I spent 40K building a garage so I could fill it with HF junk

[RivennHewn]

It ain't the tool mate, it's how ya use it.

I get a bigger laugh out of those who couldn't build their own garage, but have every quality tool available.

 

[canuckian]

Lets just up the amount a little....what's the guy that built a 250k shop supposed to have for tools? Titanium ratchets made for NASA? What A person spends on their shop, tools, vehicles, clothes, groceries, etc. should be nobody's concern but that persons and their dependants.

 

[roadpilot]

Why would anyone spending exorbitant amounts of money, time, and effort building their Dream Garage turn around and then go fill it with bunch of cheap single use junk from Happy Fart

Because man has free will and can spend his money as he sees fit, I suppose.

 

[619DioFan]

Having not been a member that long it just amazes me that "Grown adults " have nothing better to do then bash on some ones choice of tools. there are many people ( including myself ) who have done and still do quality work and manage to make a living using " non " truck brand nor highend name tools. ( just ask mechanicnamedjohn ) hopefully the MODS will shut this thread down before it turns into 15 pages of BS .

 

[1969]

I really don't care.

 

[Cato]

HF tools are not "junk." They don't cost a lot, but that doesn't make them useless or single use. Perhaps that was the case in the 1980s, but the Chinese are making tools at least as good as entry level American tools, if not better.

Now if you have thousands of dollars burning a whole in your wallet, then go ahead and build a collection of boutique American tools like Snap On.

I own some Snap On too, but Snap On (or Harbor Freight even) will out live all of us with just a little care and maintenance. Since my tools will be around for some time, I would just prefer to see some American brands in my box.

 

[volleyball]

When I was young, I bought quality life time lasting tools. Unfortunately I've gotten older and wiser and realize that HF tools will last me a lifetime.

Most likely that $40k garage will appreciate and be worth more. Those truck brand tools won't, they are worth less as soon as you paid for them.

 

[creativecars]

It ain't the tool mate, it's how ya use it.

I get a bigger laugh out of those who couldn't build their own garage, but have every quality tool available.

I hear you, If HF would come out with a descent 18v li-ion set. I don't think there would a reason I could not build a garage with their tools.

 

[creativecars]

When I was young, I bought quality life time lasting tools. Unfortunately I've gotten older and wiser and realize that HF tools will last me a lifetime.

Most likely that $40k garage will appreciate and be worth more. Those truck brand tools won't, they are worth less as soon as you went in to debt for them.

Fixed it for ya'.

 

[AP514]

the OP is a TROLL...........

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I like turtles.

 

[JoeFin]

Lets just up the amount a little....what's the guy that built a 250k shop supposed to have for tools? Titanium ratchets made for NASA?

That would be my welder your talking about

check the property tag - top - middle

Point is you don't have to spend a fortune on quality tools if you only put a little effort into it. Auctions, Horse-Trading, CL even Eboner once in a while can yield some excellent results.

We all come here discussing topics usually about quality tools and their usefulness. I see little or no need to succumb to the urges of instant gratification and throw my lot in with the likes of Happy Fart

 

[OutsideMachinist]

It ain't the tool mate, it's how ya use it.

I get a bigger laugh out of those who couldn't build their own garage, but have every quality tool available.

^^ That. Pay contractors for everything but have 50k worth of tools for a DIYer.

 

[canuckian]

That would be my welder your talking about

check the property tag - top - middle

Not quite what I was getting at but ok. Whatever suits you and your opinion best.
Yes most of us understand that with some creativity and effort, a person can get some high grade tools. A lot of what I have I've gotten some great deals on but I also have some princess auto (same as HF) items in my shop that do what I need them to do.
But see, the thing is, some others just want what they want and have different priorities and interests than you. Just because they do what works for them, who am I or anyone else to judge them?

 

[zkling]

We all come here discussing topics usually about quality tools and their usefulness. I see little or no need to succumb to the urges of instant gratification and throw my lot in with the likes of Happy Fart

Holy ****, did you really just make that statement, especially on here? I think I hear the HF44" tool box owners forming a mob already.

