Look it up, but remember there is many many forms of plastic, just as there is many types of steel.
First Trip to a Harbor Freight Store...
- Thread starter WMSmotorhead
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So far I have been satisfied with what i got there.
Throatless shear, 1/2 drive impact, bearing race installer, 21 gal air compressor, 90 degree die grinder, flanger/hole puncher, welding magnets, and c clamps.
I read the reviews online just to make sure im not getting total junk, also try to feel them and give them the once over before i buy them
Throatless shear, 1/2 drive impact, bearing race installer, 21 gal air compressor, 90 degree die grinder, flanger/hole puncher, welding magnets, and c clamps.
I read the reviews online just to make sure im not getting total junk, also try to feel them and give them the once over before i buy them
I've read several times on here about the HF composite socket wrenches. I saw one and it sure did look nice. I gotta get one, now. I'm also eyeballing their US General red rolling tool cart for $199. Quality on it is great and even has gas struts for the top lid and latching drawers.
Typical HF thread, those that object 'mostly' on some ideological point(s), speak negatively. Many who have had a good experience, give positive anecdotal comments.
I've never had to return a tool. I can tell you the 3/8 composite ratchet has a smoother feel and finer/closer click points than the new Craftsman LT warranty ratchets in tool sets I've purchased recently. And the price was right too.
The fact is, if one lives relatively close to an HF store, and buys hand tools with the LT warranty, other than having to return it for new, little down side if it breaks. Catalog purchase might be different.
fwiw, been in the local HF store many times, NEVER noticed it smelling like Chinese food.
Or any weird smell for that matter. I'll just take that comment as two thirds of a pun, PU.
I've never had to return a tool. I can tell you the 3/8 composite ratchet has a smoother feel and finer/closer click points than the new Craftsman LT warranty ratchets in tool sets I've purchased recently. And the price was right too.
The fact is, if one lives relatively close to an HF store, and buys hand tools with the LT warranty, other than having to return it for new, little down side if it breaks. Catalog purchase might be different.
fwiw, been in the local HF store many times, NEVER noticed it smelling like Chinese food.
HF is a pretty good store. They have great prices, they email me coopins and send me a flyer about upcoming sales and specials. There are not many tools I need now but it's fun to look and browse. I have had good luck with the tools I have bought there - no problems with their wrenches, that's for sure. I may pick up one of their 3/8" composite ratchets soon. I put together a nice emergency tool kit that I carry in my truck, it has a lot of HF tools in it. I hope I never need it though.
They just built a big and new HF store not far from my house. I have been there only once, they were closing up so I did not have time to browse much, but they were nice enough to let me in the door after closing time. The store was clean, bright, very well lit and organized. It did not smell like Chinese food, either. Maybe it kind of smelled like cardboard, but there were no offensive smells in the store. I am planning to go back there this weekend when I have more time to check it out.
They just built a big and new HF store not far from my house. I have been there only once, they were closing up so I did not have time to browse much, but they were nice enough to let me in the door after closing time. The store was clean, bright, very well lit and organized. It did not smell like Chinese food, either. Maybe it kind of smelled like cardboard, but there were no offensive smells in the store. I am planning to go back there this weekend when I have more time to check it out.
Originally Posted By: tig1
You said you broke an SK breaker bar. That's not HF.
His point is that because he broke, and was injured using a "good" U.S. made SK breaker bar, he is even more paranoid in trusting a Chinese made HF breaker bar.
You said you broke an SK breaker bar. That's not HF.
His point is that because he broke, and was injured using a "good" U.S. made SK breaker bar, he is even more paranoid in trusting a Chinese made HF breaker bar.
Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Originally Posted By: tig1
You said you broke an SK breaker bar. That's not HF.
His point is that because he broke, and was injured using a "good" U.S. made SK breaker bar, he is even more paranoid in trusting a Chinese made HF breaker bar.
A good US braker bar broke? My Chinese made stanley braker bar hasn't broken yet. Point is, tool dealers like Craftsman, Snap-on, etc. receive broken tools all the time for warranty claims. Pittsburg branded tools at HF are outstanding tools. I'm only sorry conditions in this country have given way to our busness going abroad.
Originally Posted By: tig1
You said you broke an SK breaker bar. That's not HF.
His point is that because he broke, and was injured using a "good" U.S. made SK breaker bar, he is even more paranoid in trusting a Chinese made HF breaker bar.
A good US braker bar broke? My Chinese made stanley braker bar hasn't broken yet. Point is, tool dealers like Craftsman, Snap-on, etc. receive broken tools all the time for warranty claims. Pittsburg branded tools at HF are outstanding tools. I'm only sorry conditions in this country have given way to our busness going abroad.
I am also iffy about HFs metallurgy. Therefore I prefer to go with 6 point sockets and wrenches to avoid rounding off bolts. The 12 point stuff I have from HF, I use more for access after a bolt is loosened.
That said, there has been plenty good said about HFs breaker bars. And i like my HF breaker bar. But then, I think I usually go easy on tools, because I usually use a tool that bigger/stronger than the job at hand.
