Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[dragoneggs]

I've had good luck using a 4 1/2" angle grinder with a diamond blade.

I've done that and then break it with a chisel if not a through cut. But sometimes blade depth is a problem if looking for a clean through cut.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I recently bought two EarthQuake brand Impact drivers, one in 1/2" drive rated at 1200 foot pounds of force and a 3/8" drive rated at 370 foot pounds. Both use the same 20 volt batteries. I bought the kits for each that came with battery and charger so now I have two batteries and 2 chargers. I also got the 20volt EarthQuake 4.5" grinder tool and it works as well as any of my Dewalt 4.5" grinders and since I now have 2 - 4 a.h. batteries, I can use any of the tools for an extended period.
I havent had them all long enough to give a long term evaluation but they are much better quality than the Bauer or Hercules brand also sold at HF.

The only con if have with them is I just have to be careful not to overtighten bolts with them since they dont have any setting to adjust for lower impact like some of the Dewalt units.

 

[5030]

Interesting. My Bauer stuff has been flawless but then when I need serious impact power I go air and my IR impact gun. Use the heck out of my Bauer hex drive impact. **** for driving deck screws Not a fan of electric impact tools, any brand.

 

[Diggin It]

I bought the kits for each that came with battery and charger so now I have two batteries and 2 chargers.

So where will you be in a couple of years when the batteries die (like all batteries do) and HF has moved on to the next latest and greatest idea they have for a brand? There are some places that replace the guts of battery modules, but at what cost?

Can you tell I'm beginning to get annoyed with HF's constant brand 'upgrading'?

 

[Oaktree]

So where will you be in a couple of years when the batteries die (like all batteries do) and HF has moved on to the next latest and greatest idea they have for a brand? There are some places that replace the guts of battery modules, but at what cost?

Can you tell I'm beginning to get annoyed with HF's constant brand 'upgrading'?

I share your concerns, not just with HF but store brands in general.
Planned obsolescence with name brands is bad enough...

 

[5030]

Self replacement is easy enough..... HF uses high quality Sanyo cells anyway.

 

[Pixguy]

Yeah, I don't think HF has one.

Evolution is the cheapest I found. I would think for light use, this would be the one I would try. Far less than the name brands. Don't know anything about this one, but many folks have said good things about the Evolution metal dry cut saw.

Evolution DISCCUT1 12" Disc Cutter, Orange - Power Circular Saws - Amazon.com

Thank you, I've purchased it and now ready to test. The reviews were mostly great so it's worth a shot. I could be one of those guys who returns it after finishing the Jon pub and says it never worked well. Haha. Jk

My bil was a Home Depot mgr in Florida for years and people would do that all the time. Bring the lawn mower back in April after using it all winter and says it was a pc of junk, I want my money back. Crazy people.

 

[buck12]

Does anyone have one of the HF Franklin stud finders? My 25 year old Craftsman gave up the ghost.

 

[crazyal]

Self replacement is easy enough..... HF uses high quality Sanyo cells anyway.

The batteries are usually welded together. Solder would work but adds resistance.

 

[John_Mc]

The batteries are usually welded together. Solder would work but adds resistance.

A poorly executed solder joint can be a problem. A good solder joint on clean materials is seldom a problem. It makes for a far more reliable contact than just the spring loaded mechanical contact in a typical, user-accessible battery holder. The replacement batteries for power tool battery packs usually come with the little metal tabs already welded to the batteries. They are designed to be soldered to make the connections.

 

[crazyal]

The metal tabs on Li-ion batteries are needed for soldering because soldering directly to the battery will most likely put too much heat into the battery and damage it. Surprisingly solder doesn't conduct electricity that well. For most applications it's not a problem but when it comes to batteries that can draw plenty of current it's not the best choice. If you have a cordless tool that you like but the battery pack is dead and you only have the means to connect replacement cells is with solder then it is what it is and you should do it. If you are going to solder I would suggest trying to keep the amount of solder between the tabs to a minimum. If using a copper wire I would flatten it out to lessen how much solder will be between the tab and the wire.

The springy wire things used for battery holders are for low draw devices, like a flash light. In the case of a modern cordless tool they draw a lot more power. These packs are used on things like chainsaws and lawnmowers.

 

[5030]

Spot weld the batteries into the tabs.

 

[California]

Spot weld the batteries into the tabs.

Aren't those the batteries (technology) that catch fire in phones, and can't be shipped in quantity? I've seen advice to leave battery replacement to the guys who do it all the time.

I've replaced Nicads in Norelco shavers but I thought LiIon was more difficult to work with safely.

 

[Grumpycat]

So where will you be in a couple of years when the batteries die (like all batteries do) and HF has moved on to the next latest and greatest idea they have for a brand? There are some places that replace the guts of battery modules, but at what cost?

Can you tell I'm beginning to get annoyed with HF's constant brand 'upgrading'?

Yes, that prospect is simply awful!

I'm worrying about my DeWalt 18V stuff. My 12V DeWalt stuff has long been abandoned.

 

[Grumpycat]

The batteries are usually welded together. Solder would work but adds resistance.

Batteries Plus used to have battery welders in-store. Plenty of YouTube videos showing how to build one of your own. Good online battery vendors will sell batteries welded together in any configuration you desire for nominal fee.

The issue with solder is not resistance but heat. The battery is exposed to much more heat soldering a tab than welding.

 

[Grumpycat]

Aren't those the batteries (technology) that catch fire in phones, and can't be shipped in quantity? I've seen advice to leave battery replacement to the guys who do it all the time.

I've replaced Nicads in Norelco shavers but I thought LiIon was more difficult to work with safely.

Lithium batteries connected to a circuit are a risk. Bare cells are not.

 

[Fallon]

Lithium batteries connected to a circuit are a risk. Bare cells are not.

No, actually they can be very problematic if punctured or what no when not connected to anything. The trade off for more energy density is more energy density. Not all "lithium" batteries are the same. Lithium ion batteries in your cell phones, laptops & other things can suffer from thermal runaway & catch fire. LiFePO4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries are much safer & more stable. Not quite the energy density as other zlithium types though.

Handling bare cells & rebuilding battery packs isn't rocket science, but it does take some skill & training. You can figure it out from YouTube. But accidentally shorting out an unprotected cell can end very badly.

 

[boatmoter]

Harbor freight has a lot of great tools.. since I retired from being a Auto tech,I know longer share my pay checks with Snap-on & USA tools, if I need something,I go to Harbor freight.. found out that if you buy mig wire from them, it will not weld,the wire is garbage, get quality wire,the harbor freight welders are very good for the price

 

[crazyal]

The e bike crowd who build their own bikes make battery packs by buying individual cells and connecting them. There's plenty of videos on how to do it. I was just warning people that there's a bit more to it than one might think.

 

[MossRoad]

Harbor Freight big foot 700# capacity (I kinda doubt that) hand truck.

$35.00

I've had it for 3-4 years. Works great. I use a ratchet strap and cheap Harbor Freight moving quilts to protect furniture. I've moved couches, tables, roll-top desks, refrigerators, car transmissions... all kinds of stuff. I like this thing.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

700 lb. Capacity Bigfoot Hand Truck