Why I absolutly hate Harbor Freight

[crazyjake19]

Nope, no ball end hex was used.

I've had bad luck with Harbor Freight hex wrenches and hex sockets as well. But I wouldn't swear off all their tools. I have a couple of the 1/2" drive extendable ratchets that I used heavily as an RV mechanic, and they're still going. All my impact sockets are from HF, as well as some of my flex head ratcheting wrenches, flush cutters for cable ties, and tons of bar clamps. And all of my "sunglasses" are their $0.99 smoked-lens safety glasses, I buy them 4 or 5 pairs at a time.

Stay far away from their power tools, drill bits, and cheap air tools.

 

[kh54s10]

I've had bad luck with Harbor Freight hex wrenches and hex sockets as well. But I wouldn't swear off all their tools. I have a couple of the 1/2" drive extendable ratchets that I used heavily as an RV mechanic, and they're still going. All my impact sockets are from HF, as well as some of my flex head ratcheting wrenches, flush cutters for cable ties, and tons of bar clamps. And all of my "sunglasses" are their $0.99 smoked-lens safety glasses, I buy them 4 or 5 pairs at a time.

Stay far away from their power tools, drill bits, and cheap air tools.

My best Harbor Freight buys were 2 drills, one light duty, I bought before the Lithium batteries, a 1/2 inch hammer drill, and step bits for my SS pots. I only expected the step bits to survive the 4 holes that I drilled but I bet they could do a few more and a set of 2 was 1/4 the price of one from the box stores.

Expect the worse, hope for the best and choose what doesn't really need to last forever.

 

[Robert65]

I went to HF today. If the drill I bought works at all, it will be all I asked for, and if it dies young I won't have lost much. And the girl on checkout was such a riot it was worth it right there, cheap laughs. If not for this thread giving me the idea of HF tools being easy come, easy go options rather than just crap, I'd have blown more dough elsewhere. Thanks guys.

 

[Nick Z]

Harbor Freight stuff is hit and miss. None of it is fantastic but some of it is a great bargain. I've got a lot of their stuff I've used in woodworking.

There are various lists online of Harbor Freight "gems" that are interesting. One that comes up a lot is their HVLP spray gun. I may get one someday.

A few things of theirs that are really quite good that I have used: Bar and regular (not deep throat) C clamps, digital calipers, anti fatigue mats, and nitrile gloves. Their sandpaper is awful. Most, though not all, of the stuff with motors is questionable. Their drill bits aren't great but aren't bad.

My personal theory is that the good stuff at Harbor Freight is a standard design that an OEM factory produces for many different brands. The exact same item may be produced for Harbor Freight, Craftsman, Lowe's, DeWalt, etc. Just the badge sticker is different. So sometimes you get lucky. Unless they change suppliers. That's what happened to their flush cut saw. They had one made in Japan that was quite good and really cheap. Then they switched to something else and it sucked.

 

[day_trippr]

I have pretty much every hand and power tool known to man, many of them bought for my dad over the decades that all came back to me, so most of them are decades old. There have been occasions where I've compared those tools to what is sold today and in most cases the modern versions are clearly inferior in design and construction. As a result I've gone to near heroic measures to fabricate random parts for them because they're virtually antiques wrt replacement parts availability.

As for Harbor Freight, with few exceptions about all I buy there are flap disks and various wire brushes. They have really good ones for cheap compared to other (big box) sources. But that's pretty much the end of it...

Cheers!

 

[bleme]

I tried their 3/8" pneumatic impact wrench the other day. I could keep it from spinning with 2 fingers. Went back and traded it for the 1/2" version and that banged the nut off in 2 seconds.

 

[sicktght311]

I have pretty much every hand and power tool known to man, many of them bought for my dad over the decades that all came back to me, so most of them are decades old. There have been occasions where I've compared those tools to what is sold today and in most cases the modern versions are clearly inferior in design and construction. As a result I've gone to near heroic measures to fabricate random parts for them because they're virtually antiques wrt replacement parts availability.

As for Harbor Freight, with few exceptions about all I buy there are flap disks and various wire brushes. They have really good ones for cheap compared to other (big box) sources. But that's pretty much the end of it...

Cheers!

Theres no doubt that everything built 40+ years ago was built much differently and more sturdy. Thats why repair shops used to exist, because when things did break, you could repair them. Nowadays tools are built with finite lives, and if they break, you replace. Harbor Freight cant be compared to tools from that era. Even expensive Top notch current tools dont hold a candle. The value in harbor freight however is narrowing down that cost vs time calculation between how much you initially spent, vs how long its going to last. If it lasts 10 years and cost you $100 for the brand name, but the HF version costs $40 and last 5 years, you've gotten more value out of Harbor Freight.

