| Author | Message | ||
| Buddy Tennison (Buddyten)
Registered Member Username: Buddyten Post Number: 57 Registered: 7-2005 Posted From: 207.68.234.24 Rating: N/A |
Hey Guys I have read you all talking about Harbor Freight on some threads. We have just got a new HF store in town (I think it opens in about 2 weeks). They sent out a flyer, and some of the names, etc I had never heard of. Prices seem to be really good. Is this stuff junk or is it worth fooling with? Any thoughts? | ||
| James Robinson (Jjrbus)
Registered Member Username: Jjrbus Post Number: 118 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 99.202.217.66 Rating: N/A |
I have purchased and use many HF tools most of it is of good quality. Some tools I will use very little I really dont need Snap on. If I were running a business and used the tools everyday I would buy name brand tools. I do know a contractor that buys all HF tools, he buys cordless drills by the case, if someone drops it off a building or steals it he just gets another one out!! | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 257 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 4.240.213.226 Rating: N/A |
MHO...one usually gets what one pays for....if you are looking for high quality, better stick with it. If you are looking for inexpensive tools, that is a different venue. I have used HF for several years and have had both good and bad experiences,,,,but I will say, if you are not satisfied, within a reasonable time they will exchange or give you $ back. Expectations may be the key...  FWIW RCB '64 Crown Supercoach (HWC) | ||
| Frank Allen (Frank66)
Registered Member Username: Frank66 Post Number: 70 Registered: 10-2005 Posted From: 64.12.117.73 Rating: N/A |
almost all chineese, some good some not so good, just have to pick and choose. Frank Allen | ||
| FloridaCliff (Floridacracker)
Registered Member Username: Floridacracker Post Number: 375 Registered: 7-2004 Posted From: 68.202.125.132 Rating: N/A |
If I need a tool for a single job, like there aircraft riviter. Ran over 3000 rivets. I buy as close to using it as possible. That way if it breaks, replace or get my money back. By the way, mine still works like new. The majority of there stuff is OK for the occasional user. Remember, almost everything in the store goes on sale, only buy if you really need it at regular price. Best of luck Cliff | ||
| joe granzier (Joegranzier)
Registered Member Username: Joegranzier Post Number: 2 Registered: 3-2008 Posted From: 69.250.215.101 Rating: N/A |
I agree with all the above - Only buy what you need ,when you need it - stay away from the obvious junk. I did buy a pipe threader - hand held unit ,3/8,1/2 ,3/4 $29.00 I smile every time I use it - works great for the couple of times we use each month. | ||
| Jack Hart (Jackhartjr)
Registered Member Username: Jackhartjr Post Number: 18 Registered: 8-2007 Posted From: 205.188.117.73 Rating: N/A |
My rule of thumb buying suff at harbor freight is this; If it is a jack or lift or anything that could cost me my life if it failed...I won't buy it. It is made in China after all. Quality control there does not quite meet my standards! Now before folks bash me up bad...I woud not get under a bus with at least two probably three backups to it falling on me. I am saying I won't be jacking with a bottle jack made in China, knowing that if it breaks part way up...I am going to be scared to death! Now to get political! All of this lead, copper, steel, etc. that we are shipping to China...wonder why the price of batteries, wire, etc. is rising so fast. If we are not careful...they will beat us without firing a shot! Jack | ||
| John and Barb Tesser (Bigrigger)
Registered Member Username: Bigrigger Post Number: 65 Registered: 9-2007 Posted From: 24.197.246.104  Rating: N/A |
My advice, "let the buyer beware". Everyone gave good info in the above posts. I would add that if you plan to keep a tool for your lifetime and expect it to work everytime you need it I would pay the money and buy the better brand of tools. I have several things from HF and mostly they are worth about what I paid for them. | ||
| Luvrbus (Luvrbus)
Registered Member Username: Luvrbus Post Number: 326 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 74.33.36.66 Rating: N/A |
Jack, I will go with you on the China made stuff I have been trying to upgrade my inverter and the one that will work for me is made in China and the dealer told me they were out of stock because of how popular they were come to find out they are having problems with getting enough good parts from China to make them.I will pay more for the made in USA | ||
| Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Registered Member Username: Gusc Post Number: 633 Registered: 11-2005 Posted From: 68.105.143.250 Rating: N/A |
Same as most posts above. However, some Chinese stuff is good and some isn't. Just because it is Chinese doesn't mean it is junk. If you need a tool for trade use HF is probably not the place to buy, although they do have some name brand stuff like welders. I do the same thing with battery drills as the contractor James mentioned. You can find a new drill when on sale as cheap as a replacement battery - sometimes cheaper. They go out of their way to please customers. I've been buying from them for over 25 years and never failed to get satisfaction for any problem. Each catalog I get has about three pages of sale stuff in front and back. Always shop these sales first. Sometimes they have the same item listed in a catalog for three different prices and prices may vary drastically between different catalogs. Look at the first number of the item, forget the letters at the front and end. | ||
| john w. roan (Chessie4905)
Registered Member Username: Chessie4905 Post Number: 965 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 71.58.48.5  Rating: N/A |
Just remember, a lot of the name brand stuff is made in China now also. In buying a jack or lifting device there, be sure to get one rated a lot higher capacity than you need. Usually will give less problems in use. Harbor Freight can be sued like any other company so I would think that their jacks would be safe to use. But use what makes you feel comfortable. | ||
| joe granzier (Joegranzier)
Registered Member Username: Joegranzier Post Number: 6 Registered: 3-2008 Posted From: 69.250.215.101 Rating: N/A |
John I'm trying to send you a email KEEPS COMING BACK jOE | ||
| joe granzier (Joegranzier)
Registered Member Username: Joegranzier Post Number: 7 Registered: 3-2008 Posted From: 69.250.215.101 Rating: N/A |
I apologize sorry fellas - wrong place to post John I found the corect email | ||
| Bill Keller (Busnut104)
Registered Member Username: Busnut104 Post Number: 21 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 75.88.131.203 Rating: N/A |
Hard to buy anything that is not made in China, Milwaukee Tools are being made there now. | ||
| james dean boggs (Jd_boggs)
Registered Member Username: Jd_boggs Post Number: 126 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 71.102.27.26 Rating: N/A |
If you want to pay a premium for name brand tools, go ahead. Chances are very good that the same tools were built in the same factory! I test my HF bottle jacks under my bus. I will raise my bus from the rear and leave the jack holding the bus for a week. If it's still holding. I'll keep it. Sometimes I'll forget the jack for several weeks. I bought a 20 ton bottle jack form Home Depot. It dropped in 3 hours! It wouldn't hold 8 tons and I paid double for the same jack from HF. | ||
| Laryn Christley (Barn_owl)
Registered Member Username: Barn_owl Post Number: 257 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 72.66.181.54  Rating: N/A |
I have always been a sucker for a cheap tool, but over the years I have learned that some tools you should spend the extra money. I went to Northern Tool one time to buy a Channel-lock wrench like I use at work and like so well. Right beside the Channel-lock brand was a lower priced knock-off. I read that it had a lifetime replacement warranty and because it looked identical I thought why pay for the name? I was up in the middle of nowhere taking down a large satellite antenna with that wrench. I was putting no more pressure than normal when the jaw broke. I almost fell off the ladder, my hand smashed into another bolt almost breaking it and leaving a large gash across the back side. It took forever to heal, and I depend on my hands for my job, so it took awhile for me to get back to normal. I promptly returned the POS wrench and bought the one I should have to start with. What I learned is that any tool that I put any force behind I go with quality. I don’t want a tool failure when I am on a ladder or an area that I could get hurt if it fails or I could damage the item I am working on. Sometimes you will find that it is less expensive to buy nicer than to find out the cheaper doesn’t work, and end up with one of each. With that being said, I do shop a HF and I like it for what it is. Just use some common sense when shopping there…..FWIW | ||
| marvin pack (Gomer)
Registered Member Username: Gomer Post Number: 223 Registered: 3-2007 Posted From: 76.4.151.87 Rating: N/A |
