Harbour Freight VS Northern Tool or is that Hydraulics???

[Industrial Toys]

Is there a comparison? I am a cannuck (my apologies) and don't have too much experience in south of the border shopping of this sort. I just bought a pair of 10,000 pound ramps and a friend wants me to get him a hydraulic press from Northern. I pick this stuff up in Niagara Falls, as shipping has just become stupid! Cheaper to get stuff shipped from China than from the US! How do you explain that?

Is Northern stuff OK, or is it just cheap junk, as in you get what you pay for? We have Princess Auto, which I compare to HF. Very, very poor quality stuff for the most part brought in from China by the hundreds of container loads!

 

[kenmac]

Northern has some of the same stuff (junk) as HF. Northern also sells some stuff that is of better quality than HF

the press is probably the same 1 that HF sells..Just different name... I have the 1 from HF .. It still works well.. Had it for several yrs

 

[Industrial Toys]

Would you say they are in direct competition or are they targeting different markets? It seems that Northern has less SKUs or is this just the catalogue I am seeing?

 

[kenmac]

I think with some items , they are in competition with HF....
Northern does sell quality tools as well... Look at their website...

I own a northstar 4 K pressure washer.. with a honda engine..
I believe they also offer pressure washers with a chinese engine just like HF... I don't believe HF offers a PW without a chinese engine..
I also bought a hobart wire welder from Northern tool.. I believe HF only sells chinese junk... You can also buy a chinese wire welder from Northern

If you buy a chinese press from HF ,I doubt it's any better than the chinese press you would buy from northern...
They would also be about the same price

I went to both websites.. HF has a 12 ton shop press for 129.99 Northern has the same 12 ton press (different name)for the same price

 

[Industrial Toys]

Another friend had a Chinese press. As he was intensly staring at the liquid filled pressure gauge, pressing something, it exploded in his face. Fortunately, he wasn't injured but it makes you think. Just because something LOOKS like something you know, doesn't mean it is!

 

[kenmac]

Sad, But most companies have moved their operations to china.

I bought a floor jack once from NAPA thinking I was getting a better quality chinese made floor jack. It didn't last any longer than the chinese jacks I have bought from HF

 

[s219]

Sad, But most companies have moved their operations to china.

I bought a floor jack once from NAPA thinking I was getting a better quality chinese made floor jack. It didn't last any longer than the chinese jacks I have bought from HF

I just bought a bunch of marine switches for my boat. The big name brands (Blue Sea, Ancor, Attwood) have some of the same switches that they price in the $15 range. I can get the same identical switch for about $6 from the no-name brands. They are all using the same Chinese junk, it's just that the big name brands still price it like their old US-made stuff. Quite a scam. I see it all the time on various parts and components.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I found it very interesting (and disturbing) that upon looking through the Northern catalogue, a pair of boots has considerably more technical description then do their Nortrak (sp?) tractors. No mention of engine manufacturer, displacement, wet or dry clutches/brakes, planetary gears, NOTHING!

 

[kenmac]

the tractors are Jinma tractors (I believe)could even be foton brand.I know they are chinese tractors. Same ones you will find in the chinese tractor forum on this site