Why I buy from Harbor Freight - No bashing!

[sberry]

We tout HF for peddling **** and ***** about not having affordable American made options in the same sentence when in reality it's because of HF and **** box retailers like them that there aren't any affordable American options.

It isn't because of them. As I mention the margins have been in favor of the customer, they are at least some competition. Snapon sells a socket set cost 25 for 800 and we got a crowd cheering them on. How much would it be if there was no HF or Sears?
The margins were even worse in the past, way back when there were a few minor companies but big 3 or 4 and Sears was one of them and considered a semi premium or at least the next best thing to a snappy.
Now they are being compared to HF,,, whats wrong with that picture????????????

 

[sberry]

Just think, anyone figure the folks in India and China pay 100$ a month for a cell phone?

 

[Steinmetz]

Right, the tool doesn't know the difference. That is worth repeating in a general sense especially as the bottom has grown. When we get a value, what should I do question the answer in todays worlds is that one should explore the cheap end. No longer does one need state of the art or super long duty cycle cept some real pro users in specific areas usually involving highly paid labor etc.
I feel better today using the 40$ oscilating tool vs some gut wrenching 400$ decision I might have made at one time to buy the best etc.
The trick is to find the baseline tool before it goes to branding, the ATD adjustable wrench set can be had on sale for 20$, inked ATD China which wears off, about the best of its type I have ever used with a minor improvement worthy of note.

It would be cheaper for the tech to stay home a day than to invest in some of the tools they do,, ha

Agree. My observation is that the low-end hand tools have, in recent years, increased dramatically in value while maintaining low cost.

 

[FriendOfYours]

This isn't what I wanted this to turn into :/ I should have known better

I don't buy everything from HF, far from it. I'm a Matco guy, which some will fling at because most of the tools they don't actually make themselves and a lot are imports. But, I have spent more than my fair share on the tool truck

I own a small shop in a crappy little town with about 900 residents. We don't have enough volume for a truck to come out here and HF has been good for when I really need something

 

[skyking]

To answer the OP question, I buy HF tools because:

• They are available,
• They are reasonably priced,
• The quality, for my use, is acceptable,
• I can warranty the tool easily,
• I like the 25% off coupons and use them religiously.

Over the last 10 years my hand tools have been migrating from 30 year old Craftsman to HF. I haven't noticed a huge difference in quality or performance. I do notice a difference in such goods as electrical drills and saws. The HF quality isn't as good as the old Craftsman or even old B&D, but it's still acceptable for the price. I'll continue to buy their tools, as needed if the price is (IMHO) fair. As an example I purchased their Multifunction Tool a couple of years ago. It's been outstanding. I would buy another if I needed to in a heartbeat.

Exactly !! Well said.

 

[DekeT]

They employ about 11,000 people IN the USA

May not be high paying manufacturing jobs, but it certainly is better than nothing

That should be good enough reason not to rag on HF. Some products ****, some are great. We should care about jobs. Not just the jobs they create directly, but for people like me who couldn't stay afloat without some of the good tools they offer

Snap-On, just for reference because they are probably the most well known for US made tools, employ about 11,500 Worldwide

More fathers can help their sons replace those brakes or finish that garage because of HF

This is the definition of setting the bar too low.

 

[Fretters]

This isn't what I wanted this to turn into :/ I should have known better

Yup.

I don't buy everything from HF, far from it. I'm a Matco guy, which some will fling at because most of the tools they don't actually make themselves and a lot are imports. But, I have spent more than my fair share on the tool truck

I own a small shop in a crappy little town with about 900 residents. We don't have enough volume for a truck to come out here and HF has been good for when I really need something

It matters not what anyone else thinks. You buy whatever kit you're happy with and which serves you well. You're the one using it, no-one else. Defending ones choice suggests uncertainty as to ones choice. Is that the case? If not, get on with it and use that kit merrily.

I've personally never given a monkeys what brand or origin my tools are, and each one has served me perfectly well in all I've asked of it. My only criterion for choosing tools, whether new or old, is personal preference and nothing more. If I like it, that'll do me.

