Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[LS Tractor Owner]

Been meaning to ask about those. Been considering them for a while.


I purchased both sets of the ratcheting wrenches about 6 months ago. They have become my 'go to' wrenches. My old REAL Craftsmen wrenches sit in the drawer ! I have used the ratchet side and beat on them to loosen rusted nuts and haven't broken one yet. I think I got them for $15.99 or $19.99 plus the 20% off. I have been thinking of getting another 2 sets...

 

[crazyal]

I picked up the 3 ton jack.. Man that thing is a BEAST..
The 3 ton jack stands.
The 30 bin wall mount containers. Now I have 3.
4 saw horses
Another pneumatic roll around stool
2 sets of ratcheting wrenches, sae & mm {woulda came in handy putting the carts together}
A laser thermometer
& a FEW other things that weren't on my list..
I got the 4 in 1 screwdriver FREE
The bill was 256.00
& THEN she had "the nerve" to put more sale papers in the bag.!!!
Looks like I'm going back in NOVEMBER...
The wife asked WHEN THAT SALE was..
I told her in November.. she said, GOOD.. we NEED a break from that place.. Lol
We've been every Saturday for 3 weeks.. over a 100 mile R/T..

They use to always have a coupon for the 30 bin containers for $9.99 but I haven't seen it in a little while. They are fine for holding smaller nuts and bolts.

 

[California]

I purchased both sets of the ratcheting wrenches about 6 months ago. They have become my 'go to' wrenches. My old REAL Craftsmen wrenches sit in the drawer ! I have used the ratchet side and beat on them to loosen rusted nuts and haven't broken one yet. I think I got them for $15.99 or $19.99 plus the 20% off. I have been thinking of getting another 2 sets...

Dang. Another new toy I didn't know I need!

 

[Michael Aos]

I bought the old 26" combo and old 44" and old 5-drawer cart about a month before they switched to the new format.

I wish I'd waited. I like the new ones much better.
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Your late.
They recently "upgraded" most of their line.
Previously they had the 26" x20" top and bottom US General red for as low as $295(?approx). now the base alone goes for that. They added 2 inches in depth and several colors for a couple of hundred dollars.
What size space do you want to fill? You can't cram 2 44's into a 72 space.
View attachment 586975

 

[Michael Aos]

Try and look for the versions marked "Taiwan".

Dang. Another new toy I didn't know I need!

 

[rangerfredbob]

I spent way too much money there this weekend... went Saturday to check out the "open box" stuff that was 20% off the marked price, nothing amazing but they did have a couple things that peaked my interest at 50% off so went this morning and spent a lot...

Titanium Unlimited 200 welder for $225 like I just bought for $650, unopened box... will transfer this to my buddy that needs a new welder...
Titanium Mig 170 for $125 (going to have two shops soon so 2 welders would be good)
The Lynx 40V leaf blower and pole saw for $40 and $50 respectively, the pole saw even had 2 batteries! have a gas leaf blower, but this will make bonfires easier...
3 ton jack for $40, again the two shop thing will need doubles.

Really tempted at a yellow tool cart for around $80 and one of the 420cc engines for about the same but I'm out of space and the shop isn't built yet...

 

[thepumpguysc]

Sorry>> February.. Super Bowl Sale..

 

[Threepoint]

I spent way too much money there this weekend... went Saturday to check out the "open box" stuff that was 20% off the marked price, nothing amazing but they did have a couple things that peaked my interest at 50% off so went this morning and spent a lot...

Titanium Unlimited 200 welder for $225 like I just bought for $650, unopened box... will transfer this to my buddy that needs a new welder...
Titanium Mig 170 for $125 (going to have two shops soon so 2 welders would be good)
The Lynx 40V leaf blower and pole saw for $40 and $50 respectively, the pole saw even had 2 batteries! have a gas leaf blower, but this will make bonfires easier...
3 ton jack for $40, again the two shop thing will need doubles.

Really tempted at a yellow tool cart for around $80 and one of the 420cc engines for about the same but I'm out of space and the shop isn't built yet...

I've never seen "open box" prices that low in the HF stores out here. The Lynxx 40v blower and pole saw are especially nice items. Congratulations! Don't know why they would be discounted so much, unless they're missing a part. With the blower, I don't know of anything that could be missing, tho. With the pole saw, check to make sure the circlip ("c" clip) that holds the chain sprocket in place is there. If not, I think it's a 10mm. HF doesn't sell them, but Grainger and Fastenal do. The OEM clip on mine and on a buddy's was slightly too large, and his actually popped off in use.

 

[wassup8687]

I bought the rolling mitre saw stand yesterday along with the ratcheting SAE and metric wrenches. I also picked up the 3 pack of step drill bits and an infared thermometer

The thermometer is really a neat tool. I checked out all parts of the house yesterday. Lol The temperature in the wood stove was over 900 pointed at the hot burning coals.

 

[Oaktree]

I've never seen "open box" prices that low in the HF stores out here. The Lynxx 40v blower and pole saw are especially nice items. Congratulations! Don't know why they would be discounted so much, unless they're missing a part.

