Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[KubotainNH]

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!

Ha ha, I'm curious if you see more power from the tools. It's HF, long term is iffy.

 

[modaddysdotcom]

I love handing my harbor freight tools to family and friends welcome to borrow them but won’t return them. I always keep my quality tools for myself!

 

[California]

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.

I had one female fitting on the end of an air hose that wouldn't seal after I took of an air chuck that had been on it for months. Aside from that, no leaks, no problems.

Oh one other issue - it is nearly impossible to engage them under pressure. You can do it, but its a lot easier if you bleed off the air pressure first.

As for more air - the $20 HF impact wrench used air like crazy. My 10 gallon compressor would start after a couple of lug nuts. I felt the larger fittings delivered more air and improved that tool's torque. Later I tossed that and got the $75 Earthquake that needs a lot less air. I'm not sure the big fittings do anything for it.

 

[MESSMAKER]

Harbor Freight seems to be upping their game. Lots of better looking tools at higher prices that look pretty good, but by the time you add extended warranty(reg. 90 day is scary), they are close to the big names.

 

[fried1765]

Harbor Freight seems to be upping their game. Lots of better looking tools at higher prices that look pretty good, but by the time you add extended warranty(reg. 90 day is scary), they are close to the big names.

AGREED....but.....?????
For the past two+ weeks I have been considering the HF Vulcan MigMax 215 welder.
HF is offering a ONE YEAR satisfaction guaranteed, or your money back, on Vulcan welders.
I was tempted, because the Vulcan is an inverter welder, and light weight at 44 lbs.
I chickened out on the Vulcan though.
Vulcan cost would have been $629 on sale, including tax.
But what would happen when the Vulcan was more than a year old, and crapped out?
I know I could buy a HF extended warranty, but that is not cheap either.
I decided the Vulcan was still a bit too risky for my $629!

I instead found an incredible deal on a Hobart Handler 190 (240V), including the aluminum spool gun (which I may never use).
The Hobart Handler 190 is WAY heavier at 68 lbs. The Hobart is a transformer type welder, and it is assembled in the USA (parts from China? - Mexico?))
I absolutely KNOW that I can count on Miller/Hobart for product support with a simple phone call.
I DO NOT like the 68 lb. weight at all though!!!
I also have an Everlast Power I-Mig 140e, that is wonderfully light at 35 lbs., but it is a 120V machine.
Can't wait to try out my new Hobart Handler 190!

 

[millsan1]

Well, I just had a garage fire. All is OK, none one hurt, house OK, but all my tools destroyed.

The funny thing is, my tools are either Craftsman, S&K or Pittsburgh.

The chrome burned off my Craftsman and S&K stuff, and they are rusted and shot. My Pittsburgh stuff fared much better and some look like you could wipe them off and use them.

The temper is gone in everything, so kind of irrelevant, but I thought it noteworthy that the HF tools held up to 1400+ (I know it got this hot because a bunch of large aluminum items melted) degree temps and two name brands didn't.

 

[dragoneggs]

Well, I just had a garage fire. All is OK, none one hurt, house OK, but all my tools destroyed.

The funny thing is, my tools are either Craftsman, S&K or Pittsburgh.

The chrome burned off my Craftsman and S&K stuff, and they are rusted and shot. My Pittsburgh stuff fared much better and some look like you could wipe them off and use them.

The temper is gone in everything, so kind of irrelevant, but I thought it noteworthy that the HF tools held up to 1400+ (I know it got this hot because a bunch of large aluminum items melted) degree temps and two name brands didn't.

Holy crap! Sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine losing my shop tools... so many built up over the years and not inventoried. I really need to do that! A fire would devastate me.

 

[fried1765]

Holy crap! Sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine losing my shop tools... so many built up over the years and not inventoried. I really need to do that! A fire would devastate me.

Pictures...Pictures....Pictures
Open every storage cabinet before you start.
I had a major house/ garage fire many years ago, and did not have nearly enough pictures.
After the fire I kept a notebook beside the bed, and one down in the living room too.
Every time I thought of something, I wrote it down.
The insurance company kept pressuring me for a final list.
I waited more than 9 months before I gave it to them.
Kept remembering stuff that had been lost.

 

[California]

And repeating advice I saw elsewhere online - don't report loss in generic terms. That claims analyst posted that the insurance industry has master lists of the cheapest versions of anything. His example was claiming 'coffeemaker' will get you the depreciated value, what you would pay at Goodwill, for a used Mr Coffee that had cost $8.99 new at Walmart.

Say the actual trade name and model or if you don't have that then something like 'Braun coffeemaker, the one with a blue stripe'. That will get you the same model you lost, not a cheap 'equivalent' that is the default when the claim lacks specifics.

The difference can easily be thousands of $ across the entire loss.

Good luck with this.

 

[Oldpath05]

Garage fire, yup I know what your going through. My shop was lost to fire 5 years ago this coming March, I figure total loss was 35k, insurance covered 22k. Contact you insurance Co. soon if you haven't done it already.

I had a big set of HSS HF tap&die SAE&MM set bought in the late 90s, I could tell they was of good quality by feeling the sharpness on the taps, my replacement set I bought from HF is titanium coated, the sharpness is not like the previous set, I wont by anymore titanium coated crap again.