Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[Rodiron]

I am now a believer in the HF grinders. I went on a pipe job with a company from out of town and in the gang box I seen a orange grinder, and right off knew where it came from. I ask the "Pusher" on the job what he had that piece of s... for? He said he had bought 2 of them to see how they would hold up. Now I don't normally do this but I tried my damnest to burn that grinder up, I was still working after the job ended. The last Milwalkee 4-1/2" I bought I gave $159 for and have 3, but also nowI have 2 HF 4-1/2 and 1-7" grinders. I've had them for over a yr. now and all are still going strong. Live and learn I guess, just wish I could learn alttle quicker. lol The reason for so many is I have a weld truck so have enough for the shop and truck. Hey, I hope some good Holidays for everyone.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have had the heavy duty 7" HF grinder for a couple years and it works great. I just wish now that I had bought the 9" since my brother, who inspects on a pipeline, just gave me a box of 9" discs that he picked up off the right of way. The welders grind on bead with them and throw them away and get a new disc. Lots of times, if you walk a pipeline prior to backfilling, you can pick up new discs that have been dropped along with almost full cans of welding rods.
I also have 3 of the 4.5" grinders. They only difference I find in the 4 and 4.5 is the size of the safety guard.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I am now a believer in the HF grinders. I went on a pipe job with a company from out of town and in the gang box I seen a orange grinder, and right off knew where it came from. I ask the "Pusher" on the job what he had that piece of s... for? He said he had bought 2 of them to see how they would hold up. Now I don't normally do this but I tried my damnest to burn that grinder up, I was still working after the job ended. The last Milwalkee 4-1/2" I bought I gave $159 for and have 3, but also nowI have 2 HF 4-1/2 and 1-7" grinders. I've had them for over a yr. now and all are still going strong. Live and learn I guess, just wish I could learn alttle quicker. lol The reason for so many is I have a weld truck so have enough for the shop and truck. Hey, I hope some good Holidays for everyone.

I have had the heavy duty 7" HF grinder for a couple years and it works great. I just wish now that I had bought the 9" since my brother, who inspects on a pipeline, just gave me a box of 9" discs that he picked up off the right of way. The welders grind on bead with them and throw them away and get a new disc. Lots of times, if you walk a pipeline prior to backfilling, you can pick up new discs that have been dropped along with almost full cans of welding rods.
I also have 3 of the 4.5" grinders. They only difference I find in the 4 and 4.5 is the size of the safety guard.

Glad to hear theyve improved them. I burned up two of them in 30 minutes about 9 yrs ago. Never been back on those.
larry

 

[Gale Hawkins]

China is on a tear to improve quality from what I can see. If they can not keep exports high the people will become very restless sooner than later.

A few years I read a story about a German company rep finding a knock off of one of their machine tools at a trade show. When he told them who he was with he was shocked by their response. He stated while it was a quite good knock off the China manufacturer reps instead of running backwards just got excited and started hitting him with questions on what they needed to do to get it more like the OEM product.

We have worked some of the large wrench sets hard working on the old BH and we are talking 2" size wrenches being hit with a hammer to break nuts loose. So far the HF 800 watt 2 stoke gen set on sale for $88 has performed quite well. China will replace USA, German and Japan in the hand tool markets world wide going and coming. They will take so many sales the other three countries will not have R&D funds and China factories will mirror the high quality hand tools then own both the low and high end tool market.

When we read posts about about contractors buying HF tools you know the end is near for non China tool makers. Every where I go I see HF tools today but our store is only 50 miles away. Their labor costs are much less than just our benefits only cost I expect. Not a level playing field but they are helping make our SS checks not bounce.

 

[deerseeker001]

i have mine 2 years and they work great,wish i had bought years ago.

I bought one of these a few months ago. Already paid for itself in sharper chainsaw blades

 

[California]

I've owned the HF 7 and 9 inch angle grinders for about five years. I haven't put enough hours on them to predict reliability but they work fine.

I find the 9 inch one dangerously heavy (and powerful) for working where I have to lift it after a few minutes as my arms become tired. I don't think I would assign this one to an employee. It works great when its weight rests on the work. I think just owning the 7 inch grinder would be sufficient for most uses.

If anybody is interested here's a thread I posted showing the 9" angle grinder used to hog out a cavity in cast iron wheel weights. I modified the weights to make clearance for the valve stems.
Wheel Weights for YM186D
The grinder worked great for this heavy continuous grinding.

 

[Rodiron]

Good morning Mr Fowler and thanks for the msg. about the grinders and I know first hand about the pipe-lineing, I've done some miles of that back in the 80's in Wyo. dureing the "oil boom" of that time like is going on in N.D. now. Wish I was about 20yrs younger I'd have to get some of that easy money, lol I found yrs. ago that I could do just as good with a 7" as a 9" and not wear myself out. I think the Black and Decker wild-cat grinder weighed about 50# or felt that way after a short time riding one. I found if you put a Pipe-liner disc on the 7" you can cut and grind pretty quick and to me seems like the Pipe-liner last longer, may just be me though. If you have never tried one check it out. They're 1/8th in. instead of 1/4, or maybe 3/16th, just know they are thinner. You don't by chance have kin-folk in W.Va do you? I am kin to some Fowlers up there, ****, we might be kin, lol Have a great day and again, thanks. Eddie

 

[PhysAssist]

I have a similar Bluetooth adapter that I got on Amazon and Touchscan installed on my laptop (which has a bluetooth adapter in it). $40 total invested and it works well for most gas vehicles. Touchscan doesn't read many codes on Diesels (or at least not on my parents '99 E350 w/ the 7.3L diesel).
Touchscan lists for $35, but some sites (I think I used mp3car) have it on sale for $25 with great regularity.

Aaron Z

Hey Aaron,

Thanks for the link.

Now if it would just reflash the performance module so we could tweak the HP, MPG's and other parameters- though I'd probably screw up something playing around.

Du-oh!?!? Ooops!

Thomas

 

[Pixguy]

Here's another source for the 20% coupon in store, online or by phone.
Affiliate

 

[sixdogs]

Does anyone own the electric impact wrench? I got a $39.99 super coupon in my email today and it's tempting, especially considering the good angle grinder reviews recently.

Electric Impact Wrench - 1/2"

Also, I thought HF made a 7" angle grinder but I can't seem to find it. Anyone know if they make one?