The Harbor Freight PASS/FAIL Thread...

[zendriver]

Was looking for some extra lighting to take night fishing, next week. Apparently the larger LED lantern is popular, since nearly every store was out, I just grabbed this little for the hell of it.

The light is not blinding (unless you look right at it) but it will illuminate well when walking and will light up a dark room, enough to move around in. Solid light for $7

Pass

https://www.harborfreight.com/250-lumen-compact-pop-up-lantern-64110.html

Got this as well. Would have like to have one that is water proof/resistant, but will go with this one for $10.

It has AC and aux 12v plug charger, but like some of their other products, light is not usable, while re-charging, not worthy of a fail over that. Feels very solid, including the trigger, will illuminate trees, 400' away.

Pass

https://www.harborfreight.com/3-watt-led-rechargeable-cordless-spotlight-61777.html

I still plan on getting the 1250 lantern, when available.

 

[M_George]

Here's the link to the HF 1250 lumen lantern.
https://www.harborfreight.com/1250-lumen-portable-lantern-63992.html

 

[8mpg]

The large Vulcan welding cart is a PASS! $276 after tax using a coupon (Vulcan 20% coupon). The steel is a decent gauge and it rolls great.

I have two of the smaller single welder ones and I think they are great. Just bought the second one this week.

 

[emeraldcoupe]

Here's the link to the HF 1250 lumen lantern.
https://www.harborfreight.com/1250-lumen-portable-lantern-63992.html

I have this lamp. since I live in hurricane land, I wanted something for when we lose power. I haven't used it a ton but it's very bright, has four settings. seems pretty well made.

 

[ndnchf]

Tarp bungees #47474 - pass.
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-piece-adjustable-tarpaulin-tie-down-cords-47474.html

These work so much better than regular bungees for anchoring a tarp. They have a ball end for the grommet, at the hook end you can adjust the bungee length. Very convenient. I went back and bought a second package.

 

[6PTsocket]

That is,what all the reviews said, very bright. It will only run two hours on that setting so I hope a lower setting gives enough light because it uses 4 D cells. They should have made it to also accept a 6 volt lantern battery. I was looking at that lantern, myself.

I have this lamp. since I live in hurricane land, I wanted something for when we lose power. I haven't used it a ton but it's very bright, has four settings. seems pretty well made.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[emeraldcoupe]

That is,what all the reviews said, very bright. It will only run two hours on that setting so I hope a lower setting gives enough light because it uses 4 D cells. They should have made it to also accept a 6 volt lantern battery. I was looking at that lantern, myself.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

it gives off plenty of light on the lowest setting also

 

[ndr1968]

it gives off plenty of light on the lowest setting also

Wonder if the lower settings are actually conserving battery power or if the extra amps at lower settings is just shunted away through a resistor?

Is there any info on how long the lantern will work at lower settings?

 

[winlinmac]

The Astro Pneumatic Light "Clone" is a PASS

 

[emeraldcoupe]

Wonder if the lower settings are actually conserving battery power or if the extra amps at lower settings is just shunted away through a resistor?

Is there any info on how long the lantern will work at lower settings?

says 2 hours on the brightest setting, 50 hours on the lowest

 

[M_George]

Power steering pump pulley remover "FAIL" The kit consists of two dies that fit over a notch in the pulley hub and the puller. these are held together by a steel sleeve. When I applied torque to the puller, the steel sleeve expanded allowing the puller to slip off of the hub. That thing is going back tomorrow. I got an OEM brand loner from Auto Zone, took the pulley right off.

 

[emeraldcoupe]

Power steering pump pulley remover "FAIL" The kit consists of two dies that fit over a notch in the pulley hub and the puller. these are held together by a steel sleeve. When I applied torque to the puller, the steel sleeve expanded allowing the puller to slip off of the hub. That thing is going back tomorrow. I got an OEM brand loner from Auto Zone, took the pulley right off.

hmmm, I have that also, works great. I've used it multiple times, no problems.

 

[M_George]

hmmm, I have that also, works great. I've used it multiple times, no problems.

Does it say on the label where it was made? Mine was made in China.
Sometime it's one batch differing from another.
Sucked though, wasted half the afternoon screwing around with it. Just ordered the OEM brand from Amazon.

 

[ChrisLS8]

Krause airless paint sprayer- big pass, just repainted the Inside of 35 wood cabinets and the rest of the kitchen without any real hiccup and good coverage/pattern. My only gripe is I wish the container was at least a quart more

 

[emeraldcoupe]

Does it say on the label where it was made? Mine was made in China.
Sometime it's one batch differing from another.
Sucked though, wasted half the afternoon screwing around with it. Just ordered the OEM brand from Amazon.

doesn't say on the the case, but i'm guessing china

 

[JRC3]

What isn't made in China there. or any or any other store?

