Harbor Freight Good tool list

[lacrosse10604]

Hey everyone. I know alot of people hate HF and will never buy from them (if you hate HF please don't clog up the post). However, I'm not one of those people. I'd like to start a list of items people have bought from HF that have worked well. I'm starting to gather up tools for my garage and would like to save money by picking up HF tools if they have a good track record.

Personally I'm interested in welders, winch, and power tools. But post anything you've had success with.

[WRMorrison]

The mini-lathe (about $400) is pretty much worthless, except for small parts. The finish it produces sux too.

The medium-sized mill they offer is ok, but only for small parts. Not extremely precise, but works for small stuff.

The mini chop saw (not exactly sure why I bought it, uses standard die grinder cut-off wheels) is pretty much a $16 paperweight.

The smaller bandsaw works ok, but only for thinner material (1/8" and under).

Small belt sander works pretty well. But after about a year, the motor finally gives up the ghost.

I normally use all these tools for RC projects, but have used them on occasion for the 1:1 stuff. But, I usually build the big stuff at work with REAL equipment. :)

-WRM

[cebby]

Pittsburg Drill Press Vise (works good)

Bar Stock Bender (great for bending brackets 'n such)

I'm sure there are others, but I can't think of them right now...

[multichamp]

how does this bandsaw do? http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=37151

HORIZONTAL/VERTICAL METAL CUTTING BANDSAW- $169.99

im looking to pick one up at the local harbot freight, ill be using it for cutting up to 1/4"... will it do?

[Travis Waldher]

I don't own one, but have used someone elses. It worked fine for everything up to 3/8". Which is the largest I ever fed the thing.

[Toyoland66]

Hammers, pry bars, anvils, etc

stuff without moving parts or precision edges

[eschoendorff]

I have that aluminum racing jack and it seems to hold up pretty well. I just bought one of their 4 1/2" angle grinders... it makes alot of noise, but it gets the job done.

I also picked up one of their heat guns today. $7.99 after the 20% coupon, which is about what it's worth. But, after usning it a little, I cannot say that i am disappointed.

[ironpig70]

have a pile of magnetic 6" levels, magnetic angle finder, hammers, pry bars, sockets(impact), large wrenches(1"-2"), 3/4" drive sockets and ratchet. air hammer and paint sprayer. 2 1/2 ton floor jack. engine stand 1250 unit.

[lsloth]

I love my band saw andI have beat the hell out of it for the last two years and it still works great.

[tjmark]

where did you get the self oiler from?

[eschoendorff]

have a pile of magnetic 6" levels, magnetic angle finder, hammers, pry bars, sockets(impact), large wrenches(1"-2"), 3/4" drive sockets and ratchet. air hammer and paint sprayer. 2 1/2 ton floor jack. engine stand 1250 unit.


That reminds me... I have beat the shit out of my HF impact sockets, and haven't had one break or go bad yet. The impact extensions get a little chewed up, though.

[ironpig70]

forgot grinders. shit i have 4 of them from there and only had one problem with one. the points got dirty from grinder dust. pulled them out, hit them lightly with some sand paper and reinstalled and good to go.


dads impact sockets are a good 10 years old and they are all still intact

[pimpgauer74]

I'll 2nd the 4x6 band saw. Especially with the 20% off coupon.
I'll add "pick racks" for nuts/bolts. (always useful)
The large drill bit collection...Nitrite coated something like 50+ bits. If you're nice to them and you've got a drill Dr. They're a great value.
My friend has their largest drill press and it hasn't let him down for 4+ years.
I've had luck with their combo wrenches for around the shop "shade tree" work.
I can't say anything bad about the 6" drill press vice.

off the top of my head that's what works well for me...

[the glassman1]

hd tube notcher is great, sand blaster works good (45.00)
all my trail tools are from there. not as big of a deal if you have to modify them or loose them on the trail.

[WRMorrison]

[QUOTE=the glassman1]sand blaster works good (45.00)[QUOTE]

I've got the same blaster (I think) 40#? I can't get the damn thing to work right. It just wants to either blow just air, or a full stream of sand and no air. :confused:

-WRM

[D60]

4.5" cutting dics

impact sockets

I've got one of their pancake compressors for running a nailer/stapler.

most of their die grinders work fine, they just sound slightly more sickly than my IR's.

4.5" grinders take a lot of abuse for the price, but they won't hold up like the good stuff, and the vibration will numb your forearms.

Welding magnets ok

[Rory Bellows]

4.5 cut off disks x2 that's all I'll buy. For the money they can't be beat.

$189.99 drill press on sale works great no problems or complaints.

4x6 bandsaw. Just got it, like it so far but might need a little tweaking.

1/2" impact socket set-- can't beat the price and have held up pretty good so far.

Ring Roller- works very well. I've gotten two projects out of it and am very satisfied.

I think I have reached the threshhold for HF tools. Besides cutoff wheels and wire cups I think I got the best tools I could get from them so far. Although a mini lathe doesn't seem out of the future w/ 20% coupon of course.

[tacomamike]

Hey everyone. I know alot of people hate HF and will never buy from them (if you hate HF please don't clog up the post). However, I'm not one of those people. I'd like to start a list of items people have bought from HF that have worked well. I'm starting to gather up tools for my garage and would like to save money by picking up HF tools if they have a good track record.

Personally I'm interested in welders, winch, and power tools. But post anything you've had success with.

I have used this thing many times!

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/38300-38399/38335.gif

Later,
....Mike

[Dynamicfigure]

I'll throw another vote in for the 4X6 bandsaw you will want to drain the grime out of the gearbox and replace it with gear oil (that is lacking sand) and get a bimetal blade. A few other options can be found here:

http://www.homemetalshopclub.org/projects/sawstand/sawstand.html

http://www.mini-lathe.com/Bandsaw/Bandsaw.htm#bandsaw

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/4x6bandsaw/

The griders are pretty good to and I have not had any trouble with the air hamer that I bought from them.

[90Beater]

HF loves me since I spend too much money there. Here is what I can think of for now.

Good:
3 ton jack - at least 5 years old
3 ton jack stands
4 ½” grinder - I have tortured it for a couple years and it’s my most used HF toy.
Cement mixer
6” vise – the black one, not the blue one
Deep impact sockets – metric and SAE (I broke one with a 5’ cheater bar and they swapped the set for a new one)
Protractors, dial calipers, angle magnets (6), levels, tape measurers, hammers, pry bars, other basic tools
4WD ball joint and u-joint servicing tool – I just used it for both this weekend
Carbon Steel welding wire – works fine in my Millermatic 175
100’ air hose, quick connectors, 3” pneumatic cutoff wheel, 3/8” air ratchet, tire inflators

Bad:
7” grinder – I bought one last week and it lasted about 30 minutes – I will return it
14” cutoff saw – it works but you have to change the blade when it gets hot, it doesn’t feel hot but quits cutting. You can change it back later and it works again.
Auto darkening welding helmet with flames – died after three or four uses

Not used yet:
Tubing notcher
Pipe bender – before I knew better

There’s lots more but that’s all I can think of now.

[Haggar]

Bad:

14” cutoff saw – it works but you have to change the blade when it gets hot, it doesn’t feel hot but quits cutting. You can change it back later and it works again.

The blade is getting glazed with molten metal. I had this issue as well, it just stops cutting. I found that just flipping the blade to cut in the other direction worked great. I've been cutting 1" x 3" solid bar, so its a hefty cut.

I think thats an issue of chop saws, in general.



The $70 pipe bender has worked well for me.
I have various CP air tools that my grandpa gave me, also all work still.
I bought the $300 drill press ($189 on sale + 20% off coupon) its nice.
Also have a 5" machinists vise with X-Y slides.

Really I haven't had any bad luck yet from things I've got there.

I'd say the 14" chop saw is the cheapest feeling, but it chops.. Its not very sqaure in the vertical plane, thats my biggest gripe. Was hoping for a true square cut for driveshaft work...

[WRMorrison]

Dynamic figure, thanks for the links! Most informative...

I guess I'll have to go and pick up that ball joint press. I didn't want to spend the extra dough on the Snap-On truck, but I wasn't sure if the HF one would work.

Other misc. things I've bought there:

lots of welding magnets (not the best, but they work and they're cheap), hammers, pry bars, HD bearing separator (works very well), body hammer/dolly set, and various small hand tools. (mainly, mini-screwdrivers, nut drivers, etc.)

Next on the list: ball joint press, smaller media blasting cabinet, smaller parts washer, tubing notcher, impact sockets, air chisel, air ratchet.....

All thanks to the good reviews in this thread!

-WRM

[eschoendorff]

I have used this thing many times!

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/38300-38399/38335.gif

Later,
....Mike
If I may ask, what (specifically) have you used it for, and how has it held up? I have one, but I have not yet put it to the test. Do you think that the turning screw could take the hit of an impact, or do you just use hand wrenches (I'm guessing that 99% of the time hand wrenches are all that is necessary)?

[RockRanger]

If I may ask, what (specifically) have you used it for, and how has it held up? I have one, but I have not yet put it to the test. Do you think that the turning screw could take the hit of an impact, or do you just use hand wrenches (I'm guessing that 99% of the time hand wrenches are all that is necessary)?

I use mine with an impact. Tighten it up by hand then I toss my $79 harbor fright "earthquake" impact on it and go. Ive used it for ball joints and changing u joints.

[multichamp]

I'll 2nd the 4x6 band saw. Especially with the 20% off coupon.
I'll add "pick racks" for nuts/bolts. (always useful)
The large drill bit collection...Nitrite coated something like 50+ bits. If you're nice to them and you've got a drill Dr. They're a great value.
My friend has their largest drill press and it hasn't let him down for 4+ years.
I've had luck with their combo wrenches for around the shop "shade tree" work.
I can't say anything bad about the 6" drill press vice.

off the top of my head that's what works well for me...

were do you find the 20% off coupon?

[samson09]

I have there floor jacks and a tranny jack,41/2 inch grinder< love these run them till you burn them up for 17 bucks cant beat it. I tried there stick welder I think the duty cycle was so bad it spent most of the time waiting for it , took it back. I also have there 8000 winch looks like a mile marker seems to work fine.I try to stay away from chinese hand tools as i value my hands, i also have there self darking welding helmet ,head braket broke afteryear.

[Hiapo]

I have their self darking welding helmet, works pretty good.

