The Harbor Freight PASS/FAIL Thread...

[KingCobra98]

So when and how did it fail? From your first post it sounds like you had taken it out from the car and then it failed?

it fell apart after using it. I will post pictures in a couple hours

 

[CobraRed]

12" sliding double bevel miter saw - PASS
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-...r-saw-with-laser-guide-system-69684-9104.html
Red laser line is all but useless in clarity and accuracy, features no brake but the guard is decent enough that it doesn't present a safety problem.
Used it for several months straight, making most of the furniture in my new house. More or less zero complaints and I've used DeWalt ones for years (not to say they are as nice as DeWalt).

Pipe/Tubing Notcher - PASSISH
http://www.harborfreight.com/pipe-tubing-notcher-42324.html

Not altogether terrible. Wasn't on center out of box, so I machined the mount down to make it center. Used to notch every tube in my 1.75x.120 roll-cage. Decent as long as you have a nice Bosch hole saw and cutting lube/coolant.

2.5 Liter Ultrasonic Cleaner - PASS
http://www.harborfreight.com/25-liter-ultrasonic-cleaner-95563.html

Great little cleaner. I abuse it, using it to clean .308 and 6.5 Swede brass for reloading. I got it on sale + coupon so sprung for warranty, didn't need it. Been using it for years.

 

[signcrafter]

it fell apart after using it. I will post pictures in a couple hours

I guess I'm not understanding the "it fell apart after using it" part. Makes it sound like it was just sitting there and fell apart. Maybe the pictures will help explain more.

 

[KingCobra98]

Picture

 

[KingCobra98]

Picture 2

 

[bobbycos]

Picture

big time fail

 

[offaxis]

It looks like it just needs a roll pin to fix it.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[Kin Creed]

5" Random Oribtal Sander- PASS

With a coupon this is getting close to $20.

http://www.harborfreight.com/5-in-random-orbital-palm-sander-69857.html

Works fine, accepts a universal dust connector attachment (around 1.25"). Use name brand sanding discs and this thing rocks.

 

[owenst7]

It looks like it just needs a roll pin to fix it.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Yup. I've had US made roll pins fall out too. Jack stands won't drop their load if the pin falls out though.

 

[signcrafter]

Picture 2

Thanks for the pictures. Looks like a roll pin fell out and allowed the cam to rotate on the handle part? Glad it wasn't while under load. I'll have to check mine and see how the roll pins are.

 

[wildbill23c]

12" sliding double bevel miter saw - PASS
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-...r-saw-with-laser-guide-system-69684-9104.html
Red laser line is all but useless in clarity and accuracy, features no brake but the guard is decent enough that it doesn't present a safety problem.
Used it for several months straight, making most of the furniture in my new house. More or less zero complaints and I've used DeWalt ones for years (not to say they are as nice as DeWalt).

Pipe/Tubing Notcher - PASSISH
http://www.harborfreight.com/pipe-tubing-notcher-42324.html

Not altogether terrible. Wasn't on center out of box, so I machined the mount down to make it center. Used to notch every tube in my 1.75x.120 roll-cage. Decent as long as you have a nice Bosch hole saw and cutting lube/coolant.

2.5 Liter Ultrasonic Cleaner - PASS
http://www.harborfreight.com/25-liter-ultrasonic-cleaner-95563.html

Great little cleaner. I abuse it, using it to clean .308 and 6.5 Swede brass for reloading. I got it on sale + coupon so sprung for warranty, didn't need it. Been using it for years.

Going to be purchasing the 12" sliding dual compound miter saw here pretty soon, thanks for the quick review. Watched a video on how to fix the laser alignment issue, but I've never relied on them anyhow LOL so not a big deal for me. My whole idea is to buy it and use it for its intended purpose, as long as it works I'll be fine with that. My 10" model is still going strong and going on 6 or 7 years can't remember for sure, its been a long time I know LOL. Just need the extra capacity occasionally and can't see spending $600-700 on a Dewalt...I'd love to but that's more than I make in a month so totally out of the budget .

 

[Engine]

... Jack stands won't drop their load if the pin falls out though.

