Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[IslandTractor]

Air compressor sale thru 1/29/17.

http://view.harborfreightemail.com/...1f6769d1dd752405d04b2b52ccf5abba2609fc44f5a75

They never put the desirable compressors like this one 29 gal. 2 HP 15 PSI Cast Iron Vertical Air Compressor on a serious discount. I've been waiting years.

 

[Ford850]

They never put the desirable compressors like this one 29 gal. 2 HP 15 PSI Cast Iron Vertical Air Compressor on a serious discount. I've been waiting years.

$339 seems like a decent price on that. I think the other models have artificially inflated "regular prices" to make the sale prices stand out.

 

[IslandTractor]

$339 seems like a decent price on that. I think the other models have artificially inflated "regular prices" to make the sale prices stand out.

I'm not saying $339 isn't a fair price just that it isn't a real deal. The normal price fluctuates but is often in that range.

I think most of us recognize, HF frequently runs "sales" with a few shockingly low priced items mixed in with slightly discounted things. To be fair, it's a standard retail loss leader strategy, no surprise.

As I've never gotten organized enough to look carefully at their "20% off total purchase over $300" types of coupons they occasionally have, I'm not sure if they exclude compressors from part of the total or not. I'm guessing they do.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

The $298 price is the lowest, and $300 is darn good.

We just finished painting out the inside of the 12' x 28' portable building we picked up for a workshop until we can build one in a few years. All the wood walls and ceilings inside have 3 coats of outside white and both floors are painted with porch grade external light gray. I have been looking at this this 26" set as well as the 44" set. 44" would be nice for longer tools but much more than 2 of the 26' boxes.

The building as two french doors that open into the driveway so rolling a smaller one up to one door would permit me to go in and out for other things but grap tools from the box without enter the building. In a real shop with a concrete floor a huge box might be better. I have stuff in the basement, a two story storage building that the wife has taken over for the most part and 6' x 10' cargo tool trailer/mini shop. We plan to keep chainsaws, motor oil and other lessor used larger tools in the cargo trailer and use the 12' x 28' for the drill press, table saw in the like and work space.

We do have an old set of the cheaper brown tool boxes but plan to leave it in the cargo trailer since the wheels have never been mounted and to have to organize smaller stuff seldom used.

Anyone have any experience with the 44" or 56" tool box sets?

 

[dragoneggs]

Here is one of the best "don't suck" buys I can recall and at the lowest price I have seen in years. It has to be the strong dollar that's lowering import prices and it makes a yuuge difference.

Anyway, this toolbox is the best I have ever owned and comments in this thread compare them favorably to toolboxes that cost many multiples of it's price. It's this US General and is $300 until Jan 22, 2017. The price shows in the on line coupon/sale thing I get in the mail. The $300 price shows in that link.

26 in., 16 Drawer Glossy Red Roller Cabinet Combo

If you do buy one, I suggest in person because the shipping box is typical Chinese card-press-board and dents are common and can be hidden. I unwrapped mine in the store and then accepted it. Mail order would probably not work. It's a great buy for $300 and I really like mine.

I bought one of these for my son for Christmas... great deal for what it is.

 

[KubotainNH]

I bought one of these for my son for Christmas... great deal for what it is.

My son bought one in August for auto collision school. They had one with a dent in it during a parking lot sale. I think they gave it to him for $260. He loves it.

 

[Travelover]

My son bought one in August for auto collision school. They had one with a dent in it ...............

Seems appropriate - one with a dent ....LOL

 

[KubotainNH]

Seems appropriate - one with a dent ....LOL

Exactly. He was happy saving some coin.

 

[txdon]

Air compressor sale thru 1/29/17.

http://view.harborfreightemail.com/...1f6769d1dd752405d04b2b52ccf5abba2609fc44f5a75

That's the one I got my Dad a few months ago. Works fine if you don't mind LOUD.

 

[MossRoad]

I have this air compressor from HF....
21 gal. 2.5 HP 125 PSI Cast Iron Vertical Air Compressor

It is absolutely the loudest air compressor I've ever heard despite this glowing review.....

"The perfect compressor with powerful, quiet and consistent airflow…plus we love the low price."
Street Trucks Magazine

 

[California]

I have this air compressor from HF....
21 gal. 2.5 HP 125 PSI Cast Iron Vertical Air Compressor

It is absolutely the loudest air compressor I've ever heard

Ditto. That identical motor/compressor is on my HF 10 gallon horizontal compressor, a recent previous model. It is unpleasantly loud.

And the shroud on mine is open toward the regulator which megaphones the sound out where you are working. Good design in that you see the oil level every time you turn the switch on, but man what a racket.

I see the present version 2.5hp/10 gallon has the shroud pointed away from the regulator. Maybe that's a little quieter but who is going to roll the compressor out of the corner of the shop (where you put it because its so darn loud) to look at the oil sight glass?

Incidentally I found a Youtube demo of the 2.5hp/10 gallon compressor and the guy seriously misses the point. Like my experience, that compressor won't power HF's $30 impact wrench but it is because that tool sucks too much air. My solution was I got rid of that impact wrench and bought the $80 Earthquake model. This works beautifully. I can do several lugnuts before it kicks in and the torque is incredible. That reviewer doesn't realize his problem is the inexpensive and air-hungry impact wrench he is trying demo. I see HF no longer sells that model.

