What's the scoop on Harbor Freight

[Sub-versive]

Originally Posted by dfwright

I have two basic rules for my Harbor Freight purchases:
1) Buy nothing that has a motor or engine.
2) Buy nothing that has the potential to put life or health at risk. (This includes such things as cutoff wheels, wire wheels, ladders, etc.)

This.


The US General big red tool box is actually alright.
Most of the sockets and drivers
The allen head sockets are crap. Well, ok for a few times, but too cheap of steel and round over easy
I abuse the crap out of the impact sockets(6 point) and zero problems
The air die grinders, straight and 90* have lasted surprisingly long

[truckster]

I usually buy drill bits in bulk at HF, particularly 1/8 and 1/4 inch, since I seem to go through a lot of those. The last package of 1/8 drill bits I bought was pretty good, but the most recent ones are junk. I've snapped every bit I've tried, and that includes one I snapped drilling into plastic.

It just seems the quality is hit-or-miss with a lot of their items.

[73kay]

I bought their 60g compressor and it has been solid. Before that I sandblasted my frame and cab with an 8g Hf compressor. (I know it was very painful) That thing wouldn't die. Aside from those I went thru 3 angle grinders but the first one lasted a year now I go to lowes for them. All in all, the price helps me get
By. I have their engine hoist and jack and for the money they have been great.

[77c10]

I've bought many things from them over the years. My latest purchase was an OBDII scan tool. Was on sale for $109.99 last month. Got coupon book in the mail yesterday and there is a coupon for the same scan tool for $88.00. Going back tomorrow to get the difference refunded to me. All in all, I'm pleased with most of the items I've gotten there.

[dirtyjim]

yesterday I had to pull a hf 7/8 socket from my trail bag because I split one of those high quality craftsman sockets with a hf 24" breakover bar. hf socket is still intact

[BigDan3131]

I buy it based on what it looks like it might last. I bought their impact sockets for metric vehicles and they have lasted roughly 7 years without a problem. I buy the super heavy duty nitrile gloves the 9 mil thick ones, they can take the abuse of acetone soaked rags and some of the other nasty reducers plus they don't end at your wrist but go up another 4-6 inches. I have one of the random orbital electric polisher/sander that has lasted thru at least three complete vehicle teardowns.

[kody1234]

the chrome-moly pittburgh pro impact socket have held up great for me.

[dirtyjim]

Originally Posted by BigDan3131

I buy it based on what it looks like it might last. I bought their impact sockets for metric vehicles and they have lasted roughly 7 years without a problem. I buy the super heavy duty nitrile gloves the 9 mil thick ones, they can take the abuse of acetone soaked rags and some of the other nasty reducers plus they don't end at your wrist but go up another 4-6 inches. I have one of the random orbital electric polisher/sander that has lasted thru at least three complete vehicle teardowns.

the 9mil heavy duty gloves are on sale right now too, picked up another box last week

[tommys72]

I'm not a big fan of HF right now. About 7 weeks ago their forklift driver ran into the tailgate of my 72, dented it and peeled paint off, 43 year old paint by the way. What have I gotten in almost 2 .months? Nothing, no replies from corporate on emails or phone calls...starting to think there is no corporate office. Rant over

[Super_Dave]

I have a number of HF items and I have taken advantage of the Lifetime Guarantee twice. Never had any issue with returns and replacements.

Most of my sockets and wrenches are Home Despot Husky brand and I have returned several items for a replacement using their Lifetime Guarantee.

[ETraugott]

I work on heavy equipment and am very suprised by some of their stuff. The socket allen wrenches are good. Ive had the 1/2 drive ones adapted to my 3/4 ingersoll impact with no issues i like the 1/2 woble extentions. Use them everyday and have yet to break one. Use their drive adapters. I have broke the 3/4 to 1/2 adapter. The small screwdriver set is ok. Pick sets are good. Funnels cant go wrong. I have the large drill bit set, works good for occational use. Like others have i dont really buy anything that just looks like junk, electrical or precicion measuring.
Also use the engine load leveler. Works good as seem in pic.
Most of my sockets and wrenches are craftsman that have been used everyday for 10 years. I think only the 13 mm and 10mm get replaced. Snap on hurt the wallet to bad ehen you loose them in the mud or in the belly of a dozer.

[Rod Run]

Gloves and razor blade types of things are pretty much all I'll buy from them now. Pretty much the only exception I make to that, is when they have a tool that others don't even sell. I use their free coupons for stuff like their tape measures, but even those don't last.

Bought a tranny jack, thinking how bad can it be? Didn't last though one tranny job. But one of those roll around little bench seats, so I can sit down while cleaning my wheels. That didn't last 3 months before the casters started falling off (I just welded them on there permanently afterwards). Their cheaper welding cart wouldn't fit my Miller welder, so I ended up buying the one with draws and that's actually pretty good. Their single draw tool cart, is the same one as other venders sell under a different name.