I'm sure you're right about that. The weight on the upright will keep the pawl jammed against the the teeth so it won't slip. But... if the release handle happens to work its way out of one of the holes in the base while you are moving it... And then... Well, let's say things could get interesting real fast, if that handle is only supported on one side of the base when you lower the weight onto it.

I'm definitely going to check ALL of my jackstands right away.

Thanks.

 

[owenst7]

It looks like it just needs a roll pin to fix it.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

I'm sure you're right about that. The weight on the upright will keep the pawl jammed against the the teeth so it won't slip. But... if the release handle happens to work its way out of one of the holes in the base while you are moving it... And then... Well, let's say things could get interesting real fast, if that handle is only supported on one side of the base when you lower the weight onto it.

I'm definitely going to check ALL of my jackstands right away.

Thanks.

It's an issue that every jackstand I've ever seen has. Its worse if you carry them around by the handles because you wiggle that pin every time. A socket set screw would be more ideal, but I've never seen one built that way ever.

That's something I glance at every time I use a jackstand. It's like looking both ways before crossing the street. I'm by no means a precautious person, but I have my hand right there on the pin when I pick them up. It takes zero effort to make sure everything is engaged properly before I trust my life to them.

FWIW, I've replaced loose (worn) spring pins on at least a dozen different brands. That's not a product failure, it's a maintenance inspection failure. You can stake/peen them in place BTW.

 

[cheechi]

In fact, I have some Torin jack stands that have the secondary pins attached to a chain on the stand body. Not much more expensive and probably the same approx. quality.

 

[CobraRed]

Going to be purchasing the 12" sliding dual compound miter saw here pretty soon, thanks for the quick review. Watched a video on how to fix the laser alignment issue, but I've never relied on them anyhow LOL so not a big deal for me. My whole idea is to buy it and use it for its intended purpose, as long as it works I'll be fine with that. My 10" model is still going strong and going on 6 or 7 years can't remember for sure, its been a long time I know LOL. Just need the extra capacity occasionally and can't see spending $600-700 on a Dewalt...I'd love to but that's more than I make in a month so totally out of the budget .

It's a solid enough unit, it really opens up your options considering how wide the material you can cut with it is. Some of the complaints I see are about the miter/angle adjustments, it will notch into the 45 degree and other common angle slots automatically - but when you tighten the adjustment in place (which you must do) it can often walk a little from the 45 degree line - sometimes unavoidably so. I havent found this to be a huge problem because I'm often measuring my angles on test cuts in order to get 44 degree or other cuts anyways so fine adjust regardless, but for some who want quick exact 45's - I wouldn't be too confident in just slamming it into position and tightening it down.
Besides that, a finer/higher tooth count blade would be a smart buy if you want less blow out for nice solid woods - otherwise just do what i do and double stack on drops. The material clamps kinda **** too, but work when needed.

Just FYI, I paid $148.68 shipped using a discount specific to the saw while it was on sale - you can even find the coupons on ebay being sold but can just steal the code from them. Definitely worth it that way, I have a lot of DeWalt and Mikita tools, but this one would have really hurt the pocket book.

 

[signcrafter]

Picture 2

I checked all my stands today and they are all of the same design. To be honest I've never really looked at them too closely and didn't even know they had this pin. I'll start inspecting them every time I use them from now on. Thank you for the heads up.

If you get time you should make a post in the general tools section to inform others.

 

[george4]

Any users of this drill press?

http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-16-speed-bench-drill-press-38142.html

 

[wildbill23c]

It's a solid enough unit, it really opens up your options considering how wide the material you can cut with it is. Some of the complaints I see are about the miter/angle adjustments, it will notch into the 45 degree and other common angle slots automatically - but when you tighten the adjustment in place (which you must do) it can often walk a little from the 45 degree line - sometimes unavoidably so. I havent found this to be a huge problem because I'm often measuring my angles on test cuts in order to get 44 degree or other cuts anyways so fine adjust regardless, but for some who want quick exact 45's - I wouldn't be too confident in just slamming it into position and tightening it down.
Besides that, a finer/higher tooth count blade would be a smart buy if you want less blow out for nice solid woods - otherwise just do what i do and double stack on drops. The material clamps kinda **** too, but work when needed.

