Harbor Freight tools that DO suck

[California]

Here's one that disappointed me:

13 piece small drill set to run in 1/4" hex impact driver

I bought this set to drill for mounting windowshades in the house, and snapped the bit immediately. Over a couple of years I've snapped most of the small drills from the set. I recently bought a second set - and immediately snapped the first bit I used. These drill bits aren't a replacement for the bits you chuck in an electric drill, they're brittle.

 

[stuckmotor]

Oh great.

One thing we learned quickly with professional Skllsaws: never release the trigger while the motor is still under load. That welds the contacts together and the saw keeps running. I expect the same thing applies to any power tool from HF. Lift the saw or whatever out of the cut slightly before releasing the switch!

I didn't know that California. Thanks.

 

[4get gto]

Here's one that disappointed me:

13 piece small drill set to run in 1/4" hex impact driver

I bought this set to drill for mounting windowshades in the house, and snapped the bit immediately. Over a couple of years I've snapped most of the small drills from the set. I recently bought a second set - and immediately snapped the first bit I used. These drill bits aren't a replacement for the bits you chuck in an electric drill, they're brittle.

I've had those too...not good . Mine wobbled so bad you couldn't get them started. Then broke. If you look at "their" reviews they get pretty good ratings. But all their reviews always shows 3 stars more.... Head scratcher for sure....

 

[Diggin It]

Guess I haven't tried those. I have two sets like that and they've worked well, but one is Ryobi and I think the other was Black & Decker, but I'm not sure.

 

[fried1765]

Kinda wondering if that 12T jack failure was a fluke. Maybe just a leaking seal on that unit. They seme to get good reviews, although I understand how you might not want to take a chance on another one if the nearest store is so far from you.

FWIW, my 20T HF bottle jack has worked very well. And five years ago, my 4T HF floor jack had no trouble liftjng each wheel (one at a time!) of a 15,000 lb motor home for brake service.

I am banking on your "fluke" theory.
Against my better judgement, I picked up a HF replacement today.
Haven't tried it yet.

Update: I went to HF on Friday, and swapped my brand new failed 12T hydraulic jack for another new one.
The good news: The replacement jack works.
The bad news: 60 miles round trip to HF (2 gal. of gas in the Corolla)

 

[Threepoint]

Here's one that disappointed me:

13 piece small drill set to run in 1/4" hex impact driver

I bought this set to drill for mounting windowshades in the house, and snapped the bit immediately. Over a couple of years I've snapped most of the small drills from the set. I recently bought a second set - and immediately snapped the first bit I used. These drill bits aren't a replacement for the bits you chuck in an electric drill, they're brittle.

California, good to know. For some reason, the short form of your html link for this set rendered in the post as "13 piece small drill set to run in 1/4" hex impact driver"! I'm assuming you aren't really using them in an impact driver. The HF webpage says they are for use in cordless electric screwdrivers.

I've never tried the bits (of any brand) that have a dedicated hex shank. Always seemed to me to be an expensive way to manufacture a disposable item, especially since it's so quick to just use a standard bit in a keyless chuck.

 

[4get gto]

California, good to know. For some reason, the short form of your html link for this set rendered in the post as "13 piece small drill set to run in 1/4" hex impact driver"! I'm assuming you aren't really using them in an impact driver. The HF webpage says they are for use in cordless electric screwdrivers.

I've never tried the bits (of any brand) that have a dedicated hex shank. Always seemed to me to be an expensive way to manufacture a disposable item, especially since it's so quick to just use a standard bit in a keyless chuck.

Believe it or not the bits are advertised as such..



Not the clearest picture.

 

[California]

... the short form of your html link for this set rendered in the post as "13 piece small drill set to run in 1/4" hex impact driver"! I'm assuming you aren't really using them in an impact driver. The HF webpage says they are for use in cordless electric screwdrivers.

Well yes, this little Ryobi driver is the lightest, handiest tool I have to use on a ladder indoors for mounting small hardware - running first the drill then a screwdriver bit. Neither mode works it hard enough to make it start hammering, it just turns. The bits break if I ever wiggle the drill (driver) to hog out a slight taper in the hole or make a similar motion accidentally. The window trim I was drilling for the windowshade mounts is soft wood. I've never broken a real bit in years of prior projects.

Incidentally I've found Ryobi equipment to be preferable for cordless tools compared to HF's prior models. Hopefully HF's new lines with LiIon batteries are better than their older NiCad stuff where batteries weren't interchangeable across various tools.

Here's the biggest project I've used the Ryobi for, 11 inch bolts into pre-drilled holes for repairing the water tower foundation.

 

[crazyal]

One of the things that I've had good luck with is hydraulic tools from HF. They may leak and if you leave them raised the chrome shaft on the ram will most likely rust causing even more leaks but over all I have bought a 10 ton porta-power, several jacks (both bottle and floor jacks), an engine lift, and a couple other things. What bothers me now is that all the aluminum floor jacks are the "rapid" pump versions. Why would I need to raise a car in 3 pumps? The amount of force needed is much higher. I have a 2 post car lift so I don't use them very often anymore but I wouldn't mind an aluminum floor jack that I could easily lift and carry.

 

[crazyal]

California, good to know. For some reason, the short form of your html link for this set rendered in the post as "13 piece small drill set to run in 1/4" hex impact driver"! I'm assuming you aren't really using them in an impact driver. The HF webpage says they are for use in cordless electric screwdrivers.

