Horrible Fright hand tools now cost more then Home Depot or Lowes

[Bill Dufour]

Harbor Freight has been trying to up their image by raising prices, not that I see any improvement. Ratchet wrenches have about tripled in price in the last year. They invent a new name and multiply the price and drop the older model with the lower prices. I do not see any real difference in quality. It used to be I drove past Home Depot and went to harbor Fright without comparison shopping .
Looked today and 3/8" ratchet is 15$ at HD. about 23$ for a similar item a HF. Both with lifetime guarantee. But I bet in five years HF brand name will have changed and they will not replace the tool with a identical one since the name has been changed to protect the innocent.
Bill D

[Devin Brenan]

Harbor Freight has been trying to up their image by raising prices, not that I see any improvement. Ratchet wrenches have about tripled in price in the last year. They invent a new name and multiply the price and drop the older model with the lower prices. I do not see any real difference in quality. It used to be I drove past Home Depot and went to harbor Fright without comparison shopping .
Looked today and 3/8" ratchet is 15$ at HD. about 23$ for a similar item a HF. Both with lifetime guarantee. But I bet in five years HF brand name will have changed and they will not replace the tool with a identical one since the name has been changed to protect the innocent.
Bill D

They're making their move...

[Steve Eure]

Was in the market to replace n 18" adjustable wrench that was lost/misplaced by one of my children.
Went in to HF to see what they had. $19.99 for their offering. Looked at the Craftsman at Lowe's, $49. Then went home to look on-line. Low and behold, I found that HD had a Crescent 18" for $22 with free shipping. Guess which one I bought? It pays to do your homework sometimes.

[Prashun Patel]

It’s easy to pick on them. However for years they have served a great need for me. To bash them during these hard times especially amidst killer competition from online seems insensitive. So they are trying something new and sometimes there is not appropriate price parity. Give them a break I say. But to each his own.

[Jim Becker]

Yes, and they are paying associates about $15 an hour to start, at least at the new store near me just over in NJ. They have their place and I've benefited from having access.

That said, regardless of where you buy, including HF, know what you are looking at and made decisions based on your need for quality, features and support.

[Stan Calow]

Maybe its harder to find cheap suppliers now. I've lost track of where we are with tariffs on Chinese goods.

[Dave Lehnert]

I stopped in the other day. Wanted to pick up a small level for my tool box at work. Was kinda surprised at what they cost. Pick on up anyway but later noticed a like item at Lowe's was cheaper.
I worked in retail for many years, When a new store opens they have to be the lowest price to build a customer base. But after some time you have to make money. Remember years ago all the tool deals we would get from Amazon? don't see deals like too often now days.

[Erik Loza]

It’s easy to pick on them. However for years they have served a great need for me. To bash them during these hard times especially amidst killer competition from online seems insensitive. So they are trying something new and sometimes there is not appropriate price parity. Give them a break I say. But to each his own.


Yes, and they are paying associates about $15 an hour to start, at least at the new store near me just over in NJ. They have their place and I've benefited from having access.

That said, regardless of where you buy, including HF, know what you are looking at and made decisions based on your need for quality, features and support.

100% agreement to all the above ^^^. Like many of us, I have some HF tools and and some "good" tools but know what I'm buying. They clearly serve a need. I helped in stall a quarter-million-dollar CNC router not too long ago. The bubble level we used was a German unit that is calibrated to 0.001" accuracy and probably cost at least $500. But, every anchor hole drilled in the concrete slab (close to 50 holes, between the machine and the pressure mats) were done with my Harbor Freight hammer-drill. Both tools did the job. Why bash? Just my opinion.

Erik

[Jim Becker]

Maybe its harder to find cheap suppliers now. I've lost track of where we are with tariffs on Chinese goods.

Regardless of the tariff situation, the manufacturing "cycle" moves on as it always has. Asia is the global manufacturing powerhouse and China is where nearly where Japan was when they were on top. I think that HFT is working to move perception by offering more choice. I recently bought a "Bauer" branded impact drill/driver, ostensibly for a one time project where I needed that functionality, but I'm actually pretty impressed with the tool, given I only paid $59 for it. I'd consider others based on this if there was something unique that would benefit a project.

