Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[TheRumpledOne]

In buiding up a small travel toolbox, I didn't want to spend much for only an occasional use so I bought sockets and wrenches at HF and am really impressed. I almost want to ditch my old Craftsman and use these as the good sockets. Anyway....

21 Piece High Visibility 1/2" Drive SAE/Metric Socket Set $34.99 but on "sale" and with 20% paid $23.99. That's a great price and they are excellent sockets. Jury still out on the rachet but so far, so good.

22 Piece SAE and Metric Raised Panel Combination Wrench Set These were $19.99 but on sale for $14.99 and with 20% off were $11.99. They are great wrenches, especially for an occasional use. Not as nice as the sockets but still a real deal amd excellent wrenches.


***Now, on the downside, don't buy these ear muffs Ear Muffs unless you have a very small head. They are great quality and good noise reduction but unless you have a small head or are a child, they are too small.

I already have plenty of CRAFTSMAN wrenches and sockets. I highly recommend the new UNIVERSAL style.

 

[ETpilot]

Anybody try the HF automotive headlight bulbs? I am looking at the 9004 headlight bulb. HF describes it as a super white halogen bulb, online at 7.99 but in store they are marked at 9.99. I may have to try these out.

Headlight Bulb

 

[crazyal]

This has probably been posted before, but I am not going to look thru 288 pages to find it. This bead breaker I found on eBay should work fine.
TIRE BEAD BREAKER | eBay
I made one similar to it about 30 years ago and it still works flawlessly on all auto tires or smaller sized tires.

I know it's been written about but it just doesn't seem durable enough to actually break the bead on a 14" or 15" tire difficult tire like on a haywagon. Won't those stamped steel "ears" that the handle pivots on bend and distort? Maybe the handle itself bends?


Here's the one from HF--same thing as above --less money.

Bead Breaker

I would buy this bead breaker over that style since it can also remove tires. The part that pushes down on the tire is a little weak for truck tires but it only takes a little bit of steel to beef it up.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

***Now, on the downside, don't buy these ear muffs Ear Muffs unless you have a very small head. They are great quality and good noise reduction but unless you have a small head or are a child, they are too small.

I have a big head, and those fit me just fine. I always keep them on the tractor. :thumbsup:

 

[sixdogs]

I have a big head, and those fit me just fine. I always keep them on the tractor. :thumbsup:

Maybe they upgraded them? Four of the eight reviewers on these mention they are way too small so maybe a model change?

Ear Muffs

If so, mail order buyers will need to be careful.


**EDIT--I went back to the store yesterday and bought these. They fit fine.

Industrial Ear Muffs

These are for emergency backup for mild tractor noise to toss in the back of the truck and not care if lost or damaged. I'm not firing a Howitzer.

 

[California]

I just now read the product manuals for HF's various hearing protectors. The $2 red ear muffs give only 2 db reduction @ 125 hz while their foam earplugs are 38 db reduction @ 125 hz. (All the strings on a bass guitar are below 125 hz for comparison.)

What I read confirmed my experience of these products, that the $2 muffs weren't adequate to prevent fatigue from my clanky 24 hp 2 cylinder Yanmar. I've described its sound as 'sledges hammering on a manhole cover'; an overwhelming and tiring pounding if I use the backhoe just above idle all day. (Higher rpm is hardly better just higher frequency).

I looked at some of the other manuals.
The earplugs-on-a-string are only 1 db @ 125 hz.
$6 red ear muffs, the ones some users say have a too-small headband: -5.43 db reduction @ 125 hz. Negative!!! Maybe an echo chamber? But it has good numbers at mid-frequency.
$10 yellow ear muffs: 9.6 db reduction @ 125 hz and excellent numbers at mid-frequency.

Looks like I'll stick with the disposable earplugs for tractoring. The $2 red ear muffs are ok for the table saw because its racket is higher pitched.

 

[JRTJH]

OK, after reading most of this thread a second time, I'm still confused (don't ask my wife about that). It seems some posters favor the "red tools" and some favor the "blue tools" but I can't seem to get a good handle on which power tools are most reliable, the red ones or the blue ones. I'm leaning toward the red, but what's your take on it?

 

[California]

I think you're right, the blue Drillmaster tools are the cheapest. It looks like red is replacing orange as their color for the decent quality tools.

And HF has declared they want to be 'America's tool store', ie replacing Craftsman etc for at least homeowner-grade tools. I'm not convinced they are there yet but I see a definite improvement over years past.

 

[rbstern]

22 Piece SAE and Metric Raised Panel Combination Wrench Set These were $19.99 but on sale for $14.99 and with 20% off were $11.99. They are great wrenches, especially for an occasional use. Not as nice as the sockets but still a real deal amd excellent wrenches.

Completely agree. These wrenches are excellent for the money. I have two sets. One in the truck, one in the workshop. They are decently machined and tough enough to be abused.

 

[crazyal]

I think you're right, the blue Drillmaster tools are the cheapest. It looks like red is replacing orange as their color for the decent quality tools.

And HF has declared they want to be 'America's tool store', ie replacing Craftsman etc for at least homeowner-grade tools. I'm not convinced they are there yet but I see a definite improvement over years past.

They have a ways to go. Since there's only one sort of close (3 hours each way) that's all I can base my impression on. First, the shopping carts look like they came from a Chinese grocery store. They are about 1/2 to 2/3 the size of a normal cart. Yes it's minor but it's the first impression and you know what they say about first impressions. Then there's the whole "lot number". Stop using the word "lot" and start using "item". Next, stop using those Chinese boxes, tan cardboard should stay in the backroom. While on the subject of boxes, make the Chinese package things better. There's nothing like seeing a poorly packaged product that moved during shipping and has torn the box leaving the buyer to wonder if everything is still in the box.

If HF wants to move beyond being a discount tool store it needs to change it's image.