Harbor Freight Tools; love 'em or hate 'em?

[Idaho45guy]

I stopped by the only one in the area to buy one of their Apache gun cases and it is basically a knock-off of a Pelican case. I walked around the entire store and ended up grabbing some metric deep sockets and crude vise grips.

Not everything was junk, but much was. Was not impressed with the prices. The case I bought was still $64 dollars.

Great selection of tools, though.

And I've heard their Badland series of electric winches are pretty good.

Opinions of Harbor Freight?

[lavenatti]

The prices are not as good as they used to be. I've bought a few tools from them in the past. My experience has been if the tool works when you get it it will probably last a long time. About a third of the tools I've purchased have arrived broken. Replacement parts for the more expensive items seem to be tough to find as well.

[GooseGestapo]

Prices jumped up with the increase in tariffs and excise taxes on Chinese imports. Most everything at Harbor Freight is Chinese manufactured.

Recently however, they have returned to their discount coupons. I get them emailed and periodically even the 20% off everything (single purchase). Not just specific items. I haven’t been in one in over 6 months.

[GhostHawk]

Mostly love, but if it costs more than 50$ I do my research first.

I've been extremely happy with all the Bauer 20v cordless tools, and I have a whole stable of them.
My Lynxx cordless weedeater has been a joy.

And I have a set of open/box end ratchet wrenches that I truly love.

[deltaenterprizes]

I have been buying tools from them for about 30 years.
I started with catalog sales with free shipping in the late 80s, then they opened a store close to me so I would go there.
A lot of the stuff that you see at Sears, Walmart, Home Depot and Lowes are the same tools with a different name and higher price!
I have had problems with some of the electrical/ electronics but I have always gotten a refund.
I have a circular saw that is 15 years old and works well, a 1/4 sheet electric sander, flex shaft grinder, bench grinder and carbide lathe bit grinder too!
I use these tools for hobby and home repairs not all day every day use.

[georgerkahn]

I stopped by the only one in the area to buy one of their Apache gun cases and it is basically a knock-off of a Pelican case. I walked around the entire store and ended up grabbing some metric deep sockets and crude vise grips.

Not everything was junk, but much was. Was not impressed with the prices. The case I bought was still $64 dollars.

Great selection of tools, though.

And I've heard their Badland series of electric winches are pretty good.

Opinions of Harbor Freight?

I also had thought of the store as "Crap-heaven" -- BUT, I saw some deep-reach C-Clamps at unbelievable low price -- why not -- and -- they're awesome! PLUS, I picked up one of their flat drill press vices. Cast poorly -- it bound when opened up more than 6 or 7 cms., I -- NO problem -- returned it/replaced. Seeing 4" electric grinder/cut-off tool for $19.99 U S, with a 20% off coupon -- I couldn't say 'no'. I reckoned I'd cut off about two dozen 1/2" bolts which needed trimming on one of my trailers. Not only did it perform flawlessly on this job, I cannot give the total number of times I have -- again flawlessly -- used this tool!
My one and only (sort of) regret is my wife presented me with their "Club" card as a Christmas gift two years back -- and -- in my case -- it surely was NOT worth it.
To add one more note, I have several of their Icon branded pliers which work as well as my Klein and Channelocks! Also, needing some 1/4" drive Metric sockets I tried theirs. Answering my query re "quality" the local store manager told me -- GREAT advice -- "we sell low-quality/low price for the, say, one-time tool user who just needs it once to get their job done without a major cash outlay -- AND -- we offer similar tools at quality rivaling, and often surpasses, the highest rated national brands. The choice is yours."
I bought their Icon set -- no regrets -- and I oft grab for these before my "top-quality" national-branded ones.

[RKJ]

I've got a lot of their tools and like them. Their warranty is good and I've used it a few times with no issues. I've got 2 of their Badlands winches on my ATVs (2500s) and they work like a champ. One is 4 years old and the other is 3 years old both are still going strong. Whenever I need tools I look there and compare and then decide. I've not yet been disappointed.

