A Truth About Harbor Freight

[zendriver]

You don't have to like them, but if you do and shop there regularly, sooner or later( because of the affordable prices), you'll end up with close to "one of everything", which often comes in hand on certain projects.

Found that out with the Highlander coolant pump. Short sockets, long sockets, extensions, ratchet wrenches, floor jack (to raise engine) serpentine belt tool, etc.. Ended up using some swivel impact sockets, I had purchased on sale two years ago, for another job, I have yet to start.

Recent project, needed a new, less ****** dryer vent outlet. Purchased a fancy one, but it would not adapt to the old pipe, which is a living nightmare to remove. Ok, I think I can adapt the new plastic outlet to fit over the old one, work and look fine.

It had a ridge around the inside that needed to be removed, for a tight fit, against the old one. " Ok, the multi-tool might get the job done. Narrow plastic blade a little dull, no problem, I have a brand new carbide tipped blade unopened." That made the cut pretty good (and loud used HF ear muffs) but not enough room to work to take it all of the way down smooth. " What to use a grinder bit in a drill? No I have the corded die grinder and carbide bits (that cost as much as the grinder) that I purchased for a 5 minute tractor exhaust job a couple of years ago" so I ground the ridge down the rest of the way smooth (more or less). Getting closer but there was a spot in the old outlet that needed a tad bit ground out, so the die grinder and an on sale HF extension cord goes out to the outlet to help finish the job.

Nothing wrong with higher priced tools, but then you have a lot more money into having "one of everything"

Thanks for listening.

 

[MOS3522]

 

[Rinspeed]

The only HF tools I own are a 25" breaker bar and the Pittsburgh Impact sockets, both have been great tools for what I paid for them. Last week they had 40% off sockets so I bought two metric sets of Icon sockets for back up. I'm sure they will be fine as well. My son bought an Icon 3/8" ratchet a couple months ago which is a rip off of the Dual 80 which I have four of. I should probably start using it some just to see if it's worth owning.

 

[Mandres]

You don't have to like them, but if you do and shop there regularly, sooner or later( because of the affordable prices), you'll end up with close to "one of everything", which often comes in hand on certain projects.

Found that out with the Highlander coolant pump. Short sockets, long sockets, extensions, ratchet wrenches, floor jack (to raise engine) serpentine belt tool, etc.. Ended up using some swivel impact sockets, I had purchased on sale two years ago, for another job, I have yet to start.

Recent project, needed a new, less ****** dryer vent outlet. Purchased a fancy one, but it would not adapt to the old pipe, which is a living nightmare to remove. Ok, I think I can adapt the new plastic outlet to fit over the old one, work and look fine.

It had a ridge around the inside that needed to be removed, for a tight fit, against the old one. " Ok, the multi-tool might get the job done. Narrow plastic blade a little dull, no problem, I have a brand new carbide tipped blade unopened." That made the cut pretty good (and loud used HF ear muffs) but not enough room to work to take it all of the way down smooth. " What to use a grinder bit in a drill? No I have the corded die grinder and carbide bits (that cost as much as the grinder) that I purchased for a 5 minute tractor exhaust job a couple of years ago" so I ground the ridge down the rest of the way smooth (more or less). Getting closer but there was a spot in the old outlet that needed a tad bit ground out, so the die grinder and an on sale HF extension cord goes out to the outlet to help finish the job.

Nothing wrong with higher priced tools, but then you have a lot more money into having "one of everything"

Thanks for listening.

I agree completely. I've been stocking my garage from harbor freight for 15 years now. Im equipped to do pretty much anything that my house, vehicles or other equipment might need. There's no way I could afford that level of preparedness if it weren't for HF and all the coupons.

If I were using a tool all day every day professionally I'd go for better quality, but off all the stuff I've picked up I've had very few failures. I'm still using 15 year old $10 angle grinders regularly with no problems.

 

[bonneyman]

I snagged a pair of Pittsburgh composite ratchets and they are some of the smoothest, comfortable ratchets I've ever had.

