Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[California]

The tarps are a good example of getting what you pay for. The more expensive gray ones hold up much better in UV exposure than the blue or green ones.
I have never thought of them as gifts. My wife has a birthday coming up and this might work.

You live in Montana? I'll bet your wife has seen tarps before. My SIL is a programmer in Silicon Valley and simply has no reason to ever go where there aren't lawns and supermarkets. She is easily impressed when she comes up here to the orchard.

I'm haven't had good luck with with HF's tarps, silver included. I bought their 20x20 parking canopy and its tarp was gone in its second winter. I bought the replacement silver tarp at HF and it won't make it through its second winter, it's already torn all round the hem as well as holes on top where the creases were when it arrived. So I got my third tarp off ebay, about 25% cheaper. It's 6 oz/yard, probably identical to the second HF tarp. I need to get one of those carport contractors out here to put up something more substantial.

Photo - my tractors under HF tarp carport. Oh well, at least it makes nice shade in its first summer.

 

[leeinMT]

I need to do some tarp research. My wife wants one to cover part of the chicken yard during snow season, but it needs to be UV proof.
Probably not a good gift. Maybe a new ironing board from Target.
I have been measuring UV inside my barn/workshop, and there is actually some getting through the transparent roof panels. Not a lot, but enough to do some damage to plastics over a period of time. My tractor is better protected from the elements in the lean-to next to the barn.

 

[sixdogs]

I need to do some tarp research. My wife wants one to cover part of the chicken yard during snow season, but it needs to be UV proof.
Probably not a good gift. Maybe a new ironing board from Target...


....

It's OK to get the wife an ironing board cover for a Christmas gift but there better be something special to go with it. If not, my experience tells me that
you might want to pick up a face shield and cup for yourself. Face shield from Harbor Freight; cup at Target.

 

[deereman75]

It's OK to get the wife an ironing board cover for a Christmas gift but there better be something special to go with it. If not, my experience tells me that
you might want to pick up a face shield and cup for yourself. Face shield from Harbor Freight; cup at Target.

I think a football helmet and cup would be better.

 

[Fixemall]

Funny- I went in Target last week for the first time in several years....hardly saw a guy in there anywhere, and the few I did see didn't look like tractor guys

I had to run in there for my wifes medication on Saturday and had my usual old jeans and beat up Carhart on...got a lot of funny looks and at the checkout the cashier asked if I had a drivers license...I said I did, she said she had to scan it, I asked to see her badge because I only need to show it to authorities...apparently they need to scan it for cold medicine purchases...I stopped at my regular pharmacy on the way home and got what I needed minus the scan...and the funny looks from credit card toting phonies.

 

[PhysAssist]

Here are current email coupon for %-off entire puchases:
Hopefully they are all here this time....- NOPE!

So here is the coupon page URL instead:

Display

 

[ch47dpilot]

Got this link in an email from some guy at harbor freight I think the CEO or something, you be the judge: Badlands 12,000-Pound Winch - The Best Deal In Winching - Off-Road Magazine

 

[ArTrvlr]

Got this link in an email from some guy at harbor freight I think the CEO or something, you be the judge: Badlands 12,000-Pound Winch - The Best Deal In Winching - Off-Road Magazine

I don't subscribe to that magazine, but am willing to bet they have the Harbor Freight adds. I have noticed that magazines used to never mention HF tools, but since they have been consistently advertising in national magazines, those magazines are now including HF tools in their editorial content. This is esp. true of Source Interlink publications. The HF adds have migrated from one page in the back of the mag to two pages toward the front. If anyone doubted that advertising money doesn't drive editorial content, here is proof.

Oh, BTW, (just so no one jumps on me for being completely off topic) I got their 14 inch bandsaw about a month ago. Fit and finish are excellent, no problems with assembly. I also got the riser block kit to extend vertical cutting capacity to 12". All those kit parts assembled and fit perfectly. I have used it quite a bit for general cutting (plastic and wood) and have had no problems. The motor did seem very light weight, but, so far, so good.

 

[skspurling]

...

Oh, BTW, (just so no one jumps on me for being completely off topic) I got their 14 inch bandsaw about a month ago. Fit and finish are excellent, no problems with assembly. I also got the riser block kit to extend vertical cutting capacity to 12". All those kit parts assembled and fit perfectly. I have used it quite a bit for general cutting (plastic and wood) and have had no problems. The motor did seem very light weight, but, so far, so good.

I can second that vote. I got the 14" band saw and thought it was going to be pretty rough. With a decent blade, it is actually a very nice saw. It belongs to the same Taiwanese family as the Delta, Rigid, Grizzly, etc. 14" band saws. You can, in fact, interchange some frame parts, like the riser block. There are quite a few threads around on it, and how to tune it. Pretty good deal when you get the coupon.

 

[deereman75]

Anyone tried the 4 inch air angle grinder? Also, anyone have a recomendation on cheep air hose?