The Harbor Freight PASS/FAIL Thread...

[garthg]

Anyone have experience with the HF non-contact infrared thermometers?

I'm not an HF fan (which should be obvious from my posts), but it doesn't make sense to spend money for Snap-On or Fluke for something that will only be used once in a while. Could be handy on those occasions, however. (Like, heating aluminum wheel hubs to press out wheel bearings).

One would think that the HF product would either work or not.

$37, less 20% (coupon).

 

[cheechi]

I used it, pointed at different things and got temp readings that made sense, but never really used it in a shop environment. Just stuff in the kitchen & outside to see if it worked.

 

[IONH]

I know I was working outside of the scope of the tools, but this was an attempt that failed. As I stated, the tools themselves still pass. If anyone was thinking or was confused to the 700 lb inch vs 700 lb feet torque. Plus, it was interesting to see what would happen. Now we all know for sure.

So if you have a 1.5 ton jack you'll try and lift up a full size SUV to have it fail and then post the fail review for testing outside of its defined limitations?

How about the 5 pound magnetic pickups.. try lifting 10 and calling it a fail?

I'm confused by this logic.

 

[IONH]

Anyone have experience with the HF non-contact infrared thermometers?

I'm not an HF fan (which should be obvious from my posts), but it doesn't make sense to spend money for Snap-On or Fluke for something that will only be used once in a while. Could be handy on those occasions, however. (Like, heating aluminum wheel hubs to press out wheel bearings).

One would think that the HF product would either work or not.

$37, less 20% (coupon).

I have one and used it again just the other day to diagnose a failed thermostat. When the 190* thermostat was working, it read about 192 and the thermostat was open. Prior to that, the thermostat housing had raised to about 210 and the needle gauge was higher than normal.

 

[Loscaldazar]

Upgrade to the 25% off coupons guys! Stores around me take them even if they are printed (not that they can tell the difference with a laser printer and hi res scans...).

http://slickdeals.net/f/1276399-Harbor-Freight-Coupon-Thread?

 

[Kracin]

Trying to change out your tires with a 18 Volt Cordless 1/4" Hex Impact Driver
Chicago Electric - Item#68853 is a fail.

The tools themselves are still a pass.

18 Volt Cordless 1/4" Hex Impact Driver 03

seriously. another video of a tool used in a way that it isn't meant to be used with adapters/fittings that aren't meant to be used


and you post these videos for what reason?

just like the hammer drill one, they aren't helpful, they don't show anything, nobody learns anything, if you are just throwing countless videos out there on youtube hoping to be some kind of youtube star, then you may want to find another outlet, tools aren't really your thing man.


i like to visit this thread because there are a few good tools and things you can buy at HF, get a good deal and still have a tool that does the job, even for professionals. but what is the point of buying every single thing you possibly can, wanting to do a review on it, but not using it for any intended purpose.

if you wanted to do a REAL review on an impact DRIVER (not wrench... use a damn impact wrench for lugs on a car, or anything over 100 ft lbs of torque required, you cant even change most lugs with a 1/4 pneumatic impact wrench which puts out over 100 ft/lbs because you need the extra force to break them loose in the first place) Then go ahead and get a 4x4, a box of deck screws, charge it up all the way. and drive deck screws until it won't drive anymore. tell everyone how many it was able to put down in one charge, how fast it put them down, and how fast the battery comes back to full on the charger. after that it's up to tool life in terms of useability of an impact driver.

even something as simple as making a plate with multiple bolts on it, torqued down in 10 lb increments and marked so you can go at the bolts (in a size that doesn't require a reducer), and see what the impact driver will take out in terms of bolts torqued to X ft/lb

 

[emeraldcoupe]

So if you have a 1.5 ton jack you'll try and lift up a full size SUV to have it fail and then post the fail review for testing outside of its defined limitations?

How about the 5 pound magnetic pickups.. try lifting 10 and calling it a fail?

