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The Harbor Freight PASS/FAIL Thread...

Danglerb

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Sep 6, 2007
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9,736
Location
SoCal
Really, the hf impact sockets are much much more reliable? I have a really really hard time letting someone get that impression having owned both and cracking many hf ones.

Imo a impact socket should never crack - it should deform.

I'd love to hear a bit more to support your comments. And how the hell do you break a 10mm impact socket?!?

HF is always YMMV, maybe he got a good batch and you got a bad one, etc. Both are lifetime and 3 sets of HF cost about the same as one SO socket, so picks what ya likes.
 
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pmohr

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Jul 3, 2009
Messages
158
Location
Maryville, TN
Really, the hf impact sockets are much much more reliable? I have a really really hard time letting someone get that impression having owned both and cracking many hf ones.

Imo a impact socket should never crack - it should deform.

I'd love to hear a bit more to support your comments. And how the hell do you break a 10mm impact socket?!?

I've got the metric HF set, then SO in 10, 15, 17-19, using most of them daily on an MG325 (and sometimes with an adapter on a 2135Ti). Every single SO one has broken (cracked the hex end or seized up at an angle) at least once, the HF sockets have not.

The only problem I've had with the HF (and these are the old style) are the o-rings occasionally getting shredded and letting the collar and pin loose, which is easily repaired. Come to think of it I don't think the 10mm even broke, I think the o-ring let loose and I wasn't paying attention, lost the pin and the spring for the socket end.

I've also noticed that the SO wear out much faster on the square drive, whereas my HF still look very good after roughly the same amount of use.
 

domain

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Joined
May 16, 2010
Messages
902
PASS- For the earthquake 1/2'' Impact gun. Item # 2623.
I am sure its been reviewed many of times just wanted to put my view The thing is rock solid and built great, Made in Taiwan not China. Has tons of power waiting to be unleashed!:lol_hitti Foward/reverse lever works without any problems and the torque selection works great also. Not to mention great price when on sale.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-impact-wrench-2623.html

PASS- For the 1/2'' drive deepwell impact socket sets in Metric/Standard. I have had no problems at all with the metric sockets and I use them much more than the standard sockets. If I am correct, also made in Taiwan. Great value.

http://www.harborfreight.com/13-pie...deep-wall-metric-impact-socket-set-67904.html
 

SQ is the SQUAD

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Joined
Sep 1, 2010
Messages
192
Location
Boston MA


i have that compressor that i brought as a close out return. it has some issues. when i first try to start it it gurgles for a few seconds then makes a humming noise then shuts off. if i release all the pressure then toggle the switch a few times it will eventually kick it. runs pretty quiet. if i can fix it to run right it could be a decent compressor. it holds pressure great.
 

flyingvette

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Joined
Jun 17, 2009
Messages
92
20 ton shop Press (square) - PASS

http://www.harborfreight.com/20-ton-shop-press-32879.html

cons:
Is it perfect? No. About half the welds look nice and clean. The other half half some splatter and are clunky vs smooth. Nothing I'm too concerned with overall. Powder coat has many pinholes in various places. Cast metal on jack has typical HF cast quality feel. Does not make coffee or chill beer. The stupid rubber stopper nub for the jack is, like all stupid rubber stopper jack nubs, a pain in the @$$.

pros:
It weighs 150 lbs. If you get it on sale and with coupon you can end up paying roughly a $ / lb. That's a pretty sweet deal. Functions well. Easy to assemble. Seems to be square and properly aligned. Nice thick I-beams. Orange. Doesn't leak (yet). Would make a great dead-fall trap. Can crush a pop can to paper like thickness (verified).

Recommend the 20 ton over the 12 ton even if you don't need the pressure capacity. The 20 ton is far more solid of a build.
 

787B

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Joined
Sep 16, 2010
Messages
294
Location
Baltimore, MD
66619 - 800 Watt Gas 2-stroke Generator: Preliminary Pass
image_1879.jpg


I bought it day before the sidewalk sale. It can be had for $64 with a 20% coupon. I gapped the plug, gassed it with fresh premix, and gave it the ol' heave-ho. Started on the fourth pull. Ran it for two hours with a 300 Watt halogen light, then ran it for an hour with an electronic battery charger with a terrible power factor (0.5). Generator held it's voltage right at 115 with the light, but went as high as 134 on just the battery charger (within the charger's range of 135). Frequency was pretty steady from 59-62 Hertz. Overall, seems like and OK generator. I haven't had time to pull the plug yet and see how it looks after three hours of use.

