Is there a Harbor Freight tool truck yet ?

[rockettauto]

Harbor Freight Tool Truck: Serving Tacos in the morning! Buy 20 10mm sockets & you'll get a 5% discount for every 5 tacos you buy during morning hours!! *Restriction Do Apply* And yes our tool truck is a modified Corvair

Is there an extended warranty plan for those tacos?

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I switched to generic socks for the same reason.

I lost a koken 10mm nutgrip recently. I can't even remember when I last lost anything prior to that. So much as a fastener, socket, whatever. If one is losing stuff you gotta figure out your QC procedure.


Not that I didn't use HF impact sockets, or recommend their products when people start out. It's an option. One can build out a good setup to get started with HF. As it fails or doesn't perform, replace. I used the multicolor HF sockets for years until they wore out, I replaced with Williams USA.

 

[dchawk81]

I lost a koken 10mm nutgrip recently. I can't even remember when I last lost anything prior to that. So much as a fastener, socket, whatever. If one is losing stuff you gotta figure out your QC procedure.


Not that I didn't use HF impact sockets, or recommend their products when people start out. It's an option. One can build out a good setup to get started with HF. As it fails or doesn't perform, replace. I used the multicolor HF sockets for years until they wore out, I replaced with Williams USA.

Everyone knows socks and 10mms step through the wardrobe and end up in Narnia.

We don't lose them. It's not our fault.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Everyone knows socks and 10mms step through the wardrobe and end up in Narnia.

We don't lose them. It's not our fault.

I never understood the "lost 10mm" meme. I've lost a handful of sockets over the years.

Granted, I have 8 1/4 drive 10mm on my cart. And another 7 10mm in 3/8.

 

[dchawk81]

I never understood the "lost 10mm" meme. I've lost a handful of sockets over the years.

Granted, I have 8 1/4 drive 10mm on my cart. And another 7 10mm in 3/8.

Sounds inadequate.

 

[WWheeler]

HF quality is no where good enough to withstand commercial use.

Literally every tire shop in my area, and many of the repair shops, have been using those Daytona Super Duty 3 ton jacks for many years now. I see them in garage bays everywhere I go. Used to see a lot of Napa floor jacks but they've all been replaced by HF's yellow ones.

Same goes for US General and Icon tool chests. I keep seeing at least as many if not more of those than Snap on or Matco tool chests even in Dealership bays and that's just the large items I can't miss from me glancing in from the lot or the street out in front. I suspect it's a safe bet there's a lot more Harbor Freight tools hiding in all those drawers.

 

[jonesg]

Literally every tire shop in my area, and many of the repair shops, have been using those Daytona Super Duty 3 ton jacks for many years now. I see them in garage bays everywhere I go. Used to see a lot of Napa floor jacks but they've all been replaced by HF's yellow ones.

Same goes for US General and Icon tool chests. I keep seeing at least as many if not more of those than Snap on or Matco tool chests even in Dealership bays and that's just the large items I can't miss from me glancing in from the lot or the street out in front. I suspect it's a safe bet there's a lot more Harbor Freight tools hiding in all those drawers.

I call a tire shop workers mechanics as if dunkin donut fryers are bakers, not quite.

 

[dchawk81]

I call a tire shop workers mechanics as if dunkin donut fryers are bakers, not quite.

Yeah but they still have to jack vehicles up the same as a real mechanic would.

I don't even know what brand my tire shop uses. They're as old as the hills. Same for their air guns.

 

[rockettauto]

I call a tire shop workers mechanics as if dunkin donut fryers are bakers, not quite.

Same time though, it's a lot of repetitive use on like 5 tools. If anyone is going to burn them out it would be tire guys.

Then again, when I did mostly fiberglass work all I bought was cheap grinders. The $30 grinder lasts a week, the $150 one lasts two. So there's that.

 

[jonesg]

Yeah but they still have to jack vehicles up the same as a real mechanic would.

I don't even know what brand my tire shop uses. They're as old as the hills. Same for their air guns.

tools only become old as the hills if they start out with quality.