I was wondering the same thing. Most of what I've seen here on their various "blowout" sales is discontinued items, or other stuff that didn't sell as well as some regular priced items made to look like a huge bargain. Maybe I just missed anything good.

I have to ask though, who is marketing genius at HF that has a parking lot sale in the middle of January? Maybe not a big deal in SoCal, but it's winter in the northern half of the country. Barely got out of the single #s all weekend here.

 

[John_Mc]

Your late.
They recently "upgraded" most of their line.
Previously they had the 26" x20" top and bottom US General red for as low as $295(?approx). now the base alone goes for that. They added 2 inches in depth and several colors for a couple of hundred dollars.
What size space do you want to fill? You can't cram 2 44's into a 72 space.

Probably going to start with the 44". Might wait for it to go on sale. It seems the 20% or 25% off sales always exclude the tool chests.

 

[California]

I wonder if those discount welders were 'try it for a year' returns. If so, I would test one extensively within the 5-day (?) return period.

 

[rangerfredbob]

The Unlimited looked to be unopened, everything was in the box and as packaged from the factory, haven't tried it but will tonight hopefully... the Mig 170 was missing the hose and regulator but I put some .030 flux core wire in it, the tip had some white spatter on the outside so it was used very little, no spatter on the nozzle. I tried it for a few minutes and it runs as smooth as my Unlimited that I bought a few weeks ago...

The blower and pole saw boxes were THRASHED, holes all over, no packing material at all in the blower box just the battery, blower and charger in loose. The pole saw was unassembled, I opened the bar and chain, the circlip was in place and tight on the sprocket.

I'm not sure why things were cheap, the MIG 170 was marked $245, Unlimited was marked $450, usually they're marked like 10% lower than regular price... and for some reason the good stuff wasn't out until Sunday when it was half off...

 

[downsizingnow48]

For those who might be interested in the poly service cart for $100:

16 In. x 3 In. Industrial Polypropylene Service Cart

I found the exact same thing on Amazon for $73 no additional shipping:

https://www.amazon.com/TUFFIOM-Capa...&qid=1547513072&sr=8-19&keywords=service+cart

 

[Michael Aos]

I have at least 4 of the HF version. I used 20% and 25% off coupons.

Love them!
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For those who might be interested in the poly service cart for $100:

16 In. x 3 In. Industrial Polypropylene Service Cart

I found the exact same thing on Amazon for $73 no additional shipping:

https://www.amazon.com/TUFFIOM-Capa...&qid=1547513072&sr=8-19&keywords=service+cart

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Stopped in HF today to pick up a pack of the 4 1/2" cutoff wheels.....I know, I know....but having a coupon for $5.99 for 10 of em, can't beat it. Well, by the time I used the other coupons I had....two of the "hang all" brackets for a buck each, a grinding wheel for a buck, box of 50 pegboard hooks for $5.60, set of 3 drill to socket adaptors for $.99, a pair of wire strippers for $2, and of course, another free blue LED light. I got out of there pretty easy....$20. Could have easily been $200

Wassup8687, which miter saw stand did you get? The Hercules one or the grey ($100) one. I was needing to replace my old HF stand from 20 years ago. When I was looking at the cheaper grey one ($100) the box said it had 'rollers', but the display had fixed round tubes welded to the mount on the extensions. The Hercules stand actually had rollers. I was wondering if the display was a different style.

 

[PILOON]

Well, being a Canuk I don't have a harbor freight to visit but I do follow the posts mainly to hear about the ratings.
Up north we rely on Canadian Tire, Summit and Northern Tools as the similar sources for import tools.

I do recall when travelling many years back having visited a 'Harbor Freight' in California and suspect it might just have been one of the first stores that is now a major chain.
Back then I was flying commercial so I could not buy much due to baggage restrictions but was sure drooling.

 

[Diggin It]

Looks like they have stores in Burlington, Plattsburgh and Pottsdam. Not real close, but a lot closer than California. Not sure what kind of wall you'd have to lift stuff over at the border.

 

[California]

I do recall when travelling many years back having visited a 'Harbor Freight' in California and suspect it might just have been one of the first stores that is now a major chain.
Back then I was flying commercial so I could not buy much due to baggage restrictions but was sure drooling.

Off-topic, funny (to me at least): After the Los Angeles earthquake in 1994 I flew down there near weekly for a year on state government business, assessing repair billings. With evenings to kill, I did much of my shopping for hobby stuff that I would have done at home. One week I bought a centrifugal water pump to mount on a 5hp B&S. When that luggage went through the Burbank airport scanner the operator fled shrieking in Spanish. Sorry, lady. Apparently they had been trained to look for land mines or something. I really hadn't intended to create a scene ....

 

[newbury]

I bought the old 26" combo and old 44" and old 5-drawer cart about a month before they switched to the new format.

I wish I'd waited. I like the new ones much better.
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Do you really think the new 26" is worth the extra $$?