Harbor Freightaholics

[S14DB]

Harbor Freight used to be an hour away. Recently they opened a store 5-10mins away. Used to be OK cause I would only go for things I couldn't get anywhere else cause it was so far away.

First trip to the local one I had two things to buy. Then ended up buying Twice($) as much as I was planing on. Like almost 20 Items.

I'm also pissed at the stuff I have bought at Home Depot or Lowes and only used once. The similar Item is 1/3rd to 1/4th the cost at Harbor Fright and would have worked just fine. Also, some things I expected to use a couple times I got at walmart for about the same price as Harbor Fright that break during the first couple uses.

I just got the new ad and there is a lot more stuff I want and some things I need. I know they are cheap Chinese stuff but the cost benefit seems to pay off in the long run. But I also notice the list of wants is always longer than the list of needs.

Anyone else addicted to Harbor Fright?

[HalveBlue]

Yeah.

I used to abhor Harbor Freight. "How can cheap stuff be any good?", I thought.

Then I realized how much money I could save buying from HF instead of Serars or Home Depot.

I still go to Sears if I need a little more complex tool, like a torque wrench, right away. But smaller, less intricate items, Harbor Freight all the way.

[LB.Motoring]

HF FTW.

Period, break it, throw it away

[Team Rootbeer]

HF is the shit
im a sheetmetal/chassis fab worker at a local streetrod shop, and we have ALOT of harbor freight tools that get used almost everyday, and i have some at home too. so cheap its almost expendable, and really is not bad quality stuff. fucking great store!
cheap ass welding hoods too.

[ManoNegra]

Down with the Freight for years now and only have had a couple of ratchets break on me.

[TAMTANIUM]

I was looking at my friend's HF ads newpaper and there were a lot of cool stuff for cheap. I want to buy a spray paint gun and mig welder. Are those good to buy or should i just buy a good mig welder for the first time?

[Anto]

Oh god, you have no idea. I just got the HF ad in the mail, and i'm looking at it now. Some of the tools are one time uses kinda things, and are priced right for the garage mechanic. Some of it is crap, but most of it is good stuff. Just take care of your tools, and you're set.

I'm addicted to HF.

[!Zar!]

I went to HF just for a torque wrench. I mean, it was on sale at like $7 how could I go wrong, right?

Well. By the time I got to the register, I had well over $400 worth of stuff.

Damn impulse buys.

[FRpilot]

did you really spend 400? must have hauled back a lot of tools..

[S14DB]

Just walked out with another $200 in tools. All for a $27 circular saw...

[S14DB]

I was looking at my friend's HF ads newpaper and there were a lot of cool stuff for cheap. I want to buy a spray paint gun and mig welder. Are those good to buy or should i just buy a good mig welder for the first time?
My dad uses one of the HPLV guns and likes it a lot. Make sure you get a real CO2 MIG unit and not some pseudo Flux core BS.

[psychoblue23]

I went to HF just for a torque wrench. I mean, it was on sale at like $7 how could I go wrong, right?

Well. By the time I got to the register, I had well over $400 worth of stuff.

Damn impulse buys.

I dont doubt that for a second. mel is worse than a women when it comes to impulse buying ^_^

Theres a HF right across from the goodyear I used to work at. Thats was a good and a bad thing.

engine puller and stand for less than 200 bux is a deff A+

[theicecreamdan]

yeah I need to get an engine puller pretty soon.

[ixfxi]

fuck horror freight.

that shit sucks the balls. buy some real tools.

real men rob banks and buy snap-on, or atleast know the guy on the snap-on truck and hook him up with women and beer.. free snap on parts ALL THE WAY.

[wootwoot]

I have not had any problems with their stuff minus a pnumatic jigsaw that seized and so did the new one they gave me without question. Warranty like whoa.
Snap On is for people who use their tools for a living. If I spent 300 dollars on a socket set to work on a 15 year old car in my garage on jackstands I'd be a dumbass. Beside that I know many tech's who buy stuff from Harbor Freight

[95Blue240sx]

Pics of tools or ban!

Harbor Freight is about 5 minutes from where I work, but I havent done anything lately to need more tools than I already have. Im scared to go there because Ill be spending wayyy more than intended.

