Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[aczlan]

Speaking of Dewalts being left outside, the guys found one at work last year that had been left out on a roof all winter with at least four feet of snow on top of it. They brought it inside, dried it off for a day or two stuck a battery in it and it works fine. I'm not sure if the battery that was in it survived, but the drill itself worked for a while.

Aaron Z

 

[PhysAssist]

Did that come with a metal or plastic stand? I have the Bondhus brand T-handles (US made with lifetime warranty) but the stand is now plastic. I want a metal one so I can attach it to my woodworking lathe so I have them close at hand. I have a couple super powerful magnets that would work perfectly for the job.

Mine came with a metal stand: 18 Pc SAE & Metric T-Handle Ball End Hex Key Set



[FONT=&quot]No coupons found on HF Database- you'll be stuck with only 20% off. [/FONT]

 

[Rock Crawler]

Mine came with a metal stand: 18 Pc SAE & Metric T-Handle Ball End Hex Key Set


View attachment 564674
[FONT=&quot]No coupons found on HF Database- you'll be stuck with only 20% off. [/FONT]

I found one... Valid until 11/17/2018.

 

[Rock Crawler]

For what it's worth, we have been almostly literally beating the crud out of my Hitachi 12 and 18V Lithium battery tools [all bought refurbished here: https://bigskytool.com/hitachi-reconditioned-tools.html] as well as several corded angle-grinders, a drywall screw-gun, and a circular saw, and they have been amazingly serviceable. I started buying them in 2012 on the advice of our garage door installers after watching them drop theirs off the stepladder they were using, more than once, onto the hard-packed gravel floor we had back then, and seeing that it not only didn't suffer any visible damage, it kept working.

When I asked their boss why he didn't cuss them out when they were being so rough on their primary tool, he laughed and said that he didn't care, because he made them pay for them, and they didn't care because they bought them refurbished from Big Sky, and they seemed to tolerate a lot of that kind of abuse, because they were pretty klutzy for guys who worked on ladders and used their hands so much.

That said, RC is also right about DeWalt, because my circa-late-1990's 18-V Ni-Cad-battery 5&3/8 circular saw and VSR drill-driver are still working strong, but the batteries aren't holding charges well any more, so until I get the scratch to buy some Li batteries and adapters to make them work on my DeWalts, they're retired.

That drill-driver [and battery] spent a rainy week out in our lawn after my nephew "borrowed it" and left it out there- when I found it there and realized it had been rained on for at least 3 or 4 days, and then sat there damp for another 3 or 4 days, I had little hope that it would work again.

I figured what the heck, and after shaking as much water out of it as possible, I used the high-volume, low heat blow-dryer we bought for our dogs [Newfies at the time] to dry it the rest of the way out, and waited a few days...

Then I plugged the other- freshly recharged battery in, and it worked like it was still new- that was in 2006, and the drill and batteries still work, but as I said, the power cycle is now so short as to hardly be useful.

I've been getting these grey batteries on Amazon with great results.

18V 3.0Ah Replace Battery for Dewalt DC9096 DC9099 High Capacity Cordless Drill (2Packs) 18V 3.Ah Replace Battery for Dewalt DC996 DC999 High Capacity Cordless Drill (2Packs) - - Amazon.com

 

[Code54]

Missed the coupon but a nice set for the money! $12.99 is a great deal.
I sort of stumbled on them yesterday when I was there and just checked the database so I only got the 20%. Good find

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I need some new drill bits. HF has the Warrior 29 piece titanium set for $9.99. Anybody have any experience with these bits?

I'm always willing to gamble $10, but drill bits made of cheez whiz are worse than no bits at all.

 

[crazyal]

I found one... Valid until 11/17/2018.

View attachment 564675

I'm not sure if I'd get the 18 piece or the 10 piece set in both SAE and Metric. Without the coupon two 10 piece sets are cheaper but they don't come with the key sticking out of the side of the handle. I've only ever used them the long way. Even then I've snapped screws so I can't see needing more leverage.

 

[rbstern]

I need some new drill bits. HF has the Warrior 29 piece titanium set for $9.99. Anybody have any experience with these bits?

I'm always willing to gamble $10, but drill bits made of cheez whiz are worse than no bits at all.

I find they're perfectly serviceable and well worth the sale price. A set usually lasts me two to three years of typical hobby/homeowner use and abuse.

 

[lostcreekranch]

I find they're perfectly serviceable and well worth the sale price. A set usually lasts me two to three years of typical hobby/homeowner use and abuse.

I’ve always bought better quality drill bits that I can touch up with my Drill Doctor.

I bought one of the original Drill Doctors,when they first came out, and upgraded about a year ago.

Drill Doctor 75X Drill Bit Sharpener for High-Speed Steel, Masonry, Carbide, Cobalt, TiN-coated Drill Bits, with Adjustable Angles from 115deg to 14deg, Sharpens 3/32in - 3/4in Drill Bits - Drill Mills - Amazon.com

 

[rbstern]

I’ve always bought better quality drill bits that I can touch up with my Drill Doctor.

I bought one of the original Drill Doctors,when they first came out, and upgraded about a year ago.

