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Is Harbor Freight reading GJ

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mrholeshot

MEMBER EMERITUS
Joined
Jun 22, 2010
Messages
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Got my latest sale paper today from HF. The prices on some stuff went through the roof. The big red cart is on sale for 249. The US General 41 is on sale for 399. Lots of stuff went up.
 
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csp

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Joined
Mar 23, 2010
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Franktown, CO
The red 41" bottom box has been $399 on sale in many, many sales brochures. They vary the "sale" price all the time.
 
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hofferwood

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Joined
May 8, 2010
Messages
922
Location
DownRiver Michigan
The LATHE went up $100.00, pretty steep for something you have to disassemble, clean and basically "FIX" before you can use it!

The BANDSAW 30 bones

Just two that jumped out to me.:headscrat
Chuck
More artwork on the horizon :beer:
 
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CUSTOMMANCAVES.COM

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Joined
Jun 16, 2010
Messages
542
Location
Toms River, NJ
The Chinese are coming of age. Now that they can afford/buy cars/luxuries, they need/want more $$$/hr. Hopefully, this trend will swing manufacturing back this way.
 
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Danglerb

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Sep 6, 2007
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9,736
Location
SoCal
HF often does a high price flyer. I don't pay that much attention to them since I usually have some overlapping discount flyer to pricematch with etc.

What gets me is that HF is buying from the same Chinese suppliers everybody else is, why don't they have any serious price competition?
 
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Kev442

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Jan 15, 2009
Messages
5,386
Location
Wi
China has agreed to let their money float a tiny amount higher against the dollar. The funny part is the trade imbalance will now skyrocket with Chinese stuff pricier. It was already showing last month with a new record trade imbalance.
 
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lipadj46

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Jan 25, 2010
Messages
1,044
Bolster said:
LOL! Now I get it. Had to think about it awhile, but yes, does seem to be an unusual amount of pro-HF posting as of late.
Click to expand...

Well Mickey O has not been around to lay the smack down on those pro HF'ers
 
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caper

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Feb 12, 2006
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3,185
Location
cape breton
I don't think HF has penetrated the board.It's more like the board demographic is changing from the older guys who liked higher quality brands to newer members who haven't come to appreciate the quality brands yet.Maybe more new do it yourselfers than pro techs.It will change again when they get tired of busting their knuckles.
 
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Skin

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Joined
Feb 24, 2010
Messages
11,713
Location
Boston
caper said:
I don't think HF has penetrated the board.It's more like the board demographic is changing from the older guys who liked higher quality brands to newer members who haven't come to appreciate the quality brands yet.Maybe more new do it yourselfers than pro techs.It will change again when they get tired of busting their knuckles.
Click to expand...

or its people who ask why to the question of whether or not they should spend $30 or $300 for a basic set of comination wrenches.

i think if people saw the mark-up on truck tools, from cost of production to MSRP, they'd have a conniption fit.

Personally i'm honest about why i purchase expensive tools, when i do, and dont BS my way around it like most. I do it because its national pride, some stuff i just like having because its made in the US. I dont pretend my wrench fits better or my ratchet turns bolts better though. Thats called a delusion.

There is some serious **** out there, i have proof [deformed sockets/bent wrenches] but there are many many quality tools coming out of asia as well.
 
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Bolster

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Jul 8, 2008
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4,056
Location
Mexifornia
Skin said:
I dont pretend my wrench fits better or my ratchet turns bolts better though. Thats called a delusion.
Click to expand...

Not so sure about that. Thought there was a thread recently about how some wrenches did have better fit/less rounding of nuts. And a ratchet that catches a new cog every 4 degrees actually does turn a nut better, when space is restricted.

So you can make a non-delusional, logical case that more expensive, newer tools actually do a better job. But whether that extra percentage of utility is worth the price...well, that's to each of us to determine.
 
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Indy_500

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Apr 2, 2010
Messages
1,873
Location
Appleton, WI
i bought a 1/4" drive composite ratchet and a 1/2" drive roto ratchet tonight, the $250 5 drawer cart hurt my gut.
 
