Harbor Freight: Quality vs. junk

[ThunderRolls]

I buy from several places, but have in the past checked a thread here were various HF products were reviewed expressing views about which were quality and which were junk. I just reviews 18 pages with HF in the title and can't find the thread. Any help here?

 

[ericg]

The Harbor Freight PASS/FAIL Thread...

The problem with HF is that some of their stuff is decent, and some of it is horrid. But you never know which is which, till you buy it and try it. So what if we made a thread where we posted our HF purchases with a PASS or FAIL grade? After awhile we could check this thread and see what's...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[zendriver]

One of the requirements of a new user, is to read the entire HF PASS-FAIL thread.

It good training.

 

[driftpin]

HFT has its place. I've got numerous HFT items, from portable bandsaws and their handy stand, for either vertical or horizontal cutting;





to a demo hammer/drill which paid for itself the first time I used it,



to a 4" orange-bodied side grinder/cut-off tool that is probably >25 years old and it still does the job.



I have a multi-process Vulcan OmniPro 120V/240V welder which I'm learning to use.



I have some back-up 3/8" & 1/2" socket sets, a kit of screwdrivers in slot, phillips, and Torx sizes; and lots of disposables/consumables, like flapper wheels, cut-off discs, grinding discs, and a 14" cut-off 120V tool. I found a 4 ft LED 120V light to be of much-use working in and under vehicles, it provides good lighting and it hasn't broken yet. I'm old-enough to recall working with incandescent bulbs in a 'drop-light extension cord' an aptly-named tool. Drop the lamp, and go retrieve the replacement incandescent bulb you have on stand-by for just such a failure of the broken filament.

Here's a HFT media blasting cabinet for which I made a base to convert it from a benchtop to a stand-alone. I also used fine stainless-steel mesh over the viewport to prevent it from etching so-quickly and it works well.




I have nearly-all my hand tools like sockets and wrenches, and ratchets, as USA Craftsman, S-K, and Wright, most bought last century. But I have gotten good use out of my HFT items.

 

[willf650]

Do you remember a time that Harbor Freight occasionally had name brand tools?

I have a 1/2 drive sk deep socket set from there as well a Chicago Pneumatic die grinder and I’m pretty sure my Ingersoll-Rand air hammer came from there.

I remember they aslo frequently had dewalt stuff but think that was reman stuff.

This was when they were a catalog and didn’t have all the physical stores.

 

[BIGTOY44]

Do you remember a time that Harbor Freight occasionally had name brand tools?

I have and 1/2 drive sk deep socket set from there as well a Chicago Pneumatic die grinder and I’m pretty sure my IngersolRand air hammer came from there.

I remember they aslo frequently had dewalt stuff but think that was reman stuff.

This was when they were a catalog and didn’t have all the physical stores.

I remember it well.

 

[kbuhagiar]

Don't remember that at all.

 

[OccupantRJ]

I have been buying from Harbor Freight since around the late 70’s when I found a small block ad in the rear of Popular Mechanics magazine with an 1-800 number to call. I called several times over a two week period before I got an answer. When I asked about a catalog I was told they only had printed sheets describing the various freight items in inventory at the time, which were actual shipping salvage items. I was mailed several sheets and I have been buying from them ever since. I wish now that I had held onto those early sheets to post pics of.

 

[Steel_Rain]

Do you remember a time that Harbor Freight occasionally had name brand tools?

I have and 1/2 drive sk deep socket set from there as well a Chicago Pneumatic die grinder and I’m pretty sure my IngersolRand air hammer came from there.

I remember they aslo frequently had dewalt stuff but think that was reman stuff.

This was when they were a catalog and didn’t have all the physical stores.

This was long before my time, but Wayback Machine agrees with you. A snapshot from 16 October 1997 (yes, that was 28ish years ago):

 

[RTM]

Do you remember a time that Harbor Freight occasionally had name brand tools?

I'm pretty sure I bought my Channel lock 480s from them in 1979 or so, called it in I think.

 

[Kscardsfan]

Do you remember a time that Harbor Freight occasionally had name brand tools?

I have and 1/2 drive sk deep socket set from there as well a Chicago Pneumatic die grinder and I’m pretty sure my IngersolRand air hammer came from there.

I remember they aslo frequently had dewalt stuff but think that was reman stuff.

This was when they were a catalog and didn’t have all the physical stores.

Yep, similar to Northern. Mainly reman and closeout stuff seemed like, but I remember it from when I was a kid.

 

[Kscardsfan]

I have been buying from Harbor Freight since around the late 70’s when I found a small block ad in the rear of Popular Mechanics magazine with an 1-800 number to call. I called several times over a two week period before I got an answer. When I asked about a catalog I was told they only had printed sheets describing the various freight items in inventory at the time, which were actual shipping salvage items. I was mailed several sheets and I have been buying from them ever since. I wish now that I had held onto those early sheets to post pics of.

If you look at some of the early stuff, it actually said Harbor Freight Tool and Salvage on them. We warrantied an early torque wrench when I worked there and I saw it and couldn't believe it. Nor could I believe it was made in S. Korea.

 

[willf650]

This was long before my time, but Wayback Machine agrees with you. A snapshot from 16 October 1997 (yes, that was 28ish years ago):

Yes, I remember they sold Quincy too but that was above my pay grade at the time.

Had a 30 gallon oilless craftsman at that time that I rebuilt 3 time before I finally sold it.

Air tools were about the only choice at the time for impacts but that’s not the case anymore. Still think air is the best option for die grinders though.

 

[JimH74]

I bought a 20 gal Campbell Hausfield air compressor there. One of my first purchases at Harbor Freight.

 

[86turbodsl]

i can add a fail item to this thread. I recently bought a 10pc knockout punch set, intended as a copy of greenlee punches. I usually use the 1/2 in knockout for my work. Failed first use, the cutting die shattered, and the bolt bent, as a result, the bearing also deformed. Utter junk and into the trash.

 

[kbuhagiar]

i can add a fail item to this thread. I recently bought a 10pc knockout punch set, intended as a copy of greenlee punches. I usually use the 1/2 in knockout for my work. Failed first use, the cutting die shattered, and the bolt bent, as a result, the bearing also deformed. Utter junk and into the trash.

Why not return it? HF is usually pretty good on returns.

 

[mreisner]

If you look at some of the early stuff, it actually said Harbor Freight Tool and Salvage on them. We warrantied an early torque wrench when I worked there and I saw it and couldn't believe it. Nor could I believe it was made in S. Korea.

Before that it just said Harbor Freight Salvage. Damn I'm getting old.

 

[mreisner]

One of the requirements of a new user, is to read the entire HF PASS-FAIL thread.

It good training.

Nice touch!

 

[rmack898]

The first HF mailings were 3 legal sized mimeographed sheets of yellow paper that were stapled together in the middle and folded in half.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Before that it just said Harbor Freight Salvage. Damn I'm getting old.

Yes, we are!Right there with you! It was named Harbor Freight Salvage when I first answered the little block ad in Popular Mechanics magazine.

 

[zendriver]

Nice touch!

The OP only had two posts, so I hope I did not scare him/her off, with all that required reading.