craftsman creep
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- Dec 28, 2022
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- 299
There OK not the best not worst
Harbor Freight, Love Them Or Hate Them
- Thread starter Renegade1LI
- Start date
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Unfortunately they’re a sad sign of the times.
Daughter is ready for a serpentine belt on her old van. Shop wants $150 not unfair considering , but life is expensive and people struggle, so $150 hurts a tight budget.
So it’s an eBay belt and a trip to HF to add a belt tool kit to the collection.
Yehaw.
Daughter is ready for a serpentine belt on her old van. Shop wants $150 not unfair considering , but life is expensive and people struggle, so $150 hurts a tight budget.
So it’s an eBay belt and a trip to HF to add a belt tool kit to the collection.
Yehaw.
Big Bad Dad
Well-known member
I use HF a lot, but get annoyed by stuff like the e mail I got this morning. I am now a member of their inside trac club. So, there is a coupon in my e mail for, today only, 25% off purchase of any item!.
Uh, read the ''exclusions''. Cant be used on tool boxes, jacks, Hercules or Baur tools, etc. Pretty much anything nice and expensive that would be worthy of making a trip to the store for......
Uh, read the ''exclusions''. Cant be used on tool boxes, jacks, Hercules or Baur tools, etc. Pretty much anything nice and expensive that would be worthy of making a trip to the store for......
david3921
Well-known member
But last week, they had a 20% off coupon (Monday was the last day) with no exceptions for ITC members.
BDT/NWMN
Well-known member
Earlier this week, I was looking at My three pair of the Orange Central Machinery jack stands. Four of them: the pair of 6 ton, and one pair of 12 ton, had "acceptable" pawl/cog engagement thru their entire height range. The Second pair of 12 ton had cogs that were poorly cast, were partially filled with flashing, and had about 25% engagement at certain heights. Knowing the state of that pair, I only used them in the lowest position. Tuesday afternoon, I called the Bemidji, Mn store to inquire about the "Exchange" for the current Dayton Jackstands. The reply was to bring them in, so yesterday I exchanged those three pair, and purchased a pair of Green 3 ton, another 25" 1/2" drive breaker bar, a 2" X 30' recovery strap, and some consumables. Being My first visit to this particular store; I cruised the isles a bit, looked over a few other items I am interested in, and concluded: Ya, I will be making a few trips back here. This was a 120-mile round trip specifically for exchanging the jack stands. When I want/need a smaller item from Harbor Freight, I often order online and have the Brown Tool Truck deliver it to My doorstep. The HF in Fargo, ND is the store I normally visited, and that 220-mile round trip has been made countless times. I have yet to visit their store in Grand Forks, ND, which is also a 120-mile round trip. I am neither a Fanboy nor a Hater. HF sells things I evaluate item for item, the same way I do with any other retailer.
driftpin
Well-known member
Wow some trip for you! I'll be driving by one this a.m., while on the way to meet a buyer for a 327 4-bbl. '68 vintage, that was in a project wagon our son and I are going through.
I usually buy cutoff wheels, flap discs, and sandpaper there. I have many tools from them, not my first choice for electrical tools, but I have gotten good service from a side-grinder (I have > 1 of them, from them, different types) and an SDS-MAX demo tool, impact drill both of which have paid for themselves many times over.
I was an ITC member for a year, but didn't renew. I did buy the Vulcan 220 multi-process welder with the refund I got from the class-action suit, it cost under $500 with the voucher I got. Yesterday I used a flux wire-feed welder that was a $38 open-box return item, to weld-up a hinge piece that would have cost me $300 to replace on the project wagon. Yes, HFT has a place in my tools.
I usually buy cutoff wheels, flap discs, and sandpaper there. I have many tools from them, not my first choice for electrical tools, but I have gotten good service from a side-grinder (I have > 1 of them, from them, different types) and an SDS-MAX demo tool, impact drill both of which have paid for themselves many times over.
I was an ITC member for a year, but didn't renew. I did buy the Vulcan 220 multi-process welder with the refund I got from the class-action suit, it cost under $500 with the voucher I got. Yesterday I used a flux wire-feed welder that was a $38 open-box return item, to weld-up a hinge piece that would have cost me $300 to replace on the project wagon. Yes, HFT has a place in my tools.
Depending on the car, you may not need the serpentine belt kit.
