.sunlover Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Just though I'd start a thread for us cheap bastards to know what is quality and not at harbor freight. I'm a diesel/body mechanic and have put these tools through hell, some stand up as well or better then the mack/snap on and definately the craftsman, some don't. 1/2" chicago pneumatic impact will beat anything rated 625 ft lbs torque or less, just keep it oiled the 1/2" deep impact sockets seem to hold up better also. probably had 1000 hours on my 15/16 before it stretched too much. The mack on will crack down the side before that. 3/4 drive "cp" impact is a heavy mother fucker, but besides having to retorque the front allen bolts from time to time, is a good buy too if any of you ever need power like that. 1/2" air drill you need to buy elsewhere, I drilled semi truck frame rails up to 5/8 with mine, but they took a shit within a couple months even in the professional grade. 3/8" air drill, the trigger broke and spins on me, and the muffler broke out and it's loud as fuck, but is holding up just fine otherwise. up to you if you still want it. just got the flux welder (90 amp) and for a light duty welder, it sure does the job. a friend used the shit out of his, and loves it. he did have to add a washer so the spin spring on the wire spool doesn't catch, and lock tite for the wire feed tensioner to keep it from backing off. I've broken a 2' torque wrench, but had the cheater pipe on it. my 2nd has held up just fine. The air palm d a sander is great. I tear shit up with my air grinder, never 1 problem with it. The welding mask is awesome (auto darken) my buddys broke and almost gave him flash burn, but someone at work was welding with it on the ground, and it got burned with slag and still worked another month or two. The "designs" are just stickers though fyi. The $1000 56" big daddy bottom rollaway tool box is high quality, I love mine, one drawer in a bumpy 25 mile trip in a 4wd truck with useless shocks made 1 drawer be unlocked when my box is locked, and locked when the box is unlocked until you open the drawer and lock/unlock the box. it holds BIG weight and opens/closes smoothly. there's no side to side lock like I think the macksimiser ($10,000) has though. means you can unevenly close the drawer and the mack will close evenly when you just push on one side. I don't see any practical purpose to this feature, but thought I should mention it. I of course have more stuff from there in my bux, but either didn't remember them, or don't feel I use them enough to rate. please feel free to chip in with your own experience with your harbor freight buys, that's what I started this thread for. 1 Quote Link to comment
yellowdatsun Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 My experience with their hand held grinders has been really good. I've had a 3/4" impact for years, and it still works great. Most of their air tools seem to be ok, I have chisels, a 3/8 drill, sanders, etc. None have broken yet. Their "higher-quality" socket sets are actually pretty good. I've had my 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch sets for probably 7 years now. The cheap socket sets are garbage, you'll be sad you wasted the money. Ratcheting wrenches are good, I use them for work. Their HVLP auto paint gun works great. Painted my 510 with it and it came out perfect, actually I've painted 3 cars with it. The welders are junk. Garbage. Look inside and see what kind of crap materials they're made with. Plus, welders do break, and have normal wear items, so it's best to be able to walk into any welding shop and get replacements. Their hydraulic jacks are good. I've had a few, and haven't broken any yet. Chain hoists are good. Drill presses are good, but the on/off switches can break. Geared head mill is great, but mine leaks oil slowly from a seal. I'd buy it again though. Welding mask is indeed awesome (auto darken). Mine finally died, after years of use, so I bought another one from them. Quote Link to comment
BLOZ UP Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Good: Some of their "US General" or whatever boxes have ball bearings as opposed to slides. I bought the $179/149/129 5 drawer roller box (can usually find a coupon) that didn't mention anything about ball bearings and it turns out they are. Not bad quality at all. One drawer is a little stiff, though. I could probably striaghten out the rails but I'm too lazy. Much better than paying $300+ for a Bluepoint, etc. The impacts, while a little weak, work and are much cheaper. Cut off saw is wobbly but been working well for the past 2 years. Replaceable brushes as well. Auto-darkening helmet works really well. Battery dies after a couple years and it says it's "not replaceable" but you can pop it open and replace it. I've since picked up a nice Miller one, but it works well as a backup/one to give someone who wants to watch. Bad: The "high speed metal saw" sucks. Completely useless, not enough power to get the saw going some times, let alone cut through anything. Ok, it works well on plastic, and that's about it. Quote Link to comment
Z-train Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Thier creepers are use-less if you're not a skinny girl. :blink: Quote Link to comment
