So, what's your feelings about Harbor Freight® stores/tools?

[AKcharger]

There's one near our new place in Florida. I'd share my feelings but it may skew this highly scientific  poll 

[Bob]

Back yard mechanic wrench turning they are fine. There electrical tools are another story.

[Silver R/T]

I buy tools from there as needed. I think you get pretty good deals most of the time. I usually research a particular tool (reviews) before I buy it.
I was there just yesterday and bought a propane torch, spark plug cleaner and some hose clamps. HF is not only source for my tools. I also buy from ebay and some other local stores (lowes/sears) Still have my first Craftsman tool set. I bought expensive body hammer/dolly set from Martin Tools. Air compressor from Lowes, Weldmark(Hobart) welder from ebay.
btw HF tarps suck. Ive had to return multiple ones cause they don't last more than a season outside.

[A383Wing]

most of the stuff is "offshore crap".....maybe fine for backyard wrenchers, but the tools won't last very long....most stuff they sell for tools are a "one time only use".....meaning you better have a back-up plan

[Bob]

I've had there hand tools for years and never had one break.........yet. As Silver mentioned I also have an assortment of other brands and the HF tools are mixed right in with them.
Checking online reviews is the best as mentioned for a particular tool.

[AKcharger]

....most stuff they sell for tools are a "one time only use".....

That's pretty much what I found, I like deals as much as anyone but this place epitomizes the 'ol saying "you get what you pay for"

[Cooter]

Most people laugh when I tell when they ask why labor rates are so 'high', that I coulda hadda 1970 hemi Cuda for what I have paid Strap-On, Mac, and Matco Tools....

Then, they always look at me weird and state "you have to supply your own tools??"

It all depends on how you use the cheap tool as to how long it lasts. One can tear up a bowling ball with a rubber hammer if he tries hard enough. For the things requiring alotta force/leverage, you might wanna look into the above, or Crapsman.

[Paul G]

Same feelings here. If you use your tools everyday, or just frequently, spend the money and get good tools. HF tools are not good tools. For the do-it-yourselfer HF tools will get the job done. I have an angle grinder I got from HF years ago. It still works. I have used it maybe three times. Perfect application for it.   

[ws23rt]

I have mixed feelings about Harbor Freight tools

My preference in hand tools is for comfort and toughness.  Like a screwdriver that is harder that the head of a screw for instance.

Also how they look and feel in the hand makes working with them less of a chore.

For larger and more specialized things top quality is best if they get used all the time. (I've spent many hours either taking it easy or fixing tools that just don't match the task they are made for)  

Harbor Freight is filled with stuff that trigger the buy instinct for gear heads---Wow I always wanted one of those and it's only half the price I thought it would be---beware you may seldom use it or break it.

I've taken lots of tools like they sell to goodwill to make room for a good one that cost twice as much and felt better for it.

[bill440rt]

Same here.
I have a few things from HF, like very few. A set of plastic non-marring pry tools, some clip removal tools, maybe 1 old pair of jackstands, that's about it.
Snap-Off, Mac, Crapsman, & SK round out the mix. Body tools, spray guns, etc are another story.

I also agree the way a tools feels is a big part of quality.
If it's something you're going to use once in a blue moon maybe HF will do the job. But overall I don't like to skimp on tools, either.

[chargerboy69]

I have bought a couple jacks. . love them, jack stands, creeper, screwdrivers and battery charger.  I have been happy with everything but the battery charger. All my ratchets and wrenches are Craftsmen. . . and the ratchets suck.

[oldgold69]

they sell cheap spools of  rope  which you can hang yourself with after your 4th grinder in a month quits   they have alright cheap pipe wrenchs  work good as a hammer

[72Charger-SE]

I have three swivel head Pittsburgh ratchets that I absolutely LOVE and didn't spend an arm and leg for them.  I also have an entire set of standard and metric ratchet wrenches that I would not be without.  As others stated... for the backyard mechanic they are more than sufficient.  If I did this for a career I would probably choose Snap-On since the Snap-On guy lives just down the road and they are superior tools.

