Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[jyoutz]

I remember listening in disbelief that Sears power tools were being made in Japan and the quality we all loved in the 50s and 60s was gone.

I have some of those old US made power tools handed down from my grandfather. They were good for the day, but most modern power tools are far better, wherever they’re made. I’ll take my DeWalt 1/2 inch drill over the old craftsman drill I have that sparks and runs out of torque pretty quickly.

 

[rScotty]

I never thought I'd say this, but every time I stop in HF I'm impressed. I have their shop crane now, and several of their roll-arounds carts with the single drawer.
Basically as good or better than anyone else's - including Home Depot - and for about 1/3 the price.

 

[5030]

I never thought I'd say this, but every time I stop in HF I'm impressed. I have their shop crane now, and several of their roll-arounds carts with the single drawer.
Basically as good or better than anyone else's - including Home Depot - and for about 1/3 the price.

HF has 3 distinct levels of quality and price. The one use and toss level, the may last for a while level and the good as or better than everyone else level and every level is less in cost that anyone else's is. I have a boatload of HF stuff but it's all Icon, Chief, US General and Pittsburg Premium and Vulcan and Titanium. All my cordless tools are Bauer 20 volt and none have ever failed yet. They are 'homeowner' grade but compared to the others, always a bargain.

I just purchased a Vulcan Pro-Tig 205 and a pair of Titanium plasma cutters btw. The Pro-Tig makes the smoothest, most stable arc of any TIG welder I've ever owned and it's 100% digital and it's IGBT so it's very efficient with the ever higher cost of electricity. Same with the plasma cutters, very efficient and consumables are cheap as well. I like HF's credit card and ITC club too. Large purchases are finance charge free for up to 36 months, something I always take advantage of.

I admit it, I'm a HF junkie.

 

[5030]

Around here the pawn shops will loan on those tools but not HF tool of any name.

Bruce

Never been in a pawn shop in my entire life and never plan on it.

I won't buy someone else's used tools or junk.

Don't care if a pawn shop won't do HF stuff at all because I'm not ever plan or pawning any of it anyway.

Bad enough I go to farm auctions but I rarely buy anything other than the watered down hot cocoa and a stale, over priced doughnut.

One thing about farm auctions and that is, the people selling the junk, all think it's gold. It ain't.

 

[scootr]

Has anybody tried this 5 in 1 pressure washer tip from HF > Pressure Washer 5-in-1 Nozzle

 

[5030]

No, but I have an older Pacific Hydrostar pressure washer with a 5 horse Pred on it that I've been running for 10 years now and it still runs like a top. Good PW. It's washed a lot of tractors, cars and implements. I did replace the cheapo hose a few years back however. Menards has the adjustable nozzle for less but I prefer just changing tips myself.

 

[sea2summit]

I find it funny that a mod threw this thread down a political drain…

 

[Alan W.]

I find it funny that a mod threw this thread down a political drain…

You mean “Overlord”

 

[2manyrocks]

It's interesting that HF has had success selling only tools compared to Sears that at one time or another has sold almost everything including kits to build houses.

 

[scootr]

Sears house catalog > Sears Archives, History

 

[kenmbz]

I still miss Sears, but their Execs ran it into the ground and then bought the name after it went belly up.

I like my HF Daytona 3 ton low profile so far. Fits under the wifes car and has enough reach to lift my Jeep GC.
Seems to be built really well. And rolls ok over the driveway.
Control on release is pretty good too.

We will see how long it lasts. I only use it once a month or so. Last time was to help lift a rack onto dollies to move it.

 

[Oaktree]

Never been in a pawn shop in my entire life and never plan on it.

I won't buy someone else's used tools or junk.

Don't care if a pawn shop won't do HF stuff at all because I'm not ever plan or pawning any of it anyway.