 

[BK13]

I really don't care.

Sweet avatar, man!

 

[BK13]

I apologize for bumping this and feeding the troll, I just wanted others to get a chance to see this thread and add the OP to the ignore list.

Yeah, what the heck, man, DFTFT! (pay no attention to the fact I just did the same thing...)

 

[JoeFin]

But see, the thing is, some others just want what they want and have different priorities and interests than you. Just because they do what works for them, who am I or anyone else to judge them?

Personally I own very little SnapOn and SK. The bulk is Craftsman Industrial as far as wrenches and sockets go.

Its just kind of a "Buzz Kill" coming here and being bombarded with the "Gee Wiz" - "Oh Wow" - Quick Quick where is my Happy Fart Coupon" thread after thread.

We all own them - I'm sure some where deep in the bowls of the staunchest "Buy American or Die" enthusiast's garage lies a Happy Fart some thing or other. Its like gravity - its inevitable - Saturday afternoon under the hood, the difference being go buy the Happy Fart crow foot 5 miles away or waiting till Monday to buy a SK, SnapOn or 20 miles for the quality tool, we're going to do what it takes to get the job done the first day.

Its like that girl we meet in the bar 20 mins till closing time - sure we all have done it ...

 

[ganymede]

..... .. .

 

[PanelDeland]

I'll be honest. I buy some HF stuff. I do it because I usually prefer to own a tool than borrow and borrowing from one of the LAPS is like not having one. Some HF stuff, you couldn't get me to use but for me, most is fine. For instance, I needed a Ball Joint press. Now I'm not a front end service tech and I probably wont do more than another half dozen in my life so when I looked for a BJP I looked at HF. On sale with a coupon I got it for $29. Decent price and it did the job perfectly. The other set I looked at was $79 on sale. I actually went and looked at both. The HF one has a bit nicer case, not that it mattered.A couple of weeks after I bought the HF one and had done a couple of Ball joints, I stopped by to talk to a friend who was doing a u joint on a pick up. He had a Snap on BJP. he was using. I really looked it over and other than the Snap on logo, I could not find one single thing that made it any different. I'll admit, I did not test metallurgy so it may have had some difference but that would be the only one. I know that set had some extra anvil and such and I know it was in the three to five hundred dollar range. I saw the $79 one a little later and again it was identical and had the same accessories as the HF one. I have no idea on the metallurgy but I do know that I can use that fifty or so bucks for another project or tool in my shop and that the BJP I have will do Ball joints.
Like with anything else there is a somewhat subjective concept called value. I've actually increased the value I thought I got by changing a few sets of U joints with that same HF BJP, The value I get with the type of items I buy from HF allows me to do things I might not otherwise be able to afford. HF in some cases has a price point that makes that tool a value that I can live with.

 

[Parrothead]

This has been bugging me for quite some time here at GJ

Why would anyone spending exorbitant amounts of money, time, and effort building their Dream Garage turn around and then go fill it with bunch of cheap single use junk from Happy Fart

Doesn't make a lick of sense to me

Makes complete sense to me, the dream garage is a better return on investment than boutique tools. Resale value....

 

[quattroJoe]

How about filling your existing garage with $40k in HF tools instead? You'd have to clear out four whole stores to hit the mark though- five if you have 20% off coupons [emoji1]

 

[Kev442]

Just for the heck of it I did a cl search last week for snap on, proto, blackhawk, williams and wright. Except for a few taco wagons and a lot of snappy scan tools, zero hits.
I sure am not going to pay retail, so there is HF stuff in my shop. I'm sorry that what I do with my money in the privacy of my own shop offends you.
I also checked epay for a specific williams tool. I'm also not going to pay 75-80% of retail.

 

[Fordman7795]

Personally I own very little SnapOn and SK. The bulk is Craftsman Industrial as far as wrenches and sockets go.

Its just kind of a "Buzz Kill" coming here and being bombarded with the "Gee Wiz" - "Oh Wow" - Quick Quick where is my Happy Fart Coupon" thread after thread.

