Harbor Freight after the Festool drain
- Thread starter Greg M
- Start date
leer
Member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2013
- Messages
- 262
I really like one of my neighbors -- helps me a lot, but does not have many tools. I keep a few "seldom needed" tools, like an angle grinder, or the freebie screwdriver set, in my garage to loan to him. If he ever gets into woodworking, I'll give him my HF biscuit joiner. Its not that bad, but after all, it IS a biscuit joiner. (Used twice in 10 years -- looks like new.) 
Seriously, though, there are a few gems. Kills me that I sold my first metal lathe -- a HF (Central Machinery) 7X10 mini. Very nice little machine, but just not enough length (at the time). I now own a wood lathe, and one of my interests is turning pens. There are times I'd really like to turn a few small metal parts that the 7X10 would handle just fine.
I assembled several of the black, rolling 5-drawer carts with hinged lid for a friend's shop about 2 years ago. Really well made. At the time, I think they listed near $200. The store had them on sale for $160. I had a flyer that had them for $99. These are far heavier than similar carts I saw at Home Depot, Lowes, or Sears.
Another decent HF product -- their digital multimeters. Cheap at $5-15 depending on the model, and they often give them away free with a coupon on their flyers. I've tested them along with my Fluke DMM and they are accurate.
HF nitrile gloves (box of 100) cannot be beat for the price.
Hmm, maybe I'll give one of the 3 new/free HF DMMs to my neighbor for Christmas.
Seriously, though, there are a few gems. Kills me that I sold my first metal lathe -- a HF (Central Machinery) 7X10 mini. Very nice little machine, but just not enough length (at the time). I now own a wood lathe, and one of my interests is turning pens. There are times I'd really like to turn a few small metal parts that the 7X10 would handle just fine.
I assembled several of the black, rolling 5-drawer carts with hinged lid for a friend's shop about 2 years ago. Really well made. At the time, I think they listed near $200. The store had them on sale for $160. I had a flyer that had them for $99. These are far heavier than similar carts I saw at Home Depot, Lowes, or Sears.
Another decent HF product -- their digital multimeters. Cheap at $5-15 depending on the model, and they often give them away free with a coupon on their flyers. I've tested them along with my Fluke DMM and they are accurate.
HF nitrile gloves (box of 100) cannot be beat for the price.
Hmm, maybe I'll give one of the 3 new/free HF DMMs to my neighbor for Christmas.
Their Pittsburgh bar clamps are great for jobsite work. Nice and light so they don't weigh down the van/ trailer, And the price is right if you need to have a lot of them. I have several of the 24'' 36'' and 48''.
http://www.harborfreight.com/48-in-aluminum-bar-clamp-60540.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/48-in-aluminum-bar-clamp-60540.html
Greg M
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- Joined
- Jul 13, 2014
- Messages
- 284
b_montgo said:
I've used these and if you crank them down the bar will sometimes go out of square. This makes the clamp hard to slide on the bar. What I've found is that if you whack it with a hammer where it's gone out of shape it allow to clamp to move freely again. Of coarse they have a lifetime warranty so you can just bring them back and exchange them.
This was one of the items I used as a gap tool until I could get some higher quality clamps. I still have them in case I run short on clamps. I've never had a glue up not work because of these clamps.
For the person that "can't afford" to buy inexpensive tools here's a fact, an inexpensive tool that gets the job done is far superior to no tool at all.
BostonMike
Member
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2015
- Messages
- 29
I got a 23ga pin nailer for some quarter round and shoe molding...works every time I ask it to...
Ratchet straps, tarps, I also got a 10x10 canopy
Ratchet straps, tarps, I also got a 10x10 canopy
HF fills a need. I buy more stuff there that is auto tools that are a rare need...to each their own. It's not Snap-on, Hazet, or Stahl Willie...
A funny note is I took our 2 year old in there for the first time a couple weeks ago and honestly I told him before we went in there that these aren't great tools...and to buy good tools. I went on to buy him a cheap tool box and some relatively safe hand tools
I like their floor jacks, jack stands, I had a old 23 gauge nailer that worked well (before my porter cables...next is Grex), tool failures...strap wrenches break..trying to think of others.
Their customer service locally sucks...very unfriendly.
A funny note is I took our 2 year old in there for the first time a couple weeks ago and honestly I told him before we went in there that these aren't great tools...and to buy good tools. I went on to buy him a cheap tool box and some relatively safe hand tools
I like their floor jacks, jack stands, I had a old 23 gauge nailer that worked well (before my porter cables...next is Grex), tool failures...strap wrenches break..trying to think of others.
Their customer service locally sucks...very unfriendly.
Dane said:
Wh wh wh wh what d d d d d do you me me me me me mean vi vi vi vi vi vibration?