 

[bcradio]

A lot of kids in school, unskilled and skilled adults need to read this and take it's lesson to heart:

Bill Gates: People Don't Realize How Many Jobs Will Soon Be Replaced By Software Bots

Things, they are a changin'...

Look at the changes in the automobile industry in the last decade. It's only going to get worse (you mean better) (depending on your way of looking at it.).

Thank goodness things are changing... for the better. I am glad that we have people building cars now instead of horse drawn buggies. I will also be glad when they are building software apps instead of putting a right tail light on all day. Progress is a beautiful thing.

 

[kiatech]

more like 11000 people on government assistance

 

[dogdog]

Well buying from harbor freight is like buy from walmart and no one complains about walmart. you get the good , you get the bad , and most of the time you get the horrible items, and yet you always go back for more tools that you don't need. You just gotta know what to buy and not be a tool junkie and complains about it. This is like a crack addict complains about the $5 bag he gets from the street corner and not the $1000 bags your favorite movie star snores. You guys just have to understand it's not the Chinese that sold you the horrible tools, They are made to specification the importer / and the merchant that orders the the tools and sold to you guys. No one remember their history when made in the USA was **** back in the 1800s or made in Japan was cheap. No one complains about their apple iphone either, or your Intel inside computer that you used to made this post.

 

[Exceller8]

I shop at HF because I get some tools that make sense for my needs. I'd love to be 100% American made but it just isn't possible for me unless I want to go into debt, which I don't.

I do understand the love for American made tools. Every time I use one it just seems to feel/work better for some reason.

 

[Thephranc]

I find this to be an extremely flawed view. Sure HF employs people, I don't think anybody would dispute that. But if HF didn't exist, how many US jobs would there be instead? I'll bet dollars to doughnuts it would be a larger number.

And if you're talking about supporting the largest employer you should be defending one of the big box stores, as they employ far more than HF.

That 11k I take it doesn't include the longhaul truckers, dock workers, train conductors and other ancillary workers that have jobs because of HF.

 

[comedyman809]

11000 minimum wage jobs. Thanks Harbor Freight.

yes, minimum wage jobs for people who have 0 skills in much of anything.(store workers)

 

[older=better]

Guys don't buy that Chinese made stuff. I want you yo set and yhink about something before you buy anything that is not clearly marked U.S.A do you realize that all Chinese industry is wholly owned by the Chinese military? You see nothing is free or even cheap in life. Every time you buy a tool from the Chinese who hate you btw. That dollar is going into an army that is set to kill you and your family.

It's called the 50 year plan. Look it up

Much better for use all if you who can't afford American made metals to hit cregslist ebay and your local flemarkets and yard sales. Also if you don't know this people trade ussed tools back to the trucks all the time. But please stop buying from the Chinese military.

 

[NWphotog]

Put the crack pipe down, NOW!

 

[dogdog]

this thread is getting more and more wackier

 

[Garage Coffee Roaster]

I am pleasantly surprised to see that it took ten pages of replies to degrade to the bashing and buy usa.
I would love to buy all USA products but the reality is that we live in a global economy. USA businesses have made the decision to pursue service vs. manufacturing.
I would like to see more manufacturing and less service based businesses.

Until I start up my own business or invest in a USA business that manufacturers inexpensive tools, the low end tool selection remains limited to imported or used.
Given a limited budget and a need for a tool now with no time to search and buy used from a private party, that limits me to imports. If I am lucky, I may find a USA NOS or on Close-out but I do not hold my breath.

Sent from my LG-LS720 using Tapatalk

 

[dogdog]

you should Google "Decline and fall of American manufacturing" I doubt that the USA business have any choices, to remain competitive and meets their bottom line when people wants goods, paid less $ , while increase wages to adjust for Cost of living, higher taxes to fund who knows what ..... , unequal trade deficits, ..... and of cause the FAT cat politicians.... the list goes on and on.

 

[Garage Coffee Roaster]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3307
Older=better
That is very politicalized view of the Chinese economy. The 50 year plan is a plan released by one extremist faction of the the Chinese communist party. I do not know how powerful this faction is, but what you state is all speculation.