People like their sockets and wrenches but I won't use them. It's not always about tool failure that makes a good or bad tool. If you buy a Snap-on, or other quality company's wrench and then buy a Harbor Freight wrench and use them both you can see/feel the difference. A "real" mechanic taught me this years ago.

You are much more apt to strip a bolt head with HF tools than a good quality manufacturer. HF tools don't really have the quality built in, to grab a bolt as tightly and securely as a quality tool. You are more apt to strip a super tight bolt using HF tools and you have a much better chance of getting a "close to stripped" bolt off with a quality tool, then you are with one from HF, because of the way they fit on the bolt head.

I would definitely NEVER buy something that is supposed to keep me safe & secure. I would also NEVER buy anything that you need to work in an emergency situation. I am talking about stuff like a generator. You should always go with a good well known quality manufacturer on stuff that important.

[In The Ten Ring]

I have their heat gun and saws all. Both work fine. My dad got their circuit tester and he hates it.

I wouldn't put the saws all to much of a test, but so far, it has cut 2x4's, tree limbs (3 inch diameter), and two stuck bolts from a badly rusted inner fender.

I applied for a job at the new store in town (HF) but the interview guy was so hateful I am glad they passed me over. I haven't been to their store and I have no desire to.

[87Skier]

Thought I would share my experiences with HF tools.

I have a few HF tools, which were gifted to me, and have used many friends and family HF tools.

Tools that didn't work well or broke:
Cheap millimeter (absolute garbage), battery charger quit working, 10 ton press has a lot of play and never pushes vertical, heat gun element blew up after 2 hours on non-continuous use, jack stands bent, sockets 13mm shallow socket wasn't the same size of 13mm deep socket, safety glasses are very cheap.

Tools that worked well:
18" long 1/2" breaker bar, A/C Manifold gauge set, 3 ton aluminum floor jack, tape measure, screw drivers

[Atbyrne]

I have used their sockets for years and really like them. Use their T handle Allen wrench, just pulled a 327 with TH400 attached to with there cherry picker. If I had to spend the money on snap of tools I would have no money for the projects. To each there own. I have restored 2 classic cars, 3 motorcycles, and worked on all of my other vehicles for years using non major brand tools.

[N2TRUX]

If you do buy from Harbor Freight always search for Harbor Freight Code. This is NOT a promo code on the Harbor Freight site. It is a 20% off coupon that they will honor at the register. No need to print it, just show them the barcode on your smart phone. LINK

[drfloyd]

Just bought their heavy engine stand and put my new LS on it today. I sure hope it will hold up. It seems to be really stout, not as stout as the one I built but fairly substantial.

[MalibuSSwagon]

Originally Posted by drfloyd

Just bought their heavy engine stand and put my new LS on it today. I sure hope it will hold up. It seems to be really stout, not as stout as the one I built but fairly substantial.

I can't see why not. I have their light duty stand with a 4.8L sitting on it for the last 6 months.

[midniteblues]

I think the best purchase I got from them so far was the 1/2" dr. impact sockets. WOW have they taken a beating.

I thought they were great so I got a full set of 3/4" drive sockets an broke the breaker bar and a socket first time out.

Those exhaust spreader work ok if your only useing them to remove clamp dents. Not to expand the pipe

Auto darken mask it works but it's uncomfortable.

Never had a problem with cutoff or grinding wheels.

The heat gun I got works great.

Pressure pot sand blaster after much tinkering it works good.

Stay far away from any air regulater
I had one blow up after a few days use. returned it an got the industrial sized one an that one lasted a month.

They have the oversized air line couplers if you priced these elsewhere you will go back and get a few packs of the hf's. I know it won't be long before they leak but the limited use of the big ones get and the price made it worth while.

Oh and the 4 vices I got from there cracked an fell apart just looking at them.

[4 Wheelin Fudpucker]

Bought a sheet metal brake 15 years ago, its still used in the body shop where I keep it.

I help folks with reloading cartridges, their calibers and mallets are all we use.
Their digital one that is blue is sold @ Cabella's for double the price, under the Rockford Arsenal brand name.

Had two 4 inch grinders I paid $10 bucks each for in 2000. I dismantled a 30 Ford Coupe & a 54 Merc with the. One burned up, still use the other.

[special-K]

I buy top quality US made hand tools for cheap. I buy them at yard sales and flea markets. They are made so well that it doesn't matter that they can be 50-60 or more years old.
I see HF as a great place to buy tools you may only need for one job, need it now, and want it cheap. I have to travel a good way to get to one, so I have to factor that in.

