Portland is one of HFs revised higher quality brandings that they've launched in recent years. 5+ years ago would of been limited to Chicago Electric which was pretty much "one and done" stuff.
I'm Done With Harbor Freight
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Portland is one of HFs revised higher quality brandings that they've launched in recent years. 5+ years ago would of been limited to Chicago Electric which was pretty much "one and done" stuff.
JRC3
Well-known member
Yet they still have a 90 day warranty on that Portland stuff. Funny that a "revised higher quality branding" still has a ****** 90 day warranty that screams to potential consumers 'one and done'. It's unacceptable yet people line up in those backed up cash register lines (while the clerk confirms emails) to buy the future item they will cuss and inevitable toss into the trash bin. It's almost comical.
bpjr
Well-known member
You would have been way ahead by going to an HF store with the defective product and speaking with the store manager. Using online customer service or phone numbers is the last place to try. They are on a script and have zero power outside of the published info they must follow. Store managers have the power to do it but good luck finding any mfg that will honor a warranty yrs after it expired...it isn't going to happen, even with the ultra high priced brands.
Outlander
Well-known member
I love Harbour Freight.
Just offering an alternative opinion as I'm selective when I visit during business travel. Love the smell of Princess Auto in the afternoon
Just offering an alternative opinion as I'm selective when I visit during business travel. Love the smell of Princess Auto in the afternoon
Its a 5 year old Chinese tool sold by the cheapest tool store in America. What were you expecting?
I just bought a new HF corded pole saw for myself about a month ago, with coupon for $59.00. The thing absolutely blew me away with how well it worked. It has WAAY more power than I thought it would and just RIPS through limbs and branches.... even larger limbs around 5-6 inches. I am absolutly 100% satisfied with the tool's performance, ESPECIALLY for the price I paid. Like I said, I bought it about a month ago and if the fvcking thing completely **** the bed tomorrow I wouldn't be upset one little bit. I already got 60 bucks worth of use of of that thing. It now owes me NOTHING. And to make it even better, I loaned it to a friend 2 weeks ago and he trimmed a BUNCH of trees on his property and it blew him away because of how well it worked. He was totally suprised like I was. So, the tool has now earned its value back TWICE in the month that I've owned it. Every piece of wood that saw cuts from here forward will be a bonus.
My suggestion.... go buy yourself the new HF pole saw..... You'll love it!
I just bought a new HF corded pole saw for myself about a month ago, with coupon for $59.00. The thing absolutely blew me away with how well it worked. It has WAAY more power than I thought it would and just RIPS through limbs and branches.... even larger limbs around 5-6 inches. I am absolutly 100% satisfied with the tool's performance, ESPECIALLY for the price I paid. Like I said, I bought it about a month ago and if the fvcking thing completely **** the bed tomorrow I wouldn't be upset one little bit. I already got 60 bucks worth of use of of that thing. It now owes me NOTHING. And to make it even better, I loaned it to a friend 2 weeks ago and he trimmed a BUNCH of trees on his property and it blew him away because of how well it worked. He was totally suprised like I was. So, the tool has now earned its value back TWICE in the month that I've owned it. Every piece of wood that saw cuts from here forward will be a bonus.
My suggestion.... go buy yourself the new HF pole saw..... You'll love it!
kngelv
Well-known member
This is very true. Husky and Kobalt are generally ****. Masterforce at Menard's was decent till they went to China and got rid of the USA stuff just like Kobalt was good when it was made by Williams. I have set of Pittsburgh Pro impact sockets that are decent and a small rail of chrome Icon's that are kind of meh. That's it for HF hand tools. I'm trying my best to avoid anything Chinese anymore with hand tools and everything else but I can't say anything Chinese at HF is any worse than the Chinese stuff at the big box stores. One oddity is the crappy combination wrenches they have. That Made in India stuff is garbage.
James
BlakeTheCarGuy
ALLIANCE MEMBER
The pole saw my neighbor let us borrow was amazing he still uses it about every week not sure the part number but it is gray and orange. As a professional mechanic some of their tools have been good like the sockets personally not a fan of the Icon ones but the Pittsburgh are nice and quality tools for the most part
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lolaetype
Well-known member
I use a 20v Black and Decker pole saw that so far has worked well; it's 5-6 years old. The only issue I have is the battery life. I need to spring for a second, larger battery.
