Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[Diggin It]

Simple:

http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/diagnostics/alternatorbattery-tester-69018.html

Looks like it may not be sold any more.

Too bad, because I planned on picking up a couple more.

 

[thepumpguysc]

They do sell a “load tester” that does the same + load tests the battery..
It has a sweeping needle instead of lites..

 

[jjeff]

Doesn't the hf viking battery tester check conductance between battery plates? It's the same price as the hf load tester and is a heck of a lot cheaper than my midtronics brand conductance tester Ive owned for over 15 yrs. Wonder how accurate the hf tester is for determining battery health?

 

[Topzide]

^^^^^^^^
It seems to do a good job of battery health. Have checked a few that were double-check elsewhere and got the same results. Works for me with all the batteries in my fleet!

 

[California]

Question: What is HF's $70 14oz tungsten framing hammer? How does that work?

This weekend I had to get the old Stiletto hollow-handle 20 oz framing hammer I earned my living with 50 years ago, to drive some nails in an awkward location where I couldn't get a hard swing with a little 16oz hammer. If 16oz doesn't hit very hard, what's the story on that 14oz expensive framer?

 

[1Mech]

I bought a Hercules 20v cordless die grinder last week, used it to cut nails that were preventing me from installing Fascia boards. It seemed to work quite well. Not near as small as an air die grinder though.

 

[1Mech]

Most NEW welders today are 100% solid state IGBT units. Actually own 3 of them, all HF units. 3 IGBT welders and 3 transformer units that aren't made anymore. China and Taiwan have flooded the market (via Amascon mostly) as well as Everlast and they are all about to take a hit I suspect. The IGBT welders I own are light years ahead of the old transformer units and they are all digital and all have memory as well. Problem is, if they puke, you might as well landfill them because they are not repairable, lest not by a person with limited electronics experience like me. No more knobs to twist or setting to remember, the welders remember them for you and they are all touch screen and the IGBT machines can make a backyard welder look professional.

I read elsewhere that the Chinese industrial complex is balancing on the edge of folding and the Trump trade war I believe will push them over the edge.

How about Grizzly? All their stuff is imported. Hope they have a lot of machines in inventory. If they don't, they are hosed as well. They always tout in the catalog how their machines are made in Taiwan. Last time I checked, Taiwan was part of the Peoples Republic of China, or close to it.

Bad times for Asia in general. They brought it on themselves however.

I follow International shipping on G Captain and 'What's going on with Shipping' on YT. Both sites give you good insight into the international maritime situation.

Taiwan is not part of the Peoples Republic, but rather it's own, non Communist country, also known as Republic of China (ROC) I don't know how the possible tariffs will affect Taiwan.

 

[scootr]

Question: What is HF's $70 14oz tungsten framing hammer? How does that work?

This weekend I had to get the old Stiletto hollow-handle 20 oz framing hammer I earned my living with 50 years ago, to drive some nails in an awkward location where I couldn't get a hard swing with a little 16oz hammer. If 16oz doesn't hit very hard, what's the story on that 14oz expensive framer?

I swung 20 oz with an extended handle that I held with 2 fingers and thumb for the biggest hits... for 30 yrs. Oh yeah and the end was wrapped with tape for more stickem We framed a lot of **** before and after the guns came along... My elbow quit hurting just 6 months after I quit that.

 

[5030]

Taiwan is not part of the Peoples Republic, but rather it's own, non Communist country, also known as Republic of China (ROC) I don't know how the possible tariffs will affect Taiwan.

Whatever, not big on geography anyway. All I know is they will be tariffed at some percentage. In my view, 'over there is over there'.

 

[5030]

Not seeing a huge price increase at HF currently but I suspect I will once the stuff in the warehouses dry up. Stores are pretty busy, I believe buyers feel the same way I do.

Keep wondering where their tool boxes are made at as the quality of them is high but the prices compared to Snap-On or MAC or even the Menards boxes are very reasonable. New box time for me actually.

 

[CPTKILLER]

Prices have been coming up for some time approaching Home Depot and Lowe’s.

 

[newbury]

Taiwan is not part of the Peoples Republic, but rather it's own, non Communist country, also known as Republic of China (ROC) I don't know how the possible tariffs will affect Taiwan.

From AI Overview

Yes, tariffs announced by the US government, including a 32% tariff on some imports from Taiwan, will have a significant impact on the island's economy.

 

[jyoutz]

Prices have been coming up for some time approaching Home Depot and Lowe’s.

I can still buy things at HF lots cheaper than HD and Lowes because HF has sales with big discounts continuously.

 

[JeepHead]

I can still buy things at HF lots cheaper than HD and Lowes because HF has sales with big discounts continuously.

It's the sales that ALWAYS gets me. I constantly am buying things there because they're on sale. LOL

 

[5030]

The aspect to always remember with HF and that is they carry 3 distinct lines of tools. The cheapo Pittsburg one use maybe stuff and the the Homeowner grade Bauer and then the 'professional grade' whatever that means, Icon tools.

The 'Chief' air tools are high quality as well.

I have a pile of Bauer 20 volt hand tools and I will say that they aren't for a professional shop enviroment, they work just fine for me.

