Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[newbury]

<snip>
I have to say I am impressed not by quality, but by the marketing, sourcing and the customer traffic they generate.

In the two stores I "frequent" about half or more of their customer traffic seems to be customers carrying a freebie and what seems like a minimum purchase.

I see male-female "teams" (husband wife but who knows) each buying a minimal item like paintbrush and getting a free flashlight, multimeter or tarp.

I see what appears to be contractors come in with a crew, each guy picks up one item and a freebie and the guy that looks like the crew leader might buy a $20 item and get a freebie.

And then there's a cluster of Craigs list ads selling the free items for 5 to 10 dollars.

Since I have to drive about 45 minutes round trip to the closest one in Virginia I rarely go for less than a major savings. In Mississippi it's an hour one way, but not too far from other things like Lowes, HD etc. If I lived close to one I'd be in it every day for a freebie

 

[IslandTractor]

Cordless (battery) technology has always been about batteries...from phones to laptops and everything in between and beyond... Electronics is/was easy to master lowering power consumption...improved tools etc. have taken longer... At any rate we have NASA and the ISS/Shuttle program for the development of both (batteries and technology)... Would there be anything kooler for a tool guy than to have one of the cordless tools the astronauts use...with all the attachments...?

I agree.

 

[downsizingnow48]

I wish they'd spread them out a little. I live the other side of Placerville, and it's about the same distance to all of them. Too darn far, especially if I have to return something (which happens too often with their stuff; go back once or twice to get a good one). I (and others I know) would like one in Cameron Park, or even Rancho Cordova. I know, population density and all that, but I think a store up the hill could draw a lot of business, just from a wider area.

Agree Rancho would be an obvious location on the H50 corridor. They already have Walmart Costco Home Depot Lowes Sears and a whole lot of specialized retailers.

 

[farmer2009]

I know this has been answered here before but with IPhone app lacking a decent search function here it is.

What to y'all think of the propane weed burning torches? Propane Torch with Push Button Igniter

 

[dirtymartini]

I know this has been answered here before but with IPhone app lacking a decent search function here it is.

What to y'all think of the propane weed burning torches? Propane Torch with Push Button Igniter

I have used this to light brush piles...works great!

 

[lostcreekranch]

I know this has been answered here before but with IPhone app lacking a decent search function here it is.

What to y'all think of the propane weed burning torches? Propane Torch with Push Button Igniter

I bought the HF torch w/o starter about 15 years ago and it has worked flawlessly. I start it with A/O torch igniter. I've had poor service with push button starters on gas grills, patio heaters, etc.

YMMBD.

 

[MossRoad]

I know this has been answered here before but with IPhone app lacking a decent search function here it is.

What to y'all think of the propane weed burning torches? Propane Torch with Push Button Igniter

I bought one this spring without the push button igniter. I have bunches of torch lighters, so no big deal. Anyhow, I lit it and promptly got covered with the paint (or whatever that stuff they finish the torch with) that burnt off the unit. After the initial burn-off of the factory finish, it works fine. Be prepared for the same noise you hear when a hot air balloon hits the igniter.... and also be prepared for any old retired dudes in the neighborhood to come scurrying over to see what all the noise is about.

 

[California]

What to y'all think of the propane weed burning torches? Propane Torch with Push Button Igniter

According to the reviews its great for getting the weeds that come up between paving stones etc.

I bought one but took it back.

I have some orchard rows that are inconvenient to cross-till with the 8 ft disc. (photo). For those areas I wanted to get the weeds that the disc missed. This burner roared and burned a lot of propane, but did little to no damage to those hardy, wet weeds.

I finally started cross-tilling with the rototiller to get into the tight spots. (another photo).

I guess it depends on your application. It seemed to me to put out a huge flame but only kitchen-stove level heat, not enough heat to dry my weeds to where they would burn up.


Oh and I discovered a part missing when I started to use it, had to go back and get an exchange before I had one that worked. 'Some Assembly Required'.

 

[MossRoad]

I use mine along the garden fence row to burn down the weeds where I can't weedeat or till.

 

[California]

...if you want to read a bit on latest ones...

Patent Picks: Lithium-Ion Batteries | April 28, 214 Issue - Vol. 92 Issue 17 | Chemical & Engineering News

I just saw the following, and thought of this thread.

An MIT spinout is preparing to commercialize a novel rechargable lithium metal battery that offers double the energy capacity of the lithium ion batteries that power many of today's consumer electronics.

They are in limited production for drones now, and are exploring the economics of scaling up for tools, cars etc.

MIT News article