Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[crazyal]

I just ordered the same water pump to help pump a dug well so I can repair the inside wall. How has it worked for you? Thanks!

I'm not sure if they still sell the pump I've got. It looks like the one they have now is 79cc, not 98cc. Not sure if it would make a difference since the motor never bogs down. I have a 275 gallon IBC and the pump will fill it in a couple of minutes, 5 at most. Much faster than I was expecting. The only time I had a problem I had was it wouldn't start this spring but it was because I never used it last year and the gas was bad. Once the tank and the fuel bowl was drained it started right up and ran great.

I was told to make sure it always had water in the pump to avoid wearing out the pump seal. I use a rigid plastic hose from a pool vac with a brass check valve (like you would find on a well water line).

 

[BigE_]

Looking for a 12" sliding compound miter saw. Just can't justify the $500 entry price on a "decent" one. Sear has theirs on sale right now for $199...."4 star user rating" on their website. HF has one 12" Double-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw with Laser Guide for $129... website shows "4 star user rating" as well and appears to be a second generation model and is designed very much like DW's $500 model.

Has anyone bought one of these HF saws? It will mostly be used for carpentry work but if I want to occasionally cut a piece of trim or cabinetry on a 45* angle, I want it to be 45*'s every time.....unfortunately my last Craftsman ( non sliding) wouldn't do that after several years of use it required constant readjustment and finally got to the place that I never could get it to hold an exact angle.

I wouldn't expect any slider to hold an exact angle. Maybe a Festool. If you want that kind of accuracy, don't look for it at Harbor Freight. Get a nice DeWalt compound miter, non sliding saw. Or Bosch, or Makita. Even then you'll have to tune it up every once in a while, especially when it is used for rough stuff.

 

[ETpilot]

Also I really like the LED trailer lights! are those from HF?

Yes HF. I had these on my welding trailer and moved them to this trailer for this trip. I have another style that I will use on the welding trailer. These are great lights. Highly visible. Even the license plate light is very bright. As I go down the road with no one behind me I can do a visual check of the brake lights and turn signals.

 

[ETpilot]

Man, you got your nickles worth out of that tire didn't you.

Actually these tires, although old, all looked good for this trip. They looked as good as the little tire on my hand cart. Good tread, no weather checking all looked good. Only my spare was in bad shape. I really thought if I had a problem it would be a flat not a total blow out. There have been some negative comments on these tires so I replaced them. Good thing too. I wanted all 4 replaced but only did 3. Then that 4th tire went.

 

[ETpilot]

Looking for a 12" sliding compound miter saw. Just can't justify the $500 entry price on a "decent" one. Sear has theirs on sale right now for $199...."4 star user rating" on their website. HF has one 12" Double-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw with Laser Guide for $129... website shows "4 star user rating" as well and appears to be a second generation model and is designed very much like DW's $500 model.

Has anyone bought one of these HF saws? It will mostly be used for carpentry work but if I want to occasionally cut a piece of trim or cabinetry on a 45* angle, I want it to be 45*'s every time.....unfortunately my last Craftsman ( non sliding) wouldn't do that after several years of use it required constant readjustment and finally got to the place that I never could get it to hold an exact angle.

I got the ad which shows this 12' double bevel saw. It looks quite interesting and I may get one in the future. The ad has it for $124.99. Now if you can apply a 20% coupon to that price it would be a good deal. That is how I purchased my 10" sliding saw. That saw took a little while to set up and get the cuts square and miter cuts correct. Once I got it set up it has held true. Before using I always check my cuts on scrap. So far, I have not had to go thru the set up procedure again.

 

[EE_Bota]

No, this is not an inverter generator. It runs at a steady 3600 rpm.

Thanks for setting me straight. I guess I had difficulty believing that a 2-cycle could put out adequate power @3600, and would have adequate torque to compensate for load changes. But the proof is in the pudding, and the reviews are good, so it is not a deal breaker for me. I just hate to buy what I don't understand, but you have cleared my fog.

 

[Travelover]

Thanks for setting me straight. I guess I had difficulty believing that a 2-cycle could put out adequate power @3600, and would have adequate torque to compensate for load changes. But the proof is in the pudding, and the reviews are good, so it is not a deal breaker for me. I just hate to buy what I don't understand, but you have cleared my fog.

The way it handles load changes is primarily through inertia of the spinning armature of the generator. It is not exactly gutsy.

 

[crazyal]

I got a 25% off coupon in the mail a couple of days ago. It's part of the monthly flier. It says it can be used on-line or in store but the number on the coupon is much larger than I have seen in the past for on-line coupons. Did anyone else get one of these?

 

[sixdogs]

I got a 25% off coupon in the mail a couple of days ago. It's part of the monthly flier. It says it can be used on-line or in store but the number on the coupon is much larger than I have seen in the past for on-line coupons. Did anyone else get one of these?

Confirm that it was 25% since that would be unusual. 20% has been the new norm.

 

[EE_Bota]

I got a 25% off coupon in the mail a couple of days ago. It's part of the monthly flier. It says it can be used on-line or in store but the number on the coupon is much larger than I have seen in the past for on-line coupons. Did anyone else get one of these?

I got one, and when I read what it can NOT be used for, it complicated that situation right much, and so far I haven't bought anything from that circular.