I know a guy who ran a secondhand shop, and he told me tools (especially power) were the hardest things to sell. Almost nobody wants that stuff when for only a few dollars more they can get a brand new HF, Ryobi, Hitachi, etc. tool that'll do the job as well as if not better than some beat-to-crap used one. Nobody wants corded tools anymore and modern cordless ones run rings around even 10-15 year old ones.
Jyoutz was right...the old stuff was good in its day, but that day is gone.

Agree that HF stuff has come a long way in the last 10-12 years when it comes to making tools that don't suck.

 

[5030]

You can still buy suck tools at HF if you are really cheap and the tarp straps still stink.

 

[LouNY]

I've bought tools from HF for a great many years.
Some were good buys some were not.
A couple of my jack stands are over 30 years old and still in use.
My porta power from them is an old central machine that came in a metal box with foam insets the box is about shot the foam is 80% gone but that old porta power still works.

 

[crazyal]

I've bought tools from HF for a great many years.
Some were good buys some were not.
A couple of my jack stands are over 30 years old and still in use.
My porta power from them is an old central machine that came in a metal box with foam insets the box is about shot the foam is 80% gone but that old porta power still works.

I have the same one. Mine's the 8 ton (I think). It's the larger sized one. It's rusty but it works. The foam inside the case is completely gone. I remember seeing them in HF when they switched to a plastic case. At the time I wanted a plastic case because, even back then, the foam wasn't holding up well. Decades later I'm sure the plastic would have been landfill material and all the pieces lost where as the metal case is still with me. The only issue I had was my neighbor broke the fitting off the jaws attachment.

 

[Norm W]

I have an air powered 1/2" impact that I bought from HF when they were mail order only, about 1974. It still works and does the job. It puts out more torque than the 3/4" I bought from them 25 years ago. The 1" is a monster that will really give you a workout just carrying it. On 1.625" bolts it does the job, but really sucks down the air.

 

[Hay Dude]

from a GDP and unemployment basis, for sure not.
all those pickup trucks aren't being bought by out of work folks...
what we have is a lot more visibility about the bottom 5 percent.
As we should, but overall, employers have been hiring for a long time.
There are always layoffs.

now maybe to the guys furloughed at Ford's electric truck plant, the EV market may have tanked...
and Ken is right, those real estate markets are going down, but I don't see the crash part.
some segments are clearly soft, shopping centers, office space, etc.

I wonder how HF is doing this year/last year?

The commercial real estate market-specifically office buildings are waaay underwater. These are the portfolio back bone for many medium sized banks.

 

[lostcreekranch]

Has anybody tried this 5 in 1 pressure washer tip from HF > Pressure Washer 5-in-1 Nozzle

This one is better for less money with a 5% discount.

And .. you can select orifice size to better match yout particular pressure washer. I use the 2.5 on my small 2800 psi / 2.3 gpm PW and a 3.5 on my 4000 psi / 3.2 gpm.

Amazon.com

The HF nozzle is probably ok for a low psi / flow pressure washer.

 

[scootr]

This one is better for less money with a 5% discount.

And .. you can select orifice size to better match yout particular pressure washer. I use the 2.5 on my small 2800 psi / 2.3 gpm PW and a 3.5 on my 4000 psi / 3.2 gpm.

Amazon.com

The HF nozzle is probably ok for a low psi / flow pressure washer.

I'm going to try that. Thank you

 

[crazyal]

So the Gen 3 US General upper chest that I recently bought is worse than the 5 drawer mechanic's chest that I bought 4 or 5 years ago. The latches for the drawers are terrible. They are difficult to slide and often I have to use a screw driver to help them so the drawer will open. I've been leaving the drawers slightly open so it's not an issue. On the 5 drawer mechanics cart the latches work great. On that one the finger pull for the latch is only on the left side where as this box the slide is the full length. I don't know if HF cheapened the US general line to separate it from the higher priced toolboxes? If the 56" roller is as bad I'll probably just remove the latches and use the key to keep them from opening when needed. Other than that the box is pretty nice. I would have rather had a few more drawers that aren't as deep but otherwise it's good.