Harbor Freight (Am I Alone On This One?)

[GearHead_1]

It seems like almost everyday I read another post where someone is whining about HF products. No offense intended toward any particular post. Any real Garage Junkie knows what they are getting into when they walk in the doors. Folks, they sell inexpensive tools. Some of their products work. Some of their products work very well particularly when price is factored in. Some of their products are complete garbage. Who doesn't know this? If you want a high end product with a dynamite warranty everytime you open your wallet this probably isn't the place to drop a dime. I'm of the opinion that real Garage Junkies don't expect an SK, Craftsman or Snap On tool when they walk in the door. We should get over this and let it die.

O.K. now, stepping down from my soap box.

 

[bmwpower]

Can we add the "Made in China" talk to this, too?

 

[dink]

Can we move this out of the garage parking were people post pictures of cars....and move it to the appropriate area???????


And on topic....I agree....people should not hope for a million dollars when they know there only getting a penny

 

[REFLEXX]

Fine then, lets start an HF "which tools work or don't work forum" and add catalog numbers and prices paid?

I have several of the orange $18 4" grinders, they have been flawless.

Hyd. jack, sits outside for 10 years and still works.

Plasma cutter - mine was DOA, utter junk.

adjustable wrenches -- crapola


etc..... you ge the idea

 

[Paradise Ridge]

I agree that "most" people know what they are getting when they pick up anything from HF, but not always. Of course there are exceptions, but normally you get what you pay for.

I try to live by one basic rule when I shop there. If it has moving parts, it's going to ****.

Imho,

Scott

 

[Luckydevil]

I try to live by one basic rule when I shop there. If it has moving parts, it's going to ****.

I second that.

I have had good luck with three things from harbor freight. My $20 heat gun, my $6 third arm for soldering, and my rubber mallet.

I bought a cheapo jigsaw that I only needed for one quick project. Of course the damn thing broke halfway through and I ended up just getting a nice one.

 

[Barnaby]

I have been very happy with the aluminum jack that I bought there. I also have a parts cleaner from there that has worked well for many years.

 

[W-Cummins]

Good:

engine hoist 2 ton
2 engine stands ( hd style 1 ton)
older 2.5 ton floor jack
8ton hoist jack
3 ton chain hoist
PF $40 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 socket sets ( the ratchets ****) but these are clones of SK socket sets. The sockets are quite good I have never broken one. These sets are very good to buy to put in the trunk of your car for road side repairs. 3 sets for about $40 you can't go wrong.

120 lb 8" vise
Compact hossfeld style bender
1/2"-1' transfer punches
Bead roller metal fabracation kit


Fair
engine leveling adapter
Transmission tear down table


****!
Plastic welder
4 piece steel pry bar set
pullers


I just looked and see that it appears that they don't have the socket sets any more I dont' know how the newer sets ( for more money) are

 

[oldgoat]

I have some HF tools and have had good luck with the impact sockets and extensions, grinder and cutoff and flapper wheels, and their wrenches have saved me a couple of times. I also have a 2HP air compressor that has worked just fine for a couple of years now. I don't really expect their stuff to be great, but on the other hand it makes it nice to be able to pick up something cheap that you might only use once in a while. I believe in buying good stuff for what I use on a regular basis, but to be honest even some of the name brand stuff just isn't what it used to be either.

 

[eschoendorff]

Fine then, lets start an HF "which tools work or don't work forum" and add catalog numbers and prices paid?

Great idea.

Works:

impact sockets
impact extensions
6 ton jackstands
aluminum "racing"jack (even though I've never raced a jack )
magnetic parts pans
socket rails
welding gloves
Goodyear air hose
hose clamp pliers (well, these are "okay")

****:

Hmmm... try not to buy crappy stuff. I only buy at the retail stores - no mail order - so if the item looks and feels cheesey, I usually run the other way. That being said, I really cannot remember buying anything that was crappy (at least not off the top of my head at 7:15 AM! )

-Ed

 

[BoostAddiction]

I like to buy quality in general. But I don't like to waste money either.

On the quality side, I have a lot of Lista cabinets in the garage because I expect them to last forever and look good doing so.

But I also have some HF stuff as well. For example, I have their (now on sale for $49) chop saw that is a cheap offshore unit. I bought it because I didn't think I would be using one enough to justify spending 4 times that amount on a real chop saw. And the HF unit works fine, actually.