[Wolfdog91]

I love them for the fact
1. If you give them a email address returning stuff is BEYOND EASY ! Almost no questions asked. Just give them my cell number or pull up my recipet on my email ( if you give them you email which takes like 30sec it automatically sends you a copy of your recipet) and they take back whatever and either give me a refund or a new one heck I have a generator I bought there and got an extra warranty for a extra $20 I think. I just bring it back once a year and get a new one with a new warranty.
And 2. No one wants to steal harbor freight stuff. Like seriously. I couldn't give a crackhead a harbor freight brand wrench or grinder. Dewalts and all them seem to like to walk off though.
I'm not joking when I say I could have a snap on wrench and a harbor freight wrench and the anopn will be missing some how in less then a week
Will say how ever there battery power stuff is ....meh but I hear bigger off brand batteries will solve that.

[pworley1]

I have a lot of their large tools and have been pleased with all of them. I have been using most of them for at least 15 years with no issues. The only tools that have ever been a problem were some of their cheaper power tools.

[MUSTANG]

I tend to use them for that one off-infrequent tools use item. As an example; pole chain saw rarely gets used - bought on a sale 20% off; continues to work when needed. Have used it enough I feel I got my "Monies Worth". If it dies now; not going to be p-ooood. A better quality/name would have cost 3 times as much and still would be used infrequently. Alternative was standing in the bucket of the Tractor front loader, or on a ladder to trim limbs - not my best choices so the less expensive pole chain saw was "good Value".

[DougGuy]

First off, has anyone noticed the quality and also the ingenuity of their tools has been on the rise in recent years? Generally I despise most of their offerings and can find USA made NOS or used tools on fleabay for less than new at HF and it's a certainty the old Made In USA tools will outlast the HF tools. I go this route first.

Machine tools you get what you pays for. Sometimes.. I got a boxed set of end mills brand new, for $20. I used one to machine down the hammer pad on a SBH hammer and it rolled a burr on the TiNi Coated chinese made bit and would not even cut the 400 series stainless of the Ruger hammer. HF sells this same box of end mills for $79.95 I am GLAD I didn't waste the full store price on them!

[Froogal]

I will not so much as darken their doors ever again.

[Wag]

Personally, I don't love 'em and I don't hate 'em.

But I don't give myself reason to hate 'em. I just don't have high expectations for what I'm getting. If I buy something there, It's generally with the intention of using it once or twice because that's all I need it for.

Absolutely, if I were making my living with my tool set, it wouldn't be tools I bought from HF!

--Wag--

[high standard 40]

I have a Bauer cordless drill from HF and a comparable model by Dewalt. The features of of each are virtually identical. I actually like the Bauer over the Dewalt. Years ago, when I first tried HF, all of their electric tools were total junk. Now they have models that rival the traditional US brands. This may be partly due to the fact that many of the traditional US brands are now built in the same factories as the HF offerings.

[bedbugbilly]

I have gone there for certain things. It's like a lot of things today - you have to be selective as far as the quality goes. I haven't been there for a couple years so can't speak for their prices. I have a couple two piece rolling tool sheets that were a good value for the price - same for some of their tools - maybe some not the best but for occasional use they do the job. A number of years ago I picked up a number of their plastic ammo boxes when they were on sale - excellent for storing bricks of primers, loaded ammo, percussion caps, etc.

[Thumbcocker]

They have done good by me. Basic hand tools and such. I don't make my living with them so I can't say how they might hold up long term but for projects and maintenance on stuff they work fine.

[country gent]

At work if I had to borrow a tool 3 times I bought one. Between the farm my brother and myself we have some tools that get got passed around as needed. ( tote thread die some bigger pipe wrenches conduit benders, ect ect) For limited occasional use I look and may buy harbor freights brand. I bought one of the bauer oscillating saws when I was building the shop and its a very good tool. The mini lathe not so much, it does the job but is under powered and on the light side even for its size.

A broken tool is an issue but what irks me even more when a tool breaks is the lost time on the project.

[Bent Ramrod]

As long as the customer supplies the “Quality Control” step of manufacture, Harbor Freight Stuff is plenty good enough for home-shop use. Their little specialty pliers and C-clamps can be selected from the bins with no more effort than making sure the jaws come together straight, and then they go on working fine.

The $35 bench grinder I bought 20 years ago is still going strong. It doesn’t slow down on a heavy grind like my Black&Decker did. The $250 vertical/horizontal band saw is indispensable. I did have to learn not to crowd the blade, which makes it pop off the wheels, requiring resetting, but I can generally go through a cut without that happening any more. The bigger $400 one (or an American one) might be better in this respect, but for the amount of use I give it, the smaller one is cost-effective, and beats hand hacksawing by a mile.

