Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[Iplayfarmer]

It's pretty clear that weather exposure is killing those ball cords. The dead ones are powdery.

Most likely its the combination of stretching and sun. I'm 10 miles inland from the ocean so salt-air exposure could be a problem too. But the silver tarp and the pipe structure are holding up fine.

I like your example of using them for power cords.

I used to use the old hair bobbles that my wife and girls were done with. Then one day walking through the store I saw those ball cords and thought, "Those look like huge hair bobbles". About an aisle and a half later it occurred to me that I they may work like the hair bobbles too.

 

[California]

I just just now looked at the canopy after a pretty good rainstorm.

There are about 50 Ball Stretch Cords overall and I found 10 on the ground this time, rotted through after a year of service. Its easy to break them some more with my hands. I have several more that fell off previously.

Fail! It's time to replace these with rope lacing or something. The structure and tarp are fine.

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[IslandTractor]

I just just now looked at the canopy after a pretty good rainstorm.

There are about 50 Ball Stretch Cords overall and I found 10 on the ground this time, rotted through after a year of service. Its easy to break them some more with my hands. I have several more that fell off previously.

Fail! It's time to replace these with rope lacing or something. The structure and tarp are fine.

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I'm not sure it is just HF ball stretch cords or bungees that fail after 12 months in the open. I've had other brands either fail or stretch out so much as to be useless. I think maybe only the solid black truck tarp cords are really capable of withstanding a full year or more of full sun. To hold tarps I've used dacron cord with occasional bungees as tensioning devices. That way the cords can be sheltered from the sun or else replaced with the solid black trucker style.

 

[dex3361]

These are used heavy in the auto industry. What you do is set your air gun, tighten a lug bolt down and verify it with a torque wrench. When you have calibrated the gun to the stick, you should note this. the torque value varies with each gun so that is the important part.

Thanks Steve I will check it against both of my impact wrenches and see how much they vary.

 

[superiorpower]

Any new big coupons out?

 

[California]

Here.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

What does it mean when there is a web coupon available to the public that is "non-transferable"?

 

[Travelover]

Here.

Here is a 20% off and a free flashlight coupon. My local store didn't have the flashlight in stock - just the two pack.

Coupon1

Coupon2

 

[California]

What does it mean when there is a web coupon available to the public that is "non-transferable"?

Only one coupon will be accepted for each unique customer#. (visible on the coupon above the barcode, and coded in the barcode). You can see 'customer#' in the URL at the top of your screen while you are viewing the coupon.

 

[wedge40]

I just just now looked at the canopy after a pretty good rainstorm.

There are about 50 Ball Stretch Cords overall and I found 10 on the ground this time, rotted through after a year of service. Its easy to break them some more with my hands. I have several more that fell off previously.

Fail! It's time to replace these with rope lacing or something. The structure and tarp are fine.

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Cali, I'd be careful replacing them with rope. You need something that will stretch and give under stress. If you tie it with rope, your tarp will be ripped up next wind storm you get. Please don't ask how I know.

Wedge