Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[frugalangler]

I remember the "gypsy" tool guys that used to come around with the tractor trailers. Their tools reminded me a lot of the quality HF had. One of the names that comes to mind is " Cummins".?

The were all over around here, maybe because they were based in Spring Hill, KS just down the road about 8 miles from my place now. When younger, they had a 'route' through the rural towns and the grocery stores used to post their 'schedule' of what towns grocery store parking lot they would be at when. For quite a while up until a couple years ago, they operated a storefront about 2 miles from me, they had one of everything you could imagine and 2 of everything else, I bought quite a bit from them because Harbor Freight was a 'mail order' or telephone business, the only retail outlet was the one in Camarillo, CA, but at Cummins I could touchy/feely and if I had an issue, I could walk in anytime to that store (like you can now at HF). Yep, I consider Cummins the pre-cursor to HF of today.

 

[4get gto]

Don't see them around here anymore. They use to set up at local fire company parking lots. I remember I bought a Jumbo Wench set that came with sizes something like 1 1/4- 2 1/2. First time using them bent them into U's. :laughing:

 

[crazyal]

I remember the "gypsy" tool guys that used to come around with the tractor trailers. Their tools reminded me a lot of the quality HF had. One of the names that comes to mind is " Cummins".?

Good old Chuck Homier. Haven't seen him around here in a little while.

 

[crazyal]

I like my HF wrenches for when I'll be working in the woods or dirt where you could drop one and it'll be lost forever. My father was a cheap tool junkie and I have all sorts of quality wrenches. I save them because every so often I need to modify one to do a job and I don't mine destroying a cheap one for a one time only project. I've had luck with their air tools and some corded stuff (other stuff has died minutes after plugging it in). Steel stuff like jack stands and hammers seam fine. Other things like the speed squares as so thin that they look too fragile to last. I rarely go there and spend much money as most tools need to impress me unless I need something and think the HF version will sand up. I just can't spend hundreds on anything they sell unless I know I can modify it when the part most likely to break does fail.

My tile saw is a great example. It'll do pavers as well because of it's 10" blade. It cost less to buy it than rent a name brand one. The two things that could break, the motor and the water pump can easily be replaced. The new version of it switched to a circular saw vs the motor driving the spindle via a belt and when the motor dies the saw would be hard to repair. The motor on mine is pretty much a standard electrical motor so any brand could be made to fit. Things like the Vulcan welders, I just couldn't pull the trigger. I like their low cost AC/DC TIG welder but when something dies after the one year is up, then what? The same holds for things like the generators they sell. I don't mind taking a risk on $100 dollar gas engine or water pump but much more than that for a potential paperweight just is too risky for me.

 

[sixdogs]

One thing brought up recently but we should mention again are the jack stands. Never trust them. I use the six ton ones and if I am going underneath always add an extra one for good measure. Remember what we're dealing with here. For areas where the six tons are too tall I use the aluminum three tons and always a backup if underneath. Just an FYI.

 

[Oaktree]

I remember the "gypsy" tool guys that used to come around with the tractor trailers. Their tools reminded me a lot of the quality HF had. One of the names that comes to mind is " Cummins".?

Don't ever remember a name, but we used to get those GIANT TOOL AND ELECTRONICS LIQUIDATION SALE!!!! hucksters come around every year or so. They'd rent a local function hall and blitz their ads on the radio and newspaper week or two ahead of time with too good to be true sounding deals on allegedly name brand products. Of course when you'd ask about one of the advertised items, it was "already sold out" and most of what they had was cheap no-name tools and car stereos. Stuff that even looked cheap.
For some reason, they'd only allow just so many customers in the hall at any one time, probably to further the illusion that you were getting a great deal.

 

[KubotainNH]

This thread makes me think we should start with a new one showing pics of the cheapest tool you've ever had. I still have this odd ratcheting socket set that looked to be made of tin cans. The ratchet piece split open on it's first slightly tough job.

 

[sixdogs]

This thread makes me think we should start with a new one showing pics of the cheapest tool you've ever had. I still have this odd ratcheting socket set that looked to be made of tin cans. The ratchet piece split open on it's first slightly tough job.

I mentioned it earlier in this thread, but I once bought a set of HF drill bits that were for use in plastics and wood only. No metal. How can that be? It's the cheapest thing I ever bought

 

[KubotainNH]

I mentioned it earlier in this thread, but I once bought a set of HF drill bits that were for use in plastics and wood only. No metal. How can that be? It's the cheapest thing I ever bought

I got some of those in my stocking one year. Kinda comical but they do say no metal.

 

[California]

I'll see if I can find the drill bit that unwound when it jammed. I don't remember if it was from early HF but I think it was.


They still sell the $10 21 Piece Tap & Die set:

• Ideal for fixing stripped threads in soft metals and plastics around the house
• ...
• Not suitable for steel or automotive use.

