Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[psj12]

I have one of these drill presses Floor Drill Press - 12 Speed. it works very well. No issues.

At work I purchased a Rockwell drill press for $2,400 only to find out it was the same drill press I bought for my self from HF for $400 but with a different motor and rebadged.

 

[Dozernut]

California

"Do you have one?" No, not yet, I am going to pick one up!

I have a floor model drill press, a Craftsman, that I use for wood and steel but I have a problem with that. When I drill steel I use an oil for lubricating the drill bit. Oil does not go so good with wood working projects. With 12 speeds it should not have a problem drilling 1/2" steel with a lower speed and a sharp drill bit.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I have a Delta drill press that is about 10 years old. It's not nearly big enough for the stuff I do with it now. I need something with slower speeds and more power. I'm eager to see some reviews on these HF Drill presses.

 

[rbstern]

Got a couple of timely deals at HF last week. My wife's book club is coming out to our property and a number of them want to do some plinking with 22s. Needed a bunch of eye and ear protection. Bought a bunch using the coupons. Western Safety brand safety glasses at 79 cents a piece, and industrial ear muffs at $1.49. Cheap enough to be disposable, but good enough quality to keep around for extended use. I've used them for chainsaw work and at the gun range in the past, and find them to be really comfortable.

 

[California]

Save your money for the drill press, and get a very old delta. My dad has a 1942 delta drill press, and it is better then most new powermatic drill presses.

I took your advice and looked on Craigslist. The good news is there are several of these old Delta drill presses listed. The bad news is asking prices for them are all $250 and up, way up.

 

[deereman75]

I took your advice and looked on Craigslist. The good news is there are several of these old Delta drill presses listed. The bad news is asking prices for them are all $250 and up, way up.

If it is a rockwell era, or pre rockwell era, $250 is a good price. Ours is still just as good as (if not better than) a brand new, $1000 drill press. I would highly recomend getting one of the old ones, the HF one will last at least a few years, the delta will last at least a few life times.

 

[earljr59]

Thanks guys for the help and opinions. Looks like I need to take a 65 mile ride to H.f. and look them over. And I will look at craigs list,I have never been on it. Thanks again.

 

[Johnbro]

Johnbro:
Is this it ?
11 Gauge Coil Roofing Nailer

Boone

No, I'll try to remember to get the item nbr off it tonight and see if it's listed. It's a good nailer, though. Now if I only knew what to do with the nailer and the 7000 leftover 1 1/2" nails I have with no 3-tab projects on the horizon (switching to metal roofing from here on out).

 

[deereman75]

No, I'll try to remember to get the item nbr off it tonight and see if it's listed. It's a good nailer, though. Now if I only knew what to do with the nailer and the 7000 leftover 1 1/2" nails I have with no 3-tab projects on the horizon (switching to metal roofing from here on out).

put it on craigs list?

 

[crazyal]

I got this in my e-mail today. If you're going to the store print this out and if your spending more than $100 you'll get 20% off your entire purchase.
Display

 

[bullbreaker]

Thanks Crazyal, I did print it out myself in case one of my sons needs it.
I don't knock HF as much as I use to.Use to(still does) PO a neighbor of mine down road(buddy) when I'd poke fun at some HF products or switch the HF name around to something simular.
The only thing I've ever bought from HF was a cat#2 quick hitch attach(3 pt) for a little less than $106 tax included,thought it was too good a deal to pass up.

Boone

 

[deereman75]

one thing I like are the harbor fieight/princess auto ear protection, I like them almost as much as my peltors, but they cost $2-3, Next time I am at princess, I will buy a few more pairs.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I picked up two of the Adirondack rocking chairs for $22 each last night. I can't buy the wood to build them for that much. The bonus to these is they come unfinished. We're planning to put them on the porch, and we want to paint them the same color as the railing. We bought a few last year with the same idea in mind, but no matter what we do, we can't the the paint to stick. Hopefully the bare wood will work better.

I'd post a link, but the HF website is down currently.

 

[deereman75]

I picked up two of the Adirondack rocking chairs for $22 each last night. I can't buy the wood to build them for that much. The bonus to these is they come unfinished. We're planning to put them on the porch, and we want to paint them the same color as the railing. We bought a few last year with the same idea in mind, but no matter what we do, we can't the the paint to stick. Hopefully the bare wood will work better.

I'd post a link, but the HF website is down currently.

Did you try sanding them down with a belt sander, and giving them a coat of a good primer?

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Did you try sanding them down with a belt sander, and giving them a coat of a good primer?

We decided to not sand all the paint off, but we did rough up the surface real good and we've tried two different kinds of primer (at different times). The paint keeps peeling up off the surface. The next option would be to take all the paint off, but it's worth $22 to not have to sand all that paint off.

 

[sixdogs]

Try "sealing" the bare wood with a mix of half varnish and half thinner.
Let it soak into the wood and when dry paint it.
Works for me on difficult bare wood.

 

[deereman75]

We decided to not sand all the paint off, but we did rough up the surface real good and we've tried two different kinds of primer (at different times). The paint keeps peeling up off the surface. The next option would be to take all the paint off, but it's worth $22 to not have to sand all that paint off.

It was probably that chineese lead baised paint that was preventing it from sticking

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Try "sealing" the bare wood with a mix of half varnish and half thinner.
Let it soak into the wood and when dry paint it.
Works for me on difficult bare wood.

Do you prime after the varnish?

It was probably that chineese lead baised paint that was preventing it from sticking

It's something goofy about the pain that's there... lead, malamine, rice... I don't know what the cause would be.

 

[California]

I wonder if it was 'sealed' like an old wooden orchard ladder - used motor oil thinned with diesel.

 

[studor]

You might try "KILZ" by Zissner as well -- comes in spray or brush and seems to keep paint on just about anything -- it could be the wood as well -- some exotic woods just do not take paint well