Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[California]

Also - does anyone have comments on the $160 3-panel solar kit?

What else does it need to make it a 12 volt source for charging a camper battery and power tools etc that have a 12 volt charger? I don't think I need a storage battery or inverter unless those are essential to regulate it.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Is anyone familiar with this item from Harbor Freight:

Bunker Hill 36 LED Solar Security Light, model #98085

I bought two and wonder if they are reliable or have any issues.

No but I did look at one tonight since the box was open. I think for the price it would be hard to go wrong if it works as stated.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Also - does anyone have comments on the $160 3-panel solar kit?

What else does it need to make it a 12 volt source for charging a camper battery and power tools etc that have a 12 volt charger? I don't think I need a storage battery or inverter unless those are essential to regulate it.

I've gotten by with the 5 watt solar charger for my camper batteries... 5 Watt Solar Battery Charger

It's worked well for me. All I did was connect the leads directly to the camper battery. I keep it on the battery year round to maintain the charge.

 

[Dargo]

You're joking right?
The bottom button when pressed repeatedly switches the image to different orientations. RTFM:laughing:

http://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/67000-67999/67979.pdf

I have a rf linked backup camera/monitor I use for hooking up trailers....talk about confusing, the image gets reversed sometimes, try backing up to a trailer with the image backwards!

Well, get down! At first the button did nothing. I pressed it just a little harder and it sort of snapped free and now the image flips with each push of that button. :thumbsup: I guess it was stuck just a little and I was trying not to "Dargo" the item. :laughing: Thanks!

 

[California]

I've gotten by with the 5 watt solar charger for my camper batteries... 5 Watt Solar Battery Charger

It's worked well for me. All I did was connect the leads directly to the camper battery. I keep it on the battery year round to maintain the charge.

Thanks! I hadn't noticed that one. It looks ideal.

 

[crazyal]

I often look at the ad for the inspection camera and think I want one. I have no real use for it, not that it would stop me. Milwaukee makes one but I couldn't justify the money. Next time I get to a HF I'll hold one and maybe take one home, after all it got the coveted Dargo award.

 

[Skyco]

I have their older inspection camera, hasn't been used as much as I thought it would, but when you need it you might really need it.
I find it is a little difficult to tell what you are looking at or where it actually is. No frame of reference as to what is up or down makes it interesting when, say, looking for a lost nut in an inaccessible (to fingers) place.
A zoom would be extremely useful, zoom out to tell where you are then zoom in to see what you want. Low end cameras don't have that.

 

[Dan Hunter]

What does suck is when harbor freight doesn't provide any additional shipping material and the original product packaging box doesn't protect the item.

I have a drill press that has decimated Styrofoam internal packaging and a big dent in the motor case where the chuck tried to penetrate it. The belt adjustment handle is broken along with other various shipping damage. The box itself wasn't damaged.

I don't understand why companies do this. The small cost of additional packing would seem inconsequential to having to replace something.

 

[aczlan]

I have been putting up trim with this air powered brad-nailer/stapler: 18 Gauge 2-in-1 Nailer/Stapler
I run it off of a 5 gal airtank which I fill with a portable compressor. The compressor gets it to 90PSI and the nailer works well from 90PSI down to ~60PSI.

Aaron Z

 

[sixdogs]

I might have to move the wonderful and often free flashlight over to the "sometime sucks" column. I have two of them that the bottom screw-on cover fall off when they were in my coat pocket. The threads appear to have stripped off and the cover now won't tighten and will fall off with just a nudge. The aluminum threads must be really soft and fragile. When this happened to one flashlight last week it was no big deal. Today makes the the second time so we'll have to wait and see. Free takes a lot of suck out of a product but if it's not reliable it's not all that helpful when you need it.