So lets talk Harbor Freight tools

[Ben Cadotte]

A comment in another post got me to thinking. Alot of people complain of HF tools. Some say they are ok. And some others absolutely trash them. So I am wondering what tools you have tried from them? What is still working, what broke, what is working but had to be worked on / fixed?? What definately needs to be avoided? If the tool failed. Was it being used correctly for the quality of tools its known to be (ie..expecting Festtool quality and accuracy for 1/10 the price).

I have several power tools from them.

Whats been good straight from them-
2hp DC- Not a single problem. Added their 1 micron filter. Works great. (3-4 years old)
17" swing drill press. Not a single problem. Run out is .0015. 6 years old
6" Jointer. Not a single problem. Fence is a pain in the arse though. 6 years old.
9" grinder. Has taken a bit of abuse and still going strong. 2 years.
2hp sds rotary hammer. Serious use / abuse for 3 hard days work. Then just occasional use. 1 year.
14" bandsaw- Not a single problem yet. Just installed height block. Everything lined up with no modifications. 6 years old.
23 and 15 gauge brad, 10 gauge full head framing nailer. Worked great from the get go. No issues (except for impropper use by me for the first couple times). Once figured out what I was doing wrong. No issues what so ever.

What been good after modifications / small repair.
10" slide miter saw. Fence was out of alignment. Had to file 1 hole oblong. Saw is now accurate on all factory stops. Off and on moderate use. 6 years old.
18 gauge brad (2" and 1 1/4"). Would not consistantaly shoot a brad out. After loosening and realigning the nose piece. Works great.

Whats been an ok tool.
1/2" Earthquake impact wrench. Works fine. Direction switch little hard. No failures, but don't think its as strong it says it is. Copy of IR's Thundergun. It is stronger than my MAC 250# gun, but not sure its quite as strong as its rated to be.

Whats been a bad tool.
Not a HF tool but HF sells identical item (specs, color, size).
14"x40" 1/2hp wood lathe. It can do only basic lathe work. Managed to turn 4 - 36" long bed posts with it. But probably took at least 2x longer to do. Items have to be nearly perfectally balanced or lathe will vibrate too bad to use (runs decent after initial rough cutting). Bearing is starting to make noise. Probably 40 hours of total use. Would avoid buying again.
Speed square - Out of square by several degrees- trash canned it. Cost more to ship it back than its refund value.
Bought and took back 2 sets of wrenches that was going to be a gift. The finish was poor enough that I decided to take back and gave Craftsman wrenches as the gift.

[Jerome Hanby]

Saber saw: Pretty much total junk. Blade will not stay on what amounts to a thrust bearing. The laser is pretty though.

F Clamps: Not as beefy as the Columbian ones I got from Woodcraft, but they do work well.

Allen Wrenches: Not sure what to say. Set contains all the normal standard and metric sizes. All I've used work fine.

Biscuits: They fit the slots and seem to swell after I glue them

Brad Nailer: Bought it on one of their super sales. I was surprised, it works well.

Sliding x-y vise: Weighs a ton and works as expected

Wood Chisels; Complete junk, bought them to practice sharpening.

Corner clamps: Look okay, haven't used them yet.

That covers what I've taken home, I've looked at lots of other items in the store and taken a pass.

[Brian D Anderson]

I've had this site bookmarked for a while . . .

http://woodworkerszone.com/wiki/index.php?title=Harbor_Freight_Gems

Certain tools of theirs are great if you only use them a few times per year. I have their reciprocating saw, a framing nailer and various other nailers. Their 4.5" angle grinder is great. I sanded the exterior of my house with it a couple summers ago.

I think if anything, HF shows us how much we're getting ripped by brand name tools. :)

-Brian

[Rob Luter]

Woodworking Vise - Trash (I was a newby and didn't know better). Suitable for use in my garage to hold mower blades, etc.

Pipe Clamps - Trash (took them back) Everything was machined so crooked they wouldn't even work. (That said, I have a co-worker who swears by them.)

Misc Hand Tools for my kid - Good value. They work just fine when you need an occasional pair of pliers or a screwdriver for fixing stuff around her apartment.