There is truth that many of the Chinese factories are owned or has ties to the Chinese government, but to say that all of the tool purchases go to the Chinese military is false and very paranoid.



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[wild cowboy]

look, I would buy more Snap-On if they would charge even 4 times the Harbor Freight price, but $212 for a set of chrome semi sockets that HF would charge $6 on sale for?

as that football player Chris Carter on ESPN would say:

C'MON, MAN!

 

[dogdog]

It will be C'MON, MAN if this don't get fix soon when your great grand children and mine.... will be immigrant to China to work as low wage jobs, works just like the Chinese does when they build the railroads in the early days of the US.

 

[Fretters]

It will be C'MON, MAN if this don't get fix soon when your great grand children and mine.... will be immigrant to China to work as low wage jobs, works just like the Chinese does when they build the railroads in the early days of the US.

You seem to perceive history to the extent of the timeline of your own country and no further. For thousands of years empires have come and gone and certain countries have ruled trade to some degree. History exists more than a few hundred years back, and the constant evolution of trade and power shifting has been happening for all of that time. What's happening now is not new, and never will stop.

 

[dogdog]

History is not new, power shift is not new from the Turkish Greeks Romans English then to the US and maybe every other countries in between <I am not a historian>. What is more of the same is the ignorant / greed of ppl that contributing to the shift / accelerate the shift / creating this shift of powers. Might not be one or "the one" but definitely a handful few then more that follows. Might not be just one product / issues , but when you combine many it is a collectives. I used in the early days of the US as most audiences are US base. I am pretty sure I can find some examples for the Brits / Spanish / Greek / Romans or the Turkish, but definitely will burn my brains.

 

[dogdog]

I told you this is turning into a weird thread, I better go get some sleep. this is getting wonkier by the minute.

 

[Fretters]

History is not new, power shift is not new from the Turkish Greeks Romans English then to the US and maybe every other countries in between <I am not a historian>. What is more of the same is the ignorant / greed of ppl that contributing to the shift / accelerate the shift / creating this shift of powers. Might not be one or "the one" but definitely a handful few then more that follows. Might not be just one product / issues , but when you combine many it is a collectives. I used in the early days of the US as most audiences are US base. I am pretty sure I can find some examples for the Brits / Spanish / Greek / Romans or the Turkish, but definitely will burn my brains.

No need to find examples. We all know exactly what our respective countries have suffered and inflicted throughout history.

Human nature will be human nature regardless. Stressing over stuff like this makes no difference and is pointless. Economies, money and control will shift as they always have done.

 

[fsdogwood]

I find this to be an extremely flawed view. Sure HF employs people, I don't think anybody would dispute that. But if HF didn't exist, how many US jobs would there be instead? I'll bet dollars to doughnuts it would be a larger number.

And if you're talking about supporting the largest employer you should be defending one of the big box stores, as they employ far more than HF.

If HF doesn't exist, there might well be some other chain(s), that make the tools available to public at the now-HF price. The demand is there, it's just who's going to fill it.

 

[fsdogwood]

If Harbor Freight weren't there, those people would still get jobs. HF is just a space occupier. They're not special. They don't develop property so they aren't even making any short term high wage jobs when they move in to a new location. They sell low quality import goods at a slightly lower than average price of competing, better goods. No need to put lipstick on it.

I am curious, what HF item is "slightly lower than average price of competing, better goods"?

It's HF/Menard (we don't have it here in NC yet)/and others, even Big Lots, that make the tool available to the general public.

 

[R.Anderson]

Its normal for buyers wanting confirmation that they were wise with their money

I see this all the time here when peeps drop a **** load of cash(way more than I would ever spend) for name brand item or items wanting a "you ****"

 

[Sleipnir]

China has almost always been a great nation. It has rich history. Even their movies are becoming really good. I don't get the hate sleech or fear except that it seems propagated by those who haven't searched much in history.

