Harbor Freight tools that DO suck

[crazyal]

So you are saying a Robust American Beauty is a better lathe than a $300 lathe from HF? Who would of thought it. All kidding aside the facts are that most people buy from HF when getting into a new hobby to see if they will even like it without investing a lot of money. Often you can't find anything used for close to the price of a HF tool. In the case of their wood lathes for $300 you can get a 12" swing lathe. The only other lathe you could find for that kind of money would be a mini lathe good for turning pen blanks. With the HF lathe you could make a few 8" bowls and see if you like it. Sure it's not going to please someone with experience. As a wood turner you know that if you are going to get into it you are going to drop $3k bare minimum, probably closer to $5k by the time you are set up if you include a chainsaw and bandsaw. Or you you can spend $300 at HF for a lathe and another $50 on a few tools and have a little fun. Sure you could give up because of the quality of the tools but chances are you'll realize the limitations pretty quickly and start to plan where you want to go next.

I'm not sure why some people turn their noses up and low end tools. I know we all would love to have the best tools but for a lot of people that's not going to happen. For others they just don't know any better or just don't want to invest a lot into a hobby. Then there's the group that just loves a deal no matter how the bad the quality might be. The thing is that you can get ok to good results with their tools. Sure you may have to tweak them to get decent results and there's a much higher chance of getting a dud but that's part of the price you pay for getting a low price.

 

[Diggin It]

I'm not sure why some people turn their noses up and low end tools. I know we all would love to have the best tools but for a lot of people that's not going to happen. For others they just don't know any better or just don't want to invest a lot into a hobby. Then there's the group that just loves a deal no matter how the bad the quality might be. The thing is that you can get ok to good results with their tools. Sure you may have to tweak them to get decent results and there's a much higher chance of getting a dud but that's part of the price you pay for getting a low price.

Then there are people like me who don't really depend on tools to make a living or do heavy work and who don't really take care of them. If I leave a $10 tool out in the rain and it gets ruined, I'm not out anywhere near what I would be if I left a $100 tool outside.

.

 

[Fuddy1952]

This is what's funny to me...
There are all these do-it-yourself TV shows I watch sometimes. "Today we're going to make a wood shop stool". Here's this woodshop somewhere...$100+K shop, then who knows, another $300-400k in tools, lathes, bandsaws, table saws, planers, jointers, etc.
It's a half hour show...so "while Bill is using this lathe I'm using the other one turning the seat". After commercial "now that we have parts made we'll move on to assembly". Camera pans around this spotlessly clean shop.
In the end after sanding, staining, finishing they made a really nice $50 stool in a $1/2+Mil shop!
Sort of like the car garage shows. "Now that Bob has the transmission installed we'll give it a road test".
Things like that don't work for me. If I made a stool you'd swear three orangutans made it!

 

[ArlyA]

When we go into the woods to clear a trail, we need tools that work well, are comfortable to use and don't break down. Same goes when I'm working in a metal, or wood shop. I will pay more for tools that we can get the job done with.....

 

[Travelover]

..........I'm not sure why some people turn their noses up and low end tools. .........

It's a matter of pride. Like the guy who owns a Honda generator is gonna tell everyone that, they too, need a Honda even if they only use it one day every five years. Or the guy with an F350 dually diesel who tells the guy who never tows and uses his pick up for a commuter, that he shoulda bought a diesel dually.

 

[California]

I'm not sure why some people turn their noses up and low end tools.

It's a matter of pride. Like the guy ... with an F350 dually diesel who tells the guy who never tows and uses his pick up for a commuter, that he should bought a diesel dually.

Amen bro.

I tend to start with HF if I need a new tool for a new project. Then if I find it's not sufficient, return it and replace it with something better quality. Last year's example was the $59 benchtop belt/disc sander, I took that back before ever using it and replaced it with a Ryobi that cost twice as much, because it was so poorly made that it couldn't be assembled properly. On the other hand the garden sprayer I bought there last week is as good quality as anything 2 - 3 times HF's price. 'Pride' isn't considered, it's whether the tool is functional.