[Ben Cadotte]

F Clamps: Not as beefy as the Columbian ones I got from Woodcraft, but they do work well.


I have about 8 or 9 F clamps from them. They are about middle of the road for the ones I have. I have some other imports that have thinner steel rails. The HF ones in the middle. And my heavy duty Jorgensons definately thicker. The HF ones are better than my ebay ones, but not quite as beefy as the Jorg's. But I also got them for 1/5 of the Jorg's.

Would like to try their new cabinet clamps. But want to see them first. Only chance I get to see tools is when I travel for work and they have a store in that town.

[Jerome Hanby]

Looking at that site reminded me, I've got one of their digital calipers. It works great, I use it all the time. I plan on getting one that displays in fractions, but I imagine the HF one will still get use.


I've had this site bookmarked for a while . . .

http://woodworkerszone.com/wiki/index.php?title=Harbor_Freight_Gems

[Kim Spence]

23 Gauge Pin Nailer - works fine, shoots pins below the surface, never misfires. It doesn't have a soft tip so it tends to leave a small ding in your workpiece, I solved that by taping on a piece of thin cardboard and firing through it. I may try dipping in plastic cote stuff used on tool handles. The HF Pins though are complete junk, way to flexible, they blow out the side of the piece you're nailing into. I switched to Grex pins and no problems since. I think this tool is a hidden gem.

1/2" crown pneumatic stapler - got it on sale for $10. Has a very small small air leak I can hear it hissing when air hose attached, but doesn't affect function. The HF staples were crap, they fit too tight in the clip and wouldn't advance up after firing. Switched to some staples from Menards, can't remember brand name, works pretty good now. About every 10 to 20 staples or so it doesn't fire a staple, just dryfires. Upping the air pressure seems to minize this.

Pneumatic fittings - price is right and not much that can go wrong with these.

I've bought miscellaneous small items, storage boxes, etc. all which seem to do their job fine.

Their chip brushes seem to be a good bargain and decent enough quality for slapping on stain or glue.

Dial indicator and magnetic base - Definitely not machinist quality but good enough for setting up WWing tools. Made a jig to slide in miter gauge slot and it worked nice to square up my tableaw and fence.

I think you have to watch what you buy, but there are some good things to be had at HF. Only thinig I've ever returend is the 23gauge pins and 1/2" crown staples, they gladly took them back. Everything else has been satisfactory.

[Mike SoRelle]

Reciprocating Saw - Used the crap out of one to cut out a whole house worth of 4" cast iron drain and galvanized pipe, one time worked it to the point that I *almost* let the smoke out (actually did get some smoke, but I stopped just short of actually burning off the coating on the windings) after cooling finished the job with it. For the 20$ investment, it's a spectacular tool. After abusing the first, I picked up a spare that's sitting on the shelf just in case it dies for real.

Ratchet straps/tie downs - as good as the cheap ones from the BORG and cheaper- wouldn't use in a life safety situation.

Pilers/screwdrivers - junk, but disposable, I used to do professional pyrotechnics and I used to get HF hand tools for 4th of July shows on a pier in Myrtle Beach, didn't have to worry if the salt water got to them and didn't have to painstakingly wipe them down afterwards. Also never cared if they broke or got lost because they were so cheap. For short term use, they work as advertised.

Hamburger press (I know, it's not a real 'tool' but it did come from HF) great for mass production, used mine last weekend

[Bruce Page]

I like their Nitrile gloves at 10/11 bucks per 100.
That’s about it….:D

[Montgomery Scott]

I bought the wire wheel - work fine
diamond hone plates - cheap; the diamond powder scrapes off easily
tarps - ok, but the grommets come out easily
hand broom - works fine
adjustable wrench - $13, but is very nicely made

I won't ever buy a power tool from them for political and quality reasons.

[Joe Scharle]

Dial indicator VG $4.95
Mag base VG $3.95
HB DT jig VG (after I found Woodhaven's instructions) $19.95
Biscuit jointer G (noisy) $29.95
Digital micrometer G (turns itself ON sometimes, but so does my Wixey) $9.95
Various clamps JUNK
Nitrile gloves VG
Spotlights VG

[Brad Townsend]

This HF tool works great:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/40100-40199/40122.gif

[Tom Esh]

Like many I've found it hit & miss. I think they're completely at the mercy of their suppliers when it comes to QC. Fortunately their return / exchange policy seems adequate to cover it, but for me the "hassle factor" includes the better part of an hour in traffic, so I've gotten very conservative on what I'll chance.

