The Harbor Freight PASS/FAIL Thread...

[byoungblood]

Bearing separator:
http://t.harborfreight.com/bearing-separator-and-puller-set-93980.html#.UxHa2n-9KSM

Mostly PASS. Out of the box, the separator plates can't open up enough to get around some of the bearings that they claim you can use it with, plus after one use the two pieces of threaded rod bent. A trip to Tractor Supply and two 6" long, 1/2" grade 8 bolts later and I was back in business and it actually holds up pretty well. I've used it to remove or press on about 5 bearings so far and the plates and forcing screw have held up just fine.

 

[cagullett1]

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-4-quarter-inch-forged-ball-joint-separator-99849.html#.UxHca1595Ak

item# 99849 PASS

Worked great. It was the only thing that I could find that would do the job!

 

[Jasonfi]

Ball joint separator #99849. I bought this after beating on a lower ball joint the old way with a pickle fork and hammer for about 30 minutes. This did the job in under a minute. PASS

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[Jasonfi]

Snap ring pliers #3316 & 60531. These are junk! Twist and turns on you with any little pressure applied. FAIL!

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[ybnormal70]

Looking at the table in stores and then checking the online pics again, the HF table does have a second fence also. So you could use it for square corners also. For $45 with the 25% off coupon it seems like a great little table.

Kevin

I did just notice that the HF version isn't adjustable for height. Strong Hand adjusts 26-32 inches. Also, the Strong Hand has another "fence" running along the short end that used with the length wise one could be used as a square corner set jig. Still, I'm impressed with the price. A little work and some stock, maybe the height could be made adjustable?

Oh yeah! I forgot! The Strong hand comes with "free" two mini magnets and a spring loaded "F" clamp that's pretty handy sometimes.

Here's the Strong Hand version at Cyber Weld: http://store.cyberweld.com/webehabe300.html

 

[VC455]

Thanks, subscribed to that one.

Here's the link for others. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=238223

Thanks, IONH for providing the link, very thoughtful and useful, wish more people were as helpful, even if just to peek in.
It is amazing how often people will talk about something, / whatever, then no link no pictures, No part #s whatever, like we're supposed to be clairvoyant = useless!

Thanks for the link,

 

[cheechi]

Dent puller 66957. Mostly pass. Nothing is actually wrong with it, I just didn't use all of it to fully test.

I realize there are probably many more sophisticated ways that pros have access to. I was not interested in spending a lot (hence buying at HF instead of going to a body shop) for a cosmetic issue on an older car. Fender flare dents are annoying anyway but I got a long dent mostly out using this kit. I haven't used the HF glue or gun as I have my own, didn't need the dolly. The T bar comes with 2 shaped pullers, the scraper is GREAT I was expecting it to wear down by the time I decided to stop. The acetone release is more effective than I thought it would be, it's watered down some. Except the T bar, you can get all this separate anyway, and I had most of it. I got this kit mostly because my suction pullers were too big to grab the dent on this car.

 

[Sleipnir]

Hows the chicago electric angle grinder? Should I just pony up and buy like a craftsman pro one instead? I keep trying to save money and getting burned

 

[LIGOOMBA]

Anyone have any experience with either of the $10 float chargers? Need something cheap for my car that's sitting all winter.

I have two of them .One on my ride on mower for about 4 or 5 years.The other one is on my sons go kart starter.I have them wired in to the battery with the little push in plug they give you .So far no problems.I have heard on other threads of them burning up.

 

[warweapon762]

http://www.harborfreight.com/15-16-inch-pneumatic-ball-joint-separator-66315.html#.UxIkWPldX0U

and

http://www.harborfreight.com/21-32-inch-pneumatic-tie-rod-separator-66316.html#.UxIknvldX0U

Huge PASS, just chuck one of these in your air hammer and go to town. Works wonders and doesn't tend to damage things like a regular picklefork and hammer will do.

Used them on a tear down of a Dodge Dakota suspension today and I was able to separate tie rods and ball joints in just a few minutes.

 

[warweapon762]

Hows the chicago electric angle grinder? Should I just pony up and buy like a craftsman pro one instead? I keep trying to save money and getting burned

Really good for the price, I have two, one I use a wire brush in one and the other I use a flap disc for removing paint/rust.

