its custodian. By which I mean, I'll add links to other HF related discussions as I see them. Should we vote on this? I so move... second ... all in favor ... chorus of "aye," it's done. I'm the official custodian.

HF Impact Sockets…

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=27760

HF Oily Rag Can…

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=27569

[bchee]

Harbor Freight commercials PASS with flying colors

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/...v1/video1.html

[Brad54]

Originally Posted by JayL

9 Piece Hollow Punch Set - Fail

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=3838

These are very soft.

I give these a HUGE pass. I only use them for cutting gasket material though... I've made dozens, and I have a cheap dollar store cutting board in the same drawer, that way I can always back up the punches. I love them.

Box of 100 razor blades: Pass. One in the shop, one in the house for the missus.

Hammer drill: Pass/Fail. It's a plastic piece of junk that will get three or four uses out of it. I needed it once, and it was cheaper to buy it then rent one from Home Depot or some other tool store. So technically, it saved me money the one time I used it, and with that logic, it'll make me money the next time I use it. I knew it was junk, but who thinks you're getting a good 1/2-inch hammer drill for $19?

Transfer punch set: PASS

Number punch set: Pass

Parts washer: Pass

Rubber tire chocks: Pass

Magnetic dial gauge base: Pass

Cut off wheels for die grinder: Fail

4.5-inch disc for angle grinder: FAIL, FAIL F'ing FAIL. Painfully Fail. Stupid thing. I'm still pissed 6 years later. Damn that stung.

Bead Roller: Pass, but only if you plan on beefing it up or using it as the basis for building your own.

-Brad

[Brad54]

Originally Posted by nissan_crawler

I work with several people with the cheapo HF die grinders, both of which have outlived my $100 IR die grinder.

I know a guy who says he only buys the cheap die grinders, and always has two. If it lasts a few years and the dies, he grabs the second one and replaces the dead one. Say they last 3-5 years: How many HF die grinders can you buy for $100, at 3-5 years life span. And how long will the $100 (or even more expensive SO die grinder) last? I can't find a flaw in his argument!

-Brad

[Garys Garage]

I just threw out my 20 year old plus American made Mac grinder that I bought for 49 dollars new. I had that POS HF one last one use before it spun the head and striped the gears. And I have used the Mac almost every day for 20 years. You get what you pay for . If you are going to use it once a month then Hf power tools may be fine. My body parts are worth much more. I will stick with my American tools. Just bought an American made Viking cutoff tool and hope to get 20 years out of it.

[dreddybear]

4.5" BLUE grinder - PASS..outlasted my dewalt and makita

Metal cutting bandsaw, the red one - PASS... once you change the blade it rules.

Chopsaw - PASS

Air angle grinder- FAIL... Blew up in a day

WOMENS Safety Goggles - PASS...For some reason they dont fog up as much

6" VISE - Fail .... THEY DONT LIKE HEAT!!!

Pittsburg Vise Grips - Fail

C-Clamps - Most Pass , Some fail

Orange handled screwdrivers - Eventually fail.

[T00lJunk1e]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=44874

anyone ever seen these? look kinda like knipex, but i couldnt imagine that these are a rebadge. even the knipex rebadged craftsman arent that cheap.

[fordcragar]

My experience with HF stuff has been, you have to use it when you buy it. Most of the items that I've bought, that have failed, were items that I didn't use when I first bought them; then the warranty was up. Now when I buy something I'll put it through some test when I bring it home.

I'm very careful what I buy from there now. About five years ago I could a pneumatic stapler and thought it was great, I think that I paid $15 for it. After a few years one of the seals inside would pop out, then I would take it apart and put it back in. So last year I had enough and bought a good (name brand) stapler.

Sometimes you just don't want to fork out several hundred dollars for a tool, then after you bought it you wondered how you ever got along without it. So if some of HF stuff works for a while and does that one job, it is probably worth it.

I was going to lay some carpet in our house and bought a carpet stretcher, it broke the first time I used it. Took it back and got another one and finished the job and it looks like it will last.

The quality of this Harbor Freight stuff is horrible, sometimes it will work, sometimes not.

[fordcragar]

All of the 6" c clamp (Vise Grip) clamps that I've seen without the swivel pads have been junk. They just won't hold. The one's with the swivel pads work great. Both are Pittsburgh tools.

[srosa707]

DREDDYBEAR- This one? Does anyone else have this bandsaw? Any good?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93762

[eschoendorff]

Originally Posted by T00lJunk1e

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=44874

anyone ever seen these? look kinda like knipex, but i couldnt imagine that these are a rebadge. even the knipex rebadged craftsman arent that cheap.

Those are Channellock GripLock clones:

http://www.channellock.com/acb/store..._Pliers_C7.cfm

[Lobucrod]

Originally Posted by Phatsub

I've had these for a couple years now and they've held up very nicely. They're the 10" model.

I'd have to give these a passing grade also, but I only use them to trim my toe nails

[PurdueSD]

Harbor Freight- Pneumatic flange/ punch tool. Paid 29 bucks- worth every penny! It helped me patch my floorpans last week in the FSJ.

