For you Harbor Freighters.........

[WIMUSKY]

Not a big fan of the few things I've purchased. Did buy the buffer that a lot of people on this forum raved about and it did work to buff my plow just fine. Need to use it more to get a good feel if its a decent product.

These are geared more for the woodworker. May come in handy for Dry Dockers..... The clamps I could see using to fix the table I have...

 

[MTboatguy]

You buff your plow?



I guess I do when I plow!

 

[WIMUSKY]

Yep. Keeps the snow from sticking to the wings...... The sticky snow......

 

[Grub54891]

I have some of those clamps, I don't like them as, you have to lay them sideways to clamp several boards together. You just cant stand them up like a pipe clamp where you just lay the wood on the pipe. And they are hard to get tight, and release. I also have the dust collector, and it works fine, I had to seal all fittings to prevent leaks, but she does a good job. I bought the miter saw there, had to spend a fair amount of time squaring up the saw right out of the box, but now it works fine.

 

[gm280]

If you watch what you buy and know about things, you can weed out the okay from the not so good things. But only if you know what you are buying. But some of that is true with most any purchase.

 

[Boomyal]

Not a big fan of the few things I've purchased. Did buy the buffer that a lot of people on this forum raved about and it did work to buff my plow just fine. Need to use it more to get a good feel if its a decent product.

These are geared more for the woodworker. May come in handy for Dry Dockers..... The clamps I could see using to fix the table I have...

Am jealous of those who have room for all that stuff!

 

[Baylinerchuck]

I like to buy consumable items at HF. Gloves, cut off wheels, belts for sanders, ppe stuff. I won't buy power tools or many hand tools there. I did buy a vibrating plunge cut tool and it worked great so far. Their metal cutting blades for that tool seem to hold up decent cutting fiberglass. Their rolling tool box is every bit as good as a kobalt and better than craftsman IMO. Pleased with the one I bought.

 

[JoLin]

Hard to beat for the cheap stuff you use only occasionally, or even once. I've used their $9.99 heat gun for nearly 10 years. Still works. I used their $70.00 motorcycle jack as the basis for my homebuilt outdrive jack. The IR temp sensor 'gun' works fine. When I added a transom drain plug to my boat, I bought a 3-pack of extra-long (24" shank) drill bits so I could drill a pilot hole from inside the boat to position the drain correctly. The bit I used was worn out by the time it cut through, but who cares? It was like $7.00 for the set.

HF definitely fills a need.

 

[Scott Danforth]

When cutting cement, a HF circular saw with masonry blades. Then I don't feel bad throwing it away when I'm done cutting and ruined the saw

In fact going to HF this morning with the stepson

 

[ezmobee]

I have a miter saw from there that's been great. Got a couple sanders there too that have been good. Love them as well for the consumables. Haven't messed with them yet for hand tools other than a cheap set I keep in my camper. I have a small air compressor from them that is admittedly junk.

 

[bigdee]

Bought a 120 volt inverter stick welder and it has been the handiest and most used welder. It gets borrowed quite often, everyone loves it.....great for exhaust system install/repairs.

 

[wrvond]

The best thing I ever bought there are some solid rubber wheel chocks for 4 or 5 bucks. They're huge and very strong. I do have a Chicago Tools angle grinder I bought on sale for $9.00 in 2005 that is still going strong.
I'm going to have to look into that motorcycle jack to make an outdrive lift with too!

 

[proshadetree]

I have had good luck with everything i have bought from them. Pittsburgh sockets 20 years ago and still in daily use. Earthquake air gun 5 years ago that is every bit as good as my Snapon. The Earthquake stays at a customer that I have to check tools in and out of so I left a set there. 4 inch grinder 7 to 8 years ago. Dont ride it and overheat it and it preforms fine. While not top quality tools they also dont cary top quality price.

 

[bruceb58]

The large rollaway toolboxes are awesome.

http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?3165-HF-tools-that-don-t-suck

 

[MTboatguy]

I have lots of HF stuff hanging on the wall and I knew what I was buying when I bought it, I have not broke one socket or wrench that I have bought, screw drivers and drill bits as well as a set of mill bits have worked out with no problem, lots of clamp for various things, air fittings, self draining air tank fitting, if you get the right air hoses they last quite a while..

That said, I have a lot of good quality Mac, Snap on and Craftsman American made hand wrenches, I am very careful with the Craftsman as they can't be replace with another American made if they get broke.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Craftsman American made hand wrenches, I am very careful with the Craftsman as they can't be replace with another American made if they get broke.

Unless Craftsman doesn't exist anymore, bring the broken one back and get a shiny new one.....

 

[bruceb58]

Unless Craftsman doesn't exist anymore, bring the broken one back and get a shiny new one.....

The shiny new ones are made in China. I believe that is what he was implying.

 

[robert graham]

I've been using their air compressors for years....pretty darn good for my general shop use and $125 price tag!.....I'm into my 2nd or 3rd unit so far...usually get about 5 years out of them before replacement....they sell a new valve kit for the compressors but they're like $50 or so and a whole new unit for $125 seems like the way to go for my use.?

 

[WIMUSKY]

The shiny new ones are made in China. I believe that is what he was implying.

Had no idea. Mine are USA... I guess they went overseas a few years ago?
Recently, the top brass at Sears had decided to outsource the manufacturing of Craftsman hand tools to places like China and Taiwan. The sockets, ratchets, wrenches and other hand tools you buy are now being made overseas. The quality is nowhere near as good as the USA made stuff.

[h=3]My Private Brand ? Craftsman: Made in the USA ...[/h] mypbrand.com/2013/03/27/craftsman-made-in-the-usa-manufactured-in-china

 

[bigdee]

Had no idea. Mine are USA... I guess they went overseas a few years ago?
Recently, the top brass at Sears had decided to outsource the manufacturing of Craftsman hand tools to places like China and Taiwan. The sockets, ratchets, wrenches and other hand tools you buy are now being made overseas. The quality is nowhere near as good as the USA made stuff.

[h=3]My Private Brand – Craftsman: Made in the USA ...[/h] mypbrand.com/2013/03/27/craftsman-made-in-the-usa-manufactured-in-china

The USA company that made wrenches for Craftsman went belly-up.....that is what forced Sears to China.