Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[Oaktree]

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..

Did the same thing myself a few weeks ago, and for the same reason. Perfect for when you're doing something from a portable tank and don't really need 25' of hose underfoot.

 

[California]

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. ... pre-made ends & a 300psi burst rate.

Perfect for when you're doing something from a portable tank.

The 8 ft air hose remnants are perfect for lots of applications:

Leave one attached to a spray gun to avoid the lack of flexibility and weight of a coupling and a regulator at the gun - install those 8 ft upstream instead.

In my case I have the compressor in an inconvenient corner with a remnant screwed into the compressor outlet, to get the air supply out where it's easier to hook up. I first did this when I noticed that cheap HF rubber air hoses stress-cracked near their couplers, where the hose bent 90 degrees coming off the compressor. So I considered the remnant was expendable and replacing it avoided the cost of a whole hose. Now I appreciate the convenience.

And of course as a more convenient extension, in place of a 25 or 50 ft hose, when your first hose won't quite reach.

Everybody needs a couple at that price!

 

[lostcreekranch]

Probably my very first HF purchase, about 15 years ago, was their propane weed burner torch.

Propane Torch

Mine has the orange hose. Back around end of the year I was using it to light off five burn piles at the ranch. It was in low 30’s high 20’s and the hose was so stiff it felt like it was near breaking. I keep hose curled around the top of the propane tank. Trying to get it to uncurl was a job.

I thought, no problem, I’ll go to HF online parts and get a replacement hose, but they came back to me and advised that no replacement parts are available for it.

Closest HF to ranch is about 70 miles each way.

No problem, I’ll just get a new, better hose online. I wanted a longer hose anyway so, I could leave propane tank in the bed of the Polaris Ranger while lighting fires. 10’ would be great. Found a 12’ hose online at at RV Place for $15. Excellent!

Hose received so, I removed the old hose from the burner head. Fitting is 3/8 compression but ........ left hand thread! Whuuut? Now I have a 12’ hose that won’t work. What are these people thinking?

Guess I should have just bought a new torch for $19.99 less 20% coupon. Still would have a 6’ hose.

 

[dragoneggs]

My experience with HF replacement parts is buy a new unit. You will have all the replacement parts you need. And maybe a couple for a friend, too!

 

[thepumpguysc]

When I was checking out w/ my HAUL the cashier asked me if I wanted to purchase the "warranty" for, I think> was the sand blaster gun?? 4.00.
I said, "did you just ask me that w/ a straight face"?? The gun costs 20.00!!! NO I don't want the warranty.. Lol it has 1 moving part.. lol
Same thing happened at the mall afew years ago w/ a soldering iron.. it costs 10.00 & the girl asked me if I wanted to purchase the warranty!!
I think the warranty for the "jump box" was 8.00?? & NO I didn't buy that either.. its a battery for gods sakes.. they wear out.

 

[k0ua]

So, If I have 100' of 3/8" line rolled up on a reel with one end connected to my tank and the other connected to the impact wrench with standard small size fittings I will likely see a significant loss of pressure between the tank and wrench from loss along the way?

When you start "pulling" a large volume of air yes. When you measure it without pulling air from the system, no. Just like electricity. Say your source voltage was 120 VAC. Run it thru a mile of 12 gauge romex. measure the voltage on the far end. It will be 120 VAC. Now put a load on the far end, even a small load like a 60 watt light bulb. It will NOT be 120VAC on the far end now will it? The resistive losses in the one mile will wire will cause a severe voltage drop at the far end. Just as the resistance to the air flow in the hose will cause a loss of pressure at the far end when a large volume of air is drawn thru it. But if you do not draw any air volume thru the hose, the pressure will be the same at each end.

 

[Rock Crawler]

Harbor Freight Diablo 1/2" x 50' air line, brand new purchased yesterday and installed today. After installing, turned the valve to let air pressure come in and the hose immediately blew up.

Anyone else has Diablo air hose fail?

This is attached to a 155 psi Kobalt 60 gallon 2 stage from about 10 or 15 years ago.

 

[California]

Harbor Freight air line purchased yesterday ... turned the valve to let air pressure come in and the hose immediately blew up.

HF - where final quality control testing is left up to the customer!

I had hoped switching to new brand names reflected improved quality. Apparently not, at least for this new Diablo line.