[Jim Dwight]

HF tools are a little like Ryobi tools to me. Both include what I would call "gems" and "gunk". I have purchased examples of both from both. I have a big HF hammer drill and I would put it in the "gem" category. Half or less the price of similar tools when I bought it. The gearbox leaks which is an annoyance and if I used it every day it might be more than that but the darn thing works fine. I recently outlined a hole I wanted to make in my driveway for more drainage that was almost 10 feet long by about a foot wide with holes every 1-2 inches. I then broke it out with a rented jack hammer. But the HF drill (and bits) made hundreds of holes through my driveway with no complaint. I've also used it as a demolition hammer to take down a lot of brick. It did not work well in this mode on the driveway but it would do it (just very slowly). But my point is I've used this quite a bit and it still works fine and it cost only about $100. Try to find a similar deal anywhere else.

So they have their place. Not everything is cheap there but the offer some very servicable tools at a good price. You just have to be a little careful. Unless you can afford Festool everything I don't know of a brand you don't have to look at closely before a major purchase. (I have a few Festools but generally I buy something similar that is significantly cheaper but the few Festools I own are very nice tools)

[Erik Loza]

Regardless of the tariff situation, the manufacturing "cycle" moves on as it always has. Asia is the global manufacturing powerhouse and China is where nearly where Japan was when they were on top. I think that HFT is working to move perception by offering more choice. I recently bought a "Bauer" branded impact drill/driver, ostensibly for a one time project where I needed that functionality, but I'm actually pretty impressed with the tool, given I only paid $59 for it. I'd consider others based on this if there was something unique that would benefit a project.

I stopped by the tool aisle at my local Lowes the other day for a clamp or something and certain sections were totally empty while others seemed normally stocked. I asked the associate if they had anything more that was not on the shelf and she made a comment to the effect of "Oh, we haven't been able to get those for a while". Interestingly, HD right up the road's tool aisle had plenty of clamps (Bessey). I suspect we will continue to see a disparity between certain brands and certain retailers for a while and none of it may seem logical.

Erik

[Robert Mayer]

HF has fantastic car jacks, guaranteed to hold your car up at least 90% of the time.

[Robert Mayer]

I stopped by the tool aisle at my local Lowes the other day for a clamp or something and certain sections were totally empty while others seemed normally stocked. I asked the associate if they had anything more that was not on the shelf and she made a comment to the effect of "Oh, we haven't been able to get those for a while". Interestingly, HD right up the road's tool aisle had plenty of clamps (Bessey). I suspect we will continue to see a disparity between certain brands and certain retailers for a while and none of it may seem logical.

Erik

Shelves here in Seattle are well stocked. But a buddy of mine in Tulsa sent a picture of the clamp aisle and lowes and it was nearly empty.

[Alex Zeller]

Personally I feel that Craftsman has become a tool I would no longer buy. I think HF quality is actually higher now. As always, I'm looking at getting another tool box and was unimpressed with how cheap the Craftsman boxes felt. I was very interested since they say they are made in the US.

[Steve Jenkins]

HF has fantastic car jacks, guaranteed to hold your car up at least 90% of the time.
Bought a floor jack there just the other day. Took it back the same day because the handle wouldn’t fit.

[Tom M King]

The one really good tool they have, at a great price, is their 1/2" breaker bar, that can be caught on sale for less than 20 bucks. I don't own any other of their hand tools.

[Jim Becker]

The one really good tool they have, at a great price, is their 1/2" breaker bar, that can be caught on sale for less than 20 bucks. I don't own any other of their hand tools.

I actually just used mine two weeks ago when I needed to take a rear tire off my Kubota to get it fixed...I knocked the stem out of it while pushing some downed tree parts. Sheesh... The breaker bar was "just the ticket" and long enough to give me the leverage I needed to do the job.

[Ron Selzer]

Just placed an online order totaling over $500, $6.99 to ship it to my house. Hard to beat that. One item is a set of replacement jaws for a metal shear. Grizzly no longer sells the shears, did not call about replacement parts. Did check other places for a new shear and jaws. Harbor freight was about 50-70 percent price on jaws of anywhere else. Add the shipping in and still less than anyone else. This means everything else ships no additional charge. Everything I bought in this order will be lightly used and returned if anything doesn't work or break in first 90 days, I started buying mail order from Harbor Freight over 20 years ago maybe 30, lost track, returned very little, never had a problem returning anything. Craftsman is no longer the go to brand it was last century. Have been very happy with my HF tool box.
Looks like Porter Cable is going down the tubes just like Black and Deck professional and then Craftsman did years ago. Skil at one time was very well considered especially the Boar Gun battery drill and the worm drive saws.
Ron

[Richard Coers]

HF has fantastic car jacks, guaranteed to hold your car up at least 90% of the time.
I assume you meant to say jack stands, their jacks are very good in my experience and are not meant to hold up your car. They are just designed to lift it long enough to put a good stand under the car.