This approach applied broadly has allowed us to live comfortably below our income for years and accumulate savings, pay cash when we need to replace a car, and retire early. The pride is for the outcome, not for shiny objects. What others think isn't much of a consideration.

 

[stuckmotor]

Then there are people like me who don't really depend on tools to make a living or do heavy work and who don't really take care of them. If I leave a $10 tool out in the rain and it gets ruined, I'm not out anywhere near what I would be if I left a $100 tool outside.
.

Well said, brother!

 

[dragoneggs]

Then there are people like me who don't really depend on tools to make a living or do heavy work and who don't really take care of them. If I leave a $10 tool out in the rain and it gets ruined, I'm not out anywhere near what I would be if I left a $100 tool outside.

And then there are people like me that while I don't generally make money with my tools, I do take very good care of them and expect them to last a long, long time and be there for me when I need them. So, I generally buy high quality unless it is maybe a one time use or may give it away to a family member of friend where the job was done.

And yeah I'm that Honda Gen guy. Have a couple friends that seem to be constantly bitching about their cheap gens and have even asked to borrow mine... uh... no! Don't know if it a maintenance thing... I know I don't maintain my gen as much as I should and never have had an issue in 15 years. Nice comfort when I'm gone on business and the wife can turn it on with a key in a power outage and switch the mechanical interlock on the service panel and throw back on the needed breakers.

 

[CADplans]

The HF quick hitch was fully capable of showing me that I have no use for such a contraption,,,

I am glad I only spent $70 to learn, rather than the $300 or $400 that JD charges for the I-Match hitch,, that would be equally useless.

I am enjoying the Pat's Hitch System,,

 

[California]

And yeah I'm that Honda Gen guy. ... Nice comfort when I'm gone on business and the wife can turn it on with a key in a power outage

Yeah for mission-critical applications do it right the first time.

Not much HF gear belongs in that category, HF stuff is better matched to someone who can put off a project for tomorrow if HF's random quality bites em.

 

[California]

The HF quick hitch was fully capable of showing me that I have no use for such a contraption ...

I am glad I only spent $70 to learn

Exactly. Try cheap HF first and see if it works for you instead of the shiny 'pride of ownership' Deere version for 5 x more.

 

[CADplans]

The best thing about select Harbor Freight tools??
You can "use" the tool, not "store" the tool.

I am in the habit now of,,,
purchase the HF tool, use it, then toss it,, I will never use the tool a second time.

We did that with a little miter saw when we installed some hardwood "click/clack" assemble pre-finished flooring.

That was 5 years ago, I would never have used the saw between then and now,,
My neighbor thinks I gave him a fortune when I gave him the saw,,
between then and now, he has never had a use for it either,,,:confused2:

 

[dragoneggs]

The best thing about select Harbor Freight tools??
You can "use" the tool, not "store" the tool.

I am in the habit now of,,,
purchase the HF tool, use it, then toss it,, I will never use the tool a second time.

We did that with a little miter saw when we installed some hardwood "click/clack" assemble pre-finished flooring.

That was 5 years ago, I would never have used the saw between then and now,,
My neighbor thinks I gave him a fortune when I gave him the saw,,
between then and now, he has never had a use for it either,,,:confused2:

It does depend on just how much of a DIY person you really are. I loath at having to hire people to do jobs I am fully capable of doing.

 

[crazyal]

I had a policy of buy nothing electric from HF. When building my house I looked into renting a tile saw, it was $45 a day. I had to do the kitchen, two entry ways, and 3 bathrooms. I figured I could do it in 2 or 3 days but kind of didn't want to do it all in one shot. So it was going to be more like 4 days. I decided to try the HF 10" tile saw because the motor was just a standard motor that could easily be replaced. With the 20% off coupon it was cheaper and I could do paver stones for the walkway. The only other part that could go bad was the water pump but it's just a pump you would put in a fish tank so it's also easy to replace. Sure I could of bought a well used MK for 3 to 4 times as much. That saw did everything in my house, my walkway, and has been lent to countless friends and coworkers (that's the other great thing about HF tools, I don't mind lending them out). I would never buy it if I owned a business and had to count on it performing every day but for a tool that gets used once or twice a year it's paid for itself several times now.

