Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[rbstern]

I bought a used 4x8' utility trailer last week. It needed the wiring redone. Went to HF during the their sidewalk sale Friday, and picked up their magnetic towing light kit for a whopping $9, figuring I could use the wire and four prong plug. There was plenty of wire in the kit for what I needed. Turns out, I was also able to use the lights from the kit to replace the beat up trailer lights. Took the lights off their magnetic bases, was left with a post-mountable light for each side. Combined with some HF 1/4" wire wrap, I now have new lights, new wiring, all neatly installed on the old trailer for under 15 bucks. Quality of the stuff exceeded the money spent by a wide margin.

I'm sure I'll eventually think of something to do with the leftover boxes with the magnetic bases.

 

[California]

eventually think of something to do with the leftover boxes with the magnetic bases.

I have a couple of similar flat magnets. I stuck them on top of my fenders.

I stick the ends of my seatbelt to them when I don't wear it.

 

[rbstern]

I have a couple of similar flat magnets. I stuck them on top of my fenders.

I stick the ends of my seatbelt to them when I don't wear it.

And that's a good use! Thanks.

 

[tractordog]

Bought a 6 ton jack stand, with a 20% coupon this weekend, total cost 31 dollars. Have not used it yet but hoping it does not suck.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Went to HF today...Got a few things. I got one of their brass (and lead) hose nozzles. Seems to work good...Also got one of their fire starters. Tested it out some. On a side note, my HF store will not let you look at something in the locked cabinet if you are not sure you want to buy it...

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Bought a 6 ton jack stand, with a 20% coupon this weekend, total cost 31 dollars. Have not used it yet but hoping it does not suck.

I got a set of them. Seem to work good. Have not used them on a car, just mowers and such...

 

[Iplayfarmer]

... On a side note, my HF store will not let you look at something in the locked cabinet if you are not sure you want to buy it...

This is their game. Just buy it and then return it on the next trip if it's not what you want. Silly that their return policy is easier to deal with than their "look at it" policy.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

This is their game. Just buy it and then return it on the next trip if it's not what you want. Silly that their return policy is easier to deal with than their "look at it" policy.

It was not me...I just overheard. Needless to say, the guy quickly lost interest in the merchandise in the cabinet...

 

[rswyan]

Bought a 6 ton jack stand, with a 20% coupon this weekend, total cost 31 dollars. Have not used it yet but hoping it does not suck.

I got a set of them. Seem to work good. Have not used them on a car, just mowers and such...

Have two pair of them here .... and have used them to hold up my 6,000+ lb Dodge Sprinter 2500 ... :thumbsup:

 

[sixdogs]

Bought a 6 ton jack stand, with a 20% coupon this weekend, total cost 31 dollars. Have not used it yet but hoping it does not suck.

I have used these jackstands for years but will add I slide an "backup" one or two underneath if I am going to be under the vehicle to work. It's an old-timer's trick.
Point is, these things aren't supposed to fail but they do. And this is HF after all. But I would do it regardless of the maker.

 

[Travelover]

...........On a side note, my HF store will not let you look at something in the locked cabinet if you are not sure you want to buy it...

I suspect this is not store policy, but just a lazy employee. At the HF that I frequent they are more than willing to show you anything in the locked cabinets. If you decide to buy, half the time they just hand it to you, the other half they take it directly to the checkout.

Maybe the difference is which days I have shaved. :laughing:

 

[IslandTractor]

Maybe the difference is which days I have shaved. :laughing:

If you shave before going into HF you will stand out as an outsider and the staff will think you're stuck up. If you look too ragged they wonder too. I get better service when I blend in. 30 hours post shave on a Saturday afternoon works just fine! :thumbsup:

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I suspect this is not store policy, but just a lazy employee. At the HF that I frequent they are more than willing to show you anything in the locked cabinets. If you decide to buy, half the time they just hand it to you, the other half they take it directly to the checkout.

Maybe the difference is which days I have shaved. :laughing:

It is not a store policy. The guy handed me everything I asked to see. He said people were stealing them blind the items now in protective cases.

In fact if I go in with a list of item numbers they will pull and bring them to me without my asking while I am looking at something they just showed me where it is located.

PS. I think most of the time I have shaved. I know I have on the Sunday afternoon trips. :laughing:

 

[davkir]

We are doing a new place for horses and need to measure a bunch of areas and do some fence layout. In the past I have used a measuring wheel, but no longer have access to it.
I thought I would try their 330 foot tape so I could measure, establish straight lines and post spacing at the same time.
It is VERY light duty, but works well. I could recommend it for "occasional" use.

PS: On sale with coupon, it was $10.39...and I got a free 25' tape measure with it!

 

[sixdogs]

.....I thought I would try their 330 foot tape so I could measure, establish straight lines and post spacing at the same time.
It is VERY light duty, but works well. I could recommend it for "occasional" use....

I'll second this on the 330 ft tape. Mine has been used fairly regular for maybe 10 years around the farm and has held up well. I believe there are two versions on this tape--one light and one heavier. Mine is on a hand held roll-up thing adn is a coated cloth type thing.

On the staff pulling numbers for you, I often have my wife pick up a sale item since the fabric store is right next door. She hands them a list, they bring the stuff out and never even one mistake.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Also got a 3-pack of safety goggles...seem pretty good...

 

[California]

I thought I would try their 330 foot tape so I could measure, establish straight lines and post spacing at the same time.
It is VERY light duty, but works well. I could recommend it for "occasional" use.

I'll second this on the 330 ft tape.

Likewise. (I have the tape on a red reel with a crank handle.)

My orchard is ancient, trees fall down every winter. To plant new trees I stretch that 330 ft tape out at least 200 ft and walk it back and forth until the oldest trees (never replaced) hit on even 20ft or 15ft intervals. This reveals where to set my new tree precisely on-grid if its nearest neighbors are inaccurate. (It's a nightmare to cross-disc where the grid isn't true!)

Once I marked my boundaries with it. Pulling enough tension to lift the tape off the ground gave several inches of stretch. I eyeballed tape stretch vs elevation gain across the orchard then set monuments along the line between me and the grading for a new vineyard next door. They had crushed one of my trees when they backed a crawler over it so I wanted my line to be unmistakable. When they eventually sent out a surveyor to layout their vineyard rows I found the far end of my informal line was a foot or so inside my true boundary, good enough for my purpose but not surveyor-quality work.

 

[1-3-2-4]

Bought a 6 ton jack stand, with a 20% coupon this weekend, total cost 31 dollars. Have not used it yet but hoping it does not suck.

We can use 20% off on the jack stands?

 

[tractordog]

We can use 20% off on the jack stands?

It was on sale and I used a 20% with the sale ; good deal I think

 

[patrick_g]

We can use 20% off on the jack stands?

I saw the sale on the jack stands and noted the price then saw a pile of them in a corner (the same stands) in scruffy looking boxes that looked to have been wet. They were marked $15 so I got a set.

Pat