So I agree with the sentiment of the thread starter- if you know what you want, can assess quality, and are willing to take a potentially shorter lifespan, you can go with HF.

I am careful about things that have a safety component to them. For example, I use Russian (!) blades in the chop saw. I don't imagine they came from an ISO9000 factory, so I am very careful to wear potection and stay offset from the saw centerline.

-Will

 

[moparfreak]

Will,

I've been thinking about the chopsaw for awhile now. Like you, I would only need it to make some occasional cuts. Hard to justify $200 on a Milwaukee chop saw when you'll use it for two projects a year.

I've got no problem w/ the whole issue of quality. Clearly people know what they're getting into. BUT, I just wish their power tools weren't such a nasty bright orange color, then maybe I'd be inclined to buy a few more of them!!

Adam

 

[GearHead_1]

Can we move this out of the garage parking were people post pictures of cars....and move it to the appropriate area???????

Actually I thought I did, must have been tired.

 

[kartracer55]

The reason I avoid HF as much as possible is not because it doesnt have an insane price tag but because most of the stuff in there is from china... I dont want to support that place either, as Ed posted an article in an earlier thread that enlightened me on the Harbor Freight founders "humble abode" Nothing but greed involved there. Sell the cheapest tools to makes as much $$$ as possible

Jim

 

[danski0224]

Apparently, due to the number of inquiries about HF stuff, some still think they are getting a deal- something for nothing.

The only people getting a deal are those that make money off the stuff sold by HF. They paid "almost nothing" for the product they are selling you for something.

If someone has to resort to the "I don't make enough money to buy quality stuff" excuse, then why is that? Is it because the once good paying jobs are sent overseas? Is it because real wages for everyone that isn't a CEO have fallen? The underlying reason for your predicament is all the Chinese junk flooding the US market. Keep buying it, and the hole deepens. Eventually, it WILL effect the USA as a whole.

 

[...dave]

i try not to buy anything there, but i did pick up a couple of things for my transmission swap. i got their transmission jack, which was no more than OK, and the 6-ton jackstands, which were rock-solid and very confidence-inspiring. Laying under a 3-ton limousine supported pretty much at full extension on the stands, i never had a worry.

i couldn't find a trans jack anywhere else on short notice, and the jackstands were a quarter of what similar units would have cost from another store (which probably still would have been Asian in manufacture).

...dave

 

[astroracer]

See this a lot in threads like this...
HF junk is made in China so I won't buy it...
I use a lot of HF "junk". The chop saw works fine. I got mine for $50 bucks. Did you know other "USA" companies sell this exact same Chinese saw for $150? It may be another color but it is the SAME saw...
I also have 3 or 4 of the angle grinders... 19 or 20 bucks on sale. Use it up and throw it away... If it does the job I can't justify spending three or four times the money on another Chinese made tool. Where do you think Makita's and Ryobi's are Made? The USA?
Did you know that MOST high end tool companies now source their tools in China?
If you do some research you will find your "made in the USA" sticker actually means "assembled in the USA with Chinese parts"...
I can understand not buying tools because they are junk but, I can't see not buying something because it was "made" in China. More then likely your "made in the USA" tools were also... UNLESS there is a definitive disclaimer...
Mark

 

[gerry]

HF junk is made in China so I won't buy it...

Leme see hee...I.m supposed to pay three or four times as much for a piece of US made junk? Just because something is made in the USA does not mean that it is top grade stuff, either. Junk is junk no matter where it's made. Now for the price of one US madeand branded sidegrinder, I can buy four HF sidegrinders, a whole bunch of wheels, three or four faceshields too boot

One interesting note, I had a Black & Decker 4" sidegrinder apaert six months ago and I muse at how much it looked like the HF. Took both apart and low and behold the parts would interchange! Don't know model numbers of either. I replaced the gears and bearings in the B&D with factory authorized parts and it lasted three weeks before the gears tore up agaon. The HF grinders I have at work just keep on grinding

 

[mister honey]

I have the HF pallet truck/jack, which is frequently on sale for $199 (don't forget your 20% off coupon) and it's a fine product.

I also like the welder's magnets and their MIG torch holder.

Mike

 

[IntrstlarOvrdrve]

We built our entire garage using a HF air nailer...only failed us once, and they gave us a new seal at the store..

You know, and I really hate to say this but everyone saying that they don't want to send their money overseas...take a look at the tag in the neck of your shirt and tell me where its made.