Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck
- Thread starter Travelover
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lineman1954
New member
2 cents here; bought a needle scaler to remove slag from sub frame welds for my fabricated back hoe, 1.5 hours both ways to China Freight...I pre oiled it, set my reg. to 90 and had a joyous 4 minutes of exemplary performance. Moral...it looks like what you wanted, but don't count on it.
IslandTractor
Super Star Member
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- Sep 15, 2005
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- 15,802
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- Prudence Island, RI
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- 2007 Kioti DK40se HST, Woods BH
I haven't tried one mostly because I just use the FEL on the tractor to lift the mower. It's cheaper to buy or repurpose a couple of 2x4s as safety blocks to hold up the loader while working on the mower. Also easier to store.
dragoneggs
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- Seabeck, Washington
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- Kubota BX-25D, Kubota Z122RKW-42
I do the same after a wise tip here on TBN some time ago. Could've been you, IT.
aczlan
Good Morning
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- Mar 7, 2008
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- 16,985
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- Kubota L3830GST, B7500HST, BX2660. Formerly: Case 480F LL, David Brown 880UE
How funny, I have one that's been lubricated twice, has more than a few hours on it and has worked very well on my compressor which is set at around 120 PSI.
Aaron Z
buckeyefarmer
Epic Contributor
Have similar one from tsc that I really like. Quick and easy.
California
Super Star Member
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- Jan 22, 2004
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- 14,945
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- An hour north of San Francisco
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- Yanmar YM240 Yanmar YM186D
That or preferably the loader are sure better than what I tried, the HiLift jack, when I wanted to pressure-wash under the Rotary Mower before I installed it in the spring. HiLift jacks are treacherous. Sure enough it came crashing down. I'm cautious when using it, no harm done, but that confirmed my opinion of them.
I got the HiLift (used) way back when it was reasonable to solve hi-centering my Willys Wagon by jacking up the front or back (simple steel bumpers) then letting the jack fall sideways to drop the Willys away from the ruts it was in. I've only used it a few times since, with much caution. I doubt HF's clone version ('Farm Jack') is any safer. Not Recommended unless you have a specific need that only this will solve.
California
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2004
- Messages
- 14,945
- Location
- An hour north of San Francisco
- Tractor
- Yanmar YM240 Yanmar YM186D
Mine was ideal for the specific project I bought it for: Grout around the plastic pipe into the septic tank was crumbling and leaky. Those long pins were the only tool that could get into the tiny gap between the pipe and the concrete tank wall, and clean out the joint so I could re-cement it. That worked great, re-grouting sealed it perfectly.
However ... My HF '2.5hp' 10 gallon compressor was rated about the same air volume as the needle scaler but somebody was dreaming. Using the tool exhausted the compressor tank in a few seconds. This was one of those cases where you buy the HF tool for a specific project and it pays for itself the first time you use it but the tool (in this case run from the 'matched' compressor) was hardly worth using again. Next time I got it out a year or so later it took some serious hammering to free up the stuck piston despite having run oil through it after the previous use. After using it that second time and again cussing the compressor, I haven't used it since.
Has anyone tried the mini needle scaler?
zoedog2012
Silver Member
Bought one 3 weeks ago, will never ever pick a mower up with my FEL again.
zoedog2012
Silver Member
My scaler must have come over on the same boat! Lasted about the same amount of time.