I am getting ready to buy the bandsaw with the 20% coupon.

I buy all my cutting disks there, for the most part they are pretty good, have had a few that shattered.

[Murph]

If I may ask, what (specifically) have you used it for, and how has it held up? I have one, but I have not yet put it to the test. Do you think that the turning screw could take the hit of an impact, or do you just use hand wrenches (I'm guessing that 99% of the time hand wrenches are all that is necessary)?

I've used mine with an impact to install wheel studs on my rear 44. Worked like a charm.


Andy

[guidolyons]

http://ww2.harborfreightusa.com/showpage_retail.taf?pageid=214&email= The coupon varies, sometimes it's 10% off entire order,sometimes 20% off single item. It depends. Check this link also: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=389830&page=4

I have quite a collection of various HF tools some good, some crap, but for the most part pretty good. A few that I can think of that are good buys: 1/2" impact sockets SAE & metric, Ujoint impact set (1/4, 3/8, 1/2) and 1/2" impact extensions, the ball joint press shown above, bearing seperator, air shears, tubing notcher, punch/flange tool, mag welding angles. Dial indicator,calipers and micrometers. I also have a 110V MIG (dual MIG 151) it's made in italy by the same company that makes cambell hausfeld (works OK for light work, duty cycle increased after I installed a cooling fan), but I am saving for a MIller 175 :D Oh yeah I have the self darkening welding helmet (on sale $50) works great! No more flipping up and down.

My HF chopsaw doesn't cut square, I can cut better w/ a cutoff wheel in my angle grinder, I'd rather have the bandsaw.

I never pay full price, I'll only buy if it's on sale 30-50% off. Another vote for the bandsaw, I think that may be my next purchase...on sale plus 20% off of course :)

[Merc69]

Their "C-Clamps" work well and you can never have enough of them.

4.5" grinding discs

Ball Joint Press

Welding magnets

Jack Stands

Impact sockets

90 degree die grinders

4,000 lb racing Jack

12,000 Press

HVLP paint gun

Hammers

Pocket Reference book

Angle Finders

Pressure pot style sand blaster

[90Beater]

If I may ask, what (specifically) have you used it for, and how has it held up? I have one, but I have not yet put it to the test. Do you think that the turning screw could take the hit of an impact, or do you just use hand wrenches (I'm guessing that 99% of the time hand wrenches are all that is necessary)?

This weekend I replaced all four ball joints for the Dana44 solid axle I'm putting in my Bronco.
http://bronco.tophersworld.com/images/bronco_new_balljoints2.jpg

I also replaced the u-joints on the HD axles with new X-760 u-joints.
http://bronco.tophersworld.com/images/dana44_hd_axles.jpg

It has worked great so far. It likes to walk a little sometimes but I can't say that it is due to it being a HF tool. Impact all the way. The HD u-joints were tighter than the ball joints and my Huskey 550Lb impact was groaning to get them out.

[chumly2071]

The HF ball joint press works pretty good for ball joints (duh!!) and ujoints up to d44 size. The lower cup is not large enough to allow a d60 cap to go through, and if you try to use the adapter "tubes" used in changing ball joints, it doesn't seat very well and the threaded rod goes crooked and off center.... be very watchful using this on ujoints. If you find you are really tightening the screw to get the joints to move, smack the yoke with a hammer on the sides with the screw pressure on it. It should "pop" and start moving. If it doesn't, re-evaluate, and reposition if necessary. I have bent yokes unintentionally with the force the screw pressure can exert without paying proper attention to what I was doing.

I have the 4x6 band saw, and love it (for the $$). Your first project after a new blade and replacing the lube, is to build a new stand.

I have several 3 ton floor jacks and 6 ton stands.

The 1200# engine stand is definitely worth the $$ if you buy it on sale with the coupons.

Got the 12" disc sander http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=43468
and it works very well for finish shaping plasma cut brackets and other misc stuff.

[lsloth]

where did you get the self oiler from?


Just got the pump and everything from Wholesale Tools.
http://www.wttool.com/

The pump is a pond pump. The coolant hoses were a from a repair kit they sell.

[dubbyx]

I usually only buy stuff with non-moving parts from HF...

my most common purchase there is the 10 pack 4.5" cutoff discs that are pretty popular... 10 for $6 is a whole lot better than $1.87 ea. for the norton ones, and they seem to last longer.

I've got a few welding magnets, a couple pair of jackstands, and my 8 year old's handtools...

Other than that I buy all my air fittings there... just not hoses--I can get those cheaper elsewhere.

[D60]

The HF ball joint press works pretty good for ball joints (duh!!) and ujoints up to d44 size. The lower cup is not large enough to allow a d60 cap to go through, and if you try to use the adapter "tubes" used in changing ball joints, it doesn't seat very well and the threaded rod goes crooked and off center.... be very watchful using this on ujoints. If you find you are really tightening the screw to get the joints to move, smack the yoke with a hammer on the sides with the screw pressure on it. It should "pop" and start moving. If it doesn't, re-evaluate, and reposition if necessary. I have bent yokes unintentionally with the force the screw pressure can exert without paying proper attention to what I was doing.


Agreed. I built my own receiver so it's not a three-hand job, but it still takes careful attention to make sure everything is square or the 60 caps will just cock in the yoke. I find it works ok for driving them out, but it's quicker to pound them in w a hammer.

http://www.supermotors.org/getfile/223436/fullsize/ranger%20104.jpg

I use my IR2131 on the HF ball joint press all the time. Keep the threads lubed and all you'll do is stretch the "C," which then sometimes allows you to hit it and release the preload.

[andyr354]

Ball joint press works well for intended purpose as well as stuck spring eye bolts

have 3 or 4 grinders, the orange one seems to be smoother than the blue.

Love the little magnetic parts pans when working on stuff with small parts

bunch of the black $4.99 on sale tool bags.

cut off disks, c clamps, air die grinders, butterfly 3/8 air impact is handy as heck, cheap end wrenches to cary in the trunk of all my cars, air body saw, S wrenches, roller shop seat, HVLP gun, butane mini torch, bearing separator, more I can't recall at the moment.


I have a clarke bandsaw but very similar, works very good after trashing the included blade and putting a Morse Bi-metal in it. Largest thing cut was some 6x4x1/4 rect tube. Took about 10 minutes to make a cut but worked well (still had old blade in it, Morse would have cut it faster.)

Thing I bought that was terrible was a set of line wrenches.

[rusted]

Other than that I buy all my air fittings there... just not hoses--I can get those cheaper elsewhere.

Where specifically? 50' 3/8" rubber GY prefereably, something that can be wrapped without cursing your unborn grandchildren.

*****

Stuff others haven't mentioned:

The $10 vacuum vise, with the pnuematic base and rubber jaws. That thing rocks, always wanted one.

The rotary clamp vise for the drill press, pure gold for quick projects.

[CanuckJeeper]

I've had good luck with:

Impact sockets
combo wrenches
chop saw (12" I think?)
hammers
jack stands
bottle jacks (very handy to have a HD one to change a tire on a loaded trailer!)
cut off wheels are cheap and work very well

Not impressed:

ball joint press: Bent one into a "V" shape with my impact. I think beer was involved for that. :flipoff2:
drill bits are marginal
off-brand Channel Lock pliars stink (they jump the groove)
same with off-brand vise-grips

JP

[D60]

Not impressed:

same with off-brand vise-grips

Yeah, don't even think about their "welding clamps." They'll twist the first time you clamp 'em even remotely snug. Also don't release easily and just a general hassle to use. This is one place where brand-name is the way to go.

Two other Harbor Freight items to avoid: ratchet straps (mechanisms suck) and cable ties (I got a whole batch that you couldn't cinch down)

[Adam F]

I have a a mig 100 welder. The wire feed motor has gone out on me twice, otherwise it works OK for the price I paid for it, and being a first time welder.

Enough has been said about the 4x6 bandsaw, but I have one and its pretty good.

Their box wrenches are awful. I've broken many of the set I have. Same goes for their seal puller and curved disk brake spring tool. And their large oil filter wrench/ pliers thing sucks.

I get a lot of use out of my 6" bench vise, heat gun, screwdrivers, fiberglass reinforced cut off wheels for my dremel, levels, tape measurers, mini-sledge and pry bars.

I have a 8 gallon 115psi air compressor for $100, and it really works great for what it is. I use it with the 1/2" earthquake impact gun and impact sockets, die grinder, hammer, blower, and cheapo paint sprayer and I am satisfied for the price I paid.

[HaWiiLuVeR]

hasnt been mentioned hardly at all, so ill mention it again. any of the shop presses. ive got the 20 ton and its great. goes on sale cheap and even better with a coupon.

[dmay]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/46700-46799/46769.gif
Cleared my drain going out of the house myself when a professional plumber gave up.:grinpimp: Man,was I happy(No more turds floating up in basement!)

[fivetenben]

Not impressed:


same with off-brand vise-grips

JP

I get them to hack/weld/modify for random uses. Work pretty good for that.

[BadDog]

Depends on what you do, and how you define "good", or more importantly, "good enough".

Sometimes, it's worth it to go with Miller, Hypertherm, and other "premium" or "near premium" brands, and I did for my MM175 and HT380, IR impacts and air ratchets, etc.

Other times, "premium" just costs to blasted much for using in a home shop, and it's just a matter of "get it cause you can afford it and want the best", or "get it because your compensating for other deficiencies". :D

But with most HF stuff, you have to "adjust" your way of thinking. I figure most stuff at about half what they rate. I'm VERY satisfied with my "20 ton press", "5 ton floor jack", "8 ton jack stands", and "2 ton shop crane". But then again I figured I was getting a 10 ton press, a 2-3ton floor jack, and tall 4 ton jack stands for the money. Pretty good deal even at that.

I also am well satisfied with my 4x6 band saw with "1 hp motor". Of course when it did a melt down because it hung when I went to get a drink while it was cutting, I "upgraded" to a 1/2 hp American made motor and it has SO much more power now. ;)

I've got 4 4.5" grinders all outfitted differently (cut-off, 1/4 stone, knotted wire brush, and cup) and some of them have been run hard since the first I bought back around 2001 when my truggy project started. Haven't had one die yet, and I've got less in the convenience PLUS multiple backups than I would have had in 1 Milwaukee or Makita (which would make sense for someone doing this professionally).

