Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[dragoneggs]

Yes, as I said it's a Tormek grinder. It weighs about 35 lbs.
View attachment 566265
There's a couple clones on the market, one from Grizzly, that will save you money. But you'll end up buying the jigs from Tormek as they seam to be the best. If you want a razor sharp edge it's the way to go. They are really for touching up the edge ve reshaping a tool or repairing major damage.

I can vouch for the Tormek. I have the T-8 and while crazy expensive, it is a treasure and a pleasure to use. Helpful to get the swivel stand.

Would love to get the base cabinet but I really cannot justify that expense so it currently sits on my beer fridge with a rubber mat for dish drying. It is a small monster and I would not be comfortable putting it on the HF fold out wing table!

 

[John_Mc]

Has anyone used the HF Haulmaster Truck Bed Cargo Unloader? At $40, it's hard to beat the price. I'm just wondering if it's junk compared to some of the other models out there (Northern Tool sells the Boxer Truck Bed Unloader which from the looks of it is just the HF unit under a different name and for $10 more). Then there is a big jump up to $100 or so. Do you lose much in terms of durability by going with the HF or NT unit over one of the more expensive brands?

Well, I ordered one. Used a 20% off coupon, so ended up paying about $32. It came in a few days ago, but I haven't gotten around to modifying the width to fit my truck.

 

[John_Mc]

Does HF sell any durable air compressors that are not so loud they blow your ear drums out? I'm looking for something to use in a shop with a concrete floor and walls. My old compressor is loud as heck, and is not in the greatest shape. I want one that will run off of 120VAC - my needs are not heavy enough to warrant a 240V compressor.

I know nothing about air compressors, but I do know the design I have now is NOT what a want for the future. This will not see heavy regular use, but I need to know that it will work when I need. Is there something I should consider at HF, or am I better off looking elsewhere?

 

[stuckmotor]

My eyes are bad. I have one of the magnifying glasses with two alligator clips attached to hold small parts. It's the one I use to read the expiration dates on HF coupons. I also have the round magnifying glass with a smaller higher power magnifier above the handle. The big glass is too weak for me to read the HF expiration dates with the one on the bottom is usually strong enough but not always. I guess some people can read the expiration date with nothing but their eyeballs. Must be nice.

 

[ronjhall]

Been using my Lynxx power tools. So far they are doing good. I can do 300’ of drive and 100’ of walkway on both sides with 1/2 of a battery charge.
When using the string trimmer to edge walkways and drive. String did not get close enough for a clean trim down to edge of walkway. Made a set of replacement wheels that are 1” smaller than original wheels. Now have a clean cut down to walkway and drive edge.

 

[California]

Does HF sell any durable air compressors that are not so loud they blow your ear drums out? My old compressor is loud as heck ... I want one that will run off of 120VAC ... am I better off looking elsewhere?

I searched Amazon on 'quiet air compressor' then limited to free shipping and 4 stars or better. 207 results!

Here's the first least expensive one I noticed 1.2 cfm @ 90 psi, $103 shipped. 56 db noise level. But read the customer reviews. Like HF stuff, variable results. Some said the first time they opened the drain, weld debris came out. Then no further problems.

I think this is a case where stepping up from HF-only to Amazon's broader selection might be worth the slightly greater cost.

 

[newbury]

Does HF sell any durable air compressors that are not so loud they blow your ear drums out? I'm looking for something to use in a shop with a concrete floor and walls. My old compressor is loud as heck, and is not in the greatest shape. I want one that will run off of 120VAC - my needs are not heavy enough to warrant a 240V compressor.
<snip>

What do you want to do with it? How many CFM do you need?
I'm pleased with the 29 Gal 2 HP 150 PSI cast iron I got for about $330. coupon
Note they don't usually allow their 20% and 25% off coupons for compressors.

Just remember - change the oil frequently for a while.
And that's about the only problem I've found with it - the oil tube is a pain to fill.

Also probably put an extension on the drain.

 

[aczlan]

Does HF sell any durable air compressors that are not so loud they blow your ear drums out? I'm looking for something to use in a shop with a concrete floor and walls. My old compressor is loud as heck, and is not in the greatest shape. I want one that will run off of 120VAC - my needs are not heavy enough to warrant a 240V compressor.

I know nothing about air compressors, but I do know the design I have now is NOT what a want for the future. This will not see heavy regular use, but I need to know that it will work when I need. Is there something I should consider at HF, or am I better off looking elsewhere?

Most any belt-driven compressor will be fairly quiet. Otherwise, look at the lowest DB rating and go with that. I would avoid any direct drive compressor (ie: without any belts) as they tend to be loud.

Aaron Z

 

[newbury]

If you just need a small fairly quite compressor I've also a Makita MAC2400 which I've had for about 20 years, which is fairly quiet. But it only does 4.2 CFM @90PSI. The HF 29 gallon does about 6 @ 90.

 

[rbstern]

Recently bought one of these for my wife's art studio. The 8 gallon model. It's silly quiet. She uses it one room over from my office; I can only hear it if the door between the two rooms is open, and even then, it's a background hum.

Air Compressors - Air Compressors, Tools & Accessories - The Home Depot

They are truly pleasant to use. I'm planning on getting one for my workshop; can't see buying a really loud compressor ever again.