As a construction company owner I can honesty say that our TOOL-THEFT has gone down 95% since we started buying Harbor freight tools for our workers. The resale value on stolen harbor freight tools is NOT worth the jail time to our workers and the local pawn shops will not even consider buying Harbor freight tools. They only buy Dewalt and Milwaukee tools for pawn.
I used to run a manufacturing company that built electronic devices. All employees had tools. What I did to cut down the theft was serial number all tools with an etcher or stamps. Each person had their own number. If a tool broke they got a new one free, but if they lost one, they had to buy a new one...theft went to Zero. They also didn't loan their tools to others so that saved problems. On more expensive tools like drills/saws etc. they still had numbers but they checked them out and were responsible for them, again, NO problems. People that are 'forced' to be honest have no problem especially when they are personally responsible. If someone quits and takes the tools with them, the price is deducted from their last pay check...
Where I work, everyone has their own locking toolbox with their own tools except for a few shop tools for common tasks, and they’re nice tools. We’ve never had a problem with anything going missing.
As a professional truck mechanic for 38 years, I can say that Harbor Freight has stepped up their game with some of the brands they now offer. Unlike DIY customers, I am fully aware that most of Harbor Freight tools were never meant for commercial use. If I buy a Pittsburgh brand wrench from their store, and it breaks the first time I use it at work, that's on me. However, within the last couple of years, Harbor Freight has been carrying Icon and Quinn brand hand tools that they advertise as direct competitors to SnapOn. I have purchased some of these hand tools and agree they are every bit as good as SnapOn. Their timing was perfect; both SnapOn and Mac tools used to visit my shop bi-weekly until the pandemic. Neither has returned even with the pandemic behind us. I still needed tools, my job didn't stop during the pandemic. Harbor Freight was available that entire time. They got my business and continue to serve me well. But I am going to tell you why I support our local Harbor Freight and am happy to give them my business- This is a relatively small community without a lot of opportunities. Since the store opened here, the management has made it a point to hire the "unemployable"; Ex-cons, recovering addicts, parolees, those wanting to get off welfare. This has worked out very well because the store has very little turnover. Its impressive when I go in the store and see a guy who I used to read about in the police blotter, now wearing a managers vest. If Harbor Freight can give these people a second chance, I can too.
I manage a high volume auto repair shop with 10 bays. Matco and SnapOn stopped coming around during the pandemic and have not returned. Rarely if ever. My technicians (including master techs with 20-30 years experience) have started buying HF over the past 2 years and have been pleasantly surprised. Some duds to be sure but overall 👍👍
Snap on is a complete ripoff. Their tools are not as good as they claim. And when they stop showing up your stuck with a p.o.s broken tool that you cant get fixed. I was a sucker for years buying snap on.
I agree, they are competitive now and they have to be considering what places like Home Depot and Walmart offer now for tools. Harbor freight has to do what they can to be cheap and useful but not complete junk that nobody would even bother with.
I worked in a machine shop and needed a 1/4" die grinder. I bought one at Harbor Freight for $9. I used it every day at work for 2 years. I was so impressed with it I upgraded to the $15 one. It lasted 3 days. I went back and bought another $9 one and used it for several more years.
Agreed on most everything in the video. I did hear Dave say electrical tape is ok to buy at HF . . . . . and having spent 30 years using tape, outdoors, in all weather on a daily basis . . . . it's definitely best to stick with 3M.
Depends on if you need it to stretch or not. Sometimes in the field you need a stiff tape. Even Temflex doesn't have the structural rigidity of the super cheap vinyl tapes. I know... you have to store it in your armpit for it to work if its cold out. But who wants to waste super 33 on a wire pull.
3M, Loctite, Permatex. These brands simply set the bar. I have been impressed with Frog Tape (3M Scotch competitor) and Gorilla products. Now I'm becoming curious about Rigid tools. Used to be the go-to brand for plumbing tools but now seems to be a Home Depot house brand that makes a little of everything. Did Rigid change hands?
I have to disagree on the jacks. In fact, Snap On attempted to sue for infringement on one of their jacks, which were cast at the same factory in China. Long story short they failed, you can buy a jack from the truck or the same one from HF for about 1/3 the price. I would also add if you get under a vehicle supported only by a jack you probably deserve whatever happens to you. Jacks don't kill people nearly as often as stupidity does.
i was gonna bring up the same point. Bought my first HF floor jack in 2000 and it still works fine this day, I bought one of the yellow HF / Snap On style Jacks about 5 years ago and has had zero issues. I a professional mechanic and shop owner who probably has $80K in snap on, I am not afraid to pay the truck price, but when I can get the same tool somewhere else for 1/2-1/3 less I am gonna do it!
I would agree with you. I'm on my second-floor jack. (1st one was stolen) I've had it for about 6 years and use it on a regular basis along with my engine hoist.
Harbor freight actually owns some of the snap on brand. That's why they can sell the same stuff. And they can use the snap on name to there stores. I've seen it a lot. Compare to snap on. Snap on is a registered trade mark. So hf would have to pay for the use of the name, but hf owns like 40%ish of snap on
As someone in the trades, HF helped me out a lot in the early days in my career. I still have a random HF tool here and there in my tool bags. I never feel bad beating up on a HF tool. HF is great when I need a random automotive tool that I'll probably only use once or twice.
There’s a reason my cordless are Milwaukee and dewalt. There’s a reason I own free replacement hand tools from harbor freight. It might be the fact the store is 3 miles away.!
I don’t think their tools are as bad as people think I think people just beat on them more because of the cheaper price. I have Milwaukee tools now, and I don’t baby them by any means but I’d certainly think twice before sending my 6 1/4 circular saw through a concrete footing. HF says fuckin send it.
Some things are OK at HF for small jobs Some things are not. Just like the guy says. For example their hand wrenches are terrible the ones that say Pittsburgh on them they are good for scrap metal! I would rather buy used tools but quality.
Back in the mid-2000s, I was a superintendent at a large homebuilder in Illinois. One day, one of our tradesmen came into the construction trailer with a broken pneumatic nail gun. Might have been a Paslode - don't remember. He partially disassembled it to find a broken part relating to its air piston. After a bit of complaining and water cooler talk, the consensus was that he might go grab a cheap one from the local Harbor Freight to finish out his day. Upon his return, we gathered around in amazement to see that the "Chicago Pneumatic" tool was PHYSICALLY IDENTICAL to his broken big-name brand. Next, he took it apart to the same degree as the broken one, and we found that the internal parts were also perfectly identical - to the point that they fit flawlessly into the old tool. Reassembly and subsequent testing showed full functionality was restored. Conclusion? At least SOME products at HF are just rebranded big-name tools. Our tradesman kept the HF version and I never heard that he had problems with it. And that was in a high-volume production environment, so that's probably worth something.
yes but keep in mind they're rebranded SECONDS... in the video he says their quality control is less stringent, but it's not really they're just the ones that were rejected for the big name brands. for example I bought a benchtop ring roller. the bottom roller on it was out by a 32nd of an inch meaning instead of rings it rolled corkscrews. since I was just using it for myself I didn't really care, but even so it was really annoying to have to bend it back straight after rolling before I brazed the ring closed. often times factory seconds are just cosmetic blemishes, for example I bought a egg size cast iron frying pan that had a large blob where the cast had chipped out, but this blob wasn't located on the useful portion of the pan it was up near the lip so it was still fully functional it just looked kind of ugly. the problem is with more complex tools you don't know which way it went was it cosmetic? or was it rejected for accuracy? or was it rejected for weakened structural integrity? maybe the glue they used on all the magnets that hold the driver bits in was the wrong glue... the new guy on his first day at the factory put the wrong glue in the machine. as he said though, you know the risk going in. maybe the batch of pliers that they get, are all the ones that are made as they're setting up the machine, and they all have different gap tolerances before the operator gets it on the money. it still work but the little wire cutting bit on the inside won't cut all the way through.
I buy most of my tools used. I buy older, US made hand tools at flea markets and estate sales. My lathe and mill I bought from CL sellers. You can't go wrong with older US made tools.
I do that as well. I'd rather buy a used tool that is going to last forever than continuously throw away cheap Chinese garbage. Harbor Freight buyers are penny-wise, pound foolish.
One of the things I purchased at HF (with a coupon) was a little "Dremel-like" rotary tool, for about $5. I've used it for many years, specifically because "it doesn't have much oomph". I use it for hobby projects, drilling and cutting plastics, where a stall from too much pressure is preferable to a crack. Limitations in the tools are not necessarily a negative - if you understand what you are using the tool for.
Same here - bought Chicago oscillating tool with intention of ltd use of specialized wood cutting. After 3 years of abusive 😂wood cutting, metal cutting, sanding, the thing won't quit.
That's a great point! My experience with that is finding that antique screws in old house hardware, like in doorknobs and strikeplates are all too easy to ruin (strip) with a high-quality screwdriver. I'd rather ruin a cheap screwdriver than try to replace screws you "can't" get anymore!
The $5 - $10 blister pack was pretty underwhelming for me, however, the Chicago Tool (orange) variable speed one (mine was about $26) has been an absolute rock star. It was a little under half the cost of the "real" one, and I use it several times a week for model building and simple home repairs.
@@kristophermelin7160 By blister packs do you mean things like drill bits, counter syncs, etc. I bought a set of counter syncs from HF and the one that I used was dull after one use. I've bought plenty of other HF tools and lots of them are still going strong though. I'm in need of a new cordless drill and the Bauer brand looks pretty good to me for the money.
Way back in the 70's, I worked as a welder in a small shop - one of the most useful tools we had was a needle scaler, which we used for chipping slag off welds (and also stress relieving by peening welds) in difficult to reach areas. I recently purchased one from HF (the "professional" model), and am very impressed with how well it works. I make sure I oil it regularly, and it really is a time saver. It's very heavy duty, I think it could easily be used on a daily basis without problems. I was doing some repair work on some old flux-core welds that had a lot of slag inclusions (flux core slag can be really difficult to chip off at times), and it really sped things up. If you're careful about your purchases, you can do quite well at HF.
Yeah, if you pay attention and have a keen eye you can spot tools that actually work and are a deal. You just have to be selective and realize lots of their stuff is "throwaway" after using it a dozen times
@@quantumtechcrypto7080 I have a ton of HF tools that I've had no issues with, in fact I've got a 2nd hand band saw from the 80's that still works like a champ.
I used to work at a large manufacturing plant that did a lot of large assembly on heavy equipment. They used Proto impact sockets, which are expensive. They would occasionally wear out with such constant use. I brought some Pittsburgh impact sockets of the most- used sizes just to put them to the test. They ended up outlasting the protos by A LOT. I eventually told my supervisor what I did. Our M.E. bought a set from harbor freight to do documented testing. It was officially proven that Pittsburg impact sockets had almost twice the life of Proto. They changed all the assembly stations over to Pittsburg, saving a huge amount of money. The Proto rep was not happy with me.
While I'm happy that your Pitt sockets worked out well I question why an assembly plant would ever use Proto tools. They really aren't known for quality or durability by anyone in the mechanical or industrial industries.
All sockets and wrenches are made the same worldwide using the same steel, no matter what brand they are. There is no way to make them cheaper, and no reason to make them better. I don't believe a word you're saying about Proto.
Excellent unbiased video. Dave is right on the money. Start with simple products and make your own mind with quality. Tarps, zip ties, screwdrivers, etc. They all work fine. You shouldn't compare a $50 power tool you find there to well known brand that costs 3 times as much. I always find stuff there I can use later. Just follow the sales and see what they have. IMHO, there is always something they have that will satisfy your needs.
I got into Bauer cordless tools [BCT] about 3 years ago & have my small shop outfitted with about 7-9 tools. My first BCT was a 1/2" cordless drill/driver Model 1991C-B. I also had a DeWalt 1/2" cordless drill/driver Model DCD771 at the same time. I bought the Bauer with the intention of using the Bauer and not wearing out the Dewalt. Well the truth is this . . . after using both drill/drivers, side by side, for about 3 years I have come to the conclusion that there is not much noticeable difference between the power & battery life in these 2 drills. I have done the same work with either one and the only difference is teh color of the tool. 3 years later abd they are BOTH drilling & driving the same. Hope this helps someone.
I bought my first Bauer tool 6 years ago, and it still running fine. I can't tell you how much I spent on Snap-on and Mac tools (Thousands!) but the bauer tools have been good and cost less.
@@ex8280 The motor was fine. It was the chuck that was terrible. It would loosen while drilling and drop the drill bit out every time. Super frustrating.
Kind of a random comparison considering that Dewalt model is one of their low end, homeowner grade tools which only costs $99 for the entire kit with battery/charger/bag. It's not just about brand, you still get what you pay for.
I used to be a professional heavy equipment mechanic . I mostly bought “ quality “ tools like my wrenches ( MAC ) from 1982 , that I still have . That being said , my first experience with HF , was in the early 1980’s , and it was “ mail order “ ! I ordered a set of 1/2” drive deep- impact sockets . I STILL HAVE THEM and have worked on garbage trucks , and over- the- road trucks for years and years - they are still in my rollaway box 40 years later !!! I now have a retail store down the street ; I’m a “ regular “ customer , I’ve NEVER returned anything … ( I’m now a senior citizen and I walk up and down the aisles looking at all the stuff that I now can AFFORD , but my two knee surgeries , three triple shoulder surgeries , and five spinal fusions will not allow me to use anymore … )
im a high end custom furniture maker and I've been using their saws, compressors, paint guns, and dozens of other tools for over 12 years and have never ever had a breakdown or problems of any kind with their products and i never have to pay those high prices the the other stores charge. I stand behind Harbor Freight 100 percent ...MC
I buy tools for our ranch use at HF. Bought a 7” grinder to sharpen blades on the bat-wing shredder every month. Works fine. Reciprocating saw had the blade holder fall apart with normal use. 3/8” drill is ok. Hand tools, jack stands work fine for tightening tracks on the compact track loader…(just won’t get under it!) Budget level tools with a budget price. Choose your tools selectively and allow for failures occasionally. (Former Makita area sales manager)
Want to add that the newer tool boxes they make are just outstanding! Love the drawer sliders and quality finish. My wife bought me one of their huge roll around 48" floor cabinets when I retired last year. Has a wood top. Had to carry it home in the crate atop a flat bed trailer. (Trailer was a kit from Northern) It was on sale for $350. Weighed like 300#. Easy assembly. I managed to build it ON the trailer when I got it home. Then rolled it up the driveway to the garage. I felt like a kid at Christmas. It was more work to dispose of the packing material that it was to assemble it. Ten years back she bought me their $300 motorcycle lift for Father's day. Love it. Still works perfectly. The older and more frail I get, the more I appreciate it.
@@jackwilbur9419 forreal. Who has a full Snap-On industrial tool set that they spent $40k on but puts it into a HF rolling case? 😂 That is such a ridiculous thing to say. In a shop, I'd only be leaving my tools there if I truly trusted my coworkers and we had numerous cameras, serious high security roller doors over all the entrances, and an alarm system that was sufficient for me to feel comfortable. Plus my serialized fancy-ass tools would be properly insured anyways....
Yeah, I got one of their rolling tool chests. The powdercoat was a little thin on some of the edges and absent on sharp corners of the lid, needed touched up with some spraypaint, but I ain't mad at it. Nice rolling casters on it, big hard rubber wheels, brakes work and the stomp tabs are a good size, lid's pneumatic. It's a big rolling chest with a ton of storage, nice and sturdy (it ends up being an ersatz workbench sometimes) and was, what? 1/3 the cost of something name brand?
I bought 2 of the 72" top/bottom box sets on sale a couple years ago. I got a whole wall of tool storage space in my garage for under $5k. (I am a tool hoarder, so I easily have well over $30k in tools) They are comparable to the middle level name brand boxes like Extreme, Husky, etc.
I bought a reciprocating saw from them and it self-destructed very quickly. Most HF items I've purchased have been surprisingly good. Their quality has gotten much better in the last 5 years. I've got two electric lawnmowers that work great! Two cement mixers are good, LED shop lights are very good, most air tools are good. Most electric power tools I've had were also pretty good. The bench-mounted blaster needed a lot of work to make it functional. Tie-down straps are pretty bad. The blue tarps don't last very long, but they're good for a couple of months outside.
My last year in college I worked at a harbor freight and for starters, I was treated really well as an employee, which is always great to see a business doing. Also there were so many sales metrics that they wanted cashiers to pay attention to. When I would run the register, they wanted me to do my best to help customers find their products and then try and sell a warranty and a membership. It was a night and day difference from my experience working at Lowe's. There's also something to be said about working for a private business. I felt more inclined to do a good job because my labor actually effected my hours. I still stop by whenever I need a hand tool.
The money-empowered hierarchies of their fellowman (i.e. the corporations owners of the Earth's human money funneling human-ant-colonies.) Will treat you nicely because you are a higher level of human-ant you should see how the ants who build all of those cheap tools are treated (as employees) in those countries where "their" money empowered hierarchies "are even less human" (& more money empowered ant brained) - all for the money. Until the "capitalistic-mind-indoctrination-education systems" who own all of the ant-minded peoples entertainment systems on the face of the Earth. Got their Snowball Effect of converting all of the used to be free of charge Village way of life people into human and colonies over-consuming the face of the Earth. And never mind the climate change problem because money empowered science will fix all of that. So that the wealthy few can remain the wealthy few until they're over-opulence indulged & "created end." If we didn't believe as a human "race to the end" that is okay that we covet & buy every thing of excessive convenience from our Corporation owners who keep us toiling and buying a toiling for the excessive convenience of money to buy everything "we never needed" to naturally and ecologically sustainably supply our lives comfortably enough to to survive - on an Earth that God had originally intended to supply for all of his creation predominantlyfree-of-charge. But since we love to covet and things of excessive convenience to buy (more than the Creater Himself) now we're going to pay and pay. But only because we don't know Jesus quite well enough and because we are stubborn and want everything that are overlords on the Earth have. Which makes us forget that this is a temporary gig here on Earth. So if you don't want to create a village population maintained way of life where we toil for our provision from nature as we nurture nature for our provision. Then just keep being an over-consumer and you'll get what you pay for.
Well said. I was so happy when Harbor Freight opened a store in my neighborhood. Wonderful place, but let the buyer beware. I bought tools from Harbor Freight back when it was only a mail order company, and I didn't have much money. I believe in Harbor Freight, and I am grateful to them for the many tools in my garage. There are times that I need something high end or task-specific, and I go elsewhere, but I nearly always try Harbor Freight first. Excellent video, and well done.
Yep, and apparently the upper management listens too! Was glad to see a HF finally open in my area, but unfortunately the new staff they hired seemed to leave a lot to be desired, with chronically surly attitudes and a store manager who liked to hire all his homies, but could obviously care less about anything else. So one day after experiencing one rude clerk too many, in desperation I contacted the HF regional manager w/ my complaints, though frankly didn't expect much of it. But upon returning to the same store a couple weeks later... lo and behold, the sales mgr, as well as every single clerk in the store, had all been suddenly replaced, and thankfully by folks with a noticeably more professional work ethic and a much more helpful 'attitude'! And maybe it was just another kinda 'quality control' issue, as mentioned earlier... though IMHO once notified, they also seem to do a pretty good job of attempting to make it right for the customer, even after the sale.
My father owned a construction company, and he bought the HF red pneumatic nail gun when he needed it for a quick job, not expecting it to last. Job after job that needed it, he kept using it. He expected to replace it when it failed, but it just kept going. He eventually bought 3 if them and they handled a great deal of abuse, and didn't stop. I can't tell if these were one offs from a decade ago or if there are still that good, but that is his story.
I bought a HF nailer. The Three different degree nailer, their most expensive one. It jammed halfway through every single Nail Clip. Returned it and bought the Makita from Home Depot and haven't had any regrets.
I bought a heat gun once and that thing survived hell and back. I used it until the whole outside of it melted off and only had to toss it after I left it in the rain once.
