HF tools that suck

[California]

Look what's back!
My nomination for HF tools that suck, although they are not tools, they are sold at HF, BUNGEE CORDS. They smell like bungee cords, they look like bungee cords, the price, of course, is right, and they dont just break, they disintegrate. It happens even faster if they are exposed to direct sunlight.
Absolute and total garbage IMHO.

Their loop & ball bungees on the tarp carport I bought are even worse. Half failed the first year and simply fell on the ground. After another year, 100% were on the ground.

 

[1-3-2-4]

yeah the reviews on the HF site users point out the same issue.

 

[jinman]

Look what's back!
My nomination for HF tools that suck, although they are not tools, they are sold at HF, BUNGEE CORDS. They smell like bungee cords, they look like bungee cords, the price, of course, is right, and they dont just break, they disintegrate. It happens even faster if they are exposed to direct sunlight.
Absolute and total garbage IMHO.

Lee, I bought this set and I've been very pleased with them. They seem to last just as long as any others I've ever purchased. I had the yellow ones stretched to the max (but out of sunlight) for almost a year and they popped right back to normal length when I removed them.

 

[tulenutn2o]

That's why when ever I see a Rubber strap along the road with both ends,I stop and pick them up.90% of the time they fell off a big rig and they are genuine usa rubber. Last forever almost. HF bungees are garbage.

 

[California]

I bought this set and I've been very pleased with them. They seem to last just as long as any others I've ever purchased.

That is good to hear. I bought that set and have been using the individual cords, hand-tied, as replacements for the loop-ball bungees that all broke.

 

[Mgrove]

Just got back from Harbor Freight today, 1/9/11, had a free flashlight coupon that expired 1/9/11, they said they were out, and would not offer a raincheck. Looks like their coupons are no good either. Thats a very poor business attitude to offer a free coupon and then not back it up. I'm going to rethink my shopping there. I was going to purchase some items, but when they refused to honor the coupon, I just walked out.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Just got back from Harbor Freight today, 1/9/11, had a free flashlight coupon that expired 1/9/11, they said they were out, and would not offer a raincheck. Looks like their coupons are no good either. Thats a very poor business attitude to offer a free coupon and then not back it up. I'm going to rethink my shopping there. I was going to purchase some items, but when they refused to honor the coupon, I just walked out.

My store runs out of free flashlights a lot too. I can almost always find a coupon online somewhere. I take a coupon everytime I go in. Sometimes I get a flashlight. Sometimes I don't.

 

[Markcuda]

On my settings for this site, I got 23 pages on this thread, I only read the first and last page but my gut feeling is not very good reviews of HF tools:laughing:
Boys and girls, you sure as heck don't need me to tell yas this but I will any way:laughing:
You get what you pay for:laughing::laughing::laughing:

 

[Iplayfarmer]

On my settings for this site, I got 23 pages on this thread, I only read the first and last page but my gut feeling is not very good reviews of HF tools:laughing:
Boys and girls, you sure as heck don't need me to tell yas this but I will any way:laughing:
You get what you pay for:laughing::laughing::laughing:

Actually, the Harbor Freight Tools That Don't Suck thread has 147 pages. The post count is over 6 to 1 in favor of HF Tools that don't suck.

:laughing: (laughing sarcastically)

Edit: This is not to say that HF tools are not inferior. I'm just saying that 23 pages of bad reviews is not a valid argument when compared to over six times as many good reviews.

 

[Markcuda]

I don't care if a Million peeps praise their junk, I ain't buying that stuff:laughing::laughing::laughing:
(Laughing uncontrollable):laughing::laughing:

 

[California]

You get what you pay for

Well sure.

HF isn't for the guy who needs the best precision tools to make a living with. It is pretty good for when you need a specialized tool inexpensively that pays for itself in the first use. And if the tool survives for years and many more uses, you won the gamble. All within an environment of minor aggravations like having to actually buy the (excellent!) flashlight ($2 for $2.99) if they are out of the free ones.

That aggravation factor is a weird and unexpected tradeoff for low prices. If you can't deal with it, buy everything off the tool truck at 5x the price and avoid any frustration.

Mark, how much $ have you actually spent in a HF before forming your opinions?

 

[Mgrove]

I don't care if a Million peeps praise their junk, I ain't buying that stuff:laughing::laughing::laughing:
(Laughing uncontrollable):laughing::laughing:

GO ahead and laugh, cause your buying that stuff in your cars, computers, tools and anything else you may put your hands on today!

 

[Markcuda]

Mark, how much $ have you actually spent in a HF before forming your opinions?

You see, buying crap from HF is a gamble, I don't gamble, I will spend what ever it takes for me to get a good quality tool and car and a truck, food and cloths, you get the idea.
So, all you peeps that think HF tools are good, keep buying them, for me, I won't and don't have to buy it.
See, we both are happy

 

[greasemonkeyok]

HF tools are a gamble and SnapOn, for example, isn't? That is true because it is certain you are going to pay a lot more for SnapOn, even when you do not need the difference in durability.

If, for example, you need a socket to remove the hub nut on a front wheel drive, the risk that the socket from HF won't last for that one job is not any higher than the risk the SnapOn socket will be defective. Since I have yet to use that socket for a 1991 Ford Exploder again, it would have been a total waste to buy SnapOn.

 

[sixdogs]

You see, buying crap from HF is a gamble, I don't gamble, I will spend what ever it takes for me to get a good quality tool and car and a truck, food and cloths, you get the idea.
So, all you peeps that think HF tools are good, keep buying them, for me, I won't and don't have to buy it.
See, we both are happy

I don't think any of us are saying HF is quality. None, well not many of us are going to buy a heart monitor there or an inch pound torque wrench to assemble an aircraft engine. We are saying that a $4 hammer or impact socket on "sale" for $3 is a reasonable gamble for the few times it gets used. We have a quality hammer or socket as well but this one can ride in the back of the truck and not be an issue. If it's a vital tool I'm not buying it at HF. As well, life is about the thrill of the chase and the desire to score a "deal" even if it isn't really a deal and we know it's not. It's about the loving of the game.

The other poster meant that many of the things we already buy come from China or worse. That's just the way it is today with public companies looking to outsource to increase profit results for shareholders. We don't realize it but we all own a host of Chinese parts in everything from our toothpaste or car, pen or the silk in our wife's clothes even if we are sure we don't.

 

[HiTechTed]

Here are some interesting ideas:

Harbor Freight pacemakers and defibrillators

Harbor Freight Airlines

Harbor Freight Bullet proof Vest

Harbor Freight pharmacy

Harbor Freight muzzle loader

Harbor Freight nuclear reactor

Well you get the idea. I heard GW Bush was a Harbor Freight product.

 

[California]

Mark, how much $ have you actually spent in a HF before forming your opinions?

I won't buy it.

Then what is your purpose joining this thread?

 

[Dargo]

Hey, a while back my local Horrible Freight place carried a "high line" of their impact sockets that their manager got me after he tired of me bringing in exploded "impact sockets" from them. They cost about half again more than the normal HF 6 pt. impact sockets but, honestly, I've not had any issue with those sockets and none have failed. Of course they were still made in China, but were clearly made with a higher quality metal rather than the regular pot metal used in their sockets.

Since 3/4" and 1" sockets are rather expensive, I'd be game in buying me a SAE and metric set in at least 3/4" size. Anybody know what I'm talking about? My local store has a different manager and I even brought in one of the higher quality sockets to him and all he had to say was "we don't carry those no more".

 

[Markcuda]

Then what is your purpose joining this thread?

Next time, I'll be sure and ask for your permission to join in.

 

[California]

Oh post all you want. It's fun to read.