It's not a ****** warranty - it's an opt-in warranty. You can buy a longer warranty that they'll honor very simply. At the base 90 days, they can keep the warranty accrual off their books and sell the stuff less expensively. But they have to have a quality level that (A) doesn't bring a crowd of people with torches and pitchforks to their door and (B) keeps the price of the extended warranties at a reasonable and profitable level.
If you check the HF Pass/Fail thread here, it's a high % of "Pass"
If you don't buy their products, how do you know how long they actually last?
Just curious.
FWIW Stihl has a 1 year warranty on their chainsaws.
https://www.stihlusa.com/information/warranty-service-info/limited-warranty/
That's a whopping 9 months longer than the HF and if they are used by "pros", the limited warranty the exact same as HF - 90 days.
that might be that Wrox brand or something.... I like Wrox stuff, have two of their leaf blower and some prone saw, economic design.
BlakeTheCarGuy
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I think it’s brand name is Lynx but it could of been Wrox
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nadogail
Well-known member
I have some Harbor Freight tools that have made me some nice pay checks, not everything I have bought from them was good, but almost everything I selected was acceptable.
IMHO, Caveat Emptor should be printed on every Harbor Freight advertisement.
IMHO, Caveat Emptor should be printed on every Harbor Freight advertisement.
lynx is yellow and grey
wrox usually is red orange and black... and not a HF brand...
you have a color on each one, maybe it's wrolynx...
anyways like I mention earlier, when you buy from HF... you gotta ask some of the return / warranty policies, as I recently found out about their sprayer/pumps/... PITA. and dependents on the store, some workers don't even know or maybe don't care...
Lynx supposedly be the middle tier of the HF line of those yard tools 40V stuff... the New top dog is the Atlas or something 80V (Atlas is orange and grey)... That youtuber den of tools have a run down on these... interesting info.
WittHay
Well-known member
I think people are comparing apples to oranges to bananas.
Stihl only offers a cordless model and 3 gas powered pole saws plus the Kombi system. The Stihl AP cordless line is made in Austria and the batteries in Poland. I like my Stihl cordless tools. They have a 3 year warranty where HF cordless tools are 90 days. There are numerous other cordless choices out there from DeWalt, Milwaukee to Greenworks
HF does not offer a gas powered pole saw as far as I know. When somebody buys a expensive Stihl gas powered commercial product, its not the warranty its the parts availability. Go to any Stihl dealer, if parts not in stock 2 days away at the latest. Echo, Husqvarna are similar.
Then there is the hand held saws like the Silky's. Very good quality but there is a knack to using them. Landscaper friend has one. I believe even the cheaper ones have a lifetime warranty. Not sure if HF offers this type
What i thought this thread was about was the electric corded pole saw like the Black+Decker or the detachable 2in1 type like the Remington. They all have 2 year warrantys.
There are 4 sorta 5 types of pole saws, HF offers 2 types with the shortest warranty of any retailer in North America. Nothing really wrong with buying a Portland pole saw from HF, I use a Betty Crocker pizza cutter from Dollarama. Both American sounding brand names from discount stores and you throw them out when they stop working
Stihl only offers a cordless model and 3 gas powered pole saws plus the Kombi system. The Stihl AP cordless line is made in Austria and the batteries in Poland. I like my Stihl cordless tools. They have a 3 year warranty where HF cordless tools are 90 days. There are numerous other cordless choices out there from DeWalt, Milwaukee to Greenworks
HF does not offer a gas powered pole saw as far as I know. When somebody buys a expensive Stihl gas powered commercial product, its not the warranty its the parts availability. Go to any Stihl dealer, if parts not in stock 2 days away at the latest. Echo, Husqvarna are similar.