@@rondoanderson same. I bought 2 about 10 years ago for $19 each to do all the questionable rough work and beat the piss out of, and reserving my name brand grinders for gentler use. The only one that hasn't even tried to die is the harbor freight, and the other one has never been out of the box. go figure
AvE did a couple BOLTRs on HF pneumatic impacts and was stunned that they were actually decent. He also BOLTRd some power tools and found they were garbage as expected.
Back in the 1990’s, I worked in a diesel shop that used Pittsburg (harbor freight) impact sockets exclusively. These were available for all mechanics in the shop, and were beaten mercilessly. To my great surprise, none of them failed in the ten years I was with the shop. In fact, on my last day, I was given one of those old sets which currently sits proudly beside some Mac and snap on tools in my box. I don’t beat on them nearly as hard as we used to, and I expect this set to outlast me.
I work on Toyotas. I used a 21mm Pittsburgh impact socket and a harbor freight 1/2” impact when I first started. The impact gun still goes strong when I need it. It’s my back up now but that 21mm still isn’t cracked. 5-6 days a week 15-20 cars a day.
Those impact tools and also MOST handtools are guaranteed for life. If you break it take it back and they WILL replace it. I have not broken a impact set socket EVER.
To get started as a mechanic some of the most expensive things that no one thinks about are impact sockets. I bought a 1/2 drive, deep well set in metric and standard impact sockets in 2018. I've been using them continuously and they have standed true.
@@MillicentDavis-mn7hl All impact tools must be of a certain quality, so an impact socket from harbor freight will likely be just as good as the brand names. Ratchet handles, OTOH, the harbor freight ones will work, but high end brand names will have better fit and finish, and a bit stronger. My HF socket handles from 1995 still work, none have broken, but require a finger to stop them from ratcheting back after turning the fastener, while say Snap Off ones don't.
I bought some medium sized handheld sprayers for water, chemicals, fertilizer, or whatever. I found they are great for spraying down large sections of my linoleum floor prior to mopping. Works well with diluted bleach for the tub/shower. Because the pump action is pressurized, it doesn't wear a person out with having to constantly pump a cleaner. Great for windows, too, as I can cover a huge area with very minimal effort. I've bought tons of small batteries through them, too. Great for my collection of flashlights.
HF is a gateway drug to woodworking! I'm super thankful for them and the price as it got me my first tool set. I've upgraded almost all my tools at this point but still have SO MANY CLAMPS from them - you can never have too many.
I bought a dovetail jig there that no one around had in any other big box store. Made the dovetail joint perfectly when I rebuilt the cheap fiberboard drawers in the kitchen with real wood.
They really do get you to thinking, '-well maybe I might just do that myself-'. You might save yourself a lot of money by cruising the place and maybe if it turns out that you really don't have the skill for the job, well you didn't lose that much either. I had a broken tile in the kitchen that I put up with for a long time, then saw their tile saw for like 29 bucks and discovered that tile work is kinda fun to me and I can do it plenty well enough. Have a sewer line that seems to block itself up pretty regular, probably put in without a gradient. Once a year I gotta pull out my HF Snake, and another 100 buck plumber bill saved.
I was putting in about 500 feet of split rail fence, about 50 posts. I bought their one man auger post hole digger for $169. It had a 30 day return policy. I ended up with 5 of them before I finished the fence. Always took them back, never cost me a cent more. Different things went wrong with them. Ironically, the 5th one has held up for several years now of occasional use. Also they dug holes way better than me doing it with a hand digger. Video was spot on about wise choices. Sometimes you need the best tool, sometimes you don't.
Idk I'm on my second Predator auger, 1st one paid for itself 30 times over, current one is well on it's way to doing the same. Sucks you had to go through 5 for one project.
I'm a machinist and the one thing you're NOT telling your audience is it's NOT the quality of the tool. It's pure GREED from the well known brand names. I buy harbor freight all the time and I love it. There's absolutely NO reason to pay 500.00 dollars for a drill just because of a name. Some qualities are better than some but they all break.
Bits are the worst for this. Sure your bit might last some % longer than the cheapos, but we're talking hundreds of % of price difference and I just carry around a box of cheap bits.
When I left home my first drill was $15 and I got it to drill holes for hanging some things and the like Then my parents downsized and I inherited a Dewalt drill. Then I bought some tools, went Dewalt (to keep to the same battery system) and all of a sudden I'm $400 in on something I could theoretically have bought for $100 If you do plan to use stuff for more than one or two projects though the cost per job comes down fast, though if I needed eg an angle grinder (something I've never needed) I'd likely just buy a cheap one. Or I might just offer some beer to a colleague to borrow his for a weekend
@Bigbone... Yeah this dude is just regurgitating crap he's heard from other "content" creators. Harbor Freight beats the breaks off their competition when it comes to quality+ price point. I have worked for a minute as a "professional"
Another way they offer lower prices is that some of the really cheap models(power tools, for example), are sold with no blades or whatever. To use the tool, you need to buy these blades, etc.,. Of course, if you already have the blades or whatnot, is cheaper. I’ve bought stuff from HF, and really, their protection plans aren’t too badly priced.
I’m not in construction or woodworking, but I’m a hobby crafter. For my purposes, the Harbor Freight tools are perfect, because they’re in my price range. I do a lot of different home crafting “DIY’s” and looked at Dremels for their versatility, but couldn’t justify the price. The HF version was so inexpensive and the coupon made it even more so. It has worked great for me! I also love their fold up aluminum camp chairs with the pockets and the little pop-up side table…those were a bargain! Thanks for the video….lots of good tips and info!
I work construction for a living and build things at home as a hobby. Very little of HF equipment will ever see my job sites again (wrenches, hammers, etc seem ok; power tools are often a one use item. Others I work with get the warranty and just repeatedly keep returning the tools). But for my hobbies...things were theres not a lot of torque, no or few spinning parts, etc they're...ok. but like wire wheels...one can end up looking like a dang pin cushion only so many times before calling it off...lol
Lemme ask, how does it feel....Blindly supporting corrupt corporations? For profits... these corporations abuse human/labor rights laws, "corporate capitalist" corrupt corporations who manufacture/buy from manufacturer, that use forced labor/slave labor and child labor practices, so you get a product for a "deal" a nice low cost? No excuses, you are part of the problem!
I have an axe I bought there 25 years ago it's great steel(turns out I want the only person who figured it out). A few years ago they were selling a pretty good sloyd (greenwood carving) knife.
@@pointman2021 , have you bought a circular saw or a stone slab cutting saw from harbor freight? I almost pulled the trigger on one, but feared unreliability. Sometimes it is a luck of the draw on the power tools. It was only $365
I agree with you on the "What to buy" - handtools. However, during that segment, you showed drill bits and utility knives. Bits and blades is another place where you need to spend a little more or you will be working harder and constantly replacing/sharpening edges. Great video! P.S.: You can never have too many clamps!
HF has a 50 pack of utility blades for $5 that are honestly just as good as any other brand. Plus you are meant to put in a fresh one when you are doing something that requires precision cutting anyways. I do agree with you about drill bits, but HF now offers some decent diamond and titanium bits that are honestly not bad at all. They seem expensive compared to the rest of their stuff, but you actually get your moneys worth and I would recommend it without hesitation for anyone who plans on using those bits for more than just a few small jobs.
@@wymple09 YES. The plastic ones break under their own spring pressure. lol And hardened carbon steel is hardened carbon steel, eg. a razor blade is a razor blade. The same for files and chisels. Their little diamond coated nickel steel bits and burrs for rotary tools and die grinders work just fine, too. Never tried their drill bits. Maybe I should? See how fast they snap on me. 😂😂😂😂
I am a hobbyist to intermediate level wood worker. I have been buying Harbor Freight Tools for over 20 years (including power tools) and have never had a problem with any of them. My two key items are: a) know the tools limit(s) & b) never push the tool to it's limit, or beyond - I generally use them at 85% of their limit. One other thing I do is thoroughly inspect the tool before initial use - tightening anything that is loose and replacing any cheap part(s) that I think could become a problem during use. I re-inspect the tools after each 20 hours of use - retightening anything that could be coming loose and checking wear of cheap parts. If wear becoming excessive, I replace the part with a better quality one. As the say - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I am very happy with Harbor Freight Tools and would not buy any other. They are great for beginners, hobbyists, and most intermediate level users. If you are a professional or heavy user, then you need to make the investment in high quality tools.
@@Brad5161 That is a good rule to live by no matter how much (or little) you pay for any tool. Keep it within the limits and it will serve you well for years.
I totally agree. I build doors. My tools have all lasted for over 15 years. Plunge router, scroll saw, sander, table saw, and more. I work in pine and oak, never had a problem with those limits in mind. Love their tools.
GREAT advice! I'm not a professional mechanic, however my father was. During my time in the USAF, I was an electronics technician on B-52 aircraft. I can fix most things, because I understand how many things work. But I don't consider myself a "mechanic or carpenter." I make my living as a CPA! I have MANY tools and I love to go to Harbor Freight as my first stop when I need a new or replacement tool. YOUR advice was spot on!
I have one of their early orange hand grinders that I purchased over 20 years ago and it is still running strong! The Portland saw you spoke of, I have one of those that I purchased over six years ago that is still working well. Pacific power washer as well. It has a lot to do with how well you maintain and use the right tool for the right job.
In my mind, there is a difference between "cheap" tools and "inexpensive" tools. I was a heavy equipment mech for 10 years, working on Caterpillar equipment. To me, "cheap" meant poorly made, from inferior material. If I bought cheap tools it meant that I would consider them sacrificial; no big deal if I broke or lost them. "Inexpensive" tools were quality, well-made tools that I got at an excellent cost-savings, usually on sale, or buying them from someone who didn't need them anymore. Like Dave, I like Harbor Freight also -- for the right reasons.
I love this comment and have been thinking the same thing for years. I had a friend working at the local liquor store back in the day and his boss made sure to tell him NEVER refer to the cheap wines as "cheap". Inexpensive is the correct word when referring to your own products that you are actively trying to sell.
Witt Wittwer I agree, HF tools sometimes may not make it through one job depending what it is. I have taken back a number of their tools back. On he other side I have had some that lasted for awhile then broke. I would go buy another one and take the broken one back for a refund because they keep the same tool line for a long time. I would take the new one out of the box put the broken one in the box and away it went. I would have the new tool the next time I needed it. I didn't do heavy work as you, mine was in the driveway DIY so that's not the same as you.
The racing jack I bought is my favorite get. Never thought about the safety aspect, but I'm never under a load without jack stands. Umm, that might have come from Harbor freight :). I would diss their bungee cords, but it seems to be impossible to find quality elastic (not the stiff rubber things) cords anywhere. It's been a few years, but their bungee cords dissolve in weather and lose elasticity in a few months.
I love that the 4 1/2” angle grinders are so cheap that instead of having one Makita and having to swap discs and brushes, I have 4 of them for the same price of a Makita, one with a grinding disc, one with a cutting disc, one with a flap disc and one with a brush, so when I am working I just pick up the one I need and not waste time changing discs.
I even paid full price (all $15) for my HF angle grinder, and am happy with it. I needed it away from home for a small repair on my Dad's house. Nice that it is so light and low powered, which is often preferable vs. the twice as heavy, twice as powerful, 8x as expensive Craftsman Professional one I have when I need that.
Good idea. We do this with our drills/impacts. If we need to drill, we grab the one with the drill. Or the one with the screwdriver bit for screwing screws. Or the nut driver one for that purpose. It works really well on cutting time down by not having to change the piece for each different use.
Years ago the heater blower in my car stopped working. I took it apart to find the brushes were worn to nothing. It was late Sunday and below zero and I needed defrost to get to work in the morning. With a little shaving of the brushes I dissected from the angle grinder, I repaired the blower. (I think a new blower was $120.)
Harbor Freight is one of the few places where you can find color coded socket sets. Looking for the purple socket is a lot easier than trying to read 10mm even in the largest "high visibility" font. Pittsburgh sockets with a snap-on flex ratchet is one of my favorite combinations.
lol i do love their 8 dollar colored deepwell sockets for 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2" have a zinc galvanized bucket you can get them at the farm store they make a great rod bucket. but lol i put my set of 1/2 inch harbor wonton sockets in it lmao
Color coded is the best for when you're under the rig in muck up to your eyeballs with the ol lady up top helping. I could say a certain size, but "hand me the purple socket" just is so much easier on the relationship when you're contemplating kicking out the jackstand for an early release from hell 🤣
I bought one of the cheapest angle grinders they had about 10 years ago and it still works like a champ. Other then all my Ryobi stuff, I get all my other tools at harbor freight. Im a weekend mechanic/engineer and I have saved a ridiculous amount of money buying "cheap" tools. Can't really think of anything I have ever bought from there that didn't last or do what I needed it to do.
Same. I love my cheap HF angel grinder w/ cord. Didn't know what I was doing with metal when I bought it and after a dozen projects I haven't replaced it, although cutting disks and grinding disks can very.
Still using my super cheap HF grinder from year 2000! Of course I use it occasionally, but it lasts a long time for casual users. Also super cheap centec multimeter I bought from HF in 1995 still works
They have stepped up their game in recent years particularly on their boxes. The only thing that really dogged me was a couple pneumatic tools that failed me, but returned with no hassle. My Dad is a retired Snap On Dealer and we both go to HF when we need a tool we dont have.
You brought up a great subject as far as psychology. I use to work for a office machine wholesaler and we sold IBM and Nakajima typewriters in the late 90's - 2000's and they were identical machines however IBM put a 5 lbs weight in the bottom of their machine to give the impression that it was a heavier built typewriter. Other than the label everything was the same, well except the Nakajima was $200 cheaper!
That is super interesting. Thanks! for sharing! It is amazing the lengths that some companies will go through to squeeze just a bit more out of their customers.
Except that is pretty much irrelevant to the topic and in fact it is the opposite, that if a tool had extra metal in it, all else equal, it would be a more durable tool. Their tools also aren't identical to some other brand, so the more interesting psychology topic would be how can you get this all so wrong and yet feel like you don't need to rethink the false analogies? No, it is not the same tool, for better or worse, meaning you can also pay similar for generic junk elsewhere and end up with worse quality than some at HF.
A friend had a butcher friend (decades ago as you'll see by the prices). At the store one day, he asked why these pork chops were .79¢ and those were .69¢ a lb? The butcher made sure no one was around and replied "Well, some people like to pay .69¢ a lb and some people like to pay .79¢ a lb." Economic psychology in action.
I bought a Pittsburgh 19 piece wrench set 21 years ago. Used them in my private tool set at an electronics factory for 6 years. Medium weight work mostly, some heavier. Since then on bikes, shelving etc around the house. A great buy, they are in perfect shape today.
I once needed a impact drill for a DIY job. Buying one at HF was cheaper than renting one from the major hardware stores. So they definitely have a built-in market for people not wanting to spend full price for a DIY project.
Great point. Also you won’t be having to rush the job because you have a limited time to get the rental back. Chances are if you’re using a tool you don’t own, you won’t necessarily be fast and efficient with it.
If you are not a pro mechanic using impact tools every day, there is certainly no reason to drop major bucks on name brand tools, unless you want bragging rights in the neighborhood.
I used HF to complete my tire changing station in my home garage. I got an air compressor and a retractable air hose reel. The air compressor is a McGraw 8 gallon tank and it has zero issues popping a bead on super stiff walled ADV style motorcycle tires. I also own three different style motorcycle lifts/jacks and all have been great for me. You just have to have a keen eye on what you’re buying but honestly, all the big “premium” brands have come down in quality over the years while some of the better HF brands have stepped up. The gap isn’t as large as it used to be.
I bought a sawzall at HF for ~$20 to cut some tree roots I was dealing with. 10 years later I'm still using it for similar nasty jobs. It's held up way better than I expected.
I bought the same piece of junk Sawzall from Harbor Freight when I moved into my condo. I put it on a shelf for 17 years never using it. Finally a friend asked me to trim some small branches off the bottom of his tree using the Harbor Freight reciprocating saw. I put a pruning blade on it and started to cut. Within seconds the piece of deal started to vibrate itself apart. I of course stopped and tossed it in the trash. I was lucky enough to score a Ridgid reciprocating saw on Offer Up used and have been tickled pink with its performance. I guess what you said in your video is true, "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR"!
I bought the same power saw for $20 7 years ago & I abused the hell out of it. From pine trunks, solid iron bars, hollow metal fence posts, etc. It finally seized up last summer but I definitely got my money's worth.
So as a traveling mechanic, I must say I stand behind most all the tools I buy from H.F. I have been mechanicing for 27 years and I just love them. I have even found that they have many tools that out-do the name brands. I will agree that cordless tools are somthung to spend a bit more. Yes, many of them are made in the same factories, as you said but the quality is very different.
I agree with you as another mobile mechanic and in shop mechanic where we use harbor freight tools all the time. we use their jacks ,engine hoist and they are fantastic there. Cordless drills and impacts work. Great for deer way home projects. The earthquake impact brand is actually fantastic. I’ve used it for many Engine teardowns. I have yet to find something that that impact can’t takeoff. I personally had that impact for over 2 1/2 years and still working great the only thing how to do it was replace the battery We also have Mac and snap on tools. But in my personal opinion, they are just overpriced tools and they break just as often as the harbor freight tool steel with a huge difference. Snapon does an honor their warranty that well, when it comes down to certain tools for mechanical, such as their floor jacks Harbor freight tools pretty much come with the 90 day warranty and from my personal set on Harbor freight tools, I’ve been using them over 2 1/2 years seven days a week kind of hours and projects. And I broke and maybe 1/3 of the amount of Harbor freight tools. Compare to snap on.
I've been using the Bauer line of cordless for about 4 years now, and while they aren't the highest performing cordless tools out there, they certainly work well and have lasted through all my abuse. Haven't had any issues with them so far and haven't seen much battery degradation over time either
Their concrete mixer was a great purchase. Granted I had to go back to the store twice to combine parts from a 2nd box to complete one full unit, but for under $200, I got sidewalks all around my house done and saved tens of thousands in labor. Harbor Freight's customer service has always been helpful as well.
A wheel from my push lawnmower broke. The original equipment manufacturer wanted $25 for a new one. I went to Harbor Freight and got a replacement for $8. The quality is great and it fit and worked perfectly. That was my first experience with HF. I'll keep them in mind the next time I need a part or tool.
I'm a Plant Mechanic for a Water District. I bought one if the HF "Titanium" 120V mig welders for use at home. That thing is awesome. It runs just as smooth [possibly smoother] than the giant multiprocess Miller in our shop at work. I don't use the Titanium machine daily, but for the small stuff on my old car project.. It works great .👍
Used to work at Harbor Freight; currently back in the CNC machining business, and I can tell you that their hydraulic jacks fall into two categories. Either they work right out of the box, or they don't . From my personal experience, they're not bad, especially when Snap On sells several models of jack where literally the only difference is what color the Chinese factory sprays it.
Two items that I purchased in HF that I’m extremely pleased with: 1- The oscillating multi tool. I’ve used it to cut , sand, grind and it’s still going strong almost 10 years later . 2- The insulated electricians screwdriver set ( regular and mini size). I don’t often work in electrical panels but having an insulated screwdriver when working on a live circuit is good peace of mind. They’ve done right by me so far.
I used to have a Fein oscillating tool which was very expensive, but it always had switch failure and the place I bought it from had offered free repair which was useless to me because I would have to drive 1-1 1/2 hours of rush hour traffic and then have to leave the tool there, so that made the tool useless to me. Harbor freight to the rescue. For $19.00 the problem was solved. Always had a working tool.
I bought the $19 multi-tool and it lasted exactly 4 hours and then burned up. But I got the job done and didn't spend 200 plus dollars on another multi-tool. Just saying
yes, I bought a Bauer cordless oscillator 6-7 years ago for luthier work, but I've used it around the house on tons of projects and it's worked like a champ.