Now if they just had "S-K" on them they'd be perfect! (Maybe soon they will!)

 

[neophyte]

Or you could just buy Proto, or another “Industrial Brand” for those items were other brands are available, and save money over Snap-On, while still acquiring decent tools.

 

[zendriver]

They don't sell this one any more (they had to go "upscale" to Bauer) but it's one of my favorite tools. I paid about $15 for it. Gets a bit warm if I push it long, but for just chopping something off or a minor cut in sheet metal, It's a gem.

 

[shoggoth80]

Haters gonna hate-buy Harbor Freight!
Seriously though, most of it works fine for the money, and there's some stand out gems. Doing the job is more important than what you do the job with. I'm not a die hard fanboy, and I'm far from a hater. I've got HF stuff in my tool arsenal... Just about like everyone else. Lol.

 

[Chipm]

Twenty years ago I would buy things at Harbor Freight if I expected to use it once and never need it again. Their stuff was cheap but usually good enough.

Nowadays is a totally different story. In my experience, their top end lines compete with the traditional high-quality names. You can buy professional quality tools at HF.

 

[micromind]

They don't sell this one any more (they had to go "upscale" to Bauer) but it's one of my favorite tools. I paid about $15 for it. Gets a bit warm if I push it long, but for just chopping something off or a minor cut in sheet metal, It's a gem.

But it's not cordless.........this is GJ, we don't take kindly to corded tools around here..........lol.

I like the pneumatic versions better, they are smaller and lighter but they use a lot of air.

 

[zimman]

I shop there a lot. Odds and ends mostly but I will own the big Icon roll cab with the hutch some day before I die.
Just to be clear, that's like any day. LMAO
Zim

 

[zendriver]

But it's not cordless.........this is GJ, we don't take kindly to corded tools around here..........lol.

"Never buy anything there with a cord!"

Literally makes laugh every time.

If I had a large air compressor, I'd probably use their air tools.

 

[Jagmandave]

I have Snap On tools and toolboxes, but today I also have two HF 44's and most of the new tools I buy come from there as well. I haven't had an issue with anything I've bought there, and I've been buying stuff from there since 1990.

 

[Treeman]

For us old duffers, it replaces the Sears tool section if one just wants to browse tools for a while and dream of projects that never had any chance of happening.

 

[PCustoms]

The only HF tools I own are a 25" breaker bar

Just used mine today, wish they had a longer one...

Thinking what I have kept over the years:

-Breaker bar
-Piles of 6" clamps (used to have a repeat task that needed dozens, couldn't go broke and they clamp fine).
-T handle Allen wrenches. These **** and only get used to spin loose bolts
-Aluminum speed squares. Bought for welding. They weren't square until I fixed them
-magnets. Cheap and can't really screw up a magnet too bad
-Step drills. Surprisingly good..bought for drilling plastic boxes and have been very abused in thick steel
-microfiber towels. Needed rags to scrub adhesive off fiberglass, were in sale. Dye bleeds if used with acetone
-Moving dolly

I miss my bench brush. Stupidly used it to brush mortar and ruined it. Plastic replacement is terrible

 

[mrvm]

After work I stopped by the local HF for a pair of dolleys. Low price and works great plus the super coupon $8 makes it better. FYI: some of the newer stock uses composite lumber so I searched for the original hardwood version.

 

[cody1325]

"Never buy anything there with a cord!"

Literally makes laugh every time.

If I had a large air compressor, I'd probably use their air tools.

Miter saw is 20+ years old (orange Chicago Electric) and the angle grinder (no name) 30+. Both still work just fine. I'm buying another (the absolute cheapest $20 Bauer one since it's on special) angle grinder here pretty soon to exclusively use with a wire brush. Got to remove the remaining gray paint off the concrete basement floor in order to prep it for epoxy. And, for different jobs, I like equipping different grinders as I hate changing wheels unless necessary.