[autoace]

I have had the angle die grinder below for 10 years. I use it 6 times a week. Still works just fine. PASS, I only use it for gasket removal, but still. I also use a light weight oil and teflon treatment in my air tools. I will buy a better one, but for the money, you can't beat it. P.S. All air tools are pretty much imports these days, with few exceptions anyway. I also run my air compressor at 150 psi with no regulator,ha ha, never had one blow up on me yet.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93157

[autoace]

Unless you can shell out 400 bucks plus for the truck brands, these axle nut, impact sockets are a PASS with flying colors.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=96342

[Chris Adams]

Originally Posted by autoace

I have had the angle die grinder below for 10 years. I use it 6 times a week. Still works just fine. PASS, I only use it for gasket removal, but still. I also use a light weight oil and teflon treatment in my air tools. I will buy a better one, but for the money, you can't beat it. P.S. All air tools are pretty much imports these days, with few exceptions anyway. I also run my air compressor at 150 psi with no regulator,ha ha, never had one blow up on me yet.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93157

Ditto, pass on that angle grinder. Looks like the one I was using for three hours yesterday. Had mine about ten years, use it for gasket removal also, but was using it with a large steel brush wheel all yesterday morning and it still works fine.

[stricht8]

What do you all think about this 120 degree air angle die grinder I bought yesterday at HF:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=99841

[rw7810]

[quote=3 at 8;356388]

Originally Posted by RickP330

Angle Grinder

Great; I just bought this today for $14.

I got one for $14 too and have used it extebnsively on a car project... has been a real work horse for me. For $14 I considered it expendable

[buening]

Not overly relevant to this thread, but I found some Chicago Pneumatic air tools at my local Farm & Fleet store. Most boxes said "Made in China" and a few said "Made in Taiwan". I know the quality is there, but they are still overseas air tools

[RATSTER]

7" Benchtop Tile Saw -------PASS 2 kitchen and 2 bathrooms later still works great.

[RATSTER]

1-1/2 LB. NEON ORANGE DEAD BLOW HAMMER ------FAIL big time, what a mess it made when it came apart

[RATSTER]

125 PSI FRL AIR REGULATOR -----FAIL they leak

[RATSTER]

1/4" 4.5 CFM Air Die Grinder --------FAIL

[Frank Elson]

Originally Posted by RATSTER

1-1/2 LB. NEON ORANGE DEAD BLOW HAMMER ------FAIL big time, what a mess it made when it came apart

it came apart ?
Shee-it, I can believe you about the mess.
Y'see we don't have HF over here but if I had something like a dead-blow fail on me I'd be very wary about ever buying from the place again.

[RATSTER]

6 Ton Jack Stand Set -----pass

[The Muffin Man]

Harbor Freight Creeeper.....Pass




3 Ton Floor Jack....... Pass



12 Ton Jack Stands.....Pass



Rapid Pump Racing jack (3000lbs).....Pass



1 Ton Engine Stand.....Pass



12 Ton Shop Press.....Pass



Several Sized Pittsburgh Bar Clamps.....Pass



22pc Metric/SAE wrench set.....Pass.

They are made in India, and don't have the greatest finish, but I haven't had any problems with them. Once I decide to get a set of new wrenches form either Craftsman or Toptul, these will be thrown into the back of my car or loaned to neighbors.



Peppermint Wrench Mints....Fail. These Stale rock hard mints are worse than a nut coated with ATF.

[Stephenw]

Originally Posted by The Muffin Man

Peppermint Wrench Mints....Fail. These Stale rock hard mints are worse than a nut coated with ATF.

Wow, this is the first I've ever heard of someone actually eating something that came from Harbor Freight.

[Bolster]

Originally Posted by RATSTER

6 Ton Jack Stand Set -----pass

I assume that if these failed, you'd no longer be here to report on them.

[autoace]

Originally Posted by RATSTER

1-1/2 LB. NEON ORANGE DEAD BLOW HAMMER ------FAIL big time, what a mess it made when it came apart

I have found their deadblow hammers, to be just as good as any. What were you hitting with it, when it broke?

[srosa707]

Originally Posted by RATSTER

125 PSI FRL AIR REGULATOR -----FAIL they leak

I second that one! I bought the blaster unit and this came with it. I threw it out cause it failed out of the box. Used a craftsman setup.

[srosa707]

This fails out of the box. BUT, i changed the air trap and a few ball valves and it works great. Just make sure you have the right sand. I reccomend this if you change the parts i did. Dont expect anything but headache out of the box though.

[J.A.F.E.]

Grinder stand: PASS Bigtime. Got four.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/pho...3199/03184.gif

Engine support bar: PASS
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/pho...6599/96524.gif

Transmission jack: Qualified PASS. Has limits such as 1 or 2 inches tall and level screws need to be lubed well but good value for the $$. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/pho...3199/03185.gif

~Steve

[nissan_crawler]

Originally Posted by srosa707

This fails out of the box. BUT, i changed the air trap and a few ball valves and it works great. Just make sure you have the right sand. I reccomend this if you change the parts i did. Dont expect anything but headache out of the box though.

Same experience I had, along with some pipe fittings that had a real small hole through them. However, like I said in my post, the ones that cost $60 more anywhere else still had the exact same crap on them.

[srosa707]

Yep, i noticed the same thing. Eastwood sold the same blaster for more.

[64merc]

Has anyone tried their drilling hammers? I am tempted because of the much lower price.