I also love the little HF locking pliers and c-clamps I get there when they are on sale 50% or more off normal cheap price. Great for welding onto random bits of angle and what not for "custom" tools, jigs, and clamps. You just can't beat them for that kind of stuff, I even cut off and welded a $4 c-clamp onto my table top for a jig a few weeks back. I keep my 20+ year old forged American made c-clamps and good quality locking pliers (some are actually *good* old Vice-Grips brand) for places where I need quality workmanship.

And then there are the big-assed floor drill presses, bead-rollers, strap/bar benders (like a hossfeld), ball joint tools, bearing splitters, and a host of other stuff that would be prohibitively expensive from anywhere else for the amount of use I get out of them. Yeah, I've had to reinforce and/or go slow/easy due to the marginal quality, but stuff like the drill presses absolutely ROCK for what I need compared to the use I could get out of a small "quality" bench top unit that would have cost me TWICE the price.

Same goes for my hole-saw tube notcher. I've notched the equivalent of a full buggy worth of tubing using that thing and it is still fine, not all wallowed out like some people report. I just keep it wet with oil while cutting and keep the grit out of the bushing while cutting with moderate pressure. Hmmm, I've got $25 in my cutter, anyone really think I'm regretting getting that over the $150+ varieties?

Just don't expect top quality at HF prices and most of their tools are fine. Heck, some of the tools I carry on the trail are HF too so I don't have to worry about them when one is needed to scab on a trail weld or walks off with "friends" who forget where the tools came from.

But the main tools I need to be confident in are Craftsman or better. All it needs is a rational evaluation of your needs, intelligent evaluation of the real world capability of what you're getting (rather than swallowing the stated ratings), and reasonable adjustment of expectations.

I've NEVER really been disappointed by anything I got from HF except stuff that was simply defective, which was returned next time I was that way to get it replaced. I generally get about what I expect, and very often a great deal MORE than I paid for...

Yes, I am bored tonight... :flipoff2:

[lacrosse10604]

Anyone have luck with these:

5 SPEED BENCH DRILL PRESS W/ 1/2'' KEYLESS CHUCK - $95 on sale at my local store for $50

3 TON SUPER HEAVY DUTY FLOOR JACK - 89.99 on sale for $50

I'd like to use a coupon and lower the cost down. Who's got a coupon?

[hoohaa]

Things I recommend from HF:

$70 pipe bender
The 8000 # winch. Really stinking slow, but it works.
4.5" grinders, they work, but only buy them when they're $8 a piece. they don't last long.
Get the Extra heavy duty drill, it's tough.
$7 driving lights
ball pein hammers
specialty wrenches
3/4" socket sets
$29 pipe notcher
14" chop saw. Here's a hint: clean it after a couple hour's use. Take off the vent cap and blow out the motor with compressed air. It will last a long time if you do this.


Things I don't recommend buying there:
Vises (I broke my 5" vice)
The "heavy duty variable speed drill". I snapped the handle and most of the plastic case clean off the body of the drill.
DO NOT BUY tap and die sets there.
files
drill bits

[JeffsJeep04]

4.5" grinders and cutoff wheels. Grinders are cheap enough to get one for a cut off wheel, one for a flap disk, and one for a grinding wheel. Saves time in the shop.

Wrenches and sockets. Been using them for all my wrenching, can't afford to have two sets of tools. Taken lots of abuse, over loading, etc and not a groan out of anything.

Prybars- hard to screw this one up. Broke the handle on the biggest one hitting it with a hammer...woops. Some electric tape fixed that. I don't hit it with a hammer anymore.

Cherry picker: Great tool to have around, and cheap. Not rated for 2k lbs like they say though.
http://jeff.jeeps-offroad.com/Pictures/hoistcarnage.jpg
Ground the paint off, hammered it back in shape, and re-enforced with some 1/8" steel all the way around. Seems to be holding up fine now.

[JJS]

my harbor freight portaband has been great. the only downside to the thing is the plastic drive barrel. the hypoid (i think that's the word) gear will chew that thing up when the blade binds. it must be nice having the stores around, so you can least have an initial inspection of the chinese crap. i have to order it all off the net.

[guidolyons]

Oops I forgot... I have the $50 (on sale $25) pipe notcher, too. Looks almost identical to the $125 ones I've seen. Keep the shaft/bushing lubed and worked good for me.

[Kartracer55]

The majority of it is nothing but sh*t BUT...

I needed safety wire pliers and I had no luck on ebay for USA made ones.. so it was 80+ for new Proto/SK/Milbar OR 15$ for el cheapo chines made ones from hf...

They do the job, so if your not using them frequently, the HF ones will work. If your going to be using them more than weekly save yourself the agrevation and buy good ones...

The HF pliers have wire cutters that are almost useless (better than nothing, at least they tried) and the jaw seration is crappy.. Also, the mechanism to lock them was binding up at first so make sure you oil them.

If your doing anything for aircraft or whatever get high end ones with wire protecting jaw inserts and the like.

HF has some ok deals on USA made stuff too... SK tools are a decent price and I got a 13 pc Eklind allen wrench set for like 8$, which was pretty good, I needed them anyway.

Jim

[ZJim]

I've got a cheap 1/2" clicker torque wrench I use for lug nuts and the like. I bought it for like 8 bucks and it's actually decent quality. I've got a dead blow hammer that I've used the hell out of which is all chunked up now, but it was worth what I paid for it. A set of spring compressors, cheap and effective. I've got a punch/chisel set. Broke one of the punches, but they aren't really designed to pry from.. my fault. Got a set of polyurethane/rubber mallets, cheap and effective. Most of what I've bought I've used quite a bit and haven't regretted. Also got a set of four 6 ton jackstands.. like 30 bucks apiece. Great quality. I trust them.


What I've broken:

Prybars.. bent like a damn pretzel, and I'm not big or strong by any means.

Electric impact.. what a pile of crap. Locked up and nearly caught fire before I unplugged it.



Just be careful what you buy. If it's electronic, be skeptical.

[eschoendorff]

I've got a cheap 1/2" clicker torque wrench I use for lug nuts and the like. I bought it for like 8 bucks and it's actually decent quality.

I have one of those, too... and everytime I check it against my beam-types, it's always very close.

Also got a set of four 6 ton jackstands.. like 30 bucks apiece. Great quality. I trust them.


Same here. They're heavy as hell... probably overkill for what I do.

[Adam F]

Wrenches and sockets. Been using them for all my wrenching, can't afford to have two sets of tools. Taken lots of abuse, over loading, etc and not a groan out of anything.




I must have gotten a bad batch then. I had a SAE set of wrenches, and promptly broke and bent several of them before taking it easy on the as to not damage any more. I broke the open end on one trying to loosen a bleeder screw! Snapped another open end trying to remove a little 9/16 bolt. Twisted a larger one using a hammer on the end to loosen a bolt. I took the damaged ones back for a replacement, and they gave me different ones, that had a brighter polish to them, so maybe they redesigned them. No problems any more, but for any tough to remove bolts, I use my craftsman wrenches.

[Kartracer55]

4.5" grinders and cutoff wheels. Grinders are cheap enough to get one for a cut off wheel, one for a flap disk, and one for a grinding wheel. Saves time in the shop.

Wrenches and sockets. Been using them for all my wrenching, can't afford to have two sets of tools. Taken lots of abuse, over loading, etc and not a groan out of anything.

Prybars- hard to screw this one up. Broke the handle on the biggest one hitting it with a hammer...woops. Some electric tape fixed that. I don't hit it with a hammer anymore.

Cherry picker: Great tool to have around, and cheap. Not rated for 2k lbs like they say though.
http://jeff.jeeps-offroad.com/Pictures/hoistcarnage.jpg
Ground the paint off, hammered it back in shape, and re-enforced with some 1/8" steel all the way around. Seems to be holding up fine now.


Thats just plain dangerous, which is why I wont buy ANYTHING that could hurt me like that from HF... Nothing that requires even halfass engineering by the chinese, no pressure vessels, nothing loadbearing

Jim

[Pavemen]

Cherry picker: Great tool to have around, and cheap. Not rated for 2k lbs like they say though.
http://jeff.jeeps-offroad.com/Pictures/hoistcarnage.jpg
Ground the paint off, hammered it back in shape, and re-enforced with some 1/8" steel all the way around. Seems to be holding up fine now.

honestly though, was it in the 2k position and was the load actually at or under 2K

[Pavemen]

I have had good luck with their engine hoist and load leveler, the 20 gallon parts washer works fine as well. I just broke a couple drive teeth on the porta-band plastic drive drum though. The HD var speed jigsaw (t-blade type) works great. Impact and air ratchet work fine. Their 4.5" grinders (orange one) has been great.

Most of it is fine for occasional use. I wouldn't buy much there for regular professional use. Can't beat the price though. Since I have stores local to me, I can check things out before buying to know if I should bother or not.

Most of my "automotive" tools are from there, as are my "trail tools".

As long as you don't have huge expectations for it all, it is fine for occasional use.

[joshua720]

We get alot of stuff from HF, but some stuff they haves is junk but othre things work real good

Good:
Tubing notcher and bender
Their biggest drill press
Cup guns
4.5" angle grinders
Various clamps
Magnetic angles
Dead blow hammers
Engine guages for my truck
Blue aluminum flashlights
Air hose fittings
Small Bandsaw (same as previous posts)
Tow strap
Ratchet tie downs
Red weldin gloves
Body repair tool kit
pneuamatic greese gun
Combo Wrenches
Screwdrivers
Sand blast cabinet
Machinest drill press vice

The bad stuff:
Auto darkening welding helmets, POS!!! I have returned mine 5 times cause it wont darken evenly. Only the center will get dark and the sides will stay a lighter shade, dont risk your eyesite to one of these.

Battery tools, The charger will melt the batteries and they wont go back into the tool

Wood saw blades, The ward very easy and dont cut very good.

[JOKKERAL]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/38300-38399/38335.gif



Yup, I got one of thier U-joint presses too ..... delivered to my door for around $30.00

[82yotacrawler]

the scissor lift tranny jack that they sell is awesome and i have never had a problem with it... works great for workin on a truck sittin on 36s....

[jeeplvr]

I have that aluminum racing jack and it seems to hold up pretty well. I just bought one of their 4 1/2" angle grinders... it makes alot of noise, but it gets the job done.

