what do you think of harbour Freight tools?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - what do you think of harbour Freight tools?

Posted: 8/10/2005 12:28:53 PM EDT

especially the drills and saws they sell for $20.00

what kind of life span can i expect from them.
a will not be doing any construction. just the odd project around the house.
i can't see paying 50-100 for a drill or a circular saw if i can get one for 20.00

thanks

Posted: 8/10/2005 12:30:59 PM EDT

[#1]

I personally like Harbor Freight for disposable tools or stuff I don't mind getting schwacked.

If I was buying a fine tool (good drill press or something) I'd look elsewhere.

Posted: 8/10/2005 12:31:19 PM EDT

[#2]

Spend the extra dough for a good tool. I bought a Harbor Frieght drill press several years back. The bearings were crap from day one. The drill head has about 1/4" of play side-to-side.

Posted: 8/10/2005 12:31:39 PM EDT

[#3]

Cheap Junk mostly

Posted: 8/10/2005 12:31:56 PM EDT

[#4]

Bought a great Motorcycle jack for less than $60 buck... great product... the same as the ones they sell for over $100 bucks... Some of their stuff is junk though... got to be picky

Posted: 8/10/2005 12:32:34 PM EDT

[#5]

I wouldn't buy any power tools or car jacks from them.

4. What kind of warranty do your products have?

* Lifetime warranty on all hand tools
* All other items are 30 day money back and 90 day replacement unless otherwise specified

Posted: 8/10/2005 12:38:35 PM EDT

[#6]

Just don't plan on keeping them long

Posted: 8/10/2005 12:38:41 PM EDT

[#7]

For the low-end amateur crap I do, I like Harbor Freight. If I break something, it was so cheap, I can replace it and still save significantly over the quality stuff. My favorite part about the store is just standing in the store itself...after a few minutes I start thinking things like, "I need an air compressor" even though it would only ever be used to fill up the tires on the kids' bikes.

I do have a few quality tools though that'll probably last forever, particularly if I'm not using them all that much.

Posted: 8/10/2005 12:38:43 PM EDT

[#8]

They are great for simple tools. I'd be more leary about power tools, lathes, or drill presses.

Posted: 8/10/2005 12:41:43 PM EDT

[#9]

For simple stuff they cant be beat but would not trust anything electrical to last very long.

Posted: 8/10/2005 12:47:20 PM EDT

[#10]

Cheap made in China crap.

I do have plenty of there stuff though...

Got increadably miffed about thier dowling jig. I was not paying attention to which side was which. Seems it was a tad off center. By the time I dowled 2 sides of the box, that ended up being about 15 degrees off square. (top hole was about 2-5 hundreths to one side, bottom oppisite - but damn they added up).

In general you get what you pay for - I accept Chinease crap sometimes (stuff that I am not picky about and only intend to use very, very occasionally), other times I buy quality an only cry once.

Got my Dewalt contractor's Air compressor from them I think.

Posted: 8/10/2005 12:48:20 PM EDT

[#11]

cheap but will get the job done. I have been buying HF for nigh on five years

Posted: 8/10/2005 12:50:36 PM EDT

[#12]

Around here, when you say "Tools for Fools", everyone knows you mean Harbor Freight.

On the other hand, their stuff is getting better. Some of the power tools are likely coming off the same lines as Sears and so on.

Posted: 8/10/2005 1:16:57 PM EDT

[#13]

i have an 18 VDC set of dewalt tools (drill, recip saw, circ.saw) and after 3 years of service the batteries will not charge. i can either buy a new set of batt. for 100.00 or spend the money on tools. i can replace the drill for 100.00 and a new recip saw will run me a little more than that. so i am in for 250.00 or i can get them both at HF for $40.00.

Posted: 8/10/2005 5:38:45 PM EDT

[#14]

complete fuckin junk

Posted: 8/10/2005 5:41:52 PM EDT

[#15]

OK for "disposable" tools - I've thought about buying a SDS roto-hammer from them because I can get one to blast the three or four holes through foundations I do each year for $99, or I can buy a Milwaukee for $269 or a Hilti for $325.

They have good prices on factory remans of brand name tools too.

Posted: 8/10/2005 5:44:41 PM EDT

[#16]

I got a 4GA air comp, she has been running strong and zero prob's.

Posted: 8/10/2005 5:45:03 PM EDT

[#17]

I've had no issues or problems with their stuff. I consider their products just this side of disposable.