[lauver]

Pass: Ratcheting T-Handle 1/4" Hex Driver, item 96560 (Red/Black Handle)

Rubber handle is comfortable

Ratchet action is fine and smooth

Reverse mechanism is precise and easy to use

Telescoping shaft (3-6") is useful

Magnet in shaft holds bits firmly

Price ($10) is reasonable

Note--6 included bits are worthless


Pass: Hex bit Flex shaft, item 92631 (Black industrial finish)

Works nicely with above Ratcheting T-Handle or any other 1/4" hex driver handle
Price ($4) is reasonable

Shaft length (7") is useful and gets your bits into hard to reach fasteners

[ddrewyor]

22ga micro pin nailer - Pass.
Porter cable one was $98 and I had a HF coupon so this cost me $19. Thought if it worked for only one project I was ahead of the game. 5 projects later ( ~ 150 pins fired) still working great. No safety and I used good Porter Cable pins so only had one jam.

Welding Triangle Magnets - Semi Pass
Started out strong 3 years ago and seem to be getting weaker. Still work ok but not as strong as before.

Dave

[Bolster]

Wow: well over 10,000 views in just 2 weeks.

Clearly this was a thread that needed to happen.

[Moparmick]

Car dollies absolutely suck(_fail _fail _fail )put a car on them and you still have to have 2-3 people to move it around

[JebNY]

Partial failure. The 3-1/2" LED Flashlights, 2 Pack. One works fine is bright for a cheap small LED flashlight. The other one was intermitten out of the package and failed shortly after. I initial thought it was just a battery connection but I believe now it is a failure on the LED board. To cheap to bother making a trip back to return.



Jeb

[OldSchoolSS]

Originally Posted by Moparmick

Car dollies absolutely suck(_fail _fail _fail )put a car on them and you still have to have 2-3 people to move it around

I have three sets, I've had 4,400 lb cars on them and have been able to move them by myself. Then again I might be as strong as your 2-3 people.

[gkring]

Super pass on the hydraulic ones. I have also used the cheap four wheel caster one, which worked, but these can move a car light nobodys business. I actually have to hold the fenders to slow the car down as I push it.

[Danglerb]

Originally Posted by Moparmick

Car dollies absolutely suck(_fail _fail _fail )put a car on them and you still have to have 2-3 people to move it around

They seem to work fine for friends that have them, but surface of the floor maybe makes a big difference.

Maybe the rollers on some are too soft?

[bchee]

I have the same cheap dollies (I think $80 for all four) and I had a hard time moving my car around (jeep project with a FIBERGLASS tub). I just assumed it was because the floor was pretty rough concrete.

[OldSchoolSS]

PASS!!! I have both the 3/8" and 1/4" version of these and I like them a lot. The ratcheting action is very very precise. The only improvement they could make would be to have a little more grip on the outside. I'd recommend these for any tool box. I think I bought them on sale for $6 for the pair.

[shocksystems]

US GENERAL RECHARGEABLE 24 LED WORK LIGHT
ITEM 95181

A big PASS. I love this thing. Very bright, had for over a year. Holds a charge for a long time.

[JebNY]

Originally Posted by bchee

I have the same cheap dollies (I think $80 for all four) and I had a hard time moving my car around (jeep project with a FIBERGLASS tub). I just assumed it was because the floor was pretty rough concrete.

A friend has these and before he used them the first time rebuild the wheels to add good sealed bearings and now they are great according to him.

Jeb

[tpolley]

has anyone used their tap and die sets?

[Bo Heck]

Originally Posted by tpolley

has anyone used their tap and die sets?

I think they were already mentioned only to be good for thread repair, chasers, etc. not actually for cutting threads. and the handles suck.

[milkovich]

Fail... but all I can afford because people keep outbidding me at auctions. Good bandsaws go for big money and when you need one, I guess you use what you can get. Hard to keep tensioned and on track, motor wont even turn over on a new blade. No way it makes 1/4 hp, let alone 1 HP.


Fail... Valve is hit or miss, sometimes it starts, sometimes it hisses, however, it's a good cheapie for a single project vs. the $100 for a real one. I'll be getting an IR or CP to replace this one.


Fail... The good news is they dont' last long enough to explode but I'd still wear ballistic safety glasses.


They also used to make a Grinder/Buffer in green hammer finish for about $100. This is a beast but it pulls every ounce of 25 amps when you start it up... and don't wear baggy clothes. I've polished A LOT of aluminum with this sucker and it' going strong... too bad they discontinued it.

Awesome pass: natural bristle brushes can handle the worst strippers or paints and you just pitch them. If there's one thing the chinese know... it's paint brushes.

[Frank Elson]

stock up on those brushes.
I've been buying, using then throwing, them for years but just last week I went to the cheap shop and the chinese brushes had horrible man-made bristles.

[J.A.F.E.]

46 pc. Radio Removal kit BIG PASS.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=96675

I think this is the Astro Pneumatic kit everyone else sells for much more $$.

~Steve

[Bolster]

Evapo-rust, major PASS. I think this is the best thing I've purchased at HF.



There was a thread on this product a while back, and I figured all rust treatment products were alike so I got HD's Must for Rust instead. It's OK, but not nearly as good as Evapo-Rust. I am truly impressed.

None of my tools are rusty anymore, and on most of them, you wouldn't be able to tell they ever were. Dad's old rusty tools look new.

[Paladin]

HF wrench racks (made in India)- FAIL I had to cut the heck out of them with tin snips to be able to fit my wrenches. Only a few of the slots would fit a wrench. The rest I had to modify.

