Harbor Freight rant

[AZ Pete]

I have a HF metric tap and die set. I have very rare use for taps and dies, just clean up threads, and occasionally tap a hole or two, so cheap was OK, so long as it worked.

Last week a neighbor needed some help with his motorcycle. He needed a couple of threads cleaned up, and two holes tapped to M8x1.25. Tapping the holes was easy enough, but I have no idea what the die that is marked M8x1.25 really is. The pitch is right, but the diameter sure isn't.

So today, I took the set back to HF for exchange. Got told OK, go get one, then at the register was told, "No deal, the asst. Manager intervened and says it has no warranty beyond 90 days, with receipt." I talked to the asst Manager, and he was pretty rude, so I left.

When I got home, I started looking for USA made taps and dies (just M4-M12 would do) and came across the HF set again....their web page says "life time warranty" full satisfaction etc. So, I called HF asked for the asst Mgr. and told him to look up the warranty....he says "well, I will replace the set to make you happy" Just because it's over 20 miles, round trip I won't be taking it back right away, but...........

Moral to this story....."Self, be sure to look up the warranty before you take something back, then you can tell the ignorant store assistant manager what his company policy is, and where to find it".

Rant off.

I'll still buy a US made small set of metric taps and dies, I just can't see paying a lot for something I may use once or twice a year.

 

[HMCFab9]

I bought a HF set too, just in case I need an oddball size (or metric).
I have a good (USA) set of common size taps that I know will work when I need them.

 

[upndown]

Seems to me they change their Prices and Policies like we change our underwear!

 

[MFolks]

Sears used to carry a selection of Metric and Imperial(American) sized tap and dies, also try the auto parts stores too.

 

[brownbagg]

you bought it from HF, enough said, you knew before you paid the first dollar it was ****. HF are design to break on first task, if you make it past 48 hours you doing good and leave it at that, it aint no way snap on or even craftman

 

[Bob C]

I'll still buy a US made small set of metric taps and dies, I just can't see paying a lot for something I may use once or twice a year.

and for your bargain basement price savings weighed against your costs in frustration, you have decided the inferior tools are ok as they only get you upset when you use them once or twice a year.

 

[ny1]

You could source high quality fractional stuff at swap meets and flea markets for the same price as harbor freight ****. Metric will be harder but not impossible.

 

[Lhorn]

At the risk of piling on, I'll say save yourself the trip. My experience with my HF tap and die set it that it's total ****. Throw it away and save your self the gas money. I was beating my head against a wall trying to thread a rod with the HF kit with no luck. I went to Kragen's (discount auto parts store) and bought their cheap chinese set made by "Team Mechanix" and it worked like a dream. In other words, the crappiest discount autoparts store tool ran circles around the HF version.

So that I'm not labeled a HF hater, I'm going to say something nice about HF. I love their vice grip style small welding clamps. They work great and are cheap.

 

[LutzTD]

If its only once in a while just buy a good quality tap or die in the size you need at the time. I have found Sears taps and dies to be first rate and easily available, all the HF taps are going to do is make a buggered thread into an impossible fix when it snaps off inside the hole

 

[Super Sport]

I actually carry a copy of Cman warranty in my wallet. I know others here do too, for those idiot employees who don't know what they're doing.

The manager sounds like a real *******. Those are the people I try to stay away from doing business with.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Seems to me they change their Prices and Policies like we change our underwear!

I think they change their EMPLOYEES like we change our underwear and THAT'S why all the inconsistency and drama.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

Regardless of the quality of the HF tools, it's not those that you had the problem with, but with the management, and that same attitude happens at a lot of places. I've run into it at Sears, Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Go back in a month and you'll have all new people in place, so it's not like you can avoid it.

Carrying a copy of the warranty isn't really necessary. You could bring their set out and show them their own warranty card. It's hard for the manager to dispute what is right there on the shelf for sale.

 

[ti8589]

Why in the world would you ever want a cheap tap set? Have you ever broke a tap off in something? That is an unpleasant experience I would try to avoid by starting with quality tools. I am a HF hater. There are two store I will not ever shop in, HF and Walmart.

