Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[Rock Crawler]

Okay guys... It's been what.... 20 years since they've built an engine with a distributor? And I have 2 Sears Craftsman Pro trimming lights. One is a standard light, the other is a dial back. I'm thinking that I toss the standard at the son in case he ever gets an old car. I'll keep the dial back for setting initial and/or total timing on race engines.

What does the court of tractor by bet say?
Keep both?
Toss one in the trash?
Toss one at the 23 year old Marine?
Toss both and don't mess with hot rods ever again?

 

[LouNY]

Toss one to the Marine, heck I dug up my old dwell meter the other day, was thinking about taking it over to my brothers working on the distributor of an H

 

[bigtiller]

Start an old tool drawer/cabinet. You never know when it will come in handy for a "one of" job. Never get rid of old tools. Save them for the estate auction.

 

[California]

re the 'Swiss Army Knife' style hex key sets: In the current ad there is a $5 combo with three sets, Metric, SAE, and the third one is Torx keys. I doubt these are as good steel as real Torx bits but the set looks handy.

 

[stuckmotor]

re the 'Swiss Army Knife' style hex key sets: In the current ad there is a $5 combo with three sets, Metric, SAE, and the third one is Torx keys. I doubt these are as good steel as real Torx bits but the set looks handy.

I like those. Sometimes I have to unscrew the screw and remove a bit to get into a tight place but it's not difficult to put back.

 

[tjkubota93]

Can I get your home address please? I'm going to need a new place to live after I go but another toolbox and my wife cuts my nuts off and tosses me out.

I will move somewhere else than my house soon to avoid said nut cutting. I think mines mad about me starting a new garage when our shower isn't functioning. Meet you at holiday inn.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

I have a small box with a jumble of simple L allen wrenches but what I reach for first, and use nearly every time, is a set with keys that fold out like a jumbo swiss army knive. One set Metric, the other SAE. It's rare that I need to go to the box of L keys. HF sells a third compact 'swiss army' set for bicycles if you need that.

Yeh, but that big handle can get in he way too. I have at least 1 of every type I have seen. They all have their place, at least one in each of my tool boxes. Still had to grind one down shorter on the short side. I have a special place for those.

Ron

 

[shooterdon]

I tried most of the commercially available organizers that weren't completely stupid on prices (and a couple that were...).

This is what I came up with, zero cash outlay, built out of what I had laying around. Works for me.

This thread had me spending hours looking for wrench organizers and came to the same conclusion as you did. Every commercial unit has pluses and minuses....so why piss away money. I have a full workshop. I can build what I want for next to nothing and try different ideas. There is one unit I will look at next time I am at HD:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Steelma...1a&gclid=COGNsLWdx94CFcmIxQIdzlAO2w&gclsrc=ds

For less than $3 it may be ok. The downside is that it only holds 10 wrenches.

BTW, I made something like you have over 30 years ago. The sides and cross pieces had slots every 1" so I could adjust the size of the compartments. It was lost after a divorce so I may revisit that concept for my other stuff. I like your wrench storage.

 

[Threepoint]

Not just tools. Same goes for all the assorted "spare parts" and other junque in the garage/barn/shed. Soon as you get rid of it you'll find a need for it. :confused3:

Yes. This is a known phenomenon. And the longer you've kept it before finally throwing it away is indirectly proportional to how soon you'll discover the need for it.

 

[PILOON]

Yes. This is a known phenomenon. And the longer you've kept it before finally throwing it away is indirectly proportional to how soon you'll discover the need for it.

A guy named Murphy was the first to discover that phenomenon.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I broke my Mac breaker bar, so I ran to HF to get this until I get a chance in the year or so to get my broken stash of Snap On, Mac and SK tools to my buddy at the Ford dealership. Not having access to a tool truck means that broken professional tools can take months or even a year to get replaced.

This is one of the reasons that I'm leaning on HF so much now that they are on my way home from work with the new store that opened in January. At least I can get broken stuff replaced quick and easy.

And really... How bad can a breaker bar be? It's a most basic of tools. A bar of steel.

