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Harbor Freight Open Box Items

Pudge87

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2012
Messages
154
Location
Spartanburg SC
Anybody ever find anything worth while? I was there today and noticed the disk brake tool. Originally $39.99, marked to $30. Been wanting that set and upon opening the box, it just looked like somebody bought the kit to do their brakes, then returned it for a refund. I was all prepared with my %25 off coupon to get me a steal of a deal, then found out they don't take coupons on clearance items, oh well. All the other "deals" were utter ****. Half of the pieces missing, with only a couple of bucks knocked off the price...yea right. Anyway, anybody got by with using a coupon or found a deal?
 
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monomach

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 8, 2013
Messages
1,489
Location
Illinois
It's usually the worst deals in the entire store. Serpentine belt tool, ALL of the wrench ends missing...two dollars off. Two ratchet set, one ratchet missing...bumped down to the price it was on sale for, anyway. Wrench sets missing a common size...50 cents off!

Just goes on like that. The only exception so far has been the blue mechanic's gloves. They had a few pairs on there last week that were only missing the card they're normally hanging on. $3 each.
 

IndyGarage

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 29, 2010
Messages
9,673
Location
Indy
I bought the hydraulic ram expansion set - which includes a few extra rams at about 60% off because it was missing one piece. works great.
 

donthelegend

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 7, 2011
Messages
203
Location
St. Louis, MO
My store seems to start at 50% off for open box items, even if the only reason for it being marked open box is because of a broken latch on the blow-molded case. If it's been there for a week, ask the manager and they'll usually knock it down even more.

Most of the open box items I've seen have been missing a single socket/adapter/whatever and the rest of the set is there. So depending on what you need, can be a good deal.
 

erty67

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
1,151
HFs around here are horrible with open box stuff. more times than not, it's cheaper to buy new on sale or with a coupon.
 

upgrading

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
Messages
3,815
Location
Massachusetts
HFs around here are horrible with open box stuff. more times than not, it's cheaper to buy new on sale or with a coupon.
Same here.

I assume they are hoping people will buy these things just because they are thinking "open box" means they are getting a deal.

Unfortunately they are marking down from regular price.
I once saw a pliers set at "open box" with one missing piece for like $10. Only problem was with coupon a new set was $7.99.

Still waiting to see a damaged box/cart.
 

Mr. Brooks

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 11, 2012
Messages
311
I was able to buy the jack below for less than $60 before tax at my local HF. It was marked down then they said 50% off the marked down price. No leaks, holds up the rear of a tahoe just fine. Pretty sure someone used it then brought back. I think the cheapest I has seen this one go is 75-79ish so works for me.

jack here
 

Loscaldazar

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 23, 2013
Messages
2,385
I've always had bad luck with the open box items too

Latest experience was the locking imapct extension set. The first one was missing the longest (and most expensive...?) extension and was 2 or 3 dollars off. The next set was missing a medium sized extension and was marked down $10. What...?
 

The Ratchet Man

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 3, 2010
Messages
660
Location
Georgia
I got both SAE and metric 3/4" drive chrome sets from the clearance section this way. Both were missing the ret hers and one was missing the pull handle. One was priced at $30 and the other at $25. After a little haggling I got both for $20 a piece. I only wanted the sockets anyway so it worked out very well for me.
 

trainman1385

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 13, 2012
Messages
215
Location
Utah
At 25% off for an item being opened, you might as well use your coupon to buy the item brand new
 

chris142

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
6,533
Location
apple valley,ca
Nothin good here either. They have a generator with a busted carburetor on it. Only giving 20% off and no warranty. Can't even buy the extended warranty for it.
 

jacked_72

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 22, 2012
Messages
1,237
Never seen a good open box deal. If you could use the coupon, then yes. But you can't. Usually the stuff on the open box rack is higher than the sale price.
 

strokerace

Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
22
I just got one of the motorcycle saddle stools for $25. The casters are shot but I think it was a good deal even if I spend another $25 replacing them.

It was at $50 a couple weeks ago...

DJ
 
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Vegaman_Dan

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 1, 2012
Messages
2,453
Location
Pacific, WA
During parking lot sales, Inside Track members can get those open box items for 50% off the lowest marked price. That can quickly make it a very good deal.

