Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[lostcreekranch]

At HF today... used my Easter 25% coupon also got a free small blue tarp among other consumable things. Wasn't completely selfish... talked the wife into coming in and she picked up 2 pair of work gloves! Usually she stays in the car or walks next door and rummages through the Goodwill store. She can't stand the HF smell.

My major purchase was the 2 pack titanium nitride step drills. Need to drill a few 5/8in holes in 1/8in and 3/16in mild steel. Anyone have good things to say about the step drills? For $13.99 I figured they were worth a shot.

I bought the step drill bits to drill holes in my loader bucket to mount a Piranha Tooth Blade. They worked very well.

 

[John_Mc]

I bought the step drill bits to drill holes in my loader bucket to mount a Piranha Tooth Blade. They worked very well.

I just used a bimetal hole saw to cut mine. I couldn't see grinding up the whole circle of metal into chips when I could just do the circumference. Plus, my bucket was thick enough that I didn't really need the step drill's action, as I do when cutting thinner stock.

 

[lostcreekranch]

I just used a bimetal hole saw to cut mine. I couldn't see grinding up the whole circle of metal into chips when I could just do the circumference. Plus, my bucket was thick enough that I didn't really need the step drill's action, as I do when cutting thinner stock.

It's only a clearance hole for 5/8" bolts?

 

[stuckmotor]

I bought the step drill bits to drill holes in my loader bucket to mount a Piranha Tooth Blade. They worked very well.

I like my HF step drills better than a name brand one that I have.

 

[stuckmotor]

My wife has a similar reaction to the smell of Harbor Freight.Aaron Z

I was once at a traveling tool sale and wondered why the crew that went into the trailer to fetch the tools didn't pass out.

 

[KubotainNH]

Every time I go in the store I wonder if the workers will get cancer from the smell. As for the larger step drills, I burned the big one up trying to make a hole in my stainless kitchen sink to add a soap dispenser. It was fine until I got into the step that went from 7/8" to an inch. I needed to get to an inch. I used a cutoff wheel to sharpen it up and did eventually get through the thin gauge metal but that bit seems soft on the big numbers. For years I beat up the smaller 3 drill set I have from HF and it still cuts well. This was the first use on the larger of the 2 bit set.

 

[dragoneggs]

Every time I go in the store I wonder if the workers will get cancer from the smell. As for the larger step drills, I burned the big one up trying to make a hole in my stainless kitchen sink to add a soap dispenser. It was fine until I got into the step that went from 7/8" to an inch. I needed to get to an inch. I used a cutoff wheel to sharpen it up and did eventually get through the thin gauge metal but that bit seems soft on the big numbers. For years I beat up the smaller 3 drill set I have from HF and it still cuts well. This was the first use on the larger of the 2 bit set.

What thickness mild steel do you limit it to?

 

[John_Mc]

It's only a clearance hole for 5/8" bolts?

Actually, my toothbar took 3/4" bolts. Even for 5/8", why chip up all that metal when you don't have to?

 

[aczlan]

What thickness mild steel do you limit it to?

I had no problems using them on 3/8" and 1/2" mild steel when I adapted the front mount snowblower to our L3830.

Aaron Z

 

[KubotainNH]

What thickness mild steel do you limit it to?

On the original set of 3 I went up to maybe 3/8" mild steel. I broke the hex end off the largest one drilling something thick, it got jammed. I welded a bolt to where the hex broke off and still use it. It cuts fine just a bit wobbly. I was expecting a bit more from the larger set but maybe it just doesn't like thin stainless or it wasn't hardened properly.