Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[crazyal]

It really comes down to longevity and parts. I have name brand stuff that I have abused for decades and it just keeps working. 10 years ago I was still leery about buying anything with an electric motor from HF. But over the years I've bought some HF stuff (their 10" tile saw for example) that was cheap enough so if it died I would still come out ahead that have shown they can make stuff that lasts. I'm still not sold on their cordless stuff yet but I'm invested in Milwaukee because I wanted a cordless grease gun so by the time I might be ready to switch brands HF could be a contender.

What hurts HF is the number of duds that I've bought from them. For example a 1/2" corded impact gun that the detent ball that holds the socket on fell out making it useless after a few months of light use. Also when you see things on their shelves, like the aluminum speed squares that are so thin they wouldn't actually work as a straight edge for a saw it give the impression that everything is low quality.

I personally would like to see HF take things to the next level. Have each store stock common parts and have a terminal with access to all the parts for the stuff they sell so you can order anything you need. Often you'll find it's cheaper to just buy a new one but not always. For example, a generator. If the carb gums up trying to search the internet to find what engine they copied with that design so you can buy something that might work 9assuming your generator was made in the same factory) screams low quality to me vs just going to the local store and picking up a new carb.

 

[Diggin It]

I don't think I've done 50 hours of sanding in my entire life.

No big testimonial, but these swivel head ratchets are pretty cool. Mine's slime green though:

1/4 in. Drive Quick Release Swivel Head Ratchet

 

[dragoneggs]

Hospital Donation Update

 

[Oaktree]

What hurts HF is the number of duds that I've bought from them. For example a 1/2" corded impact gun that the detent ball that holds the socket on fell out making it useless after a few months of light use.

You're lucky, I don't think mine ever had one. I was using mine today and was getting annoyed that the socket kept falling off...looked at the chuck and there wasn't even a place where a ball would go! Now, to be fair, the Chicago Electric stuff goes back to the day when HF didn't even really try to be anything but a seller of junk tools, maybe their newer stuff is better made, time will tell.

One thing that does make me reluctant to invest much in HF cordless stuff (and this is true of other store/off brands too) is that they tend to have relatively short production runs before they're replaced with a newer model with incompatible batteries. Yeah, the name brands do that too, but you're a lot more likely to find a Milwaukee, Ryobi, etc. battery either aftermarket or NOS than some no-name one.

Upthread, someone mentioned that they'd heard that the Lynx 40V line was being discontinued. I hope not, and didn't see anything that implied that last visit, but they don't seem to be issuing any new 40V tools either. How long has that been around, a couple years at most?

 

[California]

One thing that does make me reluctant to invest much in HF cordless stuff (and this is true of other store/off brands too) is that they tend to have relatively short production runs before they're replaced with a newer model with incompatible batteries. ... you're a lot more likely to find a Milwaukee, Ryobi, etc. battery either aftermarket or NOS than some no-name one.

====

I like my Ryobi stuff. Not pro grade but it's what HF's intermediate-cost stuff should be. Ryobi's 18 volt series have used the same battery for 20 ?? years, first nicad and now Li-on, all without ever changing the battery compatibility. Meanwhile HF had gone through endless incompatible battery series.

 

[5030]

Hospital Donation Update

Without trying to came across sounding like an a s s, I wonder if those masks are Chinese knockoff's? Read a thing about that the other day where the government intercepted a huge shipment of masks from China that were 3M knockoff's.

 

[5030]

I like my Ryobi stuff. Not pro grade but it's what HF's intermediate-cost stuff should be. Ryobi's 18 volt series have used the same battery for 20 ?? years, first nicad and now Li-on, all without ever changing the battery compatibility. Meanwhile HF had gone through endless incompatible battery series.

Yes, they have and none interchange. I have one of those nifty DrillMaster cordless power saws, great little saw but batteries are NLA for them. Pizzes me off.

 

[3Ts]

You're lucky, I don't think mine ever had one. I was using mine today and was getting annoyed that the socket kept falling off...looked at the chuck and there wasn't even a place where a ball would go! Now, to be fair, the Chicago Electric stuff goes back to the day when HF didn't even really try to be anything but a seller of junk tools, maybe their newer stuff is better made, time will tell.

One thing that does make me reluctant to invest much in HF cordless stuff (and this is true of other store/off brands too) is that they tend to have relatively short production runs before they're replaced with a newer model with incompatible batteries. Yeah, the name brands do that too, but you're a lot more likely to find a Milwaukee, Ryobi, etc. battery either aftermarket or NOS than some no-name one.

Upthread, someone mentioned that they'd heard that the Lynx 40V line was being discontinued. I hope not, and didn't see anything that implied that last visit, but they don't seem to be issuing any new 40V tools either. How long has that been around, a couple years at most?

That question came from a post on reddit: Is Lynxx Being Discontinued? Is Atlas Replacing? : harborfreight

I'm hoping that's not the case also, and at the moment, just because there are no Lynxx tools in HF doesn't mean much. After all I haven't found TP in the store for a month and somehow I don't think it's being discontinued.

 

[5030]

That question came from a post on reddit: Is Lynxx Being Discontinued? Is Atlas Replacing? : harborfreight

I'm hoping that's not the case also, and at the moment, just because there are no Lynxx tools in HF doesn't mean much. After all I haven't found TP in the store for a month and somehow I don't think it's being discontinued.

Never been an issue with the toilet tissue here.........:laughing:

 

[buck12]

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I like my Ryobi stuff. Not pro grade but it's what HF's intermediate-cost stuff should be. Ryobi's 18 volt series have used the same battery for 20 ?? years, first nicad and now Li-on, all without ever changing the battery compatibility. Meanwhile HF had gone through endless incompatible battery series.

Yep. That’s why I have stuck with Ryobi. I have tools I bought 15 plus years ago that work with batteries I bought recently. I know Ryobi is not the high end stuff but it works for my uses and they keep using the same batteries.