Matter of fact I had to cut out holes for plumbing in the back of a vanity today. It was a boxed RTA thing from Lowes. I though the back would be Chinese cardboardwood or 1/4" MDF at the most. Imagine my surprise when I found it to be a pretty well made unit. The back was some kind of 3/4" solid wood. And not pine, some kind of hardwood. There I was with my HF multitool and a HF blade to boot.
I only use the HF blades for light duty stuff so it was, oh no here we go. But you know what? It handled the job pretty well. And I found out that the old adage isn't necessarily true. Where there's smoke there isn't always fire.
I've been waiting for it to die for years so I can buy a real one, but it WON'T. Well, whether it dies or not, the first time I need to cut a small square hole in a butcher block I'm buying a Vecturo, I mean the very first.
You do need an allen wrench to change blades. Oh well I suppose I could buy three or four more and keep a different blade in each. That's sort of like toolless blade change, right? Actually you could have 22 different blades loaded for the price of one Vecturo. Anyway they didn't have toolless blade change on their oscillating tools when they built the palace at Versailles and if it's good enough for them.....
overanalyze
Member
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2013
- Messages
- 413
Their 23g pinner with quality pins (not their pins) works great, nitrile gloves, digital caliper, moving blankets, HVLP spray guns, portable dust collector. I have all these and have good experiences with them.
I will second the dead blow suggestion and add the comment to get the orange ones. They do not leave marks, the black ones do.
I have the 18V cordless 1/2 impact wrench. It uses Ni Cd batteries but they hold charge well. My son got it for me when we were replacing the floats on the dock. It almost did all the floats on a 28 foot slip dock on one battery. We were removing and driving 5/16 lags with no pilot hole.
I have their big 10A hammer drill/demolition chisel. The switch between modes sticks sometimes but once you get it where you want it, it works well. When I had an addition done last year the contractors guys liked my HF as well as their lighter duty Bosch.
I keep a tool roll of HF handtools in my bmw convertible. I rarely use them on the bimmer but use them as much as any of my hand tools. I have a composite 1/4 and 3/8 ratchet, a set of six point sockets, a set of combination wrenches, a set of pliers and a multi tip screwdriver. I also have an extendable 3/8 ratchet. It extends long enough to remove lug nuts.
I'm on my second multi-tool. I was a little disappointed when the first one quit but the replacement was $15 and I got a lot of work out of the first one.
I put locking casters from HF on my shop vacuum/dust deputy cart. 4 were $14 (3 inch). I wouldn't use them on my router table or other heavy things but for this little cart they work great. And 4 were about the price of one nice one.
I have a big flooring nailer from HF I used to install about 800 square feet of 3/4 pre-finished flooring. Only jambs where when I hit drywall screws in the subfloor. I have an upholstery stapler that works well and a 1/4 crown stapler that works fine for 3/4 staples but not 1 1/2 staples it is supposed to be able to drive. I also use a heat gun from HF I paid less than $10 for.
I don't want the 12 inch slider they sell but others report it will do good work after you spend a day or two tuning it up. I don't really want HF tools for anything I use a lot but for occasional use tools they are my go to place. Their return policy is also generous - no questions asked.
I have the 18V cordless 1/2 impact wrench. It uses Ni Cd batteries but they hold charge well. My son got it for me when we were replacing the floats on the dock. It almost did all the floats on a 28 foot slip dock on one battery. We were removing and driving 5/16 lags with no pilot hole.
I have their big 10A hammer drill/demolition chisel. The switch between modes sticks sometimes but once you get it where you want it, it works well. When I had an addition done last year the contractors guys liked my HF as well as their lighter duty Bosch.
I keep a tool roll of HF handtools in my bmw convertible. I rarely use them on the bimmer but use them as much as any of my hand tools. I have a composite 1/4 and 3/8 ratchet, a set of six point sockets, a set of combination wrenches, a set of pliers and a multi tip screwdriver. I also have an extendable 3/8 ratchet. It extends long enough to remove lug nuts.
I'm on my second multi-tool. I was a little disappointed when the first one quit but the replacement was $15 and I got a lot of work out of the first one.
I put locking casters from HF on my shop vacuum/dust deputy cart. 4 were $14 (3 inch). I wouldn't use them on my router table or other heavy things but for this little cart they work great. And 4 were about the price of one nice one.
I have a big flooring nailer from HF I used to install about 800 square feet of 3/4 pre-finished flooring. Only jambs where when I hit drywall screws in the subfloor. I have an upholstery stapler that works well and a 1/4 crown stapler that works fine for 3/4 staples but not 1 1/2 staples it is supposed to be able to drive. I also use a heat gun from HF I paid less than $10 for.
I don't want the 12 inch slider they sell but others report it will do good work after you spend a day or two tuning it up. I don't really want HF tools for anything I use a lot but for occasional use tools they are my go to place. Their return policy is also generous - no questions asked.
