The Harbor Freight PASS/FAIL Thread...

[kball]

Not sure if this has been reviewed, but the pipe plug set is a pass. I just wish it had the external ones instead of the hex. I want to get the Mac set eventually that has both external and internal.

Have a part# for this? I have never seen this at my store and I just searched the site for pipe plug and it didn't come up.

External square sockets? That's what 8 point or spline sockets are for right?

 

[Hpozzuoli]

^^^^^^I use splines now for externals, but don't have a full set. I figure if I have to buy something I will get a master pipe plug set instead of more splines. I will check tomm on the part number. I am not even sure there is one on the box, but I will check.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

There is no model number on the pipe plug set. Only thing it has is made in china. It's a small blue box.

Edit**** 94961 is the item number via the website.

 

[carhouse]

HF Storage bins 47 or 74 rack #'s 95736 or 95551.

Do they sell replacement bins individually or by 2's or 4 etc?
Or anyone find replacements elsewhere?

I was thinking about getting one but I know after time the plastic will break and need replacements.

I see part # 67134 but it does not say if those will work with the 47 or 74 bin rack

Thanks

 

[KingCobra98]

Fail:
1.) http://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/polishers/7-in-variable-speed-polishersander-69474.html 7 in. Variable Speed Polisher/Sander. This thing would change speed on its own lol.

2.) http://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/grinders-buffers/4-inch-angle-grinder-91222.html 4" Angle Grinder.. I burned this little guy up in 15 minutes of using it... Kinda funny tho, I was welding in a custom bed floor on my truck and was using this grinder to clean it up. well the thing locked up got really hot and started smoking really good. I unpluged the grinder and left it in the back of the truck smoking while people were walking by lol.

3.) Small 3/8 socket set. can not find it on there site, wonder why. But i broke the ratchet bolting my holley 600 carb on my chevelle.

Pass

1.) http://www.harborfreight.com/power-...procating-saw-with-rotating-handle-65570.html Reciprocating Saw.. this is the newer one, but I remember buying my dad one for for 19.99 maybe 9 years ago and still works great.

2.) http://www.harborfreight.com/7-piece-sae-ratcheting-combo-wrench-set-96654.html Pittsburgh Ratcheting Combo Wrench SAE and Metric.. These are great. been using them for years.

3.) http://www.harborfreight.com/air-impact-hammer-kit-92037.html Air Impact Hammer Kit... for the money this works great.

4.) http://www.harborfreight.com/air-angle-die-grinder-32046.html Air Angle Die Grinder.. works great never had a problem.

5.) http://www.harborfreight.com/5-piece-pliers-set-69352.html... 5 Piece Pliers Set.. allot of bad reviews but they work for me.

For a guy like me HF tools work fine.

 

[alxdgr8]

The plastic creeper was a close pass for the past year with occasional use (I weigh 200lbs), it would sag a bit sometimes and never rolled very well. It finally became a fail and cracked in several places. After a few strips of scrap wood it now rolls even better than new and is only about 1/2" higher. No more sagging at all!

 

[1949 caddyman]

http://www.harborfreight.com/garage...sories/300-lb-capacity-mobile-base-95288.html I have two of these on a table saw & a 6" jointer, they work very good.

 

[Engine]

The plastic creeper was a close pass for the past year with occasional use (I weigh 200lbs), it would sag a bit sometimes and never rolled very well. It finally became a fail and cracked in several places. After a few strips of scrap wood...

Now just wrap that baby all around about 4 or 5 times with duck tape and it's ready for the Red Green show!

That's what's great about HF tools -- you get to fix 'em either before or after you start using them. Just kidding. I have one of those creepers and now I know what I'm expecting for it in the future.

 

[GCncsuHD]

Not really a pass/fail on a particular part/tool but on HF itself... Why doesn't HF carry these? They appear to be of the same origin of the US General magnetic accessories (note the bump where the magnet is, identical to the bumps on the HF magnetic side screwdriver/tool tray etc. and they carry the same identical 18" magnetic tool holder as HF). Obviously I know HF uses the same OEM as several other variations, but it would be nice if they offered these options, at HF prices.

