Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[lostcreekranch]

Pretty much garbage in my book. I bought that exact thing, once you uncoil it its almost impossible to recoil it, kept tripping me all the time.. bout 3 weeks and it was gone!

I prefer the Flexilla 3/8” air hose. About $30 for 50’.

 

[5030]

I find that ratio varies tremendously from forum to forum. A lot has to do with how much BS the administrators are willing to put up with. Even when the admins don't directly jump on posts with inaccurate information, those forums where rudeness and personal attacks are not tolerated also seem to have a better "junk:helpful" ratio than unmoderated or less tightly moderated forums. I suspect the jerks who are intentionally posting incorrect information eventually get kicked off for other reasons or simply realize that they wont be tolerated and leave on their own.

The ratio of concise answers versus BS answers entirely depends on if the question posted is technical in nature or just a 'what if' posted question. The what if questions are always followed by 'maybe' answers and I don't bother commenting or even reading them except for entertainment purposes. Same applies to U-Tube video's. I believe that when people do a U-Tube video laced with bad information, they do it to make themselves look good. Why I avoid any vids with funky music. Funky music always means to me (at least) that the vid is gonna suck. I've seen some really poor U-Tube vids. Really poor, really dangerous and shouldn't be on there at all.

 

[5030]

Been contemplating purchasing a couple HF retractable air hose reels just because if the 'tripping over the uncoiled air hose on the shop floor' issue I could use at least 2.

My issue is, should I buy the higher buck Diablo reels or the lower priced Chicago ones? What is the difference and what works. Big cost difference involved.

Far as I can see, they are all 50 foot hoses and they all swivel and are all wall mount.

I'd sure like some informative information before I dump the 'big bucks' versus the small bucks on a couple.

Real use opinions please...

 

[Wasmeneh]

I've had the cheaper one for at least 15 years, works fine no issues works as advertised. Hose wore out but kind of expect that.

 

[5030]

I have the smaller one (5 gallons maybe?) and it works fine. The funnel on the top was plastic and on a cold day it broke when something hit it (not very hard). I didn't try to buy a replacement from HF. Instead I got a steel one for a Lincoln from Amazon that was pretty easy to make fit. The only other issue was the paint was coming off the outside bottom where the wheels bolted to it and along the welded seam. I figured the inside wouldn't rust but the outside would so I made sure to prime/ paint it with bed liner. In 10+ years I haven't seen any rust. If I had to do it over I probably would have gotten the larger one but as long as the one I have now works just fine (dumping the oil out is a little messy) I doubt I'll upgrade. It's real nice to use under a lift as you can put the funnel pretty much right under the drain plug and filter so the oil doesn't make a mess.

Wish I had a lift, but alas, the concrete floor and a creeper is my 'lift'. I use a salvaged and cut aluminum truck fuel tank for a drain pan. I cut hand holds in it and it will hold at least 20 gallons of drain oil which is necessary when I change the gearbox-hydraulic oil in my ag tractors as each hold just shy of 15 gallons. I use the old standby O'Really drain pan with spout for everything else. 15 gallons of hydraulic oil is heavy so I 'scoop' it out of the tank pan with a gallon plastic bottle and deposit it back on the 5 gallon pails to later roast in my waste oil furnace I keep the shop warm with in the winter. Have a nice Alladan furnace.

 

[Jim Nelson]

I've had the cheaper one for at least 15 years, works fine no issues works as advertised. Hose wore out but kind of expect that.

I have 3 of the old ones and have had the same results. I would buy the cheaper ones again.

 

[Reb954]

I did a search but didn't come up with anything.

Does anyone have any experience with the Harbor Freight needle scaler?

 

[Peter 315]

I did a search but didn't come up with anything.

Does anyone have any experience with the Harbor Freight needle scaler?

Yes the compact air needle scaler works good I oil it every time, Had it about a year so far...

 

[TMGT]

Been contemplating purchasing a couple HF retractable air hose reels just because if the 'tripping over the uncoiled air hose on the shop floor' issue I could use at least 2.

My issue is, should I buy the higher buck Diablo reels or the lower priced Chicago ones? What is the difference and what works. Big cost difference involved.

Far as I can see, they are all 50 foot hoses and they all swivel and are all wall mount.