I've been buying stuff from Harbor Freight for probably 30 years now. In the beginning the stuff they sold was pretty low quality but it was cheap and you knew what you were getting. Most of the things I bought then were specialty tools - things I would use infrequently but couldn't justify paying top dollar for a name brand name. They usually worked ok and if it broke so be it. Over the years however their tool quality has improved considerably. I've bought bottle jacks, a floor jack, pneumatic tools, paint sprayer, multi-tool, compound slide miter saw, tile saw, floor nailer, nail gun, grinder, trailer, etc. and I've only had one item fail prematurely. Some of the reasons you mention why they are able to sell at a lower price are probably true but what it's taught me is that some products are just more expensive because the company selling them wants a higher profit margin and nothing else.
Remember that god awful central forge brand? I haven't seen it in awhile. I once twisted a 1/8 hex wrench with my fingers....on the short side. Back then Pittsburgh was the better brand of tool they carried.
@richmac918 Unfortunately living costs in the US are much higher than in China so our labor costs are higher. It's not just always more profit. Also they can't organize in China to get a living wage so labor gets exploited and can't do anything about it. As the Chinese economy develops their labor costs do go up, and quality increases as it did in Japan after WW2. Now Japanese goods are high quality where once they were considered cheap jun. All economies go through the same cycle.
@@andyrothauser1312 You are absolutely right about everything you said and all economies go through this cycle. My comment about profit was directed at those companies that are manufacturing a product in China where their competitors products are being manufacturerd right along with it but their sell price is orders of magnitude higher. You could argue that they have better quality control (probably true) BUT the price difference is still way out of line.
I was always told and have personally experienced this little nugget of truth; if you’re going to buy from Harbor Freight, stick to hard steel. Anything else, anything complex with components will not last longer than the first use or first week. Granted, my dad bought most of his workshop out of there and hasn’t replaced but a few tools over the years. It’s definitely a difference in what you expect out of them versus what you put them through.
I'm a big believer in not overbuying for what you need. Just as a typical home DIYer I've used several of their items. My favorite is the Multi-function Power Tool. Works great for cutting and sanding my occasional jobs and the accessories are cheap, like the sanding pads or new blades. If its something I had to make a living with, I might feel differently, but for my purposes they're great.
I am a professional in construction, I love going to HF for things that I will lose before they have a chance to break. Like screwdrivers, sockets, impact bit sets, etc… the a couple of things have really impressed me, they have a comprehensive tamper proof bit set that has all the bits for any tamper proof installation and it is cheap 15$, also an aluminum 2 ton carjack that I use on my smaller vehicles, and I have owned for over 10 years. I also like their wood clamps.
Facts! HF is my go to for those exact items! Including the tamper proof set. Only thing that sucks about the tamper proof set is the case is piece of crap. All the pieces end up not staying inside and the clip that closes it ends up ripping off, so I usually wrap it with electrical tape.
I have an oscillating tool that I bought years ago and surprisingly it's still working. It's not as good as name brand ones but it does the same thing and cost a lot less. You're right about use, break and throw away.
I'm an Enginerd and worked for a G.C., Masony Contr & Elec Contr during H.S. and thru College. i'm constantly doing things to upgrade my house and lot so some tools i'll only use 2-3 times and don't need to spend more $$ for Contr Grade so lower quality HF tools at time do the job.
@@WestHaddnin I bought a roll of nylon webbing online, which comes in all sorts of cool colors and designs (or you can recycle the material from your retired Harbor Freight ratchet straps), bought some 1" D rings and sewed custom belts for extra security on all my little tool boxes. Now if I drop them they don't explode and pieces fly everywhere
I began a lot of my tool shopping at harbor freight. I am shocked when going into Home Depot or Lowe’s at how much the tools cost. Most of the time the slightly better quality isn’t worth double the price on something I’m going to use as an average homeowner.
The predator generator that they sell is shocking good. I had that thing running for 4 days nonstop in 110 degree weather and it didn’t have a single problem at all and still now the thing fires right up with just a few pulls. I totally dig harbor freight and will continue to buy from them.
My first predator 3300 inverter gen had a bad choke/run connector w/in a month. They replaced it and this one has been flawless. Just be sure to clean the exhaust spark arrestor as a clogged one will cause it to not run very well. Also have their 4400 pressure washer. So far so good on that too.
One thing you failed to mention - their hand tools (i.e. wrenches & sockets) have a lifetime warranty. If you break it, just take it back for a new one. My son is an Assistant Manager at HF and he basically said the same thing - stick to the hand tools and avoid the "electric" tools. And I'm with the guy who commented below😅 floor Jack's are very good, as are their winches and other off-road products. They know if someone gets injured or killed because their product fails they'll face a massive lawsuit.
I disagree. Their electric tools are ok too for the average homeowner. Take a miter saw. I've owned it 10 years still works like new because I may have used it 10 times in it's entire lifetime. There is no reason to spend twice as much when you don't use it but you still need it for a project.
That warranty doesn't help much when a socket or a wrench breaks in the middle of something. I'll continue buying good quality hand tools from local stores. The exception: their tool storage seem to be fairly good.
I've been using the Bauer brand cordless tools for about 4 years now, since they first started carrying them in stores, and honestly... I love them. They seem well built and I haven't had any issues with them. I have the 1/2" impact, the hex impact driver, sawzall, and angle grinder and they all work great, and while I don't exactly abuse my tools, I'm not the nicest either. I've left them in hot cars, in the hot sun and laying in the dirt and they still all work fine. Only issue I've found is I bought the brushless sawzall and it doesn't seem to have much stall torque, but I haven't used many other sawzalls os that could be normal
my bauer drill is a workhorse, but the bauer cordless angle grinder is a pos, constantly cuts off while cutting like its overloaded or something. the bauer plainer is a workhorse too but make sure you pack plenty of quality fresh grease into the main bearing. i also have the central machine band saw and i wouldn't buy it again, i may put a bigger motor on it. I had the compound miter saw 12" chicago electric, used it heavily for almost 3 yrs. the angles were off and i got tired of having to use a speed square to set 45's and i sold it for 60$ and then spent 400$ on a Dewalt. the angles are spot on now ;)
@@budwittman4907 what battery are you using on the angle grinder? I've never had a problem with my cordless angle grinder but I've only used the 5.0 Ah battery with it so it could be a battery problem. I have had a few different tools cut off like what you're describing when the battery is low and I'm asking for a lot of torque, but usually fully charged batteries dont do that to me
Goad to know I got the 1/2 impact wrench an small tire inflator. The lil inflator is better then advertised just dint wanna fill 4 empty tires waiting every 10min for 15min. But for the need 👌. I talked to the girl one day at register. She'd not seen any hand battery tools returned for breakage just ppl not happy which meant they did the 1 job they need it for then return it. Hence Lowe's not accept returns on drain snakes.
Interesting, retired hobbiest here. I’ve gotten interested in welding and purchased the Titanium 170 MiG. I’ve gone through 30# of wire and 4 125 gas bottles; it still works like new. I also got a small Bauer band saw and stand. I use it multiple times a week for smaller metal cutting. The blade tends to pop off but otherwise very useful.
Love Harbor Freight! I’m a woman and most of my projects and needs are basically light weight so to speak. I have a Ryobi collection that I pair Harbor freight accessories with that works awesome! The only power tool I have from HF is a dremmel type tool and it has worked very well. I think you basically covered it with how to shop at HF. For me it’s an awesome store and so happy they built one in my small town!
I like Ryobi. They may not be considered the highest quality tool, but the 18v collection has more tools available for the price. I've got the 1/2" drive impact in my car to be used as a lug wrench. I dare say it has stood up to my friend's Snap On cordless impact.
Harbor Freight welders, especially the flux core welders, are a great bargain! My TIG collects dust while that little 115v thing goes through spool after spool. It's also nice to have extra angle grinders with all the different attachments. The thing NOT to buy at HF are consumables like sandpaper, drill bits, saw blades. Look up Project Farm for comparison on individual tools to know what you're getting before hand.
I know what you mean about having an "extra grinder with different attachments" as I bought a corded Black and Decker 4" angle grinder at Walmart a few years ago, before we had a Harbor Freight in our area, then two years ago I went to buy another grinder from HF but they were "sold out" (of course...my store never has anything in it), but on the way home from there, I stopped at a yard sale that had a bunch of tools for sale!! One of the tools just happened to be a Bosch angle grinder and the guy only wanted $10 for it!! I grabbed that, a couple of large antique clamp, a hand plane and a orbital sander, for the money I would have spent at Harbor Freight!! It was one of the few times where my local store being "sold out" actually sort of worked in my favor, because thanks to them and their lack of quantity, I had the extra money for tools at a better price!!
Yes any blades and etc are usually junk from harbor freight. It sucks. Their Welders have for the past several years been extremely good. I have Millers, but those Vulcan brand welders are very nice for the money. Some of the their tools are identical to a Snap On or Mac tool. This is because tooling is expensive and patents are a thing, so if company x makes that specific tool all other brands are just up charging you.
My son, an HVAC Tech, recommends that new techs buy their first set of tools from Harbor Freight and replace them with higher quality tools when they break. Makes a lot of sense. As the video points out, if you don't use certain tools heavily, they will last a long time. Why buy a high end 13/16ths wrench if you almost never use it?
I am the guy that even has two 15/32 sockets. If/when I need a tool I don't want to go to town to get it. But I have collected my tools over the last 52 years. about 75% are top shelf and the rest Harbor Freight. I still have the tools my dad gave me when I was 14 years old, I have worn them out pretty much though, and haven't used them in a long time. In my lifetime I have only lost a couple of wrenches and a couple of sockets because I was taught to take care of my tools by my dad who had his own shop and his living depended on them. Most were made in Japan and lasted though a lot of use though.
I bought an electric impact there for breaking lugs off of wheels 12 years ago, came with an extra set of brushes for the motor. Still works to this day, never had it fail to break anything loose. Color me pleasantly surprised.
I noticed that the chop saws had higher degrees of flex and were less precise than the more expensive competitors. On the plus side, the harbor freight brand allowed me to get started in woodworking and learn about what types of tools I needed to invest more money into. Most of the time you can sell the older tools at a discount so you usually aren't completely out of your investment. Take care of your tools. I had an air scraper fail on 1st use, but the store was great about exchanging it for a new one, which worked just fine. Specialty sockets are my go to at Harbor Freight, I've never broken a socket.
Chop/miter saws as a class of tool are notorious for having slop, a problem not unique to HFT. My first chop was a Skill, which was replaced by an HFT, which was replaced by a Hatachi, which was replaced by a DeWalt, which was replaced by a very expensive Jet, and they all had the exact same problem with slop. If you want dead-on accurate cuts, build yourself an alignment gauge on your Sawstop/Laguna/Harvey table saw and manually calibrate your chop/miter saw up every time you make a cut. And even then down count on it to be perfect. IMO they are contractor tools at best and hobbiest tools at worst.
@@radiationroom I'm glad you submitted that opinion. Some tools are inherently more prone to some degree of error. Buying your way up the "toolchain" is not always a good idea. Maybe changing the tool, the technique, or the whole approach is a better idea. You are wise.
I have both a Hercules and Bauer saw- Bauer is really very good and Hercules is really very very close to Makita, desalt and Milwaukee. At WAY less cost ! And when they are on sale and /or coupon, your nuts to pay more….Unless you are professional a red or blue or turquoise fan boy with lots fo same batteries, these are GREAT saws, seriously. I would agree you’ve got to stress these tools quickly ; the 90 day basic warranty runs out quick, and they don’t offer extended warranties on all their tools.
@@alext8828 Agreed on your statement about buying one’s way up the tool chain. I have several pieces of Jet branded kit, including a lathe, a bandsaw and several pieces of dust control machines. The only piece I regret going upscale on is the chop/miter saw.
As a plumbing contractor, I buy most of my tools from HF. If you lose or abuse the tools it’s no big deal because they’re cheap enough just to replace them! I’ll for instance use a screwdriver for a chisel, or a adjustable wrench for a hammer, whatever is handy to speed up the job! Not the best quality, but the best price for good quality!
My first welder came from HF. It was an experiment purchase and using it showed me that yes I could use a welder to make the repairs I wanted.I also found out what limits their welders have,and when ready, I opted for a higher end welder with more quality and many more features. However, I have a 4 inch grinder that has lasted almost a decade and still works perfectly. It is temendously noisy,but it does its job. Moving blankets, dollies, rubber gloves, grinding wheels, all the consumables are definately worth the trip to HF. Love the place.
I bought my angle grinder years ago at HF, figuring it was getting old, I was in one day and they had angle grinders on sale, so I bought a second one. It is still sitting on the shelf waiting for the first one to wear out, and the cellophane wrapper is starting to show age! The nice thing about HF is you can afford owning 2 of the same tool. I think I have 5 pipe wrenches, but can never find one when I need it! I think I need to get more organized, but it is nice to be able to afford a lot of tools.
Harbor freight is great for certain items and improving them with do-it-yourself upgrades. I have a friend who bought one of their sand blast booths and made it really good after doing the upgrades he found on RUclips.
I'm a mechanic for 50 years. After buying top name tools all my life I started buying from Harbor Freight for about 20 years. I've had some bad ones, but also really good ones. The best is a electric pole saw that I still use at home. Thanks.
Long-time HF customer here. I have a workshop full of HF tools. I've been buying less lately because I have pretty much everything I need and also the coupons went away. I loved those coupons! This was an excellent and even-handed review. Can't argue with anything. Most HF tools are good enough for home projects that don't require top-of-the-line quality. And yes, if your life depends on your tools -- stay away from HF (ahem -- jack stands!) One HF purchase I made that blew me away was a Predator 3500 Watt Inverter. After 2 years of starting it every month, it still functions well -- kudos to HF for that!
Coupons have been back for close to 6 months now, possibly more. If you haven't been in awhile you're definitely gonna see new stuff. They're in the middle of a massive image change, without affecting the prices.
They addressed an issue with a supplier of said jackstands and have fixed them, even replaced them for free. There are tons of pros who use their stands and jacks. They may not have been quality years and years ago but as of today they are totally well built and safer to use. The problem is, people don't put oil in the jacks and expect it to lift a vehicle and thus claim it's defective. See it all the time.
I think they stopped sending out the coupon catalogs..... All I know is, I get at least one email a day with coupons from Harbor Freight. Yeah, its not the same scale as the catalogs, but I will admit, the rotation is pretty healthy
I bought a Pittsburgh 301 piece tool kit 17 years ago. It has served me well as I was an in home service tech for Sears and still run my own small engine shop. I've lost a few pieces but haven't broken any. Love my tools!
The floor jacks and jack stands are as good as or better than most other Chinese-made products that you find in other stores. ALWAYS have multiple means of support when working under a vehicle.
People seem to forget: A QUALITY TOOL EXACTLY MEETS THE USER'S REQUIREMENTS... to a carpenter a $3 hammer is a piece of junk; to an apartment dweller who hangs the occasional picture a $30 hammer is ridiculously over priced. Harbor Freight is a great place to shop if you make your purchase per the requirements rather than just the price. Yeah, you get what you pay for, buy what is suitable for the job and you will be happy 😀
Tools.. Mostly power tools, carry a good resell value if you've ever taken a stroll though a pawn shop...obviously condition, and brand quality make the differ in what they'll except and resell, but it's more a marker to the thought of resell in general. You get what you pay for, but you might also get back near what you paid for when in vesting in higher quality/higher valued tools..
Hank, I disagree with your definition of quality. Some jobs don't require quality tools. If all you need to do is get through this job, then the cheapest tool that does that is what you might think you need, but you could easily be disappointed if you have to buy two of them to make it through the job. Some cheap tools won't produce quality results. Some of them won't last more than one job. Quality tools are what a professional wants. One example is that every Kobalt tool I've bought has broken the first time I've tried to use it. They didn't make it through the job I bought them for.
Exactly right, that is the way I purchase tools. I still have and use Harbor Freight hand tools I purchased 20+ years ago. I don't need brand name tools that I'll use 2 or 3 times a year. Plus where else would I find the unusual tool that I didn't know existed? You have to walk each aisle to find the weird tools. (ツ)
@@shepberryhill4912 Shep, By all means disagree, I'm always ready to consider another opinion/perspective! My point is that people equate cost with quality and IMHO more expensive doesn't mean that an item is better for the job at hand. If some Pharaoh commissioned a solid gold hammer it would be very expensive but even less suited for a carpenter than the $3 hammer as it would be too soft/ductile to hammer in a nail - from the carpenter's perspective it would be poor quality in spite of the cost. Per the more expensive is better theory. Recently saw a cost/quality trap on Amazon. Was looking for a fly rod for my granddaughter, found the same rod (pictures, specs ect) for prices ranging from $50 to $550. Buyer be ware! Like everything else, some tools are way overpriced relative to their true (functional and durable) value. I appreciate good stuff and consider myself as a "serious amateur" so I prefer to buy equipment approaching professional level if I can afford it. Even if it is a one-project and resell item. On the flip side, some tools are out and out crap that should never be offered for sale. I bought a bearing-puller kit for a one-off use that turned out to be useless. Just my 2 cents. Cheers!
My father is a avid wood worker. He has built most of the family some of the nicest furniture and cabinetry you would ever want. He has some very high end saws, routers, shapers, planer etc. My HF chop saw and table saw are nowhere near as accurate, and may not even last as long, but the thing is even if I had his workshop and his fancy tools, without the decades of learning and experience he has I couldn't turn out the quality of project he does. However, even with my cheap HF wood working tools I can manage repairs around the house. I could probably even build a shelf or table or whatever that works just fine, even if it wasn't all intricately inlaid, and veneered, with fancy hidden compartments like some of the stuff he's made. With the frequency at which I mess with dead tree carcasses, my HF tools could possibly last the rest of my life, and even if they don't I won't be disappointed or feel like they owe me anything.
As a HFT employee I can say your view is very valid. Harbor Freight sells many different levels of tools from beginner or "one time use" items to more professional grade tools, especially now with the Earthquake, Icon, and Hercules brands. I personally have used the Bauer brand tools extensively, and they have kept pace with other people's DeWalts, Milwalkees, etc. tools. Yes there are lemons that make it to the shelves, but at least in my store, we will either replace or refund your tool should it have some issue. I can't speak for every store across the country, but if you're in the SW Florida area, chances are you will get a good tool for your money, and if not, we will make it right for you.
Harbor Freight is a place to buy a tool you may use only once or twice. I used many higher level tools/electric operated tools and they crapped out! FYI, never buy the lower end cordless drills or their knockoff channel locks!
The Bauer drills are a bargain coming with a charger, even though the chucks let go of a tool a little easy. just remember to twist that chuck shut tightly on a big drill.
I buy most of my hand tools at Harbor Freight, I tend to get power tools at Home Depot though. I have the jack, and I know many mechanics who have the Pittsburgh jack and have been using it for a long time, this is a tool you should definitely get, I’ve used it for more than lifting cars up, it’s built surprisingly well for the price.
HF has come a long ways in recent years. Back in the early 00s when they didn’t have the “tier” items and basically only one line, yeah they definitely were sketchy in a lot of ways. Once they started building better options, albeit for more money, but still cheaper than name brand, things got better. I also have a Daytona 3 ton jack that has been a total work horse for about 5 years now. Same with the jack stands. They definitely have their crappy products but I’d honestly say these days the crap is a lot less common.
If it's the Daytona 3-ton with the wavy-looking design on the side rails, then you effectively got a Snap-On $1,200 jack for what- $300-$350? Either jack can use replacement parts from the other.
I think they are honest when it comes to the reviews on their website too, it seems pretty much unmodderated. You can tell what tools are good or at least decent because they are 3.5 stars or better, and all the unreliable junk is 3 or less. It really looks like they don't mess with those ratings at all, and I've been basing all my purchases there off of those ratings for years and years and years and it has literally never let me down. Not even a single time. The really fantastic products are very consistently 4.5-5 stars.
