Harbor Freight Tools
 

Does anyone have any experience with the harbor freight tools, such as air compressors, pressure washers power tools etc? They have good prices on most of their stuff however I don't want to buy it if it junk. Thanks for the help.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

ALL JUNK
MADE IN CHINA

BUY AMERICAN

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

Cheapo.

Based on the marketing strategy that they

Can sell you six dirt cheap gensets

Sequentially

For the price of one good one,

Because you ain't got the cash for a good one.

It's an old, old hook.


scyth

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

If it wasn't for the damn unions driving up prices ridiculously I would.

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F@#$ THE UNIONS. BUT F@#$ HARBOR FREIGHTS TOOLS HARDER

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

Anything with an electric motor .... understand that the means they use to rate HP is based on consumption, not production. Those motors are notoriously inefficient. A 3hp rated compressor from them is about as strong as a 2hp american built motor.

It's all chinese. Fine to use of a one time need, but if you're going to bet your life on it .... spend more.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

Yes, pros need much better quality (and much higher priced) tools such as Makita or Porter Cable.

But if you're Harry the Homeowner and you are just doing occasional light duty usage, you'll do fine with the Harbor Freight stuff at 1/3 or 1/2 the price.

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If you need something with a lot of steel in it and no moving parts, fine. Buy an anvil from them. It will rust, but fine.

Anything with moving parts is junk.

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I've been buying my Makita Lithium tools from Amazon. Dirt cheap and havent had a problem yet. Stay away from DeWalt..... Complete junk nowadays

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Buy the 16 hundred dollar Makita lithium set. You will be my god

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I really like these guys: http://www.toolking.com/

If you're OK with reconditioned stuff, they can't be beat. Very good prices on brand-new goods too.

Their brick & mortar store is just down the road from me. Great customer service and expertise, they know what they sell.

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Um ... no. Their anvils aren't hardened. The face dents badly. You'd do far better with a hunk of railroad rail.

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the cordless makita trim saw is $450 with charger and battery. I bought the drill and impact on ebay with no batteries or charger for $140. Then I bought the batteries and charger for $99.00. Then I got the saw with no batteries for $75 on amazon.
Really good deals online. These tools will blow your mind. I have been through over 100 2x6 PRESSURE TREATED on ONE BATTERY CHARGE with my lithium Makita. My buddy's new regular dewalt can make it through about 10 before it needs a charge. LOL

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

So are all these recommendations first hand?

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

Harbor Freight does not carry professional tools, but some of their products are suitable for some jobs. I wouldn't rely on these tools for essential uses, like generators, I would go with quality for something like that...but a power washer, that might be alright.

I bought a 10" wet tile saw (for cutting fire brick) and it is workable...I had to make some modifications to solve some of the design flaws, but they were simple fixes. The saw has a aquarium pump to provide the water to cool the blade and keep the dust down and it was designed to fit in the water pan under the saw...only problem is all the material from the cut also goes into the same water pan and you end up with a clogged pump. The fix was to get a 5 gallon bucket with a lid and a longer water line (drilled a hole in the lid and fed the water line through the lid) and placed the pump in the bucket...the water and the pump stay completely clean.

As I said in another post awhile back, the saw was on sale and with a 20% off coupon, it came out to about $180...an equivalent 10" saw actually made in the US was $1300 or $1400...American brands ( like Dewalt) actually made overseas were $800 and up...it wasn't too hard of a choice with that big of a spread and for my application.

Some of the stuff HF carries was never made in the US...they have a lot of widgets and gizmos. Also, something like machetes were not US made products either.

Buyer beware.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

I have owned some Harbor stuff for years. Those clever Chinese marketers, :sarc:, the brand name is "Chicago."

No problems for me with a corded drill, a 12 volt drill, a belt sander, a palm sander, and a mini drill press.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

Hey, you can buy a Delta saw, and you can compare it to a Grizzly.

Guess what? Grizzly makes for Delta!

Had a Grizzly saw once. Needed parts and had to take a picture of it to prove to Grizzly that it was a Grizzly saw and not a Delta.

Something about contractual agreements....

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

My dad bought a saw that cuts around corners. Don't remember the name of it. Took it home and in about 2 minutes the handle broke off.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

home onwer, lite use ok, not for hevey duty ! first hand i use some of thier stuff. some of the stuff is one time and dispose.they will replace if they have another in stock and if not you will wait some time for warranty. china get what you pay for cheep

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

I own a number of Harbor Freight tools, and they range between OK and crappy. I was not able to get a decent bench grinder from them. You could spin it up, then bring the grinding wheels to a halt by pinching them between your fingers (carefully!). No torque at all. Despite several exchanges, they all had the same problem.

Air driven impact wrenches are also pretty crappy quality, taking several exchanges to get one that works.

If you don't live close to a Harbor Freight store (for easy exchange without the expense of shipping it back), I'd avoid their stuff.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

A keyhole saw ?

