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they just opened retail shop  near us ,  ive bought some stuff online before but the store is pretty cool.  i needed 2 floor jacks so i got aluminum 3 ton and a steel version , they got good reviews on places i checked ,  i remember me and buddy  went to  a show at vfw  they ised to have like every 2 years ,  and i bought some impact sockets for `15 bucks and he said dude they will strip out in 6 months ,  well 10 years later im still using them ,  

i think i will be buying some other stuff ,  i need some cheap winches  in the barn  and their winches break you take it back and they give you new one,    i would not trust them on my jeeps as the winches on my jeeps cost like 1,000  a piece,  but  a cheap winch i can always use ,

i custom built a winch cradle for my reese hitch on my truck  and these would come in use alot , ive cut some some timber so it fits the bill

Edited by ASH
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4 minutes ago, AK_Stick said:

HF. For people who like to buy twice. 

like buy one at HF  then another one at other places lol 

 

im allergic to latex badly and buy in bulk latex free work scrub gloves,  and odds and ends , i would never buy something that my life was in danger  .  and the jacks work great but what im working on  are sitting on some expensive jack stands ,  with pull up car ramps also under the vehicles  for added safety  .    matters not  what jack it is its all in jack stands and common sense

Edited by ASH
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58 minutes ago, AK_Stick said:

HF. For people who like to buy twice. 

I use it to see if I'm really going to use the tool or if I just think I want one.  If I haven't used it enough to break a tool from HF, then I don't need to upgrade.  If it fails on it's own from the weather and not from use, then I probably don't use it enough to justify a good one.  If I use it enough to break it or wear it out, then I'll go buy a good one.  It might be buying more than once, but with the low cost of many HF tools I'm actually coming out ahead compared to buying all good tools to try out and see if I like them.

 

On the other hand we have one of the 9k winches on the back of a smaller farm tractor (30HP) that will drag trees out of the woods and up slopes that would otherwise be much harder to access.  Of course if I don't lock up the brakes after digging all 2 tires a foot into the ground, as well as drop the back blade into the dirt all it does is drags the tractor backwards.

 

Probably my favorite HF purchase was a 24 inch crescent type wrench that cost me all of $20.  Great for random large nuts/bolts that I'm too lazy to go get the right socket, and works great for bending metal back into shape.

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If you work field service, you just don't walk over and get the tool you left behind yesterday.  It's three states away.

If you drop a tool at 400', you don't go looking for it.  It's gone.

HF is good for hand-tools like that.

I like the ten-pack of electrical tape for $4.  You can't even peel it off the roll without it breaking.  It's worthless for electrical applications, but it's good for mass-taping things you want to hold out of the way or things you want to tie down.

I always pick up a lot of doo-dads there.

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2 hours ago, Huaco Kid said:

If you work field service, you just don't walk over and get the tool you left behind yesterday.  It's three states away.

If you drop a tool at 400', you don't go looking for it.  It's gone.

HF is good for hand-tools like that.

I like the ten-pack of electrical tape for $4.  You can't even peel it off the roll without it breaking.  It's worthless for electrical applications, but it's good for mass-taping things you want to hold out of the way or things you want to tie down.

I always pick up a lot of doo-dads there.

I've been told the same thing.  

At home I spend money on the stuff I use a lot - drills, wrenches, etc.  I go with Ridgid/Ryobi usually.

The air ratchet I'll use about once a year and that my compressor can barely run anyway?  HF all the way.

 

Overall I've had decent luck with their stuff.  For what it is it isn't bad at all.  It's not Snap-on or Mac or Cornwell but their stuff works.

I like them for oddball stuff I won't use often - things like a hand riveter or O2 sensor socket.

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Harbor Freight has some good stuff if you do your research.  For example, the Honda-clone inverter generators get phenomenal reviews   

HF rolling tool chests are one of the best values going.  I’ve had one for 5 years and it is excellent.  I recently purchased the dual capacity tumbler to wet tumble brass.  Again, I’m pleased with the quality/value ratio.  

A lot of the stuff HF sells is identical or virtually the same as rebranded stuff sold at Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc.  for example, I bought a hand truck/dolly nearly 10 years ago at HF.  The same one was double the cost at Home Depot.  

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My opinion of Harbor Freight has changed 180 degrees.  I really like Harbor Freight now.

Certain tools I will pay the high price;  for example flare nut wrenches have to be at least SK or better because cheaper wrenches will just strip the fitting if it is rusted.  But for most tools that I do not use much Harbor Freight is great. 

Harbor Freight is like the Dollar Store of tools.  The place makes me want to spend.

They have a gas powered 2 stroke post hole digger for about $179.  If I can put up my own fence with this even if it breaks after one job it is worth it.

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They just opened up a store where I live too.

I buy some things there, but you need to be careful. Some of their stuff is real crap, other things are fine for occasional use, and then there are a few really well made items that really are a bargain.

Most recently, I bought three of theses Pelican Case knock off's for $22 each. I've had Pelican cases in the past and I really can not say that they are any better than these are.

63926_I.jpg

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25 minutes ago, Dutchman said:

My opinion of Harbor Freight has changed 180 degrees.  I really like Harbor Freight now.

Certain tools I will pay the high price;  for example flare nut wrenches have to be at least SK or better because cheaper wrenches will just strip the fitting if it is rusted.  But for most tools that I do not use much Harbor Freight is great. 

Harbor Freight is like the Dollar Store of tools.  The place makes me want to spend.

