Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[patrick_g]

Originally Posted by Iplayfarmer

It works even after you let the smoke out??!! I was always taught that electrical stuff needs the smoke in it to work and after you let the smoke out it won't work anymore.

Warn must put extra smoke in theirs.

There is extra smoke involved and I think you know who is blowing it where!

Pat

[gemini5362]

actually i have used their 10,000 pound winch. It works ok be prepared for one of the relays to decide not to work and then not go the appropriate direction. I did not realize the fix for that was to just take something and tap on it so I took it apart to fix it. When I put it back together I did not worry to much about those pretty chrome braces across the top and did not get them good and tight. It worked great on my trailer. I used it to pull vehicles on and off of the trailer. I had it on a reciever hitch to just mount in the back of my truck. I got the truck stuck and was doing a off center pull and the bolts holding those pretty chrome brackets on the top came out while I was pulling my truck out. I found out that those brackets really do have a purpose they are what hold the winch together. when the winch decided to seperate I broke the connector between the motor and the drum. i also broke one of the release spring assembly that releases the brake when you move the drum. I called harbor freight and told them what happened they ordered me an entire brake assembly which cost about 40.00. The did warn me that it had to come from china and might take 6 weeks. I got the part in after about 6 weeks and it works fine now. For the price I am happy with my purchase. I dont think it would hold up to real work like pats warn does but for my use it was not a bad investment.

[tom r]

thanks for the info on winches , i am looking at the model 40764, 8000lb, the price is 309.99, they have a 5500lb one for 279. i bought a 2000 lb,and plan on returning because not enough power. i have a trailer that tilts so i have a maybe 15degree incline , i thought about a two part line might help, i was told it gives you twice the pulling power.
tom r.

[Foodplot]

Since I haven't seen them listed--paintbrushes. When on sale, their paintbrushes are cheaper and a lot better than the disposables at Lowe's or Home Depot, and we are still contributing to the Chinese economy, bless 'em.
Ditto for their flux brushes.

[dfkrug]

Originally Posted by tom r

thanks for the info on winches , i am looking at the model 40764, 8000lb, the price is 309.99, they have a 5500lb one for 279. i bought a 2000 lb,and plan on returning because not enough power. i have a trailer that tilts so i have a maybe 15degree incline , i thought about a two part line might help, i was told it gives you twice the pulling power.
tom r.

TOMR:

I bought the cheapo 2000# winch ($50) and you are right that a straight
pull of a vehicle up any kind of serious incline will most likely not work. I
pulled a 2500# Suzuki Samauri onto my trailer and it barely got it up the
ramp. The solution is to buy the HF snatch block ($6) and double your
pull force. Also make sure your battery and cables can handle the 60+
amps it will draw.

[patrick_g]

Originally Posted by dfkrug

TOMR:

I bought the cheapo 2000# winch ($50) and you are right that a straight
pull of a vehicle up any kind of serious incline will most likely not work. I
pulled a 2500# Suzuki Samauri onto my trailer and it barely got it up the
ramp. The solution is to buy the HF snatch block ($6) and double your
pull force. Also make sure your battery and cables can handle the 60+
amps it will draw.

Some caveats:

1. HF and some others rate their winches with double line pull (i.e. with a turning block like a snatch block in the system) and the "REAL" capacity of the winch is only 1/2 of that rating. Larger numbers look good in the advertisement copy but don't git er done. Be aware that doubling the line doubles the pull but cuts the speed of the pull in half.

2. Some folks (HF included) sometimes give ratings relating to a rolling load. This means a winch rated for a rolling load of 10,000 lbs on hard level surface could pull a 10,000 pound wheeled vehicle. This, of course, takes a whole lot less force than 10,000 pounds and again their advertisement copy hits you with BIG NUMBERS but the winch is not all that powerful.

3. Another trick in the specsmanship arsenal is to give a winch a rating equal to the stall force, i.e. the pounds of tension it will produce when it stalls which is not how much it can produce while making a decent speed.

4. Yet another ratings game ploy is to rate the winch for its pull with an empty spool. The radius (distance out from the central axis of the drum to where the cable wraps around the winch) varies quite a bit as cable is spooled in or out. The winch has the best mechanical advantage when the spool is empty (smallest in diameter) and has the least line pull when the cable is mostly all wound onto the winch.

Some winches of lesser quality may produce, with an empty spool, the line pull they are rated for but like cheap welders with low duty cycles they can't do the job for very long without seriously overheating.

With all this in mind, if you still want a HF winch, be sure to buy one rated high enough to be able to do your job without burning up. I'm not knocking HF winches, and I'm not saying I would not buy one. What I am saying is I would be likely to buy one rated for more than I intended it to actually do. To skimp on ratings that have already been skimped on is to invite a failure.

Do leave your engine running so the alternator will be helping the battery and there will be no failure to start due to run down battery. Winches overheat fairly quickly. Be patient. If you make a long duration pull, let the winch cool for several minutes between winchings.

Although both HF and Warn and others put lots of smoke in their winches, HF will likely quit on you if you let much of the smoke out.

Whatever winch, whatever brand, do not stand in line with the tensioned cable (either winch or hook end) as if the cable breaks you could be seriously injured or killed in an instant.

Pat

[tom r]

talk about someone thats done his home work, im impressed, thanks for all that info, and yes i bought one of those for 50.oo and pulled a mini van up on my trailer, it got the job done but that was about it, i mounted a battery on the tonque of my trailer to hook my winch to then ran power from my rear outlet off the truck to keep the battery charged. it is funny how companys trick you in the desciption on items . i have notice how they talk about single line or double line. i will have to do a little more research on the one to buy, i would maybe use one a couple times a year. but if i had one i might find more reasons to use it. thanks again for your opinion.
tom r.

[ammodram]

Originally Posted by Runner

3 ton hydraulic floor jack - leaks, sucks

Just picked one of these up the other day for very occasional use - anyone else have better luck with it?

Also bought their 6 ton jack stands on sale. Anybody had these things collapse or fail? I won't trust them without a wood block thrown in just in case, but they seem heavy-duty enough.

-Matt

[California]

I buy a lot of stuff at HF - but not safety gear.

[reasley]

Harbor Freight is having what they call their "sidewalk sale" this weekend. I just happened to be going by there and needed to return something anyway, so I stopped in. I didn't look very long, but I did get a couple more (now have probably 6) of the 4 & 1/2" angle grinders -- for $8.88 each -- the cheapest that I've ever seen them there. Also, they have their large full-head air nailer (8-10 gauge) for $49 -- which is also the cheapest that I have seen that one. I have used that air nailer for about 5-6 years now and bought a backup about 3-4 months ago. Finally, they have a good deal on a 3/8" impact wrench (not the air wrench, but an impact). Just an FYI for anyone that likes HF . . .