 

[mayday0017]

You should go print the warranty... Their Tap & Die sets have a lifetime warranty... I would also talk to the store manager and tell him what an ******* his other manager is and how he needs to learn their product and warranty. Might even ask for compensation for my time and agravation of having to do his job for him researching the warranty....

Link: http://www.harborfreight.com/60-piece-sae-metric-tap-and-die-set-35407.html
Click on warranty tab

 

[niget2002]

If its only once in a while just buy a good quality tap or die in the size you need at the time. I have found Sears taps and dies to be first rate and easily available, all the HF taps are going to do is make a buggered thread into an impossible fix when it snaps off inside the hole

^ this ... I only have about 2 taps and 1 die because I only go out and buy what I needed at the time. It may cost more in the long run, but seeing as how I've barely collected these three in the last 10 years, I think I'm way ahead.

 

[oilfieldtrash4]

I love harbor freight. Sure it's made overseas but it's still providing a lot of jobs here. Warehouses, trucking, cashiers, managers, etc...
Just have to do the research before making any purchase there. Can't beat some of the deals with a stick.

 

[Norcal]

I love harbor freight. Sure it's made overseas but it's still providing a lot of jobs here. Warehouses, trucking, cashiers, managers, etc...
Just have to do the research before making any purchase there. Can't beat some of the deals with a stick.

If you don't care about quality in any way, HF is your place. There are a few limited exceptions but as a whole HF is a landfill place, use it & throw it away.

 

[lilscorpion]

I've had many harbor freight tools over the years and, for the most part, I'd say I got my money worth out of most of them. From time to time though, I'm reminded why, on average, they're so much less expensive and the reminder is always a failure. I used to go there all the time with the goal of browsing only to end up leaving with a pile of items. Those days are behind me because I prefer tool durability over savings and the only time I go there is to intentionally get a tool that I need for a limited or one time use. For that, HF is perfect. Otherwise, I lean towards respected brands that come recommended or I've learned to trust over time. Since my first time at the store I walked past the tap display. My years as a machinist has left me somewhat tainted when using cutting tools. I've had some cheap ones last longer than I thought they would however, almost always, they've had a shorter life and ended up costing me more in the long run. When it comes to taps, I'd rather buy a used set of quality ones than a new set of imports. Regarding HF and their return policy - their a business that anticipates warranty abuse and tries to mitigate it best they can. Add to that a few employees that lack experience, knowledge, and common sense and you have what you experienced the other day. We should expect that now-a-days at any brick and mortar. If you want customer service, call Amazon.

 

[oilfieldtrash4]

If you don't care about quality in any way, HF is your place. There are a few limited exceptions but as a whole HF is a landfill place, use it & throw it away.

Depends on what you buy really. If you aren't using HF to your advantage it's really a mistake on your part and your wallet. Like I said there are some absolute deals that can't be beat quality/price wise.

Just two days ago I saw a few mechanics from the local Honda dealership rolling a 56" HF tool box out the door as I walked up to HF.

And no I don't have a tool box or garage full of harbor freight. I have carefully selected a few items (42" tool box, filler impact sockets till I can get all USA, 4 ton floor jack, jack stands) that have proven reliable and are great deals.

 

[Davefr]

When my HF Ultrasonic unit died after 10 months I took it in and asked for a replacement.

The idiot manager said sorry it only has a 90 day warranty.

I pulled out the owners manual and ask him tho read the 12 month warranty. Then I gave him my purchase receipt.

He stuttered for awhile and then said the warranty was only from the manufacturer!!

Then he told me to pick out a new one to replace it.

 

[MG44]

I have a few of the HF tap sets, the large Metric tap set from them (works for me) and the two smaller Metric & SAE tap sets in the black cases. The taps in the black cases are okay, we used them to clean up threads etc... no problems. We never really tried to tap new threads with them.

I have the master SnapOn set which is a nice set and Lifetime Warranty through the truck (not sure about corporate snapon, but my tool guy warranties them) and I have the ATD 76 or so piece master set, SAE and Metric, runs up to M12. It was around $100 and I think is the best bang for the buck out there.