What I found interesting is, I have an IR air powered 4.5" angle grinder that cost over 250 clams retail and I also have a Chief 4.5" air powered angle grinder that set me back under a hundred bucks (on sale in the ITC flyer) and the Chief and the IR are mirror images of each other except for the badging on the handle. We use air tools in the shop constantly btw and I'm sure my employees don't care for them as well as I do...lol

Same applies to welders and plasma cutters. Sold my Lincoln Invertig with water cooler as well as my Hypertherm 60 amp plasma cutter and replaced them with the HF Pro-Tig 205 TIG welder and added a Everlast water cooler and a CK worldwide Series 20 flex head torch and a pair of Titanium plasma cutters (40 and 60 amp) plus the HF roll around compartmented welding cart and still had money left over from the sale of the Lincoln and the Hypertherm and the Pro-Tig as well as the plasma cutters are superior machines compared to the ones I sold. They all get used everyday btw.

The IGBT driven machines are far superior to the Invertig and the Hypertherm cutters and the consumables that are required for the plasma cutters are substantially less than the HT consumables. We go through a lot of consumables with the plasma cutters, especially with the CBC plasma table.

For me, it's all about cost versus parameters of operation.

 

[jyoutz]

The aspect to always remember with HF and that is they carry 3 distinct lines of tools. The cheapo Pittsburg one use maybe stuff and the the Homeowner grade Bauer and then the 'professional grade' whatever that means, Icon tools.

The 'Chief' air tools are high quality as well.

I have a pile of Bauer 20 volt hand tools and I will say that they aren't for a professional shop enviroment, they work just fine for me.

What I found interesting is, I have an IR air powered 4.5" angle grinder that cost over 250 clams retail and I also have a Chief 4.5" air powered angle grinder that set me back under a hundred bucks (on sale in the ITC flyer) and the Chief and the IR are mirror images of each other except for the badging on the handle. We use air tools in the shop constantly btw and I'm sure my employees don't care for them as well as I do...lol

Same applies to welders and plasma cutters. Sold my Lincoln Invertig with water cooler as well as my Hypertherm 60 amp plasma cutter and replaced them with the HF Pro-Tig 205 TIG welder and added a Everlast water cooler and a CK worldwide Series 20 flex head torch and a pair of Titanium plasma cutters (40 and 60 amp) plus the HF roll around compartmented welding cart and still had money left over from the sale of the Lincoln and the Hypertherm and the Pro-Tig as well as the plasma cutters are superior machines compared to the ones I sold. They all get used everyday btw.

The IGBT driven machines are far superior to the Invertig and the Hypertherm cutters and the consumables that are required for the plasma cutters are substantially less than the HT consumables. We go through a lot of consumables with the plasma cutters, especially with the CBC plasma table.

For me, it's all about cost versus parameters of operation.

The Hercules line of cordless tools are as good as anything I have made by Dewalt.

 

[Doug Vee]

I swung 20 oz with an extended handle that I held with 2 fingers and thumb for the biggest hits... for 30 yrs. Oh yeah and the end was wrapped with tape for more stickem We framed a lot of **** before and after the guns came along... My elbow quit hurting just 6 months after I quit that.

Yep, the 20 oz Stanley corrugated head with an 18" handle. We drove many 16 sinkers with that setup, starting in 1975. I had my first carpal tunnel surgery about 2015. A few years later, the other wrist went under the knife and both elbows underwent ulnar release surgery. When you're the power behind the attachments, things wear out eventually.

If you are ever diagnosed with pinching of your ulnar nerve, don't wait to get it taken care of. I waited too many years to do the right arm and lost very much of the muscle mass in my right hand. Gripping a hammer handle now is NOT like it once was.

Doug

 

[scootr]

Yep, the 20 oz Stanley corrugated head with an 18" handle. We drove many 16 sinkers with that setup, starting in 1975. I had my first carpal tunnel surgery about 2015. A few years later, the other wrist went under the knife and both elbows underwent ulnar release surgery. When you're the power behind the attachments, things wear out eventually.

If you are ever diagnosed with pinching of your ulnar nerve, don't wait to get it taken care of. I waited too many years to do the right arm and lost very much of the muscle mass in my right hand. Gripping a hammer handle now is NOT like it once was.

Doug

At 71 nothing is like it used to be We used to pound a box of sinkers every day. 2 swings start and set. I quit framing at 50 yrs old. It just hurt to go to work at that age, and standing walls was no fun... walking plates became more difficult. I went into management... I lasted 5 yrs doing that. I felt like I ran a daycare center for 200 grown men. Anyway it was good while it lasted. I enjoyed working and being outside.

 

[5030]

The Hercules line of cordless tools are as good as anything I have made by Dewalt.

Never got into the Herc line actually as I was already committed to the Bauer batteries than don't fit the Herc tools. Would be nice if there was an across the board standardization of batteries but that is probably wishful thinking.

In a way it reminds me of T4 final tractors with their computer controls. Every tractor makes has a different software package and no 2 interchange so you cannot use the diagnostic equipment for say a Kubota and use it on a John Deere as an example.

 

[California]

Never got into the Herc line actually as I was already committed to the Bauer batteries than don't fit the Herc tools. Would be nice if there was an across the board standardization of batteries

There are a few adapters on Amazon to put a slide-in battery on a device where the connections are at the top of a tower. Milwaukee batteries on Ryobi for example. I haven't investigated this.