Comments on: Buyer Beware, A Harbor Freight Buying Guide: The Good Enough, The Bad and the Abysmal http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/ The #1 source for power tools, power tool reviews and power tool information. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:02:40 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Tim http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/comment-page-2/#comment-122158 Tim Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:48:12 +0000 http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/#comment-122158 I would love to hear something good or bad about this three stage trickle battery charger 99857 timotb@gmail.com I would love to hear something good or bad about this three stage trickle battery charger 99857

timotb@gmail.com

]]> By: Bigplanz http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/comment-page-2/#comment-118964 Bigplanz Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:53:46 +0000 http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/#comment-118964 I bought a 1/2 hammer drill, and it works. It drill holes in concrete for electrical boxes and shelf brackets in block walls. If I was drilling 100 holes a week, well, I'd get something different. 100 holes in my lifetime? Yeah, the $30 harbor freight hammer drill is the answer. I also bought a spiral saw for $14 to cut holes in drywall for light switches and electrical boxes. Guess what? It works fine for my limited purpose (renovating a room in the basement). I bought a 5 inch bench vise for $35 (used a coupon, regular price $70). Hey, it weighs 40 pounds and is sturdy and strong. What's not to like? All in all, if you shop carefully, HF is a great place for the DIY who knows what he or she wants and waits for it to go on sale. I bought a 1/2 hammer drill, and it works. It drill holes in concrete for electrical boxes and shelf brackets in block walls. If I was drilling 100 holes a week, well, I’d get something different. 100 holes in my lifetime? Yeah, the $30 harbor freight hammer drill is the answer. I also bought a spiral saw for $14 to cut holes in drywall for light switches and electrical boxes. Guess what? It works fine for my limited purpose (renovating a room in the basement).

I bought a 5 inch bench vise for $35 (used a coupon, regular price $70). Hey, it weighs 40 pounds and is sturdy and strong. What’s not to like?

All in all, if you shop carefully, HF is a great place for the DIY who knows what he or she wants and waits for it to go on sale.

]]> By: Susan Gogas http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/comment-page-2/#comment-116930 Susan Gogas Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:06:27 +0000 http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/#comment-116930 Purchased a T post puller and the metal fractured near the pivot point after about 10 uses. Since it was just over the 90 days they would not replace. Can only assume from this experience that their goods are far from the highest quality and I'm extremely hesitant to purchase from them again. Wish I had reviewed this website before I made the purchase. Purchased a T post puller and the metal fractured near the pivot point after about 10 uses. Since it was just over the 90 days they would not replace. Can only assume from this experience that their goods are far from the highest quality and I’m extremely hesitant to purchase from them again. Wish I had reviewed this website before I made the purchase.

]]> By: Junior http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/comment-page-2/#comment-116175 Junior Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:53:05 +0000 http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/#comment-116175 If anybody's in doubt about the power tools, go to a pawn shop, Home Depot, Lowe's, etc., and look at the different NAME brands (Dewalt, Craftsman, Milwaukee, etc.) real good. Practically all are made in China. Then go to Harbor Freight and look at their power tools real good. The only difference I can tell is the color of the plastic case, and maybe the power switch in some cases. Like one of the previous comments said, they're ALL made in the same place in China. If anybody’s in doubt about the power tools, go to a pawn shop, Home Depot, Lowe’s, etc., and look at the different NAME brands (Dewalt, Craftsman, Milwaukee, etc.) real good. Practically all are made in China. Then go to Harbor Freight and look at their power tools real good. The only difference I can tell is the color of the plastic case, and maybe the power switch in some cases. Like one of the previous comments said, they’re ALL made in the same place in China.

]]> By: toolcrib http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/comment-page-2/#comment-113508 toolcrib Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:40:14 +0000 http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/#comment-113508 good discussion started here - I will add any contributions the next time I update the guide: http://techtalk.parts-express.com/showthread.php?t=213519 good discussion started here – I will add any contributions the next time I update the guide:
http://techtalk.parts-express.com/showthread.php?t=213519

]]> By: toolcrib http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/comment-page-2/#comment-112163 toolcrib Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:36:55 +0000 http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/#comment-112163 http://okcminis.com/showthread.php?t=1756 good discussion on some good and some bad tools - I will include it in the next update. G http://okcminis.com/showthread.php?t=1756

good discussion on some good and some bad tools – I will include it in the next update.

