Using Harbor Freight 20% Coupon @ Home Depot

[KaHuNaZ]

I can't believe and don't believe Lowes or HD will take a HF coupon. Nothing is the same. HF is all junk. I would need to be there and see it to believe it. It is not on like items of the same brand. I don't know anyone who will honor a coupon for a different item.
...
...
Sorry guys but I don't believe anyone has cashed in a HF coupon.
I am sorry if you really have and I am wrong. My wife's middle son is the Manager of a Home Depot store and we have talked about it. He says they are not allowed to do it at their store.

Believe it!

I removed the store/transaction #'s, time, phone #, and cashiers name.


edit: It seems that some people are throwing hissy fits when they don't get the discount. Some people are even going as far as calling corporate or customer service to throw a tantrum because other people have gotten the discount and they didn't. Attitude like that is what's going to ruin this policy for the rest of us. I'm sure corporate will start sending out memo's about not accepting hf coupons soon. Its too bad.

 

[Galaxie]

Funny how so many can't comprehend that it is strictly a store to store issue, some take it and some don't and even more precise some checkers will take them and some won't. After my second attempt and managers getting involved as well as calling HF and Lowes I gave up trying at my store, just glad I was able to use it once on a hammer drill.

I'd also venture to guess that the more they get used at one store the greater the chance they will be "banned" once management reviews the books and starts to see all these 20% off deals being given. My store has gotten so bad they won't even accept direct competitors coupons. They laughed at me when I asked them to match a Sutherland's coupon, just a $10 off $10 purchase or more. So I left my stuff, about $50 worth, at the counter and went to Sutherland's. Time before that they honored a $10 off $20 or more from them.

 

[kiatech]

I removed the store/transaction #'s, time, phone #, and cashiers name.

Why?

 

[hickfied]

I was in Lowes a few weeks ago, and while I was paying, I realized I had a HF 25% off coupon in my wallet, and asked if they would take it. They did! I usually didn't have HF coupons, because up until this year the closest one was 50 miles away (now one is 25 miles away). I've since used about 5-6 20% off HF coupons at Lowes.

I usually go to the contractors check out, which has people on the registers that have been there atleast 5 years (I recognize two of them from back in school). I haven't had them question the coupons at all.

Now I have had one incident at the regular check out lanes. Young ~18-20yo cashier kept saying I had to use it on a tool box, air compressor, welder, jack, etc because that was what was listed (lol). She ended up getting a manager and we worked it out.

 

[eddie1278]

This is what drives american manufacturing out by doing this. People go into HD and Lowes and basically want HF prices for products that are mostly american made and waaaaay better quality. So eventually if more and more people do this HD and Lowes will force these manufacturers to lower prices and they will manufacture overseas.

I never expect HD and Lowes to match prices at HF because they are night and day difference and not competitors.

HF sells low quality throw away tools mostly. HD and Lowes sell name brand tools that have been around for decades and some over a century. Like Sawzall, Channellock, Klein to name some.

They are not competitors just like McDonalds doesn't compete with restaurants that sell higher quality food.

 

[geaugafletcher]

All the Lowe's and HDs around me carry junky products very much like Harbor Fright. Many (most?) of the old names are just exactly that now - only names. Lowe's and HD are the Walmarts of the tool and home improvement world and you're lucky to find the old USA-made quality there anymore. Have a look at the Lowe's thread where we all went a little nuts having found US-made Nicholson files (which were on clearance, being phased out in favor of cheap stuff). They're also dumping Klein and Channellock.

 

[bimmerZ5]

This is what drives american manufacturing out by doing this. People go into HD and Lowes and basically want HF prices for products that are mostly american made and waaaaay better quality. So eventually if more and more people do this HD and Lowes will force these manufacturers to lower prices and they will manufacture overseas.

I never expect HD and Lowes to match prices at HF because they are night and day difference and not competitors.

HF sells low quality throw away tools mostly. HD and Lowes sell name brand tools that have been around for decades and some over a century. Like Sawzall, Channellock, Klein to name some.

