Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[California]

Originally Posted by JB4310 View Post
Never think of a 2smoke as a continuous duty engine,

Don't let Detroit Diesel know that

Or Evinrude/Johnson!

I have a 2-stroke water pump that was probably intended as a ditch pump. It's light, I bought it to backpack into my gold mining claim. This pump assembly replaced one based on a Briggs&Stratton that weighed twice as much. I also had a floating pump based on a Chrysler Industrial 2-stroke (same as a Clinton outboard) that didn't even have a throttle, the throttle was hardwired wide open and it ran flat out every moment it was running. Didn't seem to hurt it any.

 

[psj12]

I've been looking for a benchtop toolbox, like the kind you would put on top of a rolling base. Considering the nice comments regarding HF toolboxes, I'm looking at this one and wonder if anyone owns one and what they think.

Red Roller Cabinet Top Chest

It seems pretty high priced but sales, deals and coupons can knock it down a bunch. Any thoughts?

I have a top and bottom unit and they are good quality for the $$

 

[CompactTractorFan]

I bought the 1.5 watt solar charger 4 years ago for about $13 (they are $19.99 now minus coupon), and it has been working great on keeping the 12V battery charged on my farm gate opener. It has turned pink in the sun and I had to caulk it with silicone, but it keeps on going.

Beautiful view you have there...:thumbsup:

 

[brewdog]

HF doesn't seem to have any Heavy Duty bench Vice products. I need something that has 6" jaws and 3/4" tightening rod.

 

[sixdogs]

HF doesn't seem to have any Heavy Duty bench Vise products. I need something that has 6" jaws and 3/4" tightening rod.

I bought a huge "super heavy duty" bench vise from them a number of years ago and admired how smooth it was. Turns out that the smoothness of it was made possible not by metal but by auto body filler around what I learned was a rough casting.
Oh, the vise is crudely OK and I have really pounded on it, but the body filler began to flake off almost immediately. Did they think no one would notice?
Farm sales often have nice vises go cheap and I think American quliity still has an edge on everything else in this category.

 

[brewdog]

I bought a huge "super heavy duty" bench vise from them a number of years ago and admired how smooth it was. Turns out that the smoothness of it was made possible not by metal but by auto body filler around what I learned was a rough casting.
Oh, the vise is crudely OK and I have really pounded on it, but the body filler began to flake off almost immediately. Did they think no one would notice?
Farm sales often have nice vises go cheap and I think American quliity still has an edge on everything else in this category.

That's funny about the body filler ! I'll check Tractor Supply or a Farm Sales store. Thanks.

 

[sixdogs]

That's funny about the body filler ! I'll check Tractor Supply or a Farm Sales store. Thanks.

Vises at farm sales often go cheap. I recently bought a medium sized well-made American vise for $15 and was the only bidder. You rarely see one go for very much. Cheaper, in fact, than HF.

 

[deereman75]

If you want the best new vise, you are looking at a Record, and also over $100. I would try to find a good used vise. I saw at a building salvage yard a "vise with workbench attached". It was a 10'' or 12'' vise, that weighed over 100#, with a simple angle iron workbench with a steel top. Personaly I would look for a blacksmiths leg vise, I have used them lots, and I like them alot more then normal vises.

 

[leeinMT]

Beautiful view you have there...:thumbsup:

Yeah, sometimes when I look out, I can almost hear the choir start to sing.
I have had really good luck with HF's shop dust pans and bench brushes. They are cheap enough to keep all over, but what I don't understand is why they keep switching back and forth between steel and aluminum. I bought one yesterday and got a nice free 25 foot tape measure with my coupon.
They have supposedly discontinued the 6 inch bench vise. I know it wasn't a Wilton, but it seemed ok and I was ready to get one. Good idea about the farm sales.

 

[crazyal]

I bought a huge "super heavy duty" bench vise from them a number of years ago and admired how smooth it was. Turns out that the smoothness of it was made possible not by metal but by auto body filler around what I learned was a rough casting.
Oh, the vise is crudely OK and I have really pounded on it, but the body filler began to flake off almost immediately. Did they think no one would notice?
Farm sales often have nice vises go cheap and I think American quliity still has an edge on everything else in this category.

I fell for that one too. Started using the outside (what I thought was) steel to help shape a piece of metal only to have filler go flying on the first hit. I have a 1908 BullDog US made vice that I don't think could be broken.

 

[Elkins45]

I was excited when there was a 20% coupon in the local paper until I read the fine print that said it isn't valid for floor jacks.

I've been thinking of buying one of the manual tire changers to mount trailer tires and do repairs and patches. Anybody have one of them?

 

[ronjhall]

I have one. It needs to be mounted to a large platform or to the floor. Work OK beyond that.

 

[deereman75]

Does anyone have one of the harbor freight compact needle scalers, they are the same as the ones at princess auto, and I am thinking of getting one, I just want to know how well they work.

 

[Workstead]

Does anyone have one of the harbor freight compact needle scalers, they are the same as the ones at princess auto, and I am thinking of getting one, I just want to know how well they work.

I have a full size one and it does a good job of removing slag from a weld. I haven't tried it to remove rust, yet.

I don't know about the smaller one but some wood turning forum reports say it is good for "texturing" wood, so my guess is that the smaller ones might not have the punch of the bigger ones. That might be somewhat adjustable by regulating the air pressure. They also report that they take out some of the rods to make smaller "texture" areas in the wood.

Clem

 

[Travelover]

Does anyone have one of the harbor freight compact needle scalers, they are the same as the ones at princess auto, and I am thinking of getting one, I just want to know how well they work.

I have the small one. It works well for taking slag off a weld and I also used it to take rust scale off a trailer hitch that I was painting.

 

[aczlan]

I have the small one. It works well for taking slag off a weld and I also used it to take rust scale off a trailer hitch that I was painting.

I have a HF one that I used to clean off the slag when we got the bushhog back from the shop. It worked well for that, but I haven't used it since.

Aaron Z

 

[skspurling]

And have more than one light bulb in the house.

And now we have to buy the expensive swirly kind they make in china from the toxic waste we sent them.

 

[Skyco]

I've been thinking of buying one of the manual tire changers to mount trailer tires and do repairs and patches. Anybody have one of them?

I have one, works well. I primarily bought it and the adapter to do motorcycle tires.
I have used it for 16" truck tires, it works but be prepared for a workout. Get some good tire mounting/demounting lube, I have a jug of Ruglyde I've had for years, don't try to use soapy water.
I lag bolt mine to my deck when I need to use it.

 

[sixdogs]

{Quote =Originally Posted by Elkins45}
I've been thinking of buying one of the manual tire changers to mount trailer tires and do repairs and patches. Anybody have one of them?{Quote}

I have one, works well. I primarily bought it and the adapter to do motorcycle tires.
I have used it for 16" truck tires, it works but be prepared for a workout. Get some good tire mounting/demounting lube, I have a jug of Ruglyde I've had for years, don't try to use soapy water.
I lag bolt mine to my deck when I need to use it.

"A workout"...you aren't kidding. I started on four tires and was 20 lbs overweight.
Finished later that day and needed to gain a few pounds and had noticable six-pack abs.
It would work OK on small tires or 12" trailer tires but the better way is to buy donuts and head to the local tire shop.

 

[deereman75]

Next time I am at princess auto, I will pick up one of the compact needle scalers, and a bunch of other things.