Harbor Freight tools
Harbor Freight tools
What worth getting from these guys? A retail shop is opening here in Muncie, and they're having a grand opening sale.
Michael de Bernay
aka
Strongbow
aka
Strongbow
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dragonjohn
- Archive Member
- Posts: 270
- Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2002 1:01 am
- Location: Ft Wayne, IN
hello Strongbow,
you get what you pay for, but I like them
their good for hand tools, etc, but I didn't like the quality of their sand paper/ belts.
Muncie? I'm up here in Fort Wayne, we got one here. if you ever get up here there's a great shop called D & B sales
got an 8" shear for 90 bucks and belts, flap wheels, sand paper galore!!
you get what you pay for, but I like them
their good for hand tools, etc, but I didn't like the quality of their sand paper/ belts.
Muncie? I'm up here in Fort Wayne, we got one here. if you ever get up here there's a great shop called D & B sales
got an 8" shear for 90 bucks and belts, flap wheels, sand paper galore!!
Gian Di Fauro
US Army RETIRED! in the shop all day now!! ( I wish)
US Army RETIRED! in the shop all day now!! ( I wish)
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St. George
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- Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2003 2:01 am
- Location: Charlotte, NC
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mattmaus
- Archive Member
- Posts: 3556
- Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2002 1:01 am
- Location: Colorado Springs,CO
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Hammers like halberds said. They sell them real cheap, especialy if you get the wood handled ones. I prefer the wood handles over fiberglass, but that's me. The prices are right, so I never feel guilty about customizing them.
The beverly knock off used to be more of a hit or miss item. You got one that worked, or it was utter crap. They've apparently been selling enough of them that it was worth the effort to put a little QC work into them, most of the recent posts I've read lean more to hit, rather than miss. I further suspect his because you used to have to mail order them, and now they cary them in the stores... probably selling fast enough to justify it.
They're hand tools are generaly better than their power tools. My experience although limited makes me want to steer way the hell clear of 'drill master' branded items. The chicago electric stuff seems decent enough. Just keep in mind that it ain't the high end stuff. Conveniently, it ain't high end prices. I have the smallest of their horizontal band saws, and other than being a pain to get tuned, and keep tuned (for perfectly square cuts) it runs like a champ. Blades are crappy, and break, but their cheap. QC issues again, seems like every third blade runs for a long long time, then I get 2 that last for 3-5 cuts. IIRC they're a wonky harbor freight size, so short of getting some custom made at a blade shop you're stuck with them.
I like getting gloves there. I do stupid stuff like run my angle grinder into my thumb a lot, so gloves rarely last very long for me anyway. It's more economic to pick up a 6 pack at HF than to buy one 'good' pair at home depot. The red welding gloves they sell in a 3 pack are actualy pretty decent in my mind, and I get 3 pairs for half of what the welding shop wants to charge me for 1 pair.
Some of the safety stuff is pretty decent. I got a face sheild dirt cheap (for those times I'm doing suicidaly stupid shit with grinders). a lot of it is name brand stuff, and only a couple bucks cheaper than you can get it at home depot for, but, a couple bucks is a couple bucks. I'm trying to figure out why their auto dark welding hoods are 1/4 the price as the name brand ones at the weld shop.
Watch the sale flyers you get in the mail. I wanted some of the right angle welding magnets for a long time, they normaly sell for like $8. One day I got a sale flyer and they were on sale for $2! They have a 5 pack of wood handled ball peins that goes on sale half off about twice a year.
I've had one of their vices for like 12 years now and litteraly abused the life out of it. Theres a special place in hell for me for what I've done to this vice, but it's still kicking. They go on sale half off about once a year, but you better be the first guy in the door cos they sell fast. They have changed the manufacture on these some, and I don't have one of the new ones.
Their drill bits and abrasives are crap. The abrasives are really crap. same with wire cups if you use those. the drill bits are about the same as you could get in the way of cheapies at a hardware store. If you're just starting out you can get a decent box of bits for $10 (half off sale again) Keep the box (which is pretty nice), and replace the junky bits with cobalt ones as you need to.
I'm in the process of pretty much the same thing with a tap and die set. Haven't used it yet, so can't say how good it is. I'm going to guess that it's "Usable in a pinch" but I'll be replacing it with high quality components one at a time as I figure out what sizes I need/use.
They put he short flat prybars on sale a couple times a year for a bout a buck and a half. I buy up a handful and use them as ready made knife blanks.
Air tools are iffy but cheap. I have a die grinder and right angle grinder. Both seem to be holding up ok, but I use the angle grinder a LOT and the gears are starting to rattle a bit. I bought one of the spray guns, because I needed one. I use it like... once or twice a month if that. I worked in a sculpture shop casting plastic resins, and we used them all day. The HF guns lasted us 2 days there.
A lot of their stuff (see shear coments above) seems to improve over time. Like they make it as cheap as the possibly can, and then see how well it sells. If it moves out the door pretty regularly, they refine the manufacture.
