HF Icon vs. Pittsburgh line

   / HF Icon vs. Pittsburgh line #41  
OK twenty years ago? ...Not what I'd call great warranty service.
As I recall I got a ratchet, then an entire set with case, when that $9.95 set proved unsuitable for my application.

No point in repeating that nonsense again and again.

The sockets and a case that keep everything together are fair value for what I paid. Some things I would never get there. Such as cordless tools, they have a multitude of present and prior incompatible battery types.

Back then it was well known that shopping at HF was a gamble, and this particular transaction seemed to be resolved as a draw. Overall, particularly since they've improved quality, buying some things there is worthwhile.

I drive past HF frequently (its on the freeway frontage road by Travis AFB) so that isn't an extra trip.
 
   / HF Icon vs. Pittsburgh line #42  
Icon tool remind me a lot of Snap and Proto "professional" tools of years past.

Pittsburg pliers, screwdriver, and crescent wrenches aren't very good but, the other stuff in generally pretty good for homeowner use or limited farm needs. Fine tools like hex wrenches will work but, they aren't that good and an upgrade to Icon on sale is money well spent IMHO.
 
   / HF Icon vs. Pittsburgh line #43  
The lack of 'sales associates' at Big Box Outlets is likely a function of the leveraged financing employed when Venture Capitalists bought a going venture (like Home Depot) and then began implementing cost cutting measures (e.g. DOGE for the private sector) that reduced staff (if not shrinkage), service and customer satisfaction generally.

We presently have such VCs deployed across our nations government implementing similar measures in order to justify extending 45's tax cuts that cost us billions in added debt as part of an attempt to restore us from the financial debacle that culminated in the Great Recession that began when George Jr. and company last managed "our" economy.

If these tariffs hit - Lowes and Home Depot and YOUNAMEIT will be reeling like we've seen the market do.

But, you may not notice if your SSI checks stop coming or The Medical costs increase or you lose your disability, or those kids in Texas bring their measles to your town.
Talk about doom and gloom, you need to take a swig of Malox.

One, I don't live in 'town', 2 I'm not concerned at all with hospital costs as I have and have had high end Obamacare for years. My only put of pocket costs are my 5 dollar prescription costs and finally, SS is going bankrupt from the House and Senate using the fund as their private piggy bank and I don't see any issue with it for the immediate future anyway. If SS became insolvent our wonderful idiots in DC would resupply the fund with dollars anyway. Letting SS go bankrupt is the sure fire way to cause civil unrest because most all seniors I know of including myself are gun nuts.

Your doom and gloom scenario falls on deaf ears here and yes, I 100 % on board with the 'Promises made, Promises kept' guy and always have been. Additionally, I'm a successful small business man and I employ others as well.

Back to regular programming...
 
   / HF Icon vs. Pittsburgh line #44  
As I recall I got a ratchet, then an entire set with case, when that $9.95 set proved unsuitable for my application.

No point in repeating that nonsense again and again.

The sockets and a case that keep everything together are fair value for what I paid. Some things I would never get there. Such as cordless tools, they have a multitude of present and prior incompatible battery types.

Back then it was well known that shopping at HF was a gamble, and this particular transaction seemed to be resolved as a draw. Overall, particularly since they've improved quality, buying some things there is worthwhile.

I drive past HF frequently (its on the freeway frontage road by Travis AFB) so that isn't an extra trip.
As with anything, buy cheap and you get cheap.

Far as cordless tools are concerned, I believe HF was maturing in the market segment and they have now settled down to Bauer and Hercules on cordless stuff with Herc being a bit better quality than Bauer actually. Bauer, however fills my requirements for cordless tools nicely and not my go to on portable tools anyway. I much prefer air operated for shop use. HF has come a long way in not only quality but in variety as well. Northern, on the other hand seems to be stuck with lower quality stuff selling for higher prices. IOW I don't buy anything from them. Their 'Powerhorse' brand is nothing but rebadged Chinese junk with a nice name on it. Kind of like Grizzly's made over there stuff that I won't buy either. I have a feeling that when Grizz's warehouse runs out of stuff, they will be in a world of hurt. Old Balola is gonna have to find another line of work. My BIL bought one of their supposedly high end commercial table saws that wasn't.

What really lit me up was when Balola acquired the rights and Trade Name for South Bend Lathe and then slapped the South Bend name on his offshore made stuff. What a pig.
 
