Any Canadians bought from HF?

[Piper]

Hi

I know that we all bash HF a lot but there are agreeably some things we all would buy from them. As a Canadian, they apparently don't ship across the boarder.

Have any of the Canadian members bought from HF? If so, how did you get stuff shipped? I find it a bit crazy for them to simply not ship to Canada.

Piper

 

[eschoendorff]

Why would you buy from HF? Just go to Princess Auto. It's apparently the same stuff. IMO, HF is not good enough to warrant the shipping headaches.

 

[ImportTuner]

Guess it like people in the US trying to buy from Canadian Tires; they won't sell to us ...

 

[Jared]

Guess it like people in the US trying to buy from Canadian Tires; they won't sell to us ...

trust me you dont want any of the junk cambodian tire is selling

Jared

 

[wythors]

I'd like to think that you Canucks are smart enough to stay the hell away from HF. There's nothing there that you can't buy from someplace else and probably get better quality.

 

[mrastudent]

I'd like to think that you Canucks are smart enough to stay the hell away from HF. There's nothing there that you can't buy from someplace else and probably get better quality.

Glad to hear you're rich, but not all of us are willing to spend huge bucks on tools that are used infrequently.

 

[wythors]

Didn't say I was rich, newbie. Bad form to come onto a new forum with an attitude like that.

The stuff that HF sells is nothing but unadulterated cheap ****. Some of it dangerously so. If they sell it and it has, 1. a moving part, 2. supports something heavy, or 3. requires a close tolerance fit, stay away.

 

[mrastudent]

Didn't say I was rich, newbie. Bad form to come onto a new forum with an attitude like that.

The stuff that HF sells is nothing but unadulterated cheap ****. Some of it dangerously so. If they sell it and it has, 1. a moving part, 2. supports something heavy, or 3. requires a close tolerance fit, stay away.

And spend 10 times as much on something that will get used twice? If that's your attitude then I hope you're rich, because the alternative is foolish.

 

[JayM]

And spend 10 times as much on something that will get used twice? If that's your attitude then I hope you're rich, because the alternative is foolish.

If you're only going to use it twice, rent it. "Foolish" is to buy something cheap to use twice, then have it break on the first use.

 

[-lecroix-]

I can't help with your question about how to buy from HF if in Canada ... but do want to tell ya not to let the "tool snobs" bother ya. I guarantee some of their fabulous, over priced tools in their multi-level, over priced tool boxes came from China/Taiwan as well.

I have everything from the "oh-so-hallowed-bow-before-me" SnapOn stuff to the lowly Harbor Freight stuff in my box and use them on a weekly basis. Remember, tools don't make the mechanic. The ABILITY of the mechanic does.

I know of many, many guys that are absolute wizards when it come to anything mechanical and use nothing but "unadulterated cheap ****" and on the other hand I know guys that have $40-$50K in SnapOn, MAC, Matco, <insert other over priced brand> tools and boxes that can't change their own oil and plugs.

Their tools are only used for bragging, ego boosting, & compensation for something lacking elsewhere.

Hang in there ... not everyone here is an ***.

P.S. We were all newbies at one time or another ... post count doesn't equate expertise.

 

[OctaneMotorsports]

If you're looking for that kind of thing to go Princess Auto.

 

[wythors]

I am far from a "tool snob". My Snapon collection consists of two combination wrenches that I inherited from my grandfather, three swivel sockets I bought in a thrift store and a 1/4" drive ratchet. My bias against Harbor Freight comes from three purchases that resulted in tools that either didn't work fresh out of the box or broke on, literally, the first use. I still have two items in my garage that I purchased there that are still in use: an aluminum dust pan and a lidded can for used shop rags. The bottom of the can is rusting out.

If that makes me an ***, so be it. It's still bad form to make your 3rd post on a forum a smartass crack.

 

[Piper]

Fewf! What action on this thread!

My main reason for posting the question was this. I am interested in buying the rolling cabinet talked about last week. I've looked at my Canadian retailers and there really isn't anything that compares in the same price range. Now I don't turn wrenches for a living, weekend and evenings. I also don't have 50k in tools but if it came to spending a ton of $$ on a box or on tools, I'd spend on tools. The box is storage as far as I'm concerned. For me to buy the roll around HF box by a Canadian supplier it's more than double even with exchange.

I guess I was just hoping that someone was going to say they get stuff delivered to a cross dock some where near a boarder town and then I could go ask for the same.

So, FWIW, now you know my reasons for the question.

Oh, and hey, Canadian Tire, in my opinion, sells better quality pro mechanics tools than Craftsman. The US Cman stuff is different than the CAN Cman.

Piper

 

[OctaneMotorsports]

Oh, and hey, Canadian Tire, in my opinion, sells better quality pro mechanics tools than Craftsman. The US Cman stuff is different than the CAN Cman.

Piper

I would definitely agree.

But, you're in Muskoka, why don't you drive a few hours one weekend and cross in Sarnia/Michigan or Niagra Falls/New York? Find a Harbor Freight on their website first, then go across with a truck or trailer and buy your box there. From Muskoka to Sarnia would probably be 4-6 hours depending on the traffic and whatnot.

 

[Jared]

Oh, and hey, Canadian Tire, in my opinion, sells better quality pro mechanics tools than Craftsman. The US Cman stuff is different than the CAN Cman.

Piper

I agree it is better than craftsman but its still chiwanesse stanley stuff

 

[MAD]

Maybe you could arrange a swap at the border for a load of cheap prescription drugs. I would try to bring enough ****** to get a better quality tool chest though.

I know this post is not very helpful...Sorry. made me do it.

 

[MarkH]

The stuff that HF sells is nothing but unadulterated cheap ****. Some of it dangerously so. If they sell it and it has, 1. a moving part, 2. supports something heavy, or 3. requires a close tolerance fit, stay away.

For the newbies and others, it isn't snobbishness that drives some of these statements. Most of this group has been in the place where they were, came close to, or saw someone hurt from what looked like bargain items. Even with warranties they cover just the tool, not what was damaged (hopefully not a body part) or broken when a poor quality item broke.

I work in multiple careers at the same time. In the medical one, I can count the injuries of pros using proper equipment on one hand and have fingers to spare. The DIY's they are the ones that get hurt, usually from some short cut or using a tool in the wrong way place. So look at items carefully since even something as innocent as a clamp could have hurt one of my wifes customers badly if it had exploded a few minutes later, the 3 bucks she had saved over Pony's would have been very costly.

So that is why the concern of what is being purchased at the low priced outlets, most have a few things good and after that skip it. Needless to say the roll around is one we are looking also for one of our other businesses, if we have to give to imports, make em work hard for the fewest bucks possible.
Cheap enough to be considered expendable in that line of work.

Now who is doing the ****** swap?