They had the greatest economy until the west took advantage of them and just look at the nation.. it's only logical that it returns to that status. Their culture is for that of the greater good for the people

 

[DieselRiver]

You can't start a thread like this and expect no bashing

 

[Fretters]

China has almost always been a great nation. It has rich history. Even their movies are becoming really good. I don't get the hate sleech or fear except that it seems propagated by those who haven't searched much in history.

I hope their movies stay fairly **** though, personally. B grade Chinese martial arts movies are classics. Blinkered is the way I view some opinions. Most of the world has a rich history, which some appear to be oblivious to the fact that it ever existed. Countries which are pretty much classed as third world nowadays, for example, have some majestic structures, art etc. surviving from their ancient past.

They had the greatest economy until the west took advantage of them and just look at the nation.. it's only logical that it returns to that status. Their culture is for that of the greater good for the people

Empire's are a *****.

 

[wmartin]

They had the greatest economy until the west took advantage of them and just look at the nation.people

Chinese history is as complicated as all get-out. The fact that events like the Opium War were fought by only several thousand people on the side of the West (English in this case) puts paid to the notion of the 'greatest economy' in that era.

Of course, we're in an era were Western thought and culture is being torn down from within, so revisionist history is bound to be part of the game plan.

-----------

Hang on, just to throw my two cents in, I can't see any point in buying HF tools, but they really are hard to beat on a lot of stuff made out of welded together clumps of metal. It's a good aggregation of Chinese engine hoists, tool chests, presses, and the like. I wish it weren't so smelly, though.

 

[juiced10]

Lol most of the people in this thread sit in the long lines on Black Friday to score the cheapest TV's or computers. To bash such a small segment of the market is crazy. I shop at Harbor Freight because I like to. That was the question to start this thread.

 

[Kin Creed]

Any time you hear it's for the "greater good" you know you are being lied to and screwed.

I see HF as a place for the educated tool buyer. There is so much garbage you need wisdom to find the good deals.

I would not send a newbie to HF. But someone with a lot of knowledge can find some good value. The coupon system also takes a bit of effort, so if you are a "no hassle" shopper it's not the place for you.

I don't care for HF toolboxes, but there are some things there that I think are flat out good deals. Ratchets, clamps and some power tools come to mind. I have their random orbital sander and electric cut off tool and these are fantastic values. With coupon the cut off tool was $15. That's crazy cheap and it works fine.

Anyway, I shop at a lot of different places, and I appreciate HF for what they offer. I do get pretty sick of the smell though!

 

[texasfiremedic]

It is all about cost vs. return and greed. Nobody is satisfied with a small return that makes a small profit. This happens everywhere across the world. The rich want to be richer and the poor want to be rich. For most there is no in between.

I have only bought one item from HF. They are to far away to justify the buying from them. The item that I bought I expect it to break sooner than later. I will rebuild it when it does and make it better than it was. Would I expect a lathe that I bought from HF to be precise no just no but hell no. But there comes a point that to much is to much.
I still think that products can be made in the US and still be cheaply bought by the consumer. I still would not expect much from a cheep item no matter where it is made.

This being said, I personally try to buy item that are made in the US. This doesn't mean that they are better it may not be. But at least I'm trying to help our own economy. This is because it take people buying US products to keep a company that is making the US product alive.

Many have touched on trade and history. I believe it will happen over there the same it is happening here. There people will start to want more than they have now. The prices of wage will rise and the cost of the product will rise. This is just human nature to want more. It is also the same nature that wants something for nothing or less than what it is worth.

What will happen when the Asian markets have to raise there cost of a product to meet the cost vs. return and price themselves out of a cheaper market? Companies will move there manufacturing to somewhere else cheaper. This could possibly be Africa who knows. This will happen it is just according to when.

 

[fsdogwood]

Awful lot of love for Harbor Freight around here these days

Tonight I'll go home and hug my big box of Proto tools a little tighter.

Look, I understand not everyone can afford/justify pro grade tools. I also understand that the HF's of the world serve a purpose. I occasionally shop there for certain items. I have a few HF items (Blast cabinet, Floor jack, etc.) because use in my home shop doesn't justify a $5,000 industrial cabinet or a $700 Hein Werner.