I am always surprised by the comments from folks that have never had a problem or needed to warranty a HF tool. I think those folks are really lucky.
I just did a rough count. I own about 100 HF individual tools in the garage ( each wrench/ socket counts as one). And to the very best of my memory, Ive flat out returned 6 tools because they were plain bad and I've broken/warrantied 10 so far (screwdrivers, pliers, ratchets (not the newer pittsburgh pro line), punches, hammers). So I'd say HF is 85% success with me.
Contrast, I think I counted about 310 craftsman tools. I haven't returned any, and I've warrantied to my best memory, about 7 (1 ratchet detent ball fell out, 6 worn out screwdrivers), so they're batting about 97% success.
I think I've got about 60 "truck brand" tools - and I've never returned or warrantied any of them.
For those who comment and say that one is more likely to abuse a cheap tool - I'm not sure I fall into that category. Because I don't have that many duplicates. If it's a tool I use a lot, I'm likely to have it in a truck or craftsman brand. If it's an infrequently used item, I'm likely to have it as a HF item. Which is where I use HF the most - I'm not spending $70 on a truck brand serpentine belt tool that I'm going to use 2 times in the lifetime of a car!
As a DIY guy, I look at it this way - the inconvenience of a bad or broken tool is offset by the price savings at HF.
As for getting busted knuckles or getting hurt by cheap tools. I don't really believe that. I can certainly hurt myself at any time with any tool, cheap or expensive. And the tool dosent have to break for me to smack my hand against something.
That said, there has been plenty good said about HFs breaker bars. And i like my HF breaker bar. But then, I think I usually go easy on tools, because I usually use a tool that bigger/stronger than the job at hand.
I am always surprised by the comments from folks that have never had a problem or needed to warranty a HF tool. I think those folks are really lucky.
I just did a rough count. I own about 100 HF individual tools in the garage ( each wrench/ socket counts as one). And to the very best of my memory, Ive flat out returned 6 tools because they were plain bad and I've broken/warrantied 10 so far (screwdrivers, pliers, ratchets (not the newer pittsburgh pro line), punches, hammers). So I'd say HF is 85% success with me.
Contrast, I think I counted about 310 craftsman tools. I haven't returned any, and I've warrantied to my best memory, about 7 (1 ratchet detent ball fell out, 6 worn out screwdrivers), so they're batting about 97% success.
I think I've got about 60 "truck brand" tools - and I've never returned or warrantied any of them.
For those who comment and say that one is more likely to abuse a cheap tool - I'm not sure I fall into that category. Because I don't have that many duplicates. If it's a tool I use a lot, I'm likely to have it in a truck or craftsman brand. If it's an infrequently used item, I'm likely to have it as a HF item. Which is where I use HF the most - I'm not spending $70 on a truck brand serpentine belt tool that I'm going to use 2 times in the lifetime of a car!
As a DIY guy, I look at it this way - the inconvenience of a bad or broken tool is offset by the price savings at HF.
As for getting busted knuckles or getting hurt by cheap tools. I don't really believe that. I can certainly hurt myself at any time with any tool, cheap or expensive. And the tool dosent have to break for me to smack my hand against something.
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By the way, breaking an S-K breaker bar?
You should invest in air impact wrenches and sockets. You'll use a lot less overall force to loosen fasteners. And, Cleveland, OH? Probably using heat on a fastener would help, depending on the fastener and what's near it that can catch fire.
I have a S-K 1/2" set, an I-R 1/2" air impact wrench which I use with HF impact sockets, and, recently, a few breaker bars I bought from Amazon because I read about how hard it is to get a Honda crankshaft pulley bolt loose.
You should also check out this ratcheting breaker bar:
http://www.amazon.com/Neiko-Patented-Hea...9620&sr=8-9
I never thought I'd see "ratcheting" and "breaker bar" used in the same sentence, but when you need to turn the engine over and have very little wrenching space, it's sweet! 378 lb-ft max torque, which I believe it'll handle.
You should invest in air impact wrenches and sockets. You'll use a lot less overall force to loosen fasteners. And, Cleveland, OH? Probably using heat on a fastener would help, depending on the fastener and what's near it that can catch fire.
I have a S-K 1/2" set, an I-R 1/2" air impact wrench which I use with HF impact sockets, and, recently, a few breaker bars I bought from Amazon because I read about how hard it is to get a Honda crankshaft pulley bolt loose.
You should also check out this ratcheting breaker bar:
http://www.amazon.com/Neiko-Patented-Hea...9620&sr=8-9
I never thought I'd see "ratcheting" and "breaker bar" used in the same sentence, but when you need to turn the engine over and have very little wrenching space, it's sweet! 378 lb-ft max torque, which I believe it'll handle.
Originally Posted By: spackard
http://www.amazon.com/Neiko-Patented-Hea...9620&sr=8-9
HF has something that looks just like that.
http://www.amazon.com/Neiko-Patented-Hea...9620&sr=8-9
HF has something that looks just like that.
