GJ's view on HF Pricing?

[Mr_John]

Technically, the OP isn't new. He's been here about 3 1/2 years longer than you have been. Maybe he doesn't come around much or post often.

As to the OP's question, I flipped through the newest flyer when it came the other day while I had the dog outside. I noticed some prices going up. I compared a LED light strip to Menard's of similar specs, and the Menard's was $5 cheaper.

Then I checked out some grinders, 7" ones. The HF brand was just a few dollars shy of what they MasterForce brand was and it wasn't much cheaper than the Metabo/HPT one that was on sale.

What I did notice, unless I'm blind but I flipped through the flyer 2-3 times and saw no 20% off coupon.

I'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for. Sometimes you find a tool for cheap to do a "one job" project and that cheaper tool will do. Other times, you're in a hard spot and the only tool available to do the job is the cheap one, so you buy to get by.

I've bought some stuff at HF but I'm quite leery of what I buy. If you look through your tool box or garage at your tool and how long you have owned them, what's the additional cost of buying something better if it lasts you 15-20 years or longer ? It's like anything else when you make a purchase, "caveat emptor."

Yes, I think we mostly agree -- HF electric tools like their grinders or that oscillating multi tool have been good deals in the past, but HF has seemed to add flashier names (like "Bauer") and jacked the price up on the same tools - and, I'm not sure what the warranties are on their electric tools. To your other point, yes, the 20% coupons have disappeared from many of the free flyers, but I have seen a bunch of them in magazines. Mags like Motor Trend and Popular Mechanics always seem to have one in them.

Oh, and another point on the coupons - I've noticed that those 20% off coupons are sometimes better than the dedicated coupons for more expensive tools. I happened to notice somebody selling a HF electric Auger coupon on eBay (yes, believe it), but had to laugh when I figured out the coupon the dedicated coupon they were selling was actually less of a discount than the standard, every day, 20% off coupon that appears in most of the HF magazine ads.

I'm in no way a basher of HF - I like the store, and enjoy shopping there whenever I actually can get there before they close (they close at an absurdly early 8 PM on weekdays). Like I've said, I'm just pointing out that you have to be careful if you want to maximize the value you receive. Walmart does **** like this... they lure you in with some unbelievable price on an isle end and give you the impressing that everything in the store is super cheap... but then you look in the aisles, and the prices on some of the items are often higher than competitors. Walmart is known to do this as an inherent sales strategy. They do this on food, as well.

 

[theoldwizard1]

HF prices have increased on some items. Quality has also increased on some (not all) items.

I agree with both of those statements ! Who ever the marketeer was who thought to use different "brand names" on various HF tools was brilliant !

A few years back, I bought a brake piston compression/rewind kit off of eBay. I bought the absolute cheapest one I could find, probably $10-$15 less than HF. I may have used it 2 or 3 times since then.

Some body is going to make a killing on all of my tools when I "kick the bucket" ! Lots of old, "Made In USA" Craftsman. Some decent Chicago Pneumatic and some Astro. Good solid stuff. Neither my son nor my son-in-law do any automotive work.

 

[jayemm]

I'm new here(only 1 post so far) but the OP mentioning about a roll pin jogged my memory about an experience a couple years ago.I bought their assorted roll pin collection as well as their assortment of SAE hex socket head(allen) capscrews .Alot of the roll pins were undersize in uncompressed diameter and would have fallen thru the hole they were supposed to fit.And the allen head screws? At first couldn't understand why my SAE allen wrenches would only fit about half of them.Close inspection showed "8.8" on the heads of some.Yup, they were metric screws with the threads recut to SAE but still retaining metric allen heads.All of this S**t went back.Won't buy their nuts and bolts either.Mostly just get grade 5 from the local hardware store and pass up on the bolts of unknown grade and strength.Just my experience.Has the quality improved? I didn't try to buy these items again to see if the quality improved.

 

[nieuport17]

I just bought the 3/8 digital torque wrench from HF with the 25 % coupon. It ended up to be $120, but only with 90 days warranty.

If I go to Lowes, they have the exact torque wrench under a different name thats $180 but has 1 year warranty.

To me, its a trade off. Cheaper but less days on the warranty.

 

[dnschmidt]

Exactly how did you do that since Quinn isn't covered by the 25% off coupon as are damn near any of their "Branded" lines.

 

[nieuport17]

Exactly how did you do that since Quinn isn't covered by the 25% off coupon as are damn near any of their "Branded" lines.

I watched a youtube video on this and the reviewer said coupon works.
I tried, and yup.

 

[jkesselr]

No, their prices are the same (or higher due to steel/aluminum tariffs), its everything else's prices that have gone up.

Ummm, thank you for making my point. As I said cheaper relatively speaking. If a US tool is $50 and an import is $20, most choose the import. Now, if because of tariffs that import is $35 and the US tool is still $50, or even $55, it becomes a more difficult decision. You are correct, that the consumer pays more due to the tariffs, but it is making our products more competitively priced - relatively to the import competition. Domestic manufacturing has taken a hit because other countries have been able to leverage the lower cost of production as a competitive advantage. Tariffs simply level that playing field. This isn’t a political issue or an us vs. them issue, it is simply that we need to preserve ourselves and sometimes that means short term pain for long term gain.

