Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[California]

Is this a good buy or bad buy? Sorry don't the time to review all 14152 posts to see if I should buy it or not!!!!

Easy-Flux 125 Amp Welder

Yes, per other posters. I would buy one.

More things to consider:

An important point for anyone considering that class of welders - that EasyFlux is far better than their $100 'Flux 125 Welder' that might seem like a comparable but instead is heavy (transformer based), and makes awful welds because it outputs AC only, while the only flux core wire you will ever find is labelled DC Only. The $100 AC flux welder is a dog to avoid. BTDT.

My local NorCal stores show your EasyFlux as 'In-Store Special Order' at every store within 100 miles.

Looking a little farther all the Titanium and Vulcan series welders are In-Store Special Order at the three stores on the first page of lookup. I didn't look any farther.

Only the $190 170 Amp DC, 240 Volt, MIG/Flux Cored Welder shows as In Stock at all ten stores in a 40 mile radius. That one is heavy and 240 volts only. Probably sufficient for most shop use (I have its 180 amp variant, no longer sold, no complaints) but if I were buying a new welder a Titanium series would be a better choice.

HF's welders are about the only product where the two year replacement warranty might be a good idea, because there's no repair available for them.

 

[5030]

+1 on the extended warranty. No repair available so get the replacement warranty.

 

[Muhammad]

If I am looking at your photo correctly, the top rail will be the same thing in your photo. I am going to have a buddy plasma cut a scene with deer and turkey for one rail and I am planning our last name in my Dads handwriting for the other rail. I have friend that build railing for commercial buildings for many years. He will do the welding. I am going to get pricing on powder coating and get some info color choices.

This is for a small cabin on our rural property that has been in the family since 1908. We have been working on the cabin for almost 1.5 years. The rails are the last step.

I painted mine by hand with rustoleum and am happy with the results for $10. It hid the imperfections so that was a plus for me. If yours turns out perfect then the powder coat might be worth it.

 

[stuckmotor]

They can scan the sale coupons right off your phone or tablet.

When coupons were a thing. I often copied the number under the barcode including careful labeling and gave it to the checker. A few times the number didn't work, probably because I miscopied it. Not one clerk ever refused to punch in the number.

 

[cooksmtn]

'In-Store Special Order'

Can't depend on that being accurate. I wanted the 2hp dust collector, on line said "in store special order". I stopped at the store, knowing they had one on display.Said I wanted to buy one. Girl said she'd check to see if they had it. Said they did, but would take a few minutes to dig it out.

 

[KubotainNH]

Is this a good buy or bad buy? Sorry don't the time to review all 14152 posts to see if I should buy it or not!!!!

Easy-Flux 125 Amp Welder

I don't know about that unit but I have tried their welding wire, I pass and buy the good stuff elsewhere. Lots of better brands for not that much more. HF only had the crappy AC wirefeed unit (I owned the little one) when I got sick of the $99 unit and bought an Everlast iMig. Perfect for what I need. Much prefer gas shielding over flux core but maybe that HF inverter unit will do the job. I ran quite a bit of wire through the blue HF AC one I had but the welds were not as nice.

As for flyers, I rarely get them even though I'm in their computer. No e-mails anymore either. Fine with me as they are usually useless.

 

[MossRoad]

Looking around, I guess they stopped publishing monthly catalogs last year. Bummer. Per their website:

Wow! INSTANT SAVINGS means low prices on popular items with NO coupons required. Harbor Freight has moved from a monthly catalog or coupon book to publishing our monthly deals online and in the Harbor Freight app

February 221 Instant Savings – 52 New Deals This Month – Harbor Freight Coupons

 

[Ford850]

Looking around, I guess they stopped publishing monthly catalogs last year. Bummer. Per their website:



February 221 Instant Savings 52 New Deals This Month Harbor Freight Coupons

Yep. I posted this last week in the DO suck thread:
"No paper ads or mail. No 20% coupons, not even in the magazine ads that used to have them every time. No free stuff coupons. They've become just another store to me, and I'm rarely there compared to what I used to be. They were a weekly stop, or at least every other week. I haven't been to HF in 6 weeks I think. I had my eyes on a tile saw since December, but they jacked up the price and don't have coupons now. Been spending my money at Menards and Home Depot when buying the stuff I used to get at HF."

