dfkrug said:
I have the floor-mount rod bender that comes with a bunch of bending
dies. Good tool.
I got one of those but the skimpy manual doesn't do it for me. I need to find someone to demo it to me as it is just a dust catcher so far.
I bought an electric breaker hammer and cut off one of the chisels and welded a metal cup on the end. It makes a fair T-Post driver when powered by a portable generator. It may take a while but it will drive a T-Post when trying to drive it with the FEL fails and manual labor with a HD manual driver is too slow going and too much work.
Someone commented/asked what pros buy at HF. We don't all need uniformly top of the line tools of all types all the time. I have a Chinese 3/4 inch socket set which I use once in a while and when needed it is just fine. I have the 240 volt spot welder and it works fine. I have a 16 speed drill press that has served me well for going on 15 years. I also have a 25 year old Milwaukee 3/8 reversible variable speed corded drill that outperforms most 1/2 inch in other brands like DeWalt etc. I know the difference. It is a caveat emptor situation. Often the HF tools have a good cost benefit ratio but if your livelihood depends on a tool day in day out the HF tool may not be the wise choice. For someone for whom a tool failure is an inconvenience but not a crisis, HF is often good enough.
I have a HF electric metal cutting hand held band saw (electric hacksaw) and it works. How does it compare to a Milwaukee? If the Milwaukee is a 10 the HF is a 2-3 if you don't try to work it too hard AND the blades that come with it are useless and need to be replaced.
The only premature failure I have ever had with HF tools is an abrasive cutoff saw. The trigger switch failed. within a few cuts. I will put a toggle switch on it. IT is my portable toss it in the truck tool. I use a good DeWalt on a roll around stand in the shop.
For many of us a HF tool with an extended replacement warranty is a good deal. For a pro the time lost returning the unit to get a "free" one would likely make a Milwaukee quality tool a better deal/choice.
I have one Cenco air nailer (finish nailer) 2 HF nailer- staplers and a HF 23 ga pinner. The Cenco has never failed or jammed. I can take a HF apart, clear the jam, and put it back together pretty quickly BECAUSE I GET TOO MUCH PRACTICE doing it.Yet, they work pretty good and I don't make a living using them. If every once in a while it jams, it is a minor inconvenience for me not a crisis. If I were being paid as a finish carpenter I wouldn't be using HF nailers and pinners.
If you are willing to wait, nearly everything in HF inventory goes on special at reduced prices. That is how I buy most of my HF stuff, bargain hunting unless I need a tool NOW.
If there is a tool you need to be top of the line with uncompromising quality super accuracy etc then maybe HF isn't the choice. I didn't buy a HF slide compound miter saw (I got the DeWalt 12 inch) I didn't buy a HF table saw, I laid out over $4000 for a high quality cabinet saw.
The key to tool happiness is to buy the level of quality that is commensurate with your needs, use, and situation.
Sometimes HF stuff is not a very good choice at any price. I think arc welders is a candidate for that category. Can you weld with HF gear? Well, yes you can. Are HF welders in the same league with Miller, Hobart, and the one and only Lincoln (the original and first arc welder manufacturer building welders over 100 years.) No way!
The same HF tool may be a good deal for me and a bad idea for someone else. You pays your money and you takes your chances. What is the down side if a tool fails. For me, if it is just a minor inconvenience and the HF tool will do what I need done good enough when it is working then I will probably be willing to try the HF tool. If the HF tool can't be expected to hold the tolerances I need then HF is a non-starter (as in case of the cabinet saw.)
Your mileage may vary!
Pat