I run them constantly like maybe 30-40 minutes at a time when I am doing body work.

Haven't broke yet in two years!

 

[Hawk]

Hows the chicago electric angle grinder? Should I just pony up and buy like a craftsman pro one instead? I keep trying to save money and getting burned

I have four of the grinders, use one for each kind of disk I need, much better than crapsman and better price as well. Bought extras in case I burned one out and have had them for over 5 years with a fair amount of use. If you are using it constantly I would buy a better brand but for home use they are fine.

 

[Lhorn]

Hows the chicago electric angle grinder?

Blue one or orange one? 4.5 inch?

I think most people used to say the orange one. I bought a blue one a couple of years ago because I forgot which one people were recommending.
If you can be happy running a cutoff wheel and expect a short life from a very inexpensive tool then it's OK. If you want to have multiple grinders so you don't have to change wheels, it has a place. Running a flap wheel it bogs down with more than very light touch. I won't even bother with a real grinding disk or wire brush.

Using is strictly for cutting thin autmotive sheet metal it did it's just job fine for a brief life, then started screeching horribly and sounds like it's going to explode. It's done, as it my other cheapy - a "Buffalo Tools" angle grinder. Other than paint scheme, they were indistinguishable in their quality or performance.

My real grinder is an approx 7-10 year old Craftsman Industrial that does the hard work well.

 

[BellyUpFish]

What did you have to do or provide?

I wound up getting in touch with the girl who runs their Facebook page with the help of a wangstang here.

I then gave them a shot of my debit card statement showing I spent $X.** at a HF store. From this she found my invoice and the jack was on the way shortly thereafter.

 

[ndr1968]

Looking at the table in stores and then checking the online pics again, the HF table does have a second fence also. So you could use it for square corners also. For $45 with the 25% off coupon it seems like a great little table.

Kevin

Cool! If I ever need another one I will probably go this route too. For what I'm doing with it though, I doubt I will ever need a replacement. For light projects, I just don't think you can go wrong at that price!

Here's an accessory (speaking of light projects) that's intended for machinists but can be modified for work holding and is awesome solid and versitile: http://www.harborfreight.com/multipositional-magnetic-base-with-fine-adjustment-5645.html

 

[pauls_workshop]

Thanks, subscribed to that one.

Here's the link for others. http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=238223

IONH: Thx, the Sears thread is starting to take off now with more balanced reviews I think although it started out pretty rough. Like this here HF thread, anything sold in the store is fair game there, although some above like Lhorn don't like that. The previous Sears thread years back was just a Craftsman thread. So far his contribution was to complain, make unwarranted accusations without any evidence, and review a pair of jeans in retaliation. I do prefer Levis over Wranglers too though, so it is ok.

Also, those HF 4.5" grinders can be very good in contrast to what Lhorn above says. I used an old orange 5 amp one for about 20 years of occasional use before finally dying. They will fail if overloaded too long and not allowed to cool off before shutting them off. So if you run them hard, let them continue to spin in the air unloaded for 50 seconds to cool the motor first, then turn them off. Then they won't fail. The best one of them is the highest amp one they sell. For an even better grinder for not much more, I highly recommend the Black and Decker 8.5 amp 4.5" one, about $40 or less at Amazon price. Much smoother, more power, excellent for the money. I used it to grind my concrete floor for my first epoxy floor DIY job (and the HF one too before I overheated it finally). I also bought another HF one to replace the old one, as it is nice to have a few to not replace the wheels all the time. Sometimes you *want* lower torque or power for things that need more control in your work and the HF ones are good for that. - Paul

 

[owenst7]

Cool! If I ever need another one I will probably go this route too. For what I'm doing with it though, I doubt I will ever need a replacement. For light projects, I just don't think you can go wrong at that price!

Here's an accessory (speaking of light projects) that's intended for machinists but can be modified for work holding and is awesome solid and versitile: http://www.harborfreight.com/multipositional-magnetic-base-with-fine-adjustment-5645.html

I've set up many a ring and pinion with that magnetic base, works great.

 

[jahcure]

I've set up many a ring and pinion with that magnetic base, works great.