Edit to add: The whitney roper knock off hand punch they sell is absolute shit, stay far away from it unless you really feel compelled to have a $20 paperweight (that would probably break in that capacity too).
A looooong looong post to say, "Yeah what they said, and caveat emptor."
The beverly knock off used to be more of a hit or miss item. You got one that worked, or it was utter crap. They've apparently been selling enough of them that it was worth the effort to put a little QC work into them, most of the recent posts I've read lean more to hit, rather than miss. I further suspect his because you used to have to mail order them, and now they cary them in the stores... probably selling fast enough to justify it.
They're hand tools are generaly better than their power tools. My experience although limited makes me want to steer way the hell clear of 'drill master' branded items. The chicago electric stuff seems decent enough. Just keep in mind that it ain't the high end stuff. Conveniently, it ain't high end prices. I have the smallest of their horizontal band saws, and other than being a pain to get tuned, and keep tuned (for perfectly square cuts) it runs like a champ. Blades are crappy, and break, but their cheap. QC issues again, seems like every third blade runs for a long long time, then I get 2 that last for 3-5 cuts. IIRC they're a wonky harbor freight size, so short of getting some custom made at a blade shop you're stuck with them.
I like getting gloves there. I do stupid stuff like run my angle grinder into my thumb a lot, so gloves rarely last very long for me anyway. It's more economic to pick up a 6 pack at HF than to buy one 'good' pair at home depot. The red welding gloves they sell in a 3 pack are actualy pretty decent in my mind, and I get 3 pairs for half of what the welding shop wants to charge me for 1 pair.
Some of the safety stuff is pretty decent. I got a face sheild dirt cheap (for those times I'm doing suicidaly stupid shit with grinders). a lot of it is name brand stuff, and only a couple bucks cheaper than you can get it at home depot for, but, a couple bucks is a couple bucks. I'm trying to figure out why their auto dark welding hoods are 1/4 the price as the name brand ones at the weld shop.
Watch the sale flyers you get in the mail. I wanted some of the right angle welding magnets for a long time, they normaly sell for like $8. One day I got a sale flyer and they were on sale for $2! They have a 5 pack of wood handled ball peins that goes on sale half off about twice a year.
I've had one of their vices for like 12 years now and litteraly abused the life out of it. Theres a special place in hell for me for what I've done to this vice, but it's still kicking. They go on sale half off about once a year, but you better be the first guy in the door cos they sell fast. They have changed the manufacture on these some, and I don't have one of the new ones.
Their drill bits and abrasives are crap. The abrasives are really crap. same with wire cups if you use those. the drill bits are about the same as you could get in the way of cheapies at a hardware store. If you're just starting out you can get a decent box of bits for $10 (half off sale again) Keep the box (which is pretty nice), and replace the junky bits with cobalt ones as you need to.
I'm in the process of pretty much the same thing with a tap and die set. Haven't used it yet, so can't say how good it is. I'm going to guess that it's "Usable in a pinch" but I'll be replacing it with high quality components one at a time as I figure out what sizes I need/use.
They put he short flat prybars on sale a couple times a year for a bout a buck and a half. I buy up a handful and use them as ready made knife blanks.
Air tools are iffy but cheap. I have a die grinder and right angle grinder. Both seem to be holding up ok, but I use the angle grinder a LOT and the gears are starting to rattle a bit. I bought one of the spray guns, because I needed one. I use it like... once or twice a month if that. I worked in a sculpture shop casting plastic resins, and we used them all day. The HF guns lasted us 2 days there.
A lot of their stuff (see shear coments above) seems to improve over time. Like they make it as cheap as the possibly can, and then see how well it sells. If it moves out the door pretty regularly, they refine the manufacture.
Edit to add: The whitney roper knock off hand punch they sell is absolute shit, stay far away from it unless you really feel compelled to have a $20 paperweight (that would probably break in that capacity too).
A looooong looong post to say, "Yeah what they said, and caveat emptor."
It looked better in my head....
Damnit.
Damnit.
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mattmaus
- Archive Member
- Posts: 3556
- Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2002 1:01 am
- Location: Colorado Springs,CO
- Contact:
DukeAlaric (George S.) wrote:Depends on how closely you live. They have a lifetime return policy on all tools, so if the store is nearby and you don't mind stopping by there once in a while you could buy any of their hand tools.
Alaric
I beleive only the hand tools have the lifetime waranty not the power tools. I can't speak for other stores, but the store local to me was great the one time I bothered to use it. Had a deadblow where the metal shank of the handle was badly welded to the metal head, bout the 3rd swing, it fell off completely. Took it back to the store and someone grabbed me asked if I needed an exchange and had the replacement in my hand before I could say "yes, and I was going to do a bit of shopping too." Most of the stuff I don't bother with exchanging because I beat the snot out of them, and figure I got my moneys worth by the time it's no longer functional.
