Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[California]

HF 10/2/55 Amp, 6/12 Volt Battery Charger/Engine Starter

Tonight I broke out this charger I picked on on Saturday ...

Please let us know how this charger works out for you. I have considered it but the reviews are all over the place.

Wow. I read the reviews at the HF listing. They are indeed all over the place including several chargers that soon failed and some that burned up. One stuck on High and cooked a battery. I've never bought an extended warranty at HF - but for this item it seems needed.

I have a name-brand equivalent to this charger and it works great. Trickle to warm the tractor battery overnight for maximum power in the morning, or 10 amp setting for a 5 minute battery warmup, then 50 amps to assist cold weather cranking if needed.

The feature set for this HF unit is great but I think I would spend a little more for a name brand in this case.

 

[varmint]

Can't believe that 159 pages of posts went by before I posted something on H.F.!!
Some years ago, when Morton screwed up and started installing the wrong color steel siding on a shop they were building for me, I realized a serendipitous deal when it hit me, and negotiated with them to buy all the metal siding they'd wrongly started using (lots of it was cut to lengths, etc., and not that useful to them at that point). I got all the trim and fasteners, as well. Heck of a deal.
I needed it because we have a small horse barn, built by well-meaning neighbors some years before we lived here, and they sided it with.... 1/2 interior plywood, protected by one coat of cheap latex paint. At least I think it was paint. Now, I needed to cut a lot of metal siding- tin snips didn't work, jig saw was too messy and slow, and metal circular saw blade was just too nasty for me. I bought a Harbor Freight air nibbler on sale for $20, and spent the saving on a spare nibbler tip. Amazingly, it worked fine for hundreds of feet of cutting, and still works today whenever I haul it out. I installed the spare tip out of kindness for the tool, it having done such a good job. Just be sure to drop some oil in it.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Please let us know how this charger works out for you. I have considered it but the reviews are all over the place.

Hold on buying at this time.:laughing:

After I posted last night it reported the battery was full when it was at 25% SOC. It was about 5 outside and I needed to get home so I just set it side. I am going to check out the sliding selector because I moved it and it when back to charging for few minutes then back off.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Hold on buying at this time.:laughing:

After I posted last night it reported the battery was full when it was at 25% SOC. It was about 5 outside and I needed to get home so I just set it side. I am going to check out the sliding selector because I moved it and it when back to charging for few minutes then back off.

:confused2:

 

[sixdogs]

...... I bought a Harbor Freight air nibbler on sale for $20, and spent the saving on a spare nibbler tip. Amazingly, it worked fine for hundreds of feet of cutting, and still works today whenever I haul it out. I installed the spare tip out of kindness for the tool, it having done such a good job. Just be sure to drop some oil in it.

Does HF only sell one nibbler and can you tell more about the tip you bought? Was it just a replacement? Did you have to use it?
I have seen a nibbler advertised but always presumed it was just so I didn't pay much attention.
We plan to cut some siding stuff that's thinner than Morton siding and this could be the ticket.

 

[leeinMT]

I've had the air nibbler for several years and I have been happy with it. Used it to build a loafing shed that matches my other barns and never had to replace the tip.

 

[grsthegreat]

i needed an inline air dryer for my air compressor. one is necessary when using a plasma cutter if you want to extend the life of the consumables. i looked at the harbor freight model ($350.00) and compared it to the ones at my local compressor shop ($1800 - $3000 range). i took a chance and got the harbor freight one. 3 years later, its still working PERFECTLY. i have never had a drop of water in the separation bowl at the plasma unit. Most HF stuff ive bought is near crap, but this unit is great. highly recommend it.

 

[JRobyn]

Many, many pages (of mostly inverter/battery discussion) ago, someone asked about the 30,000 btu propane tank-top heater - I bought one a few months ago and it has worked perfectly. I can't see any diffference between the HF and any other (Mr. Heater) makes.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Many, many pages (of mostly inverter/battery discussion) ago, someone asked about the 30,000 btu propane tank-top heater - I bought one a few months ago and it has worked perfectly. I can't see any diffference between the HF and any other (Mr. Heater) makes.

I was thinking of getting one of them...

 

[California]

Coupon:

20% of any single item thru 2/19.

Note the many categories excluded.