I also picked up one of their heat guns today. $7.99 after the 20% coupon, which is about what it's worth. But, after usning it a little, I cannot say that i am disappointed.

I bought a 4" angle gringer 4 yearsago and it's still going strong.
The secret to longevity is to open it up and put axle grease in the gears for the drive mechanism. It will get about 50% quieter and smoother.

[PTSchram]

I've gone to HF and drooled over the mills, but I've only bought a few pieces I can say were worth the $. The small sheetmetal brake is OK for light material, we sue it for forming floor pan patches. The bead roller is OK for light sheetmetal or aluminium-try to use it with decent gauge material and you're gonna be disappointed. The aluminium V-block with flanges works well too. My engine hoist is still going strong and it gets used for moving machinery in addition to engines and lifting entire parts trucks during disassembly.

I've broken some stuff-some of it should have broken, some of it shouldn't have.

[Pakman]

I had no idea the 4x6 saw had such a following and as many write ups. I was going to buy the bigger more expensive one but what the hell I made the HF bead roller into a fine piece why not try it with the little $200 bandsaw. Thanks for the info guys.

[eschoendorff]

I bought a 4" angle gringer 4 yearsago and it's still going strong.
The secret to longevity is to open it up and put axle grease in the gears for the drive mechanism. It will get about 50% quieter and smoother.


No kidding?! I gotta try that!

Oh, and since we're on the HF topic, anyone ever use this particualr setup for their disc brakes?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=40732

I bought it on sale ($19 or less I think) but I have not had a chance to use it yet.

[JeffsJeep04]

honestly though, was it in the 2k position and was the load actually at or under 2K
Was lifting a waggy engine/tranny off a trailer. Hardly one ton. Haven't had a problem with it sense, and I often check it.

[nesfrank]

Had great luck with HF stuff. I needed a new tool box and got the 41" roll box and side cab. Superior construction over a Craftsman, Kobalt, Husky, or most others. Most of the guys in my shop have 5 to 6K in their SnapOn boxes and they could not belive the QUALITY for the price from HF. I have 2 SnapOn and 2 MAC roll cabs and top boxes. Cordless drills,impacts, sockets, wrenches, jacks, tire balencer,cutoff wheels, welding magnets, fuses, wire ties, halogen lights, air fittings....good. Welders are junk as are the oilless air comp, screwdrivers, gas less mig wire sucks. Most of the motors on powered units will need to be replaced.

Only buy ON SALE and use the coupons. It is TOO easy to beat the regular price this way.

Frank

[BadDog]

The bead roller is OK for light sheetmetal or aluminium-try to use it with decent gauge material and you're gonna be disappointed.
It's just not rigid enough, made with flat plate. That flat plate flexes and lets the rollers get out of alignment and screws things up. Add some square tube for 3D structure and it works fine.
Was lifting a waggy engine/tranny off a trailer. Hardly one ton. Haven't had a problem with it sense, and I often check it.
But where was the boom? If it was out, that is only "rated" as 1k, and frankly, as I said before, I cut that in half so 500lbs (give or take, 700 lbs maybe as a max) is what I would feel safe at.


I look at it this way; do you really think you have a "5 hp" (or 7!) motor on your compressor? Do you think those 36" tires are actually 36" diameter? Like it or not, sales and marketing hacks lie to us at every turn without batting an eye or concern for "truth in advertising" liability. Unless you're a lawyer with a penchant for lost causes, we have little choice but to mentally adjust published ratings. It's just with the Chi-Comm stuff (and most asian stuff other than some Japanese stuff) you have to adjust a bit more than most other stuff. Yes, I'm channeling George Carlen.

[TheRookie]

No kidding?! I gotta try that!

Oh, and since we're on the HF topic, anyone ever use this particualr setup for their disc brakes?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=40732

I bought it on sale ($19 or less I think) but I have not had a chance to use it yet.

Yes, works great. Way nicer than using the little cube tool.

As to the engine crane, The boom being extended out that far is probably what caused it to break, leverage. I cant see blaming the tool for that

[twistedtj]

I bought the 1/4", 1/2", and 3/4" socket set for about $30 and has served me well in the garage and on the trails for about 1 year now. I even have used them on my impact gun with no problems.

[socalchef]

Oops I forgot... I have the $50 (on sale $25) pipe notcher, too. Looks almost identical to the $125 ones I've seen. Keep the shaft/bushing lubed and worked good for me.

The two I had are anything but similar to my PT notcher. The bearing block threads stripped on both...I gave up and got the PT and have been very happy. I paid about $120 for it used :P

I really like my HF 6x48 belt/disc sander. It's pretty badass with a wart remover belt.

I like the stand with the 4x6 bandsaw alright....i can sit on it when I'm doing upright cutting and keep it still. It supports my 240 pound ass.

Reciprocating saws blow, the little air right angle die grinders are cool with some rolocs.

[BigWoodyWag]

4" angle grinders. I have a pile of them.
1 with a wire cup
1 with a flapper disk
1 with a grinder wheel
1 with a cut off disk

Never had a problem, and I never have 10 minutes of down time to swap out the consumables this way.

I will try the axle grease trick though.

[92 Green YJ]

My HF Tools A- List:
4.5" angle grinders. I have three of them. Had 4 but burned the plastic fan out. they have held up pretty well. I use one for cut off discs, one for grinding discs, and one for flap discs.
Benchtop drill press got an older one for free, works good
Heat Gun Kit ten bucks and works well. I've used the hell out of it
Tube Notcher only used it once so far, but seems to work well
Chop Saw I've used the crap out of this thing and it works great
Deadblow Hammer $3 and I've used the hell out of it
C-clamps best rpices i've seen and they hold up well
U-joint/Ball joint tool pictured previously I've used the hell out of that thing too with great results
Flame Creeper Holds my fat ass pretty well. also get the magnetic trays for it
Mechanics roller chair works good, decent quality
Storehouse stuff I have the nut n bolt, screw asst, electrical ends, hitch pins, O-rings, etc. its nice to have this stuff on hand
Magnetic Welding jigs they are cheap and work great. I have lots of em
Compression test kit Cheap and it works
13 Lb Slide Hammer kit only had to use it a couple of times, but it works well
Zip Ties Need I say more?
Pry Bar Set Used often and beat hard. hold up well
Punch & Chisel Set also beat to hell and hold up great
Sockets good for trail tool kits. if they break or get lost, they are cheap, who cares
Consumables cut off wheels, grinding discs, etc

Bad stuff:
Welders, total crap

[ROBULUR]

ive got the $26.00 on sale 700 watt sawsall there were 4 in the pile the other 150 were 650 watt.so far its cut to peices small enough to put in a a pickup bed. a 20ft wellcraft cuddy cabin a ford granada a 24ft camper and numerous small outboard runabouts with no problems yet.

[scoutver5.7]

I have used this thing many times!

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/38300-38399/38335.gif

Later,
....Mike

Broke one of those the first time I used it.

[scoutver5.7]

hasnt been mentioned hardly at all, so ill mention it again. any of the shop presses. ive got the 20 ton and its great. goes on sale cheap and even better with a coupon.


Yeah, Love mine.

[antipro]

i have the scissor tranny jack and the 880 pound crane both work fine but with the tranny jack i redid the straps the ones it comes with bend the mounts the crane is mounted to rollers on the ceiling and has no problem lifting my dads rx-1 mountain

[W.O.T.]

is this one worth getting? if it breaks are parts available? can it do 1/4" structural stuff?
87 amp 115v mig
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=6098

[92 Green YJ]

We got one of their 220V migs last year. I gotta say it sucked! the first thing we had to do when we got it home and set it up was to glue the little red tube for the wire feed to the housing. then we had to take the whole damn gun handle apart every time we had to fix a wire jam or change a spool of wire. I also wasn't thrilled with the lack of flexibility for power and line speed settings. We finally ended up popping a fuse in ours. Went down to West Air for a new fuse and to get a longer ground lead with a bigger clamp, and look for a better quality gun with a longer lead. Ended up buying and bringing home a Miller 175 instead. the differences in quality and versatility are night and day. And my welds look 500 times better with the Miller. Welders are one thing I don't recomend from Harbor Freight

[savageracing]

I have to say, under much advice not to from you guys, I purchased the 36amp plasma. I could not pass it up for 399$. Finally got it wired up yesterday and turned it on. power turned on but nothing, so I thought great. DOA just like all the others on here. I figured before condeminng the unit I'd read the trouble tree and see if I could figure it out. I found the electrode was loose in the gun, tightened it up, flipped the switch, put it up to some 1/4" and pulled the trigger. Next thing I knew I had a hole in the 1/4". After using it some yesterday playing around I must say I am rather impressed with it for 399$. Don't know If I'd pay the 599$ they were asking as my on/off button will not turn off already but the rig works great for what it is, and I am not one to say that I am proud to HF tools but for the money, it was well worth it so far.

[chabat]

...Welders are one thing I don't recomend from Harbor Freight

I second that. My father in law has the flux core wire welder and I tried it out. I thought it worked poorly. I don't have a mig myself, I have a Lincoln AC/DC 225 Stick Welder. A poor welder is Very Frustrating to use. Lincoln or Miller would be 10 times better. Using a poor welder is much more frustrating than using a cheap hammer or pliers. Spend the money and buy a good welder. BTW, HF sells Hobart welders, which are supposed to be decent, but I would rather buy from a Local Welding shop anyway.

I have been more than pleased with my Lincoln buzzbox.

[90Beater]

As a person that spends way too much money at Harbor Freight and is overall satisfied with most of the tools that I have bought when it came to a Mig I stayed away and purchased a Lincoln 80 amp for my first one and have upgraded to a Miller 175 recently. There are some things not worth chancing. A welded is one of them. I do use the HF .23 carbon wire in it though and it welds just fine at less than half the price.

[carose725]

how good is the earthquake 1/2'' impact, im thinking about ordering one of them, also the 3/8'' air rachets. i need some descent but not spectacular air tools for my home

[5trucks]

What about the drill/mill that is on sale for $299? I would only be milling slots in flat plate. Is it worth it or should i just pass and spend $4-500 more on a better brand?

Perry

[D60]

how good is the earthquake 1/2'' impact, im thinking about ordering one of them, also the 3/8'' air rachets. i need some descent but not spectacular air tools for my home

I've got a cheap 3/8" air ratchet and a Mac 3/8" air ratchet. On both the metal bodies look identical. I can't tell any difference in performance, except the uber-cheap unit has a higher pitch whine when I'm using it. Point being, cheap air ratchets are fine.

