Decision Chart - When to buy Harbor Freight Tools

[thenotsoesoteric]

My big issue with Harbor Freight is not being able to get parts for their stuff. I had their electric breaker hammer and it worked but when my crew broke the handle with the trigger there was virtually no way to get a replacement. Super annoying since otherwise it was fine. I actually wound up making a wood handle but obviously it didn't hold up long term lol. When I got sick of duck taping it back together I bought a Dewalt even though it was twice the money... wish I had just done that in the first place. Not only can I get replacement parts now from a local Dewalt and Milwaukee repair shop, it works twice as well so it's basically paying for itself at this point... I don't necessarily shop for the best, but I definitely try to make sure when I buy a tool it's repairable now. Even if it's cheaper I'm just sick of throwing things away because I can't repair them

The EU just passed a "right to repair" law that stipulates companies have to make items repairable.

Planned obsolescence was made popular in late 40s or 50s by companies like GE. They were upset refrigerators lasted 30+years so they started making parts breakable but not offer the parts for replacement. It took a while but the fad caught on and got to the point its at now.

 

[HydroRed]

The EU just passed a "right to repair" law that stipulates companies have to make items repairable.

Planned obsolescence was made popular in late 40s or 50s by companies like GE. They were upset refrigerators lasted 30+years so they started making parts breakable but not offer the parts for replacement. It took a while but the fad caught on and got to the point its at now.

Exactly! Its like lightbulbs back in the early's 1900's were made to virtually last forever. Theres a bulb in a California fire station claimed to be like 100+ years old and has only been turned off a small handfull of times -that is still burning bright to this day. A group of shareholders of those vintage light companies decided to form "Phoebus" in the mid 1920's since theres no fortune in products with longevity and began designing light bulbs with 1000 hr "duty cycles" as to ensure folks are forced to purchase new bulbs frequently.

 

[curious2garden]

Exactly! Its like lightbulbs back in the early's 1900's were made to virtually last forever. Theres a bulb in a California fire station claimed to be like 100+ years old and has only been turned off a small handfull of times -that is still burning bright to this day. A group of shareholders of those vintage light companies decided to form "Phoebus" in the mid 1920's since theres no fortune in products with longevity and began designing light bulbs with 1000 hr "duty cycles" as to ensure folks are forced to purchase new bulbs frequently.

Sigh, planned obsolescence, I love my HF 20 ton press. It sits opposite the hub's big red Snap On Roll Away. I digitized his tool receipts, suffice to say I'll never feel guilty for any purchase I make ever again; $1500 LED, absolutely, $20,000 sewing machine, of course. I'm shopping press plates, without guilt

PS I love my HF sagittal saw too (it deserved honorable mention)

 

[OldMedUser]

This HF must be a US outfit I' guessing. Up here in northern Alberta, Canukistan we have Princess Auto and KMS in the city only 2 hours away. So many bargains! Costco there too so when we have a doctor's appt there we make a day of it. Wife has fabric shops to visit and does the Walmart and I got grow shit and tools to hunt for.

A buddy's hydro store is there too so I'll drop some cash there usually. Might be going under soon too. Legalization up here has kicked the shit out of the prices and smaller BM growers, and big ones, are dropping like flies. No store can survive on 4 plant limit rec growers and with good-enough pot for the masses fairly cheap and legal many stopped trying to grow after a couple failed attempts so lightly used grow gear is all over sell sites like Kijiji and Craigs. The money is in seeds now and that market is over-saturated too.

Lots of goodies in the city cheap but I buy a lot of stuff locally too. New Stihl chain saw and weed eater from one store here last year and lawn mower from good old Home Hardware just down the road a bit. All on sale of course.

☮️

 

[OldG]

This HF must be a US outfit I' guessing. Up here in northern Alberta, Canukistan we have Princess Auto and KMS in the city only 2 hours away. So many bargains! Costco there too so when we have a doctor's appt there we make a day of it. Wife has fabric shops to visit and does the Walmart and I got grow shit and tools to hunt for.

A buddy's hydro store is there too so I'll drop some cash there usually. Might be going under soon too. Legalization up here has kicked the shit out of the prices and smaller BM growers, and big ones, are dropping like flies. No store can survive on 4 plant limit rec growers and with good-enough pot for the masses fairly cheap and legal many stopped trying to grow after a couple failed attempts so lightly used grow gear is all over sell sites like Kijiji and Craigs. The money is in seeds now and that market is over-saturated too.

