Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[paulsharvey]

Ok, so this is the Doesn't suck thread, but move that McGraw 3 gal pancake to the Sucks tab... Unboxed it to air up a trailer tire, and grease the bearings with an air grease gun. It eventually did air up the single trailer tire, but it took Forever, and it must take 5+ minutes to build upto a tank pressure of 110psi. It's already back in the box to return; wasn't worth the $50

 

[2manyrocks]

They had a 20v inflator on sale for $19 if you already have their battery system. Beats carrying an air tank, IMO.

Bought their Bauer concrete mixer. Does a good job of mixing, quiet, and the poly tub is easy to wash out.

 

[LouNY]

Ok, so this is the Doesn't suck thread, but move that McGraw 3 gal pancake to the Sucks tab... Unboxed it to air up a trailer tire, and grease the bearings with an air grease gun. It eventually did air up the single trailer tire, but it took Forever, and it must take 5+ minutes to build upto a tank pressure of 110psi. It's already back in the box to return; wasn't worth the $50

At only 0.6 scfm it's not any more volume then some of the cordless and many of the 12 volt ones.

 

[paulsharvey]

At only 0.6 scfm it's not any more volume then some of the cordless and many of the 12 volt ones.

I knew I wasn't buying a really high outpit compressor, bit my thought was, use it for now, repair the old one, and maybe give the McGraw to son. It just isn't going to suit my needs

 

[bigtiller]

Initial cost is high but ROI makes them a good investment. My Quincy has a life expectancy (before a major rebuild) of 5000 hours.

I think you may have cheated your self out of a zero. Shouldn't it be 50,000 hours?

 

[paulsharvey]

Yeah, I dont need that level of compressor. Just airing tires, blow gun, grease gun, roofing nailer, air chisel, ect. For commercial use, those are great. I could buy and throw away a dozen 30 gal Husky compressors before a Quincy paid for itself. If each one lasted 5 years, it would be past my life time before you got any ROI

 

[5030]

I think you may have cheated your self out of a zero. Shouldn't it be 50,000 hours?

Could be. All I know is my 30 year old Quincy runs like a top (with regular oil changes). I decarbonized the reed valves last fall, a 30 minute job though I did have to purchase a new head gasket.

 

[LouNY]

A high volume compressor of any design is nicer and quicker then a low volume one when someone is waiting on it to air up tires or run pneumatic tools but on many homes and even many farms you only have a 200 amp service and a 5 hp is getting high for small services and a 7.5Hp unit is about max for a single phase 240 volt compressor. A 10 hp unit requires an 80 amp starting current and a 40 amp running load with a 60 amp breaker.

 

[5030]

Very true Lou... However, no matter what the circumstances may be, I'd always purchase the largest compressor I could run and certainly not a direct drive oilless compressor. In reality, they have a very limited lifespan. Even a small piston driven unit will handily outlast them.

 

[California]

For the small amount of painting I do, a rattle can works fine and no moisture to deal with either.

Photo - the last time I painted at a scale larger than a spray can. HF's (then) $10 spray gun, HF 10 gallon compressor, HF regulator/water separator. Rustoleum prime and finish coat. 'Good enough for the girls I go with', to quote an old Carpenter buddy.

 

[jyoutz]

Photo - the last time I painted at a scale larger than a spray can. HF's (then) $10 spray gun, HF 10 gallon compressor, HF regulator/water separator. Rustoleum prime and finish coat. 'Good enough for the girls I go with', to quote an old Carpenter buddy.

I bought a cheap HVLP HF gravity sprayer last year to paint the patio furniture with Rustoleum. I was surprised how much easier to use and better results than the old style cup guns.

 

[California]

I bought a cheap HVLP HF gravity sprayer last year to paint the patio furniture with Rustoleum. I was surprised how much easier to use and better results than the old style cup guns.

This one? Now $17. That's what I used. Excellent results!

 

[bmaverick]

This one? Now $17. That's what I used. Excellent results!

BF sale had the $29 like yours with the flow regulator built in for only $14.

The flow regulator helps to prevent goop spots. When a compressor kicks back on and the spray gun with no regulator goes spurt, it puts a goop gob somewhere.

Or, if you have a flow regulator on the output of your compressor, life is good.

 

[paulsharvey]

I've used one like that, purple handle and all from HF. I think it did a good job, although I didn't do that good of a job... You really need your paint thinned right, and definitely strain it, cause it will clog up easily.

 

[jyoutz]

This one? Now $17. That's what I used. Excellent results!

I bought the same one but it had a pressure gauge and air adjustment dial. About $8 more. Yes, very good for spraying Rustoleum.

 

[jyoutz]

I've used one like that, purple handle and all from HF. I think it did a good job, although I didn't do that good of a job... You really need your paint thinned right, and definitely strain it, cause it will clog up easily.

Yeah paint straining is the rule for any type of sprayer.

 

[5030]

I prefer rattle cans for 2 reasons, maybe 3. One I don't have to strain or thin it, 2, It's fairly cheap and 3, when the cans are empty I toss them in the burn pile and they explode like a mortar. I tried empty propane bottles but they won't explode for some reason.

 

[California]

Guess I'm lucky. No clogs. I bought professional conical paint filters from a paint store, and also thinned extensively. Never had a clog applying some 8~10 quarts overall of Rustoleum red primer then their white topcoat.

Cheapskate alert - what started this project was I found numerous half-full quarts of Rustoleum primer, white flat, and white gloss on the shelves of the recycle/reuse room at the county Household Hazardous Waste dropoff site. I had taken in old alkaline batteries etc. Occasionally there is useful stuff there, chainsaw bar oil or pressure washer soap for example. And Roundup - but I don't use that. And pool chemicals but I don't have a pool. Always lots of latex paint, mostly colors nobody would want. Unopened Mercon ATF that I use to top up the backhoe hydraulics.

After extensive stirring, thinning, and filtering, the Rustoleum sprayed fine. I only had to buy 3 fresh retail quarts to complete the project. Yeah I'm cheap.

I think having the gun 20 ft downstream from my regulator/water trap made a regulator at the gun unnecessary. I did at one point T in a pressure gauge at the gun to calibrate that wall-mounted regulator.

Too much detail?

 

[Mike1955]

Well it’s cold and messy out and I’m just in the shop killing time so I’ll join in. My favorite little tool at harbor freight is the battery powered liquid transfer pumps. They are short lived but cheap enough to not fuss when they quit. And just as good as one that costs a lot. I ne ver try and return one just toss it and get a new one. That one tool that don’t suck from harbor freight

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Bought a small (3,500W) generator from Harbor Freight recently. Does it suck?

I have no idea. It's only been about a week since I ordered it. Now they say Monday.