HF tools that suck

[5030]

The whole freaking company!

Buy American made and quit selling out our country buying cheap Chinese garbage.

I find that comment interesting, in as much as this forum was based (at inception) and today on imported tractors, also known as 'Cheap Japanese Junk, Korean Junk, Chinese Junk and so on.

One should make sure the 'sheets are clean' before 'soiling them'.....:laughing:

 

[5030]

OK, I like a lot of their limited-use stuff like 3" sockets and such. I'd never buy an electric anything and have been generally pleased IF I buy on "sale" and it's a somewhat primitive tool. However, I bought a dead blow plastic hammer, probably filled with lead? or who knows what. Maybe depleted uranium. Anyway, it sucks.

It worked fine for a while and still works but the plastic coating has powdered over like a real old chocolate bar that was frozen and was deteriorating.
It's not that it's deteriorating as such, and I can't really figure it out but it looks like it's growing a fungus. It's not but I don't know what it is. It still works but now I wear rubber gloves when I use it. I'm thinking Sears for a real one the next time.

Rest assured. The Sears derivitave to the HF one is imported (probably from the same Chi-Com sweatshop/factory. It's just 'branded' Sears.:laughing:

 

[chopped]

Don't buy the HF athletic support, its suppose to hold 2 nuts and only held 1 of mine !

Boone

I would never trust my nuts to HF Never...

 

[PapaPerk]

I find that comment interesting, in as much as this forum was based (at inception) and today on imported tractors, also known as 'Cheap Japanese Junk, Korean Junk, Chinese Junk and so on.

One should make sure the 'sheets are clean' before 'soiling them'.....:laughing:

Oh cry me a river. Read the title of this post! "HF tools that suck". The title supports my comment. HF is notorious for selling tools that are "throw away".... typical for many Americans in this day and age.

Buy good quality tools and equipment. Keep them the rest of your life. They are an investment... not disposable like a paper cup or plastic fork!

What I think is hilarious is the cheap folks that buy the junk and then get on here and whine about it! What do you expect?!

 

[5030]

Oh cry me a river. Read the title of this post! "HF tools that suck". The title supports my comment. HF is notorious for selling tools that are "throw away".... typical for many Americans in this day and age.

Buy good quality tools and equipment. Keep them the rest of your life. They are an investment... not disposable like a paper cup or plastic fork!

What I think is hilarious is the cheap folks that buy the junk and then get on here and whine about it! What do you expect?!

No river here. Not even a a small stream. I just perused the thread to your post and made a comment contrary to your post.

Obviously, Harbor Freight is a profitable company, so it stands to reason that they sell tools and stuff to a number of people.

Frankly, I bought a HF 1/4" drive torque wrench and I bench tested against my 600 dollar calibrated LS Starrett-Weber 1/4" dial wrench and the HF wrench, across the entire scale was within 1/2 inch pound of the Starrett-Weber. I needed an accurate inch pound wrench to use in an application that would adversely affect the dial wrench.

Whining is an great American pastime. Just go read your newspaper, listen to the AM radio or talk to your neighbor. Whining is consuming pastime and it's not healthy, contrary to public opinion.

 

[TXFord8n]

I buy HF tools for one use, or field use. I have craftsman for many other tools. I also have some of their electric tools. (Grinder, Cut off saw) They work for what I need to do with them. Should a hurricane come through our area, I hope their generator will hold up. I thought about a generac, but it too is an overseas job in the 3500 watt range.

That said, you have to be careful with Craftsman now because they are often made in China as well. I mean their hand tools. You have to look. Snap-On is too expensive for my operation with the exception of a ratchet and torque wrench.

I try to buy American when I can, but I will not discriminate against HF when one tool is Chinese verses another Chinese tool. But I don't expect much from them either.

 

[Dargo]

Rest assured. The Sears derivitave to the HF one is imported (probably from the same Chi-Com sweatshop/factory. It's just 'branded' Sears.:laughing:

And are built to spec. If you think all things Chinese made are the same, you are sadly mistaken! :laughing: Bose, DeWalt, Milwaukee etc., etc., are sourced out to China. They are built to the specifications of the manufacturer. If left to their own accord, you'll get junk that isn't worth carrying home if it were free, but if you think just because it says "made in China" it's junk, you better think again!

 

[deereman75]

And are built to spec. If you think all things Chinese made are the same, you are sadly mistaken! :laughing: Bose, DeWalt, Milwaukee etc., etc., are sourced out to China. They are built to the specifications of the manufacturer. If left to their own accord, you'll get junk that isn't worth carrying home if it were free, but if you think just because it says "made in China" it's junk, you better think again!

Exactly, I buy JET canada tools, and they are made in the same factroy as bluepoint (in china), and are the same quality as proto, but cost half as much.

 

[crazyal]

And are built to spec. If you think all things Chinese made are the same, you are sadly mistaken! :laughing: Bose, DeWalt, Milwaukee etc., etc., are sourced out to China. They are built to the specifications of the manufacturer. If left to their own accord, you'll get junk that isn't worth carrying home if it were free, but if you think just because it says "made in China" it's junk, you better think again!

