New HF "red rags" !

[theoldwizard1]

HF changed their supplier of "red rags". The old ones were a different shade of red, almost orange and they appeared to be made from something similar to cotton.

The new rags are dark red and appear to be made out of a synthetic material.

I have not bought any yet, but how about others ? The new ones don't look as absorbent as the old ones. Feedback ?

 

[ChevyEFI]

You're cutting edge and I await your review of them.

My cotton-esque rags are doing well and won't be replaced for a while.

 

[rlitman]

I haven't seen them, but if they are not 100% cotton, I've got zero interest in them as shop rags. I do have a bunch of microfiber towels in the shop for special uses, but part synthetic shop rags; NO WAY!

 

[icthruu74]

I picked up a package of them about a week ago as it seems like my shop rags walk off and they were on sale.

They are a much looser weave, and have a ton of lint on them. So I decided to wash them before use. The washer drum is stained red now, and the edge seams have come undone on about half of them. And I got about 3 rags worth of lint in the dryer.

Of the ones I have used, one had a spot that looked like whatever was on the rag ate it away, I think it was synthetic oil but I don't know for sure.

 

[HanShotFirst]

That' *****, I was just getting to the point of needing another pack. Looks like I waited too long.

 

[Dubbydoo]

I stick to buying used Boxes of shirts always hated how the red dye would come off and they didnt seem to soak much up

 

[gagreen]

Water would bead off of the old ones anyway. The shop rags are a terrible buy.

 

[03protege]

I stick to buying used Boxes of shirts always hated how the red dye would come off and they didnt seem to soak much up

Where do you find these? We have them at work and a cut up old t-shirt beats these red rags all day long.

I stopped using them due to bleeding issues with the red dye.

 

[gagreen]

Where do you find these? We have them at work and a cut up old t-shirt beats these red rags all day long.

I stopped using them due to bleeding issues with the red dye.

Most thrift shops have bags and bags of them that aren't good enough for the shelves. Usually a donation will get them.

 

[royesses]

The last bag of HF red rags smelled like someone puked in a bag. I just get them from Sam's club, $16.95 for 100. No stink, No sweat. They also have white polishing rags and microfiber towels that are terrific.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

The shop rags are a terrible buy.

I bought one package of them...they so thin and loosely woven, I wouldn't even call them a rag, its almost more of a red "Screen material"...

-Rags
-Nitrile Gloves

2 items I will NEVER buy at HF again...

 

[papavolume]

I bought shop rags at HF a few months back and they **** big time. It will be a while before I need more so I'll get my use out of them but when the time comes to buy more it certainly won't be from there!

 

[CutterFarms]

I bought one package of them...they so thin and loosely woven, I wouldn't even call them a rag, its almost more of a red "Screen material"...

-Rags
-Nitrile Gloves

2 items I will NEVER buy at HF again...

If you hold them up to the light you can see thru them.

 

[Coach James]

At my house and gym we use several boxes of the blue nitrile gloves each year and they work fine for us. The shop rags are worthless.

Coach

 

[nine4gmc]

I bought one package of them...they so thin and loosely woven, I wouldn't even call them a rag, its almost more of a red "Screen material"...

-Rags
-Nitrile Gloves

2 items I will NEVER buy at HF again...

So where do you get your nitrile gloves? I saw a 200 pack at Sams Club last week for about $10 and was about to try them but passed on them because I still have a bunch of HF left.

 

[Bagherra]

I got a box of cotton rags from Sams.

 

[Jagmandave]

Those shop rags vary from time to time, I bought some of those bright red ones and they did indeed **** mightily! The next time I was in the store they had the regular cotton ones again but I hadn't worked thru my bright red ones yet. I'm done with them now so I hope the local HF has the good ones again. Otherwise I'll just use the blue paper ones that come on a roll...but I have to say I prefer an actual good old cotton shop rag.....

 

[Strouty]

So where do you get your nitrile gloves? I saw a 200 pack at Sams Club last week for about $10 and was about to try them but passed on them because I still have a bunch of HF left.

I buy the black ones from Napa, but they are available elsewhere. They are maybe $15 per 100 and they are awesome.

 

[ChevyEFI]

At my house and gym we use several boxes of the blue nitrile gloves each year and they work fine for us.
Coach

So where do you get your nitrile gloves?

For general automative used, I like Kimberly-Clark Professional KleenGuard G10 Nitrile Gloves - 97824 - CTN/140 KLEENGUARD G10 XLG GREY NITRILE GLOVES.
A box of 140 can be had for under $ 20 shipped without much effort, they are far more tear-resistant. So where I can wear the same pair multiple times, the HFs are guaranteed one-time-use.

 

[1950mercury]

The new ones c as my be any worse than the old ones...that were garage

 

[meier motor sports]

skip the made in china rags, http://www.allrags.com/shop.cfm?CategoryID=1

 

[moondog66]

I get my rags off the Snap-On truck and they friggin' rock! More absorbent than a dead sea sponge and softer than the fair cheek of a weaning infant. $130 for a box of a dozen is cheap when you think about it. Just say no to HF!

Seriously tho, don't buy your wife pink SO socks or you'll never hear the end of it.

