Rate your Harbor Freight Tool Experiences!

17-1/2 In Heavy Duty Hand Riveter Set With Collection Bottle

Provisional Pass.

Purchased with a 20% coupon for $15.99. Needed for one job: attaching a hood lock to the new JL via four steel 1/4" rivets that were included with the lock.

The HF hand riveter, which is otherwise rated to handle up to 1/4" rivets, struggled mightily with the steel rivets. All four were eventually secured correctly, with significant effort.

I suspect the linked riveter is best suited for use with aluminum rivets, an assortment of which was included in the box. Something to keep in mind.

The cabin is mostly pole and beam construction and in Michigan so the footing had to be deep. At first we tried doing the cement one bag at a time in a wheelbarrow... I would advise against it. Looked around for a used cement mixer but decent looking stuff was almost twice as much as the HF model. After putting all that cement though it, I highly recommend it! It makes the job easier, quicker, and mixes way better.

I have the same one and I agree. Steel rivets are really too much for it. Aluminum works fine.

You are not the first to like it. Clean it well, and you can get 3/4 your cost back on a resale.

So, no more trailer kits at Harbor Frieght? Can't find them on the website...

The one in Fairfax has trailers in stock.

Black Friday sale is kind of lackluster this year, comparatively. Really wanted to pick up one of the 44x22 tool chests up this year is if they were going to mark them down to $399 like they have historically. Looks like I'll be waiting.

I have that same compressor. It's pretty well useless unless you out a hose clamp around it so it can't slip off or grind a groove in it to hold on the spring. I think I took mine back.

Thinking about buying one of the Titanium Ez Flux 125 for black friday. Anyone have one?

I don't plan on welding anything big or complex, just little stuff. Anything large I'll have someone else do it. You know... household stuff. Maybe make things here and there. I have a little 110v stick welder that's pushing 25 years old and it doesn't work as well as it did.

Yep, bought one a year ago
I've been happy with it.

I had just converted my 90 amp AC Flux Core welder to DCEN with $40 worth of electronics by following a utube vid.
That was a big improvement too, but the EZ flux works better and has a voltage variable control for fine tuning.
The 90amp AC only has a high/low switch for voltage.

Here's a thread about it:
Anyone tried the new HF Welder? - The Garage Journal Board
There's a bunch of vids on utube too, and reviews at HF.

I got a smoking deal on mine as it was a return.
I found that whoever returned it was running the included 0.030" wire and the 0.035" feed rolls
If mine stopped working today, I would buy another tomorrow at full price.

A "pass"...with a story

OK, I've bought a lot of those V-Shape Hang-Alls in the past but hated that they needed to be mounted on a board to screw it to studs.
Knowing that I modify everything, I cut out the bend, creating 2 single hooks to be used seperately, screwed to a single stud.
I also cut out the bend, tack welded the 2 hooks together that could be mounted to a single stud.

welded

Bought one of these last week. The copper fitting has a glass marble inside and you simply put the thing into whatever fluid you need removed and
do this until the fluid reaches the highest point and then gravity takes over. Better than a mouthfull of gas!

https://www.harborfreight.com/self-priming-copper-jiggler-pump-47334.html

I just do the same by covering the end with my thumb on the upstroke!

When I worked in Diesel this was a must have.
I have one I bought off the truck that was $30.
It was probably made at the same place.

Thanks! That's what I like to hear.

Man those things have been around awhile. I remember a guy selling those at a county fair when I was like 15... 32 years ago.

Same here, if you’re used to working with an older flux core mig you will be pleased with the smoothness of the welding process and the reduction of splatter. I have a Lincoln 140 that I’ll likely sell sometime soon, I like the 125 that much. Like others I upgraded the wire and put on a proper ground clamp.

finally got around to working with this a bit, good first project? start building a welding cart for it... so far, for the money especially, i am impressed... from just this morning it strikes an arc much nicer than our old shop Hobart, which is a 220v mig... the welds (for a completely self taught idiot) are pretty smooth, real good penetration on the bedframe steel i have been burning together, and the 3/16 plate that forms the top of the cart...

I did get one yesterday. I still need a welding helmet that's worth a crap since the only one I have is a hand held shield. Me being me, I only grabbed enough money to buy the thing and totally forgot about ancillary items. I think my wife is picking me up an auto darkening one today. Really, I just need something for around the house use and maybe light fabrication.

What brand of wire do you use?

Inetub 2 lb 0.30 wire off of Amazon... first use what came with it it’s not bad stuff IMO