Then there is the hand held saws like the Silky's. Very good quality but there is a knack to using them. Landscaper friend has one. I believe even the cheaper ones have a lifetime warranty. Not sure if HF offers this type
What i thought this thread was about was the electric corded pole saw like the Black+Decker or the detachable 2in1 type like the Remington. They all have 2 year warrantys.
There are 4 sorta 5 types of pole saws, HF offers 2 types with the shortest warranty of any retailer in North America. Nothing really wrong with buying a Portland pole saw from HF, I use a Betty Crocker pizza cutter from Dollarama. Both American sounding brand names from discount stores and you throw them out when they stop working
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MrSurly
Well-known member
I have a Stihl Kombi KM-90 and added the pole saw attachment to my kit just last week. It is really slick. Lighter than expected and unlike some of the electrics, the MOTOR is not out on the far end of the thing, right where you DON'T want to add weight. I'll stop by and pick up the extra extension section, later.
JRC3
Well-known member
Like I've said a dozen times, once you pay for the extended warranty, then you paid just as much as a brand name still with an even longer warranty than the one you just had to pay for. AND, you'll never ever get replacement parts for the Bauer or whatever name they are using this year.It's not a ****** warranty - it's an opt-in warranty. You can buy a longer warranty that they'll honor very simply. At the base 90 days, they can keep the warranty accrual off their books and sell the stuff less expensively. But they have to have a quality level that (A) doesn't bring a crowd of people with torches and pitchforks to their door and (B) keeps the price of the extended warranties at a reasonable and profitable level.
If you check the HF Pass/Fail thread here, it's a high % of "Pass"
JRC3
Well-known member
So 4x the warranty is petty? And why bring the "pro" warranty into it?If you don't buy their products, how do you know how long they actually last?
Just curious.
FWIW Stihl has a 1 year warranty on their chainsaws.
https://www.stihlusa.com/information/warranty-service-info/limited-warranty/
That's a whopping 9 months longer than the HF and if they are used by "pros", the limited warranty the exact same as HF - 90 days.
Lets also be comparable and use something like Ryobi that cost the exact same price as HF after Paying extra for the HF warranty...The Ryobi will still have a longer warranty at 3 years. And, you will be able to buy replacement parts for it. And, have much better customer service if there is a problem.
driftpin
Well-known member
I picked up a Ryobi bandsaw for a couple of jobs, I bought it off CL. When I was done w/it, I put it onto CL and sold it bundled w/a Craftsman workbench w/drawers and a door, for > I paid for them. I sold the Ryobi because when I went looking for replacement parts, there wasn't much besides blades. I didn't need anything for it right-away, but I decided to sell it while it was still operational.
My HFT Chicago Electric side-grinder is still-working, it's got to-be 15 years old.
My HFT Chicago Electric side-grinder is still-working, it's got to-be 15 years old.
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BlakeTheCarGuy
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Yeah actually went to HF yesterday to pick up some cotter pins and verified it is Lynx I thought it was orange but it is yellow and gray
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engineer2
Well-known member
I've had my Remington $79 120V pole saw for 10 years without any problems. I trim trees once or twice a year. It detaches from the pole and I use it a few times a year for cutting firewood. It works as intended.
People here have warned others to stay away from HF Oregon mainly because of ****** quality and no available replacement parts.
People here have warned others to stay away from HF Oregon mainly because of ****** quality and no available replacement parts.
Really? I did a bunch or reading on this site when I bought my HF pole saw a month ago and I dont really remember anyone talking bad about it. In fact, it seemed to be highly regarded on this site. For $59 bucks its absolutely awesone. You should be able to buy replacement Oregon chains anywhere that sells Oregon. I know Amazon has them specifically for the HF saw. As for other replacement parts, not a really a big deal to me. Once I wear out the saw to the point I'm looking for parts, for $59 I'll just buy another brand new one. LOL.
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No he is right, there is this consensuses (mostly from Hoohaa USA da best folks), over the years that this is the major drawback of HF... no replacement parts on a lot of their stuff... if it breaks it is trashed.. or scraped. One of the justification for Snap-on or other USA make stuff..
In the mean while... I am crossing my finger my Dynasty 200DX don't die, I have heard they have discontinued supplying parts for it already..
