Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[4570Man]

You do know that they have 2-ton and 3-ton aluminum jacks?

Search Results For "Aluminum Jack"

Yea but they’re not $59 and weigh a lot more. I wanted one I could easily pick up and carry. I’m not disappointed in the purchase but it’s not suitable for lifting full size vehicle. And I’d say 1.5 tons is pretty optimistic. My truck is 3400 pounds on the front axel and it struggled to lift just one tire.

 

[dragoneggs]

I had one of the harbor freight really cheap grinders. It survived about 10 minutes of tough use before it melted. My other grinders take the same use just fine. I知 not one to grind especially hard unless it痴 a big grinder that値l take it but this thing was junk.

Those $10 4.5in grinders? Yah, I have a small fleet of them. All outfitted with a different 'blade'. Yeah burnt a few until I realized you can't lean on them like one that costs 5+ times as much. But I am lazy and like to grab a grinder without having to swap a wheel. For hard work I don't even bother grabbing my HF. My Makita and PC grinders have to suffer the abuse.

Oh but if and when you get 'suckered' and buy a few HF grinders, be sure to pop the drive box cover and swap the Crisco with real grease. I think I have 5 in action that I have performed this pre tune up. Again, you can't lean on them but for light fabrication... they work.

 

[hunt4570]

I had one of the harbor freight really cheap grinders. It survived about 10 minutes of tough use before it melted. My other grinders take the same use just fine. I’m not one to grind especially hard unless it’s a big grinder that’ll take it but this thing was junk.

Yep, I bought one of their grinders also a few years ago, it didn't make it through the first job!! I've not bought a HF power tool since! The Hitachi I bought to finish that job is still with me and doing fine.

 

[5030]

Are u especially hard on tools? I have found that if I take care of my tools and don't abuse them, they take care of me. Yes, my first power tools were cheap because that was all I could afford and I killed my share. Most all of my second time around tools are still with me after a decade or two... or three in some cases, because I learned how not to use them.

Depends, sometimes yes, most times no.

 

[5030]

Update... The Bauer corded shop vac takes Shop Vac branded 10 gallon bags just fine and pleated filters too. HF don't sell either, just the vacuum. Good vacuum so far, plenty of suck and quite a bit of blow too.:laughing:

 

[Threepoint]

I bought one of the benches Oaktree linked thinking it'd be faster than building one myself; it probably was, by at least a few hours. Included light was crap, so I cut the ends of the top pieces out to fit a 4' LED shop lamp.

the ONLY thing that's worth saving when I get time to build my own, is that (not even HF) shop lamp. Other than that, it should be sold as a "flat surface for lightweight stuff" - The drawers FALL OUT if you put more than a couple pencils in 'em, it's my own fault for the temporary insanity of swallowing HF's "industrial, heavy duty, professional, etc, BS.

If/when I get time, I'll build one. When I do, I'll probably just fold the pieces of this one up (yeah, they really ARE that thin) and toss 'em in the garbage. Either that, or maybe keep it for working on electronics stuff.[snip] Steve

Hmm. Maybe I should qualify my comments in post #12548, as it sounds like the current construction quality may be different. My 15 y/o version did not come with a light, or a wired receptacle. Otherwise, the artwork and website description for the bench looks and sounds a lot like mine. But mine is quite durable, and I think the two drawers are all metal and well made. I'll check mine again when I'm at the barn this evening, and also check the current version next time I'm at HF.

 

[reb]

... Chinese motors and me don't get along too well...

Based on something I read a while back, you might be hard pressed to find a new motor not made there.

 

[Smokepole62]

candidly, they are nice jacks at a good price but I don't see the need for an aluminum one. I have a steel one and it stays on the concrete floor 99% of the time getting rolled around so why worry about a few pounds of weight anyway. Just curious.

I'm with you on this. Can't remember the last time went over the pit wall in a firesuit and helmet needing a lightweight jack to change right-side tires. Kinda like tractors, the heavier the better.

 

[PJSprog]

I'm not minding my HF portable welding table. I like easy fold up with two levers and it is sturdy enough for light duty and easy to toss in the truck for remote use.

Adjustable Steel Welding Table

I bought one of those about a year-and-a-half ago. It's still in its box in the garage. Haven't used it yet. :confused3:

 

[5030]

Based on something I read a while back, you might be hard pressed to find a new motor not made there.

Lincoln Electric Motors are (Eastlake, Ohio), so is Marathon. In reality, an offshore motor built to SAE standards is fine as well. It's the marginal Chinese motors that like to stink.

 

[California]

I bought one of those [welding table] about a year-and-a-half ago. It's still in its box in the garage. Haven't used it yet. :confused3:

You can tell the real HF enthusiast by the shiny new stuff, never used, that's accumulating ...

Gotta admit I haven't yet used the 11 amp angle grinder that was half price, open box, at the Sidewalk Sale. Everybody needs five angle grinders, no?

 

[Rock Crawler]

You can tell the real HF enthusiast by the shiny new stuff, never used, that's accumulating ...