just for you all's info,I buy some tools from HF like you all do. Now there is coming to OCALA, FL a NORTHERN TOOLS which will be right off I-75 at rt -40. Also will be a Gandy's Sporting goods. Gomer | ||
| David B. Sweet (Sweets4104)
Registered Member Username: Sweets4104 Post Number: 9 Registered: 2-2007 Posted From: 71.195.101.200  Rating: N/A |
I bought a 3/4 inch drive socket set from Enco in Reno, NV. it is identical to what HF sells except that the finish and quality is better at the same price. They only had metric and expected no SAE for some time so.... I do believe that there are some things that are better left in the store. I've had no problems with quality or having a bad tool replaced | ||
| Michael W. Haworth (57fitzjohn)
Registered Member Username: 57fitzjohn Post Number: 13 Registered: 9-2007 Posted From: 70.237.190.126  Rating: N/A |
I recently bought a 30 ton jack from them on sale for $59. It was made in China, so I had reservations about trusting it to lift my bus, but it seemed to work great. I did however get the 1 year extended warranty, though if it failed during the lift I probably wouldnt have been around to collect! Just a thought. You generally get what you pay for, but they do have some really outstanding deals! | ||
| marvin pack (Gomer)
Registered Member Username: Gomer Post Number: 228 Registered: 3-2007 Posted From: 76.4.151.87 Rating: N/A |
I found a 3-ton jack [floor jack] in the middle of an intersection one day and waited around for maybe someone to come back looking for it and they never did. I politly loaded it up and it was stamped MICHLIN all over it,along with NAPA on it and after looking it over further it was made in CHINA and I was going to HF the next day and looked at their jacks and they were the same color and all was the same except the price was 200 dollars less than NAPA. Working for the school board I have found that the supplier HAS to accept the responsibility for any and all damages that happen when used PROPERLY. I found that suppliers buy the cheapest they can and sell for whatever the market bears.. We just bought a new pool heater for our handicaped school because the parts, T'stat,gas valve and header was only 400 less than a new heater with 2-year warranty. saying all that, what do a man do?? LOL Gomer | ||
| john w. roan (Chessie4905)
Registered Member Username: Chessie4905 Post Number: 1014 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 71.58.48.5 Rating: N/A |
Btw if that jack has a rubber pad on the lifting disc, remove it or be sure to NEVER lift against an oily surface or it can and will slip off. | ||
| George M. Todd (George_mc6)
Registered Member Username: George_mc6 Post Number: 402 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 207.231.75.253 Rating: N/A |
John, I don't want to pick a fight, but two metal surfaces are much slipperier with oil on one of them to start with, than a rubber pad. Standard railroad jacking rules require wood between the jack and the car/loco, to prevent slipout. I don't know what this has to do with Harbor Freight, but... G | ||
| john w. roan (Chessie4905)
Registered Member Username: Chessie4905 Post Number: 1017 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 71.58.48.5 Rating: N/A |
We use two of these jacks in our school and after slipping off one car with a grease film on the under frame, we removed those rubber pads from both jacks. If the surface is clean and dry, no problem, the metal surface on this jack and all the rest of them have ears sticking up to allow them to catch on the edge of the undercarriage so they can't slip off , even oily or greasy surfaces. The rubber pads have 3 circular grooves, but otherwise flat. Yes, wood would be a good to prevent slipout in your described situation and we have used it when needed in some situations we encounter from time to time Some of these students can be knuckleheads at times, even with adult supervision, so I can't take chances. Those floor jacks are the only ones I'm familiar with that had rubber lifting pads. | ||
| Stephen Fessenden (Sffess)
Registered Member Username: Sffess Post Number: 725 Registered: 1-2002 Posted From: 66.38.120.219 Rating: N/A |
The same look does not mean the same quality. HF even seems to sell on special closeout some things that do not meet their standards. But they have some really good stuff too. Their long combination wrenches are as good as the best. China makes top quality tools, but if they have a defect, I suspect they still make it to market under another name. I buy chinese tools but for a spring compressor for my Mercedes I did not go to HF. I ended up with a buffalo which was strongly built and not a death threat with those heavy springs. |