It's too bad most people don't understand this. They just assume if it's made in China or Korea then it must be junk. The fact is that the Chinese are able to make some very good stuff. While not everything at HF is good there are plenty of things that are. The fact that the "HF tools that don't suck" is about 10x the length of this thread proves that people are buying lots of good tools.

 

[PapaPerk]

And are built to spec. If you think all things Chinese made are the same, you are sadly mistaken! :laughing: Bose, DeWalt, Milwaukee etc., etc., are sourced out to China. They are built to the specifications of the manufacturer. If left to their own accord, you'll get junk that isn't worth carrying home if it were free, but if you think just because it says "made in China" it's junk, you better think again!

Well duh. We aren't talking about brand name tools here. We are talking about cheap poor quality flea market grade tools.

Of course China can build good stuff too. They are people just like the rest of the world. Heck my IPhone 4 is made in China and it's excellent!

My point is companies like HF produce low quality foreign made tools that are throw away. Quality products are the last thing on their minds apparently. They make them using very cheap labor where people have poor working conditions. When you buy your "bargains" are you thinking about that?

Even worse is companies like Lowes that sell sub par foreign made tools at the same price as Home Depot's US made tools! That's really bad!

 

[TXFord8n]

In the comparison to Lowes and Home Depot, are you referring to power tools or hand tools? I have never found much difference in our area between the two, other than the Lowes people have more experience and know where things are in the store. I shop at Lowes, but I am not dogmatic about it. I always figured they were tweedle dee and tweedle dum.

 

[PapaPerk]

In the comparison to Lowes and Home Depot, are you referring to power tools or hand tools? I have never found much difference in our area between the two, other than the Lowes people have more experience and know where things are in the store. I shop at Lowes, but I am not dogmatic about it. I always figured they were tweedle dee and tweedle dum.

In my area Home Depot carries way more US hand tools. Examples are levels, rules, hammers, etc. It's a very noticeable difference.

However I prefer the local hardware any day over the big box stores.

 

[deerslayer303]

I shop at HF for consumables, latex gloves, paint brushes, grinding disks, etc.

Now as for the comment "buy made in USA" HA good luck with that one. And I do buy Made in the USA when possible. For example only New Balance tennis shoes are bought in my house. And I spent a great deal of time at the mall one day just trying to find ONE stich of clothing that was Made in USA, and I did NOT find ONE! **** my Chevy Tahoe was HENCHO EN MEXICO! You Can't get around it, we are powerless so to speak IMHO

 

[5030]

I shop at HF for consumables, latex gloves, paint brushes, grinding disks, etc.

Now as for the comment "buy made in USA" HA good luck with that one. And I do buy Made in the USA when possible. For example only New Balance tennis shoes are bought in my house. And I spent a great deal of time at the mall one day just trying to find ONE stich of clothing that was Made in USA, and I did NOT find ONE! **** my Chevy Tahoe was HENCHO EN MEXICO! You Can't get around it, we are powerless so to speak IMHO

Gee, I was under the impression your Tahoe was actually HENCHO EN OBAMAO:laughing::laughing:

 

[BlacknTan]

This thread should be five times as long as the other.. LOL

 

[crazyal]

I shop at HF for consumables, latex gloves, paint brushes, grinding disks, etc.

Now as for the comment "buy made in USA" HA good luck with that one. And I do buy Made in the USA when possible. For example only New Balance tennis shoes are bought in my house. And I spent a great deal of time at the mall one day just trying to find ONE stich of clothing that was Made in USA, and I did NOT find ONE! **** my Chevy Tahoe was HENCHO EN MEXICO! You Can't get around it, we are powerless so to speak IMHO

You know you are old when you can remember the big three making cars and trucks in this country and the Japanese companies making cars and trucks in Japan. Now made in the USA means buying a Honda, Toyota, or Nissan.

 

[chopped]

:thumbsup::thumbsup: your not so crazy....:laughing:

 

[Iplayfarmer]

This thread should be five times as long as the other.. LOL

But it's not.

The other thread has turned out to be a useful, intelligent discussion of pros and cons of various HF options based on real-world first-hand experience from good and objective members of TBN.

This thread only gets the occasional bump from some wisecrack and then is followed by the inevitable rant that includes neither first-hand nor real-world experience. We all ride Dargo's case for his freely shared opinion of Harbor Freight, but at least his comments are supported by good, detailed, first-hand accounts and based on experience rather than conjecture.

 

[PapaPerk]

This thread only gets the occasional bump from some wisecrack and then is followed by the inevitable rant that includes neither first-hand nor real-world experience. We all ride Dargo's case for his freely shared opinion of Harbor Freight, but at least his comments are supported by good, detailed, first-hand accounts and based on experience rather than conjecture.

There's no reason to waste good money when you already know the results. Bet on the horse that will win. Not on the long shot.

 

[BlacknTan]

This thread only gets the occasional bump from some wisecrack and then is followed by the inevitable rant that includes neither first-hand nor real-world experience. We all ride Dargo's case for his freely shared opinion of Harbor Freight, but at least his comments are supported by good, detailed, first-hand accounts and based on experience rather than conjecture.

The application of this logic escapes me ...

I don't need to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge to prove to myself that it's probably not good for my health.