Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[4570Man]

Yeah I can. A large wheelbarrow costs a lot less and it's apparently more mobile. And it will handle 2 80s or 3 50s.

I have no experience with the HF mixer in discussion but I’ve used several portable mixers of that size class and they are WAY better than mixing by hand. And do a better job. The mixer isn’t intended to roll around and dump straight into the form. You still need a tractor bucket or a wheel barrow to do that.

 

[California]

I bought the baby concrete mixer - 1.25 cf - for a special project: knocking the hulls off walnuts. Quality of the mixer seemed ok. But I found it was useless for the walnuts. Tumbling the walnuts alone or with big bolts or rocks didn't strip off the hulls. I went back to stripping by hand, in smaller quantity than I had hoped to accomplish. Sold the mixer.

The little mixer seemed like it would work fine for small projects, maybe artsy stuff or a flowerbed border. But I would get the larger one for anything larger.



Added:
The guy who bought the mixer from me said he wanted it to mix chicken feed and it was ideal size for that. He said he had thousands of chickens and needed to mix in medicine or something.

 

[Threepoint]

Yeah I can. A large wheelbarrow costs a lot less and it's apparently more mobile. And it will handle 2 80s or 3 50s.

Yes, and all that free exercise is a bonus. Especially with a full pallet of quikrete.

 

[Code54]

Yeah I can. A large wheelbarrow costs a lot less and it's apparently more mobile. And it will handle 2 80s or 3 50s.

Never saw a wheelbarrow that self mixes concrete for less but..... LOL

 

[stuckmotor]

I bought the baby concrete mixer - 1.25 cf - for a special project: knocking the hulls off walnuts. Quality of the mixer seemed ok. But I found it was useless for the walnuts. Tumbling the walnuts alone or with big bolts or rocks didn't strip off the hulls. I went back to stripping by hand, in smaller quantity than I had hoped to accomplish. Sold the mixer.

The little mixer seemed like it would work fine for small projects, maybe artsy stuff or a flowerbed border. But I would get the larger one for anything larger.

My granddad used to drill a hole in a board and drive walnuts through with a hammer to remove the hulls.

 

[newbury]

Any any experiences with the concrete mixers? Or better option in same price range? Looking for something to mix maybe a pallet of quikcrete at a time, and and not wanting to spend a fortune. View attachment 581170

I spent 2 summers as a teen mixing mortar for my Grandfather laying cement block walls. I greatly disliked cleaning the tub. I bought a Lowes plastic tub mixer about 6 years ago. It lives in the shed. No cracking yet and is REAL easy to clean. The plastic seems to repel water and cement.

That said - how many pounds in a pallet of quikrete? You'll need a cement truck to mix a pallet at one time

 

[Djames55]

I was in HF this morning and mentioned I had received an email last night saying the Black Friday sales were being offered again today and the 46" wood top tool cabinet was looking really good at $199. The gal at the register asked the manager that since I was in often, could they offer me their "Friends and Family 25% off special" and the cabinet would only be $186. She said they do this once a year and it is good for 25% off reg. price on anything in the store ( like welders and tool carts that you usually cant use a coupon for). I do not have a coupon number but she said if I decided to use the discount, just tell them at the register and the manager will OK it. Good till Dec 3.

LOL...$186.00 Is Not 25% off of $199.00 That is only about 6% to 7%... 25% OFF would have dropped the price to $149.25

 

[Rock Crawler]

LOL...$186.00 Is Not 25% off of $199.00 That is only about 6% to 7%... 25% OFF would have dropped the price to $149.25

The discount off is from the standard ticketed retail price. The $199 is using a discount coupon, so you can't get 25% off of a coupon price, you get 25% off of the MSRP.

 

[paulsharvey]

I spent 2 summers as a teen mixing mortar for my Grandfather laying cement block walls. I greatly disliked cleaning the tub. I bought a Lowes plastic tub mixer about 6 years ago. It lives in the shed. No cracking yet and is REAL easy to clean. The plastic seems to repel water and cement.

That said - how many pounds in a pallet of quikrete? You'll need a cement truck to mix a pallet at one time

In my area right now, we are dealing with 6 yard minimum charge for a load. Most of what I'm wanting to do can be poured a yard (1 pallet) at a time, and when you count the full pallet discounts I think it's down to $125/yard; versus a min of $600+ for anything up to 6 yards.

Just did a 27 bag pour of a chicken coup floor, and its doable with a wheelbarrow, but it was a **** of a lot of work. Hoping 42 bags in a mixer would be about equal to 27 bags in narrow, mixed with a hoe.