We all own them - I'm sure some where deep in the bowls of the staunchest "Buy American or Die" enthusiast's garage lies a Happy Fart some thing or other. Its like gravity - its inevitable - Saturday afternoon under the hood, the difference being go buy the Happy Fart crow foot 5 miles away or waiting till Monday to buy a SK, SnapOn or 20 miles for the quality tool, we're going to do what it takes to get the job done the first day.

Its like that girl we meet in the bar 20 mins till closing time - sure we all have done it ...

Not all. I have purchased ZERO harbor freight tools. I have used one or two when working for different contractors who happened to have or grinder or drill. I have ZERO harbor freight tools in my garage. Nearest one is 7 miles

 

[Fretters]

Shot milk out my nose with that one.

If one happened to be in sarcastic mode, one could have a field day with bovine orifice excretion suggestions there, considering the gist of this thread.

To many folks here who think I'm trolling - well that is up to you

But to me it is very telling of the quality of your workmanship. You don't mind cheap low budget ineffective tools lining the insides of your garage - then perhaps one should look at the quality of your construction methods building your garage too.

250K - 500K "Tumble Down Shack" construction methods line the hills and mountains around Northern Cali. In fact one of my sons makes quite a good living doing insurance work, repairing homes that sell in High 6 figures.

I've always found it far more amusing when someone believes that the 'quality' of the tool being used in any way affects the users abilities and/or workmanship.

I've always found the best workshop addition is to keep a big bag of "I couldn't give a toss what anyone else thinks about my workshop" to hand, although I must admit that I do try to limit the amount of imported tat, like that American stuff, to a minimum.

On a serious note for a moment though, if you actually do even spend a moment considering why anyone else makes the choices they do in tools, you honestly do have too much time on your hands.

If you can build a whole garage with only HF tools, you have more patients then I do!

You should let them out of your garage and take them back to the hospital.


p.s: This post was penned with mostly no seriousness, (pretty much like the thread subject ), just incase anyone is thinking of taking owt said seriously.

 

[Lexus]

What gets me is people who spend $40k on building a garage, filling it with Snap On tools and still cannot fix stuff worth a ****....

This thread really shows the men from the boys..

 

[Ruger_556]

What gets me is people who spend $40k on building a garage, filling it with Snap On tools and still cannot fix stuff worth a ****....

This thread really shows the men from the boys..

Yes, yes it does. I've known guys that could fix more with a leatherman, hammer, and a crescent wrench than many can with a box full of tools...

People care way too much how others spend their money.

 

[1950mercury]

Having not been a member that long it just amazes me that "Grown adults " have nothing better to do then bash on some ones choice of tools. there are many people ( including myself ) who have done and still do quality work and manage to make a living using " non " truck brand nor highend name tools. ( just ask mechanicnamedjohn ) hopefully the MODS will shut this thread down before it turns into 15 pages of BS .

John now has a big wht mac box filled with 90% mac tools.

Id rather have a big shop and hf tools than live in an apt. With 40g in snap pn tools that i polish and never use.

 

[FriendOfYours]

I'm surprised anyone even responded to this thread

Why the hell do you care what anyone does with THEIR money?

I framed and roofed my entire shop with HF nailers. Never had a single issue

I've got 4 3800SC Pontiac Fieros too! Oh no! And guess what, all the mounts and exhaust were made with HF welders. Every nut and bolt was tightened using Pittsburgh Pro sockets, the same ones I've been using every day for the last 4 years in my full time repair facility.

I think the lesson here is... you don't know what you are talking about and are someone I wouldn't like to associate myself with

 

[ecotec]

My earlier experiences with HF were all bad. Out of my early HF purchases, the only survivor is a bench brush. Everything else failed. Some in spectacular ways. I used to rip on that place too.