I get the little flashlights (in various configurations) and stick or mount them on machinery whenever I need a little more light on something. Battery life isn’t spectacular, but a change to Ultimate Lithium takes care of that. And the on-sale price is right.

I won’t buy a Chinese vise of any serious size. It seems no matter how hard I pull the lever, the stock is still loose in the jaws. A lot of still-good Wiltons are available at yard sales and swap meets.

No doubt prices have gone up since I bought this stuff. But unless you are a professional, amortizing the costs for taxes, American tools are mostly too expensive for my home shop, unless I luck out and find them used. The Chinese seem to have picked up the notion that there are a lot of amateurs that need machinery for light or occasional use, and now supply those that used to buy from Atlas or Craftsman. Everybody else seems to think that the customer is out to make money producing “widgets,” and wants their pound of flesh up front.

[dverna]

I have had decent stuff from them and junk. But more decent than junk.

Like others have said, it can be a crap shoot. I have a 4 1/2" angle grinder that I got on sale for $10 a few years ago and the thing is awesome. I have used it to modify 30 IBC totes and grind a new notches in the bar on the pallet fork frame for the tractor, etc etc. Their electric impact wrench was $30 and works well for my needs.

I wish I had not standardized on Dewalt cordless tools and gone with HF. Replacement Dewalt batteries are overpriced.

[Mal Paso]

I will not so much as darken their doors ever again.

I won't go that far but it's been 6 months since I last visited and turned off all their ads. I drove an hour each way to buy a gun cabinet based on inventory. They didn't they have the cabinet, wouldn't sell the floor model and said on line inventory was WORTHLESS. Got a USA made cabinet for not much more on the bay.

Lots better tools/prices elsewhere

[rockrat]

Kind of indifferent to them. Prices have gotten to the point on some things, that I can buy them from Home depot cheaper. Some decent bargains there though, but nothing like years past.

[OS OK]

HF...IMO...is a good place to replace your consumables if you don't buy the cheapest now that they offer a 'good & better' type choice in many areas.

Their tools are not professional grade but suffice for us home shop types but then...sometimes not.

[Shawlerbrook]

Agree with the above. If you pick and choose smartly there are some good buys especially for things you only use occasionally. I miss their 20-25% off coupons. They now come very infrequently.

[sharps4590]

They opened a store locally 3-5 years ago and I do shop there occasionally. As many others have said it depends on the tool and, I don't expect Snap-On quality.

Unless my memory has failed me I think I first bought from them almost 40 years ago. I don't remember what all I bought but I am still using the jack stands I bought all those years ago and the little floor jack worked for 20 or more years. Some of their stuff is pretty good, like that little chop saw many of us use for cutting cases.

Oh, I bought a little wire welder, for really light stuff, from them last spring. It had good reviews and does work good. The only problem with it so far is the operator. Boy, I cannot get the hang of that thing....lol!

Also, as others have mentioned, I don't know if I'd trust much of it to make my living with but, when I was working I was pretty married to Klein, Greenlee, Ideal to a point, Bosch and for a few tools, Milwaukee. There's a brand that's gone to the dogs in the last 30 years. I still have a big DeWalt, 1/2 in. angle drill that is really the old Black & Decker Timber Wolf. That thing is a hawg and is the only DeWalt I own except for a battery drill I bought for home use.

[farmbif]

after seeing all these responses I guess most want to keep supporting china instead of spending a bit more to support fellow countrymen in good ole USofA
and yes I sure do understand that some things are only made made in china these days but for a lot of things there are options. I would rather help make America great again by supporting and buying made in usa products and avoiding made in china stuff whenever possible.

and I'll add I always try to support local independent business retailers rather than buy from big chain stores.

[Hannibal]

As others have said as long as you know how to inspect the tools before purchasing and know how to use them they'll generally get the job done and last a reasonable time.

That said, I do use hand held electric tools considerably and often use them pretty hard so I opt for DeWalt or Milwaukee when it comes those.