Hit: Casters. (The tire compound really stinks for awhile, but eventually dissipates.)
Hit: Dead blow hammer and rubber mallet. (I know, pretty hard to foul these up, but the heads haven't flown off yet.)
Hit: Spring loaded center punch.
Miss: Fractional dial caliper. Smooth and accurate enough, but the scale is a pain to read - too few fractional text marks and the hash lines are all the same length and weight. (I bought 2 others from various sources before I finally wised up and got a Starrett.)
Miss: Digital dial indicator - Lcd display failed almost immediately. (Hit:Replacement working fine).
Miss: Digital angle gauge. Bad switch pad. Returned it and bought a Wixey instead.
Miss: Portable miter saw/planer/whatever tool station. Absolutely horrible quality and workmanship - probably the worst I've ever seen. Had to bend parts to assemble it, which was way too easy. Could barely support its own weight.
Miss: Anvil. I thought this would be hard to foul up too. Wrong! Edges chipped and crumbled immediately. Might as well be made of concrete.

I've not bought any HF portable power tools, though I might be tempted to risk it for a one-use or once a year use. For sure anything I can't carry back under one arm is a non-starter.

[Larry Fox]

Auto drain for compressor - complete junk. Since then, any advertising material they mail to me - junk and goes straight to the trash. My time is too precious to deal with the hassle of either a poorly functioning tool or the hassle of trying to return it only to have to buy another one - didn't take me too many times to learn that lesson.

[Loren Hedahl]

3/8 inch drill -- approx $13 on sale -- works great
router -- junk -- balance problem, vibrates at high speed
hvlp spray gun -- fair -- works OK for wood finishes, and solid color auto, but not for metallic
digital micrometer -- works great
1 inch belt sander -- works great
sanding belts -- OK
casters -- got HF casters on just about everything

[Alan Schwabacher]

You need to look over what you are buying carefully. The pipe clamps I bought first worked smoothly and perfectly. That lowered my guard, and I bought a bunch more. Some of those were terribly made, with rough and distorted castings, and the roll pins would work themselves loose as you tightened the clamps. Be ready to try things soon after you buy them, and bring them back if they are not acceptable.

[Tom Andersen]

Looking at that site reminded me, I've got one of their digital calipers. It works great, I use it all the time. I plan on getting one that displays in fractions, but I imagine the HF one will still get use.

same here, but the battery wears out pretty fast. Any smart source for button batteries?

[david scheidt]

HF have a complete lack of quality control. If the stuff is made to spec, it'll be okay. If it's not, it's junk, but they'll still sell it. As an example, about 5 years ago, I bought three 4 1/2" angle grinders. There were on sale, for some silly cheap price, like less $10. I was working on a welding project, and having several grinders with different wheels in them saves lots of time. One lasted three days, and maybe an hour's use. The second lasted a somewhat longer time; the third is still going. I've got a number of tools, where I bought them because I wanted a tool to do one job, and if it lasted long enough to do that, I got my money's worth, since I'm not likely to use them again. I don't think I'd buy a precision tool from them. I also get a fair amount of consumables from them (rags, gloves, foam brushes), as they're really cheap, and if they're on sale, dirt cheap.

[Josiah Bartlett]

I like the variable speed reciprocating saw as well. Its a great tool for what it is. I've abused mine as well, not a problem at all.

Their biscuit joiner is pretty poor. Most of their angle grinders and air tools are ok.

Oh, and the dust collector is good for the price.

I have the 34706 wood lathe. Its decent for the price, and if you change the tool rest its pretty good. It takes standard MT#2 and 1"x8 tpi accessories. I put a shelf on the stand and piled 6 bags of hardened up sackrete on it. Its stable as heck now.

