Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[IslandTractor]

Thanks for finding the official word Ford850.

Now that is settled, I will bring us back towards the HF topic by saying that I have a Swagoffroad press brake for my HF 20t press. It comes as a kit you weld together or fully assembled. I got the original kit. Easy to weld up even for someone with 0.01% of ShieldArc's skill.

My version is the original and doesn't have the finger brake capability. If I were doing it again I would CLEARLY pay a bit extra for the fingered version.

The press brake kit combined with the HF 20t press is pretty clearly the least expensive 20t press brake in the market. The SWAG portion is well engineered and ?laser cut. Everything fits exactly and directions are clear. Well worth the price if you need to bend up to 1/4" x20" or even thicker steel if narrower.

Recommended without reservation but do get the fingered version.

 

[PhysAssist]

Thanks for finding the official word Ford850.

Now that is settled, I will bring us back towards the HF topic by saying that I have a Swagoffroad press brake for my HF 20t press. It comes as a kit you weld together or fully assembled. I got the original kit. Easy to weld up even for someone with 0.01% of ShieldArc's skill.

My version is the original and doesn't have the finger brake capability. If I were doing it again I would CLEARLY pay a bit extra for the fingered version.

The press brake kit combined with the HF 20t press is pretty clearly the least expensive 20t press brake in the market. The SWAG portion is well engineered and ?laser cut. Everything fits exactly and directions are clear. Well worth the price if you need to bend up to 1/4" x20" or even thicker steel if narrower.

Recommended without reservation but do get the fingered version.

And if you have any questions, just email Troy, her answers them himself and was very helpful for me.

BTW, they also sell on Amazon, but the prices are marked up to pay for Amazon, and the product line is generally older and more limited, so you're better off going directly to their web site.

 

[lostcreekranch]

I just sent a message to eBay seller to see what steel he uses. At least they're made in USA?

The HF steel arbor plates still come from China so, how do we know what they are?

SWAG has good products but, not sure they are from $60 to $160 better?

Response from eBay seller;

"It will be A-36 or A514 we use scraps from other projects that's how we keep the cost down. thanks Scott"

Plenty good for a 20 ton press and way better than cast iron plates.

 

[IslandTractor]

Response from eBay seller; "It will be A-36 or A514 we use scraps from other projects that's how we keep the cost down. thanks Scott" Plenty good for a 20 ton press and way better than cast iron plates.

I totally agree that the swag plates are overkill for most uses but if you compare prices on a per cubic inch of steel basis their prices are not out of line with the eBay sellers. Swag plates are 1.5 X 8 X 10 = 120 cubic inch of high strength steel. Most of the eBay plates are 7x7x1 = 49 cubic inches. Swag plates may well be overkill but the pricing, especially for guaranteed high strength steel isn't bad.

 

[lostcreekranch]

I totally agree that the swag plates are overkill for most uses but if you compare prices on a per cubic inch of steel basis their prices are not out of line with the eBay sellers. Swag plates are 1.5 X 8 X 10 = 120 cubic inch of high strength steel. Most of the eBay plates are 7x7x1 = 49 cubic inches. Swag plates may well be overkill but the pricing, especially for guaranteed high strength steel isn't bad.

Respectfully, that's not how engineering a product works. Would you buy a 1200 lb., 120", quad lid grapple, for your tractor because it was less cost / lb. ???

You also made no allowance, in cubic inches, for the "V" and "C" cutouts in any of the plates?

My post did not try to address "most uses". The presently supplied 1 inch "steel" arbor plates, shipped with new gray HF 20 ton press, are more than adequate in mild steel, for the 20 ton application. I looked for steel replacements, for the previously supplied cast plates, for other TBN members who had the cast plates. If they are so inclined to spend an extra $100, no problems here.

 

[Pixguy]

..... Not sure why it didn't save the whole image so I took a screen shot of my tablet.

 

[NoTrespassing]

18 Gauge 2-in-1 Air Nailer/Stapler

Don't know if this stapler has been mentioned but we love it so far. On sale plus 20% off I probably paid around $17 plus tax. That's a deal that's hard to beat even if it doesn't last that long. My wife made about 120 ft. of picket fence with it out of 1/4 x 2 lath and 1/2" staples. The stapler has already paid for itself 5 times over.

Kevin

 

[5030]

At least I now know why all HF stores stink. It's the rubber airhose. My new red rubber one smells EXACTLY like the store does..........

 

[dragoneggs]

At least I now know why all HF stores stink. It's the rubber airhose. My new red rubber one smells EXACTLY like the store does..........

My wife won't go into the HF store if only for a few minutes when I insist she look at something. I bought the red rubber air hose hoping it would have the same effect in my garage/shop. It doesn't! I need more HF plastic stuff.

 

[California]

That's the smell of the uncured rubber hose rotting away before it even leaves the store.

I bought the little portable sandblaster kit the year I had Inside Track Club and it appeared at a good price. I put it away for future use and within a year - never used! - the rubber hose crumbled in a couple of places.

 

[dragoneggs]

That's the smell of the uncured rubber hose rotting away before it even leaves the store.

I bought the little portable sandblaster kit the year I had Inside Track Club and it appeared at a good price. I put it away for future use and within a year - never used! - the rubber hose crumbled in a couple of places.

Yes that outgassing can be a sign of bad things to come if it doesn't stabilize before it deteriorates.