Nowadays, the only difference between a Harbor Freight tool and a "big box store tool" is the color of the plastic. You'll pay way more for the color of the plastic and a name... in most cases.
@@thetruthserum2816 That isn't entirely true. HF does have some total scam products, like real lemons that just are no good. Most somewhat reputable tool brands typically don't offer products that are just a completely useless fail, not to the same extent in my experience. Some HF tools simply can't even be used for their intended purpose a single time.
Very well explained. I've bought inexpensive tools at Harbor Freight to replace "good" tools that knuckleheaded yacht crew have dropped over the side by mistake, figuring if they go over the side again, at least the new tool was a cheap tool, only to find out the cheap tools actually lasted a long time. The cheap tools were well on their way to outlasting the good tools. Like you said, get tools with very few moving parts, and chances are you will be a satisfied customer. Take care
I bought a house brand oscillating tool 15 years ago. $25 bucks. I used it the other day. I still can't get over how useful that thing is. Polishing, sanding, cutting, shaping, ...One of my best purchases ever. My 25 year old Craftsman biscuit joiner, never used it once.
There is a big difference between quality control and quality assurance. Quality assurance is more effective and much cheaper than quality control. Quality assurance is building the quality into the product. Quality control is building the product and then sorting the good from the bad.
I have outfitted my tool collection with alot of Harbor Freight tools. The power tools are hit and miss but like you said, you get what you pay for. Winners for me are the simple hand tools, they have been serving me very well for years. And I have been super impressed with my Fortress compressor, Bauer shop vac and Hercules angle grinder.
Their us general and icon tool cabinets are amazing. Any icon product with a lifetime warranty is a solid choice as well. I beat on those ratchets, and I've finally had one whose teeth are not clicking perfectly after 2 years of pretending the ratchet doubles as a breaker bar. I simply brought it in and got a new one. I honestly prefer it over my snap on ratchet, simply because I'm 5 min away from a harbor freight, I can never find a snap on truck nearby, and I didn't break a $150 ratchet.
The toolboxes are amazing, but go look at Mr. Subaru’s channel. A lot of Icon products are the same as other budget brands, but marked up 50-200% above those.
ALL of their hand tools have lifetime warranty. The new Icon stuff is overpriced for what it is - it's just working on the "ooh, I'll just spend a little more to get better" mentality he talks about in the video. What pisses me off is the incomplete sets - metric sets missing 15mm, which is a really common size in automotive applications. I think another way they get you is you buy a set of wrenches or sockets that are missing a few key sizes, and then you spend more on that individual socket to fill the set out than you would on just buying a full set to begin with elsewhere.
I run a handyman business and have purchased many tools at Harbor Freight. Chipping hammer, demo hammer, pole saw, heavy duty floor jack to name the big items. I chose to buy them as i would normally rent them from home depot and figured as long as they outlast the cost to rent them it would be worth it. HUGE win for me! I have never had a failure with a harbor freight tool. I used the tools for many jobs beating out the rental cost multiple times over. The best part is after I decided to narrow down the list of jobs I would take on I sold the tools and recouped most of my original money! If you are going to rent a tool for a diy job price it out at HF first. It may be cheaper for you to own one over rent. A brand new lower quality name brand tool will almost always beat out a tool that has been used and abused by multiple people over time and maintained by hourly employees that may have little to no experience. Also, if you know you will be hard on a tool HF tools are perfect. Get the warranty…its a full replacement warranty. Keep a record log of when you bought and when your warranty will run out. Beat the tool up as much as you need to and then bring it back either IF it breaks or just before your warranty expires. They do not care what is wrong with it or how it got that way…they just give you a brand new one!
Their current design jack stands are outstanding. They had to do two successive recalls on their older defective ones a few yrs ago, but they really stepped up and IMO the curent Daytona jack stands are the best of the chinese made jack stands on the market today. Their rolling hydraulic jacks are excellent as well.
I’ve been in the water well repair business since I was a teen. Used to use Simpson and Amprobe testers. Instead of an Amprobe clamp on amp meter I use the $12 special from HF. It does way higher amperage than anything I’ve ever needed, voltage, and ohms in one meter. Accuracy is better than expected. A set of batteries from a dollar store costs more than the whole meter so I keep extras from HF in stock. Bonus: if I accidentally drop it in water (or down a well… it happens) or it gets crushed it costs about as much as lunch at a fast food place instead of a few hundred dollars. Yeah, I keep a couple of extra meters as well.
As an electrician, I have to let you know that your life can depend on your meter. Don't end up an osha video for apprentices because you had a cheaper option. I hate the price tags, because I pay taxes, but if you deal with higher voltages please, go with fluke or another better quality. Probably made in China, no matter what you choose, but with better quality control. Don't leave your dependents sol because you could have 20 lunches for the price of a real meter. Buy their sockets and batteries and led lights all day, but not your electrical meters.
Harbor freight floor jacks and jackstands are actually pretty fantastic. Project farm did a nice video on the floor jack and it stacked up to the snap on equivalent if I remember correctly.
There was a power failure in my area around 2 AM, so I went looking for a generator. Since I knew they’d be in high demand, I went to the Home Depot before they opened at 6 AM. I was the first one in the store, and found their generators were completely sold out. Since this was an unexpected storm, the only reasonable explanation was the employees had removed them from the floor so they could make sure their friends and relatives got one - or maybe they were selling them for a markup from the back of the store. Went to a Harbor Freight further away and got what I was looking for.
I have bought the large breakover bar, and used it extensively in plant maintenance. It was extremely tested on breaking loose impeller bolts that were locked on due to heat and buildup, and had sevear stress applied. They held up great, much beyond my expectation. I also have the larger mill/drill, which performed great. My favorite though has been my press arbor, with a pneumatic jack, and the air compressor which works flawlessly. These were expensive items that I would endorse 100%. I also have lights, multimeters wrenches, and measuring devices such as dial indicators and micrometers. The dial indicators are as accurate as expensive ones though they don't last as long, but the upside is if you destroy one you haven't lost much, and instead of having to pay for rebuilding one you just get a new one for much lower cost.
I purchased a 1 man gas powered auger for post holes. I have used it for about a year and have drilled dozens of holes. Always starts first pull. I also have the 9000 predator generator. I have been using it to power my 600ft deep well pump and surface pump. I can power both at the same time. Both of the tools have performed great!
My predator 3500 generator is a good ten years old and still runs great. I had to clean the carburetor once (due to it sitting unused for awhile) but it fired right up afterwards. Great value and quality, especially for the price point.
I have bought several HF tools for a single job that served me well & saved me so much money by doing it myself, then the tools just worked even longer than I expected them too. They aren't as powerful most of the time, but they do most of what I need well beyond the initial projects. On their gas powered side, I've used 2 of their water pumps & both lasted & performed! My 4000W generator is still going strong almost 10 years later & the little 800W is a few years old & not used often - I empty it of fuel @ the end of the summer & it has always restarted when I've put in fresh fuel for the new year. And the one thing I recommend to everyone & rarely get anywhere else is their epoxy/glues..... 2 part putty, 2 part tubes, CA (super glue), threadlock & even their basic shop glue for simple wood projects.
Just don't buy those Warrior-brand saw blades, absolute crap and wasn't surprised that they came in dead last in Project Farm tests. Pretty much any brand is better than those.
The Snap On Guy was coming to the Scooter Shop when I worked there in 1977. I still have Snap On Tools but some grew legs and walked out the door. Things like air hoses can be good at Harbor Fright. But you should not push their tools very hard, they do break.....
My uncle once told me if you buy from HF be happy it lasts you for one project. I took it seriously but I've slowly learned that some of their tools will last you a long time as long as you don't abuse it. I been smart about which tools to buy off HF and so far I haven't been disappointed. My angle grinder has lasted me about 4 years and I've done so much with it. Too many projects. My jack stand has lasted me a lot, I work a lot on my own cars and a ratcheting tool is still as good as the day I bought it.
There's a concept I learned in Audio Engineering that really applies to many industries, called "Binning." When any factory makes components of high complexity, say, a motor, a bearing, a transformer, they test their finished goods and separate them into _bins._ The best quality parts are sold at a premium price, and lower quality pieces are sold at lower prices. This is why you can have two items that look REALLY similar, plainly based off the same design, and one can be bought way cheaper. The components may come from the same places, but they are consistently using the lower-quality components. This kind of explains the low longevity of Harbor Freight tools, they are made of stuff that rattles, shakes, drifts, provides inconsistent voltage, produces lower torque, or whatever. A tool is only as good as the quality of it's parts.
I worked for Eric about 10 years ago and remember talk of him also owning the shipping company that brings the tools from China so he saves and guarantees delivery by having that.
I find as a hobbyist and crafter that HF is a frequently ignored source. I’ve purchased measuring tools, precision tweezer sets, small-toothed saws, shears and snips of all types, small hammers, organizational boxes, and more… and saved a lot of money by shopping there.
Exactly, my building of an HO model railroad layout is making excellent use of those HF tools that lend themselves to that style of project: multi-tool, jigsaw, drill bits, saw blades, etc. I have most required tools from top of the line outfits due to my past DIY projects, but at 78 I don't need new tools that will outlast me.
Building a large wood boat, I bought the Fein vibrating cutter tool for $350.00, excellent quality and big $$. This was just at the time when the Fein patents ran out, and all sorts of tool brands were jumping in on these tools, generally around $99 more or less, but Harbor Freight was selling theirs for $10. I said to myself, why not try the HF tool, what have I got to loose? $10? So for a year I used the HF tool, and it was used plenty while building the boat. Never having to worry about dropping it, or overloading it, it was expendable, and cost was only about 3% of the Fein tool price. About a year later, the boat was finished, and the HF tool died. In my view one of the best bargains I ever had was the HF tool. Sorry I bought the Fein tool, although I still have that one.
This is an excellent video with great information. Harbor Freight definitely fills a need for folks who don't need the best quality. I sometimes think of it as my "disposable tool store", knowing that the tool won't last as long as more expensive tools. Dave makes a good point about spending more and getting the better quality for a tool you're going to use more often, or need to be higher quality for safety. But a lot of folks just need "good enough" to get through a project or two and HF tools are perfect for that.
as a pro mechanic for over 30 years, I paid my dues to the snap on man... I still have most of those tools now and they work great, but they are all in a tool box in my garage and only come out on the right occasion. I find myself running to harbor freight from time to time and I gotta say they do have some ok stuff for such a low cost. I even recommended a tool box from harbor, not quite as heavy as my Matco, and the sheet metal is a little thin but for the money you can't beat it, and a toolbox can last you your whole life... so harbor freight has a real purpose, and a icon wrachet is a treat at a third the cost...so if a young man or lady where getting themselves ready for a career in the mechanical arts, you can pick and choose much of what is needed, and save a lot of cash in the mean time...
The tool boxes are the best example : good quality at reasonable price. I would always recommend Snap On end wrenches, sockets and specialised ratchets. Mechanical tools need to be high grade.
@@kentvonseverin1257 You're not paying for their quality of tool, you're paying for their warranty. I've been using Blackhawk, older Craftsman, and even Masterforce hand tools. Fraction of the price, lifetime warranty. Been doing it for +30 years. Only time I need to warranty a tool is when I abused them.
@@kentvonseverin1257 Been a mechanic going on 35 years. I tell young mechanics starting out to not buy the biggest most expensive Snap On box. Buy something inexpensive and spend on the tool's themselves.
There was a time when I was buying enough Craftsman stuff from Sears that they would worry if I didn’t come in for a while. If anyone counted as a loyal customer, it was me. I picked up a drill press that I didn’t need at the time because it was a good deal on sale, but when I came to assemble it a few months later, the chuck was all over the place and you could see a mark where it had been dropped hard. Long story short, the guy at Sears gave me a hard time when I tried to return it and instead suggested I take it to their repair facility and pay to have it fixed. I told the guy he’d just lost me as a customer and walked out. A Harbor Freight had just opened up nearby, so I bought a drill press from them (cheaper than Sear’s sale price), and when I compared it to the Craftsman, it was the exact same drill press with a different paint job. I even changed over the Craftsman sheet metal, switch and handles, and they all fit perfectly - same threads and bolt locations. And I know from experience that they’ll replace or refund without arguing. They know how to look after their customers and it makes a difference. They’re thriving and Sears is done.
Eddie Lampert destroyed Sears. A libertarian finance douche, his "free market uber alles--competition always breeds efficiency!" stupidity destroyed the company in under a decade--cashing in the reputation they'd earned over decades for a few years of higher profit. Look it up for the full story, but the basic premise is that the moron split the company into completely separate divisions, then declared that whichever division had the lowest profits per year, the head of that division would be fired. Which turned the company into a series of warring Baltic states--you stopped seeing DieHard batteries in Craftsman lawn tractors, because the batteries were under the Automotive division, but the tractors were Lawn & Garden. The different divisions actually contracted with each other, and when the Appliances division found that the Kenmore product division was gouging them, they dropped the Kenmore appliances and switched focus to LG. The quality of the hand tools dropped, and they ended their lifetime warranty for power tools. All over the company, the concertina wire went up and the divisions increasingly isolated from each other. Even within the stores themselves, staff wouldn't assist other divisions--e.g., if Housewares was understaffed, employees from Clothing, Automotive, Lawn & Garden, etc were forbidden to help them restock. And dumbest of all, they never put serious effort into transitioning from their catalog to online sales, because spending money to develop a quality web interface (and the servers to host it) would have cut into that division's profits. After all, the internet's just a passing fad, right? Amazon ate their breakfast and pissed in their lunchbox. The quality of all the store-brand products nosedived, customers figured it out within a few years, and now the company is a dead man walking.
I am glad to hear my husband wasn't the only one buying craftsman from sears. He also got angry over an expensive tool that broke. He also said good bye.
If I am loosening a wall electrical plate, I don't need a $100 tool. Sometimes a cheap tool does the job, period. Whenever I am at H.F., checking out the flashlights is a must.
I bought a 1/2" Earthquake impact 6 months ago. That thing is stout! Very impressed with it. I know other tools are less quality, but replacing old tools is expensive. Thanks for your video.
I needed a cross-slide vise. I looked at reviews for HF and several online sources. I noticed that some years would have better reviews than others, as if some batches were better than others. I chose HF because if there was a problem, exchanging was a short drive, not expensive (heavy!) and time-consuming shipping for exchange.
As a construction company owner I can honesty say that our TOOL-THEFT has gone down 95% since we started buying Harbor freight tools for our workers. The resale value on stolen harbor freight tools is NOT worth the jail time to our workers and the local pawn shops will not even consider buying Harbor freight tools. They only buy Dewalt and Milwaukee tools for pawn.
I used to run a manufacturing company that built electronic devices. All employees had tools. What I did to cut down the theft was serial number all tools with an etcher or stamps. Each person had their own number. If a tool broke they got a new one free, but if they lost one, they had to buy a new one...theft went to Zero. They also didn't loan their tools to others so that saved problems. On more expensive tools like drills/saws etc. they still had numbers but they checked them out and were responsible for them, again, NO problems. People that are 'forced' to be honest have no problem especially when they are personally responsible. If someone quits and takes the tools with them, the price is deducted from their last pay check...
Where I work, everyone has their own locking toolbox with their own tools except for a few shop tools for common tasks, and they’re nice tools. We’ve never had a problem with anything going missing.
😂🤣
Human nature is sad sometimes…
@@jonh284 i bet your company pays decent wages. the only people we have issues with are temp labor. all the hired on crew never steal anything
As a professional truck mechanic for 38 years, I can say that Harbor Freight has stepped up their game with some of the brands they now offer. Unlike DIY customers, I am fully aware that most of Harbor Freight tools were never meant for commercial use. If I buy a Pittsburgh brand wrench from their store, and it breaks the first time I use it at work, that's on me.
However, within the last couple of years, Harbor Freight has been carrying Icon and Quinn brand hand tools that they advertise as direct competitors to SnapOn. I have purchased some of these hand tools and agree they are every bit as good as SnapOn.
Their timing was perfect; both SnapOn and Mac tools used to visit my shop bi-weekly until the pandemic. Neither has returned even with the pandemic behind us. I still needed tools, my job didn't stop during the pandemic. Harbor Freight was available that entire time. They got my business and continue to serve me well.
But I am going to tell you why I support our local Harbor Freight and am happy to give them my business- This is a relatively small community without a lot of opportunities. Since the store opened here, the management has made it a point to hire the "unemployable"; Ex-cons, recovering addicts, parolees, those wanting to get off welfare. This has worked out very well because the store has very little turnover. Its impressive when I go in the store and see a guy who I used to read about in the police blotter, now wearing a managers vest. If Harbor Freight can give these people a second chance, I can too.
I manage a high volume auto repair shop with 10 bays. Matco and SnapOn stopped coming around during the pandemic and have not returned. Rarely if ever. My technicians (including master techs with 20-30 years experience) have started buying HF over the past 2 years and have been pleasantly surprised. Some duds to be sure but overall 👍👍
@Randy R - Nice post! Thank you.
Snap on is a complete ripoff. Their tools are not as good as they claim. And when they stop showing up your stuck with a p.o.s broken tool that you cant get fixed. I was a sucker for years buying snap on.
I agree, they are competitive now and they have to be considering what places like Home Depot and Walmart offer now for tools. Harbor freight has to do what they can to be cheap and useful but not complete junk that nobody would even bother with.
Q
I worked in a machine shop and needed a 1/4" die grinder. I bought one at Harbor Freight for $9. I used it every day at work for 2 years. I was so impressed with it I upgraded to the $15 one. It lasted 3 days. I went back and bought another $9 one and used it for several more years.
My record beats you, a plastic radial sprinkler from Walmart that lasted about 9 seconds before failing.
should have bought 3 or 4 together.
Some of their stuff is junk at harbor tools.They're paranoid when you return anything. It's a nightmare they even require an id for cheap junk lol
I never had a problem returning anything to Harbor freight
@@james-jg8iu I guess it depends on region. My harbor freight winds up giving you $5 when you return something with the receipt.
Agreed on most everything in the video. I did hear Dave say electrical tape is ok to buy at HF . . . . . and having spent 30 years using tape, outdoors, in all weather on a daily basis . . . . it's definitely best to stick with 3M.
I've bought and used electrical tape from dollar store for years and it worked great!
Depends on if you need it to stretch or not. Sometimes in the field you need a stiff tape. Even Temflex doesn't have the structural rigidity of the super cheap vinyl tapes. I know... you have to store it in your armpit for it to work if its cold out. But who wants to waste super 33 on a wire pull.
3M, Loctite, Permatex. These brands simply set the bar. I have been impressed with Frog Tape (3M Scotch competitor) and Gorilla products. Now I'm becoming curious about Rigid tools. Used to be the go-to brand for plumbing tools but now seems to be a Home Depot house brand that makes a little of everything. Did Rigid change hands?
@@flyingsodwai1382 me ,if you ever have had wire to come loose using cheap tape , you appreciate good tape lol
yeah cheap electrical tape is never good to get unless you enjoy causing yourself suffering
I have to disagree on the jacks. In fact, Snap On attempted to sue for infringement on one of their jacks, which were cast at the same factory in China. Long story short they failed, you can buy a jack from the truck or the same one from HF for about 1/3 the price. I would also add if you get under a vehicle supported only by a jack you probably deserve whatever happens to you. Jacks don't kill people nearly as often as stupidity does.
i was gonna bring up the same point. Bought my first HF floor jack in 2000 and it still works fine this day, I bought one of the yellow HF / Snap On style Jacks about 5 years ago and has had zero issues. I a professional mechanic and shop owner who probably has $80K in snap on, I am not afraid to pay the truck price, but when I can get the same tool somewhere else for 1/2-1/3 less I am gonna do it!
I would agree with you. I'm on my second-floor jack. (1st one was stolen) I've had it for about 6 years and use it on a regular basis along with my engine hoist.