 

[thepumpguysc]

WAY BACK [lol] in 1980 when I started turning wrenches for a living, I got a "tool list" from my employer.. tools I must have..
My first stop was HF.. spent $200.00 & had everything I needed..
I STILL HAVE a lot of those tools.. most are modified but I still have the impact sockets in near perfect condition.
& the wrench rack that holds wrenches..
Several years ago a coworker was in my tool box & helped themselves to acouple of wrenches for a quickie job..
HE was in the wrong drawer.. those wrenches were "back-ups".. He made the comment about the cheap old HF wrenches & it hurt my feelings..lol
I told him.. "those wrenches have made more money than you EVER will".. Lol

 

[sixdogs]

...

They still sell the $10 21 Piece Tap & Die set:

In my shop, I have and still occasionally use one of those die sets. It's all broken and bits but some dies remain. Very wide tolerances. I got it in the late 1970's or early 1980's when there was a shop in Maine where the guy would haul HF stuff in and sell it. Some was incredibly poor quality. I think that's where we all discovered the blue tarp because everyone for miles around suddenly had one. You could find an occasional gem in there every now and then so that kept the excitement up and kept people going in. Back in the late 1970's, no one had ever seen such an experience or store.

I still have a 50' x 50'heavy green tarp I bought for almost nothing ($20?) and while it hasn't been in the weather still is good and not much different from when new. Real quality. Earlier in this thread I posted pics of some early screwdrivers that were hand made of metal with inlaid wood handles. Very neat. On the downside, I have a large adjustable wrench that looks like a cartoon caricature of a real wrench. Except it's a real wrench. I have a huge vise that looks like a Fred Flintstone vise and is almost unusable. I've even bought some quality farm toys and other seemingly distress merchandise they must have picked up on the cheap.

So, for nearly 30 years I've been going in HF stores in search of the Holy Grail. Don't buy much, and never anything electrical, and it's been a good and improving experience overall. They are slowly becoming the elephant in the room for many hand tools and now some impact wrenches and tool chests. I feel like the godfather because every time I try to get away they keep pulling me back in. Love it and because I am a careful shopper, have never done me wrong.

 

[thepumpguysc]

OH YEA, I forgot about the screwdrivers.. big, long monsters w/ WOODEN handles.. still have some of them too..
I use them for "light" prying cuz they bend real easy.. LOL
& some I've ground the tips down for specialty tools.. You DO NOT want to hit them w/ a hammer.. LOL.. they'll split in a NY minute.
I guess they aren't to bad for being 37 years old??

 

[sixdogs]

Here you go for that walk down memory lane...

 

[4get gto]

Here you go for that walk down memory lane...

View attachment 539055

I think you can beat the heck out of them!

 

[thepumpguysc]

The ones I have are wooden all the way thru.. no metal rivets or caps.. real cheap. 1980
The shank is just "pressed" into the handle & if you "tap" on it, the shank drives up thru & splits the wooden handle.
I WISH I had a set of those pictured.. lol
but I opted for snap-on replacements.. & even at that, a tip snapped off the snap-on the 2nd week & I wasn't doing anything that they weren't meant to do. Just goes to show that even an $80.00 set of screwdrivers will/can break..

 

[daugen]

Haven't been on here in a while, would appreciate some recommendations from you HF experts.
I have a fairly small UTV battery powering a new DC fence charger. I would like to put a small solar charger on the battery
to extend the life of the charge.

Do you have any recommendations for HF solar chargers that work? Under a hundred bucks for sure.
I know there are varying grades of panel construction, different chemistries.
I see the ones in Northern Tools which frankly I would tend to trust more than HF. But maybe they are buying the same unit from China
and putting their label and paint job on it. Have seen that a bunch of times. Or maybe it's the knockoffs knocking off the knockoffs...

thanks Drew

 

[300UGUY]

Here you go for that walk down memory lane...

View attachment 539055

I have a bunch of Irwin screwdrivers that look just like that... wonder why?��

 

[300UGUY]

I think you can beat the heck out of them!

I’ve abused the Irwin ones for years, never broke one. They were the go to tool for our machine repair guys in the factory. I’ve got a couple with hex shanks, that let you put a wrench on it for more torque. Still never broke anything. Also used as pry bars on occasion!��

 

[reb]

Haven't been on here in a while, would appreciate some recommendations from you HF experts.
I have a fairly small UTV battery powering a new DC fence charger. I would like to put a small solar charger on the battery
to extend the life of the charge.

Do you have any recommendations for HF solar chargers that work? Under a hundred bucks for sure.
I know there are varying grades of panel construction, different chemistries.
I see the ones in Northern Tools which frankly I would tend to trust more than HF. But maybe they are buying the same unit from China
and putting their label and paint job on it. Have seen that a bunch of times. Or maybe it's the knockoffs knocking off the knockoffs...

thanks Drew

I bought one of their $15 solar panels and built a regulator to use on my emergency generator. Apparently some folks use them without the regulator on 12v batteries. The only problem I heard about was a case where an individual uses it on a vehicle that stood for several months unused. I imagine that for your application, where the battery is used daily you will have no problem.