Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[paulharvey]

Agreed. I have started using some of the Pittsburgh branded hand tools, and their much better than they were 10 years ago.

The Pittsburgh Pro or whatever they are called are better than Stanley and whatever they sell at Advanced and Autozone. And they aren't outrageous priced. The cheapest of the Pittsburgh is pretty bad; but it comes back to: if it looks like junk, it probably is. With the hand tools you can get a pretty good idea just looking at/handling them.

 

[sixdogs]

Agreed. I have started using some of the Pittsburgh branded hand tools, and their much better than they were 10 years ago.

I might be a little mixed up but if I recall correctly, Harbor Freight used to be full of "General" branded tools and such. The catalog was full of General stuff and it was pretty good. Lately I have seen General tools again at some of the farm stores and larger department type big box stores. Quality USED to be great, and still looks it and the price is just a little higher than HF. Just an FYI.

 

[IslandTractor]

I have both Pittsburgh metric and SAE Jumbo wrench sets. Haven't been able to break them. No complaints as an occasional user.

 

[DFB]

Well now ain't that just soo cute with all the purty colors

6 Piece Metric Color Combo Wrench Set






I have 5 pc gear wrench set

In chrome

 

[sixdogs]

Well now ain't that just soo cute with all the purty colors

6 Piece Metric Color Combo Wrench Set


View attachment 414628



I have 5 pc gear wrench set

In chrome

You would be singing a different tune if the wrench colors were Kubota Orange, IH Red, Ford Blue, Case Yellow and JD Green...:laughing::laughing:

 

[ishiboo]

I might be a little mixed up but if I recall correctly, Harbor Freight used to be full of "General" branded tools and such. The catalog was full of General stuff and it was pretty good. Lately I have seen General tools again at some of the farm stores and larger department type big box stores. Quality USED to be great, and still looks it and the price is just a little higher than HF. Just an FYI.

HF's brand is US General, no relation to the General stuff you see at Lowes et al.

 

[California]

I think he's talking about the General brand of 30 years ago, commonly seen on imported tools in the days before imports were common. I too recall that these were available via HF's mailed brochures as well as sometimes as a second line in hardware stores.

I still use a 1970's General plastic dial micrometer, and wish I could find the equivalent in Metric at low cost. This is handy to keep in the toolbox for identifying bolts etc, not for precision measurements.

 

[sixdogs]

HF's brand is US General, no relation to the General stuff you see at Lowes et al.

Correct.

But, the old General brand from HF looks exactly the same as the new current logo and packaging sold at today's big box stores. I used to buy, and still have and use the General products I got from the HF of old. I don't know when HF started but I bet I've been a customer since the beginning.

 

[Norm W]

I bought Harbor Freight air tools back in the middle 70s.

 

[flyerdan]

I first heard of the Harbor Freight Salvage Co. back in the early 80's, my dad found them, probably in Boats & Harbors. Their mailers back then were about four 8.5x11 printed pages with descriptions and item numbers, sent to you in a business envelope. They've come a long way from that one location in Camarillo.