I've never tried the bits (of any brand) that have a dedicated hex shank. Always seemed to me to be an expensive way to manufacture a disposable item, especially since it's so quick to just use a standard bit in a keyless chuck.

back when I was doing construction having the standard hex shank made for quick changes between drill bits and philips bits to drive a screw in. Now I just have multiple drills and lots of spare batteries. Times have changed. I can remember when a salesman showed up at our ship with a 7.2v Makita cordless drill. We laughed at it but the salesman left it with us and within a month we bought a dozen more. You were lucky to have two batteries and a case. Now try and find a contractor that doesn't have a cordless as their primary tool.

 

[/pine]

back when I was doing construction having the standard hex shank made for quick changes between drill bits and philips bits to drive a screw in. Now I just have multiple drills and lots of spare batteries. Times have changed. I can remember when a salesman showed up at our ship with a 7.2v Makita cordless drill. We laughed at it but the salesman left it with us and within a month we bought a dozen more. You were lucky to have two batteries and a case. Now try and find a contractor that doesn't have a cordless as their primary tool.

The development of cordless power tools was another beneficial side effect from the space program...primarily the shuttle and ISS programs...

 

[California]

back when I was doing construction having the standard hex shank made for quick changes between drill bits and philips bits to drive a screw in. Now I just have multiple drills and lots of spare batteries. Times have changed.

I generally use multiple battery tools. For example in my photo above driving 11 inch lag bolts I had a slender 'telephone' drill bit in one drill for the full depth hole, another slightly larger to drill for the unthreaded part of the bolt, and a third drill and bit to countersink those washers. Along with the small impact driver to thread in the bolts. (And a socket on a breaker bar to turn the bolts in the final inch in that dry unyielding lumber).

But for working up on a ladder, that little impact driver can be carried up the ladder in my carpenter nailbag along with the bits, drivers, screws, and brackets I climbed up there to install. The driver is smaller than my battery drills. It's more convenient up on a ladder where I can pop in various hex shank tools as needed.

 

[Oaktree]

I can remember when a salesman showed up at our ship with a 7.2v Makita cordless drill. We laughed at it but the salesman left it with us and within a month we bought a dozen more. You were lucky to have two batteries and a case. Now try and find a contractor that doesn't have a cordless as their primary tool.

Try to find much of anybody that doesn't use cordless as their primary tool. It's pretty rare for me to grab a corded one anymore. I can only imagine how much easier it is for contractors now that there are rugged cordless tools (I'm thinking mostly drill/drivers and reciprocating saws). Major increase in productivity compared to lugging a corded unit (with loong extension cord) up and down a ladder.

Got one of those 7.5v Makita drills as a gift many years ago. I thought it was a joke...kind of wimpy drill, and the batteries weren't easily replaceable (and were almost as expensive as a new drill). Gave Makita a bad name in my eyes for a long time.

But for working up on a ladder, that little impact driver can be carried up the ladder in my carpenter nailbag along with the bits, drivers, screws, and brackets I climbed up there to install. The driver is smaller than my battery drills. It's more convenient up on a ladder where I can pop in various hex shank tools as needed.

I have one of those Ryobi drill/driver kits, and when I bought it had no idea how handy that driver is!! It's become one of those "how did I get along without it" tools.

 

[dragoneggs]

I see cordless vs. corded hand tools going the way of land lines to cell phones. Won't be too long before corded ones are relics.

 

[4570Man]

I see cordless vs. corded hand tools going the way of land lines to cell phones. Won't be too long before corded ones are relics.

I still use corded drills for heavy work, and a corded skill saw for some jobs and a corded grinder for grinding otherwise I use pretty much exclusively cordless tools. The big corded drills are used to break your wrist, the cordless grinder is a wonderful tool equipped with a diamond cutoff wheel, but useless for grinding. The cordless skill saw is another wonderful tool, but it also has limits.

 

[dragoneggs]

I still use corded drills for heavy work, and a corded skill saw for some jobs and a corded grinder for grinding otherwise I use pretty much exclusively cordless tools. The big corded drills are used to break your wrist, the cordless grinder is a wonderful tool equipped with a diamond cutoff wheel, but useless for grinding. The cordless skill saw is another wonderful tool, but it also has limits.

Agreed but with battery technology progressing, the cord will disappear for all but truly high power stationary needs. Just my prediction. Look at battery powered cars. Wasn't that long ago that people scoffed at them. Now people are buying them in record numbers. It will take longer for trucks but it is coming.

 

[4570Man]

Agreed but with battery technology progressing, the cord will disappear for all but truly high power stationary needs. Just my prediction. Look at battery powered cars. Wasn't that long ago that people scoffed at them. Now people are buying them in record numbers. It will take longer for trucks but it is coming.

I don’t think 100 percent electric cars will ever be mainstream. Hybrids probably. Technology can only improve so far without making it unaffordable. How much more ground can be gained with batteries? At what limit does a battery weigh too much to do the job? Maybe there’s room for comprise with a battery vest or something and a short cord.

 

[dragoneggs]

I don’t think 100 percent electric cars will ever be mainstream. Hybrids probably. Technology can only improve so far without making it unaffordable. How much more ground can be gained with batteries? At what limit does a battery weigh too much to do the job? Maybe there’s room for comprise with a battery vest or something and a short cord.

Until there is another leap in battery technology. I have no doubt we aren’t close to the holy grail in harnessing and storing energy.

 

[4570Man]

Until there is another leap in battery technology. I have no doubt we aren’t close to the holy grail in harnessing and storing energy.

There are practical limits to everything. So the question is how close is battery technology to that? I think big electric motors are like 96 percent efficient. How good are the little cordless tool motors. Non of my tools are brushless so better than what I have is possible.