Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[California]

My latest HF tool that doesn't suck is the Chicago Electric Welding Cabinet (Item #62275).

Does that lip on the edge of the deck get in the way of opening the door on the side of the welder?

That was a problem I didn't expect when I cobbled together a welder stand on wheels - so I let the stand go when I sold that welder.

I like your cabinet better.

 

[PhysAssist]

Originally Posted by Diggin It
Portable scaffold ( 63050, 63051 ), yeah or nay?



I was going to get 2 sets of these last year. Ended up going to HD with the HF add. They beat the price by 10% on the HD Metaltech scaffolding. The Metaltech was much better built, especially the deck.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/MetalTec...SCH1/302038304

If you can稚 get the Metaltech, the HF ones are good for some homeowner projects.

I bought the NT MetalTech a few years ago on sale for $129 as I recall.

It逞ｴ very sturdy and stabile.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/t...struction > Scaffolding&utm_source=Google_PLA

I looked into buying the NT scaffolding, but even with my premium membership, the shipping would've been exorbitant- like 3 or 4 times the item price, and since we now have 4 HF stores within 30-45 minutes of home, it made much more sense to buy them there- with 20% off both because the cashier was a reasonable guy and knew I'd been shopping there for years.

OTOH, I bought the guard rails, flat-bottomed leveling jacks, and outrigger kits from NT and got free shipping on both- and they are all Baker compatible, so the components all fit together well.

I found it useable, though it seemed to be a little wobbly at first, but with continued use, it seems to be fine.

IMHO, though, the guard rails are pretty much mandatory for safe use.

I did not and do not have any issues with the deck at all.

 

[PhysAssist]

At $30per year, I wonder if the average Joe could ever 'pay' for it. I just use as many 20% coupons that I can. I am guessing one needs to be a contractor or serious user to consume enough to pay for being on the 'inside track'.

Yes, but I can oft times use the Inside Track coupons from the HFQDB without any questions at my HF stores.

 

[Diggin It]

I was told they can't take two coupons for one item, but if the sale price doesn't require a coupon, then the 20% off coupon will work.

Bruce

Ditto. Coupons are off the lowest price, even if a sale.

 

[rangerfredbob]

True that- I have oft been the happy recipient of HF, TSC, and other tool store gift cards, knives, machetes, and even clothes like socks, and t-shirts, that my SWMBO knew would fit my worldview [e.g., more beer, guns, tools, and duct tape], whereas, she has explicitly told me [repeatedly] don't buy me clothes, dishes, or household appliances for any occasion.

OTOH, she is happy with pretty much anything schmaltzy/sappy/kitschy [misspelled that and had to trust Chrome's spell checker for correction] [then I misspelled misspelled :confused3:], and she was very happy when I bought her a thumbhole/pistol grip stock for her rifle- this is one of the main differences I have found between spousal units #1 and this one [#2 and final].

Current [and final] SWMBO is fairly straight forward in her communication of wants/needs and the opposite, whereas #1 was arbitrary and whimsical- and not in any good way...

I'm currently waiting for a good coupon to use for their 12-volt air compressor/tire inflator [either- 12V 1 PSI High Volume Air Inflator or 12V 15 PSI Compact Air Compressor] does anyone have anything good or bad to say about either of them?

I'm leaning toward the 150# model despite the ^ cost, because of the possibility of needing to use it for the F-350's tires some day.

I just saw the 25% off coupon for this weekend, so I'll probably use that- if it's not excluded- I'd like to get 2 of them, so I'll either have to cycle back into the store, or have SWMBO come in with me for one of them.

I have both, and the bigger one goes on sale for around $60 sometimes and is worth it. Some friends and I use them for offroading airing up the tires for the way home, takes about 20 minutes or so to air up 4 35" tires from under 10psi to around 25psi. The next size down compressor is probably almost twice that

 

[PhysAssist]

Don't have that many, but close. Giving them for Christmas presents.

I have a bunch too, so I started by making sure that there are a couple in each of our vehicles [including the tractor], then in case of blackouts, that there is at least one by each of our breaker boxes [we have 2], and one on our generator, now I'm starting to give them to family members for their cars...

 

[PILOON]

-------this may be a result of the class action suit* which said their "regular prices" were bogus.

We have Canadian Tire Stores that circumvented that problem* my mailing catalogues in early January showing their "suggested list prices".
Then as months go by comes a cycle of adds with 20, 30, 40 % discounts.
Some items like cutting disks and kitchen items have a regular cycle of promotions.
U just wait to stock up.

 

[PhysAssist]

They NEVER put my 3 jaw hydraulic gear puller on sale. If they did, I'f buy the 5 ton to go with the 12 ton I already have. What an awesome puller. You can pull frozen on brake rotors (I mean rusted on frozen ones you beat with a hammer all day and they don't budge), with 3 pumps. First pump tightens the puller on the disc, second makes it creak and third either pops it or it breaks the rotor in two. Most wicked puller I've ever used, hands down. Pulls frozen drums, wheel spindles, harmonic dampers and anything else you can get the puller jaws on.

I have the older one that turns instead of pumping, and it has likewise been a reliable beast of a tool...

 

[Imold]

They have the Central Forged 5inch multi purpose 2 in 1 vice on sale 15.00 off so the wife picked me one up today in Fargo ND for Christmas so I will get to see how good it is after Christmas, hopefully it turns out to be worth 59.00.

 

[5030]

Candidly, I don't know. I watched the vice test on You-Tube and that guy destroyed that vice with 3 swings of a 5 pound sledge with a 2" thick bar clamped in the jaws, sticking up about a foot. He broke the swivel casting right off. I've got an antique Prentiss I picked up at a garage sale for 50 bucks that appears to be indestructible.

That wasn't the only one he broke however. Not that I'd do that but he did.

It was ugly.