The Harbor Freight PASS/FAIL Thread...

[Big Pete]

T handle tap ratcheting wrench #97633 is definitely a pass...

http://www.harborfreight.com/t-handle-tap-ratchet-wrench-97633.html

I tapped 46 holes last night with it and it made the job so much easier. I was pleasantly surprised.

+1, I've been running one of those for a couple of years now, works well, plenty of leverage, but still runs free on the ratchet.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

These two push pin tools really made my day today much easier. I'm pretty critical of HF, but these tools did the job and seem like they are built to last. Great deal at $19 out the door with a 20% off coupon.

 

[Loscaldazar]

These two push pin tools really made my day today much easier. I'm pretty critical of HF, but these tools did the job and seem like they are built to last. Great deal at $19 out the door with a 20% off coupon.

Same exact tool (colors and everything) is sold under the gearwrench brand. Yeah the metal might be different, but I doubt it....Wonderful tools to use!

 

[fastbike02]

http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-magnetic-pickup-tool-42288.html

total HF fail, this thing wouldn't pick a screw up off the ground unless you dragged it over the top of it

 

[ndr1968]

http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-magnetic-pickup-tool-42288.html

total HF fail, this thing wouldn't pick a screw up off the ground unless you dragged it over the top of it

Try this one. I love it. "Sweep" the floor (or any thing with ferric debris or parts) hold it over the area you want to drop, pull the lever and bingo! all done! It's plenty strong and costs not much more.

http://www.harborfreight.com/long-reach-magnetic-pickup-tool-with-quick-release-93950.html

 

[skulldrinker]

http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-magnetic-pickup-tool-42288.html

total HF fail, this thing wouldn't pick a screw up off the ground unless you dragged it over the top of it

You need to remove the plastic cover that is over the magnet for it to work. Mine works.

 

[zendriver]

3" Electric cutoff tool - pass.

It gets pretty hot using it non-stop over 10 minutes, but it keeps running and is doing a log of work, for a little tool. Never used any similar product to compare. Must have for $18.

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-in-heavy-duty-electric-cut-off-tool-61944.html

30 in. 5 Drawer Glossy Red Tool Cart - pass

Packed perfectly with a little assembly required. Drawer liners already installed. Ball bearings on both drawer slides and caster wheels, that have grease zerks. Added the $15 fold-up side tray. Great rock solid tool cart for $165.

http://www.harborfreight.com/five-drawer-service-cart-95272.html

 

[1Garageman]

http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-magnetic-pickup-tool-42288.html

total HF fail, this thing wouldn't pick a screw up off the ground unless you dragged it over the top of it

You need to remove the plastic cover that is over the magnet for it to work. Mine works.

I have that magnetic tool also and think it is ok. I use it to pick up all kinds of things off of my garage floor.

 

[fastbike02]

You need to remove the plastic cover that is over the magnet for it to work. Mine works.

I feel kinda dumb now, I thought the cover was to protect the magnet lol oh well I will try it tomrrow

 

[iagsxr]

I'm on my phone and for whatever reason the search function no work....

Need a compressor for my race car trailer. Very limited use, mainly air up tires. We also need to be able to mount tires.

I'm looking at either the 8gal 2.5hp or the 10gal 2.5hp. Can anyone give feedback on them?

 

[kerryt1]

http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-bench-grinder-pedestal-68321.html

Grinder Pedestal 68321 - FAIL

Decent, except for the ultra-thin walled main tube. It deflects under the pressure of the set screws quite easily. It's also the wrong OD and has a loose fit in both the base and top castings. Between these two issues, it's totally impossible to use, much less level. It just wobbles.

The craftsman one is just as cheap, and is superior in my opinion. It comes with rubber feet and is much more stable.

I'll keep the HF one and replace the tube with something legitimate at some point.

 

[ATK305]

Purchased a HF spring compressor about a year ago and just got aroun to using it to install struts on my wife's car. It did what it was supposed to do and seemed fine until I was releasing the spring tension and heard a ping and something went flying but couldn't see what it was was.