Magnetic prybar holder: http://www.gripontoolsshop.net/item.php?id=67340 I actually bought this one off Amazon, fit the HF 4pc prybar set like it was made for it...hmm not surprising this company sells an identical 4pc pyrbar set, just surprised HF doesn't carry the same holder. It doesn't quite fit the larger handles on a few of my WILDE prybars though.

4pc Side magnetic tray set http://www.gripontoolsshop.net/item.php?id=67447 this looks like it could be handy

Magnetic socket tray http://www.gripontoolsshop.net/item.php?id=67434 Not really useful for me, but if you commonly worked with the same size set (production) it could be handy.

Their 18" magnetic tool holder http://www.gripontoolsshop.net/item.php?id=55110 Identical to the HF piece

And the most ingenious http://www.gripontoolsshop.net/item.php?id=53445




Oh and I'll update on the Pass/Fail of actual HF products soon as I recently made a large haul.

 

[MatBirch]

Anyone have experience with their garden tools?? Specifically, I need a high reach pruner. They have two styles at my local store. We have a bad tent caterpillar run going and as spring comes, I need to be ready to defend my cherry tree. I probably need to modify whatever I get, as I need to reach upwards of 20-25 feet

 

[92integra]

does anyone have experince with water pump pliers from harbor frieght.... really been thinking about getting the outragiously huge one's just in case i might need them dont really feel like ponying up to some real channellocks for a tool that might get used once a month.

 

[Engine]

400 Amp Electrode Holder
Chicago Electric Welding - item#98010 PASS

400 Amp Welding Ground Clamp
Chicago Electric Welding - item#66708 PASS

Both of these are high quality and well worth the money.

 

[DarrellG]

Swivel Head Hand Riveter #40690 - Fail. Wouldn't cut off tail portion of rivet for ****.

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_18109.jpg

 

[GSMotorrad]

The plastic creeper was a close pass for the past year with occasional use (I weigh 200lbs), it would sag a bit sometimes and never rolled very well. It finally became a fail and cracked in several places. After a few strips of scrap wood it now rolls even better than new and is only about 1/2" higher. No more sagging at all!

I guess I'm lucky mine failed right away. Within hours or days. I weigh 200 and always carefully and gently loaded my weight onto it and it cracked a lot and sagged all the way to the ground so it wouldn't roll. I was able to return it and got the Lisle version, which looks identical, but doesn't sag at all, doesn't crack and rolls great. It's been holding up great and I wanted to list the H.F. creeper as a fail for me. The Lisle is worth the extra cost.

The only weird thing about the Lisle is how it has static cling and all kinds of huge debris sticks all over it. I've never washed it though, that might take the static out.

 

[dragonballz]

Parabolic Oscillating Heater - Pass... then FAIL

It worked flawlessly for about 4 months. It has 4 settings: 400W (low), 800W (high), oscillating 400, and oscillating 800. I use regular 800 most of the time. I LOVED IT!

Today, it no longer works on high mode. Only half of the heating coils warm up (low mode). I never abused the heater. It stays on the floor 24/7 so it sees minimal vibration or movement.

The return policy is 90 days. I've passed that. I didnt buy the extended warranty whatever it is. Should I take it apart and fix it?

 

[LEVE]

Should I take it apart and fix it?

If half the element is out it's likely one side of the element is open. It's toast. You'd be hard pressed to find an element to restring in the heater assembly.

Get a new one, throw this one away.... it's on it's way out.

 

[CJM8515]

Buy new one, take old one back to store and say it broke-want money back.

 

[Danglerb]

Parabolic Oscillating Heater - Pass... then FAIL

If the wire is broken in the middle, I think its toast, but could be just a poor connection and wiggling stuff around might fix it.