Lots of goodies in the city cheap but I buy a lot of stuff locally too. New Stihl chain saw and weed eater from one store here last year and lawn mower from good old Home Hardware just down the road a bit. All on sale of course.

☮️

@Jewels mentioed Princess Auto for fans. Barn fans can hold up in a grow room !
And they warranty them no BS for 1 or 2 years...
You can get time release sprayers and flyijng insect spray from there too...and root farm potting soil.

 

[Frimpong]

I grabbed a plugin pole , extending chain saw. Best 60 bucks I've ever spent possibly. Beat the piss outta that thing too . Stumps , roots, 2x4 lol.

 

[curious2garden]

This HF must be a US outfit I' guessing. Up here in northern Alberta, Canukistan we have Princess Auto and KMS in the city only 2 hours away. So many bargains! Costco there too so when we have a doctor's appt there we make a day of it. Wife has fabric shops to visit and does the Walmart and I got grow shit and tools to hunt for.

A buddy's hydro store is there too so I'll drop some cash there usually. Might be going under soon too. Legalization up here has kicked the shit out of the prices and smaller BM growers, and big ones, are dropping like flies. No store can survive on 4 plant limit rec growers and with good-enough pot for the masses fairly cheap and legal many stopped trying to grow after a couple failed attempts so lightly used grow gear is all over sell sites like Kijiji and Craigs. The money is in seeds now and that market is over-saturated too.

Lots of goodies in the city cheap but I buy a lot of stuff locally too. New Stihl chain saw and weed eater from one store here last year and lawn mower from good old Home Hardware just down the road a bit. All on sale of course.

☮️

Yeah HF is US however Fabric stores are ubiquitous. I found this at Laundry Basket Quilts:


It's a precut quilt kit! Sort of the easy mans way to quilt LOL

Although I did just upgrade my lawnmower to an Ego electric Mower. I'm cursed, both hobbies I love LOL I'm at home in hardware stores and fabric stores.

PS I'm never getting rid of my Stihl 24" I love that saw and she's old enough she's grandfathered in CA's air quality rules LOL

OH and seed wise I just ordered some SSH from Mr. Nice LOL

 

[OldMedUser]

@Jewels mentioed Princess Auto for fans. Barn fans can hold up in a grow room !
And they warranty them no BS for 1 or 2 years...
You can get time release sprayers and flyijng insect spray from there too...and root farm potting soil.

Root Farm is part of the Hawthorne, Monsanto, Bayer, Miracle Grow . . . . group of companies trying to dominate the pot growing market so I try not to support them. Getting harder to do as they are buying up all sorts of companies like Gavita, GH, Bionicare(sp), and a few more I can't recall atm.

As soon as the US fed drops pot from Schedule 1 you'll be seeing commercials on TV for all the stuff they'll want to sell you.

☮️

 

[OldMedUser]

Yeah HF is US however Fabric stores are ubiquitous. I found this at Laundry Basket Quilts:
View attachment 137068

It's a precut quilt kit! Sort of the easy mans way to quilt LOL

Although I did just upgrade my lawnmower to an Ego electric Mower. I'm cursed, both hobbies I love LOL I'm at home in hardware stores and fabric stores.

PS I'm never getting rid of my Stihl 24" I love that saw and she's old enough she's grandfathered in CA's air quality rules LOL

OH and seed wise I just ordered some SSH from Mr. Nice LOL

My wife is into tools as well. Couple years ago I got her a drill and impact driver set for Xmas and she was thrilled.

My back is hooped so I sold my 18" Husky years ago as it was too heavy. Tried an electric 18" and it was just as heavy so got a smaller 16" gas powered Stihl and that's big enough and a lot lighter. It's all poplars on our acreage so don't need too much muscle.

Is CA putting catalytic converters on chain saws now?

☮️

 

[curious2garden]

My wife is into tools as well. Couple years ago I got her a drill and impact driver set for Xmas and she was thrilled.