Harbor freight actually owns some of the snap on brand. That's why they can sell the same stuff. And they can use the snap on name to there stores. I've seen it a lot. Compare to snap on. Snap on is a registered trade mark. So hf would have to pay for the use of the name, but hf owns like 40%ish of snap on
I have a HF 3-ton floor jack that works GREAT !!!!!! It's 6 years old and going strong
Snapon is not owned by Harbor Freight!
As someone in the trades, HF helped me out a lot in the early days in my career. I still have a random HF tool here and there in my tool bags. I never feel bad beating up on a HF tool. HF is great when I need a random automotive tool that I'll probably only use once or twice.
There’s a reason my cordless are Milwaukee and dewalt. There’s a reason I own free replacement hand tools from harbor freight. It might be the fact the store is 3 miles away.!
I have used harbor freight’s electric tools for years and they just keep working! Love the price of them too
I don’t think their tools are as bad as people think I think people just beat on them more because of the cheaper price. I have Milwaukee tools now, and I don’t baby them by any means but I’d certainly think twice before sending my 6 1/4 circular saw through a concrete footing. HF says fuckin send it.
Some things are OK at HF for small jobs Some things are not. Just like the guy says. For example their hand wrenches are terrible the ones that say Pittsburgh on them they are good for scrap metal! I would rather buy used tools but quality.
don't beat on any tools and you should be good.....
Back in the mid-2000s, I was a superintendent at a large homebuilder in Illinois. One day, one of our tradesmen came into the construction trailer with a broken pneumatic nail gun. Might have been a Paslode - don't remember. He partially disassembled it to find a broken part relating to its air piston. After a bit of complaining and water cooler talk, the consensus was that he might go grab a cheap one from the local Harbor Freight to finish out his day. Upon his return, we gathered around in amazement to see that the "Chicago Pneumatic" tool was PHYSICALLY IDENTICAL to his broken big-name brand. Next, he took it apart to the same degree as the broken one, and we found that the internal parts were also perfectly identical - to the point that they fit flawlessly into the old tool. Reassembly and subsequent testing showed full functionality was restored. Conclusion? At least SOME products at HF are just rebranded big-name tools. Our tradesman kept the HF version and I never heard that he had problems with it. And that was in a high-volume production environment, so that's probably worth something.
That's a great story, thanks for sharing!
Doubt it. How would the new nailer work if it's parts were in the old gun?
@@josephgreenwood5729 , he took the parts back out....
yes but keep in mind they're rebranded SECONDS... in the video he says their quality control is less stringent, but it's not really they're just the ones that were rejected for the big name brands. for example I bought a benchtop ring roller. the bottom roller on it was out by a 32nd of an inch meaning instead of rings it rolled corkscrews. since I was just using it for myself I didn't really care, but even so it was really annoying to have to bend it back straight after rolling before I brazed the ring closed. often times factory seconds are just cosmetic blemishes, for example I bought a egg size cast iron frying pan that had a large blob where the cast had chipped out, but this blob wasn't located on the useful portion of the pan it was up near the lip so it was still fully functional it just looked kind of ugly. the problem is with more complex tools you don't know which way it went was it cosmetic? or was it rejected for accuracy? or was it rejected for weakened structural integrity? maybe the glue they used on all the magnets that hold the driver bits in was the wrong glue... the new guy on his first day at the factory put the wrong glue in the machine. as he said though, you know the risk going in. maybe the batch of pliers that they get, are all the ones that are made as they're setting up the machine, and they all have different gap tolerances before the operator gets it on the money. it still work but the little wire cutting bit on the inside won't cut all the way through.
@@josephgreenwood5729 the way I read it, he took the parts from the harbor freight version to repair the broken one.
I buy most of my tools used. I buy older, US made hand tools at flea markets and estate sales. My lathe and mill I bought from CL sellers. You can't go wrong with older US made tools.
And garage sales. I've found a LOT of old 6 pt wrenches and sockets that you can't buy new since sears went under
I do that as well. I'd rather buy a used tool that is going to last forever than continuously throw away cheap Chinese garbage. Harbor Freight buyers are penny-wise, pound foolish.
One of the things I purchased at HF (with a coupon) was a little "Dremel-like" rotary tool, for about $5. I've used it for many years, specifically because "it doesn't have much oomph". I use it for hobby projects, drilling and cutting plastics, where a stall from too much pressure is preferable to a crack. Limitations in the tools are not necessarily a negative - if you understand what you are using the tool for.
Same here - bought Chicago oscillating tool with intention of ltd use of specialized wood cutting. After 3 years of abusive 😂wood cutting, metal cutting, sanding, the thing won't quit.
That's a great point! My experience with that is finding that antique screws in old house hardware, like in doorknobs and strikeplates are all too easy to ruin (strip) with a high-quality screwdriver. I'd rather ruin a cheap screwdriver than try to replace screws you "can't" get anymore!
The $5 - $10 blister pack was pretty underwhelming for me, however, the Chicago Tool (orange) variable speed one (mine was about $26) has been an absolute rock star. It was a little under half the cost of the "real" one, and I use it several times a week for model building and simple home repairs.
@@kristophermelin7160 By blister packs do you mean things like drill bits, counter syncs, etc. I bought a set of counter syncs from HF and the one that I used was dull after one use. I've bought plenty of other HF tools and lots of them are still going strong though. I'm in need of a new cordless drill and the Bauer brand looks pretty good to me for the money.
Blister Packs- referring to the rotary tools in plastic cases that hang in a peg rather than the ones that come in a box on the shelf.
Way back in the 70's, I worked as a welder in a small shop - one of the most useful tools we had was a needle scaler, which we used for chipping slag off welds (and also stress relieving by peening welds) in difficult to reach areas. I recently purchased one from HF (the "professional" model), and am very impressed with how well it works. I make sure I oil it regularly, and it really is a time saver. It's very heavy duty, I think it could easily be used on a daily basis without problems. I was doing some repair work on some old flux-core welds that had a lot of slag inclusions (flux core slag can be really difficult to chip off at times), and it really sped things up. If you're careful about your purchases, you can do quite well at HF.
Ironically it lasts just as long as the warranty.
Yeah, if you pay attention and have a keen eye you can spot tools that actually work and are a deal. You just have to be selective and realize lots of their stuff is "throwaway" after using it a dozen times
Well said. True.
@@quantumtechcrypto7080 I have a ton of HF tools that I've had no issues with, in fact I've got a 2nd hand band saw from the 80's that still works like a champ.
Agree.. Always oil Air Tools whenever you use them. Put 10 drops in the line.
I used to work at a large manufacturing plant that did a lot of large assembly on heavy equipment. They used Proto impact sockets, which are expensive. They would occasionally wear out with such constant use. I brought some Pittsburgh impact sockets of the most- used sizes just to put them to the test. They ended up outlasting the protos by A LOT. I eventually told my supervisor what I did. Our M.E. bought a set from harbor freight to do documented testing. It was officially proven that Pittsburg impact sockets had almost twice the life of Proto. They changed all the assembly stations over to Pittsburg, saving a huge amount of money. The Proto rep was not happy with me.
Wow, that's crazy!
Pittsburgh products come with a lifetime warranty too! So IF they break, you can just take it in, and they'll replace it.
😮😅😅
While I'm happy that your Pitt sockets worked out well I question why an assembly plant would ever use Proto tools. They really aren't known for quality or durability by anyone in the mechanical or industrial industries.
All sockets and wrenches are made the same worldwide using the same steel, no matter what brand they are. There is no way to make them cheaper, and no reason to make them better. I don't believe a word you're saying about Proto.
Excellent unbiased video. Dave is right on the money. Start with simple products and make your own mind with quality. Tarps, zip ties, screwdrivers, etc. They all work fine. You shouldn't compare a $50 power tool you find there to well known brand that costs 3 times as much. I always find stuff there I can use later. Just follow the sales and see what they have. IMHO, there is always something they have that will satisfy your needs.
Thanks!
I don't know man, some of their 50 dollar power tools get a lot done. The cheap ass impact wrench is just working for me
I got into Bauer cordless tools [BCT] about 3 years ago & have my small shop outfitted with about 7-9 tools. My first BCT was a 1/2" cordless drill/driver Model 1991C-B. I also had a DeWalt 1/2" cordless drill/driver Model DCD771 at the same time. I bought the Bauer with the intention of using the Bauer and not wearing out the Dewalt. Well the truth is this . . . after using both drill/drivers, side by side, for about 3 years I have come to the conclusion that there is not much noticeable difference between the power & battery life in these 2 drills. I have done the same work with either one and the only difference is teh color of the tool. 3 years later abd they are BOTH drilling & driving the same. Hope this helps someone.
I am a machinist of 30 years. The most satisfying thing I ever did with my Harbor Freight Bauer cordless drill was throw it in the nearest dumpster.
I bought my first Bauer tool 6 years ago, and it still running fine. I can't tell you how much I spent on Snap-on and Mac tools (Thousands!) but the bauer tools have been good and cost less.
@@650gringo They've gotten a bit better, now that they've finally gone brushless.
@@ex8280 The motor was fine. It was the chuck that was terrible. It would loosen while drilling and drop the drill bit out every time. Super frustrating.
Kind of a random comparison considering that Dewalt model is one of their low end, homeowner grade tools which only costs $99 for the entire kit with battery/charger/bag. It's not just about brand, you still get what you pay for.
I used to be a professional heavy equipment mechanic .
I mostly bought “ quality “ tools like my wrenches ( MAC ) from 1982 , that I still have .
That being said , my first experience with HF , was in the early 1980’s , and it was “ mail order “ !
I ordered a set of 1/2” drive deep- impact sockets .
I STILL HAVE THEM and have worked on garbage trucks , and over- the- road trucks for years and years - they are still in my rollaway box 40 years later !!!
I now have a retail store down the street ; I’m a
“ regular “ customer , I’ve NEVER returned anything …
( I’m now a senior citizen and I walk up and down the aisles looking at all the stuff that I now can AFFORD , but my two knee surgeries , three triple shoulder surgeries , and five spinal fusions will not allow me to use anymore … )
im a high end custom furniture maker and I've been using their saws, compressors, paint guns, and dozens of other tools for over 12 years and have never ever had a breakdown or problems of any kind with their products and i never have to pay those high prices the the other stores charge. I stand behind Harbor Freight 100 percent ...MC
Prove it. Show some high end custom furniture videos.
I buy tools for our ranch use at HF. Bought a 7” grinder to sharpen blades on the bat-wing shredder every month. Works fine. Reciprocating saw had the blade holder fall apart with normal use. 3/8” drill is ok. Hand tools, jack stands work fine for tightening tracks on the compact track loader…(just won’t get under it!) Budget level tools with a budget price. Choose your tools selectively and allow for failures occasionally. (Former Makita area sales manager)
Want to add that the newer tool boxes they make are just outstanding! Love the drawer sliders and quality finish. My wife bought me one of their huge roll around 48" floor cabinets when I retired last year. Has a wood top. Had to carry it home in the crate atop a flat bed trailer. (Trailer was a kit from Northern) It was on sale for $350. Weighed like 300#. Easy assembly. I managed to build it ON the trailer when I got it home. Then rolled it up the driveway to the garage. I felt like a kid at Christmas. It was more work to dispose of the packing material that it was to assemble it. Ten years back she bought me their $300 motorcycle lift for Father's day. Love it. Still works perfectly. The older and more frail I get, the more I appreciate it.
@@moveon7564 apples & oranges. Nobody with 30k in tools puts them in a $99 box
@@jackwilbur9419 forreal. Who has a full Snap-On industrial tool set that they spent $40k on but puts it into a HF rolling case? 😂 That is such a ridiculous thing to say. In a shop, I'd only be leaving my tools there if I truly trusted my coworkers and we had numerous cameras, serious high security roller doors over all the entrances, and an alarm system that was sufficient for me to feel comfortable. Plus my serialized fancy-ass tools would be properly insured anyways....
Yeah, I got one of their rolling tool chests. The powdercoat was a little thin on some of the edges and absent on sharp corners of the lid, needed touched up with some spraypaint, but I ain't mad at it. Nice rolling casters on it, big hard rubber wheels, brakes work and the stomp tabs are a good size, lid's pneumatic. It's a big rolling chest with a ton of storage, nice and sturdy (it ends up being an ersatz workbench sometimes) and was, what? 1/3 the cost of something name brand?
I bought 2 of the 72" top/bottom box sets on sale a couple years ago. I got a whole wall of tool storage space in my garage for under $5k. (I am a tool hoarder, so I easily have well over $30k in tools)
They are comparable to the middle level name brand boxes like Extreme, Husky, etc.
I bought a reciprocating saw from them and it self-destructed very quickly. Most HF items I've purchased have been surprisingly good. Their quality has gotten much better in the last 5 years. I've got two electric lawnmowers that work great! Two cement mixers are good, LED shop lights are very good, most air tools are good. Most electric power tools I've had were also pretty good. The bench-mounted blaster needed a lot of work to make it functional. Tie-down straps are pretty bad. The blue tarps don't last very long, but they're good for a couple of months outside.
My last year in college I worked at a harbor freight and for starters, I was treated really well as an employee, which is always great to see a business doing. Also there were so many sales metrics that they wanted cashiers to pay attention to. When I would run the register, they wanted me to do my best to help customers find their products and then try and sell a warranty and a membership. It was a night and day difference from my experience working at Lowe's. There's also something to be said about working for a private business. I felt more inclined to do a good job because my labor actually effected my hours. I still stop by whenever I need a hand tool.
The money-empowered hierarchies of their fellowman (i.e. the corporations owners of the Earth's human money funneling human-ant-colonies.) Will treat you nicely because you are a higher level of human-ant you should see how the ants who build all of those cheap tools are treated (as employees) in those countries where "their" money empowered hierarchies "are even less human" (& more money empowered ant brained) - all for the money.
Until the "capitalistic-mind-indoctrination-education systems" who own all of the ant-minded peoples entertainment systems on the face of the Earth.
Got their Snowball Effect of converting all of the used to be free of charge Village way of life people into human and colonies over-consuming the face of the Earth.
And never mind the climate change problem because money empowered science will fix all of that.
So that the wealthy few can remain the wealthy few until they're over-opulence indulged & "created end."
If we didn't believe as a human "race to the end" that is okay that we covet & buy every thing of excessive convenience from our Corporation owners who keep us toiling and buying a toiling for the excessive convenience of money to buy everything "we never needed" to naturally and ecologically sustainably supply our lives comfortably enough to to survive - on an Earth that God had originally intended to supply for all of his creation predominantlyfree-of-charge.
But since we love to covet and things of excessive convenience to buy (more than the Creater Himself) now we're going to pay and pay.
But only because we don't know Jesus quite well enough and because we are stubborn and want everything that are overlords on the Earth have.
Which makes us forget that this is a temporary gig here on Earth.
So if you don't want to create a village population maintained way of life where we toil for our provision from nature as we nurture nature for our provision.
Then just keep being an over-consumer and you'll get what you pay for.
People don't quit companies so much as they leave bad bosses.
@@tkleo2006 "boss" is indeed a 4 letter word
All i understood is you went to college.
@@borjealsbraden9874 Read it again then.
It's not rocket science🤣
Well said. I was so happy when Harbor Freight opened a store in my neighborhood. Wonderful place, but let the buyer beware. I bought tools from Harbor Freight back when it was only a mail order company, and I didn't have much money. I believe in Harbor Freight, and I am grateful to them for the many tools in my garage. There are times that I need something high end or task-specific, and I go elsewhere, but I nearly always try Harbor Freight first. Excellent video, and well done.
Yep, and apparently the upper management listens too! Was glad to see a HF finally open in my area, but unfortunately the new staff they hired seemed to leave a lot to be desired, with chronically surly attitudes and a store manager who liked to hire all his homies, but could obviously care less about anything else. So one day after experiencing one rude clerk too many, in desperation I contacted the HF regional manager w/ my complaints, though frankly didn't expect much of it.
But upon returning to the same store a couple weeks later... lo and behold, the sales mgr, as well as every single clerk in the store, had all been suddenly replaced, and thankfully by folks with a noticeably more professional work ethic and a much more helpful 'attitude'! And maybe it was just another kinda 'quality control' issue, as mentioned earlier... though IMHO once notified, they also seem to do a pretty good job of attempting to make it right for the customer, even after the sale.
My father owned a construction company, and he bought the HF red pneumatic nail gun when he needed it for a quick job, not expecting it to last. Job after job that needed it, he kept using it. He expected to replace it when it failed, but it just kept going. He eventually bought 3 if them and they handled a great deal of abuse, and didn't stop. I can't tell if these were one offs from a decade ago or if there are still that good, but that is his story.
there are absolutely a cart load of hidden gems at harbor freight
I bought a HF nailer. The Three different degree nailer, their most expensive one. It jammed halfway through every single Nail Clip. Returned it and bought the Makita from Home Depot and haven't had any regrets.
I bought a heat gun once and that thing survived hell and back. I used it until the whole outside of it melted off and only had to toss it after I left it in the rain once.
@@rondoanderson same. I bought 2 about 10 years ago for $19 each to do all the questionable rough work and beat the piss out of, and reserving my name brand grinders for gentler use. The only one that hasn't even tried to die is the harbor freight, and the other one has never been out of the box. go figure
AvE did a couple BOLTRs on HF pneumatic impacts and was stunned that they were actually decent. He also BOLTRd some power tools and found they were garbage as expected.
Back in the 1990’s, I worked in a diesel shop that used Pittsburg (harbor freight) impact sockets exclusively. These were available for all mechanics in the shop, and were beaten mercilessly. To my great surprise, none of them failed in the ten years I was with the shop. In fact, on my last day, I was given one of those old sets which currently sits proudly beside some Mac and snap on tools in my box. I don’t beat on them nearly as hard as we used to, and I expect this set to outlast me.
I work on Toyotas. I used a 21mm Pittsburgh impact socket and a harbor freight 1/2” impact when I first started. The impact gun still goes strong when I need it. It’s my back up now but that 21mm still isn’t cracked. 5-6 days a week 15-20 cars a day.
I run 2 very busy small engine repair shop in up state NY, I use harbor freight impact sockets and beat the crap out of them. They serve us well!!
Those impact tools and also MOST handtools are guaranteed for life. If you break it take it back and they WILL replace it. I have not broken a impact set socket EVER.
Made in Taiwan, it says something.
@@americanrealitytoday Most are made in mainland China by ccp owned companies. You are funding the demise of America.
To get started as a mechanic some of the most expensive things that no one thinks about are impact sockets. I bought a 1/2 drive, deep well set in metric and standard impact sockets in 2018. I've been using them continuously and they have standed true.
Led me to think
@@MillicentDavis-mn7hl All impact tools must be of a certain quality, so an impact socket from harbor freight will likely be just as good as the brand names. Ratchet handles, OTOH, the harbor freight ones will work, but high end brand names will have better fit and finish, and a bit stronger. My HF socket handles from 1995 still work, none have broken, but require a finger to stop them from ratcheting back after turning the fastener, while say Snap Off ones don't.
I bought the cheap impact standard, and metric sockets just for testing purposes. Two years later and they are still holding up.
What was their brand name?
I was wondering about these very items. Thank you.
I bought some medium sized handheld sprayers for water, chemicals, fertilizer, or whatever. I found they are great for spraying down large sections of my linoleum floor prior to mopping. Works well with diluted bleach for the tub/shower. Because the pump action is pressurized, it doesn't wear a person out with having to constantly pump a cleaner. Great for windows, too, as I can cover a huge area with very minimal effort. I've bought tons of small batteries through them, too. Great for my collection of flashlights.
HF is a gateway drug to woodworking! I'm super thankful for them and the price as it got me my first tool set. I've upgraded almost all my tools at this point but still have SO MANY CLAMPS from them - you can never have too many.