 

[doublearon98]

What isn't made in China there. or any or any other store?

They have some Taiwanese products which aren't bad. I believe they even have some American made stuff

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Stuart in MN]

Also 50" Cutting Guide -- PASS
Used this thing for a good number of cuts the past few days. Once its locked the clamp holds well. I have the additional 5" measurement on my Skilsaw magnesium shoe so it is easy to measure off a sheet and I won't have to remember the additional offset.

Good to know. I bought one of those recently but haven't had a chance to actually use it yet.

 

[ConductorChris]

Here in an interesting article from a very reputable tool seller in Canada (www.LeeValley.ca).

Where Was That Tool Made?

We are frequently asked why we do not put the country of origin of all tools in the catalog description. Right now, we note only those that are made in the U.S. or Canada. Occasionally, we will mention other countries of origin when it is significant to the tool. A good example is the set of Chinese scissors we sell; they have been made by the same process and to the same style for the last 300 years in China. This is relevant information.

But for most products, the country of origin is not as closely related to the style of the product, and, much more important, is often impossible to determine. A few examples will make this clearer.

There is one factory in France that keeps a stock of marking dies of a wide range of countries so that they might stamp a product with a country of origin that the buyer wants. This practice began when reduced control within the European common market made it possible. The day we were in the plant, they were producing a line for a German company and cheerfully stamping every one "Made in Germany". They asked if we would like to have ours stamped "Made in Canada". We declined.

Some years ago, when plug cutters first started coming in from China, someone noted that a line coming out of Austria had all the machining idiosyncrasies of the ones coming out of China. A spectroanalysis of the steel (a form of metallurgical fingerprinting) showed that the alloys were exactly identical, indicating that it was almost certain that they were made from the same batch of raw material. Given the other matching features, it also indicated that they were being made in the same factory. Either the Chinese were buying theirs from Europe or the Europeans were buying theirs from China and remarking them. You can imagine which was the case.

For some years now, it has been impossible to correctly identify country of origin of goods coming out of Asia. Often "Made in Taiwan" and "Made in Hong Kong" really meant "Made in China".

Very seldom do you see this sort of mis-marking in North America and it is for this reason (plus the fact that buyers want to know which products are domestic) that we regularly note only these countries of origin in our catalog copy.

– L.L.
04/98

 

[aka Larry]

240 Volt 40A Plasma Cutter - Item #62204

Pass

After some research last week, and a cash donation from a friend, I picked this up and used it all day Saturday. It comes with a stand-off shield (not pictured) which helped a new user like me to keep the actual tip from touching the work. I was able to start cutting with it right away, and it cuts clean and fast. The sleeve covering the lead to the torch seems a little flimsy for a daily user, but I'll just use it on occasion so I'm happy with it so far. It sure saved me a bunch of time right out of the box.

 

[ov10fac]

40 Piece SAE Tap and Die - Fail, dies are not properly marked and most are way smaller than they should be.

 

[txvwnut]

I picked up the earthquake 20v 1/2” impact after a freind of mine suggested it. The break away torque is incredible it hasn’t struggled to remove any fasteners I’ve tried it on.

I give it a pass.

https://www.harborfreight.com/20v-m...ss-xtreme-torque-impact-wrench-kit-63852.html

 

[scottladdy]

1641E-B Bauer 10 amp 3900 BPM 1-1/8" SDS Variable Speed Pro Rotary Hammer Kit

Buy with a coupon (of course). Makes it about 1/2 the cost of renting a Bosch unit from the big box orange home center for a single day.

PASS (with a caveat) - Nice unit. Used to install my Dannmar MX-6 lift. Made easy work of drilling the ten 7/8" holes into 20 year old concrete up to 8" deep. Not a lot of vibration transmitted to the user.

Comes with a "sample" grease container. Must change grease monthly according to the instructions. Can find rotary hammer grease from online sources easily. Spare brushes. Blow mold case (decent quality).

Caveat - Depth gauge isn't held in place well and slips. I put masking tape on my drill bits to mark depth anyway so no real concern.

Used with Bosch HCFC2244 7/8" SDS Drill - Also a PASS.

Tested with 62791 8" SDS Masonry Bit Set - Also a PASS. Don't expect Bosch quality with these but they cut decent holes quickly when used with hammer drill above.

 

[57JoeFoMoPar]

The large Vulcan welding cart is a PASS! $276 after tax using a coupon (Vulcan 20% coupon). The steel is a decent gauge and it rolls great.

