What HF Stuff Is In Your Shop?

[Eric Schniewind]

I haven't been in one in a long time, but I just moved and there is one close to me. I'm just wondering what tools might be worthwhile getting here. I appreciate quality but I'm also a bit of a cheapie at the same time.

For instance can't I get a decent vise there, any clamps, or something that just needs to spin like maybe a grinder?

I know I saw a review of a HF jointer that was positive and I gather most creekers prefer to get the most quality they can afford, but I have to believe that there are certain items to pluck out of there.

So, what's in your shop?

[Gene E Miller]

Greetings & Salutations,

Eric, I have a HF Oscillating Spindle Sander and a Stand that
I have about $100 bucks in. The sander was on sale at $79 and
the Stand for $19.

I can say that except for the fact the table of the sander is a bit
on the small side it has served me well for what I use it for.

I have maybe 20 of their pistol grip clamps in various sizes
and have broken several of them when squeezing the clamps
tight. I basically refrain from using them except for stop blocks
and holding things to the work bench while working. If I try to
glue up something thats usually when I break the trigger on one
of them.

I also have several of their roller stands and they seem to come in
handy and have had few problems except when I stepped on one
of the cross supports on the base, bent like it was copper tubing.

I have a scroll saw that I got on sale there and have used it
once. It seemed to do the job with out much problem but I have
as yet to do very much scroll saw work so I am still with holding
judgment on that one.

I have found that their drills and router bits are inferior in quality
and would rather invest my money in higher quality bits that I know
are going to last.

I think the best value that I got was their rolling tool box along with
2 end boxes and the top tool box. I got the red ones and they all lock,
have plenty of drawers and are of really nice quality. I got them all
on sale for about $1100 and to I am sure if you were to look at
Snap-on it would take thousands to get boxes this size and I was
just up to Lowe's the other day and one about the same size in Kolbalt
is on sale for $2800.

I have one of their 4" angle grinders that I got on sale for $19.99 that
has done an excellent job for what I use it for. Mostly cutting off
bolts and cutting metal siding and such.

I have one of their Paint Spray guns that with my limited experience
in finish spraying has served pretty well. Most of my quick release
air fittings I have gotten from HF as well.

I have also gotten several solid rubber wheels for some of my outside
equipment as well as casters that have held up also.

SO if you pick and choose and determine what you are going to use
something for there are some bargains at HF. I have made up my mind
that if I want something that is going to be in my shop for a long time or
is not a throw away item then I will search and purchase it somewhere
else.

I do however usually make a trip into the one either in Jonesboro
or Memphis every time I go to a Borg store in the same city since I have
to drive over 60 miles to get to either one.

Hope this might give you some insight and help you out.

Gene

[Jim Becker]

I had an HFT lathe years ago, but otherwise, nothing from there in my shop. Oh, ok...there are some old pipe clamps, but they never worked well. I will not even gift them to someone based on that.

[glenn bradley]

Well let's not all help him at once! Of the 39 viewers that have hit this thing I guess I will be the first to respond.

*** Before anyone gets their back up, I'm just goofin' on ya. We all know it is a very busy time of year ;-) ***

$10 - heatgun, works great.
$19 - Sawzall, bought to demolish the previous owners garage fixtures . . . it just won't DIE!
$7 plastic digital calipers, are great for jigs depth gauge 2.jpg or high risk areas.
$9 face frame clamps, are OK.
$4 hand screws, 06985.gif are as good as any if you pick through them.
$Priceless - Oh wait, I mean Worthless - almost any cutting tool or device that is supposed to be smooth or accurate ;-)


*** Ooops, spoke too soon, Jim and Gene beat me to the post ;-)]

[Ed Hazel]

I have had and have several HF tools. The ones that got allot of use have been upgraded to better quality. I still by some HF if I need something for a few uses.

Last summer my wife wanted concrete edging around our house she got a estimate for $1700. My brother and I went in together and bought the HF concreted edger machine for 250 each and did both our houses.

[Burt Alcantara]

6.5 amp corded drill that has so much torque it makes my wrists hurt. I've used it quite a bit and it keeps on running,
close-quarter drill which is so-so but a lot cheaper then a Sioux,
plastic clamps which are going to the dump,
wood clamps - a real bargain (my cats love the smell of them),
a number of stands - some good, some not (roller stand - good),
lathe tools that I still use but are being replaced,
screw drivers, pliers,
air connectors that leak; air hammer and sander - worthless; air hoses -- too stiff,
iron chisel set which are great,
wrenches of all kinds most of which don't fit all that great but do work.

