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Anyone use tools from Harbor freight? I found a local HF retail outlet over the weekend and went inside and browsed. Bought a couple small items, but saw alot more things I'd like to get. I know these aren't high quality tools, but I think some of their stuff isn't too bad. Don't know if I'd buy a power tool from them, but hand tools, and maybe the odd wrench set for the tool bag, etc might be worth it. I did see a 12 ton bottle jack that I passed up but may go back an get it. What do you think?

For me it was a question of whose Chinese tools do I want to buy. I needed a new electric impact wrench and first visited Sears and found one that met my needs for $169.95 with the usual free replacement guarantee, but Chinese made. Next looked at Ingersol-Rand and they were also Chinese but even more expensive at $215. 95 with a similar guarantee. I ended up ordering a Harbor Freight one, also Chinese, but much less expensive at $49.99 plus 8.99 shipping. I used it yesterday helping Ralph install the floor pans in his truck and also bolting in the transfer case in the one I bought from him and it worked as well as any I have ever had or used. I know that one days use doesn't make much of a test but at least it did function as it was supposed to and if it fails I can always get another or if needed, 2 for little more than the cost of a Sears unit. The only negative noticed was the Harbor Freight tool was noticeably heavier than the others which resulted in more hand and arm fatigue than others I have owned, but it did the job well. I won't get into the Buy American vs. Chinese discussion as I already had that in mind when I started shopping, but sometimes quality American made stuff is almost impossible to find at a reasonable cost, or find at all!

Carter;

Nice looking impact wrench.

I'll tell you what, when it comes to tools, I buy what I can afford. I don't worry where its made. I like Craftsman tools. Good tools for the workin man who ain't got alot of $. Problem is these days, all the tool companies are selling Chinese made stuff, and putting their logo on it. These tools are the same as those from Harbor Freight, yet cost alot more. I used to think a place like Tractor supply would have better stuff than average, nope, same tools as everybody else. Same with Sears, Home Depot, all of them. For those tools that will only see limited use, I will buy from HF with no qualms about it.

It is a question of which "bottom feeder brand" you choose. It is nearly impossible to get anything without the Chi-coms having made something in it.
I frequent Harbor Freight for the things I am going to use once during my resto project. I bought a angle grinder that I have beat the heck out of, and it still works. $14.99 vs $75.00 for a name brand at the box store (which was also Chinese made). I buy their replacement bulbs for my Halogen worklamps, 2 for $2.99 vs. $5 each at Sears. I got an engine hoist for $150 which is what the rental yard wanted to charge me for the weekend. If you are not doing production work with the stuff and on a budget, it will suffice. However, I do not use or recommend their wrenches or sockets, I stick to the name brands for the stuff that involves my knuckles. I was fortunate that my father gave me many of his 1960's vintage Craftsman and Williams hand tools. When I was single I bought alot of Snap-on. Sadly, Snap-on has cheapend up as well. I have bought a couple "Kobalt" wrenches from Lowes and find them to be a decent economical line.

Nick, This is the only thing I have ever ordered from HF and I plan to give it a workout over the next months and see how it holds up. It came with a 90 day guarantee or one year depending on which piece of paper you read that came with the tool but I'm sure it's 90 and that should give me plenty of time to screw it up if I can


"I frequent Harbor Freight for the things I am going to use once during my resto project. "

David, I hope the tool lasts longer than for just one use.


If doing professional/production work I would have spent the extra cash for a better quality tool but this one will only be used a couple of hours a year and not all day, every day. I only got this one to speed up repair and re-assembly of the red truck I am now working on. My air powered impact is very noisy and wanted something less so and don't need the compressor kicking on and off throughout the day adding to the general background noise in my shop, radio, hot air circulator fan, me cussing and muttering to my self when things go wrong

Carter;

Did you say you ordered the impact gun? There are a couple of Harbor Freight retail outlets within about 20 miles of your location. The one I went to is in Newark Del, on route 273 just south of I95. There is another I located from the HF website that lists in Parkville Md, which looks to be about the same distance from your local. I'd have to go back to the site to get specifics on where that place is actually situated though.

Might be worth the drive to save on shipping charges, plus you get to look at everything and touch what you need right there.

With the $8.99 shipping vs. travel time and costs, I decided I'd rather spend my hours working in the shop than driving to either location. Also impulsive buying would not be part of the deal.

