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Posted: 5/11/2021 5:15:38 PM EDT
[#1]
prior to hurricane Irma, I toyed with the idea for an inverter generator to supplement my old Honda belt drive 3500W unit... my Cousin commented that HF had an inverter 2200W on which the price had been dropping... when it reached ~$350 I picked it up... did a great job for Irma, as I loaned it to a friend that had 3 refrigerator/freezers filled with deer meat.. he ran it hard enough for 5 days to change the color of the plastic... I changed the oil and spark plug, added a T in the fuel line so I could fuel it with a squeeze bulb primed line(it has a fuel pump) that could dip into a 5 gal tank... and is waiting for this year's hurricane season... as far as I'm concerned it has already paid for itself... the venison cooked in bacon grease was delicious
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Posted: 5/11/2021 5:50:05 PM EDT
[#2]
If I was prepping for a disaster I wouldn't be buying chinesium stuff.
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Posted: 5/11/2021 7:14:53 PM EDT
[#3]
Tarps, bungle straps, zip ties would be high my list. Their all purpose scissors are no joke for the money.
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Posted: 5/11/2021 9:54:07 PM EDT
[#4]
Go to a real hardware store and buy a reliable generator things for food storage etcetera. Harbor freight is only good for single use items. Also don’t support the Chinese economy just to start with. Your sending money to a country that wants to kill you. So FHF and F China.
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Posted: 5/11/2021 11:05:53 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Tarps, bungle straps, zip ties would be high my list. Their all purpose scissors are no joke for the money. All EXCELLENT suggestions. Zip ties simply cannot be beat. I came to suggest rope and paracord. Maybe some bolt cutters they sell Ammo cans Moving blankets |
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Posted: 5/12/2021 12:57:08 AM EDT
[#6]
They have decent wool blankets
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Posted: 5/12/2021 3:13:01 AM EDT
[#7]
I avoid their zip ties, they had a really high failure rate when I bought them last. I'd go for gas cans, ammo cans, solar lights and tarps.
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Posted: 5/12/2021 4:24:01 AM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted: If I was prepping for a disaster I wouldn't be buying chinesium stuff. Or at least not from Harbor Freight. |
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Posted: 5/12/2021 5:25:17 AM EDT
[#9]
Loaf of bread, a container of milk, stick of butter.
ETA: Sorry, thought this was GD. 
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Posted: 5/12/2021 6:08:17 AM EDT
[#10]
Tool storage. Spending like $400 this year on organization (US general tool box, small organizers) has been absolutely the best project prep I’ve done in a while. My work bench is clear snd those jobs that should take 3 minutes but take 20 because you can’t find the shshdhtkrms wrench are done in 3 minutes like they should be
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Posted: 5/12/2021 6:12:32 AM EDT
[#11]
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Posted: 5/12/2021 9:14:41 AM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted: If I was prepping for a disaster I wouldn't be buying chinesium stuff. My primary stuff is not the point of this thread. My thought was to get some ideas on supplemental things I may have overlooked. Good responses so far. |
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Posted: 5/12/2021 9:22:12 AM EDT
[#13]
If you don't have a good back-stock of hardware, like nuts & bolts, pick up one or two of their cheap assortment boxes. It's not the greatest but it'll save you in an emergency.
The o-ring assortment has saved me a few times. Maybe for some critical application you might want to replace a bad one with a factory specified part, but for the take-down lever on my P320 and a quick repair on my pressure washer, the o-ring assortment came to the rescue. Anyhow, don't neglect the aisle with the assortment boxes. |
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Posted: 5/12/2021 3:52:08 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Go to a real hardware store and buy a reliable generator things for food storage etcetera. Harbor freight is only good for single use items. Also don’t support the Chinese economy just to start with. Your sending money to a country that wants to kill you. So FHF and F China. Not to start an argument but this statement is a bit ignorant. #1 not everything at HF is Chinese, as a matter of fact, many things there are Made in USA, Europe, etc. #2 Single use? Sure, some of it is junk that will fail often, but not all, especially their mid-grade and higher tools. I paid $139 for their large SDS-Max masonry hammer drill for boring 3-ft holes in rock. I've drilled hundreds of holes over several months, 3 feet deep in solid limestone. I have also used my buddy's Bosch (a $500+ tool) prior to buying the HF. I see no difference and the HF has held up well. I also use their angle grinders. Name brand grinders burn up just as easily as import given abuse. The difference is that I can have 5 import grinders on hand for the cost of a single mid-tier name brand. Trash them if you wish but the HF grinders hold up well once you get above the $10 "Drill Master" ones. #3 For regular use tools, yes, name brand tools are best. But tools you plan to shelve for rare/occasional use is exactly where HF tools shine. |
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Posted: 5/12/2021 4:17:02 PM EDT
[#15]
FWIW, I have never had a Harbor Freight tool or item go bad. They still keep working and getting abused.
