Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[CompactTractorFan]

I see they have a whole new series of tape measures now.

A couple of years ago I bought one that was green and 33 ft. I immediately took it back when I couldn't unlock the blade lock the first time I used it. The store manager couldn't unlock it either so he gave me another. Now after very few uses, maybe 20 times, the replacement won't rewind. It feels like it needs the spring lubed.

Moral of the story - try out any tape measure before leaving the store.

Oh, great!!! I just bought one of them...

 

[sixdogs]

. I was disappointed that, for now, they are not carrying the "good" sockets I bought there that one time. Their current crop of sockets all fall under the "complete junk" category. Working on my old dump truck this last week, I shattered 3 of the 3/4" 'impact' sockets using my IR 1/2" impact with an adapter to get it to use 3/4" sockets. Clearly, with a real 3/4" impact, they'd be rather explosive.

What a bummer. I took in one of the 'good' sockets I'm talking about and the store manager just rolled his eyes and said he wished they'd get them again and he couldn't get me any from other stores since HF sells much more of the cheapo crap than the higher quality, more than 1 use, sockets. That sucks! I want no part of the sockets they have now that are made of the cheapest pot metal known to man. I really didn't mind paying a little more for their higher quality sockets they had since they were still a bargain compared to Craftsman sockets and, IMHO, were of better quality than Craftsman. Stop buying their cheapest junk and maybe they'll start bringing back some decent quality sockets and wrenches!!!!

Dargo--good post.
Can you describe how both the old and new sockets looked? Some of the older ones just discontinued looked to be black nitride with faint lettering. The newer ones appear to be shiny with deep cut lettering but I'm not sure which is which meaning good or not good. Anything you can offer would be helpful.

 

[Dargo]

Some of the older ones just discontinued looked to be black nitride with faint lettering. The newer ones appear to be shiny with deep cut lettering but I'm not sure which is which meaning good or not good. Anything you can offer would be helpful.

The ones that are considerably stronger, and a "winner" at HF, are not black, but a darker compound and not at all shiny or colored. The black ones, colored ones and shiny looking ones have all failed in short order. Honest to goodness, the I've not had a single one of the other series fail. I throw all the packaging away, but I thought I recall them even stating that they were XX% stronger than their standard socket. I looked on their website, but can't find them.

I hope they bring their higher line, but still an honest bargain, back. Although I'm known as the HF basher, I try to give an honest assessment. My first tirade about their extremely dangerous strut compressor apparently was true and on the mark. They long ago dropped that product like a hot potato and their new strut compressor looks completely different. I strongly feel you can find true "winners" there but you can also buy stuff that isn't worth taking if it were given to you free of charge and is just plain dangerous.

I have a bad habit of dropping voltage meters since I don't have 3 hands. The cheap ones seem to work fine, but are almost always history with their first meeting with the concrete floor. Anyone bought the (extremely expensive for HF) higher priced one with rubber padding and a stronger case? I think it lists for something like, gulp, $39.95. However, as many of the others that I've dropped and broken as soon as I get them, if their higher end one is good and will last me, I'll save me a 20% off coupon and buy me one the next time they are on sale. I don't want 20 of the cheap ones (they eat batteries awfully fast too) and I don't have time to run to buy another when I'm working on something. So, who has one of the high end multi-meters from HF?

 

[California]

Dargo I wonder if you could just wrap a 1 inch neoprene band around the perimeter of the cheap meter to absorb shock when it falls.

 

[sixdogs]

Going to HF store next couple of days and wonder where you guys get the "free flashlight" coupons. For some reason, I don't get them. Maybe on the net?

 

[California]

Going to HF store next couple of days and wonder where you guys get the "free flashlight" coupons. For some reason, I don't get them. Maybe on the net?

1) An insert accompanying the Sunday comics in the paper. About once a month.

2) Sign up for their specials by email. (and these emails are occasionally reposted here). Here is a current one but I don't see a flashlight this time. This one is still active too but again, no flashlight.

3) Some magazines have HF coupon ads. Look through car, firearms, home workshop type magazines.

 

[IslandTractor]

3) Some magazines have HF coupon ads. Look through car, firearms, home workshop type magazines.

I just found one in the Boat US magazine too.

I read the fine print this time as they have changed how you can use the 20% coupon. Seems you can no longer use them on sale items for a double discount. Is that true? Bummer.

 

[aczlan]

I got two pairs of their magnetic tow lights back when they were $9.99.
They seem pretty good (not as good as the $50 pair from Autozone, but not enough worse for me to want to buy those again), BUT the turn and tail circuits are switched, so the bright filament is the running light and the dim one is the turn signal/brake light.
10 mins with a soldering iron and a little bit of heatshrink fixed that problem.


Aaron Z

 

[Travelover]

Going to HF store next couple of days and wonder where you guys get the "free flashlight" coupons. For some reason, I don't get them. Maybe on the net?

Bookmark this site. It is regularly updated with the latest HF coupons on page 1 and has a forum where they discuss changes in policy at HF, etc.

Harbor Freight Coupon Thread - Slickdeals.net

 

[sixdogs]

Bookmark this site. It is regularly updated with the latest HF coupons on page 1 and has a forum where they discuss changes in policy at HF, etc.

Harbor Freight Coupon Thread - Slickdeals.net

Thanks--looks like a good site. Also signed up for email updates.
Free is good.