I bought a dovetail jig there that no one around had in any other big box store. Made the dovetail joint perfectly when I rebuilt the cheap fiberboard drawers in the kitchen with real wood.
YES, my dad always said he could NEVER have too many clamps!!! Too funny
You've got that right brother! And you can never have enough sizes of Clamps! Well.....or tools .... lol
They really do get you to thinking, '-well maybe I might just do that myself-'. You might save yourself a lot of money by cruising the place and maybe if it turns out that you really don't have the skill for the job, well you didn't lose that much either. I had a broken tile in the kitchen that I put up with for a long time, then saw their tile saw for like 29 bucks and discovered that tile work is kinda fun to me and I can do it plenty well enough. Have a sewer line that seems to block itself up pretty regular, probably put in without a gradient. Once a year I gotta pull out my HF Snake, and another 100 buck plumber bill saved.
Repent and live for JESUS CHRIST before it’s too late!!
I was putting in about 500 feet of split rail fence, about 50 posts. I bought their one man auger post hole digger for $169. It had a 30 day return policy. I ended up with 5 of them before I finished the fence. Always took them back, never cost me a cent more. Different things went wrong with them. Ironically, the 5th one has held up for several years now of occasional use. Also they dug holes way better than me doing it with a hand digger. Video was spot on about wise choices. Sometimes you need the best tool, sometimes you don't.
Maybe that’s why I constantly see the Mexican roofers and they are buying a new nail gun. They’re probably just swapping them out every 30 days. 🤣
Idk I'm on my second Predator auger, 1st one paid for itself 30 times over, current one is well on it's way to doing the same. Sucks you had to go through 5 for one project.
But what was your time worth driving back and forth?
@@wb5mgr be careful, they may be swapping with you your wife's sexual time. Look at your kids eyes and make sure they look like you. Peace ✌️
5 trips to the store for 1 project would put me through the roof.
I'm a machinist and the one thing you're NOT telling your audience is it's NOT the quality of the tool. It's pure GREED from the well known brand names. I buy harbor freight all the time and I love it. There's absolutely NO reason to pay 500.00 dollars for a drill just because of a name. Some qualities are better than some but they all break.
Bits are the worst for this. Sure your bit might last some % longer than the cheapos, but we're talking hundreds of % of price difference and I just carry around a box of cheap bits.
When I left home my first drill was $15 and I got it to drill holes for hanging some things and the like
Then my parents downsized and I inherited a Dewalt drill.
Then I bought some tools, went Dewalt (to keep to the same battery system) and all of a sudden I'm $400 in on something I could theoretically have bought for $100
If you do plan to use stuff for more than one or two projects though the cost per job comes down fast, though if I needed eg an angle grinder (something I've never needed) I'd likely just buy a cheap one. Or I might just offer some beer to a colleague to borrow his for a weekend
@Bigbone... Yeah this dude is just regurgitating crap he's heard from other "content" creators. Harbor Freight beats the breaks off their competition when it comes to quality+ price point. I have worked for a minute as a "professional"
Isn’t there a warranty on their products ? I’ve shopped at one but never made any major purchase.
@@ihavethedocuments2580. He gotta feed that body.
Another way they offer lower prices is that some of the really cheap models(power tools, for example), are sold with no blades or whatever. To use the tool, you need to buy these blades, etc.,. Of course, if you already have the blades or whatnot, is cheaper. I’ve bought stuff from HF, and really, their protection plans aren’t too badly priced.
I’m not in construction or woodworking, but I’m a hobby crafter. For my purposes, the Harbor Freight tools are perfect, because they’re in my price range. I do a lot of different home crafting “DIY’s” and looked at Dremels for their versatility, but couldn’t justify the price. The HF version was so inexpensive and the coupon made it even more so. It has worked great for me! I also love their fold up aluminum camp chairs with the pockets and the little pop-up side table…those were a bargain! Thanks for the video….lots of good tips and info!
Yup, you don't always need professional grade
I work construction for a living and build things at home as a hobby. Very little of HF equipment will ever see my job sites again (wrenches, hammers, etc seem ok; power tools are often a one use item. Others I work with get the warranty and just repeatedly keep returning the tools). But for my hobbies...things were theres not a lot of torque, no or few spinning parts, etc they're...ok. but like wire wheels...one can end up looking like a dang pin cushion only so many times before calling it off...lol
Lemme ask, how does it feel....Blindly supporting corrupt corporations? For profits... these corporations abuse human/labor rights laws, "corporate capitalist" corrupt corporations who manufacture/buy from manufacturer, that use forced labor/slave labor and child labor practices, so you get a product for a "deal" a nice low cost? No excuses, you are part of the problem!
I have an axe I bought there 25 years ago it's great steel(turns out I want the only person who figured it out). A few years ago they were selling a pretty good sloyd (greenwood carving) knife.
@@pointman2021 , have you bought a circular saw or a stone slab cutting saw from harbor freight? I almost pulled the trigger on one, but feared unreliability. Sometimes it is a luck of the draw on the power tools. It was only $365
I agree with you on the "What to buy" - handtools. However, during that segment, you showed drill bits and utility knives. Bits and blades is another place where you need to spend a little more or you will be working harder and constantly replacing/sharpening edges. Great video!
P.S.: You can never have too many clamps!
HF has a 50 pack of utility blades for $5 that are honestly just as good as any other brand. Plus you are meant to put in a fresh one when you are doing something that requires precision cutting anyways. I do agree with you about drill bits, but HF now offers some decent diamond and titanium bits that are honestly not bad at all. They seem expensive compared to the rest of their stuff, but you actually get your moneys worth and I would recommend it without hesitation for anyone who plans on using those bits for more than just a few small jobs.
I like HF. I walked in with a broken clamp once and had not opened my mouth when an eagle eyed clerk saw me and shouted, "just go get another one!!"
Harbor Freight C-clamps are garbage. I won't buy those again.
@@wymple09 Not perfect I agree. A little awkward to use with rear release. My small ones fail to clamp tightly. but the F style clamps are super.
@@wymple09 YES. The plastic ones break under their own spring pressure. lol And hardened carbon steel is hardened carbon steel, eg. a razor blade is a razor blade. The same for files and chisels. Their little diamond coated nickel steel bits and burrs for rotary tools and die grinders work just fine, too. Never tried their drill bits. Maybe I should? See how fast they snap on me. 😂😂😂😂
I am a hobbyist to intermediate level wood worker. I have been buying Harbor Freight Tools for over 20 years (including power tools) and have never had a problem with any of them. My two key items are: a) know the tools limit(s) & b) never push the tool to it's limit, or beyond - I generally use them at 85% of their limit. One other thing I do is thoroughly inspect the tool before initial use - tightening anything that is loose and replacing any cheap part(s) that I think could become a problem during use. I re-inspect the tools after each 20 hours of use - retightening anything that could be coming loose and checking wear of cheap parts. If wear becoming excessive, I replace the part with a better quality one. As the say - an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I am very happy with Harbor Freight Tools and would not buy any other. They are great for beginners, hobbyists, and most intermediate level users. If you are a professional or heavy user, then you need to make the investment in high quality tools.
That's an excellent point. Don't buy a tool that needs to work at or beyond its limits.
@@Brad5161 That is a good rule to live by no matter how much (or little) you pay for any tool. Keep it within the limits and it will serve you well for years.
I totally agree. I build doors. My tools have all lasted for over 15 years. Plunge router, scroll saw, sander, table saw, and more. I work in pine and oak, never had a problem with those limits in mind. Love their tools.
I stopped reading at “hobbyist to intermediate”
GREAT advice! I'm not a professional mechanic, however my father was. During my time in the USAF, I was an electronics technician on B-52 aircraft. I can fix most things, because I understand how many things work. But I don't consider myself a "mechanic or carpenter." I make my living as a CPA! I have MANY tools and I love to go to Harbor Freight as my first stop when I need a new or replacement tool. YOUR advice was spot on!
I have one of their early orange hand grinders that I purchased over 20 years ago and it is still running strong! The Portland saw you spoke of, I have one of those that I purchased over six years ago that is still working well. Pacific power washer as well. It has a lot to do with how well you maintain and use the right tool for the right job.
And how little you use it.
I have had no problems with the stuff I got from them the couple of times I did they stood behind their products.
This is true.
The old Grinders were awesome! I've gotten years of hard use out of them. The new Drill Master stuff is junk.
Disagree 👎🏽👎🏽
In my mind, there is a difference between "cheap" tools and "inexpensive" tools. I was a heavy equipment mech for 10 years, working on Caterpillar equipment. To me, "cheap" meant poorly made, from inferior material. If I bought cheap tools it meant that I would consider them sacrificial; no big deal if I broke or lost them. "Inexpensive" tools were quality, well-made tools that I got at an excellent cost-savings, usually on sale, or buying them from someone who didn't need them anymore. Like Dave, I like Harbor Freight also -- for the right reasons.
I love this comment and have been thinking the same thing for years. I had a friend working at the local liquor store back in the day and his boss made sure to tell him NEVER refer to the cheap wines as "cheap". Inexpensive is the correct word when referring to your own products that you are actively trying to sell.
I am with you here, the difference between Cheap and Inexpensive.
We call that a good value. A quality product with a great price is a great value.
I was hoping someone would point that out. Everytime he sad "cheap" when he meant "inexpensive" I cringed.
Witt Wittwer I agree, HF tools sometimes may not make it through one job depending what it is. I have taken back a number of their tools back. On he other side I have had some that lasted for awhile then broke. I would go buy another one and take the broken one back for a refund because they keep the same tool line for a long time. I would take the new one out of the box put the broken one in the box and away it went. I would have the new tool the next time I needed it. I didn't do heavy work as you, mine was in the driveway DIY so that's not the same as you.
The racing jack I bought is my favorite get. Never thought about the safety aspect, but I'm never under a load without jack stands. Umm, that might have come from Harbor freight :).
I would diss their bungee cords, but it seems to be impossible to find quality elastic (not the stiff rubber things) cords anywhere. It's been a few years, but their bungee cords dissolve in weather and lose elasticity in a few months.
I love that the 4 1/2” angle grinders are so cheap that instead of having one Makita and having to swap discs and brushes, I have 4 of them for the same price of a Makita, one with a grinding disc, one with a cutting disc, one with a flap disc and one with a brush, so when I am working I just pick up the one I need and not waste time changing discs.
Me too. The same for drills for me. Saves tons of time from changing bits and driver heads
I even paid full price (all $15) for my HF angle grinder, and am happy with it. I needed it away from home for a small repair on my Dad's house. Nice that it is so light and low powered, which is often preferable vs. the twice as heavy, twice as powerful, 8x as expensive Craftsman Professional one I have when I need that.
Good idea. We do this with our drills/impacts. If we need to drill, we grab the one with the drill. Or the one with the screwdriver bit for screwing screws. Or the nut driver one for that purpose. It works really well on cutting time down by not having to change the piece for each different use.
excellent idea!
Years ago the heater blower in my car stopped working. I took it apart to find the brushes were worn to nothing. It was late Sunday and below zero and I needed defrost to get to work in the morning. With a little shaving of the brushes I dissected from the angle grinder, I repaired the blower. (I think a new blower was $120.)
Harbor Freight is one of the few places where you can find color coded socket sets. Looking for the purple socket is a lot easier than trying to read 10mm even in the largest "high visibility" font.
Pittsburgh sockets with a snap-on flex ratchet is one of my favorite combinations.
Those colored sockets are the best!!
lol i do love their 8 dollar colored deepwell sockets for 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2"
have a zinc galvanized bucket you can get them at the farm store they make a great rod bucket. but lol i put my set of 1/2 inch harbor wonton sockets in it lmao
Color coded is the best for when you're under the rig in muck up to your eyeballs with the ol lady up top helping. I could say a certain size, but "hand me the purple socket" just is so much easier on the relationship when you're contemplating kicking out the jackstand for an early release from hell 🤣
Thanks for the sweet tip! My eyes are aging faster than me so I’ll def check those out.
I bought one of the cheapest angle grinders they had about 10 years ago and it still works like a champ. Other then all my Ryobi stuff, I get all my other tools at harbor freight. Im a weekend mechanic/engineer and I have saved a ridiculous amount of money buying "cheap" tools. Can't really think of anything I have ever bought from there that didn't last or do what I needed it to do.
Same. I love my cheap HF angel grinder w/ cord. Didn't know what I was doing with metal when I bought it and after a dozen projects I haven't replaced it, although cutting disks and grinding disks can very.
Still using my super cheap HF grinder from year 2000! Of course I use it occasionally, but it lasts a long time for casual users. Also super cheap centec multimeter I bought from HF in 1995 still works
Just wait, they will.
Along with every thing else you buy.
@@talisikid1618 I guess, but I haven't had a power tool break yet.
They have stepped up their game in recent years particularly on their boxes. The only thing that really dogged me was a couple pneumatic tools that failed me, but returned with no hassle. My Dad is a retired Snap On Dealer and we both go to HF when we need a tool we dont have.
You brought up a great subject as far as psychology. I use to work for a office machine wholesaler and we sold IBM and Nakajima typewriters in the late 90's - 2000's and they were identical machines however IBM put a 5 lbs weight in the bottom of their machine to give the impression that it was a heavier built typewriter. Other than the label everything was the same, well except the Nakajima was $200 cheaper!
That is super interesting. Thanks! for sharing! It is amazing the lengths that some companies will go through to squeeze just a bit more out of their customers.
5 lb block costed $200 😂
Except that is pretty much irrelevant to the topic and in fact it is the opposite, that if a tool had extra metal in it, all else equal, it would be a more durable tool. Their tools also aren't identical to some other brand, so the more interesting psychology topic would be how can you get this all so wrong and yet feel like you don't need to rethink the false analogies?
No, it is not the same tool, for better or worse, meaning you can also pay similar for generic junk elsewhere and end up with worse quality than some at HF.
wow, never knew that, miss my typewriter IBM selectric
A friend had a butcher friend (decades ago as you'll see by the prices). At the store one day, he asked why these pork chops were .79¢ and those were .69¢ a lb? The butcher made sure no one was around and replied "Well, some people like to pay .69¢ a lb and some people like to pay .79¢ a lb." Economic psychology in action.
I bought a Pittsburgh 19 piece wrench set 21 years ago.
Used them in my private tool set at an electronics factory for 6 years. Medium weight work mostly, some heavier.
Since then on bikes, shelving etc around the house. A great buy, they are in perfect shape today.
I once needed a impact drill for a DIY job. Buying one at HF was cheaper than renting one from the major hardware stores. So they definitely have a built-in market for people not wanting to spend full price for a DIY project.
Great point. Also you won’t be having to rush the job because you have a limited time to get the rental back. Chances are if you’re using a tool you don’t own, you won’t necessarily be fast and efficient with it.
Also, you might get a free flash light or magnetic screw dish! :)
If you are not a pro mechanic using impact tools every day, there is certainly no reason to drop major bucks on name brand tools, unless you want bragging rights in the neighborhood.
@@JENDALL714 don't forget about the batteries
on a one off job, just throw the
cheap tools in the dumpster
when you finish.
I used HF to complete my tire changing station in my home garage. I got an air compressor and a retractable air hose reel. The air compressor is a McGraw 8 gallon tank and it has zero issues popping a bead on super stiff walled ADV style motorcycle tires. I also own three different style motorcycle lifts/jacks and all have been great for me. You just have to have a keen eye on what you’re buying but honestly, all the big “premium” brands have come down in quality over the years while some of the better HF brands have stepped up. The gap isn’t as large as it used to be.
I bought a sawzall at HF for ~$20 to cut some tree roots I was dealing with. 10 years later I'm still using it for similar nasty jobs. It's held up way better than I expected.
Is it Chicago Eletric? I have that same one from ten years ago too lol
same here lol
@@homerthompson6028 mine is
I bought the same piece of junk Sawzall from Harbor Freight when I moved into my condo. I put it on a shelf for 17 years never using it. Finally a friend asked me to trim some small branches off the bottom of his tree using the Harbor Freight reciprocating saw. I put a pruning blade on it and started to cut. Within seconds the piece of deal started to vibrate itself apart. I of course stopped and tossed it in the trash. I was lucky enough to score a Ridgid reciprocating saw on Offer Up used and have been tickled pink with its performance.
I guess what you said in your video is true, "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR"!
I bought the same power saw for $20 7 years ago & I abused the hell out of it. From pine trunks, solid iron bars, hollow metal fence posts, etc. It finally seized up last summer but I definitely got my money's worth.
So as a traveling mechanic, I must say I stand behind most all the tools I buy from H.F. I have been mechanicing for 27 years and I just love them. I have even found that they have many tools that out-do the name brands. I will agree that cordless tools are somthung to spend a bit more. Yes, many of them are made in the same factories, as you said but the quality is very different.
As far as I know, "mechanicing" isn't a word in English, but it should be. I'll use it anytime I have a chance, thank you for coining it.
I've been using "mechanicing" for several decades. Its probably a southern/country thing
I agree with you as another mobile mechanic and in shop mechanic where we use harbor freight tools all the time. we use their jacks ,engine hoist and they are fantastic there. Cordless drills and impacts work. Great for deer way home projects. The earthquake impact brand is actually fantastic. I’ve used it for many Engine teardowns. I have yet to find something that that impact can’t takeoff. I personally had that impact for over 2 1/2 years and still working great the only thing how to do it was replace the battery We also have Mac and snap on tools. But in my personal opinion, they are just overpriced tools and they break just as often as the harbor freight tool steel with a huge difference. Snapon does an honor their warranty that well, when it comes down to certain tools for mechanical, such as their floor jacks Harbor freight tools pretty much come with the 90 day warranty and from my personal set on Harbor freight tools, I’ve been using them over 2 1/2 years seven days a week kind of hours and projects. And I broke and maybe 1/3 of the amount of Harbor freight tools. Compare to snap on.
I've been using the Bauer line of cordless for about 4 years now, and while they aren't the highest performing cordless tools out there, they certainly work well and have lasted through all my abuse. Haven't had any issues with them so far and haven't seen much battery degradation over time either
@@skwalka6372 I initially read it as menacing!
Their concrete mixer was a great purchase. Granted I had to go back to the store twice to combine parts from a 2nd box to complete one full unit, but for under $200, I got sidewalks all around my house done and saved tens of thousands in labor. Harbor Freight's customer service has always been helpful as well.
@h2s142 PAYING. OTHERS. FOR. THEIR. LABOR.
@h2s142 you're correct I paid myself. The tens of thousands in labor stayed right in my bank account.
@@rjc_2001 Plus materials.
I too purchased their cement mixer. Haven't regretted it.
Well now I want a concrete mixer. Don't really need one right now, but I want one.
A wheel from my push lawnmower broke. The original equipment manufacturer wanted $25 for a new one. I went to Harbor Freight and got a replacement for $8. The quality is great and it fit and worked perfectly. That was my first experience with HF. I'll keep them in mind the next time I need a part or tool.
@@jbroadbelt6 $17. Maybe you should take a course in arithmetic.
@@jbroadbelt6 Are your going write a book about taking basic arithmetic courses as an adult ? What an embarrassment !
@@thewolfdoctor761dammmmn bro. The autistic wolf doctor. lol. That was just about the gayest story I’ve ever heard.
I'm a Plant Mechanic for a Water District. I bought one if the HF "Titanium" 120V mig welders for use at home. That thing is awesome. It runs just as smooth [possibly smoother] than the giant multiprocess Miller in our shop at work. I don't use the Titanium machine daily, but for the small stuff on my old car project.. It works great .👍
Used to work at Harbor Freight; currently back in the CNC machining business, and I can tell you that their hydraulic jacks fall into two categories. Either they work right out of the box, or they don't . From my personal experience, they're not bad, especially when Snap On sells several models of jack where literally the only difference is what color the Chinese factory sprays it.
So then are snap ons also in the two categories
@@rustypotatos Don't forget the quality control difference.