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

Garbage and boat anchors. I did buy a $19 dolly there that I have used for many years but that is quite unusual for HF stuff.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

Their hand held air tools are fine....but air tools are fairly simple machines. I bought several air drills and small air grinders and have used them a lot with no problems.

I've also had good results with their impact sockets sets in both metric and SAE. Sometimes they have some nice Indian made tools....but some of the China tools are also pretty good.

I would avoid most of the electric hand held tools. That said, my dad had a variable speed buffer he used on his boat that has lasted many years and cost $29....pretty tough to beat at 1/6th the price of anything from Milwaukee. You need to be selective on the item and the price.....

I like some of their end wrenches....mostly the very large wrenches over 7/8 inch up through 2 inches.......you do not need much precision in a very large wrench......and the alternative, even in a Craftsman would be way over 20X the price.....you can get a complete set of large wrenches for the cost of a single Mac/Snap-On/ or a few Craftsman. Again - need to look at the tool....the use ....and the relative cost.


On another note you can find some outstanding tools at Ace Hardware -they have a Professional Series of wrenches/sockets that are beautiful and just as good as the Snap-On/Mac tools I own.
I do a lot of work on aircraft and get into some very tight spots. I often need some very precision, thin walled boxed end and thin thickness open end wrenches. Often the Craftsman is just too thick and clubish and Craftsman likes to grind too much chamfer on the tip of their open end combination wrenches....One of the very best set of wrenches I have is the Ace Hardware Pro Series.....I think I paid $25 for 10 wrenches.....a single decent Snap-On wrench costs $25! (but at times only a snap on will do the job - this is where I spen my money on snap-on and mac specialty wrenches and flex-sockets....).

Bottom line......need to inspect what you are buying and intended use.....I have 2 and 3 sets of tools in my most common hand tools (esp wrenches/sockets) at my home garage - where I keep my most complete tool set - because you often need 2 of everything to get the job done. I also have fairly complete tool sets in a couple other remote places.....like the airport hanger and in my camper......lastly, I have mobile box/kit for when I need to go and help someone or if I travel on vacation. So I have a ton of tools - this is where I pay attention over time and have built a very good set of lower cost high value tools to back-up my primary tool sets.

The most important tool is your brain....and there is no substitute of experience.....try to fix everything yourself - this is the only way to learn and build skills. My tools have paid for themselves many times over in low cost repairs.....in this area it is like I've been training my entire life for SHTF and never really knew it.....mostly it is just my frugality that motivated me to repair things.

A lot of guys here will say Harbor Freight is only junk - all I say is you have to be a smart buyer and take a good look at the intended application. There is a lot of junk...but also a few gems....

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

Harbor Freight is the Dollar Store of tools. Crap.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

My dad buys a lot of stuff from Harbor Freight, and everything I've seen from there is complete junk.

Back when he was working and using his tools every day he wouldn't buy anything but the best, but now that he's retired and just uses it occasionally, I guess he figures he can get by with the cheap stuff.

I've been over there helping with things a few times, and had to use something he has from there. It's such junk that it usually takes all I can do not to throw it out of the shop.

They (Harbor Freight) sent me catalogs for years. I was thrilled when I finally got the one that said if I didn't make a purchase they were going to drop me from their mailing list.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

Thanks for all the replies.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

If you want ABSOLUTE TRASH....Harbor Freight is the way to go.

If you want a quality product...go to sears and get craftsman or something better.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

Well, what do you expect? It's all made in China, barely good enough to get sold.

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My sentiments exactly! If you are patient, every Craftsman hand tool at Sears will eventually be 50% off. You can build a nice quality set of tools, at a good price. Guaranteed as well!

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

I don't know about a lot of things but tools I do know.
Japan in the '60s = cheapest crap on earth. Today Japan = best electronics and best cars/bikes/motors
Taiwan in the late '70s & '80s = cheapest crap on earth. Today Taiwan = best machinery on earth
China in the '90s = cheapest crap on earth. Today China = a work in progress with quality improving all the time.

Harbor Freight today = you get what you pay for.

Some of the stuff offered by HF is a good bargain. Some is still crap. In particular:
the Pittsburgh wrenches (ratchets/sockets/socket sets/etc) are good tools. Certainly not Snap-On but on a level with Craftsman. Pittsburgh "F" clamps at 24" and below are a good bargain (I have about 40 in various sizes)

Central Machinery (stationary) tools you need to be careful. The 16" drill press is functionally to (used to be - sold it) my American made Delta. The 9" disk x 48" belt sander is a good unit though somewhat crude around the edges.

Air compressors; I have the little 16 gal compressor. With discounts, coupons and so on my final cost was about $70.00 It runs like a champ and uses very little oil.

The HVLP sprayer unit (gray plastic body - about $100) is an amazingly good spray unit.