Just FYI, I paid $148.68 shipped using a discount specific to the saw while it was on sale - you can even find the coupons on ebay being sold but can just steal the code from them. Definitely worth it that way, I have a lot of DeWalt and Mikita tools, but this one would have really hurt the pocket book.

Thanks. I don't do much in the way of precision, and most of my cuts are 45 degrees anyhow, and I always use my protractor to set the angle on my 10" saw so no surprise there. Most of the complaint's I've actually heard were regarding the laser guide, I may just move the laser from my 10" saw over to the 12" saw when I get it. My 10" model I bought an Irwin laser guide, which just mounts on the blade spindle and its been darn accurate. The laser guide has 2 batteries if I remember correctly, and after 5 years of moderate use I had to replace the batteries for the first time this past spring. I may look into buying a 2nd laser guide if this saw turns out to be worthwhile. I have a coupon that I got out of an American Rifleman magazine bringing the cost of the saw down to $129.99 + tax. I've had that magazine subscription for several years and never payed any attention to the harbor freight section, they also have 20% off single item coupons in them quite often as well.

How is the noise level from this saw compared to the others? My 10" isn't too bad actually given its a direct drive unit, the 12" I noticed is a belt drive similar to the higher end Dewalt 12" models.

I'm going to be purchasing a 12" Diablo blade if the saw turns out to be worth keeping...which if its anything close to the 10" one I have now it will be just fine for what I do. Mainly just hobby stuff, but here lately I've been needing to cut some wide crown molding and well the 10" just doesn't get through it.

 

[fsdogwood]

For the CMS or SCMS, 10" or 12", I would also check CL for name brand

 

[wildbill23c]

For the CMS or SCMS, 10" or 12", I would also check CL for name brand

Been doing that as well, problem I run into where I live is people list their tools for sale that are old and worn out or list them like they are brand new on the shelf with ridiculous prices. For no more than what I need I can get the 12" SCMS for the same price people are asking for their old junk. Figured I'd give the new saw a try for the price its not like the cost of a brand name model that could just as easily fail the first use.

 

[TonyTheToolGuy]

For anyone who uses a ratchet, the Item#96092 3/8 In. Ratchet With Indexable Head is in my opinion the coolest tool on the planet. I love this thing, and I don't think anyone else has a ratchet as useful as it.

Snap-on had their F872MP Multi-Position Head Ratchet which they no longer make and Matco has their BIR10 3/8" DRIVE INDEXABLE RATCHET for $132.50, but the Snap-on was not designed as well as the HF and the MATCO has all the failings of the Snap-on but is in addition missing a crucial feature, 360° indexing/swinging rotation.

The HF ratchet is made by William Tools Co. of Taiwan, which specializes in ratchet (handles), torque wrenches and multipliers. According to their site, Snap-on's subsidiary CDI used them to help build the components of their Digital Torque Wrench.
Anyhow, where this ratchet excels is its ability to access nuts and bolts and its ability to remove or install them much, much faster than a regular ratchet, any other ratchet!

My observations:

• It is very well made, with tight tolerances, fitment, and what appears to be a very deep chrome and polish.
• It has a fantastic, very easy to actuate metal rocker switch on the handle for locking/unlocking the 48 position swivel-indexing ratchet head.
• The ratchet head can be 'stroked' like a rod and crank by just linearly pushing and pulling the handle for rapid ratchet rotation with no handle swing, truly zero swing clearance required.
• When space permits, you can rotate the head in circles by the handle for very fast fastener run-in/out. It works well and fast enough I almost never use my pneumatic ratchets anymore. Because you push/pull and twist the handle with your wrist when sending the head in circles, considerable torque is available without having to slow down and resort to using the ratchet in a locked position to get though lightly burred or dirty threads like a regular ratchet would have you do.
• Because of the ease of actuation of the swivel/indexing switch this ratchet can really speed up very tedious jobs; you can so easily use the tip of a finger or screwdriver blade to flip between swivel and indexing, even in very tight locations, that like I said, you don't even need to run your cumbersome noisy air ratchet anymore.
• The 48 position indexing available on this ratchet compounds the gear teeth number of the ratchet by allowing the re-indexing of the handle with respect to the ratchet head in order to catch a gear tooth that would not normally be available in a regular ratchet.
• And of course, by re-indexing the head, one can ratchet around obstacles to nuts and bolts that are absolutely inaccessible to regular ratchets or wrenches.