 

[jonesg]

tools become old as the hills when they start out with quality.

quality yacht builders use air grinders.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Sounds inadequate.

I can tell you it's pretty heavy.

 

[dchawk81]

tools only become old as the hills if they start out with quality.

Haven't had our HF jacks long enough to find out if they are quality.

My suspicion though is it's such a simple device that it doesn't matter who's decals are on it.

 

[WWheeler]

I call a tire shop workers mechanics as if dunkin donut fryers are bakers, not quite.

Tire shops are using those jacks all day every day, waaaaay more than any repair shop ever will.

The Discount tire nearest me has 8-10 bays that stay busy from open to close, and only the first two bays have whatever kind of lifts they use that have two rubber topped runners that are recessed into the floor when not in use and the rest are using those Daytona Super Dutys, all day every day. After seeing 10 or more of them actively in use there I started taking notice that every other shop around is using them too. They are a distinctive jack. Can't miss them.

Edit: Also, the one thing that had me noticing them is that they, like every other tire shop I've ever been to, lifts just with the jack, no jack stands or anything like that. Lift it up. zip the wheel off, roll it over to dismount the old and mount the new, balance it, then zip it back on, all the while they are trusting every vehicle to stay up just to that jack. Then to the next tire.

 

[rockettauto]

Haven't had our HF jacks long enough to find out if they are quality.

My suspicion though is it's such a simple device that it doesn't matter who's decals are on it.

I would expect a sort of random variation.

I've pulled apart a few quickly failed ones where the pump piston seal was tore up, and looking at the cylinder bore it was no mystery as to why.

I'm sure QC is kind of all over the place.

 

[dchawk81]

I would expect a sort of random variation.

I've pulled apart a few quickly failed ones where the pump piston seal was tore up, and looking at the cylinder bore it was no mystery as to why.

I'm sure QC is kind of all over the place.

I can agree with that.

I've only had mine about 15 years or so. It's not a Daytona, just the regular 3 ton long reach low profile. But I figure if you have problems is probably going to be immediate rather than 10 years later.

 

[rockettauto]

I can agree with that.

I've only had mine about 15 years or so. It's not a Daytona, just the regular 3 ton long reach low profile. But I figure if you have problems is probably going to be immediate rather than 10 years later.

That's pretty much what I've figured. If they make the first year they're about just as likely as anything else to go long term.

 

[dchawk81]

Tire shops are using those jacks all day every day, waaaaay more than any repair shop ever will.

The Discount tire nearest me has 8-10 bays that stay busy from open to close, and only the first two bays have whatever kind of lifts they use that have two rubber topped runners that are recessed into the floor when not in use and the rest are using those Daytona Super Dutys, all day every day. After seeing 10 or more of them actively in use there I started taking notice that every other shop around is using them too. They are a distinctive jack. Can't miss them.

Edit: Also, the one thing that had me noticing them is that they, like every other tire shop I've ever been to, lifts just with the jack, no jack stands or anything like that. Lift it up. zip the wheel off, roll it over to dismount the old and mount the new, balance it, then zip it back on, all the while they are trusting every vehicle to stay up just to that jack. Then to the next tire.

I've done the same no-stands thing as long as I'm not getting under the car.

 

[rockettauto]

I'm just thinking as sockets go...if I were doing tires I wouldn't buy an expensive 19mm impact socket, I'd buy like 5 cheap ones. They're all going to be predictable throwaways with that volume of use.

Since I'm not, I just need one very reliable one. So I spend on it.

Same as with the ground out shaft bearings with the fiberglass. You had a nice buffer, a nice die grinder for smaller buffing and then garbage ones for grinding and cutting...didn't matter what you used it was predictably disposable. You could get the nicer ones constantly rebuilt for the price of new cheap ones....or just buy cheap ones.

 

[zendriver]

Deleted

 

[Mr_B]

HF have learn to stock/display singles and expand the hand tool/special tool range by about 400% along with actual real design and innovation effort before could do a tool truck round half successfully .
They have learn do one good battery tool brand with large bare tool range too & they seem well against that sort of logic lol .