I tend to always buy middle-of-the-line at Harbor Freight. I've got the McGraw 1/2 impact, and it's a million times better than the worn-out Chicago Pneumatic it replaced. Easier to reverse and an insane amount of torque. Coincidentally, all of my air tools are 20-30 year old Harbor Freight that I inherited. My favorite is an old pneumatic grease gun. Found it missing the hose and disassembled in a bunch of trash where either Granddad or my Dad threw it. I scooped out the dried up bulk grease, soaked it in degreaser (took a week to fully clean it out!), and added a new 4-foot hose. It is MUCH easier than pumping a regular grease gun. I need to find my Lock N' Lube and put it on. I know HFT has a knockoff, but feel it isn't worth it compared to the real thing.

Got a little bit of everything, and I've had no problem with any of it. Really industrial and pro (S-O, Mac) are overkill for most stuff, and most Harbor Freight stuff is better than Kobalt. However, most of my tool purchases are used USA-made. Proto I can get locally from my mine supply, and I get the lower coal mine account pricing as they actually once said I buy more tools than their coal mine accounts (though it's mostly Proto wrenches and Urrea screwdrivers--the ones made with the old Proto ergonomic acetate handle). They must not buy much (I've seen multiple business who buy all tools from HFT), as it's equated to a few wrenches, a few sockets, a few screwdrivers, and a few pliers--plus a couple of old-stock SK ratchets (TUFF-1). When it comes to individual drivers, wrenches, or sockets--mine supply always.

 

[PCustoms]

After work I stopped by the local HF for a pair of dolleys. Low price and works great plus the super coupon $8 makes it better. FYI: some of the newer stock uses composite lumber so I searched for the original hardwood version.

I have so much **** rolling around on these in the garage it's not funny

 

[OccupantRJ]

I have so much **** rolling around on these in the garage it's not funny

I made wall hangers to keep the extra ones from under foot until needed. There are 5 on the wall at the moment.

 

[PCustoms]

I made wall hangers to keep the extra ones from under foot until needed. There are 5 on the wall at the moment.

Let's see:

6 bags concrete mix
Boxes of spare tile
Spare window AC
PTO stump grinder
Vertical bandsaw

There's at least 1 more that I can't remember what it has on it.

At this point if I need to move furniture I'll need to go buy a clean one

 

[Aaron_W]

Twenty years ago I would buy things at Harbor Freight if I expected to use it once and never need it again. Their stuff was cheap but usually good enough.

Nowadays is a totally different story. In my experience, their top end lines compete with the traditional high-quality names. You can buy professional quality tools at HF.

Same, until fairly recently (maybe 10 years) I only had a few Harbor Freight things, all of the simple and really hard to screw up up variety. When I started to get into metal working 2015-2016-ish that started to change. I held my nose and bought the 4x6" horizontal bandsaw with a 25% off coupon, my first HF tool with a cord. That little saw works just fine for my needs, and it is going on 10 years without any trouble. The quality has definitely come up, the mid grade brands like Bauer, Doyle, Quinn etc is more than good enough for DIY work.

I've got a nice Miller welder, but if I were buying a welder today I'd at least consider one of the a Titanium or Vulcan welders. The Miller was not cheap in 2019, but it was a doable buy once, cry once purchase. I'd have to sell a kidney to buy that same Miller in 2025.

After work I stopped by the local HF for a pair of dolleys. Low price and works great plus the super coupon $8 makes it better. FYI: some of the newer stock uses composite lumber so I searched for the original hardwood version.

I love those moving dollies. When they go on sale it is hard not to add another, I've got at least 5 or 6 of them around here.

 

[Bubba Fett]

To be fair, HF has really upped the quality of a lot of their tools. They are also a great place to get things like zip ties, rags, and they have a good selection of chemicals (i.e. Evaporust, Plastidip).

My rule of thumb is: Ignore the "brands" and look for the Country of Origin. If it's Taiwan, Japan, Korea, or Vietnam, it's probably going to be good. If it's from China, it could be good, it could be junk: Inspect the tool for defects.