I am a mechanical engineer and would be very proud to have designed this tool.

On the Snap-on/Matco note, what I see as a major failure in their design, which, snicker snicker, I guess Snap-on came to realise since they stopped making it, is the clunky nature mechanically, ergonomically, and aesthetically of their swivel pins, and its method of engaging and disengaging. What really surprised me in using the HF tool is how important the quick and easy switching of modes is. Neither the Snap-on or MATCO design allow one fingered hard to reach light touch operation and I have found that this is where the beauty of this tool lies. I have been using it long and often enough now that I don't even think about flipping that switch. Even simple jobs have me switching back and forth, and back and forth, and back and forth again, without effort... well I hope you get the idea.

A good example of why I switch back on forth on even a simple job is the, to me, very unexpected benefit of less rotational inertia. When I want to run a bolt in or out and don't have the clearance to use the swivel's 360° I have found that I re-index the handle so the handle is flipped back over the ratchet head, in line and over it, this greatly reduces the rotation inertia of the handle hanging out there and gives me a hold like a T-handled wrench that also happens to have a ratchet mechanism. The comfort and speed is like the difference between a T-handled ratcheting tap wrench, a non-ratcheting tap wrench, and having a Vise-Grip clamped down on the square shank of your tap... which is faster, easier, safer, and more satisfying? If you ever have to tap anything, do yourself the courtesy of acquiring a ratcheting tap wrench. Mater of fact, I do believe HF sells one for a fairly reasonable amount.

Well, I think this about concludes my survey of this, to me, marvelous tool.

Oh, sorry, I forgot the negatives. No seals. and it would be nice to have a few more teeth in the ratchet mechanism, how can they not have given it 80!

That's it folks.

Be good, think well of others, and dream dream dream of tools....

P.S. I stripped mine down the first day to see what I could see, and I liked it, but I also packed it with some white lithium grease. It will last longer, its smoother, and it is quieter, even if there is a little more drag.

 

[dgxlh]

I'll agree with both of these comments..

Center punch is wasted money. Transfer punch set isn't bad at all.

I have this in my box and it seems to work great. I don't use it all the time but when I do it does it job.

 

[pedrodagr8]

For anyone who uses a ratchet, the Item#96092 3/8 In. Ratchet With Indexable Head is in my opinion the coolest tool on the planet. I love this thing, and I don't think anyone else has a ratchet as useful as it.

Snap-on had their F872MP Multi-Position Head Ratchet which they no longer make and Matco has their BIR10 3/8" DRIVE INDEXABLE RATCHET for $132.50, but the Snap-on was not designed as well as the HF and the MATCO has all the failings of the Snap-on but is in addition missing a crucial feature, 360° indexing/swinging rotation.

The HF ratchet is made by William Tools Co. of Taiwan, which specializes in ratchet (handles), torque wrenches and multipliers. According to their site, Snap-on's subsidiary CDI used them to help build the components of their Digital Torque Wrench.
Anyhow, where this ratchet excels is its ability to access nuts and bolts and its ability to remove or install them much, much faster than a regular ratchet, any other ratchet!

My observations:

• It is very well made, with tight tolerances, fitment, and what appears to be a very deep chrome and polish.
• It has a fantastic, very easy to actuate metal rocker switch on the handle for locking/unlocking the swivel-indexing ratchet head.
• The ratchet head can be 'stroked' like a rod and crank by just linearly pushing and pulling the handle for rapid ratchet rotation with no handle swing, truly zero swing clearance required.
• When space permits, you can rotate the head in circles by the handle for very fast fastener run-in/out. It works well and fast enough I almost never use my pneumatic ratchets anymore. Because you push/pull and twist the handle with your wrist when sending the head in circles, considerable torque is available without having to slow down and resort to using the ratchet in a locked position to get though lightly burred or dirty threads like a regular ratchet would have you do.
• Because of the ease of actuation of the swivel/indexing switch this ratchet can really speed up very tedious jobs; you can so easily use the tip of a finger or screwdriver blade to flip between swivel and indexing, even in very tight locations, that like I said, you don't even need to run your cumbersome noisy air ratchet anymore.
• The indexing available on this ratchet compounds the gear teeth number of the ratchet by allowing the re-indexing of the handle with respect to the ratchet head in order to catch a gear tooth that would not normally be available in a regular ratchet.
• And of course, by re-indexing the head, one can ratchet around obstacles to nuts and bolts that are absolutely inaccessible to regular ratchets or wrenches.