 

[gfd_703]

The bigger question is why does Snap On, Matco, Mac, and Cornwell not have stores? I am not a Tec but do work at a dealership that has 2 trucks that stop. I farm and do use tools just not in my day job. I like the finer things in life including nice tools. I buy mostly off the Snap On truck. I know a lot of people like myself that either don't have access to a tool truck at work or just can't waste time chasing the truck down at one of it's regular stops. Looks like if the tool trucks would set up a couple of regular locations where they would be every Tuesday and Thursday from 4 to 6 in the evening they would have a big following of regular Joes who are mainly wanting better quality tools than what is available in big box stores. Think of it like the food truck craze. If nothing else have a set night for the truck to be open at the drivers house for a couple of hours.

 

[gfd_703]

HF have learn to stock/display singles and expand the hand tool/special tool range by about 400% along with actual real design and innovation effort before could do a tool truck round half successfully .
They have learn do one good battery tool brand with large bare tool range too & they seem well against that sort of logic lol .

If Harbor Freight want any of my hand tool money they need to offer at least the Icon tools in singles. I like matching sets and if I were to misplace a tool and can not get a matching replacement the set becomes a mismatched collection of tools not a set. They also need to narrow the number of "brand" names. Sears had Sears and Craftsman. Harbor Freight could have a good, better, best set of names across product categories. I have kinda figured out the Pittsburg, Doyle, Icon, Quinn, Holt, and Breman but not really I know Icon it the top and Pittsburg is the bottom but what order do Doyle, Quinn and Breman fall into? Don't get me started on their Red White Blue Green Yellow and Orange lines of cordless tools.

 

[dchawk81]

The bigger question is why does Snap On, Matco, Mac, and Cornwell not have stores? I am not a Tec but do work at a dealership that has 2 trucks that stop. I farm and do use tools just not in my day job. I like the finer things in life including nice tools. I buy mostly off the Snap On truck. I know a lot of people like myself that either don't have access to a tool truck at work or just can't waste time chasing the truck down at one of it's regular stops. Looks like if the tool trucks would set up a couple of regular locations where they would be every Tuesday and Thursday from 4 to 6 in the evening they would have a big following of regular Joes who are mainly wanting better quality tools than what is available in big box stores. Think of it like the food truck craze. If nothing else have a set night for the truck to be open at the drivers house for a couple of hours.

To protect their route drivers.

No independent contractor would sign up to run a route where there's a store to compete against.

 

[59_burst]

To protect their route drivers.

No independent contractor would sign up to run a route where there's a store to compete against

Oh really?... https://www.snapon.com/

 

[will335i]

To protect their route drivers.

No independent contractor would sign up to run a route where there's a store to compete against.

Yup and before someone has a chance to say well the shops would still want a truck to come to them, the could easily hire a min-wage gofer to run to the store for supplies.

Honestly, now that I think of it Harbor Freight might want to look at the Napa model with a fleet of small delivery cars to service shops out of their stores.

 

[zendriver]

If I’m going to shop at a snap on store, I’m waiting for a coupon before I get one of their $27,000 rolling toolboxes

 

[Meursault74]

The bigger question is why does Snap On, Matco, Mac, and Cornwell not have stores? I am not a Tec but do work at a dealership that has 2 trucks that stop. I farm and do use tools just not in my day job. I like the finer things in life including nice tools. I buy mostly off the Snap On truck. I know a lot of people like myself that either don't have access to a tool truck at work or just can't waste time chasing the truck down at one of it's regular stops. Looks like if the tool trucks would set up a couple of regular locations where they would be every Tuesday and Thursday from 4 to 6 in the evening they would have a big following of regular Joes who are mainly wanting better quality tools than what is available in big box stores. Think of it like the food truck craze. If nothing else have a set night for the truck to be open at the drivers house for a couple of hours.

