Opinion On Harbor Freight Tools

[John McClanahan]

Here's one opinion on Harbor freight Tools. Some of you can relate. You know who you are.

//jalopnik.com/5959822/i-love-you-harbor-freight-but-you-smell-like-plastic-hell

[Kevin Presutti]

That's funny. I have to agree on most points, I use magnetic nutdrivers frequently and the HF ones seem to last for what I use them for, the 3/8 impact sockets I have more than adequate. Tools such as those fit the bill for me because people at work always need to borrow something and if they lose it or never bring it back I'm usually out just a few bucks. On the other hand if they offer to pay for the replacement they are happy with the price. I have only purchased a couple of electric power tools and I can honestly say that the only one I would even recommend would be the 5" ROS, dust collection sucks but I can't kill it, it seems tough enough that I picked another one up for $20 on sale and it's still in the box and that was over a year ago. I don't believe I would buy any other thing electric I prefer brand name stuff when it comes to power tools.

[Jerome Stanek]

I have their 2 HP dust collector that is really good also their spindle sander works like it should. One other thing that I really like is the folding utility knife had it now for 6 years and use it every day.

[Charlie Velasquez]

Their 1000 pound capacity furniture dollies... I buy a bunch at $8/ea and repurpose the casters to my shop stuff. Logging/tow chains, rated at 5400 lbs for $13, I use for small stuff. Mechanic gloves at $3, lasts a few of months. Auxillary car heater for $10, for my son's really old car; saved his bacon one winter when his windshield defroster went on the fritz, got him home and later to a service center.

Don't really buy stuff that I use heavily, but it has its place.

As an aside, does anyone else think their prices have gone up considerably since the son took complete control? I can get most stuff as cheap or cheaper at my local Menards or Farm and Fleet.

[David Weaver]

Aside from some of the tools being underpowered and the fit and finish offensive, I have to admit that I haven't yet gotten anything from HF that broke. I don't buy tons of stuff there, but I might have a dozen various things.

Well, that and everything stinks when you get it.

[John Pratt]

That rant is spot on. How often do I need to use that 2 1/2" wrench I bought at HF for $16.99? Well, I needed it that one time and if it breaks the next time I use it, so what. I got my money out of it. For things I need to use every day, I look elsewhere and spend the money for quality.

[Mike Cutler]

Some of the stuff is a little, uhmm,,,,, junky, but for the DIY'r on his back, under the car, in the garage, some things fit the bill nicely. The $10.00 brake caliper tool is worth the 10 bucks. I can tell you that.
I have one of their hydraulic lift carts. It did what I wanted it to do, lift a 300# oven, and a 200# freezer up so I could slide them into place. I think the money spent was worth the savings to my back. I've used that cart for projects also. It's nice to change the height of wood working project with the pump of a foot lever, or squeeze of a handle.
It's just a store.

[Erik Loza]

There's a HF right up the street from my house and I actually have bought quite a few tools there. My wife ordered a new steel mailbox and wanted it mounted on the wall next to our front door. Our house has stone exterior walls and I needed a small hammer-drill for the job. Probably only ever use it once or twice and then it will just sit in the tool chest. My options were $30 from HF or $100+ from Sears, et al. Bought the HF one. Yes, it is cheap and has plastic knobs and levers that would probably break if I were a general contractor but for my use level, it made more sense. Their tools have their place.

Erik Loza
Minimax USA

[Peter Kelly]

http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08...nd-the-abysmal

[Stephen Tashiro]

I am a frequent customer of Harbor Freight. Some thoughts:

1. Casters: I buy a lot of casters at Harbor Freight, mostly the light duty kind. The quality control is poor. You must be selective. Test each one individually. Spin the wheels and see if they wobble. See if they bind when you try to pivot them. They don't restock casters quickly. Don't count on finding a given type there in a given month. Keep your receipt. I've never had a problem returning a defective caster. Given these cautions, their selection of casters is one of the best in town.

2. Clamps: On those with the red plastic pads, the pads tend to fall off. I glue them on with Goop brand "Household" glue and they stay. They've started to stock a new type with a dark colored, smaller pad. I haven't tried those.

