Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[buck12]

When I was in the closest HF Store, to the ranch, last week .. I picked up a couple of their portable parts bins to see how well they're built. They seem pretty sturdy and the latches work ok.

20-Bin Medium Portable Parts Storage Case

Amazing deals on this 20-Bin Medium Portable Storage Case at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I'm trying to decide if I should order more of them plus a few of the larger bins.

8-Bin Large Portable Parts Storage Case

Amazing deals on this 8 Bin Large Portable Storage Case at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I've got the majority of my small bolts, nuts, washers going from 4-40 up to 1/4-20 in some older plastic bins that are becoming brittle with age.

Then I'd need to build something like this to hold them?

View attachment 688448


The present "plastic" bins are stacked on a self and normally .. the one I need .. is on the bottom of the pile.

Anyone else using these bins?

I like that setup.

I have been using very similar bins from Walmart. They are red and black with side latches. I like the slide latches because they keep the lid from bowing open and letting small parts slide out.

 

[bcp]

I think that has more to do with age than anything else...lol I know I can set something down, walk away, come back and forget where I put it. Very frustrating.

That's what happens when you get old and your brain is full. A memory must be deleted before you can add a memory.

Bruce

 

[dragoneggs]

I use these black and yellow adjustable pocket cases as well. Don't remember the brand. They work great for screws, nuts, misc small fasteners and stuff and really help me organize. They are sturdy and do stack nicely but as already mentioned... it's always a pain to grab the one you want because it is never on top.

 

[crazyal]

Been an Inside Track member right along and it pays for itself every year with the unadvertised specials. Don't want or need a HF credit card in as much as it's Capital One administrated. I cannot deal with the offshore call centers. Cannot understand the agents.

For us, one credit card is more than enough. I get offers constantly and ignore them.

Years ago Sears had a deal where if you signed up for their credit card you got a discount on your purchase. It's a game where you just simply get the card for the discount and if forced to use it just pay it off. Then you cancel it.

 

[5030]

In our case that isn't true. Yesterday alone I recouped my yearly membership with one item, a Chicago needle scaler on sale Inside track club price, 25 bucks off regular price. We always shop the Inside Track Flyer first (online). If it's on there and I want to, I buy it. I've purchased most of my tools from there. Not the junk Pittsburg ones either.

 

[5030]

Bought the Bauer corded air mover today. Nice unit, works excellent and is quiet. 3 speeds, low medium and blow you away and it's marked down right now (Bauer Days), 20 bucks. Nice unit. Not overly heavy either.

I've had excellent results with all the Bauer stuff, corded and 20 volt. I haven't found the smoke in one yet and I use them a lot.

 

[crazyal]

HF seems to have moved to coupons only good for a couple days. Like the 10% off everything under $10 for 4 days. I guess if you live close that works but I'm not close enough to make a special trip just to save a buck. As limited as it was without the 20% off coupon I'll probably shop less at HF.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

^^^^ Me too! I used to collect the coupons, keep them in an envelope marked with the expiration dates. Then make one trip to get a bunch of stuff. Since they started doing away with the coupons, I haven't gone in a HF store. Too far away to make it worthwhile now.

I have found either identical or very similar items at better prices at other stores or online. The funny thing that I have come across are certain items from HF, other places are selling at inflated, sometimes double the price! Even the picture they are using is the same!

I guess they get a percentage of sales that people believe they are getting something better just because it costs more!

 

[lostcreekranch]

Stopped at HF Store and used the coupon I got by email today.

30% off items $10 and under.

You can get 5 items in store so I grabbed 5 more of the portable bins.

20-Bin Medium Portable Parts Storage Case

Amazing deals on this 20-Bin Medium Portable Storage Case at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I asked the clerk if I could put my items in the truck and come back in and use my coupon again. She said their computer wouldn't allow you to use the coupon for 3 days, 72 hours.

 

[California]

I have found ... certain items from HF, other places are selling at inflated, sometimes double the price! Even the picture they are using is the same!