I'm confused by this logic.

seriously. another video of a tool used in a way that it isn't meant to be used with adapters/fittings that aren't meant to be used


and you post these videos for what reason?

just like the hammer drill one, they aren't helpful, they don't show anything, nobody learns anything, if you are just throwing countless videos out there on youtube hoping to be some kind of youtube star, then you may want to find another outlet, tools aren't really your thing man.


i like to visit this thread because there are a few good tools and things you can buy at HF, get a good deal and still have a tool that does the job, even for professionals. but what is the point of buying every single thing you possibly can, wanting to do a review on it, but not using it for any intended purpose.

if you wanted to do a REAL review on an impact DRIVER (not wrench... use a damn impact wrench for lugs on a car, or anything over 100 ft lbs of torque required, you cant even change most lugs with a 1/4 pneumatic impact wrench which puts out over 100 ft/lbs because you need the extra force to break them loose in the first place) Then go ahead and get a 4x4, a box of deck screws, charge it up all the way. and drive deck screws until it won't drive anymore. tell everyone how many it was able to put down in one charge, how fast it put them down, and how fast the battery comes back to full on the charger. after that it's up to tool life in terms of useability of an impact driver.

even something as simple as making a plate with multiple bolts on it, torqued down in 10 lb increments and marked so you can go at the bolts (in a size that doesn't require a reducer), and see what the impact driver will take out in terms of bolts torqued to X ft/lb

glad i'm not the only one who thinks this,lol. all his posts are in this thread and the hf coupon thread. at least the coupons are helpful.

 

[68rustang]

and you post these videos for what reason... they aren't helpful, they don't show anything, nobody learns anything, if you are just throwing countless videos out there on youtube hoping to be some kind of youtube star, then you may want to find another outlet, tools aren't really your thing man.

Agreed. Added JDB to my ignore list, thread is much easier to read now

 

[jamesbumdaddy]

Agreed. Added JDB to my ignore list, thread is much easier to read now

Alright. I get the message. I will no longer post here.

Thanks for all your comments.

 

[jd_1138]

The basic simple little 4 piece pick and hook set is a winner. I have used this set for years and have bought a few as stocking stuffer gifts. They come in handy in a lot of weird ways sometimes.

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-pick-and-hook-set-66836.html

 

[Haveblue]

I got two model #32046 air angle die grinders about three weeks ago..Ive been using them a lot for general grinding, gasket removal, and mower blade sharpening...im impressed. PASS

 

[Kracin]

Alright. I get the message. I will no longer post here.

Thanks for all your comments.

look, no one said stop posting, don't take it personal.

take it as a challenge, if you are going to make videos and post a link to them every other day on this forum, then at least take into account that the people who are viewing it are probably 90% experienced mechanics, or have been using tools quite a long time, and would want to see a real use of a tool. nobody wants to see a video of a ratchet being used as a hammer. or a an insulated screwdriver as a prybar. just like mechanics, if you don't know, ask, it ain't gonna hurt. if you have a tool and want to test it out, ask for opinions on how to do a proper test on it to see if its decent or not. plenty of people here can give a good idea or two on how you could test something for its durability and useability.

i don't know about anyone else, but if i want to see what a tool looks like, i will look up pictures, and the only reason i look for a video, is to see a demo of what it's got, not what it looks like when you don't use it right.

 

[ChevyEFI]

I think i you're going to use a ratchet as a hammer, you may as well make it funny. But it's not.

And if you're going to try and make something of your youtube career, try and work on listening to constructive feedback.

When 24 people in a room tell the 25th his videos are too long, it doesn't matter those 24 aren't necessarily cinematography experts.

 

[Kracin]

I think i you're going to use a ratchet as a hammer, you may as well make it funny. But it's not.

And if you're going to try and make something of your youtube career, try and work on listening to constructive feedback.

When 24 people in a room tell the 25th his videos are too long, it doesn't matter those 24 aren't necessarily cinematography experts.

forgot why i made that reference, but now i remember....