[Kev442]

10" Compound sliding saw PASS

I bought one for the cottage build. These are not for doing a hardwood floor project, but for general zapping of construction lumber, I have thousands of cuts on the original orange version. The safety switch was bypassed immediately, its awkward. It is so nice to be able to cut 2 x 8 and 2 x 10 lumber with it. Did I mention it did the 3 stall garage last summer too? I also bought the new style silver one and tossed it in the basement for the remodel I'm doing, no more carrying them around!

6 Ton Jack Stands PASS (Sturdier than the old set I've had for 30 years)

Car Dollies PASS (I have a smooth floor, push the car myself)

Air Regulators/Moisture traps FAIL (They all leak or restrict air flow too much)

Purple Brad Nailer PASS (Lower your air pressure to 80, or it will blow up, ask me how I know)

Recip Saws PASS (light duty, but I have one with a metal blade and one with a wood blade loaded for $60 less than a single Dewalt was gonna cost)

4.5 Grinders PASS ( I must be lucky, although I rarely run one for more than 5-10 minutes at a time. I now have 4, 2 up north, 2 at home. Cutting disk in one , grinding disk in another, all for less than 50 bucks!)

Automatic Float Battery Chargers PASS (5 bucks on sale, my battery failures have dropped 80% since I started sticking these on everything)

[T56 Impala]

Okay, I'll chime in:

SAE/Metric Pittsburgh PRO stubby combination wrenches. Old ones made in Taiwan. ------ PASS Too bad they don't sell these anymore. These are very good quality with a great finish.

Light blue gloves----- FAIL.

24" 3/8 breaker bar----- PASS under light use.

RED finger ratchet mentioned earlier------PASS

Made in India wrenches....ALL of them----- FAIL I could cast things that look better and function better in my kids sand box!

Large MM 1/2 impact sockets-----PASS

Screw Drivers (SO look a likes)-----PASS under light use. (Household)

Black tape------ PASS but needs to be kept cool.

4" Bench vise (Blue One)------ PASS Home use only and the screw is very tight.

Ball Pein Hammers (Fiberglass handles)----- PASS

Dry tile cutter (not the wet saw)----- PASS worked good for me.

Heat gun------ FAIL

22ga nailer (Blue one)-----PASS Used a lot and works great.

[bchee]

Hose grip pliers - FAIL. I feel like I've used these enough to make a fair assessment, and I really don't like them. They flex too much so they don't provide much grip, and the teeth don't seem to bite into the hose either. On 2 of them the jaws bent.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=37909

[bchee]

I figured out a cool way to view this thread. Search for "harbor freight pass fail" using the search function. It will highlight PASS and FAIL in red, making it easier to read.

[nissan_crawler]

Originally Posted by bchee

Hose grip pliers - FAIL. I feel like I've used these enough to make a fair assessment, and I really don't like them. They flex too much so they don't provide much grip, and the teeth don't seem to bite into the hose either. On 2 of them the jaws bent.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=37909

I'm the opposite, I would give them a pass, BUT, I haven't used them for their intended purposes. They are excellent for putting bolts/pins/etc. in some place you can't reach.

[mikeceli]

Originally Posted by 64merc

Has anyone tried their drilling hammers? I am tempted because of the much lower price.

I used one to install my lift. I burned up the first one after drilling about 16 5/8 in holes, 4" long. I brought it back and they gave me a new one, NC.

[nissan_crawler]

Originally Posted by mikeceli

I used one to install my lift. I burned up the first one after drilling about 16 5/8 in holes, 4" long. I brought it back and they gave me a new one, NC.

He said drilling hammer, not hammer drill.

[deadguy]

Mini Grease gun ----PASS
(refillable Dualco clone) works as good as the Dualco I have had both
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93486

Cable Cutters (red handle older style) ----PASS
I haven't seen these in a few years, they were FELCO copies. for small gauge cable they have worked great for years. heres what they would look like, but this is a link to the real deal FELCO
http://www.felcousa.com/felco/pages/...ame=FELCO%20C3

Grinding Wheel Dresser ----PASS
for the $3.00 works well
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=1682

Pro Seal Threadlocker Blue& Red ----PASS
seems to be as good as loctite and way cheaper
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=96059

Emory cloth in box on roll ----FAIL
one use and pitch it, it's cheap but the PITA factor is high
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93069

[autoace]

Originally Posted by bchee

Hose grip pliers - FAIL. I feel like I've used these enough to make a fair assessment, and I really don't like them. They flex too much so they don't provide much grip, and the teeth don't seem to bite into the hose either. On 2 of them the jaws bent.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=37909

I have these in my junkyard set, they have been fine, not anywhere near my KAL's but, they are ok.

[JebNY]

Originally Posted by deadguy

Mini Grease gun ----PASS
(refillable Dualco clone) works as good as the Dualco I have had both
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93486

I bought one of these a couple of years ago and the plunger mechanism to load grease was missing. I returned it and the clerk and I looked at all of them on the shelf and none had the part was missing on all of them.

I assume the current ones are complete if it passed.

Jeb

[gotmud13613]

Originally Posted by JebNY

I bought one of these a couple of years ago and the plunger mechanism to load grease was missing. I returned it and the clerk and I looked at all of them on the shelf and none had the part was missing on all of them.

I assume the current ones are complete if it passed.