 

[Diggin It]

Well, steel quality DOES vary.

 

[Wasmeneh]

Just got back from HF. Had an old 12v lithium multitool that I got when they first came out. Bottom of the line Chicago Electric. Needed a new battery, it has been sitting for a couple of years at least. Manager checked NLA. He said he would exchange the old unit for a new one for the cost of the warranty, $13.99.

Well that was a deal, battery would have been $16 with at 20% coupon. Only thing I lost out was the nice plastic case the old one had.
Happy Camper

 

[Rock Crawler]

Okay guys and gals, I thought I would run to Lowe's tonight in the way home from work and take a look at the Kobay and Christmas tool boxes... To see how much better they might be than the US General boxes I just purchased.

I'm blown away. I'm totally shocked. I really can't believe it....

The Kobalt branded box, it's made of insanely thin sheet tin, it's barely tack welded together and essentially is such complete garbage that I'm completely floored. I'm attaching photos... You have to see it to believe it.

So then I moved over to the Craftsman boxes and I expected great quality since I have owned my Craftsman boxes for 12 or 15 years and just sold them a week ago. Wow! The new Craftsman tool boxes are super thin tin as well, and they are completely assembled with pop rivets. They don't bother trying tack weld. They simply hold parts together, drill it stamp holes in the panels and ham a pop rivet in too hold it. Again, pictures are attached.

The bearing rails on the drawers do appear to all be sourced from the same place, they all 3 (Craftsman, Kobalt and US General) have the same release latch, and appear to be nearly identical.

The Kobalt box tin is so thin that I can grab the front rail of steel and bend it up and down with my one hand.

The US General boxes that I just bought are stamped from thicker sheet tin, they are welded together with much much higher quality welds and just totally in a while different league than the Junk Kobalt and junk Craftsman. I can't even believe what I just saw.

Any ways... I'm attaching the photos so you can get an idea what I just saw.

They look like junk. They feel like junk. They are literally junk. Did you ever think that you'd see the day when someone said that Craftsman is junk and that Harbor Freight is actually much higher quality? I never would have thought that I would utter these words.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I broke my Mac breaker bar, ...

And really... How bad can a breaker bar be? It's a most basic of tools. A bar of steel.View attachment 578141

 

[Code54]

I personally have the Pittsburgh tools version and it has been great. Never the slightest problem and been finding their "pro" tools line seems pretty darn good for the money!

 

[Diggin It]

Okay guys and gals, I thought I would run to Lowe's tonight in the way home from work and take a look at the Kobay and Christmas tool boxes... To see how much better they might be than the US General boxes I just purchased.


They look like junk. They feel like junk. They are literally junk. Did you ever think that you'd see the day when someone said that Craftsman is junk and that Harbor Freight is actually much higher quality? I never would have thought that I would utter these words.

My walk bys of the various displays gave me the impression the it's just a renaming of the Kobalt brand in a different color and at higher prices. They're even showing CM flashlights and pretty much everything else.

 

[sixdogs]

Never throw away a tool. You need a separate box labeled "Tools not worth keeping". But seriously, every tool has its day where nothing else will do.

It seems when I finally throw something out after a long time not needing it I soon have a situation where the discarded tool is the only one that will work. Never throw anything out is the lesson.

I have some of my wife's old plastic shoe containers with lids that I put "discarded" stuff in. Then I know where things are.

 

[Alan W.]

Went to the HF store today and the registers were divided up on how you payed. One was for cash only another for debit only and the third one for debit or credit. They were doing credit cards the old fashion way. Did not see how the debits were being done assume the same. You could use a check at any register. Signs said it was because of the fires in CA. Any other stores like this.

 

[zombie]

Went to the HF store today and the registers were divided up on how you payed. One was for cash only another for debit only and the third one for debit or credit. They were doing credit cards the old fashion way. Did not see how the debits were being done assume the same. You could use a check at any register. Signs said it was because of the fires in CA. Any other stores like this.

Imagine the training seminar for that one! You want us to do what with the cards? We have been having issues shipping bagels down there.