no more 20% off at harbor freight??

[Jland]

I have not received any catalog in a couple of months and cant find a 20% off coupon anywhere... I heard rumors this was coming....if so it is a bad move on their part.

 

[Bogie1632]

Lots of threads on this already. Printed catelogs are gone and have been for quite a few months now as they've decided to go digital (link on their site explains why). Coupons as we knew them also went away and now they use instant coupons on specific items and are pushing the masses to sign up for the Inside Track Club.

V/R
Bogie

 

[mrjaw14]

This is pushing me to order off Amazon and other sites rather than go in their stores. I bought things that were cheap most of the time. Now I end up going to Amazon and up selling myself with better brands or buying the same cheap thing for free shipping. Not paying for their shopping club

 

[Jland]

This is pushing me to order off Amazon and other sites rather than go in their stores. I bought things that were cheap most of the time. Now I end up going to Amazon and up selling myself with better brands or buying the same cheap thing for free shipping. Not paying for their shopping club

yep...as i said...bad move, i was going to buy a quick hitch tonight but at the full price and still need to modify it to get it to work.... which includes spending another 50 bucks for an "aftermarket" part...nope, tractor supply sells one for a bit over 200.. I will be buying that tomorrow.

 

[qqzj]

How sad. I should have bought more from HG when they have lots of coupons, free stuff etc. Good old days no more.

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[TTMotorsports]

Yeah and some of there products I used for years and years that worked good now ****. The step bits to 3/4" i would use and worked decent especially for the money. Got 2 of them now and didn't work for **** and one did work but the hole was undersized and had to ream it out with my wrist breaking drill bit.

 

[magicrat]

Honestly if you buy a lot of stuff there it’s worth getting on inside track and you save more than you would just using the 20% off coupons. But yeah if you don’t like it just order off Amazon you can get higher quality tools there anyway.

 

[macgee]

I heard rumors this was coming....if so it is a bad move on their part.

Harbor Who? RIP

 

[demarpaint]

This is pushing me to order off Amazon and other sites rather than go in their stores. I bought things that were cheap most of the time. Now I end up going to Amazon and up selling myself with better brands or buying the same cheap thing for free shipping. Not paying for their shopping club

Same here. I'd buy a lot of disposable items from them like chip brushes and Nitrile gloves, and an occasional tool. I'd use a 20% off coupon and grab a free flashlight or something. They hiked their prices, the coupons are far and few, and so is my business with them as a result.

 

[dogdog]

LMFAO... what is this New News ? old new news ?

where have you been hiding past few months... or I am pretty sure I can find your post in one of those threads.... but you just forgot you have posted in... LOL. Not sure. Well every day is a new day. and old man just likes to complain...

You complain when they were cheap, you complain when their quality were mediocre, you complain when they give you 20%, you complain when they improve the quality, then complain when the price have gone up? Yup I see the signs.

 

[zendriver]

I purchased a very good rotary hammer for $75 and an awesome cargo bag for $30.

For the ****-hurt over the end of coupons and catalogs, simply shop elsewhere, if the price/quality is a better deal.



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[justintendo]

Im glad they are improving quality on many items. would rather have that than 20 percent off of junk. I have zero time for junk. they have some items now that are a better value than lowes or home depot, and thats the smart move.

 

[tez929rr]

I purchased a very good rotary hammer for $75 and an awesome cargo bag for $30.

For the ****-hurt over the end of coupons and catalogs, simply shop elsewhere, if the price/quality is a better deal.

Too many members have a love/hate relationship with HF to make rational decisions like that.

 

[zendriver]

HF was one of the few companies left on earth, still print and mailing catalogs.

I worked in the direct mail catalog industry and the printing and mailing costs were huge. Hard to believe they have improved in 35 years.

Stopping was probably a + huge jolt to their bottom line More to than the loos of business from the ****/hurt

If people only shopped there only because of coupons, not sure what to think


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[demarpaint]

This is pushing me to order off Amazon and other sites rather than go in their stores. I bought things that were cheap most of the time. Now I end up going to Amazon and up selling myself with better brands or buying the same cheap thing for free shipping. Not paying for their shopping club

Too many members have a love/hate relationship with HF to make rational decisions like that.