That reviewer also says 2.5hp/10 gallon is insufficient for spray painting but he hasn't tried it. Wrong, it powers HF's $10 HVLP spray gun beautifully. We primed then put a gallon of white Rustoleum on lawn furniture recently (photo) with this combination. It paints for quite a while before it kicks in, and recovers in under a minute while you continue to spray without stopping.

Finally this compressor ran my old Porter Cable framing nailer at the far end of a long air hose just fine.

Overall, the 2.5hp/10 gallon rig meets my needs. I just wish it wasn't so loud.

 

[dragoneggs]

That reviewer also says 2.5hp/10 gallon is insufficient for spray painting but he hasn't tried it. Wrong, it powers HF's $10 HVLP spray gun beautifully. We primed then put a gallon of white Rustoleum on lawn furniture recently (photo) with this combination. It paints for quite a while before it kicks in, and recovers in under a minute while you continue to spray without stopping.

Finally this compressor ran my old Porter Cable framing nailer at the far end of a long air hose just fine.

Overall, the 2.5hp/10 gallon rig meets my needs. I just wish it wasn't so loud.

Question, do you thin your paints when using the HF cheapo HVLP gun? If so, just a little or a lot?

 

[California]

Question, do you thin your paints when using the HF cheapo HVLP gun? If so, just a little or a lot?

My son-in law is a professional artist. He tried various small samples to get what seemed right to him. It looked to me to be about Rustoleum (thick) paint + 20% ordinary paint thinner.

Incidentally he said he had worked with many spray guns and this HF cheapie was surprisingly good, a more expensive gun wouldn't improve anything and might require a higher volume of air.

A couple of tips: I've read that too much thinner reduces gloss to flat (as well as being runny). Also we were priming mixing various half-used cans of red Rustoleum and strained the paint at every step, particularly as it went into the gun's cup. Even the fresh white Rustoleum for the finish coat had a little debris in it. HF's conical filters, the finest mesh, worked great. For working alone their stand (heavy wire) to hold the filter would be helpful. And a filter/water trap in the air line is essential. I use HF's better, $35 one.

Added - I see that reviews on HF's site note a problem I had to remedy with that filter/water trap. As HF says, 'Some Assembly Required'. I found the plumbing joints loose and leaky on that unit. I disassembled it and used teflon tape to reassemble, then no more hissing. It's a quality unit after it is brought up to spec like it should have been in the first place.

 

[dragoneggs]

Thank you, thank you for your great response. I don't spray a lot but I never know what I am doing with thinners. I am assuming you/SIL are using paint thinner vs. lacquer thinner or other? The 20% is a good tip. I do have a water separator and would like to improve so air is mostly dry. Will upgrade with additional HF unit in line to catch more moisture downstream. My filter is next to compressor. I want another one and close to tool so moisture in pipe or hose is captured.

On your 'tweaking' of the sprayer with a slight tear down and tape. I do something similar with my cheapo HF grinders. These are $10 on sale but need to take gear housing off and replace the grease (what little there is) and pack with quality grease. Big improvement.

 

[California]

Didn't need to tweak the spray gun, it was flawless. That filter/water trap in contrast was thrown together with joints just past finger-tight so it hissed from several places.

Yes, just paint thinner. On that cast iron lawn furniture there aren't any flat areas that need an automotive-quality mirror finish so I don't know that premium materials would improve anything.

 

[sixdogs]

Question, do you thin your paints when using the HF cheapo HVLP gun? If so, just a little or a lot?

I thin mine and you have to. The 20% number works and sometimes a little more, depending on the paint. You have to see how it sprays and the temp, etc.

While the HF "el cheapo" HVLP is low priced, don't let the price fool you. It is a quality paint gun that would score high in a blind test. I have seen these guns in some high end paint shops that can afford whatever they want.

 

[PILOON]

I thin mine and you have to. The 20% number works and sometimes a little more, depending on the paint. You have to see how it sprays and the temp, etc.

While the HF "el cheapo" HVLP is low priced, don't let the price fool you. It is a quality paint gun that would score high in a blind test. I have seen these guns in some high end paint shops that can afford whatever they want.

No matter what kind of spray gun used all paints need thinning, they even sell a device to calibrate the consistency however experienced painters can usually judge by simply pouring out a bit into the pot.
It is all about 'thin enough to spray without running'. Other factors get involved such as driers, hardeners etc etc.

 

[California]

... they even sell a device to calibrate the consistency however experienced painters can usually judge by simply pouring out a bit into the pot.

Paint Viscosity Gauge.


My son in law, an artist, has the experience to blend a trial batch then fine-tune after spraying a sample onto a flat surface. If I had to start from scratch I would use this gauge to get in the ballpark.

It should be available at any paint store.

 

[dragoneggs]

No matter what kind of spray gun used all paints need thinning, they even sell a device to calibrate the consistency however experienced painters can usually judge by simply pouring out a bit into the pot.
It is all about 'thin enough to spray without running'. Other factors get involved such as driers, hardeners etc etc.

This has always been my problem with my spray gun and 2gal pressure pot. I finally sold it because of its bulk and hassle. I haven't played much at all with small HVLP guns and was wondering if it performed the same with regard to thinning.

 

[dragoneggs]

Paint Viscosity Gauge.
View attachment 495765

My son in law, an artist, has the experience to blend a trial batch then fine-tune after spraying a sample onto a flat surface. If I had to start from scratch I would use this gauge to get in the ballpark.

It should be available at any paint store.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could buy the paint with the correct viscosity for spraying? Wondering if the paint store would do it for you if you asked? I hate dicking around with stuff like that.