Harbor Freight

[flyboy2610]

Bought some 2-5/8" 28 degree paper collated clipped head nails. Figured I'd give them a try. I was prepared to be clearing jams out of my framing nailer.
Never jammed up once! And I ran a lot of those nails through there, too!
I know where I'm going to get that style of nail from now on!

[FordTruck]

Don't buy one of there little 90 MIG welders they suck really bad.I tried to weld some little stuff with it a it wouldn't make a nice bead and the guns break really easy.

[tsherry]

Don't buy one of there little 90 MIG welders they suck really bad.I tried to weld some little stuff with it a it wouldn't make a nice bead and the guns break really easy.

Really? I've got one, it works like a dream. Hmmmm.

[stephen44]

Wire feed welder: Maybe my coolest tool. Love it, haven't had a bit of a problem, and it was all of a hundred bucks.

so I'm trying to decide if HF welders are any good - so many mixed reviews - - is a HF welder going to do body panels ??? - which model do you have please ?

- Stephen

[tsherry]

Mine was about a hundred bucks, runs on 110v. I've used mine for panel welding, set the panels with clamps, a few spot welds here and there, then gradually worked spot welds into full welds without overheating. Took some getting used to, but in the end it worked great.

[Jarred Hodges]

My dad has one of their 450lb rachet style tranny jacks and it works great. I have put a c4 in and removed the tranny from my dads corolla with it. It was $100 well spent. imo

[BobbyFord]

I try not to buy anything from China.

[fordman]

well no one is here lately. the chinese say that american sales of thier products ahve drop this past year. i wonder why. maybe it has something to do with thier quality control. do they have a chinese word for quality control?

[tsherry]

well no one is here lately. the chinese say that american sales of thier products ahve drop this past year. i wonder why. maybe it has something to do with thier quality control. do they have a chinese word for quality control?

No, it's because most Americans are maxed out on outgo of cash; maxed out on credit cards; we're pushing 20% real unemployment (10% on unemployment, 10% or more off of unemployment because they've been unemployed too long to remain eligible); their houses have plummeted in 'value'; their 'dollars' are buying less; the administration wants to tax the living **** out of anyone making really decent money; they're unable to pay their HELOC's and second mortgages and almost unable to pay their firsts; and we're heading into a Depression.

That's why nothing is selling. Doesn't matter where it's made.

Someday soon, Harbor Freight might look a lot different, when the Chinese decide that our money isn't worth their (marginal) tools.

[67F110]

I have a 4 inch angle grinder that I show absolutly no respect for and it lights first time every time. When it dies I will replace it with one just like it.

x 2. I abuse that darned thing and it keeps working. When it breaks, if I time it right, I'll spend another $20 (or less) to get another one.

[Dirty Offio]

Got a 5600 PSI pressure washer, works like a champ! (I notice they don't carry that one any more, figures!) It has the variable spray nozzle, just twist it. Have 1/2" corded drill, 3 4.5 grinders, all work fine (oldest is 12 years old, still works fine!), 4 leg engine stand, held a 460 no sweat, 3 smaller 4 leg stands, held a 300 cid I-6 with no sweat on 1 of them. Engine hoist, media cab, parts washer, framing nailer, wrenches, sockets, 10 gallon air compressor, scads of air hose, 2 retractable hoses, screwdrivers, cutting torch, and parts rack...all good. Have an orange 18 Volt cordless drill, it works great, but cannot hold a candle to my 18 Volt Milwaukee, or my friends Dewalt. I have also bought 3 or 4 of the triple gauge sets, have installed them, they seem to work fine. Also give my .02 as a thumbs up for the grinding wheels, wire wheels, cutting discs, scrapers, rags (red shop rags), wire feed welder wire, (my welder is a Century, but I buy wire there), rubber mallets, sledge hammers, jack stands, and 4 1/4 ton floor jack!

Stay away from their brad nailer/stapler (air powered). I had one, it worked great the 1st 2 times, but then it gave it up. A friend of mine put it this way (and I agree): "If it has a cutting edge, I stay away from it at Harbor Freight." Drill bits, etc.

I like HF, wish there was one closer than 60 miles from where we live now. (used to be only 20 miles before we moved.) There are things I buy there, there are things I buy elsewhere. I used to work as an Aircraft Mechanic. I have alot of high end tools I used at that time, some of which I still use, some are packed. (Snap-on, Matco, Mac, Cornwall, Klein.) I use alot of Harbor Freight tools, and a fair number of Wally Land special Stanley ones as well. I have a set of 1/2" drive deep well sockets (Popular Mechanics if that gives you an idea how old these are) I bought at Walmart in 1994. I have been using them on my 1/2" Air Impact wrench since that time. I have only broke 2 of them. I am impressed. Just wish that Walmart Employees knew that the tools they carry with the stanley name used to be called PM. (idiots, some of them.)

[72stepside]

My Father bought these air metal shears...

http://www.harborfreight.com/pistol-gri ... 98580.html

After a few minutes, the 'blade' wouldn't articulate like it should. He took it apart to find the pin was a threaded screw. The threads had worn down making the pin a smaller diameter causing the problem. It should have been a bolt with a shoulder, not just threads the whole way.

He replaced the 'pin' After a few minutes, the 'blade totally stopped moving. There is a ball bearing in there that, well, just exploded into alot of pieces.

It went back, he got his money back, and used tin snips the rest of the day.

In summary, not a good tool.

[FoPAR]

I have to say thanks to you all for posting an talking about this..... I had forgotten all about Harbor Freight, been to their stores only 2 times. The one in Tacoma WA and the one in Kent WA but both were a pain to get to from our old place. Now that we moved and I saw this post, I looked them up and found one only 5 min from my house . Found some stuff I've been needing/wanting and all for a good price!





Some new roller skates for the Mopar



I also picked this up from Northern Tool, another cool tool supply place..... just not as cheep






So like I said I need to say thanks because I now have some cool new toys for the shop
Thanks Guys!!!

[hazelnut]

FoPAR , how much was the buffer and stand ?

[mlheppl]

FoPAR,

Your workbench is DISGUSTING! How can you get anything done with all your tools all organized like that? I can tell you don't have any teenage boys around the house. J/K Looks awesome.