Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[daugen]

Yes, going into the 230 V special outlet on the gen.

 

[California]

Here's a HF product they got right, assuming you get a set that meets spec.

'3 ton' jack stands.

These are so much easier to adjust than the old pin-through-a-hole jackstands that I got rid of the old ones.

Check them before leaving the store. One from the first pair I bought was defective. It was possible to raise the center so far that the weight rested on an internal shoulder instead of on the ratchet teeth, so rocking the vehicle could make it jump off that shoulder. The exchange set is properly made and can't be raised past the teeth.

These are convenient to raise to exact height at the moment of placing them, in contrast to pre-setting the height with the old style.

 

[DFB]

Here's a HF product they got right, assuming you get a set that meets spec.

'3 ton' jack stands.

These are so much easier to adjust than the old pin-through-a-hole jackstands that I got rid of the old ones.

Check them before leaving the store. One from the first pair I bought was defective. It was possible to raise the center so far that the weight rested on an internal shoulder instead of on the ratchet teeth, so rocking the vehicle could make it jump off that shoulder. The exchange set is properly made and can't be raised past the teeth.

These are convenient to raise to exact height at the moment of placing them, in contrast to pre-setting the height with the old style.

I have a similar set (2 sets actually) along with a heavy duty 3 ton floor jack bought many years ago. I think they were from Homier's. "Speedway Series" brand. Sure beat the piddly jacks and stands that Sears or Wally World used to sell way back then.

 

[California]

Air hose couplers - how much difference does larger couplers make?

I've been working with the $20 HF long-nose impact wrench. Measuring tightened bolts with a beam torque wrench, it won't loosen anything above 125 ft lbs. I also have the little lightweight $29 Composite impact wrench. Its results are similar, maybe a little less, but the convenience of its light weight makes it the usual go-to tool. These two tools are rated on the website as 250 and 230 ft-lbs respectively. (Link-HF listing).

After reading suggestions in their reviews I screwed the air hose directly into the T that I have coming off the compressor, and also oiled each unit before testing it. This brought them up to the numbers described above - they had been lower before that. The air hose is 3/8" x25 ft.

One review suggested that restriction at ordinary 1/4" quick-connects reduces performance. I wonder if this set with 1/4" pipe threads x 3/8" air passage would make a difference.


And - anticipating comments - the other side of the T at my 10 gallon compressor goes to a 25 gallon tank off an old Craftsman spray rig. So I seem to have adequate air volume available, I can use the impact wrench for a minute or so before the compressor kicks in.

Comments welcome! Are others getting more torque out of these same impact wrenches?

 

[Midniteoyl]

How do you have 1/4" threads and a 3/8" hole?

 

[California]

How do you have 1/4" threads and a 3/8" hole?

Is it easier to visualize if we say the fittings have 'same threads as standard 1/4 inch (I.D.) water pipe'? Quarter inch pipe has an O.D. about 0.540, plenty of room for a 0.375 bore.

I just looked at my HF quick connects. (All 'quarter inch' size). The I.D. of the male connector is only about 0.200. Replacing this with 0.375 bore is going to move more air. I figure its a 3.5 times larger opening. (by ratio of each number squared, to get area).

 

[Midniteoyl]

I get the idea

 

[ETpilot]

ET, if you are only running one tool at a time, you might want to hook up a 1500 watt portable heater to it, to give it some exercise.
Once the shed is built, lights and whatever help, but carboning up under light load is what should be avoided. I lent my portable Honeywell with a Chonda engine on it and it wound up in the repair shop because they ran it all night long without any load on it except a few lights and a low amp pump. My elderly MIL needed a gen so that Honeywell was loaned to her, permanently. I replaced it with another Honeywell, an updated model with electric start, primarily because they had a servicing dealer fifteen miles awy. A nice small father son business.
That electric start is nice...what I really want to figure out is how to keep it from going immediately to 3600 rpm. It likely hurts me more than the gen but I hate revving a cold engine. Need to find the right place to hold the throttle back.

I always plug a multimeter into my gen when it's under full load, just to double check the output.
ET, can that gen run a 3 or 5hp air compressor?

Thanks for the info. I have been running a light load right now. I do plan to run my 220V compressor later on. Not sure on my HP. I have run it with my Bobcat welder/generator with no problem. I believe this model should run it ok. Good tip on the multimeter. I have checked with no load. I will check it under load.

 

[JRobyn]

I ran the second (replacement) little 900w generator yesterday for about an hour out at the main gate to run a hammer-drill. Ran good! Still took about 10 pulls to get it started first time, but otherwise great!

- Jay

 

[daugen]

I will check it under load.

Somebody once told me it was easy to make Watts but much harder to make Amps..