Harbor Freight Tools that don't suck

[5030]

Looks like there won't be a problem. WaPost:

"Striking dockworkers reached a tentative agreement with port operators on Thursday for a 62 percent wage increase and have extended their contract through Jan. 15 to bargain over remaining issues.”

Good deal, I guess. The head of that union said they were going for broke. Guess they changed their tune. 62% is light years better than what the UAW got.

 

[MJZ]

Framing nailer was a great purchase. $99 and worked well out of the box on an 8 x 8 wellhouse. Used it a bunch more since then building shelves, wood rack etc. Pneumatic stapler, various hoses. All good. I dont need to make a living with 'em so I took a chance. Paid off.

 

[California]

A framing nailer is one of those 'why didn't I buy this before' revelations! Recommended!

They make difficult projects easy. The sort where you need to hold something in place while nailing it up (shelf supports), or, you don't have room to swing a hammer.

Recent photo. Scabbing doublers on to these rotted stair stringers left no space to swing a hammer. The air nailer was a lifesaver. This an old Porter-Cable. I assume the current HF's don't weigh as much as this beast.

 

[MJZ]

So dang true. Makes it easier to get motivated to build shelves, wood rack. Chickem coop is next. $99 i should have spent years ago. Thanks, HF

 

[sd455dan]

Their 12" backhoe bucket for trenching. Decent. (Seriously)

Just don't apply 7 times the weight of their complete 9 HP towable backhoe that is actually for by trying to rip out a foot deep 6" diameter root in one curl with a TLB.

Works great for trench digging without large roots, made just over 300 feet before I decided to push it- and it did do a real nice job.

Welder and reinforcement time.

No anger, in fact I did laugh when I pulled the dipper stick up. @ $200 it was still a bargain and will have the other ~75 feet done tomorrow ( after some welding)

Oh and I owe LD1 or Mike? a "you told me so".

 

[5030]

Bottom line with HF is, they have mostly good tools and acessories but you have to use discretion when buying there because while the majority of their offerings are good, the minority of their offerings are basically one use and break junk.

Why I stick to Icon and Chief and their higher tier tools and stuff and trey to avoid the Pittsburg and Centec stuff because it is cheaper but it don't last either plus the higher tier stuff has a solid guarantee and I've returned stuff in the past for replacement and never had issue one.

I go to HF so much that all the folks at the local store know me by name.

 

[jyoutz]

Bottom line with HF is, they have mostly good tools and acessories but you have to use discretion when buying there because while the majority of their offerings are good, the minority of their offerings are basically one use and break junk.

Why I stick to Icon and Chief and their higher tier tools and stuff and trey to avoid the Pittsburg and Centec stuff because it is cheaper but it don't last either plus the higher tier stuff has a solid guarantee and I've returned stuff in the past for replacement and never had issue one.

I go to HF so much that all the folks at the local store know me by name.

Some of the basic Pittsburgh tools are ok: pliers, screwdrivers, and other simple things.

 

[sd455dan]

Some of the basic Pittsburgh tools are ok: pliers, screwdrivers, and other simple things.

I won't buy any of their vice grip copies, pliers, or cutters.

Finally have all Klein, Channel Lock, Vice Grip, Knipex, or old Crescent Diamalloy Gave away any of the HF ones that just don't cut it. I tried Icon cutters and was disappointed and returned them. More Klein solved that.


ps. For a real gamble I bought a "Temu" 2 stroke 32.7cc post driver for $187 Really surprised, starts easy and works great for steel fence posts. I bent some longer posts using the FEL Buckets but this goes slow enough initially to not cause a bend on 8 footers, did have to bring a metal folding chair to stand on to be high enough to place the pounder on top and it also works when using metal gates that you want the T posts below the top of the gate.

 

[jyoutz]

I won't buy any of their vice grip copies, pliers, or cutters.

Finally have all Klein, Channel Lock, Vice Grip, Knipex, or old Crescent Diamalloy Gave away any of the HF ones that just don't cut it. I tried Icon cutters and was disappointed and returned them. More Klein solved that.

I bought a set of the cheap Pittsburgh hand tools for the house garage. And my good tools as you describe are out in the shop.

 

[Gregster613]

Looks like there won't be a problem. WaPost:

"Striking dockworkers reached a tentative agreement with port operators on Thursday for a 62 percent wage increase and have extended their contract through Jan. 15 to bargain over remaining issues.”

Wow!! Unless they were getting paid "peanuts" (which I highly doubt) 62% is a Humongous raise!!

 

[paulsharvey]

Wow!! Unless they were getting paid "peanuts" (which I highly doubt) 62% is a Humongous raise!!

Dam hostage situation in the middle of a natural disaster. They should arrest the teamster leaders for that

 

[QRTRHRS]

This one? I bought some SS rivets recently and my little rivet gun is tough to use on these rivets. This looks like a good deal and I've wondered how well they work. Thanks.

https://www.harborfreight.com/17-12-in-hand-riveter-with-collection-bottle-58612.html

The 17.5 inch rivet gun is on sale for 16.99 until the 13th. I bought mine two or three years ago and while I don't use it all of that much, it never fails me.

 

[5030]

Dam hostage situation in the middle of a natural disaster. They should arrest the teamster leaders for that

teamsters have nothing to do with the longshoreman strike. Totally different union.

