Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[Ford850]

I picked up a couple of these 250 lb pull retrieving magnets when they were on sale. One would probably do, but I use 2 in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket. I drag or tap it over burn piles, project areas, etc, to collect all nails, screws, and scrap steel. Then just lift the magnets out of the bucket and the steel drops off the bottom.
Retrieving Magnet, 25 Lb. Pull

 

[5030]

I just keep beating the **** out of my HF impact socket sets and they just keep on taking it btw. They are indestructable. Broke loose the nuts that hold the U bolts that secure the front leaf springs on a buddy's International 15 ton dump truck. Used an HF impact socket with a 1/2 to 3/4 adapter and a 3/4" drive breaker bar with a 5 foot long length of pipe on the end and they withstood the enormous applied torque, no issue. Previously broke an SK Wayne socket, it exploded. Not the socket in the $19.95 HF set.

Amazingly strong sockets. Lifetime guarantee too, not that I ever expect to break one.

 

[lostcreekranch]

I picked up a couple of these 250 lb pull retrieving magnets when they were on sale. One would probably do, but I use 2 in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket. I drag or tap it over burn piles, project areas, etc, to collect all nails, screws, and scrap steel. Then just lift the magnets out of the bucket and the steel drops off the bottom.
Retrieving Magnet, 25 Lb. Pull

What a great idea! Thanks for sharing.

 

[hunt4570]

I picked up a couple of these 250 lb pull retrieving magnets when they were on sale. One would probably do, but I use 2 in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket. I drag or tap it over burn piles, project areas, etc, to collect all nails, screws, and scrap steel. Then just lift the magnets out of the bucket and the steel drops off the bottom.
Retrieving Magnet, 25 Lb. Pull

I like it, great idea!!

 

[Threepoint]

I just keep beating the **** out of my HF impact socket sets and they just keep on taking it btw. They are indestructable. Broke loose the nuts that hold the U bolts that secure the front leaf springs on a buddy's International 15 ton dump truck. Used an HF impact socket with a 1/2 to 3/4 adapter and a 3/4" drive breaker bar with a 5 foot long length of pipe on the end and they withstood the enormous applied torque, no issue. Previously broke an SK Wayne socket, it exploded. Not the socket in the $19.95 HF set.

Amazingly strong sockets. Lifetime guarantee too, not that I ever expect to break one.

I, too, have never broken a HF socket (impact or regular). Nor any of their other wrenches, for that matter: ratcheting, open-end, box-end, crescent, pipe, allen, torx, et. al. Even when using a cheater bar! But I wouldn't describe myself as particularly hard on hand tools. But last week I was talking with another customer in a local hydraulic shop while having some hoses made up. He is a professional mechanic who maintains a small fleet of equipment for his company. He was telling me how he's broken some very spendy Snap-On tools, but curiously the HF tools seem to hold up just as well and are way cheaper. Says they're so inexpensive that he's made up a set of open-end wrenches just for use in extreme situation with a long cheater bar: He cuts them in half, so the pipe can slip on the shank easily! :laughing: His Snap-On vendor just rolls his eyes.

BTW, I've never asked how HF goes about replacing a single socket under warranty, since all are sold in sets.

 

[5030]

I, too, have never broken a HF socket (impact or regular). Nor any of their other wrenches, for that matter: ratcheting, open-end, box-end, crescent, pipe, allen, torx, et. al. Even when using a cheater bar! But I wouldn't describe myself as particularly hard on hand tools. But last week I was talking with another customer in a local hydraulic shop while having some hoses made up. He is a professional mechanic who maintains a small fleet of equipment for his company. He was telling me how he's broken some very spendy Snap-On tools, but curiously the HF tools seem to hold up just as well and are way cheaper. Say's they're so inexpensive that he's made up a set of open-end wrenches just for use in extreme situation with a long cheater bar: He cuts them in half, so the pipe can slip on the shank easily! :laughing: His Snap-On vendor just rolls his eyes.

BTW, I've never asked how HF goes about replacing a single socket under warranty, since all are sold in sets.

Far as I can tell, you break one, you return the entire set and they replace the whole set. Reason I say that is because at my local HF store, on the back wall, they have the 'markdown' stuff and there are always incomplete tool sets there. Usually missing one item. Never seen any of the impact sockets back there however. Seen chrome plated socket sets and some wrench sets however. I do know that HF sells individual impact sockets so maybe the single piece replacement applies to them. Like I said, never broke one and I've really tried, many times being really stupid. So far, zip.

 

[California]

I've never asked how HF goes about replacing a single socket under warranty, since all are sold in sets.

I've twice gotten a whole new set in exchange, after stripping the gear inside the ratchet of the cheapest socket set. I see now there is a better cheapest set - $15 - that has two ratchets. The previous $7.99 set had a 1/2 drive ratchet that was small like a 3/8 ratchet, and was too easy to destroy with moderate force. I substituted an ancient S&K ratchet in that carry case, no more problem. I have enough old Taiwan random sockets to replace this kit's sockets as they burst or strip out - which they do. This little kit is too convenient to carry around, it's preferable to using my old Craftsman sockets for light work.

In contrast to the cheap kit, HF's black $19.99 deep impact sockets are excellent, indestructible.

 

[5030]

I've twice gotten a whole new set in exchange, after stripping the gear inside the ratchet of the cheapest socket set. I see now there is a better cheapest set - $15 - that has two ratchets. The previous $7.99 set had a 1/2 drive ratchet that was small like a 3/8 ratchet, and was too easy to destroy with moderate force. I substituted an ancient S&K ratchet in that carry case, no more problem. I have enough old Taiwan random sockets to replace this kit's sockets as they burst or strip out - which they do. This little kit is too convenient to carry around, it's preferable to using my old Craftsman sockets for light work.

In contrast to the cheap kit, HF's black $19.99 deep impact sockets are excellent, indestructible.

16.50 Inside Track Club.....

 

[5030]

Bought one of the Icon 1/2" drive torque wrenches about a month ago. Have not used it yet but I have a Snap-On 1/2" drive wrench as well and side by side you'd be hard pressed to tell them apart other than the Snap-On has laser etched markings for torque values and the Snap-On logo is laser etched into the handle whereas the Icon has stamped graduations but the logo is etched into the handle. The torque settings line up perfectly with the rotating handle (just like the Snao-On) and it reads in right hand and left hand, again, just like the Snap-On. Where it's different is the price. I paid almost 600 bucks off the tool truck for the Snap-On. The Icon was 100 and change.

Think I'll be selling the Snap-On on Craigs List soon.

 

[dragoneggs]

Agreed, those 'cheap' black impact sockets are awesome.