 

[IslandTractor]

My wife won't go into the HF store if only for a few minutes when I insist she look at something. I bought the red rubber air hose hoping it would have the same effect in my garage/shop. It doesn't! I need more HF plastic stuff.

Sorry to hear the repellent qualities of HF rubber air hose seem to lose their potency after purchase. It would be great to find something one could pile on top of unauthorized purchases to keep the domestic detectives and critics at bay.

 

[sixdogs]

Yes that outgassing can be a sign of bad things to come if it doesn't stabilize before it deteriorates.

Two points on that.

I bought something from a brand name big box store and after a couple of days got the same old HF vaporizing solvent smell. Maybe this means all this stuff comes from the same place?

Mentioned earlier in this thread were the car mats I bought that had that same smell. Over a couple of summer months they actually began to shrink a noticeable amount. Got rid of them and bought better ones.

Also, I bought a rubber dead blow hammer that smelled and after a while the outside began to crumble like chocolate that had been previously frozen. A picture is posted earlier in this thread and I figure the smell and crumbling "rubber?" are related? Maybe we should judge rubber tools on their half-life of use rather that total usefulness?

On the other hand, their rubber headed hammers are first class, never smelled and after years of pounding on things with them they still look excellent. Everyone should own the biggest as well as the smallest rubber headed hammer. They solve many problems.

 

[newbury]

Just noticed the new "freebies" now require a minimum $4.99 purchase. I wonder if this will decrease the CL resellers.

and

<snip>

Also, I bought a rubber dead blow hammer that smelled and after a while the outside began to crumble like chocolate that had been previously frozen. A picture is posted earlier in this thread and I figure the smell and crumbling "rubber?" are related? Maybe we should judge rubber tools on their half-life of use rather that total usefulness?<snip>.

Now there's a useless reference, this darn thread is 5,714 posts!

 

[sixdogs]

Be careful of the stainless steel hose clamps.

 

[PILOON]

Be careful of the stainless steel hose clamps.


View attachment 467791

It may be our water but most clamp bodies last and the screws rust away over time.
My take is that the screws are not stainless due to fact that stainless is not hard enough to torque the clamp tight and maybe our water is slightly acidic.

 

[ArTrvlr]

It may be our water but most clamp bodies last and the screws rust away over time.
My take is that the screws are not stainless due to fact that stainless is not hard enough to torque the clamp tight and maybe our water is slightly acidic.

Some so-called stainless steel hose clamps are like you say, stainless band and body, carbon steel screw. But all stainless clamps are available, you just have to pay attention when you purchase. Then, as evidenced by the pic, there are clamps that are all carbon steel.

I bought some of the HF clamps years ago. They were too soft to withstand enough torque to stop leaking most times I tried them. Ones that did seal, soon rusted. The rest went in the trash. A well earned "Do Suck".

 

[hutchman]

Just picked up this beast, 1/2" right angle drill, while it was on sale plus used the 25% Mothers Day only coupon:

Right Angle Drill - Save on this Compact Right Angle Drill

I read up on a bunch of these and noticed the specs were suspiciously close to some "name brand" units so I figured it's basically a rip off with different clothes on. Doing a bathroom remodel and need to cut 3" holes in floor joist's for some plumbing drain.

Will post back how it works.

One thing funny I noticed in the manual was the electrical cord contains lead and you're supposed to wash your hands after handling the unit. I've never seen a warning on a cord like that before so I searched and basically all PVC based cords contain lead. Guess I learned something.

Another funny thing is a few of the reviews on HF say that they used it for mixing mortar/thinset for tile ... the right angle drill has a big fat red and white sticker on it that says "warranty void if used for mixing".

Speaking of mixing ... I killed my 20+ year old Crapsman drill that I had been using for mixing grout and mortar while working on my backhoe mount (which still isn't finished - long story) so I also picked up this drill for mixing ... has a picture of a dude mixing right on the box:
1/2" Heavy Duty Low Speed Drill

... so I'll report on that one too as it relates to mixing. I also have a few more holes to drill in my 1/2" steel backhoe mount so will use this one for that too ... supposed to have a double reduction gear box for mucho torque.

 

[5030]

I think I'd open up the gearbox and check the lube content and/or replace the rice grease with some real stuff.

A while back I bought the ATV winch with the remote, on sale for 69 bucks. Nice winch btw. Had to build a custom mount and change some frame geometry on my old Foreman 400 but it works real well.

First thing I did was open it up and clean out all the (very little inside) ricer grease and repack the gearbox with real EP grease. The stuff inside was already hard, what there was. Maybe a finger tip amount.


Maybe the philosophy is.... little or no grease equals a faster break in -breakdown.....


The Chinese factories that supply HF, really skimp on grease from what I've observed.

 

[hutchman]

I think I'd open up the gearbox and check the lube content and/or replace the rice grease with some real stuff.

A while back I bought the ATV winch with the remote, on sale for 69 bucks. Nice winch btw. Had to build a custom mount and change some frame geometry on my old Foreman 400 but it works real well.

First thing I did was open it up and clean out all the (very little inside) ricer grease and repack the gearbox with real EP grease. The stuff inside was already hard, what there was. Maybe a finger tip amount.


Maybe the philosophy is.... little or no grease equals a faster break in -breakdown.....


The Chinese factories that supply HF, really skimp on grease from what I've observed.

I was kind of surprised that both drills I mentioned didn't say anything about lube etc. in the manual.