nismo dr Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 The OG Harbor Freight buy/don't buy The Good Enough, Bad, and Abysmal http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal Quote Link to comment
Shonuff Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 BAD any dremel they sell, the real tiny blue one over heats in 5 min, take the cover off and use it to drill vents in its own case to use it for more then 5min. 2ft aluminum tire spoons, break on first use before you get the bead over the rim blue tarps might as well be saran wrap tire plug kit, the important T bar thingy always breaks on me drill bits last 1 use crimp on insulated electrical connectors just suck, plastic falls off after crimping 3 out of 10 zip ties wont hold BFH one whack and the head was loose, keep feeling like its gonna disappear on a back swing one day. vice grips GOOD tube bender is awesome at a killer price for all the dies you get expendables: cut off discs, wire wheels, grinding discs, masking tape, ect. bearing pullers glow in the dark rope, yes it is as awesome as it sounds and will glow all night auto welding helmet +10 tap and die set (available in metric) vice's jack stands (check before you leave the store that they actually sit level on the ground) magnetic trailer light kits silver heavy duty tarps mechanics style gloves, you'd be surprised 2ft breaker bar, flexes a little bit but hasnt broke or bent yet with a 3ft cheater bar "heavy duty" air compressor that plugs into your cig lighter. fills a 35 to 30psi in about 10min and seems to work forever with no maintenance, had mine about 2yrs. wiring shrink wrap spring compressors Quote Link to comment
dennis Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 I usually buy tools from them when I only need that tool one time. I did buy a couple of grinders from them. They were so cheap that I use one for grinding and another for a cutoff wheel. Quote Link to comment
metalmonkey47 Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 +1. This is a GREAT idea for a thread. BAD: The dremel they sell that shonuff mentioned above is absolute garbage. Theres literally no torque and heats up very fast. Good: The 90 Amp Flux welder they sell is awesome for the price. I've had mine for about 8 months and use it a ton for exhaust, body repair, etc. It's not the best or strongest welder by any means, but it's great for little jobs. I wouldn't trust it on anything structural though. I also have the auto-darkening welding hood they sell, which is a big plus with the welder. It's cheap and makes a welding job easier to do since you're not constantly lifting the hood to inspect welds. Quote Link to comment
motavated Posted November 24, 2011 Report Share Posted November 24, 2011 Digital calipers are good. I bought one for like 12 dollars and my father was really pissy about buying it. He brought over one of his 100+$ digital caliper from work and it read the same. Quote Link to comment
ktm Posted November 24, 2011 Report Share Posted November 24, 2011 I've only had good experiences with the tools I've bought from them, but I've only bought a few: Electric die grinder - works very well. I've yet to have an issue with it, but considering that it spins up to 30,000 rpm if it does go watch out. Drill press - not the most accurate, but it does what it needs to do. The bits tend to wobble slightly. About the Dremels tools. Only buy the Dremel brand. I bought a B&D version and burned the motor up in 2 months. I've gone through one Dremel unit after 3 years of hard use. I burned up that motor as well. They'll last longer, you just have to watch out when the bit gets stuck and stops spinning. Do yourself a huge favor and buy the flexible attachment. Yes its pricey, but use it once and you'll forget about the price. Hell, I snapped the cable on mine after 3 years of hard use. Quote Link to comment
Hardwyre Posted November 24, 2011 Report Share Posted November 24, 2011 I buy my hookers at HF. I think DatsunMike gets his cheap asian trannies there as well. Quote Link to comment
angliagt Posted November 27, 2011 Report Share Posted November 27, 2011 Their wheel dollies are junk!Hauld a car (MG TD) up to Salem,Oregon a little while back.It had a stuck rear wheel.We just needed to get it off of the trailer,& up a short driveway & into a garage. The owner bout four new dollies.We a a wheel break off on two of them. - Doug Quote Link to comment
510kevin Posted November 27, 2011 Report Share Posted November 27, 2011 my piston on my good floor jack went out, so i was in a pinch and needed a jack when i did my ka swap in my 510. saw a harbor freight ad for their $69 aluminum low pro floor jack. i bought it because i was low on cash. its great for a 510, but wouldnt use it for anything heavier. i lifted the front of my wifes quest minivan and it was a little sketchy and made me nervous. would be a good track day jack for a 510, 210 or roadster i think Quote Link to comment
Laecaon Posted November 27, 2011 Report Share Posted November 27, 2011 I love my angle grinder. Only a 4 inch, but works well. Reviews say it lasts for years with moderate usage. Quote Link to comment
510kevin Posted November 27, 2011 Report Share Posted November 27, 2011 I love my angle grinder. Only a 4 inch, but works well. Reviews say it lasts for years with moderate usage. i have a 4" angle grinder i bought 4 years ago at hf. it just wont die. has hundreds of hours of use on it Quote Link to comment
