Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[California]

Originally Posted by Merlint

...do you have to find a HF store to make the purchase? Please advise. Thanks.

Here's their store locator page:
Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Their mail order works fine, but I like to look around in the stores. Sometimes seeing a tool encourages me to get it and start a project I have been putting off.

[Skyco]

Originally Posted by dfkrug

No way! For many years, I bought from HF mail order. It was not until maybe
a dozen years ago that I visited a store. The store was disappointing in that
they only stocked maybe 1/50 of what's in the catalogs.

If you ever get to S Cal, the HQ warehouse IS impressive however.

They also have a gigantic warehouse in Dillon SC, on I-95 just south of the NC line. There is a store at their warehouse but here is the strange part- the store like all of them, doesn't carry everything. One would think since the store is attached to the warehouse they could retrieve anything in the warehouse. NOPE
I was in there a couple of months ago and wanted to look at a $300 item and buy it if I liked it. Nope, no way..they won't even check

[slaveToHorses]

Yeah, you really do want to see the goods in person.
I wanted a utility cart that had some drawers underneath it. Until I saw how cheap and flimsy it was. But they also had a cart with one drawer that was fine. I was sure glad I hadn't ordered the other one. It looked fine in the catalog.

[Ken_CT]

I bought their 35lb, breaker hammer for $319.99. I have quite a few Harbor freight tools, and like everyone else said some are winners and some are losers. I also have many pro tools, ranging from very old to newer stuff, so I do know the difference between quality and junk. The comparable Bosch model is around $1000, and since I'm only using this occasionally, I thought I'd give it a try. This was by far my most expensive purchase from them. I have used the larger $1400 Bosch many times as we had one at work so I have something to compare it with. I wanted to chip ledge or rocks too big to get out with the Kubota. There is about 2 hours on the tool so far, and I am impressed with it. I run it from my generator and it works as well or even better than I thought. I would put this one in the winner column.

here is a link to it.
Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

[patrick_g]

Originally Posted by Ken_CT

I bought their 35lb, breaker hammer for $319.99. I would put this one in the winner column.

here is a link to it.
Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Right on Ken. I have one of those too and although I wish it would do more, it does as much or more as you could reasonably expect for the price. I run mine on a generator too. I bought the wide chisel, black top cutter or some such. It is better than a digging bar in hard surface soil when you need to get a 3PH mounted auger a little help getting a hole started. I cut off one of the included tips to use the shank to make my own custom tool. I welded on a "cup" make of a short length of pipe. I use it to get a T-post driven when the ground is so hard I can't drive it with my FEL. It isn't fast in those circumstances but it will do the deed and not be quite so much heart attack risk. At 6'2" (plus boots) I am just tall enough to barely hold it above a 6 ft T-post. A bucket or stool makes it way easier.

Pat

[QRTRHRS]

I have the larger breaker hammer and I was just thinking about how much use I have gotten out of this tool. I picked up a couple of 3 foot long bits for doing post holes in soil were my 3pt auger won't work.

One of HF's recent ads had it for around 450. It was only 360 when I bought it.

I have to drive a bit to get to HF's Lexington, KY store so I don't get there too often. I made the trip recently to get a rain check on a plate compactor on the last day of the recent sale on that tool. I had been calling but they were out of stock.

They seemed to have a lot of empty shelve space. Hope that is not an omen.

[patrick_g]

Originally Posted by QRTRHRS

They seemed to have a lot of empty shelve space. Hope that is not an omen.

Ahh, half empty, huh?

Maybe they are selling stock faster than they can replace it.

Pat

[Dargo]

Question: how are the HF pipe wrenches? The reason I ask? I've had no less than 5 pipe wrenches sprout legs and walk off. I spent about 12 hours yesterday rerouting plumbing, gas lines, and installed a water softener. When I needed my pipe wrenches the only ones I could find were the little 8" dudes or my 24" and 48" ones. That leaves the most commonly used ones missing. I figure that even el cheapo pipe wrenches ought to be just fine. Anyone have any experience with them?

[patrick_g]

Originally Posted by Dargo

Question: how are the HF pipe wrenches? Anyone have any experience with them?

I have mostly Ridgid brand pipe wrenches and they are darned good. I have friends with HF and they seem to work OK.

Here is my concern. I do have direct comparison knowledge of real VISE GRIP brand vise grips vs HF version of vise grips. I have various models and sizes of HF "vice grips" and some are crap but mostly the HF stuff works fairly well EXCEPT when you are trying to grip something like a dry wall screw shank (head is broken off) and in cases like that the real thing works really well and the cheapies from HF or other sources just don't work at all most of the time or work poorly. If I have to grip something sma

How does this relate to pipe wrenches? I'm not entirely sure but I'd buy one and test it before I bought a set or multiple copies just in case when you really needed to put some BIG TORQUE to something that the jaws hold well.

If I have to buy more pipe wrenches for any reason I will probably try one of the lightweight alloy handled HF units and test it, then if satisfied I cold buy more. Why light weight alloy handles? Because as you know these suckers are heavy, especially in larger sizes. Even little Rigid ones are a handful in hard to get to tight spaces.

If you take the plunge, let us know how the HF works ouit.

Pat

[Skyco]

Originally Posted by QRTRHRS

They seemed to have a lot of empty shelve space. Hope that is not an omen.

The two I frequent, one in Columbia SC and one in Augusta GA, have been "remodeling" the layout, resulting in lots of empty space as they move stuff around. Don't know if that is the case at the one you visit