 

[downsizingnow48]

That reminds me I recently had a bad experience with a Pittsburgh caliper, pictured. I left my good Mitutoyo caliper at the other place and needed something here in Sacramento so went to HF and got this. How bad can it be, I thought to myself. Well pretty bad. The OD side reads about .020 more than the ID side, that is about .5 mm, enough to see by eye.

 

[Travelover]

............ Apparently not, at least for this new Diablo line.

You'll have a devil of a time finding a good Diablo product.

 

[Rock Crawler]

You'll have a devil of a time finding a good Diablo product.

I had thought that with it being the most expensive option in air lines that they carried, maybe it was good to go for a home user who may only use it a couple times a week and that it might last 10 or so years with that light use. I never expected it to blow apart upon it's initial exposure to compressed air!

 

[lostcreekranch]

That reminds me I recently had a bad experience with a Pittsburgh caliper, pictured. I left my good Mitutoyo caliper at the other place and needed something here in Sacramento so went to HF and got this. How bad can it be, I thought to myself. Well pretty bad. The OD side reads about .020 more than the ID side, that is about .5 mm, enough to see by eye.

If you have my experience, the battery will be dead the next time you pick it up. I take the battery out once I’m done using it.

I did not find the accuracy issue though.

 

[California]

never expected it to blow apart upon it's initial exposure to compressed air!

Well there's your problem right there!


I went to paint a lot of outdoor iron furniture and collected all my HF hoses - all at least a few years old but with little use - to run air out to the work area. (photo) All through the project hoses kept failing near their air fittings. With the regulator set to only 120 psi! I kept shortening hoses and putting in threaded clamped fittings continually.

Recently I bought a Diablo hose to replace one of the junkers, but your post is discouraging.

HF had Goodyear-labelled hose a while back. We all should have stocked up then.

 

[Code54]

Well there's your problem right there!


I went to paint a lot of outdoor iron furniture and collected all my HF hoses - all at least a few years old but with little use - to run air out to the work area. (photo) All through the project hoses kept failing near their air fittings. With the regulator set to only 120 psi! I kept shortening hoses and putting in threaded clamped fittings continually.

Recently I bought a Diablo hose to replace one of the junkers, but your post is discouraging.

HF had Goodyear-labelled hose a while back. We all should have stocked up then.

I have had 2 Goodyear hoses go bad in less than 2.5 years. They were both new hoses, used inside all the time, and they were the shorter hoses between hard lines and eqpt. These hoses are not moved around, pull on or anything so I have no idea why they went bad so quickly..... Hard to get a good hose anymore.

 

[Rock Crawler]

The one black rubber hose that I just removed was a 1/4" x 25' Goodyear that is the older backup hose, it's at least... At least and every bit... 15-20 years old. That said, new Goodyear house from today may be total trash compared to one from that long ago.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I've had a 50' HF Diablo hose for over a year now (maybe 2?). It's been fine. I keep it coiled up in my unheated garage all the time. Last time I had it out was a month ago, airing up truck tires.

 

[lexluther]

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

The electronic fly swatter works and is fun...

 

[PJSprog]

If you have my experience, the battery will be dead the next time you pick it up. I take the battery out once I’m done using it.

I did not find the accuracy issue though.

That was my experience with the HF (Cen-Tech) digital calipers, too, Rick. I never had any accuracy problems, but it ate batteries like a cookie monster. I eventually bought a dial caliper to replace it. No more batteries.

 

[Garandman]

That was my experience with the HF (Cen-Tech) digital calipers, too, Rick. I never had any accuracy problems, but it ate batteries like a cookie monster. I eventually bought a dial caliper to replace it. No more batteries.

Many of the digital calipers on the market do not shut off: they just shut off the display. You must remove the battery if you want it to last.

 

[California]

That was my experience with the HF (Cen-Tech) digital calipers, too, Rick. I never had any accuracy problems, but it ate batteries like a cookie monster. I eventually bought a dial caliper to replace it. No more batteries.

Interesting. My HF digital caliper is seldom used. Its on only its third or fourth battery in 10+ years.

My favorite remains a plastic 'General' dial caliper with .001 graduations that I bought back before digital calipers. I doubt it has the absolute accuracy of the Cen-Tech but its more convenient to use and there's no need to protect it from corrosion.