Final Pass


I'm sitting in my home office right now on this 96 degree day with the window A/C keeping me cool since 5:30 when everybody else in the county got home, switched on their A/Cs and blew up a transformer somewhere. :willy_nil

No sweat (pun intended), whip out the $64 mini generator, run an extension cord up to the window, plug in the A/C, a light, and my laptop and cable modem and here I sit with power, light, beer, and Internet. :beer:

Generators been pumping away a steady 500+ Watts for the last two hours without any problem. It's been stored since November, gas still in it (but Sta-bil'd and carb run dry). Once I remembered to open the fuel petcock, it started on the second pull. This one's a winner.
View media item 9958
 
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subarub4

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Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
1,188
Location
Connecticut
I should of picked it up back when you could use the 20% off on it... they have a sale on it again but I think it's $109 now..

been trying to find a reason to use it since it's not really all that highly rated.. I mean I can't run a dual 500W light with it.
 

Alchymist

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Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
4,423
Location
Central PA

Final Pass


I'm sitting in my home office right now on this 96 degree day with the window A/C keeping me cool since 5:30 when everybody else in the county got home, switched on their A/Cs and blew up a transformer somewhere. :willy_nil

No sweat (pun intended), whip out the $64 mini generator, run an extension cord up to the window, plug in the A/C, a light, and my laptop and cable modem and here I sit with power, light, beer, and Internet. :beer:

Generators been pumping away a steady 500+ Watts for the last two hours without any problem. It's been stored since November, gas still in it (but Sta-bil'd and carb run dry). Once I remembered to open the fuel petcock, it started on the second pull. This one's a winner.
View media item 9958

Must be a pretty small A/C if you're only pulling 500 watts! :wtf:
 

domain

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Joined
May 16, 2010
Messages
902

Final Pass


I'm sitting in my home office right now on this 96 degree day with the window A/C keeping me cool since 5:30 when everybody else in the county got home, switched on their A/Cs and blew up a transformer somewhere. :willy_nil

No sweat (pun intended), whip out the $64 mini generator, run an extension cord up to the window, plug in the A/C, a light, and my laptop and cable modem and here I sit with power, light, beer, and Internet. :beer:

Generators been pumping away a steady 500+ Watts for the last two hours without any problem. It's been stored since November, gas still in it (but Sta-bil'd and carb run dry). Once I remembered to open the fuel petcock, it started on the second pull. This one's a winner.


One cool story! Must be nice to have enough power to get by while everyone else is at the sake of the power company..:beer:
 

flyingvette

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Joined
Jun 17, 2009
Messages
92
I would not buy that press. The working distance is only 2-4 inches - way to small for almost anything you'd want to do. The plate that the bottle jack floats on is almost disturbingly thin.

The 20 ton square press is nice. It's also a gi-normous mo-fer. Do you need a press or can you get by with a hammer and some drivers?

If you're doing wheel bearings and can use a driver - this is an excellent set:

http://www.harborfreight.com/10-piece-bearing-race-and-seal-driver-set-95853.html

I love it. Very high quality for something you pound on.

Hey! Another review!

10 Piece Bearing Race and Seal Driver Set - PASS PASS^3
 
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787B

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Joined
Sep 16, 2010
Messages
294
Location
Baltimore, MD
I should of picked it up back when you could use the 20% off on it... they have a sale on it again but I think it's $109 now..
been trying to find a reason to use it since it's not really all that highly rated.. I mean I can't run a dual 500W light with it.
They are $130 now. More than double what I paid. I was thinking about selling mine and making a considerable profit. Until yesterday. :thumbup:

BTW it will run dual 500W lights, if the bulbs are 500 W equivalent 100 W CFLs. :)
Must be a pretty small A/C if you're only pulling 500 watts! :wtf:
I don't have central A/C. The office is maybe 140 square feet and has it's own 5000 BTU window unit. That's all I was running. Closed the door and let the rest of the house get hot.

My house is 900 sq feet (and so is my garage! :D), so two 5000 BTU window units, one each in office and bedroom, and one 10k unit in the living room/kitchen/den/home theater/dining area/ does the job.
One cool story! Must be nice to have enough power to get by while everyone else is at the sake of the power company..:beer:
Thanks. It was nice. I was kind of proud of myself.
how are they on gas?
I ran it for about 3.5 hours, starting with almost a full tank, and it looked like I still had about 1/4 tank left (hard to judge). If I made it to four hours I was going to stop and fill it to be safe. They claim five hours per tank at 400 Watts.
 

subarub4

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Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
1,188
Location
Connecticut
I happen to be looking online and some people have coupons from a book or whatever for when the genny is on sale for $89
 

JohnFreeman

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Joined
Jul 24, 2009
Messages
795
Location
central nc
Brass bristle medium wood handle wire brush.

FAIL- within the first 1 min of use, 5 of the little pocket of bristles came loose. Others followed shortly later.

I expected cheap. I didn't expect virtually unusable.


Wire brushes with black plastic handles- PASS

Acceptable quality for the cost.
 

flyingvette

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 17, 2009
Messages
92
I don't, but I've found their cutting edge metal in general to be a little softer than one would hope.
 
