Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[Iplayfarmer]

There are two situations where I will buy the cheap tools at Harbor Freight.

1) It's something that I know I'm only going to use a few times or only occasionally.
2) I want to try out a tool concept and see if it really makes that much of a difference in my work. In this case I buy the cheap HF version. If I use it a lot and it really helps, I'll buy a better one when it wears out. If I only use it a few times or occasioanlly, refer back to situation #1

 

[CFHartman]

I have been using hand tools for 45 years. I had top of the line tools wile I was in the Army. I then worked in industry for 40 years. My tools were top of the line. But some of the people I worked with had Harbor Freight Tools. They got by I sometimes used there tools. I know some of there large wrench cost as much for a set as I paid for one wrench from snap on. I don't know of any of them letting them down.
I just ordered a magnetic trailer alignment kit form them. It looks like it should work well. If not I'm only out 7.49 + 6.99 shiping. It's worth the gamble to me.
Charlie

 

[patrick_g]

I just ordered a magnetic trailer alignment kit form them. It looks like it should work well. If not I'm only out 7.49 + 6.99 shiping. It's worth the gamble to me.
Charlie

Charlie, I paid $10 for the magnetically attached trailer alignment thing with the yellow balls on telescoping rods (like an antenna) at HF store. One of the telescopic rods came apart on second use but I crimped it a bit with pliers and it is usable. They aren't as good as a Wally World $100 lisc plate bracket backup camera but they work for me and are easily moved from vehicle to vehicle.

They would work much better if I would make a little flat platform on the hitch and the trailer tongue to place the magnet on as the magnet doesn't hold the thing steady on a curved surface with wind.

Pat

 

[Heywood Jannockitov]

We don't have HF here but we have Princess Auto, which is probably our equivalent in Canada. I'm so disorganized with tools, I need three of everything so that I'm guaranteed of finding at least one of them when I need it. So, I 'll buy some cheaper hand tools in multiple quantities and have one each in the barn, garage and ATV tool carrier. Then I'm not so upset when I lose something. I buy tape measures like they are going out of style, yet why can I never find one when I need one?

 

[gemini5362]

Charlie, I paid $10 for the magnetically attached trailer alignment thing with the yellow balls on telescoping rods (like an antenna) at HF store. One of the telescopic rods came apart on second use but I crimped it a bit with pliers and it is usable. They aren't as good as a Wally World $100 lisc plate bracket backup camera but they work for me and are easily moved from vehicle to vehicle.

They would work much better if I would make a little flat platform on the hitch and the trailer tongue to place the magnet on as the magnet doesn't hold the thing steady on a curved surface with wind.

Pat

Pat i have one of those ball type thing a majiggys. I have a stainless ball and reciever so it wont attach to them too well. I have thought about one of the walmart 100.00 wireless camera thingys but thought the screen was too small. Have you tried one and does it work well. If you say it works well I will go buy one immediately.

 

[49tandc]

I have this theory - If I use the tool a lot - I buy the best quality I can afford. If I use the tool rarely - like a socket for the crankshaft of a VW motor - I look at pawn shops - they usually have quality tools at lower prices, you may get lucky and find snap-on; craftsman; matco, etc. stuff.

With Harbor Freight - it depends exactly on what your expectations are. I do not like any of HF's "electric" tools, but I've had good luck with their pneumatic stuff. I buy BOXES and BOXES of their Latex & Nitrile gloves. I smoke a lot of meat and the latex gloves are the best way to apply rubs/prep meat/slice & serve to others - it gives the illusion that you care about health/cleanliness etc.

Nitrile gloves great for using harsh chemicals. Hammers, welding clamps, pliers, work good enough. I wouldn't spend too much money for any of their bigger $$ items. Folding Cherry-picker ALWAYS a bargain at $149. Luckily there is a HF close to me so its not like a special trip to HF. ITs only if I'm going by that way.

