HF tools that don't suck

[arcflash]

Cheap is good.

[BD1]

My Harbor Freight 6" bench buffer is still going and it's 6 years old. It's used mainly on my silverware artwork and small stainless pieces. Cheap at $25.00 back then.
Their 1x30 belt sander is holding up so far. That too is 6 years old but had to do some improvising on the belt pulley. Not bad for $22.00.
Harbor Freight has really increased their prices.


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[filetobeef]

a part of the pricing increases at hf are due to import tariffs put in place in the past 4 years!

[jrporter]

They have also cut way back on their freebies. I guess when times get hard freebies go away and prices go up. The people that really need something still buy it.

[N2 Welding]

The freebies were just to get people in the door. Any tool junkie can’t spend less that 30 minutes in that store with out buying something they did not know harbor freight carried.

[BD1]

They have also cut way back on their freebies. I guess when times get hard freebies go away and prices go up. The people that really need something still buy it.

I took real advantage when they had their magnetic strips. Those are handy as is or remove magnets from channel.
I use single magnets for dry fitting my artwork. Works great in designing instead of tacking.


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[whtbaron]

Walked by these in Princess Auto the other day and thought of this thread... still didn't pick any up though. 50 for $12 Cdn. doesn't seem horrible... https://www.princessauto.com/en/50-p...t/PA0008943185

[pidjones]

Higher prices, changing suppliers, end of coupons, end of freebees. Next thing you see wil be groceries in the stores. Something tells me management has changed.

[pidjones]

Brauer 1/2" electric impact. 110V, 8.5 amp, 1050 ft lbs breakaway torque. This thing is a Beast for only 90 bucks. Bought mine last year on sale for 80.

[California]

Brauer 1/2" electric impact. 110V, 8.5 amp, 1050 ft lbs breakaway torque. This thing is a Beast for only 90 bucks. Bought mine last year on sale for 80.

Good to know!

I'm happy with the Hercules 11 amp angle grinder. It's a twin to DeWalt's more expensive 11 amp grinder so far as I can tell. And huge improvement over HF's 4.5 amp grinders.

[CAVEMANN]

I have one of their little high speed belt sanders I think it's like 3/4 x 8 inch belt or so, I bought it for one little job that I couldn't figure out any other way & it's been good, I did that job and have used it several other times since.

[smithdoor]

There great for cleaning pipe or round bar stock. It looks like ground and no rust.

Dave

I have one of their little high speed belt sanders I think it's like 3/4 x 8 inch belt or so, I bought it for one little job that I couldn't figure out any other way & it's been good, I did that job and have used it several other times since.

[California]

I went in to a recently-opened HF today, haven't been in one in a year. It didn't seem right. Finally after I got home it occurred to me what the difference was:

It didn't smell like going into a tire store.

All the new expensive lines don't have that cheap plastic/synthetic rubber smell.


And the new prices! $6.99 for the red multimeter they used to throw in free with any purchase!

The nitrile gloves now cost 2.5 times what they cost before and there's a sign on them: "Due to worldwide shortage these are more expensive." Ok, that makes sense. "But we are making only the same percentage markup as we did before the price increase." That's not as honest as it appears to be. The new price earns at least 2.5 times the prior profit, for HF.

[N2 Welding]

Yes last time I went to HF for some blue gloves I left the store quite PO’d. I won’t buy them until they come back down in price. It might take a nationwide boycott of youtubers etc etc to get prices to come back down to normalcy.

[pprobus]

And the new prices! $6.99 for the red multimeter they used to throw in free with any purchase!

Speaking of HF multimeters, not sure if I have mentioned this already in this thread, but avoid any of their, relatively, new Ames line. It's not that they're bad, its that they are re-branded Chinese brands that you can usually pick up cheaper from Amazon or Aliexpress under their Chinese brand name. For ex. the top of the line Ames meter is actually just a Uni-T UT61D (I believe it's the "D" model, definitely not the "E" model which is the top of the line in that model line from Uni-T). You can get it for 1/2 the price or less than HF charges and Uni-T makes a more accurate model for not much more than the UT61D, the UT61E, that you can get for much less than the HF branded UT61D, but looks exactly the same (i.e. same form factor). But I would recommend anyone shopping for a multimeter that you are going to keep and use for more than a throwaway job to head over to eevblog.com and read through the forums, lot's of good info., especially you can find reviews that gives pluses and minuses for just about every meter made in the last 10+ years if you do a search.

[pidjones]

Picked up a couple more pairs of their poly coated hi-vis work gloves. Had purchased a pair to try six months ago and used them for handling landscape blocks as well as motorcycle work. Pretty torn and worn now but for three bucks definitely worth it. Picked these over others because I have short fingers. Mens mediums have seldom fit. Ladies gloves are for small diameter fingers. These gloves in medium fit me pretty well.

[hvw]

If you're interested in a 12 inch mitre saw, the Hercules model is good solid choice. It's made in Taiwan and as far as I can tell it's an exact copy of Dewalts high dollar saw. Righr down to the motor. At $327.00 it's a little high for Harbor Freight but it's still a great deal.

[wb4rt]

Their Atlas 40v tools are a good value. I have the pole saw and hedge trimmers

The pole saw chain will come off occasionally but it cuts fine. It is worth having to retension the chain as needed.

The battery lasts a long time. I cut a huge 40-50’ crepe myrtle to about 10’ on one charge.

[filetobeef]

have one of them and it's just as good as the dewalt,accurate and powers through cuts.

[filetobeef]

looked at this a couple weeks back but by the time you purchase the tool,battery and charger,iirc,it was no cheaper than any other ones at the box stores.
maybe replacement batteries are cheaper? idk!

[Need Advice]

I bought some vice grip style welding clamps for $5 a piece on sale. (11 in. Swivel Pad C-Clamp Locking Pliers) They don't suck but the screw is a little difficult to adjust while under the spring tension but other than that they were well worth $5.

https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=swival%20locking%20plyers%20clamp

[pidjones]

One tool that I grab for most jobs on car, truck, tractor, bike, or home is a log-reach 90 degree small-nose (not quite needle-nose, so they have some strength) pliers. They give reach, leverage and fit so many tasks that I just grab 'em, even with no plan to use. If I can get to HF today, I'll probably pick up a couple pair for stocking stuffers.

[metalman21]

Very nice box for the money.

Weights a lot, decent gauge steel and nice powder coat, even the inside is coated, no skips.
We’ll see how the slides and locks hold up. The thinnest drawers are 3” deep anything deeper has double slides. Costs a whole lot less than Snapon’s lower line boxes ( selling one) and built just as good. Some details l like better.

[whtbaron]

I've always seen good reviews on those US General boxes.... makes me curious because nobody markets them up here that I know of...

[N2 Welding]

I've always seen good reviews on those US General boxes.... makes me curious because nobody markets them up here that I know of...

Most likely US GENERAL is a harbor freight exclusive brand. Look for them on amazon.