Harbor freight is evil...(accessorizing my Maxjax)

[PowerDubs]

After learning they have a store in PA on the way to my in-laws house, I have no excuse not to stop in and buy stuff. Problem is, I buy more stuff than I really need.

Just picked up one of the garage air line kits and 2 hose reels to hang over my lift towers. No more having to drag the hose underneath to work on the other side.

Next project is to take down the opener so I can lift the car up all the way.

 

[bb1970]

The thrill of going to HF will wear off really quickly. Once you notice most of what you get there is junk. I've made several purchases there. And never really got anything of any quality. I've bought air tools there, electric tool there, hand tools there. Never buy anything there and expect it to last.

 

[jtbinvalrico]

...nice job on the air hoses. I've got a HF right up the road and I'm in there often.

 

[jakeb]

Do their air line kits leak? I have heard they are no good compared to the real thing from rapid air but not sure how different they could be.

 

[Wanna Ride]

The thrill of going to HF will wear off really quickly. Once you notice most of what you get there is junk. I've made several purchases there. And never really got anything of any quality. I've bought air tools there, electric tool there, hand tools there. Never buy anything there and expect it to last.

Another Snap-On stockholder chimes in...

 

[hetkind]

Well, I won't buy any pneumatic accessories from HF, 99% can't take the pressure my two stage compressor puts out, not even their regulators.

On the other hand, I have been using their tire machine for 10 years and only had to weld it once.

Howard

 

[Fastback]

I have a HF tool near me and wile I would not build a race engine with a cheap torque wrench some of the sockets and wrenches aren't that bad...decent hammers also.

I bought one of there tiny winches for a crane thats on my work truck, its two years old and can still lift up heavy tools into the truck or parts of trees.

I just hate supporting China so limit my exposure where I can, but often the same products are sold at big box home improvement stores under a different brand anyway.

 

[nismomans13]

HF is a great for consumables like flap wheels and stuff, I don't trust their cut off discs but i get them for free anyway. I have their hydraulic spring compressor and its pretty good. Worked for my half ton truck. Theres a few gems in that store. You can't beat their prices on air hose and stuff.

 

[Dragster Racer]

As far as the pressure a two stage can put out: Don't you use a regulator??? Most all air tools have a rating for pressure. And it is probably less that "your two stage can put out".
I bought the air line kit, and didn't have good luck with the fittings leaking. My first mistake was trusting the sealant that came on the npt threads. I should have re-wrapped them from the get-go. About half of the push-lock fittings leaked for me. I replaced them, and still have a couple leaks to chase down. The concept is great, and it is easy to use. The fittings just didn't treat me well.
You have to be aware of what you are asking of HF tools. I bought the under lift jack stands, both versions, and they are great. Built very heavy duty, and the price was very reasonable. The high lift oil drain has been fine too. Would I demand more if I was using them every single day? Sure! Do I expect electric tools from HF to last? No. Would I use a HF torque wrench to tighten the rod bolts in my 8,000 rpm small block? What do you think? You just have to use your head, and take a chance now and then with their products.

 

[allinon72]

HF products are either a stunning value or absolute ****. There is no in-between it seems. So research on the product before buying.

 

[jeffk14]

HF products are either a stunning value or absolute ****. There is no in-between it seems. So research on the product before buying.

I mostly agree. I'd edit slightly to say:
HF products are usually either a stunning value or absolute ****. There is not much in-between it seems. So research on the product before buying.

Some of the better quality items at HF that are not that much cheaper than can be found elsewhere, like their double box end ratcheting wrenches. They're "about" as good as GearWrench, but not a whole lot cheaper than GW, if you find GW on sale.

Some of the other items are just barely serviceable, but an acceptable (and MUCH cheaper) alternative for something that will only be used once in a great while. I wouldn't call those items a stunning value or absolute **** either.

 

[Pronkie1]

Agree with all above post about Harbor Freight....Live across the freeway from their headquarters.....Go by them everyday to get on the freeway....Once a month they have a parking lot sale.....Good news is the store is in the back of the headquarters so I don't see it unless I go directly there....Funny when you look at their parking lot and all the nice BMW's and Mercedes are parked up front(must be management's) and employee's cars are parked off to the side lot....

 

[NWphotog]

I mostly agree. I'd edit slightly to say:
HF products are usually either a stunning value or absolute ****. There is not much in-between it seems. So research on the product before buying.