The mortiser is ok too. It cuts nice holes but the holddown is a bit flimsy. A bit of ingenuity takes care of that. I'm going to try the XY table idea out, I have an extra cross slide vise hanging around that I'm not using.

I also found a #5 bench plane there a few years ago that is pretty decent once you true it up, but I haven't found one since. It was made in India and I use it almost as much as my nice vintage Bailey.

The big TiN coated drill index with fractional, lettered, and numbered bits is a bargain too.

[Julian Wong]

1/2" crown pneumatic stapler - got it on sale for $10. Has a very small small air leak I can hear it hissing when air hose attached, but doesn't affect function. The HF staples were crap, they fit too tight in the clip and wouldn't advance up after firing. Switched to some staples from Menards, can't remember brand name, works pretty good now. About every 10 to 20 staples or so it doesn't fire a staple, just dryfires. Upping the air pressure seems to minize this.

Pneumatic fittings - price is right and not much that can go wrong with these.


Kim, I had a different experience with you. I also have the 1/2"crown stapler. I first had bought Airy staples, which are supposed to be branded but it kept jamming the driver as well as cassette and ejecting staples by popping open the "loading magazine". I switchtd back to the el-chepo HF staples and it has not misfired since.

As for HF pneumatic fittings, I don't use them anymore. They leak so much. I now use Milton and nothing else. No leaks, in any temperature.

[Jesse Cloud]

Good: carpeted moving dolly - casters are good and its way cheap

come a long - only used a couple of times, but so far, so good

sheet metal crimper - same as above

pack of assorted brushes - several different mixes of useful sized brushes at a good price

work gloves - I loose these so quickly that cheap ones are just fine

mover's blankets - how could you go wrong??


Bad: chip brushes - even with low expectations, don't have time to pull bristles out of my glue, don' want to risk leaving one in a stain

latex gloves - real POC, never finished a task without them starting to tear, nitrile gloves are a little better, but not much



Wouldn't buy anything critical to the job there, but ok for disposable/consumable stuff.

no one has mentioned their hydraulics yet - anyone??

[Brian Weick]

put to much faith in those power tools , sorry, but they are sort of disposable to me, not all of them. I have there compressors ~ now those i am very happy with. But the power tools and things of that nature~ na, There grab bag of bits are OK, and the fostner set is OK , but again , you get what you pay for.
my 2 cents
Brian

[Steven Wilson]

Harbor Freight - cheap tools sold cheaply. They are a store of consumables. I have, however, been pleasantly surprised with some of the air tools I've procured through them. They lasted through the job I bought them for so I consider them a good deal.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

I have a Makita SCMS that does a great job. No way would I buy a HF SCMS expecting it to do an equal job (I don't even know if they sell one). It might, but I'm not even going to try finding out. Just be selective in what you get.

A friend bought a combo pin nailer/stapler and has gone through about 5,000 of their staples without a misfire. The other pneumatic tools are fine also. I try to catch them on sale for $15 or less and if one bites the bullet toss it (true American consumerism :)) and get another. If I were going to use one on the job every day I'd pay ten times as much for dependability (or maybe just keep a couple more HF's in the pickup) but I have no kick with them.

I just bought a $15 trim router there. I chucked a 1/16" roundover bit into it and that's where it's going to stay for the dedicated purpose of easing edges to save me the chore of changing and adjusting bits . The angle grinder/sander I got has worked just fine.

Love their f-clamps. Catch them on sale for about a quarter of the Jorgenson price (and they even have pads) and back the pickup up to the door. I glue up a lot of panels and they get put to use. No, they're not as stout as the Jorgenson, but.... If I have to use something stronger to flush the pieces the joint isn't made correctly to start with.

Biggest single item was their 9 ton electric winch. Welded a platform on the front of the trailer and bolted it to it and it's skidded a bunch of logs up to a couple tons up ramps and onto the trailer. No complaints with it.

I can't think of anything I've gotten there that was a total write-off, but with the exception of the winch I just mentioned what I got was non-consumables purchased with a consumable frame of mind.

[Rick Gifford]

The worse thing I bought from them was a snap ring plier set. It was on sale.

I have one pair of snap ring pliers, they are old. I thought well... I know these will be low end chinese tools but the price is good even for that so if they work at all that will be fine.