I am a mechanical engineer and would be very proud to have designed this tool.

On the Snap-on/Matco note, what I see as a major failure in their design, which, snicker snicker, I guess Snap-on came to realise since they stopped making it, is the clunky nature mechanically, ergonomically, and aesthetically of their swivel pins, and its method of engaging and disengaging. What really surprised me in using the HF tool is how important the quick and easy switching of modes is. Neither the Snap-on or MATCO design allow one fingered hard to reach light touch operation and I have found that this is where the beauty of this tool lies. I have been using it long and often enough now that I don't even think about flipping that switch. Even simple jobs have me switching back and forth, and back and forth, and back and forth again, without effort... well I hope you get the idea.

A good example of why I switch back on forth on even a simple job is the, to me, very unexpected benefit of less rotational inertia. When I want to run a bolt in or out and don't have the clearance to use the swivel's 360° I have found that I re-index the handle so the handle is flipped back over the ratchet head, in line and over it, this greatly reduces the rotation inertia of the handle hanging out there and gives me a hold like a T-handled wrench that also happens to have a ratchet mechanism. The comfort and speed is like the difference between a T-handled ratcheting tap wrench, a non-ratcheting tap wrench, and having a Vise-Grip clamped down on the square shank of your tap... which is faster, easier, safer, and more satisfying? If you ever have to tap anything, do yourself the courtesy of acquiring a ratcheting tap wrench. Mater of fact, I do believe HF sells one for a fairly reasonable amount.

Well, I think this about concludes my survey of this, to me, marvelous tool.

Oh, sorry, I forgot the negatives. No seals. and it would be nice to have a few more teeth in the ratchet mechanism, how can they not have given it 80!

That's it folks.

Be good, think well of others, and dream dream dream of tools....

P.S. I stripped mine down the first day to see what I could see, and I liked it, but I also packed it with some white lithium grease. It will last longer, its smoother, and it is quieter, even if there is a little more drag.

Nice review, I actually looked at this a week ago. Thought it felt really nice in the hand. I really thought it felt solid and decently built. That being said I tend to like the way HF ergonomic handles feel in the hand. It's always interesting there to see how nice the taiwan made stuff feels and how bad the Chinese stuff feels.

 

[monomach]

http://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/sanders/orbital-hand-sander-61509.html

Orbital Hand Sander #65109

Unexpectedly got stuck doing some quick woodworking away from home and without my tools, so I ran down to HF and grabbed this thing for like $10 after coupon and tax.

It's complicated...

The sander works. It has plenty of power as these things go and seems to be solidly built.

Unfortunately, the description is wrong. It does not take 1/4 sheets of sandpaper. You can only get three pieces from a full sized sheet when using this thing.

Also, the foam padding that goes between the base plate and the sandpaper is so soft that it was shredded after the first few minutes of light duty work. Now that it's shredded, the thing basically eats sandpaper at an alarming rate. It won't go five minutes without needing a change.

I'll try tearing the foam padding off and just going without it tomorrow. Maybe that'll fix it. I dunno. I've never used a finishing sander without a pad, so I don't even know whether it's a necessary piece.

Out of the box, it's a ******** fail. The wasting sandpaper because of the odd size needed is annoying, but not a dealbreaker. The foam pad dying right away resulting in tearing of sandpaper is an enormous problem, rendering the thing useless.

Like so many things at Harbor Freight, it's one teeny tiny little detail away from being a good tool. If this thing just had the same ultra-dense rubbery pad on the base that my Makita has, It'd be a steal at the price.

 

[cheechi]

I'd be interested in knowing what that material is (on the makita, or any other 'good brand') and what adhesive is used. I'm sure I have worn down the pad on my PC finish sander and if that's the only thing stopping the HF sander from being good, I'd just buy some pad and fix it.