Carter;

Wasn't sure if you had known about the retail locations. Sometimes just ordering online is much more convenient, but its also good to know if you need something right away, that there are options.

I have their $16.00 digital caliper, and their $50 engine stand and am happy with both. I couldnt even buy 1/2 the steel to make the stand for waht I paid for it. Starrett calipers are made in china today as well. there is no such thing as Made in USA anymore, just "a percentage made in usa" or "assembled in usa"

My original rule was never buy anything with moving parts from Harbor Freight. I have had to expand that rule...after buying some pry bars that bent and some emory cloth tthat wore out almost immediately my no buy list is growing. I do buy some wrenches and stuff that I put in my tractor tool boxes for use in the fields...beats walking back to get a good wrench. The sand blast cabinet I bought from them is completely worthless..finally bought a decent scat blast cabinet...so nice to do a whole project with out having to stop and fix stuff...

One good thing is the HF spark plug tester I have a couple and use them all the time on my small aircooled engines and after some modifiction (adding friction tape) I can use them on the milspec wires in my M37 at $2.00 on sale a great deal

Well, every time I've bought a tool from them, I got what I paid for. They have all worked, but not in a spectacular. Useful lifetime of tools is shorter that more respected/well know brands, but have done the job. Right now I'm beating the &^%@# out of an air nailer. It's a bit quirky (i.e. poor design), but it's better than swinging a hammer. Overall, I've found they are ok, although their shipping to be slow as dirt (of course, not from the retail store).

Generally speaking, harbor freight stuff isn't much, especially their brand name. Every once in a while they will have name brand stuff that has been factory rebuilt. I've bought some really good stuff like a large Milwaukee side grinder & a Generac generator at a great price for a top name brand product. This has been 1 of the best grinders we've had, powerful enough for the really big jobs. I couldn't tell it was any different from a brand new product. I look through the catalogs with an eye out for name brand items, when they are there it usually says factory reconditioned. I assume Harbor Freight must buy out reconditioned items from the top brand companies as they have opportunity. We use Milwaukee power tools almost exclusively, have been the best for us by far. We have showed them some heavy use over the years with a great result. Harbor Freight has some good stuff at times, just be careful & selective of what you buy.

I happened into a Harbor Freight store while on vacation last spring. The sheer volume of tools was astounding-I decided to see about a tap and dye set, and they had a 64-piece set on sale for $29.99. I know, probably junk but I needed one so I bought it and it has served me well. I also ended up with a "Chicago" brand saws-all that they alleged an elderly gentleman returned because he couldn't handle it-for $15 and looked brand new. That one still runs but almost died as I was finishing dissecting the remnants of my old cab which had already claimed a Ryobi saws-all. You get what you pay for, and sometimes that doesn't even hold up....
Gary

They had a sale on an air cut off tool, Regular $15.99 on sale for $6.99. I bought one. If I get two months out of it, for $6.99 I can call that my money's worth. I didn't really need the thing but what the heck, what's one more cheap tool. I may get surprised. It may last 3 months.....

I used to follow the cheap path also, since I'm not a Pro, just a hobbyist, I don't put a lot of stress on my tools.
Until I bought a grinder for $15.99. It was Ok and thought, I can buy 10 of this with the price of just one DeWalt 900w. The problem turned out to be that it quit on me right on a Sunday afternoon trying to cut some ALUMINUM stock I was using for a rail to hang paintings and pictures from the walls at home. (you have to agree, not a heavy duty job)
I have to drive 20 miles to Home Depot (only hardware store open on Sundays) to buy another one and spent most of the afternoon there. (Incredibly how many people go to Home Depot on Sundays as an entertaining outing) A lot of time wasted doing the cashier line,then the line to test the power tool and getting to my truck in the huge parking lot, since the place was crowded.

The second one quit on me on a Saturday night while I was pulling an allnighter trying to finish some lights for the garden. Again I spent most of the Sunday morning going to get a new one. This time I learned the lesson (the hard way I must agree) and bought the dammed DeWalt that has been flawless, expensive but flawless.

That has been my personal experience. So I have to agree with Charles on the quality tools choice.

As a side note, the DeWalt is also Chinese made, so you have good chinese stuff and chinese stuff that sucks.