Opened the case and there they were, covered in new oil. Looked nice. Until I picked them up.

Not one pair lined up nose to nose when closed. They wobbled in your hand during open/close. I can't imagine anyone being successful getting a snap ring on or off with these.

They gave chinese tools a bad name, thats how bad they were. Took 'em back and got my money back.

I wasnt expecting much seriously, but wow was I suprised how cheap those really were.

I buy their wire brushes by the handfull. They are so low cost who cares if they arent the best around. Easy to throw away. Same with brushes for varnish, glue etc.

I have some allen wrenches that work fine. Hammers are ok.

Just have to be selective in Harbor Freight.

[David G Baker]

I do not own any HF items that I know of. If a HF store was located near me I would take a look at what they have to offer. I have read many threads on different sites that discuss HF items and the majority of posters trash HF tools. I do go to the HF Internet site and look around once in a while and if there was something there that interested me I would give it a chance. Items where safety is a concern I will not purchase from HF, I will go with brands that have a good reputation for safe operation.
I have been to several of the traveling tool sales and feel that most of the items sold are not of the quality that I would buy and the items cost almost as much as quality brand name products.

[Lee DeRaud]

I've been (ab)using one of their right-angle drills for sanding bowls on the lathe for a couple years now: appears to be pretty much bulletproof, and only cost about $20 on sale to begin with.

[Julian Wong]

This HF tool works great:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/40100-40199/40122.gif

My arms get tired swinging that thing aroud before I actually hit a fly!

Ok. maybe I'm slow bnut I think it's a POS

[Kim Spence]

Kim, I had a different experience with you. I also have the 1/2"crown stapler. I first had bought Airy staples, which are supposed to be branded but it kept jamming the driver as well as cassette and ejecting staples by popping open the "loading magazine". I switchtd back to the el-chepo HF staples and it has not misfired since.

As for HF pneumatic fittings, I don't use them anymore. They leak so much. I now use Milton and nothing else. No leaks, in any temperature.

Maybe I just got a box of staples from a bad batch. The strips wern't glued together perfectly straight so some of them were catching on the magazine. I may give them another shot knowing that they work fine for someone else. Though Menards is 5 miles away while HF is 30 miles away, so maybe I'll just stick with the Menards staples :)

And clarification about the pneumatic fittings...I've only used their 1/4" male fittings, they work fine with the female fittings on hoses I've purchased elsewhere. I haven't tried any HF female fittings or other pneumatic components.

[Stephen Edwards]

2 HP Air compressor and fittings...no problems

2 HP DC Unit........no problems

cheap t-handle pipe clamps....ok for the money

Quick grip clamps........junk

white latex gloves............junk

Blue nitrile gloves...work fine for my needs

Bench top OSS......fine tool with no problems at all. Well made with well machined cast iron table, good DC. Works perfectly for about half the price of others in its price range.

compound miter saw.....no problems but rarely used. They certainly have some junky ones but the one I bought is accurate and well made for the money.

DC blast gates, fittings, etc.....best deal around for the money. Mine all work perfectly.

I don't own nor am I apt to buy a major power tool from them. I do intend to get the small trim router that someone else mentioned for the same purpose they stated.

[Jim Knight]

I have a moving fillister plane, two spokeshaves, a dovetail saw, chisels, stamps, screw box and three taps and assorted sandpaper, steelwool, etc. from Harbor freight. The edges on the spokeshaves and plane and chisel needed sharpening right out of the box and need it more than other, better, tools. I also had an angle grinder I used with a launcelot blade for carving. Within one day of heavy use the angle grinder began switching on when unattended. The use wasn't that heavy. Otherwise, I consider Harbor Freight an inexpensive alternative for hobbyists who, as much as they want to, don't get to spend everyday in the shop but want to make good stuff when they are there. Anything they have without a power cord and a placard announcing "Chicago" has been a good purchase for me, at least.

[Larry Nall]

Bought a 1 ton chain hoist.
Cheap. Works fine.
I'm leary of most of their stuff.