 

[4570Man]

Then there are people like me who don't really depend on tools to make a living or do heavy work and who don't really take care of them. If I leave a $10 tool out in the rain and it gets ruined, I'm not out anywhere near what I would be if I left a $100 tool outside.

.

I keep a $75 dollar well used backpack blower on my truck and my $500 blower at home. When I’m only blowing grass of driveways why take the risk of loosing a lot more when it gets stolen? If a buddy needed to borrow a saw he’d get my $200 saw not my $800 chainsaw. I have a high end Bosch miter saw in my shop, but the $130 delta with a stand that’s actually pretty good works fine to take to a jobsite. I usually tend to buy quality tools, but I actually think the HF sockets and wrenches are pretty good. I’ve never used a HF ratchet but they feel pretty decent. I paid $11 for a set of HF torx bits. I put one on my 1/2 impact and to the surprise of no one promptly busted it. I’d have been a lot more pissed off if it was a $300 snapon set.

 

[4570Man]

I feel sorry for people who want to start in a new hobby and go to HF for power tools. Typically they will end up disappointed in the hobby not realizing the tools are the problem not the hobby or their skills.

For example: I turn captive ring goblets for fun. I have a high end lathe and all the tools that go with it. I was a member of a wood turning club for awhile and we'd put on demonstrations for the public at HF stores using HF lathes. I would never try a captive ring goblet with their tools, the bearings are to sloppy to get good results. We kept to the simpler forms and worked around the challenges, someone new to the craft would have lots of problems making anything with them, we could because of our skills learned on better tools. Someone new to a craft should get good tools and if possible a mentor to help with the learning curve.

I have a Powermatic 3520 and a Jet 1632 that I scored at a good deal. I actually think the HF lathe isn’t that bad for a beginner. They’ll get a lot farther with the HF lathe and a few tools with a way to sharpen them than a nice lathe and nothing else.

 

[dragoneggs]

I had a policy of buy nothing electric from HF. When building my house I looked into renting a tile saw, it was $45 a day. I had to do the kitchen, two entry ways, and 3 bathrooms. I figured I could do it in 2 or 3 days but kind of didn't want to do it all in one shot. So it was going to be more like 4 days. I decided to try the HF 10" tile saw because the motor was just a standard motor that could easily be replaced. With the 20% off coupon it was cheaper and I could do paver stones for the walkway. The only other part that could go bad was the water pump but it's just a pump you would put in a fish tank so it's also easy to replace. Sure I could of bought a well used MK for 3 to 4 times as much. That saw did everything in my house, my walkway, and has been lent to countless friends and coworkers (that's the other great thing about HF tools, I don't mind lending them out). I would never buy it if I owned a business and had to count on it performing every day but for a tool that gets used once or twice a year it's paid for itself several times now.

I know this is the 'DO' suck thread, but I have a HF Tile saw that I bought for one job never thinking I would use it again. But it now has plowed through several tile and paver jobs at my abode and it is still kicking. Only thing I recommend here is to get a quality masonry blade.

 

[Travelover]

......Only thing I recommend here is to get a quality masonry blade.

Yea, the HF abrasive blades do suck. The metal chop saw blade will glow red before it will cut through a chunk of steel. Stick in a Norton blade and it goes right through.

 

[Diggin It]

Can't say as I'm all too keen on their sump pumps either. At least not the older ones. Haven't tried the new green ones yet.

 

[crazyal]

I have a Powermatic 3520 and a Jet 1632 that I scored at a good deal. I actually think the HF lathe isn’t that bad for a beginner. They’ll get a lot farther with the HF lathe and a few tools with a way to sharpen them than a nice lathe and nothing else.

The next step up is most likely a Grizzly or Baileigh then maybe a Nova (pricewise) at a cost several times the price of the HF. That alone puts it out of reach of most people who don't have experience or a strong desire to learn how to turn wood. Sure you will be buying a better lathe and getting parts will most likely be a lot easier but if you only have $500 to spend then what good is a $1000 lathe?