Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[Rock Crawler]

Do any of you guys believe in using the inside track at the cost of $30 per year?

 

[frugalangler]

I was a member a while back, but really didn't see a whole lot of benefit, but someone that buys a whole lot more may. Of late, the discount coupons seem to cover what I've needed - I'm not a big believer in pay to save offerings.

 

[fried1765]

Do any of you guys believe in using the inside track at the cost of $30 per year?

I just signed up for the "Inside Track Club"
If you do it on line it is $29.95, but you get a $10 in store voucher, so net total is $19.95.
I was planning to buy a Vulcan MigMax 215 welder, from HF, and thought it would help.
It didn't,.... but maybe over the next 12 months it will still prove to be worth $20.

I liked the idea of the ... "1 Year Risk Free Trial - Money Back Guarantee".... on the Vulcan, and the inverter style (light wt.), but I was concerned about Vulcan product support over time.
I have a new Everlast Power I-Mig 140e (120V), which I now may sell, so I decided on a new Hobart Handler 190 (240V)
The Hobart is much heavier (weighs 68lbs.) but has been around forever, and product support is Miller/Hobart.

 

[California]

Do any of you guys believe in using the inside track at the cost of $30 per year?

First year I did better than breakeven, but I had signed up to buy one specific item. I saved a few $. The rest of that year the narrow range of things offered wasn't a close match to much that I needed. I may have saved a few $ compared to using coupons. But it makes more sense to buy stuff when you need it, rather than buy now at limited-time ITC price to save $2 now on something you will need someday.

A 36 inch aluminum pipe wrench that I bought for future use was the only significant savings after that initial item, a few $ saved. Come to think of it I later broke 4" off the end of its handle using a cheater pipe on it, and the next one I bought was beefier. Maybe the ITC Special Price was a closeout of that batch.

I signed up for a second year but let the 30 day $10 coupon expire before I needed anything. Minor savings on other items didn't make back the $30 I paid for ITC. Then the $375 6 hp shredder was in ITC and I needed one. When I compared a 20% coupon to ITC 'special' price, the coupon was cheaper so I used that instead, saved $15 below ITC price.

Summary: ITC makes sense for a contractor buying tools for a crew, or maybe for the new farm owner buying lots of stuff the first year. In contrast someone making occasional additions to their tools won't save enough to be worth the nuisance of ITC limited time offers never matching the times you need the tool. Coupons are better and overall cost will be about the same. The way to use ITC is ask the cashier to show you the ITC pages in the monthly mailing and don't join until you find something listed that makes sense to buy at ITC price that will break even on the $30 cost.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I have used the Harbor Freight Tools Coupon Database - Free coupons, 25 percent off coupons, 20 percent off coupons, No Purchase Required coupons, toolbox coupons page over my last 3 visits and picked up the 3/8" x 14' chain for $19.95 each. That's a really good deal. I had a 3/8" x 8' chain and hold made up from Tractor Supply a couple months ago for around $35... So the same rated chain and almost twice the length from HF is almost half the cost with that current coupon. Great log skidding chain and I'll also make up 4 corner chains for binding the tractor to the trailer. I welded 3/8" chain hooks to the tractor so it be really fast and easy to attach and I don't have to scratch paint to bind it down.

I went and exchanged the exploded (immediately observed factory defect) Diablo 1/2" x 50' air line today and installed it. So I now have the HF high flow 3/8" airline quick disconnects and the matching male fittings on all of my tools, so I'm fully outfitted with the highest flow reasonably possible. That should make my Earthquake XT impact run in beast mode.

I've had a fair amount of luck with HF. I stay away from that Chicago electric stuff, I've tried 2 electric power tools from that line and both failed very quickly.

The telescoping ratchets are great, I use them over my snap on. The tarps... Not really worth it. Even the best ones they carry seem to tear really easy. I've found a tarp line on Amazon that is much stronger and longer lasting, and yet it's reasonable priced. Link : Grizzly Tarps 12 x 16 Feet Silver Heavy Duty Multi Purpose Waterproof Poly Tarp Cover 10 Mil Thick 14 x 14 Weave Grizzly Tarps 12 x 16 Feet Silver Heavy Duty Multi Purpose Waterproof Poly Tarp Cover 1 Mil Thick 14 x 14 Weave - - Amazon.com

I also bought the largest bolt on D-RINGS that HF has in the towing section and welded them all around the perimeter of my trailer. They are great for $5.

I've had the Pittsburgh Tools 1/2" metric and standard impact sockets for at least 15 years now and never broke one, that's a killer deal. I also have same brand of 1/2" wobble extensions, they are good to go.

 

[crazyal]

I don't know about the ITC but their normal coupons seam to just rotate monthly. Rarely do I see a coupon for something new. For example if you need a 6.5hp gas engine you can be sure that a coupon for it is either in the current flier or will be in next month's flier. But if you want the 6x9 combination disc/ belt sander you'll most likely need to use a 20% off coupon. If the same holds true for the ITC then I would take a look at past month's coupons to see if there's anything in them that you would want. I don't have it (I'm sure someone else could post it) but there's a web site that has all the current fliers as well as past fliers. If nothing else HF is predictable.

 

[California]

I didn't see ITC rotating items as often as the ordinary coupons. Something might appear a second time in a year. There was more variety - of stuff I don't need.

 

[Jim Nelson]

It seems to me that when they first started the ITC they included a lot more items but now it's few and far between. Every now and then there is something interesting but for me the coupons are the better deal.

 

[KubotainNH]

I have used the Harbor Freight Tools Coupon Database - Free coupons, 25 percent off coupons, 20 percent off coupons, No Purchase Required coupons, toolbox coupons page over my last 3 visits and picked up the 3/8" x 14' chain for $19.95 each. That's a really good deal. I had a 3/8" x 8' chain and hold made up from Tractor Supply a couple months ago for around $35... So the same rated chain and almost twice the length from HF is almost half the cost with that current coupon. Great log skidding chain and I'll also make up 4 corner chains for binding the tractor to the trailer. I welded 3/8" chain hooks to the tractor so it be really fast and easy to attach and I don't have to scratch paint to bind it down.

I went and exchanged the exploded (immediately observed factory defect) Diablo 1/2" x 50' air line today and installed it. So I now have the HF high flow 3/8" airline quick disconnects and the matching male fittings on all of my tools, so I'm fully outfitted with the highest flow reasonably possible. That should make my Earthquake XT impact run in beast mode.

I bought the that chain as a gift for my son, it fits nicely in the plastic ammo can (I read about that here). The plastic bag the chain comes in is quite string, I think that now has a set of jumper cables in it.

Keep us posted on the new high flow air fittings. I'm thinking of upgrading mine to those and would like to know how they fair.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I've only had them a week, so it's going take a decade to determine long term reliability. But for now they connect firmly and do not leak at all. My 20 year old Napa 1/4" ones all leaked some, but not enough for me to care since I have a 80 gallon tank and 17 CFM @ 90 compressor. It's big enough and fast enough that you don't need to be worried about a little hiss coming from a connector.

So far, first impression..... They appear to be legit. And they are big enough that you can almost shove your jimmy I'm there! Big!