Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[California]

Is this a good buy or bad buy? Sorry don't the time to review all 14152 posts to see if I should buy it or not!!!!

Easy-Flux 125 Amp Welder

Yes, per other posters. I would buy one.

More things to consider:

An important point for anyone considering that class of welders - that EasyFlux is far better than their $100 'Flux 125 Welder' that might seem like a comparable but instead is heavy (transformer based), and makes awful welds because it outputs AC only, while the only flux core wire you will ever find is labelled DC Only. The $100 AC flux welder is a dog to avoid. BTDT.

My local NorCal stores show your EasyFlux as 'In-Store Special Order' at every store within 100 miles.

Looking a little farther all the Titanium and Vulcan series welders are In-Store Special Order at the three stores on the first page of lookup. I didn't look any farther.

Only the $190 170 Amp DC, 240 Volt, MIG/Flux Cored Welder shows as In Stock at all ten stores in a 40 mile radius. That one is heavy and 240 volts only. Probably sufficient for most shop use (I have its 180 amp variant, no longer sold, no complaints) but if I were buying a new welder a Titanium series would be a better choice.

HF's welders are about the only product where the two year replacement warranty might be a good idea, because there's no repair available for them.

 

[5030]

+1 on the extended warranty. No repair available so get the replacement warranty.

 

[Muhammad]

If I am looking at your photo correctly, the top rail will be the same thing in your photo. I am going to have a buddy plasma cut a scene with deer and turkey for one rail and I am planning our last name in my Dads handwriting for the other rail. I have friend that build railing for commercial buildings for many years. He will do the welding. I am going to get pricing on powder coating and get some info color choices.

This is for a small cabin on our rural property that has been in the family since 1908. We have been working on the cabin for almost 1.5 years. The rails are the last step.

I painted mine by hand with rustoleum and am happy with the results for $10. It hid the imperfections so that was a plus for me. If yours turns out perfect then the powder coat might be worth it.

 

[stuckmotor]

They can scan the sale coupons right off your phone or tablet.

When coupons were a thing. I often copied the number under the barcode including careful labeling and gave it to the checker. A few times the number didn't work, probably because I miscopied it. Not one clerk ever refused to punch in the number.

 

[cooksmtn]

'In-Store Special Order'

Can't depend on that being accurate. I wanted the 2hp dust collector, on line said "in store special order". I stopped at the store, knowing they had one on display.Said I wanted to buy one. Girl said she'd check to see if they had it. Said they did, but would take a few minutes to dig it out.

 

[KubotainNH]

Is this a good buy or bad buy? Sorry don't the time to review all 14152 posts to see if I should buy it or not!!!!

Easy-Flux 125 Amp Welder

I don't know about that unit but I have tried their welding wire, I pass and buy the good stuff elsewhere. Lots of better brands for not that much more. HF only had the crappy AC wirefeed unit (I owned the little one) when I got sick of the $99 unit and bought an Everlast iMig. Perfect for what I need. Much prefer gas shielding over flux core but maybe that HF inverter unit will do the job. I ran quite a bit of wire through the blue HF AC one I had but the welds were not as nice.

As for flyers, I rarely get them even though I'm in their computer. No e-mails anymore either. Fine with me as they are usually useless.

 

[MossRoad]

Looking around, I guess they stopped publishing monthly catalogs last year. Bummer. Per their website:

Wow! INSTANT SAVINGS means low prices on popular items with NO coupons required. Harbor Freight has moved from a monthly catalog or coupon book to publishing our monthly deals online and in the Harbor Freight app

February 221 Instant Savings – 52 New Deals This Month – Harbor Freight Coupons

 

[Ford850]

Looking around, I guess they stopped publishing monthly catalogs last year. Bummer. Per their website:



February 221 Instant Savings 52 New Deals This Month Harbor Freight Coupons

Yep. I posted this last week in the DO suck thread:
"No paper ads or mail. No 20% coupons, not even in the magazine ads that used to have them every time. No free stuff coupons. They've become just another store to me, and I'm rarely there compared to what I used to be. They were a weekly stop, or at least every other week. I haven't been to HF in 6 weeks I think. I had my eyes on a tile saw since December, but they jacked up the price and don't have coupons now. Been spending my money at Menards and Home Depot when buying the stuff I used to get at HF."

And the old process of rotating sales on items that equal the 20% is pretty much gone too. I've been following several items and checked the HF Coupon site where you can look at previous pricing and dates for items. The trend is higher prices and far fewer sales or coupons. It used to be hit or miss, but worth it to check on some things and wait for a fair price (coupon or sale). That hasn't worked for me in a couple months now. My son bought, and received as Christmas gifts, several sets of HF sockets and wrenches before January. Little did he know how good of a deal he got on everything! HF's big push is to get you to join their Inside Track Club, which does offer better prices or coupons still. Maybe that's their plan to get more memberships, by limiting deals to everyone else and forcing you to pay to play. No thanks.

 

[Oaktree]

HF's big push is to get you to join their Inside Track Club, which does offer better prices or coupons still. Maybe that's their plan to get more memberships, by limiting deals to everyone else and forcing you to pay to play. No thanks.

Anyone here belong to that? Do you really save enough to pay for the membership?
I used to have a BJ's membership, but realized I didn't buy enough there to justify the $60 (?)/yr.

+1 on the extended warranty. No repair available so get the replacement warranty.

The extended warranty is OK as long as they don't discontinue the line 6 mo. after you get it, like they did with the Lynx products. Are you SOL or do they give you a replacement tool from the "new" line (assuming there is an equivalent)?

 

[Ford850]

Anyone here belong to that? Do you really save enough to pay for the membership?
I used to have a BJ's membership, but realized I didn't buy enough there to justify the $60 (?)/yr.



The extended warranty is OK as long as they don't discontinue the line 6 mo. after you get it, like they did with the Lynx products. Are you SOL or do they give you a replacement tool from the "new" line (assuming there is an equivalent)?

The membership used to be less valuable due to he many other sales and coupons. Now, the membership offers the most discounts on a different variety of products. Here's a link to the current products: Harbor Freight Tools Coupon Database - itc coupons, freebies, free with purchase, free tools, free stuff, inside track club coupons
But I don't like joining any "clubs" at any stores.