Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[sixdogs]

I need some new drill bits. HF has the Warrior 29 piece titanium set for $9.99. Anybody have any experience with these bits?

I'm always willing to gamble $10, but drill bits made of cheez whiz are worse than no bits at all.

I think I have that set and they are OK but didn't last as long as I thought and I always use cutting oil and take my time. Better quality USA made regular steel ones worked better for me.

EDIT--I should mention I often drill thicker metal such as 1/8", 1/4" and even 3/8" and 1/2".

 

[PhysAssist]

I've been getting these grey batteries on Amazon with great results.

18V 3.0Ah Replace Battery for Dewalt DC9096 DC9099 High Capacity Cordless Drill (2Packs) 18V 3.Ah Replace Battery for Dewalt DC996 DC999 High Capacity Cordless Drill (2Packs) - - Amazon.com

Thanks!

 

[California]

Here's a HF tool that doesn't suck: #97062 pruner. $13, and worth it. It's an identical clone of the $50 Felco pro version and feels the same in your hand. After the first hour of continual use either of these is obviously better than cheap pruners.

 

[California]

And a sort of ok HF long handle lopper. #62861. Reasonable for the price when there is a coupon. Twist the tubular handles and they extend to twice the length. But that's for a high reach, that extra leverage bends the handles if you apply full force when extended. After that they will never retract smoothly. There is a ratchet that (sometimes) takes a shorter, stronger bite when you get halfway through a branch. On the first of these, I bent the handles and then the irreplaceable spring in the ratchet broke. That tool is retired to household use and I'm gentler with the replacement. Also the tool is heavy and tiring. it's ok for the price but its not first-class like the #97062 hand pruner. There are much better loppers at twice the cost.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I need some new drill bits. HF has the Warrior 29 piece titanium set for $9.99. Anybody have any experience with these bits?

I'm always willing to gamble $10, but drill bits made of cheez whiz are worse than no bits at all.

I have that set.. So far so good. Drilled a lot of holes through wood and light metal sheets, no problem.

 

[thepumpguysc]

I bought a set of drill bits.. I "THOUGHT" I was getting a good deal.LOL
I snapped off 3, drilling a "pilot hole" in a 1 INCH thick piece of wood.!!! for a # 6 screw.. I was flabbergasted..
"MAYBE" the larger bits are good but the small ones are J U N K.. I'll bet you could snap them in your hands if you really tried.??
But for 10.00 for a BIG SET.. what the heck go for it.. a quality set that big, will set you back 10x that..

 

[Rock Crawler]

I've used these boots in my drill press on quarter inch steel plate and found that they work fine when tempering expectations with the price paid. What I do is oil excessively and take my time with excessive lifting to allow cooking that with an American made Supertanium 2 bit I would never do.

That said, a Supertanium 2 bit will outlast 5-10 in any size, but this entire set is less than 1/4 the cost of a single 1/2" Supertanium 2 bit.

Yes, you can tell that I have a hard on for those ST2 mofos!

 

[Ford850]

I stay away from HF drill bits now. Several years ago I bought a couple sets for my son to use thinking he could gradually abuse them as he learned and we could toss them. They immediately bent! I don't know a lot about steel and temper, but I know a drill bit should break rather than bend. At first I thought he had a bad bit, but several more bent, and finally I took one of them and bent it in half like a piece of wire.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I stay away from HF drill bits now. Several years ago I bought a couple sets for my son to use thinking he could gradually abuse them as he learned and we could toss them. They immediately bent! I don't know a lot about steel and temper, but I know a drill bit should break rather than bend. At first I thought he had a bad bit, but several more bent, and finally I took one of them and bent it in half like a piece of wire.

I wonder if I had decent performance from them only because I use a drill press that keeps everything perfectly in line?

 

[Threepoint]

I stay away from HF drill bits now. Several years ago I bought a couple sets for my son to use thinking he could gradually abuse them as he learned and we could toss them. They immediately bent! I don't know a lot about steel and temper, but I know a drill bit should break rather than bend. At first I thought he had a bad bit, but several more bent, and finally I took one of them and bent it in half like a piece of wire.

Interesting to hear of such varying experiences with HF drill bits. I'm thinking part of it is luck of the draw. HF sources many of its tools from different vendors simultaneously, spec'd to its requirements. A manager explained once to me that when you see something with, say, three different item numbers listed for it, that means there are three different vendors that supply it for HF. It's done to limit the risk of a supply disruption. Makes sense, but I can see how that would make quality control even more difficult.

My experience with HF drill bits has been good. Once in awhile I'll break one that is 1/8" or smaller, but it's usually when I force it because I let it get too dull. Usually when they dull, I'll just go to a bench grinder and resharpen by eye on a 100 grit or finer wheel. When I was in ninth grade, my metal shop teacher showed me how. The compound angles and the curve of the facets make it tricky. Took me awhile, but I got pretty good. Even down to 1/16", although that gets harder each year. :laughing: HF sells the smaller sizes in blister packs of five or so, so they cost very little to just replace.