Jeb

JebNy, what part of Upstate NY are you from if you don't mind me asking

[Gregster]

I know where Brasher Falls is.. Thats not too far away from Massena NY.. I visit the Sears there often, they have a pretty good tool selection. I also spend time in Malone

[gotmud13613]

Originally Posted by Gregster

I know where Brasher Falls is.. Thats not too far away from Massena NY.. I visit the Sears there often, they have a pretty good tool selection. I also spend time in Malone

Yeah, pretty close about 7 miles away from Massena, Sears here is ok, the mall sucks but the Sears in Watertown has a larger selection. I go to Malone for the Napa auto store (great guys to deal with).

[Gregster]

Originally Posted by gotmud13613

Yeah, pretty close about 7 miles away from Massena, Sears here is ok, the mall sucks but the Sears in Watertown has a larger selection. I go to Malone for the Napa auto store (great guys to deal with).

Haven't been to the one in Watertown... but the Sears at the mall in Massena is much better then anything we have up here in Canadaland. Yes the mall does suck except maybe for the Taco Hell they have in the parking lot
I like having the Home Creepo and Wal Mart next door to each other now.

I haven't been to the Napa in Malone. I have a friend that lives there. We usually go to Advance or the Auto zone. However I keep hearing that the car quest is ok.

[JebNY]

Originally Posted by gotmud13613

JebNy, what part of Upstate NY are you from if you don't mind me asking

I'm East of Rochester. Never know how to describe where I'm at, If I say Western NY they think West of Buffalo. We are North of Finger Lakes Region. So I just say Upstate, so people know I'm not in NYC or Long Island.

Jeb

[WSMC633]

13 Drawer Industrial Quality Roller Tool Chest Pass
Get's used everyday rolled all over my shop. Sure there are nicer chests... But not for anywhere near the $$. I see no reason to upgrade. Also have the Matching Top Chest. Love them Both.


3/8" Impact... Bought it on Sale for $14.00 mostly to see how much I would use it, and figured if it lasted a little while and I like it, I'll by in IR or something. I love it. I use it for everything. Especially disassembly. Really helps to tear down an engine Quick. It won't die, so I haven't had to replace it yet. Have been using it for Over a year nonstop. It is beginning to wear on the drive portion so sockets are a bit loose.

Wall Mount Holders for Packs of Nitrile gloves Pass
Eh.... what could go wrong!

3/8" Drive long Ball end Hex Drive Sockets mm Pass
Saved my Butt. Nobody else had anything in stock. These were a Necessity Buy. and they've been working fine. 4mm twists though. I just saw Cman has a set in the store now where the shaft is 3 times the thickness of the actual Ball end. So I'm going to pick those up for more everyday use for durability.

Engine Stand: Pass All I really use it for right now is to store my S50 motor and it's worked fine, rolls around the shop fine. It was cheap too on sale.

4.5" Grinder passsomething else I bought in a pinch and planned on replacing when it died. It just keeps going and going and going......


3/8" Air Drill pass Works Fine. Our Mac and CMAN's seem to each work better.

Rolling Height adjustable Stool Pass Works great was like $20 on sale. Will buy a few more when they are on sale again.

20 something foot Goodyear Hoses Pass
They do their job as advertised.

Parts Washer Pass It's a steel Tub with a pump. Been working fine for over a year.

Magnetic Parts Trays Pass small ones.. They go on sale all the time for like a dollar. Always buy a bunch. Real handy for keeping nut's and bolts with their project

Cheap Blue Rubber Air Hoses. Marked with something Like 8'-12' FAIL These are probably scraps that they put ends on. They were on sale so we bought a bunch as short utility hoses to have in our bays. They all blistered and burst within 2 months. Or cracked apart. Cheap and not worth it.

Set of Picks Fail
Cheap and Break

5pc Ball-peen Hammer Set Fail Heads were all loose within a month. I like my striking objects not to fall apart


Honestly I love my Chests and think they were one of the Best Buys at HF. I wouldn't by any hand tools from there really. I think it's pretty easy to spot the stuff there that will hold up OK and what stuff is just crap.

Sometimes I will pick up something there (like the 3/8" impact) that I think I might like but not sure how much it will get used, so maybe not worth the $$ to buy a good brand name just to have it sit in the drawer. If it get's used a lot then I'll get a good one. Know what I mean?

[n2hcky]

Originally Posted by nissan_crawler

He said drilling hammer, not hammer drill.

I almost responded the same way

But since I am here.

SDS Rotary Hammer=Big PASS
Drills holes in concrete like butter, decent bits, can drill, hammer, or drill and hammer.
Mine is orange but you get the idea


Creeper=Pass
Comfortable, rolls well, light weight

[Coach James]

Pittsburgh stubby combo wrenches made in India....FAIL!!!!!

They are so thick they must be made of the weakest steel the Indians could find.

A buddy of mine also has that SDS rotary hammer and it has drilled 100+ holes with it and no problems.

Coach

[modeltford]

Bought a lot of tools from HF over the last 20+ years - way more than I can remember! Only real failure was a bat charger - switch is bad - no repair parts, but was cheap. Have a couple broken sockets, but sets are so cheap it doesn't matter. Have the 18 gauge Air Finish nailer - bought in 2000 while building our house, have run over 10,000 nails thru with no problems - well worth the 20 bucks! have their jack stands in constant use - have never worried about a failure even on a sloped driveway.

biggest thing to remember is you get what yo upay for - if I was earning a living with my tools, I'd not buy at HF - but have had better luck with their electric hand tools than with Craftsman or B/D.

I'd say PASS for almost everythng!