 

[flyerdan]

Went to HF yesterday and got the set of metric ratcheting wrenches, seem to be pretty good quality though I haven't had them on a bolt yet. Also got one of those led rope lights and the 1/4 3/8 and 1/2 drill socket drives. All on digital coupons, and while they wouldn't scan, the counter guy just had me read off the numbers. The Salem store seems to be doing a good business.

 

[Garandman]

How is the 21 gallon oiled compressor?
21 gal. 2.5 HP 125 PSI Cast Iron Vertical Air Compressor

Or should I spend more for the separate motor 29 gallon unit?

29 gal. 2 HP 150 PSI Cast Iron Vertical Air Compressor

Typical garage use, don’t use air tools, other than a paint spray gun.

 

[Rock Crawler]

Going by the star count, the bigger one has 4.5 stars while the smaller 21 gallon is 3.5 stars.

I bought my son the 21 gallon compressor this past spring when he got out of USMC and came home to live with his GF. We ran it with no pressure/load for about an hour and then changed the oil, ran it one more hour and changed the oil again.

He's built a demolition derby car and worked on his old junk Firebird all summer using that and an Earthquake impact, 3/8" Diablo air line and a Chicago air ratchet. So far so good.

I'll remind him in the spring to do one more oil change, then it should be good to go until death due us part.

It's loud. Not oil-free loud.... But it's still pretty loud compared my 80 gallon Kobalt.

 

[Kernopelli]

LOL...$186.00 Is Not 25% off of $199.00 That is only about 6% to 7%... 25% OFF would have dropped the price to $149.25

LOL, I didn't say $186 is 25% off of the $199 sale price. I said " She said they do this once a year and it is good for 25% off reg. price on anything in the store...."

 

[downsizingnow48]

I see that HF is now selling the new ultra quiet oil free compressors rated at 60 db. Wonder if anyone has tried one of them. They look the same as my California Air Tools quiet oil free compressor. I can put it in the entryway, run hose to the back bedroom to do trim, and can hardly tell if it is on or off. Some oil free compressors are very loud, but these new models are not.

2 gallon 1.2 HP 135 PSI Ultra Quiet Oil-Free Professional Air Compressor

 

[Rock Crawler]

I see that HF is now selling the new ultra quiet oil free compressors rated at 60 db. Wonder if anyone has tried one of them. They look the same as my California Air Tools quiet oil free compressor. I can put it in the entryway, run hose to the back bedroom to do trim, and can hardly tell if it is on or off. Some oil free compressors are very loud, but these new models are not.

2 gallon 1.2 HP 135 PSI Ultra Quiet Oil-Free Professional Air Compressor

The problem with those is that they are trim or air nail compressors, they can't run ratchets, impacts, die grinders or any mechanics or body shop tools. That makes them useless for a large portion of compressor users.

 

[downsizingnow48]

My point is there are quiet oil free compressors available these days, including from HF, and it would be interesting to hear from users.

Home Depot and Lowes both offer larger versions of the quiet compressors with more HP and more storage.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I would be interested in an affordable and quiet compressor that could make 135 or more psi, and support around 12 cfm at 90 psi with a 30 gallon or so tank. I would buy that for my son.

 

[Jim Nelson]

Has anyone used the H.F. 66150 hydraulic crimper? I'm an old phart and uncle arther has left my hand strength way back in the past so I need a little help with crimp on terminals. I've been trying to just beat them with a hammer but the success rate is about 50% so this looks like a good deal to me.
I know you can buy pretty much the same tool on the net for a little less but, as with all this Asian stuff , ease of return or exchange is a factor for me.

 

[Mendonsy]

Has anyone used the H.F. 66150 hydraulic crimper? I'm an old phart and uncle arther has left my hand strength way back in the past so I need a little help with crimp on terminals. I've been trying to just beat them with a hammer but the success rate is about 50% so this looks like a good deal to me.
I know you can buy pretty much the same tool on the net for a little less but, as with all this Asian stuff , ease of return or exchange is a factor for me.

I have had one for several years. the hydraulic part works OK, but the set of crimping dies that come with it leave a bit to be desired. I have had to make a few modifications to them with my die grinder to get the crimps that I wanted.

 

[Jim Nelson]

I have had one for several years. the hydraulic part works OK, but the set of crimping dies that come with it leave a bit to be desired. I have had to make a few modifications to them with my die grinder to get the crimps that I wanted.

Thanks,I guess I'll try it.