Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[MossRoad]

I picked up a 1/2" hammer drill the other day. I had to drill about a dozen holes through studs with a 2" hole saw and didn't have a drill bigger than 3/8". I realize this drill is not meant for that, but at $24.00 on sale, what the heck, its disposable. Figure it into the cost of the job and if it lasts, its gravy. It had no problems drilling the holes. Plenty of power. I was kind of surprised, as these are those 100 year old studs made out of wood that are hard as a rock. That was good. But it did get hot rather quickly. So I just waited between holes about 5 minutes. So, it added an hour to the project. Would I buy it for daily use? NO. Did it get my job done? YES.

Pluses:
- CHEAP ON SALE! $34.99 in two places in the same ad that it was $25 on a coupon in the back! :confused2:
- Plenty of power.
- Easy to use second handle adjusts 360 around the drill with simple twist to tighten.

Minuses:
- Easy to overheat.
- Hammer switch moves to hammer mode with slightest touch and even with vibration. Kept having to take it out of hammer mode.

1/2 in. Heavy Duty Variable Speed Reversible Hammer Drill

 

[MossRoad]

So three pluses to two minuses = doesn't suck much.

 

[sixdogs]

Hey good to see this thread revived after an almost two month hiatus...

...

This thread dies and revives and has been going nearly 8 years.

So three pluses to two minuses = doesn't suck much.

What a great line. Could use as a marketing slogan for HF.

 

[MossRoad]

What a great line. Could use as a marketing slogan for HF.

NICE!!! :laughing:

Harbor Freight...
Where 3 out of 5 find us almost acceptable.

Harbor Freight...
Where two wrongs do make a right.

Harbor Freight...
We have what the flea market's missing.

Harbor Freight...
When you can't get it at Walmart.

 

[paulharvey]

NICE!!! :laughing:

Harbor Freight...
Where 3 out of 5 find us almost acceptable.

Harbor Freight...
Where two wrongs do make a right.

Harbor Freight...
We have what the flea market's missing.

Harbor Freight...
When you can't get it at Walmart.

It's funny, cause I mentioned to the wife this past weekend that Harbor Freight is the only company I know of that lists it's 3 out of 5 star reviews right on the coupon. Which pretty much sums up the company very well "we know where not great, but we are good enough, and cheap and not ashamed"

 

[IslandTractor]

It's funny, cause I mentioned to the wife this past weekend that Harbor Freight is the only company I know of that lists it's 3 out of 5 star reviews right on the coupon. Which pretty much sums up the company very well "we know where not great, but we are good enough, and cheap and not ashamed"

We have a company around these parts (New England) called Ocean State Job Lot. It is quite successful selling basically "all the crap that no one wanted to buy from other retailers". They do sell a lot of HF quality merchandise but they also sell high end foods getting close to their sell by date and simply overstocks. You never know quite what you will find which is one of the attractions. I don't buy tools there but I do stock up on Swiss and Danish made jam and $2/jar for Emeril's Gaaahlic Tomato sauce and similar items. Great place to take advantage of America's absurd "sell by date" obsession on canned goods.

 

[CobyRupert]

I haven't read the 469 pages of this thread. But my MIL gave me a gift card so I bought a 1/2 drill from H.F. 1/2 in. Heavy Duty D-Handle Variable Speed Reversible Drill
Is it going to suck?

 

[SPYDERLK]

I'll second the dead blow hammer but also say the early ones of a few years ago were pure junk. My earliest one disintegrated in front of my eyes.



Let me also recommend the biggest rubber hammer they make. I think it's this 2 lb hammer.

2 lb. Rubber Mallet


Works like a charm and has persuaded many close fitting things into position. Two thumbs up.

Most dead blows are steel with a urethane coating. Its a fact of life that the urethane is affected by humidity and degrades over time. The early hammers at HF probably used the very cheapest stuf and life was foreshortened. ... But even with the best modern compound the coating will begin failing in the 15 yr range.

I would expect careful cleaning after use and storage in arid conditions to prolong life. Who would treat a hammer that way?
larry

 

[Garandman]

I paid $80 for a 29 piece DeWalt drill set at HF. Got home and there was a coupon for a 29 piece Titanium Nitride coated drill set at HF, normally $25, for $10.

Returned the DeWalt set and bought the HF set. After drilling 12 holes through sheet metal with the 3,16" bit, it broke.

So, like most of their stuff, it's cheap enough to put "on the shelf" for occasional use, but not a good bet for daily use.

 

[IslandTractor]

I paid $80 for a 29 piece DeWalt drill set at HF. Got home and there was a coupon for a 29 piece Titanium Nitride coated drill set at HF, normally $25, for $10. Returned the DeWalt set and bought the HF set. After drilling 12 holes through sheet metal with the 3,16" bit, it broke. So, like most of their stuff, it's cheap enough to put "on the shelf" for occasional use, but not a good bet for daily use.

I find HF drill bits to be the worst quality of any bits I've ever used. They snap so quickly that I don't recall ever having one that lasted long enough to get dull. Hopeless.