What's the scoop on Harbor Freight

[special-K]

I buy top quality US made hand tools for cheap. I buy them at yard sales and flea markets. They are made so well that it doesn't matter that they can be 50-60 or more years old.
I see HF as a great place to buy tools you may only need for one job, need it now, and want it cheap. I have to travel a good way to get to one, so I have to factor that in.

[BossH0G]

Well about two years ago after much research I bought a harbor freight noid light set, it has a 90 day warranty to be expected given the type of tool. Well an ase certified buddy of mine that works at the local GM dealership laughed at me while bragging about his noid light from mac tools. Well after several months of use I started having issues with one of the lights, I contacted harbor freight and of coarse I was told it was out of warranty that I would have to contact the manufacturer, so they gave me the name and number of the manufacturer. Well by the time I paid for the light and shipping from China it was cheaper to by another set from harbor freight. Then come to find out a while latter my ase certified buddy had the same issues with the same light in his mac set so he contacted mac tools, they told him to contact the manufacturer, they gave him the name and number of the manufacturer and guess what it was the same manufacturer as the noid light set from harbor freight. Needless to say he was no longer laughing and bragging, he was whining about buying an imported tool set that was rebranded mac tools made in the USA. Yes I know I ticked off the mac fanatics and I going to catch flack! But it is what it is. Mac isn't the only one! Snap-On's been doing it for a while, Matco has always done it and Cornwell's been doing it for years. I'm a third generation mechanic, I was raised to eat sleep and breathe snap on, you all your tools from Snap-On, but I only buy it if it says Snap-On with a full life time warranty, if not I find out who's making or selling it cheaper.

[toolboxchev]

Originally Posted by special-K

I buy top quality US made hand tools for cheap. I buy them at yard sales and flea markets. They are made so well that it doesn't matter that they can be 50-60 or more years old.
I see HF as a great place to buy tools you may only need for one job, need it now, and want it cheap. I have to travel a good way to get to one, so I have to factor that in.

I only go to Harbor Fright on Halloween. Its just like knocking on someone's door at night in the middle of the worst neighborhoods in America's most favorite towns like New York, Los Angles, Chicago, Detroit, or Miami.

Does not matter where it comes from, just what it is capable of. Life there is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you will get.

Do you like my sentence construction?

[daddyjeep]

I buy all of my cut off wheels, grinding wheels, and flap disks there and have had better results than the stuff I can get at my local hardware stores at least.

The plastic creeper let me down though. Really... I only ran it over with the Jeep ONE TIME and the wheel fell off.

I also have the rolling tool box and it has been great. Good drawer slides and casters.

[Mr. 250r]

Depends on whats coming from there after awhile you know whats good and bad. Things i use on a daily basis from there.

1/2" impact earthquake model - 2+years no problems
1/2" impact deep well sockets - 2+years no problems
1/2" impact extensions - 2+years no problems
1/2" impact regular sockets - 1+years no problems

3/8" impact earthquake model - couple weeks no problems
3/8" impact extensions - 1+years no problems
3/8" impact regular sockets - 1+years no problem

Impact balljoint set - 2+years no problems
Impact adapter set - 2+years no problem

Multi position magnet - 2+years 1 of 4 is messed up but my own fault, if you don't use the arm then it has an open hole and since i use them for welding it got grinding dust and what not in there and the handle doesn't turn over anymore. Lifetime warranty so i am not worried otherwise great for welding or holding a gauge.

Those are what i own and use personally every single day 5 days a week, i have only had a problem with mig welpers and the 1 magnet so far all the impact stuff has held up great nothing has broken yet only 1 minor problem with the 1/2" impact is the snap ring on the end that holds the socket in place is worn out so it doesn't hold the socket real well but i expect that to happen with use on any impact.

Things i don't use on a daily basis

12 ton jack stands - 2+years no problems beefy as heck though

mig welpers - 1 year, never could get them to cut a wire very well

The tools that i don't personally own but i know people that do are
Ratchets - hold up well
sockets - hold up well
wrenches - hold up well
auto darkening weld helmets - hold up well
pry bars - hold up well
long reach hex ball - broke on first use, i believe lifetime warranty
mig welpers - mixed feelings as mine didn't work but others worked fine
dead blow hammer - held up well, head busted after a few years, lifetime warranty it was replaced
44" tool box - hold up great HF really shines on these, multiple people have them at my job and two of them have the full setup bottom/top/sides/fully loaded

The tool boxes to me are their best product this might help some of you decide for yourself, http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=153445

I have a 42" craftsman box and a 40" something husky, the husky is junk. Only bought the craftsman because it was on sale and it has ball bearing self latching drawers which i needed because i moved around the shop alot and my old craftsman box drawers always slid open and i love those drawers. I would've got a HF box had i known how good they were and not been naive to think they were cheap because there not AMURICA MADE USA lol. I plan on getting the 56" for at work and the 72" for at home. Only downside to the HF boxes in my opinion is they don't have a good self locking drawer and the wheels are meh.

[64swb]

I have a predator 212 that I bought to replace a Honda motor on my air compressor that got left uncovered in the rain and siezed up. It started second pull and has been great since I installed it. Got it on sale for less than $100 so I figured it was worth the gamble.

[leddzepp]

I bought an industrial drain snake a couple weeks ago, had a major blockage. With coupon it was around $150. Man, it worked like a champ...and was less than the cost of having roto rooter come out ONE time. I also have a new tool to boot for the next time