The upper end IR's have new-style triggers and composite bodies, if this was important to you it's the only reason I can see for buying expensive air ratchets for non-professional applications.

I personally would not cheap out on an impact tho. Impacts and air hammers are two things you want to buy quality.

[D60]

How 'bout Harbor Freight's 3/8" close quarter drill? They're pushing it in all their catalogs now for $30, and as infrequently as I'd use it, seems like it might be ok? Anyone?

[pmurf1]

How 'bout Harbor Freight's 3/8" close quarter drill? They're pushing it in all their catalogs now for $30, and as infrequently as I'd use it, seems like it might be ok? Anyone?
I have a Ryobi 18v cordless one that works good for me. Might consider that too. I use it all the time to drill holes in walls and in tight places to put sheet metal screws.

I buy a lot of stuff from HF a year. The "step" drill bits or unibits they have for $15 with the titanium nitride coating work great. Every bit or better than my Klein one that cost $50. I use the shit out of their grinding wheels. The masonry ones seem to work better on metal and last longer. I have had one of their floor drill presses for years, still going strong. Their long prybars are junky, especially if you hit the handle with a hammer, they shatter. But they warranty them so who cares. Their long 2' drill bits are great for me to drill pilot holes in people's homes for work. Their 6 in 1 neon screwdrivers are tits. I still haven't killed my $59 tile saw yet. I did my whole house, outside bar, and let another friend use it to do his house and it's still running. I just did two roof tiles with it yesterday with ease. I broke their electrical knock out set (greenlee knockoff) the first time I used it, but I was going through some thick stuff, they warrantied it. The 4x6 bandsaw works good with a Milwaukee blade.

I've had good luck overall with most of their stuff. I'll buy more stuff from them, especially at 20% off.

[5trucks]

No info on the mill/drill???????


Perry

[adampfisters]

No info on the mill/drill???????


Perry

X2, I have been thinking about the mini mill that they have. Anyone bought this and had to take it to the scrap yard or is it a good item and worth getting????

[the_experience3006]

No info on the mill, but I might as well report up a little.

The 2000 lbs utility/ATV winch stinks of cheap. The cable on it is small and the controls/wiring are uber cheesy with the remote also being the contactor. That said, I bought one for $50 at the beginning of the summer for Father's Day. I mounted it up on my dad's boat lift and to my surprise it works really well foir that purpose.

I would estimate that the total load it has to lift is 2000 lbs vertically, but because it is a swing away lift it does actually double back, halving the load save for pulley drag. It has shown no signs of weakness, heat, or brake failure. The only thing that slowed it down even a little was a weak battery and that was halfway through the summer. 6 hours@10 amps and that Group 24 deep cycle was back up to par and so was the winch.

I wouldn't rely on this winch to get my ATV unstuck unless I had a really light machine and was just looking for some really cheap piece of mind. Even then I would probably swap to heavier cable and make my own contactor setup for it. Ford starter solenoids are way cheap and probably loads more reliable than the setup that comes with it. You could keep the factory setup, but it would require some tinkering since it is inline.

I think the winch would really excel on a trailer or for some other utility purpose like that. Hell...at $50 it would be work just keeping one in the tool box attached to an anchor/shackle plate so you could use it as a 1 way porta power.

[Angler1979]

Good: 4 1/2 inch grinder, 16inch chop saw, 6 inch vice, rubber hammer, 50ft air hoses. test light

marginal: 79.99 drill press

shitty: adjustable wrenches, adjustable pliars. screw drivers,

[MT4Runner]

the_experience, how would that winch work on a rig just to load/unload the rear suspension?

[the_experience3006]

I think you could use it to load and unload the suspension just fine. It might be in your own best interest to double it over through a pulley to lower the load on the braking mechanism, but that's nothing. You just need to remember that it's a $50 (ok...$70 regular price) winch and it may well need replacing after a year. But let's face it...there are guys that replace alloy shafts 4 times a year. $50 versus $400 for a Warn buys you a lot of time. Neither one is designed to be used in that manner.

One nice thing about the HF winch for vertical applications (again...not the intended use) is that it doesn't come with a fairlead. It just uses one of those winding plates over the spool so you don't need to worry as much about alignment to avoid chaffing.

Also noteworthy...the brake has an easier time catching going up than powering out. The boatlift will coast for like 4 inches if you let off the winch at maximum load. Going up it always just stops. That shouldn't matter at all for sucking a suspension down, but may say something about the quality. Still...I have a whole summer of it holding that boat up against the brake, including after storms when the hull would fill up with some water adding some serious weight.

[RJR99SS]

I'm not a huge harbor freight guy, probably because their store is so far away from me, but i got some of their stuff.

3/4" impact sockets. I dont like to admit it, but they work pretty damn good. I got the deep and shallow sockets, i think the shallows cost like $25 and the deeps are $35. A similar set from snap on would cost about $550 for the shallows and and who knows how much for the deep wells. I've hammered on these pittsburgh ones though, my 3/4" impact has something like 1200 ft/lbs of torque, and i've definitely cranked on these sockets for minutes at a time, and i've yet to break one. Even if i did...i could buy about 20 full sets of them before i'd be in the snap on price range.

2 ton tranny jack. It works pretty well, kind of cheap, the adjustments are a little hard to make and you usually have to get some big ass channel locks to make them if there's weight on the jack. The only real complaint i have is the jack always slowly bleeds down, over a period of about 10 minutes it will be all the way down, thats pretty annoying.....but it works great considering the price.

20 shop press. Once again, kind of cheap and low option, a little hard to make adjustments on it, but...it does the job, presses stuff on and off.

About the only thing else i bought from there was a set of chisels. I figured chisels are going to get screwed up anyways, so who needs a nice set? The ones i got from them would go dull, or even crack after a few good hits with a hammer, it was pretty pathetic really. I bought those for work, at home i have a set of craftsman chisels that i got about 10 years ago, i've yet to have to even sharpen one of them.

A guy i used to work with bought one of their electric grease guns. It was pretty funny, the thing was like $80 for one (my lincoln air powered greaser was only about $60), for another it broke down every week. He kept taking it back to harbor freight and getting a new one under warrenty, and the new one he got would break in a couple of days too, he must of went through 6 or 7 of them. Finally they told him that they're totally out of stock with them, and they dont think they're going to keep stocking them so he was screwed.

[greythorn]

I got their 36amp plasma and it works great.. also i have all their impact stocket sets in 1/2 deepwell metric and standard, along with their clicker 3/8" 1/2" 3/4" torque wrenches and their 3/4" ratches socket and breaker bar set.. also have their 1/2" breaker bar set.. all of these i have used allot and abused pleanty and they have stood up... i would buy them again if i broke them.


Ray

[7.62FMJ]

I know this is about their good stuff...and a lot of people have praised the 4.5" electric grinder...

But ours just died today. Bought it a year ago, and put it through maybe 5 cutting discs, and one grinding disc. It died while I was cutting a bracked off a receiver hitch.

[Narzuhl]

i am not a huge fan of HF, but for some things i think they are ok.

fold up Cherry picker, pulled my Rover engine and a MB 5cyl diesel no problem. So far it has been ok, not sure like other i would trust it with a 2000# engine but i got it cheap on a managers deal.

1000# engine stand is ok, hard to move around with a MB diesel though, not a fan of the steel wheels.

4, 6 ton jack stands, these work well.
1 3.5 ton floor jack, other than having to replace 1 pin it has held up well 4 years now.

12 Ton press, bent the ibeam and the bottom beam, so now it is just orange scrap.

Angle grinders= crap. burned one out in 1/2 hours. bought a brand name and am still using it.
Bought a couple of sockets, prybars and wrenches and so far have managed to break or bend most, do not have the same problem with my craftsman stuff.

[lessan]

For Those who aren't happy with the HF grinders, were you using the Orange or the Blue ones? I have seen time and time again that that blue ones suck floppy donkey dick, whereas the Orange ones are decent.

My Orange one had about 50-60 cutting wheels, several grinding wheels, and several wire cup brushes put through it before it gave up the ghost (And I was far from nice to it along the way..) To that end, I just picked up 2 more so I could stop having to swap the cut off wheels and the grinding wheels all the time, and have been quite happy.


Other good items
----------------
1/2 Drive Impack sockets (Deep)
C-Clamps
Welding cart
4.5" Cut off wheels
3 Ton jack Stands
Tool Stands



Marginal Items
--------------
Engine stand
Engine hoist
Step Drill Bits
Drywall Screw Gun



Bad Items
----------
Snap Ring Pliers
Air Hammer
dremel tool
Welding Wire (Every time I have tried to use it, it is rusty below the first few wraps)

[andyr354]

I have also gotten lots of good use out of my orange 4.5" grinder. I have used it running for 1/2 hour solid grinding down D60 brake calipers even.

[AthlonAJ]

Just got their 42" bottom tool chest for the Cornwell top I've had on a homemade cart for years. Was a very good value for the money. Surprised at how well the drawers slide, all ball bearing. You can tell the overall metal thickness is just a gauge thinner than what my Cornwell is but for $400, it's hard to beat.

[THachiya]

The secret to longevity is to open it up and put axle grease in the gears for the drive mechanism. It will get about 50% quieter and smoother.

No freakin' way that will have any effect...


...so to prove it, I tried it...


...Damn, it works!

[CTENG]

Anyone used the $89 benck top drill press? The one that is 12 speed? In that type of price range (sub $300) it is the only one I have found that goes as slow as 250 RPM. Most are the 5 speed 600 RPM deals. Would it hold up for me until I have a larger place with room for a floor unit?

[7.62FMJ]

For Those who aren't happy with the HF grinders, were you using the Orange or the Blue ones? I have seen time and time again that that blue ones suck floppy donkey dick, whereas the Orange ones are decent.

Orange. http://www.bluetraxx.com/phpBB/images/smiles/icon3.gif

[Krazymoon]

I have used this thing many times!

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/38300-38399/38335.gif

Later,
....Mike

Same... that's one helluva tool for u-joints, etc. What was it.. 40bucks? I checked Sears outa curiosity and the same looking ass tool was $300. :eek:

[Krazymoon]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/46700-46799/46769.gif
Cleared my drain going out of the house myself when a professional plumber gave up.:grinpimp: Man,was I happy(No more turds floating up in basement!)