I'd sure like some informative information before I dump the 'big bucks' versus the small bucks on a couple.

Real use opinions please...

I have a couple of the older cheap Chicago hose reels. I would get those and change out the hoses to Good Year's when they go bad (and they will go bad after a few years)

I get the 3/8x50ft Good Year hoses from Northern Tool, they are $25 normally and can get them on sale for about $18 from time to time (or use the money off coupons).
I personally don't like any of the HF hose options.

 

[dragoneggs]

I have the cheaper hose reel for about 10 years and it still is working great. I don't expose it to the sun and try to keep it clear of chemicals. If it does get dragged through gunk, I wipe it off before retracting. Yeah I am a bit **** with my stuff including my HF tools, but I'm convinced that they last a lot longer with some regular TLC.

 

[TMGT]

I have the cheaper hose reel for about 10 years and it still is working great. I don't expose it to the sun and try to keep it clear of chemicals. If it does get dragged through gunk, I wipe it off before retracting. Yeah I am a bit **** with my stuff including my HF tools, but I'm convinced that they last a lot longer with some regular TLC.

I was developing leaks in the hose end and kept having to cut it back. Eventually it developed leaks in a lot of places and I had to just get rid of it. Funny thing is, the Goodyear hoses are cheaper then the HF and made in USA.

 

[5030]

So, I take it the hose is replaceable? Think I'll buy a couple cheap Chicago ones.

 

[TMGT]

So, I take it the hose is replaceable? Think I'll buy a couple cheap Chicago ones.

Yup just uses a standard hose, in all fairness my hose lasted over 5years of pretty good use. HF use to sell the goodyear hoses also.

 

[5030]

I have the cheaper hose reel for about 10 years and it still is working great. I don't expose it to the sun and try to keep it clear of chemicals. If it does get dragged through gunk, I wipe it off before retracting. Yeah I am a bit **** with my stuff including my HF tools, but I'm convinced that they last a lot longer with some regular TLC.

I am too. Price don't matter, I like clean shiny tools.

 

[California]

Does anyone have any experience with the Harbor Freight needle scaler?

First time I used the larger one it paid for itself. It was the only thing that could clean our bad grout where roots were growing into the septic tank. Post where I described this. The regrouting was successful. Now 11 years later, there were still no roots in the tank when it was pumped recently.

However - I must not have put enough oil in the scaler before storing it. A year later I went to use it - and had to disassemble it completely to free it up.

If you need one, buy it.

 

[California]

I haven't had good luck with HF air hoses. 1) the bright color ones were too stiff and curly to use without fighting them every minute, then 2) I strung together several black hoses less than 5 years old for an extensive painting project outdoors and had to make continual repairs - only 90 psi line pressure, but several burst hoses near the couplers - throughout the project.

I finally bought the 10 ft Goodyear remnant and attached that permanently to the compressor (so one less coupler). They still sell something similar. Recommended. I also bought the red Goodyear working hose, its still in nice condition, but I don't think HF still sells those.

This combination of a short pigtail at the compressor then a hose that is removed and hung on the wall works well for me, it's less clutter than a long hose wrapped around the compressor.

And the cheap polyethylene curled hose in the air Starter Kit is lightweight, it's handy to use with a hand-carried air tank.

Their new brands? Maybe. Who has experience with those?

 

[Reb954]

Thanks guys for the input on the rod scraper. I have a milling machine I need to strip and repaint

 

[KubotainNH]

Thanks for the info on hoses. I guess I'll pass on HF for those. Something else to pass on is the pipe expander. Not only did one of the bars break but the threads on the nut are so weak they stripped out on the first try. It says thin walled pipe, I assumed 18 gauge was thin enough but maybe it would be ok on tin foil.

Medium Tail Pipe Expander

 

[hunt4570]

Thanks guys for the input on the rod scraper. I have a milling machine I need to strip and repaint

I’ve never used a needle scraper, is it better than abrasive blasting?

 

[Peter 315]

I致e never used a needle scraper, is it better than abrasive blasting?

It depends on what, We use them on truck frames inside the shop, frame ,rear ends , trans etc... Its easy for us then to haul them to the sand blaster guy, Ingersoll rand 185 compressor outside and 2 or 3 guns inside nice and warm