Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[daugen]

Not saying that all Chinese products are this way,

Gary, that is good to hear and reassuring.
I saw a clip today on some guy who spent two, three million bucks on a Chinese bowl from the eleventh century.
We tend to forget China has been around for far longer than we have, and how many bowls in your cupboard are
worth two million? In this case it was age and rarity, but still, they have had an amazing civilization going over there for
a seriously long time. They just haven't been pumping out cheap clock radios for very long...
But thanks to us, Walmart, and whoever else, boy are we keeping them busy now.

 

[daugen]

Re: Harbor Freight Laser Levels that don't suck ?

I was looking for replacement NiCd AA batteries for my cheapie solar lights. I found that HF has a 4 pack of 700 mAh for $4, on sale. So $3.20 after the coupon. No word on life, but how much worse can they be than what came in the China made lights?

that sure is cheap, but after you have twisted the heads off the cheap rusted Phillips head screws holding on the battery compartment, and if the insides aren't rusted out, I've found that two bucks a rechargeable was about the low limit for something decent:
I've had very good luck with this one, but not HF of course, and more than double the cost.
Amazon.com: eneloop NEW 2000mAh Typical, 1900mAh Minimum, 1500 cycle, 8 Pack AA, Ni-MH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries: Electronics

I'd be kind of worried about a rechargeable battery costing less than a buck. The wrapper may be shiny but the chemicals inside may last all of a hundred charges, if that.

 

[Travelover]

Re: Harbor Freight Laser Levels that don't suck ?

that sure is cheap, but after you have twisted the heads off the cheap rusted Phillips head screws holding on the battery compartment, and if the insides aren't rusted out, I've found that two bucks a rechargeable was about the low limit for something decent:
I've had very good luck with this one, but not HF of course, and more than double the cost.
Amazon.com: eneloop NEW 2000mAh Typical, 1900mAh Minimum, 1500 cycle, 8 Pack AA, Ni-MH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries: Electronics

I'd be kind of worried about a rechargeable battery costing less than a buck. The wrapper may be shiny but the chemicals inside may last all of a hundred charges, if that.

Fortunately other than a resident spider, insides were good, battery was just dead. The eneloops are NiMh not NiCd like the original, but you say that it has worked out well for you? I use the eneloops in my camera and they are great - don't self discharge like a regular NiMh battery.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Not saying that all Chinese products are this way,

Gary, that is good to hear and reassuring.
I saw a clip today on some guy who spent two, three million bucks on a Chinese bowl from the eleventh century.
We tend to forget China has been around for far longer than we have, and how many bowls in your cupboard are
worth two million? In this case it was age and rarity, but still, they have had an amazing civilization going over there for
a seriously long time. They just haven't been pumping out cheap clock radios for very long...
But thanks to us, Walmart, and whoever else, boy are we keeping them busy now.

Before I trust my life to a piece of equipment, it has to be thoroughly checked and proof tested. I now know my chains are of good quality even though they are made in china. When you think about the lack of steel mills left in the USA, it is kinda scary. Most of our steel mill when operation were built in the 1800's and still used the 1800-1900 technology. After we bombed Japan into oblivion, we went in with grants and built them the most modern steel mills in the world and they thanked us by trying to bankrupt our economy. I cant say that I know much about the Chinese mills and technology that they use but they are very good at stealing and using someone else's technology so I would think that they probably have SOME modern mills. Japan overcame their low cost, low quality image and China will also with the help of everyone's hard fought technology illegally transferred to them, they don't have to do the trial and error passage like we did to develop their goods, just steal the patent and make it cheaper with slave (or practically slave) labor. Unfortunately we haven't much choice now in buying our products from 3rd World countries because our government has driven most of our businesses out of our country with stupid regulations.
We have reaped what was sown and only time will tell if we can ever pull anything back other than poisoned seed.

 

[sixdogs]

Watch the Chinese batteries and relace them at the first hint of wearing down. The ones I have seen start to leak soon after and have ruined a couple things for me.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

I suspect when you see 'twins' like that with different model #'s it means different suppliers.

good point i didn't think of that.

Yeah, you might have the same exact item have 6 different numbers.

 

[3v0]

The item is not always exact. The quality may vary widely. When I purchased my table top drill press a worker showed me twins and the one had much more play at the chuck. He said the one factory was better the the other.

 

[daugen]

The item is not always exact. The quality may vary widely. When I purchased my table top drill press a worker showed me twins and the one had much more play at the chuck. He said the one factory was better the the other.

Caveat Emptor. Buyer Beware.

If we could only buy an assembled one, so we could take that one home, knowing that it checked out vs. who knows what shows up on the truck.

 

[sparc]

Those 'stupid regulations' may have helped prompt moving much of our manufacturing overseas, but the lack of those same type of regulations is killing china and other countries with pollution. And they are starting to pay the price. Of course with such a large near slave labor force its not a problem as long as you don't run out of grave spaces.

 

[CBW1999]

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_13512.jpg

Bought this to "soda blast" aluminum parts. Fairly impressed with its construction and performance.

Very surprised at how far the full hopper will go. I use standard grocery store baking soda with good results. The only caveat is needing to adjust the lever to control the flow of powder. I think this is only because the "grocery store" powder is so fine as opposed to actual blasting soda. Possibly adjusting the input psi will help too.

The only thing I might add is a disposable air dryer and psi regulator at the gun. I think that would be easier to make fine psi adjustment without leaving the work area. the added moisture control would be good too.