The grinder pedestal (about $39) has a cast base/steel column/cast or steel top is rock solid.

The solar-powered electronic mole chasers ($19) work reliably and work well.

A Chicago "sawzall" works as well as my previous DeWalt and hasn't self-destructed like the DeWalt.

Not-so-good-stuff:
Anvils = all cast iron. No steel tops. They are soft and dent/deform easily.
Bench vises - 50/50. Broke the first one. the second one has withstood multiple beatings, over-torques and other abuse. It's a little sloppy but does what it's supposed to.
Any (ANY) measuring tool. Squares are not. Tape rules vary the markings along the length. For now I simply won't buy any.
Sanding belts/drums/discs/papers = don't waste your money

All the stuff above I either do own or have owned. I also have other stuff from HF. All in all I've been pretty happy with the stuff I've bought there. Lots of great deals on safety equipment, work gloves, nitrile/latex gloves, wire wheels, wheels and castors, air hose and accessories (connectors, etc.), tool boxes, brushes (acid, bronze, ss, bench) and so on.

Be particular about the acceptable quality you need in your tools or supplies and shop carefully, there are more and more winners among the crap.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

QWAK,A cheep, poorly made tool, out of inaproprate materials, is WORSE than NO TOOL at ALL!:yes:

When you need it there is a high probability it will FAIL and let you down -- depending on the situation you COULD get HURT or even KILLED!:yes::rant:

The hard part is actualy FINDING QUALITY things:yes: TOOLS included, as just like our CURRENCY and FOOD SUPPLIES --- QUANTITY has replaced QUALITY and DEBASED virtualy EVERY THING! :yes::realmad: GOOD ENOUGH has replaces "THE BEST we can DO" for virtualy EVERY aspect of our modern lives!:yes::signs14:

EVERY THING including PEOPLE:yes:, has become DISPOSABLE and THROW AWAY!:36_1_28::censored::pissedoff:

the DUCK :15_1_70v:

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

Qwak of Experience there.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

QWAK,Professur,Now that you mention IT,I had to move to the DUCK NEST from my apartment in CHICAGO because some CHEEP poorly made JACK STANDS faild wile I was UNDER my OLD JIMMY!:yes: (1986)

They CRUMPLED and BENT and DROPED my JIMMY on top of me CRUSHING ME and breaking my pelvis in two places --- took YEARS to recover and IF I lift somthing WRONG or it is a little too heavy I still feel the PAIN!:yes:

I was luckey actualy:yes: as just a fiew secones befor the stands FAILED my HEAD was directly under the REAR END and would have MASHED my HEAD,insted I cought the full weight of the truck across my hips and the broken bone was forced in to the muscel causing even more painfull secondary damage!

BTW: The cheep jack stands --- came from SEARS!!:yes::36_1_25:

the DUCK

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

Cheap Chinese sh*t.

Even the steel parts will break.

It's the same exact sh*t when those "Truckload Tool Sales" roll into town for the weekend and set up shop at your local Shriner's, etc. All from China. That's why it's so cheap. Almost everything they sell will break sooner rather than later.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

For those extoling the virtues of Craftsman ..... many many tools for sale at Sears now no longer meet the high standard they used to embrace. Indeed, over half the shelves at my local Sears have tools no better than Walmart carries.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

We`ve got one (Kismet) that floats here about. I try not to buy anything, but somethings you figure aren't really that critical. I bought a 10 pack of 4.5" cut off disks. I figured, they're rated, and I'm putting them on my lowest powered grinder. .... Well, the first disk came apart so fast the shrapnel would have made orbit ..... `cept that I was working inside a truck at the time. (Good thing I didn't cheap out on my safety gear, eh) The other 9 went straight into the shitcan.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

I bought a 5 pack of 10" metal chop saw blades the last time I was in there...Made in Russia, haven't used one yet...I'll be sure to wear full protection from flying shrapnel. I haven't had much experience from Russian made products...but my expectations are low.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

What's your RPMs on that bad boy? My smaller grinder claims 11,000 ... but I'd be surprised to see 7,000 on a tacho. I was wearing a full face shield ... and it got tested. Replaced it after. But I was working in close. A little more distance and it might not have had to work so hard.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

Unions have nothing to do with the high price of American made tools.
Hahahahahaha!
You are just use to the cheaply made substandard global garbage.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

The metal cut-off saw rpm is 3800...and the metal cut-off blade (wheel) is 14", not 10" as I mistakenly stated earlier. The blades are aluminum oxide and I'm cutting 14 gauge square tubing...shouldn't be any problem cutting light steel. We'll see how Russian cheap crap compares to Chinese cheap crap.

Re: Harbor Freight Tools
 

I've used these Russian chop saw wheels....never had a failure. They are reasonably durable. I mostly cut 16 guage tubing and angle...some time a little heavier guage.

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i have a air compressors an a welder i got 3 years ago a home an they work fine