A lot of us know a good deal when we see one too. Their 25" breaker bar is one of them.

 

[Renegade1LI]

Actually their new sales per item seem to be giving better than 20%, you just have to wait for your item to pop up. It looks like they are averaging 20-25% off per item, some are 15% & some are even more off if you are an inside track member. I can take them or leave them but if something pops up I need for the right price I'll get it. The 20% off had so many exclusions any way, it rarely applied to anything I wanted.

 

[mv213]

Lots of threads on this already. Printed catelogs are gone and have been for quite a few months now as they've decided to go digital (link on their site explains why). Coupons as we knew them also went away and now they use instant coupons on specific items and are pushing the masses to sign up for the Inside Track Club.

V/R
Bogie

In such an annoying way....now every customer in front of me in the checkout line gets a 5-minute spiel about the ITC and it seems like they all listen to the whole thing then decline. What a PITA.

 

[Bubba Fett]

I rarely ever used their coupons anyway. Most of the time it was a discount on disposable junk that was already cheap.

It's nice that the quality of a lot of their tools has improved, but the prices have also increased. For not-much-more money, you can get better tools. Channellock being the prime example. And speaking of Prime, I simply order most of what I want from Amazon.

The only thing I really buy from there are consumables, like zip ties, nitrile gloves, shop towels, etc. I sometimes buy ultra-cheap tools for sacrificial work, or "I'm only gonna need to use this once" kind of tools. They do have a few Taiwan-made tools I really like, such as the Bremen locking pliers, but I don't trust their power tools or anything that could kill me when it fails.

 

[jonesg]

Yep, poverty begins in the mind, penny pinching keeps it there.

 

[Professional Tool User]

Im glad they are improving quality on many items. would rather have that than 20 percent off of junk. I have zero time for junk. they have some items now that are a better value than lowes or home depot, and thats the smart move.

The overall quality may have gotten better for more expensive items, but the quality control and quality assurance is equally as bad as their lower end offerings. The least they could have done before releasing the icon tools like their ratchets is test them thoroughly. This mentality of marketing a tool that is supposedly high end while not paying the suppliers for at least adequate QA so any defective tools don't end up on the shelves is perplexing. This is where I'd rather buy the same or similar made in Taiwan tools from Tekton and pay extra. Tekton is an example of what you'd want to do as a brand that is moving up market with stuff like their made in USA tools. Harbor Freight relies too much on hyping not cheap enough products as if their customers are ignorant of other options in the same price range.

 

[Kscardsfan]

Harbor Freight relies too much on hyping not cheap enough products as if their customers are ignorant of other options in the same price range.

Most of their customers are ignorant of other, better offerings in the price range. Us tool junkies on GJ are not the average customer in most hardware and tool shops, and almost exclusively not the customers at a HF. They have some good stuff in the mix at Harbor Freight, but their bread and butter clientele are people shopping to a price point or buying something to abuse and lose. The people who know better, shop smarter.

 

[Jland]

LMFAO... what is this New News ? old new news ?

where have you been hiding past few months... or I am pretty sure I can find your post in one of those threads.... but you just forgot you have posted in... LOL. Not sure. Well every day is a new day. and old man just likes to complain...

You complain when they were cheap, you complain when their quality were mediocre, you complain when they give you 20%, you complain when they improve the quality, then complain when the price have gone up? Yup I see the signs.

guess you are talking about yourself since I am certain this IS new to me... as for complaining about them I am also certain if you actually took the time to look up any of my posts you will find I defend them... but I suppose it is easier to be "that guy" then get your facts straight.... enjoy your day

 

[blown94conv]

Who are we kidding? You can’t help but buy the cheap stuff, you’ll be back. And they know it.

 

[Renegade1LI]

Most of their customers are ignorant of other, better offerings in the price range. Us tool junkies on GJ are not the average customer in most hardware and tool shops, and almost exclusively not the customers at a HF. They have some good stuff in the mix at Harbor Freight, but their bread and butter clientele are people shopping to a price point or buying something to abuse and lose. The people who know better, shop smarter.