G

]]> By: Mark http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/comment-page-2/#comment-105582 Mark Mon, 07 Sep 2009 02:34:44 +0000 http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/#comment-105582 Today I bought what turned out to be a sad tool at HF. The 94100 3-in-1 riveter kit and a box of HF "nut rivets" 02872. This tool is supposed to rivet "nut rivets" with special threaded bits that come in the kit. Which means the tool has to pull with some force. In the store I'm thinking to myself "I'll bet they just case hardened the metal bits, rather than fully hardened the metal, like the HF hole saw bolt that snapped off on me a year ago". Sure enough. Bought it, tried it, and the case hardened 6-32 bit snapped right off before the nut rivet was even fully compressed on the metal sheet. Looking at the snapped-off metal tool bit you can clearly see that only the outside (the case) of the metal has been hardened. Then tried the 8-32 bit for laughs, thinking bigger must be stronger. It was - this one just bent such that I could not unscrew it from the nut rivet (had to turn the whole tool) - rather than snapping outright. SO... if you really need a tool like this find a real one with real hardened bits. I own a lot of HF tools that work reasonably well, and buy a lot of consumables from HF, but this one goes back. I would have to put this tool in the "abysmal" category since it broke the first use, and did it during the use so I couldn't even get my first job done. And the problem is by design - case hardened bits. It isn't going to get any better with swapping the tool for another try. Today I bought what turned out to be a sad tool at HF. The 94100 3-in-1 riveter kit and a box of HF “nut rivets” 02872. This tool is supposed to rivet “nut rivets” with special threaded bits that come in the kit. Which means the tool has to pull with some force. In the store I’m thinking to myself “I’ll bet they just case hardened the metal bits, rather than fully hardened the metal, like the HF hole saw bolt that snapped off on me a year ago”. Sure enough. Bought it, tried it, and the case hardened 6-32 bit snapped right off before the nut rivet was even fully compressed on the metal sheet. Looking at the snapped-off metal tool bit you can clearly see that only the outside (the case) of the metal has been hardened. Then tried the 8-32 bit for laughs, thinking bigger must be stronger. It was – this one just bent such that I could not unscrew it from the nut rivet (had to turn the whole tool) – rather than snapping outright. SO… if you really need a tool like this find a real one with real hardened bits. I own a lot of HF tools that work reasonably well, and buy a lot of consumables from HF, but this one goes back. I would have to put this tool in the “abysmal” category since it broke the first use, and did it during the use so I couldn’t even get my first job done. And the problem is by design – case hardened bits. It isn’t going to get any better with swapping the tool for another try.

]]> By: toolcrib http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/comment-page-2/#comment-103128 toolcrib Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:15:14 +0000 http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/#comment-103128 a new thread has started over at woodnet.net discussing HF tools: http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=4462382&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o= any suggestions/recommendations/incriminations will make it into the next update of our list here. a new thread has started over at woodnet.net discussing HF tools:
http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=4462382&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=

any suggestions/recommendations/incriminations will make it into the next update of our list here.

]]> By: Glenn Peisker http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/comment-page-2/#comment-103118 Glenn Peisker Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:51:47 +0000 http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/#comment-103118 I am very cautious with what I get from HF. I did buy the HF Spot Welder, $140, knowing full well it was an experiment. Could I spot weld 16 gauge sheet metal in the projects I was doing rather than braze or arc. I had never spot welded before and this was part of my learning curve. The tool is laughable in how poorly it is designed and functions. I quickly learned that spot welding was a viable solution to my fabrication project and then spent the $550 for a Miller. With the HF I would wait ten seconds for the same weld that I get in one second with the Miller. The appearance of the welds is enough evidence of the quality of the Miller product. Oh, I still use the HF, but for decorative non-structural welds. I am very cautious with what I get from HF. I did buy the HF Spot Welder, $140, knowing full well it was an experiment. Could I spot weld 16 gauge sheet metal in the projects I was doing rather than braze or arc. I had never spot welded before and this was part of my learning curve. The tool is laughable in how poorly it is designed and functions. I quickly learned that spot welding was a viable solution to my fabrication project and then spent the $550 for a Miller. With the HF I would wait ten seconds for the same weld that I get in one second with the Miller. The appearance of the welds is enough evidence of the quality of the Miller product. Oh, I still use the HF, but for decorative non-structural welds.

]]> By: Glenn Peisker http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/comment-page-2/#comment-103115 Glenn Peisker Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:39:23 +0000 http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/08/06/buyer-beware-a-harbor-freight-buying-guide-the-good-enough-the-bad-and-the-abysmal/#comment-103115 Besides poor manufacturing techniques a major failure for these rip-off tools as well as other Chinese products is material substitution. You can get great cost reduction from cheap labor and more from cheap materials. A reputable manufacturer spends money and time in R&D, material selection, product design and testing. A rip-off company knows nothing of the work that went into reaching that final product. They are visual copy-cats and really make their products attractively appearing. However, if it is metal make it out of the cheapest, closest-resembling, metal-like, material. The same is true for rubber, plastic etc. Don't bother to develop and test materials for strength or wear and heat resistance or functioning well. That costs money. In my industry there were trade secrets that allowed our product to function. The rip-offs made their product out of non-functioning material and they would fail. They even colored their rip-off like ours. These were just components in a larger piece of equipment and users quickly learned that saving a little up front with rip-offs could have disastrous results. Besides poor manufacturing techniques a major failure for these rip-off tools as well as other Chinese products is material substitution. You can get great cost reduction from cheap labor and more from cheap materials. A reputable manufacturer spends money and time in R&D, material selection, product design and testing. A rip-off company knows nothing of the work that went into reaching that final product. They are visual copy-cats and really make their products attractively appearing. However, if it is metal make it out of the cheapest, closest-resembling, metal-like, material. The same is true for rubber, plastic etc. Don’t bother to develop and test materials for strength or wear and heat resistance or functioning well. That costs money. In my industry there were trade secrets that allowed our product to function. The rip-offs made their product out of non-functioning material and they would fail. They even colored their rip-off like ours. These were just components in a larger piece of equipment and users quickly learned that saving a little up front with rip-offs could have disastrous results.

]]>