The last time I changed a serpentine belt, it was on a Chevrolet. It had a 3/8” square hole in the middle of the tensioner. The perfect tool was a Harbor Freight skinny ratchet (the one with 1/4” drive on one side, and 3/8” drive on the other.
It took me about a minute or two.
I am about as snobby as they come as far as tools go… but Harbor Freight has it’s place.
Look and see if there is a female 3/8” drive recess in the middle of her tensioner.
Attachments
tez929rr
Well-known member
I posted a thread a while back about tools I bought just because GJ member’s recommended them. That ratchet was one - when I finally needed it, it was worth every penny..
Fair…
But a lot of what they sell is much better than the average tools of yesteryear. I prefer using a Dual80… but I would rather use a 72 tooth Harbor Freight ratchet than a raised panel Craftsman. I started with them… and I gave them all away.
One of the best parts about GJ is that over time you get real world reviews based on real world use… the people on GJ have figured out which HF tools are worth buying. They just opened up a Harbor Freight about two minutes away from my house… I am not so snobby as to not see it as a good resource.
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dnschmidt
Well-known member
120 mile round trip. I've got about a 2 1/2 mile round trip to Harbor Freight. Better yet the store is in the same strip mall as L. A. Fitness where I go everyday anyway. How do you rural folks do it? The smallest city I've ever lived in was Austin, TX and Austin isn't that small. I've got four supermarkets within 2 miles of me here in Phoenix. I'm too lazy to live in the country.
BDT/NWMN
Well-known member
Closest small town is a 14-mile round trip, closest parts store and supermarket are a 40-mile round trip, closest Walmart is a 70-mile round trip, and about 18 miles for the nearest implement dealership. The welding, machine, and hydraulic shops all range from 40 to 220-mile round trips. I attempt to make the safaris worthwhile by combining as many stops as possible in a single trip, and rely more on the internet sources and the brown tool truck. Unless I am running low on supplies, it is not uncommon to not leave the yard for two or three weeks at a time. A bit different from the four years I spent in the Fargo-Moorhead area, but it is very peaceful out here.
lolaetype
Well-known member
About 2 years ago the belt failed on the Mercedes. It was simple to replace. No special tools required. It's failure rompted me to replace the belts on the Mazda 6, F150 and my son's Fusion. None of them required any special tools.
I was in out local Harbor Freight this afternoon buying a wall mount for up to a 42" TV that was on sale for $9.99. It's quite a substantial piece of hardware. Appears to be as good as what you can find at certain big box stores for 2 to 4 times the price.
OP
Renegade1LI
Well-known member
I hate them when they put out a 25% off coupon but everything is restricted, almost.
lolaetype
Well-known member
Yes, I was considering buying their small concrete mixer for two projects. It's excluded from the 25% off coupon.
Look at this cheap junk:
Some of the complaints in here are hilarious. Give them a fake number if you don’t want to give them your real one. It’s really convenient when you don’t have to hold onto a receipt or a card for the membership.
Also, I too can’t stand that they carry different cordless tools with proprietary batteries. Why can’t they be more like Home Depot who carry Ryobi, Ridgid, and Milwaukee who all share the same battery platform and aren’t made by the same company.. oh wait.
Harbor Freight is no different than any other store in that there are good things and bad things. If you look at the tool channel reviews there’s some **** that says Dewalt on it that is pure junk. You can generally tell by the brand, just like you can tell that Ryobi isn’t going to be as good as Milwaukee in most products, even though they’re both made by TTI, but some might surprise you every now and then.
I don’t think the problem is Harbor Freight, I think the problem is that some people hate change and have an extremely hard time coping with it.
Some of the complaints in here are hilarious. Give them a fake number if you don’t want to give them your real one. It’s really convenient when you don’t have to hold onto a receipt or a card for the membership.
Also, I too can’t stand that they carry different cordless tools with proprietary batteries. Why can’t they be more like Home Depot who carry Ryobi, Ridgid, and Milwaukee who all share the same battery platform and aren’t made by the same company.. oh wait.
Harbor Freight is no different than any other store in that there are good things and bad things. If you look at the tool channel reviews there’s some **** that says Dewalt on it that is pure junk. You can generally tell by the brand, just like you can tell that Ryobi isn’t going to be as good as Milwaukee in most products, even though they’re both made by TTI, but some might surprise you every now and then.
I don’t think the problem is Harbor Freight, I think the problem is that some people hate change and have an extremely hard time coping with it.
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Ton ton
Well-known member
I may have to check out the earthquake air impact gun. Thank you for sharing!
