harborfreight tools quality?

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haryv

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I have seen the topic of discussion on this site but have not ordered from them. Cosctco used to sell the stainless steel 41 inch tool box and man, wanted it at the time but was cash short. Now I am interested in it and found what is a replica on harbord freight. Seems to be of the same quality. Anyone care to comment on it?

I was looking at its stud welder

- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

And top tool box

- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices
 
They're all garbage. I buy a lot of tools there, mostly crap I want to try out before I buy a real one. All their merchandise is disappointing, but in some cases the disappointment is worth the low price.

-Spike
 
x2. I agree with spike, mostly. I have a store near me so I can look at the stuff up close before I buy. I looked at a small torque wrench last week and it was crap (but cheap). It was not a precision device. However, I did find a box of 100 various screw driver bits for $7, where my local hardware store had the same thing for $20. If you don't need precision or quality and will only be using the tool on an infrequent basis, then it's maybe good value for the price.

However, I have not looked specifically at their tool boxes...
 
Get your shrink tube, clamps, nonessentials, fuses, etc from them and youll be happy. Do not buy a tool that you WILL NEED to work reliably!!!!. Thats being said I have a grinder I got for 14 bucks that has lasted for years of moderate use at home with nonessential hobby work. If its for a job....I wouldnt buy their stuff.
 
If you cant look at it 1st hand at one of HF stores I wouldn't order it . I buy fiberglass handled 5#hammers, gloves,crappy uni drillbits, etc
I have gotten a air muffler cut off tool for under $10 on sale and its outlasted $20 of cut off wheels so far so it was worth it .
 
My $.02: Don't buy anything from HF that you apply force to. i.e. sockets, ratchets, pry bars, extensions, breaker bars, etc. It's almost comical (except for the anger that ensues at midnight while you're trying to finish a project) how easy that stuff twists, bends, or just plain shears off in your hands.

I second the comments on some non-essential goods though.
 
x whatever on quality of anything precision. Had a cheapo torque wrench the FIL gave me literally come apart in pieces while doing the birfs about a year or so ago.

Agree on the minor items tho. Some great prices there.
 
VFRMAN said:
My $.02: Don't buy anything from HF that you apply force to. i.e. sockets, ratchets, pry bars, extensions, breaker bars, etc. It's almost comical (except for the anger that ensues at midnight while you're trying to finish a project) how easy that stuff twists, bends, or just plain shears off in your hands.

I second the comments on some non-essential goods though.
Click to expand...

Disagree..


I have used my HF sockets on impact guns and the box ends on almost everything.

The ratchets pretty much suck, but so do SEARS units.

I love HF. The best trail tools ever..

So what if you lose them or someone does not give a tool back, you are out what, $0.25??
 
Mace said:
Disagree..


I have used my HF sockets on impact guns and the box ends on almost everything.

The ratchets pretty much suck, but so do SEARS units.

I love HF. The best trail tools ever..

So what if you lose them or someone does not give a tool back, you are out what, $0.25??
Click to expand...

True dat... I have my nicer stuff in my garage boxes and keep my HF stuff in my tool bag.
 
Ive been happy with some of the stuff that i get from HF.. It depends on the use of the item..

We used the stud welder for one body work project and it worked good for the weekend..

Ive been Extremely happy with the 3 ton Yellow Floor Jack, Works better than my freinds Craftsman!

Breaker bars, impact wrenches, Trail Tool Set, and Pry bars are all just fine!

If your using the tools everyday to make money, you want the good stuff, but for us weekend warriors and part time wrenchers you can get by just fine with cheep china crap! ;)
 
I have been happy for the most part. As mentioned before, I like to use them to find out how much I am going to use an item before I buy an expensive one.

Example. I bought a metal cutting band saw.
saw1.webp
I paid 189 on sale. That thing has been awesome. Well worth the money. If it ever wears out, I will go spend 1200 on a higher quality model. You can bet I will use it until then. Maybe it will never wear out.

Engine stand (not the cheapest one which I was unhappy with, the V shaped one)- happy
Engine hoist- happy
20 ton shop press- happy
Screwdrivers- break the tips off occasionally but overall happy
box end wrenches- happy
step bits- happy
Impact sockets- happy
gloves- happy
4" grinders- happy- crappy quality, but at 10 dollars on sale I bought several and they are essentially "throw away"
little remote control boat- awesome

welding wire- not happy
ratchets-not happy
mole chasers- definitely not happy



I don't make my living off these tools so they are good for me. I can see where someone that makes a living with tools would not be happy with them.
saw1.webp
 
Mace said:
Disagree..


I have used my HF sockets on impact guns and the box ends on almost everything.

The ratchets pretty much suck, but so do SEARS units.

I love HF. The best trail tools ever..

So what if you lose them or someone does not give a tool back, you are out what, $0.25??
Click to expand...
I misspoke a bit. The socket that chapped my ass was a Northern Tool unit.

Totally happy with my fish house 2 burner cooktop. That thing rules! :)
P10122360.webp
 
Buy a Costco or Home depot Husky box. I have the largest husky they make and love it. My buy had 10 Costco stainless steel boxes and they are nice. Not a Snap-on, but lets be real.

I have a lot of Snap-on stuff, most air and cordless impacts.

HF has the cool swivel head ratchets that I love and cheap!

I have bought all my levels and strait edges there and they have the best tool drawer liners ever!!!

Long and short box end wrenches are great.
 
-Spike- said:
WTF is that?

-Spike
Click to expand...

One of those ultrasonic things you put in the ground. I researched and everything I read said they were bull****, but for 10 bucks on sale I figured "what the hell". Damn moles tunneled right up to it, around it, and over it. They practically lived in it. :meh: I'm glad I did not spend 40 bucks at some other store.

I think the key to HF is wait for whatever you want to try out to go on sale. They periodically mark down just about everything in the store, usually pretty substantially.
 
For the most part I have had great success with HF. Sure there are things that are crap, but 90% of what I have bought there has worked out great. I've only broken one wrench over the years and no sockets. I was wailing on the wrench with a 12lb sledge so I hold no ill feelings for it breaking. The sawzall is crap. The ball joint fork bent. The pinion pullers break, but I bought three and completed the project just fine. then I returned the two borken ones for $ back. I just consider some of the stuff to be like dixie cups...you use it then throw it away. I've had the water cooled metal band saaw for over 10 years and beat the snot out of it for the first 7. The pump just went out this winter, but it still cuts better than my Wilton at work. I bought my full size drill press at the same time and it is still going strong. Last year I bought one of thier electric cement curbing machines and laid 1000 feet of curb in my yard. It cost me $400 for the machine and less than $200 for the cement, sand and colorant. That 1000 feet of colored/stamped curb would have cost me easily $5,000. Pretty sure it paid for itself. I even pocketed $ after putting in some curb for a neighbor one afternoon. My floor jack is still going strong after 6 years of use. When I bought it the lady at the counter told me that the first thing I should do is pull the rubber orings on the pump and replace them with the spares that came in the box. I guess the origionals tend to go bad. I did that ba few weeks after i bought it and it's never had a problem. Thier metal woodworking clamps are great. Wait for them to come on sale for $3-4. I've got 15 of them and use them on welding projects all the time.
 
Craftsman,snap-on,rigid,dresser,esp. older tools,I have used Harbor Freight when I expected only one use for it. Their spray equipment is terrible. 2 cents Mike
 
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