It is a bit petty, IMO since one year is really not that long of a warranty time for a reputable brand name chainsaw.
My point is making any warranty indicative of product quality is just silly. HF sells .99 cent key chains and $1000 dollar welders, both with a 90 day warranty. Don't know about the longevity of key chains, but their welders seem to get high marks, in quality and performance.
You're example of Ryobi 3 year warranty is a bit flawed as well, since after 90 days, it's only a repair warranty, whereas whatever add on HF paid warranty is always full replacement. Swap at the store.
Ryobi tools are fine, but so are HF tools, IME, easily lasting years - if used properly.
Regarding the availability of repair parts, does anybody really want to repair a 4 year old (or more) $50 cordless drill, etc. or just chuck it and get another one new?
JRC3
Well-known member
You bet your rear end I'll replace a part instead of chucking. Who hasn't had to replace a trigger in a Bostich nail gun? Never gonna happen with one from HF. Years ago I tossed two of their finish nail guns for that reason. Funny thing is, my HF framing nailer just keeps kicking away, but if the trigger ever went on it, then it's in the trash can with no hopes of salvage.
Trigger goes out on a HF mitre saw...Instant trash can item. Trigger goes out on a Dewalt...Get a new one and even improved ergo to use a new design trigger. I actually went to a local repair shop to purchase the dewalt replacement trigger w/new handle and IIRC it was 38 or some bucks. Sure the saw itself was only worth $150-200 used, but that was 7 years ago and I still use the thing today.
I hate today's disposable mentality.
Trigger goes out on a HF mitre saw...Instant trash can item. Trigger goes out on a Dewalt...Get a new one and even improved ergo to use a new design trigger. I actually went to a local repair shop to purchase the dewalt replacement trigger w/new handle and IIRC it was 38 or some bucks. Sure the saw itself was only worth $150-200 used, but that was 7 years ago and I still use the thing today.
I hate today's disposable mentality.
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That has little to do with quality and more with the fact that they want to push extended warranties.
B T C
Well-known member
I have the Kombi 130R and, in addition to several other attachments, the pole saw attachment. It works great. I've cut down a few of my neighbors' trees because the damn thing is so much fun to use. I'm not sure what Stihl was thinking when they designed that thing and I'm pretty sure that's going to be my lawyer's primary argument whenever this all goes to court.
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Buy the carbon fiber extension pole, your forearms will thank you.
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I have the same 4-1/2" grinder; been trying to assassinate mine for close to 20 years, and I've failed miserably Its infuckindestructible.
First time I used it I felt the spindle stuck out too far, IMO, so I just clamped it in a vise, locked it on, and ground the spindle and nut down a bit with another grinder... still runs great, sounds like someone dragging a dumpster full of ball bearings down a gravel road with a snowmobile when it's running, but has never missed a beat.
Best tool HF ever offered, IMO. I have 6 angle grinders but this one is my go-to when I know things a re going to get ugly brick, block, rusty steel, etc.
Lookin4'67Galaxieconv
Well-known member
I must be the only one here with a manual pole saw. 
I believe I have the same, got mine in 1994 I believe. The only modification I made was to substitute a DeWalt handle for the lame Chicago Electric handle. That grinder is powerful and one hell of a tool!
I believe I have the same, got mine in 1994 I believe. The only modification I made was to substitute a DeWalt handle for the lame Chicago Electric handle. That grinder is powerful and one hell of a tool!
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driftpin
Well-known member
I think this was my first corded HFT purchase. I still have the box it came-in up on a top-shelf, and in my use and experience, that's what it's been, a 'top-shelf' item in-use. It has become louder, and yes, it sounds like the gears are going to jump-out of the gear case, or is it the bearings? I've had the case apart once or twice, it got re-packed with grease in the gear case, and some other minor no-parts fix. If this thing ever gives up the ghost, it's given me its value, that's for sure. Every-time someone bashes HFT, I think of my orange-and-black 4-1/2" side grinder, and what good service it's rendered to-me. It's made me money, it's paid for itself many times over, and as John Cameron Swayzie used to-say, "It takes a licking, and it keeps-on ticking." Boomer or older to open the memory vault for that-one, Alex.