[Electrod47]

There was a time I fed my family off the work I did with my tools. Because of that I was a tool snob. Snap-on, Mac, Matco were my go to back in the day. But, with that said, Harbor Frt is my go to these days. They are fine. .....( fine enough, anyway ) Some have said that's supporting China. Wellllll...All I see is the names of my USA companies all over that stuff anyway. So who's
gonna sort through that mess. Lifes to short.

[Hannibal]

after seeing all these responses I guess most want to keep supporting china instead of spending a bit more to support fellow countrymen in good ole USofA
and yes I sure do understand that some things are only made made in china these days but for a lot of things there are options. I would rather help make America great again by supporting and buying made in usa products and avoiding made in china stuff whenever possible.

and I'll add I always try to support local independent business retailers rather than buy from big chain stores.

That ship sailed a long time ago. There isn't enough manufacturing left in the US to avoid buying things from overseas. I don't like it either, but trying to fight it is less productive than trying to ice skate up a hill.

[megasupermagnum]

Harbor Freight used to make a lot more sense than they do today. A lot of it is due to the import restrictions on China, which is a good thing. I've bought a number of things from there. A good rule of thumb is if it doesn't have moving parts, it is probably ok. If it does have moving parts, you had better think twice. I have a number of HF sockets. Their sockets are as good as any Chinese sockets, and better than many. They are thick, but that way they don't break. The few I've ground down to fit in tight areas have all broken eventually, but I can't recall breaking an un-ground one. I'd skip the pliers. I've broken every HF pliers or cutter I had. I know many are fine with their generators, but I've had nothing but failure. I've got one in my garage right now that I can't give away for free. It is the 3rd one, after I returned the first and second for different issues. This one starts... kind of... on a warm day... after 30 pulls. I even went so far as to buy a HF air compressor. First one tripped the breaker. Second one would kind of kick over a couple times before it tripped the breaker. Got my money back for that one. Bought a USA Craftsman compressor, and it's been working since. I've also owned a number of HF torque wrenches. They used to practically give them away. I recall them being $10, plus they gave you a free tape measure. They work for a while, then one day they don't really work right. The only one I still own that hasn't failed is a 1/2" that I use for stuff like lug nuts.

You have to remember this was back when HF stuff was insanely cheap, dumped on us by Chinese slave labor. Today the prices are such that it's not worth shopping at HF very much. The sockets have become so expensive, I don't think they are worth buying anymore. There is a caveat. HF has specialty sockets that are worth it. For the most part you are better off today going Menards or similar. HF warrantee is odd in that nobody cares there. You bring in your junk and they just toss it in their massive junk pile and you either get another one, or a refund. Sometimes they check their computer to make sure you bought it, sometimes they don't care.

For all I've "saved" at HF, I've thrown away as much of their junk. When sockets were $8.99 a set, it wasn't so bad.

[downzero]

They are great. Have to be careful what you buy; if it's a tool where you need the quality more than just needing something for occasional use, you should go elsewhere. I like American made tools too, but Craftsman are made in Taiwan now and Husky and Cobalt always were made in China/Taiwan. With no local source for U.S.-made stuff, I have compromised and bought some cheaper tools for things I use less often. My toolbox from them is also superb; it replaced a box from Home Depot that broke and I couldn't get correct parts for it, so I repaired it my way, sold it, and replaced it with an HF box.

I do not use them for ratchets, sockets, or wrenches, but for extensions, tool boxes, seldom used power tools like wood saws, grinding discs, sanders, jacks, and specialty automotive tools, I have saved a boatload and without HF, I would be struggling without the right tools at all in a lot of cases. The transmission jack alone I've only used twice in 10 years, but when you need something like, that, you really need it. I now own it for less than it costs to rent, and I'm not in any hurry to return a rental too since it's mine for life.

[Froogal]

Personally, I don't love 'em and I don't hate 'em.

But I don't give myself reason to hate 'em. I just don't have high expectations for what I'm getting. If I buy something there, It's generally with the intention of using it once or twice because that's all I need it for.

Absolutely, if I were making my living with my tool set, it wouldn't be tools I bought from HF!

--Wag--

The last tool I bought from them was to be just occasional use, but it was junk and didn't work right out of the box. HF would NOT replace it, hence my philosophy of never darkening their door again.