I wouldn't say ignorant, I think allot of people shop there out of convenience, they stock lots of tools that you just can't get local and need now. I can stop and get a pallet jack on Sunday for work on Monday, or a29 ton bottle jack. I know what I'm getting there and that's ok.

 

[zendriver]

Most of their customers are ignorant of other, better offerings in the price range. Us tool junkies on GJ are not the average customer in most hardware and tool shops, and almost exclusively not the customers at a HF. They have some good stuff in the mix at Harbor Freight, but their bread and butter clientele are people shopping to a price point or buying something to abuse and lose. The people who know better, shop smarter.

I disagree.

Often their customers are able to keep their egos in check, avoid simply “ keeping up with the Joneses” and just get HF tools to get the job done - again and again.

If they can save a whopping two dollars by shopping Amazon and purchasing some similar from yet another Chinese manufacturer, they might generally avoid doing so, as a waste of valuable time.

As far as the life span of their products, it’s difficult, (but certainly not impossible) for the enlightened to comment, on how bad it is , since they often have little (or no) actual experience with HF products.





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[nieuport17]

Their ease of lifetime warranty is hard to beat if you live close by.
When that changes, why go there at all?

 

[justintendo]

The overall quality may have gotten better for more expensive items, but the quality control and quality assurance is equally as bad as their lower end offerings. The least they could have done before releasing the icon tools like their ratchets is test them thoroughly. This mentality of marketing a tool that is supposedly high end while not paying the suppliers for at least adequate QA so any defective tools don't end up on the shelves is perplexing. This is where I'd rather buy the same or similar made in Taiwan tools from Tekton and pay extra. Tekton is an example of what you'd want to do as a brand that is moving up market with stuff like their made in USA tools. Harbor Freight relies too much on hyping not cheap enough products as if their customers are ignorant of other options in the same price range.

they for sure still have problems..and the constant onslaught of made-up in house brand names is insulting/bizarre

 

[M635_Guy]

they for sure still have problems..and the constant onslaught of made-up in house brand names is insulting/bizarre

You're taking their branding personally?

 

[Kscardsfan]

I disagree.

Often their customers are able to keep their egos in check, avoid simply “ keeping up with the Joneses” and just get HF tools to get the job done - again and again.

If they can save a whopping two dollars by shopping Amazon and purchasing some similar from yet another Chinese manufacturer, they might generally avoid doing so, as a waste of valuable time.

As far as the life span of their products, it’s difficult, (but certainly not impossible) for the enlightened to comment, on how bad it is , since they often have little (or no) actual experience with HF products.





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I worked there for a year, I’m speaking from literal experience about their customers and products.

 

[wkndwarrior29]

This is probably an outcome of the class action suit, remember when everyone on here was boasting about how much money they were getting from it??

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[tez929rr]

I worked there for a year, I’m speaking from literal experience about their customers and products.

At one store in one city?

When I used to go to one of the San Antonio stores there were always those guys buying a half dozen cheap items and willing to argue over a $1 coupon. The store I frequent now has almost no customers like that (maybe I just don’t run into them). It’s clean, well lit, and well stocked. The employees are friendly and helpful. I often see customers discussing the relative quality of stuff they are looking at with other customers. So I don’t think you can extrapolate your experience to the entire chain.

 

[zendriver]

I worked there for a year, I’m speaking from literal experience about their customers and products.

It's reported that they sell like $5 billion a year and likely have had repeat customers for decades.

Their products get pretty good marks in both online and customer reviews. I see their stuff used in commercial truck shops often and have almost no problems with their many products I've used for years.

The presumption that people only shop there, because they don't know any better, just seems more than a bit of a stretch, IMO
, but then this is GJ.

 

[lardy1]

These threads do provide a certain entertainment value, I suppose. But that really doesn't explain why people give a rat's *** what I pay for my tools, where I buy them, the quality level of them or what I do with them.

But then.....like most everything else these days.....the polar extremes seem to be the loudest.

 

[macgee]

These threads do provide a certain entertainment value, I suppose. But that really doesn't explain why people give a rat's *** what I pay for my tools, where I buy them, the quality level of them or what I do with them.

But then.....like most everything else these days.....the polar extremes seem to be the loudest.