And the old process of rotating sales on items that equal the 20% is pretty much gone too. I've been following several items and checked the HF Coupon site where you can look at previous pricing and dates for items. The trend is higher prices and far fewer sales or coupons. It used to be hit or miss, but worth it to check on some things and wait for a fair price (coupon or sale). That hasn't worked for me in a couple months now. My son bought, and received as Christmas gifts, several sets of HF sockets and wrenches before January. Little did he know how good of a deal he got on everything! HF's big push is to get you to join their Inside Track Club, which does offer better prices or coupons still. Maybe that's their plan to get more memberships, by limiting deals to everyone else and forcing you to pay to play. No thanks.

 

[Oaktree]

HF's big push is to get you to join their Inside Track Club, which does offer better prices or coupons still. Maybe that's their plan to get more memberships, by limiting deals to everyone else and forcing you to pay to play. No thanks.

Anyone here belong to that? Do you really save enough to pay for the membership?
I used to have a BJ's membership, but realized I didn't buy enough there to justify the $60 (?)/yr.

+1 on the extended warranty. No repair available so get the replacement warranty.

The extended warranty is OK as long as they don't discontinue the line 6 mo. after you get it, like they did with the Lynx products. Are you SOL or do they give you a replacement tool from the "new" line (assuming there is an equivalent)?

 

[Ford850]

Anyone here belong to that? Do you really save enough to pay for the membership?
I used to have a BJ's membership, but realized I didn't buy enough there to justify the $60 (?)/yr.



The extended warranty is OK as long as they don't discontinue the line 6 mo. after you get it, like they did with the Lynx products. Are you SOL or do they give you a replacement tool from the "new" line (assuming there is an equivalent)?

The membership used to be less valuable due to he many other sales and coupons. Now, the membership offers the most discounts on a different variety of products. Here's a link to the current products: Harbor Freight Tools Coupon Database - itc coupons, freebies, free with purchase, free tools, free stuff, inside track club coupons
But I don't like joining any "clubs" at any stores.

 

[MossRoad]

Bummer. I used to keep the monthly catalog in the bathroom.

Fortunately, at my age, I don't need too many tools anymore. I did buy 3 air nailers from them last summer to build a garage addition. I figured them into the price of the build as disposable items. Any use I get out of them after that is a bonus. Disposable tools. yeesh.

 

[California]

The extended warranty is OK as long as they don't discontinue the line 6 mo. after you get it, like they did with the Lynx products. Are you SOL or do they give you a replacement tool from the "new" line (assuming there is an equivalent)?

HF is good on their warranties, so long as you are aware of how short the basic warranty is. No-question exchange. It's like they expect a certain percentage of sales to fail 'final inspection', ie in the hands of the customer. Most companies do final QC in house but this approach is cheaper.

This seems to be a part of the unique HF philosophy - source tools from the lowest bidder who will contract to build to a specific spec. Then leave it to the customer to sort out the rejects. Replace any returns with a smile.

As for replacing an item no longer sold they will hand over the next-better item. I've read of this with welders that were bought with the extended warranty. You will get the length of service that your warranty specified but it might not be with the same tool.


I bought their cheapest $7.99 socket set for the barn workbench open to outdoors where any of the harvest crew might walk off with stuff. (Good people, I've never lost anything). I soon stripped the ratchet gears. HF exchanged the set for a complete new set, carry case and all. Stripped that one's ratchet. Exchange again, no hassle. Soon stripped that ratchet. I substituted in an old Taiwan ratchet into the set. That has lasted several years now. Conclusion: The original ratchets were junk.

 

[rbstern]

I bought their cheapest $7.99 socket set for the barn workbench open to outdoors where any of the harvest crew might walk off with stuff. (Good people, I've never lost anything). I soon stripped the ratchet gears. HF exchanged the set for a complete new set, carry case and all. Stripped that one's ratchet. Exchange again, no hassle. Soon stripped that ratchet. I substituted in an old Taiwan ratchet into the set. That has lasted several years now. Conclusion: The original ratchets were junk.

The round headed ratchet sets are pretty poor quality. If you bump up one step to the teardrop shaped ratchet (also Pittsburg brand), they tend to be more durable, at three to four times the cost. Still cheap money.