But, years later, I have a LOT of HF tools that have worked really well. The best of the lot being 1/2" drive impact sockets, composite ratchets, electronic calipers, dead blow hammers, and the rear brake caliper turn back tool set. I would suggest these tools to ANYONE. I gave HF another chance because of GJ, and I do not regret it. There are, absolutely, tools at HF that are worth buying and owning. I used Craftsman RP ratchets for 20 years. I never touch them now.

Where was I going with this…? Oh, yeah, the guy is a troll. Use what works for you.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

This has been bugging me for quite some time here at GJ

Why would anyone spending exorbitant amounts of money, time, and effort building their Dream Garage turn around and then go fill it with bunch of cheap single use junk from Happy Fart

Doesn't make a lick of sense to me

opinions often have little in common with other people's opinion of common sense

 

[wildbill23c]

I'm surprised anyone even responded to this thread

Why the hell do you care what anyone does with THEIR money?

I framed and roofed my entire shop with HF nailers. Never had a single issue

I've got 4 3800SC Pontiac Fieros too! Oh no! And guess what, all the mounts and exhaust were made with HF welders. Every nut and bolt was tightened using Pittsburgh Pro sockets, the same ones I've been using every day for the last 4 years in my full time repair facility.

I think the lesson here is... you don't know what you are talking about and are someone I wouldn't like to associate myself with

Goes to show you don't need a tool box full of ridiculously priced tools to get the job done. Hell, if I were a millionaire maybe I'd consider expensive tools, but why would I. I can get a lifetime warranty on the hand tools at HF, so why would I spend a ridiculous amount of money buying stuff made in China from an over-priced company where all you are doing is feeding a brand that has outsourced to other countries as well.

I've done a lot of work with HF tools, and they work just the same as the same tool that cost 90% more. I don't feel so bad if I lose, break, or have a tool stolen if it came from HF. I certainly don't loan my good tools to anybody, they get the HF stuff. Sadly, nobody ever complains about those HF tools either, so obviously they aren't as bad as some people try and claim they are. Sure there are some out there that make you wonder, but you have to know how to shop, not everything will work like it looks.

Over the past few months due to projects, I've purchased a few more HF tools, and they survived the project, with no problems. One was the 16 gauge finish nailer, another was the 12" Double Bevel Sliding Dual compound Miter saw. They work just fine, and for the price you can't do any better. I had a couple of jams with the nailer, but I think it was due to the nails not sitting in the magazine properly, as after I cleared the jam and put the nails back in the thing never jammed again unless I somehow didn't get the strip of nails inserted properly. I picked up the pneumatic oscillating multi-function tool Sunday and it works really well, very fast cutting action.

I'll probably be picking up the 3-in-1 framing nailer and the roofing nailer here soon as well.

 

[Nick Danger]

I once saw a story in Fine Woodworking magazine where the author described going to a woodcarver's shop in India. The woodcarver was producing absolutely exquisite stuff, so the author was expecting to see a beautiful shop filled with expensive tools. It didn't turn out that way. The work was being done in an unheated shed with five or six store-brand chisels that had been sharpened and re-sharpened until they were half as long as when they were new. So how did he do such amazing work with non-professional tools? Hard work and dedication to his craft. The same as anyone else. In the end, the tools didn't matter.

 

[Steinmetz]

This has been bugging me for quite some time here at GJ

Why would anyone spending exorbitant amounts of money, time, and effort building their Dream Garage turn around and then go fill it with bunch of cheap single use junk from Happy Fart

Doesn't make a lick of sense to me

Because the "dream garage" is an improvement to the real property, which retains more value, and even appreciates in value more than any set of tools.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

I would rather have a $40k shop filled with quality tools that cost the same as HF. I like HF tool boxes and accessories (glove box holder, paper towel holder, plastic organizer trays, etc.), but I've always been able to find new or like new American made tools on Ebay for the same price as Harbor Freight. My Snap On ratchets reside in HF 44" boxes, and I couldn't be happier. I actually sold my Snap On roll cab to fund both of my HF 44" boxes.

