Harbor Freight "free stuff"

[JDgreen227]

The past year or so I have been finding all these coupon flyers from Harbor Freight and until recently they would offer you a free item with any purchase, the free items would be something like a small LED flashlight or a digital multimeter. Well, the most recent coupons I have seen still offer the free items but put a tiny disclaimer on the coupon that says you have to make a minimum purchase of $9.99, $19.99, etc. The most recent coupon I have says a free pair of split leather gloves with a $9.99 purchase. Wow. Have to spend ten bucks and tax for a FREE pair of 39 cent gloves. I have spent less than $50 at Harbor Freight in the last ten years, not likely I will be rushing in to stock up on their free stuff.

 

[LD1]

Last year it think, they were offering the little free LED light with NO purchase required.

Yea it's a POS, but when I'm in their anyway getting consumables like cut-off discs, I pick one up. I managed to get two of them before they started the minimum purchase thing.:thumbsup:

 

[Markcuda]

I don't and never will go to their stores and buy their second rate stuff.

 

[beenthere]

Coupons don't get me in their store either, but I will have to say a good friend who splits 10 or so full cords of wood a year claims the best leather gloves for lasting are those from HF.

If it is a sales gimmick that works, fine by me.

 

[KFree]

I buy my gloves there. I get the orange ones when they are .99 a pair. They last a month...maybe two at the most. Can't beat $12 for a years supply of gloves.

Also, have one of those free flashlights in my car, truck, camper, and a couple in the house. They aren't the brightest but a small enough to keep anywhere and have good battery life.

fwiw,

Keith

 

[vaskeet]

I don't and never will go to their stores and buy their second rate stuff.

Do you buy from northern tool or tsc as a lot of the tools are the same right down to the pictures on their web sites. I would not buy tools that I am making a living using at harbor frieght but for the 3 pound hammer in my tractors tool box 6.99 beats 21.95 at lowes and the 3/4 drive socket set at 49.99 beats 399.99 at sears for a set that I may use once every 2 or 3 years Randy

 

[Pilot]

I buy a fair amount of stuff at HF. Yes, you do have to be careful what you buy; if it has a motor I go elsewhere. But for simple things, they offer a good buy. And China is getting better at making better stuff every year.

Example: I paid something like $12 for a 1/2", 24 inch long breaker bar. I'm never going to break a breaker bar and I may never need it again, but it sure did the job for why I bought it and it sure beat the price elsewhere.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I don't and never will go to their stores and buy their second rate stuff.

Nope. You'll go to some other store and pay more for the same second rate stuff made in the same factories in the same country. Then you'll feel better for "getting what you pay for". The only jobs your preserving in America are the ad agencies that have convinced you that putting a printed in China sticker on a made in China tool counts as assembly and you're buying American made stuff (assembled from imported parts).

I got a few of the free ratchet clamps. I wouldn't have gotten them if they weren't free, but now that I have them I'd pay for them if I had to buy them again.

 

[Markcuda]

Nope. You'll go to some other store and pay more for the same second rate stuff made in the same factories in the same country.

Wow, must hit a soft spot in ya, well, it seems you think you got me figured out:laughing:
You just buy your china crap tools and them come here and praise to every one how much you saved:laughing:

 

[kenmac]

Wow, must hit a soft spot in ya, well, it seems you think you got me figured out:laughing:
You just buy your china crap tools and them come here and praise to every one how much you saved:laughing:

I think he's right. I got tired of buying HF floor jacks every 2-3 yrs. I went to NAPA & paid 2x the $ & their jack was also made in China. NAPA jack lasted about a year

 

[Mahindra One]

I bought a couple of 1/4" quick disconnects for my air compressor system. As with all HF products I used the criteria "how could they screw up a_______". Well, I was wrong. You can screw up a quick disconnect!

 

[aczlan]

I bought a couple of 1/4" quick disconnects for my air compressor system. As with all HF products I used the criteria "how could they screw up a_______". Well, I was wrong. You can screw up a quick disconnect!

Yep. The ones that I got (brass colored 5 piece set of male ends and a chuck) is a little bit smaller than "standard" and one of the male ends (with female threads) was never drilled or tapped, so it is useful only as a plug.

Not worth driving back to return it, so it is sitting somewhere out in the shop.

Aaron Z

 

[rtimgray]

Are there not a couple of different styles/sizes of quick connects? I think that there are a couple of styles that look very similar but are slightly different? I could be in error on that.

Thanks.

 

[20 20]

Harbor Freight is NO different then any other bulk store they have good and they have bad. I buy many things from them, even bought a cheap grinder{10.00, couple different styles, check them out 1st} lasted over 10yrs with LOTS of use. Got a 13hp air compressor for $900.00 northern tool wanted over $2000.00 for the exact same model??? For those that say everything is junk, in all honesty, they're just blowing smoke! I have no issue's with HF and just like with anything else check into what you're buying if it seems like junk then just maybe......it is?????

Now as far as the promotion deal goes it seems like when I tried to get the gift they allways just run out.

 

[20 20]

I don't and never will go to their stores and buy their second rate stuff.

I have to ask how do you know what they have if you don't or never will go to their store

 

[radioman]

I think he's right. I got tired of buying HF floor jacks every 2-3 yrs. I went to NAPA & paid 2x the $ & their jack was also made in China. NAPA jack lasted about a year

how do your jack last only a year ? good greif man what are you doing to it?

 

[JDgreen227]

One of the better buys at HF seems to be their 1/2 inch torque wrenches, can't remember if they sell them with a coupon for either $9.99 or $11.99, they are rather good for that price as a breaker bar when you need to loosen lug nuts on a car wheel that is about the only reason I purchased them. Checked the torque settings at 100 foot/pounds against a Craftsman $60 wrench and the cheap one came surprisingly close. Won't use the HF ones for critical wrenching, however.

 

[vaskeet]

One of the better buys at HF seems to be their 1/2 inch torque wrenches, can't remember if they sell them with a coupon for either $9.99 or $11.99, they are rather good for that price as a breaker bar when you need to loosen lug nuts on a car wheel that is about the only reason I purchased them. Checked the torque settings at 100 foot/pounds against a Craftsman $60 wrench and the cheap one came surprisingly close. Won't use the HF ones for critical wrenching, however.

how do you know that the craftsman wrench was the one giving the correct torque readings Randy

 

[JDgreen227]

how do you know that the craftsman wrench was the one giving the correct torque readings Randy

Becuz it's the one I recently had calibrated...should have mentioned that. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[JDgreen227]

how do your jack last only a year ? good greif man what are you doing to it?

I could make a dirty pun about that one but the moderator would catch it quick...