I made sure it wasn't something from the strut I just if I she'd putting together and went ahead a if is he'd the job. .

Upon clean up I discovered this (see pictures) . The circlip at the pivot point let loose and that's what I heard go flying but fortunately I had let most of the compression pressure off of the spring.This could have caused some serious injury or worse. I was not using any power tools to tighten or release the pressure. . Jus a 1/2" ratchet and a 15/16 socket. I checked this thing out prior to use. lubed it and made sure everything was secure as I don't take chances on things like this.

So a BIG FAIL for this piece of ****.

 

[bubinga]

http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-bench-grinder-pedestal-68321.html

Grinder Pedestal 68321 - FAIL

Decent, except for the ultra-thin walled main tube. It deflects under the pressure of the set screws quite easily. It's also the wrong OD and has a loose fit in both the base and top castings. Between these two issues, it's totally impossible to use, much less level. It just wobbles.

The craftsman one is just as cheap, and is superior in my opinion. It comes with rubber feet and is much more stable.

I'll keep the HF one and replace the tube with something legitimate at some point.

the one l got from enco is decent.
I had to fix it a little, can't recall what, but it wasn't much.
Think I had to open up the collar for the quench tray a bit, to get it to fit.
have my craftsman Disk sander mounted on it.
almost look factory.

 

[Engine]

I made sure it wasn't something from the strut I just if I she'd putting together and went ahead a if is he'd the job. .

Not quite sure what the above means, but you were lucky that the spring wasn't under full compression when the tool failed. As a general rule, I try to avoid using any HF tools that may get me killed if they fail.

 

[rodster_67]

..... As a general rule, I try to avoid using any HF tools that may get me killed if they fail.

+1

HF is good for a lot of things but nothing that will put you in danger.

 

[CoogarXR]

I needed a spring compressor over the weekend. I opted to just rent one from advance auto instead of buying one. I thought about buying one of the HF models, but they get such iffy reviews (not only in this thread, but elsewhere too). I probably won't need it again any time soon, so I didn't want to buy a high-end compressor. But, I didn't want to risk getting hurt, so I just rented one. I don't remember the brand, but it worked just fine. And you can't beat free rental, lol. So for anybody thinking about buying a spring compressor, if you only need one once in a blue moon, just rent it.

 

[winlinmac]

I have these sets. I wonder if they're any good,

 

[ChrisLS8]

I have these sets. I wonder if they're any good,

I have used the bottom set in metric for several years. Have probably done about 15-20 headgaskets and swaps with them no issues.

Most the Pro line work just fine it's the regular line your gonna want to stay away from

 

[Roberts210]

I bought a SpeedAir needle scaler and after getting it I found out my 20-gal, 2-h.p. compressor wouldn't run it. I searched and searched for a small needle scaler with no success. So for the first time in my life I bought this one from Harbor Freight. I've used it 6-7 hours now, and it does work ok. I don't know what kind of internal tolerances it has, and I don't know how long it will last, but so far, so good.

 

[ATK305]

Not quite sure what the above means, but you were lucky that the spring wasn't under full compression when the tool failed. As a general rule, I try to avoid using any HF tools that may get me killed if they fail.

Posting is weird for me when I use my phone. I was trying to say that whatever flew across the garage was determined not to be from the strut Ihad just completed.

After reading my post I assumed that some of you may have thought the spring did get lose and hit me in the head..

As for the rentals I looked in to that at O'Reileys but their compressor was the same type and the condition looked pretty scary. I guess this was one of those learning processes that didn't kill me.

 

[bwringer]

I have these sets. I wonder if they're any good,

Yes, they're pretty fantastic, actually.

I've used and abused the impact hex bits the most with a very stout air impact. Nice tight fit in the fasteners, never a problem.

I haven't abused the other sets as much, but they have worked great for me as well.

 

[AnEv942]

http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-bench-grinder-pedestal-68321.html

Grinder Pedestal 68321 - FAIL

Decent, except for the ultra-thin walled main tube. It deflects under the pressure of the set screws quite easily. It's also the wrong OD and has a loose fit in both the base and top castings. Between these two issues, it's totally impossible to use, much less level. It just wobbles.

