Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[flyerdan]

Before they had lots of stores everywhere and such a large web presence, they did send out a respectable catalog, resembled a Gurney's seed catalog. Now they mail out a booklet similar to the Costco thing, this month's has 14 pages. To get an idea of what they carry you have to search their website; I wonder how much they lose in sales by people not being able to thumb through the catalog and discovering things that they didn't realize that they absolutely have to have.

 

[PILOON]

While there are no HF's in Canada and essentially most of the products are 'offshore' sourced this forum serves me as a guide as to what is considered decent.
Our Canadian Tire* stores as well as Princess Auto generally carry pretty much the same products and quality.
Near me is an outlet called Summit that is very tool oriented with national brands as well as most offshore stuff.

*CTC discounts most products on a rotational basis so it's simply a waiting game to fill the tool box at decent prices.

 

[Rford]

Bought an $11, 4 1/2 inch hand-held grinder the other day. Used it today for the job I needed to do. Worked as good as my pricey version of the same tool that quit working.

 

[PhysAssist]

And every firearms oriented magazine is full of the adds and coupons.

As well as the Family Handyman, Smithsonian, and a plethora of other [kind of surprising] magazines.

 

[PhysAssist]

Bought an $11, 4 1/2 inch hand-held grinder the other day. Used it today for the job I needed to do. Worked as good as my pricey version of the same tool that quit working.

I like my 7-Amp angle grinder from HS, the one with the paddle switch at least as well as the refurb Hitachi 5-Amp grinder I bought from Big Sky Tools for 23$, and it only cost 25$.

BTW, I really do have to recommend Big Sky Tool for their cordless tools- their refurbs really are as good as new.
301 Moved Permanently

 

[Handloader109]

Keep on hoping, they claim to be opening a store every 3days. Would be about 150 more this year......

 

[sixdogs]

Two things.

First, the 50 piece box 'O rags for $9

Pack of 50 15" x 13" All Purpose Shop Towels

is a great deal. Sometimes it's on sale for $8.99 and sometimes more but I don't pay more than $9.99. The rags are thick and durable and I use for things that aren't really dirty or greasy and use them one time. Sometimes I carry one in my back pocket to dry my hands or wipe off a tool. When they get dirty enough I use them for something nasty and them they they tossed or burned. Great rags at a great price.

Second is the growing chorus across the county that something must be done about the trade imbalance with China. History suggests tariffs or trade restrictions will occur and candidates are already saying they will do just that. Not sure how to play this just yet but things may look different for the big importers of Chinese tools.

It may already be starting in that while my local discount mart has lots of Chinese tools, they now also have new and big racks of US General and other US or better quality tools are. I think US General are US made and I'm 99% sure some of the well-made toolboxes at Harbor Freight are US General. So, prices could rise on Chinese tools but we could get a whole better selection of tools. Just a thought.

 

[DFB]

Second is the growing chorus across the county that something must be done about the trade imbalance with China. History suggests tariffs or trade restrictions will occur and candidates are already saying they will do just that. Not sure how to play this just yet but things may look different for the big importers of Chinese tools.

It may already be starting in that while my local discount mart has lots of Chinese tools, they now also have new and big racks of US General and other US or better quality tools are. I think US General are US made and I'm 99% sure some of the well-made toolboxes at Harbor Freight are US General. So, prices could rise on Chinese tools but we could get a whole better selection of tools. Just a thought.

Interesting thoughts sixdogs :scratchchin:

Even the Tekton Brand (which I market now) has new USA sourced pliers and bungees

 

[Threepoint]

[snip]
It may already be starting in that while my local discount mart has lots of Chinese tools, they now also have new and big racks of US General and other US or better quality tools are. I think US General are US made and I'm 99% sure some of the well-made toolboxes at Harbor Freight are US General. So, prices could rise on Chinese tools but we could get a whole better selection of tools. Just a thought.

Agree that the U.S. General tool chests are very well made. But I can't find anything online suggesting they're made in the U.S. HF's website talks about them a bit, but only says they "tested" at HF's facility in Calabasas, CA. :confused3:

 

[ishiboo]

It may already be starting in that while my local discount mart has lots of Chinese tools, they now also have new and big racks of US General and other US or better quality tools are. I think US General are US made and I'm 99% sure some of the well-made toolboxes at Harbor Freight are US General. So, prices could rise on Chinese tools but we could get a whole better selection of tools. Just a thought.

