Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[Bedlam]

Those are super long pliers, I have bought several locking welding pliers and they arent the best, but served the purpose..
I use the small locking pliers like that that are a brand name tho. I might be overusing them but they are sure Worth their money.

[tallyho8]

Originally Posted by California

Has anyone had good luck with HF's #90385 compressor?
2.5 HP, 8 GALLON, 120 PSI AIR COMPRESSOR, $159.99.

This seems to have the best specifications of all the smaller compressors, the ones that are reasonable to lift into a truck. (65 lbs).
I expect this will be light hobby use, a few hours per year, so I don't need pro grade stuff.

I bought one like that last year on sale for $99 and it was the best $99 I ever spent. It is used almost daily to air up tires and works great with my nailer and sprayer. I had a Campbell Hausfield that was a little larger and much heavier and it could not keep up as well with my air demands.

[California]

Originally Posted by tallyho8

the best $99 I ever spent. It is used almost daily to air up tires and works great with my nailer and sprayer. I had a Campbell Hausfield that was a little larger and much heavier and it could not keep up as well

Thanks! That's exactly what I was hoping to hear!

[gemini5362]

Dargo,

I apreciate that you want to warn people to a potential safety problem with some of the HF tools. What were you using the impact sockets with. You said that you went through all the sockets in two sets. Two of us on here have posted that we had them on good quality IR impact wrenches that have a maximum output of 600 foot pounds of torque. I have never had problems with the ones I bought and evidently neither has the other poster. What kind of Impact do you use that broke them that badly. If there is something that I might do that makes them break easily i would surely want to know that.
I have used the 4 inch cutting disks a lot and no problem. My friends tell me to get the HF band saw blades they work well and last as long as anything else. Most of the guys I work with have their cheap metal band saw. It works very well for the average home use.


I have been to Pats house I try not to go out in his work shop because I am afraid that I will rust some of his tools because I am drooling so much. There are a lot of people on here that do not have to buy at HF we try to spend our money for the best investment in tools for the buck. I personally spend a lot of money on Ridgid power tools. They are pretty expensive comparatively but they have a real lifetime warranty and they work very well. For a one time use or something I am not going to use very often my money is well invested in HF stuff. Sometimes before I want to invest a 1000.00 or more in a tool I try an HF tool to see if it will do the job and if I am going to use it enough to warrant the better tool. Usually the times I have done that I have not bought anything else because HF does the job. Like pat said I am getting more discriminate in what I am buying. One of the things that I have seen poster after poster talk about is the HF auto darkening helmet. I have not seen a post yet where someone said it did not work as well or better than any auto darkening helmet they have had. and for 50.00 it is well worth the price. But I for one am very appreciative of your stance on wanting to help people avoid dangerous situations.

[Charlesaf3]

I actually don't see a difference in what Dargo and Patrick are saying...

Basically, some HF tools are good, some (probably most) aren't, buy with your eyes open.

I'm annoyed with them currently as have had a bad run of luck. Cheap winch worked once with no load on - hoping I can fix it. But didn't have high hopes in truth, bought it to play with it.

I'll say this for HF - their junk is junk priced. Whereas some out there are selling the exact same junk (like the winch I'm talking about) for far more - I've seen the same winch rebranded elsewhere for twice the price.

What annoys me is not HF junk being junk - I expect that. My new Dewalt being junk is thoroughly irritating.

Patrick, am I right you are happy with the saw stop saw? I've heard good things about it, and am on the edge of pulling the trigger. Thinking the contractors saw for now, maybe get the cabinet too for later... Expensive, but normally I, or the guys working for me, strip the blade guard off the saw first thing, and that could be far more expensive... Was thinking the new bosch as a jobsite saw before sawstop came out with the contractor

[Charlesaf3]

oh, I meant to say - I have the chainsaw sharpener - very poorly built, but works well, if that makes sense. Bought the circular saw sharpener, in the hope that it'll save me a fiar bit of cash if it works, but haven't tried it yet.