[scott spencer]

Good:
- mortiser ...works well, even the bits are ok, hold down needs help ($100)
- 13" benchtop DP (38142)....totally impressed with this so far ($144)
- Pittsburg bar clamps (very handy, very inexpensive on sale)
- DP vise ($5)
- Shop rags
- small compressor (no complaints for the size)
- floor mats

OK:
- Dovetail jig...castings are a bit rough but it works
- Woodworking vise
- Aluminum bar clamps
- TiN coated 7 pc forstner bits
- 18 ga nailer (jambs alot)
- remote control airplane is alot of fun for the price (~ $30)
- Dowel set

Bad:
- Hair clippers were awful
- Triple head shaver was awful
- "Quick Grip" type clamps
- Sand paper
- black HSS steel bits (lots of breakage)

[Ben Cadotte]

- 18 ga nailer (jambs alot)


I had the same problem. I nearly gave up on them, but decided to see what was wrong. I figured out the nose piece was not lined up propperly. What I did was loosen the allen screws to loosen the nose piece. Then while continusly sliding some brads back and forth into the nose, retighten the allen screws. Both my 18 gauge nailers now work great.

[Bob Cooper]

good: 1" SDS hammer drill
1" (?) slow speed drill (for stirring grout)
sliding tile saw ... no issues at all
their work lights

[Ron Jones near Indy]

HF had a really decent knock off of a Delta mobile base for years. Unfortunately it is no longer available (or wasn't the last time I tried to find one). I ordered 2 of them a few years ago. They sent 3. When I notified them, they thanked me and told me to keep the extra unit.:) These units were well worth the $20 price. I wish I could get more.

Other things I have from HF seem to be in line with what others have said about their products.

[Dave Lehnert]

HF had a really decent knock off of a Delta mobile base for years. Unfortunately it is no longer available (or wasn't the last time I tried to find one). I ordered 2 of them a few years ago. They sent 3. When I notified them, they thanked me and told me to keep the extra unit.:) These units were well worth the $20 price. I wish I could get more.

Other things I have from HF seem to be in line with what others have said about their products.

When they discontinued the mobile base, a HF store here in Cincinnati had them on "Managers Special" for $12.00. Lets just say I have a stack in my shop to last a lifetime.

[Paul Johnstone]

I have actually bought a lot of HF chisels.. I agree they aren't great quality.
The metal is soft. But they are great for stuff like tearing up floors, etc.
They dull quick, but I use a honing guide on fairly course wet dry sandpaper. I think I use 150 or 220 grit (maybe 100).. Anyhow, I only use one grit and they sharpen up to get abused again.

Their pliers are junk..
Their pipe clamps are ok. Not top of the line, but good value.
Glue brushes ok.

I've been disappointed in everything with a sharp edge there.. saber saw blades= junk.. drill bits .. all junk

All in all, I've found a few gems, but I've also wasted a lot of money there. It's been years since I've been there. I figured I was further off ahead to just get better stuff and avoid the cursing. I'm not trying to be a snob, just saying it's not worth it for me.

[Simon Dupay]

the usual "hit & miss" for me too
Windsor turning tools:hit
14" bandsaw:hit (but no US delta)
CI lathe: pure junk but still usable
Resip saw:no sawzall, but gets the job done
4 pc. woodworker's safety set:hit
brushes, gloves, drill bits etc.:hit
I guess you just have to careful what you buy.

[Richard Venturelli]

Never had much faith in HF but after I bought a couple of tools I needed for just one job and replace a few that were stolen. I was more than surprised.

Air compressor still running good
Framing air nailer, heavy but works great
Power planer still working after 2 years needs new blades
Small laminent trimmer. Still going strong.
10" Sliding Miter saw still working but use a PC now. I use it mostly to cut alum.

Biggest surprise the power planner. I bought it to plane some high 2x4 studs and actually used it on doors! On sale for 19.99

Always thought these tools would fall apart when I bought them. When asked if I wanted to buy the extended warranty I laughed, and said "I'm buying these for a one time job and don't expect them to last that long". But they have stood the test of time in my book.

These are not the tools I rely on everyday for my line of work.