 

[beerdog]

Anyone have experience with the HF non-contact infrared thermometers?

I'm not an HF fan (which should be obvious from my posts), but it doesn't make sense to spend money for Snap-On or Fluke for something that will only be used once in a while. Could be handy on those occasions, however. (Like, heating aluminum wheel hubs to press out wheel bearings).

One would think that the HF product would either work or not.

$37, less 20% (coupon).

I had one and it works fine. I think I paid $20 or so with a coupon when it was on sale. Like everything at HF, it is not going to be as good or last as long as a professional grade one that costs $100+.

 

[gte718p]

Anyone have experience with the HF non-contact infrared thermometers?

I'm not an HF fan (which should be obvious from my posts), but it doesn't make sense to spend money for Snap-On or Fluke for something that will only be used once in a while. Could be handy on those occasions, however. (Like, heating aluminum wheel hubs to press out wheel bearings).

One would think that the HF product would either work or not.

$37, less 20% (coupon).

It is actually the exact same as the cheapest fluke and the klien. Size, shape, and model number. Fluke obviously makes some higher end ones but I would be good money they are rebranding the same low end one that HF does. I have no standards to compare it against. I use it in my kitchen mostly. Boiling water is 100 degrees and an ice bath is 0 degrees. My wife is 98 degrees F so it seems to be working and I have no complaints so far.

 

[ChevyEFI]

It is actually the exact same as the cheapest fluke and the klien. Size, shape, and model number. Fluke obviously makes some higher end ones but I would be good money they are rebranding the same low end one that HF does. I have no standards to compare it against. I use it in my kitchen mostly. Boiling water is 100 degrees and an ice bath is 0 degrees. My wife is 98 degrees F so it seems to be working and I have no complaints so far.

It has worked perfectly for me too. Garage or kitchen.

 

[Gotmayhem]

So if you have a 1.5 ton jack you'll try and lift up a full size SUV to have it fail and then post the fail review for testing outside of its defined limitations?
.

On that note, I used the HF 1.5 ton aluminum racing jack to pick up each corner of a X3 yesterday. It's been used for at least a few months now and not a leak or creak yet. Good jack.

 

[ex-x-fire]

I picked up one of these today, never knew about them. The magnets are strong & you can't beat the price of 10 bucks. US General 69319.

 

[ex-x-fire]

I might get a couple more, they'd be a good to use on a hoist to hold lug nuts.

 

[skulldrinker]

I might get a couple more, they'd be a good to use on a hoist to hold lug nuts.

Good Idea!

 

[ihateminimumwage]

I might get a couple more, they'd be a good to use on a hoist to hold lug nuts.

I have a set of the 'Grip-On' magnetic trays just like that, and they are GREAT for sticking to the tractor or trailer frame I'm working on to hold my hand tools and the nuts and bolts I'm working with.

 

[RAYJAY]

I picked up one of these today, never knew about them. The magnets are strong & you can't beat the price of 10 bucks. US General 69319.

i have mine for over 4 years now, use it at work it gets the **** beat out of it and keeps going all of the magnets are stiil on it too ..lol

 

[Georgia Mike]

HF Central Machinery 4x6 bandsaw has been a huge fail for me. Mine is the green one, not the red (if that matters). After using it for a few months it got to the point that I had to remove the pulley cover so I could "hand start" the motor after flipping the power switch on. The blade also jumps off the wheels if the blade binds any at all.

Maybe I just got a lemon, or I just don't know how to overcome the shortcomings

 

[68rustang]

look, no one said stop posting, don't take it personal.

take it as a challenge, if you are going to make videos and post a link to them every other day on this forum, then at least take into account that the people who are viewing it are probably 90% experienced mechanics, or have been using tools quite a long time, and would want to see a real use of a tool. nobody wants to see a video of a ratchet being used as a hammer. or a an insulated screwdriver as a prybar. just like mechanics, if you don't know, ask, it ain't gonna hurt. if you have a tool and want to test it out, ask for opinions on how to do a proper test on it to see if its decent or not. plenty of people here can give a good idea or two on how you could test something for its durability and useability.

i don't know about anyone else, but if i want to see what a tool looks like, i will look up pictures, and the only reason i look for a video, is to see a demo of what it's got, not what it looks like when you don't use it right.