 

[Kev442]

#99849 Ball Joint separator, Pass. It was failed in 2012 on here, but the secret is too tighten it until some pressure is exerted, whack things with a hammer, then tighten some more. About the third time, in less than a minute, pop!
Two lower ball joints separated in less than 5 minutes is nice in my book.

Took apart another suspension for scrap this weekend. I never thought separating ball joints would be (dare I say it) fun! Haven't tried it on a full sized truck/van though.

 

[wildbill23c]

I picked up the Drill Master 2" Cut Off Saw this past weekend at HF for $32.99. Item Number: 61900. http://www.harborfreight.com/2-in-bench-top-cut-off-saw-61900.html

I purchased the saw for trimming down bulk lengths of brass tubes for penmaking. So it doesn't get any hard use at all as it just goes right through the soft brass.

Overall...yes I recommend it to anyone who does small scale model building of any type, or penmaking. Its not quite large enough to cut through pen blanks themselves but if you buy longer lengths of pen tubes, it works great for trimming them to length. I also use it to cut up to 1/2" dowels occasionally as well.

The table does angle up to 45 degrees, however with the cuts I do, I don't have any need for that feature, however it does work very well.



I mounted mine to a small piece of 1" thick stock to allow easy clamping to a bench or table top. It makes the saw easily portable to practically anywhere you can clamp it down at. I have used it without it being clamped down, but I feel it is much more stable and easier to use if its clamped down during use.

 

[wildbill23c]

I have had my 6" x 12" mini-lathe from Harbor Freight since November 2013. I have been using it for making pens and haven't had any problems out of it at all. It works great, the electronic variable speed is a great feature for penmaking, no shutting the lathe off to change belts to different pulleys.

If anyone is in the market for a small benchtop lathe, I would really look at this lathe model #: 95607 http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=lathe, before buying the more expensive "brand name" models that are in reality the exact same lathe just painted a different color.

This lathe is belt driven of course, however the motor has an electronic dial speed control. The only thing I wish it had was a digital readout for the headstock speed, you don't have any idea what speed the lathe is set at, but for what I do, it doesn't make much difference.

 

[wildbill23c]

I have recently bought the electric chainsaw sharpener Model Number 68221 from Harbor Freight. http://www.harborfreight.com/electric-chain-saw-sharpener-68221-8346.html.

Initially, the overall setup was a bit daunting, trial and error getting everything setup for the right angle of cut. Once that was done though, I had my first 16" chain sharpened in about 10 minutes. The head is already pre-set at a certain angle so you can't change that, however the chain holder itself does rotate to allow different angles of sharpening for different styles of chain.

Overall I would say its a PASS. If you take your time right out of the box and set it up properly it will work just fine for a $40 sharpener. Its not something I would use if I was professionally sharpening other people's chains, but for myself it works great.

 

[CobraRed]

Thanks. I don't do much in the way of precision, and most of my cuts are 45 degrees anyhow, and I always use my protractor to set the angle on my 10" saw so no surprise there. Most of the complaint's I've actually heard were regarding the laser guide, I may just move the laser from my 10" saw over to the 12" saw when I get it. My 10" model I bought an Irwin laser guide, which just mounts on the blade spindle and its been darn accurate. The laser guide has 2 batteries if I remember correctly, and after 5 years of moderate use I had to replace the batteries for the first time this past spring. I may look into buying a 2nd laser guide if this saw turns out to be worthwhile. I have a coupon that I got out of an American Rifleman magazine bringing the cost of the saw down to $129.99 + tax. I've had that magazine subscription for several years and never payed any attention to the harbor freight section, they also have 20% off single item coupons in them quite often as well.

How is the noise level from this saw compared to the others? My 10" isn't too bad actually given its a direct drive unit, the 12" I noticed is a belt drive similar to the higher end Dewalt 12" models.

I'm going to be purchasing a 12" Diablo blade if the saw turns out to be worth keeping...which if its anything close to the 10" one I have now it will be just fine for what I do. Mainly just hobby stuff, but here lately I've been needing to cut some wide crown molding and well the 10" just doesn't get through it.

Being that it's not direct drive, it is of course a bit louder. Is it louder than belt driven DeWalt models? Perhaps, I cant say for sure but I would error on saying it is. I dont use it indoors, so it's hard to compare to the DeWalt which is now permanently indoors.

