The Harbor Freight PASS/FAIL Thread...

[HealeyRick]

Anyone use the Folding Mechanic's Pad? http://www.harborfreight.com/folding-mechanics-pad-93896.html I need something thicker than a sheet of cardboard on my concrete floor but thinner than a creeper under my no-ground-clearance Austin-Healey.

 

[yjWrangler]

http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/tool-storage/4-tier-shelf-rack-91883.html

Anybody have any input on the 4 tier shelf? Will only be holding aerosol spray cans, waxes, and other light weight stuff. It's going in the garage so I'd rather it not collapse and fall/drop everything on the car.

 

[tenchu]

http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/tool-storage/4-tier-shelf-rack-91883.html

Anybody have any input on the 4 tier shelf? Will only be holding aerosol spray cans, waxes, and other light weight stuff. It's going in the garage so I'd rather it not collapse and fall/drop everything on the car.

I got 2 of them, they hold up decent for light stuff.

 

[Original Man]

I tried doing a search within this thread to see if anyone has tried the engraver but didn't come up with anything.

Anyone?

 

[Twiggss]

Anyone use the Folding Mechanic's Pad? http://www.harborfreight.com/folding-mechanics-pad-93896.html I need something thicker than a sheet of cardboard on my concrete floor but thinner than a creeper under my no-ground-clearance Austin-Healey.

I bought one last year, kinda hardto screw up a piece of foam.

I also use the floor fatigue mats to lay on.

 

[Samson]

Anybody have the 11 Gallon Portable air tank? http://www.harborfreight.com/11-gallon-portable-air-tank-65595.html debating if this would be useful to be filled and pump tractor tires out on the field when necessary

 

[Greg_R]

I bought one last year, kinda hardto screw up a piece of foam.

I also use the floor fatigue mats to lay on.

I've just been using a 1/2 sheet of tyvek insulation for the mech. pad. Cheap, comfy, and easy to wipe clean.

 

[rlitman]

I tried doing a search within this thread to see if anyone has tried the engraver but didn't come up with anything.

Anyone?

Are you asking about the ones currently for sale (the electric, or the battery models). I couldn't answer about those.

A long time ago, they sold a pneumatic model that has a cult level following today.

 

[mr.speaker]

http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/tool-storage/4-tier-shelf-rack-91883.html

Anybody have any input on the 4 tier shelf? Will only be holding aerosol spray cans, waxes, and other light weight stuff. It's going in the garage so I'd rather it not collapse and fall/drop everything on the car.

I've had good luck with it. The toolboxes on the bottom shelf are loaded with about 50 lbs of tools each. It feels cheap but seems to hold the weight. I only wish it was deeper.

Shot at 2012-07-13

Shot at 2012-07-13

 

[kevinz]

the black 4-drawer service cart w/ ball bearing drawers - PASS had it for a few months in the shop and it holds up fine. Only thing I wish was better was the drawer linders; they sometimes slide and get scrunched up. but no biggie.

pittsburg sockets - PASS. i've been using my 1/4 in metric and standards for a while now and they are fine. many have seen the working end of my matco 12v 1/4 in impact and hold up great.

pittsburg torx bits - PASS. even had some on an air impact, work fine.

anyone have any opinions on the long pittsburg SAE and metric wrenches? what about the impact 3/8 and 1/2 in swivel sockets? just kinda curious. it looks like they changed the design since last time i looked at them.

 

[bluechevy94]

the black 4-drawer service cart w/ ball bearing drawers - PASS had it for a few months in the shop and it holds up fine. Only thing I wish was better was the drawer linders; they sometimes slide and get scrunched up. but no biggie.

pittsburg sockets - PASS. i've been using my 1/4 in metric and standards for a while now and they are fine. many have seen the working end of my matco 12v 1/4 in impact and hold up great.

pittsburg torx bits - PASS. even had some on an air impact, work fine.

anyone have any opinions on the long pittsburg SAE and metric wrenches? what about the impact 3/8 and 1/2 in swivel sockets? just kinda curious. it looks like they changed the design since last time i looked at them.

I have the Pittsburgh long wrenchs in sae and metricThey have held up great so far.My only complaint is the metric set has no 13 16 18 mm wrenches.As for the impact sockets I dunno I have been thinking about getting those.I am curious to see what everyone else has to say about them.

 

[jayoldschool]

Mind blown. I have never thought to stack my jackstands. Brilliant. Thank you!

