is HF really that bad????

[klhitman]

i have looked at other post and bought some items from them and have been happy with them. are they really that bad on hand tools? i don't really trust their plug in stuff, i mean come on 20 bucks for a sazall!!! i just really want to know bout their hand tools and engine lift. i bout the 750 lbs. motor stand and all my buddy's said i screwed up but its fine so far.

 

[woody 73]

Not to beat a dead Horse,like anything else in life you will have some very nice tools and some not so nice tools.
Read the HF thread and see what people like and what to stay away from.

Hope this helps...

 

[Shadowdog500]

This should be fun.

 

[klhitman]

This should be fun.

yes it could

 

[electrodude]

I don't like any three legged engine stands, they wait for you to slip up so they can go turtle.

Harbor Freight tools? You get what you pay for. I personally love HF, I get all kinds of consumables there, and at $19 I can consider a 4 1/2" grinder a consumable! Their impact sockets are cheaper than name brand regular sockets, that's how I got my deepwell metric set for $12... Crapsman would have been at least two to three times that price.

That said, I would never consider buying safety or testing equipment there, the keyword being "safety".

 

[action fab]

go to the store and look at the tools some stuff you can just look at and know its junk others you can feel some quality in. I have a lot of truck brand tools I also have a lot of HF tools. I even have seen some truck branded tools that are exacty the same stuff from HF!

 

[Indy_500]

I don't like any three legged engine stands, they wait for you to slip up so they can go turtle.

Harbor Freight tools? You get what you pay for. I personally love HF, I get all kinds of consumables there, and at $19 I can consider a 4 1/2" grinder a consumable! Their impact sockets are cheaper than name brand regular sockets, that's how I got my deepwell metric set for $12... Crapsman would have been at least two to three times that price.

That said, I would never consider buying safety or testing equipment there, the keyword being "safety".

sorry, crapsman is about 4-5 times that

 

[lipadj46]

Some of their stuff is great some is complete rubbish. It is one of my favorite stores to just go and browse though.

 

[american lockpicker]

I hate their screwdrivers with a passion. Also you have to wonder about a place that only cares about selling Chinese(or similar) tools cheaply.

 

[johnnybentwrench]

This will be great!!
IMO it depends on what you use em for and what it is. I would love HAZET pry bars, I got HF (shh) & one tired Snap on they are fine for what I use them for. I use there drawer lining,wire brushes, That's it for me! BYW the HF pry bars were free
I know real mechanics that spin wrenches 40hrs a week and have certain HF Tools(junk IMO) that have worked for years. Believe it or not my friend has a grinder that is ten years old and a impact gun bought in a crunch that both work fine to this day. he has thousands in MAC & Snap-on and yes a few impact guns, but for what ever reason got a HF. I asked WTF? why do you spend so much on wrench sets he responded the same as most pros. It is convenient for a truck to come once a week.
Ok, I wasted enough time on this, i want to just watch the sh!t fly.

 

[action fab]

I hate their screwdrivers with a passion. Also you have to wonder about a place that only cares about selling Chinese(or similar) tools cheaply.

Well if I remember right they arn't even a US owned company. So there isn't anything to "wonder" about. And they fill a very large segment of the tool world... Cheap. There are plenty of companies that cater to OUR wants and needs. But WE will pay a premium.

I try not to buy anything from HF that has plastic or lots of moving parts. I have a 20 ton press that is grate, a folding engine hoist that is OK, a bunch of jack stands, a few wrenches, a few bottle jacks, that are all good. I'm sure I have some other "****" pun intended.

 

[Hiball]

Well if I remember right they arn't even a US owned company. So there isn't anything to "wonder" about. And they fill a very large segment of the tool world... Cheap. There are plenty of companies that cater to OUR wants and needs. But WE will pay a premium.

Sorry you just lost the million dollar question, should have asked the audience.

 

[jmauld]

I don't like any three legged engine stands, they wait for you to slip up so they can go turtle.

Harbor Freight tools? You get what you pay for. I personally love HF, I get all kinds of consumables there, and at $19 I can consider a 4 1/2" grinder a consumable! Their impact sockets are cheaper than name brand regular sockets, that's how I got my deepwell metric set for $12... Crapsman would have been at least two to three times that price.

That said, I would never consider buying safety or testing equipment there, the keyword being "safety".

I consider anything that might possibly shatter while I'm using it to be a safety item. That includes impact sockets, grinding wheels, cut-off wheels, etc.

I used to be a fan of their cheap 4.5" grinders, until I purchased a name-brand refurb unit. The difference really is night and day. The cheaper one vibrates like crazy, straight out of the box. You might not notice it right away, but after using it for 5-10minutes, it'll almost make your entire arm numb. The nicer tools don't do that, and they typically last longer than 5hrs of use.