 

[FOCUS.FREAK]

Anyone have a problem with their HF 44 roller locks? Mine acts like it's stuck on something. ... but it's not.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

 

[Slowbaru]

Harbor freight impact screwdriver, big fail. I broke every Phillips tip that it came with in less than 5 minutes

 

[PugetDude]

Harbor Freight spy satellites over the Indian Ocean= FAIL.

A 25meter long piece of floating debris is just an unrecognizable blur..

But, hey- they were 25% off with a coupon from Readers Digest.

 

[Tool504]

Harbor Freight spy satellites over the Indian Ocean= FAIL.

A 25meter long piece of floating debris is just an unrecognizable blur..

But, hey- they were 25% off with a coupon from Readers Digest.

 

[dragonballz]

does anyone have experince with water pump pliers from harbor frieght.... really been thinking about getting the outragiously huge one's just in case i might need them dont really feel like ponying up to some real channellocks for a tool that might get used once a month.

The ones with the black and red handle? They are GOOD. The handle grip is plastic so if you drop it, it chips. Gotta sand it down so it wont cut you.

 

[n8n]

Harbor Freight as a whole gets a "fail" as they apparently didn't publish my one star review of the 61701s and instead copied over the four star review that someone else had previous posted for the 67918s. HF may consider the two part numbers equivalent but I sure as hell don't.

Edit: I was wrong and apologize to HF. Apparently over the past few days 61701 has been withdrawn from the web site and searching for 61701 leads you to 67918 which is why I thought they'd done something sleazy. I'll be at the Freight later today trying to pick up the matching deep set; will let you know if the 61701s are still on the shelves or not. If they've pulled them over a bad review that is actually to their credit not a negative.

The 61701s complete with off center broaching are still on the shelf at my local store, so watch out for these when buying sockets (Pittsburgh Pro SAE standard length impacts)

I finally got my deep impacts, life is good. Those all appeared to be Taiwan.

 

[digdug18]

Yeah the websites reviews lately are even more misleading then they once were. I keep finding reviews that are copied from other tools.

 

[jakemac]

Item #69243
Self-Leveling Laser Level - PASS

http://www.harborfreight.com/Self-Leveling-Laser-Level-69243.html#.UzRPYyi0JlI

I pick this up a month ago to hang 27' of pegboard and framing in my basement, and lay out for my benches. My floor is wavy, and the foundation isn't level or plumb. The thought of fumbling with a chalkline and tape while balancing a 6' level didn't appeal to me. Neither did the thought of asking my BIL to help while I coached him on how to hold a piece of string up against the wall (in excruciating detail) while he complained about the chalk getting his hands and team jersey dirty.

I picked the laser up on sale for under $50. I was worth the expense. It made the project go faster, avoided a lot of aggravation, and kept a level line in an un-level environment. Even around an inside corner.

This isn't a heavy duty level, it's lightweight and won't hold up to a busy construction site. The beam is hard to see in bright light (the red goggles that are included help, but not by much). It's fine for a handyman, or occasional use on a quiet jobsite. But don't expect it to be able to handle being knocked around. It's a step up from those cheap "hang on the wall" picture hanging laser levels available at the local hardware store.

The next job will be to set up for my benches.

 

[Tripp2012]

Anyone used the drill press table? I was getting ready to build one and saw this thing for about the same money as the T track alone would cost from Incra.

http://www.harborfreight.com/drill-press-extension-table-with-fence-96395.html

 

[cburnscrx]

Yeah the websites reviews lately are even more misleading then they once were. I keep finding reviews that are copied from other tools.

That may or may not be true. I am pretty generic with my tool reviews, and some of them appear to be basically the same. Since you can make up your screen name and have it be different every time, it's possible that my personal review come off as "fake".