I wonder why the local SnapOn reps can't just ship out the items to local guys. I've only bought one Snap On Item. I contacted the local Snap On rep via email. He said he'd ship it to me. I paid him with Paypal and I had the pliers the next day. Shipping was very reasonable (as opposed to the Snapon.com website shipping). Certainly, less than any gas and time trying to meet up with the truck somewhere. If I ever want something else from SnapOn, I'll contact him again.

 

[zendriver]

I rarely see them around anymore, but whenever I do see any tool truck, this makes me think what a ******** business that might be these days.

Almost like selling rainbow, sweepers door-to-door

 

[tjansson]

I think niomarvin83 is a bot. Bumps an old thread, provides a summary. The post reads just like AI generated content.

 

[Ton ton]

.

 

[Ton ton]

I think niomarvin83 is a bot. Bumps an old thread, provides a summary. The post reads just like AI generated content.

I agree with you!

 

[zendriver]

It gave me kudos, it has to be a bot

 

[driftpin]

HF is almost like a dollar store for tools.

I don't recall buying anything in a dollar store, I have been in one, maybe two that I can recall. HFT, I'm in there several times a month. The ITC or Inside Track Club paid for itself the first time I used it. I continue to save $. The electric tools I have from HFT have continued to work for years. I have a Chicago Electric side grinder which must be 20 years old, still doing the job.

I recently bought:

• Hercules portable bandsaw & four bi-metal blades in different t.p.i.
• Hercules portable bandsaw stand, which works well in either horizontal or vertical positions
• Bauer portable bandsaw (a return item, on that table)
• Warrior 7" side grinder/sander/polisher (a return item, on that table)
• those last two were off the returns table last week, I saved $100 over the regular price. Both work fine. The portable bandsaw came w/its large molded plastic case, the directions, and a spare pair of commutator brushes & an allen key
• https://www.harborfreight.com/9-amp-surface-conditioning-tool-58079.html and spare rollers in 3 grades (all new)

Those are the larger purchases, I bought consumables too.

I used to buy tools almost exclusively at Sears, we know what's happened. Lowe's is nowhere-close to me, neither is Tractor Supply. I have two Ace hardware stores near me, and I usually check online first if it's something unusual I need/want, if I presume they may be a source. I also have a well-stocked lumber yard, much-like the old-time ones when I was a kid, and wanted to buy some carriage bolts to turn a scrap piece of 1" X 6" scrap lumber from a new home being built in the neighborhood, into a skateboard using a metal-wheel roller skate I 'borrowed' from my sister. That was back when 'Camelot' and JFK were still around. The are close-to Miami's marinas on Biscayne Bay, and they have a whole aisle devoted to SS hardware in Imperial and metric sizes. They have a great supply of quality wood of all-sorts used in many marine applications. About a mile and a-half from there, is a West Marine.

I also own both Milwaukee and DeWalt corded tools, none cordless. None which currently have Li-ion batteries anyway. I have a couple older lower-voltage DeWalt VSR drills (12V) which don't have any batteries which work. I do have a bunch of the Craftsman 19.2V cordless tools, some being Ni-cad, most are the Li-ion, and so-far they suffice for my cordless needs. I even buy my consumables like drill bits and different cutting, grinding, and sanding supplies from HFT, for my corded/cordless tools.

Many people castigate HFT: "over my cold-dead body... ." I promise I won't tread on you or your "don't tread on me" t-shirt as I walk down the strip mall sidewalk to buy supplies and tools at the HFT store. It all goes into the garage, alongside my yellow and red casings tools next to my Craftsman, SK, MAC, and yes, a few Snap-On tools. There when I need it, there when I need them.

 

[jayemm]

The bigger question is why does Snap On, Matco, Mac, and Cornwell not have stores? I am not a Tec but do work at a dealership that has 2 trucks that stop. I farm and do use tools just not in my day job. I like the finer things in life including nice tools. I buy mostly off the Snap On truck. I know a lot of people like myself that either don't have access to a tool truck at work or just can't waste time chasing the truck down at one of it's regular stops. Looks like if the tool trucks would set up a couple of regular locations where they would be every Tuesday and Thursday from 4 to 6 in the evening they would have a big following of regular Joes who are mainly wanting better quality tools than what is available in big box stores. Think of it like the food truck craze. If nothing else have a set night for the truck to be open at the drivers house for a couple of hours.