 

[Shadowdog500]

Well if I remember right they arn't even a US owned company. So there isn't anything to "wonder" about. And they fill a very large segment of the tool world... Cheap. There are plenty of companies that cater to OUR wants and needs. But WE will pay a premium.

I try not to buy anything from HF that has plastic or lots of moving parts. I have a 20 ton press that is grate, a folding engine hoist that is OK, a bunch of jack stands, a few wrenches, a few bottle jacks, I'm sure some other "****" pun intended.

HF is american owned! the founders son is running it right now and leveraged the company for $500 million to support his lavash lifestyle. Im waiting to see what happens next.

Chris

 

[Hiball]

Oh... There bottle jacks are Junk. Maybe 1 out of 3 will not have a valve issue during it's first year of use. The disc valve sets will not replace a seat/ball/spring.

 

[Hiball]

HF is american owned! the founders son is running it right now and leveraged the company for $500 million to support his lavash lifestyle. Im waiting to see what happens next.

Chris

I believe we are already seeing it, higher prices, no 20% coupon on big ticket items.

 

[Bull]

i want to just watch the sh!t fly.

There wont be any. At least, none that survives.

Opinions based on actual experience with the tools are welcome. *****-flinging in the old "all HF is ****" vein is not.

So far, we're good.

 

[klhitman]

I consider anything that might possibly shatter while I'm using it to be a safety item. That includes impact sockets, grinding wheels, cut-off wheels, etc.

we use the dewalt cut off wheels at work and they are junk. they fall apart. had one break off and hit me in the leg. Big nasty bruise later, kinda cool but not at the time.

 

[klhitman]

anyone goin to their turkey day sale and using the 25% off coupon???

 

[Hiball]

we use the dewalt cut off wheels at work and they are junk. they fall apart. had one break off and hit me in the leg. Big nasty bruise later, kinda cool but not at the time.

Most of the time when a wheel comes apart it's because it was dropped/laid down hard on edge etc. I've been hit with a chunk before it's no fun, but afterwards I remembered it falling about 8-10 inches. This is why my makita stays in the case when not in use and No one uses it but me.

 

[Danglerb]

HF is kinda like an old fashioned junk shop, most things are a touch below current standards, but still functional, some should have been tossed, and a few items are great.

One thing I can say for sure, they put tools in the hands of a lot of people who otherwise would not be able to afford the risk of buying an expensive tool and not being able to get the job done. HF lets anybody that wants to give a project a try.

Second is that despite being around as long as they have been, essentially buying and branding, making nothing themselves, they still really have no competition when quality, price, and warranty are all factored in. Its downright disgusting how many places sell items identical to HF at two or three times the price.

 

[klhitman]

Most of the time when a wheel comes apart it's because it was dropped/laid down hard on edge etc. I've been hit with a chunk before it's no fun, but afterwards I remembered it falling about 8-10 inches. This is why my makita stays in the case when not in use and No one uses it but me.

that's what i thought at first. about the falling, but i have got them right out of the box. me and one other guy at work use them and he has had the same problem. i like the grainger specials we used to get but i guess they were too high.

 

[cheap bastard]

Some HF tools are fairly decent for a hobbyist. Some members of the board even make a living with them. After working with a large set of HF and other cheap tools at a friends shop the hand tools were mostly unsatisfactory IMO. Wrenches that flexed uncomfortably, poor ratchet feel and possibly the worst screwdrivers known to man were the impression. I've picked up a couple at the store and some even cheaper at garage sales or as part of a larger deal. The metal working tools have all needed "tuning". Afterward, they have been fine for light work. The wood tools look to be less so, but I've never given them a chance. The air fittings often leak or stick open, but so do half of all the brands available to most folks. The air hoses are stiff yet easily gouged. Much of the stuff apparently comes from a variety of suppliers and may just require careful observation before purchase.

 

[Farma11]

I've bought tools there that I knew for sure I'd only need for a couple of uses. But on the other hand I still have them and can loan them to anyone without worry.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

anyone goin to their turkey day sale and using the 25% off coupon???

Yep. I plan on picking up a couple of the 100' 3/8 Goodyear air hoses...

 

[Snappy]

HF ? Are you referring to Horror Freight

 

[DrkMtnDew]

I've bought tools there that I knew for sure I'd only need for a couple of uses. But on the other hand I still have them and can loan them to anyone without worry.

this is how i am too. hf is good for the tool that you may only need once or twice. in those cases it makes no sense to pay top dollar. its also good for the expendable goods (zip ties, tape, razor blades, etc.)