49T&C

49T&C

 

[CFHartman]

The last time I had a friend help he was doing ok then out of the blue he started trying to do my thinking for me and instead of telling which way the ball had to move he started signling which way I was to move the front end.
After that I made mirror on a magnet. It works so so. I have to be with in fore inches of the ball and hitch be fore I can pick up the ball. I told my friend that was his replacement. I thought the two balls looked like a good idea. I hope I have better luck with them. I can see where there could be trouble with mounting the magnet on the hitch. Thanks for your input.
Chalie

 

[patrick_g]

Pat i have one of those ball type thing a majiggys. I have a stainless ball and reciever so it wont attach to them too well. I have thought about one of the walmart 100.00 wireless camera thingys but thought the screen was too small. Have you tried one and does it work well. If you say it works well I will go buy one immediately.

Thomas, You can glue or otherwise attach a little piece of galvanized sheet metal in strategic locations and use the yellow balls from HF. You don't put the magnet on the ball but forward of it a bit.

On my 1 ton Dodge/Cummins with the service body, I carry a convex mirror and a U shaped mount that straddles the tailgate to hold it so I can see the ball and watch the coupler align with it while backing. It works super EXCEPT when the sun angle is wrong and the glare is big time and contrast is poor.

There are accessories for sale that use really heavy gauge metal in a 90 degree configuration (a corner) with the angle's bisector aligned with the midline of the receiver. If you can back up close to the coupler the device deflects the coupler a bit forcing it to move over the ball.

I built my own rear view system a while back, before little LCD screens were so cheap. It was a CCD camera and a 5 inch CRT intended as a baby monitor or door view thingy. I got it super cheap on closeout. I opened up the monitor and reversed the wires driving the horizontal deflection coil. This was to get a mirror view instead of normal view. I don't understand everything I know about the results but it did make a mirror image but it was upside down???? I just turned the monitor upside down and all was fine.

I do have one of the little $100- units from Wal*Mart NIB awaiting a lull in the excitement to be installed. As best I can tell, for my purposes I will modify the lisc plate holder that has the tiny camera on it so it looks down more. It is wide angle so aiming it down a bit (10-30 degrees, to be determined experimentally) will not lose the rear view just lose some view of the sky.

It is a small screen but I don't intend to replace the rear view mirrors with it just use it for hitching a trailer and checking for hazards to navigation when backing up. I was thinking I would power the camera from the backup light circuit as I wouldn't NEED the camera when not backing. Even if you have to pull up a bit and try again when hitching, you don't really need to see the ball/coupler relative position/motion when moving forward and the rear view will be restored as soon as I put it in reverse.

I see no big problem if it were wired to a circuit that is live when the switch is in the run position if for some reason you want a poor electronic view of what is behind you in addition to the mirror's view. I will have to experiment with camera placement and might even end up mounting it high on the tailgate with a quick disconnect polarized plug to facilitate tailgate removal. That brings up the issue of "I want the camera to work when the tailgate is removed."

Who knows, maybe I will make a little telescopic mount from some pieces of square tubing (that fit nicely to facilitate the telescopic action (pins or ... to adjust height) and put a wing nut adjustable down angle mount. This could be mounted to the receiver and allow elevating and aiming the camera to accommodate most foreseeable needs (such as lowering it to allow tailgate lowering.)

Bigger is usually better (I just replaced my newly dead ViewSonics CRT monitor with a 22 inch HI res LCD unit) but I don't think I need a "WIDE SCREEN HDTV" rear view to watch a coupler and ball attain the same Lat and Lon. As it will be sort of a SLOW MOTION evolution I don't need a high performance setup, large screen hi res, or big $. I think the Wally World unit will be OK for trailer hitching.

Pat

 

[patrick_g]

I made mirror on a magnet. It works so so. I have to be with in fore inches of the ball and hitch be fore I can pick up the ball. I told my friend that was his replacement. I thought the two balls looked like a good idea. I hope I have better luck with them. I can see where there could be trouble with mounting the magnet on the hitch. Thanks for your input.
Chalie

Charlie, you need a convex mirror. It will give you a wider angle view so you can see the ball and the coupler at the same time when they are still a ways apart leaving you time and distance to make a correction while still backing up.