[toolboxchev]

Originally Posted by special-K

I buy top quality US made hand tools for cheap. I buy them at yard sales and flea markets. They are made so well that it doesn't matter that they can be 50-60 or more years old.
I see HF as a great place to buy tools you may only need for one job, need it now, and want it cheap. I have to travel a good way to get to one, so I have to factor that in.

I only go to Harbor Fright on Halloween. Its just like knocking on someone's door at night in the middle of the worst neighborhoods in America's most favorite towns like New York, Los Angles, Chicago, Detroit, or Miami.

Does not matter where it comes from, just what it is capable of. Life there is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you will get.

Do you like my sentence construction?

[BossH0G]

Well about two years ago after much research I bought a harbor freight noid light set, it has a 90 day warranty to be expected given the type of tool. Well an ase certified buddy of mine that works at the local GM dealership laughed at me while bragging about his noid light from mac tools. Well after several months of use I started having issues with one of the lights, I contacted harbor freight and of coarse I was told it was out of warranty that I would have to contact the manufacturer, so they gave me the name and number of the manufacturer. Well by the time I paid for the light and shipping from China it was cheaper to by another set from harbor freight. Then come to find out a while latter my ase certified buddy had the same issues with the same light in his mac set so he contacted mac tools, they told him to contact the manufacturer, they gave him the name and number of the manufacturer and guess what it was the same manufacturer as the noid light set from harbor freight. Needless to say he was no longer laughing and bragging, he was whining about buying an imported tool set that was rebranded mac tools made in the USA. Yes I know I ticked off the mac fanatics and I going to catch flack! But it is what it is. Mac isn't the only one! Snap-On's been doing it for a while, Matco has always done it and Cornwell's been doing it for years. I'm a third generation mechanic, I was raised to eat sleep and breathe snap on, you all your tools from Snap-On, but I only buy it if it says Snap-On with a full life time warranty, if not I find out who's making or selling it cheaper.

[daddyjeep]

I buy all of my cut off wheels, grinding wheels, and flap disks there and have had better results than the stuff I can get at my local hardware stores at least.

The plastic creeper let me down though. Really... I only ran it over with the Jeep ONE TIME and the wheel fell off.

I also have the rolling tool box and it has been great. Good drawer slides and casters.

[Mr. 250r]

Depends on whats coming from there after awhile you know whats good and bad. Things i use on a daily basis from there.

1/2" impact earthquake model - 2+years no problems
1/2" impact deep well sockets - 2+years no problems
1/2" impact extensions - 2+years no problems
1/2" impact regular sockets - 1+years no problems

3/8" impact earthquake model - couple weeks no problems
3/8" impact extensions - 1+years no problems
3/8" impact regular sockets - 1+years no problem

Impact balljoint set - 2+years no problems
Impact adapter set - 2+years no problem

Multi position magnet - 2+years 1 of 4 is messed up but my own fault, if you don't use the arm then it has an open hole and since i use them for welding it got grinding dust and what not in there and the handle doesn't turn over anymore. Lifetime warranty so i am not worried otherwise great for welding or holding a gauge.

Those are what i own and use personally every single day 5 days a week, i have only had a problem with mig welpers and the 1 magnet so far all the impact stuff has held up great nothing has broken yet only 1 minor problem with the 1/2" impact is the snap ring on the end that holds the socket in place is worn out so it doesn't hold the socket real well but i expect that to happen with use on any impact.

Things i don't use on a daily basis

12 ton jack stands - 2+years no problems beefy as heck though

mig welpers - 1 year, never could get them to cut a wire very well

The tools that i don't personally own but i know people that do are
Ratchets - hold up well
sockets - hold up well
wrenches - hold up well
auto darkening weld helmets - hold up well
pry bars - hold up well
long reach hex ball - broke on first use, i believe lifetime warranty
mig welpers - mixed feelings as mine didn't work but others worked fine
dead blow hammer - held up well, head busted after a few years, lifetime warranty it was replaced
44" tool box - hold up great HF really shines on these, multiple people have them at my job and two of them have the full setup bottom/top/sides/fully loaded

The tool boxes to me are their best product this might help some of you decide for yourself, http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=153445

I have a 42" craftsman box and a 40" something husky, the husky is junk. Only bought the craftsman because it was on sale and it has ball bearing self latching drawers which i needed because i moved around the shop alot and my old craftsman box drawers always slid open and i love those drawers. I would've got a HF box had i known how good they were and not been naive to think they were cheap because there not AMURICA MADE USA lol. I plan on getting the 56" for at work and the 72" for at home. Only downside to the HF boxes in my opinion is they don't have a good self locking drawer and the wheels are meh.