They do have vicegrip brand locking pliers. The pitssburg branded ones are... mediocre quality. I buy the cheapies just because I'd eventualy be replacing the name brand ones for the same reasons. I tend to over torque them regularly, and the inside cross bar bends. Whack whack with a hemmer and we're back in bidness. The rivets aren't set real tight on them, and the jaws tend to want to drift sideways because of it. I've gotten used to it, and learned to use it to my advantage.
It looked better in my head....
Damnit.
Damnit.
Thanks for all the input; just what I needed! Until now, I've used OPT (Other People's Tools) for my armouring, limited as it has been. My job has a nice machine shop on site that I can use after hours, but it really is focused on CNC machine work and simple fabrication (welded bar stock and simple curves). Still, it has some nice welders, great HEAVY band saws and the like... and even a powder coating facility... though I doubt I'll need that. In short, I'm building up my own shop almost from scratch. I just ordered a newbie kit from Halberds and that's a nice start, but I need everything else too. Sounds like Harbor Freight will do me for now, as long as I understand I may need to replace it later.
Michael de Bernay
aka
Strongbow
aka
Strongbow
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Lord Ogier
- Archive Member
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- Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2003 1:01 am
- Location: Glymm Mere, An Tir
I would say that about 90% of my shop came from HF.
I have only had one power tool failure and it was after about a year and a half of really heavy use. It was one of the $12 angle grinders. I tossed it and just bought a new one(which was better than the one it replaced).
The throatless shear is good. However, if you are going to cut heavier stock, you need to make some mods to it.
The biggest thing is to use your head and don't try to make the tools do something they weren't designed to do.
Good luck
I have only had one power tool failure and it was after about a year and a half of really heavy use. It was one of the $12 angle grinders. I tossed it and just bought a new one(which was better than the one it replaced).
The throatless shear is good. However, if you are going to cut heavier stock, you need to make some mods to it.
The biggest thing is to use your head and don't try to make the tools do something they weren't designed to do.
Good luck
With regards,
Lord Ogier
Lord Ogier
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turmschlager
- Archive Member
- Posts: 165
- Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2000 1:01 am
- Location: columbus oh
Files, I get more everytime I am in there
Hammers are cheap there too but that has been said
I get the abrasives and cutoff disk for my angle grinders (2 of which i got at hf)
I also got my bench grinder there and one of the beverley knock offs
There is alot of good stuff there
just realize it is cheap for a reason
Have fun
Chris
Hammers are cheap there too but that has been said
I get the abrasives and cutoff disk for my angle grinders (2 of which i got at hf)
I also got my bench grinder there and one of the beverley knock offs
There is alot of good stuff there
just realize it is cheap for a reason
Have fun
Chris
I have some HF woodworking tools.. drill press, lathe.. heres what I have found:
Their "cheap" stuff is just that cheap stuff.. don't expect it to last, it aint snapon.. but for what you pay (or dont pay) you tend to make out unless you are in a situation where if it breaks you are screwed. (road mechanic, for instance).
Their power tools are someone elses.. take a look at the tool you are interested in, then look at their tools and see which one it is identical to. Much the same as figuring out whose brand Sears re-colored to become "Craftsman". The tools are sometimes vaguely defective.. (the biscuit joiner I bought from them has excessive bearing runout, and cuts wide slots.. I fixed it by grinding the "teeth" down a bit on each side.. but it's 3X cheaper than the "other" same one). The Lathe I bought is IDENTICAL to a "name brand". (I paid @300$, the name brand is in the $750 range.. but it has shiny white paint with a red logo, whereas mine is machine-shop green). Identical lathe. Slightly cheaper stand..
Caveat emptor.. read reviews and shop carefully.. the tradeoff of cheap tools isnt worth it if you break one every time you need it.. but for occasional use, as long as you carefully choose what you are purchasing, i have had no problems with them. (But their screwdriver bits and drill bits SUCK! )
Maeryk
Their "cheap" stuff is just that cheap stuff.. don't expect it to last, it aint snapon.. but for what you pay (or dont pay) you tend to make out unless you are in a situation where if it breaks you are screwed. (road mechanic, for instance).
Their power tools are someone elses.. take a look at the tool you are interested in, then look at their tools and see which one it is identical to. Much the same as figuring out whose brand Sears re-colored to become "Craftsman". The tools are sometimes vaguely defective.. (the biscuit joiner I bought from them has excessive bearing runout, and cuts wide slots.. I fixed it by grinding the "teeth" down a bit on each side.. but it's 3X cheaper than the "other" same one). The Lathe I bought is IDENTICAL to a "name brand". (I paid @300$, the name brand is in the $750 range.. but it has shiny white paint with a red logo, whereas mine is machine-shop green). Identical lathe. Slightly cheaper stand..
Caveat emptor.. read reviews and shop carefully.. the tradeoff of cheap tools isnt worth it if you break one every time you need it.. but for occasional use, as long as you carefully choose what you are purchasing, i have had no problems with them. (But their screwdriver bits and drill bits SUCK! )
Maeryk