Huh?

US General is just a HF house brand... a name just for marketing. NONE of the US General products are Made in the USA that I am aware of, and definitely not the tool boxes. HF carries VERY few USA items, and I don't believe any of their brands are... just stuff you would recognize from other stores.

 

[bcp]

^ What he said. ^

US General trademark:

https://trademarks.justia.com/763/78/u-s-general-76378531.html

Bruce

 

[California]

^ What he said. ^

US General trademark:

https://trademarks.justia.com/763/78/u-s-general-76378531.html

Bruce

Interesting. That links through via a prior HF entity to show they own 'Rockwell' and some other familiar names.

 

[sixdogs]

The quality I have seen on the US General stuff I have seen looks excellent. certainly not HF quality. As mentioned a couple posts ago, their toolboxes are very well made. In fact, I have two of them.

There must be more to this because 25 years ago all these places like HF is now used to sell boatloads of US General stuff and it was well made. However it happens, their HF things can't hold a candle to US General.

 

[IslandTractor]

The quality I have seen on the US General stuff I have seen looks excellent. certainly not HF quality. As mentioned a couple posts ago, their toolboxes are very well made. In fact, I have two of them. There must be more to this because 25 years ago all these places like HF is now used to sell boatloads of US General stuff and it was well made. However it happens, their HF things can't hold a candle to US General.

Keep in mind that the Chinese put a man in space and manufacture iPhones and many other high quality items. Makita, DeWalt, etc are also made in China. The crap quality seen in many Chinese products is the responsibility of the marketing company in the U.S. which sets the product specifications and chooses the manufacturer based on low price rather than high quality.

 

[ishiboo]

The quality I have seen on the US General stuff I have seen looks excellent. certainly not HF quality. As mentioned a couple posts ago, their toolboxes are very well made. In fact, I have two of them.

There must be more to this because 25 years ago all these places like HF is now used to sell boatloads of US General stuff and it was well made. However it happens, their HF things can't hold a candle to US General.

US General IS HF. It's that simple. They use contract manufacturing to build stuff. Yes, the boxes are awesome. I have one too.

 

[Threepoint]

Interesting. That links through via a prior HF entity to show they own 'Rockwell' and some other familiar names.

California, this link to the Rockwell mark is a hoot! I guess it could well be the famous mark of Rockwell Manufacturing Company from years ago, before Rockwell bought Delta in 1945 and began evolving the brands. But the history in the link shows the Rockwell mark as "abandoned", and that is surprising to me. Interesting history of Rockwell here: http://vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=698

I have a 30-y/o Rockwell bandsaw that is bullet proof.

 

[dragoneggs]

Keep in mind that the Chinese put a man in space and manufacture iPhones and many other high quality items. Makita, DeWalt, etc are also made in China. The crap quality seen in many Chinese products is the responsibility of the marketing company in the U.S. which sets the product specifications and chooses the manufacturer based on low price rather than high quality.

Exactly. The keys are adequate specifications and quality monitoring and adherence. This is independent of 'country of manufacture'.

 

[MossRoad]

Kinda like the Westinghouse brand TV's...
Top 475 Complaints and Reviews about Westinghouse

 

[IslandTractor]

Kinda like the Westinghouse brand TV's... Top 475 Complaints and Reviews about Westinghouse

Or Zenith, RCA, Polaroid, and a number of other famous manufacturers who essentially went out of business and sold their name as they were turning the lights out.

 

[MossRoad]

RCA got taken over by GE in the 80's, then sold to Thompson, which is owned by the government of France, who sold part of it to Audiovox.... I surrender. :laughing:

I know about this a little bit because I have an EX brother in law who was working for Bell Labs, got caught in the breakup of that, got into RCA, then sold to Thompson, then to France, then to Audiovox and somehow managed to keep his job through all of it. But it affected him badly and he changed a lot over the years. Too bad, as he was a good guy most of his life. Then he got bitter.