Not to steer off topic but would you be so kind as to share what other tools you use to set up ring and pinion

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[Lhorn]

Thx, the Sears thread is starting to take off now with more balanced reviews I think although it started out pretty rough. Like this here HF thread, anything sold in the store is fair game there, although some above like Lhorn don't like that. The previous Sears thread years back was just a Craftsman thread. So far his contribution was to complain, make unwarranted accusations without any evidence, and review a pair of jeans in retaliation. I do prefer Levis over Wranglers too though, so it is ok.

Also, those HF 4.5" grinders can be very good in contrast to what Lhorn above says./QUOTE]

Still **** hurt over the the fact some some don't see the point in reviewing products made by third parties under the heading of "Sears Pass /Fail?" Seriously as someone else said, what does it have to do with Sears? Wolverine boots aren't tools and they aren't made or sold under the a Sears brand. They are simply sold at Sears the same way they are sold at Famous Footware, Nordstroms, Walmart etc. You simply want to provide a forum to bash Sears. I don't care when it's about a Craftsman tool but this makes no sense.

As far as the 4.5 grinders, you conveniently misrepresented my review. I made it 100% clear that I've heard the orange one is the better one, but my review is for the blue one. Now you get **** hurt over that. Read it again. BLUE grinder. You are talking about the orange one. I will not comment on the orange grinder because I don't have one, but I have the blue and it's not better than any other cheapo grinder. My point of reference is a $15 Buffalo Tools angle grinder that I got from Kragen's autoparts. These two could be sisters, quality wise and function wise. They both got the job done for a while (cutting wheels). The blue grinder is bottom of the barrel though. It's not an unsung gem. It's literally probably on par with the worst grinder you can find from a brick and mortar retailer. But you know what? A $1.00 screw driver will turn a screw as well as a $20 screwdriver 95% of the time. It's not as nice and won't last as long, but it'll turn a screw. That's what the blue HF grinder is. You can say that it's cheap price makes it a better value than *** brand, but that doesn't make it a better grinder.

You and I agree on the Black and Decker grinder. My dad's got two. They are a decent step up quality wise over the real cheapies, but still pretty affordable.

 

[Lhorn]

Here are the two dearly departed. Blue is Drill Master (the current DrillMaster version is black not blue) or whatever HF calls it. Dark orange is "Buffalo Tools" line sold for a period at Kragen's auto part. Other than the slide switch being on the exact opposite side, were the they same color, you could not tell them apart. Neither has been cleaned up. I think neither looks as they've been used hard, because they haven't. In fact I've owned the Buffalo tools one for much longer and used it more than 3x as much as the HF. It was my primary cutting grinder. The HF was used FAR less. They are equally dead. Sorry. I will not tell someone that the HF is better than anything. The best I can say is that I'm still a bit amazed that considering what it involved, that anyone can sell tools this cheap. You shouldn't be able to buy a grinder for $15. Yet you can.

 

[Lhorn]

Sorry, my original pics were too big. These are ipod touch photos.
Similar? I have no idea if they were made by the same factory but I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[Lhorn]

Not to go too off topic, but since the someone said HF is better than Craftsman. Here's my old Craftsman Industrial (is that the current Craftsman Pro?).
You'll have to take my word for it that the CM is smoother an has infinitely more power. The CM has spent it's life about 10 years spinning grinding wheels, wire brushes. The approx 3 year old HF has been running cutting disks and briefly flap wheels. Pardon my rudeness if I laugh when someone tries to tell me the BLUE HF is better.

Both are "4.5 inch" grinders. The Craftsman cost more as it should. It stronger, better fit and finish, more durable, better cord, better switch, better guard, better screw in handle, smoother. One is dead. One isn't. Factoring 3x the longevity with harder use, the price I paid for the CM makes it a better value in my book.
But as Paul said, sometimes a lighter duty tool has it's place. Precision cutting sheet metal with a cutting disk, I'd rather be holding the lighter HF.

 

[Randy_che]

Snap ring pliers #3316 & 60531. These are junk! Twist and turns on you with any little pressure applied. FAIL!

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I have the 3316 snap ring pliers and they were the same for me. The weak point is the spring push pin to change the heads. Allows a lot of twist. I replaced it with a screw, couple of washers, and a nut. Significantly better, but not perfect. Just an idea for those that was to get some use out of these.