OP
Renegade1LI
Well-known member
To me HF has taken over for sears craftsman, some was good some not so good, but they were always open. You can go into HF on sunday & get what you need to get the job done, thats what I love about them. Just like sears, wasn't always the best but was in stock & got the job done, they have filled a void.
nadogail
Well-known member
I shop them when i am willing to settle for "Good Enough"
We don't have traffic. That's how we do it.
Big Bad Dad
Well-known member
They are pretty much the only place to buy most tools for DIY mechanics since Sears died here. Other than the big orange or big blue home centers. (Or the chain auto parts store, who sell pretty much the same grade hand tools as HF at higher prices.) And the big fancy tool trucks don't come to us guys that just work on our own stuff in our little home garages.
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Renegade1LI
Well-known member
I'm looking at their portable ox/act torch set, any good? Need to find out if the bottles can be swapped.
Kscardsfan
Well-known member
It's easy. I don't like neighbors or most people in general. Plus shooting guns in town pisses lots of people off, so that helps as well. The convenience of a grocery store or the post office within a few minutes of the house is easily offset by the BS and stress of humanity, traffic, noise and garbage being left in your lawn by people walking by on the sidewalk.
FlaGman
Well-known member
I had no problem swapping the bottles out locally
OP
Renegade1LI
Well-known member
Thanks good to hear, how's the torch?
FlaGman
Well-known member
I’ve used it for test welding, some brazing, and heating up some metal to bend more easily. I haven’t tried it as a cutting torch yet. I don’t have anything to compare it against but it seems fine to me.
When I exchanged the tanks I got the only small oxygen cylinder they had, the guy there said the HVAC techs take them as soon as they come in. If I end up using the torch much I may pick up either extra tanks or bigger ones if I can get some cheap used ones.
driftpin
Well-known member
I have a mal functioning well irrigation pump that's held in the distribution piping with three unions, two are 1-1/2" & one is 2". The 14" ferrous-metal pipe wrench I have closest at-hand undid the 1-1/2" unions, but it was too-small for the 2" union. I went online and saw the pricing for an 18" HFT wrench, and decided to get that. When I got to the store, the 18" peg had none hanging, but they had a 24" aluminum wrench for ~$24, I decided to buy that. It's supposed to fit up to 3" fasteners/pipes. Well see tomorrow how it works. I'm optimistic.
Wow, I think aluminum is over a dollar a pound now...
I'm kind of curious. I have a Victor set that is 45+ years old. Need to get it rebuilt and that's not cheap.
But, I can't shake the nagging doubt about the HF set. It sure can't compare to the Victor.
driftpin
Well-known member
The 24" Al pipe wrench is much lighter, as one would expect. It worked fine, and the irrigation pump is at the shop for new bearings and seals, and removal from the cast-iron pump casing (a ~50 years old Sears square-shaped piece my FIL installed) of two snapped-off bolt shafts, after the bolt heads parted company during disassembly.
I used my oxy-acetylene torch to get the bolt location castings orange-hot, and used PB Blaster, and then straight-jaw Vise-Grips, but those dang broken bolts wouldn't budge. I put 'em through several heat cycles, but I never got 'em to break loose. Off to the shop w/it.
The shop guy whom I know from prior work he's done, asked, "why didn't you leave the pump casing, and just bring me the motor? Next time, do that."
I explained that when I was trying to remove the motor, it wasn't budging from its bracket in the pump housing, and I removed the pump too, to extricate the motor. Hey, it's probably 50 years old, and it wasn't coming apart w/o a fight.
Robery Prsig, in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Miantenance, spoke of gumption traps, things which upset your mental equilibrium. They snag your attention, increase your frustration, and waste your time, sapping your spirit.
I've learned my skills take me to a certain point, and then I need to allow someone whose skills (and tools) exceed mine to deal with the gumption trap I've encountered. It cuts-down upon my cussin' and prevents me from bollox'ing something to where something is ruined, or economically unfeasible to repair (read, 'purchase new') and now going into the scrap pile for recycling.
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Renegade1LI
Well-known member
Today i hate them, they're online inventory is horrible. Said 6" cross slide vise was in stock in 6 different stores, get there, zero.
dnschmidt
Well-known member
I learned this lesson: Call the store and ask them to check physical inventory before you leave. Their website inventory is ALWAYS wrong.