+1


I have a knack for killing threads with my posts so maybe that will happen with this thread?

I think by now the OP knows that there is no more 20% off coupons at HF, so that's been answered or we (you) can go on back and forth with opinions if HF sells junk or not and if there customers knows this?

 

[16again]

Most of their customers are ignorant of other, better offerings in the price range. Us tool junkies on GJ are not the average customer in most hardware and tool shops, and almost exclusively not the customers at a HF. They have some good stuff in the mix at Harbor Freight, but their bread and butter clientele are people shopping to a price point or buying something to abuse and lose. The people who know better, shop smarter.

I’m NOT a regular customer of Harbor Freight. That said, I have a Daytona Jack AND one of the new quiet air compressors they offer. I have these items because they are of decent quality and fit my needs. Like to think I’m far from ignorant.

 

[65ranchero]

I am with some of the other posters, I have Snap-on, Mac, SK, and other top brand tools from when I worked , now in this stage of life if I need a tool, HF is on my stop list because I will probably only use it once.
It will get the job done!
And if I need the tool, coupon or not it get purchased!

 

[zendriver]

This is probably an outcome of the class action suit, remember when everyone on here was boasting about how much money they were getting from it??

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That was settled 4 years ago. they just stopped the coupon a few months ago.

Wonder if they stopped it because it's kinda silly in this century, and virtually no one else does it?

 

[Kscardsfan]

At one store in one city?

When I used to go to one of the San Antonio stores there were always those guys buying a half dozen cheap items and willing to argue over a $1 coupon. The store I frequent now has almost no customers like that (maybe I just don’t run into them). It’s clean, well lit, and well stocked. The employees are friendly and helpful. I often see customers discussing the relative quality of stuff they are looking at with other customers. So I don’t think you can extrapolate your experience to the entire chain.

Two stores in separate towns, but much the same area/region. Trained in one store in an absolute ghetto neighborhood that is exactly what you’re describing. The store I spent most of my time in was brand new and we prided ourselves on being clean and well lit etc. We developed new customers in our community who are like you’re describing, while also siphoning off pre-existing customers from the two older, more established (10 and 20 year old stores) who lived to shop for cheap ****. One of the days that has truly stuck with me was helping a newly widowed lady return the mountains of cheap stuff her late husband had filled the garage with. We refunded what we could, gave her gift cards on what we couldn’t, and helped load far more of it than she wanted to bring back home. As I’ve said in other posts, there are some real gems in the HF portfolio, the Daytona jacks, US General boxes, and most of the Taiwanese hand tools are screaming bargains, especially amongst those of us who know what to look for and also shop at HJE and try to pick up deals on truck brands and industrial lines. But a fair amount of their products are just cheap, cheap **** made to a price point. I have a buddy who loves HF Pittsburgh sockets and wrenches to keep in his junk bucket to weld, cut, and grind into special purpose tools or use as sacrificial components on his press or on welding and hold down fixtures in the shop. I saw a concrete hand bend a “steel” HF framing hammer into a compound angle trying to strip forms one day. To their credit, HF warrantied it out and he had a brand new one the next morning. In my time I saw plenty of old farmers come in and buy bottle jacks to pick up 8 wheel tractors with and come back 6-8 months later pissed off it didn’t last, especially for the whopping 60 bucks they spent on it. But I also saw lots of professional guys and tech school students buying odds and ends to fill out their boxes and save some money over the snap on truck. If I’m honest, I probably just remember the 10-20% of the customers who came in buying a cart load of cheap **** more because they’d stand around and argue over the free flashlight coupon that expired a month ago vs the 80-90% who just bought what they needed and moved on, who I usually would find a freebie coupon to give them for not being a **** to me and my staff. Sorry for essay length response lol.

 

[M635_Guy]

TSorry for essay length response lol.

Honestly, I appreciate the depth you provided on why you have the opinion you do. I don't agree with all of your opinions, but a perspective that detailed makes it a lot easier to understand where you're coming from.

 

[Kscardsfan]

Honestly, I appreciate the depth you provided on why you have the opinion you do. I don't agree with all of your opinions, but a perspective that detailed makes it a lot easier to understand where you're coming from.

Thanks.