I generally stay away from their power tools, but Bauer and Hercules are decent. However, I'd trust Craftsman/Porter-Cable, Ryobi, or even Kobalt over them. But if you don't have quick access to those brands (or others), then those two HF brands are fine.

 

[M635_Guy]

To be fair, HF has really upped the quality of a lot of their tools. They are also a great place to get things like zip ties, rags, and they have a good selection of chemicals (i.e. Evaporust, Plastidip).

My rule of thumb is: Ignore the "brands" and look for the Country of Origin. If it's Taiwan, Japan, Korea, or Vietnam, it's probably going to be good. If it's from China, it could be good, it could be junk: Inspect the tool for defects.

I generally stay away from their power tools, but Bauer and Hercules are decent. However, I'd trust Craftsman/Porter-Cable, Ryobi, or even Kobalt over them. But if you don't have quick access to those brands (or others), then those two HF brands are fine.

I'd put Hercules above all of those, and I don't think it's close. The tools are pretty darn nice and the warranty on the cordless tools is great - 5yr. tool/3yr. battery - and easier than Milwaukee to deal with (from what I've heard).

I was dead set on only having two battery platforms in my garage: Ego for OPE and Milwaukee for everything else. I'm been extremely happy with both, as a whole. My challenge was there were tools I just didn't want to spend Milwaukee money on but needed for some of the house-reno stuff I've been doing. Well... "needed" might be a strong word - I've grown to utterly hate cords/hoses. I had the first of several projects where a 5" sander and a jigsaw were needed. I also want brushless tools. The Hercules brushless sander and jigsaw were $99 for the jigsaw, battery and changer (in a bundle) and the sander was $55 (list). So it was a little over $150 for both with a single 5ah battery and a charger vs. $200+ for just the sander and a battery (in one of HD's bundles) and another $200+ for the jigsaw. Having done the first project (kitchenette install), they worked just great.

Honestly, I'd be pretty happy if I had the new Hercules 1/4" router and die grinder too. I love the Milwaukee versions I own, and I'm sure they're better than the Hercules (though people are saying pretty nice things about both), but these aren't core tools for what I do. The Hercules tools would be just fine, just like the sander/jigsaw are, and non-trivial money would be in my pocket. (let's be honest, I'd probably just have bought more tools with it...)

I don't know anything directly about Baur - own none, never used any - but it seems to me it's more in line with the brands you mentioned above

 

[bwringer]

I have a lot of stuff from HF that has added a lot of capabilities to my garage that I otherwise would not have been able to afford at all.

My hydraulic press, for example. $1,000+ (and up, and up, and up) for a 20T hydraulic press just ain't happening. $200? Hell yeah. And it has proven unexpectedly useful, earning a permanent spot.

Several Maddox brand specialty tools and testers have earned a spot, too.

They also opened a store 1.5 miles from my house a few years ago... bastards.

 

[Mr.zippy]

I've had a Pittsburg wobble extension set for over 20 years. My son broke the 1/2 inch extension. I took the broken parts in and they promptly grabbed a new one off the shelf. Some may argue a better brand may not have broke, but decades of use, and a super easy warranty is hard to beat. I've been slowing adding Icon stuff to my tool box. Works well for my use

 

[ecotec]

I still have a lot of Harbor Freight tools that have not been rotated out of my tool boxes.

I still use my 20 year old disc brake turn back tool set.

I still have a few sockets that have not been rotated out of my tools by garage/estate sale finds. Even though I have a lot of high dollar ratchets, I still keep the composite Harbor Freight ratchets.

There are, probably, lots more examples of Harbor Freight tools that I can’t think of.

I have a “snob on a budget” approach to hunting for garage/estate sale upgrades… but I still have a good amount of Harbor Freight tools that are used regularly.

 

[ecotec]

I just looked around my tools. I still use my Harbor Freight 24” breaker bars, protective lug nut socket set, cheapo blind bearing slide hammer, digital caliper and hydraulic jack.

I could probably find a few more things if I looked more.