Totally agree. I've had mine for about a year now and it has been great. I needed a bigger cart for my HTP Invertig221 with the welder and the liquid cooler, plus consumables, mask, etc. It has been great and rolls well even with 2 250 tanks on it.

 

[ChrisLS8]

Big pass- 6" and 11" Bremen c clamp pliers, I tossed my Chinese Irwins to a coworker starting out for a song and replaced with these Taiwan clamps.

I wanted to get a few months of use out of them before I gave my opinion. They are very sturdy, I use them hundreds of times daily and there is still zero slop or issues.

Holding sheet, heavy *** headers, 50 foot 10" studs they have done the job every time

Sent from my Z982 using Tapatalk

 

[Shadowdog500]

The large Vulcan welding cart is a PASS! $276 after tax using a coupon (Vulcan 20% coupon). The steel is a decent gauge and it rolls great.

+1 on the large Vulcan welding cart. Bought one with the same 20% off coupon, and I would definitely recommend to others!

Also picked up the Vulcan ProTIG200. Works great out of the box, but I don’t want to give a pass fail until I use it for a while. Chris

 

[jgromada]

Ball Joint separator pass for now. oiled it used a wrench on it it easily removed the ball joint on my 2003 Mini cooper.

I have had one of these as well for at least 15 years. They are great! If you do any suspension work yourself you should definitely get one.

 

[ndnchf]

I just picked up 2 of the new LED hanging shop lights, 64410. They work great, nice and bright. For $20, they are a bargain. A Pass in my book.

https://www.harborfreight.com/4-ft-led-hanging-shop-light-64410.html

 

[thool]

Tarp bungees #47474 - pass.
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-piece-adjustable-tarpaulin-tie-down-cords-47474.html

These work so much better than regular bungees for anchoring a tarp. They have a ball end for the grommet, at the hook end you can adjust the bungee length. Very convenient. I went back and bought a second package.

I used those to hold down a big tarp over a boat. The plastic ends opposite the ball becomes brittle in the cold, but they are very convenient, so I agree with the pass.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[Alpine4x4]

Central Pnuematic Air Tie Rod Separator - Pass

Bought this a month ago to change the trac bar ont my Dodge. It has since removedmany front end parts and has held up very well. Beats the standard separators for parts where I dont need to save the boot.

 

[gemniii]

1641E-B Bauer 10 amp 3900 BPM 1-1/8" SDS Variable Speed Pro Rotary Hammer Kit

Buy with a coupon (of course). Makes it about 1/2 the cost of renting a Bosch unit from the big box orange home center for a single day.

PASS (with a caveat) - Nice unit. Used to install my Dannmar MX-6 lift. Made easy work of drilling the ten 7/8" holes into 20 year old concrete up to 8" deep. Not a lot of vibration transmitted to the user.

Comes with a "sample" grease container. Must change grease monthly according to the instructions. Can find rotary hammer grease from online sources easily. Spare brushes. Blow mold case (decent quality).

Caveat - Depth gauge isn't held in place well and slips. I put masking tape on my drill bits to mark depth anyway so no real concern.

Used with Bosch HCFC2244 7/8" SDS Drill - Also a PASS.

Tested with 62791 8" SDS Masonry Bit Set - Also a PASS. Don't expect Bosch quality with these but they cut decent holes quickly when used with hammer drill above.

I agree - a definite PASS.
I bought my son (in Virginia) a Bosch RH540M and used it a fair bit. Very well made. List price new is $400.
In Mississippi I needed to hammer some concrete for repair of a concrete/brick joint, already had a 1/2 in. Heavy Duty Variable Speed Reversible Hammer Drill from HF and it just didn't have enough oomph. Didn't want to dupe the RH540M, and wanted something lighter I could easily use one handed. So I plunked down my $80 for the 1-1/8 in. SDS Variable Speed Pro Rotary Hammer.

More than did the job. I've worked it for about 10 hours, grease in the grease reservoir is about half full but it's about time to "change" the grease.

Next job is putting a small culvert in asphalt in front of one of my workshops so my shop doesn't flood. Tested it out there and it breaks asphalt very well.

Well worth the $80.

/edit - and what about grease for the gearbox? Most places seem to offer grease for the bit but I'm wondering why not an auto gear grease in a can or tube?
HF does not sell a grease for the drill.

 

[trekgod3]

I just picked up 2 of the new LED hanging shop lights, 64410. They work great, nice and bright. For $20, they are a bargain. A Pass in my book.

https://www.harborfreight.com/4-ft-led-hanging-shop-light-64410.html

+1 for the hanging light. Very bright, very light weight , very easy to hang. Great price too.