   / HF Icon vs. Pittsburgh line #45  
I don't live in 'town', 2 I'm not concerned at all with hospital costs as I have and have had high end Obamacare for years. My only put of pocket costs are my 5 dollar prescription costs
But we can't all be Hay Farmers and live in beautiful country. Some people have to be bartenders etc and are just getting by. Not paying the maximum into SS - or even working for cash - so their SS future isn't as bright as yours. This isn't a one solution fits every American situation. SS was to prevent extreme poverty for the elderly (and orphans etc) so for some folks, that is still important.

and finally, SS is going bankrupt from the House and Senate using the fund as their private piggy bank and I don't see any issue with it for the immediate future anyway. If SS became insolvent our wonderful idiots in DC would resupply the fund with dollars anyway. Letting SS go bankrupt is the sure fire way to cause civil unrest because most all seniors I know of including myself are gun nuts.
You haven't been keeping up with the news. Or perhaps your news source isn't complete. One proposal under consideration by this administration is for X and Visa to take over administering the distribution of SS, and many other funds disbursement processes. Seems likely to me that this opens up the possibility of your information being sold to marketers, same as how Facebook, Google, X, tax preparers etc do presently which is a major source of their income. SS is presently reducing phone support, so going through this new provider interface will require non-computer-literate elderly to deal with the X/Visa maze online, or visit in person, to resolve a change of address etc. Meanwhile the SS clerks are complaining that some of the web pages they look at to advise customers, are no longer available. Change is underway at SS. Distant funding is the least of their problems now.
 
   / HF Icon vs. Pittsburgh line #46  
Agree with your points. I don't understand why the dire consequences aren't obvious to everyone. But on here, I think politics outside that one political sub-forum will get a thread shut down.
Yeah, that f'ing Cancel Culture ;)
 
   / HF Icon vs. Pittsburgh line #47  
As I recall I got a ratchet, then an entire set with case, when that $9.95 set proved unsuitable for my application.

No point in repeating that nonsense again and again.

The sockets and a case that keep everything together are fair value for what I paid. Some things I would never get there. Such as cordless tools, they have a multitude of present and prior incompatible battery types.

Back then it was well known that shopping at HF was a gamble, and this particular transaction seemed to be resolved as a draw. Overall, particularly since they've improved quality, buying some things there is worthwhile.

I drive past HF frequently (its on the freeway frontage road by Travis AFB) so that isn't an extra trip.
The quality of the current HF tools compared to 10 or 20 years ago is night and day difference. Their older stuff was junky compared to current products.
 
   / HF Icon vs. Pittsburgh line #48  
HF tools made in Taiwan are the sweet spot for me. There are nearly identical tool truck tools made there, as there are Craftsman and Carlyle (NAPA)...
 
   / HF Icon vs. Pittsburgh line #49  
But we can't all be Hay Farmers and live in beautiful country. Some people have to be bartenders etc and are just getting by. Not paying the maximum into SS - or even working for cash - so their SS future isn't as bright as yours. This isn't a one solution fits every American situation. SS was to prevent extreme poverty for the elderly (and orphans etc) so for some folks, that is still important.


You haven't been keeping up with the news. Or perhaps your news source isn't complete. One proposal under consideration by this administration is for X and Visa to take over administering the distribution of SS, and many other funds disbursement processes. Seems likely to me that this opens up the possibility of your information being sold to marketers, same as how Facebook, Google, X, tax preparers etc do presently which is a major source of their income. SS is presently reducing phone support, so going through this new provider interface will require non-computer-literate elderly to deal with the X/Visa maze online, or visit in person, to resolve a change of address etc. Meanwhile the SS clerks are complaining that some of the web pages they look at to advise customers, are no longer available. Change is underway at SS. Distant funding is the least of their problems now.
I imagine my 'information' has been sold many time in the past and probably the future. Far as SS is concerned, I don't know where you are getting that info from but mine is the polar opposite, but then I'm an R and not a D. I keep forgetting where you live as well...
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

PTO Winch (A50860)
PTO Winch (A50860)
PLEASE CHECK BACK!!! ITEMS BEING ADDED DAILY!!!! (A50775)
PLEASE CHECK...
2005 International 4300 Heil Dump Truck (A50323)
2005 International...
2016 Ford F550 4x4 Bucket Truck with Altec AT41 - 46FT Rotating Bucket and Jib Winch (A51039)
2016 Ford F550 4x4...
2016 Ford F-150 Pickup Truck (A49461)
2016 Ford F-150...
2015 International DuraStar 4300 Street Sweeper Truck (A50323)
2015 International...
 
Top