Harbor Freight Tools that DO SUCK II

[stuckmotor]

Well, my word to the wise is don't buy the HF multi size step drill sets and expect to drill anything but aluminum and plastic. They don't cut the mustard on mild steel. Instant dull. Total bust. They are cheap and cheaply made. Save yourself some grief and get the Irwin or DeWalt step drills. Much better.

Of course they aren't as cheap either but unlike the HF step drills, you can actually drill steel with them.

My luck with the HF step drills has been much better. Usually they cut well for me. Once when drilling something the HF drill wouldn't cut, I tried an Irwin and it wouldn't cut it either and at a higher price.

 

[5030]

HF now has various grades of step drills. from the cheapo Chicago Electric ones to the better Bauer ones.

 

[stuckmotor]

The step drills I had good luck with were the ones sold in the days of only one grade. Haven't used the new ones enough to compare or even remember which I bought.

 

[Oaktree]

To tell the truth, I'm enjoying not rounding up a coupon and going to HF every other day to use one any more. I hope they're getting along without me because I usually don't need premium quality and like having HF in town.

Same here. I don't visit HF anywhere nearly as often since they discontinued the paper coupons and free-with-any-purchase items. I don't have a smart phone (nor am I sure how you'd use one with a coupon if I did), so I'd have to print out individual coupons, and to me it's more trouble than it's worth.
I hope this new strategy of theirs doesn't backfire like it did for JC Penney...like you, I don't generally need "pro quality" tools, and a "good enough" tool is usually good enough. I'd miss HF if they went away.

 

[5030]

"I'd miss HF if they went away." So would the Chinese I imagine....

 

[the old grind]

It's easy to love HFT and easy to hate China but it takes a patriot to do both well.

As for HFT tools that do suck, you get what you pay for.

 

[stuckmotor]

Same here. I don't visit HF anywhere nearly as often since they discontinued the paper coupons and free-with-any-purchase items. I don't have a smart phone (nor am I sure how you'd use one with a coupon if I did), so I'd have to print out individual coupons, and to me it's more trouble than it's worth.
I hope this new strategy of theirs doesn't backfire like it did for JC Penney...like you, I don't generally need "pro quality" tools, and a "good enough" tool is usually good enough. I'd miss HF if they went away.

With the number of professional users who bash HF tools I imagine people like us make up the bulk of their business. The Pittsburgh line of wrenches has almost always been all my occasional use could justify. As for the electrics, "I'm forgettful", plus I often work outside and can't see buying Dewalt or Milwaukee only to leave it out in the rain. To make things worse, Dewalt yellow is easy to spot from the road by passing thieves.

If you haven't seen MossRoad's comment about half of the Harbor Freight tools rotating on and off of sale #14141 in the Harbor Freight tools that DON'T SUCK thread, IMHO it's well worth reading.

If JC Penny upscaled themselves out of business, that explains a great deal. I once mentioned to a clerk there that I was looking for something less expensive. She recommended KMart or Walmart. I hope she found a great job when the Penny store shut down.

 

[5030]

Milwaukee stuff is insanely expensive and interestingly, made across the pond anyway.

 

[stuckmotor]

Milwaukee stuff is insanely expensive and interestingly, made across the pond anyway.

That's what I've heard. Never have owned any.:confused3:

 

[stuckmotor]

I'm trying to decide whether I'd rather have two good pistols or one excellent one. Even that would be a tough choice.