Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[Tractor Seabee]

What thickness mild steel do you limit it to?

Mark, depends on how much time you have or how nice a hole you need/want. I use them in the drill press all the time. Awhile back I stacked 4 pieces of 3/8 flat bar parts I wanted matched up and it took about 30 minutes. Use plenty of that sulfur based cutting oil. You can stack and drill the pilot holes with a long bit, then un-stack. Most of mine are the deep ones. Be sure and put a piece of wood in the vise though.

I haven't been on this thread for a time. Did not know you were a regular. Maybe now I will have time to read all this esoteric stuff and watch your smoke.

Ron

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Does HF have a decent drill press that will drill up to half inch steel ? Decent price? Garage use at home, not for a buisness.Thanks.

I have one of their older 16 speed bench mount. Drill 1" holes with it a lot (lowest speed) and good sulfur cutting oil. Have used 6" hole saws in it also (slow process)

Ron

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I have one of their new floor standing 16 spd drill presses. It replaces the same older unit I sold when we moved up here. I too only use it occasionally in my home shop, and it does good for that. It will drill 1/2 mild steel just fine as long as you use a slow speed setting, lots of cutting oil and a slow feed speed.

If I was a production shop that needed a heavy duty drill press for constant production use, I would look elsewhere.

 

[greif]

Just got a new catalog/flyer in the mail and they have a new roller cabinet with wood top, Yukon brand. Looks nice and only $289. Anyone seen one in the store? I have a a 25% coupon for Monday.... Might have to check it out.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

If I was a production shop that needed a heavy duty drill press for constant production use, I would look elsewhere.

I think that sums up the best of HF.

The worst is just junk.

 

[stuckmotor]

How in the world did you hold down the tank against that kind of torque?

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[newbury]

Does HF have a decent drill press that will drill up to half inch steel ? Decent price? Garage use at home, not for a buisness.Thanks.

I've been in need of a GOOD drill press and looking for years. Amazon and WalMart had been running a price war on Wen tools, cheap knockoffs similar to HF.

Well they had the WEN 8" 5-Speed Drill Press on sale for $35 a couple of weeks ago. Now it's back to $75 at Walmart and $82 at Home Depot. So I decided for $35 I could get that and wait on finding a GOOD drill press. It's got a bunch of reviews on Youtube.

They might start the pricewar again.

 

[California]

If that doesn't have more power than the HF $39 benchtop drill press I bought several years age - don't bother. Not only weak, but impossible to tighten the chuck sufficiently. That wasn't really a general shop tool. It was more like a specialty tool for an electronics lab or something that wouldn't need much force. I hope HF's current model is better.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Hmm.. About 7-8yrs ago I bought a 'managers special' at TSC of a 12" table top drill press and 6" bench grinder combo for $50. Both have been doing pretty good so far. I image the HF ones have caught up in quality since then... maybe.

 

[lostcreekranch]

Just got a new catalog/flyer in the mail and they have a new roller cabinet with wood top, Yukon brand. Looks nice and only $289. Anyone seen one in the store? I have a a 25% coupon for Monday.... Might have to check it out.

HF typically excludes cabinets, tool boxes, etc. from Coupons.