Rich

[MarkH]

Where possible to make this thread useful add the model numbers and when produced. We get spoiled by the tools we can recognize by manufacturer and are produced by that company for years. HF like Sears is a marketing company not a manufacturer getting its products from ever changing sources even though the looks are similar. They also for example have about 15 different spray gun models many having similar names on the box.

Because of this we have a rule, HF for the items we get there with few exceptions, Evapo rust for instance is a hands on place. You place your hands on what you are getting and view it before taking it home. Any doubts, leave it.

We have had good go to bad. We used a spray gun, painted a few things and chucked it to not have to deal with cleaning issues. The model is still there but changes have been made that have turned it into a fail for us. It is now usually on sale for 20 bucks less than before. Give me the better one back with the same model.

Others have gone from bad to usable. Some hand tools that were terrible that in the Taiwan models are OK. Then other cheaper crap came up with the same name.

We do live by the tools so we are fussy or dead in the water. Still there is things that are OK to get at HF. Many of the secondary shops use 60-80 gal US General air compressors that we purchased in the last couple of years at around 899 each.

[Tom2]

I bought some cheap clamps. FAIL. They explode. Yep..They literally will fall apart under pressure. Ive hard 3 of them just suddenly burst when they were holding something.


Also the manual pipe threader. Didn't work at all. Same with the large pipe cutter. Did not work at all. I have no idea how they can sell stuff like that.
Of course, I returned those items.

Harbor Freight is about 50/50..You know its a gamble when you go in.

[MarkH]

Black and Orange plastic clamps?

[Tom2]

Originally Posted by MarkH

Black and Orange plastic clamps?

Yep
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=92874




At $7, what can you expect? But, they can do damage when they fly apart. Ive been lucky I wasnt staring at one when it happened.

I should really throw them away lol Not sure why I keep them around.

[MarkH]

My wife bought a few of these to hold up her photography backgrounds. They were easier to clip on than the Ponys I had given her and she had used for about 8 years. Day 2 of use, loud crash. Sticking into the wall right where her customers or observers sit during a photo shoot was the spring of the clamp. If that thing had given out about 30 minutes later or a few minutes earlier, I would not have been here to make this comment. I would be working multiple jobs to pay off the for sure law suit that would have happened. That thing had the power behind it to go through the wall and about 3/4" into the stud behind where it hit. It would have done damage to a much softer human body. Imagine hitting the throat, eye, etc.

It was a good lesson for her also about looking at design and what can happen due to failure.

It was back to the pony's. 10 years and never an issue.

I give those clamps not just a FAIL but a DANGEROUS ranking. These should not be on the market. Period.

[T56 Impala]

PASS.... Right angle pneumatic grinder......PASS

I picked one up today for my box restoration. Went to Sears and picked up some locking disc things. Mine works great! Runs true but is a bit of an air hog.

Anyone one about the smaller bench top blast cabinet? Is it good enough for light use such as old wrenches and parts of this box I'm working on?

[Tom2]

Originally Posted by MarkH

My wife bought a few of these to hold up her photography backgrounds. They were easier to clip on than the Ponys I had given her and she had used for about 8 years. Day 2 of use, loud crash. Sticking into the wall right where her customers or observers sit during a photo shoot was the spring of the clamp. If that thing had given out about 30 minutes later or a few minutes earlier, I would not have been here to make this comment. I would be working multiple jobs to pay off the for sure law suit that would have happened. That thing had the power behind it to go through the wall and about 3/4" into the stud behind where it hit. It would have done damage to a much softer human body. Imagine hitting the throat, eye, etc.

It was a good lesson for her also about looking at design and what can happen due to failure.

It was back to the pony's. 10 years and never an issue.

I give those clamps not just a FAIL but a DANGEROUS ranking. These should not be on the market. Period.

Glad to hear I wasn't the only one with a problem...(so I know Im not crazy). I'm definitely throwing the others away before something bad happens.

[T56 Impala]

Humm, I have a set of these. Not sure if they are HF ones or not, but they very well could be. They sure look the same! Mine have been holding up for about 8 years now. No issues.

[Tom2]

Theres alot of others on the market with the same color scheme. So, theyre probably different. Especially if they've held up that long.

[Danglerb]

I bought a bunch of the rubber over metal clamps, and they have been working fine. I used them when gluing fabric usually with flat bits of wood to spread out the pressure. PASS

11" long handle plier set, PASS, works fine, even has a decent fit to the jaws.

[Bo Heck]

I went today and got the plastic molded creeper for 22 bucks after I used a coupon and it rolls great, is very comfortable, and has a tray on each side for bolts or tools. So...

Plastic Molded Creeper - Pass

[fatfillup]

I paid my first visit to HF to buy Evaporust last week. I bought a lot of tools over the years from cheap to great. Most times "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR". I am trying to avoid cheap tools because long term they never make me happy. I would rather buy used American then new junk. Sometimes we are seduced by a low price, but its just like an easy woman, its fun while it lasts, but it don't last long.

[Chris Adams]

Originally Posted by fatfillup

I paid my first visit to HF to buy Evaporust last week. I bought a lot of tools over the years from cheap to great. Most times "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR". I am trying to avoid cheap tools because long term they never make me happy. I would rather buy used American then new junk. Sometimes we are seduced by a low price, but its just like an easy woman, its fun while it lasts, but it don't last long.

Except of course, I've had lots of expensive tools fail, badly, and lots of really, really cheap tools that work forever...