 

[Wanna Ride]

The last bag of HF red rags smelled like someone puked in a bag. I just get them from Sam's club, $16.95 for 100. No stink, No sweat. They also have white polishing rags and microfiber towels that are terrific.

Same here. I learned long ago, it was just better to go ahead and buy their micro-fiber hand towels. Costs a little more, but they're a much more durable and effective hand towel.

 

[CJM8515]

I buy mine at sams club, somewhat absorbent and good decent rags Ive used for eons. I also buy the nitrile gloves at sams and the last round I was disappointed and took them back, they changed the way they make them-much thinner and tear way easier.

 

[AmishFury]

i just forget to take the occasional rag out of my pocket when i leave work... they aren't the best rags but i didn't pay for them... if one gets too dirty i just take it back to work so aramark can wash it

 

[PugetDude]

I buy the 36 pack of white terry cloth towels in the maintenance aisle at Home Depot. They are very absorbent, minimal lint, and hold up for a dozen trips through the washer/dryer. Only downside is that sometimes they smell like curry fart when you open the bag...

 

[Fretters]

Where do you find these? We have them at work and a cut up old t-shirt beats these red rags all day long.

Old bedsheets and curtains are easily cut up for rag too. Those tend to be what I use.

 

[Danguitarman]

Imagine that... A product made by people earning two dollars a day and living in dorm housing is a *************.

 

[Leoruiz]

I only use yellow organic hemp rags grown in Barbados. I'm strange.

 

[OutsideMachinist]

skip the made in china rags, http://www.allrags.com/shop.cfm?CategoryID=1

Those are way better than anyones red shop towels in my opinion. Use those every day.

 

[upgrading]

DOTD at Amazon 8/12/15
Scott Rags in a Box, All-Purpose (75260) White (Case of 8, 200 Towels per Pop-Up Box) $49.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004TBJF/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Spudland_Dave]

So where do you get your nitrile gloves? I saw a 200 pack at Sams Club last week for about $10 and was about to try them but passed on them because I still have a bunch of HF left.

I get my gloves at Fastenal.
Problem with the HF ones is I've tried them all and they are "brittle" I'd tear some putting them on...when you fetch up/rub on a metal object under the car they would always rip from end to end. Went back to the ones I got a Fastenal before HF moved in town...they are thinner, but 100X stronger. I can stretch them past my elbow with no issue.
With the HF Gloves, it was guaranteed it took 3 gloves to do an oil change...sometimes 4.

For shop rags...I just spent a little more on paper towels and stocked the shop with the Red X80 wipes, to pick up/catch spills, got a case of SPC "Pig Mats"... Wife would shoot me if I tried to wash those red rags full of globs of grease, oil, etc..

I know a lot of people like to defend HF...and its all cool...its hard to overlook the value and relative quality of the latest generation of sockets and ratchets, etc... but consumables, IMHO...not just from HF but any "bargain" consumables its RARELY If ever cheaper to use the cheap junk. From abrasive grinding wheels to nitrile gloves...usually have to pay a little more, but you get "much more" in return. Needing to use 5 HF gloves to do an oil change vs 2 quality ones...the difference in purchase price quickly washes away when you need 2x more to complete the job at hand.

 

[iajonesy]

I only use yellow organic hemp rags grown in Barbados. I'm strange.

After you're done with them, you can roll them up and smoke 'em. We are all about repurposing here on GJ.

Mike

 

[gungatim]

I'm going to head to HF today and see what you guys are talking about. I love my red rags from HF, have 4 packs at home, so I haven't bought any in about a year...all of the ones I have compare to what the shops around here use, so I'm really surprised about the negative comments...hopefully I have the "old" good ones...

incidentally, I USED to buy the white towels at Sam's Club. I loved those things, great price, but they no longer carry them at any of the stores around here...you guys still get them at Sam's or are they discontinued altogether? Haven't seen them in about a year.

Edit; yep, just got back and they don't stock the old good rags in the big bundle pack anymore. new ones look like they are made from scraps in Bangladesh by little kids...bummer...

I did find where they hid the big bulk bags of baking soda for the soda blasters, though, so that was a plus...and the free flashlight of course...

 

[thatguysb]

I use Scott shop towels. No problems.

 

[dnschmidt]

Why would anybody buy "red rags?" Costco sells either terry towels (which have excessive lint) or microfiber towels (which come a billion in a bag and are superior in every way to red rags). Why not just use microfiber towels? They certainly are cheap enough and can be rewashed a million times.

 

[OkRider]

I just use paper towels. Then save them for the burn barrel. Done.

 

[DekeT]

I get my rags off the Snap-On truck and they friggin' rock! More absorbent than a dead sea sponge and softer than the fair cheek of a weaning infant. $130 for a box of a dozen is cheap when you think about it. Just say no to HF!

Seriously tho, don't buy your wife pink SO socks or you'll never hear the end of it.

$130 for 12 small rags is cheap?

 

[Crusarius]

I get the big pack of car wash terri towels. start using them on the car. when they get to nasty for that they move to inside house use. when they get to nasty for that they go to shop. when they get to nasty for that they go to lighting bonfires....

1 rag will last me about 5 years.

 

[Wanna Ride]

Those terry-cloth towels scratch the hell out of paint. I occasionally use them around the shop, but never for washing anything.