 

[slipknot]

i bought some pretty decent stuff there 3" cut off tool was dirt cheap 10$ works perfect for cleaning out the slag when pipe welding. i'll prob pick up the 12ton shop press and the pipe bender and older some tube dies from swag offroad

 

[1969]

The short answer is "no". I have tools from numerous vendors........ including SO. There is a place for some of their products in the marketplace.BTW..... they also have products that are below par, but there are others that fit fall in that category also.

 

[jay50]

not to beat a dead horse,like anything else in life you will have some very nice tools and some not so nice tools.
Read the hf thread and see what people like and what to stay away from.

Hope this helps...

 

[wornoutoldman]

Purchase some of their tools and form your own opinion.

 

[johnnybentwrench]

HF is kinda like an old fashioned junk shop, most things are a touch below current standards, but still functional, some should have been tossed, and a few items are great.

One thing I can say for sure, they put tools in the hands of a lot of people who otherwise would not be able to afford the risk of buying an expensive tool and not being able to get the job done. HF lets anybody that wants to give a project a try.

Second is that despite being around as long as they have been, essentially buying and branding, making nothing themselves, they still really have no competition when quality, price, and warranty are all factored in. Its downright disgusting how many places sell items identical to HF at two or three times the price.

great point

 

[mrholeshot]

Buying at Harbor Freight is a real experiance. For me I'd say that 95% is pure junk. There are a few hidden treasures among all that Junk. Some stuff is fine after a few small mods. For me it's more like a treasure hunt and sometimes something really stands out. It's when you hit those deals does the trip their really becomes worth the trip. Truth of the matter is it's just daycare for men

 

[2chipped]

sorry, crapsman is about 4-5 times that

So this ***** matter is okay

 

[mrholeshot]

I hate their screwdrivers with a passion. Also you have to wonder about a place that only cares about selling Chinese(or similar) tools cheaply.

They have at least 15 differant configuations of screwdrivers. There is one that not too bad.http://www.harborfreight.com/8-piece-professional-screwdriver-set-94607.html

I tried a set of these and liked them so much when they had the #2 phillips on sale for 99 cents I bought like 10 of them and put them all over the house. I wouldn't want to make a living with them but for occasional use they are great. Fit well, comfortable and are much beter than Craftsman clear handles. My wife has a cleaning business and she uses Oreck vacuum cleaners. I keep several in each van to make repairs(only tool needed). I really like them for that.

At least with HF you know what you are buying cheap tools cheaply unlike other places that sell cheap tools at a jacked up price

 

[JC23]

It comes down to buyer beware and you need to be educated.

Like when you're buying food. You can buy a burrito at Taco Hell or you can buy one at Chipotle's. One will use better ingredients and cost you more.

Ditto for those low end grocery stores. Some of their food is yuck-o.


But then again, I never had a burrito explode on me - at least BEFORE I ate it...

 

[Wanna Ride]

Anyone ever buy/use their Bessey style welding clamps? I bought several the other night for home use. They don't look too bad, and I bought all of them for less than what I could buy one Bessey for. I won't be using them on heavy stuff, just light work in the garage for hobby projects.

I'm interested in your opinions, but if all you're going to do is reply with the standard "HF is pure junk" comments, save us all the commentary and keep 'em to yourself. We all, already know their quality isn't that of top-dollar industrial equipment. But remember... you don't always need a one-ton, four door, 4x4 diesel dually just to load a bag of groceries.

 

[NWphotog]

They have at least 15 differant configuations of screwdrivers. There is one that not too bad.http://www.harborfreight.com/8-piece-professional-screwdriver-set-94607.html

I tried a set of these and liked them so much when they had the #2 phillips on sale for 99 cents I bought like 10 of them and put them all over the house. I wouldn't want to make a living with them but for occasional use they are great. Fit well, comfortable and are much beter than Craftsman clear handles. My wife has a cleaning business and she uses Oreck vacuum cleaners. I keep several in each van to make repairs(only tool needed). I really like them for that.

At least with HF you know what you are buying cheap tools cheaply unlike other places that sell cheap tools at a jacked up price

I bought a couple of those on sale and was very surprised. Easily the equal of my older Craftsman clear handles.

 

[NWphotog]

... But remember... you don't always need a one-ton, four door, 4x4 diesel dually just to load a bag of groceries.

Maybe you should talk to my brother in law!!!

 

[crewchief888]

ive only had a couple of fails from HF, and have a few tools of thiers in the garage.

i wouldnt want to use most of their stuff for everyday use, but for at home repairs everything's been good so far