Getting back on topic, HF prices are increasing likely because of increased tariffs that HF is passing on to the consumer, as well as because they have squeezed out brick and mortar competition (think Sears) based on a race to the bottom in terms of price and can now increase prices accordingly. I think they are overpriced on a fair bit, but remain really competitive on some things.

 

[tym]

Ummm, thank you for making my point. As I said cheaper relatively speaking. If a US tool is $50 and an import is $20, most choose the import. Now, if because of tariffs that import is $35 and the US tool is still $50, or even $55, it becomes a more difficult decision. You are correct, that the consumer pays more due to the tariffs, but it is making our products more competitively priced - relatively to the import competition. Domestic manufacturing has taken a hit because other countries have been able to leverage the lower cost of production as a competitive advantage. Tariffs simply level that playing field. This isn’t a political issue or an us vs. them issue, it is simply that we need to preserve ourselves and sometimes that means short term pain for long term gain.

Of course, it assumes that our patriotic American manufacturers don't take the opportunity to price gouge or pass on their increased cost of raw materials (again, aluminum and steel tariffs) to the consumer. So, if all of the prices increase and the relative price differential doesn't change much, nobody really wins.

 

[M6erfan]

Of course, it assumes that our patriotic American manufacturers don't take the opportunity to price gouge or pass on their increased cost of raw materials (again, aluminum and steel tariffs) to the consumer. So, if all of the prices increase and the relative price differential doesn't change much, nobody really wins.

Shareholders

 

[AreYaSerious]

I feel they are no cheaper then anywhere else on somethings, but anymore the quality on other items aren't much better in box stores tbh.

 

[zendriver]

Shareholders

Maybe that is what the tariffs were about, all along.

Hard to see were average Joe comes out ahead, paying increase prices for everything.

Maybe he'll get a slight pay increase, but that's creating inflation, That will only make things worse.





Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Scrivyscriv]

I'm personally not a fan of the marketing and pricing changes. The point has already been made here that their upper tier sub-brands are close in price to other more reputable companies. I would not buy a battery powered impact driver from HF when I could spend ten or twenty more on a name brand whose battery life I can count on, for example.

 

[kb1982]

Shareholders

Dont forget the govt. wins on the sales tax on the higher prices also.

Sent from my LML713DL using Tapatalk

 

[Nineeightyone]

I'd like to see better selection in their sub-brands. For example, the Quinn ratchets are interesting to me, but I'd like to see one sold on its own, so that I can check out the action before buying. Similarly, I think their socket sets are a bit silly -- why do the kits include shallow and deep SAE, but only shallow metric, with no 6 point deep socket option?

Years ago I was given a Kobalt set with a 72-tooth 3/8" ratchet, and six point shallow and deep metric sockets, a complete run from 10mm to 18mm. Something similar from HF would be an excellent move, as I rarely reach for a 12 point unless dealing with a 12 point fastener, or the occasional hard-to-reach socket.

A harbor freight equivalent would be great for my junkyard/AX bag, ultimately I wound up purchasing a rail of 3/8" deep sockets from Pittsburgh Pro, and adding it to a set with a Kobalt 3/8" ratchet and shallow sockets. I don't have any use for SAE tools, as it appears most newer cars are all metric.

If we're going to have these sub-brands, I expect them to be a higher quality item than the base level, and to be available individually.

With that said, I definitely think the Doyle/Bremen pliers are worth the coin, the quality seems to be a step up from the Pittsburgh Pro line and has impressed me so far.

 

[mcj115]

I agree HF's prices have been rising. Am I going to say anything negative about it? Nope!!!

HF has successfully driven Sears essentially out of the retail business; who I believe was their main completion from years ago for consumer grade tools.

Just this past week in the middle of a project I needed a power hand plane to level out the ridge of a sub floor for a bathroom refresh. I got the el-cheapo which was $40 from HF. Minus the 20% coupon it was $32; when I look on ebay I see power hand planes starting at $28 and change. Overall that is a $4 difference in probably the same plane. for my $4 I got a flashlight included and most importantly I got the plane that day when I needed it in the middle of a project. The biggest thing for me was the convenience, which was worth much more than $4.

HF has overhead to pay for with the rent for their stores and staff to stock shelves, and check you out, as well as insurance and other costs of bricks and mortar. Heck I am happy that HF is keeping their business model the same with coupons (even with exclusions), unlike retail auto parts stores where you essentially pay a stupid tax for walking into the store and buying something instead of buying online and picking up an item. I don't feel punished for going in an window shopping.

Sure you can search and source tools for cheaper; maybe the cheaper ones are better, maybe not. If you have time to plan and wait a day or two for amazon or ebay great! If you need a top shelf bosch grade tool great, then you can get those at several local sources, but you will pay more.

My opinion is that HF tools have their place, even with some mild price increases. With their entry level tools they offer convenience and value. I am not sold on the "better" and "best" grades of tools that HF offers since I see the residual (resale/salvage) value (% wise) of those to be lower than those of established tool brands. The entry level stuff I view as having a 0% salvage value, but the working entry level tool can sit on my shelf until needed again, when I use it a second time it ill feel like a real win.