They are not competitors just like McDonalds doesn't compete with restaurants that sell higher quality food.

are you freaking kidding me? have you been to a Lowe's or HD store lately? Hmmm.. where are Dewalt power tools made? China... where are Ryobi power tools made ... China... how about all the Chinese drywall that caused a big issue for the builders in FL? Where are Husky hand tools made? Mostly China, some Taiwan, with very few USA... Where are Kobalt hand tools made? Mostly Taiwan, some China...

Maybe the discussion should be the other way around? Why are Lowe's and HD trying to charge higher prices for stuff similarly made in the same country as all the HFT stuff?

 

[cole_CT]

Tried it today on a Ridgid TS4512 and it didn't work. The dude said that HF sells **** tools

 

[zer0cell]

I think asking for the manager is being kinda silly. I don't have much objection to using a lowes coupon at Home depot or the other way around because they do sell similar quality tools/materials but lets face it, harbor freight sells items which are often the lowest of the low... I can't at all be mad if they don't take it. I might occasionally take a northern tool coupon to home depot to try my luck with the cashier, if he/she takes it great, if not i just shrug it off and say okay no problem and that's it. At least northern tool typically sells some higher grade stuff than harbor freight so I don't really feel as if I am really cheating anyone.

 

[BUCKNERBUCK2]

I tried this out last night. I asked a cashier prior to doing anything, she directed me to a manager. Told the manager I was interested in buying a miter saw with a HF 20% coupon - she responded to go pick out a saw, and she would tell me yes or no.
I picked out a $219 DeWalt 10" miter and she accepted the coupon. She said she would not take it on a $600 very high quality Milwaukee sliding saw. I was just very polite and had no issues at all.
$184 out the door.

 

[chipper]

I just tried this at my hd 30 minutes ago i also asked prior to doing anything the customer service counter said no problem they take GREAT i thought except i was buying the m12 hacksaw for129$ and getting the right angle drill bare tool for free so they said the computer will only allow one discount per transaction so i couldn't use it this time which was fine but atleast i know for the future

 

[gsmornot]

My HD will not honor the HF coupons. My local lowes also would not honor the HF coupon UNTIL Menards broke ground and started building their new store. Since then they have gone out of their way to advertise on poster board throughout the store that they accept ALL competitors coupons. The HF coupon says 20% off 1 item and since it doesnt stipulate which brand they accept it as long as a similar item is sold at HF (ie you cant use it refrigerators or carpet, etc)

So what you're saying is, we need to get Harbor Freight to start selling carpet and refrigerators. I wouldn't mind getting 20% off a fridge here and there.

 

[cburnscrx]

This is what drives american manufacturing out by doing this. People go into HD and Lowes and basically want HF prices for products that are mostly american made and waaaaay better quality. So eventually if more and more people do this HD and Lowes will force these manufacturers to lower prices and they will manufacture overseas.

I never expect HD and Lowes to match prices at HF because they are night and day difference and not competitors.

HF sells low quality throw away tools mostly. HD and Lowes sell name brand tools that have been around for decades and some over a century. Like Sawzall, Channellock, Klein to name some.

They are not competitors just like McDonalds doesn't compete with restaurants that sell higher quality food.

Hmm, this is an interesting post...

I don't necessarily agree that Harbor Freight and Lowes/Home Depot aren't competitors. I would say the lower brands like Task Force/Blue Hawk for example are indeed in direct competition with Harbor Freight. The same could be said of the HDX and Workforce brands. If Home Depot and Lowes aren't competing...who exactly is competing with Harbor Freight? I guess they have cornered the market? Not everybody who walks into Lowes or Home Depot is buying DeWalt or Bosch, some are buying Skil and Ryobi. While I believe they are better than HF, they are in the ballpark and somebody is buying a HF drill/sander/circular saw.

Back to the original point...I recently got an email from my local ACE hardware offering a 20% off coupon, which I will use at Home Depot. It's good for 1 item only, but there's no bar code and you can use it any number of times.

So in short, is it better if my 20% off coupon comes from ACE or Harbor Freight.