Example: Motorcycle jack, $129. Discounted to $99 for the sale, then $70 because of open box. I got it for $35 with the IT membership. They had a bunch of returned power tools like right angle grinders, so I picked up a few at $5 my cost. Brake line double tip flaring tool at $4 (hinge pin damaged- easily replaced with a bolt), $70 cart discounted to $10 because the bolts for the casters were missing. That took about $2 worth of bolts to fix up.

It can be a real hodge podge though. Worth looking at, then looking at it again next visit to see if it's still there.
 

nicksnothereman

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 19, 2013
Messages
3,608
Location
In the Mojave
Anybody ever find anything worth while? I was there today and noticed the disk brake tool. Originally $39.99, marked to $30. Been wanting that set and upon opening the box, it just looked like somebody bought the kit to do their brakes, then returned it for a refund. I was all prepared with my %25 off coupon to get me a steal of a deal, then found out they don't take coupons on clearance items, oh well. All the other "deals" were utter ****. Half of the pieces missing, with only a couple of bucks knocked off the price...yea right. Anyway, anybody got by with using a coupon or found a deal?

It's a trap!:lol:
 

Danglerb

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 6, 2007
Messages
9,736
Location
SoCal
My HF is terrible on clearance prices, but catch the manager in the right mood and they will price stuff to sell if you ask.
 

cheechi

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
4,384
Location
Triad, NC
It's usually the worst deals in the entire store. Serpentine belt tool, ALL of the wrench ends missing...two dollars off. Two ratchet set, one ratchet missing...bumped down to the price it was on sale for, anyway. Wrench sets missing a common size...50 cents off!
This is 99% of my experiences as well.
I got my 44in lower cabinet that way for $200.00
And then I found a 44" top box (there were actually 2 available) for $175 just cause the box/crates were basically gone. There's some minor scratches but overall I'm happy with it.
 

perkshotrods

New member
Joined
Jun 1, 2008
Messages
4
I picked up their sheet metal shrinker and stretcher on the stand with foot pedals for 80 dollars total. It was a return and didn't have a scratch on it. I am sure the manager had no idea what it even did. I took it home and it works great..
 

kenburkholz

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 27, 2013
Messages
241
The H.F.s around here are very reasonable on the open box stuff. Usually, it will be a wrench set with one missing for 3 dollars,regularly 9.99 . Fair in my book. My son asked the manager about a battery charger on the table, she said it had been bought and returned several times,no one could get it to work. She sold it to him for 10.00, they were asking 35.00. She said she would gladly take it back. We took it home and took it apart and found two wires were disconnected. Reconnected and lt works fine, not bad for 10.00!. Ken.
 

jmscollinsiii

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2012
Messages
290
Location
Eastern Shore, Md.
They had a black 4 drawer cart on Saturday in the open box section. It was the floor model. After I showed the manager the current $99 coupon I got it for $75.
 

Spudland_Dave

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 12, 2010
Messages
3,025
Location
Maine
I'm no regular HF Shopper, but I've quit looking at the clearance section. As mentioned many times already...it usually comes out to the same if not more expensive then the new stuff if you are a smart shopper.

I've seen many items I WOULD have purchased had the price been right.
 

KingCobra98

Banned
Joined
Feb 20, 2014
Messages
173
my dad got a awesome deal on there generator that is norm 299 new.. bought it for 187$(open box).. the customer brought it back casue it was running rough. Well it was somthing to do with the stickers, I can't remember if it was the choke or the fuel sticker was backwords lol... but it works great now.
 

cagullett1

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2013
Messages
2,203
Location
North Texas
The deals are typically terrible.. but if you talk to a manager and explain how much you would pay for a new one (with the 25% off), the ones around here don't have an issue giving me an additional 25% off of my price on the new one.

I've had the same issue with open box items at Sears as well. I ran across the 30" gladiator cabinet that was open box (missing mounting hardware), that was priced at $160. It just so happened to be during the time that the new ones were on sale for $99. I left with the one with missing hardware for $75 after I noted to a manager that the new ones were cheaper than their open box pricing.
 

flying eyeball

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 11, 2011
Messages
393
Location
seattleish
Both of my 44" boxes were open box...along with my 31 gal oiled compressor :rocker:

I go to the open box section first when I go into a HF store.
 
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