Yes, this.

This thread is supposed to be about helping separate what is worthwhile from HF from the garbage that isn't. Not "Hey look what I bought..."

 

[garthg]

Okay, bought the Cenco non-contact infrared thermometer. $35.99 less 25%, or $26.99.

Seems okay, so call it a PASS except for the stupid "heavy duty" carbon 9V battery that will likely have to be replaced in 2 months.

Only the Chinese still use carbon/zinc batteries. They aren't even made in any first world country anymore.

 

[Haveblue]

I picked up one of these today, never knew about them. The magnets are strong & you can't beat the price of 10 bucks. US General 69319.

hung one on my cart, and have been using it for years. It stays put loaded and rolling the cart around. I can vouch for the lift idea too, think I need to get a couple more! PASS!!

 

[celticbhoy]

Wait one damn minute..... you're telling me I can't use a 1/4 impact driver to change my lug nuts?!


http://www.harborfreight.com/100-amp-6-volt12-volt-battery-load-tester-69888.html

PASS

The one I bought was Chicago Electric, don't know how different it is from this Centrech one but the one I have is pretty damn accurate. Did a load test on a VAT-40 unit and produced the same result as this.

 

[RAYJAY]

HF Central Machinery 4x6 bandsaw has been a huge fail for me. Mine is the green one, not the red (if that matters). After using it for a few months it got to the point that I had to remove the pulley cover so I could "hand start" the motor after flipping the power switch on. The blade also jumps off the wheels if the blade binds any at all.

Maybe I just got a lemon, or I just don't know how to overcome the shortcomings

there is a ton of forums on this saw, Werther its a HF, JET ENCO ect ect there all built the same and come out of the box needing some TLC.
if it the green one you have it a long time, open the gear box clean out all of the old grease and re-lube,it as for the blade if your still using the factory blade it junk buy a good quality blade and set the tension and tracking the right way should help

i have one of the red one and it cut tons of metal so far and no problems, we have the enco one at work and that one has the hell beat out of it and still keeps going




some links that can help just do a search on Google you will find a wealth of information on this saw. the manula from grizzly is better than the HF one

http://cdn0.grizzly.com/manuals/g0622_m.pdf


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/4x6bandsaw/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sawking/

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php/87-Show-us-your-HF-4x6-Bandsaw-Modifications!

 

[Danglerb]

Okay, bought the Cenco non-contact infrared thermometer. $35.99 less 25%, or $26.99.

Seems okay, so call it a PASS except for the stupid "heavy duty" carbon 9V battery that will likely have to be replaced in 2 months.

Only the Chinese still use carbon/zinc batteries. They aren't even made in any first world country anymore.

Yup, battery is junk, and nothing uses a 9v these days. I ended up buying some Ultralast batteries off ebay cheap, but next time I am at a swap meet with a bunch of store returns (costco, best buy, wholesale all returns and people sell them at the swap meets) I'll pick up a couple Energizer lithiums cheap (like a buck or so).

I have a couple of the IR thermometers, the same big one with a large range, and the smaller keychain size with a smaller range, but MUCH longer battery life.

 

[oldtools]

Okay, bought the Cenco non-contact infrared thermometer. $35.99 less 25%, or $26.99.

Seems okay, so call it a PASS except for the stupid "heavy duty" carbon 9V battery that will likely have to be replaced in 2 months.

Only the Chinese still use carbon/zinc batteries. They aren't even made in any first world country anymore.

