The Harbor Freight PASS/FAIL Thread...

[boomerangg22]

Face Shield with Flip-Up Visor Item # 96542 3.00 on sale 4.99 off sale - PASS Wouldn't want to wear this all day but for running the weedeater it works great. Used it for cutting some plywood also and works great. When I bought it it was kinda greenish color and not real clear to look through, there was nothing saying there is a film cover to peeling off (on bothsides) but there is guess I just should of figured there was.

 

[boomerangg22]

4 Gallon Backpack Sprayer Item # 65040 PASS 39.99 regular price, 29.99 on sale, I got it for 24.99 with coupon then the next day they had it for 19.99 on thier sidewalk sale LOL.

It will be 19.99 on the Aug 26-28 sidewalk sale again. Works very well so far, run one tank through already. Need to fill it sitting on something so you don't have to raise it up so far off the ground when putting it on your back (kinda ackward). Straps have crappy padding on them so not 100% comfortable. But still very useful.

 

[grizzlyToolz]

I would throw away any discs that may come with it and buy some decent ones. HF abrasive discs spinning at 10K scare me! Plus a good disc can make a world of difference as to how the tool cuts, no matter what brand.

i bought a pack of their cut off wheels. didn't have any issues cutting or the disc blowing up when i used them.

 

[DGC15]

i bought a pack of their cut off wheels. didn't have any issues cutting or the disc blowing up when i used them.

I have two of the cutters. Work great, no problems.
I have used the HF discs, they work, but wear out much quicker than good ones. The HF discs are .060 thick. I buy .030 disks at the welding supply. They cut much quicker and last longer.

 

[rgeudy]

On page 12 of my new sales flyer, they have the 25" breaker bar for 7.99, but it says it requires 6 AAA batteries that are sold separatly? It must have a Ipod jack on it somewhere lol

 

[Tom2]

Face Shield with Flip-Up Visor Item # 96542 3.00 on sale 4.99 off sale - PASS Wouldn't want to wear this all day but for running the weedeater it works great. Used it for cutting some plywood also and works great. When I bought it it was kinda greenish color and not real clear to look through, there was nothing saying there is a film cover to peeling off (on bothsides) but there is guess I just should of figured there was.

Wow - Am I glad I saw this review. I bought the shield a few weeks back and thought it was garbage! I couldn't see out of it! I peeled one of the covers off, but didn't see the other one.

After reading your review, went to the garage..Sure enough.. Another film on the other side. Had to pick at it to get it off.

Now that I can see through it I'll actually use it!

 

[grizzlyToolz]

On page 12 of my new sales flyer, they have the 25" breaker bar for 7.99, but it says it requires 6 AAA batteries that are sold separatly? It must have a Ipod jack on it somewhere lol

mine says that so i was like wtf ?

 

[tcianci]

Yesterday I bought 2 HF 12" quick take up clamps. You know, the kind that have a bar and you slide the clamp up to the work and then squeeze the clamp handle to tighten. I grabbed one of them to clamp together a couple of cabinet carcasses before screwing them together. As soon as the clamp made contact with the work and I squeezed the handle, the internal boss that the handle pivots on sheared off and the clamp handle fell out! Well I thought it was just bad luck so I grabbed the other one. This one took slightly more of a squeeze before it broke in exactly the same way.

MASSIVE FREAKIN FAIL!

 

[frbl]

HF 12" quick take up clamps[/SIZE]

Yeah, total waste of money unless using on balsa wood. Wish it weren't so.

 

[Kirbot]

Yesterday I bought 2 HF 12" quick take up clamps. You know, the kind that have a bar and you slide the clamp up to the work and then squeeze the clamp handle to tighten. I grabbed one of them to clamp together a couple of cabinet carcasses before screwing them together. As soon as the clamp made contact with the work and I squeezed the handle, the internal boss that the handle pivots on sheared off and the clamp handle fell out! Well I thought it was just bad luck so I grabbed the other one. This one took slightly more of a squeeze before it broke in exactly the same way.

MASSIVE FREAKIN FAIL!

That happened to mine to.

It's an easy fix though.
Drill a hole through where the tabs where and through the handle and replace the "hinge" with a small bolt.

Only takes a few minutes of work and makes a halfway decent clamp out of them.

It's annoying to have to do of course....
But for what they cost, it's just about worth it.

 

[NWphotog]

That happened to mine to.

It's an easy fix though.
Drill a hole through where the tabs where and through the handle and replace the "hinge" with a small bolt.

Only takes a few minutes of work and makes a halfway decent clamp out of them.

It's annoying to have to do of course....
But for what they cost, it's just about worth it.

I think I have about 20 of those or the next size up that I got for free via coupon.

 

[Skysurfer]

Long term test. Central Machinery 8" 3/4 hp bench grinder. Used 2-3 times per week for the last 22 years and still going strong. Pass.

