Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[California]

HF quality has improved drastically. I have the previous HF breaker bar. Bare metal handle. From the days when HF quality was random.

I had to weld the ends of the pressed-in swivel pin to stop it from falling out.

After that the tool has been flawless.

Day late .... I found my old photo of this project, welding in the swivel pin so it doesn't fall out any more. "Some Assembly Required".

Related - who says you can't do decent work with flux-core?

 

[California]

HF Tailgate Unloader - any advice how to mount this on a trailer?

The instructions assume you have a pickup tailgate to wrap its straps around.

I have a 4x8 utility trailer with a lift-out tailgate, ie lift the tailgate a few inches to get its pins out of their rear crossmember holes.

I don't mind welding up something if that's what's needed.

Advice invited!

 

[KubotainNH]

Not sure if this helps you. If not, please share what you end up doing.

 

[California]

Not sure if this helps you. If not, please share what you end up doing.

Thanks! Yes that did give me some ideas to work with.

 

[crazyal]

Thanks! Yes that did give me some ideas to work with.

I have a similar trailer and I cut one of the hinges off. I reversed it so the tailgate can be removed by sliding to the side. When it's upright held in place with the latch pins it can slide far enough to come off. If it's flipped over onto the bed of the trailer it also can't come off. If needed I can take a picture.

 

[California]

I spent a while trying things, puzzling how to resolve the issue illustrated in several YouTube videos: A trailer tailgate isn't suitable for the unloder same as a pickup's tailgate. This unloader can only replace the tailgate, it can't be mounted with the trailer's tailgate in place.

Bringing home gravel with no tailgate would be a traffic safety issue and would likely cost me a ticket.

The best (only) solution I've come up with is - a temporary mount for the unloader that installs with the same downward pins as the tailgate. These pins go down into the rear of the frame rails.

Then to use the unloader - before loading gravel on top of the fabric, unspool the excess fabric out the back onto the ground, set the tailgate in place, then loop this excess fabric and its axle up over the tailgate and carry it on top of the gravel on the way home.

At home, lift the taigate out and set the axle with spooled excess fabric where the tailgate was.

This would need a mount with two big pins facing down, same as how the tailgate attaches now. Fabricating that 'artificial tailgate' mount should be simple. It would be similar to the trailer adapters others have in their YouTube videos, except removable.

Anybody have other alternatives?

 

[KubotainNH]

Might be too late to help anyone but for anyone that's even remotely interested in a "surface conditioning tool" HFT is clearancing out the Bauer version to rebrand to Hercules... the Bauer one is $60 if you can find one and comes with 3 drums... I bought two spares...

I mentioned after your original post that these were still full price in my area but I left a browser up for it on my PC. Low and behold, today I see the clearance price of $60 with limited supply at my local store. I called them and they were nice enough to put the last one aside for me which I now have in my possession. We'll see how useful it ends up being. Thanks for sharing!

 

[newbury]

 

[5030]

Get the 5 AH battery, it lasts longer....lol I wonder with the tariff's, how HF will cope with it? Will they pass the tariff cost on to the customers or will they eat it to remain competitive?

 

[CPTKILLER]

Bauer can be good but the warranty is always short. I found that many of their grinding wheels, saw blades, and drill bits rarely work or last as well as name brands. I used some of their welding rods in a pinch with no issues.