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What products are surprised HF doesn't offer?

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WaterBoyz

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 16, 2015
Messages
368
Location
Northern VA
Open stock items like individual sockets, extensions, & wrenches, etc.

Sometimes you need one of something :dunno:

Could be because they are a high-theft item. Also, the in-store labor to manage the display is very high compared to the profit per item. Easier to peg sets of sockets than singles.

Worked HD tool corral so I know.
 

The_Geologist

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Joined
Jan 15, 2017
Messages
1,428
Location
Baltimore County, MD
A larger lift table (wider than their motorcycle lift) for working on riding mowers and the like.

Something like this one:

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Or this one:

61PTGdNwAxL._SL1500_.jpg
 

MushCreek

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Joined
Jan 14, 2015
Messages
9,786
Location
Upstate South Carolina
They used to sell a 2 or 3 lb. copper hammer, but haven't had them in years. Copper is much better than brass as it doesn't work-harden.

BTW- 'Cockroach Harpoons' is the new name for my garage band.
 

ATC

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Joined
May 12, 2012
Messages
8,315
Location
VA
A good industrial metal lathe and/or milling machine.
100-150# anvil.
Press brake for their 20T press (I have the SWAG kit)
3-ton size arbor press
Individual sockets/wrenches
80cu-ft O2 and acetylene tanks
 

CoogarXR

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Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Messages
6,860
Location
Ohio
I was on the way to a job site and forgot that I needed a hard hat to be on the premises, (even though I was just there for a quick sound system installation). I stopped at a HF thinking I could pick up a cheap hard hat, but I was surprised to find that they don't sell 'em. They have all kinds of other PPE gear, but no hard hats.
 

bwringer

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Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Messages
10,305
Location
Indianapolis
Socket and wrench sets with no skipped sizes.

Maybe this is slowly changing. Their new brand stuff (I forget which of their bazillion doofy new brands it is) has VERY nice Taiwan-made socket sets with no skips.


To be fair, even the high-end brands have sets that skip sizes for no discernible reason, and it makes me CRAZY. For example, Wera's 3/8" drive set skips 14mm. WTF BBQ?
 

DFB

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Joined
Sep 7, 2016
Messages
5,765
Location
Southern VT/Western Mass
They used to sell a 2 or 3 lb. copper hammer, but haven't had them in years. Copper is much better than brass as it doesn't work-harden.

They probably can't afford to sell them cheap anymore :lol:

I have a couple of the old copper head hammers 1lb and 2lb sourced from Freight and same two styles also with the brass heads, all have dayglow orange fiberglass handles. :spit:

My old soft faced wood handle beater hammer (cast head with copper faced end caps) weighed 2.5ibs
 

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BDT/NWMN

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Jan 22, 2012
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3,762
Location
Erskine, Mn
I look at Harbor Freight as a retailer of low cost, popular, fast selling goods.
Slower selling products, customer service, individual tools rather than sets, and replacement parts for their products don't appear to be their primary concern; as they would dent their labor costs, as well as floor space.
 

ddawg16

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Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
21,005
Location
S. California
Condoms and Dildos? They already have the cheap AA batteries.....'getting screwed by HF' could take on a whole new meaning...........
 

BDT/NWMN

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Joined
Jan 22, 2012
Messages
3,762
Location
Erskine, Mn
Condoms and Dildos? They already have the cheap AA batteries.....'getting screwed by HF' could take on a whole new meaning...........

They had reusable versions of those a few years back. Just run them thru the dish washer, and they were good as new.. Customers that bought them were all smiles.
 

AceofSpad3s

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Joined
Oct 1, 2014
Messages
1,808
Dude...





If I’m being honest I secretly find girls that work at HF hot...

Watch out for the potential birth defects from all the fragrant chinese carcinogenic rubber products if you think to pursue that idea any further :lol_hitti
 
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dacan23

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Apr 15, 2014
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2,804
Location
RI
Yeah, theres already a coupon for the manual chainsaw, eventually they have to make it....

I sure wish they made...

The Garden Hose/Cord Combo.
The 16" Manual Chainsaw.
The Cordless Hammer.
The Bono Safety Glasses.
The Solid Brass Carpenter Dreidel.
The Whale Gutting Knife.
 

jd_1138

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Joined
May 8, 2013
Messages
17,060
Location
NE Ohio
Yeah, theres already a coupon for the manual chainsaw, eventually they have to make it....

