HF coupon winner

[Rick Potter]

Lately, I have found it very hard to buy anything reasonably expensive using the HF 20% coupon. In the small print it excludes lots of items, plus anything labeled with 21 different 'house brands', like Bauer, Central Machinery, Daytona and the like. The newest ones even have a short expiration date.

But I found one.....Just bought a $139 'Chief' brand pneumatic pop rivet gun with the 20% coupon. I think that makes me a WINNER. Saved $27.80.

Anybody do better lately? Join the winners circle.

[Donald G. Burns]

When HF first popped on the scene their products were dirt cheap, often crap, sometimes could be turned into useful tools. Plus they offered coupons to suck you into their stores for even greater discounts. I used to live a few miles from their HQ in California and they often had parking lot sales in the HQ parking lot. Lots of returns and stuff broken/missing parts etc. Good deals could be had if you could fix things. Lots of stuff was damaged in shipping or maybe just poorly made in the first place. Over the years they've upped their image with better products and realized that the coupons plus increased costs of stuff coming from China was cutting into their profits, IMHO. So rename the good stuff and make the coupons only for the high profit crap that's still sold under their old brands. Many of their better products now are the same or equal to the consumer brands sold at the big box stores. A few are equal to the prosumer products these days. With the death of Sears and the Craftsman brand (IMHO) they seem to be marketing themselves at the local place to go for tools in small town America. I've got two gift cards from last Christmas that I've not bothered to use since I don't need any more free flashlights and cheap screwdrivers.

[fred woltersdorf]

When HF first popped on the scene their products were dirt cheap, often crap, sometimes could be turned into useful tools. Plus they offered coupons to suck you into their stores for even greater discounts. I used to live a few miles from their HQ in California and they often had parking lot sales in the HQ parking lot. Lots of returns and stuff broken/missing parts etc. Good deals could be had if you could fix things. Lots of stuff was damaged in shipping or maybe just poorly made in the first place. Over the years they've upped their image with better products and realized that the coupons plus increased costs of stuff coming from China was cutting into their profits, IMHO. So rename the good stuff and make the coupons only for the high profit crap that's still sold under their old brands. Many of their better products now are the same or equal to the consumer brands sold at the big box stores. A few are equal to the prosumer products these days. With the death of Sears and the Craftsman brand (IMHO) they seem to be marketing themselves at the local place to go for tools in small town America. I've got two gift cards from last Christmas that I've not bothered to use since I don't need any more free flashlights and cheap screwdrivers.

No more free stuff in my area.

[Matt Day]

They sure have changed a lot over the years, and a lot this past year. The quality of their many upper shelf house brands Is actually quite good. The 20% off coupons and free flashlight or tarp or magnetic parts holder or xyz has all but vanished.

[Carl Crout]

Some of their hand tools are good but the prices aren't cheap any more. I prefer to buy Kobalt. You can go in Lowes and look at the same tool in Craftsman and Kobalt. The Craftsman is several dollars higher. I won't pay for the Craftsman name especially since Kobalt is also life time warranty.
As far as power tools go I won't buy a HF unless it's a one time use tool as they just don't last. Having said that I havent' tried the new Bauer but they cost about as much as a name brand anyway

[Steve Mathews]

I have never found anything worth having from HF even the free stuff.

[Brian Tymchak]

Happening more and more as margins are getting squeezed all over the product spectrum.

I recently got a Woodcraft 10% birthday discount card in the mail. I had to use the camera on my tablet to magnify the fine print and found that about the only thing not on the exclusion list might be sandpaper.

[glenn bradley]

Happening more and more as margins are getting squeezed all over the product spectrum.

I recently got a Woodcraft 10% birthday discount card in the mail. I had to use the camera on my tablet to magnify the fine print and found that about the only thing not on the exclusion list might be sandpaper.

In that vein my local Rockler has been hitting it hard. It is a great time for those just starting out as much of what they are discounting is the stuff we all bought early on. I know I sure took advantage of those sales once upon a time and hope some of our newbies know enough to strike during this opportune time. The reason I don't need a lot of things is because I knew what I wanted and picked things up at rock bottom prices over time.

[Matt Day]

I have never found anything worth having from HF even the free stuff.

You must own all Festool and Hammer/Felder. Guessing you haven’t been there in years. The old HF was a bit of a joke.

Seriously though, they do have some nice stuff now. I have a Bauer hammer drill and it’s great.
And of course plenty of smaller things like acid brushes I use for glueing, random wrenches/sockets/pliers/automotive tools/etc.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Recently rebuilt the shed across the back of shop. New framing, sheeting and shingles. Bought the "Pierce" shingle nailer from HF. It never missed a beat. Wish I could say the same for my Hitachi framing nailer. Was able to use 20% off coupon on purchase.

[Dave Sabo]

“Reasonably Expensive”

That’s a new one.

Many of their better products now are the same or equal to the consumer brands sold at the big box stores. A few are equal to the prosumer products these days.

This is hit and miss. While HF products have certainly come up in the world AND often represent a good value proposition due to their low prices, equal to the prosumer products they often aren’t. There are certainly exceptions like the tool boxes, but their battery tools still don’t come close.

I’ve found their $20 led shop lites a real bargain.

[William Chain]

Since covid they’ve stopped the printed catalogs and coupons. I get the emailed coupons and catalogs and the 20% seems to come at holidays now where the 25% would come in the past. Hard to argue with their screwdrivers, wrenches, clamps, etc. though. I think just about every room in our house has the 6-piece black handle screwdriver set in a drawer.

[Robert London]

I was just in HF yesterday. They are changing their image and having a selection of higher quality tools that is not always 20% off

The good better best line up. Or more like, low quality cheap, better and good quality. I picked up a Quinn socket set last night. Box said made in Taiwan and seemed decent for the price. I’m not a mechanic and don’t feel the need to buy the Icon line and stick to just better mid grade stuff that’s made in Taiwan.

I’m looking at their General tool boxes. Seems better than anything in Home Depot or Lowe’s for the money and they get pretty great reviews.

They have a new insider club and credit card. Seems like they are going after the tool truck guys and a lot more competitive lately

[Bruce Wrenn]

Seems like they are going after the tool truck guys and a lot more competitive lately

They will never replace "tool truck guys" as most mechanics don't have the luxury of going to HF to find a needed tool. Plus, tool truck companies make specific use tools that can't be found anywhere else. Friend's brake lathe broke a bevel gear. Replacement from manufacturer was over $300. We took gears apart and found number on gear. Checked online, and from multiple sources, gear was less than $20.