Rotoscrewer got me one time... and the next time I went out and bought that puppy for about the same as what I was reemed for. It's really simple design and works like a mofo.

edit: Heh, sorry this was an old ass thread. Funny how you get caught up into shit when you do a search on Diesel rigs. :)

[yozsi]

how good is the earthquake 1/2'' impact, im thinking about ordering one of them, also the 3/8'' air rachets. i need some descent but not spectacular air tools for my home

i have the 1/2 inch earthquake gun and it rocks. it has undone shit that my 3/4 was able to undo. all their air tools work great.

good:
air tools
steel air fittings
goodyear air hose
storehouse stuff
impact sockets
4 1/2 inch angle grinder
bench grinder
grinder stand
prybars
ball joint press

bad:
screwdrivers
electric drills
locking pliers
and more..

the ball joint press i use is the '4x4' version that they have, this thing is beasty and rivals my dads 500 dollar otc setup

this is the 4x4 version:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/04000-04099/04065.gif

its alot bigger than the standerd one.

[90Beater]

I posted before but will add the C-clamps. They are pretty damn good. I have about 6 of each size. I just wait for them to be half price. I added the 6" C-clamps at $2.99ea. on my last trip.

Why so many? when I helped my dad build a new rod iron staircase railing a few months ago they worked much better than his rusty old american made ones. The more the merrier when welding a bunch of thin steel and hoping to keep it from warping outa shape.

[maxyedor]

The C-clamps are awsome, and when the 4"ones are on sale for $1 I make a point to buy a dozen. I've hacked them up to use for all sorts of other junk too.

My chop-saw has stoped cutting stright, which kinda blows because I just spent $15 on a new 5-pack of blades, but it lasted 4 1/2 years, and probably 2000 cuts, not too shabby for a $60 saw. Now I have a reason to buy the band-saw, woo-hoo!

Impact sockets are another one of their really good tools, we've had 3 guys cranking a 10' cheater-bar and the HF lived when we killed a Matco and a Snap-on. Prettymuch all the air-tools are at least decent for the price, I have 3 of the $70 impact guns and they work flawlessly, even without oil. My 90* die-grinder is finaly dying, but it's another tool that I've gotten way more use out of than I would have expected for $20.

Both my brill-presses, vise, screw-drivers, jacks, jack-stands, breaker bars, welding helmet, wire-snips, tubing notcher, and lots of ratchet-straps, nitrile gloves and the el-cheapo mechanic's gloves are all from HFT, all of them work fairly well.

[Ed ke6bnl]

that bender is a great tool for the money. My wife will atest to the drappery rod holders I made and coil bracket on her mustang., Band saw great tool metal one. I can't destroy the 3/8 air rachet. And here is one that may surprise you the ball joint tool is indestuctable so far or about 4 vehicle and several u joints. and the magnifing glasses for your head for the small jop on my wifes sewing machine. the list goes on and so does the dud tools I have thrown out. Ed ke6bnl

[guidolyons]

Add the 7" table top tile saw to the list, get it on sale for $60, better and about $30 cheaper than the similar at Lowes/HD. I've done 3 tile jobs with it, and lent it to a friend to retile his kitchen and bath.

330530

[college boy]

Has anyone joined the HF "Inside Track Club"? Is it worth the money? What I'm interested in is a 60-ish gallon air compressor.

thanks
JH

[azhayseed]

I have one of the General oil lubed air gompressors it is only rated at 3 or 3-1/2 Hp and it is a 60 gallon I think, I've had it for almost 2 years and it rocks. It sits outside in the weather under the eave of my house.
This particular compressor is rated at way more air flow than the 5 or 6 HP compressors you get at Home depot and almost what there 7 HP are rated for, I use this quite a bit and have never run low on air except when I forgot to turn on the power.
This compressor is belt driven but it is just a bit noisyer than my other belt driven compressors.
Also I use one of thier dial indicators for setting up differential gears and also use one of thier digital calipers and it is accurate enough for what ever I use it for. I know that their not accurate down to 1/10,000 of an inch but still good enough for me since I'm not accurate to that either. The caliper has always checked with in 1/1000th of my starret micrometer.
The titanium plated drills are too brittle and snap way to easily, the same with thier taps.
chisels are a joke.
stay away from thier no name rubber air hose it deteriorate quickly from the sun? also it doesn't like oil.
Over all most of their tools are a good value for the home work shop, except as noted by the others in this posting. They aren't tools for the profesional tho.

[yozsi]

well, i broke down and bought the 4x6 horizontal band saw. got it for 149 on sale. i think that was a decent deal. anyways, where are you guys getting good band saw blades for it? the stock one is a pos and i dunno if i want to cut with it.

[pointblankokc]

I've had one of the 4.5" angle grinders for shit bout 5 years now and it still works good.
Been through 2 high speed buffers (for paintjobs)
Decent welding magnets clamps etc
drill press clamp works great
Tube notcher is ok (but wish I would have gotten a pro tools one)
Hydraulic press exploded in my FACE ! (the frame)
Tool cart is great
ATV jack works good
Hammers, etc good, don't let forever

[Adam F]

2.5 ton floor jack is the best jack I've ever had!

1/2" Earthquake impact

$10 3/8" air ratchet

$15 angle die grinder

$10 3" air cut off

$10 air hammer

$29 18v 3/8" cordless impact (i've beat the SHIT out of it. Even dropped it in a pan of coolant. Immedietly took it apart, dried it out good, put it back together, and kept on using it.

All of their impact sockets are great. People at work give me shit about them, saying they are going to shatter on me, but I've been using them for a few years now everyday at work and never had any problems.

I have their smaller 3hp air compressor. I have it hooked up to a 10 gallon tank, and I use it frequently and it runs most of my air tools. Only thing it struggles with is my 3" cut off.

5" bench vise works great.

[reddevil1111]

I used the chisels one time they deformed and two of them broke. Same with the punches. Total crap.
The grinders are very loud,vibrate a lot, are much cheeper than my milwaukee grinder and have less quality. But I will pick up and use the HF grinder for the nasty jobs. It is so cheep I just don't care if it lasts.
Cuttoff wheels are a great deal! So are the wire cups.
I bought a 2 ton jack and stands(chromed set) The stands rock,the jack sucks,it locks up and when it releases it slams.
I have hammers,prybars and other simple items.I have used 3 of thier cherry pickers that friends have owned. No issues there. I would say I buy some of thier items knowing I am going to beat on it so the value plays into it a lot. Just dont buy anything expecting top quality.
I almost forgot, a friend of mine bought a parts washer, filled it with 500 worth of Zep cleaner, came to work the next day(small motor shop) He discovered the parts washer had leaked and drained all his fluid out. :mad3:

[Ed ke6bnl]

I used the chisels one time they deformed and two of them broke. Same with the punches. Total crap.
The grinders are very loud,vibrate a lot, are much cheeper than my milwaukee grinder and have less quality. But I will pick up and use the HF grinder for the nasty jobs. It is so cheep I just don't care if it lasts.
Cuttoff wheels are a great deal! So are the wire cups.
I bought a 2 ton jack and stands(chromed set) The stands rock,the jack sucks,it locks up and when it releases it slams.
I have hammers,prybars and other simple items.I have used 3 of thier cherry pickers that friends have owned. No issues there. I would say I buy some of thier items knowing I am going to beat on it so the value plays into it a lot. Just dont buy anything expecting top quality.
I almost forgot, a friend of mine bought a parts washer, filled it with 500 worth of Zep cleaner, came to work the next day(small motor shop) He discovered the parts washer had leaked and drained all his fluid out. :mad3:

Ya but do you have anything bad to say about them, Just kidding. It is his and miss I had some drill bits that twisted up like a pretzel BUT have had some good luck with a few of there tools Ed

[the burbanator]

has anyone here used any of there air nibblers or air shears? im thinking of picking one or the other up for some 16 gauge sheet metal work i have to do. not sure which one to get. also considering there little air saw as well for the same project. we have one of there larger black air compressors at work and it spent 2 years outside uncovered without missing a beat. it is now inside the shop, its louder in there but it still works like a champ. im considering one for our new home. might put it in the shed though and run airline to the garage.

[guidolyons]

has anyone here used any of there air nibblers or air shears? im thinking of picking one or the other up for some 16 gauge sheet metal work i have to do. not sure which one to get. also considering there little air saw as well for the same project.

I have all 3 of those in the HF flavor nibbler, air shears, and body saw. The nibbler is rated for 16ga but I tried some 16 ga and only got about 1" cut. Works well with the thinner stuff though. The air shears work pretty well, but are only rated for 18 ga, not 16ga steel. Body saw works pretty good(the HF blades suck) I cut down bi-metal hacksaw blades work well.
For long straight cuts I use a Bullet Industries Carbide blade in the skil saw. EDIT: ~$15
link:
http://www.bulletindustries.com/catalog/

http://www.bulletindustries.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/99_144
$14.50

[the burbanator]

there will be some long straight cuts so ill have to remember that blade. your saying that the nibblers will have a hard time cutting 16gauge? that sucks. might have to figure something different.

[Midwestzj]

Has anyone joined the HF "Inside Track Club"? Is it worth the money? What I'm interested in is a 60-ish gallon air compressor.

thanks
JH


Does anyone know about this?? i want to get a tool box from HF and if this "club" will save me more money i will join it.

[twentyfootdaredevil]

I bought the Harbor freight 20" drill press and I cant even get it to drill through 1/8" steel w/ a 1/4" bit. The belt doesnt seem to be slipping on the pulley and im not sure if it is the drill press or my bad installation.

any suggestions?

[yozsi]

^sounds like a bad bit......... what kind of steel, what kind of bit, and what spindle speed?

[twentyfootdaredevil]

I tried different speeds and different bits.

I put a 1/4" thick peice of c channel on the press and without a vice I could hold the steel in my hand and stop the drill press.

I think I will just take it back this weekend becase I plan to buy a toolbox from there.

[JeffsJeep04]

I tried different speeds and different bits.

I put a 1/4" thick peice of c channel on the press and without a vice I could hold the steel in my hand and stop the drill press.