Pat

 

[gemini5362]

Thomas, You can glue or otherwise attach a little piece of galvanized sheet metal in strategic locations and use the yellow balls from HF. You don't put the magnet on the ball but forward of it a bit.

On my 1 ton Dodge/Cummins with the service body, I carry a convex mirror and a U shaped mount that straddles the tailgate to hold it so I can see the ball and watch the coupler align with it while backing. It works super EXCEPT when the sun angle is wrong and the glare is big time and contrast is poor.

There are accessories for sale that use really heavy gauge metal in a 90 degree configuration (a corner) with the angle's bisector aligned with the midline of the receiver. If you can back up close to the coupler the device deflects the coupler a bit forcing it to move over the ball.

I built my own rear view system a while back, before little LCD screens were so cheap. It was a CCD camera and a 5 inch CRT intended as a baby monitor or door view thingy. I got it super cheap on closeout. I opened up the monitor and reversed the wires driving the horizontal deflection coil. This was to get a mirror view instead of normal view. I don't understand everything I know about the results but it did make a mirror image but it was upside down???? I just turned the monitor upside down and all was fine.

I do have one of the little $100- units from Wal*Mart NIB awaiting a lull in the excitement to be installed. As best I can tell, for my purposes I will modify the lisc plate holder that has the tiny camera on it so it looks down more. It is wide angle so aiming it down a bit (10-30 degrees, to be determined experimentally) will not lose the rear view just lose some view of the sky.

It is a small screen but I don't intend to replace the rear view mirrors with it just use it for hitching a trailer and checking for hazards to navigation when backing up. I was thinking I would power the camera from the backup light circuit as I wouldn't NEED the camera when not backing. Even if you have to pull up a bit and try again when hitching, you don't really need to see the ball/coupler relative position/motion when moving forward and the rear view will be restored as soon as I put it in reverse.

I see no big problem if it were wired to a circuit that is live when the switch is in the run position if for some reason you want a poor electronic view of what is behind you in addition to the mirror's view. I will have to experiment with camera placement and might even end up mounting it high on the tailgate with a quick disconnect polarized plug to facilitate tailgate removal. That brings up the issue of "I want the camera to work when the tailgate is removed."

Who knows, maybe I will make a little telescopic mount from some pieces of square tubing (that fit nicely to facilitate the telescopic action (pins or ... to adjust height) and put a wing nut adjustable down angle mount. This could be mounted to the receiver and allow elevating and aiming the camera to accommodate most foreseeable needs (such as lowering it to allow tailgate lowering.)

Bigger is usually better (I just replaced my newly dead ViewSonics CRT monitor with a 22 inch HI res LCD unit) but I don't think I need a "WIDE SCREEN HDTV" rear view to watch a coupler and ball attain the same Lat and Lon. As it will be sort of a SLOW MOTION evolution I don't need a high performance setup, large screen hi res, or big $. I think the Wally World unit will be OK for trailer hitching.

Pat

Pat if you hook it up let me know how it works. I just spent all the play money my wife lets me have so I have to wait a while to save 100.00 so I can buy me one. Of course I am happy with todays purchase I bought a 6 foot brushhog ( I am not sure of the brand name yet it is the kind that hooks up to the swinging drawbar and you adjust the heighth by raising and lowering an axle on two tires at the back of the unit. I gave 200.00 for that so I am broke for a while If you hook that unit up in the next month or so give me a yell. For powering the camera I would think that you could hook it up to a 7 pin trailer connection if you have one. they have a pin for backup lights that would work and they also have a pin that is used for charging a trailers batteries while travelling. You could just hook your connector to that plug and then when you hook up your trailer unhook the camera connector and hook in your trailer.