 

[IMCA38]

#96451 IR laser thermometer-
Ultimately a fail...
Mine worked great initially, but then the laser quit working. It still registers a temperature, but you can't tell with precision what you're checking.
Also, the rubber on the handle has somehow decomposed and become a sticky mess.

I subsequently picked up a similar unit on sale at Menards and I'm pleased with it.

 

[doublearon98]

#96451 IR laser thermometer-
Ultimately a fail...
Mine worked great initially, but then the laser quit working. It still registers a temperature, but you can't tell with precision what you're checking.
Also, the rubber on the handle has somehow decomposed and become a sticky mess.

I subsequently picked up a similar unit on sale at Menards and I'm pleased with it.

I have one have yet to have an issue with it

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[JRC3]

I subsequently picked up a similar unit on sale at Menards and I'm pleased with it.

Menards has become the new HF but with slightly better tools and often for a better price with their frequent sales and rebates.

 

[gemniii]

#96451 IR laser thermometer-
Ultimately a fail...
Mine worked great initially, but then the laser quit working. It still registers a temperature, but you can't tell with precision what you're checking.
Also, the rubber on the handle has somehow decomposed and become a sticky mess.

I subsequently picked up a similar unit on sale at Menards and I'm pleased with it.

I couldn't find the #96451. But I've two of the HF versions, similar to #63985 ,one about 5 years old, one about two. One registers within a degree of an alcohol thermometer which I've tested with freezing water and boiling water at about sea level. The other reads 2 degrees higher. I've a strong science background and I'm picky about measuring tools.

Menards has become the new HF but with slightly better tools and often for a better price with their frequent sales and rebates.

And Menards is regional. Good for some mail order but not if the item is for sale "in store only" or is expensive to ship.

 

[tearapin]

I have to fail these. I would imagine all the non-impact versions of these would be bad. Apply any decent torque and the slip and round out the fastener. I think the impact ones may be better??

https://www.harborfreight.com/6-pc-38-in-drive-star-bit-socket-set-67886.html

 

[Farmall 1066]

Quantum 65 Lumen flashlight. #63936.
Really liked this little light, and seemed pretty rugged.
Just stopped working after about a week.
The free ones last better...

 

[soloz2]

I see a couple people have posted positive reviews of the 5.5a 3 1/4" planer, but is the 7.5a heavy duty one worthwhile? I need to shave the bottom of a couple doors and figure a planer would be worthwhile to get considering I have an old house and will likely want one for upcoming trim work.

 

[Loose Ctrl]

FAIL!- Majorly! Krause & Becker Spray Gun model 60446

It continuously locked up. It has no fan nozzle, or at least mine didn't come with one. It sprays in an unpredictable round pattern. This was after I set up the gun going strictly by the user manual. I'm familiar with similar Dewalt and Wagner spray guns along with using a paint viscosity cup.

If you made the purchase and don't want to take it back, I have some tips that may make it somewhat useable.

Tip one. Read that manual 10 times and then read it 10 times more. This is mainly to understand how to disassemble the gun and use the paint viscosity cup.

Tip two. Before even looking hard at the damn thing, strip it down and clean it with a mild degreaser. I used Dawn dish soap. El Man U Ell comes in handy here.

Tip three. Don't bother oiling the damn thing as the manual describes, through the hole where the cup goes. Pack it with grease instead. This should keep anything sprayed from back feeding into the lubrication areas and locking the damn thing up. Run some warm dish soap water through it afterward to make sure no grease is left in the spray chamber.

Tip four. Anything ran through the viscosity cup should be between 18 and 20 seconds. Everything I sprayed was latex primer or paint. I tried it at 25, 20, and 18 seconds. 18 seemed the best. I was hesitant to go thinner. Manual says 20-25 seconds.

Tip five. Use a paint straining funnel when filling the cup. Paints have solids if you're unaware. They will cause the gun to lock up. I learned this on other guns many years ago. Latex is the worst for me and the warmer the weather the worse it can get. I think it's worth mentioning, in case someone reading this is unaware.

Tip six. As much as it *****. Spray warm water through it between fill-ups. I mean warm water as in room temp or slightly above. No soap. It shouldn't be needed. No hot water. It will deform the crappy thin plastic.

Tip seven. Consider this purchase like a paint roller. When the job is done, trash the F'ing thing and buy a good quality one from Amazon or a good home improvement store.

Here is the spray valve assembly layout. The two holes in the centerpiece are what gets lubed or packed with grease in my case. The spray end is to the left.

What needs to be greased are the two little grooves close to my thumb at the end of the spring. I smear them with grease, assemble the sprayer valve, pack grease in the holes shown above, assemble the gun, and run warm soapy water through it.

Good luck. Happy painting, I hope.