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HFloverbigtime

New member
Joined
Nov 25, 2010
Messages
4
Location
Pittsburgh,PA
does anyone know if HF still carries the blue greyhound engines? I looked on there website and all they have now are predator engines. :confused:
 

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alberto

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Joined
May 28, 2007
Messages
756
Hydraulic Strut Spring Compressor ITEM # 45860: Pass

Bought a used one off Craigslist, worked like a champ. The compressor worked very well, very sturdy with no deflection at all. Took all four springs off the shocks without a sweat.
 

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Kaervak

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Joined
May 12, 2010
Messages
826
Location
Cleveland, OH
Thought I'd add a few items I own to the Pass/Fail thread. :)

6" digital calipers http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-digital-caliper-47257.html PASS
Got it for $10 after coupon a few months back. Measurements match up to a standard tape measure, no complaints what so ever.


1 gallon degreaser http://www.harborfreight.com/1-gallon-degreaser-42997.html PASS
Kinda hard to have a bad degreaser I suppose, but I'm sure it's possible. This stuff works quite well for fresh spots, but there are a couple old spots on my garage floor that a few minute soak and scrub couldn't remove. However, I'm sure a longer soak/scrub would get rid of them.


7 Function digital multimeter http://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-digital-multimeter-90899.html PASS
Of the three I have, two were free with coupon. I have one in my garage tool chest with alligator clips soldered to the inside along with the standard probe leads, one in my portable tool chest unmodified and one in my desk drawer unmodified. They all test within a couple tenths of my Velleman (not the greatest MM I know) For free they can't be beat, just don't test high amp current with them otherwise they can go boom.


4 piece pick and hook set http://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-pick-and-hook-set-66836.html PASS
Got them for $1.00 a while back. Haven't put a ton of use into them, but they seem fine to me.


12 piece needle file set http://www.harborfreight.com/12-piece-needle-file-set-468.html PASS
Work just fine and the vinyl case they come in rolls up nicely.


Two piece telescoping magnetic pickup tools. (can't find on site) PASS
One has a larger fixed head magnet and the other has a smaller pivoting head magnet. Both work great and are really handy to have around.


1 Gallon Evapo-Rust http://www.harborfreight.com/1-gallon-evapo-rust-rust-remover-96431.html PASS
Awesome stuff. just put your rusted parts/tools in a container with the evapo-rust, wait a while and they are rust free. Unfortunately the price tag has tripled (I paid $10 for a gallon last year) but this stuff works great.


11 piece long handle wrenches http://www.harborfreight.com/11-pie...long-handle-combination-wrench-set-44718.html PASS, kinda
I haven't beat on them but they do flex under stress so it's possible they could break. My set is a couple years old, so suppliers may have changed since then and the ones they have now could be tougher.


5 piece flare nut wrenches http://www.harborfreight.com/5-piece-metric-double-end-flare-nut-wrench-set-99993.html PASS
$8 after coupon and they have been perfect. I use them for working on the car and plumbing work. They've held up to everything I've used them for.


8" lineman pliers http://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-linemans-pliers-39665.html PASS
Not much to say, they've been bulletproof


4.5" diagonal cutters http://www.harborfreight.com/4-1-2-half-inch-diagonal-cutters-40695.html PASS
same as the lineman pliers


9 piece torx bit set http://www.harborfreight.com/9-piece-14-and-38-drive-star-bit-set-67914.html PASS
No problems with them


7 piece external torx set http://www.harborfreight.com/7-piece-14-and-38-drive-external-impact-star-socket-set-67898.html PASS
same as above


1/4" & 3/8" socket rails PASS
Pretty basic, but they get the job done


12v circuit tester http://www.harborfreight.com/6-12-volt-circuit-tester-4288.html PASS
Works fine, but the ground lead does feel a bit flimsy.


GFCI outlet tester http://www.harborfreight.com/electrical-receptacle-tester-with-gfci-diagnosis-32907.html PASS
Not much to say, works just fine


Soft face mallet http://www.harborfreight.com/soft-face-mallet-39528.html PASS
I've used it to beat on tons of things and it's been perfectly fine


12v Battery float charger http://www.harborfreight.com/automatic-battery-float-charger-42292.html PASS
bought it a couple years ago for $4 after coupon and it's been one of the best purchases I've made. Never had a problem with it frying a battery either. I use it for electrolytic rust removal too and it's perfect for it.


3 piece thumbwheel ratchets http://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-thumbwheel-ratchet-set-94011.html PASS, kinda
They do get the job done, but they're very coarse feeling. Still, can't complaint too much.


Oil filter wrench http://www.harborfreight.com/2-inch-to-4-1-4-quarter-inch-oil-filter-wrench-36778.html PASS
Handy to have around for those filters that have been gorilla torqued on. The gripping teeth could be a little more grippier, but overall it does a great job.


