Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

lostcreekranch · Jan 20, 2018

thepumpguysc said:
I didn't mean to diminish your post DE.. it was just another idea that folks might have laying around.. I know I have acouple of tire stems in the toolbox.. & thank you for the link..
One thing about the tire stems is> keeping up w/ the CAP!!! How many folks can say they have caps on ALL THEIR TIRES?? Lol
& the little yellow hinge breaks on the vent caps.. I know I have several 2 gal containers w/ the yellow vents that are missing the cap, due to the hinge breaking..
The spout on the new jug has a "small" red cap & I drilled a hole in IT & the nub on the container.. tied fishing line thru it & attached it to the nub where the spout ratchet USED TO BE..
A razor knife made short work of the plastic push ratchet band..

The vents are cheap to replace.

20 - Yellow Chilton Vent Caps Replacement Sears Craftsman Gas Can Fuel Jug Plug | eBay

If you break off the cap, take a flat screwdriver or putty knife and pop old vent out. Then just install a new one. 30 seconds tops.

Kernopelli · Jan 20, 2018

I hate the "new" gas cans but love these 5 gal jugs. Can get them on sale under $20 at Rural King. Super easy to handle and have great flow.

downsizingnow48 · Jan 20, 2018

Kernopelli said:
I hate the "new" gas cans but love these 5 gal jugs. Can get them on sale under $20 at Rural King. Super easy to handle and have great flow.

That's what I use work great.

lostcreekranch · Jan 20, 2018

Kernopelli said:
I hate the "new" gas cans but love these 5 gal jugs. Can get them on sale under $20 at Rural King. Super easy to handle and have great flow.

What size is the spout hose?

dragoneggs · Jan 20, 2018

thepumpguysc said:
I didn't mean to diminish your post DE.. it was just another idea that folks might have laying around.. I know I have acouple of tire stems in the toolbox.. & thank you for the link..
One thing about the tire stems is> keeping up w/ the CAP!!! How many folks can say they have caps on ALL THEIR TIRES?? Lol
& the little yellow hinge breaks on the vent caps.. I know I have several 2 gal containers w/ the yellow vents that are missing the cap, due to the hinge breaking..
The spout on the new jug has a "small" red cap & I drilled a hole in IT & the nub on the container.. tied fishing line thru it & attached it to the nub where the spout ratchet USED TO BE..
A razor knife made short work of the plastic push ratchet band..

No worries at all. Yeah, I think I bought a pack of 5 or 6. I gave one to my BIL and kept a couple for spares.

Code54 · Jan 20, 2018

Kernopelli said:
I hate the "new" gas cans but love these 5 gal jugs. Can get them on sale under $20 at Rural King. Super easy to handle and have great flow.

I been using 3 of them for the tractors and excavator and they make refilling quick and easy. About 10x's better than the "normal" 5 gallon yellow jugs.

ID Corgi Ranch · Jan 20, 2018

I'm a HF fan. They just opened one in the town near where I live. Awesome.

I'm new here so I didn't really read the 834 previous pages of posts to see if any of these have been mentioned, but...

I have one of the big HF US General tool boxes (72" cabinet with 56" chest on top, and the upright side-hanging cabinet) that I'd put up against any of the big and REALLY expensive brands. Thing is fantastic. I got a cheap bandsaw at the grand opening for something like $149 that actually works really well for anything I need. Some of the stuff I get there I assume is just disposable. But some of the other stuff is actually surprisingly well made and durable.

Latest purchase was a Vulcan welding cabinet. Holds my welder, plasma cutter, oxy bottles and torches, helmets, consumables...everything in one place. And it's one of those items that just amazes me with the quality/price.

Travelover · Jan 20, 2018

ID Corgi Ranch said:
........... Some of the stuff I get there I assume is just disposable. But some of the other stuff is actually surprisingly well made and durable...............

Welcome. That is actually the whole point of this thread.

California · Jan 21, 2018

Travelover said:
Welcome. That is actually the whole point of this thread.

... along with sorting out which is which.

California · Jan 21, 2018

Travelover said:
on 01-19-2008, 10:20 AM

I was inspired by another thread with this link to Weldingweb:

HF tools that don't suck - WeldingWeb - Professional Welding Forum

The Weldingweb site is mostly about metal working tools, so I thought it might be interesting to share which tools / products we have found to be a good value at HF.

Congratulations!!! 10 year anniversary!!!

Thank you for starting this thread.

roposetoast:

prichard · Jan 21, 2018

California said:
Congratulations!!! 10 year anniversary!!!

Thank you for starting this thread.

roposetoast: roposetoast: roposetoast: roposetoast: roposetoast:

Agreed thanks. This has been a great thread.

goeduck · Jan 21, 2018

Anyone know if these work?

Travelover · Jan 21, 2018

California said:
Congratulations!!! 10 year anniversary!!!