Some of the better quality items at HF that are not that much cheaper than can be found elsewhere, like their double box end ratcheting wrenches. They're "about" as good as GearWrench, but not a whole lot cheaper than GW, if you find GW on sale.

Some of the other items are just barely serviceable, but an acceptable (and MUCH cheaper) alternative for something that will only be used once in a great while. I wouldn't call those items a stunning value or absolute **** either.

Yep, some stunning values, some absolute ****, and quite a bit of serviceable items at incredible prices. If a person wants to buy wo thinking, buy Snap-on and pay at least 10x a reasonable price.

 

[IDASHO]

90 percent of the stuff I buy there are consumables, in bulk. Things like ear plugs and cheap paint brushes for one-time use jobs.

Some things, like my air regulator/filter, needed a simple tear-down and reassembly to work. The product is decent, but I dont think the guy assembling it could read Chinese.

 

[Bull]

Can any thread about HF just NOT devolve into people saying it's all ****? Seriously. It has nothing to do with the OPs post.

In a similar vein, not every thread about SO should devolve into discussion about how it's all overpriced.

Don't expect these types of posts to survive.

 

[PAToyota]

Thank you, Bull!

 

[slowtwitch]

I've been using the same hose reel for the past 2-3 years...works great

 

[Jay H 237]

Did those reels come with the hose or was the hose purchased separately?

 

[Vettman]

Mine came with hose .

 

[SyTyJim]

Looks good!

How tall are you ceilings?

Thanks,
Jimmy

After learning they have a store in PA on the way to my in-laws house, I have no excuse not to stop in and buy stuff. Problem is, I buy more stuff than I really need.

Just picked up one of the garage air line kits and 2 hose reels to hang over my lift towers. No more having to drag the hose underneath to work on the other side.

Next project is to take down the opener so I can lift the car up all the way.

 

[malibu101]

HF is a great for consumables like flap wheels and stuff, I don't trust their cut off discs but i get them for free anyway. You can't beat their prices on air hose and stuff.

I'm not going on a HF bash, in fact I agree they do have some very good values on certain items.
I convinced myself to try some different abrasive consumables over time from them as the HF price is much cheaper than the others.
However, I've feel their abrasives wear down very quickly as compared to other "name" brands I typically get like Sait, Norton, 3M, etc.
As you said about their cutoff wheels- I was amazed at how quickly they wore down as compared to the 3M Green Corps wheels I normally buy.

 

[bb1970]

Another Snap-On stockholder chimes in...

I own VERY little Snap-on stuff. Most of my tools are Craftsman. All the other name brand stuff is used items I've got a great deal on. You've got to admit a great deal of HF is inferior if not just plain ****.

 

[ChargedUp!]

I just went and picked up a ****** jack that uses a 1/2 inch drive to raise and lower. It's pretty cool so far. Their stuff is pretty cheap but normally, I don't need to use it every day so I don't have a need to spend a bunch of money on a tool I will only use just a few times.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

I own VERY little Snap-on stuff. Most of my tools are Craftsman. All the other name brand stuff is used items I've got a great deal on. You've got to admit a great deal of HF is inferior if not just plain ****.

These days so is a lot of the Craftsman stuff.

 

[Dragster Racer]

Most of the posts have stated the good and bad about HF. And I agree with the post about Craftsman being not as good as they used to be. They just aren't. Still just as expensive though. HF has made some great strides in quality in the past two years from what I can see.

 

[ket-tek]

I'm not going on a HF bash, in fact I agree they do have some very good values on certain items.
I convinced myself to try some different abrasive consumables over time from them as the HF price is much cheaper than the others.
However, I've feel their abrasives wear down very quickly as compared to other "name" brands I typically get like Sait, Norton, 3M, etc.
As you said about their cutoff wheels- I was amazed at how quickly they wore down as compared to the 3M Green Corps wheels I normally buy.

Pretty much my exact experience. Specifically the 4" cut off wheels. The 10 packs are a great price, but you can just about watch the diameter go down as you cut (if it doesn't explode first, wear your saftey gear!).

I usually get 3M packs from Napa for a decent price, but they are not always in stock, so in a pinch I get can grab a couple Dewalt singles from Lowe's at like $3ea, but damn that wheel will last for quite some time and they have so much reinforcement fibers they don't typically explode like the cheap ones..