My back is hooped so I sold my 18" Husky years ago as it was too heavy. Tried an electric 18" and it was just as heavy so got a smaller 16" gas powered Stihl and that's big enough and a lot lighter. It's all poplars on our acreage so don't need too much muscle.

Is CA putting catalytic converters on chain saws now?

☮️

"I'm just here for the sex, drugs and rock 'n roll"
-me

 

[oldtimes]

This is a good thread, I have a couple of observations/comments:

I have a Central Pneumatic (HF house brand) air compressor, it is about 10 years old. I have used it a lot, on jobs and at home, running nail guns, spraying texture, etc.... well worth the price I paid back then. It's my second one, the first one was several years old and seized up because I let the oil get low, lesson learned, this one is great.

I have a HF generator, Predator brand, used it on jobs for a few years....no complaints. Two years ago hurricane Ida hit near where I live (really near) and we lost electric for 11 days. That generator ran 95% of those 11 days.

It still runs.

Huge fan of predator generators.

 

[HydroRed]

This is a good thread, I have a couple of observations/comments:

I have a Central Pneumatic (HF house brand) air compressor, it is about 10 years old. I have used it a lot, on jobs and at home, running nail guns, spraying texture, etc.... well worth the price I paid back then. It's my second one, the first one was several years old and seized up because I let the oil get low, lesson learned, this one is great.

I have a HF generator, Predator brand, used it on jobs for a few years....no complaints. Two years ago hurricane Ida hit near where I live (really near) and we lost electric for 11 days. That generator ran 95% of those 11 days.

It still runs.

Huge fan of predator generators.

The predator 212cc engines rip on a mini bike and they run forever too.

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

Polar opposite experience with the Predator generators, but I was using them for work, so they got abused pretty good. Its not even the longevity that bugs me its that theyre basically unrepairable. No one will work on them. I have a Predator graveyard behind my shop because my old man would refuse to buy a more expensive generator. Now I run Ryobis and Generacs and even if they fail they are cheap to fix and parts are readily available. HF makes things to be disposable. Also the Predators definitely lie about their power output. Not something youd notice running a fridge or RV but try running a welder or coring rig off one and you can see the difference. A lower watt Ryobi actually runs them better than the supposedly stronger Predator.

 

[oldtimes]

I couldn't speak to that, I never really loaded it down with anything that required a lot of juice, I'd run the compressor and a saw at jobs, or in the case of my 11 day hurricane adventure, just a window a/c and a tv and a lamp.
So I guess it would be more accurate to label it as a light-to-medium duty generator. I have maintained it well, oil changes, etc.
Down here where I am (gulf coast) people go through a lot of generators. I have picked a few up here and there, usually on craigslist for free with the statement 'won't start' or 'don't run'....almost every time it is the carburetor or the fuel tank needs flushing. People run ethanol gas in them which is asking for trouble.
I do like ryobi tools, I have a ryobi 4 cycle weedeater that is a beast, unkillable.

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

I couldn't speak to that, I never really loaded it down with anything that required a lot of juice, I'd run the compressor and a saw at jobs, or in the case of my 11 day hurricane adventure, just a window a/c and a tv and a lamp.
So I guess it would be more accurate to label it as a light-to-medium duty generator. I have maintained it well, oil changes, etc.
Down here where I am (gulf coast) people go through a lot of generators. I have picked a few up here and there, usually on craigslist for free with the statement 'won't start' or 'don't run'....almost every time it is the carburetor or the fuel tank needs flushing. People run ethanol gas in them which is asking for trouble.
I do like ryobi tools, I have a ryobi 4 cycle weedeater that is a beast, unkillable.

Ryobi has come a long way. When they were blue they were garbage lol. But then Milwaukee bought them and made them green and now theyre like Milwaukee Lite tools. Ive had good experiences with a lot of their stuff. The generators really surprised me but they run great and theyre light which is big for us. Kind of tough for one person to pull a 200lb generator in and out of a Tundra bed.