They have a gas powered 2 stroke post hole digger for about $179.  If I can put up my own fence with this even if it breaks after one job it is worth it.

I agree, they have improved a lot in recent years.

I also agree that even though some of their stuff is still lower tier, why pay 4 times the price for a one time use tool.

I will add though that those gas powered post hole diggers will almost always break you before you break it! Those thing will hurt you!

Edited by jmohme
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25 minutes ago, jmohme said:

They just opened up a store where I live too.

I buy some things there, but you need to be careful. Some of their stuff is real crap, other things are fine for occasional use, and then there are a few really well made items that really are a bargain.

Most recently, I bought three of theses Pelican Case knock off's for $22 each. I've had Pelican cases in the past and I really can not say that they are any better than these are.

63926_I.jpg

 

I agree HF has gotten a lot better and they have some very good stuff.  I have been eyeing those cases as well but if you can't tell them from a Pelican you aren't looking very hard.  Will that difference ever matter?  Probably not but I still go made in USA for things I need.  I would use those in applications where I would have used something cheaper but they would not have rated a Pelican or SKB.

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www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-black-cable-ties-pack-of-100-34635.html   $1.99

www.harborfreight.com/42-piece-marine-heat-shrink-tubing-67598.html  Adhesive, shrinks 3:1 and only $5.99

I buy odds and ends there. The impact sockets are still working, but I don't use them everyday or every week. Sawzall blades are okay for limbing in the yard. The trailer lights on the trash trailer are still working after 3 years. Not bad for $10 or $15 or whatever they were with a Super Coupon.

A buddy bought one of their tile saws to do a bathroom. Years later, he's done 4 baths, 2 kitchens and a 60'  x 8' exterior porch floor and it's still working.

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6 hours ago, Huaco Kid said:

If you work field service, you just don't walk over and get the tool you left behind yesterday.  It's three states away.

If you drop a tool at 400', you don't go looking for it.  It's gone.

HF is good for hand-tools like that.

I like the ten-pack of electrical tape for $4.  You can't even peel it off the roll without it breaking.  It's worthless for electrical applications, but it's good for mass-taping things you want to hold out of the way or things you want to tie down.

I always pick up a lot of doo-dads there.

I go though a lot of their Black Electrical tape!   I always have a new stack of 10 sitting on the garage shelf.  When I got into woodworking I found that some things I needed to clamp wouldn't be possible with any of my existing clamps.

I wrap those things that are strange shapes and odd bends, with HF electrical tape.  It is wonderful for clamping things while the glue dries.  I have done some odd curves that necessitated cutting the wood into thin strips and then gluing it back together with a 6 or 8 foot curve.  With Polyurethane glue (it takes stain) and taping, you can't tell that it isn't one solid piece of wood.  Remember that each wrap adds more compression, and the total compression simply depends on how many wraps you use.  I rarely have used it for electrical stuff.

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6 minutes ago, johnbt said:

www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-black-cable-ties-pack-of-100-34635.html   $1.99

www.harborfreight.com/42-piece-marine-heat-shrink-tubing-67598.html  Adhesive, shrinks 3:1 and only $5.99

I buy odds and ends there. The impact sockets are still working, but I don't use them everyday or every week. Sawzall blades are okay for limbing in the yard. The trailer lights on the trash trailer are still working after 3 years. Not bad for $10 or $15 or whatever they were with a Super Coupon.

A buddy bought one of their tile saws to do a bathroom. Years later, he's done 4 baths, 2 kitchens and a 60'  x 8' exterior porch floor and it's still working.

I also use this stuff a lot.  One time I wanted a waterproof shrink tubing over cables, and I looked on the Internet. 

I found shrink tubing with an inside coating of hot melt glue.  This stuff is great!  You put the tubing over the piece you want to cover, and when heat shrinking it, it oozes out some hot melt glue while sealing everything inside from movement and moisture.

 

I have used it on Poly lines for my boat, to tie off loops and ends.  I have never had one come loose.  The hot melt glue squeezes into the weave and secures every strand.

Edited by janice6
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18 hours ago, AK_Stick said:

HF. For people who like to buy twice. 

When I was making my living with hand tools in a body shop I bought Snap on and Mack. I also bought a bunch of Harbor Freight stuff for my shop at home. My Mack, Snap on die grinders, air ratchets, impacts have all shot craps over the years but the cheap Harbor Freight ones are still going some 20 years later.

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22 hours ago, Hannie Caulder said:

Several years ago I bought a 12 pc wrench set at HF for like $10.  I needed them to put together a new grill.

I think BF stole them, because I haven't seen them since LOL.

If your boyfriend has to steal tools from you, that's a major mancard fail. :anim_lol:

But I can't say much.  Once I was working on my car in college and was short two wrenches.  Neighbor (girl, lived alone) asked what I needed.  I told her a 15mm and 16mm wrench.  I figure no way she has that.

She pops back out with two Craftsman wrenches, in the right sizes.  Nice stuff.  This was back when Danaher was still making their stuff.  I was using Wal-mart special wrenches. 

Edited by SC Tiger
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17 minutes ago, SC Tiger said:

If your boyfriend has to steal tools from you, that's a major mancard fail. :anim_lol:

LOL!  True.  He probably used them when he was fixing something for me and "accidentally" threw them in his toolbox.  They were short little wrenches, good for getting in tight spots.

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I like HF stuff. Their 99 cent sunglasses are great, plus there is usually a coupon for something free with any purchase. I have a couple of their grabbers that come in handy sometimes. I bought an air compressor several years ago and it still works fine.

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