[bakerhillpins]

....most stuff they sell for tools are a "one time only use".....

That's pretty much what I found, I like deals as much as anyone but this place epitomizes the 'ol saying "you get what you pay for"

That's my experience as well. If I buy something like a socket or a clamp it works but venture into something like an actual tool, say a pressure regulator or an inline oiler... and ya get about one season out of it.  If they have name brands on sale then Ill pick that up and it works fine. Like my Ingersol Rand impact wrench which has lasted over 10 yrs now with light to moderate use...

[A383Wing]

....... One can tear up a bowling ball with a rubber hammer if he tries hard enough.

you must have some pretty weak balls.....   

[bill440rt]

I've got some I-R stuff also, great tools! 

[adauto]

I bought a few hardline things there that were ok. And for the price when one of my guys breaks one I cant complain. On the other hand I bought some chop saw blades there a few years back to cut up an old trailer. They were downright DANGEROUS!!! Fortunately none of my guys got hurt or worse. They would literally self destruct. "made is Russia" as I recall. I went out and bought a few Dewalts, got the job done and nobody got killed!  I also bought a tumbler to clean up rusty bolts/hardware. Didn't use it right away as I was not ready for that phase of the project. After about a week or so of tumbling bolts it wouldn't run for more than 15 minutes at a time............. POS!

[charger1972]

I recently bought a 40lb blast cabinet  from them. If you read the reviews before you buy it helps allot . That way you know what to expect , and in some cases what to do to make it better .

[XS29L9Bxxxxxx]

most of the stuff is "offshore crap".....maybe fine for backyard wrenchers, but the tools won't last very long....most stuff they sell for tools are a "one time only use".....meaning you better have a back-up plan

[Lord Warlock]

HF fills a need when other stores may not carry the same selection, if I need a tool for a rarely used activity, I'll go to HF for it, for jobs that are repetitive in nature and I'll use alot, I will buy a higher quality tool.  I've bought several items from HF that turned out to be crap...i.e. the soda blaster sucked donkey balls and was a complete waste. Some of the air tools i've tried also sucked, but a few worked and saved me quite a bit of coinage so I'm neutral on the usefullness of HF.  I will shop there for stuff I don't care where it was made, such as chinese crap, but if i want something nice I'll order it from craftsman or a high end manufacturer. 

I have a brake bleeder kit i got from HF last week, and haven't tried it out yet.  Hoping it isn't crap, but I'll likely only use it once every 5 to 10 years. 

[NHCharger]

Same as most replies. I have a small assortment of their stuff. Wrenches, jack stands, a few air tools. The air tools don't last long. I bought a 12 pack of their electrical tape last year. It won't stick to anything, not even itself.

[Musicman]

You can find some good stuff at HF if you know what your looking for and "what your looking at". I would never think of buying something like an electric die grinder or a router there, but electric drills, sanders etc. sure. In fact I have a 1/2 arm breaker that I bought there well over 20 years ago, and it's still going strong. I have a 15 year old cordless that I picked up there for wood work, and it's still running on the original battery. I have 2 welders from HF, a 110 Flux/MIG(close to 30 years old) and a 220 Flux/MIG. I wouldn't use either one of them for thin automotive sheet metal work, but they are great for general purpose welding around the shop, and they're dirt cheap most of the time. I bought a set of clicker torque wrenches there assuming they would be about as accurate as a smooth bore rifle, but to my surprise they checked out during calibration... go figure. Jack stands, piston jacks, air tools, I've bought all kinds of stuff there that has worked just as well as the expensive crap and lasted twice as long. Granted I walk around that place laughing at a lot of the stuff they sell, and in some cases praying that no one ever buys certain items because they are just out & out dangerous... Hazard Fraught Tools is a good nickname for them in many cases. They have come a long way over the last 30 years in terms of overall quality, but like I said at the beginning, you have to know what your looking at and what to look for. Overall, I would have to say that I have been very happy with HF, they've saved me a lot of money over the years. We just got our first Local HF here in January of this year, so I'm happy... another Toy Store.