My grandfather had a world class car collection when I was a kid (cars sold to museums all over the world) and he had one small tool box with a third of the tools that I have. Granted the vehicles only required basic SAE hand tools, but the point still stands that it's not the tools, but the talent. I'm not talented, but I have some nice tools (mainly ratchets). I could easily get by with HF tools, but I enjoy quality and take pride in my collection.

 

[xtremek]

........... So how did he do such amazing work with non-professional tools? Hard work and dedication to his craft. The same as anyone else. In the end, the tools didn't matter.

^x2 Good tools just make life easier. A true craftsman can use a piece of junk to create an incredible piece of work.

 

[sberry]

If its working and it looks like its goon work I am fine with that. I rarely break any tool. We ruined a HF press,,, in the dark with 2 men in a hurry ramming on it, neither one wanted to stop a second and actually put a light on and see if it was straight before blasting it with a high powered air gun.
Just because its cheap doesn't mean I got to absolutely break it or strip it off. I don't strip heads of bolts with good wrenches or cheap ones.
I have items that cost nothing I cherish and would feel a loss that cost nothing. I got a hundred small China mostly and some old flea mkt USA combos we use a lot. I threw about 2 or 3 away that didn't fit on the box over the years and broke a couple against constant air gun.
For me the best one is the closest and do a fair amount of field work and my shop is large. Sure there is the rare occasion that there is the "just right" tool even among wrenches. I have an old thin Cman is called for as much as I need the Snap flank drive but the other 999 times I can make the other one work.
I got some good screwdrivers that last a long time and about the same in cheap ones that are still around.
One of the best mrchanics I know uses stuff he basically collected as left over. He was out doing something the other day and I found the remnants of a cheap 1/4 set he left. I might have given it back and maybe he kept a couple things but as it turns out he wanted 1 bit and an extension from it and didn't care about the rest. He probably owns one 11/32 socket scavenged from something like that and hasn't invested in 30 a piece in 5 different sets he hasn't used in 10 yrs, knows there is a store around the corner and will buy a 5$ single if he really needs it.
Another that owned a small garage, bought himself a 1/4 and 3/8 socket set in SK and all the rest second hand or Sears, maybe a set of tubing wrenches but wasn't scared to get what he needed but wasn't in a race to see how fast he could fill a 10K box with a hundred large in tools. He kept the stuff he used on a HF service cart and the rest in a Sears box that never moved he got for 50 with a few wrenches in it.
I got a lot of **** cus I am the shop and my manpower fluctuates and no one that works here needs to bring tools. We get it if we need it or someone might want it but chances are if we don't have it you don't need it.

 

[TTA579]

Conversely, my $100 chinese-made Crescent starter set, chinese-made Torin jack, and chinese-made 25" HF breaker bar have performed beautifully on the $100k worth of cars I have. (Not a joke.) Why would anyone spend tons of money, or even debt, to purchase the same tools, or more tools that do the same job? (Joke.)

Priorities! I love my small collection of vintage electronics and Craftsman tools. But I'm not going to go broke (even at garage sale prices I would have to spend double or triple to have the same capabilities) doing it.

 

[djb25]

Why spend $40k on a garage and fill it with HF tools?

This is why:

Snap-On - $284.45

1/4" Ratchet Set, General Service, 6-Point (14 pcs. In plastic tray)

http://store.snapon.com/6-Point-inc...-6-Point-14-pcs-In-plastic-tray--P630539.aspx

Harbor Freight - $14.99

21 Piece High Visibility 1/4 in. Drive SAE/Metric Socket Set

http://t.harborfreight.com/21-piece-high-visibility-14-in-drive-saemetric-socket-set-67905-7699.html

The Snap-On set costs 19 times more. 19 times!

I think that pretty much answers everything.

 

[volleyball]

Why would anyone buy a premium luxury brand when they can get a korean knockoff? Well a few can tell the difference, some are just brand snobs and some because they have more money than they need.
You can cook a great meal on a 10 burner gleaming SS range, you also can on a 20 year old avocado green stove from sears.
You get to decide how and what you spend your money on and if someone thinks I should have something they perceive better, I will be gracious and let them buy it for me.