Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[ThirdMan]

I can't imagine anything louder than my HF direct drive oil lubricated compressor, an earlier 10 gallon version of this present model.

It's unpleasant, deafening - even located beyond the end of the workbench at the back of the tractor stall.

I see there are two different current models. The plastic cover faces the user and is like a megaphone on this one, and mine. Maybe the other version with the cover opening to the rear is a little quieter.

That said, I think these are the practical minimum in cost and capacity that can run that impact wrench.

Thanks for the info from several members. I have a lead on a used one that I plan to haggle for. I hope to upgrade in the future, but have to start somewhere. I will keep the hearing protection nearby.

 

[KubotainNH]

Well ..... after a 150 mile round trip, to closest HF Store, I opened the pole saw box only to find that the saw bar was missing. No plastic guard either!

Can’t begin to describe how p...sed off I am now. All savings now blown in diesel fuel costs to make a second round trip to get this corrected.

How hard is it to put all the parts in the box!!!

Haven’t tried blower yet ..... just three parts ..... blower, battery, charger. Charging battery overnight.

Call the number on the parts list paper. I had some missing parts on a press and they got them out to me in short order. Not worth that drive.

 

[lostcreekranch]

Call the number on the parts list paper. I had some missing parts on a press and they got them out to me in short order. Not worth that drive.

Thanks.

 

[aczlan]

Thanks for the info from several members. I have a lead on a used one that I plan to haggle for. I hope to upgrade in the future, but have to start somewhere. I will keep the hearing protection nearby.

Sounds good. We run a used belt drive two cylinder in the shop over at my in-laws, and we ran a another one at our house (it came with the house) until the rings went out.

Aaron Z

 

[PhysAssist]

I致e cut 8-10 branches often but ....... I make several initial cuts farther out the limb to prevent damage to the tree. Keep the chain sharp, oil in the tank, and it will cut wood ..... like cutting butter. Let the weight of the saw do the work, you don稚 need to force it.

Rick has it right, but he didn't mention the most important part- if you are trimming trees you want to live and be healthy-

FIRST making an undercut a little way out from your final cut or any place where you intend a through cut.

This breaks the connection to the bark, and prevents [or at least limits] any tearing of the bark as the limb falls.

https://www.todayshomeowner.com/how-to-trim-large-tree-branches/

 

[PJSprog]

Thanks. I was going to buy a spare battery but, found the coupon for the blower so bought it and now have two batteries.

That was our thoughts, too, with wanting to buy the regular chainsaw in addition to the pole saw. Better than buying a $60 battery that we may or may not ever use.

 

[Rock Crawler]

That was our thoughts, too, with wanting to buy the regular chainsaw in addition to the pole saw. Better than buying a $60 battery that we may or may not ever use.

That is exactly what I did, I wanted and bought the pole saw last fall and then a month or so back I grabbed the regular chain saw. I'm very impressed with both, and getting that regular saw with battery and charger means that I pretty much have unlimited power. You just can't kill these things unless your doing hard core work.

 

[California]

That's a good lesson in general:

Buying a battery alone is expensive. If you could use a second battery, always buy it in a kit that includes a tool that you might eventually use. Possibly with a charger as well. With 2 chargers and 2-3 batteries you, and possibly a helper, can work all day and never run out of power.

Also for drills and impact drivers it's handy to have several. I recently lifted and replaced patio deck boards. One drill with Phillips bit to tale out the old deck screws, another to drill pilot holes in the new decking, a third (impact driver) with Torx bit for the new deck screws, and my fourth battery in the little 'Skilsaw' to cut new decking boards to size. - All Ryobi stuff. The 18 volt Ryobi drills are incredibly cheap at the flea market, around $5. I have my original drill from the $150 Ryobi kit and three more cheap ones for multi-tool projects like this deck.

 

[Threepoint]

Call the number on the parts list paper. I had some missing parts on a press and they got them out to me in short order. Not worth that drive.

Rick, let us know how it goes once you call customer service. It is an unusual situation because of the distance. I'm guessing someone may have damaged their pole, then bought another unit, liberated the pole, resealed the box and returned it for a refund. Call me cynical I guess. Worst-case, customer service should let you order another another one online, have it shipped to you, then return the first for a refund when you are next at Harbor Freight. There would already be a record of your claim within the 90-day warranty period. Just another thought.

I found the managers at our local Harbor Freights to be quite reasonable in trying to make adjustments for the customers.

 

[lostcreekranch]

Rick, let us know how it goes once you call customer service. It is an unusual situation because of the distance. I'm guessing someone may have damaged their pole, then bought another unit, liberated the pole, resealed the box and returned it for a refund. Call me cynical I guess. Worst-case, customer service should let you order another another one online, have it shipped to you, then return the first for a refund when you are next at Harbor Freight. There would already be a record of your claim within the 90-day warranty period. Just another thought.

I found the managers at our local Harbor Freights to be quite reasonable in trying to make adjustments for the customers.

They told me that replacement parts could be shipped to me but, probably wouldn’t be shipped until early next week then ...... who knows how long to finally get them?

I gave up and made another 150 mile round trip, this morning, to get a trade out. I checked every nut bolt and washer to assure that I had everything this time. Two round trips ate up my coupon savings, and then some, in fuel costs.

 

[KubotainNH]

They told me that replacement parts could be shipped to me but, probably wouldn’t be shipped until early next week then ...... who knows how long to finally get them?

I gave up and made another 150 mile round trip, this morning, to get a trade out. I checked every nut bolt and washer to assure that I had everything this time. Two round trips ate up my coupon savings, and then some, in fuel costs.

Well that sux, thanks for the update.