 

[Jasonfi]

I have the 3316 snap ring pliers and they were the same for me. The weak point is the spring push pin to change the heads. Allows a lot of twist. I replaced it with a screw, couple of washers, and a nut. Significantly better, but not perfect. Just an idea for those that was to get some use out of these.

That is an awesome idea I will have to do that. Thanks for the advice.

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[Engine]

Here are the two dearly departed. Blue is Drill Master (the current DrillMaster version is black not blue) or whatever HF calls it. Dark orange is "Buffalo Tools" line sold for a period at Kragen's auto part. Other than the slide switch being on the exact opposite side, were the they same color, you could not tell them apart. Neither has been cleaned up. I think neither looks as they've been used hard, because they haven't. In fact I've owned the Buffalo tools one for much longer and used it more than 3x as much as the HF. It was my primary cutting grinder. The HF was used FAR less. They are equally dead. Sorry. I will not tell someone that the HF is better than anything. The best I can say is that I'm still a bit amazed that considering what it involved, that anyone can sell tools this cheap. You shouldn't be able to buy a grinder for $15. Yet you can.

Drill Master 69645 Angle Grinder, 4-1/2" - PASS

I recently had one of these finally die after about six months of use. I bought it on sale in one of their fliers for $9.99 and I think it was worth it. Out of three that I have bought within the last 12 months or so, this is the first to fail. Actually, I suspect that the brushes were just worn out.

I have to say it is a light duty grinder. When using it hard, it slows down considerably and I'm sure that overloads the little motor. So, for hard grinding it is not the tool to buy.

I also have a Porter-Cable grinder that I've been using for several years without problems, but it cost about 4x the price. It has plenty of power and has yet to fail.

The main advantage I see for the cheap HF grinders is that you can have one mounted with a cut-off wheel, one with a grinding wheel, etc. to keep from having to change them all the time. This is useful when welding and fabricating. I look at these HF grinders as consumables. For instance, if I have a large section of rust on a steel plate that can be cleaned with a cup brush on a grinder, I will use the hell out of the HF grinder instead of putting so much stress on my more expensive grinders. If I wear one or two out every year I still see that as a bargain. Maybe another way to look at it is you should be using a bigger and more powerful grinder for that job and it would last ten years. Ten times the price for ten times the tool life. It's all about the same.

 

[Lhorn]

Drill Master 69645 Angle Grinder, 4-1/2" - PASS

This is perfect example of the same use, same experience, but different opinion.

I might buy HF again, because I want a light weight grinder but I will buy the OTHER one.

So to clarify
Is old blue (Drillmaster) = new black Drillmaster
and
Old Orange (brand?) = new maroon (Chicago electric)?

 

[kball]

Air Swivel=PASS
works great so far, doesn't leak at all.
http://www.harborfreight.com/14-air-hose-swivel-connector-68196.html

3/8" drive palm air ratchet=PASS
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-8-eighth-inch-mini-palm-ratchet-wrench-99898.html
Not much torque but rpms are pretty good.

These two together = get into any space I need so far!

 

[Jasonfi]

Butterfly 3/8 impact #93100. This leaked bad when I first got it. But living over an hour from a store it wasn't an option to return it to the store. So I took it apart and realize that the reverse button was stuck in the open position and wasn't sealing correctly. So after repairing it is a PASS. The only thing is I don't think it puts out 75 foot pounds as it describes.

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[oldtools]

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-4-quarter-inch-forged-ball-joint-separator-99849.html#.UxHca1595Ak

item# 99849 PASS

Worked great. It was the only thing that I could find that would do the job!

Got that one also. Only used it several times, but it work good.

 

[owenst7]

Not to steer off topic but would you be so kind as to share what other tools you use to set up ring and pinion

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[hijack]It depends on the axle. GM 10.5" is just marking compound (you can use toothpaste), a yoke puller (I used to use the HF bolt puller kit), and a dial indicator. You do the carrier and inner pinion bearing by carefully cutting the inner race with a dremel. Then, you can use those inner races with a piece of tube for a bearing driver. If you put the pinion & carrier in the freezer, and the bearings in the oven, you can pretty much drop the bearing into place without any hammer work. Oh, if you haven't been doing these much, you probably want a non-click torque wrench for doing the pinion bearing preload (I use KD 2955). I skip the crush sleeve and install a crush sleeve eliminator BTW. It allows me to swap yokes on the trail when I destroy them on a rock.

