Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[5030]

I have used this cart for several years and it is solid. Nice drawers and the bottom flip up door holds 3 or 4 HF 4.5in disposable grinders.

Nice video. You make a much better 'presenter' than I do.... and, you have more hair than I have.

 

[rangerfredbob]

Been looking at the metal one for a while now. Looks to be well made and a lot cheaper than a Viair. Don'ty see how the plastic ones would work. Compressed air get hot and plastic melts.

Both of the bigger ones are metal, the little yellow one is a plastic body but all of that style compressor have a metal sleeve with a plastic piston with usually a teflon face... The two bigger ones are built decently, the smaller one I've had for like 6 years and gets used occasionally, it's mostly metal with a plastic cover over the piston to keep fingers away from the hot cylinder. The bigger one has a plastic cover over the valve housing held on with one screw in the center for the same reason. The filters on both are simple and just keep the big stuff out but hasn't been a huge issue. I did have one friend that lost the rod bearings on his pump but that was after several years of being used several times a year doing what I described in my last post with 35" tires...

As stated above, 150psi is overkill and they probably just use that for marketing so they can have BIG NUMBERS... as I said, the big one is at least twice as fast as the next step down. I'm on my second one but my first got misplaced somewhere (either during a move or I lent it to someone... can't remember, and for $60 not going to lose sleep over it) so I don't discount it for that... It does come in a travel pouch but it's a complete PITA to put in so I just let things knot up and such...

 

[PhysAssist]

Been looking at the metal one for a while now. Looks to be well made and a lot cheaper than a Viair. Don't see how the plastic ones would work. Compressed air get hot and plastic melts.

This PM, I bought 2 of the smaller [100 PSI] metal ones- mainly because they only has one of the larger one, and it is is labeled an "air compressor" vs "tire inflator", and therefore is not eligible for any of the percent-off coupons.

I used the 25%-off coupon for one, and the 20%-off coupon for the other, and also the 5$ off 50$ total purchase coupon, and then bought some other smaller tools/bits using the 30%-off 5 items at $10 or less, all of which saved me a bunch of green...

Also, this guy [on Project Farm] performs pretty decent testing and gives pretty succinct reviews, while still leaving it up you to draw your own conclusions as to which attributes make a given item tested the most viable for your purposes. h

He also doesn't take any kick-backs or make any money from posting affiliate links: Which Portable Tire Pump is Best? Let's find out! - YouTube

Which is quite unlike "TheWirecutter.com"- where I often disagree with their choices and methods, most often because there are no objective measures used, with no evidence of independent testing, AND, they get kick-backs ["affiliate pay"] when you follow their links to Amazon, etc...

 

[PhysAssist]

I looked at the HF portable 12V compressors and was not all that impressed. They just did not seem well-made.

One thing to keep in mind when shopping Viair compressors: Make sure you get what you are looking for in terms of electrical and air hose connections: lighter plug on smaller compressors, Battery connect on larger ones (and some smaller models); the air hoses come in two flavors: "quick connect/flip lever" and screw on. Different models have different connections.

BTW, PhysAssist, do your really need 150 PSI for an F350 tire? I don't own an F350, but that seems REALLY high. The ability to go to higher pressures does not necessarily mean it will fill faster if you are only going to 30/60/90 PSI. You need CFM for faster fills. Often, a compressor will trade CFM for PSI to get the high PSI without going to high on the amp draw.

#1)- see: Which Portable Tire Pump is Best? Let's find out! - YouTube

No, I don't believe he tested Viair, and The Wirecutter does recommend those [https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-tire-inflators/], but I had one of the 100-PSI HF models and really liked it- until it froze up [which I now think I have figured out...]

I had a slow leak, and used it a couple of times in the space of 3 or 4 days, and then when I tried to use it another time, it was frozen up [and burnt out my accessory outlet fuses...]

However, when it failed, the ambient temperature had dropped from above freezing to -11F through the day while I was at work on a 12-hour shift, so I think in retrospect, it had gotten some moisture built up from using it the few previous times, and then froze solid when the temps plummeted, but what I don't understand is why it never worked again, and each time I tried it again, it burnt out my accessory fuses.

#2)- After my experiences and breaking my back standing on my head trying to replace the fuses, [and reading the Wirecutter's recommendations, I didn't want to have to use the cars' accessory outlets any more for this kind of [relatively] high-drain accessories, so I bought an extension cord that has battery clamps on one end, and an accessory outlet [cigarette light port] on the other, so I can run the "directly" off the cars' batteries...

#3)- No, I don't need 150 PSI for my truck's tired, however, the above was one of the reasons, I was thinking of getting the 150 PSI version- it has battery clamps as the OEM connectors.

The other reason were basically that whenever cost isn't a huge factor, I always prefer to get the heavier duty option, all other things being equal...

Especially as I tend to use my tools to their limits, [and sometimes find out that I have overshot somewhat :confused3:].

 

[Threepoint]

Hey PhysAssist, your most recent posts are showing up in huge font sizes and colors. Not sure how it works on this board, but maybe your font default settings got changed? :shocked:

 

[California]

Hey PhysAssist, your most recent posts are showing up in huge font sizes and colors. Not sure how it works on this board, but maybe your font default settings got changed? :shocked:

Ditto, the content is interesting but the font make my eyes bleed.

 

[lostcreekranch]

His posts are just fine on my iPhone and iPad?

 

[hunt4570]

His posts are just fine on my iPhone and iPad?

Big and red here...

 

[Threepoint]

Hmm. I just checked on my Android phone, and his posts are normal. On my hp laptop the font displays as ginormous and red.

 

[5030]

Phones have small screens....