Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[weldingisfun]

Gentlemen. Gentlemen. Gentlemen.
The postings from #1730 on should have been posted here, http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/parts-repairs/114375-hf-tools-suck.html.
Geez, doesn't anyone care about decorum any longer?

 

[California]

Gentlemen. Gentlemen. Gentlemen.
The postings from #1730 on should have been posted here, http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/parts-repairs/114375-hf-tools-suck.html.
Geez, doesn't anyone care about decorum any longer?

Nah. That thread is for folks who just want to whine. Some of those posters (corrected - I just typoed 'posers') have never bought a HF tool but they think we want to read their whine anyway.

It's been four months since anyone went to that thread to whine. Nobody reads it anyway. :laughing:

This thread has turned into the one for the folks who actually use HF's stuff, and and share their experience of the occasional turkey along with the stuff that is worthwhile.

Besides, Dargo's posts are enough entertainment to keep everyone reading this thread instead of the whine thread. (And a caution to everyone to not overload HF's 'value-priced' tools!)

 

[Danno1]

Anyone have the "20 ton" press from HF? I was getting a cardiovascular treat bending a bracket back into shape so I could weld some bracing on it and the whole "12 ton" press sort of folded on me. The bottom channel that hold the blocking arbors bowed about 4" and the top of the press holding the jack raised about 2".

I'm not blaming the tool; honest. I think I'm just cranking harder on this little press than it was designed to take. Just curious if anyone thinks the '20 ton' version would hold up better or should I just buy a good bottle jack and weld up my own press? I know I can make a 50 ton press no problem, but no more than I use one, is it worth all my time to build one when I can buy a HF press rated at 20 tons for about $150 after coupon?

Ya, I do.

The two moveable crossbars are hot rolled structural sections. The upper crossbar and the uprights are folded cold rolled sheet. C sections. Seems to measure a few thou under 6 mm (~15/64). Not bad for home use but the 25T ones we have at work are a lot bigger.

I never got a "cardiovascular treat" out of it but I haven't used it too heavily yet either.

FWIW.



.

 

[patrick_g]

Anyone have the "20 ton" press from HF?

I have had one for years. I don't use it much but when I do it has been EXTREMELY convenient. Just last week I comparison shopped Harbor Freight vs Northern Tool and bought a 20 ton air over hydraulic jack to replace the jack on the press and now it is an even neater tool. I chose the NT jack over the HF one for apparent quality and price (NT had sale.)

Whoopee! NT has store in Oklahoma City now so I could actually see the jack before buying. I got a pressure washer from them too. It works super.

My original equipment jack had a fairly long handle and wasn't a cardio workout to really put some force on stuff. It is a good jack and is retained as a portable 20 ton jack with a nice carry handle. I have on occasion put a couple hundred pounds of force downward on the end of the pump handle of the jack and didn't bend anything (until a year or so ago I weighed 250-265 so that was not a big strain. Tipping the scales at 203 this morning if I were to need some REAL FORCE on something the air over hydraulic would make it a pleasure. The air powered jack moves kinda slow but I like that a lot and think it is a GOOD feature which allows you to observe what is happening to the workpiece. If I wanted to be elsewhere when the press put a lot of force on something likely to emit shrapnel the air operation would allow that.

Pat

 

[Dargo]

I have had one for years. I don't use it much but when I do it has been EXTREMELY convenient. Just last week I comparison shopped Harbor Freight vs Northern Tool and bought a 20 ton air over hydraulic jack to replace the jack on the press and now it is an even neater tool. I chose the NT jack over the HF one for apparent quality and price (NT had sale.)

Whoopee! NT has store in Oklahoma City now so I could actually see the jack before buying. I got a pressure washer from them too. It works super.

My original equipment jack had a fairly long handle and wasn't a cardio workout to really put some force on stuff. It is a good jack and is retained as a portable 20 ton jack with a nice carry handle. I have on occasion put a couple hundred pounds of force downward on the end of the pump handle of the jack and didn't bend anything (until a year or so ago I weighed 250-265 so that was not a big strain. Tipping the scales at 203 this morning if I were to need some REAL FORCE on something the air over hydraulic would make it a pleasure. The air powered jack moves kinda slow but I like that a lot and think it is a GOOD feature which allows you to observe what is happening to the workpiece. If I wanted to be elsewhere when the press put a lot of force on something likely to emit shrapnel the air operation would allow that.

Pat

Thanks. We had an F1 tornado hit us a couple of days ago and I lost about 75-100 trees. I've managed to bend the snot out of the thumb on my excavator moving downed trees. I may go for one of the 20 ton presses and see if it will straighten it. It's a MAJOR pia to take off the excavator. Well, actually, it came off somewhat easy, but took over 100 full swings with an 8lb sledge to drive the pivot pin back in place when replacing the thumb last time. Talk about a cardiovascular treat....I'm getting too old for that much of a treat!

 

[JB4310]

25% coupon out now for memorial day !

JB.

 

[Travelover]

25% coupon out now for memorial day !

JB.

25% Coupon

 

[JB4310]

25% Coupon

Good idea :thumbsup:
I got one in an email but I'm sure alot of other people who didn't get one could use it.

Don't have anything I need right now though, maybe I'll go poke around and find something.

JB

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Good idea :thumbsup:
I got one in an email but I'm sure alot of other people who didn't get one could use it.

Don't have anything I need right now though, maybe I'll go poke around and find something.

JB

If you poke you will find. :laughing:

 

[JB4310]

If you poke you will find. :laughing:

Oh I know, I'm going against my own belief system!
I'm always telling my wife, just cause she saved 20% on something, that's not really saving money, just spending a little less.

Those big marketers know what they're doing, they know I would never redeem a coupon for a mall store, so they send those to my wife. and HF coupons to me

JB.