[wildwilly501]

Their U S General tool cabinets are well made better than Craftsman and a least equal to or better than Lowe’s Kobalt or Home Depot.Not equal to Snap On but not near the money

[Winger Ed.]

Opinions of Harbor Freight?

There's not one around here, and I don't miss them.

In the city, I went into one one time and didn't see much more than cheap Chinese trash.

Unless it's a last resort--
I don't buy that stuff, then moan and groan about why we can't find good American made tools any more.

In the old days, I used to see a bumper sticker that read:
"Buy American. The job you save may be your own".

[Jeff Michel]

I'm not sure if any power hand tools are currently made in the US. Last I heard Black and Decker and Royobi was still made here but that was a few years back. I guess there must be a province in China now named Milwaukee, the chop saw I just picked was manufactured there. To change the subject a bit to rant, I went shoe shopping the other day, couldn't find a pair of shoes made in the US. Even my go too brand, Red Wings/Irish Setters are made now in Vietnam. Sorry for the rant, this is the country that taught the rest of the world how to manufacture stuff and now look at us. To stick to the thread, yes, I buy Harbor Freight stuff, their Badland winches are very good, I have a 2500 on my Gator (Made in Wisconsin, I'll be damned :mrgreen:) Very satisfied with it.

[lightman]

I neither love nor hate them. I just don't use them very much. The last thing I bought from them was a set of steel letter stamps. My intended purpose for them was to tack weld a few together for stamping lead. PB, WW, ect. I figured the cheap steel would still be harder than lead! I turned an "M" over to make the 2nd W.

[MarkP]

I usually only buy single use tools that I figure I will not use again or to save my higher quality tools from abuse; I bought their 4-1/2" angle grinder, dust shroud, cyclone dust separator, and diamond cup wheel, to grind my concrete floor prior to tiling it. I expected it to burn up and the dust collection system not to work very well. Everything worked better than expected and the grinder still works fine after pretty hard continuous use. Also bought stubby wrenches and other cheap wrenches to cut and bend to make special use tools for getting into hard to access areas. They have a nice hatchet with a Hickory handle and a decent automotive trim removal kit.

I try to buy US made items that I plan to use often.

[megasupermagnum]

I'm not sure if any power hand tools are currently made in the US. Last I heard Black and Decker and Royobi was still made here but that was a few years back. I guess there must be a province in China now named Milwaukee, the chop saw I just picked was manufactured there. To change the subject a bit to rant, I went shoe shopping the other day, couldn't find a pair of shoes made in the US. Even my go too brand, Red Wings/Irish Setters are made now in Vietnam. Sorry for the rant, this is the country that taught the rest of the world how to manufacture stuff and now look at us. To stick to the thread, yes, I buy Harbor Freight stuff, their Badland winches are very good, I have a 2500 on my Gator (Made in Wisconsin, I'll be damned :mrgreen:) Very satisfied with it.

Yes, most Dewalt power tools are made in USA.

[Winger Ed.]

Yes, most Dewalt power tools are made in USA.

You have to watch 'em.
They've snuck in some Chinese ones in the last couple of years.

[samari46]

Bought one of their lynx battery chain saws a couple years ago. Still going strong. Matter of fact was in there yesterday. Bought a few of the abrasive type wheels with the abrasive impregnated cords. Have a garage back door to get repainted. Scrapers will remove the bulk of the paint, the wheels should get the rest. Frank

[rbuck351]

HF has some good tools and some cheap junk. I have one of their cheap chain saw sharpeners that looks like junk but works very well. I have a sharpener for carbide table saw blades that does a good job but is slow to set up. I like their rolls of 6" disc sander discs. Pliers, dykes, vice grips and such I will get somewhere else. The wife bought me a set of 6" water pump pliers by Knipex ($35) about ten years ago That still are like new. I bought a jeep yj with a 12,000 lb badland winch and I got another for my 20 ft trailer, they both work well. So yeah some good some bad from HF.

[schutzen-jager]

jmho -- if it is something i will be using repeatedly i look for best quality at lowest price - for a one time use it is Harbor Freight - thinking back the only Harbor Freight item that has failed for me is a free flashlight - like stated above prices have gone up + coupon deals decreased -

[MT Gianni]

I use them only occasionally. It used to be 200 miles in either direction to a store. If anything you bought was electronic, you unboxed it and tried it out on the plug in outside the store. I have had decent luck with their impact sockets.