I've tapped a few holes with it, but mostly we use all the taps just to clean up rusty or crossthreaded stuff. I Just used one of the ATD ones this morning to clean up a buggered up wheel stud and nut on a Ford Windstar.

 

[bd8134]

I bought a fair number of tools from HF and have realized I am wasting my time on their rubbish. A winch that snapped on first usage way under its rating, an air saw that just made a noise when you tried to cut anything, etc. My time is worth more than the effort at looking at their junk. I just save up and spend my money on quality tools that I can rely on, buying HF is not saving American jobs.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Depends on what you buy really. If you aren't using HF to your advantage it's really a mistake on your part and your wallet. Like I said there are some absolute deals that can't be beat quality/price wise.

Just two days ago I saw a few mechanics from the local Honda dealership rolling a 56" HF tool box out the door as I walked up to HF.

And no I don't have a tool box or garage full of harbor freight. I have carefully selected a few items (42" tool box, filler impact sockets till I can get all USA, 4 ton floor jack, jack stands) that have proven reliable and are great deals.

Nearly half my tools are HF. The only thing that ever broke on me was a heat gun that was 3 years old and I paid $9.99 for it. I have found that you can usually tell good from bad just by looking. Some people are tool snobs and you will never convince them that HF is any good. They will then buy from Autozone the same damn thing and defend it to the hilt!

As to the employees, blame good old American customer service for that. Can't blame anyone but ourselves for the lack of work ethic displayed by the manager!

Jim

 

[oilfieldtrash4]

I bought a fair number of tools from HF and have realized I am wasting my time on their rubbish. A winch that snapped on first usage way under its rating, an air saw that just made a noise when you tried to cut anything, etc. My time is worth more than the effort at looking at their junk. I just save up and spend my money on quality tools that I can rely on, buying HF is not saving American jobs.

Who employees more American workers Snap On or HF?

Just a guesstimate but I'm guessing one has at minimum 100X more American employees.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

I am the proud owner of two ********* box sets of HF "rusty thread cleaners"
another black box contains 115 spiralled things that work good for "measuring gauges"

some folks call this stuff tap and die sets and a master drill bit set.... that is funny


Some HF stuff is ok, but don't bank on the above..

 

[Modifieddriver]

I prefer to buy used USA tools at flea markets, swap meets and the pawn shop before I go to HF. Some folks don't have that luxury and need new NOW.

My weekly visit to the pawn shop pays dividends in good made in USA tool purchases.

Because this thread mentions threading equipment, I want to show an example of my latest pawn shop buy.

Here's a REED brand, made in Erie, PA USA pipe threading set. Goes from 1/8" to 1 1/4", total of six dies included. Original box and some dies were never used. Turns out REED is equal to or a step above Rigid in threading equipment.

I paid $35 for what's in the pic. I threw the Greenlee flexible conduit cutter in the box. New the REED kit is $425 and the cutter about $20. I can cut one pipe thread and the entire set-up is paid for.

BUT..........I do like the $1.00 aluminum LED flashlights at HF. Cheaper than buying new batteries. Also like the Mechanics style gloves, but they bumped the price on those.

 

[ElectroLight]

Nearly half my tools are HF. The only thing that ever broke on me was a heat gun that was 3 years old and I paid $9.99 for it. I have found that you can usually tell good from bad just by looking. Some people are tool snobs and you will never convince them that HF is any good. They will then buy from Autozone the same damn thing and defend it to the hilt!

As to the employees, blame good old American customer service for that. Can't blame anyone but ourselves for the lack of work ethic displayed by the manager!

Jim

This^ Well said sir.

 

[mmack66]

Who employees more American workers Snap On or HF?

Just a guesstimate but I'm guessing one has at minimum 100X more American employees.

I never would have imagined that Harbor Freight had that many employees.

 

[bigbearcraig]

I don't buy much from HF, most of my tools are American made. If I'm going to buy anything from HF, I always check the user reviews. If the reviews are pretty good, then I might buy the item. Buying this way, I've never had a failure of one of their tools. I don't buy anything electric, battery or plugin, and if it's a tool that I'm going to use a lot, I then spend the extra money and buy quality.

