Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[4get gto]

You're the guy who put that dead flashlight back in the display!!!!! :laughing:

Yea I sorta felt like the women in the grocery store squeezing the melons.

 

[California]

Yea I sorta felt like the women in the grocery store squeezing the melons.

It's Harbor Freight. Everybody knows you have to perform the QC inspection that wasn't done as part of producing the item.

I've avoided - and mistakenly taken home - several purchases that didn't have all the components that should have been in the box.

 

[newbury]

Yea I sorta felt like the women in the grocery store squeezing the melons.

Nothing wrong with squeezing melons or (my favorite) opening egg cartons and moving the eggs to make sure they are not broken.
It's my money, I want a working product.

 

[John_Mc]

I'm not sure about Harbor Frieght's policy on reviews. There were several negative ones I've written over the years that are no longer showing up on their site. It's hard to say whether they pulled the review, or just replaced the product with an identical one (seems they often have two - or more - part numbers for the same product, since they have multiple sources for their suppliers).

Northern Tool doesn't really have to "pull" bad reviews: the just never post many of them in the first place. All of the reviews need to be approved before they put them up on their site. I made 4 attempts to put up a 1 star review on a logging Cant Hook. Finally did an online chat with someone asking why it was continually being refused. The flaw was a significant safety problem and could have resulted in serious injury to the user. The excuse they gave was that they were concerned about liability if they permitted potentially libelous comments about a manufacturers product. I pointed out that my statements we simply statements of fact: the tool hook did not grab the log - it slipped out more often than it grabbed, and the weld on the hook broke after about a dozen uses rolling 8 - 10" logs. Further, they were exposing themselves to greater liability if someone got injured using the product for its advertised use. The eventually let the review stand, after I reworded a few things.

 

[California]

HF Compressor repair question: My 10 gallon '4 hp' (!) HF compressor, a few years old and infrequently used, now doesn't start sometimes until I rap on the side of the control box. I pulled the control cover and polished the electrical contacts, no improvement.

I see that same universal control on Ebay for $10 but it looks like a b*** to install.

Any advice? Has anyone repaired that control module successfully?

 

[4get gto]

HF Compressor repair question: My 10 gallon '4 hp' (!) HF compressor, a few years old and infrequently used, now doesn't start sometimes until I rap on the side of the control box. I pulled the control cover and polished the electrical contacts, no improvement.

I see that same universal control on Ebay for $10 but it looks like a b*** to install.

Any advice? Has anyone repaired that control module successfully?

I've installed many of these pressure switches (part of what I do ) and some seem to hold up better than others. Some can be repaired, some can't. I use the one pictures on mine. You'll also need one with an unloaded on it. If you switch to something different you may have to repipe alittle. Shouldn't be difficult.

 

[paulsharvey]

And, it provides hours of productive entertainment for young kids on a porch. We keep half a dozen around.

I got one for free when I bought like $0.99 something. It's was worth if, for nothing else than watching my 11 yr old son, touching the mesh, saying "it doesn't even work, watch I'm touching YOOOUCH"

 

[PhysAssist]

It's Harbor Freight. Everybody knows you have to perform the QC inspection that wasn't done as part of producing the item.

I've avoided - and mistakenly taken home - several purchases that didn't have all the components that should have been in the box.

Anymore I pretty much take everything possible out of the boxes to make sure that all the promised stuff is in there, and have saved myself several return trips to pick up missing parts or exchange the one missing parts for one that isn't.

...And unlike that certain someone who just puts the dead flashlights back, I use a bold permanent marker to note exactly what is missing from the carton- specifically to save someone else for getting it when if they re-stock it without fixing the problem.

They rarely ever gave/give me grief about marking the boxes up.

It used to big a much bigger deal when the closest store was >45 minutes away, not so much now that they put one in Brockport, NY so it's within 15 or so miles from home and a little more than that from my work.

As always YMMV.
PA

 

[4get gto]

LOL. That certain someone. :drink:

 

[California]

... now doesn't start sometimes until I rap on the side of the control box.

I see that same universal control on Ebay for $10

Any advice?

I've installed many of these pressure switches (part of what I do ) and some seem to hold up better than others. Some can be repaired, some can't. I use the one pictures on mine. You'll also need one with an unloaded on it. If you switch to something different you may have to repipe alittle.

Thanks for your comments! Repipe? Is it likely that HF's supplier used US pipe threads or could that Ebay controller be the almost-match Brit/Japan type? It says " air inlet ports approx. 0.4 inch / 11 mm thread" whatever that is.

At least it includes the unloader.