 

[Fordman7795]

Each stores coupon acceptance will vary on many different levels. For instance, the HD closest to HF in my area does not take the 20% off. The store about 20 mins away in a different town will. That one will not take a printed coupon of any kind. It must be an official hand distributed coupon (sears coupons that come with your receipt, lowes mailed coupons, sunday paper coupons etc).

 

[eddie1278]

are you freaking kidding me? have you been to a Lowe's or HD store lately? Hmmm.. where are Dewalt power tools made? China... where are Ryobi power tools made ... China... how about all the Chinese drywall that caused a big issue for the builders in FL? Where are Husky hand tools made? Mostly China, some Taiwan, with very few USA... Where are Kobalt hand tools made? Mostly Taiwan, some China...

Maybe the discussion should be the other way around? Why are Lowe's and HD trying to charge higher prices for stuff similarly made in the same country as all the HFT stuff?

I basically live in HD and Lowes being an electrical contractor. I know these stores sell a lot of China made stuff but the brands they sell are well known and been around longer then most people on this board have been alive.

I'm down the tool isle in HD almost daily and it's dominated by brands like Dewalt, Milwaukee, Bosch, Hilti I can go on and on. As much as I hate that some of them now manufacture in China or other places they still are night and day difference in quality over HF junk. I've been on tons of job sites around hundreds of contractors and maybe a few times in my life I've seen guys using HF junk and it's usually a painter or handyman.

 

[cheechi]

Tried it today on a Ridgid TS4512 and it didn't work. The dude said that HF sells **** tools

I bought the 4510 with one.

The 4512 is worth the money if that's the one you want, just get a Lowe's 10% and make sure you fill out the warranty asap. there's a thread on that one being the same as the cman and one other, if you get one that's misaligned out of the box it will never be right. but the LSA is worth it over the cman even if its more expensive.

Now let's up the stakes; who's tried a HF 25% coupon?

 

[Turbotboz]

Used a 20% off HF coupon yesterday at Lowes in Maryland successfully!

 

[KaHuNaZ]

Now let's up the stakes; who's tried a HF 25% coupon?

I did. I picked up a ryobi 18v reciprocating saw and a blade on the 7th using the 25% off coupon.

 

[cheechi]

you win the thread. thanks for the info.

 

[Turbotboz]

I went to home depot and spent about $350 yesterday. At the register I told the wife I was going to try to use one of my HF coupons in my wallet on the light fixture for the garage... The cashier didn't know what she was looking at and called over an older gentleman that told me "they don't normally accept them, but this time we will." He proceeded to give me 20% of my ENTIRE order!!!! Big thanks to OP for saving me $70 yesterday!!!

 

[GarageNewbie24]

Used a 20% off at HD this past weekend, Lowe's wouldnt except it. Lowes also would not price match their online price for the stubby wrench deal. Safe to say HD has ALL my business from now on, even though its a little further away from my house and i'll drive right past lowes on the way.

 

[newguy9]

Just used the HF 20% on a Dewalt Sliding Miter Saw, saved $109, definitely worth it to try. They wouldn't take the printed off coupon so I went and bought a magazine that had it in it and tore the page out.

 

[SignalZero]

I can't believe and don't believe Lowes or HD will take a HF coupon. Nothing is the same. HF is all junk. I would need to be there and see it to believe it. It is not on like items of the same brand. I don't know anyone who will honor a coupon for a different item.

Have you compared Husky or Kobalt to Harbor Freight's Pittsburgh Pro tools recently? It's all identical tools stamped with different logos(and different colored handles in some cases). All made in Taiwan; all with identical warranties. You can really tell when it comes to the ratchets. The biggest difference on ratchets might be that the Pittsburgh Pro roto ratchets have a quick release; don't believe Husky or Kobalt do. Other than that, you can tell it's all made in the same place.

 

[FarmerPete]

Maybe your HF is different than mine, but I just feel dirty going into mine. I have yet to buy something that wasn't junk. I bought a plastic socket organizer that I had to return because it had bent pins. When I brought it back to exchange for an identical item, with receipt, 2 days later...the cashier gave me the 3rd degree. She needed all of my personal information, a photocopy of my ID, my email address, and cell number. She refused to help me without collecting all of this information. She claimed that she had been working there years and never had to exchange an item for the same thing in all that time. I don't mind giving my personal information when necessary, but this should have been a simple product swap. Very dissapointed, and it would take an act of God to get me back in there. Having said that, I had never thought to use a HF coupon at HD or Lowes. I guess I didn't really see HF as a competitor to HD or Lowes.