The Predator generators have a good reputation. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one of their inverter generators. I would also stock up on tarps, rope, bungee cords, etc. Also, I really like their 1250 lumen lanterns that they sell for $20 (less when on sale.) I have used several of them, and they have all worked fine for many, many hours at a time. I bought one of the lanterns one time, and when I got back to the car, I checked it out and found out that the base was cracked. I took it back inside and the manager swapped it out for me. She even gave me the D cell batteries out of the broken one, since she said that it would all end up in the trash anyway. |
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Posted: 5/12/2021 5:32:14 PM EDT
[#16]
More great ideas. Thank you gents.
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Posted: 5/12/2021 6:07:51 PM EDT
[#17]
I buy their camo tarps for covering my woodpile. They last about 1 year before they are shot. But, no plastic tarps last forever so one per year seems like a pretty good deal to me.
I really like their nitrile gloves (when they have them nowadays). I always keep a few boxes of the XL in my shop and keep a bunch of pairs in my vehicles and my vehicles' first aid kits. Generally speaking at Harbor Freight, research the item you want to buy before you buy it. Some of their stuff is really good. Some is garbage. They have improved their quality over the past few years. The only negative with their good tools is their quality control is so so. You can buy xyz tool and it's great. 10 more people buy the same tool and it's great too. I buy the same tool and it's garbage. So, my rule is, when buying from HF, I try to use the tool immediately. If it's going to fail, it's likely to fail pretty quickly. If it works well at first, it's likely to be fine as long as you use it in the parameters it was designed for. |
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Posted: 5/12/2021 7:36:34 PM EDT
[#18]
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Posted: 5/12/2021 7:52:47 PM EDT
[#19]
The assortment packs, moving blankets, bungee cords, tape, super glue.
Probably bolt cutters, a large wrecking bar, maybe a fireman’s axe. Think burglar entry tools or demo tools, plus items you use up but maybe don’t have stocks of. |
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Posted: 5/12/2021 9:41:38 PM EDT
[#20]
I have had good luck with a lot of stuff from HF. I think its ignorant to paint with a broad brush on any topic. Is some of their cheap stuff cheap? -Yes. Is everything they offer junk? -No.
Regardless the stamp "Made in the USA" isn't what it used to be anymore that's for sure. |
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Posted: 5/12/2021 10:58:00 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted: If I was prepping for a disaster I wouldn't be buying chinesium stuff. I’m not giving ANY of my money to those who killed Mary Ann and 4 million others Mary Ann was on Gillians island fuck them commies |
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Posted: 5/13/2021 5:56:59 AM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I’m not giving ANY of my money to those who killed Mary Ann and 4 million others Mary Ann was on Gillians island fuck them commies She was 82 dude. Pretty sure she wasn’t assainated by china |
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Posted: 5/17/2021 7:27:08 PM EDT
[#23]
I would also suspect that a lot of stuff from Ace Hardware and True Value are made in C.H.I.N.A.! That said I try to shop at Ace since it is local to me and they buy and resell the Honey from my Apiaries. Ace told me that they try to buy local when they can so I guess it is up to the individual store!!!
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Posted: 5/18/2021 1:36:30 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Tarps, bungle straps, zip ties would be high my list. Their all purpose scissors are no joke for the money. |
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Posted: 5/18/2021 7:43:54 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Go to a real hardware store and buy a reliable generator things for food storage etcetera. Harbor freight is only good for single use items. Also don’t support the Chinese economy just to start with. Your sending money to a country that wants to kill you. So FHF and F China. Purchased a predator inverter gen and used it round the clock under heavy load for the better part of two weeks during which we had no power after one of our recent hurricanes. It was shut off more or less only to top off fuel and check oil. It sat out in the elements the entire time. We continue to use it frequently and it hasn't missed a beat. Anecdotal? Yes but that's my direct experience using it during real world events. Would definitely purchase again. |
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Posted: 5/18/2021 7:56:50 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Go to a real hardware store and buy a reliable generator things for food storage etcetera. Harbor freight is only good for single use items. Also don’t support the Chinese economy just to start with. Your sending money to a country that wants to kill you. So FHF and F China. 99% of all the stuff at your local hardware is made in China. |
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Posted: 5/18/2021 10:57:27 PM EDT
[#27]
Prybar
Aerosol lubricants Cheap Sawzall and various blades Cordage Farm jack, if the price was right (seems like it would be useful to have a hi lo jack strapped to your shtf vehicle) Come along and a tow strap (edit to add- make sure you throw a heavy coat or something over a come along cable, especially a cheap come along cable) |
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Posted: 5/19/2021 8:23:05 AM EDT
[#28]
I picked up a couple of snatch blocks and a clevis for the Jeep last week.
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Posted: 5/19/2021 8:37:54 AM EDT
[#29]
Tarps, packing blankets, wool blankets, tape and many other "consumables". I have one of their $15 angle grinders in my shop for a back up. Extension cords, chains with hooks but rarely if ever any tool that MUST work.
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Posted: 5/19/2021 9:11:16 AM EDT
[#30]
if they have them one of those extension cord reel apparatuses, spring loaded type, so you can reel it back in when you are done. mount a pair in the middle of your garage on the ceiling. AWESOME!!!.
and I need to pick p a rolling size \ tool box, but that is me. |
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Posted: 5/19/2021 7:58:27 PM EDT
[#31]
Great input gentlemen. Added another vehicle, so making a trip soon.
