Jim,
I don't think you are correct on that. I've bought many HF tools that were and still are going strong, including a 30 year old drill press. I've had a couple of duds, but nothing that wasn't made right and nothing that had a repeat issue. Never had a grinder fail prematurely when used correctly...of course I never bought the lowest 'drill master' either. Maybe they don't last as long. But a few years ago, I was at my local machine shop and piled outside the door was a bunch of burned up grinders waiting for pickup for repair. Included was HF, DeWalt, Makita, Metabo, and Milwaukee. I asked the owner which one he had a problem with most. He said "They all burn up...my money is better spent on the cheaper ones".
The above mentioned item is 20.00. A similar item on sale from a name brand is 150.00 or more. If you live any reasonable distance from a HF store, then your math doesn't add up...even if you had to repurchase the item out of warranty...two or three or even four times.