Harbor Freight smells

[Branchchipper]

After seeing endless comments on HF tools and sales, I just had to state what seems obvious to me;

Harbor Freight stores smell really awful, and they contain the largest concentration of knock-off junk imaginable...

I am not about to say that I buy nothing from China, but I've drawn the line at HF.

We've been to two different stores- the smell in both was overpowering from the moment we entered; a bit of research indicates that its probably a combination of very poor quality plastic, bad paint and contaminated lubricants.

Common sense says that when a solid or liquid off-gasses for an extended period, it contains unstable compounds. Some of their products and packaging stink for months after they've left the store!

While this problem is not confined to HF, it is the undeniable champion of smelly junk.

Here is a website that attempts to address the odor issue in general terms;

Campaign to Ban Smelly, Chemical-Emitting Plastic from China

In the mean time, you can find much better quality stuff (from China and elsewhere-even USA!) at many stores; Sears, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, etc.

Why would you want to breathe HF air, and bring the odor source back home???? Is it really worth it to save a few pennies?

 

[tractordog]

I see now,

It is a chemical that is making by all these junky tools. Now I have something to blame other than my poor judgement.

......

 

[Gary Fowler]

I havent noticed the smell so much as the increase in prices for their less than quality merchandise. I hadnt been there in several months and last week when I went, I noticed a large increase in pricing. I even found an air impact cheaper by $2 at Atwoods that was almost identical so I guess they are branching out into the cheaper stuff also. I came out with less than $11 worth of merchandise compared to a couple hundred usually. I only picked up a 10 pack of the metal cut off discs and a small needle nose plier for wife to use.

 

[crazyal]

China uses a lot of natural rubber unless a company who hires them to make stuff for them tells them to use synthetic rubber. It's a real problem with valve stems as natural rubber cracks. Most US companies have moved away from natural rubber so we don't smell it very often. When you walk into one of those type of stores you can just smell the rubber.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

I know exactly what your talking about. My mom says it smells like a rubber mallet from the dollar store...

 

[RoyJackson]

"I love the smell of HF in the morning....it smells like....cheap chinese crap..."
With apologies to the writers of "Apocalypse Now"

 

[DennisFolsom]

Harbor Freight doesn't have a store in my area. However, I have ordered several items from them over the Internet. I have been generally satisfied with the merchandise I got, for the price I paid.

My latest HF order was two sets of metric combination wrenches and 3 of their Work lights.

The mid-to large wrench set was made in India, and the finish looked fairly good, but not quite as nice as the Sears Craftsman wrenches that cost twice as much when on sale. The large set (probably larger than I need for anything on my tractor) was made in China and the finish was not great. Regardless, these cheap wrenches will probably do all I ask of them.

I'll post a thread when I get my work lights installed. They looked good, for the money I paid.

I always wanted to visit a Harbor Freight store. Now that I've heard about the awful smell, maybe I'm just as well off buying over the net.:laughing:

 

[k0ua]

"I love the smell of HF in the morning....it smells like....cheap chinese crap..."
With apologies to the writers of "Apocalypse Now"

"the horror, the horror" mostly the horror of the smell of that Chinese rubber!

James K0UA

 

[5030]

I know exactly what your talking about. My mom says it smells like a rubber mallet from the dollar store...

"I love the smell of HF in the morning....it smells like....cheap chinese crap..."
With apologies to the writers of "Apocalypse Now"

"the horror, the horror" mostly the horror of the smell of that Chinese rubber!

James K0UA

I thought I was the only one who noticed the odor. I can't stand to go to their retail outlet in Toledo, Ohio. Makes me want to vomit.

Hopefully, the chinese don't start making condoms.......:laughing:

 

[SPYDERLK]

"the horror, the horror" mostly the horror of the smell of that Chinese rubber!

James K0UA

Lead fumes.
larry

 

[creekbend]

I have never purchased anything from Harbor Freight. I did order a catalog from them a little over a year ago. Even though I have never placed an order, the Company sends me another catalog nearly every two or three months. I suspect they are attempting to entice me in buying some of the sale items posted all over the front and back pages. :laughing:

 

[Travelover]

Maybe we should replace the long running thread "Harbor Freight Tools That Don't Suck" with "Harbor Freight Tools that Don't Stink". :laughing:

 

[CompactTractorFan]

I have never purchased anything from Harbor Freight. I did order a catalog from them a little over a year ago. Even though I have never placed an order, the Company sends me another catalog nearly every two or three months. I suspect they are attempting to entice me in buying some of the for sale items posted all over the front and back pages. :laughing:

I buy from them all the time and they don't send me catalogs.

 

[RoyJackson]

I buy from them all the time and they don't send me catalogs.

Just go to their website and sign up for catalogues

 

[deereman75]

It is strange that harbor freight smells so much (so I have heard) but princess auto (the canadian version of harbor freight) doesnt smell at all. Also everything I have bought at princess auto (not that much) has worked perfectly.

 

[5030]

It is strange that harbor freight smells so much (so I have heard) but princess auto (the canadian version of harbor freight) doesnt smell at all. Also everything I have bought at princess auto (not that much) has worked perfectly.

Maybe it's because yankees need some stink.

 

[creekbend]

I buy from them all the time and they don't send me catalogs.

If I hadn't already discarded the last catalog I received, I would have sent it to you. Perhaps you should try calling the 1-800 number and request getting on their mailing list. That would probably work.

 

[mjncad]

"I love the smell of HF in the morning....it smells like....cheap chinese crap..."
With apologies to the writers of "Apocalypse Now"

:laughing: :thumbsup:

Hopefully, the chinese don't start making condoms.......:laughing:

They've got over a billion people in China; I doubt very much they have any clue as to what a rubber is, let alone what it's used for.

It is strange that harbor freight smells so much (so I have heard) but princess auto (the canadian version of harbor freight) doesnt smell at all.

It's that cold crisp Canadian air that keeps the stench away. :laughing:

 

[sawduster98]

That stench followed me home a few years ago when I purchased 3 furniture dollies, the carpet covered wooden frames on casters. They stunk sooooo bad I had to keep them in the shed as they overpowered the garage. Fast forward 3 years and they still stink, but at least they can live in the garage now.

 

[Soundguy]

I've got plenty of tools and such from HF.. if I din't... I'd have less tractors, and no way to work on them, affordably.. all that said. I've noticed that in their manufacturing process, just about everything has a light coating of a fine, sometimes even sticky machine oil or some sort of lube. this lube IMHO, is what stinks.

even the plastic has this lube on it. I'm guessing it is perhaps a release agent or just a lube left over from the manufacturing process.. in any case.. at least their stuff don't rust...

soundguy