[MURPHY]

i always just buy craftsman or craftsman tools of ebay. hell they still have the warranty and you can find shit diiiirt cheap

[undesiredshoe]

i have a craftsman jack that recently took a shit....does their lifetime warranty cover that??

[wootwoot]

The Craftsman warranty is relegated to basic handtools. You can always try though! Most everything has some sort of warranty

[TheWolf]

becarefull of crapsman.. sure their hand tools are "lifetime" warranty but tools that do work are not. Impacts, sockets, etc. No love. Most of the craftsman stuff is HF. HF has some polished chrome wrenches that are like $7 a set. Same shape as snap on. Only broke one of them so far. I was standing on it as well after 3 years of service. Many drills and saws are dead copies of manufacturers units. like the 1/2" cordless impact is a mac tools unit. those laser engraved sockets are available for $10 a set at HF instead of $55 at sears. Their 1000lb engine stand suxor's, take their rating and half it.

[Gnnr]

Most of the craftsman stuff is HF.

No its not. From the research I've done, HF doesn't have anything made by Danaher (who owns Craftsman). Here's what I posted up before in another thread:

Here's some info I found while researching tools. You'd be very surprised that there are basically only 3 major tool manufacturers in the USA.

Danaher - makes/owns Matco, Craftsman (bought in 1995), Easco, Armstrong, Allen, K-D.
Stanley - makes/owns MAC, Craftsman (Pre 1995), Husky/National Hand Tool (NHT), Proto, Blackhawk, Facom, S-K
Snap-On - "obviously makes Snap-On and the Lowes' Kobalt brand, although the Kobalt tools are not made in the same factory, or with the same forgings as the "branded" Snap-On tools." Also, J H Williams.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/1/10958.html

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/1/23986.html

And its not that difficult to get your Craftman tools replaced. I wouldn't do it through Sears, though. Call them direct. And yes, HF FTW!

[Jefferson]

HF has decent tools and I still prefer craftsman or snap-on over the Harbor tools but sometimes its just a no brainer to buy their tools at the dirt cheap prices they have. Most of the good tools I have bought from HF have broke after a few uses. Such as the torque wrench, I bought two in the same weekend and they both broke so I had to spend the money on craftsman. Also the racheting wrenches they have, those too bent all out of shape after a couple uses. Either way they still have dope prices

[S14DB]

Watch out cause not all Craftsman tools are covered by the lifetime anymore. They have to say Lifetime on them.

[DrtyRat]

HF def. FTW! I have one in the same shopping center as my store and just like everyone else, I go there for one thing and I end up w/much more. And while their stuff isn't snap-on quality it will def. do for my skill level, and yes some of there stuff is def. disposable. Funny thing is I worked for Home Depot for 11yrs and used to think that HF was crap and you'd never find anything of quality there, but when it was all said and done I have to admit that I was sadly mistaken

[reaxion]

just picked up my engine stand last week from HF, need to pick up an engine puller soon. thats about all I got from there...so far anyways. everything else, Snap-on/Matco. workin at a dealership, you spoil yourself with the good shit. and it doesnt hurt to know the guy on the truck either.

[ASIA]

Haha, yea I drop some serious cash at HF, too. I live in CT so the closest HF is two hours away. Going to HF is a rare event so I try to buy a lot of crap at one time.

[smelly240]

5mins away and they take 100$ or so from me every 2 or 3 weeks - the snap on man takes a lot more - and i get a lot less :-/

engine stand, chop saw, hammers, bench grinders, die grinder bits, pliers - and i have a set of swivel pittsburgh ratcheting metrics - i been trying to break em for a year now and they refuse to die.

[azndummie]

HAHA my dad is a harbor freightaholic, he has the credit card and the newspaper sent to our house every month.

[S14DB]

They have a Credit Card? Oh, I'm fucked now...

[95Blue240sx]

My dad uses one of the HPLV guns and likes it a lot. Make sure you get a real CO2 MIG unit and not some pseudo Flux core BS.

Have you seen any of his work he has done with the gun? Im thinking about painting my own bumper. Maybe a 2 or 3 time use gun for cheap will work.

[S14DB]

Little orange peal. But I think it's more his technique on corners cause the flat sections are good. Painting is 80% skill and 20% equipment. I painted a friend's exhaust with ceramic grill paint and she thought I had had it powder coated. All Skill.