 

[5030]

Another HF tool(s) that I really like and work well are the Icon internal and external snap ring pliers. While not for smaller snap rings (HF sells an interchangeable set with removable internal and external jaws for smaller snap rings, the Icon set is for larger snap rings like you will encounter on tractors and medium to large trucks.

It's a nice pair of pliers with substantial handles and the end pins are hardened and tempered. Just used them on my M9000 Kubota to remove the large internal and external snap rings that secure the parts in the outboard planetaries. No way you can remove them with any other means except the correct (and heavy duty, not small) snap ring pliers simply because they are recessed into the assemblies so even a flat blade screwdriver is unable to reach them.

Be apprised, they aren't a cheap date, but compared to Snap-On or Mac, they are.

 

[gstrom99]

With the large rivets you can pop about anything together. I'm working on the front and rear bulkheads for our Generac propane fired house generator that the cabinet went south on (rusted out) and I was not about to buy another 20KW generator for 13 grand so I special ordered a new cabinet from Generac. The new cabinet is aluminum, not steel but the bulkheads are NLA and both were rusted out on the bottom edge so I fabbed up new bottoms on my press brake and I'm pop riveting the new bottoms to the existing tops. The metal is too thin to even braze let alone MIG so the pop rivets are the correct solution. I would have fabbed the entire bulkheads but the existing ones have threaded inserts in them that align with the aluminum cabinet. I figured 5 grand for a new cabinet was cheaper though I did have to wait for 2 months for Generac to make it for me.

The bulkheads are about done so all that is really left is reassembling everything and I took pictures of all the wiring and terminals and there is a bunch. Gonna pour a new concrete pad for it as well. The old pad cracked, this one won't. Putting concrete screen in the cement and I finally get to use the 3 point cement mixer I bought 20 years ago. I knew at some point I'd use it...lol

Winter is coming and we need the house standby as power goes south here in the winter, quite often.

For the life of me, I don't understand why Generac made them with steel cabinets instead of aluminum. Being out in the weather, they corrode. The Township has one by the Township hall and it's rusting away as well.

The diesel fired Generac I have to run the shop came with an aluminum enclosure, go figure.

Sharing pics of this project would be a great thread.

 

[kenmbz]

I like the 24" pipe wrench, though it does have some play. I have 2 of them and they get put to use.

Hated the cheap ratchet set.
The sockets are fine, the ratchet broke first time I used it on something that was a little tight.
My older ratchet, using the socket from that set removed the nut easily.

 

[sd455dan]

Another HF tool(s) that I really like and work well are the Icon internal and external snap ring pliers. While not for smaller snap rings (HF sells an interchangeable set with removable internal and external jaws for smaller snap rings, the Icon set is for larger snap rings like you will encounter on tractors and medium to large trucks.

It's a nice pair of pliers with substantial handles and the end pins are hardened and tempered. Just used them on my M9000 Kubota to remove the large internal and external snap rings that secure the parts in the outboard planetaries. No way you can remove them with any other means except the correct (and heavy duty, not small) snap ring pliers simply because they are recessed into the assemblies so even a flat blade screwdriver is unable to reach them.

Be apprised, they aren't a cheap date, but compared to Snap-On or Mac, they are.

Same the big set of Icons works well on large snap rings. Only way to know is buy it and try it at HF.

 

[California]

Hated the cheap ratchet set.
The sockets are fine, the ratchet broke first time I used it on something that was a little tight.
My older ratchet, using the socket from that set removed the nut easily.

My experience too. I broke the 3/8" ratchet in the $10 set when I was on my hands and knees under the tractor pushing on the ratchet. No way that could have been extreme force!

I returned the entire set for exchange and soon broke this second ratchet. Substituted an old Taiwan ratchet into that set and haven't broken it, over several years now.

But I get out my ancient Craftsman or Plumb socket sets when I have a real project. And start with the HF 1/2" extendable ratchet when I expect some force will be needed.

 

[jyoutz]

Wow!! Unless they were getting paid "peanuts" (which I highly doubt) 62% is a Humongous raise!!

My experience too. I broke the 3/8" ratchet in the $10 set when I was on my hands and knees under the tractor pushing on the ratchet. No way that could have been extreme force!

I returned the entire set for exchange and soon broke this second ratchet. Substituted an old Taiwan ratchet into that set and haven't broken it, over several years now.

But I get out my ancient Craftsman or Plumb socket sets when I have a real project. And start with the HF 1/2" extendable ratchet when I expect some force will be needed.

I have a complete set of the old USA made Craftsman sockets, ratchets, wrenches, and screwdrivers in the shop. I’ve had them since the 1980s and nothing has broken yet. But I also have sets of the cheap HF tools in the vehicles, and house garage for emergency and occasional use. You can’t beat the price of the Pittsburgh tools for those purposes.

 

[California]

I like the 24" pipe wrench, though it does have some play. I have 2 of them and they get put to use.

I like my HF aluminum 24" pipe wrenches but the teeth are starting to get mashed flat after my first project using them replacing several ancient water lines.

In contrast the Blackhawk 12" wrench I bought in 1966 - nearly 60 years ago - hasn't accumulated much more damage than that.

Don't use a cheater pipe to extend the handle of any aluminum wrench! I broke the last 3 inches off the handle of one doing that. I've read this is a firing offense in the world of professional plumbers.