 

[Danglerb]

Yesterday I bought 2 HF 12" quick take up clamps. You know, the kind that have a bar and you slide the clamp up to the work and then squeeze the clamp handle to tighten. I grabbed one of them to clamp together a couple of cabinet carcasses before screwing them together. As soon as the clamp made contact with the work and I squeezed the handle, the internal boss that the handle pivots on sheared off and the clamp handle fell out! Well I thought it was just bad luck so I grabbed the other one. This one took slightly more of a squeeze before it broke in exactly the same way.

MASSIVE FREAKIN FAIL!

When I buy them, and I bought half a dozen last sale, I test ALL of them before buying.

Still light duty only, for a wood box I use the old style bar clamps with the threaded screw tightening ends.

 

[tcianci]

My first impulse was to drill them and out a pin in place of the sheared bosses. The nearest HF is about half an hour away and like someone posted, for what they cost I can get some use out of them by pinning them. I just was really surprized that they would **** out on the first use!

 

[Indy_500]

Ran my 21 gal. compressor for 3 hours straight the other day painting.... Works like a charm.

 

[nuclearlemon]

I just was really surprized that they would **** out on the first use!

no offense meant, but were you really surprised? i expect hf stuff to fail or perform poorly. if it doesn't, great. everything i've gotten from there has done either of the two options. i base whether or not it's worth it over how much use i got out of it vs. the price. i've never gotten anything spectacular there. if i have to modify it from the start, it's a fail.

 

[soob]

I've got a bunch and I've never broken one. I guess it's because people keep saying you can break them if you overtighten them.

 

[rlitman]

no offense meant, but were you really surprised? i expect hf stuff to fail or perform poorly. if it doesn't, great. everything i've gotten from there has done either of the two options. i base whether or not it's worth it over how much use i got out of it vs. the price. i've never gotten anything spectacular there. if i have to modify it from the start, it's a fail.

Hummm, let me see. My $7 die grinder has held up as well as my CP.
I've broken an SO deadblow, but not my Pittsburgh.
The HVLP gun I have from them is considered by many to be one of the best.
My $3 diamond grinding wheel has cut an unbelievable amount of concrete.

OTOH, their screwdrivers strip faster than quality ones, and their socket fit cannot be compared to SO. Their wrench fit is no better than an adjustable; just not worth bothering with a crescent wrench if it's that bad. Their abrasives just plain ****.

All in all, I think there's some good stuff to be found, but yes, it's not in the majority.

 

[NWphotog]

Hummm, let me see. My $7 die grinder has held up as well as my CP.
I've broken an SO deadblow, but not my Pittsburgh.
The HVLP gun I have from them is considered by many to be one of the best.
My $3 diamond grinding wheel has cut an unbelievable amount of concrete.

OTOH, their screwdrivers strip faster than quality ones, and their socket fit cannot be compared to SO. Their wrench fit is no better than an adjustable; just not worth bothering with a crescent wrench if it's that bad. Their abrasives just plain ****.

All in all, I think there's some good stuff to be found, but yes, it's not in the majority.

Have you tried the neon green/black and neon orange/black screwdrivers? They are pretty dang good, definitely better than the standard craftsman. But, yeah most of the HF screwdrivers are scrap.

http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/screwdrivers/8-piece-professional-screwdriver-set-94607.html

 

[Altec]

Have you tried the neon green/black and neon orange/black screwdrivers? They are pretty dang good, definitely better than the standard craftsman. But, yeah most of the HF screwdrivers are scrap.

http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/screwdrivers/8-piece-professional-screwdriver-set-94607.html

I bought a couple singles on sale. Haven't used them much so I can't give the end-all review, but they aren't bad. I would agree, better then the standard Craftsman. At least the current ones...

Right now the #2 Phillips is in my Wardens car for emergency use.

 

[rlitman]

I've twisted off lots of ends of the standard craftsman, and they're happy to replace them, but I haven't damaged too many fasteners with them. This set:
http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/screwdrivers/22-piece-screwdriver-set-95114.html
is kind of ok, but still has that danged thick copper layer under the plating like this set:
http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/screwdrivers/32-piece-screwdriver-set-90764.html
which is downright awful.
Every time I use a little force, the copper gives way, and the black coating on the tip gets stripped, exposing a slippery copper surface. I've NEVER had a Craftsman do that, and that slippery surface makes it so easy to damage screw heads.

OTOH,my Craftsman Pro screwdrivers have MUCH better grip. Maybe 75% as good as an SO. I'd love to try the Wera diamond grip (all of my Wera screwdrivers predate that).

 

[Danglerb]

I haven't checked ALL of the set of Craftsman Pro screwdrivers I bought, but at least two of them twisted and failed on the first use, soft. Sears replaced them no questions, and the replacements seem fine. I figure some heat treating step got skipped.