 

[thom1968]

The HF Pocket Hole Jig - I love it. Big ol' PASS as far as I'm concerned. I had to throw some pocket holes in 2x2 and the jig worked like a champ.

http://www.harborfreight.com/portable-pocket-hole-jig-kit-96264.html#.UydFmvldWB4

Thanks, I had been wondering about this tool. Prolly have to buy one http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

[cheechi]

Anyone used the drill press table? I was getting ready to build one and saw this thing for about the same money as the T track alone would cost from Incra.

http://www.harborfreight.com/drill-press-extension-table-with-fence-96395.html

It's definitely not built like a tank. The guy at HF I usually get reliable suggestions from says they aren't very good.

I played with one they had in a mostly broken box. I put it on one of the displays, partly/mostly assembled. Seems like if you treat it really gently it would be ok.

 

[Tripp2012]

It's definitely not built like a tank. The guy at HF I usually get reliable suggestions from says they aren't very good.

I played with one they had in a mostly broken box. I put it on one of the displays, partly/mostly assembled. Seems like if you treat it really gently it would be ok.

Thanks for the heads up, I may just build one then.

 

[Shadowdog500]

Picked up one of the new silver 20T presses today for $149 with a coupon I found in an auto shopper.

Just got done putting it together, and crushed some wood with it since I don't have anything that needs pressing right now.

It was packed well and nothing was dinged up to scratched.

For the price I give it a major PASS.

Hopefully I don't have a problem with the jack since I turned down the one year warranty. I have another American made bottle jack as a backup.


Chris

 

[ineedtools]

Item #67965 PASS
8 Piece 3/4 in. Drive Metric Impact Socket Set
Used a 20 off coupon on the sale price of $36 bringing it to just under $30 out the door. Used it to remove crank bolt, worked perfect with the 3/4" breaker bar they sell.

Item #808 PASS
3/4" Drive Click Type Torque Wrench
Bought next day using 20 off coupon when on sale @ $59 used to tighten crank bolt back to 300lbs, set it against an SO rated at 250 and it was within a lb at 250 so I call it a go.

 

[Recoil Rob]

Item #40043, 20pcs, 15" rubber tie downs with metal S hooks.

Major FAIL!

Used them to hold a tarp down over a boat and onto the trailer. They don't stretch much but I didn't need much. First 30mph+ wind 16 of 20 broke in half.

 

[timemachine3030]

#7608- 22 piece tapered drill set with countersink - Big time FAIL.

I second that FAIL. The steel is so thin that they bend under normal drilling.

Item#97825 6 in. Magnetic Parts Holder - PASS I love this thing, very strong magnet. I have dropped it a few times and while the chrome dish dents easily the magnet has stayed in place, I'll buy more next time I'm at the store.

 

[GSMotorrad]

Solid Rubber Wheel chocks - PASS.

http://www.harborfreight.com/solid-rubber-wheel-chock-96479.html

Sticky and robust. Heavy and durable, doesn't slip.

Shown here in use with Compac Jack #90535 and Esco stands:

Seems to have ALL 5 star reviews too.

 

[ineedtools]

I second that FAIL. The steel is so thin that they bend under normal drilling.

Item#97825 6 in. Magnetic Parts Holder - PASS I love this thing, very strong magnet. I have dropped it a few times and while the chrome dish dents easily the magnet has stayed in place, I'll buy more next time I'm at the store.

I got half dozen of those 6" holders with free coupons back in February, love them things!

 

[f575gtc]

The chainsaw sharpener is a major PASS!

sharpens quickly and nicely.

 

[monomach]

And the most ingenious http://www.gripontoolsshop.net/item.php?id=53445

If you bought 3 of those 36 piece cases of these and drove around to shops selling them for ten bucks each, you'd be out of them in a day.

I don't know how I've never seen these on a tool truck.

 

[BioNerd]

I bought a hand plane #33 and after 3 hrs of tuning, truing and honing....

I used on a solid VG fir door to trim the sides:

I'm very happy.

Also bought a $15 grinder and Allen/torx sockets.
Very nice.