 

[matt_m]

deleted

 

[soloz2]

Maybe your HF is different than mine, but I just feel dirty going into mine. I have yet to buy something that wasn't junk. I bought a plastic socket organizer that I had to return because it had bent pins. When I brought it back to exchange for an identical item, with receipt, 2 days later...the cashier gave me the 3rd degree. She needed all of my personal information, a photocopy of my ID, my email address, and cell number. She refused to help me without collecting all of this information. She claimed that she had been working there years and never had to exchange an item for the same thing in all that time. I don't mind giving my personal information when necessary, but this should have been a simple product swap. Very dissapointed, and it would take an act of God to get me back in there. Having said that, I had never thought to use a HF coupon at HD or Lowes. I guess I didn't really see HF as a competitor to HD or Lowes.

My local HF does the same when returning an item. Because of this I only use cash when I shop there. Cash transaction means they have no right to hassle me for a return as long as I have the receipt. Last time I had to return or exchange an item that I paid for using a visa they gave me the 3rd degree... I refused to give them info and made a stick so they called the manager who processed the return without any additional info so they can do it, employees are told not to.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4

 

[turdferguson13]

I used a 20% off coupon on an m12 fuel 1/4" hex kit at Home Depot tonight. Took almost $34 off!

 

[stickshift]

I used a 20% off coupon on an m12 fuel 1/4" hex kit at Home Depot tonight. Took almost $34 off!

Wow. Think Home Depot would accept a HF 20% off coupon on a Ridgid power tool, even though Ridgid is a Home Depot house brand? I mean, it's not like HF sells Milwaukee stuff either.

 

[ATC]

I tried to use a HF coupon at my HD and they would not take it. I haven't tried Lowes.

Tell ya the truth, I rarely ever set foot in HD. I might have been there 6 times in my lifetime...mostly due to this forum. Lowes is my go-to store.

 

[tadwolfe]

Thanks for all the information, I never even thought of using a HF coupon at either store. I will have one next shopping trip.

 

[NWphotog]

Don't be surprised if they refuse it.

 

[FarmerPete]

I used a 20% off on a Ridgid $199 drill/driver/radio/2 battery combo. I had to correct the cashier, as she originally used the coupon on my $6 tarp, not the $200 combo.

 

[djb2]

My local HF does the same when returning an item. Because of this I only use cash when I shop there. Cash transaction means they have no right to hassle me for a return as long as I have the receipt.

My experience is a painless exchange for broken tools with a lifetime warrenty. Show it to a cashier, they say 'get a new one from the shelf' and they scan it when I come back. I've done it in less than a minute.

Returning a tool might be different. They do have a reason to be more careful, as fraud is much more likely.

 

[tarbellb]

I have used the 20% at least 5-6 times now in several HD in Denver CO when buying a expensive tool ie 13" Ridgid planner, 20v Dewalt combo set, X5 Graco sprayer, etc.. and they have excepted it every time.

I tell myself I will only use it on tools that both stores offer.

If they both want to offer Chinese imports, then its direct competition.

 

[stickshift]

Used the HF 20% off coupon at HD on a Ridgid combo kit (drill, impact, radio).

 

[drwheels]

I used a 25% on a milwakee sawsall. saved 50 bucks

 

[Dennis93]

Fine, you all have given me the courage to try it. I'm too ashamed of making a scene or holding up the line.

 

[stickshift]

Fine, you all have given me the courage to try it. I'm too ashamed of making a scene or holding up the line.

Just pay no mind when the clerk calls on the speakerphone, "Can I get a manager to register 3, there's a cheap ******* here trying to use a Harbor Freight coupon."

 

[01ss]

^^^lol

 

[Dennis93]

Just pay no mind when the clerk calls on the speakerphone, "Can I get a manager to register 3, there's a cheap ******* here trying to use a Harbor Freight coupon."