Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[crazyal]

I finally got to the NH HF last week. I picked up some of the tall stands for under a 2 post lift. I used a copy of the 20% for each one, the girl didn't blink one bit. I also got the free screw drivers while there and the auto darkening welding helmet (and a few other steel things). The first thing I did was paint the stands blue. That faded washed orange color just looks so bad. Haven't tried the hemet yet but the jack stands (pretty simple) work just fine.

 

[1-3-2-4]

I saw the sale on the jack stands and noted the price then saw a pile of them in a corner (the same stands) in scruffy looking boxes that looked to have been wet. They were marked $15 so I got a set.

Pat

Ah I see.. speaking about wet boxes.. working for UPS I can tell you Chinese cardboard when wet falls apart on the slightest touch..

Oh the upside I went into HF one day to pick up a transmission jack the 450Lb version and they gave me I think it was 70% off because it had a gaping hole in the box but lucky none of the pieces were missing.

I will get to use it in Aug.

 

[deereman75]

since I live in canada we dont have hf but we do have PRINCESS AUTO and there power fist stuff seems to have a level of cheese:laughing: not too differnt from the hf stuff. My uncle always buys a bunch of stuff there and it normaly works great, but I wouldnt trust there jack stands. (a few pieces of 4x6 would be much safer) The 24 inch long slot head screw driver there makes a good pry bar.:thumbsup:

 

[sixdogs]

Not really a "tool" but their $1 scissors are a great buy. They cut very well and I abuse them terribly.
Happened to get a pair today for free with a coupon and any purchase. I bought their $3 box--sale-- of assorted cotter pins that is also a good deal.
Hard to screw up a cotter pin.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Not really a "tool" but their $1 scissors are a great buy. They cut very well and I abuse them terribly.
Happened to get a pair today for free with a coupon and any purchase. I bought their $3 box--sale-- of assorted cotter pins that is also a good deal.
Hard to screw up a cotter pin.

I have the cotter pins, and we have tons of the scissors...

Even though they are cheap, the price has gone up in the recent years (can you believe the regular price is like $5 :confused2...Also, the quality used to better...

 

[Natureboy]

The hand held portable bandsaw is great for occasional use. Just get the blades elsewhere. Still trying to figure out what the orange "mystery" plastic is though. :laughing: Paid under $60.00 including tax with a coupon a couple of years ago, still going strong.

 

[patrick_g]

since I live in canada we dont have hf but we do have PRINCESS AUTO and there power fist stuff seems to have a level of cheese:laughing: not too differnt from the hf stuff. My uncle always buys a bunch of stuff there and it normaly works great, but I wouldnt trust there jack stands. (a few pieces of 4x6 would be much safer) The 24 inch long slot head screw driver there makes a good pry bar.:thumbsup:

I have shopped both Princess and HF. Count your blessings that you have Princess.

Pat

 

[varmint]

Interesting that this thread is still alive and growing! Cheap tools must be close to the hearts of many of us. I will add that among my H.F. tools is an air nibbler I bought about 10 years ago, when faced with literally hundreds of feet of steel siding to cut... tin snips weren't an option, since this was Morton 16(?) gauge corrugated siding, and steel saw blades were just too nasty to think about. It not only handled the job nicely, it's still going strong. I just picked up another cutter for $3 on clearance, so I am good. They're a good place for chains and some other things, but their electric drills should be considered only for non critical jobs.

 

[Dargo]

The hand held portable bandsaw is great for occasional use. Just get the blades elsewhere. Still trying to figure out what the orange "mystery" plastic is though. :laughing: Paid under $60.00 including tax with a coupon a couple of years ago, still going strong.

Offer still good; free, you just pay shipping, for my 3rd ORANGE portable bandsaw from Horrible Freight. It's still in it's original box and, just like the two before, it never made it through it's first cut. I figured someone would want it for parts. Another couple of weeks or so and I'm just going to put it in the cicular file. To me, it's not worth the gas money or time to get a 4th that undoubtedly would loose it's factory installed smoke on it's first use.

I bought a nice Milwaukee last year and have made several dozen, if not a hundred, cuts with it and am only on my 2nd blade. Better yet, no smoke and it's still running fine.

 

[chopped]

Here is the nibbler.
16 Gauge Air Nibbler
I wondered how it would hold up before I buy it. Its now on my list ...