 

[dsimatt]

Hf is somewhere i very rarely go but when i decide to get the 1-1/4+ wrenchs and 3/4 socket sets i'll go there and safe hundreds of dollars over snap-on.
That said my tap and die set is matco because i use them enough that they have to be quality something HF can't deliver with their sets i feel. The funny thing is Mac/Matco/Snap-on all the sets are exactly the same so obvious they must just buy them from some other company.

 

[JimVonBaden]

I never would have imagined that Harbor Freight had that many employees.

It is approximately equal:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbor_Freight_Tools 11,000 employees, $2B in revenue

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snap-on 11,500 and 2.4B in revenue

Jim

 

[fitz11]

I never would have imagined that Harbor Freight had that many employees.

I think it adds up faster than most would think.
Figure 25 employees per store X 400 stores = 10,000 people
Then add in all of the distribution centers, corporate offices, and district managers. I bet you they are easily in the 15,000 range

Edit: Jim beat me to it, my guesstimate was close but a bit strong.

 

[justanengineer]

Since the OP is ranting about cheap taps, I thought I would throw in a word of caution. ALWAYS MEASURE YOUR CHEAP TAPS TO ENSURE THEY ARE THE RIGHT FREAKIN SIZE BEFORE USE.

My 35 year old mower came with an aluminum oil pan on it that some monkey had stripped the drain plug's threads out of previously. It was an oddball thread, so I ordered a single tap from fleebay fully expecting my new Chinese imitation "Morse" branded tap to not be worth a ****. It cut very well, unfortunately it was a full size larger than marked. I bought a used oil pan shortly thereafter.

 

[brownbagg]

nobody here said hf did not have a place in business, what we said was the tap and die set from hf is ****

 

[jkherd]

The only time I use "Horror Fright" is when I need something to cut up to make a one time use tool

 

[ZRX61]

I love harbor freight. Sure it's made overseas but it's still providing a lot of jobs here. Warehouses, trucking, cashiers, managers, etc......

... Pilots.. an acquaintance of mine flies their G-V Gulfstream out of SBA or CMA airport.

 

[Modifieddriver]

Since the OP is ranting about cheap taps, I thought I would throw in a word of caution. ALWAYS MEASURE YOUR CHEAP TAPS TO ENSURE THEY ARE THE RIGHT FREAKIN SIZE BEFORE USE.

My 35 year old mower came with an aluminum oil pan on it that some monkey had stripped the drain plug's threads out of previously. It was an oddball thread, so I ordered a single tap from fleebay fully expecting my new Chinese imitation "Morse" branded tap to not be worth a ****. It cut very well, unfortunately it was a full size larger than marked. I bought a used oil pan shortly thereafter.

would've been easier to buy an oversize drain plug.

 

[wdrumheller]

Why in the world would you ever want a cheap tap set? Have you ever broke a tap off in something? That is an unpleasant experience I would try to avoid by starting with quality tools. I am a HF hater. There are two store I will not ever shop in, HF and Walmart.

This post makes me want an "upvote" link on this forum. I want to agree that cheap-o tap and die sets are just that. Cheap.

Also, cheap drill sets are ****. Cheap end-mills are ****.

I work in a machine shop and we buy premium taps and dies for a reason, the cheap ones just don't do the job.

Seriously, if you wanted a piece of threaded rod, would you want it made with a cheap HF die, or would you expect the shop making it to use good tooling?

Do that favor for yourself.

 

[brownbagg]

... Pilots.. an acquaintance of mine flies their G-V Gulfstream out of SBA or CMA airport.

you think their mechanics use harbor freight tools on that puppy

 

[Lhorn]

nobody here said hf did not have a place in business, what we said was the tap and die set from hf is ****

Straight truth right here.
For certain things, they are a great value. A ****** tool that doesn't do the job it's intended to is no value, and tap and die set is a ****** tool. Funny, there are people crapping on HF tap and die set and people defending HF, but no one defending HF has said the tap and die set works for anything other than cleaning threads which is not it's purpose.