Remember, it was a retailer that coined the 'you get what you pay for' slogan, not a happy customer.

Strangely, paying double or triple or even 10 times what something is worth never improved it.
Except in the eyes of the seller.

Metro was one of the best cars, though hated by people who don't drive them. Delorean was one of the worst cars ever made, loved by people who don't have to drive them...

Harbor Freight sells some god awful junk, some poor quality stuff, and a LOT of good, workman like decent quality stuff for very low prices.

Or why I had to stand in line 20 minutes today to buy a box of cheap nails at HF. Same quality I could have paid twice as much for at Home Depot, where there was NO line. Home Depot today had more employees than customers, but that just meant the employees had someone to talk to rather than help the customers. At HF they were busting tail, being swamped, and helping the freakin customers, rather than standing in clumps talking Spanish like HD.
Pass, HF customer service Fail HD customer service, ditto Fail Lowe’s customer service. Couldn’t get waited on at either big store, got helped and saved money at HF.

[fatfillup]

Chris, well thought out reply and I agree that paying more for the same quality is foolish. You got customer service at HF and not HD or Lowes. Your lucky, I haven't gotten any service at any of them. What part of the country are you from because around Baltimore customer service at most any discount retailer is nonexistant. I ask because in some areas folks care, around here most don't. As far as a retailer coining the phrase " you get what you pay for" you are probably right, but it has most times been true for me. I can't think of too many exceptions, but I'm sure I had some. I just know that I've bought many tools the second time because I didn't buy good enough the first time. Also, I am 51 years old and have been around long enough to wear out a lot of stuff (including my knees, back and eyes) and definitely had a different opinion years ago. But that's ok, because diverse opinions is what makes this forum fun. Good luck and God bless.

[MarkH]

You get what you pay for. It is said by customers too. At times in extreme frustration.

It is what I said to an employee as I was showing how far I could pitch the common elcheapo impact wrench that it seems everyone sells. Ours had come through Cummins. It could not have removed anything. Delay at harvest. Combine down. Two hour trip to get a working wrench. Machine down dumps 300 bushels every 10-15 minutes. Loss of quality due to delay due to not completing before the weather.

Cheap piece of crap not a great investment. Cost us $3,000 could buy a damm big lot of better ones for that. I think my words at the time were you buy shit, you get shit.

[fatfillup]

Check it out, this thread has over 18,000 views, just in front of ratchet porn at 17,??? and behind show me you latest ebay purchase, 24,???. Hats off to Bolster!!!

[Chris Adams]

Originally Posted by fatfillup

Chris, well thought out reply and I agree that paying more for the same quality is foolish. You got customer service at HF and not HD or Lowes. Your lucky, I haven't gotten any service at any of them. What part of the country are you from because around Baltimore customer service at most any discount retailer is nonexistant. I ask because in some areas folks care, around here most don't. As far as a retailer coining the phrase " you get what you pay for" you are probably right, but it has most times been true for me. I can't think of too many exceptions, but I'm sure I had some. I just know that I've bought many tools the second time because I didn't buy good enough the first time. Also, I am 51 years old and have been around long enough to wear out a lot of stuff (including my knees, back and eyes) and definitely had a different opinion years ago. But that's ok, because diverse opinions is what makes this forum fun. Good luck and God bless.

Have to laugh at your description of yourself. OK, I’m a little older, but dang, also worn out knees, back, eyes and sadly heart so I can relate to ‘wearing things out’.

We needed better quality control, or at least a warranty on our bodies, heh?


I’m in Southern California. Here, it’s the big stores that don’t want your business. It’s mostly because Southern California is about 80% Hispanic and they don’t want Anglos in ‘their’ stores. I mean, REALLY don’t want Anglos around. Big chains can’t control this behavior but smaller stores either don’t wait on Anglos or give good service to everyone, depending on the manager. Example, we have 3 local Kragens parts stores. Anglo are welcome at two, distinctly not welcome at the third. Nothing about Kragens, all chains get this here. Just goes with the territory, it’s a cultural thing.

If you were here, I would show you dozens of really high quality cheap products I own, and dozens of high priced junk items I also own…

My wife would agree with you, but then, she’s a Cadillac owner/driver, a Nikon camera person, and an AKC dog owner if you understand me.
Me, I'm a Suzuki, Ford, Chevy and mutt kind of guy.

[Chris Adams]

Originally Posted by MarkH

You get what you pay for. It is said by customers too. At times in extreme frustration.

It is what I said to an employee as I was showing how far I could pitch the common elcheapo impact wrench that it seems everyone sells. Ours had come through Cummins. It could not have removed anything. Delay at harvest. Combine down. Two hour trip to get a working wrench. Machine down dumps 300 bushels every 10-15 minutes. Loss of quality due to delay due to not completing before the weather.

Cheap piece of crap not a great investment. Cost us $3,000 could buy a damm big lot of better ones for that. I think my words at the time were you buy shit, you get shit.

Um, maybe.
I bought the most expensive pistol I could buy, then had to have a forcing cone cut into it. S&W had a bad day...
My low price guns don't shave lead, don't have to have timing adjusted, etc.