Going through my dad's wrench drawer, I've started scrapping the broken tools... (He kept everything)... seeing lots of broken import wrenches hasn't helped HF in my eyes.
We actually do own impacts at the OTHER shop.. I really like it, and hope to get the AC over here to this one.
The SK breaker that snapped was bought used and likely had 10-15 years use in it... Once I got my head together, I found a similar WRIGHT breaker bar and used that until the SK was replaced (with a bit better built one)...
I feel odd about HF... I love the selection, and that stuff is priced to make you jump on it. The store is a good drive from me, so it's a little inconvenient.
The Flip side is Sears Hardware.. they have a HUGE tool selection there, and I'm a bit more confident in the stuff hanging up. Prices in mind, if you hit the sales, Sears isn't a bad deal.
I do like to support US tool makers, but I also like bargains.. I am in agreement with some of the members that it's good for infrequently used tools.. There's lots of question marks on certain stuff.
We actually do own impacts at the OTHER shop.. I really like it, and hope to get the AC over here to this one.
The SK breaker that snapped was bought used and likely had 10-15 years use in it... Once I got my head together, I found a similar WRIGHT breaker bar and used that until the SK was replaced (with a bit better built one)...
I feel odd about HF... I love the selection, and that stuff is priced to make you jump on it. The store is a good drive from me, so it's a little inconvenient.
The Flip side is Sears Hardware.. they have a HUGE tool selection there, and I'm a bit more confident in the stuff hanging up. Prices in mind, if you hit the sales, Sears isn't a bad deal.
I do like to support US tool makers, but I also like bargains.. I am in agreement with some of the members that it's good for infrequently used tools.. There's lots of question marks on certain stuff.
Originally Posted By: tig1
Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Originally Posted By: doitmyself
tig1 said:
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A +1 for the Pittsburgh sockets, they seem to be of good quality.
The pittsburgh pro sockets seemed quite good too... Only testing will tell. I did pick up the E-sockets.. (Reverse torx).. we'll see if they survive. They are likely to get tested hard removing a motor mount from a Ford.
Originally Posted By: WMSmotorhead
The pittsburgh pro sockets seemed quite good too... Only testing will tell. I did pick up the E-sockets.. (Reverse torx).. we'll see if they survive. They are likely to get tested hard removing a motor mount from a Ford.
I too was surprised at the quality. The Pittsburg screwdrivers are very nice too, the black handle ones. They have outlasted my Craftsman screwdrivers. I have had to return 2 Craftsmans in 10 yrs time (still not a bad track record). The pittsburg screwdriver tools have very nice tips - they seem harder and sharper than usuual and don't round out.
The pittsburgh pro sockets seemed quite good too... Only testing will tell. I did pick up the E-sockets.. (Reverse torx).. we'll see if they survive. They are likely to get tested hard removing a motor mount from a Ford.
I too was surprised at the quality. The Pittsburg screwdrivers are very nice too, the black handle ones. They have outlasted my Craftsman screwdrivers. I have had to return 2 Craftsmans in 10 yrs time (still not a bad track record). The pittsburg screwdriver tools have very nice tips - they seem harder and sharper than usuual and don't round out.
Yeah, I'll agree that I like my HF impact sockets. Must disagree with the black screwdrivers. They've been nearly half of my warranty items to HF. The other half has been pliers.
Went to HF today to buy a large jaw adjustable wrench for my truck tool kit. For only about $2.00 more than the single 12" Pittsburg adjustable wrench, I picked up a set of 4 different size Pittsburg "professional" adjustable wrenches. I used a 20% off any single item coopin on the set. I picked up a mechanical fingers pick-up tool and used another coopin for a free mini-LED flashlight too.
This new HF near my house is a good store. It smells like new cardboard. Definitely cardboard and a little of a rubber smell over where they keep the replacement rubber tires near the back of the store. I detected no scent of any Chinese food there today..
This new HF near my house is a good store. It smells like new cardboard. Definitely cardboard and a little of a rubber smell over where they keep the replacement rubber tires near the back of the store. I detected no scent of any Chinese food there today..
The smell isn't actually chinese food... LOL.. Rubber, plastic oil and grease... That's the smells I detect. What's interesting is we have an independent pro tool store (Proto, wright, sk, etc.)... and it doesn't smell that strongly. I think it's the cutting fluid and anti-rust oils that make that odor.
Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Originally Posted By: tig1
You said you broke an SK breaker bar. That's not HF.
His point is that because he broke, and was injured using a "good" U.S. made SK breaker bar, he is even more paranoid in trusting a Chinese made HF breaker bar.
The HF breaker bars are made in Taiwan, not China. They get good reviews online and seem very heavy duty.
Originally Posted By: tig1
You said you broke an SK breaker bar. That's not HF.
His point is that because he broke, and was injured using a "good" U.S. made SK breaker bar, he is even more paranoid in trusting a Chinese made HF breaker bar.
The HF breaker bars are made in Taiwan, not China. They get good reviews online and seem very heavy duty.
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