However, once you get into the $20 range, there isn't much reason for not plunking down another $10 atop that, getting you a when-on-sale Husky, Kobalt, sometimes DeWalt set.

 

[California]

The round headed ratchet sets are pretty poor quality. If you bump up one step to the teardrop shaped ratchet (also Pittsburg brand), they tend to be more durable, at three to four times the cost.

Some of HF's better stuff is good. The black deep 1/2" impact socket set with metal case is excellent.

I have better tools than the $7.99 socket set - Craftsman, S-K, etc. But the good tools stay locked up and only come out for a project.

This cheap set is to leave out where I can access it instantly at the semi-outdoors workbench. (Photo). It's good enough for light maintenance.

When HF put a 1/2" fitting on what is essentially a poor 3/8" ratchet, that was a mistake.

 

[California]

Re: Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck, Here's an excellent one: 97062 Bypass Pruner

I have one original $50 Felco (Swiss) professional version and two of HF's clones, and all three are identical. Felco's patent must have expired.

 

[lostcreekranch]

Re: Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck, Here's an excellent one: 97062 Bypass Pruner

I have one original $50 Felco (Swiss) professional version and two of HF's clones, and all three are identical. Felco's patent must have expired.

I agree. I cut a lot of yaupon off at the ground, in sandy soil, so they get full of grit and dull because of the sand. I just buy a couple of these every year or two.

 

[rangerfredbob]

The full size loppers work well too, just bought another to have around for when the wife helps trim blackberries...

I've bought into the ITC a few times now, normally when it pays off... which outfitting a new home shop it has a couple times over... This new online coupon only thing is annoying, you never get the whole list and have to click links to go to their website then put in the ITC # and email to get in... The HFQPDB is nice to have around but hard to look through the tiny pictures... One nice thing about the ITC now is you DO NOT have to have the ITC specific coupons on hand paper or electronic for them to work, it just works at the register...

I just bought two of the 2 ton extended support stands like you would use on a 4 post lift since they were $20 off since I'll be putting a 2 post lift in my new shop here in a month or so... grabbed a 2 ton load leveler too since I've needed one a few times...

 

[California]

I cut a lot of yaupon off at the ground, in sandy soil, so they get full of grit and dull because of the sand. I just buy a couple of these every year or two.

I had to look up yaupon, I'd never heard of it. I see the range is coastal east Texas to NC. It is the only native plant that makes decent tea! Is it tough to cut?

My use for hand pruners, minor pruning of apple branches, doesn't dull pruners so a touch-up with a tiny file a couple of times a year for these and the long handle loppers (ancient Corona, not HF) has been sufficient.

I'm trying something new, the AccuSharp pair of sharpeners. The one for scissors (bevels one side) seems to work well for shears and loppers, with only a couple of passes. I saw these recommended in a thread here and I'm glad I bought them.

 

[California]

I haven't had as good luck with HF's long-reach extendable handle lopper. On the first one I used the extendable handles for extra cutting force and bent the extensions so they wouldn't retract. Then the spring that advances the ratchet to the next step for more leverage, fell out and got lost. I retired that first lopper from farm use then bought a second one for my home in town where the extended reach is helpful with less need for brute cutting force. I suppose this tool is worth the minimal price, $11. Just don't force it!

 

[crazyal]

The full size loppers work well too, just bought another to have around for when the wife helps trim blackberries...

I've bought into the ITC a few times now, normally when it pays off... which outfitting a new home shop it has a couple times over... This new online coupon only thing is annoying, you never get the whole list and have to click links to go to their website then put in the ITC # and email to get in... The HFQPDB is nice to have around but hard to look through the tiny pictures... One nice thing about the ITC now is you DO NOT have to have the ITC specific coupons on hand paper or electronic for them to work, it just works at the register...

I just bought two of the 2 ton extended support stands like you would use on a 4 post lift since they were $20 off since I'll be putting a 2 post lift in my new shop here in a month or so... grabbed a 2 ton load leveler too since I've needed one a few times...

I have a pair of those stands for my 2 post lift. I couldn't stand the color so I painted them blue. Other than that they have worked well (not that they shouldn't since they are so simple).