Probably more stuff in boxes that are somewhere around the shop.
I still shop there tho I'm beginning to wean myself away.

Burt

[Jason Hanko]

Ive got several of their caster wheels - swivel, with and without locks. They're OK, but Id stick with the fixed and swivel only, the locking ones kinda suck.
I'll second the $10 corded drill with a ton of torque... and mine just won't die, I use it for the mean jobs I dont want to subject my cordless Bosch to.
A few bench brushes ($1 each), mallets ($3 each) and wrenches/screwdrivers (also cheap) that aren't exactly high quality, but do you really need them to be?

I have maybe 20 of their pistol grip clamps in various sizes
and have broken several of them when squeezing the clamps
tight. I basically refrain from using them except for stop blocks
and holding things to the work bench while working. If I try to
glue up something thats usually when I break the trigger on one
of them.

I kind of figured this was going to happen when I bought some of their pistol grip quick clamps... I got 4 of the 12'' ones for $2.00 each, so I figured I couldnt really go wrong... Well I was right, and one broke within 5 minutes of getting it home. A quick fix tho and Ive found that these can hold up fairly well. Heres what you do:
The trigger works by pivoting on two hollow plastic pins that extend from either side of the plastic case through a hole in the trigger. As you can imagine this isn't very strong, and if you try to put a lot of pressure on the clamp, the little plastic pins break off and the trigger wont work to tighten the clamp. Take a drill bit and drill right through the pivot points/hole in the trigger. Put a pop rivit (or even a short bolt) thru that hole. Done.

[Gene Howe]

All my casters, a dust collector that works great, a bench top DP that has served well....especially after I finally got it aligned, a dozen 3/4 pipe clamps that wouldn't fit 3/4 black pipe. Had to ream them a little.

[scott spencer]

I have the $100 mortiser that serves my needs well, and the 13" DP 38142 that has far exceeded expectations. I have several of the Pittsburg bar clamps that a great deal on sale.

[Jason Hanko]

Oh, and a combo 3'' belt/ 5'' disc benchtop sander... I got it off CL for $10, but technically its a HF tool...
Works just fine.

[Dave Sweeney]

I've noticed that no one seems to be giving you model numbers. HF often has more than one version of a particular kind of tool so you really need to know which particular one is the one to buy and which one you should avoid.

Some of the Harbor Freight sold items in my shop that I'd recommend are;

#40073 ¼" pneumatic crown stapler
#46365 ½" pneumatic crown stapler
#93656 pneumatic pin nailer
#94138 Wand Metal Detector
#36842 High Volume Air Duster Gun
#42986 Bench Grinder Pedestal Stand
#36221 9" Drill Press Lock Clamp
#43430 HVLP Pnuematic Spray Gun
#47257 6" Digital Caliper
#3163 600lb Hand Truck Dolly
#40187 Anti-Fatigue Mat
#96238 Toggle Clamp

[Bruce Page]

I haven't been in one in a long time, but I just moved and there is one close to me. I'm just wondering what tools might be worthwhile getting here. I appreciate quality but I'm also a bit of a cheapie at the same time.

For instance can't I get a decent vise there, any clamps, or something that just needs to spin like maybe a grinder?

I know I saw a review of a HF jointer that was positive and I gather most creekers prefer to get the most quality they can afford, but I have to believe that there are certain items to pluck out of there.

So, what's in your shop?

Just as a rule of thumb, Quality and Cheap don’t go hand & hand very often.

I bought one of their air driven staplers last summer for a one time job and it performed well. Other than their nitrile gloves which I buy often, the stapler is the only “tool” that I have purchased from HF.

[CPeter James]

I bought an $90 sander that I converted into a turning tools sharpener. Fo what it, is it is fine and works great. Better built that most of the small belt, disk sanders.



I see the price has been lowered

This is the sharpener.



CPeter

[Jim Summers]

Some bar clamps that have held up so far. Air chuck and some casters that have done ok.

HTH

[David G Baker]

As far as I know I don't have any HF products in my collection. I do have a lot of garage sale items but none have the HF name on them. I am pretty hard on tools so I generally go for the real heavy duty tools for safety reasons.