 

[emeraldcoupe]

2500 psi pressure washer- http://www.harborfreight.com/2500-psi-3-gpm-65-hp-212cc-pressure-washer-69734.html -PASS

I didn't buy this, I got it for free from a guy I bought a tool box from. he said it didn't work. there is a small dial to adjust the pressure and it was almost completely closed, the reason it didn't work.

so far so good. this thing starts on the first pull and runs great. plenty of power. cleaned the driveway with it, and my daughter used it at her house and did the driveway and the vinyl siding on her house. nice thing is there is a fuel cut off lever so you can run the carb dry before storing it.

 

[wildbill23c]

Being that it's not direct drive, it is of course a bit louder. Is it louder than belt driven DeWalt models? Perhaps, I cant say for sure but I would error on saying it is. I dont use it indoors, so it's hard to compare to the DeWalt which is now permanently indoors.

Most of the tools I have are loud anyhow, so if it is a bit loud, it will fit right in with everything else .

Plan on trying to pick one up Sunday, then use it for a while and attempting to write up a full detailed review on the saw. I've been looking at it for quite a while now, and something has kept pulling me towards buying one.

 

[monomach]

I'd be interested in knowing what that material is (on the makita, or any other 'good brand') and what adhesive is used. I'm sure I have worn down the pad on my PC finish sander and if that's the only thing stopping the HF sander from being good, I'd just buy some pad and fix it.

Replacement pads for premium brands appear to cost more than the entire HF sander does. I had that idea, too.

Might be worth it, I suppose. My Makita's original pad still looks fine and I've used it plenty since I got it in '99.

 

[Makapuu]

I find it impossible to decide whether Harbor Freight Tool items are pass or fail because the last 17 times I went there, coupon in hand, I left without buying anything. I even passed on the freebies; I don't have the space to waste on useless things.

 

[nicksnothereman]

I find it impossible to decide whether Harbor Freight Tool items are pass or fail because the last 17 times I went there, coupon in hand, I left without buying anything. I even passed on the freebies; I don't have the space to waste on useless things.

Well...they have some name brand incidental stuff you could buy that (if the coupon allows it). Like wd-40, superlube, stuff like that. I think they have grease which is probably just rebranded from a major supplier. Hardly useless stuff man.

 

[ecotec]

Makapuu, I had done the same thing many times. Since reading this thread, I have bought 4 of the orange deadblow hammers, all 3 composite ratchets, 6" calipers, impact sockets, 1/2" drive 18" breaker bar, round magnetic parts tray x2, and some 7 mil nitrile gloves. There are some great tools there among a lot of mediocre and bad tools. This has become one of my favorite threads. People are very honest with their reviews. I never take the freebies either.

Tony, I wish that those indexable ratchets had the 72 tooth count that the composite ratchets do. I would probably buy the 3/8" and 1/2" if they did. They do feel pretty nice, though.

 

[cherokee]

Well...they have some name brand incidental stuff you could buy that (if the coupon allows it). Like wd-40, superlube, stuff like that. I think they have grease which is probably just rebranded from a major supplier. Hardly useless stuff man.

That was not the point of his post. I will walk out of there with gloves at the least.

There are TONS of stuff in there that even a tool snob can find useful. The one here even carries CRC brake clean and such.

 

[RRich]

I find it impossible to decide whether Harbor Freight Tool items are pass or fail because the last 17 times I went there, coupon in hand, I left without buying anything. I even passed on the freebies; I don't have the space to waste on useless things.

If you can go to HF 17 times without buying anything or even using a free item coupon you either don't belong on GJ or are the biggest tool snob on the planet.

 

[1Garageman]

If you can go to HF 17 times without buying anything or even using a free item coupon you either don't belong on GJ or are the biggest tool snob on the planet.

Great saying

 

[Wuaname]

Mig welder and shop vac

Have any of you tried out their shop vac?

How about the mig welder? Just form hobby use... Not frequent use... Um, more like to learn how to weld lol

If you can go to HF 17 times without buying anything or even using a free item coupon you either don't belong on GJ or are the biggest tool snob on the planet.

Even my wife bought something last time she went with me lol