Harbor Freight - what sucks and what doesn't list

arceeguy

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May 20, 2008
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Since we all like to tinker with mechanical things like our motorized bikes, and do it on a "low budget" - I thought it would be helpful to post which tools sold at HFT are good, and which ones are not.

I have found that most of the tools are OK if you are not a professional contractor/mechanic that depends on them every day - but there are some items that aren't worth the shipping from China. There's a reason why some have nicknamed them "horror freight". When I placed my first catalog order from them several years ago, they were "Harbor Freight Salvage". Where did the "salvage" go? I can risk $25 on a 4.5" grinder, but I wouldn't trust a HFT pacemaker!

Post your experiences both good and bad!

Also - let's not get into China bashing. It's all about getting cool tools cheap. For example, a HFT auto feed wire welder for 90 bucks can get a fellow MB enthusiast making custom frames where they wouldn't be able to afford the $500 Miller or Lincoln.


The Good-

Central Pneumatics 2HP pancake compressor. - I've had mine for several years now. It is oil lubricated with cast iron cylinder. Great for dusting things off with compressed air, and to run small air tools. I even run my IR 230C impact gun with it. (in short bursts, enough to knock off lug nuts with ease!) Can be had for $89 on sale.

4.5" Grinder - Had mine for about 5 years. It hasn't failed me yet! Gearbox is noisy, but my buddies Home Depot Ryobi is worse.

Bench Grinder w/flex shaft - I use this one a lot. I had to replace the brushes already! (it is about 3 years old)

3/8" butterfly impact wrench - Great for automotive work. Knocking off oil drain plugs, caliper bolts, etc. Small enough to fit in most spots, powerful enough to break small fasteners (less than 15mm bolt head) loose.

Electronic Fly Swatter - yep, this one is silly, but they had a pile of them on sale for $2.99. Kills flies and yellow jackets with a hearty "SNAP" and a bright blue spark.

Engine cleaning gun - add compressed air with some detergent mix and end up with a sparkling clean engine. (cars, lawn mowers, etc.) Works great on alloy rims blasting away brake dust with ease. I do have to crank up my 220V compressor to run it continuously, as the little HFT compressor cannot keep up.

6.5 HP Horizontal Shaft Engine - we beat the living carp out of these Honda GX clones and they keep coming back for more. Disable the governor, and keep it under 5000RPM! The ones I've purchased had the "Central Machinery" brand and were made by Lifan in China - a large motorcycle/scooter manufacturer. "Greyhound" is a new trade name for HFT. I have one of their new 2.5HP engines, but haven't powered anything with it yet. (it is going on a rack mount motorized bike project)

The Bad -

1/2" drive impact extension set - The metal is too soft and considerable energy is lost in the extension and not applied to the nut or bolt you are trying to hammer off. My Craftsman impact extensions are hard enough to transfer the power, yet not shatter like a standard extension would. The HFT set is the one I will loan out. :devil2: (Golden Rule #1 - Never loan out tools you actually want back!)

Anything cordless. (and less than say $35) The chargers are most likely overnight trickle chargers, the batteries self discharge in a week, the motors are not too powerful.

1/2" Drive Electric Impact Wrench - Rated at 240 lb/ft, I doubt it exceeds 120 lb/ft. Very disappointed. Another one to loan out. :)

1/2" Drive Impact Wrench - This one is kind of a toss up. For 20 bucks did I really expect it to deliver 250 lb/ft of torque? It doesn't, but I do use it quite a bit. I'll pull out the Ingersoll Rand impact if this one doesn't have the balls to do the job.
 
Just got home from a date with the wife. Of course I had my printed out 20% HF coupon. I just bought a few odd and ends, small tools, and an ignition HT spark checker!

Feel free to borrow it. :giggle:
 
There safty wire pliers are great. Have had it 5+ yrs no problems. Eve the cutter is still sharp. Think of most there stuff as use and toss but was surprised looking around the shop. Lots here that aint tossed yet.
 
I got the following from HF:

3/8" click torque wrench- used much, verified against another as accurate several times- well made, works great.

60 piece tap and die set, SAE and metric- indispensible in my bike project- again, works well, no problems.

tubing bender- not great, but usable

Pop riveter- works as well as any I have ever used made by any manufacturer

standard crow bar...tough to screw that up- works great

Rotary tool, Dremel knock off- horrible- tossed it. No power, accessories sucked.

standard sandpaper- didn't cut well new and lost effectiveness faster than anything I have ever seen- will never buy again

hole saw set- works well on styrofoam...and not much else- a $4.95 risk, oh well
 
I use their battery charger and on sale NiMH and NiCd batteries. Low cost, works fine. The "D" cells are pretty lame though. They aren't a full cell!
 
.....The "D" cells are pretty lame though. They aren't a full cell!

This is a common practice. Most "C" and "D" cells have "SC" cells in them. I use the Sanyo eneloop system, and you literally slide a "AA" cell into a C or D sized sleeve. You can also charge the Sanyo cells and let them sit for months before using, they will not self-discharge. This was why I hated rechargeables - because they were always pretty much dead and requiring a charge when you needed them.
 
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