5 Tools NOT to Buy from Harbor Freight Tools

turftech 1

turftech 1

Member
#2
#2
Just an update, after getting advice from someone on youtube, I took the large grinder apart and lubricated the gears. It is much more usable now, not as much vibration. I still prefer the smaller grinders though.
 
LSCustoms

LSCustoms

Moderator
#4
#4
bench grinder is dangerous also.. uses two small phillips head screws to attach the main housing to its base... screws came loose, hard to torque. used blue loctite didnt work, now going to try red or replacing with better bolts... pretty sure wouldnt be fun the thing flying off while trying to use it... though if its rattling or seems out of balance, should stop and inspect anyway... was just aggravated by this... and was something i wasnt going to buy from HF.. but did anyway...
 
turftech 1

turftech 1

Member
#6
#6
LSCustoms said:
bench grinder is dangerous also.. uses two small phillips head screws to attach the main housing to its base... screws came loose, hard to torque. used blue loctite didnt work, now going to try red or replacing with better bolts... pretty sure wouldnt be fun the thing flying off while trying to use it... though if its rattling or seems out of balance, should stop and inspect anyway... was just aggravated by this... and was something i wasnt going to buy from HF.. but did anyway...
Click to expand...
That's good info!
 
W

WLB

Active Member
#10
#10
Tap and die set. Absolute junk. Two of the dies had no threads, several dies and taps were way off size. Took this scrap metal back to the store.

Small belt sander. Lasted about 3 hours of actual use (not continuous) and died.

12 volt impact gun. Worked fine for a few times then died.
 
Belbuekus

Belbuekus

Member
#15
#15
I bought the blue 6" Forge vise about two years ago and haven't had a single issue with it. Granted it isn't a 75 year old Wilton but I've drilled on it, bent metal on it, hammered metal on it and welded on it with no problems whatsoever. I'm just sayin'.
 
Bobscooters

Bobscooters

Active Member
#17
#17
i need that nail unbending tool. i don't buy much from HF anymore but most tools nowdays are from china so now i've been going to antique stores and getting alot of vintage tool made in the good old USA.
 
ogygopsis

ogygopsis

#18
#18
I don't find Harbor Freight to be all that bad. When I pay $9.95 for a pneumatic die grinder I know very well that I'm not buying a top of the line tool. And I sure as hell don't expect to get 1000 hours of use out of it. If it lasts for ten hours that works out to a dollar per hour. If you want tools that will last and stand up to heavy use you buy name brand. Ninety nine percent of my tools are name brand. However, if it's a tool that I'm going to use occasionally and it will get the job done I don't mind using a Harbor Freight tool. Think about it. A pneumatic cutoff tool from HF costs less than a meal at Arby's. Remember the old adage. "You get what you pay for" Ogy
"
 
creia

creia

#19
#19
Our most recent experience of what NOT to buy at HF: Compression Tester
Grossly inaccurate. Took it back today (FYI: Don't let them charge you a "restocking fee"!), and then went to Oreilly's Auto and bought a Bosch Compression Tester at a reasonable price of $ 45.00 which works very well.
Michael
 
Outlaw Ace

Outlaw Ace

#20
#20
Most tools at HF are Chinese made and lack the quality controls in manufacturing are seemingly non existent. Most if not all of their electric and pneumatic tools simply suck, I had an angle grinder that was one of three I bought at a parking lot sale and every one of them got super hot at the switch to the point I could no longer turn them off and had I continued using them I feared they would catch fire. Every pneumatic tool I've tried went to hell with little to moderate use, the little pneumatic angle grinders and die grinders along with the little saws are disposable basically. I now buy quality tools only, I'm hoping to be able to send my I/R impact gun to be rebuilt because it's weakened over the last 30yrs. You'd never get 30yrs out of any HF stuff even if you only used it once a year. I need my tools to make it through a job without failing so I'm done with cheap tools.
 
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