Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

KubotainNH · Feb 9, 2017

clintz said:
Just FYI, that's my site. I made it a couple years ago and have been trying to keep it going as much as I can, upgrading here and there. Glad to see you guys like it, and hope it keeps saving ya'll some money

Appreciated, I used it for the free magnetic tool holder. I've never seen that one free here.

dragoneggs · Feb 9, 2017

KubotainNH said:
Appreciated, I used it for the free magnetic tool holder. I've never seen that one free here.

Hey cool... just bought a magnetic parts holder and want another one or two. Thanks for the pointer to the coupon, Clintz!

AchingBack · Feb 9, 2017

I'm bartering for an older model Central Machinery 10", 12 speed drill press. Although it has the chuck key, it doesn't have a chuck release key, or any other tools. I assume the chuck release key must be use if you ever needed to remove the chuck. A search for a chuck release key has left me clueless. Maybe I'll never need one, I hope. To give you an idea of the possible age of the drill, the table is round. It does have the table vise, too.

This is an older unit from Harbor Freight. Perhaps twenty years old. The deceased gentleman built a beautiful portable table for it. His daughter was asking $75.00. I offered to properly prune her ornamental trees; about an hours worth of work.

npalen · Feb 9, 2017

Is this perhaps what you're referring to as a "chuck release key"? Some better drill presses have the chuck attached to the spindle via a morse taper shank. There would be a slot in the spindle in which the "key" is inserted to extract the chuck. I've always heard the key referred to as a "drift".

Edit: Sorry, I posted the wrong URL above. Should be this:

HHIP 39-265 4-piece Drift/Center Key Set (Mt 1-2-3- and 4/5/6): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

TheMan419 · Feb 10, 2017

clintz said:
Just FYI, that's my site. I made it a couple years ago and have been trying to keep it going as much as I can, upgrading here and there. Glad to see you guys like it, and hope it keeps saving ya'll some money

Nice. Thank you so much. The NPR coupons are awesome of course. The batteries may not last as long as if you bought Duracell in the store, but free is free

Travelover · Feb 10, 2017

TheMan419 said:
........... The batteries may not last as long as if you bought Duracell in the store, but free is free

Just don't put them in anything you care about and leave them there long enough to leak and corrode.

TheMan419 · Feb 10, 2017

Travelover said:
Just don't put them in anything you care about and leave them there long enough to leak and corrode.

Lol true. Usually either something that is going to chew through them or the free flashlight. So that is good. Stuff I really want to count on get "real" batteries.

mcfarmall · Feb 10, 2017

AchingBack said:
I'm bartering for an older model Central Machinery 10", 12 speed drill press. Although it has the chuck key, it doesn't have a chuck release key, or any other tools. I assume the chuck release key must be use if you ever needed to remove the chuck. A search for a chuck release key has left me clueless. Maybe I'll never need one, I hope. To give you an idea of the possible age of the drill, the table is round. It does have the table vise, too.

This is an older unit from Harbor Freight. Perhaps twenty years old. The deceased gentleman built a beautiful portable table for it. His daughter was asking $75.00. I offered to properly prune her ornamental trees; about an hours worth of work.

The item you seek is called a drift. They are used to remove Morse taper drills or drill chucks from a spindle with a Morse taper. Look at MSCdirect.com and you'll find them.

sixdogs · Feb 10, 2017

Earthquake 1/2" XT. This is the high torque, composite version of their regular 1/2" Earthquake impact gun and it is impressive and then some.

1/2 in. Composite Xtreme Torque Air Impact Wrench

I was going to buy the regular 1/2" impact version but this was on sale for only $95 (great price) and when I picked it up I was shocked at how light it was. Not sure on the exact weight but 4 1/2 lbs comes to mind. Whatever it is, it's much lighter than the regular, non-composite version of the same thing. That one feels like holding a lead brick by comparison.

It's beautifully fit and finished and is shockingly powerful. It's only been used once but took off a stubborn nut and was ultra smooth in doing it. It gets almost a full five stars in the ratings and I can understand why. These Earthquale wrenches, especially the composite Earthquake line have to be one of the best deals coming out of Harbor Freight. Handling this wrench in the store and pondering it's good feel, I almost was able to set aside the overpowering smell of deteriorating Chinese rubber.