VintageRice Posted December 9, 2011 Report Share Posted December 9, 2011 I have ton of HF stuff. By far the best tool I have is my 3 inch pneumatic cut off tool. Was cheap and works perfect. Just oil your air tools. Also have the good pneumatic rivet gun for working on my sleds. Works awesome. Impact sockets and most hand tools are good. Electrical tape is junk. Broke the tooth off my air shear in about 5 minutes. Quote Link to comment
VintageRice Posted December 10, 2011 Report Share Posted December 10, 2011 ^^^^^ LOL that is kinda funny. 1 Quote Link to comment
Madness Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 Pittsburgh rubber coated ratchets are awesome. Have one in every size, the tooth count is high and they're smooth as silk. I've put some torque through them and they've never slipped. The air powered 3" cut off grinders always get effed up and spin even when you're not on the trigger. (3 of them have done it to me.) Heat shrink tube gets brittle after a few months if they're in the weather at all. Presses are good just dont trust the blocks they come with. They will explode long before the hydrolic ram gives way. Trust me. The blue rubber casters are great. They hold up well beyond their rating. Benchtop grinders are good just replace the wheels with ones that are actually round. 4 1/2" grinding disks are a bit sketchy. I've had one blow up so ill spend the extra amount for a dewalt (dewalt cut off wheels last forever) Zip ties break when tightened. The honkin pry bar they sell is worthless. Doesn't take much to snap them. Quote Link to comment
DRIVEN Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 I use this cart on a daily basis. http://www.harborfreight.com/five-drawer-service-cart-95272.html It's almost a direct knock-off of a coworker's Snap-On. The only obvious difference is the textured finish. Same slides, wheels, hinges. Quote Link to comment
elmerfudpucker Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 air saw good zipties, sucks watch the butt connectors, the plastic splits brad nailer, sucks blue cordless drill sucks GET A REAL DREMEL! Quote Link to comment
jesusno2 Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 harbor freight of whats decent and can be used. Hand tools, anything else is pretty much junk, and will make your life hell if not the same day, 6 months down the road when i fails at the worst possible time! Why ya think china is getting richer repeat customers! they have some decent quality stuff but ya pick your battles. I have some Hf sockets and high tooth count ratchets they work great. harbor freight drill press, works ok. Just dont expect to bore 1/2 or larger holes accurately without babying it. I also got a compressor that has been ok exept the pressure switch is a pile of junk and it wont shut off now unless i unplug it. Quote Link to comment
mklotz70 Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 I could spend about 2 days on the list. Anyone that has come over to my place has seen that it's another HF showroom. I've nearly run out of things to buy from them. I've definitely gotten some bad stuff from them. Some tools are a bit finicky and need to be babied a bit. Others....most that is....work as hard as I need them to. My shop is just a hobby shop so I don't rely on them for a lively hood, nor do I beat on them everyday. I'd much prefer to have five $14 4.5" grinders on the shelf...each with a different disc or attachment....then one porter-cable grinder. I love my Ryobi($40) grinder....it's my favorite and is definitely better/nicer than the HF ones....but never having to change discs/attachments is awesome! When I was working in a shop, I cracked a couple of their impact sockets. I replaced those with snap-on or mac...but each of those replacements cost as much as the entire set of HF impacts. I've used the rest of them for years and never had a problem. As for the china part of things.....yep, I agree that I'm helping to run the US economy into the ground, but if the government can sell off trillions of country's dwindling future earnings to the Chinese.....I'm not going to be too worried about trying to save myself a few bucks. Most of the tools are made over there anyway and rebadged. I'm glad someone worries about that kind of thing, but I can't possibly keep pace with corporations and the gov when it comes to selling out this country. Haha.....Harbor Freight is usually hiring because they're growing so fast....so buy more tools from them so your buddy can get a job there! LOL! :) Quote Link to comment
mklotz70 Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 Well....time to unsubscribe to this bullshit. And people wonder why they see me on Ratsun so much less than before. 4 Quote Link to comment
elmerfudpucker Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 Is that douche bag crap really needed Nathan? contribute to the topic or hush. And Sunlover, dont feed a troll ;) Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted December 11, 2011 Report Share Posted December 11, 2011 This is why you don't have nice things. Knock this shit off! Well....time to unsubscribe to this bullshit. And people wonder why they see me on Ratsun so much less than before. I hear ya mike. 1 Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.