 

[Bubba Fett]

I'd put Hercules above all of those, and I don't think it's close. The tools are pretty darn nice and the warranty on the cordless tools is great - 5yr. tool/3yr. battery - and easier than Milwaukee to deal with (from what I've heard).

I was dead set on only having two battery platforms in my garage: Ego for OPE and Milwaukee for everything else. I'm been extremely happy with both, as a whole. My challenge was there were tools I just didn't want to spend Milwaukee money on but needed for some of the house-reno stuff I've been doing. Well... "needed" might be a strong word - I've grown to utterly hate cords/hoses. I had the first of several projects where a 5" sander and a jigsaw were needed. I also want brushless tools. The Hercules brushless sander and jigsaw were $99 for the jigsaw, battery and changer (in a bundle) and the sander was $55 (list). So it was a little over $150 for both with a single 5ah battery and a charger vs. $200+ for just the sander and a battery (in one of HD's bundles) and another $200+ for the jigsaw. Having done the first project (kitchenette install), they worked just great.

Honestly, I'd be pretty happy if I had the new Hercules 1/4" router and die grinder too. I love the Milwaukee versions I own, and I'm sure they're better than the Hercules (though people are saying pretty nice things about both), but these aren't core tools for what I do. The Hercules tools would be just fine, just like the sander/jigsaw are, and non-trivial money would be in my pocket. (let's be honest, I'd probably just have bought more tools with it...)

I don't know anything directly about Baur - own none, never used any - but it seems to me it's more in line with the brands you mentioned above

Interesting. I'm pretty sure that the OEM for Hercules also makes some of the other popular brands. So the price/warranty point is a very good one.

I wish they had a better selection of driver bits. They still have a lot of Warrior driver bits, which are ****, and they never seem to have the tips I need in the red or blue packaging.

 

[finn]

I made wall hangers to keep the extra ones from under foot until needed. There are 5 on the wall at the moment.

They fit under a toolbox or service cart. That way they don’t get stepped on or take up wall space.

I mostly use them under plastic tubs, slid under the bottom shelf of wall shelves or pallet racking. Easy to pull the tubs out that way.

 

[Gangly]

Name brand isn't a deal breaker for me, I have several Harbor Freight tools in my tool chests. As long as it gets the job done, and doesn't mar a fastener beyond re-use, I'm good with it.

 

[demarpaint]

IMO they really stepped up their game over the past few years.

 

[WillyBoy]

I had a third bay added to the garage two years ago. My wife's lawn tractor and my 755 are there, plus a lot of stuff that was crowding the two bays of the original garage. Up until then all of the socket sets, screw drivers, and other hand tools were in the basement.
I finally had "boing" moment. Why in the name of *&%#@ am I still running up and down stairs multiple times for whatever I need? Now there's a small workbench in the back of the new addition and HF sockets, drills, screw drivers and a host of other things, making my life easier. I expect that, at this point in my life, all of these tools will out live me.

 

[finn]

I used their quick connect air fittings and an old bed rail to make a hanger for air tools. It’s hanging off the old desk that I added their casters to for a rolling stand that hosts the HF bead roller ( removable with a HF trailer hitch receiver bolted to the side of the bench), and a HF metal brake.

Also regularly use my HF 20 ton press, and still have the Orange 4” angle grinder that I use occasionally, the Bauer bench grinder that I equipped with a diamond wheel as a dedicated tungsten grinder, the English wheel, stand for my Lancaster shrinker / stretchers, needle scaler plus a few other assorted air tools like cutoff wheels, etc. I had to fix the 5” orbital sander. A wire broke internally and had to be spliced back together. Lots of work to rehab a sander that probably cost all of $12 new, and was intended to use on only one project twelve or so years ago.

Lots of people hate their 3” cutoff wheels,. They wear fast, but I’m ok with that, so I always have a dozen on hand. Same with the other abrasives. I typically pick up alternatives if I see a deal.. The small translucent storage boxes are cheap and handy. They beat a coffee can for small items. The zip ties aren’t the best, but ok and cheap.

