What HF Stuff Is In Your Shop?

[chris yount]

The 18 ga and 15 ga ($59 on sale) nailers have served me well.The 1/4 crown stapler is not up to par.I have the 21 gal air compressor that has been unbelievable for $100 on sale.I have a few of the cheap saw blades I use on reclaimed lumber that may have trash in it.
I dont buy any power tools there my dad has a few and I didn't care for them when I tried them.

[Ron Jones near Indy]

I have some HF mobile bases that are Delta clones that work very well. I tried to buy a couple more about a year ago--no longer available. They were a steal at $20 each.

The 1/2" pipe clamps were junk. But I've been well satisfied with the 3/4" clamps; they too were a steal--$3 each on sale.

I have picked up small items too numerous to mention. Most of them were serviceable. The air hoses I have had were also serviceable.

I have had no experience with anything electrical from them.

[Stephen Edwards]

DC Unit.....plenty adequate for my needs

Air Compressor.....plenty adequate for my needs

OSS.....plenty adequate for my needs (small parts)

Compound Miter Saw....suitable for outside and inside trim carpentry. I wouldn't use if for furniture work. On the other hand, maybe I would if I had it set up for that and put a good Freud blade in it. Lots of their miter saws are junk. This one is solid.

Pipe Clamps......not the best but certainly workable and you can't tell the difference when the job is done. A bit of a hassle to work with but I manage. They're cheap.

To me, the thing with HF is that you need to go SEE the tools before you buy them. Then, you can decide if it will work for your needs.

[Jim O'Dell]

I get a few things there, flat sanding discs to do rough sanding outside on the house with angle grinder, nitrile gloves, glue brushes, cheap hole saw kit that doesn't last, but drilled at least enough holes to pay for itself. Hex sets are worthless, soft and round over easily. I do have an 18 guage air gun, and a combo 18 guage air stapler/nailer that both work well, but leave too big of an indention in the wood. Wouldn't want to use them for furniture, but are fine for other things. Best item I've gotten so far is the 2 1/2 hp (yeah right! ) tile saw. It is very heavy, and works like a charm. The table was dead on 90 degrees to the blade straight out of the box. Doesn't come with a blade, so was able to get a Hot Dawg off another forum for a great price, and it works fantastic. I have one of the 10.00 cordless drills. It works, but not well. Bought it to do liscense plates at the former dealership I worked at...Had trouble keeping the battery charged.
Their 18 guage brads are cheap and work well. About half the price of the Porter Cable units at HD. Jim.

[Eric Commarato]

I have a set of bearing pullers that have worked great. They look and have worked so far just like the expensive name brand ones. Bought the set for 31 bucks, and will handle 1"-2" and 2"-3" bearings.

[Sonny Edmonds]

Let's see....
Not a lot, really.
But a nice manual hose reel. It's been around a long time and still reely handy.
I bought several pipe clamps there and put them on various lengths of Sch. 80 pipe, and they work real good for me.
And some really lightweight F clamps I needed for a doll house I was making. Lightweight meaning they are downright fragile, but work within featherweight clamping needs.
I gave away my first dust collector blower I got from HF. But it was a beginning in moving dust around, and being a booster blower in it's life in my shop.
I'm sure there is other items. But I always considered HF stuff as a use once and don't cry when it breaks type of quality (or lack of quality).

[Todd Hoppe]

"F" style clamps, that seem to be a new design. They work great.
3/4" pipe clamps, that are ok
6" Digital Calipers, work great
Spring clamps
Aluminum bar clamps (work fine)
Gloves (latex, for finishing)
Sandpaper
Casters
Gear puller (works well)
Tap and die set (junk)
Utility knives
Abrasive cutoff wheels

[John Sanford]

Acid brushes.
Banana knife, bright and well shaped, but the blade slide button is so-so and poorly positioned.

Some casters.
2 furniture dollies.
A 3 piece stepped drill set. (Unibit knockoff)
A rubber mallet lurking somewhere in the shop.

A small electronic scale, which I use for properly weighting rolling stock.
An ultrasonic cleaner.

1 (formerly 2) cast iron holddowns, junk, junk, junk.

I have used a miter saw stand from there for a kitchen cabinet build, its what led me to coin the term "Tool Shaped Objects". Harbor Freight has one of the biggest selections of TSO's in America. If the MS stand had been mine, rather than my fathers, I would probably have taken either a Sawzall, a BFH, or a cutting torch to it.

[Chris Kennedy]

I have used a miter saw stand from there for a kitchen cabinet build, its what led me to coin the term "Tool Shaped Objects". Harbor Freight has one of the biggest selections of TSO's in America. If the MS stand had been mine, rather than my fathers, I would probably have taken either a Sawzall, a BFH, or a cutting torch to it.

I'll second that. I recently made my first, and almost certainly last, HF purchase. I bought a $25 tool stand -- MDF top, steel legs with a couple of integral "shelves." I had my misgivings, but I thought for $25, I would at least get a a pair of legs and the MDF top. It would be worth the investment, right?

Wrong.

The "shelves" were basically cardboard, and I broke one almost immediately. I had to flex every piece in order to get the pieces to go together. It took me over two hours to put the thing together. It will work as a stand for my new mortiser, but never again. I was about ready to deliver to lead-pipe therapy to the "tool-shaped object."

Cheers,

Chris

[Jim Kountz]

Oh, ok...there are some old pipe clamps, but they never worked well. I will not even gift them to someone based on that.

Yep Im with ya here Jim, thought I would be saving myself a little money and get the HF clamps. I bought a box of 12 pipe clamp fixtures. I had three that wouldnt even thread on the pipe, 2 more that the sliding end wouldnt slide without help from a mallet and the worst of all the heads always wanted to spin when you tried to tighten them. *sigh* Do we ever really listen when we are told "you get what you pay for?" LOL I obviously dont!! But hey, if you ever want to add to your unused HF pipe clamp collection, I'll make you a deal!!

[Howard Miller]

#94029-3vga mini 1hp dust collector on sale for $89.00 - works like a charm. Hooked to homemade pre-collection trash can with 4" hose and pvc connections.

97385-0vga Router table fence - very nice for $29.00 in store

[Mike Heidrick]

Welding Blanket
Auto Darkening Welding Helmet
Right angle Welding Magnets
Some Casters
Pneumatic riveting gun
Various pneumatic fittings
Electric Chainsaw Blade sharpener
Dial Caliper
Magnetic Base
Dust Brushes
Dust Collection Hose
Various hardware and consumables (rivets, cotter pins, zip ties, tape, sandpaper, cut off wheels, etc).

Previously owned the HFDC and it was good. Sold it and upgraded.

[Cary Falk]

34706 wood lathe
93762 4x6 horizontalmetal bandsaw
auto-darkening welding helmet
rightangle welding magnets
welding gloves and apron
3/4" pipe clamps
nitrile gloves
6" fractional digital caliper

[Bill White]

Got it when I bought my Griz TS from a Creeker. Threw the bags in the trash, and got some 1 mic. ones from Highland. It has been a performer.
Bill

[Joe Trotter]

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.

Ed, I was just looking on their site and do not see an edger.

Is this the kind that puts a border around the lawn?

I have been wanting to get that done but was quoted 3K to do it.

Thanks, Joe