HF Tools That Suck

[mk10]

249 Piece Rotary Bit Set, Item No 93243

Figured I'd see how these compare to authentic Dremel bits--and there is NO comparison. Metal cutting bits and stone grinding wheels crack/break/wear out in such a short time that it's actually quite laughable--sometimes mere seconds.

[TSOR]

is there any way to make a list or log that users can put the tools that suck or are good rather than read all the posts? just a sugestion..

Sucky list is already done!

It's right here:
http://www.harborfreight.com/

[steve45]

I was unable to find my Weller soldering gun, so I pickup up a HF soldering gun (# 4328). It works fine, until I had to replace the top. I unscrewed the nuts that lock the tips in place and the entire tip holder assembly twisted and fell out of the gun.

It appeared that there really wasn't anything holding it in place,and there were bare wires inside. I pushed the tip holder back in and intalled the new tip. The soldering iron works, but I'm really surprised that the tip holder isn't secured somehow. Surely the wire contact isn't very good, either.

I picked up a Weller in great condition for a couple of bucks at an estate sale to replace the HF unit.

[Hass]

Picked up a 7" Heavy Duty grinder from HF on Saturday for 39.99 on sale/clearance.
Used a 15% off coupon, got it home...
Looked pretty great, felt very solid.
ground with it for about 5 minutes, not very much vibration, bogs down VERY easy though, so after I realized that I didnt do any pushing down on it, and let it use its own weight to grind.
Another 5 minutes passed, and the garage I was bevelig pipe in started to smell AWFUL.
My father came in to say hi to me, and said that the garage smells horrid.
So I opened a door, went back to go grinding.. and no go.
checked the breaker, ext cord, all was fine (even the radio was still on playing, so i def didnt trip one)
plugged it directly in to an outlet... and still no go.
So I got about 10 minutes of use before it bit the dust.
Debating just returning it or exchanging it.

guess I got what i paid for at least -.-

[steve45]

I've got a 7" Angle Grinder that I've used quite a bit. The only problem I've had was I had to replace the plug on the end of the cord.

[specter]

I recently got a multi tool from them to do some woodwork on restoring my house built in 1795. Wow!! Great tool is all I can say other than I got it for $29.95 using a coupon out of the NRA's American Rifleman magazine.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=67256

[steve45]

I've been curious about that tool.

There is a thread for HF tools that don't suck.

[steve45]

I recently bought the Electric Cutout Tool, (# 42831) and I'm not impressed with it.

I've never used a RotoZip-type tool, so perhaps I was expecting too much. The box gives no indication of it's capabilities. The HF website says that it will cut through wood up to 1" thick. I needed to install soffit vents in my house, and was planning to use this tool to cut holes in the soffit. The paneling was 1/2" exterior paneling (some sort of fiberboard).

Well, the darn thing was hard to control and went all over the place. The bit would grab and wallow out the hole, makig a mess rather than a straight line cut. I was using the 1/4" bits when this happened. I tried a 1/8" bit, and it worked a lot better, but it broke after going all of 3 inches. Went back to the 1/4" bit and fought it for a while, then gave up and used a cordless saw.

The instruction sheet for this says it is designed for use on drywall or thin wood paneling. This one is going back for a refund.

[milwiron]

I recently bought the Electric Cutout Tool, (# 42831) and I'm not impressed with it.

I've never used a RotoZip-type tool, so perhaps I was expecting too much. The box gives no indication of it's capabilities. The HF website says that it will cut through wood up to 1" thick. I needed to install soffit vents in my house, and was planning to use this tool to cut holes in the soffit. The paneling was 1/2" exterior paneling (some sort of fiberboard).

Well, the darn thing was hard to control and went all over the place. The bit would grab and wallow out the hole, makig a mess rather than a straight line cut. I was using the 1/4" bits when this happened. I tried a 1/8" bit, and it worked a lot better, but it broke after going all of 3 inches. Went back to the 1/4" bit and fought it for a while, then gave up and used a cordless saw.

The instruction sheet for this says it is designed for use on drywall or thin wood paneling. This one is going back for a refund.

I've got a brand name Rotozip, it pretty much sucks for anything other than drywall.
And... a steak knife would cut drywall faster.

[smawgmaw]

Yeah, I got one of those. It really does SUCK! As stated, the smaller bits do tend to break easy, even the name brand ones I bought at the depot. Hard to make straight cuts with it unless using a straight edge guide and even still its difficult. Right now I am using it as a dust collector in the shop. Dont know of any better use for it.

[HankC1]

I've got a brand name Rotozip, it pretty much sucks for anything other than drywall.
And... a steak knife would cut drywall faster.

it is basically an over sized dremel.

[clearchris]

I have a dewalt roto-zip and it's really good for cutting drywall covered in FRP. A drywall saw would pull the frp off the wall with the backstroke, but the rotozip doesn't have a backstroke, so no problem. Operation generally takes two people, one person with the roto-zip and the other person holding a 2x4 as a guide. I'd imagine it would be good for drywall covered in paneling where a drywall saw would make a mess of the paneling.

There's no way I'd use it for cutting wood any thicker than 1/8".

Got the dewalt for around 50$ off ebay, used it to make a few openings for plumbing / electrical, but haven't used it much since. It's great when you need it.