I think I will just take it back this weekend becase I plan to buy a toolbox from there.
If it's just making powderish looking chips, then your bit is dull. The best drill press...hell, a bridgeport even won't help you much there. Sharpen the bit, then try again. The problem with cheap drill presses isn't that they won't drill a hole...it's that they won't drill accurate, repeatable holes. For fabbing up chit in the garage, they are generally fine.

[foreman1063]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/95800-95899/95853.gif
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95853

This kit is the shit. I've always used brass punches to seat bearing races but these make it a lot easier. Plus they come in pretty colors :D

[49willys]

I tried different speeds and different bits.

I put a 1/4" thick peice of c channel on the press and without a vice I could hold the steel in my hand and stop the drill press.

I think I will just take it back this weekend becase I plan to buy a toolbox from there.

There is something way way wrong, I have the same press, it'll rip you arm off before stopping. tighten the belt!

[TheRedHorseman]

How are the HF portable band saws?
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47840

[HydraulicInnovations]

How are the HF portable band saws?
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47840

I have one and it has worked fine for me so far. The original blade crapped the bed right away but the Milwaukee blades fit on it so once you put one of them on it seems to be fine. I have had mine for many years. I've gone through probably 6 or 7 Milwaukee blades and it's just now starting to show signs of wear. The drive wheels are covered with a rubber liner to provide traction on the blade. One of the rubber pieces started to peel off a while back but I used some 3M clue on it and it's been holding fine now. I even clamp it into my bench vise, lock the trigger "on" and use it as a stand up band saw. I've cut a LOT of steel with it..... It owes me nothing!!

You can't beat it for the price compared to the Milwaukee version. However, once this one dies for good I will be replacing it with a Milwaukee.

Hope this helps. :)

[HydraulicInnovations]

One more thing.....


The cheap tin cover that screws onto the bottom is held on with the CHEAPEST screws that I have ever seen. I just left that cover off mine but you have to be careful not to grab the edge of it while the wheels are turning.

[jopes]

I got the band saw, If I let it set for a few days or longer the motor for some stupid reason will not start it to spin. I give it a little help and off it goes. I have had this for over 4 years now and has cut alot of steel.

I also get the blades from there for it. I got a part number for the ones that cut well some place but it is all still packed from the move.

Abrasives for just about anything. For the price they have always done me good.

I got a set of thier drill bits. one of the larger cheap sets, like $30. They cut ok for a bit then get dulled fairly quick. But zip them thru the drill DR and they are better than they were new from HF.

wire brushes have been ok.



From everything said here I will be trying out thier impact sockets.

[jopes]

anyone use the HF impact extensions? they worth a shit?

[eschoendorff]

anyone use the HF impact extensions? they worth a shit?

I've used them without any problem.... they mushroom out about the same rate as my craftsmans do....

[halbritt]

I don't get why people like the 4.5" grinder and discs. I had one that was quite underpowered. I was quite pleased when it eventually failed, which took longer than expected and required some abuse. Since then, I've acquired a few name brand angle grinders that do the job quite well. I've a Dewalt for smaller lighter things, a Metabo for a bit more power, and a Hitachi which has the most power and is quite nice to use. The current ratings and expense of these grinders match their cost and output in a way that I'd expect. I also prefer to use Norton 3X grinding wheels and cutoff disks. They cut a lot more quickly, last a bit longer, and are worth the price to me for lack of annoyance.

I got the 14" chop saw for $50. It was also a bit underpowered, but worked well nonetheless. I've made hundreds of cuts with it and have abused the hell out of it and have only had to work on the brushes a bit. One of the wires to the brush came loose. I found a deal on a Ridgid chop saw which is definitely more powerful and makes more precise cuts (use a bandsaw if you need real precision). I couldn't kill the HF unit so I just gave it away.

I've had a lot of other things from there that have worked quite well, the 20-ton press, air fittings, impact sockets, and bar clamps. I'm not so fond of their c-clamps as I've had a couple of them explode on me. One was in use. I had another 6" c-clamp fall about 2-3 feet on concrete and shatter.

As has been stated, there's a lot of stuff at Harbor Freight that's worthwhile. Sometimes it takes some luck and effort. Some of the tools are one-use things and others will last forever. Some of the tools are just slightly annoying to use, what's worse is that those are the ones that seem least likely to die. Other things should be consider a cost-effective "kit" rather than a complete item, i.e. the mini-lathe or the 4x6 band saw.

[SteelFuser]

maybe I just like my Snap On tools or something, but come on, you guys buy cheap tool's that fail and put yourself at risk of getting hurt to save a few bucks. Not smart. Heres an idea buy USA made doesn't have to be snap on buy craftsman.

[Wicked_S10]

maybe I just like my Snap On tools or something, but come on, you guys buy cheap tool's that fail and put yourself at risk of getting hurt to save a few bucks. Not smart. Heres an idea buy USA made doesn't have to be snap on buy craftsman.

Where the fuck have you been? Craftsman is garbage. Most of it is not much better than HF any more. Sears was just sued in '04 for false advertising as most craftsman products now are only assembled in the USA and are made from import parts. There is decent stuff at HF, almost everything that is any good takes time and effort to make it a lasting tool, but it can be done. That is why we have this thread, so people know what can be used as is or modded into a quality tool.

99% couldn't give two shits about strap on tools. They have some garbage stuff too.

Later,
Jason

[nissancrawler]

Where the fuck have you been? Craftsman is garbage. Most of it is not much better than HF any more. Sears was just sued in '04 for false advertising as most craftsman products now are only assembled in the USA and are made from import parts. There is decent stuff at HF, almost everything that is any good takes time and effort to make it a lasting tool, but it can be done. That is why we have this thread, so people know what can be used as is or modded into a quality tool.

99% couldn't give two shits about strap on tools. They have some garbage stuff too.

Later,
Jason

:laughing:x2:laughing:

[JeffsJeep04]

maybe I just like my Snap On tools or something, but come on, you guys buy cheap tool's that fail and put yourself at risk of getting hurt to save a few bucks. Not smart. Heres an idea buy USA made doesn't have to be snap on buy craftsman.


Most of the tools we are dealing with have no more potential injury then a busted knuckle. Better get on down from the soap box.

[tnmike55]

I built a stand and table for it out of tubing and use it vertically. I have run it to death it just keeps gettin it.

[hoohaa]

I've gone through more of their impact extensions than anything else. I've bent them, twisted them in half, mushroomed them out, and twisted the part that mates to the ID of the socket until they were unusable. I recommend going somewhere else for extensions unless you don't mind buying a few sets and planning to toss the ones that break immediately.

[Velocewest]

Where the fuck have you been? Craftsman is garbage. Most of it is not much better than HF any more. Sears was just sued in '04 for false advertising as most craftsman products now are only assembled in the USA and are made from import parts. There is decent stuff at HF, almost everything that is any good takes time and effort to make it a lasting tool, but it can be done. That is why we have this thread, so people know what can be used as is or modded into a quality tool.

99% couldn't give two shits about strap on tools. They have some garbage stuff too.

Later,
Jason


Craftsman hand tools are still good, still guaranteed for life, and so why not?

Craftsman power tools no longer have lifetime coverage, and I will X2 on them being crap. I bought a Craftsman recip saw (sawzall) about three years ago. The "quick release chuck" lasted about 2 hours of use. I managed to persuade them to give me a replacement saw, and since they were out of the model I bought, they gave me the "Professional" version. The chuck in that one lasted through about 4 hours of use. Took it back, and they said "Sorry, no warranty because it's over a year since you bought it."

Harbor Freight, here I come...

[NJ]

I don't get why people like the 4.5" grinder and discs. I had one that was quite underpowered. I was quite pleased when it eventually failed, which took longer than expected and required some abuse. Since then, I've acquired a few name brand angle grinders that do the job quite well. I've a Dewalt for smaller lighter things, a Metabo for a bit more power, and a Hitachi which has the most power and is quite nice to use.

I've had a lot of other things from there that have worked quite well,

Quite right :flipoff2:

[Wicked_S10]

Craftsman hand tools are still good, still guaranteed for life, and so why not?

Bought any hand tools from them lately? Quality has slid even further down hill in the last two years. So has the lifetime warranty. Lots of people are having trouble getting things exchanged now, and they insist on trying to pawn off rebuilt tools or even rebuild kits if they don't have a complete rebuilt replacement. The fit and finish of their sockets is so bad now that most of the Lowes Kobalt and Home Depot Husky stuff is a better choice. Plus, HD continues to honor sear's warranty even if sears wont replace your tool. I rarely buy any tools from sears now, unless it is something somewhat specialty that I know I wont find locally elsewhere.

Later,
Jason

[SteelFuser]

Yes Snap On does have some tools made else where those are called Bluepoint. What do you do for a living? I make my living and reputation on what I do and my tools. Snap On will always take it back no matter what no questions, just here's your NEW not rebuilt tool. So go ahead and buy cheap tools and you'll end up with a cheap product.:flipoff2:

[nissancrawler]

Snap On will always take it back no matter what no questions, just here's your NEW not rebuilt tool. So go ahead and buy cheap tools and you'll end up with a cheap product.:flipoff2:

Bullshit, I have NEVER heard of them giving out new ratchets, unless the teeth on the handle were bad. They always kit them. Granted, you get YOUR ratchet back, not one out of a bucket, but still, it's not NEW.

If you somehow get that, it's a rare occurrence, not the norm.

[Todd W]

FWIW: HF sockets are guaranteed for life too. I asked how that worked last time I was there and the lady at the counter said bring in the broken one and the set# it's from and they will swap it over for you with a new one. Sounds easy, but I've never done it. (I only use their impacts that are in the metal case, and so far they are holding up great.)

[90Beater]

FWIW: HF sockets are guaranteed for life too. I asked how that worked last time I was there and the lady at the counter said bring in the broken one and the set# it's from and they will swap it over for you with a new one. Sounds easy, but I've never done it. (I only use their impacts that are in the metal case, and so far they are holding up great.)

I have. Take the whole set back and exchange it for a new one. It's that easy. I didn't even have a reciept on me.

[45acp]

Yes Snap On does have some tools made else where those are called Bluepoint. What do you do for a living? I make my living and reputation on what I do and my tools. Snap On will always take it back no matter what no questions, just here's your NEW not rebuilt tool. So go ahead and buy cheap tools and you'll end up with a cheap product.:flipoff2:Not everyone on this site is a professional, and not everyone has the $$$ to have the Strap-On truck come by the house every thursday.

