Harbor Freight tools that DO suck

[Diggin It]

Just stumbled on this while looking at something else:


Name of product: Portland, One Stop Gardens, and Chicago Electric 14 inch electric chainsaws
Hazard: The power switch can malfunction and allow the chainsaw to continue operating after the operator moves the switch to the “off” position, posing a serious injury hazard to the operator.
Remedy: Replace
Recall date: May 14, 2018

Incidents/Injuries: Harbor Freight Tools has received 15 reports of chainsaws continuing to operate after being turned off by the operator, resulting in three laceration injuries including one serious injury to the arm requiring stitches.



Harbor Freight Tools Recalls Chainsaws Due to Serious Injury Hazard | CPSC.gov

 

[California]

Portland, One Stop Gardens, and Chicago Electric 14 inch electric chainsaws

Hazard: The power switch can malfunction and allow the chainsaw to continue operating after the operator moves the switch to the off position

Incidents/Injuries: Harbor Freight Tools has received 15 reports of chainsaws continuing to operate after being turned off by the operator, resulting in three laceration injuries including one serious injury to the arm requiring stitches

Harbor Freight Tools Recalls Chainsaws Due to Serious Injury Hazard | CPSC.gov

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!

 

[Travelover]

The handgun safes from HF are also being recalled. Harbor Freight Tools Recalls Handgun Safes Due to Serious Injury Hazard | CPSC.gov

 

[Threepoint]

Just stumbled on this while looking at something else:


Name of product: Portland, One Stop Gardens, and Chicago Electric 14 inch electric chainsaws
Hazard: The power switch can malfunction and allow the chainsaw to continue operating after the operator moves the switch to the 登ff position, posing a serious injury hazard to the operator.
Remedy: Replace
Recall date: May 14, 2018

Incidents/Injuries: Harbor Freight Tools has received 15 reports of chainsaws continuing to operate after being turned off by the operator, resulting in three laceration injuries including one serious injury to the arm requiring stitches.



Harbor Freight Tools Recalls Chainsaws Due to Serious Injury Hazard | CPSC.gov

It's only certain model numbers of the Chicago Electric and Portand 14". Recall was back in May. Was fairly heavily publicized then, but obviously not well enough. Had never had a problem, but returned my Chicago Electric in June for a new Portland. Local store will do the swap.

These are handy little saws for indoor trimming of bowl blanks in the shop, or light cutting outside near a power source. But my 40v lithium Lynxx 14" saw has pretty much made it a dust gatherer.

 

[Threepoint]

The handgun safes from HF are also being recalled. Harbor Freight Tools Recalls Handgun Safes Due to Serious Injury Hazard | CPSC.gov

This from the CPSC website: "The handgun safes can open without the use of a key or combination upon impact..."

Now, seriously, if someone were trying to break into one, who would think of hitting it with a hammer or banging it against something hard?

 

[Fuddy1952]

A friend is a locksmith, has a store and sells safes. One older fellow bought a large heavy safe from him years ago and put his life savings in it in his garage.
One night his shop was broken into, thieves wrapped a chain around the safe and dragged it out with a truck. You could see where at some point they loaded it onto truck (winch?) and left. Never caught them.
My friends point was never assume a safe is safe! It should have been bolted to the floor.

 

[Threepoint]

A friend is a locksmith, has a store and sells safes. One older fellow bought a large heavy safe from him years ago and put his life savings in it in his garage.
One night his shop was broken into, thieves wrapped a chain around the safe and dragged it out with a truck. You could see where at some point they loaded it onto truck (winch?) and left. Never caught them.
My friends point was never assume a safe is safe! It should have been bolted to the floor.

Yup, and with the lithium-ion impact wrenches becoming more and more powerful, it's safe to assume even that isn't a safe safe.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Yup, and with the lithium-ion impact wrenches becoming more and more powerful, it's safe to assume even that isn't a safe safe.

Bolted from the inside. I should have clarified. Wherever the safe is needs an alarm system also.

 

[crazyal]

This from the CPSC website: "The handgun safes can open without the use of a key or combination upon impact..."

Now, seriously, if someone were trying to break into one, who would think of hitting it with a hammer or banging it against something hard?

I read an article that people were bolting them to nightstands (not just the HF one). Thieves would just smash the nightstand or take the whole thing and deal with opening it up at a remote location. Think about it, if one had a crowbar it wouldn't take much to pry the safe from what ever it was bolted to. Maybe the HF has a feature where it'll open up to prevent damage to your nightstand, lol.

 

[Diggin It]

The black and yellow batteries (the ones on the free coupons) may be the most useless batteries I've ever encountered. Sometimes free items aren't even worth that.