Posted: 8/10/2005 5:45:06 PM EDT

[#18]

I wouldn't buy anything from them that required precision or high quality. Other than that have at it.

Posted: 8/10/2005 5:45:10 PM EDT

[#19]

Disposable.

Need something cheap for a "one off" project or "once in a blue moon" use? Fine.

Expect it to be quality and last? NFW.

Need to depend on it work when you need it, or else? Not a chance in Hell.

Posted: 8/10/2005 5:45:24 PM EDT

[#20]

Made in China Junk. Absolute garbage 99% of the time. Don't waste your money.

Posted: 8/10/2005 6:11:49 PM EDT

[#21]

I buy from them, but my projects lightweight and fairly rare. I wouldn't use them if I was a tradesman, but for stuff around here they're fine.

BTW--I wouldn't buy a cordless tool anywhere that was less than 18 volt because they're too weak.

Posted: 8/10/2005 6:17:40 PM EDT

[#22]

we call it 'Tools are Us' and comepletely Disposable after usefull life(some of it Damn short) get what ya' pay for.

Posted: 8/10/2005 6:19:33 PM EDT

[#23]

Supporting the militarily aggressive communist Chinese is not my idea of a smart thing to do.

I won't buy from Harbor Freight as almost everything is made by a communist enemy.

CJ

Posted: 8/10/2005 7:49:16 PM EDT

[#24]

Does anybody even sell a drill press that isn't made in China anymore?

I bought an identical tabletop model from Northern Tools 6 years ago, and it's been dead-nuts reliable in almost daily use - sometimes for hours on end. It was one of the best 40 bucks I've ever spent.

Posted: 8/10/2005 7:52:40 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
Cheap Junk mostly

+1 disposible tools

Posted: 8/10/2005 8:00:50 PM EDT

[#26]

great for disposable and non-percision tools. Files, clamps, drivers, etc. Anything that RUNS, I'd get used (within reason) before I got cheapo POS from harbor freight.

Another good site to try out is use-enco.com (the discount division of MSC-direct).

Posted: 8/10/2005 8:08:43 PM EDT

[#27]

If you can get the item say 4” grinder on special ($10) its more economical to go that way then buying a Makita since the sw or power cord will cost that much. A lot to the welders go this route and just toss them when they start having problems, and the funny thing is these grinders are lasting just as long as the high end ones are.

Posted: 8/10/2005 8:10:29 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
I wouldn't buy anything from them that required precision or high quality. Other than that have at it.

Ya but you did get that power washer!! You used mine and got hooked.. Its like crack!

Posted: 8/10/2005 8:55:54 PM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I wouldn't buy anything from them that required precision or high quality. Other than that have at it.

Ya but you did get that power washer!! You used mine and got hooked.. Its like crack!

I'm using it until it breaks then I'm exchanging it for a new one. I've still got a month on the warranty and the hand switch is going out. woohoo! I was hoping to burn out the motor first. I've blasted everything and my sidewalk freakin' shines like new cement.

I couldn't have rented one for the price.

Posted: 8/10/2005 9:52:56 PM EDT

[#30]

They are cheap in a bad way and bad in a cheap way. Total garbage.

Posted: 8/11/2005 4:54:03 PM EDT

[#31]

Check out the palm nailer! http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=90193

It lets you jackhammer a nail into a corner (or other tight spots).

Posted: 8/11/2005 5:08:36 PM EDT

[#32]

Fine for the tinkerer. If I was a professional mechanic or handyman, I'd probably get better tools. Most of the stuff pays for itself really quick. $50 for alignment tools and Bam! you saved yourself the cost for the rest of your life. $100 for a hydraulic press and Bam! you saved a ton of money pressing out bearings, barrels, etc.

Posted: 8/11/2005 5:15:23 PM EDT

[#33]

I just bought a cheap table top drill press and a spot welder for an AK build. The drill press is a cheap made in china one, but as someone pointed out even craftsman are made in china and cost a lot more. For the amount I plan to use it I couldn't justify paying a bunch, it will get used for this project and then gather dust. The spot welder was made in the USA, so I was happy to buy it.

Posted: 8/11/2005 5:47:37 PM EDT

[#34]

I absolutely hate cheap tools. When I buy a tool I want to buy it
once, and only once. That cheap Chinese crap is way too fragile,
and has a knack for breaking when I really need it.

I have and use some of my grandfathers tools. And hope that some
that I buy will be used by my future grandsons.

Harbor Freight is as many others have said, at best, disposable.

DanM

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - what do you think of harbour Freight tools?

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