Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[RobJ]

Here is my latest HF addition. The 12 speed 10" bench top drill press for $89. Seems to be decent, I like the slower speeds. It's a heavy sucker. It's replacing my old HF $39.99 bench top that has to be a 1992 model. It has served me well.

Also attached is a pic of the yellow HF bench grinder. A little light on power but works ok. And a pic of my early poor mans drill press stand (this was pre welder days). The concrete base works well, I formed it with a 3/4" hollow space in the middle of the bottom to help it sit level. The pole was an old stop sigh.. hehe. This weekend I removed the previous wood table top and welded on a piece of plate. I almost made it to small for the new DP, I thought they were about the same size.

Rob

 

[patrick_g]

Rob, Couldn't help but notice the reloading supplies. What are you feeding and what are you feeding it?

Also, for what it is worth, you can often get old truck wheels for free (or car wheels if you don't need as much weight and stability.) I got some old split rims for free from a tire shop. You weld a vertical pipe to it and then fill it with concrete. Free form and the inevitable banging it gets doesn't chip concrete.

You weld three lumps (can be bolts, nuts, or just chunks of scrap iron) to the bottom of the rim, roughly 120 degrees apart and then use a scrap of ply, OSB or whatever with holes drilled to match the three chunks so you get a seal on the bottom of the wheel when pouring the concrete. After the crete cures enough knock the ply or OSB off and yo have a HD stand that will not rock even if the floor is uneven as it is stable on its three contact points.

The big rig wheels make a darned stable stand base when filled with crete but if you want to move them around to optimize shop layout then consider three locking casters instead of just any old lumps. As you are probably aware, HF has decent casters for a good price.

Pat

 

[California]

12 speed 10" bench top drill press for $89. Seems to be decent, I like the slower speeds. It's a heavy sucker. It's replacing my old HF $39.99 bench top that has to be a 1992 model.

I have the little '1992' model and I've never been happy with it. The lowest speed is too fast and there's no torque - it's far too easy to stall. No way is it a real 1/3 horsepower.

Does the $89 model have good torque?

 

[RobJ]

I have the little '1992' model and I've never been happy with it. The lowest speed is too fast and there's no torque - it's far too easy to stall. No way is it a real 1/3 horsepower.

Does the $89 model have good torque?

You are correct on all accounts on the old one. To fast and the belt will slip. But it drilled a bunch of 3/4" holes this weekend. Seems I always upgrade my stuff right AFTER a project. But for the money and drilling wood, not so bad. Plus before I had it I'd try and drill steel with a hand drill (power of course). Lots of good down pressure with a press.

The new one I haven't drilled anything yet. lowest speed is 250 rpm I think. It's a 2 belt with an idler setup...I guess that;s the way all the 12 or 16 speeds work. I need to drill something tonight!!

BTW another HF "not so bad deal" I used that big bit set this weekend on the old DP. 12 3/4" holes in mostly 1/2" steel and the last hole was as easy as the first. The set is $29 regular and I had a coupon for $22.99. Here is the link...my local store had them and honored an internet print out.

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

 

[RobJ]

Rob, Couldn't help but notice the reloading supplies. What are you feeding and what are you feeding it?

Good idea on the rims, I never can seem to find some laying around. I've used the concrete before in an old 5 gallon bucket. Cut it about half down, fill with concrete (works nice with that half bag you have left over from the last project...and need to get rid of it ). The base of the bucket already has a rim for an uneven floor.

Reloading...I use to load a lot. I actually sold several rifles to get my tractor...with about 15 rifles I found i could only hunt with 1 at a time and usually use an old Rem 7400 pump in 30.06 that I cut the barrell down to 18" after opening weekend. Average shot lenght in East Texas for me was about 20-30 yards. Last year I filled a doe tag at 10 yards. My favs were the "twins" I had a pair of Rem 600, one in 6.5 mag and the other in 350 mag. Laminated stock, vent ribs. Took a while to find them, see my first rifle was a rem 600 mohawk in 308. At one time I had a bunch of 600's, 222, 223, 243, 308, 6.5, 350 and 6mm. Also other rifles were 280, 338, 444, 45.70 and some others I forget.

These days it's 2 308's (still have that first mohawk from 1970!), 270 and the 30.06. I worked most rounds around 4350, nice big can you see...and some 4381. Lately Ive been working on the 308, trying Win 742, 46gr of 742 with a 130gr sp. I'm going lighter bullets because of small deer and less kick...I just don't like to get beat up by a rifle like I use to. I also still have my SW 1006. Ya know the gun that paved the way for the now ever popular 40 sw!!!! (yeah I'm ticked!! ). I think my light load on that one is 9gr of AA7 below a 180 or 200gr.

My dream rifle was 30-338 wm, fluted muzzle break barrell. Never got up the nerve to spend $1000 or more now for this rifle. Buddy had one and the ammo was like $5 a round!!(many years ago that is). Even the spent brass on Ebay was 3-4 bucks a piece. But in the end who needs a 13# rifle to shoot 120# deer at 30 yards!!

Sorry for the long off topic...but it's fun.

Rob

 

[patrick_g]

Rob, No apology needed for me, I asked the question! Seems like you had at least almost enough rifles. Lots of calibers. I have one you didn't mention a 22-250. In it I like the 52 grain gilding metal scored jacket hollow points (acts like a frangible round on any impact even just grazing a blade of grass) pumped out at about 4000 FPS. Zero on 200 yds and you are 3/4 inch high at 100 yds but 4 in low at 300 (runs out of poop after 300 yds.) I would never use it for deer but Wal*Mart sells 22-250 rounds supposedly for deer as per info on box. Maybe your little antlered puppies shot at 30 yds with no intervening brush would drop but I wouldn't choose the 22-250 unless it was all I had and I was hungry.

When I have made bases for anything and not used the three legged stabilization approach I always have found somewhere I wanted to put it where the floor was uneven and it rocked. That can't happen with a 3 legged approach.

I bought a 6 inch vise with anvil cast in it. I may cut down a steel drum to about a foot or so high and pour it full of crete as a base for the vice. I will use 4 or 6 inch HD pipe as the vertical if I don't find a piece of rectangle I like better. It will get three HD locking casters from HF so I can move it around. More mass helps with the momentum of a sledge blow to the work piece in the vice or on the anvil. The large mass of the base decouples the hammer blows from the caster wheels.

Oh, I'd love a 416 Barret but...

Pat

 

[Red55]

Was wondering if anyone has the HF 1/2" impact wrench ? And is any good? Thanks -Ed

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Wow in trying to post a picture I noticed the sale circular is a tad misleading says the regular price is $79.99 while the internet "regular" price is $49.99

 

[RobJ]

Don't know about the electric one, my 1/2" air are not worth a crap. air ratchet ok, cutters\grinders ok, little air hammer ok.

JMO

 

[Red55]

Thanks Rob- I have two of those cheapo air impact guns that I haven't used yet and if I ever get around to setting up my compressor/air lines in the garage. That's why I was looking at electric -quick and easy but useless if it doesn't work -Ed

 

[Dargo]

Hey, to be fair, I forgot to mention that I did buy this Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices from HF and like it. I'd forgotten that I bought this impact wrench at HF. Anyway, it seems as nice of 1/2" driver that I've ever owned.