Thank you for starting this thread.

roposetoast: roposetoast: roposetoast: roposetoast: roposetoast:

You are welcome. Now if I could only monetize it...lol

thepumpguysc · Jan 21, 2018

I don't know Goeduck but they look about as worthless as the electronic flyswatter.. Lol

I DID try out my portable bead blast gun w/ the canister built into the top.. 2 thumbs up!!!
I looked online/utube & saw the "MODS" you have to do before using it.. drilling out the feed holes w/ the drill set I got from HF & did that before hooking it up..
I filled it w/ 80 grit crushed walnut shells, also from HF & it worked perfectly..
I wasn't expecting the results I got.. I held on to piece I was cleaning, {for a milli-second}.. BIG MISTAKE
Those shells coming outta that gun at 90 psi will make your hand STING for the rest of the afternoon. Lol
GLOVES & SAFETY GLASSES are a must..
1 tip tho, if your doing small parts, do it in a box.. that way you can save the shells & if you drop the piece, you don't have to search for it.
IF your going to try one out.. they're in the BLOW GUN SECTION.. NOT in the blast cabinet section..
I asked a "sales person" if they had any?? he looked at me like I was from outer space.. & said, "if we have them, they'll be in the blasting cabinet area".. I said, "yea, you would think so, huh?" Well I found them in the blow gun section..
1 MORE THING> I was picking up some air hose that was on sale.. & was thinking, I don't need 50 or 100' of air line to run this little gun.. so I might as well get the 50' & cut it in 2..??
Right above the air line section, on the TOP SHELF were "remnants".. partial left over air lines.. the package said 8-15' air line> $2.25 !!!
That was PERFECT for what I needed.. I was gonna cut up a 50'er..seeing I didn't wanna get to far away from my little portable compressor..
It had pre-made ends & a 300psi burst rate.. all I had to do was screw some end to it & ablastin I went..

bcp · Jan 21, 2018

thepumpguysc said:
I DID try out my portable bead blast gun w/ the canister built into the top.. 2 thumbs up!!!

This?
21 Oz. Hopper Gravity Feed Spot Blaster Gun

or?
Gravity Feed Blaster Gun

Bruce

thepumpguysc · Jan 21, 2018

The 1st one.. 20oz hopper $19.99..
Funny thing is, the specs say 7cfm.. the tool says 5 & my compressor puts out 3.?? & it worked fine..
theres a couple of utube reviews on it.. how it doesn't work right outta the package so I didn't even try.. they show the before & after results.
I did the mods before hooking it up & it worked great.

thepumpguysc · Jan 21, 2018

The instructions say NOT TO USE SILICATE MEDIA.. that's why I got the walnut shells..
One of the "reviewers" said he got sand from homedepot.. maybe that's why his didn't work??
BUT after he did the mods, it worked fine w. the sand..
The other blaster has an 8oz cup.. you'd be there all day refilling that thing.. I guess that's why they promote it as a "SPOT" blaster..??

Midniteoyl · Jan 21, 2018

but they look about as worthless as the electronic flyswatter..

Hey now, that thing has actually been working pretty good

As long as you make contact (and its pretty big, so easy to do), it just 'zaps' the bug dead..

thepumpguysc · Jan 21, 2018

I just checked out the caps from MR. yellow cap x20 .. on Amazon & they're 9.98. lol
$7.08 on ebay.. I just ordered a set. I'll probably be fixing neighbors cans for awhile..

lostcreekranch · Jan 21, 2018

thepumpguysc said:
I don't know Goeduck but they look about as worthless as the electronic flyswatter.. Lol

I DID try out my portable bead blast gun w/ the canister built into the top.. 2 thumbs up!!!
I looked online/utube & saw the "MODS" you have to do before using it.. drilling out the feed holes w/ the drill set I got from HF & did that before hooking it up..
I filled it w/ 80 grit crushed walnut shells, also from HF & it worked perfectly..
I wasn't expecting the results I got.. I held on to piece I was cleaning, {for a milli-second}.. BIG MISTAKE
Those shells coming outta that gun at 90 psi will make your hand STING for the rest of the afternoon. Lol
GLOVES & SAFETY GLASSES are a must..
1 tip tho, if your doing small parts, do it in a box.. that way you can save the shells & if you drop the piece, you don't have to search for it.
IF your going to try one out.. they're in the BLOW GUN SECTION.. NOT in the blast cabinet section..
I asked a "sales person" if they had any?? he looked at me like I was from outer space.. & said, "if we have them, they'll be in the blasting cabinet area".. I said, "yea, you would think so, huh?" Well I found them in the blow gun section..
1 MORE THING> I was picking up some air hose that was on sale.. & was thinking, I don't need 50 or 100' of air line to run this little gun.. so I might as well get the 50' & cut it in 2..??
Right above the air line section, on the TOP SHELF were "remnants".. partial left over air lines.. the package said 8-15' air line> $2.25 !!!
That was PERFECT for what I needed.. I was gonna cut up a 50'er..seeing I didn't wanna get to far away from my little portable compressor..
It had pre-made ends & a 300psi burst rate.. all I had to do was screw some end to it & ablastin I went..