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Renegade1LI
Well-known member
HF's made a pretty good living off me the last week or two. Pittsburgh 1/2" and 1/4" flex head ratchets, 1/2" torque wrench, ICON bolt extractors, two Braun flexible work lights. And I said I was done buying tools.
I don't really hate or love them. I find a lot of their hand tools useful and good value. I guess if I have to pick, I'll take 'love' since I own a fair amount of their tools, and I feel like I usually have good options. I used to like Sears/Craftsman for tool-shopping, but honestly their value-for-money wasn't great for years before they collapsed, and they didn't offer the range of options I generally get at HF these days.
Drill Sergeant Arc
Well-known member
Back around 1978 I wanted to change the rear sprocket on my mx250B, and all but one of those 10mm bolts came out. That hub was aluminum and the bolt was broke off flush. My dad skillfully used a cutting torch to quickly pop that guy out. He set the flame on the smallest tip he had, put it dead on and in a moment nailed that bolt remnant. (mind you, it was a flanged edge and the hole passed completely through which made the problem greatly less complicated) We chased the slag out with a tap. After that I realized I should practice this skill a little on an old junked assembly. Luckily, I had a couple of discarded junk bikes and motors. I wanted to be ready for any situation that could arise. I made a few broken bolts and carefully and diligently practiced removing them with a series of techniques best suited for the materials, learning the use of the torch like my dad exhibited in cast aluminum, drill and re-tap, and using the many types of bolt extractors my dad had on hand. I would say most people are too impatient to learn the graduated series of force involved. Time vs damage, time vs damage reduction/prevention. Trying to get broken bolts out kill a lot of patients if you don't practice on cadavers first.
Recently I loaned my new neighbor the use of my shop and car lift to swap out a ****** in his 20 year old truck. He and his brother are both good mechanics but couldn't avoid breaking off two exhaust collector bolts and a shift cable bracket bolt. I watched them work at them with a Vice-grip and other means for an hour until they exhausted their options (and any bolt stem remaining above surface) and were going to accept compromised options. I ask if I could have a go at them and was able to remove them all in under an hour. The linkage bracket bolt took about five minutes.
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Renegade1LI
Well-known member
FWIW almost everything I bought at hf today was made in Taiwan except the vise. I was surprised the 7 drawer cabinet was made in Taiwan, even the free torque wrench was made in Vietnam.
Not a professional mechanic but have been collecting tools for better part of past 30 years. Due to unfortunate accident caused by a tool failure in early 1980s I've admittedly pretty much been a Snap-on fan boy and certainly prefer tools that are made in USA. Most of my collection reflects that. Have had a rough time past several (well more than several) years financially and have been keeping vehicles longer and doing more of my own work to keep them running and have reluctantly turned to Harbor Freight for no other reason than I can't afford the truck brands anymore. Started off pretty rocky and had bad experiences as often as good ones. Broke a ball joint press, heavy duty rivet gun, micrometer, snap ring pliers, and some others first time I tried them. To Harbor Freights credit, they refunded purchase price no questions asked. Have had pretty good luck with Maddox diagnostics tools and have built a good collection, compression testers, leak down testers, radiator pressure test and fill kits, AC manifold gauge, slide hammer kit, among others. Also had good luck with Daytona Jack, Pittsburgh engine lift and stand. Recently bought a few ICON ratchets and have been pretty impressed, certainly good value. Bought a 3/8 Icon torque wrench that I haven't used yet but looks extremely robust. Now looking at 1/2 socket set at $65 to replace a $500 Snapon set that I had to sell for a fraction of that price. As much as I hate to admit it, Harbor Freight is growing on me and many tools seem to be as good as the truck store equivalents. Not made in USA which I still have a problem with, but the way the country has been heading seems the politicians don't give two hoots either. Bottom line there are certainly some good value well made tools available at Harbor Freight. Also some cheaply made ****. I wouldn't have said that a few years ago.
ScaryFatKidGT
Active member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2023
- Messages
- 35
I have the composite Pittsburgh ratchets, don’t like other Pittsburgh stuff, to cheap.
The new and expanding ICON line is cool tho and their offroad equipment and Daytona superduty jack's are great.
The new and expanding ICON line is cool tho and their offroad equipment and Daytona superduty jack's are great.
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Renegade1LI
Well-known member
I'll add this about hf almost any store I go into the workers say hello, are generally nice and have a positive attitude. Anytime I have needed help they do their best, obviously they're not hating their jobs.
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