@@ContantContact Yeah, they pay a Chinese guy with a snap on hat big money to do that, lol.
I have a motorcycle lift with lock outs from them. It’s down right awesome
I been using Their jack for years and they did last and still working. Its only good for personal or DIY use only.
Two items that I purchased in HF that I’m extremely pleased with:
1- The oscillating multi tool. I’ve used it to cut , sand, grind and it’s still going strong almost 10 years later .
2- The insulated electricians screwdriver set ( regular and mini size). I don’t often work in electrical panels but having an insulated screwdriver when working on a live circuit is good peace of mind. They’ve done right by me so far.
I have abused my oscillating tool for many years and it always works..... never ceases to surprise me.
I used to have a Fein oscillating tool which was very expensive, but it always had switch failure and the place I bought it from had offered free repair which was useless to me because I would have to drive 1-1 1/2 hours of rush hour traffic and then have to leave the tool there, so that made the tool useless to me. Harbor freight to the rescue. For $19.00 the problem was solved. Always had a working tool.
I bought the $19 multi-tool and it lasted exactly 4 hours and then burned up. But I got the job done and didn't spend 200 plus dollars on another multi-tool. Just saying
the oscillarng tool has paid itself off 100x over for me also 10 plus years
yes, I bought a Bauer cordless oscillator 6-7 years ago for luthier work, but I've used it around the house on tons of projects and it's worked like a champ.
I've been buying stuff from Harbor Freight for probably 30 years now. In the beginning the stuff they sold was pretty low quality but it was cheap and you knew what you were getting. Most of the things I bought then were specialty tools - things I would use infrequently but couldn't justify paying top dollar for a name brand name. They usually worked ok and if it broke so be it. Over the years however their tool quality has improved considerably. I've bought bottle jacks, a floor jack, pneumatic tools, paint sprayer, multi-tool, compound slide miter saw, tile saw, floor nailer, nail gun, grinder, trailer, etc. and I've only had one item fail prematurely. Some of the reasons you mention why they are able to sell at a lower price are probably true but what it's taught me is that some products are just more expensive because the company selling them wants a higher profit margin and nothing else.
Remember that god awful central forge brand? I haven't seen it in awhile. I once twisted a 1/8 hex wrench with my fingers....on the short side. Back then Pittsburgh was the better brand of tool they carried.
Oh ya, I remember. I used to laugh at the name. Forged? Ya right. None of those tools was remotely forged. Complete junk
@richmac918 Unfortunately living costs in the US are much higher than in China so our labor costs are higher. It's not just always more profit. Also they can't organize in China to get a living wage so labor gets exploited and can't do anything about it. As the Chinese economy develops their labor costs do go up, and quality increases as it did in Japan after WW2. Now Japanese goods are high quality where once they were considered cheap jun. All economies go through the same cycle.
@@andyrothauser1312 You are absolutely right about everything you said and all economies go through this cycle. My comment about profit was directed at those companies that are manufacturing a product in China where their competitors products are being manufacturerd right along with it but their sell price is orders of magnitude higher. You could argue that they have better quality control (probably true) BUT the price difference is still way out of line.
I was always told and have personally experienced this little nugget of truth; if you’re going to buy from Harbor Freight, stick to hard steel. Anything else, anything complex with components will not last longer than the first use or first week.
Granted, my dad bought most of his workshop out of there and hasn’t replaced but a few tools over the years. It’s definitely a difference in what you expect out of them versus what you put them through.
I'm a big believer in not overbuying for what you need. Just as a typical home DIYer I've used several of their items. My favorite is the Multi-function Power Tool. Works great for cutting and sanding my occasional jobs and the accessories are cheap, like the sanding pads or new blades. If its something I had to make a living with, I might feel differently, but for my purposes they're great.
I am a professional in construction, I love going to HF for things that I will lose before they have a chance to break. Like screwdrivers, sockets, impact bit sets, etc… the a couple of things have really impressed me, they have a comprehensive tamper proof bit set that has all the bits for any tamper proof installation and it is cheap 15$, also an aluminum 2 ton carjack that I use on my smaller vehicles, and I have owned for over 10 years. I also like their wood clamps.
Facts! HF is my go to for those exact items! Including the tamper proof set. Only thing that sucks about the tamper proof set is the case is piece of crap. All the pieces end up not staying inside and the clip that closes it ends up ripping off, so I usually wrap it with electrical tape.
I have an oscillating tool that I bought years ago and surprisingly it's still working. It's not as good as name brand ones but it does the same thing and cost a lot less. You're right about use, break and throw away.
I'm an Enginerd and worked for a G.C., Masony Contr & Elec Contr during H.S. and thru College. i'm constantly doing things to upgrade my house and lot so some tools i'll only use 2-3 times and don't need to spend more $$ for Contr Grade so lower quality HF tools at time do the job.
The weld joints on those car stands are done cheap, spend the extra 10 bucks to save your life.. those welds will bust someday.. fact
@@WestHaddnin I bought a roll of nylon webbing online, which comes in all sorts of cool colors and designs (or you can recycle the material from your retired Harbor Freight ratchet straps), bought some 1" D rings and sewed custom belts for extra security on all my little tool boxes. Now if I drop them they don't explode and pieces fly everywhere
I began a lot of my tool shopping at harbor freight. I am shocked when going into Home Depot or Lowe’s at how much the tools cost. Most of the time the slightly better quality isn’t worth double the price on something I’m going to use as an average homeowner.
The predator generator that they sell is shocking good. I had that thing running for 4 days nonstop in 110 degree weather and it didn’t have a single problem at all and still now the thing fires right up with just a few pulls. I totally dig harbor freight and will continue to buy from them.
Well not everything they sell is good. Their one gallon pump sprayers are garbage. Maybe 1 out of 10 holds up.
The key thing with their generators is to break it in how they say to.
lol pretty sure pump sprayers suck in just about every store. There is a few youtube videos on why and how to fix some of them 🙂
@@jron20r51 I put gas in it and topped off the oil and let her rip. lol damn thing held up great
My first predator 3300 inverter gen had a bad choke/run connector w/in a month. They replaced it and this one has been flawless. Just be sure to clean the exhaust spark arrestor as a clogged one will cause it to not run very well. Also have their 4400 pressure washer. So far so good on that too.
One thing you failed to mention - their hand tools (i.e. wrenches & sockets) have a lifetime warranty. If you break it, just take it back for a new one. My son is an Assistant Manager at HF and he basically said the same thing - stick to the hand tools and avoid the "electric" tools. And I'm with the guy who commented below😅 floor Jack's are very good, as are their winches and other off-road products. They know if someone gets injured or killed because their product fails they'll face a massive lawsuit.
I disagree. Their electric tools are ok too for the average homeowner. Take a miter saw. I've owned it 10 years still works like new because I may have used it 10 times in it's entire lifetime. There is no reason to spend twice as much when you don't use it but you still need it for a project.
Yea, well they charged me a 30% restocking fee for a "broken" tool.
never happened to me. They exchange broken tools for no charge.@@rickg.188
@@rickg.188 Did you return it within the 30-day return period?
That warranty doesn't help much when a socket or a wrench breaks in the middle of something.
I'll continue buying good quality hand tools from local stores.
The exception: their tool storage seem to be fairly good.
I've been using the Bauer brand cordless tools for about 4 years now, since they first started carrying them in stores, and honestly... I love them. They seem well built and I haven't had any issues with them. I have the 1/2" impact, the hex impact driver, sawzall, and angle grinder and they all work great, and while I don't exactly abuse my tools, I'm not the nicest either. I've left them in hot cars, in the hot sun and laying in the dirt and they still all work fine. Only issue I've found is I bought the brushless sawzall and it doesn't seem to have much stall torque, but I haven't used many other sawzalls os that could be normal
my bauer drill is a workhorse, but the bauer cordless angle grinder is a pos, constantly cuts off while cutting like its overloaded or something. the bauer plainer is a workhorse too but make sure you pack plenty of quality fresh grease into the main bearing. i also have the central machine band saw and i wouldn't buy it again, i may put a bigger motor on it. I had the compound miter saw 12" chicago electric, used it heavily for almost 3 yrs. the angles were off and i got tired of having to use a speed square to set 45's and i sold it for 60$ and then spent 400$ on a Dewalt. the angles are spot on now ;)
@@budwittman4907 what battery are you using on the angle grinder? I've never had a problem with my cordless angle grinder but I've only used the 5.0 Ah battery with it so it could be a battery problem. I have had a few different tools cut off like what you're describing when the battery is low and I'm asking for a lot of torque, but usually fully charged batteries dont do that to me
I DO COMMERCIAL WORK, MY BAUER SMALL JACKHAMMER IS STILL GOIN AFTER 4 YEARS...
Goad to know I got the 1/2 impact wrench an small tire inflator. The lil inflator is better then advertised just dint wanna fill 4 empty tires waiting every 10min for 15min. But for the need 👌.
I talked to the girl one day at register. She'd not seen any hand battery tools returned for breakage just ppl not happy which meant they did the 1 job they need it for then return it. Hence Lowe's not accept returns on drain snakes.
Repent and live for JESUS CHRIST before it’s too late!!
Interesting, retired hobbiest here. I’ve gotten interested in welding and purchased the Titanium 170 MiG. I’ve gone through 30# of wire and 4 125 gas bottles; it still works like new. I also got a small Bauer band saw and stand. I use it multiple times a week for smaller metal cutting. The blade tends to pop off but otherwise very useful.
Love Harbor Freight! I’m a woman and most of my projects and needs are basically light weight so to speak. I have a Ryobi collection that I pair Harbor freight accessories with that works awesome! The only power tool I have from HF is a dremmel type tool and it has worked very well. I think you basically covered it with how to shop at HF. For me it’s an awesome store and so happy they built one in my small town!
I like Ryobi. They may not be considered the highest quality tool, but the 18v collection has more tools available for the price. I've got the 1/2" drive impact in my car to be used as a lug wrench. I dare say it has stood up to my friend's Snap On cordless impact.
Harbor Freight welders, especially the flux core welders, are a great bargain! My TIG collects dust while that little 115v thing goes through spool after spool. It's also nice to have extra angle grinders with all the different attachments. The thing NOT to buy at HF are consumables like sandpaper, drill bits, saw blades. Look up Project Farm for comparison on individual tools to know what you're getting before hand.
I know what you mean about having an "extra grinder with different attachments" as I bought a corded Black and Decker 4" angle grinder at Walmart a few years ago, before we had a Harbor Freight in our area, then two years ago I went to buy another grinder from HF but they were "sold out" (of course...my store never has anything in it), but on the way home from there, I stopped at a yard sale that had a bunch of tools for sale!! One of the tools just happened to be a Bosch angle grinder and the guy only wanted $10 for it!! I grabbed that, a couple of large antique clamp, a hand plane and a orbital sander, for the money I would have spent at Harbor Freight!! It was one of the few times where my local store being "sold out" actually sort of worked in my favor, because thanks to them and their lack of quantity, I had the extra money for tools at a better price!!
@@brianfuller4071 That is the best way to get a deal if you can find it. Though battery operated tools are not, since the battery may be shot.
Yes any blades and etc are usually junk from harbor freight. It sucks. Their Welders have for the past several years been extremely good. I have Millers, but those Vulcan brand welders are very nice for the money. Some of the their tools are identical to a Snap On or Mac tool. This is because tooling is expensive and patents are a thing, so if company x makes that specific tool all other brands are just up charging you.
One 3m cutting disc will outlast 6 harbor freight's. Actually cheaper when you take that into account.
Project Farm is a great channel...!
My son, an HVAC Tech, recommends that new techs buy their first set of tools from Harbor Freight and replace them with higher quality tools when they break. Makes a lot of sense. As the video points out, if you don't use certain tools heavily, they will last a long time. Why buy a high end 13/16ths wrench if you almost never use it?
I am the guy that even has two 15/32 sockets. If/when I need a tool I don't want to go to town to get it. But I have collected my tools over the last 52 years. about 75% are top shelf and the rest Harbor Freight. I still have the tools my dad gave me when I was 14 years old, I have worn them out pretty much though, and haven't used them in a long time. In my lifetime I have only lost a couple of wrenches and a couple of sockets because I was taught to take care of my tools by my dad who had his own shop and his living depended on them. Most were made in Japan and lasted though a lot of use though.
Why buy the quality tool because the quality tool can become a family heirloom
Doesn't harbor freight have a lifetime warranty on certain tools
Thats dumb. Cheap tools breaking is dangerous. Tools can be expensive, but so can an injury.
I bought an electric impact there for breaking lugs off of wheels 12 years ago, came with an extra set of brushes for the motor. Still works to this day, never had it fail to break anything loose. Color me pleasantly surprised.
I noticed that the chop saws had higher degrees of flex and were less precise than the more expensive competitors. On the plus side, the harbor freight brand allowed me to get started in woodworking and learn about what types of tools I needed to invest more money into. Most of the time you can sell the older tools at a discount so you usually aren't completely out of your investment. Take care of your tools. I had an air scraper fail on 1st use, but the store was great about exchanging it for a new one, which worked just fine. Specialty sockets are my go to at Harbor Freight, I've never broken a socket.
Chop/miter saws as a class of tool are notorious for having slop, a problem not unique to HFT. My first chop was a Skill, which was replaced by an HFT, which was replaced by a Hatachi, which was replaced by a DeWalt, which was replaced by a very expensive Jet, and they all had the exact same problem with slop. If you want dead-on accurate cuts, build yourself an alignment gauge on your Sawstop/Laguna/Harvey table saw and manually calibrate your chop/miter saw up every time you make a cut. And even then down count on it to be perfect. IMO they are contractor tools at best and hobbiest tools at worst.
@@radiationroom I'm glad you submitted that opinion. Some tools are inherently more prone to some degree of error. Buying your way up the "toolchain" is not always a good idea. Maybe changing the tool, the technique, or the whole approach is a better idea. You are wise.
I have both a Hercules and Bauer saw- Bauer is really very good and Hercules is really very very close to Makita, desalt and Milwaukee. At WAY less cost ! And when they are on sale and /or coupon, your nuts to pay more….Unless you are professional a red or blue or turquoise fan boy with lots fo same batteries, these are GREAT saws, seriously. I would agree you’ve got to stress these tools quickly ; the 90 day basic warranty runs out quick, and they don’t offer extended warranties on all their tools.
@@alext8828 Agreed on your statement about buying one’s way up the tool chain. I have several pieces of Jet branded kit, including a lathe, a bandsaw and several pieces of dust control machines. The only piece I regret going upscale on is the chop/miter saw.
@@johnwhite2576 Unfortunately, some customers expect to see Makita or Milwaukee tools when a professional shows up. It's become part of the show.
As a plumbing contractor, I buy most of my tools from HF. If you lose or abuse the tools it’s no big deal because they’re cheap enough just to replace them! I’ll for instance use a screwdriver for a chisel, or a adjustable wrench for a hammer, whatever is handy to speed up the job! Not the best quality, but the best price for good quality!
My first welder came from HF. It was an experiment purchase and using it showed me that yes I could use a welder to make the repairs I wanted.I also found out what limits their welders have,and when ready, I opted for a higher end welder with more quality and many more features. However, I have a 4 inch grinder that has lasted almost a decade and still works perfectly. It is temendously noisy,but it does its job. Moving blankets, dollies, rubber gloves, grinding wheels, all the consumables are definately worth the trip to HF. Love the place.
I bought my angle grinder years ago at HF, figuring it was getting old, I was in one day and they had angle grinders on sale, so I bought a second one. It is still sitting on the shelf waiting for the first one to wear out, and the cellophane wrapper is starting to show age! The nice thing about HF is you can afford owning 2 of the same tool. I think I have 5 pipe wrenches, but can never find one when I need it! I think I need to get more organized, but it is nice to be able to afford a lot of tools.
which one did you buy? i got the vulcan outlaw 195 from hf last week
Harbor freight is great for certain items and improving them with do-it-yourself upgrades.
I have a friend who bought one of their sand blast booths and made it really good after doing the upgrades he found on RUclips.
I'm a mechanic for 50 years. After buying top name tools all my life I started buying from Harbor Freight for about 20 years. I've had some bad ones, but also really good ones. The best is a electric pole saw that I still use at home. Thanks.
Rich, throw us a bone here! Name & model number, please!
Yes please! I'm looking for a new one.
Long-time HF customer here. I have a workshop full of HF tools. I've been buying less lately because I have pretty much everything I need and also the coupons went away. I loved those coupons!
This was an excellent and even-handed review. Can't argue with anything. Most HF tools are good enough for home projects that don't require top-of-the-line quality. And yes, if your life depends on your tools -- stay away from HF (ahem -- jack stands!)
One HF purchase I made that blew me away was a Predator 3500 Watt Inverter. After 2 years of starting it every month, it still functions well -- kudos to HF for that!
Coupons have been back for close to 6 months now, possibly more. If you haven't been in awhile you're definitely gonna see new stuff. They're in the middle of a massive image change, without affecting the prices.
They addressed an issue with a supplier of said jackstands and have fixed them, even replaced them for free. There are tons of pros who use their stands and jacks. They may not have been quality years and years ago but as of today they are totally well built and safer to use. The problem is, people don't put oil in the jacks and expect it to lift a vehicle and thus claim it's defective. See it all the time.
Agreed
I think they stopped sending out the coupon catalogs..... All I know is, I get at least one email a day with coupons from Harbor Freight. Yeah, its not the same scale as the catalogs, but I will admit, the rotation is pretty healthy
The predator engines are pretty good got my eye on the 9k generator they make its quiet would be good for power outages
I bought a Pittsburgh 301 piece tool kit 17 years ago. It has served me well as I was an in home service tech for Sears and still run my own small engine shop. I've lost a few pieces but haven't broken any. Love my tools!
The floor jacks and jack stands are as good as or better than most other Chinese-made products that you find in other stores. ALWAYS have multiple means of support when working under a vehicle.
People seem to forget: A QUALITY TOOL EXACTLY MEETS THE USER'S REQUIREMENTS... to a carpenter a $3 hammer is a piece of junk; to an apartment dweller who hangs the occasional picture a $30 hammer is ridiculously over priced.
Harbor Freight is a great place to shop if you make your purchase per the requirements rather than just the price. Yeah, you get what you pay for, buy what is suitable for the job and you will be happy 😀
Tools.. Mostly power tools, carry a good resell value if you've ever taken a stroll though a pawn shop...obviously condition, and brand quality make the differ in what they'll except and resell, but it's more a marker to the thought of resell in general. You get what you pay for, but you might also get back near what you paid for when in vesting in higher quality/higher valued tools..
Hank, I disagree with your definition of quality. Some jobs don't require quality tools. If all you need to do is get through this job, then the cheapest tool that does that is what you might think you need, but you could easily be disappointed if you have to buy two of them to make it through the job. Some cheap tools won't produce quality results. Some of them won't last more than one job. Quality tools are what a professional wants. One example is that every Kobalt tool I've bought has broken the first time I've tried to use it. They didn't make it through the job I bought them for.
Exactly right, that is the way I purchase tools. I still have and use Harbor Freight hand tools I purchased 20+ years ago. I don't need brand name tools that I'll use 2 or 3 times a year. Plus where else would I find the unusual tool that I didn't know existed? You have to walk each aisle to find the weird tools. (ツ)
@@shepberryhill4912 Shep, By all means disagree, I'm always ready to consider another opinion/perspective!
My point is that people equate cost with quality and IMHO more expensive doesn't mean that an item is better for the job at hand. If some Pharaoh commissioned a solid gold hammer it would be very expensive but even less suited for a carpenter than the $3 hammer as it would be too soft/ductile to hammer in a nail - from the carpenter's perspective it would be poor quality in spite of the cost.
Per the more expensive is better theory. Recently saw a cost/quality trap on Amazon. Was looking for a fly rod for my granddaughter, found the same rod (pictures, specs ect) for prices ranging from $50 to $550. Buyer be ware!