The craftsman one is just as cheap, and is superior in my opinion. It comes with rubber feet and is much more stable.

I'll keep the HF one and replace the tube with something legitimate at some point.

See my fix http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4644053&postcount=7101
Out of the box the "bolt & crush undersized tube mount" is a fail. Thru bolting with nuts pulling tube into base works.

 

[Reit38]

I'm looking to get wither the yellow or orange bench top grinder.
The orange one obviously has a light, but any other pros over the yellow one?

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk

 

[housedad]

I'm looking to get wither the yellow or orange bench top grinder.
The orange one obviously has a light, but any other pros over the yellow one?

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk

I've got the orange one in 6" and in 8". Both with lights. The 6" is a dog. it will grind things, but it bogs down really easily. I could see it as a dedicated grinder just for really small stuff like tungstens. The 8" is a little better, but not by much.

I've always hated the damn things because it took so long to grind certain things like a mower blade.

I got a Jet 8" and it was worth every penny. It is really hard to bog it down. When I need to grind something I don't have to take tiny little cuts that take forever or stop to let the wheel come back to speed.

All that said, they did fit my budget for a long time and I just lived with the limitations and they did eventually do the job.

 

[d.mcfarland]

I'm thinking about getting the axle but socket set. My 1/2" impacts work perfectly fine so I don't see why the larger sizes wouldn't be the same.

 

[Daddie05]

I bought a 2 ton rapid pump floor jack about 3 years ago, and it's working as well as the day I first bought it.

http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/floor-jacks/2-ton-low-profilelong-reach-steel-heavy-duty-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-60678.html

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[ndnchf]

About 6 months ago I bough a HF double cut saw, item#62448.

http://www.harborfreight.com/5-in-75-amp-heavy-duty-double-cut-saw-62448.html

Following recommendations from others I ran it off/on with no load to help break it in. I did this for about 10 minutes at a time for a few days. Then I used it for some light work for a few minutes. So far so good. But then I started cutting some 1/4" steel plate. It didn't take long, maybe a minute before it started sounding like a box of rocks and soon smoke started coming out of the motor. Let it cool a little and it only got worse.

So with less than a couple minutes of use it smoked it self. Its dead.

Epic Fail.

 

[zendriver]

Purchased a HF spring compressor about a year ago and just got aroun to using it to install struts on my wife's car. It did what it was supposed to do and seemed fine until I was releasing the spring tension and heard a ping and something went flying but couldn't see what it was was.



I made sure it wasn't something from the strut I just if I she'd putting together and went ahead a if is he'd the job. .



Upon clean up I discovered this (see pictures) . The circlip at the pivot point let loose and that's what I heard go flying but fortunately I had let most of the compression pressure off of the spring.This could have caused some serious injury or worse. I was not using any power tools to tighten or release the pressure. . Jus a 1/2" ratchet and a 15/16 socket. I checked this thing out prior to use. lubed it and made sure everything was secure as I don't take chances on things like this.



So a BIG FAIL for this piece of ****.

I had one of these, and I liked it quite well. It worked and felt safer to use, than the threaded rod/hooks type, on the craftsman that I have and the one I borrowed from the AutoZone store – which were both made in China also.

However, I thought I would be clever and speed things up by using an impact gun to tighten it, ending up stripping the threads, destining it to the scrap pile.

Not sure, if it's fair to blame the tool, in this instance or not.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bwringer]

About 6 months ago I bough a HF double cut saw, item#62448.

http://www.harborfreight.com/5-in-75-amp-heavy-duty-double-cut-saw-62448.html

Following recommendations from others I ran it off/on with no load to help break it in. I did this for about 10 minutes at a time for a few days. Then I used it for some light work for a few minutes. So far so good. But then I started cutting some 1/4" steel plate. It didn't take long, maybe a minute before it started sounding like a box of rocks and soon smoke started coming out of the motor. Let it cool a little and it only got worse.

