Amazon replacements of HF products

[qqzj]

For disposable tools/supplies, HF used to be my #1 go-to. However, since Covid, it is no longer convenient for me to visit HF any more and gas is so expensive! So I need a place to replace HF. For the two items I need, I actually found pretty promising replacements of HF products. In the unlikely event, I'd like to hear your feedback on the comparison. Further, hopefully we can have a thread to collect products on Amazon that can be used to replace HF. Here are the two I have in mind. Let me know what you think. Thanks!

1 Punch and chisel set

16pc on Amazon for $14 vs $15 for 12 pc at HF

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07V811652/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[qqzj]

BTW, what happened to the site? Whenever I copy paste a picture, the website wants to die. Can someone take a look?

2 Dead blow plastic hammers

I want to use it to hammer on CV axle during installation. What is the correct weight I should use? Suppose it is 3 lbs, then Amazon got it for $6.6 and it is $9.9 at HF. Man HF is surprisingly expensive these days.

Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08K9QW2CQ/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[qqzj]

So do you think the stuff sold on Amazon can credibly replace HF ones? Thanks!

BTW, the website is really screwed up when copying and pasting pictures. Someone should take a look. I was forced to separate one post into three pieces and had to shut down firefox once to get everything back to normal. It didn't work so bad previously ....

 

[duneslider]

I have bought a handful of cheap chinese HF type tools on amazon and have found them the same quality as HF. For things that I would consider buying at HF I am fine buying on amazon.

I bought a tacklife rotary hammer drill from amazon and have ended up using it WAY more than I planned and it is working great. I bought quality bosch bits to run in it and it is working great. Not as nice as the hilti, makitas, dewalts we have at work but it has been exceeding my expectations so far. I rarely go into HF now.

 

[MushCreek]

Sometimes; sometimes not. For things that cost serious money, I can usually find a cheaper source on ebay or the like. Sometimes HF is hard to beat. I just bought six 6" bar clamps at HF for $2.99 each. On Amazon, they are $9.99. I tend to shop all over the place for most stuff because I'm cheap and poor. I needed some cheap trailer tires, and after searching all over, WalMart was the cheapest by far. Free shipping, and I got them in just a few days. I think that with prices changing so quickly, sometimes you get lucky and grab something before the price jumps up.

 

[Raineman]

I bought a set of HF punches/chisels very similar to the Pittsburgh set the OP posted. I've been abusing the snot out of them for almost 40 years, about 25 of which were in daily auto shop use. I would not hesitate to buy them again if I needed to. A couple broke or bent, but man have they taken some serious abuse.

 

[gmcgeo]

only benefit on HF is i can grab the parts the same day. Amazon is great if i want to wait 3-4 days. even my free 2 day ship doesn't arrive until 4 days after it ships.

 

[WWheeler]

Ever since Harbor Freight introduced their new lines of tools it appears their quality has gone up but so has their prices. I used to walk in there and spend a lot on one-off tools that I knew I would rarely use more than once, but now they've got stuff priced way too close to professional brands. The last couple times I've went in there I left with nothing as it's become a lot easier to find a sale on a pro brand tool than it is to find a HF coupon on one of their Hercules or Icon tools.

 

[Brandon_oma#692]

I like to buy in person when practical so I can look at what I am buying. A quick "quality inspection" before it goes in the cart. Making sure pliers, cutters, etc line up correct when closed and move smoothly for an example. Many times I look at 2 or 3 of an item for get one I "like".

Needed some posts for chicken wire fence the other day. At Farm and Fleet the same sku was 2 different colors of green. One made in USA one PRC (people's republic of China) all the 6' USA ones went in the cart.....

 

[Iridium rand]

I wouldn’t be surprised at all if there was a large overlap in amazon basics branded tools and HF made by the same manufacturer that’s for sure

in any case it’s still two very different business models and there are benefits to each. Buy it from HF if you need it today or tomorrow, order off amazon if you’ve got the time to wait for shipping. Certain tools or consumables you may find have no cheap amazon equivalent or HF only offers one type and it’s lacking in quality etc. every case is different

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

I got a set of the orange hf ones years ago and i used them as a diy guy and I think they are trash. I have 1 or 2 of them left. I see someone else had good luck with them for the most part. Most of mine are used one’s from garage sales or something. Menards carries some wilde or mayhew I believe, that is if you have one nearby. If you’re ordering online i think the tekton are worth a look if you use there website over Amazon

 

[Renegade1LI]

The benefit to HF is I can run there sunday morning if I need it right away. On LI HFs are in almost every town, 5-8 miles apart.

 

[zendriver]

I would think that one set of $15 chisels is as good as the next.

IMO most of the stuff harbor freight sales is generically made and probably sold under different names and configurations.

 

[kjbenner]

The nice thing about Amazon is they carry a range of price points. For your punch and chisel example, scrolling through the results you've got super cheap imports (amazon basics, a whole bunch of names nobody's ever heard of), imports from companies with decent reputations (Astro Pneumatic, Stanley, Tekton), US-made "industrial" brands (Proto, Mayhew), and fancy stuff (Starrett, Mitutoyo).

Sometimes their prices are great, sometimes they're awful, so if you're buying something made by a real brand it does often pay to Google the part numbers and see if you can get it cheaper elsewhere.