I have a compound mitre saw that hasnt skipped a beat in 6 years of regular use in all of my house projects. The $75 i spent on it and its 6+ years of use has more than justified its purchase vs an even base line $200 saw by one of the big boys

 

[passedpawn]

I wouldn't buy a power tool there. Period.

But I did buy a well pump a few weeks ago. I had a 20% off coupon, which I then used to buy a 2-yr warranty. I'm replacing the last well pump I bought from them that rusted and seized. Note that this pump started rusting ONE DAY after I used it (see orange rust around the priming plug on top).

But with the warranty, they said I can bring it back without any receipt and they'll replace, no questions asked. So I put a big label on the thing with the purchase date - hopefully that'll remind me to take it back if there is anything questionable with it.

 

[brew703]

For someone like me, who doesn't use power tools or wrenches all that much the HF stuff has been good. I did buy a cordless drill, 18v i think for use on my grain mill. I couldn't get through 12 lbs of grain before the battery died. Brought it back for a corded one and never looked back. Has worked for over a year with no issues.
I do have various wrenches and sockets from HF that i use for home brewing and no issues. Especially with the 20% off coupon they always offer it makes for a good deal.
Honestly I don't think their products are made for heavy use, which works for me.

 

[Nick Z]

I think their smaller, cheaper stuff isn't made to last, no. But I do wonder about their more expensive stuff like large air compressors, generators, welding rigs, etc. I would think that even if those cost half of what someone would pay for a name brand tool the sheer dollar amount spent would mean those customers are more concerned about quality control and tool longevity.

 

[ba-brewer]

Hey @Tobor_8thMan, Is that hex wrench still stuck, if not how did you get it out?

 

[Robert65]

Hey @Tobor_8thMan, Is that hex wrench still stuck, if not how did you get it out?

Ha! Yeah, what did ever come of that?

 

[bleme]

But I do wonder about their more expensive stuff like large air compressors, generators, welding rigs, etc.

I bought their 21 gallon compressor about 4 years ago when it went on sale for $130. I bought it mainly to patch my cedar shake roof. I think I've gone through 6 bundles of shake so far, so I figure that alone has paid for itself. I've also used it to build a fence, air up bike and car tires, and recently to remove the nut for the harmonic balancer.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Hey @Tobor_8thMan, Is that hex wrench still stuck, if not how did you get it out?

Tried over this past weekend with several different magnets. No luck.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Also, tried tapping it with a small tool. No luck. It's permanent, at least until it becomes loose.

Lesson learned about Harbor Freight tools. Interesting as I've always told my kids "Don't buy Harbor Freight, buy Craftsman hand tools". Well, throw this advise out the window with Sears going down the drain. Yes, Lowes now has Craftsman tools, but what about my Craftsman hand tools purchased at Sears with their "lifetime guarantee"? Does Lowes also honor this guarantee? I haven't been able to get an answer.

 

[matt_m]

Harbor Freight has been better quality than Craftsman for a while now. Yes I'm serious. The new Stanley-made stuff at Lowes might change that, we'll see.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Sorry, but, IMO, Harbor Freight is, probably Chinese, junk. While some accept finite tool life and are happy with Harbor Freight, even though I realize Harbor Freight tools are life finite, they are, IMO, just junk.

 

[MikeOhio]

Harbor Freight is what it is...The same could be said for tools from tractor supply, rural king, or the like. Re-branded stuff from asia! One thing i noticed with Harbor Freight is their prices have inched up over the last several years and their 20-30% off coupons cover FAR less brands/items in their stores!

 

[LittleRiver]

...Harbor Freight "gems" ... One that comes up a lot is their HVLP spray gun...

This gun is good. I've been spraying with it for a few years and it is holding up very well (mostly spraying water borne wood finishes).

This gun is crap. First time I tried to do a thorough cleaning on it the seals failed and the purple paint came right off.

 

[BruceH]

Harbor Freight has been better quality than Craftsman for a while now. Yes I'm serious. The new Stanley-made stuff at Lowes might change that, we'll see.

Some of the HF stuff I've bought has been complete crap. Some of it is better than my craftsman or other tools. The hand tools have the biggest variability IMO. If they break they will replace but the replacement is probably going to break again.

I've had very good results with their regular sockets, impact sockets, ratchets, wrenches, cordless drills, toe kick saw, and torque wrenches. I've had bad results with strap wrenches, apex bits, pliers, side cutters, crimping tools, and some socket extensions. It's a gamble I'm willing to take.

The last air tool I bought from HF was a roofing nailer. Used it along with a HF 6 gallon compressor to reshingle my house. Worked great.

 

[Nick Z]

This gun is good. I've been spraying with it for a few years and it is holding up very well (mostly spraying water borne wood finishes).