[A383Wing]

I have bought some wrenches there..the little stubby 10-14mm flex-head ratchet wrenches...they were priced right, and they worked in a pinch. I also bought a 90* angle air die grinder, lasted maybe 6 months...

the impact sockets they sell are crap, the chrome sockets last a few months before the chrome plating starts flaking off and gets stuck in yer fingers. The Allen head wrenches twist before they loosen an Allen head plug....

you get the general idea here....

[Mike DC]

HF seems to encompass the whole range.  Decent, crap, and everything in between. 

[Steve P.]

A few weeks back I built a stairway for my shop to get up into the loft. I wanted to be able to raise it and lower it so it's not in the way. I looked around online and called a buddy that buys a lot from a marine store looking for a winch. Tractor supply had a name brand winch that would have worked, but I would have had to build it away from the wall and that would have eaten more space right at the walk in door.

While I was answering a chat on Facebook, a winch popped up on the side column from HF that looked exactly right for my needs. I drove over and after going through 4 boxes, finally put together 1 complete winch. Took it home and anchored it to the block wall. While lift my maybe 100 pound staircase, the winch locked up. I backed it off after placing my ladder under the case, (just in case). I found that the gears are not cut properly for that type of gear. They are straight cut on the drum. Worm on the drive.  So beware of quality control and just plain crap from there.  The pisser is that they could have simply punched the multiple layer gear at different degrees and it would work fine.

A buddy bought a sealed can blaster from them and uses it to clean up bodies and roll cages and even blasted the side of his block house. He seams to like it. He did say he used 2 air dryer bulbs at the blaster. The block wall of his garage looks like it was just layed.. 

[Cooter]

Ain't it funny how we will always try the cheapest damn thing before we always have to buy the more expensive one later?
As American consumers, it's like we can't control ourselves or something. It's like we know it's gotta be crap, but we'll try it anyway just to be sure...

[Troy]

I buy "disposable" tools there all the time! Nearly all my air tools that I use for body work are from there (die grinders, body saw, flanger/punch, pressurized sand blaster, etc.). The straight $9 die grinders have lasted over 6 years so far (I bought a spare "just in case" but I loaded one with a grinding wheel and one with a cutting wheel so I could be more efficient). I also have a couple HVLP guns for primer, grease gun, orbital polisher, spring loaded punch, creeper, 2 sets of the heavy duty jack stands, engine hoist, engine stand, and large floor jack. With any of the Asian made hydraulic jacks you have to worry about the seals blowing so I picked up an O-ring and seal kit for a couple bucks. I got this really awesome electric scraper that kicks butt at removing undercoating. Since it's electric I got the replacement warranty but, even if I didn't, the money and time it saved me so far has paid for it. I buy lots of little things like cutting wheels and driver bits (for #2 Phillips screws mostly). The most expensive thing (other then the engine hoist) is one of their rolling tool boxes. I read lots of reviews and most everyone was really impressed with the quality. I waited for a big sale and got it for about half off. I have a 40 gallon parts washer which turned out to be a really bad idea since the solvent cost 3 times more than what I paid. Should have got the 20 gallon version. I also have one of the larger sandblast cabinets - but I modified the lights so I could actually see what I was blasting! I have two volt meters (one small and one large) that have lasted far longer than my Craftsman that cost double what I paid for both of these. I buy mover's dollies like they are going out of style! You can get the 1,000 pound ones for $7.99 fairly often. There's a post of mine around here somewhere showing how I made engine dollies out of them so I could roll my "spares" under the shelves. I currently have the front and rear suspensions from my Challenger sitting on a pair each. The caster wheels themselves cost more then the whole dolly. I have 3 or 4 sets of ratcheting tie downs. I haul a lot of metal and engines and the sharp edges can fray/cut the straps so I always carry spares. Never had one break. I recently got an air gun to make a DIY soda blaster.

My impact wrench, right angle die grinder, and DA Sander are name brands. I splurged and bought a commercial compressor and water separator. Most of my hand tools are older Craftsman with the lifetime warranty so I haven't purchased anything like that from HF. I'll probably pick up some screwdrivers since I'm always losing or breaking them.