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Skin

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Feb 24, 2010
Messages
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Location
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Bolster said:
Not so sure about that. Thought there was a thread recently about how some wrenches did have better fit/less rounding of nuts. And a ratchet that catches a new cog every 4 degrees actually does turn a nut better, when space is restricted.

So you can make a non-delusional, logical case that more expensive, newer tools actually do a better job. But whether that extra percentage of utility is worth the price...well, that's to each of us to determine.
Click to expand...

Well the comprehensive test that was done last year showed essentially no difference between a modern C-Man and a SO box wrench. Pretty sure the socket test was the same. Many tools, certainly those coming from thailand, are certainly equal to C-Man in my experience.

as far as a ratchet goes, thats not a better tool per say but simply allowing for more swing which makes certain limited tasks easier. Personally i encounter more issues in confined spaces where its the handle length or angle that causes an issue and not how fine the ratcheting mechanism is.

Though they're nice in the hand i'm actually not a fan of the fine tooth ratchets [~90-100+] since i firmly believe they'll wear much faster. If anything i tend to prefer the wright design that doesnt compromise the size of the gearing but instead uses a second pawl. Doesnt feel as nice no but i also dont think twice when i'm leaning on it.
 
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djb2

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 3, 2010
Messages
639
Location
Redwood forests
I'm guessing that the Good Times are almost over with H-F tools.

Many of the list prices have been raised significantly. We don't notice it because the sale prices are about the same. And look over there! Ponies! Urmm, free flashlights!

Quite a few of the tools have been replaced by better versions. But better tools at higher prices just puts them in direct competition with Sears, Home Depot, and the like.
 
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thr_wedge

New member
Joined
Jul 27, 2010
Messages
4
I believe that the sale prices for HF are cyclical. Like everything there are good and bad deals at HF. I for one never buy anything that isn't on sale and don't have a 20% off coupon. There are certain things I like from them and a lot of junk that I missed the 30 day window to return. So now I test everything I buy from them the day I buy it, keep it if it survives and return it to buy something else if it fails. Their pass/fail rate for me is somewhere around 60% and much of the time when I buy a HF tool it is for light duty and a very specific task where spending $100 on a single use is a waste, but $10 on a tool that makes my life easier once is worth it and it MIGHT just make my life easier again.
 
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Kurt4440

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Joined
Jun 3, 2009
Messages
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Location
Western New York
Vinko said:
Do you think any of the posters here are actual HD employees or shills? Or just HF fanatics like there are SO fanatics :dunno:
Click to expand...

Good question. I don't know what motivates others.
I do know that there has been a great deal of discussion about tools that are widely available and inexpensive enough for just about anybody to try.
 
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arkangel06

Banned
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
4,642
Location
ontario
man I guess you guys are f*cked looks like you might have to start buying craftsman or something???


Could you imagen that?!?!?!?!?!
 
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Bolster

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Jul 8, 2008
Messages
4,056
Location
Mexifornia
This has been said before, but here goes again: Marketing 101.

In a mature marketplace, the "middle" options are usually crowded with manufacturers (Ford, Chevy, Toyota, Nissan, etc, that's where most the money is made).

Opportunities to enter the marketplace as a new player exist at the top (producing a new luxury brand: Delorean, Tesla) or at the bottom (producing a new value brand: Hundai, Yugo). If they are successful, they usually move to the middle once established. (Such as Hundai now making more respectable cars, and Cadillac or Mercedes not being what they once were). There's always pressure to move to the middle, because that's where the money is. "Pressure toward mediocrity."

So it's no surprise that a mature HF will start making better tools, and charging more. That's how marketplaces go.

And, this theory would predict that Snap-on would eventually cheapen their tools. They seem to have resisted it pretty much so far, good for them. But to resist, they must fight that inevitable "pressure toward mediocrity" that's in the marketplace.

As a marketing theory, it won't explain every example. You can always find counterexamples here and there. But it explains a lot.
 
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