Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[KubotainNH]

I ended up getting the bar light mentioned some posts back for $20. I'll probably buy another so I can always have a charged one. It lasted 3 or 4 hours on high before it started shutting off and I like that it uses a standard USB charger. The magnet is quite strong, nice bright light.

39 Lumen Magnetic Slim Bar Folding LED Work Light

 

[California]

HF's Blood Pressure Monitor ... beware!

This morning I discovered a minor bloody nose. I never get those. But I've reached the age that anything is possible. So I got out the HF Blood Pressure Monitor I bought a couple of years ago, and haven't used since then. I've always shown normal blood pressure.

wth ??? 170/144!!! Am I dying??? Seeing that result is enough to cause a heart attack!


No. Just the usual HF randomness. Another case of 'don't trust HF for anything critical'.

Two more readings showed:

118/70
120/70

Looks like I'll survive!

 

[Ford850]

HF's Blood Pressure Monitor ... beware!

This morning I discovered a minor bloody nose. I never get those. But I've reached the age that anything is possible. So I got out the HF Blood Pressure Monitor I bought a couple of years ago, and haven't used since then. I've always shown normal blood pressure.

wth ??? 170/144!!! Am I dying??? Seeing that result is enough to cause a heart attack!


No. Just the usual HF randomness. Another case of 'don't trust HF for anything critical'.

Two more readings showed:

118/70
120/70

Looks like I'll survive!

First of all, it's from HF so you need to deduct 20% from the numbers. Occasional, usually for a single day only, you would deduct 25% from the reading (but that's usually only on holidays etc). :thumbsup:

 

[Rock Crawler]

First of all, it's from HF so you need to deduct 20% from the numbers. Occasional, usually for a single day only, you would deduct 25% from the reading (but that's usually only on holidays etc).

you forgot that on every third day except for months that end on an even date in which you would do it every fourth day, you should add 20% to what you read instead of subtract.

 

[Diggin It]

For all HF has to offer, there is a lot they don't. They have a lot of little portable jacks and lift tables, but nothing close to the vehicle lifts Northern sells. Not likely I'll have the two grand they want any time soon however. Nice one for 1400, but still not in my budget right now.

 

[California]

I bought the 1 Ton Foldable Shop Crane and set it up yesterday. It looks good. $99 after online coupon. (HF Coupon Database).

 

[flyerdan]

A good companion to the crane is the load leveler; it make putting an engine/trans in by yourself a lot easier.
I have two, the 2 ton that I bought years ago and a 4 ton one that came with a 2 ton crane I got off craigslist. Don't see the 4 t listed anymore...

 

[JNA]

My two most expensive Harbor Freight acquisitions have been a 30 ton log splitter and a Plasma Cutter..
Both have worked great except the OEM return oil filter on the log splitter clogged pretty early, I suppose from manufacturing crud left in the system, found a Purolator car oil filter that fit and all has been well since.
I own a lot of their hand tools and although the appearance can be poor on some of them they work great especially considering the money spent....I've had to return almost none of the stuff I've bought there.

I'm constantly amazed how inexpensive some of the stuff is, I don't see how the material costs are covered let alone labor to make it, even at 25 cents a day and then ship it all the way from China to my local store in SC

I wonder how the plasma cutter held up.

 

[California]

A good companion to the crane is the load leveler; it make putting an engine/trans in by yourself a lot easier.

Thanks, I hadn't thought of that.

As for HF's more expensive stuff - The previous version of their chipper/shredder wasn't ideal. Here's a photo of me running it. The design was worse than not sophisticated, it was plain dumb. The bottom discharge was so close to the ground that the pile there loaded up immediately. I kept a (broad) grain shovel part way under there, there wasn't space to slide it all the way under, and I had to empty the shovel too frequently. The input on top was awkwardly high. And most importantly, anything over 3/4" was too large to feed in the top, it would jam. The side stick feeder could be fed - slowly - one stick at a time but that wasn't productive. And it took me a while to learn why it was often impossible to start: the low-oil sensor required that the unit be flawlessly level. After a little vibration, it would work imperceptibly out of level and shut down for no apparent reason. The last straw was that vibration made the gas cap so tight that it couldn't be removed. I had to pry the upper trim cover off the gas cap and discovered it's ratchet teeth that turned the actual cap, were broken off. All in all, I could see how the complexity of the chipper/shredder justified the price but in terms of usability I would give it grade D. Hopefully their current version is a lot better.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I must have missed that when I down loaded the manual...

Was doing some reading and apparently some have cracked these with patience...

It is not the value but if I can't use it I need to get rid of it without damage to the surroundings case work...

just try all the combinations.