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Posted: 5/22/2021 5:38:34 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Go to a real hardware store and buy a reliable generator things for food storage etcetera. Harbor freight is only good for single use items. Also don’t support the Chinese economy just to start with. Your sending money to a country that wants to kill you. So FHF and F China.  Attached File |
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Posted: 5/22/2021 7:15:31 PM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Go to a real hardware store and buy a reliable generator things for food storage etcetera. Harbor freight is only good for single use items. Also don’t support the Chinese economy just to start with. Your sending money to a country that wants to kill you. So FHF and F China. /media/mediaFiles/sharedAlbum/1zvslystz4-7.gif 95% of all the shit in your real hardware store is made in China. |
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Posted: 5/22/2021 9:07:56 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted: 95% of all the shit in your real hardware store is made in China. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: Go to a real hardware store and buy a reliable generator things for food storage etcetera. Harbor freight is only good for single use items. Also don’t support the Chinese economy just to start with. Your sending money to a country that wants to kill you. So FHF and F China. /media/mediaFiles/sharedAlbum/1zvslystz4-7.gif 95% of all the shit in your real hardware store is made in China. China was smart. The suckered us to buy there cheap stuff, some made by prison and child labor. Our own greed helped kill own economy, close manufacturing and pave the way for them to subjugate us. I make a conscious effort to buy anything but Chinese, some times it can’t be done. I stay out of harbor freight, the dollar stores, and there eateries. |
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Posted: 5/22/2021 9:40:49 PM EDT
[#35]
I have several of their Pittsburgh 12 volt portable air compressors. Keep the smaller size in the ATVs and a larger one in the vehicles.
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Posted: 5/23/2021 7:57:53 AM EDT
[#36]
You can never have enough tarps.
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Posted: 5/23/2021 11:58:16 AM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted: All EXCELLENT suggestions. Zip ties simply cannot be beat. I came to suggest rope and paracord. Maybe some bolt cutters they sell Ammo cans Moving blankets Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Tarps, bungle straps, zip ties would be high my list. Their all purpose scissors are no joke for the money. All EXCELLENT suggestions. Zip ties simply cannot be beat. I came to suggest rope and paracord. Maybe some bolt cutters they sell Ammo cans Moving blankets These are all good. Some of their cheap sledge hammers, mauls, axe, shovels too. |
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Posted: 5/23/2021 12:03:40 PM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Tool storage. Spending like $400 this year on organization (US general tool box, small organizers) has been absolutely the best project prep I’ve done in a while. My work bench is clear snd those jobs that should take 3 minutes but take 20 because you can’t find the shshdhtkrms wrench are done in 3 minutes like they should be I second this. For years I put off buying the 5-drawer mechanics cart because I didn't have room in the garage for another box. I finally bought one and leave it exclusively in the house. Now all those tools I need for use inside are right at ready access and I don't have to go out to the garage and dig around in multiple boxes or the inside junk drawers to find tools. Also have one of those wire roll-around carts exclusively for indoors. So nice to just place the laundry basket or a 5-gallon jug of water on it and roll it to where it needs to go. |
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Posted: 5/23/2021 12:07:12 PM EDT
[#39]
Avoid things that spin fast, i.e. cutting and grinding disks, wire wheels, etc. Their RPM ratings tend to be generous and the last thing you want in an emergency is to create additional problems. If you insist on using them wear safety glasses, a face shield and leather gloves.
I picked up one of their "wool" blankets on sale and find it near worthless except as a moving blanket; it's itchy and doesn't insulate well, you'd be better off buying mil surplus or commercial fleece blankets. Their moving blankets are near single use items as well and have essentially no insinuative value. The one blanket I have bought that works well is a fire retardant fiberglass welding blanket; they have several sizes. Their paint guns including the air brushes work well enough for projects- I bought an air brush to try spraying Duracoat, figuring I'd just toss it after use but the things is still going strong. Their paint guns work well if you get them adjusted correctly. Some of their other stuff works just fine and like others have mentioned, a good bit of the stuff you buy in HD, Lowe's etc is Chinese or foreign made as well. Now that they're dropped their coupons and raised their prices it's very rare that I bother to go whereas I used to stop in for the free tarps (they work well enough for hauling yard waste to the street and everyone should keep a few on hand for emergencies) and usually ended up buying a few other things. |
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Posted: 5/24/2021 8:22:11 AM EDT
[#40]
Pop up lantern #64110
Put one under every sink and in every closet. |
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Posted: 5/24/2021 11:14:05 AM EDT
[#41]
Jerry cans!
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Posted: 5/24/2021 6:44:54 PM EDT
[#42]
Plastic .30 cal ammo cans are on sale for $2.xx for the next few days. Hell of a deal. Needless to say I'm stocking up
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Posted: 5/24/2021 6:53:55 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryI still haven't used the gift card from when I turned in my 2nd recalled set. I didn't even get a chance to open the box when i got the recall notice. mm |
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