If HF had a sense of humor, they'd definitely come out with a small plastic toy version of that crank chainsaw as a gag gift -- maybe as a limited edition holder for a gift card. It'd be fun to give your friends/relatives a gift card in one of those.
 

jd_1138

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May 8, 2013
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17,060
Location
NE Ohio
Condoms and Dildos? They already have the cheap AA batteries.....'getting screwed by HF' could take on a whole new meaning...........

I don't think you'd want to rely on HF to not pick up HIV or make a little baby (even though babies are cute). :lol_hitti

I bought some of their cheapie dust masks, and the thin straps would break after like 10 seconds -- very poorly made. I saw a guy in line with those recently and warned him. He went and put them back. If the strap breaks, then you're getting nasty stuff in the lungs. Not worth it to save a buck.
 

rickpaulos

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Joined
Mar 4, 2019
Messages
85
Location
Iowa
Kitchen utensils. Well, that was from my wife last night. Outdoor grill implements don't count.

On my first trip to the then new local HF store, I walking to the door and an outgoing customer said to me:
"Nobody ever accused Harbor Freight of selling quality"

We learn. Some HF stuff is okay, some is junk.
 

DGersic

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Joined
Mar 12, 2017
Messages
6,342
Location
DeKalb, IL
Kitchen utensils. Well, that was from my wife last night. Outdoor grill implements don't count.



On my first trip to the then new local HF store, I walking to the door and an outgoing customer said to me:

"Nobody ever accused Harbor Freight of selling quality"



We learn. Some HF stuff is okay, some is junk.


Don’t the sets of ceramic kitchen knives count?



Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app
 

MarvinBerry

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Joined
Oct 21, 2018
Messages
817
Location
Enchantment under the sea - NJ
I wish they sold the smallest ball pein hammer from 3pc set by itself. they sell all kinds of crappy claw hammers and dead blows but I use the small ball pein all the time to get bolts out the monkeys break off in stuff at work.

I feel that. Put together a new box not that long ago & searched hi & lo for a simple 8oz ball pein. Preferably wood handle...

Not depot, not lowes, not the local hardware shop that stocks good stuff like SK... Figured HF would have some piece of ****? Negative. Left empty handed once again. Finally found one at wallyworld of all places.

Soldering station, like a Weller killer. Nope. That's surprising.

And there's only one women that works at my HF and I guess she's hot if your into chicks that look like Jabba the Hut. Not my thing but not passing judgement.
 

Turbo442

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Joined
Dec 2, 2018
Messages
85
Location
NW USA
15” refrigerator side cabnet, lighted with glass front door for the 44” roller cabinet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

P0larbear

Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2016
Messages
10
For a short while, their website listed Yukon branded garage cabinets...they looked real nice. Floor cabinets, wall cabinets, etc.

But upon further review...they're no longer listed on the website...which is unfortunate b/c not only did they look good, but they were welded construction and there were many options.

Here's a link to a website that initially reviewed them:

https://toolcraze.net/new-harbor-freight-yukon-garage-storage-system/


They will start carrying them around mid summer. There was issues with them being damaged in shipment and the packaging wasn't as durable as it needed to be.
 

P0larbear

Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2016
Messages
10
Also check this out. We put these up Sunday night. A lot of these new Bauer tools should be out in the next few months. Appears there is a 20v pump that will “rival” the Milwaukee transfer pump. Might be something work checking out.


0bc6284a7d97ee217427ec719fc13994.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app
 

Doc995

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Joined
Jan 1, 2019
Messages
612
Location
Sandy Hook, CT
Regarding the chicks that work there...I have 2 HF's near me...each one about 22 miles from the other. BOTH of them have the stand-out hottie working there. I'm wondering if the district manager had this in his plan. They're both very friendly. I would <ahem> "coffee table" both of them, given the chance.
 

toddoky

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Joined
Dec 17, 2013
Messages
465
Location
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Also check this out. We put these up Sunday night. A lot of these new Bauer tools should be out in the next few months. Appears there is a 20v pump that will “rival” the Milwaukee transfer pump. Might be something work checking out.


0bc6284a7d97ee217427ec719fc13994.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

Must have taken quite a bit of effort to copy the designs of all those tools and get them lined out in the picture just like the Milwaukee marketing materials does it.
 

Motorman55

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Joined
Apr 10, 2016
Messages
2,638
Location
South Jersey
Small touch-up bottles and matching spray cans of paint in all the various colors of their tool boxes and cabinets.
 
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