When is Harbor Freight good enough?

[rusty_tlc]

I just got in from some quality time with my angle grinder. It's the $20 unit from Harbor Freight. I was trying to remember how long I've had it. At least four years, fairly hard use to. Still works as well as the day I got it.

Last weekend I was cursing a puller I got from Harbor Freight while I struggled to get a pully off a power steering pump at PnP. I only used that POS a few times, but it did pay for itself in those few uses.

Last night I was seating the same pully with a 2# copper hammer from Harbor Freight. Pretty hard to build a bad hammer.

Most of my tools are the best quality I can afford, but sometimes you just want "good enough".

So which tools would you get on the cheap?

 

[kairo]

I've always considered craftsman as sort of the "affordable quality" brand for home wrenching. The lifetime warrenty is the real sell point for me. Break it, bring it in, and leave with a shiny new one. I've bought my fair share of harbor freight tools though as well.

 

[xjmoser]

When is Harbor Freight good enough?


When you dont care about bustin a knuckle!

 

[Samco Fab]

Sometimes I have an easier time exchanging broken tools at H.F. than at sears or snap on or mac. Some H.F. tools are sort of crappy but the deep impact sockets metric or inch (1/2 dr.) are excelent quality. I have exchanged 3 big orange plastic hammers with no questions asked. Die grinders- cheaper than a good carbide bit-good, lots of good stuff.
I had a H.F. sawsall die really quickly, and the wrenches are kind of crappy.
I would buy a good set of wrenches and good impact air tools though.

 

[throttleboy]

i got a 1 hp drill press from HF nice heavy duty unit for the price and most of my trail tools are HF or some other no name brand.so it dont hurt so bad when you loose them or have to weld a couple wrenchs to a broken steering arm to get home !!

 

[rusty_tlc]

i got a 1 hp drill press from HF nice heavy duty unit for the price and most of my trail tools are HF or some other no name brand.so it dont hurt so bad when you loose them or have to weld a couple wrenchs to a broken steering arm to get home !!

I throw a 50mm ammo box of HF carp in every vehicle, I could never afford to do that with quality tools. They usually work well enough for a quick roadside brakedown repair.

I have a Chinese drill press that my Dad bought years ago, still works fine. I'm guessing it wouldn't hold up in a real shop with daily use but it's good enough for what I do.

I did blow $50 on a torque wrench from Sears. I'm told getting the preload right on my t-case is important.

 

[throttleboy]

I throw a 50mm ammo box of HF carp in every vehicle, I could never afford to do that with quality tools. They usually work well enough for a quick roadside brakedown repair.

I have a Chinese drill press that my Dad bought years ago, still works fine. I'm guessing it wouldn't hold up in a real shop with daily use but it's good enough for what I do.

I did blow $50 on a torque wrench from Sears. I'm told getting the preload right on my t-case is important.

i try to stay out of sears every time i go in it costs me MIN $100 bucks :yup: !!

 

[blackwidow]

Well my parents bought me the Harbor Frieght Winch they have. It supposedly is the exact model of the milemarker8000 or something, just different casing. Hopefully I can try it out this weekend...haven't had the chance yet.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Well my parents bought me the Harbor Frieght Winch they have. It supposedly is the exact model of the milemarker8000 or something, just different casing. Hopefully I can try it out this weekend...haven't had the chance yet.

Hopefully you wont need it!!
Winches are one of those thing things you get "in case".

 

[throttleboy]

Well my parents bought me the Harbor Frieght Winch they have. It supposedly is the exact model of the milemarker8000 or something, just different casing. Hopefully I can try it out this weekend...haven't had the chance yet.

i drove out to look for parking spots today and a winch might come in handy.....lota water coming down the little stream by the dump road !!

 

[rusty_tlc]

i drove out to look for parking spots today and a winch might come in handy.....lota water coming down the little stream by the dump road !!

Nice and sudsey? That stream usualy has a good head on it.

 

[Matteo_96XJ]

I love HF. I can't go in there without spending 2 to 3 times what I planned on. The tools I buy there are either things that will have an easy life, or I know I'm going to destroy. :redface:

 

[DBJ]

Dude that thread is WAY old.
:wave:
:nono:

Low budget buggy wasnt built with HF tools:nervous:

 

[Matteo_96XJ]

Dude that thread is WAY old.
:wave:
:nono:

Low budget buggy wasnt built with HF tools:nervous:

It's resurrected now.

 

[UrbnKrwlr]

what is it with newbies resurrecting 3 and 4 year old threads lately??? ohhh well. . . . welcome to the board. . . .

 

[Dennis]

Shop around, in some cases Lowes and Home Depot might have lower prices on virtually the same product. Case in point:

5 speed drill press with laser guide - $129.99

Skill drill press - $108.00 (on sale, used to be $129) - pretty sure it's the exact same drill press, with just different stickers on them.

 

[BIG BLUE]

holy old threads batman...HF is cool for grinders Cutoff saws, and sawzalls. They take a beatin and keep going. I wait for those parking lot sales and stock up. Still got a grinder from four years ago. :thumbsup:

 

[JeepNoob]

HF has the best tool I ever got for my jeep. Its the Big C-Clamp
and It is great for U-joints.

 

[commando]

i was at HF this weekend and saw that they had a food dehydrator for 20$...my wife drew the line at that, so i guess anything else is ok.

 

[POOR BOY]

i was at HF this weekend and saw that they had a food dehydrator for 20$...my wife drew the line at that, so i guess anything else is ok.

they also have wheel chairs