Cheap tools from Harbor Freight

[Kevin Singleton]

For all you cheap bastards that don't get the e-mails:

18V, Cordless 4 Tool Combo Pack 90374-3VGA $29.99

This stuff has gotta be dangerous!

Kevin

[WD]

One of these days you'll get an email something like:

18V, Cordless 4 Tool Combo Pack 90374-3VGA Free shipping/insurance $1.00

[Eugene]

I'd place bets on the price of an extra/replacement battery pack being about $50-$60 ;)

[jo4hn]

Its useful life is directly proportional to the amount of use it gets. If you never use it, it will last forever. :-) mahalo, jo4hn

[AArDvarK]

...and on this tool they say it themselves..."almost impossible to use" laughs.

HF is great for clamps made of iron and steel, super cheap shipping . I bought 4 > 1/2" pipe clamps they work great, and 4 > 24" bar clamps and work great. In store purchase though.

Alex

[Larry Jaques]

On Tue, 27 Jul 2004 15:32:09 -0400, "Kevin Singleton" calmly ranted:

Also note that the package ships with only ONE battery while the pic shows all 4 units with batteries attached. Pay attention before you buy!

------------------------------------------------- - Clinton never - * Wondrous Website Design - EXhaled.- *

[Woodcrafter]

I think it says: "almost impossible to lose"

:-)

Regards,

Dean Bielanowski Editor, Online Tool Reviews

50 woodworking product reviews online!

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[AL]

[AArDvarK]

yes I did see that later, sorryyyyyy! Alex

[Eugene]

original batteries a couple years ago so I got about 10 years out of them. I've bought a few more tools that use the same old stick style battery. I've spent $500-600 on the tools and batteries from 1991 to 2004. So if you take $600 divided by 13 years, I have spent $46 per year on cordless tools so if the HF set lasts more than 1 year each we both spent about the same amount. However I have saved a lot of frustration by having better quality tools for those 13 years.

[Tim Douglass]

I have one of the cheap HF drills - a 14V. It works and has done pretty good duty for the last year or so since I dropped my better one and couldn't swing the scratch to replace it with something decent. The only real comment I have on it is that the motor is about half the power of my old 14V drill - not sure why that should be. It also seems to use the batteries awfully fast. For light duty around the house I suspect these things would work OK - not great, but OK.

Personally, on a price-performance basis the Ryobi tools at the orange Borg get my vote. I've used several of them and they seem solid and work well. Long term may be different, but for the price you can buy 3 sets of Ryobi's before you match the price of the good stuff. I wouldn't recommend them if they didn't work, but if you close your eyes you won't tell any difference between the Ryobi and, say, the DeWalt.

YMMV

Tim Douglass

[Eugene]

panel workbench which oddly enough resembles the bed of my truck, don't have to drag a cord out the driveway. They also worked well helping dad build the barn 1/2 mile on top of a mountain in WV where there are no electric lines. In 1976 a $20 drill/saw/whatever was still decent quality. I have a $19 B&D jigsaw that has lasted a few years since I haven't ever used it since the first time when it broke its blade and bent the base, then I replaced the blade and tried again but its mechanism has so much side to side slop that you can't cut a straight edge. It was a gift from the in laws so I haven't thrown it away yet for fear they will ask me if I still have that saw they bought me. I did buy a metal bending brake from HF that was supposed to to

16ga steel. I slid in some thin aluminum and tried to bend it and the cheap steel of the brake bowed in the middle so every bend it makes is curved. My in laws always buy the cheapest stuff they can. They will buy the same $20 tool 3-4 times in 5 years and I will buy one tool for $50-60 and it will last 10. They still think I pay too much for tools even thought I come out ahead in the long run.

[Norm Dresner]

Voltage is not the only thing that determines the power in the motor. Remember that you can but 120V AC motors from 1/60HP to at least 2 HP

Norm

[J T]

Wed, Jul 28, 2004, 5:06pm (EDT+4) [e-mail] (Eugene) claims: I still have my first 9.6V Makita drill bought in 1991. Replaced the two original batteries a couple years ago so I got about 10 years out of them. I've bought a few more tools that use the same old stick style battery. I've spent $500-600 on the tools and batteries from 1991 to

2004. So if you take $600 divided by 13 years, I have spent $46 per year on cordless tools so if the HF set lasts more than 1 year each we both spent about the same amount. However I have saved a lot of frustration by having better quality tools for those 13 years.

Hmm, OK, if we're comparing, then here's my tale. Still have, and use, the B&D drill I bought new in 1976. If I recall right, I paid about $18, but certainly no more than $20, for it. Battery cost over the years - it's corded, so zero. However, I did buy a new whatchamacallit to loosen the thingie that holds the drill (technical terms), for about $3, so say a total of $23 invested. So, if you divide $23 by 28 years, that comes out to about $.82 per year. Plus, I have saved a huge amount of frustration by not having to charge batteries, or buy new ones, because the old ones won't charge. Well, actually I have bought a few etxension cords over the years, but as they are normally used for something other than drill use, I'm not counting them.

Putting up with cords while using my drill is worth $46 a year, any time.

JOAT Expensive tennis shoes won't cure a sore toe.

- Bazooka Joe JERUSALEM RIDGE

[toller]

I have the 18v Ryobis and like them fine; but my 12v DeWalt is more powerful.

[Tom Dooley]

I got one of those Chicago drywall cut-out tools for 20 bucks and coudn't be happier with it. The plastic base didn't last long, so I fabbed up a sturdier one. For me to go to that much trouble for a twenty dollar tool means a lot!

[Kevin Craig]

I have the B&D corded drill my father won for free as part of a gas station grand opening, circa 1970. It's a 1/4" drill, aluminum housing (definitely not double insulated!), single speed, no reverse, with a two-finger grip.

That sucker will still spin a bit with zero wobble, after many years of abuse, and will twist right out of your hand if you're not paying attention. I don't use it for drilling because it's single speed, but it's perfect for chucking up a grinding stone to sharpen mower blades, etc.

Oh, and a tank of gas at 1970 prices was probably three bucks. And 34 years later, I'll put my $0.09 per year into the pot. :-)

Kevin

[J T]

Wed, Jul 28, 2004, 10:16pm (EDT+4) [e-mail] (Eugene) says: I prefer the cordless. They also worked well helping dad build the barn 1/2 mile on top of a mountain in WV where there are no electric lines.

That's why they invented generators.

My kids both use cordless tools. The "however" is, they both do A/C work, and don't have access to power most of the time. So, as part of their work they pretty much have to - hand tools would slow them down too much. I think it's DeWalt they swear by, all the workers in this area do. Circular saw, drill, sawzall, the whole package.

However, they both normally use corded tools, or air tools, when they do anything at home.

As long as I've got access to power, I'll used corded, or air, tools. Otherwise, I'll use hand tools.

JOAT The highway of fear is the road to defeat.

- Bazooka Joe JERUSALEM RIDGE

[Eugene]

spent more than buying the cordless ;) My parents did finally buy a generator last year though, but its a pain to carry on a John Deere.

[Tim Douglass]

Yeah, but my 9.6 Makita from way back when only lasted about 2 years. Not the fault of the tool, they just aren't engineered to take a 12'

2x6 falling on them. For a long time I mostly used my cordless tools for remodeling work or for farm stuff. It really doesn't matter if they are good ones or cheap junk, you're going to destroy them long before they wear out.

Tim Douglass