Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[California]

The 2 ton Pittsburgh hf cherry picker is good, had it for 4+ yrs no problems I did buy the hf air over hydraulic long arm jack for it, has worked flawless as well.

One-ton version here. Works great. Recommended.

 

[jjeff]

I'd be curious to know how well the hf icon line of snap/ retaining ring pliers are? Personally I used to hate removing snap rings had a drawer full of cheap ring pliars best one I had was a cheap long nose needle nose one I ground down and bent it to work I eventually broke it on a L 2850 front end rebuild, went out spent some money on a knipex kit now I laugh and look forward to removing/ installing those rings.

 

[sd455dan]

I'd be curious to know how well the hf icon line of snap/ retaining ring pliers are? Personally I used to hate removing snap rings had a drawer full of cheap ring pliars best one I had was a cheap long nose needle nose one I ground down and bent it to work I eventually broke it on a L 2850 front end rebuild, went out spent some money on a knipex kit now I laugh and look forward to removing/ installing those rings.

I bought the large Icon snap ring pliers to remove pin retainers on the TLB- haven't tried them yet though. I gave up on the lower end snap ring pliers HF sells.
These large pliers have some weight and seem to be well made.
If any more problems I will be replacing with some more Klein tools.

 

[fatjay]

5 years later, my bauer 70lb jackhamer from HF that I bought for $400, runs off 15a electric, is still going strong. It has been run for hours on end and there has never been an issue. It has a bit of surface rust and some areas the sun is bleached the plastic, but it has always gotten the job done.

 

[KubotainNH]

I'd be curious to know how well the hf icon line of snap/ retaining ring pliers are? Personally I used to hate removing snap rings had a drawer full of cheap ring pliars best one I had was a cheap long nose needle nose one I ground down and bent it to work I eventually broke it on a L 2850 front end rebuild, went out spent some money on a knipex kit now I laugh and look forward to removing/ installing those rings.

Care to share which Knipex set you bought?

 

[Pixguy]

5 years later, my bauer 70lb jackhamer from HF that I bought for $400, runs off 15a electric, is still going strong. It has been run for hours on end and there has never been an issue. It has a bit of surface rust and some areas the sun is bleached the plastic, but it has always gotten the job done.

and you can run it with only one hand? Wow impressive!

 

[jjeff]

Care to share which Knipex set you bought?

Sure can't any more I've had them almost a decade, bought from a dedicated tool supply website

 

[jjeff]

The medium/larger sized ones with the tips going at 45 and 90 degrees are used the most/ for both internal and external rings

 

[5030]

I bought the large Icon snap ring pliers to remove pin retainers on the TLB- haven't tried them yet though. I gave up on the lower end snap ring pliers HF sells.
These large pliers have some weight and seem to be well made.
If any more problems I will be replacing with some more Klein tools.

Sure can't any more I've had them almost a decade, bought from a dedicated tool supply website

How about those wire strippers next to them? Look like HF to me..

 

[jjeff]

How about those wire strippers next to them? Look like HF to me..

To the right is a cheaper cv boot banding tool back of the drawer is a reversible channel lock retaining ring tool with interchangeable tips, good idea bad design imo there's a really cheap hf orange handle retaining ring tool and I think theres still a northern tool brand ring tool pliars, and my old broken homemade one. Really need to clean that drawer out again .

 

[5030]

I have the Astro Pneumatic Tools brand snap ring pliers and they look identical to yours.

 

[jjeff]

I have the Astro Pneumatic Tools brand snap ring pliers and they look identical to yours.

I really like my astro pneumatic 20gal parts washer it's one of the few in that price point the pump can handle petroleum based parts washing fluid, unlike my previous hf version.

 

[fatjay]

and you can run it with only one hand? Wow impressive!

I have for brief periods when my hands cramp up. I'm basically just keeping it from falling over, it does the bulk of the work by itself, depending on what I'm hammering through. I'm not busting through 12" of concrete reinforced by rebar, though. Just 4-6" with wire in it.

 

[Pixguy]

I have for brief periods when my hands cramp up. I'm basically just keeping it from falling over, it does the bulk of the work by itself, depending on what I'm hammering through. I'm not busting through 12" of concrete reinforced by rebar, though. Just 4-6" with wire in it.

But did you answer the phone like he did?

 

[PJRAM]

Everything on my Massey GC1723 is metric, so I bought two Pittsburgh Pro metric socket sets from Harbor Freight. I don't see anything subpar about these tools. $27.99 for the 1/2" drive set and $23.99 for the 3/8" drive set. How could you go wrong with those prices?

 

[gstrom99]

Everything on my Massey GC1723 is metric, so I bought two Pittsburgh Pro metric socket sets from Harbor Freight. I don't see anything subpar about these tools. $27.99 for the 1/2" drive set and $23.99 for the 3/8" drive set. How could you go wrong with those prices? View attachment 769701View attachment 769702

I might be buying a set of these for my SIL, for Christmas. Trouble with buying him tools is that he loses them as fast as I can buy them. Grandson looks to have the same trait...

Does HF have any tools with a built in Location Finder?

 

[daugen]

Gstrom, have Santa give a strong magnet and let them all share
when I can't find a socket, I usually remember to look on the end of the ratchet or extension...
Wish they would stamp the sizes into the case, something to visually locate the size easier.

 

[5030]

I really like my astro pneumatic 20gal parts washer it's one of the few in that price point the pump can handle petroleum based parts washing fluid, unlike my previous hf version.

I highly recommend the Astro Pneumatic Thor 1/2" drive air impact wrench. Torque Test Chanel on YT has had it in the top spot for air powered impacts for a long while. it's not all that expensive but does require high flow couplers and larger diameter air line. After purchasing the Thor, I gave away my IR Thundergun. The Thor makes around 1500 foot pounds of break away torque and 1000 foot pounds of tightening torque which puts it in the realm of a 3/4 drive impact without the weight of a 3/4 drive which I also have but in the IR flavor. Astro makes some very nice and not all that expensive air tools. The Thor will bust Bud style wheel nuts no issue. Haven't used my torque multiplier in some time now. One aspect of the Thor I like is, it will either loosen A325 Dome head plow bolts on wear steel bottoms or twist them off. No penetrant needed.

The only issue is, it will split impact sockets of they are not really stout. I've split Snap on, SK and Proto already. The only ones that hold up are the Harbor Freight black oxide sockets, believe it or not. Yet to split one of them.

 

[5030]

I might be buying a set of these for my SIL, for Christmas. Trouble with buying him tools is that he loses them as fast as I can buy them. Grandson looks to have the same trait...

Does HF have any tools with a built in Location Finder?

Nice thing about HF sockets is the lifetime replacement policy. I've split a few by using them on an impact (regular ones, not the black oxide impacts) and returned them to the store and they replaced them, no questions asked.

I would not buy their pinned universals. They won't hold up. I'd go with the broached universals that Astro sells.

 

[jjeff]

I have a bunch of hf black oxide impact ones I used them extensively when I used to build semi custom truss framed floating docks. Drop one in the lake or river not a big deal,at that price, plus as mentioned they'd never break and being 6 point rarely stripped out nuts, bolts, or lags.