Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[Travelover]

HF sometimes often has more than one number for an item. Other times they change the number even though they didn't change the item. I'm sure it makes sense for them but doesn't help customers.

Good point, but including the item number in a review can't hurt.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I agree on including the item number even if they do change.

 

[JRobyn]

I just bought my second digital calipers (47257) for $9.99 with coupon. It is hard to believe that these sell for this little. They work perfect and even come with a spare battery. The original battery in my first one is still fine after several years. I didn't really trust the first set until after I checked them against my expensive analog/dial calipers. Now I have a digital set at both houses! I just determined that my new (cheap Chinese) shotgun obturates 12g steel base shells from an average of 0.804" unfired to 0.812" fired.

- Jay

 

[JRobyn]

I just bought my second digital calipers (47257) for $9.99 with coupon. It is hard to believe that these sell for this little. They work perfect and even come with a spare battery. The original battery in my first one is still fine after several years. I didn't really trust the first set until after I checked them against my expensive analog/dial calipers. Now I have a digital set at both houses! I just determined that my new (cheap Chinese) shotgun obturates 12g steel base shells from an average of 0.804" unfired to 0.812" fired.

- Jay

 

[JRobyn]

Also picked up a bunch of their little battery float chargers (42292) since I found a coupon for them for $4.99. I can't see a bit of difference between these and the "Battery Tender" that sells for $40. They work perfect on my motorcycle, so I got one for the lawn tractor, the Kubota, and the Gravely, plus one for each of the B-I-Ls for Christmas.

- Jay

 

[jonathco]

I'm like most, I have an assortment of high quality tools and also HF tools. Snap-On.. older Craftstman.. DeWalt, Hitachi, you name it.. I'll admit it though, even though I've been burned on some HF tools.. I love the place.. :-D

My list of don't suck:

Flooring nailer.. I got it on sale for 129.. I bought it to put down 650 sq/ft of 3/4 oak flooring.. 2.25 inch wide oak flooring.. you can do the math if you want, but that's NARROW, thick oak flooring.. and 650 square foot of it.. I wish I had kept up with how many of those big staples I used... thousands... I was doing this all myself.. in the evenings and weekends after work.. NO way I could afford to rent a good floor nailer for that long.. I could have bought a good one many times over for the price to rent one.. but I also couldn't afford to buy a nice one.. so I bought the HF nailer.. first one worked ok.. but kept jamming.. I got 3 rows of flooring down and I was ready to throw it out the window.. took it back and got a free replacement.. that one finished the entire project and is still going strong..

The newer Pittsburg Pro deep well sockets.. excellent... they have a better finish than any sockets I've had in the past and have survived being beat on, used in my press when I couldn't find anything else to use and even sitting in the rain overnight without rusting..

1 inch drive impact socket set.. I don't even want to think about what a name brand set would have cost.. I've beat the crap out of these sockets and they still work/look perfect..

12 ton press.. works great.. it presses.. saved my can several times already with jobs that I'd be stuck without a press..

Motorcycle/ATV floor jack.. I modified it slightly by placing the lift arms on the outside instead of the inside.. not sure how to explain it, but to lift a Harley Davidson Dyna I had to move the arms farther out.. I used grade 8 bolts.. worked perfect and still works great..

1/2 inch impact wrench.. the one for around 70 bucks.. 450ft/lb I think.. always works.. no complaints..

3/8 drive composite handle ratchet.. black/grey.. works good..

Agreed; those new composite handle ratchets are GREAT!

 

[chopped]

I agree the Float Chargers are good for the money the only problem is the aligator clips corrodr like heck on them and dont have much squeeze power to maintain a contact.Ive had close to 12 of them .I use on on my CUT , I wired in a trailer connector plug on it so as the battery is pushing 13 years at this point. So you might say its on Life Support lol but a thu:thumbsup::thumbsup:mbs up to the float chargers

Also picked up a bunch of their little battery float chargers (42292) since I found a coupon for them for $4.99. I can't see a bit of difference between these and the "Battery Tender" that sells for $40. They work perfect on my motorcycle, so I got one for the lawn tractor, the Kubota, and the Gravely, plus one for each of the B-I-Ls for Christmas.

- Jay

 

[daugen]

13 years at this point

wow, didn't know that was possible. Std lead acid, gel?
that really is amazing and shows the simple circuitry still doesn't boil the water out or otherwise
cook the battery.

 

[daugen]

I just determined that my new (cheap Chinese) shotgun obturates 12g steel base shells from an average of 0.804" unfired to 0.812" fired.

In the field of firearms and airguns, obturation denotes necessary barrel blockage or fitment by a deformed soft projectile.[1] A bullet or pellet, made of soft material and often with a concave base, will flare under the heat and pressure of firing, filling the bore and engaging the barrel's rifling. The mechanism by which an undersized soft-metal projectile enlarges to fill the barrel is, for hollow-base bullets, expansion from gas pressure within the base cavity and, for solid-base bullets, "upsetting"—the combined shortening and thickening that occurs when a malleable metal object is struck forcibly at one end.

ok, what does measuring the amount of deformation needed to engage the rifling tell you?
Just curious...

 

[bcp]

It tells me something is really wrong if the base of his shotgun shell is engaging the rifling.



Bruce