I'm convinced there are people on Ebay and Amazon who advertise HF and Home Depot house brands then just run down to their local store when they need to fill an order. I was looking for a Ryobi jigsaw and there was one on Amazon at 2.5 times Home Depot's price. I noted that in the User Reviews and got a nasty response from the seller to mind my own business. I didn't. I replied in the review naming the HD price, with a comment that HD's warranty service was sure to be more responsive than this re-seller. Soon his price on Amazon was revised down to HD + 20%, which might make sense for someone with no access to HD.

 

[Gregster613]

Good catch and very good call California. Helps keep e-bay sellers stay somewhat honest...(I hope!!)

 

[stuckmotor]

Before we got a store, I used to place an occasional fairly big order. The biggest hassle was all of the shipping peanuts. I think they use air bags now.

 

[California]

I used to place an occasional fairly big order. The biggest hassle was all of the shipping peanuts. I think they use air bags now.

Remember HF's adapter bracket, fork, for the top of a Qhitch? Near indestructible. It is rated safe for 40 horsepower. Small. It might have been shipped in a box the size of a brick.

It arrived in a cubic ft box filled with foam peanuts!

 

[stuckmotor]

Remember HF's adapter bracket, fork, for the top of a Qhitch? Near indestructible. It is rated safe for 40 horsepower. Small. It might have been shipped in a box the size of a brick.

It arrived in a cubic ft box filled with foam peanuts!

I doubt air bags would hold up to something that heavy. They probably still bring out the peanuts for that kind of item.

 

[5030]

HF seems to have moved to coupons only good for a couple days. Like the 10% off everything under $10 for 4 days. I guess if you live close that works but I'm not close enough to make a special trip just to save a buck. As limited as it was without the 20% off coupon I'll probably shop less at HF.

Our store is 15 miles from here and when we go shopping it's next door to the store so I 'mosey' over out of habit I guess. Bought a 10 roll pack of electrical tape for 6 bucks and 6 60 grit flap discs for $1.49 each (ITC of course).

Next trip I'll get a Bauer 20 volt 1/2" drive impact (if it's on sale). That will round out my Bauer tools quite nicely.

 

[5030]

Remember HF's adapter bracket, fork, for the top of a Qhitch? Near indestructible. It is rated safe for 40 horsepower. Small. It might have been shipped in a box the size of a brick.

It arrived in a cubic ft box filled with foam peanuts!

I recycle them when I ship my stuff out. I love packing peanuts.

 

[PILOON]

I recycle them when I ship my stuff out. I love packing peanuts.

When I sold a lot on Ebay I'd dumpster dive for small boxes and packing peanuts.
Local florist always rec'd their vases in huge boxes filled with peanuts.
Never needed to buy any packing materials, only tape.

 

[California]

I recycle them when I ship my stuff out.

Ditto! When I used to sell stuff on Ebay, I disposed of received plastic peanuts in shipments back to wherever the most had come from. Before the cat could get to them and make a mess.

(Wikipedia photo).

 

[John_Mc]

Stopped at HF Store and used the coupon I got by email today.

30% off items $10 and under.

You can get 5 items in store so I grabbed 5 more of the portable bins.

20-Bin Medium Portable Parts Storage Case

Amazing deals on this 20-Bin Medium Portable Storage Case at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

I asked the clerk if I could put my items in the truck and come back in and use my coupon again. She said their computer wouldn't allow you to use the coupon for 3 days, 72 hours.

Sometimes you can get away with using the same coupon again the same day if you use a different payment method, for example pay cash once and use a credit card the second time, or use two different credit cards.

 

[daugen]

Not only did the Feds successfully prosecute HF for misleading advertising years ago, but I think all that complicated promotional hoopla
wound up being expensive. Today they can send us daily emails for much less money. I think email and texting will be their approach from now on,
though I'm sure they will have a sale on something. I'm curious to watch their changes but dislike daily solicitation.
They are clogging up the proverbial airwaves.

If a normal retail store (not electronics) keystones their inventory, charging double what they pay for it, then giving 20 percent off on that still means
good profit to the seller. But perhaps things have changed in China and they aren't getting the same good deals/cheap deals they were before.