3. Corded and Cordless Vibrating Multi-tools. They always stock the blades for them. The blades also fit the Rigid mult-tool head which attaches to my Ryobi multi-tool body. Their blades aren't particularly cheap. They don't stock the battery for the cordless tool. (The shelf has a tag for it, but there is never any product there. Perhaps I could order it online, but the store says it can't order it.)

4. Corded impact driver: Most of the time, I use my DeWalt cordless impact driver when I need a impact driver. However, it's handy to have the Harbor Freight corded driver as a backup because it is slightly more powerful - and, of course, not dependent on a battery. It saves hooking up the air compressor to use the air impact tools.

5.Tarps: Their tarps last about 1 season if not exposed to flexing in the wind. If exposed to wind, they last about an hour.

6. "General" brand leak-down cylinder tester: Don't buy it. Get a brand where both gauges give a pressure readout. You can't really tell what the pressures are with the General. I think it only reads correctly at about 20 psi.

7. Borescope: The one I bought there isn't useful for automotive work. Of course, I've heard poster on the forum say that most borescopes aren't.

8. Crescent type wrenches: The quality control is poor. The jaws on most them wobble. Some jam.

9. Diagonal cutters: The quality control is poor. Examine the jaws and see if they meet precisely.

10. Countersink bits, the sets that come in a wooden box. The blades cut nicely but the bits break easily. To replace them with ordinary drill bits, you must grind the end of the stem flat. The hex shaped shaft is too short to fit securely in some jaws for quick-connect bits.

11. Digital calipers: I bought one that was completely unreliable and I returned it. They no longer carry the brand that I bought.

12. Corded metal shears. These work about as well as my DeWalt corded metal shears. I'm not impressed with anybody's brand of metal shears. All types I've used get stuck too easily and you spend too much time pushing on them or wiggling them up and down.

[Brian Elfert]

I buy stuff at Northern Tool as much as Harbor Freight. Some of the mechanic's tools can be less money than Harbor Freight and arguably higher quality.

I did just buy a garden wagon from Northern Tool the other day and it stinks pretty bad. There is something about some stuff made in China that just smells really bad. It is still in the box so maybe the cardboard smells.

[Rick McQuay]

The little wooden handled flush cutting saw for $6 w/ coupon is the bomb. I bought it for cutting fret slots but have used it on every project since.

[Jim O'Dell]

HF cordless tools stink. The corded multi-tool does what it is supposed to do, but man is it LOUD!! I have their 10" sliding tile saw and it is the best tool I've purchased from them. Wooden hand screws are cheap, but work pretty good. Make sure there are no burrs on the threads and that they work smoothly through out their range. Disposable gloves and glue brushes are a good deal. Air staplers and brad nailers are ok. The brad nailers do leave a good dimple in the wood, so not good for finish work. Air lines (Goodyear brand) and connectors are ok. Used their air pressure regulator for the repair of the old air compressor, and it is fair. Works but that's about it. They aren't real close to me, but if there is something I need that I want from them, it's not too bad. OH, and their mail flyers work great for starting a fire in the fireplace. Jim.

[Jim Rimmer]

My personal guideline for buying at HF is: When it breaks, will I be seriously injured or killed? So, I will buy an occasional hand tool, casters, the multi-tool, clamps, etc. but I stay away from things like jack stands, lifts that might induce me to get under whatever is lifted, or anything whose failure could cause a dangerous situation to me or anyone near me.

I have gotten some little pick sets for cleaning corners of glue, a magnifier headset and some individual loupes (5 strengths in the set). The headset and the loupes I use a lot and I think total for all was $15.

[Thomas S Stockton]

Our local Harbor freight can be great people watching at other times completely frustrating, they do seem to have gotten better employees lately.
the gems I have found there are
Nitrile disposable gloves pretty cheap and last long enough.
Ratchet tie down straps, these things are great and I have never broken one
Like some one said the furniture dollies are a bargain.
the more expensive spray guns work surprisingly well and at around $30 if it goes bad and you can't fix it buy another.
The acid brushes make great glue brushes
I have one of there rolling car jacks works great
they sell lengths of chain pretty cheap
Really large wrenches and sockets why go to sears when you can get a whole set for the price of a single socket.
That said they also have some real garbage and most the powertools I have gotten their let the smoke out in less than 20 minutes of use. Oh well they have a good return policy.
Tom