This gun is crap. First time I tried to do a thorough cleaning on it the seals failed and the purple paint came right off.

Yep, I think the more expensive metal gun is the one that was referred to as a gem.

I got one of their 40 tooth circular saw blades. Nitride coated, like drill bits. Worked fairly decently in a miter saw. Though for a 110v saw you may be better off with a thin kerf blade. The Diablo blades you get at Home Depot are made by Freud. Freud makes very good saw blades. The Freud branded ones have more carbide in the teeth and are meant to be re-sharpened several times. The Diablo ones have less carbide and meant to be disposed of after the teeth wear out.

The Diablo blades are thin kerf but I don't know if the kerf is as thin as the Freud branded thin kerf blades. I largely use Diablo blades because resharpening a saw blade is expensive and not everyone does a very good job.

The Harbor Freight blades work in a pinch and the nitride coating made it a little easier to clean the blade.

 

[schematix]

Needed a table saw to make a single cut on a pine wood derby car. So i bought a Dewalt portable table saw today. No HF trash for me.

 

[ThirstyPawsHB]

Yep, I think the more expensive metal gun is the one that was referred to as a gem.

I got one of their 40 tooth circular saw blades. Nitride coated, like drill bits. Worked fairly decently in a miter saw. Though for a 110v saw you may be better off with a thin kerf blade. The Diablo blades you get at Home Depot are made by Freud. Freud makes very good saw blades. The Freud branded ones have more carbide in the teeth and are meant to be re-sharpened several times. The Diablo ones have less carbide and meant to be disposed of after the teeth wear out.

The Diablo blades are thin kerf but I don't know if the kerf is as thin as the Freud branded thin kerf blades. I largely use Diablo blades because resharpening a saw blade is expensive and not everyone does a very good job.

The Harbor Freight blades work in a pinch and the nitride coating made it a little easier to clean the blade.

Used a HF 12in compound miter saw for $120 and a Diablo $60 blade for my brew pub and decking. Never replaced the blade through then entire project and still cuts though 4x4s like butter.

 

[passedpawn]

I borrowed a compound miter saw to do all the baseboard / shoe molding in my house. It was a nightmare, all the slop and bend in the saw mechanics. I got it done, but not without a bunch of caulk.

I don't know where that guy got that saw - it was some off brand. But I have a sweet Mikita now and I can assure you there are differences between good and bad miter saws. Mikita is a good one. I did a bunch of window/door casings and some crown molding (52/38) and it's money.

 

[ThirstyPawsHB]

I borrowed a compound miter saw to do all the baseboard / shoe molding in my house. It was a nightmare, all the slop and bend in the saw mechanics. I got it done, but not without a bunch of caulk.

I don't know where that guy got that saw - it was some off brand. But I have a sweet Mikita now and I can assure you there are differences between good and bad miter saws. Mikita is a good one. I did a bunch of window/door casings and some crown molding (52/38) and it's money.

View attachment 658974

In all honesty it was just a chop saw to me. No opinion about fine aspects.

 

[jcav]

Used a HF 12in compound miter saw for $120 and a Diablo $60 blade for my brew pub and decking. Never replaced the blade through then entire project and still cuts though 4x4s like butter.

I bought that same saw and blade a few years ago. I use that saw for all kinds of projects and to cut 4X4's also. I actually cut a 4X4 with it today to put in a new mailbox post, which I covered in white vinyl. Came out great!

John

 

[LittleRiver]

... I can assure you there are differences between good and bad miter saws...

Absolutely. A good mitre saw will make good cuts right out of the box. But there is still room for improvement.

Mine was good enough for doing trim work, but not for fine woodworking. I took the time to adjust the angle stop mechanism, which took some time doing test cuts along the way, but it was worth it to get it dialed in to perfection. I can now do cuts on it as accurately as I can on my tablesaw.

 

[passedpawn]

Absolutely. A good mitre saw will make good cuts right out of the box. But there is still room for improvement.

Mine was good enough for doing trim work, but not for fine woodworking. I took the time to adjust the angle stop mechanism, which took some time doing test cuts along the way, but it was worth it to get it dialed in to perfection. I can now do cuts on it as accurately as I can on my tablesaw.

I did the same using a square.

 

[shelly_belly]

Needed a table saw to make a single cut on a pine wood derby car. So i bought a Dewalt portable table saw today. No HF trash for me.

HaHa! My wife is quick to point out that my project costs grow tenfold or greater once the "new tool(s)" cost is factored in.

 

[LittleRiver]

I did the same using a square.

That's what I did initially, but I found when cutting some frames that I wasn't getting a perfect 45 angle. By doing test cuts and small adjustments to the stop mechanism I was able to dial it in perfectly (not required if you're only using it for general carpentry, but essential for building fine furniture, etc.).