Dana 60s are more tedious because there are shims under the carrier bearings and the inner pinion bearing race. Many years ago I took a dremel to a used set of bearings and made a set-up kit. I prefer this method because it is both faster, and eliminates the possibility of damaging your new bearings or the shim stack (sometimes it takes MANY tries to get things in the right place) either with the puller, or by dropping something (it also keeps the new bearings from being exposed to my dirty shop).

We replaced a carrier on the lakebed out Johnson Valley last month during King of the Hammers . My friend needs a real axle.

 

[jahcure]

Awesome thanks for the advice

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[pauls_workshop]

This is perfect example of the same use, same experience, but different opinion.

I might buy HF again, because I want a light weight grinder but I will buy the OTHER one.

So to clarify
Is old blue (Drillmaster) = new black Drillmaster
and
Old Orange (brand?) = new maroon (Chicago electric)?

Hey LHORN, I'm agreeing with you on this and in general, glad to see we are starting to agree more in those last few posts! Peace brother.

I wouldn't bother with the cheapest HF grinders either but would step up one or two steps to the higher amp 4.5" ones. Those are still a bargain and great for not changing the wheels on them all the time. Buy a couple and also a better one somewhere in higher amps, whether the B&D 8.5 amp rattail one we both agree on or a Craftsman or other brand. Use that one when you need the power or smoothness and the cheap HF ones when those are the better choice. - Paul

 

[pauls_workshop]

Has anyone bought the NEW Pitt Pro bigger screwdriver set? Is it as good as the famous $7.99 on sale Pitt Pro set? Better/worse? A review would be good. In fact, a summary review by those informed on the various screwdriver sets and options and which you like and which you don't would be good for all. I think almost everyone gave a PASS to the $7.99 set, which I also like a lot. thx- Paul

 

[cheechi]

please do list product numbers or links to the products so we know what is being reviewed.

Which Pitt Pro set?

 

[pauls_workshop]

This new one, labeled as Pitt Pro, 61255:

http://www.harborfreight.com/33-piece-comfort-grip-screwdriver-set-61255.html

Anyone? - Paul

 

[Lhorn]

Hey LHORN, I'm agreeing with you on this and in general, glad to see we are starting to agree more in those last few posts! Peace brother./QUOTE]

Peace to you too. I love this message board and it's a lot less fun when I get into a too serious discussion with someone. No hard feelings.

 

[Danglerb]

33 piece hobby knife set, PASS
http://www.harborfreight.com/33-piece-deluxe-hobby-knife-set-96551.html

I needed to cut the old hoses out of the barbed fittings on a set of fuel injectors, which needs a long narrow tip sharp blade like an xacto knife. About $12 with coupon seemed easier than finding any old one I might have, plus I picked up an oil drain pan for $5 to work in to avoid cleaning one sufficient to bring in the house.

Gordon brand, nice plastic holder case, weird assortment which included a small crude looking "precision" screwdriver bits and holder, tweezer, bunch of blades and one nice blade holder handle and three OK handles, all Colette style rubber over aluminum. Blades were oily but sharp and strong enough for my use, convenient to load the handles with several types of blades including a couple scribe/picks, and the handles felt good, no slipperiness.

Oil pan was OK too, but last I looked Walmart was cheaper. This one does have a raised post to drain the filter on and a spout, but I tend to use the cheap pans for junk not draining oil, so cheaper at Walmart suits me fine.

 

[Jasonfi]

90 Amp Flux Wire Welder #68887. Pass. I bought this to do some exhaust work and this little welder did the trick. Remember this welder isn't made for industrial construction, but if you need a welder to repair small projects around the house this one is great.

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[Jasonfi]

Auto darkening helmet #91214. I remember as a kid in High school welding class we dreamed of **** an invention. This is a great helmet and I have yet to be flashed. Another great feature is you can select your shade of sheild. For anyone welding this is a must!

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[Finky198]

torque wrenches are still made in Taiwan 9.99 each any size I just bought 4 If you pick up one of their digital torque testers u can double check them

The Infrared thermometers are on sale for 25 bucks