Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[newbury]

I have an older HF unit similar to the OP's unit and it works well enough. I also have an HF unit that is a small carpenters level wth regular bubbles B U T it has a laser built in too that you can turn on and off. It is the handiest of the lot. I also like using water hoses (regular garden hose) of any length as a level and can get things level over hundreds of feet away within 0.1 inches or less. Better than many of the less expensive laser levels that don't have really bright pinpoint beams out at a distance. All it costs is the hassle of dealing with however many garden hoses it takes to span the distance in question and a few inches of clear hose to go at each end of the hoses.

I do similar, either lengths of aquarium tubing for short runs, garden hose for long. I had a LOT of aquariums and a lot of tubing. I put together tubing, a jug of water AND some food coloring for leveling a shed. It doesn't work well in below freezing temps A few drops of dark food coloring (or any dye) sure helps.

 

[hunt4570]

I do similar, either lengths of aquarium tubing for short runs, garden hose for long. I had a LOT of aquariums and a lot of tubing. I put together tubing, a jug of water AND some food coloring for leveling a shed. It doesn't work well in below freezing temps A few drops of dark food coloring (or any dye) sure helps.

I've actually got an old water level, it has device at one end that chimes when the other end of the tube gets to the level its set at. One person operation.

 

[lostcreekranch]

I was looking for a new shop stool on the Internet and the one from HF popped up, with a nice coupon price of $19.99 instead of $27.99 so .. almost 30% off.

Pneumatic Roller Seat

Assembly was easy .. you insert the top of the gas cylinder into the underside of the seat and bottom end presses into the already assembled base with casters. The seat has some padding and materials seem to be pretty good. The gas cylinder gives you about 5" of height adjustment.

 

[Fallon]

I was looking for a new shop stool on the Internet and the one from HF popped up, with a nice coupon price of $19.99 instead of $27.99 so .. almost 30% off.

Pneumatic Roller Seat

Assembly was easy .. you insert the top of the gas cylinder into the underside of the seat and bottom end presses into the already assembled base with casters. The seat has some padding and materials seem to be pretty good. The gas cylinder gives you about 5" of height adjustment.

I've had one for a few years. A little spindly, but it holds my 210lbs fine & has lasted a few years at least. I just don't lean much on it. It rolls easily so you can just scoot it over so you don't have to lean anyway.

 

[5030]

I was at HF yesterday and I too noticed a lot of empty spaces on the various shelves. Must be an issue with getting their doses of Chineseum in lately. I 'm wanting one of the new Bauer 20 volt transfer pumps but twice now my local HF don't have it. I left without anything. Unusual for me.:laughing:

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Since the store didn't have any in red and red is back-ordered for a few weeks, I ordered a new 42" Generation 2 roll-away to hold my 3/4" and 1" drive sockets in the top drawer since my primary toolbox socket drawer is way, way over-populated. I have a 42" Generation 2 top box and although I think the plastic detents would quickly fail in pro-use, I like the new drawer detents way, way better than the old pusher-type locks on the prior generation boxes. I'll see how the 42" likes holding up 50 pounds of sockets. The rest of the drawers will be used to hold hardware and smaller special tools that I don't often need.

 

[5030]

Just got another nice Kennedy roll around, top box and bottom box at a garage sale for 50 bucks. That makes 3 now. All full. One is just metric stuff.

 

[newbury]

Any feedback on the "new" red 6 ton floor jacks? I've gone 3 times to get an old model gray pair this year and they've been out at the store and now it's clearance and "in store only". The only difference seems to be color and $10.

 

[lostcreekranch]

I've had one for a few years. A little spindly, but it holds my 210lbs fine & has lasted a few years at least. I just don't lean much on it. It rolls easily so you can just scoot it over so you don't have to lean anyway.

I've had one for a few years. A little spindly, but it holds my 210lbs fine & has lasted a few years at least. I just don't lean much on it. It rolls easily so you can just scoot it over so you don't have to lean anyway.

This is what mine replaced .. see the crack? That bucked me off. But the red one lasted about 30 years.

 

[Diggin It]

This is the paint sprayer I just mentioned on another thread: 64 oz. Professional Air Spray Gun Kit

I haven't decided yet if it does or doesn't or if it's just me being new to it.

 

[lostcreekranch]

This is the paint sprayer I just mentioned on another thread: 64 oz. Professional Air Spray Gun Kit

I haven't decided yet if it does or doesn't or if it's just me being new to it.

I’ve had this one for about 4 years and it works well .. for my needs.

2 oz. HVLP Gravity Feed Air Spray Gun with Regulator

 

[Fallon]

This is what mine replaced .. see the crack? That bucked me off. But the red one lasted about 30 years.

View attachment 658055

ROFLMAO. I have both & was thinking as bout this post when I was sitting on both earlier today. On my old A frame looking one, at least 1 if not multiple of the casters only spins partially. I think the bottom of the socket has punched through so the frame sits on the wheel so it stops rolling in some positions. The one with the cylinder is still rolling fine.

 

[John_Mc]

Any feedback on the "new" red 6 ton floor jacks? I've gone 3 times to get an old model gray pair this year and they've been out at the store and now it's clearance and "in store only". The only difference seems to be color and $10.

I bought a pair of these 6 ton jack stands a couple of months ago. My old ones were just too darn light-duty to use under my antique truck. They seem well-built. I've been happy with them so far.

Note that there was a recall on some of their 3 Ton and 6 Ton Jack Stands. It seems some of them were made on equipment with worn tooling, producing jack stands that could let go if the load shifted (See this jack stand recall notice for more info). The ones at the link were not affected by the recall.

 

[newbury]

I bought a pair of these 6 ton jack stands a couple of months ago. My old ones were just too darn light-duty to use under my antique truck. They seem well-built. I've been happy with them so far.

Note that there was a recall on some of their 3 Ton and 6 Ton Jack Stands. It seems some of them were made on equipment with worn tooling, producing jack stands that could let go if the load shifted (See this jack stand recall notice for more info). The ones at the link were not affected by the recall.

Yes, those are the "new" $10 more with a different color, same rating.

 

[Ford850]

Yes, those are the "new" $10 more with a different color, same rating.

For every new jack they sell, that $10 will pay for two returned "old" jacks (actual HF cost) from their recall.

 

[5030]

Knowing a bit about retail markup, I'd say HF probably pays (not including contanierized shipping from China, about 2 bucks per jackstand.

 

[buck12]

I plan to pickup a Hercules miter saw stand tomorrow. I should have a new Dewalt miter saw delivered Friday. I went back and forth between the Hercules saw and DeWalt but finally decided I have gotten good service out of my DeWalt tools.

 

[aczlan]

Knowing a bit about retail markup, I'd say HF probably pays (not including contanierized shipping from China, about 2 bucks per jackstand.

IIRC, someone said that the price of the extended warranty is roughly what they paid for an item

Aaron Z

 

[Diggin It]

Got a new, full coupon book in the mail yesterday rather than the abbreviated ones more recently.

 

[California]

IIRC, someone said that the price of the extended warranty is roughly what they paid for an item

Aaron Z

That sounds about right.

Here's a new car from China under $2k delivered. Tiny, but its a real car.
This Is How Much Buying The Cheapest New Car In The World Really Costs

(That's the first of several articles reviewing it).