[TAMTANIUM]

Little orange peal. But I think it's more his technique on corners cause the flat sections are good. Painting is 80% skill and 20% equipment. I painted a friend's exhaust with ceramic grill paint and she thought I had had it powder coated. All Skill.

haha yess! So happy to hear that the gun is good. I will go get myself one and paint my whole coupe project car with it.

[S14DB]

Uh, they sell 8 different HVLP guns. How do you know you're looking at the same one?

[Markovich]

omg i wouldnt be where i am or what i do with out hf im a broke ass kid that when ever cheap shit is avaible and i havent broke too many of there stuff i love that store...
peace

[ixfxi]

Snap On is for people who use their tools for a living. If I spent 300 dollars on a socket set to work on a 15 year old car in my garage on jackstands I'd be a dumbass. Beside that I know many tech's who buy stuff from Harbor Freight

haha what was i thinking, dissing HF in a 240SX forum. nevermind.

i like good quality tools because they dont break, ever. its kinda nice knowing that the wrench or socket i am using wont break even when i am putting all my weight on it..

TIMES 10 because i've extended it with a pipe. or, when you're in a tight spot and need precision and dont want the tool to snap and mash your knuckles. or, snap and then scratch your paint.

i mean, HF has SOME stuff thats feasible. but, most of the time, i stay away from anything made overseas.

[TAMTANIUM]

Uh, they sell 8 different HVLP guns. How do you know you're looking at the same one?

not if you're willing to take a picture of the spray gun for me? :yum: please?

Thanks.

[S14DB]

not if you're willing to take a picture of the spray gun for me? :yum: please?

Thanks.
You want me to drive 800+ miles to take a picture? I haven't lived with ether of my parents for 8+ yrs now. :P

I'll call and see if he'll take pictures.

[95Blue240sx]

^^yeah Id like to know which too, but you can also go on the HF site and recommend us one =P

[TAMTANIUM]

^^yeah Id like to know which too, but you can also go on the HF site and recommend us one =P

I think that would be the best idea to save the trouble for your dad haha.

P.S. I learn my lesson :bite: ..please don't haunt me down anymore.

[wootwoot]

haha what was i thinking, dissing HF in a 240SX forum. nevermind.

i like good quality tools because they dont break, ever. its kinda nice knowing that the wrench or socket i am using wont break even when i am putting all my weight on it..

TIMES 10 because i've extended it with a pipe. or, when you're in a tight spot and need precision and dont want the tool to snap and mash your knuckles. or, snap and then scratch your paint.

i mean, HF has SOME stuff thats feasible. but, most of the time, i stay away from anything made overseas.


It isnt the total yield strength of Snap On that makes it a good tool...If you break any wrench or socket you are doing something wrong. Snap on tools wont wear out and are more precise in their fit from the get go. I dont even drive a 240 and save my money where I can. If I was working somewhere as a tech you bet your ass I wouldnt be using Harbor Freight. Get over your elitest expensive tools and yourself

[S14DB]

Why do you need snap on when you work in Pins and hot glue?

[ixfxi]

It isnt the total yield strength of Snap On that makes it a good tool...If you break any wrench or socket you are doing something wrong. Snap on tools wont wear out and are more precise in their fit from the get go. I dont even drive a 240 and save my money where I can. If I was working somewhere as a tech you bet your ass I wouldnt be using Harbor Freight. Get over your elitest expensive tools and yourself

you are such a tool. (har har, GET IT?!?!)

Seriously though, I dont own too many "made in china" goodies, but I have friends that do. I've broken PLENTY of their shitty tools, or had sockets eatup bolts because they are cheap castings. I mean come on man, there's a lot of reasons not to buy cheap crap.

Calling me an elitist? Fuck yeah, I'm just the type of guy who likes spending money on good shit - and avoiding cheap shit. There are very few things that I've bought that were cheap AND good. Its a rarity...

[95Blue240sx]

For those interested in the spray gun its here.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=43430

Another guy I talked to said it was a Sata Knock off and it works great for him. I know its a knockoff, but Im sure I can yield better results than MAACO or Earl Schiebs.

[theicecreamdan]

My snap-on ratchet is sooo nice to use compared to any other ratchet I've used.

Harbor freight is fine if you're happy with good enough. I like my craftsman tools though because its a nice middle ground.