[George Sanders]

I've sworn them off; just like Sears.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
Total miss:
- 28* Framing Nailer.
Fired maybe half a dozen nails before it jammed. The good news is that I'd bought a box of 28* Bostitch nails, which I'd opened and tried in it, and was into "things" for $59.00 for the nails and $79.00 for the nailer at that point. Not wanting to let the $59.00 nails go to waste, I picked up a Bostitch framing nailer.<--awesome tool.

- Quick connects. "Leak air", is a bit on the mild side. "Hemorrhage air" is more like it.

- Their cheaper knee pads - the soft ones - ($2.99 on sale). Straps disintegrated.

Total Hit:
- 1/8" 10 pack of Ti Ni drill bits ($.99 on sale) Since I break more than I dull :rolleyes:, it's a good value for me.

- 6" digital caliper. Absolute best ~ $10.00 I spent on anything tool related.

- Their cotton drop cloths when on sale. I've spent 3 to 5 times more for a drop and gotten less in return. <--IMHO, when on sale, the best value you can find anywhere. Heck even not on sale - they still rock!
$8.99 for a 10 oz. double stitched 4x12 "runner" is a heck of a price.

- $5.99 (on sale) "hard" knee pads. I looked at the ones at Lowes that sell for nearly $40.00 and darned if I can see a difference. I'm inclined to think the HF ones are "seconds" from the same factory.

My biggest "problem" w/HF stuff is what others have pointed out.
Their goods are so hit/miss in QC & consistency.
It's nearly impossible to base a decision on someone else's experience with them.
Whenever I buy anything from them, I expect the worst.

I'd thought about taking the framing nailer back, but decided I'd rather wait until I have my shop put together. Once I'm done, I'm going to mount it on the wall as a reminder:
"You usually get exactly what you pay for/let the buyer beware./YMMV."

[scott spencer]

I had the same problem. I nearly gave up on them, but decided to see what was wrong. I figured out the nose piece was not lined up propperly. What I did was loosen the allen screws to loosen the nose piece. Then while continusly sliding some brads back and forth into the nose, retighten the allen screws. Both my 18 gauge nailers now work great.

Hey...thanks Ben! :)

[Curt Harms]

My experience parallels others posted here. I bought a 1 ton shop crane from Harbor Freight. Some of the caster threads needed to be chased but it went together okay. It does seem to leak down very slowly with a load on it. I wouldn't lay beneath a load supported solely by this crane but I wouldn't lay beneath a load supported solely by any other hydraulic crane, either,

I had an experience sort of like Ben with an air locker P630 23 ga. pin nailer. It would occasionally not feed. Looked at at and found an aluminum burr on the edge of the magazine next to the driver. Sanded that burr smooth and it has fed fine since. Expecting to get perfect out of the box for cheep is expecting a lot, methinks. If I worked where the environment caused tools to grow legs and run off, HF tools would be a consideration

Curt

[Randal Stevenson]

Woodworking Vise - Trash (I was a newby and didn't know better). Suitable for use in my garage to hold mower blades, etc.



Please be more specific!?!

They have at least two woodworking vises, one with and one without a benchdog. The one without, looks (to me at least) about as cheap as every other one that other places sell cheap. The one with the benchdog, while no Record (what it tries to clone), was well worth the $25 I got it on sale for.

The dust collector, while it hits the gems list, I would give it mixed due to all the switch failures I read about. (makes me wonder why we don't just replace the switch when buying it).
Hand tools, VERY mixed. Thankfully I have a HF close, so I can shop/look at them. I picked up a long wrench set that worked fine (one job, didn't want a high dollar one for one job), but a friend (I know pro mechanics that buy there), bought a wrench set I said to avoid, and the first open end, broke the first turn.
A LOT of mechanics around here, will use their impact sockets, as they are the older, heavy wall design (works pretty well), and they are cheap enough you don't mind modding (compared to your Snapies).
They have a pancake compressor, that with the addition of a $5 regulator, works good for the nailers and tires (what it was bought for).
Goodyear air hose, great buy.
One gem that they no longer locally carry, the zero pressure, safety pnuematic coupler (all I will use is safety couplers). You hit a button on this style and it releases the air pressure so you could have your wet finger on the trigger of anything and it wouldn't shoot.