Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

   / Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck #7,751  
I used an air drill recently and was impressed with its torque but even more impressed by how it stops instantly, unlike an electric drill or particularly a Skillsaw that has enough inertia to remain dangerous after you let go of the trigger.

Or chain saw- I have a couple pairs of used-to-be favorite nylon work pants that bear testimony to the **inertial** [should be momentum-related] glide of my chainsaw chain, which occurred when they got too close to the still spinning chain as I moved the saw along the outside of my leg [at what appeared to be a safe distance away from my person] and though they did their job of binding up the chain to stop it from chopping me up, they certainly suffered from it.

I since learned to keep it farther away from me, wear closer fitting clothes, and I always wear my Person Protective Equipment- catcher's leg guards.
 
Last edited:
   / Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck #7,752  
re chainsaw inertia - I discovered my little Ryobi 18 volt 10 inch saw was an adequate replacement for a 2-cycle saw here. 99% of its use is clearing fallen orchard trees that fell because they were rotten, punky, with only a veneer of live wood sustaining them. Plenty of power for that. An advantage I hadn't considered is the much lesser inertia overrun so it is safer to operate. Here's a photo I posted previously of the other 1% of its use where it is working at capacity bucking Eucalyptus which it does adequately. No longer owning anything 2-stroke has made my life simpler, and in this case safer.
 
   / Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck #7,753  
I did buy the Porter Cable angle grinder. It seems to be made quite well. The switch and cord are way better quality that the HF "pro" unit I have. Seeing those already broke on the HF unit hopefully this unit will hold up better. No there is no brake on it. The body is a bit thick but the paddle switch is easy to operate unlike the HF one until the safety bit fell off...lol. I'll give an update after I've used it some.

To keep this post in line with HF, you can see the new tool sitting on my HF welding table. :D

grinder.jpg
 
   / Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck #7,754  
The reviews on that one look excellent, also the specs. I think it's well worth paying $5 more than the not-quite-as-good HF grinder. But I don't see electric brake listed.

I posted a question about that on Amazon, and the uniform answer was: "No, it does not have the braking feature/function".
 
   / Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck #7,756  
Too bad you never get any use out of that welding table- :D

PA
Ha ha, you can tell eh? I used the grinder for a couple hours today, so far I like it and really like the easily adjustable shield and paddle switch setup. The metal nose gets hot but no real need to have your hands up there. The vent holes also are in a good place as not to blow dirt in your face if you put the unit on the ground. That's one feature my son really likes, the HF unit spews that dirt all over you. One thing to note, the guard has little nubs in it so it only comes off in one position. Again no, there is no braking feature. I haven't seen that on any units near this price range.
 
   / Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck #7,758  
This one?
image_24649.jpg


At 170 lbs, 'portable' means move to the other side of the shop, not lift it into your truck.

Beware HF's CFM ratings. I bought their prior 10 gallon, 2.5 hp (@ 10 amps - ha!), compressor rated near that one's CFM but at 125 psi. It couldn't keep up with a small die grinder that HF rated at slightly less CFM, it would run for several seconds then bog down as the pressure dropped. Then the motor was smoking badly before I looked around to see what the smell was. It never tripped the overheat cutout but it should have.

There's industry-standard SCFM at certain temperature etc then there's HF's CFM which must have been written by their marketing department.

Wait for someone who owns one to respond before getting it!
 
Last edited:
   / Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck #7,759  
My compressor seized up on my old Sanborn, and I replaced it with the "5 HP 145 PSI Twin Cylinder Air Compressor Pump". which requires a 5 horse motor, same as on the Sanborn. It's been chugging along for a year, now, with zero problems. I run it at 120, not 145, because that's where the Sanborn ran. I read a lot of reviews complaining about the outlet fitting being an oddball, but mine turned out to be 3/4" NPT. Maybe they standardized on something sensible.
 
   / Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck #7,760  
This one?
21 gal. 2-1/2 HP 125 PSI Cast Iron Vertical Air Compressor

At 170 lbs, 'portable' means move to the other side of the shop, not lift it into your truck.

Beware HF's CFM ratings. I bought their prior 10 gallon, 2.5 hp (@ 10 amps - ha!), compressor rated near that one's CFM but at 125 psi. It couldn't keep up with a small die grinder that HF rated at slightly less CFM, it would run for several seconds then bog down as the pressure dropped. Then the motor was smoking badly before I looked around to see what the smell was. It never tripped the overheat cutout but it should have.

There's industry-standard SCFM at certain temperature etc then there's HF's CFM which must have been written by their marketing department.

Wait for someone who owns one to respond before getting it!
No, I forgot to put the link in:
29 gal. 2 HP 15 PSI Cast Iron Vertical Air Compressor this one at 200 lbs.
And portable means lift it into my truck using my 1/2 Ton Capacity Pickup Truck Crane with Cable Winch 1/2 Ton Capacity Pickup Truck Crane with Cable Winch.

My compressor seized up on my old Sanborn, and I replaced it with the "5 HP 145 PSI Twin Cylinder Air Compressor Pump". which requires a 5 horse motor, same as on the Sanborn. It's been chugging along for a year, now, with zero problems. I run it at 120, not 145, because that's where the Sanborn ran. I read a lot of reviews complaining about the outlet fitting being an oddball, but mine turned out to be 3/4" NPT. Maybe they standardized on something sensible.
How difficult is that to swap out?
I've a 120 gallon stationary compressor sold by Wood Sales with a 5HP 220V motor and iron pipe air lines are already run through my shops (must be about 200' of line). But the pump sounded like it had blown a cylinder when we bought the place back in 2011. They used to manufacture furniture here.
I've been concerned that the tank may have rusted out and I've never needed that much air. I've never fixed it because I've an OLD HF 21 gal. 2-1/2 HP 125 PSI Cast Iron Vertical Air Compressor that I've gotten by with.
 
 
Top