 

[tenchu]

the black 4-drawer service cart w/ ball bearing drawers - PASS had it for a few months in the shop and it holds up fine. Only thing I wish was better was the drawer linders; they sometimes slide and get scrunched up. but no biggie.

pittsburg sockets - PASS. i've been using my 1/4 in metric and standards for a while now and they are fine. many have seen the working end of my matco 12v 1/4 in impact and hold up great.

pittsburg torx bits - PASS. even had some on an air impact, work fine.

anyone have any opinions on the long pittsburg SAE and metric wrenches? what about the impact 3/8 and 1/2 in swivel sockets? just kinda curious. it looks like they changed the design since last time i looked at them.

I actually just picked up a set of the 1/2 swivel sockets today, i'll be sure to come back here after I use them a few times. I also have long wrenches, i've had them for a few years, they work just fine.

 

[tenchu]

Anyone use the 3/8" Earthquake?

http://www.harborfreight.com/38-professional-air-impact-wrench-68425.html

I've seen reviews about the "old" ones, so i'm assuming this is a new version. The reviews on the HF site seem good, but you can never tell with those.

 

[kevinz]

I actually just picked up a set of the 1/2 swivel sockets today, i'll be sure to come back here after I use them a few times. I also have long wrenches, i've had them for a few years, they work just fine.

cool; i look forward to hearing about them. they make certain jobs so much easier but i don't know if i'd ever use them enough to justify the $400+ the trucks charge for them. and that's for the 3/8 drive!

 

[mr.speaker]

Mind blown. I have never thought to stack my jackstands. Brilliant. Thank you!

I got the idea from how they come packaged from the factory.

 

[IONH]

I got the idea from how they come packaged from the factory.

I agree with jayoldschool, great idea for stacking those jack stands. The only concern I'd have is if you lost one of the posts because they weren't together.

 

[mr.speaker]

The C Clamps = Fail

They don't take any abuse at all. My Epsteins C-clamps take all sorts of abuse but I wanted to test these harbor freight clamps.

Shot at 2012-07-16

Shot at 2012-07-16

Shot at 2012-07-16

 

[mr.speaker]

6 ton Steel Jackstands = Pass

I've had these stands for almost 7 years now and I've had everything from Honda Civics to Duallys on them.

Shot at 2012-07-16

Shot at 2012-07-16

Shot at 2012-07-16

 

[IONH]

The C Clamps = Fail

They don't take any abuse at all. My Epsteins C-clamps take all sorts of abuse but I wanted to test these harbor freight clamps.

What exactly were you using them on?

I've used them to straighten out warped 2x8 without issue. How many more did you break or is this a one and done type of thing?

 

[preludelinux]

I use the C-clamps for brake jobs enough ... never had a problem with them. im sure though there has to be bad batches of weak steal.

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

any one noticed they open a new location in chicago

 

[NWphotog]

Once you use, Snap On, Matco, Cornwell, maybe Mac ect, You will never use cheap stuff

I have to admit that is one of the most absurd statements I've read. Even more so when you've read a great number of posts from techs that use both high end (Snap-on, etc) and low-end (HF, Northern, Princess Auto) tools.

 

[mr.speaker]

What exactly were you using them on?

I've used them to straighten out warped 2x8 without issue. How many more did you break or is this a one and done type of thing?

I was using them to press out U-Joints. I know they're not meant to do that but I broke (2) of them by hand turning the screw. I usually used them for brake pistons but I wanted to test them.

 

[Dustball]

C-clamps are for clamping, not as a press. A ball joint/u-joint press is much beefier than a c-clamp.

 

[99_xc600]

I was using them to press out U-Joints. I know they're not meant to do that but I broke (2) of them by hand turning the screw. I usually used them for brake pistons but I wanted to test them.

Sorry, you were using the wrong tool for the job. C-Clamps are not designed to be used as a press to remove ball joints.

 

[mr.speaker]

Yeah no ****, I clearly said the tool wasn't meant for that .. The point was that I broke them with my HAND !! What steel do you know of that I can break like that?

And like I said my old Epstein C clamp didn't break and it cost less.

 

[Provincial]

Yeah no ****, I clearly said the tool wasn't meant for that .. The point was that I broke them with my HAND !! What steel do you know of that I can break like that?

And like I said my old Epstein C clamp didn't break and it cost less.

Good point. I have a number of the HF clamps, and don't depend on them for any strength. For critical applications I bring out my old Brink & Cotton clamps. I have some Hargrave clamps that are very good, too. I'd snap up any Armstrong clamps I could find.

 

[IONH]

Yeah no ****, I clearly said the tool wasn't meant for that .. The point was that I broke them with my HAND !! What steel do you know of that I can break like that?

And like I said my old Epstein C clamp didn't break and it cost less.