In fact, that may have contributed to my back problems lol

 

[HydroRed]

I couldn't speak to that, I never really loaded it down with anything that required a lot of juice, I'd run the compressor and a saw at jobs, or in the case of my 11 day hurricane adventure, just a window a/c and a tv and a lamp.
So I guess it would be more accurate to label it as a light-to-medium duty generator. I have maintained it well, oil changes, etc.
Down here where I am (gulf coast) people go through a lot of generators. I have picked a few up here and there, usually on craigslist for free with the statement 'won't start' or 'don't run'....almost every time it is the carburetor or the fuel tank needs flushing. People run ethanol gas in them which is asking for trouble.
I do like ryobi tools, I have a ryobi 4 cycle weedeater that is a beast, unkillable.

I run rec fuel on my 2 & 4 stroke engines. I've picked up my share of used (non-running) mopeds/scooters myself with the same fuel delivery issues caused 100% by using ethanol fuel.

Polar opposite experience with the Predator generators, but I was using them for work, so they got abused pretty good. Its not even the longevity that bugs me its that theyre basically unrepairable. No one will work on them. I have a Predator graveyard behind my shop because my old man would refuse to buy a more expensive generator. Now I run Ryobis and Generacs and even if they fail they are cheap to fix and parts are readily available. HF makes things to be disposable. Also the Predators definitely lie about their power output. Not something youd notice running a fridge or RV but try running a welder or coring rig off one and you can see the difference. A lower watt Ryobi actually runs them better than the supposedly stronger Predator.

I too dont have that kind of use with them so I cant speak on its performance in that form, but they sure do well in recreational use. I've pushed the 212 pretty hard on mini bikes. Had handfulls of them and never had one crap out on me. Now the electronics of the generator on the other hand I can see HF having cheap components that under deliver on promised outputs for sure.

 

[DemonTrich]

I'm 50/50 split from quality tools (snap-on, Mac, craftsman) to harbor junk tools. There's a harbor junk about 5 mins away from me, and they have a 100% guarantee like the other 3 or 4 pricier tool makers out there.

I needed 3 tool boxes. 2 for work (1 for taking cars apart/putting back together, 1 for autobody prep and pain work. 1 tool box for the house stuff.

now i just have 1 massive craftsman tool box and everything is in that.

 

[webeblzr]

I'm looking at getting the HF electric chipper, branch muncher unit.
I'll not be using it for my yard, but to feed my trim bud stalks and branches from my grow, into it.
Once broken down, I can either turn it into bio char, or try it as a medium component, when I mix up, ProMix/Sunshine mix, with coco husks/perlite, DTE goodies.
Anyone use a HF unit?

 

[Caddis]

I'm looking at getting the HF electric chipper, branch muncher unit.
I'll not be using it for my yard, but to feed my trim bud stalks and branches from my grow, into it.
Once broken down, I can either turn it into bio char, or try it as a medium component, when I mix up, ProMix/Sunshine mix, with coco husks/perlite, DTE goodies.
Anyone use a HF unit?

That might be a good idea for reconfiguring plant material for the compost. I’m not comfortable putting plant slash direct.
I bet that would work for breaking up charcoal/ biochar chunks and rabbit pellets into dust too.
I was going to try my concrete mixer, but…..?

 

[webeblzr]

Yesterday, I pulled the trigger, on the HF electric chipper. This morning, I put it together, and since a box of bud trim stalks and stems, all smaller, I'm indoor growing, so nothing real thick.
The chipper is a bit loud, so I pulled my ear plugs from my scooter bag, and the machine sucked them down, with a strain.
For my project, I'm very happy with the trial learn as we go run.
Some is a bit finer particles, then I expected, and some bit came through, a bit to fast, leaving a longer, twig, if you will.
I then got into a contractor bag, of plant stuffing's, some herms, some I probably caused, but all of it a pain in the hind parts.
WOW 20 minutes, and almost the whole bag got chipped!
I even had a few 3/4" stalks in there, it ate it right up.
Now I need to figure out a stalk saving protocol, allowing them to dry or yellow out, before chipping.
I did not do it, but I think green stalk, will be to stringy, to tough. Needs some drying time.
I'll get some snaps, as I run the next bag.
The fines, will be excellent worn bedding additive also.
The longer twigs will be killer fast when I make biochar!!
So trash (very hard to dispose of ) to having use, man I love that shit.

I'd run it 20 minutes, then let it cool down, not sure if that is needed or not. Maybe 1 hour run time total.
So Yeah, thrilled with the results, not a portion goes to become biochar, some to worm bins, and some as growing medium. IDK?