Troy

[ODZKing]

Many many cases it is something that I will only use once or twice. But I will say I bought a 20/25 gal compressor from them and it works great!
Thing is if it does break, I know I didn't pay a fortune for it so it is not so bad.

[Steve P.]

Ain't it funny how we will always try the cheapest damn thing before we always have to buy the more people expensive one later?
As American consumers, it's like we can't control ourselves or something. It's like we know it's gotta be crap, but we'll try it anyway just to be sure...

I think that is due to the money pocket not being too fat to handle.. The worst part of it is that we are not buying everything made in the USA and keeping the money flowing here. I understand it, but like I said, that damned money pocket....

[ODZKing]

Maybe time for these again:

[Steve P.]

 

Too funny!!!!

[AKcharger]

Good one ODZ!

[PlainfieldCharger]

  That is some funny $%#

[dual fours]

Customer: I only got to used the hammer to pound in four and a half nails when the head fell off.
Store clerk: Hammer, that's not a hammer it's a paperweight, does it say anything on the box about pounding nails? NO! And it is not returnable because you abused it in a fashion it was not intended to be used for, sorry! If you want something to pound nails, we have pipe wrenches over there.
If you make your livin with tools the hard way, to put food on the table, and toys in the basement and garage, HF not.
If you need a tool to use only one Saturday a year, HF OK.

[twodko]

Just my opinion here but HF tools, for the most part, are short term use tools.

There are some products you can count on for a long service life i.e. Moving blankets.....clamps.....hand trucks.....receiver hitch items......sockets etc.

[jaak]

Like most here, I have mostly name-brand quality tools. But I have bought a few things from there, a tool that might get very little or one time use.

I will say this, one time I bought an electric angle grinder, just because it was on sale for like 9.99 and mine had just died. Apparently I must have got a rare good one, because it has been great, and I got more than my money worth out of it. It is a tool I use on a regular basis, and it's been used and abused for 6 years now and still works fine.

Jason

[ws23rt]

Like most here, I have mostly name-brand quality tools. But I have bought a few things from there, a tool that might get very little or one time use.

I will say this, one time I bought an electric angle grinder, just because it was on sale for like 9.99 and mine had just died. Apparently I must have got a rare good one, because it has been great, and I got more than my money worth out of it. It is a tool I use on a regular basis, and it's been used and abused for 6 years now and still works fine.

Jason

Sometimes the sun shines.

Another point to make about tools is that a good mechanic can do a good job with the wrong or crappy tools. A part time/ novice can use the help that the good stuff gives.

[Troy]

To expand on that...

I once bought a Body Hammer and Dolly set from HF. After mangling some metal I ordered a set of quality Martin tools. Yeah, each piece cost more than the whole HF set but they make me look like I know what I'm doing! I still use the HF versions when I'm worried about marring the finish of the Martin tools. I don't regret spending the money (for either set).

I was in the garage a couple nights ago and noticed that I have a pile of leather gloves, nitrile gloves, dust masks, ear muffs, and safety glasses/shields from HF. It all works fine and keeps me healthy. My "gas mask" is a 3M though.

Troy

[Lord Warlock]

One thing to say in HF's defense is that for a retail store they do carry a lot of tools that are very hard to come by otherwise, at least without a lot of driving around.  Sears doesn't carry near the volume, and neither does either large home supply store.  When I need a tool quick, HF is a good go to store.  It still sells sub standard hardware though so don't usually buy there if its something I want to last a long time.   

[71green go]

We have Princess auto in Canada......about the same thing as HF

I did buy a HF folding utility trailer 5 years ago....and its been Awesome....was very cheap maybe $200 ....4 x 8 , held up well considering the abuse I put it through

[Steve P.]