I'm a good size guy at 6'1" and younger than average here at 31 and have tightened down various types that HF sells without any issues at all. I think I event bent one of the handles once when I put a pair of vise grips on it for a bit more leverage.

Are the C-Clamps covered under the lifetime warranty on hand tools? If so, a replacement would be in order as you simply got duds.

Also, much like the plastic handled clamps, you learn their limitations. I know that I can't straighten out the same 2x8 header which I did straighten with the C-Clamps, so I don't try that anymore.

 

[nuclearlemon]

The C Clamps = Fail

They don't take any abuse at all. My Epsteins C-clamps take all sorts of abuse but I wanted to test these harbor freight clamps.

i'll ditto that...even though mine didn't break like that, they bent while pushing pads into a caliper..i threw them out expecting that failure to be next

 

[mr.speaker]

I'm a good size guy at 6'1" and younger than average here at 31 and have tightened down various types that HF sells without any issues at all. I think I event bent one of the handles once when I put a pair of vise grips on it for a bit more leverage.

Are the C-Clamps covered under the lifetime warranty on hand tools? If so, a replacement would be in order as you simply got duds.

Also, much like the plastic handled clamps, you learn their limitations. I know that I can't straighten out the same 2x8 header which I did straighten with the C-Clamps, so I don't try that anymore.

I think they are covered under the lifetime warranty, but at this point I don't even want them in my toolbox. The ones I got from Epstein are way stronger and surprisingly around the same price or cheaper ,and if you care, they're made in USA..

 

[tpolley]

The 6 inch locking c clamps:
Fail.
I'm usually a big proponent of harbor freight's tools but these c clamps are ****. I bought two pair of them and I destroyed them both in a week. I was using them to clamp a line level and the jaws ended up spreading out. I bit the bullet and bought a pair of vice grip c clamps. I will probably warranty the harbor freights and retire them to my welding table.

I also bought the 11 inch pair at the same time, they're a little more stout, but not much. I still use them but I bought a pair of vice grip 11 inch c clamps. The harbor freights will be my back up pair.

I also bought the 5 and 10 inch locking pliers at the same time. I have to say they aren't bad.

 

[RCL]

I have quite a few of the HF c-clamps and they have held up pretty well.

 

[TheCarbideRat]

the indexing prybars are hit or miss. The unlock button is flimsy and on one out of the 4 these prybars that i bought has that broken now. I lent it to my buddy and he of course dropped it at some point....they are made of good steel though and you can fabricate a new and better unlock "button" if you are good at that sort of thing.

 

[mr.speaker]

the indexing prybars are hit or miss. The unlock button is flimsy and on one out of the 4 these prybars that i bought has that broken now. I lent it to my buddy and he of course dropped it at some point....they are made of good steel though and you can fabricate a new and better unlock "button" if you are good at that sort of thing.

Is that the "Lady's Foot" looking pry bar set ?

 

[beerdog]

I have to admit that is one of the most absurd statements I've read. Even more so when you've read a great number of posts from techs that use both high end (Snap-on, etc) and low-end (HF, Northern, Princess Auto) tools.

I agree...of course you will not want to use cheap stuff. There is probably not a single person posting on this site that does not already know HF is cheap chineese ****. We just do not always have the funds or need for the best tools. I live right next to a HF store and have looked closely at probably everything in their store. Some is OK. Nothing there can be expected to perform like top line tools.

The funny thing about C-clamps is that for less than HF prices you can get an old clamp that is a million times better.

 

[TheCarbideRat]

Is that the "Lady's Foot" looking pry bar set ?

Yes.

They would be perfect without that one problem.

 

[monster1]

50 pack of shop rags for 13 bucks #46163. Kinda looks like red cheese cloth but they do their job on oil spills and cleaning your tools after a messy job.

 

[Danglerb]

Cotton shop towels are a pass, but barely, first wash expect to find half the towel as lint in the filter trap of the washer and drier. After a couple cycles they are a fair amount thinner than a good grade shop towel, but still work ok.

I toss my used shop towels in a covered bucket with water and simple green so I don't catch hell putting them directly into the family washing machine and stinking it up. Still better have something to run after them on a hot setting. The red dye comes out a LOT for a long time.

 

[tpolley]

the indexing prybars are hit or miss. The unlock button is flimsy and on one out of the 4 these prybars that i bought has that broken now. I lent it to my buddy and he of course dropped it at some point....they are made of good steel though and you can fabricate a new and better unlock "button" if you are good at that sort of thing.

is there an item number or can you post a link to the indexing prybars? i can't seem to find them on the web site. i've never seen them in the store either and i'm in there 2-3 times a month.