So with less than a couple minutes of use it smoked it self. Its dead.

Epic Fail.

That poor wee doomed saw...

If you look in the manual (you know, that oddly marked bundle of wood pulp refuse tucked into the box), it's rated to cut 14 gauge sheet steel, not 1/4" steel plate.

 

[dclassical]

I'm thinking about getting the axle but socket set. My 1/2" impacts work perfectly fine so I don't see why the larger sizes wouldn't be the same.

They work fine, but they are 6 point axle nut sockets. After buying the set with a 25% off coupon I needed a 12 point socket. If I had done more research I would have bought a 12pt set (though more expensive, like Gray Pneumatic).

 

[dclassical]

I had one of these, and I liked it quite well. It worked and felt safer to use, than the threaded rod/hooks type, on the craftsman that I have and the one I borrowed from the AutoZone store – which were both made in China also.

However, I thought I would be clever and speed things up by using an impact gun to tighten it, ending up stripping the threads, destining it to the scrap pile.

Not sure, if it's fair to blame the tool, in this instance or not.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I bought the OTC 6494 (Zoro I believe) and I am really happy with it. I like the clamshell style, I think it is better than the two piece compressors.

 

[My Old Tools]

The large bearing separator I purchased must have been made out of 1018 steel. Maybe it was just the bolts that were made out of 1018 but it was bent after the first use. It bent like taffy. As far as pass or fail is concerned I say it is a failure.

Mine has been working pretty well on the few things I have used it on.

 

[ndnchf]

That poor wee doomed saw...

If you look in the manual (you know, that oddly marked bundle of wood pulp refuse tucked into the box), it's rated to cut 14 gauge sheet steel, not 1/4" steel plate.

Manual? I don't need no stinkin' manual!

Seriously though, you are correct. I was taking it slow hoping it would work, but it failed my torture test. Maybe I over did it - my bad.

 

[zendriver]

Radiator Pressure Tester - PASS - with flying colors.

Has a great selection of well-build adapters, that covers a wide variety of makes/models, plus generic types that can be used on tractors, etc.

The pump is very well built, with a quality gauge and solid quick connect coupler.

Comes in a solid, organized case.

After a water pump replacement, I pumped it up to 14psi and the needle didn't budge, for the hour I left it on.

http://www.harborfreight.com/radiator-pressure-tester-kit-69258.html

 

[kerr]

I have had zero issues with the welding helmet , 2 years now . Not full time but never had it fail .

 

[ndnchf]

I have had zero issues with the welding helmet , 2 years now . Not full time but never had it fail .

Are you referring to the auto darkening helmet? I have one too and it works great!

 

[cheechi]

Who had, has, or has any useful info about the drill press table?

I have been looking at it to either use as it comes, or to steal the t tracks and put into something else (oak?) for the table. Does anyone have the measurements for the T tracks?

 

[kerr]

Sorry , yes the auto dark helmet. I got the robot looking one , looks cool too ! LOL ! Grandsons love it and the Lincoln mig . I have nothing the boys cant use , thats what granddads are for !

 

[toyotadriver]

I got the 10in 2.5hp Tile/Brick tile saw to tile a new house build. Bought a Dewalt blade for it (doesn't come with a blade). This thing works GREAT! I really like it. I've been able to make complex cuts with it and it does a great job. SO much easier than my last tile saw. Definitely a good purchase.

Also got the stand to go with it. Recommend it too.

 

[hotdogstand]

I have purchased dozens of tools from harbor freight in the last few years.
Pass: low pro steel jack (may not be available anymore), 3 ton steel jack, any of their shop presses, 25 ft hose reel, bolt extractors (you're gonna tear them up anyway), the clear orange handled screwdrivers, and the Pittsburgh metric tap and die set.

Fail: cut-off wheels (frequently crack, wear down far too quickly), same thing with any wire brush or wire wheels, 90 amp flux core welder (ac output, not good for flux core wire, did the dc mod, got 2 hours of use then the transformer went), tire mounter (read my review here (its on GJ)