Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[dragoneggs]

3 day sale on these items recently mentioned. <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=466702"/> <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=466701"/> Bruce

On the press... You want the grey one... Looks like they are blowing out the old orange one for $10 less the lowest price. I recommend getting the grey one for $159.

 

[sixdogs]

On the press... You want the grey one... Looks like they are blowing out the old orange one for $10 less the lowest price. I recommend getting the orange one for $159.

Wait... I'm confused (no surprise). Is the best one the orange or the gray?

 

[newbury]

I have seen just one a Craftsman unit has 4 " casters and says it is 32.5 inches tall

Sears.com


And there was also one 46" Husky at 36.8 tall with 5 inch wheels but could lose inch with 4" casters

Husky 46 in. 9-Drawer Black Out Mobile Workbench with Solid Wood Top-744946B - The Home Depot

<snip>

Thanks for the links.

I've about decided to go with their standard 40" tall stands and just raise one or two of my sections of pallet racking enough to clear. Heck what's losing 17' linear feet of "project space" going to matter?

 

[BukitCase]

"Is the best one the orange or the gray? " - Sixdogs, AFAIK the orange ones ALL shipped with bondo-filled cast iron press plates which have been known to explode in use, causing some injury. The newer GRAY ones reportedly come with STEEL plates - I have the older orange press, only use the original cast iron plates for heavy duty paper weights

There's a coupon on HF's home page for the gray press right now, expires tomorrow May 1 -

Also, if you intend to use the press more than a couple times a year I would strongly recommend replacing the hand operated jack (that comes with it) with the air/hydraulic one - they go on sale fairly often for $80-90 , and let you just hold the air lever to run up on the work, but you can still "sneak up on it" using the jack handle if you want. That's what I do, and I'd never go back... Steve

 

[5030]

Bondo filled plates.... Thats funny, but true.

reminds me of the American counterpart... JB Weld. Same deal, different color.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I think he is talking about this one?

Motorcycle Lift Table, 1 Lb. Capacity

Makes quite a nice adjustable portable work table. Most things I need to get in just the right position weigh well under 1000 pounds. All sorts of possibilities as a work platform. Just so you have a concrete floor. :confused3:

 

[dragoneggs]

Wait... I'm confused (no surprise). Is the best one the orange or the gray?

Oops! My error and can't edit it. Buy grey not orange 20T press. Better design/build.

 

[sixdogs]

Bondo filled plates.... Thats funny, but true.

reminds me of the American counterpart... JB Weld. Same deal, different color.

Long time ago I bought one of their vises that was bondo filled and smoothed. Looked great until you actually tried to use it and pieces came off.

 

[5030]

Took my HF synthetic rubba 50 foot air hose out of the packaging today (the one on sale) and put on QD ends. Now I know why HF stores all stink, the rubba hose smells just like the stores...

Pretty good quality actually. Should go a couple years before it gets a blowout (they all do eventually).

Got into my 3 box of stick on wheel weights too. I seem to use a lot of them.

 

[PhysAssist]

Makes quite a nice adjustable portable work table. Most things I need to get in just the right position weigh well under 1000 pounds. All sorts of possibilities as a work platform. Just so you have a concrete floor. :confused3:

I have a similar work table, kind of, and I also saved a little off that price [since I no longer have a scoot to work on] by getting one of these:

1 lbs. Capacity Hydraulic Table Cart [Despite the link typo, it's 1000#].

Talk about a back-saver- it has made so many jobs easier- I wonder how I ever got along w/o it.

That and this: Adjustable Steel Welding Table

I use for anything and everything that will [even partly] fit on it.

I saw their new miter saw table Heavy Duty Mobile Miter Saw Stand, and was/am thinking about it, but for the money I already spent, both/either the welding table and/or the hydraulic table cart do a pretty good job by themselves.
Hey ThreePoint and Rigustafson,

Many thanks for the input on the differences/utility of the 2 versions of HF band saws.

I had to work, so my boss/SWMBO was on her way to make the swap/exchange when I last talked to her earlier today, and hopefully she got us a good one.

I had already ordered these blades: MK Morse ZWEP441014MC Master Cobalt Portable Band Saw, Bi-metal 44-7/8-Inch X 1/2-Inch X .020-Inch TPI 10/14, Pack of 3- MK Morse ZWEP44114MC Master Cobalt Portable Band Saw, Bi-metal 44-7/8-Inch X 1/2-Inch X .2-Inch TPI 1/14, Pack of 3 - Band Saw Blades - Amazon.com

and

MK Morse ZWEP442024MC Master Cobalt Portable Band Saw, Bi-metal 44-7/8-Inch X 1/2-Inch X .020-Inch TPI 20/24- MK Morse ZWEP44224MC Master Cobalt Portable Band Saw, Bi-metal 44-7/8-Inch X 1/2-Inch X .2-Inch TPI 2/24 - Band Saw Blades - Amazon.com

based on reviews and previous experience with HF saw blades and other consumables [e.g., the OEM belt-sander belt], so hopefully my cutting needs are covered until I can convince her we NEED a plasma cutter.

But the barn needs to be wired w/ real electricity [vs heavy duty extension cords] before we can even begin to use it anyway- and at least she is on board with needing to get that done ASAP.

Thanks,
Thomas