The old composite 3/8” drive ratchet is my favorite for use in cold weather, disposable gloves aren’t the best I have, but are fairly useable. Hate the Pittsburg combination wrenches,. They’re demoted to offsite tools. I keep the long breaker bar and wheel lug sockets around.

I have their green water pump with pressure tank down by the lake for irrigation. Never completed hooking it up this year, a it seems to rain every few days. It’s a pretty low quality piece I bought as an emergency pump replacement for the shallow well at the shop. I didn’t trust it for that, so I bought something else and demoted the Doyle (?) to lawn watering duty.

I also use the HF vibratory tumbler bowl with their pyramid ceramic abrasives for cleaning and derusting fasteners, etc. noisy, but effective as long as you dump in diluted Simple Green or the like. Useless if run with dry abrasives.

The Purple spray gun is satisfactory, especially considering the price. The aluminum jacks work fine, but I’m wary of overloading them.

The dead blow hammer and several other plastic items ( handle on the angle grinder, hoses on the planishing hammer) failed the cold storage test and spontaneously disintegrated while in storage, and how anyone could make a zip tie cutter that doesn’t work eludes me.

The bimetal hole saws work well, and where else can you find a 6 1/4” hole saw on a Sunday? The carbon steel hole saws are junk. They dull if in the same room as a piece of hardwood. Drill bits with the 1/4” hex shank sort of work, if you can find a set where all the bits are concentric with the hex portion. Non concentric drill bits are utterly useless.

The five drawer and two drawer service carts are gems, if you can get used to the drawer release on the 5 drawer, although someone says that’s been redesigned. The large grey open top roll around cart is flimsy, and required too much reinforcement to recommend.

I didn’t realize I had this much HF stuff until I made this list. A lot of the HF items I own have been demoted to secondary use, and some were bought for one time use initially, but many of the larger items I would never have justified purchasing if there wasn’t a low cost HF option to industrial quality and priced products.

 

[nh_yota]

IMO they really stepped up their game over the past few years.

I think they are trying to fill the niche left by Sears.

 

[ecotec]

I think they are trying to fill the niche left by Sears.

Yes… but they carry specialty tools, in store, that are far beyond what Sears carried.

 

[woody 73]

You want the truth the whole truth and nothing else will do...

For me when sears died HF took over and I can walk in and see tools again just like walking into a sear's craftsman store period.

 

[finn]

I think they are trying to fill the niche left by Sears.

I agree, but I’ll also say that I still have a number of eighties and perhaps even nineties Craftsman power tools that are obsolete and generally scorned here. They still work, but are quite obsolete by today’s standards. I can’t bring myself to invest too heavily in tools from HF when there are reasonably priced alternatives from the likes of Dewalt, Bosch, or Milwaukee, at least at this point in life.


Same for hand tools. My old Craftsman tools serve the purpose, but I sometimes wonder if more industrial quality tools wouldn’t have been a better use of my, at the time, scarce funds. No easy answer. Specialty tools like brakes, bead rollers are a different story, as the commercial quality tools are priced above what I’m willing to pay, and I am not willing to waste my time at estate sales and auctions anymore looking for the elusive and mythical deal of a lifetime.

 

[demarpaint]

I think they are trying to fill the niche left by Sears.

I'm thinking improve upon it, bringing it back to the way Sears tools were regarded 40-50 years ago.

 

[gmcgeo]

HF is great for me.

I would buy most everything there.

I had issues years back with the corded grinders, always giving me issues. I stopped buying those and went Milwaukie for that.

I do not have any of their cordless tools. I bought a 10" miter saw and the folded stand for it, the Hercules model. I love it, works very well.

Couple other things i do not use, grinding wheels, cutting disks, flap disks, welding rods. For all my abrasives i buy from Benchmark Abrasives.

For my own uses and not in a commercial space, HF works well in my garage.

 

[Skellyii]

IMO they really stepped up their game over the past few years.

They need to start selling individual sockets IMHO.