308 piece electrical connector kit http://www.harborfreight.com/308-piece-electrical-connector-kit-67685.html PASS
The connectors are a bit tight fitting, but I don't see that as a bad thing really. No issues with the heatshrink or zip ties.


3 ton jack stands http://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton-heavy-duty-jack-stands-38846.html PASS
Got them a couple years ago for $15 after coupon. I use these all the time and they're great.


2 ton compact floor jack http://www.harborfreight.com/2-ton-compact-floor-jack-66725.html PASS
Another $15 after coupon deal. Use it all the time with the jack stands and no problems at all. For the $15 I paid it can't be beat.


Flex Drive compression tester http://www.harborfreight.com/flex-drive-compression-tester-92697.html PASS
Just bought this a couple days ago and it works great. In the picture on the website it shows two brass adapters but apparently it's a mistake as no one else that has this compression tester has the two brass pieces. Not a big deal really since it can do 18mm & 14mm spark plug holes without an adapter.


4 pack microfiber towels http://www.harborfreight.com/microfiber-towels-pack-of-4-97502.html PASS
At first they did smell a bit of petroleum, bit after letting them air out the smell was gone. Not much else to say about them.


1/4" Drive torque wrench http://www.harborfreight.com/microfiber-towels-pack-of-4-97502.html TBD
Bought this a couple years ago for $10 after coupon and have yet to use it actually. from what others have said the HF torque wrenches are quite good so I'm sure this one will be fine one I get it calibrated and actually put it into service.


29 piece titanium nitride coated drill bits http://www.harborfreight.com/29-piece-titanium-nitride-coated-drill-bit-set-5889.html FAIL
The first and only thing I've ever returned. Over half the bits were wobbly, some very wobbly.



Well, that's pretty much all the HF stuff I own. I haven't had a problem with any of it and definitely recommend all the stuff I've listed in my post with the exception of the drill bits. Hope that helps. :)
 
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rgeudy

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Joined
Feb 5, 2011
Messages
119
Location
Rockwell N.C.
Impact Screwdriver Set / both Pass and Fail........

Ok so the tool itself works well, seems well built and functions like it should, but the bits are JUNK (i kinda expected this), broke both the #3 phillips bits on the same damn screw. Also the red rubber hand guard thing slides off constantly (I just threw it in the trash). Other than the above shittyness I think the purchase of a few high quality bits would make this worth the whole $6.99 I paid for it.

P.S. on a side note i borrowed my father in laws, which is exactly like this one and tore up both his #3 phillips bits, but i did manage to get that one damn screw out :dunno:
 

Altec

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Joined
Jun 17, 2011
Messages
1,011
Location
SoCo, MD
FAIL

Pittsburgh
Item # 47902
"40 Piece 3/8" and 1/4" Drive Socket Set"

I opened the package, and when I grabbed a socket to see how it felt. I noticed a rough feeling edge on it. Grabbed another, and felt the same. Then I stuck the socket on my new Pittsburgh Composite ratchet, and it wouldn't stay on... Because the sockets don't have proper holes/grooves for the detent. Just a tiny lip that won't let a push button release engage. Now, the true failure is when I took the socket off the ratchet. When I grabbed it, that rough edge let go of a sliver of metal...Right into my finger... So I had to pick a 1/4" long chunk of chrome coated steel out of my finger (Read: Not chrome flakes...)...

Other then that, I don't understand why a set that is 95% 1/4" uses a 3/8" ratchet with a adapter...

$4 isn't worth picking metal out of your finger...

http://www.harborfreight.com/40-pie...-1-4-quarter-inch-drive-socket-set-47902.html

IMAG0469.jpg
 

Danglerb

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 6, 2007
Messages
9,736
Location
SoCal
FAIL

Pittsburgh
Item # 47902
"40 Piece 3/8" and 1/4" Drive Socket Set"

I opened the package, and when I grabbed a socket to see how it felt. I noticed a rough feeling edge on it. Grabbed another, and felt the same. Then I stuck the socket on my new Pittsburgh Composite ratchet, and it wouldn't stay on... Because the sockets don't have proper holes/grooves for the detent. Just a tiny lip that won't let a push button release engage. Now, the true failure is when I took the socket off the ratchet. When I grabbed it, that rough edge let go of a sliver of metal...Right into my finger... So I had to pick a 1/4" long chunk of chrome coated steel out of my finger (Read: Not chrome flakes...)...

Other then that, I don't understand why a set that is 95% 1/4" uses a 3/8" ratchet with a adapter...

$4 isn't worth picking metal out of your finger...

http://www.harborfreight.com/40-pie...-1-4-quarter-inch-drive-socket-set-47902.html

IMAG0469.jpg

Sounds like it would make a great gift.
 
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