 

[ket-tek]

To OP, you'll love working with the hanging hoses now. No more fighting the hose all over the floor getting hung up and draggin other stuff on the floor around with it. And one on each side of the car is a good idea so your not banging the hose all over the car getting to the other side..

Some of the better quality items at HF that are not that much cheaper than can be found elsewhere, like their double box end ratcheting wrenches. They're "about" as good as GearWrench, but not a whole lot cheaper than GW, if you find GW on sale.

I've had 3 Gearwrench's explode the guts out of the box end on me. I have not been impressed. So if the HF are 'about' as good, that's not saying much in my experience..

 

[Spam16v]

just have to shop @ HF with a strong prejudice, got my start as a line tech with some of their stuff. grew up and grew out of a lot of it, trickled down to home use, and such, some destined directly for the trash.

 

[jeffk14]

I've had 3 Gearwrench's explode the guts out of the box end on me. I have not been impressed. So if the HF are 'about' as good, that's not saying much in my experience..

Oh well, I guess that's what the lifetime warranty is for.

 

[drmoonshine]

Looks good what other accessory do you have for when using the MaxJax. What cars do you work on?

 

[charlesskelter]

I assume you only have the compressor on when you are using it and you don't leave the system pressurized? If you do leave it pressurized I'd suggest finding a way to point that hose away from your car. Even at 90psi when an end splits off a hose (and it will, they all do eventually) you're going to lose some glass or gain a dent in that GTI. Working at a shop I've seen plenty of those come real close to causing damage and they were routed away from the customers vehicles. Just my .02.

 

[Daddy_Rabbit]

I own VERY little Snap-on stuff. Most of my tools are Craftsman. All the other name brand stuff is used items I've got a great deal on. You've got to admit a great deal of HF is inferior if not just plain ****.

how does anything you typed in your last two posts relate to the original posters comments?

 

[jduffle]

I have a HF just down the road from me, fortunately i do not drive by there every day or i would be in trouble.

As far as the tools...Say what you want about them, but id rather have HF tools than NO tools at all incase i break down on the side of the road!

 

[Joe From NY]

Here is a shot of a tool cabinet on display in the HF store in Hempstead NY. I guess the chinese guy in the factory who assembled this couldn't read english.

 

[ratdoggy]

Here is a shot of a tool cabinet on display in the HF store in Hempstead NY. I guess the chinese guy in the factory who assembled this couldn't read english.

Nor could kality contwol.

 

[Poppa Bud]

HF products are either a stunning value or absolute ****. There is no in-between it seems. So research on the product before buying.

I agree but tend more towards the absolute ****.

I bought a paint gun there that did a great job on most of my MGB paint project, but unfortunately one of their inline air dryers was a complet POS and caused many hours of rework.

The disposables you buy there (sandpaper and other abrasives are the only ones I've bought there) are complete ****.

Hand tools are ok if that's all you can afford. After having a pair of diagonal cutters shatter on me as I was cutting a nail I'll never use them again.

I do have a flanging tool and cut off tool that work ok.

Use HF tools at your own risk and make sure you use all your safety gear when you do.

 

[reddog289]

I have an Uncle who loves Harbor Freight, Which is fine by me. Exept for the fact there is no HF store near him. That means many trips to HF for him. I do not need any hand tools from HF since I have many tools , some from said Uncle that were Built here in the U.S.. I have purchaced a few name brand U.S. built tools there also, Yet not recently.
I can say that if I need to return something I never have a problem. They are on par with Sears in that aspect in my book.

 

[mikeytint]

Hey Joe from NY how is that hempstead store i have been trying to get there myself but just cant seem to do it

 

[Snake87]

To OP, you'll love working with the hanging hoses now. No more fighting the hose all over the floor getting hung up and draggin other stuff on the floor around with it. And one on each side of the car is a good idea so your not banging the hose all over the car getting to the other side..




I've had 3 Gearwrench's explode the guts out of the box end on me. I have not been impressed. So if the HF are 'about' as good, that's not saying much in my experience..

Yeah one on each side of the car is a great idea. I'm totally stealing that one.

 

[qctech]

I was cracking up when I saw that when I went to the Hempstead Harbor Freight. Thats some funny stuff!!!!!