Rate your Harbor Freight Tool Experiences!

[Butters]

There's no shortage of garbage at HF, but there's a few gems. I'll list the PASSES:

I can't speak highly enough about the 5 drawer Tool Cart. Good luck finding something as good for 3x the price ($160):


The 42" Tool Chest is also great ($360), although I think the cart is superior:


The composite ratchets are surprisingly smooth and strong at under $10 and it won't freeze you widdle fingers when it's cold out:


Although not as durable as Hansen trays, the socket trays are a bargain at $10/set:


With a handful of purchases, in particular those above, I have been downright amazed at the quality/value. That being said, there are some things I'm really hesitant to buy: Anything you plug in (unless you're trying to build a fire); and anything your life might depend on (i.e. jack stands).

[barko1]

Anyone use the 15 lb soda blaster.

[Dusty_Bottoms]

Originally Posted by barko1

Anyone use the 15 lb soda blaster.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...light=lovingly

I'm not sure he used the HF model though.
He talks about a soda blaster and he's a cheap bastard so it's possible.
Very entertaining read at the very least.
It was more entertaining when there were pictures of his soda blaster disaster.

[_cy_]

Originally Posted by Butters

anything your life might depend on (i.e. jack stands).

got no problems crawling under my 8,000lb Cummings truck with HF jack stands. the set I use are so BEEFY, they have earned my trust. as a rule will never trust any one support while under any vehicle.

an American made hydraulic floor jack is backing up the HF jack stands. would not trust any Chinese made hydraulics or anything else as my only support.

[Anorak]

Originally Posted by _cy_

American made hydraulics probably would still be working great 50 years later. catch is American hydraulics could cost 5x $$$$. IHMO USA hydraulics have priced themselves out of the market. much rather purchase a used American made hydraulic floor jack vs a brand new HF floor jack.

Not out of the commercial market where they're used every day.

[_cy_]

Originally Posted by Anorak

Not out of the commercial market where they're used every day.

gotta disagree .. got several floor jacks made in the 1930's and 50's that came from commercial garages that are still leak free and working great. Walker and Hein Warner jacks have done me well.

very few American made floor jacks are still available for sale. Milwaukee floor jacks will probably cost you about $850... that's just for a normal size one. IHMO American hydraulic mfg have priced themselves out of the market.

don't get me wrong... ALL mechanical equipment will at some point wear out, if used enough. but it takes a longggg time to wear out say an old Walker floor jack. (some were branded Snap-on)

rebuild kits for USA made floor jacks usually are about $70 and well worth rebuilding.
can't say the same about Chinese hydraulics, which I think of as throw away

[jcmcc]

Just had a go with the Impact Driver while doing brakes on my 09 Civic. I was attempting to remove the screws that hold on the rotor to the hub. Each and every bit supplied was destroyed in a matter of minutes. I think they may have been formed from cheese. I threw everything in the garbage where it belongs.

At $5.99 I was not heartbroken, but those screws are not exactly hard work to remove. Major FAIL from me.

[JimVonBaden]

Originally Posted by barko1

Anyone use the 15 lb soda blaster.

I have this one:

http://www.harborfreight.com/portabl...kit-37025.html



Works pretty well with sand. No clogging, and it worked well with my small compressor.

Jim

[Anorak]

Originally Posted by _cy_

gotta disagree .. got several floor jacks made in the 1930's and 50's that came from commercial garages that are still leak free and working great. Walker and Hein Warner jacks have done me well.

very few American made floor jacks are still available for sale. Milwaukee floor jacks will probably cost you about $850... that's just for a normal size one. IHMO American hydraulic mfg have priced themselves out of the market.

don't get me wrong... ALL mechanical equipment will at some point wear out, if used enough. but it takes a longggg time to wear out say an old Walker floor jack. (some were branded Snap-on)

rebuild kits for USA made floor jacks usually are about $70 and well worth rebuilding.
can't say the same about Chinese hydraulics, which I think of as throw away

I mean that the American companies haven't priced themselves out of the commercial market. I bought Rotary lifts because they have a five year warranty and if something fails, the vendor comes out and fixes or replaces it. Greg Smith sells lifts with a warranty. You send the part to them and they decide if it will be warrantied. Hmm, how long can I have a lift out of service?

[_cy_]

Originally Posted by Anorak

I mean that the American companies haven't priced themselves out of the commercial market. I bought Rotary lifts because they have a five year warranty and if something fails, the vendor comes out and fixes or replaces it. Greg Smith sells lifts with a warranty. You send the part to them and they decide if it will be warrantied. Hmm, how long can I have a lift out of service?

opsss... thought you meant American made floor jacks would not survive commercial, day in day out use. American made hydraulics has gotten so high $$, most of the potential buyers .. meaning retail customers are no longer buyers.

the number of commercial customers are tiny compared to the retail market. high end consumers don't mind paying a premium, but not 5x $$.

[Anorak]

Originally Posted by _cy_

opsss... thought you meant American made floor jacks would not survive commercial, day in day out use. American made hydraulics has gotten so high $$, most of the potential buyers .. meaning retail customers are no longer buyers.

the number of commercial customers are tiny compared to the retail market. high end consumers don't mind paying a premium, but not 5x $$.

Actually, it's not that the high quality equipment has become more expensive, it's that the cheap stuff has become cheaper.

[EvilGenius]

Originally Posted by Butters

The composite ratchets are surprisingly smooth and strong at under $10 and it won't freeze you widdle fingers when it's cold out:

+1!

Great buy!

[JimVonBaden]

Back on the point of this thread!

I picked up this a few days ago:


http://www.harborfreight.com/motoriz...kit-92801.html

Did this with it:



Not the best, but at $45 on sale it was great! Much better than trying to keep that long of a line level. BIG Pass.

At the same time I picked up one of these:


http://www.harborfreight.com/five-dr...art-95272.html

Got it half off, at only $149. Very impressed with the build quality, and the heft, at 170 pounds. It should hold up very well.



Pass.

Jim

[JimVonBaden]

The results from the laser level:



Plus I used cheap HF scraper and paint brushes for the clean up and cutting in.

Jim

[B02S4]

Originally Posted by JimVonBaden

The results from the laser level:..Plus I used cheap HF scraper and paint brushes for the clean up and cutting in...

That turned out awesome!