HF tools that suck

[Builder]

If one seeks great bargains on low priced tools, I often wondered why not just buy used brand name tools at yard sales or from the local "penny pincher, "trade talk" etc. type papers we have in my area.

Tons of brand name tools at like 25% of their new price that will far outlast the cheap chinese junk that Horrible Fright sells.

[OKnewguy]

I never by used tools from the paper, craigslist, or ebay and especially pawn shops. I could be wrong, but I believe the majority of these tools are hot as all get out. I have bought some things like mowers and 4 wheelers. These items have always had the original owners manuals, so they probably were clean. I would rather get a hf tool then run the chance of supporting theft.
Thanks, Dave
P.S. I am not trying to start any kind of fight and hope that it is not taken that way.

[CurlyDave]

Also jackstands.

I have both a pair of their 4000 lb jackstands, and a pair of their 8000 lb jackstands. (The ratings are per pair)

I have used the smaller pair for years with no problem, and while the larger pair is fairly new, they are of the same design and seem OK.

They work on a kind of a rachet mechanism -- pull up the inner part & it locks, lift a lever and it drops. Much more convenient that the usual tubular metal ones from the auto parts store. They are beefy as all get out. The steel could be, and probably is 1/4 the strength of a different brand. But, the sheer mass of it means they are strong.

[California]

Originally Posted by Builder

If one seeks great bargains on low priced tools, I often wondered why not just buy used brand name tools at yard sales or from the local "penny pincher, "trade talk" etc. type papers we have in my area.

Tons of brand name tools at like 25% of their new price that will far outlast the cheap chinese junk that Horrible Fright sells.

You will chuckle at this. I'm going the opposite way!

I inherited maybe a half ton of yard-sale tools Dad got really cheap over the years. All of it is worn out professional tools, averaging 30-50 years old. I've used his stuff all my life but as soon as I started working construction I started bring my own tools over to work on his ranch. None of his yard sale stuff worked right, every piece needed repair before using it for something. Hammers with loose heads, belt sanders (about 8 of them) that all gouge because the bottom plate is bent, wrecking bars that dump you on the ground when you apply force because they are subtly bent to one side. Paint brushes that never stop shedding.

In the 8 years since I inherited this place I've tried to do good work with these tools but it's simply impossible. Even dangerous considering the frayed, taped cords and non-insulated bare metal construction. One by one I've run out of patience and taken armloads of this stuff to the used tool store. A couple of time I've bought a quality used tool if he had it. More often I've taken what I got for it, and headed straight for HF to buy the equivalent new tool that actually works. The stuff I bought myself as a journeyman Carpenter back in the 1970's is still the only stuff I really trust, though.

[Builder]

Originally Posted by California

The stuff I bought myself as a journeyman Carpenter back in the 1970's is still the only stuff I really trust, though.

That's what I mean. I'm not suggesting to buy 30-50 yr old tools. I see lots of practically new tools purchased by amateurs to do a project that get sold because they no longer need them for less than 1/2 the price they paid.

[patrick_g]

If you want AMERICAN stuff
then look here ==> made in usa, american made, made in america

Pat

[MicroPilot]

Too be fair, Harbor Freight usually has different price levels for the same type of tool. If you buy the really cheap one, your getting the "really cheap" one. Most of my bad experiences with HF are when I bought the "really cheap" tool. The more expensive stuff does seem to be "better" quality.

I've also had Craftsman and Snap-On tools fail on me, and those aren't cheap.

[California]

My local HF recently moved from a scary neighborhood to a larger, cleaner store in a better location. Come to think of it, the other store I stop by when on the road just did the same thing.

And they now seem to stock better brands of tools, as well as have better control over the quality level their Chinese suppliers provide.

Finally, their prices are moving up.

I think these guys are moving up, however slightly. They want to be 'America's tool store' and with Craftsman/Kmart stocking a lot of the same Chinese-made gear, HF has a better chance at it compared to back when all-American lines of tools were clearly superior to imports.

Just a hunch, but I think they just might pull it off.

[kenmac]

I was thinking of 1 of these semiautomatic tire changers for the garage. Not to sure about the quality though Harbor Freight Tools

[patrick_g]

Originally Posted by California

My local HF recently moved from a scary neighborhood to a larger, cleaner store in a better location. Come to think of it, the other store I stop by when on the road just did the same thing.

On a similar note... Now that many of the HF stores are in better locations with new clean stores with clean restrooms and wide brightly lit isles, I notice a sharp up tick in female shopper numbers. This is not just women accompanying their men but those shopping on their own. They wander the isles in search of a bargain, having heard there are bargains to be had but frequently unable to tell what they are looking at.

It gives me a laugh to see ladies pushing shopping carts through HF with a cell phone to one ear just wandering through the store trying to find something they can recognize. There is plenty of novelty and decorative items so they often find something to buy. This increase in distaff shopping got a tremendous boost when HF stores began to move to nicer areas, new buildings with good lighting and clean restrooms.

What next a coffee bar? wifi? Still not a singles spot but changing in personality, ehh HF?

Pat