Drill Doctor 75X Drill Bit Sharpener for High-Speed Steel, Masonry, Carbide, Cobalt, TiN-coated Drill Bits, with Adjustable Angles from 115deg to 14deg, Sharpens 3/32in - 3/4in Drill Bits - Drill Mills - Amazon.com

Can understand you wanting higher quality and more control. I doubt I'd go through enough HF drill bits in a lifetime to recoup the purchase cost of the tool, the higher quality bits, and the time spent maintaining them. If I was drilling more metal, I might go that route, but most of my drilling is wood, with the rare piece of mild steel or aluminum here or there.

 

[sixdogs]

I need some new drill bits. HF has the Warrior 29 piece titanium set for $9.99. Anybody have any experience with these bits?

I'm always willing to gamble $10, but drill bits made of cheez whiz are worse than no bits at all.

I think I have that set and they are OK but didn't last as long as I thought and I always use cutting oil and take my time. Better quality USA made regular steel ones worked better for me.

EDIT--I should mention I often drill thicker metal such as 1/8", 1/4" and even 3/8" and 1/2".

 

[PhysAssist]

I've been getting these grey batteries on Amazon with great results.

18V 3.0Ah Replace Battery for Dewalt DC9096 DC9099 High Capacity Cordless Drill (2Packs) 18V 3.Ah Replace Battery for Dewalt DC996 DC999 High Capacity Cordless Drill (2Packs) - - Amazon.com

Thanks!

 

[California]

Here's a HF tool that doesn't suck: #97062 pruner. $13, and worth it. It's an identical clone of the $50 Felco pro version and feels the same in your hand. After the first hour of continual use either of these is obviously better than cheap pruners.

 

[California]

And a sort of ok HF long handle lopper. #62861. Reasonable for the price when there is a coupon. Twist the tubular handles and they extend to twice the length. But that's for a high reach, that extra leverage bends the handles if you apply full force when extended. After that they will never retract smoothly. There is a ratchet that (sometimes) takes a shorter, stronger bite when you get halfway through a branch. On the first of these, I bent the handles and then the irreplaceable spring in the ratchet broke. That tool is retired to household use and I'm gentler with the replacement. Also the tool is heavy and tiring. it's ok for the price but its not first-class like the #97062 hand pruner. There are much better loppers at twice the cost.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I need some new drill bits. HF has the Warrior 29 piece titanium set for $9.99. Anybody have any experience with these bits?

I'm always willing to gamble $10, but drill bits made of cheez whiz are worse than no bits at all.

I have that set.. So far so good. Drilled a lot of holes through wood and light metal sheets, no problem.

 

[thepumpguysc]

I bought a set of drill bits.. I "THOUGHT" I was getting a good deal.LOL
I snapped off 3, drilling a "pilot hole" in a 1 INCH thick piece of wood.!!! for a # 6 screw.. I was flabbergasted..
"MAYBE" the larger bits are good but the small ones are J U N K.. I'll bet you could snap them in your hands if you really tried.??
But for 10.00 for a BIG SET.. what the heck go for it.. a quality set that big, will set you back 10x that..

 

[Rock Crawler]

I've used these boots in my drill press on quarter inch steel plate and found that they work fine when tempering expectations with the price paid. What I do is oil excessively and take my time with excessive lifting to allow cooking that with an American made Supertanium 2 bit I would never do.

That said, a Supertanium 2 bit will outlast 5-10 in any size, but this entire set is less than 1/4 the cost of a single 1/2" Supertanium 2 bit.

Yes, you can tell that I have a hard on for those ST2 mofos!

 

[Ford850]

I stay away from HF drill bits now. Several years ago I bought a couple sets for my son to use thinking he could gradually abuse them as he learned and we could toss them. They immediately bent! I don't know a lot about steel and temper, but I know a drill bit should break rather than bend. At first I thought he had a bad bit, but several more bent, and finally I took one of them and bent it in half like a piece of wire.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I stay away from HF drill bits now. Several years ago I bought a couple sets for my son to use thinking he could gradually abuse them as he learned and we could toss them. They immediately bent! I don't know a lot about steel and temper, but I know a drill bit should break rather than bend. At first I thought he had a bad bit, but several more bent, and finally I took one of them and bent it in half like a piece of wire.

I wonder if I had decent performance from them only because I use a drill press that keeps everything perfectly in line?

 

[Threepoint]

I stay away from HF drill bits now. Several years ago I bought a couple sets for my son to use thinking he could gradually abuse them as he learned and we could toss them. They immediately bent! I don't know a lot about steel and temper, but I know a drill bit should break rather than bend. At first I thought he had a bad bit, but several more bent, and finally I took one of them and bent it in half like a piece of wire.

Interesting to hear of such varying experiences with HF drill bits. I'm thinking part of it is luck of the draw. HF sources many of its tools from different vendors simultaneously, spec'd to its requirements. A manager explained once to me that when you see something with, say, three different item numbers listed for it, that means there are three different vendors that supply it for HF. It's done to limit the risk of a supply disruption. Makes sense, but I can see how that would make quality control even more difficult.

My experience with HF drill bits has been good. Once in awhile I'll break one that is 1/8" or smaller, but it's usually when I force it because I let it get too dull. Usually when they dull, I'll just go to a bench grinder and resharpen by eye on a 100 grit or finer wheel. When I was in ninth grade, my metal shop teacher showed me how. The compound angles and the curve of the facets make it tricky. Took me awhile, but I got pretty good. Even down to 1/16", although that gets harder each year. :laughing: HF sells the smaller sizes in blister packs of five or so, so they cost very little to just replace.