Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[Diggin It]

Picked up the 12 ton H frame press today. Tomorrow is assemble and test day.

 

[5030]

Joined the 'Inside Track Club' and got a wicked price on a Zurich high end code reader. Regular price 200 clams, 130 clams, membership included.

 

[hunt4570]

"But I don't need a "mobile" saw either.."

Whadday mean? My PM66 is portable/mobile - all you need is a couple good lifting straps and a FEL ... Steve

Or for just "mobile" it has locking casters

Well I do have a FEL and lifting straps but....

My Powermatic with the 52" fence and custom take off table is on a mobile base and casters so I can move it around the shop, but picking it up is a whole nother story. All my shop tools are on mobile bases, but they don't leave the shop. Heck even my new panel saw is on wheels..

 

[BukitCase]

Well I do have a FEL and lifting straps but....

My Powermatic with the 52" fence and custom take off table is on a mobile base and casters so I can move it around the shop, but picking it up is a whole nother story. All my shop tools are on mobile bases, but they don't leave the shop. Heck even my new panel saw is on wheels..

Same here, I was just joking around; altho I DID need to lift the saw when I put the mobile base under it, and a cherry picker's kind of difficult to pick something if the picker's legs can't fit UNDER it.

Hard to beat "old iron" tho, mine had seen about 20 years abuse in a cabinet shop; I cleaned out about a wheelbarrow load of sawdust, cleaned it up, put 3 new belts on, new blade - I've actually balanced a nickel on the top while it's running. I can cut 2 pieces of 3/4 ply, pocket hole them together and put a machinist square in the resulting corner and not be able to "see daylight" anywhere.

Think I'll keep it ... Steve

 

[hunt4570]

Same here, I was just joking around; altho I DID need to lift the saw when I put the mobile base under it, and a cherry picker's kind of difficult to pick something if the picker's legs can't fit UNDER it.

Hard to beat "old iron" tho, mine had seen about 20 years abuse in a cabinet shop; I cleaned out about a wheelbarrow load of sawdust, cleaned it up, put 3 new belts on, new blade - I've actually balanced a nickel on the top while it's running. I can cut 2 pieces of 3/4 ply, pocket hole them together and put a machinist square in the resulting corner and not be able to "see daylight" anywhere.

Think I'll keep it ... Steve

Yeah I bought mine new about 20 years ago when I was building a set of cabinets and needed the deep fence for cutting the plywood for the boxes. I need to strip it out and recalibrate it all cause I need to build a new set of cabinets. Thinking back I cant even remember how I got it up on its mobile base..

 

[Diggin It]

Press went together OK. Couple of small glitches and may need to shim it some. Picture on the user guide shows some 45 degree cross braces at the bottom, but they weren't included and the base plate isn't drilled for them. I may try to add something later as it seems to twist some under pressure. Did the trick though. Only a few minutes between the pictures. Not really what the tool was made for, but it worked for me.




Yeah, I know the pictures are from different angles, but it was bent both ways.

 

[5030]

Chopper tailwheel fork... Looks like it did the trick. Additional bracing is always good as it distributes the applied force better and flat steel stock is cheap. I don't have one but may buy one sometime. I use my hydraulic arbor press usually.

 

[stuckmotor]

I've had my 8 gallon oil type air compressor fo over five years. I run lite duty air tools with it. Waiting for it to recharge isn't so bad because it's what I expected. The reset switch has tripped twice in the time I've had it and both times I had to go to the manual to find out where it was located. I call that a good thing.

 

[Oaktree]

Since we are talking about batteries. My cheap free thunderbolt batteries leaked in my cheap free flashlight.
I replaced them about a month ago.

Speaking of HF batteries, I'd put their coin-cell batteries, specifically the 2032's that are used on computer motherboards, car remote fobs, etc. in the "kind of suck" category. Name brand ones last for years, HF's seem to fail after 6 months or so. I was working on a computer the other day, wouldn't even boot with the HF battery in it, got a message "system battery voltage low". Put an Energizer one in and it worked just fine.
I'd just bought them this summer.

 

[Code54]

Speaking of HF batteries, I'd put their coin-cell batteries, specifically the 2032's that are used on computer motherboards, car remote fobs, etc. in the "kind of suck" category. Name brand ones last for years, HF's seem to fail after 6 months or so. I was working on a computer the other day, wouldn't even boot with the HF battery in it, got a message "system battery voltage low". Put an Energizer one in and it worked just fine.
I'd just bought them this summer.

I tried them once myself - seem to recall them being about dead right out of the package. Now I go on Amazon and get fresh name brand ones for very slight more $.