[3 weelin geezer]

10$ tap and die set. How many ways can we spell JUNK!!!!!

How many peices does the set contain?

[valley ranch]

Greetings, I bought their big tile saw, $200 at the time, worked good. Never did a tile job with but cut a couple small things. It had maybe an hour or less time on it. I turned it on to cut the girl's geodes, small golf ball sized rocks, I turned it off after cutting one, when I tried to turn it on to cut the next, it would not start. Maybe its just a condensor, when I get time I'll try to fix it. I wonder if there is a trouble shooting schedule, what to check first, how each item should be checked. Just a pain in the neck.

I have my uncle's valve grinder made in the US about before WWII. It has been used full time in the shop for years never a problem.

[weld]

After about 5-10 whacks knocking out a roll pin with a punch and the 3 lb hammer head busted off. Inside it looked like particle board for the wood handle. The small ballpein set at least has real wood handles. The wood is light & cheap, but it isn't particle wood.

3 Lb. Sledge Hammer

Item # 6748
Only:$9.99

[tanglediver]

Only the stuff made from metal, plastic, wood, leather and certain fabrics.

[PapaLion]

Reptile, I see your confusion re HF tools... let me help you with the part #s and model descriptions that are unuseable and a total waste of your hard earned $ from HF due to poor quality in design, materials or fabrication.

ALL part #s
ALL models

junk, junque, joenque, frickinjunk, Chinesecrapola, @#$%%brokealreadyjunk, @#$%doesn'tworkorfit,
and synonyms for junk more to be named in the future after a 2nd cup of coffee. Buy American from that place called USA it'll do U proud.





hope that helps.

[clearchris]

Good luck finding anything made here any more. It seems the best you can do is get an American brand with "made in China" on the label. I do a little happy dance if I even find anything made in India or Taiwan.

[PapaLion]

One of the ideas I think someone younger might pursue as a career... find a product, something well made in the U.S.A. with a good rep which went to China to get cheaper and then... went broke because nobody wanted the crap, OR would sell U the rights to the old USA models. Then go find the tooling... in Nebraska or Michigan or Ohio, buy it or repro it, scale the company so you can make a go of it and make the product the right> U.S.A. way. Don't worry about how many widgets get sold at first, just make the best damn widget anywhere... I think? U would come ahead.

Note: That is pretty much what Fender Guitars did in the late 70's-early 80's, build a U.S.A. model exactly like the best ones they ever made. It was/is called the V series. It worked aok. (U might get to do them, if the morons keep selling mostly Chinese crap guitars

opinions?

a better ex: there used to be a great brand of hose reels (I was looking at water hose reels for home use, but I think they made several models). They were made in Nebraska... they went Chinese a few years ago, price went down, quality went to hell totally. What was metal and tough became plastic breakable crud. ... wonder if they are still doing biz? if not, there is one to research. There are hundreds like that at least. Can't recall the name I just recall the change.

hecho en Mexico is a pretty darned good product usually... way better than the Asian stuff because WE are still involved in design and quality control usually. For ex: electrical switches, many are Hecho en Mexico.

[California]

hecho en Mexico is a pretty darned good product usually... For ex: electrical switches, many are Hecho en Mexico.

Example 2: Ford trucks.

[Dr Gas]

Black rubber air compressor hose 50' 3/8" failed in less than one year.

[PapaLion]

The Chinese apparently invented casting etc... but for folks with so many years experiece I think they need the basic refresher course... ALL metal is not just melted together and cast into whatever shape and then named... for example: a pipe wrench or an anvil require very different temper and steel types... but to the HF folks it is all just metal painted with lead paint. I think they don't get it?
Didn't we admit all their engineering students in the 70-80s when they asked? Yes... well why then do they persist in building junk. My biggest beef is NOT the quality of the tool but the sheer blatant WASTE of resources... U cannot get parts, or repair... it gets thrown in a USA garbage dump... and that is the real crime. Resist buying what "looks" ok... search rather for what U know will work for a long time regardless of country of origin. AND, we have put our best techs out of a job in the process. I personally am willing, and do, spend up to 2x as much for an item IF it is USA and well made. And it lasts and I get to use a good tool

Made in U.S.A ( I long to see it again) for ex: Buy your last Irwin US made Vice Grips 11R etc if u can find them)
Hecho en Mexico is above the average
Germany is great, $$$ but their stuff is good.
China and Taiwan... a total waste of your hard earned $. and it destroys your environment and increases the Nat'l debt and puts your buddy out of work.

Well that was a full dollars worth of "2 cents", but I feel better already

[PilotAlso]

Moderators: Is there some kind of IGNORE feature to keep from having every attempt at providing real information regarding HF tools hijacked by PapaLion? Talk about drifting way, way off track and into stupid RANTS.

[PapaLion]

I stand corrected, it is my error Pilot> Please feel free to add any and all tools you have found which HF sells that suck... U R right it is way too long a list for me to interupt with WHY they suck, or the repercussions on your generation for buying piles of useless crap, or even suggest to you actions which might redeem this lunacy. Let's sort those tools out one by one until we get the good stuff from the bad. You will need a lot of room here>>>this is the list of tools that suck.

[PilotAlso]

How sad that your life is so miserable.

My condolences!