This thread is for finding out which tools at the junk store are worth having. This is not a "what is your favorite brand?" thread. Now shut the fuck up so we can get back on topic.

[bh3733]

the pipe bender works well on black iron type pipe, don't try it with tubing, you'll kink it very quick. i also have the tubing notcher, not bad, though i've seen and used better. it's a good bargin if your just getting into fab work.

[Binderman]

Anybody have this saw? Does it work for you?

I only gave 13 bucks for mine on sale.

It won't even cut my finger. Thin plastic stops it action. Bad saw?

I can push down on the top of the blade and stop the recip action.

Guess I just need to exchange it and see if the replacement is any better.

The cashier said they had 2 different models, anyone know anything about the other one??

Thanks all!!

[yozsi]

i know its a stupid question.... but is the regulator on the saw set to the highest setting?

[Rusty Kustoms]

Bullshit, I have NEVER heard of them giving out new ratchets, unless the teeth on the handle were bad. They always kit them. Granted, you get YOUR ratchet back, not one out of a bucket, but still, it's not NEW.

If you somehow get that, it's a rare occurrence, not the norm.

Just last week I gave my snap on guy a ratchet that I bent with a cheater bar and he pulled a brand new one from the ceiling and handed it over, no questions asked

[SkyHiK5]

Yes Snap On does have some tools made else where those are called Bluepoint. What do you do for a living? I make my living and reputation on what I do and my tools. Snap On will always take it back no matter what no questions, just here's your NEW not rebuilt tool. So go ahead and buy cheap tools and you'll end up with a cheap product.:flipoff2:

Just last week I gave my snap on guy a ratchet that I bent with a cheater bar and he pulled a brand new one from the ceiling and handed it over, no questions asked

I think you guys are missing it.
No one here is saying that a HF ratchet is better than a Snap-On.
In fact interestingly enough, look through this entire thread no one has mentioned their ratchets at all.

Lets use their impact sockets as a guide.
I can buy 3 sets from HF, still spend 50% as much, have 2 spares if I break and they will replace them THE DAY I BREAK THEM on the way home, I don't have to wait for the tool fairy to come around.

RECAP
HF guy #1 A Chevy is a fine truck to get you back and forth to work.
HF Guy #2 I agree my Chevy does fine
HF Guy #3 I prefer a Ford, never used a Chevy
Strap-On guy Come on dudez....you life is on the line. you need a full DOM tube buggy, on Mogs, with a CTD and NOS those streets are mean....

[muddermilitia]

I havnt read all the replies, but what do you guys think about their sheet metal brakes? I was thinking of getting one so I can build a new tranny tunnel for my truck

[gcb17]

How about this compressor for airing tires on the trail?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/93100-93199/93186.gif

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93186

[gustav129]

How about this compressor for airing tires on the trail?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/93100-93199/93186.gif

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93186


That's nice an all, but you can do an OBA system for just a little more than that. Then you can run your air tools off of it also.

[tnmike]

So far this non contact thermometer is the cats meow..30 bucks and they have them in the retail stores.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96451

[KRMNALMIND]

I have that compressor nd it has worked fine. I bought it on sale plus 15% off i think i paid $40 you can't beat that. I have used it to air up the 35's on my F250 for when we air down for the fire roads and light trails. I have never run it or a time check so no idea on that.

[rock mafia]

So far this non contact thermometer is the cats meow..30 bucks and they have them in the retail stores.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96451

Got one of those last week, seems to work good.

I like these for the money, they're no snap on, but they arn't $100 either.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96781


I've had the mid size floor drillpress for over 4 years. It's done 2500 or more nothes as well as drill a quite a few holes. Chuck ain't real true, but it's still going strong. Swith burned out a couple of months ago, I called HF and ordered a new one, it was only $1.

I hate buying crap from china, but when is less than 1/4 the cost of american stuff, what do ya do. Not to mention most namebrand electric tools are made there anyway.

[HaroldD]

Here's my Harbor Freight Favorite tools list:

Cheap gloves to give to laborers.


---End of List---

Every tool I have purchased there has failed.:shaking::shaking::shaking::shaking:

[yozsi]

Here's my Harbor Freight Favorite tools list:

Cheap gloves to give to laborers.


---End of List---

Every tool I have purchased there has failed.:shaking::shaking::shaking::shaking:

LOL, have you considered that maybe it was user malfunction? :D

[Realsquash]

Here's my Harbor Freight Favorite tools list:

Cheap gloves to give to laborers.


---End of List---

Every tool I have purchased there has failed.:shaking::shaking::shaking::shaking:

I should take a pic of the balljoint press that I bent out of whack the first time I used it. The threaded rod won't even go through the hole in the end! I bet it deflected a good 3/4".

Andy

[Vortec_Cruiser]

You have to use a little common sense when buying tools there. If a tool obviously looks like a piece of crap, then I don't buy it. Over the years, I have bought a 12-ton press, 20-ton press, numerous grinders & wheels, cutoff saws, and impact sockets with a 98% satisfaction rate. Some of their tools work out okay, while others are only good for scrap.

[eschoendorff]

You have to use a little common sense when buying tools there. If a tool obviously looks like a piece of crap, then I don't buy it. Over the years, I have bought a 12-ton press, 20-ton press, numerous grinders & wheels, cutoff saws, and impact sockets with a 98% satisfaction rate. Some of their tools work out okay, while others are only good for scrap.

'nuff said. [/thread]

[eclancy]

i work on heavy equipment...both in-shop and on the road in the service truck.

HF stuff that works great for me, and has had no problem standing up to any abuse i throw at them on the big iron:
Impact sockets
3/4 drive sockets/ratchet--ratchet is kinda sloppy, but works none the less
long handle "professional" wrenchs--love 'em
blue handled screwdrivers w/nut molded to handle
heat gun
right angle and straight pneumatic grinders
4.5" orange electric grinder
large drill bits (9/16"-1")
ratchet straps
come alongs
jack stands
engine crane (2 ton)

Iffy at best:
long hex socket bits
star bits

No good:
small drill bits
saw blades
batteries

anyone have any experience w/ the 1" impact gun??
I know they take alot of air, but i can supply alot of air

[HaroldD]

LOL, have you considered that maybe it was user malfunction? :D

Yes :D, and certainly I've asked them to do what they were designed for. Last straw for me was a pitman arm puller that failed under stress. Pieces of puller flying everywhere - was a minor miracle that nothing hit me.

Found a snap on pitman arm puller on ebay from a local guy, picked it up, took the same pitman arm off like it was butter.

I'm not a snap on snob, but as others have said, use common sense. I will never use any of HF gear that has potential to injure me again. I was lucky.

[Realsquash]

I will never use any of HF gear that has potential to injure me again. I was lucky.

That would be most tools then. HF is junk. If I need to cut and weld something for a one-off I'll buy something from HF.

Andy

[stealthcammo1]

anyones tried the chicago electric plasma(digital display). i can get it for 450 OTD. should i just get it?

[dumblucky]

grinders and wheels all day long, I buy one new one a year for 20 buks ,,I have four so I one takes a shit I return it as the one just purchase so four at twenty plus 20 each after and I always have four already set up griders..

try that with Milwaukee 600$$??

I burned up a $40 1/2" drill after two years bought a new one returned the burned one now I have two

the big drill press has gone through 1" thick with 1" bits ()Yes HF bits!!} bout 50 holes as of yet and will do plenty more,,

SIDE NOTE
this press need to be maintained the spindles have nuts no they must be tightened,, also the chuck needed a small spot weld to keep it from spinning ..I do want t o replace it with a Jacobs

basically it will slip if not fixed but for the price :smokin:

I want a band saw and will try it

[bgaidan]

grinders and wheels all day long, I buy one new one a year for 20 buks ,,I have four so I one takes a shit I return it as the one just purchase so four at twenty plus 20 each after and I always have four already set up griders..

try that with Milwaukee 600$$??

I burned up a $40 1/2" drill after two years bought a new one returned the burned one now I have two

the big drill press has gone through 1" thick with 1" bits ()Yes HF bits!!} bout 50 holes as of yet and will do plenty more,,

SIDE NOTE
this press need to be maintained the spindles have nuts no they must be tightened,, also the chuck needed a small spot weld to keep it from spinning ..I do want t o replace it with a Jacobs

basically it will slip if not fixed but for the price :smokin:

I want a band saw and will try it


So you're buying new and then using that package/receipt to warranty your old, used and out of warranty stuff? Dick.

[Realsquash]

grinders and wheels all day long, I buy one new one a year for 20 buks ,,I have four so I one takes a shit I return it as the one just purchase so four at twenty plus 20 each after and I always have four already set up griders..

try that with Milwaukee 600$$??

I burned up a $40 1/2" drill after two years bought a new one returned the burned one now I have two

the big drill press has gone through 1" thick with 1" bits ()Yes HF bits!!} bout 50 holes as of yet and will do plenty more,,

SIDE NOTE
this press need to be maintained the spindles have nuts no they must be tightened,, also the chuck needed a small spot weld to keep it from spinning ..I do want t o replace it with a Jacobs

basically it will slip if not fixed but for the price :smokin:

I want a band saw and will try it

I don't think buying shit tools 5 times is justification when you could have bought a Milwaukee and never had a single problem. Those grinders are crap no matter how many you buy.

Andy

[cabletech]

I think the "justification" comes in that he doesn't have to change from grinding wheel to flapdisk, he just grabs the other grinder and goes at it.

I like my Hitachi angle grinder, but sometimes it's a pain going grinder/flap/grinder/flap/wire etc, but I don't really feel like spending another $90 to have another grinder just so I can be lazy.

So he does have a point. ;)

[Realsquash]

I think the "justification" comes in that he doesn't have to change from grinding wheel to flapdisk, he just grabs the other grinder and goes at it.

I like my Hitachi angle grinder, but sometimes it's a pain going grinder/flap/grinder/flap/wire etc, but I don't really feel like spending another $90 to have another grinder just so I can be lazy.

So he does have a point. ;)

Well that depends if he's using HF's crap wheels, too :P

Andy

[robs88yj]

I just bought the 4 ton Porta Power on sale, don't remember the price. It more than paid for itself the first use. All the attachments fit nice and tight and it worked so well I am going to go back and get the pullback ram to go with it. My first use was fixing a broken passenger lower control arm mount on a TJ. Pushed the broken/bent parts back in alignment while