[alchemysa]

[quote=tallyho8]I bought one like that last year on sale for $99 and it was the best $99 I ever spent. It is used almost daily to air up tires and works great with my nailer and sprayer. I had a Campbell Hausfield that was a little larger and much heavier and it could not keep up as well with my air demands.[/QUOTE

I've had one for nearly two years. Almost identical but over here its labelled as GMC. I've seen them as low as $98 but I think I paid about $125 including an accesory kit. I'm pretty happy with it. (In fact I dont know how they can be made for this price). The tank is just big enough for topping up a couple of tyres before the motor starts up. I've never used it for spraying. The only problem I had was a split in the hose near one of the connections. My only real gripe is the low handle and narrow wheels. Its kinda clumsy if you have to drag it around. But its light enough to lift into the trailer or back of the wagon.

[dbdartman]

Only used them a few times so far, but the Pittsburgh brand swivel end ratcheting box wrenches seem well worth the money for the backyard mechanic type.

[patrick_g]

Originally Posted by Charlesaf3

I actually don't see a difference in what Dargo and Patrick are saying...


Patrick, am I right you are happy with the saw stop saw? I've heard good things about it, and am on the edge of pulling the trigger. Thinking the contractors saw for now, maybe get the cabinet too for later... Expensive, but normally I, or the guys working for me, strip the blade guard off the saw first thing, and that could be far more expensive... Was thinking the new bosch as a jobsite saw before sawstop came out with the contractor

The Saw Stop cabinet saw (I have the 52 inch table) is a heck of a fine machine. A brief momentary lapse while using a tapering jig and ZHAZAM. I had a spare cartridge for just in case. Now you see it (the blade) and then poof, you don't. A previous lapse using the Makita customized my left thumb to the consternation of several national agencies who have to change their files.

A report on cabinet saws I read gave the stats on several very nice saws. The Saw Stop was as good or better in every measurement of tolerances, runout and such. It is not just the safest saw it is also about as good as saws get.

I mostly use it without the guard but with the nice riving knife. It is pretty easy and fast to swap back and forth between riving knife and guard. It is pretty easy to change blades from 10 inch to 8 inch dado stack and takes 2-3 min extra to swap from 10 inch brake cartridge to 8 inch brake cartridge.

My single complaint is that I would have liked a teflon coated table or chrome or... I hate to see where my sweat causes rust. I have a set of cleaners that make it look new though.

If the Saw Stop contractor's saw is as good compared to other contractor's saws as the cabinet saw is compared to its brethren, it will be a good machine.

Pat

[patrick_g]

Originally Posted by Dargo

Patrick, really, I have no low opinion of you because you really like HF.

I really do like HF (much of the time) and I also really like my several Milwaukee power tools, Delta, Senco, Craftsman (well not all that furiously in love with Craftsman in many instances), Ryobi, DeWalt, and on and on. I'm sure I have less money tied up in HF than the others.

What my "LOVE AFFAIR" (if it is fair to call it that) with HF is that I don't always need the best of everything and sometimes HF fits well within the "GOOD ENOUGH" category. I could post on the HF tools that suck thread too.

I don't give blanket approval nor condemnation to a whole store full of stuff because I like or dislike some small percentage of their products. I consider my HF purchases on a case by case basis and evaluate their expected utility and economy to me based on my expected use. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised and sometimes not so pleasantly surprised. Overall, I have had a positive experience with more satisfaction than disappointment by far. Without expectation there is no disappointment and I sometimes don't expect a lot from HF goods.

Bottom line is that if it didn't work for me as well as it has I would be much less inclined to spend $ there. There is just a whole lot of the stuff in the store and on-line that I would never buy because it doesn't pass muster with me. They have some stuff that I wouldn't want at 90% off retail and free shipping.

I'm sorry you have had such a negative experience with HF. If I had done as poorly with them as you I would probably not shop there often.

I have some of their heavy clunky Crescent type wrenches up to 18 and 24 inch size. I don't need them very often but I can't see how a better brand would work any better. Maybe be lighter using a stronger alloy but no more than I use them heavy is no big deal AND they are guaranteed forever, instant exchange, no receipt, no hassle. I had a wood working fast clamp break first time I used it. Free exchange, no receipt, no hassle. I have lots of clamps so having one break was not a hold up.

If I think I need to really really depend on something and it is not just an inconvenience if it breaks but a major hassle then I am pretty darned circumspect about what I buy. I have a Warn winch (12,000 lb) on my truck, not a HF.

I do have a couple different sets of Chinese made impact sockets (one set from HF but only driven with cheap Chinese impact tool and air ratchet) and they have lasted for over 10 years. I don't make a living using them every day but I have used them seriously several times.

Pat