I must be the only one here with a manual pole saw.
I believe I have the same, got mine in 1994 I believe. The only modification I made was to substitute a DeWalt handle for the lame Chicago Electric handle. That grinder is powerful and one hell of a tool!
I have an old manual pole saw/lopper, we used it to harvest mangos in the backyard, a favorite of my wife, and my in-laws. Sometimes I use it to trim the palm trees, too.
That's funny, you used a HFT tool w/a DeWalt handle on it. I have a DeWalt side grinder (and a Milwaukee, too!) on-which I put a cheap-as-possible carriage bolt, w/a piece of plastic pipe, a flat washer pair and a hex nut. That's my side handle.
In one of my toolboxes, the one containing drilling equipment, I have an old rarely-used Skil drill side-handle. I got it in a kit when I bought a new Skill 120 volt VSR drill, probably 45 years ago, maybe longer. The Skil drill is all die-cast aluminum. Shortly after that they went to a double-insulated grey plastic housing. I bought one of those too, w/a hammer drill function. The hammer drill gear case is die-cast aluminum. It appears that the hammer drill 'nose' would be a direct-fit onto the older die-cast aluminum drill case. Something to try, some-day.
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guitarbutt
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I went through all the posts and didn't see any portion of the "bad" email. I'm assuming the customer was wrong and rude to begin with and didn't hear what they wanted from the representative..
4 grinders, belt sander, reciprocating saw, heat gun, and small drill press. All from Harbor Freight and they all work just fine. No better or worse than the other companies that sell chinese products. I'd frankly suggest getting the HF pole saw, but I'm sure that isn't an option
4 grinders, belt sander, reciprocating saw, heat gun, and small drill press. All from Harbor Freight and they all work just fine. No better or worse than the other companies that sell chinese products. I'd frankly suggest getting the HF pole saw, but I'm sure that isn't an option
Yes... That was the suspicion right after the 2nd post. At least GJ members have grown up to be a little more reasonable over the years... if it was back in 2016 with this post, everyone would have jump down on HF's throat with pitch fork and torches, just because they sell COO China tools.. Times have changed I guess.
LOL you should look up that 20T press thread that was posted back then.... LOL first few pages was all mobs with pitch forks and torches.....
TheLawnRanger
Well-known member
I was done with HF too. Until I returned my jack stands. While there, I bought an extra battery for my drill and a couple of other odds and ends.
If you want advice it may be more helpful to start a thread with an appropriate title.
People will read this thread expecting HF bashing, and that does seem to be most of the discussion.
You may get more helpful responses if you post the email, if others concur it really is "nasty".
Why do you say that? Parts for most HF tools are readily available. For that matter, they provide extra parts for common wear parts for free when you buy the tool.
I have had one or two HF tools fail over the years, but never had any trouble getting repair parts.
Al Borland
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Ever see "Tommy Boy"?It is a bit petty, IMO since one year is really not that long of a warranty time for a reputable brand name chainsaw.
My point is making any warranty indicative of product quality is just silly. HF sells .99 cent key chains and $1000 dollar welders, both with a 90 day warranty. Don't know about the longevity of key chains, but their welders seem to get high marks, in quality and performance.
You're example of Ryobi 3 year warranty is a bit flawed as well, since after 90 days, it's only a repair warranty, whereas whatever add on HF paid warranty is always full replacement. Swap at the store.
Ryobi tools are fine, but so are HF tools, IME, easily lasting years - if used properly.
Regarding the availability of repair parts, does anybody really want to repair a 4 year old (or more) $50 cordless drill, etc. or just chuck it and get another one new?
Nice discussion about warrantys and guarantees.
One of my stats professors had a story about working for a lighting manufacturer. They sold stadium lights. The warranty was they'd relamp the whole place if more than X% bulbs failed in Y hours. One of her jobs was to figure out how much to charge to make 2Y hours a profitable proposition. Same product, just a different warranty. (As I recall, the lights typically lasted much longer than the guarantee period, but had a pretty high failure rate in the first hundred hours or so.)
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