We have Princess auto in Canada......about the same thing as HF

I did buy a HF folding utility trailer 5 years ago....and its been Awesome....was very cheap maybe $200 ....4 x 8 , held up well considering the abuse I put it through

I sold a tractor to a guy some 5 years ago that said he had a HF trailer that was not used much and it was not very old, but it spun a bearing. Said he could not find anyone who carried the strange size bearings for it.. He may not have been much of a mechanic or researcher, but that was the story he gave me.. I saw the trailer when I delivered the tractor to him. I told him if he couldn't find the bearings, to go to another local trailer place with the entire axle and buy a new one. This place has really good prices on trailer axles, so it was not only going to put him back on the road, but he'd be able to get parts for it local or pretty much anywhere.

So check and grease your bearings often...

[Musicman]

One Engine Test Stand...

HF Flux/MIG Welder
HF Auto Darkening Welding Helmet
HF Welding Magnets
HF Electric Angle Grinder
HF Grinding & Cutting Wheels
HF Adjustable Face Shield
HF Pneumatic Die Grinder
HF Tap & Die set
HF Casters
HF Adjustable Hole Saw
HF Chop Saw
HF Portable Band Saw
HF 5" Multi Purpose Vice
HF Tail Pipe Expander

[A383Wing]

looks like all you need is a seat & cup holder there and you can drive that thing around....

[Musicman]

looks like all you need is a seat & cup holder there and you can drive that thing around....

 

[Troy]

One Engine Test Stand...

HF Flux/MIG Welder
HF Auto Darkening Welding Helmet
HF Welding Magnets
HF Electric Angle Grinder
HF Grinding & Cutting Wheels
HF Adjustable Face Shield
HF Pneumatic Die Grinder
HF Tap & Die set
HF Casters
HF Adjustable Hole Saw
HF Chop Saw
HF Portable Band Saw
HF 5" Multi Purpose Vice
HF Tail Pipe Expander

Very cool! That's one of my "coming soon" projects that I've been mulling over for years. I never seem to have the time to actually sit down and do it. I did finally get a rotisserie so I'm going to need it soon (body work phase is ending).

Troy

[Musicman]

Here ya go Troy 

One Rotisserie...

HF Flux/MIG Welder
HF Auto Darkening Welding Helmet
HF Welding Magnets
HF Electric Angle Grinder
HF Grinding & Cutting Wheels
HF Adjustable Face Shield
HF Tap & Die set
HF Casters (well greased)
HF Chop Saw
HF 5" Multi Purpose Vice
HF 2000 Lb Manual Worm Gear Winch (cut apart and modified to suite)
HF Long Ram Jacks (Topped off with hyd oil and purged of air)

[Troy]

I got a WhirlyJig. Going to need a test stand! Hadn't thought about getting a chop saw. That would probably be very handy.

Troy

[Musicman]

Hadn't thought about getting a chop saw. That would probably be very handy.

Troy

A little messier than a dedicated horizontal band saw, but a whole lot cheaper too! 

[Troy]

Hadn't thought about getting a chop saw. That would probably be very handy.

Troy

A little messier than a dedicated horizontal band saw, but a whole lot cheaper too! 

I just cut, welded and ground most of the sheet metal on the back half of a car. Can't get any messier!

Troy

[Neal_J]

I consider all their stuff disposable.  I routinely use their nitrile gloves and Chinese single-use paint brushes for small projects around the house. 

I think you get the same end-result with any of their tools - one use and into the trash!~

[Old Moparz]

The common choice is what I chose, "buying 1 or 2 things there".

It fills a void for a lot of us by allowing you to get a certain tool that is "somewhat decent" & will save you money on the project. I've bought a few items that work fine, but I sure wouldn't buy those same items if I used them every day. Offhand, I have bought the following.....

Electric vibrating sander
2000 pound engine stand (used)
Replacement casters on car dollies
Nitrile gloves
Outdoor thermometer
Tarps & bungee cords

The sander was $20+ & not something I use much. I actually bought it so my wife could sand a dulcimer she was making from a kit. It's not bad for the price. The engine stand is very strong & I got it locally used for $50 from a guy that used it once. It's another item that I don't use a lot but handy to have. They opened a store here a few years ago but it's not close enough to go to regularly. I'd probably go more often if it was as close as the Home Depot.