[kevin c]

My action pistol club has a lot of equipment for building and maintaining the range and the props used in competition. The tools are used and abused: left out in the dust and rain, mishandled by folks unfamiliar with them, zero maintenance, and sometimes some of them seem to have legs.

We have quality, pricey equipment that is kept locked up and under cover. And we have HF and other “generic” brand tools.

‘Nuff said.

[David2011]

The prices are significantly higher than in the past but the quality of their hand tools appears to be better. I’ve been well set for hand tools for decades so I’ve only purchased a few from HF. Recently I bought a metal lathe that weighs about 500 pounds. Had a 25% coupon so I got a 1 ton chain hoist to set it on its new bench. It worked as well as any small chain hoist I’ve ever used and only set me back $45 plus tax. Not a fan of their electrical tools, having purchased a few. All have been replaced with better ones. For anything that I expect to use regularly I’ll buy elsewhere.

[jonp]

Would I make a living with them? Probably not.
Do I have a garage full? Yes
$89 wire welder works like a champ, handtools are fine but some are a little loose. Good enough for a driveway repair guy. Crowbars, pry bars etc just fine. Compound slide miter saw is as good as one 2-3x as expensive. Small drill press runs fine. Hammer drill works, sawsall with a moveable handle works fine. 2500 Watt generator runs great but is a little heavy. About the only thing I've had trouble with are a power plane which just didn't work, a router that also didn't work and some wood chisels that I broke one right off so the steel was a little suspect.
Just bought a transmission lift to put a transfer case in my F150 for $100. Uses a ratchet but works good. Glad I bought it because I then used it to pull the transmission from my Honda CRV for a torque converter. Saved a bundle doing it myself and it paid for itself in one use.

I'd stay away from the hand power tools but everything else has been fine. Consumables are usually a pretty good deal and I get all my zip ties, bungees, sandpaper etc from there. Things you may use once in a blue moon like a ball joint press, torque wrench etc is where they shine imho.

[elmacgyver0]

The magnetic tool holders they have are great, many uses.
I not only use them for tools, but they work great to store magazines (the gun kind), they also work great as a straight edge on sheet metal to guide your plasma cutter.
I keep finding more uses for them.

[firefly1957]

I have been quite happy with the items I have bought from Harbor Freight over the years My mini lathe is now 23 years old and has seen a lot of use and abuse and doing very well. The only problem I have had with it was when I tried to use it in a 10 degree workshop and a plastic threading gear broke.
I have returned one hammer drill it burned up right away in reverse only . No problem replacing it and the new one has done some pretty heavy work since.

[DougGuy]

In the 1990s I bought a 2 ton Excalibur engine hoist/shop crane from Advance Auto, well my buddy bought it if I would swap an engine for him, was a pretty good deal at $180ish back then and I worked for it.

That thing followed me everywhere I went for the next 27 or 28 years, state after state, house after house, engine after engine, always worked, nary a complaint. I loaded it up this past weekend to go pull some holly stumps for the GF, when I got to her house one of the wheels had fallen off in the trailer and the bushing and bolt fell through the expanded metal.

I went to HF and picked up a pair of iron swivel casters but they didn't have a bushing or a bearing of any kind, it would be no time before the bolt rusted and wheels won't turn. I thought about it, and the more I thought about it the less I wanted those new wheels. I just happened to have a piece of tool steel rod that went right in the iron wheel, snug just like it was made for it, so I bored it through in the lathe and cut it to length, found a bolt and a nut and put the old wheel back on, with some grease in there, and found all the other swivel wheels were just finger tight, not bad for all the miles I have hauled this thing and I just never though to check those wheels for tight nuts, my fault the other one fell apart.

Back in business now!

[trebor44]

HF metal detector for finding brass in the grass. Does the job and makes me happy and is cost effective!

[Ed K]

Have a 4-1/2" Blue Makita knock off angle grinder bought 20 years ago. Came with arbor wrench & case, a small assortment of sanding/grinding disks and even a segmented dry-cut diamond blade I used to cut tile around a closet flange just last week. On special the price was $5 - yes that's correct 500 pennies.