Like everything else, some tools are way overpriced relative to their true (functional and durable) value. I appreciate good stuff and consider myself as a "serious amateur" so I prefer to buy equipment approaching professional level if I can afford it. Even if it is a one-project and resell item.
On the flip side, some tools are out and out crap that should never be offered for sale. I bought a bearing-puller kit for a one-off use that turned out to be useless.
Just my 2 cents.
Cheers!
My father is a avid wood worker. He has built most of the family some of the nicest furniture and cabinetry you would ever want. He has some very high end saws, routers, shapers, planer etc. My HF chop saw and table saw are nowhere near as accurate, and may not even last as long, but the thing is even if I had his workshop and his fancy tools, without the decades of learning and experience he has I couldn't turn out the quality of project he does. However, even with my cheap HF wood working tools I can manage repairs around the house. I could probably even build a shelf or table or whatever that works just fine, even if it wasn't all intricately inlaid, and veneered, with fancy hidden compartments like some of the stuff he's made. With the frequency at which I mess with dead tree carcasses, my HF tools could possibly last the rest of my life, and even if they don't I won't be disappointed or feel like they owe me anything.
As a HFT employee I can say your view is very valid. Harbor Freight sells many different levels of tools from beginner or "one time use" items to more professional grade tools, especially now with the Earthquake, Icon, and Hercules brands. I personally have used the Bauer brand tools extensively, and they have kept pace with other people's DeWalts, Milwalkees, etc. tools. Yes there are lemons that make it to the shelves, but at least in my store, we will either replace or refund your tool should it have some issue. I can't speak for every store across the country, but if you're in the SW Florida area, chances are you will get a good tool for your money, and if not, we will make it right for you.
I agree, Harbor Freight is great.
Harbor Freight is a place to buy a tool you may use only once or twice. I used many higher level tools/electric operated tools and they crapped out! FYI, never buy the lower end cordless drills or their knockoff channel locks!
@@mrbriancandoanything709 I agree about the lower end items, i.e. drills, saws, and you make a good point.
The Bauer drills are a bargain coming with a charger, even though the chucks let go of a tool a little easy. just remember to twist that chuck shut tightly on a big drill.
Their Daytona floor jacks are amazing. Same goes for their Icon and US General tool boxes. Definitely worth the buy.
Had a Daytona and a low profile for years now, they work better than most.
Snap-on sued them over copyright laws for their daytona jack. Apparantly theirs was different enough but are fantastic
I buy most of my hand tools at Harbor Freight, I tend to get power tools at Home Depot though.
I have the jack, and I know many mechanics who have the Pittsburgh jack and have been using it for a long time, this is a tool you should definitely get, I’ve used it for more than lifting cars up, it’s built surprisingly well for the price.
HF has come a long ways in recent years. Back in the early 00s when they didn’t have the “tier” items and basically only one line, yeah they definitely were sketchy in a lot of ways. Once they started building better options, albeit for more money, but still cheaper than name brand, things got better. I also have a Daytona 3 ton jack that has been a total work horse for about 5 years now. Same with the jack stands. They definitely have their crappy products but I’d honestly say these days the crap is a lot less common.
If it's the Daytona 3-ton with the wavy-looking design on the side rails, then you effectively got a Snap-On $1,200 jack for what- $300-$350?
Either jack can use replacement parts from the other.
My Pittsburgh jack has been utterly abused over the last 10 years. Still works just fine.
I think they are honest when it comes to the reviews on their website too, it seems pretty much unmodderated. You can tell what tools are good or at least decent because they are 3.5 stars or better, and all the unreliable junk is 3 or less. It really looks like they don't mess with those ratings at all, and I've been basing all my purchases there off of those ratings for years and years and years and it has literally never let me down. Not even a single time. The really fantastic products are very consistently 4.5-5 stars.
Nowadays, the only difference between a Harbor Freight tool and a "big box store tool" is the color of the plastic. You'll pay way more for the color of the plastic and a name... in most cases.
@@thetruthserum2816 That isn't entirely true. HF does have some total scam products, like real lemons that just are no good. Most somewhat reputable tool brands typically don't offer products that are just a completely useless fail, not to the same extent in my experience. Some HF tools simply can't even be used for their intended purpose a single time.
Very well explained. I've bought inexpensive tools at Harbor Freight to replace "good" tools that knuckleheaded yacht crew have dropped over the side by mistake, figuring if they go over the side again, at least the new tool was a cheap tool, only to find out the cheap tools actually lasted a long time. The cheap tools were well on their way to outlasting the good tools.
Like you said, get tools with very few moving parts, and chances are you will be a satisfied customer.
Take care
Send the knuckleheads fishing with a strong magnet, you might get a tool back. Just saying.
Very few tools, good, bad, or indifferent will survive being dropped overboard especially in water of any depth.
@@donaldmaxie9742 even if it falls off a yacht?
Just a note to clarify, when tools to over the side, they are never seen again, much less used again.
Take care
I bought a house brand oscillating tool 15 years ago. $25 bucks. I used it the other day. I still can't get over how useful that thing is. Polishing, sanding, cutting, shaping, ...One of my best purchases ever. My 25 year old Craftsman biscuit joiner, never used it once.
@Jeff Gray
Yes, it's a "Craftsman 17501", but arranging shipping is going to be a problem. I'm in Canada.
I think it's best if I sold it locally.
There is a big difference between quality control and quality assurance. Quality assurance is more effective and much cheaper than quality control. Quality assurance is building the quality into the product. Quality control is building the product and then sorting the good from the bad.
I have outfitted my tool collection with alot of Harbor Freight tools. The power tools are hit and miss but like you said, you get what you pay for. Winners for me are the simple hand tools, they have been serving me very well for years. And I have been super impressed with my Fortress compressor, Bauer shop vac and Hercules angle grinder.
Their shop vacs tested really well against the big name brands
Great place for simple tools used for small projects.
Their us general and icon tool cabinets are amazing. Any icon product with a lifetime warranty is a solid choice as well. I beat on those ratchets, and I've finally had one whose teeth are not clicking perfectly after 2 years of pretending the ratchet doubles as a breaker bar. I simply brought it in and got a new one. I honestly prefer it over my snap on ratchet, simply because I'm 5 min away from a harbor freight, I can never find a snap on truck nearby, and I didn't break a $150 ratchet.
The toolboxes are amazing, but go look at Mr. Subaru’s channel. A lot of Icon products are the same as other budget brands, but marked up 50-200% above those.
ALL of their hand tools have lifetime warranty. The new Icon stuff is overpriced for what it is - it's just working on the "ooh, I'll just spend a little more to get better" mentality he talks about in the video. What pisses me off is the incomplete sets - metric sets missing 15mm, which is a really common size in automotive applications. I think another way they get you is you buy a set of wrenches or sockets that are missing a few key sizes, and then you spend more on that individual socket to fill the set out than you would on just buying a full set to begin with elsewhere.
yes, but you're paying that markup to be able to walk it in and replace it for a lifetime. ZERO of the amazon rebranded icons will do that.
I run a handyman business and have purchased many tools at Harbor Freight. Chipping hammer, demo hammer, pole saw, heavy duty floor jack to name the big items. I chose to buy them as i would normally rent them from home depot and figured as long as they outlast the cost to rent them it would be worth it. HUGE win for me! I have never had a failure with a harbor freight tool. I used the tools for many jobs beating out the rental cost multiple times over.
The best part is after I decided to narrow down the list of jobs I would take on I sold the tools and recouped most of my original money!
If you are going to rent a tool for a diy job price it out at HF first. It may be cheaper for you to own one over rent. A brand new lower quality name brand tool will almost always beat out a tool that has been used and abused by multiple people over time and maintained by hourly employees that may have little to no experience. Also, if you know you will be hard on a tool HF tools are perfect. Get the warranty…its a full replacement warranty. Keep a record log of when you bought and when your warranty will run out. Beat the tool up as much as you need to and then bring it back either IF it breaks or just before your warranty expires. They do not care what is wrong with it or how it got that way…they just give you a brand new one!
Their current design jack stands are outstanding. They had to do two successive recalls on their older defective ones a few yrs ago, but they really stepped up and IMO the curent Daytona jack stands are the best of the chinese made jack stands on the market today. Their rolling hydraulic jacks are excellent as well.
I’ve been in the water well repair business since I was a teen. Used to use Simpson and Amprobe testers. Instead of an Amprobe clamp on amp meter I use the $12 special from HF. It does way higher amperage than anything I’ve ever needed, voltage, and ohms in one meter. Accuracy is better than expected. A set of batteries from a dollar store costs more than the whole meter so I keep extras from HF in stock. Bonus: if I accidentally drop it in water (or down a well… it happens) or it gets crushed it costs about as much as lunch at a fast food place instead of a few hundred dollars. Yeah, I keep a couple of extra meters as well.
They get their products CCP
@@patriciajones2549 Name me a product that isn't CCP.
Made in China
As an electrician, I have to let you know that your life can depend on your meter. Don't end up an osha video for apprentices because you had a cheaper option. I hate the price tags, because I pay taxes, but if you deal with higher voltages please, go with fluke or another better quality. Probably made in China, no matter what you choose, but with better quality control. Don't leave your dependents sol because you could have 20 lunches for the price of a real meter. Buy their sockets and batteries and led lights all day, but not your electrical meters.
Harbor freight floor jacks and jackstands are actually pretty fantastic. Project farm did a nice video on the floor jack and it stacked up to the snap on equivalent if I remember correctly.
Yeah, the Daytona jack stacked up to the Snap On one and is overall a better bang for your buck. Also a real good quality jack, too.
People are still reluctant because of the jackstand issues a few years ago. I can't blame 'em, honestly.
There was a power failure in my area around 2 AM, so I went looking for a generator. Since I knew they’d be in high demand, I went to the Home Depot before they opened at 6 AM. I was the first one in the store, and found their generators were completely sold out. Since this was an unexpected storm, the only reasonable explanation was the employees had removed them from the floor so they could make sure their friends and relatives got one - or maybe they were selling them for a markup from the back of the store. Went to a Harbor Freight further away and got what I was looking for.
I have bought the large breakover bar, and used it extensively in plant maintenance. It was extremely tested on breaking loose impeller bolts that were locked on due to heat and buildup, and had sevear stress applied. They held up great, much beyond my expectation. I also have the larger mill/drill, which performed great. My favorite though has been my press arbor, with a pneumatic jack, and the air compressor which works flawlessly. These were expensive items that I would endorse 100%. I also have lights, multimeters wrenches, and measuring devices such as dial indicators and micrometers. The dial indicators are as accurate as expensive ones though they don't last as long, but the upside is if you destroy one you haven't lost much, and instead of having to pay for rebuilding one you just get a new one for much lower cost.
I purchased a 1 man gas powered auger for post holes. I have used it for about a year and have drilled dozens of holes. Always starts first pull. I also have the 9000 predator generator. I have been using it to power my 600ft deep well pump and surface pump. I can power both at the same time. Both of the tools have performed great!
OG
Looking at rebuilding my fence later this year- great to know about the auger. Will go check it out. 🤘
My predator 3500 generator is a good ten years old and still runs great. I had to clean the carburetor once (due to it sitting unused for awhile) but it fired right up afterwards. Great value and quality, especially for the price point.
I have bought several HF tools for a single job that served me well & saved me so much money by doing it myself, then the tools just worked even longer than I expected them too. They aren't as powerful most of the time, but they do most of what I need well beyond the initial projects.
On their gas powered side, I've used 2 of their water pumps & both lasted & performed! My 4000W generator is still going strong almost 10 years later & the little 800W is a few years old & not used often - I empty it of fuel @ the end of the summer & it has always restarted when I've put in fresh fuel for the new year.
And the one thing I recommend to everyone & rarely get anywhere else is their epoxy/glues..... 2 part putty, 2 part tubes, CA (super glue), threadlock & even their basic shop glue for simple wood projects.
Just don't buy those Warrior-brand saw blades, absolute crap and wasn't surprised that they came in dead last in Project Farm tests. Pretty much any brand is better than those.
The Snap On Guy was coming to the Scooter Shop when I worked there in 1977.
I still have Snap On Tools but some grew legs and walked out the door.
Things like air hoses can be good at Harbor Fright.
But you should not push their tools very hard,
they do break.....
Snap-on and Mac are definitely the best, but they cost a fortune for the weekend mechanic only problem I see safety issues with cheap tools
My uncle once told me if you buy from HF be happy it lasts you for one project. I took it seriously but I've slowly learned that some of their tools will last you a long time as long as you don't abuse it. I been smart about which tools to buy off HF and so far I haven't been disappointed. My angle grinder has lasted me about 4 years and I've done so much with it. Too many projects. My jack stand has lasted me a lot, I work a lot on my own cars and a ratcheting tool is still as good as the day I bought it.
In my experience, the crap from Harbor Freight will last forever - provided you don't open the package....
There's a concept I learned in Audio Engineering that really applies to many industries, called "Binning." When any factory makes components of high complexity, say, a motor, a bearing, a transformer, they test their finished goods and separate them into _bins._ The best quality parts are sold at a premium price, and lower quality pieces are sold at lower prices. This is why you can have two items that look REALLY similar, plainly based off the same design, and one can be bought way cheaper. The components may come from the same places, but they are consistently using the lower-quality components. This kind of explains the low longevity of Harbor Freight tools, they are made of stuff that rattles, shakes, drifts, provides inconsistent voltage, produces lower torque, or whatever. A tool is only as good as the quality of it's parts.
You can buy a Lincoln or an LTD. Been that way for a century.
I worked for Eric about 10 years ago and remember talk of him also owning the shipping company that brings the tools from China so he saves and guarantees delivery by having that.
And the person that takes care of the tools they spend there hard earned money on a chisel isn't a screw driver hahaha!
That's interesting. I'll have to look into that.
Great points. Thanks for your comment!
I find as a hobbyist and crafter that HF is a frequently ignored source. I’ve purchased measuring tools, precision tweezer sets, small-toothed saws, shears and snips of all types, small hammers, organizational boxes, and more… and saved a lot of money by shopping there.
Exactly, my building of an HO model railroad layout is making excellent use of those HF tools that lend themselves to that style of project: multi-tool, jigsaw, drill bits, saw blades, etc. I have most required tools from top of the line outfits due to my past DIY projects, but at 78 I don't need new tools that will outlast me.
Building a large wood boat, I bought the Fein vibrating cutter tool for $350.00, excellent quality and big $$. This was just at the time when the Fein patents ran out, and all sorts of tool brands were jumping in on these tools, generally around $99 more or less, but Harbor Freight was selling theirs for $10. I said to myself, why not try the HF tool, what have I got to loose? $10? So for a year I used the HF tool, and it was used plenty while building the boat. Never having to worry about dropping it, or overloading it, it was expendable, and cost was only about 3% of the Fein tool price. About a year later, the boat was finished, and the HF tool died. In my view one of the best bargains I ever had was the HF tool. Sorry I bought the Fein tool, although I still have that one.
This is an excellent video with great information. Harbor Freight definitely fills a need for folks who don't need the best quality. I sometimes think of it as my "disposable tool store", knowing that the tool won't last as long as more expensive tools. Dave makes a good point about spending more and getting the better quality for a tool you're going to use more often, or need to be higher quality for safety. But a lot of folks just need "good enough" to get through a project or two and HF tools are perfect for that.
I bought welding gloves helmet 2005 still working great
as a pro mechanic for over 30 years, I paid my dues to the snap on man... I still have most of those tools now and they work great, but they are all in a tool box in my garage and only come out on the right occasion. I find myself running to harbor freight from time to time and I gotta say they do have some ok stuff for such a low cost. I even recommended a tool box from harbor, not quite as heavy as my Matco, and the sheet metal is a little thin but for the money you can't beat it, and a toolbox can last you your whole life... so harbor freight has a real purpose, and a icon wrachet is a treat at a third the cost...so if a young man or lady where getting themselves ready for a career in the mechanical arts, you can pick and choose much of what is needed, and save a lot of cash in the mean time...
The tool boxes are the best example : good quality at reasonable price. I would always recommend Snap On end wrenches, sockets and specialised ratchets. Mechanical tools need to be high grade.
@@kentvonseverin1257 You're not paying for their quality of tool, you're paying for their warranty. I've been using Blackhawk, older Craftsman, and even Masterforce hand tools. Fraction of the price, lifetime warranty. Been doing it for +30 years. Only time I need to warranty a tool is when I abused them.
I had a Mac-amizer box
And when 4 grown men couldn’t lift it
Yea I’ll take the thin metal
ICON tools are great!
@@kentvonseverin1257 Been a mechanic going on 35 years. I tell young mechanics starting out to not buy the biggest most expensive Snap On box. Buy something inexpensive and spend on the tool's themselves.
There was a time when I was buying enough Craftsman stuff from Sears that they would worry if I didn’t come in for a while. If anyone counted as a loyal customer, it was me. I picked up a drill press that I didn’t need at the time because it was a good deal on sale, but when I came to assemble it a few months later, the chuck was all over the place and you could see a mark where it had been dropped hard. Long story short, the guy at Sears gave me a hard time when I tried to return it and instead suggested I take it to their repair facility and pay to have it fixed. I told the guy he’d just lost me as a customer and walked out. A Harbor Freight had just opened up nearby, so I bought a drill press from them (cheaper than Sear’s sale price), and when I compared it to the Craftsman, it was the exact same drill press with a different paint job. I even changed over the Craftsman sheet metal, switch and handles, and they all fit perfectly - same threads and bolt locations. And I know from experience that they’ll replace or refund without arguing. They know how to look after their customers and it makes a difference. They’re thriving and Sears is done.
Craftsman were a good brand in the 80s. They had quality and the salesperson really cared. It all went downhill in the mid to late 90s.
Eddie Lampert destroyed Sears. A libertarian finance douche, his "free market uber alles--competition always breeds efficiency!" stupidity destroyed the company in under a decade--cashing in the reputation they'd earned over decades for a few years of higher profit. Look it up for the full story, but the basic premise is that the moron split the company into completely separate divisions, then declared that whichever division had the lowest profits per year, the head of that division would be fired. Which turned the company into a series of warring Baltic states--you stopped seeing DieHard batteries in Craftsman lawn tractors, because the batteries were under the Automotive division, but the tractors were Lawn & Garden. The different divisions actually contracted with each other, and when the Appliances division found that the Kenmore product division was gouging them, they dropped the Kenmore appliances and switched focus to LG. The quality of the hand tools dropped, and they ended their lifetime warranty for power tools. All over the company, the concertina wire went up and the divisions increasingly isolated from each other.
Even within the stores themselves, staff wouldn't assist other divisions--e.g., if Housewares was understaffed, employees from Clothing, Automotive, Lawn & Garden, etc were forbidden to help them restock.
And dumbest of all, they never put serious effort into transitioning from their catalog to online sales, because spending money to develop a quality web interface (and the servers to host it) would have cut into that division's profits. After all, the internet's just a passing fad, right? Amazon ate their breakfast and pissed in their lunchbox.
The quality of all the store-brand products nosedived, customers figured it out within a few years, and now the company is a dead man walking.
I am glad to hear my husband wasn't the only one buying craftsman from sears. He also got angry over an expensive tool that broke. He also said good bye.
If I am loosening a wall electrical plate, I don't need a $100 tool. Sometimes a cheap tool does the job, period.
Whenever I am at H.F., checking out the flashlights is a must.
I bought a 1/2" Earthquake impact 6 months ago. That thing is stout! Very impressed with it. I know other tools are less quality, but replacing old tools is expensive. Thanks for your video.
You should have checked out Astro Tools. Their pricing is reasonable. Their performance smokes anything on the Earthquake line.
I needed a cross-slide vise. I looked at reviews for HF and several online sources. I noticed that some years would have better reviews than others, as if some batches were better than others. I chose HF because if there was a problem, exchanging was a short drive, not expensive (heavy!) and time-consuming shipping for exchange.