HF gives the consumer a low end option. I'm not so unreasonable that I believe everyone should buy high end everything, but it strikes me as hilarious that there's so much love for HF for selling **** and so much hate for Sears for trying to compete. Start a thread about anything Craftsman and it gets so nasty so quick you abandon your own thread. We tout HF for peddling **** and ***** about not having affordable American made options in the same sentence when in reality it's because of HF and **** box retailers like them that there aren't any affordable American options.

I guess that quality wise, Sears/Craftsman is going down, while HF, seems to be up. And HF usually have better price for an item with better quality comparing what you can get from Sears

 

[dankicksass]

I am curious, what HF item is "slightly lower than average price of competing, better goods"?



It's HF/Menard (we don't have it here in NC yet)/and others, even Big Lots, that make the tool available to the general public.

I don't know man, HF tools just don't make me smile. Some of their stuff like the terrible impact sockets just don't make sense to me. They cost more than Stanley and they're questionable at best. Their jack stands cost the same as Torin but you can get Torin at any major auto parts store. Not saying Torin is better in this case, but in terms of availability it's definitely more widespread. Maybe it's a geography thing. I live in the center of this map, don't want to drive to any of the red HFT flags for cheap ****.

 

[Ign]

Oy vey......good bad or indifferent watch Wal-Mart: the High Cost of Low Price to at least see a viewpoint on why the premise of post #1 is flawed.

That said, blaming any single mega corporation is not the answer either. As a society we value low cost over craftsmanship and frown on "blue collar" workers. To define a job as standing at a cash register all day is also part of the problem. Yes, we do need that AND many never aspire to do more.

 

[SKAutomotive]

There is a fellow on here that was able to build a business for himself, simply because he saved money on getting Harbor Freight tools, and then upgraded as he could. Not everyone can afford the tool truck, and not every tool truck driver is worth a damn. I've been trying to buy a set of ratchets from almighty SO for months, but I can't get the damned tool schmuck (and that's what a great percentage are) to return calls or emails. So, with that said, he lost out.

It wasn't as if I wanted him to make a special trip for a pocket screwdriver -- I wanted to plunk down a couple of hundred dollars. Oh well. It would seem that the high and mighty truck brands don't give a flying rats *** about the little man.. unless it's licensing the Snappy name to bunch of horseshit stocking stuffer "in-name-only" junk products to squeeze out a few more nickels.

I like the quality, but the culture ***** ***.

You have a very myopic point of view on this. You are only thinking about it from your side. The SO guy isn't making that much profit on your one purchase and chances are he has to take time out of his day to go to you, assuming he can, because where you may want to meet him may be off limits to him. That time could be spent at a professional shop where he will make several couple of hundred dollar sales to techs and potentially larger sales to the company itself. This may be a lot of money to you at the end cost, but to him it is probably not worth the profit to be had.

It's crappy to Joe Citizen, yes, maybe it is not right per se, but it is the crux of their business. The SO trucks business design is not built for that. They close that gap with their website, where you can order what you want and everything under 500.00 is free shipping. I have a SO truck guy, and even sometimes I use the website, because the items usually arrive in 2-4 days and the SO guy might not see me for a week or two.

 

[wild cowboy]

I see HF as a place for the educated tool buyer. There is so much garbage you need wisdom to find the good deals.

I would not send a newbie to HF. But someone with a lot of knowledge can find some good value. The coupon system also takes a bit of effort, so if you are a "no hassle" shopper it's not the place for you.

I don't care for HF toolboxes, but there are some things there that I think are flat out good deals. Ratchets, clamps and some power tools come to mind. I have their random orbital sander and electric cut off tool and these are fantastic values. With coupon the cut off tool was $15. That's crazy cheap and it works fine.

Anyway, I shop at a lot of different places, and I appreciate HF for what they offer.

Exactly!

some things you are a fool to buy from HF, and some things you are fool if you buy them anywhere else!

the star ratings on their website seem very genuine and sometimes brutal, and will quickly help you separate the junk from the gems!