Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[MossRoad]

Bummer. I used to keep the monthly catalog in the bathroom.

Fortunately, at my age, I don't need too many tools anymore. I did buy 3 air nailers from them last summer to build a garage addition. I figured them into the price of the build as disposable items. Any use I get out of them after that is a bonus. Disposable tools. yeesh.

 

[California]

The extended warranty is OK as long as they don't discontinue the line 6 mo. after you get it, like they did with the Lynx products. Are you SOL or do they give you a replacement tool from the "new" line (assuming there is an equivalent)?

HF is good on their warranties, so long as you are aware of how short the basic warranty is. No-question exchange. It's like they expect a certain percentage of sales to fail 'final inspection', ie in the hands of the customer. Most companies do final QC in house but this approach is cheaper.

This seems to be a part of the unique HF philosophy - source tools from the lowest bidder who will contract to build to a specific spec. Then leave it to the customer to sort out the rejects. Replace any returns with a smile.

As for replacing an item no longer sold they will hand over the next-better item. I've read of this with welders that were bought with the extended warranty. You will get the length of service that your warranty specified but it might not be with the same tool.


I bought their cheapest $7.99 socket set for the barn workbench open to outdoors where any of the harvest crew might walk off with stuff. (Good people, I've never lost anything). I soon stripped the ratchet gears. HF exchanged the set for a complete new set, carry case and all. Stripped that one's ratchet. Exchange again, no hassle. Soon stripped that ratchet. I substituted in an old Taiwan ratchet into the set. That has lasted several years now. Conclusion: The original ratchets were junk.

 

[rbstern]

I bought their cheapest $7.99 socket set for the barn workbench open to outdoors where any of the harvest crew might walk off with stuff. (Good people, I've never lost anything). I soon stripped the ratchet gears. HF exchanged the set for a complete new set, carry case and all. Stripped that one's ratchet. Exchange again, no hassle. Soon stripped that ratchet. I substituted in an old Taiwan ratchet into the set. That has lasted several years now. Conclusion: The original ratchets were junk.

The round headed ratchet sets are pretty poor quality. If you bump up one step to the teardrop shaped ratchet (also Pittsburg brand), they tend to be more durable, at three to four times the cost. Still cheap money.

However, once you get into the $20 range, there isn't much reason for not plunking down another $10 atop that, getting you a when-on-sale Husky, Kobalt, sometimes DeWalt set.

 

[California]

The round headed ratchet sets are pretty poor quality. If you bump up one step to the teardrop shaped ratchet (also Pittsburg brand), they tend to be more durable, at three to four times the cost.

Some of HF's better stuff is good. The black deep 1/2" impact socket set with metal case is excellent.

I have better tools than the $7.99 socket set - Craftsman, S-K, etc. But the good tools stay locked up and only come out for a project.

This cheap set is to leave out where I can access it instantly at the semi-outdoors workbench. (Photo). It's good enough for light maintenance.

When HF put a 1/2" fitting on what is essentially a poor 3/8" ratchet, that was a mistake.

 

[California]

Re: Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck, Here's an excellent one: 97062 Bypass Pruner

I have one original $50 Felco (Swiss) professional version and two of HF's clones, and all three are identical. Felco's patent must have expired.

 

[lostcreekranch]

Re: Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck, Here's an excellent one: 97062 Bypass Pruner

I have one original $50 Felco (Swiss) professional version and two of HF's clones, and all three are identical. Felco's patent must have expired.

I agree. I cut a lot of yaupon off at the ground, in sandy soil, so they get full of grit and dull because of the sand. I just buy a couple of these every year or two.

 

[rangerfredbob]

The full size loppers work well too, just bought another to have around for when the wife helps trim blackberries...

I've bought into the ITC a few times now, normally when it pays off... which outfitting a new home shop it has a couple times over... This new online coupon only thing is annoying, you never get the whole list and have to click links to go to their website then put in the ITC # and email to get in... The HFQPDB is nice to have around but hard to look through the tiny pictures... One nice thing about the ITC now is you DO NOT have to have the ITC specific coupons on hand paper or electronic for them to work, it just works at the register...

I just bought two of the 2 ton extended support stands like you would use on a 4 post lift since they were $20 off since I'll be putting a 2 post lift in my new shop here in a month or so... grabbed a 2 ton load leveler too since I've needed one a few times...

 

[California]

I cut a lot of yaupon off at the ground, in sandy soil, so they get full of grit and dull because of the sand. I just buy a couple of these every year or two.

I had to look up yaupon, I'd never heard of it. I see the range is coastal east Texas to NC. It is the only native plant that makes decent tea! Is it tough to cut?

My use for hand pruners, minor pruning of apple branches, doesn't dull pruners so a touch-up with a tiny file a couple of times a year for these and the long handle loppers (ancient Corona, not HF) has been sufficient.

I'm trying something new, the AccuSharp pair of sharpeners. The one for scissors (bevels one side) seems to work well for shears and loppers, with only a couple of passes. I saw these recommended in a thread here and I'm glad I bought them.

 

[California]

I haven't had as good luck with HF's long-reach extendable handle lopper. On the first one I used the extendable handles for extra cutting force and bent the extensions so they wouldn't retract. Then the spring that advances the ratchet to the next step for more leverage, fell out and got lost. I retired that first lopper from farm use then bought a second one for my home in town where the extended reach is helpful with less need for brute cutting force. I suppose this tool is worth the minimal price, $11. Just don't force it!

 

[crazyal]

The full size loppers work well too, just bought another to have around for when the wife helps trim blackberries...

I've bought into the ITC a few times now, normally when it pays off... which outfitting a new home shop it has a couple times over... This new online coupon only thing is annoying, you never get the whole list and have to click links to go to their website then put in the ITC # and email to get in... The HFQPDB is nice to have around but hard to look through the tiny pictures... One nice thing about the ITC now is you DO NOT have to have the ITC specific coupons on hand paper or electronic for them to work, it just works at the register...

I just bought two of the 2 ton extended support stands like you would use on a 4 post lift since they were $20 off since I'll be putting a 2 post lift in my new shop here in a month or so... grabbed a 2 ton load leveler too since I've needed one a few times...

I have a pair of those stands for my 2 post lift. I couldn't stand the color so I painted them blue. Other than that they have worked well (not that they shouldn't since they are so simple).