Remember it is less accurate if point at shinny surface. I believe that is true for all brands. I bought a high temperature black marker just in case I need to mark up a shinny surface before measuring.

 

[garthg]

Remember it is less accurate if point at shinny surface. I believe that is true for all brands. I bought a high temperature black marker just in case I need to mark up a shinny surface before measuring.

Yes, the instructions mention that. They say to put a piece of duct tape on what you want to measure if necessary.

 

[TAMPAGT07]

I just bought this one: http://www.harborfreight.com/3-8-eighth-inch-close-quarters-drill-with-keyless-chuck-95877.html

This one felt more rugged in the store compared to the one you posted. Mainly the grip and the trigger. I would have preferred the keyed chuck, but overall liked this one better.

Used it to drill an 8mm broken bolt on my F150 EGR valve. I drilled through about an inch of the remaining bolt in three steps. It had plenty of power. Only issue was the bit would spin in the chuck when it would grab at the end of the hole.

Replace the chuck and it would be twice the drill it currently is.

In the end it was less than $30 with a coupon, got the job done, and will get used again.

I've used the right angle adapters in the past and found them hard to handle. You need one hand on the adapter and the other on the drill. You can't "pull" the drill into the work or balance yourself against something. If you need a right angle drill, you are already in an awkward position, the adapters make it worse.

I've got to give this one a fail....The drill crapped out after a few hours of heavy use....My wife tried to exchange it, but they had none left in stock..Maybe I just got a bad one...I'll give it a second chance when they get another batch in...

 

[celticbhoy]

Has anyone ever used these? The price and reviews have me curious....

http://www.harborfreight.com/7-piece-12-drive-metric-impact-swivel-socket-set-67911.html

 

[emeraldcoupe]

Has anyone ever used these? The price and reviews have me curious....

http://www.harborfreight.com/7-piece-12-drive-metric-impact-swivel-socket-set-67911.html

i have the sae set. so far so good, but i don't use them in a shop, just at home.

 

[Stooge]

Has anyone ever used these? The price and reviews have me curious....

http://www.harborfreight.com/7-piece-12-drive-metric-impact-swivel-socket-set-67911.html

I bought that set, the ones in my hf store had a coil wrapped around the pin instead of a collar. Used them for a few jobs so far so ive already got my moneys worth but i dont really see em lasting too long. everytime ive used one of them ive turned my head away incase it explodes. Gets a pass in my book for the price but i wouldnt want to have to rely on them

 

[ssentt]

My son has a set, uses them at work. They have been redesigned though, no collar like the picture shows. They have a spring wound around where the pin is. So far so good he says....he hasn't broken one yet. He's sitting by me as I type this.

 

[celticbhoy]

Awesome, thanks guys. I will be using them daily so I'll pick them up and see how long they last. If they don't last long then at least I have a review, if they do, then I have a review and decent product.

 

[CJCar]

I've got to give this one a fail....The drill crapped out after a few hours of heavy use....My wife tried to exchange it, but they had none left in stock..Maybe I just got a bad one...I'll give it a second chance when they get another batch in...

Just curious, could you define crapped out? Motor fail? Gear reduction fail? Switch?

 

[laser3kw]

First off, I consider most the items buy at Harbor Freight as a "you do it" kit. In other words, some assembly corrections required, modifications to make it work sufficiently, necessary.
my Harbor Freight pass / fail:
Moving Dolly
Haul Master Shop - item#93888
Fail
the advertisement says:

Features include non-marring, hard-rubber swivel casters and a heavy-duty hardwood frame for added durability.

yes there is a wood frame, but the wheels will marr the **** out of the floor.
The reason? The dolly I have tend to drag one or more because they won't swivel. The swivel casters are about bone dry of grease and don't swivel very well. Even on a smooth, swept concrete floor. I repacked the sloppy bearings and it was better. And of course once you drag a caster a little, they flat spot and it becomes a vicious cycle.
If you choose to buy one, grease up the swivel bearings before use.