Maybe thats what the world has turned into, Cheap tools need testing on something that doesn't matter if the tool fails.

 

[bluecomputer]

I bought this http://www.harborfreight.com/pegboard-multiple-tool-holder-65471.html I needed it to hold extra screwdrivers. Pass but be careful the first two I picked up had a problem with the alignment of the rings. They were not perpendicular to the center rod. Also it was tricky to get it to fit in the peg board. The ends may not have been bent exactly right.

 

[jws4621]

Anyone tried the new gray jacks? the Pittsburg ones, item 68056 looks pretty sweet too me.

Ive got one of their aluminum jacks and an older orange jack from them and they are badass and never failed me. Id just like a higher rated jack for larger trucks and such.

I am curious also? I am going to go get one soon maybe.

thanks

 

[soob]

I am going to get one of the 2.5 ton steel jacks when they finally stock them at my store. Goes lower and higher than the 3-ton version, for $10 extra with the coupon. (It was an ITC coupon I got a rain check on, so I can't post it).

 

[subarub4]

Finally found my memory card but I wanted to point out the Chinese spark plug vs the NGK for the 2 stroke generator.

Brand new out of the box generator i changed the plug before I ran it and gaped it to spec

 

[subarub4]

I swore HF had a digital torque wrench? I don't see it on the site but I swear I saw it in the store?

 

[royesses]

I swore HF had a digital torque wrench? I don't see it on the site but I swear I saw it in the store?

http://hfreviews.com/item.php?id=4403
http://hfreviews.com/item.php?id=4402

 

[les_garten]

http://hfreviews.com/item.php?id=4403
http://hfreviews.com/item.php?id=4402

That site is a nice idea.

But it would be nice if they would bring some organization to that page vomit they call the "all Reviewed Items" page!

 

[subarub4]

http://hfreviews.com/item.php?id=4403
http://hfreviews.com/item.php?id=4402

It was a Pittsburgh pro model

http://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/68000-68999/68156.pdf

odd they would remove it from the site so quick.. the pro stuff is new..

 

[1991Syclone]

FAIL - 3 Piece Socket Tray/Organizer

I thought they would be good to organize my tool box with but there's a lot of wasted space and some of the pegs aren't sized correctly so that the socket won't sit all the way down. I'm sure I could scrape/sand them to fit, but looking at how much empty space there is, I'd go with the rails instead.

Fail based on the two trays I was trying to use had 3 mis-sized holders that wouldn't accept the correct socket.

 

[soob]

The problem is that the socket tray pegs get bigger as the size goes up, sometimes too big for the socket. It's pretty easy to shave them down--but it is annoying, yeah. Fortunately I only had 2 that needed that done, both on the 1/4.

 

[The Dutchman]

I was replacing ball joints on a Chevy P-U, using the OTC ball joint press of the guy that worked next to me. Then the guy upped & quit! Naturally he took his BJ kit with him. The customer didn't need his truck till the next day, so, since snappy & Mr. Matco were probably eating dinner by then, I cruised to HF near where I live & found what looked like an imitation OTC ball joint press kit, but with many spacers/receiver cups. US General. 78 bills. It did the job fine, even though the ball joint had to be pressed into a forged steel control arm. Later, I lent it to a guy at work who put 4 ball joints on a Ford F350 SuperDuty P-U with it. I wouldn't let him use an impact gun on the kit, though.

Definitely PASS

 

[jhelrey]

Finally found my memory card but I wanted to point out the Chinese spark plug vs the NGK for the 2 stroke generator.

Brand new out of the box generator i changed the plug before I ran it and gaped it to spec

The Chinese- The threads are wavy and not even straight like the NGK.

 

[subarub4]

man you are right ha I never looked at that part of it.

speaking of that has anyone used the 500W light I think it's like $9.99 any problems?

 

[gsport]

FYI.... this months Hot Rod magazine has a coupon for the HF 13 drawer chest for $349.. i havn't seen it that low in a long time

 

[Steevo]

FYI.... this months Hot Rod magazine has a coupon for the HF 13 drawer chest for $349.. i havn't seen it that low in a long time

What is the expiration date on the coupon from Hot Rod Mag?

 

[flttester]

FYI.... this months Hot Rod magazine has a coupon for the HF 13 drawer chest for $349.. i havn't seen it that low in a long time

Is that in the Oct issue?

 

[diggerrick]

The Chinese- The threads are wavy and not even straight like the NGK.

I've seen name-brand plugs that way after they've been in & out a couple times, but I'd lay money the Chinese plug is much lower quality.

I bought the HF 11-1/4" 95 LED flashlight, and it came with Chinese batteries that didn't last long. They wieghed maybe half what the good batteries do.

 

[gsport]

What is the expiration date on the coupon from Hot Rod Mag?

expires 12/16/11... it's in the Oct. issue