With the overhead expense of a brick and mortar store combined with a relatively small customer base and premium prices, I can't see it being a viable business. The " overhead" is instead on the franchised tool truck owners. Also can't see Joe Average buying these premium tools because of the prices and names and reputations they may not be familiar with. They've heard of Husky and Craftsman and Stanley and Harbor Freight. And with the younger DIY crowd who've heard of Snap-On etc., how many tools are they going to buy when it's difficult enough to afford a car (maybe beater) and insurance. Don't see it happening.

 

[dchawk81]

With the overhead expense of a brick and mortar store combined with a relatively small customer base and premium prices, I can't see it being a viable business. The " overhead" is instead on the franchised tool truck owners. Also can't see Joe Average buying these premium tools because of the prices and names and reputations they may not be familiar with. They've heard of Husky and Craftsman and Stanley and Harbor Freight. And with the younger DIY crowd who've heard of Snap-On etc., how many tools are they going to buy when it's difficult enough to afford a car (maybe beater) and insurance. Don't see it happening.

Agreed. I have a perfectly serviceable if not excessively fat set of wrenches from Walmart of all places and they cost almost nothing compared to SO.

There are a LOT more people who can't afford (or justify) Snap On than there are people who can.

 

[Aaron_W]

Maybe he meant more like a truck that shows up at events promoting Harbor Freight products. Maybe even something like an "ICON Experience" and tool demos.
However, if he meant a truck that goes around selling tools all day, isn't there already competition from the auto parts chains? I thought NAPA, Autozone, and O'Reilly etc delivered tools as well as parts to the shops in their service area?

I realize this is an old thread, but nobody seems to have picked up on this.

Locally O'Reilly, Autozone and Napa do provide deliveries to shops, but they have one major advantage over tool trucks or HF picking up on their model. The auto parts stores primarily deliver auto parts to shops, so they have a predictable and reliable market, any delivery tool sales they make are just a bonus, the driver and vehicle costs are covered by the parts sales. The delivery drivers can also work in the store when there are no deliveries to be made.

So they provide competition for the tool trucks, but are really a completely different (and in my view more sustainable) model.

 

[ybnormal]

I realize this is an old thread, but nobody seems to have picked up on this.

Locally O'Reilly, Autozone and Napa do provide deliveries to shops, but they have one major advantage over tool trucks or HF picking up on their model. The auto parts stores primarily deliver auto parts to shops, so they have a predictable and reliable market, any delivery tool sales they make are just a bonus, the driver and vehicle costs are covered by the parts sales. The delivery drivers can also work in the store when there are no deliveries to be made.

So they provide competition for the tool trucks, but are really a completely different (and in my view more sustainable) model.

I delivered parts for 18 months, every Sat/Sun on a weekend. we rarely sold them OUR tools but usually something like a specialized tool no other mechanic in their shop had. instead, they would ask us to buy a tool (like an HFT jack), we'd buy it with our commercial account, then mark it up with their knowledge and approval to sell to their shop account. it was primarily a matter of convenience for their shop and we still do it. one time I had to take a mechanics gas bottle for his portable welder, on a Saturday, and go get it exchanged at the Tractor Supply. we bought it on our commercial account then sold it to them. the closest TSC to them was 20 miles away, we were in the middle 10 miles away from each.
sometimes a customer wanted manufacturer parts. they'd call us, we'd call dealer, get it at commercial price, pick up the part from dealer and then sell/deliver to the shop.

 

[JesSharTucker]

Reading all the comments on here, I finally realized anytime I used cheap or expensive tools to work in a tire shop instead of a dealership, I'm not a real mechanic. Lol, guess that means I should tell my Son-in-law & Grandson they ain't a real trucker like me. Why? Because they drive daycabs with automatics.