[Troy]

Hah! Build a house with the stuff...
http://www.engineering.com/Education/EducationArticles/ArticleID/7910/Solar-House-Shows-Efficiency-in-Collaboration.aspx

Troy

[squeakfinder]

Ain't it funny how we will always try the cheapest damn thing before we always have to buy the more expensive one later?
As American consumers, it's like we can't control ourselves or something. It's like we know it's gotta be crap, but we'll try it anyway just to be sure...

I've purchased allot of stuff from them and I figure if these tools are  built in commie China there is no one to blame but myself if it turns out to be junk. I bought a framing nail gun on sale for $59.00. It's been great! Lot's of things built with it. Many more things will be built with it. A couple boxes of nails cost more than the gun. It's amazing that contractors think they need to pay 4 or 5 times for basically the same thing.

4 1/2  inch grinders? I've had one out of 5 fail with worn out switch but for $9.99 with a coupon how can I complain after using the hell out of it?

[Steve P.]

Today I set out to but a couple stationary wheels to add to my chop saw table. Most often when I use it I have no help to set it up and leaving it up takes too much room. So I started out with Home Depot where I found the wheels I wanted, but they were almost $9.00 each. Another guy in the isle saw me looking and mentioned Harbor freight having pretty much the same wheels for a hell of a lot less. My first thought was where they were made and American jobs. No I don't have much extra money, but I do love the idea of American jobs. So I looked for where these were made and damned if they are not made in china.. It wasn't on the wheels, but a box a few rows over. Same wheels but larger. Well, I had to go by HF so I decided to go look.. Not only did I find the same wheels there, but they were $2.99 each. Then they gave me 10 percent off for being a disabled Vet.  On 6.00 it wasn't much, but still, Depot stopped giving vets the 10%. These wheels are labelled for up to 175 pounds each and two on one end of a table weighing probably 50 pound or so surely should be fine.

So in this case I not only saved the money, but told HOME DEPOT to kiss my buttt!! Since I am a guy that loved family owned lumber yards and hardware stores, I feel mt teeny tiny buy from the OTHER GUY was a nice little slap in the face.. Ok, really teeny, but still. Depot chased out our locally owned CHASE PITKIN and that really sucked.

[Old Moparz]

I have an update on the outdoor thermometer I bought from HF, it seems a "little inaccurate" lately. 

The temperature outside was really nice one day last week, probably about 70°, but the HF thermometer was hovering at 98°   

[Musicman]

I just picked up a couple of those flame topped bar stools they sell for my little cave in the garage... $20 each with the coupon. 

[ws23rt]

Today I set out to but a couple stationary wheels to add to my chop saw table. Most often when I use it I have no help to set it up and leaving it up takes too much room. So I started out with Home Depot where I found the wheels I wanted, but they were almost $9.00 each. Another guy in the isle saw me looking and mentioned Harbor freight having pretty much the same wheels for a hell of a lot less. My first thought was where they were made and American jobs. No I don't have much extra money, but I do love the idea of American jobs. So I looked for where these were made and damned if they are not made in china.. It wasn't on the wheels, but a box a few rows over. Same wheels but larger. Well, I had to go by HF so I decided to go look.. Not only did I find the same wheels there, but they were $2.99 each. Then they gave me 10 percent off for being a disabled Vet.  On 6.00 it wasn't much, but still, Depot stopped giving vets the 10%. These wheels are labelled for up to 175 pounds each and two on one end of a table weighing probably 50 pound or so surely should be fine.

So in this case I not only saved the money, but told HOME DEPOT to kiss my buttt!! Since I am a guy that loved family owned lumber yards and hardware stores, I feel mt teeny tiny buy from the OTHER GUY was a nice little slap in the face.. Ok, really teeny, but still. Depot chased out our locally owned CHASE PITKIN and that really sucked.

This is a good example that their is room to move on pricing. Home Depot is big enough to give the best prices on the import stuff like wall mart does but they are not yet doing so.

I like Home Depot mostly because it is very near me and I do a lot of home resto kind of stuff.

Thanks to your post I will compare more with HF.  For me a little drive is worth a little principal.

[ACUDANUT]

Better than cummins tools. (same type of china junk)