I bought a MB, new. Don't want to talk about the trips to the dealer, but I got on a first name basis with everyone the first year...
Bought six Suzuki’s.
Never met the service manager

Bought a new Cadillac, 56k. Got my 56K back eventually…
Bought a new Ford F-150 for 10,400 under sticker. It’s still in my driveway. Needed a blower fan once…

Bought a really expensive 60’ flat screen TV. It lives at the service shop, not my house.
I actually watch the WORKING super cheap Samsung 54’ projection TV. It’s never had any service, bought it cheap at FRY’s in 2001.

My Mac air ratchet just hisses.
My HF air ratchet turns bolts.

But sometimes it is true that buying junk bites your butt, but buying cheap is NOT always buying junk.

[fatfillup]

Chris, you're alright in my book. You've been around long enough to have an informed and experienced opinion. Don't know that I could deal with culture issues you have in SO CAL, not that I'm prejugdiced cause I'm not, but I do expect folks to be thankful when I spend my money. I guess customer service is lacking all over though, I just hate when I pay for something and the cashier is talking on their cell phone and I pretty much don't ask for help unless the clerk is over 30.

[T56 Impala]

If it gets the job done, I'm all for it! The lower the price the better, not lower quality.

I like my AKC dogs by the way! Quality, and they have never let me down. I only hope they can say the same thing about me.

You do have to tell me how you went from a Benz to a Suzuki some time. Or from a Caddy to a Suzuki. I like my comfort too much to do that! I'll stick with my $100k sedans and the K50k cabriolet thank you!

[The Muffin Man]

7 Drawer End Cabinet for Roller Tool Chest... PASS




For the price it can't be beaten. The Power coat finish is excellent, the steel is thicker than any Craftsman/Waterloo side cabinet I've felt and the price is great. Heck even the shipping is fantastic ($11.99 others want 3 or more times that.)

If there is one thing HarborFreight did right, it was definitely their tool chest.

[T56 Impala]

Originally Posted by The Muffin Man

7 Drawer End Cabinet for Roller Tool Chest... PASS




For the price it can't be beaten. The Power coat finish is excellent, the steel is thicker than any Craftsman/Waterloo side cabinet I've felt and the price is great. Heck even the shipping is fantastic ($11.99 others want 3 or more times that.)

If there is one thing HarborFreight did right, it was definitely their tool chest.

+1 on this. I picked up one of these for my stainless box. I had to modify it to work and in the long run, I didn't like it added onto that box. I again modified it to mount under my work bench. It works great, the drawers are by far better than Craftsman ones. I only wish I had known about the bigger boxes before I bought my SS one.

[nadogail]

I have used the Pneumatic Die Grinders, Small Pneumatic Cut Off Tooils, Angle Die Grinders ( will try LocTite on that one), Automatic Welding Helmet, 14" Metal Abrasive Chop Saw, Welding Magnets, 1/2" Long Breaker Bar, The Black Handle Square Screwdriver Style Pry Bars, the 6" stainless dial caliper, The $10 two temp heat gen (a painter burnt up the first one; he had no concept of "Duty Cycle"), the 3 gallon twin tank air compressor, the $20 18 guage bradnailers, The 9" 'DIsc / 6" Belt Sander, the 42" tool box set,the 12" disc sander, transfer punches, air hosees, 1" chip brushes, the better $5 hack saw, 1/2" and 3/8" socket sets, hamers, and a few drills. These have been good for me.

Not all thier stuf is equal. I feel their are differences. Sears had Good, Better, Best. Harbor Freight seems to also have three levels CRAP, Fairly Decent, and Pretty Good. The problem is they do not put Crap, Decent and Prettyt Good Lables on their stuff.

I will continue to buy from them, hopefully I will be able to sort the wheat from the Chaff.

[WSMC633]

Originally Posted by Chris Adams

I’m in Southern California. Here, it’s the big stores that don’t want your business. It’s mostly because Southern California is about 80% Hispanic and they don’t want Anglos in ‘their’ stores. I mean, REALLY don’t want Anglos around. Big chains can’t control this behavior but smaller stores either don’t wait on Anglos or give good service to everyone, depending on the manager. Example, we have 3 local Kragens parts stores. Anglo are welcome at two, distinctly not welcome at the third. Nothing about Kragens, all chains get this here. Just goes with the territory, it’s a cultural thing.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one that gets to enjoy that treatment in SoCal.

[oldgoat]

Since we have a HF close to me here it is used a lot more than I used to when I had to order. I agree that you have to watch what you buy because some of it is total junk, usually the drill master line for electric tools. However I have HF grinders, impacts and air grinders that have been very good for me. The 12" compound miter saw was good, but the 10" was junk. You can also buy name brand air tools there also. Saw in the ad for a IR titanium impact like we have here at work for sale there. Now that is one good impact and lightweight also. So I vote with cheap doesn't always mean junk and expensive doesn't always mean the best.

[BigK600]

Funny thing I went into HF a couple months ago and walked out of there with everything made in the good old USA. Drawer Liners, Zip Ties, a 36" steel ruler, maybe there was something else to, I was kind of surprized when I got home.

[RickP330]

[quote=RickP330;356033]

Originally Posted by Stephenw

QUOTE]

I have to disagree on this one. it's a FAIL. I bought this one and it's totally useless. The arbor is so out of true that if you use a scotch bright pad on it it will damage most surfaces you are trying to clean. It's got to be over 1/8" out at the edge of the pad. I don't know what it's still doing in my box....
RickP

I have to retract my "fail" on this one. I replaced the pad with a genuine 3M Roloc pad and it's perfect now. the piece of junk that came with it from HF was horrible. FWIW.
Rick