[uscra112]

About 2006 I bought one of their horizontal cutoff bandsaws. It moved with me into retirement in 2009. Not long after one of the castings cracked, and guess what? They don't have spare parts. I doubt it got more than a dozen hours of actual use. I'm now much too far from any HF retail outlet. Don't even shop them online.

[Mk42gunner]

Some Harbor Freight stuff is okay, some is junk from the get go. Nothing I have seen in their stores have ever been what I would call top of the line merchandise.

That said, I do own some stuff from them. The two best thing are two wheel dolly I bought late last century to do a DITY move with. I think it was $20 and it still works fine, just need to air up the tires when I use it. The other is a ball joint press, basically an overgrown c clamp with fittings to change ball joints and u-joints.

Anything else, if I think I will use it more than three times, I buy somewhere else.

Robert

[jonp]

Forgot the 4gal "as good as an 8gal" high pressure compresser. Had one to test it against and it is. Also easy to carry

[Geezer in NH]

HF works for my needs now. 40 years ago, they would not. Why buy tools that cost 3-4 times as much when tools that work now and for more than I have left in life.

[Striker]

Harbor freight is my go to for tool these days, prices are low comparatively, and warranties are great. In this economy, gotta make the pennies go farther......

[Handloader109]

Had to bring this up again. I've a home with full basement. Most of the home wiring runs through the basement ceiling. I've used a circuit finder that I bought from HF a couple of years ago to map out the outlets to the breakers.
I am adding a couple of outlets in my living room where there are none near, and wiring off of a run in the same room that will have less use once I get these new outlets installed. So I looked at where the romex went up into the wall and found two lines. OK. There are at least 4 outlets on this run, but why 2 lines? Checked the breaker box, yep, only one wire under the screw. So there has to be another breaker controlling one line. Which is it? No easy way as the hole goes up between 2 outlets, I'd have to cut hole in wall. Ah, use a current Meter. Hf has one for $15. So I went to pick one up. Heck they have a $5 non contact voltage tester. $5.... grabbed that and yep, it senses voltage at an outlet, kill the breaker and it only beeps once... so check the wires. Yep, the one I was going to cut is still hot and the other one, the RIGHT one is dead. $5 was cheap..... HF. Check there FIRST.

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[tunnug]

I agree with all posters here, if you look at the popular tools most are now made in China, the HF tools are made in the same factory and rebranded.
I had to replace the wiring on my trailer and all I could find were made in China, found a better set at HF also made in China for less than half the price of the others, has worked great for a few years now.

[jonp]

Almost forgot. All the tools in my shed at hunting camp are HF. Use them all the time but if they are stolen im not out much.

[alamogunr]

When I was younger and poorer, I had to do basic maintenance on our cars and stuff around the house. I usually bought name brand tools because I figured they would have to last me the rest of my life. My life has lasted a little longer than I anticipated back then so my money has to last longer too.

The only things I have bought from HF lately are those little plastic storage thingies with lots of dividers. The last thing I bought was 2 leather welding aprons. I decided that even though the skin has gotten kind of wrinkled I need to protect it. The second one was to cut up for shields over my homemade sandbags. Denim doesn't resist the sparks from shooting revolvers off them. The extra material was for sons and grandsons since I made them bags also.

BTW, those [B]samd[B] bags are really bean(soy) bags as suggested quite awhile ago by someone here.

[alamogunr]

When I was younger and poorer, I had to do basic maintenance on our cars and stuff around the house. I usually bought name brand tools because I figured they would have to last me the rest of my life. My life has lasted a little longer than I anticipated back then so my money has to last longer too.

The only things I have bought from HF lately are those little plastic storage thingies with lots of dividers. The last thing I bought was 2 leather welding aprons. I decided that even though the skin has gotten kind of wrinkled I need to protect it. The second one was to cut up for shields over my homemade sandbags. Denim doesn't resist the sparks from shooting revolvers off them. The extra material was for sons and grandsons since I made them bags also.

BTW, those sand bags are really bean(soy) bags as suggested quite awhile ago by someone here.

[prisondoc]

The only Harbor Freight item I have is a small tire inflator I picked up a few years ago. Worked well the few times I've used it. My hand tools are Craftsman made in the 80's and before. I'm always on the lookout for quality, vintage tools at estate and garage sales.

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