Gotta admit I haven't yet used the 11 amp angle grinder that was half price, open box, at the Sidewalk Sale. Everybody needs five angle grinders, no?

I take exception to that! I've got thousands of dollars worth of Harbor Freight tool boxes and tools in my garage and I beat the living heck out of all of them. me and my friends all build rock crawlers, and my garage since it's huge and heated is the place that they all get built. Harbor Freight has its steak on the claim of many of rock crawler in Western Pennsylvania.

 

[PJSprog]

You can tell the real HF enthusiast by the shiny new stuff, never used, that's accumulating ...

Gotta admit I haven't yet used the 11 amp angle grinder that was half price, open box, at the Sidewalk Sale. Everybody needs five angle grinders, no?

:laughing: I really did intend to use it when I bought it, but then that project got put on indefinite hold.

I have an air die grinder somewhere that's also still in the box. Had it for years. I was actually looking for it last summer for something. Not sure what box it got packed into when I got married and moved (6 years ago).

Hmmm ... maybe I am something of a HF hoarder.

 

[Rock Crawler]

Hey guys, I just wanted to tell you that I broke the stud off in a power steering pump pulley puller, so I needed a left-handed drill bit to get the broken piece of sod out of the shaft of the power steering pump. Since I didn't have a right angle drill for left-handed drill bits, I ran to Harbor Freight the other day and grab their drill extension 90-degree, and a set of their left-handed drill bits. My buddy held the 90-degree drill extender and held it level, I ran the drill up above the radiator, and we were able to run the broken stud out of the center shaft of the power steering pump with ease. the moral of the story is that the Harbor Freight left-handed drill bits as well as the Harbor Freight 90-degree drill extension piece works as you would expect. As usual I'm using text-to-speech so spelling errors do not count!

 

[rangerfredbob]

I've had good luck with their left hand drill bits as well

 

[California]

Hey guys, I just wanted to tell you that I broke the stud off in a power steering pump pulley puller, so I needed a left-handed drill bit to get the broken piece of sod out of the shaft of the power steering pump. Since I didn't have a right angle drill for left-handed drill bits, I ran to Harbor Freight the other day and grab their drill extension 90-degree, and a set of their left-handed drill bits. My buddy held the 90-degree drill extender and held it level, I ran the drill up above the radiator, and we were able to run the broken stud out of the center shaft of the power steering pump with ease. the moral of the story is that the Harbor Freight left-handed drill bits as well as the Harbor Freight 90-degree drill extension piece works as you would exp

You're braver than I am! I went to a pro industrial supply house for a left handed drill bit and ez-out when I discovered a stud into the YM186D's aluminum timing case cover was broken off below flush. And I pulled the radiator to get a straight push with the drill.

After I got the new stud in I calmed down and took a photo. And here's the thread I posted on here describing the project. You can see why I was concerned the project would not go well.

 

[Threepoint]

You can tell the real HF enthusiast by the shiny new stuff, never used, that's accumulating ...

Gotta admit I haven't yet used the 11 amp angle grinder that was half price, open box, at the Sidewalk Sale. Everybody needs five angle grinders, no?

Hah! At least! Plus custom brackets for each, so they're in easy reach. :laughing:

Check out post #1026 and #1028 in Big Barn's Retirement Farm Shop thread: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/410767-big-barn-s-retirement-farm-103.html

Terry has so many shop-improvement projects going at one time that I get exhausted just reading about them.

 

[California]

Hah! At least! Plus custom brackets for each, so they're in easy reach. :laughing:

Check out post #1026 and #1028 in Big Barn's Retirement Farm Shop thread.

Terry has so many shop-improvement projects going at one time that I get exhausted just reading about them.

Wow! More stuff I didn't know I need! Those look handy.

I've also seen something like a heavy duty towel bar used similarly.

 

[Fallon]

I got the magnet without the wheels, better for rummaging through grass and gravel driveways than the wheeled ones..

I burned up a couple plywood pallets & other scraps with lots of metal in them in my burn barrel this weekend. A fair bit if ash & screws came out the hole in the bottom to shovel out the ash. I ran my 30" magnet over the area & it picked everything up I think. Any grass clumps would knock stuff off & high center the magnet. You shouldn't get the 30" unless you have a huge warehouse. Get a smaller wheeled one or the one on a stick with no wheels. The wide wheeled one is just to hard to manuver in a shop & doesn't work on grass without a lot of concentration.

 

[hunt4570]

I burned up a couple plywood pallets & other scraps with lots of metal in them in my burn barrel this weekend. A fair bit if ash & screws came out the hole in the bottom to shovel out the ash. I ran my 30" magnet over the area & it picked everything up I think. Any grass clumps would knock stuff off & high center the magnet. You shouldn't get the 30" unless you have a huge warehouse. Get a smaller wheeled one or the one on a stick with no wheels. The wide wheeled one is just to hard to manuver in a shop & doesn't work on grass without a lot of concentration.

Yeah, I think I have 2 out in my shop, both smaller with no wheels.