 

[newbury]

If the most commonly sold vehicles in the USA are increasing $1000-$3000 as I read this morning one might consider any items containing metal planned for purchase in the next few years to get it done this week or as soon as possible.

Plans just announced to put tarriffs on an additional $200 billion of China imports will impact auto companies, Harbor Freight, Walmart, etc consumers.

I expect we are living in a time of fast changes and that Harbor Freight will be a favorite place for some of us for years to come.

Yup, I maxed out my HF buys earlier this year.

Do any of you have experience with the HF Lynxx 40 volt pole saw?

4V Lithium Cordless Pole Saw

I致e got an Echo pole saw that extends up to 16 but, I知 thinking the HF saw would be good for branches just above the reach of a chain saw, and way lighter too.

Can you use the 20% coupons on the Lynxx tools and batteries?

As others wrote the Lynxx Polesaw is great, short but great. I also have an Echo PPT 280 with a 4' extension, so I can reach out 17 feet with a 28CC chainsaw.

I have a chance to buy a used Echo pole saw from a friend that's like new and cheap. What do you think of it?

My use would be to trim some 1" to 1 3/4" bottom branches off of about 200 spruce trees and then sell it. Maybe 6 branches per tree and the pole would allow me to easily reach into the tree. Think it would hold up?

Buy it, they are great.

How does it work at various sizes of branches? Strong? Weak? Any issues or strong points?

Heavy compared to the Lynxx. But as powerful as any small chainsaw on a stick. Definitely need a GOOD harness for extended use. But then I've got chainsaws ranging from a 40V electric to a 120CC Stihl 088. Fit the tool to the job if you can afford it.

 

[sixdogs]

Thank you. I've learned the Echo saw I can buy is a fixed 8' length and is a current model, probably a PPF-2620. It's like new and would work great for my pruning the bottom few branches on some spruce trees and allow me to easily reach in among the mass of branches. As mentioned, the only trees around here are the ones I planted and I've planted a lot.

 

[newbury]

Thank you. I've learned the Echo saw I can buy is a fixed 8' length and is a current model, probably a PPF-2620. It's like new and would work great for my pruning the bottom few branches on some spruce trees and allow me to easily reach in among the mass of branches. As mentioned, the only trees around here are the ones I planted and I've planted a lot.

I think you can get a 3' extension for that. And note Echo holds 20% off 1 day sales at many of their dealerships, listed here.
But if it's a fixed 8' length I'd go with the Lynxx.

 

[sixdogs]

I think you can get a 3' extension for that. And note Echo holds 20% off 1 day sales at many of their dealerships, listed here.
But if it's a fixed 8' length I'd go with the Lynxx.

Thank you.

 

[dragoneggs]

They told me that replacement parts could be shipped to me but, probably wouldn稚 be shipped until early next week then ...... who knows how long to finally get them?

I gave up and made another 150 mile round trip, this morning, to get a trade out. I checked every nut bolt and washer to assure that I had everything this time. Two round trips ate up my coupon savings, and then some, in fuel costs.

Yes, lesson learned by me long ago dealing with HF. I open up the box on everything I buy in the parking lot if I can稚 tell if it is damaged or missing parts.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Yes, lesson learned by me long ago dealing with HF. I open up the box on everything I buy in the parking lot if I can稚 tell if it is damaged or missing parts.

Thankfully ours has 120 volt outlet just outside the front door that I use to make sure 120 volt tools will at least power on and off.

 

[sixdogs]

Yes, lesson learned by me long ago dealing with HF. I open up the box on everything I buy in the parking lot if I can稚 tell if it is damaged or missing parts.

Those are words to live by and on the tool chests it's a must.

 

[California]

Yes, lesson learned by me long ago dealing with HF. I open up the box on everything I buy in the parking lot if I can't tell if it is damaged or missing parts.

Not just the tool. Check your receipt. I got half way home then thinking about my $200 purchase, realized I had paid more than it should have been with the 20% coupon. Turned around and went back. Repeated the transaction, this time with coupon applied to the expensive item not the minor accessories.

The assistant manager had served me and I suspect he was trying to improve margins.

 

[Threepoint]

Not just the tool. Check your receipt. I got half way home then thinking about my $200 purchase, realized I had paid more than it should have been with the 20% coupon. Turned around and went back. Repeated the transaction, this time with coupon applied to the expensive item not the minor accessories.

The assistant manager had served me and I suspect he was trying to improve margins.

Ouch! Really hope that wasn't the case! It would be pretty risky on the part of the assistant manager. Especially since he wouldn't be the most likely person to get the credit for improved same-store margins. Now that HF automatically emails a copy of the receipt to the customer, in addition to the paper receipt, it won't take long for him to be busted if that's going on. HF Corporate keeps its local store staff on a pretty short tether. They don't last long if they are caught breaching corporate policy.

As I understand it, only a supervisor (including assistant manager of course) has the administrative permissions necessary to override certain of the computer's programming. I do know that the system is set up so that the clerk has limited ability to screw up, or screw around. Once the clerk scans or types in the bar code of the coupon, the system automatically applies the 20% or 25% discount to the highest-priced eligible item that's rung in that transaction. At least that's how it was explained to me a couple of years ago by a manager. Not even a supervisor has the authorization to force the register to apply a coupon to an "ineligible" item. Instead, if he wants to force a 20% discount on an item as a matter of customer relations, he must use his/her personal "employee" discount to ring the sale. That's been done for me a couple of times. What I don't know is whether a supervisor (or even a regular clerk) could force the coupon discount to ring on the lower-priced item without ringing it separately. Next time I'm at HF I'll try to remember to ask.