[mike stenson]

I assume you meant to say jack stands, their jacks are very good in my experience and are not meant to hold up your car. They are just designed to lift it long enough to put a good stand under the car.


I won't trust any jack without a jack stand. Well, except a quickjack.

I'll do a quick swap of both side tires, but I won't get anywhere near under it.

[johnny means]

These premium hand tools from Harbor Freight aren't competing with box store tools. Their competing with tool truck quality tools. People who wrench forty hours a week can tell the difference.

[Tom M King]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmvK7h7ZL2A

I bought a couple of the HF floor jacks (not the lowest end, but don't remember their name) to add to the two old ones I have for leveling a shipping container. They worked fine. Both of my old ones leak down if a load is left on them, but there's no good reason to do that anyway. A couple of weeks ago, I split a tractor to put a clutch in it, and put it back together using one of the fairly new HF floor jacks under the back end. It did fine. No floor jack is to hold a load for very long.

Now that I have four, it makes it a quick job to rotate tires on a vehicle.

The one tool I will advise against if their die grinder. It has a locking switch, and no forgiveness in the chuck for anything locking up in it. I bought one while a compressor was down, but after the first use, I tossed it, and spent 5 times the money on a Makita with a paddle switch, and spring in the chuck drive that has some give if it locks up. That HF diegrinder locked up with a carbide burr in it, the burr bent, jerking the tool out of my hands, and it climbed the cord, and my jeans leg before I could unplug it. Carbide burrs will lock up easier than it seems like they should. The Makita makes such a lockup a non-issue. No more HF power tools for me.

I do own their parts washer. It's paid for itself many times over. I pretty much hate cheap hand tools though, but that breaker bar in the video is a nice one. Unfortunately, my 3/4", and 1" breaker bars were not available at HF, and they were significantly more painful to buy.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I actually just used mine two weeks ago when I needed to take a rear tire off my Kubota to get it fixed...I knocked the stem out of it while pushing some downed tree parts. Sheesh... The breaker bar was "just the ticket" and long enough to give me the leverage I needed to do the job.While tire was off rim, hope you welded a guard around stem. Just a short piece of pipe. I have one of their $9.95 on sale, 25 1/2" breaker bars in each vehicle. Sure makes it easy to break lug nuts loose. Also have "clicking torque wrench in all vehicles.

[Rollie Meyers]

Was in the market to replace n 18" adjustable wrench that was lost/misplaced by one of my children.
Went in to HF to see what they had. $19.99 for their offering. Looked at the Craftsman at Lowe's, $49. Then went home to look on-line. Low and behold, I found that HD had a Crescent 18" for $22 with free shipping. Guess which one I bought? It pays to do your homework sometimes.


And all were probably made in the People's Reeducation Center #779. :D

[Bill Dufour]

And all were probably made in the People's Reeducation Center #779. :D


I think it was center #666
Bill D

[Jim Becker]

While tire was off rim, hope you welded a guard around stem. Just a short piece of pipe. I have one of their $9.95 on sale, 25 1/2" breaker bars in each vehicle. Sure makes it easy to break lug nuts loose. Also have "clicking torque wrench in all vehicles.

I don't have the ability or equipment to weld. I've seen that kind of quard on larger machines, but they don't appear to be common on sub-compacts. The service folks just fixed the problem and I reinstalled the tire. It was a "rare" thing and I'm not really worried about it, but if I did a lot of this stuff, I'd get them installed as it's a great idea!

[Jim Dwight]

When I bought my BMW convertible, I wanted a tool roll to go in the trunk. I seldom use it but I feel more comfortable with at least a minimal set of tools in each vehicle. I had all my "spares" in my SUV. So I went to HF, bought a set of combination wrenches, some pliers, a multi tip screwdriver and a socket set with a few extensions and wobble joint. I do not consider these to be great tools but none have failed and they work fine. They were pretty inexpensive.

I also have one of each size click type torque wrench HF offers. I don't do a lot on the car any more but if I do something, even tighten aluminum wheels, I like to use a torque wrench. I've seen a review where they were fairly accurate. The digital torque gauge was quite accurate.

I also have a 1/2 inch HF cordless impact. It is not terribly powerful. But it has been really handy to pull and insert lags on my dock when replacing floats. I would not use an expensive tool for this because I occasionally drop a tool in the water when I'm working on the dock. The batteries for mine are Ni Cd and one doesn't work great but with a full battery, it will drive a 1/2 lag without a pilot hole.

These are just meant to be examples of why I firmly believe HF makes some very servicable tools.