Harbor Freight Tools

[Jeff Wisnia]

I'll second that angle grinder motion. Mine has lasted several years and I must use it on something or other about once a month. With the right wheel installed I can even do a pretty fair occasional job cutting and shaping a ceramic tile or two.

I have bought some "not too often needed" tools like a set of glass drills from them, but I swear the most useful tools I've bought from them are their sets of two strap wrenches. I just ordered a bunch more of those from them for stocking stuffers this year.

OTOH sometimes their tools are real s**te. I added a set of stubby ratchet handles to an order earlier this year thinking they'd come in handy as space under the hoods of my cars shrinks. They were awful. One didn't even ratchet and the ratchet action on another of the three was intermittant at best. I returned 'em and got full credit.

Jeff

[Claude Hopper]

I bought a Firestorm Black and Decker at Lowe's. It the greatest I ever had; better than my old Hitachi. The chuck pops off so you can screw and pops right back on over the screwdriver. You can drill and screw real fast. Has 2 speeds, drill and screw. Came with 2 batteries and a charger with a case and was on sale for $42.00. And the batteries last a long time. I use the 1/4 and 3/8 socket driver often.

[Claude Hopper]

That's how I see it. I like it when Homier distributors come around my state. They also have lots of good cheap stuff. I got a hell of a good

30 gallon air compressor for not much money.

[Claude Hopper]

I bought a set of Silver and Deming drill bits 1/2 to 1 inch that are great and tough. I also like my 3/4" drive sockets set that goes from 7/8 to 2". Tough set and was only around 50 bucks.

[Stormin Mormon]

Tool predators. Hmm. Is that a genetic mutation, perhaps?

[DerbyDad03]

re: I swear the most useful tools I've bought from them are their sets of two strap wrenches...

Just so we get both sides of that story, I bought a HF strap wrench and the strap broke the first time I used it. I wish I could remember what I was using it on but I don't. It was way too many projects ago.

The only powered tools I've bought from them was a Drill Doctor knockoff (sucked big time) and a rechargable screwdriver set with six million bit and sockets. The battery lasted about 30 seconds, which was longer than the magnet that holds the bits stayed inside the shaft.

Oh wait, I forgot. I bought a nose hair trimmer at one of their sidewalk sales. Been using it for years. Fine tool.

I also bought an air compressor similiar to this - does that count as a power tool?

It seems to work fine, but the capacity is just about useless, at least for what I use it for. I can't even blow the dust out of a single computer or off of a project without recharging the tank 2 or 3 times, at about 10 minutes per charge. I did blow up - and I mean

*blow up*! - a basketball with it the other day. My daughter is not happy, It was her best outdoor basketball. I guess we'll be going to Dick's this weekend.

As far as gloves (work and vinyl), wire brushes, tarps and other throw- away items, their prices are the best, especially if you can catch one of their deeply discounted sidewalk sales.

[ds549]

another rehash of hf quality... gee.. i wanna die....

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[Jim Elbrecht]

-snip tales of [mostly bad] HF tool reviews-

They sell lots of junk- which sometimes is 'good enough'. [air nailers and angle grinders for I also bought an air compressor similiar to this - does that count as

The capacity is pretty evident. 2 gallons is 2 gallons whether you buy at HF $80 or Amazon for $369 [

]

Note the HF blurb says it is good for air-brushing, inflating, and brad nailing. Cleaning stuff with a blowgun takes a lot of air.

You aren't implying that a better compressor would have saved the basketball are you?

My 'best deal' is their $2 rubber knee pads. I paid $20 for a pair from sears a few years ago. Now I have 4 prs lying around. My old knees need the pampering and my jeans seem to last longer, too.

angle grinders--- I keep my good one [Hitachi?] with a metal cutting disk. But for $10, it is easier to have one standing by with a grinding disk in it already.

Brad nailers- again, for $10, it is sometimes easier to have 2 lying on the bench with different size nails.

I count myself as very fortunate to have a HF store nearby. I wouldn't order from their catalog because their shipping is high- and you can't look at anything before you buy.

Jim

[aemeijers]

Uh, WHAT off-brand stuff produced in US? I haven't seen any north-america-produced entry-level or generic tools (or much of anything else, for that matter) in years and years. Even the 'commercial grade' stuff is often produced elsewhere, or has a lot of overseas components.

My whine of the year on the subject- I needed to buy a hoe. A simple freaking HOE. I looked six different places, and could not find one that wasn't made in China. This country can't even produce blacksmith-level items any more? Sad, just sad.

-- aem sends....

[DerbyDad03]

And something I didn't know until I bought the unit. Now I know why some people have those huge tanks in the cornor of the garages. :-)

Nope...that was nothing more than a tale of woe.

I got an Arrow elecric brad nailer as gift. Convenient, and not bad for getting the brads started, but 90% of the time you have to follow up with a tack hammer to set the heads. Maybe I oughta pick up HF $10 nailer to see the difference.

Same for me.

[DerbyDad03]

Hey, it's Christmas time and funds are tighter this year, but we still want our toys.

[Stormin Mormon]

Can you get wood saw blade for angle grinder? That could be very useful. Much of what you describe sounds more like sawzall.

[Stormin Mormon]

Oops.... sad to hear that the compressor has such a low output. Yeah, they are supposed to be oilless. One 12 volt compressor I got, years ago, needed a drop of oil into the air intake every now and again. To keep the piston walls lubricated.

I use small scissors for nose hair trimming.

[Stormin Mormon]

Even some of our elected officials have foreign made ho.

[Jim Elbrecht]

-snip-

Flea markets and estate sales are the best place to get replacement garden tools- unless you can afford LeeValley.

I've got a great collection of hoes and shovels that have already survived one gardener and are sure to outlast me. [and haven't paid more than $10 for any of them]

Jim

[Ed Pawlowski]

That is essentially what he biscuit joiners are.

[HeyBub]

We could, but no (sane) person would buy a blacksmith-produced hoe. In order to produce a domestic hoe that could compete, price-wise, with a Chinese hoe, our industry would have to stamp them out of papier-machie (high-quality ones out of plastic).

It's not sad - it's a cause for celebration! Each country should do what it does best and enter into trade with another country. By doing so, the citizens of both countries benefit. Adam Smith settled this hash in the 18th century with his "Wealth of Nations;" I recommend it to you.

[Pete C.]

One cool thing you can get for the angle grinders (though I haven't seen them at HF) is structured carbide carving wheels, there is also a version that uses a short section of chain saw chain around a wheel. Carve your self a totem pole or something with one.

[Jim Elbrecht]

I've got a 10gallon tank that I cart to wherever my compressor isn't. If it has a full charge of 100 lbs I can usually clean a keyboard off before I might better blow on it.

My compressor is from HF, too- I think it is 2 HP & 10 gallons. It needs faster recovery time to die-grind or use an air cutter. It works on a sand blaster, but it is slow going.

-snip-

I think I've got the same stapler- but labeled 'Stanley'. I love the little brad nailers HF sells- not as pleased with their stapler/nailer.

Jim

[Jim Elbrecht]

I haven't seen them in the store- but the one online is actually one of the name-brand tools-

4" disc- $35 at HF - $45 from the manufacturer.

Jim