Harbor freight

[smilin-buddha]

I was there browsing and noticed a tumbler for 38 dollars and also a vibrating 10 gallon cleaner for 183.00. Anyone tried either of these. Thanks

[Ben]

My personal rule for HF purchases is........" If I use it once every few months or so, I might buy at HF.....If I use it daily, NO, I won't buy it from HF.

Many of their items ( not all of them ) just are not made for heavy duty daily hard use.

You get a good deal when you 1st purchase the item, then after a few months....it is headed for the trash can.

Ben

[jcwit]

I had bad luck with their vibrating tumblers. Bought one and returned it 3 or 4 times before I just asked for my money back.


then after a few months....it is headed for the trash can.


I see this all the time and just do not understand it. They clearly state a guarantee of satisfaction or replacement or money back. Folks have done this for years with Craftsmen tools but when it comes to H/F they trash it out? Oh well its their money they're throwing away.

[RP]

I think it was more of a example of worth

[chaos]

I've got one of their rock tumblers. I use it to true up my buckshot and graphite them. It was cheap, and it eats belts like no tomorrow, but it was worth what I gave for it.

[ddeaton]

Sometimes it just isnt worth the time involved to take something back. I have the large vibrating tumbler and havent had a problem with it yet. Had it 2 yrs. The molded bowl is pretty thick and very industrial. I figured if I lose a motor, then I will replace it with something of my own make up. Knock on wood, I havent had to go there yet. I went in looking to buy one of their small cement mixers for this purpose and decided on the vibrator. Merry Christmas

[wheezengeezer]

I have been eyeing their 1 ton arbor press to use on the loading bench.

[jcwit]

WOW, What are you reloading. I use the Sinclare press, and its far from a 1 ton.


Sometimes it just isnt worth the time involved to take something back.

Its worth the time to go buy it but not to return it when it doesn't work? HHHMMMMMMMMM

Course I'm lucky, when going to the VA Hosiptal I'm within 1/2 mile of H/F.

[smilin-buddha]

Sometimes it just isnt worth the time involved to take something back. I have the large vibrating tumbler and havent had a problem with it yet. Had it 2 yrs. The molded bowl is pretty thick and very industrial. I figured if I lose a motor, then I will replace it with something of my own make up. Knock on wood, I havent had to go there yet. I went in looking to buy one of their small cement mixers for this purpose and decided on the vibrator. Merry Christmas

Thats what I was thinking. Replacing the motor if something goes wrong. I don't have alot of money. I got my reloading kit by trading a snake for it.

[Echo]

I got my reloading kit by trading a snake for it.

God, I LOVE this forum!

[DLCTEX]

Thats what I was thinking. Replacing the motor if something goes wrong. I don't have alot of money. I got my reloading kit by trading a snake for it.

Know anyone else that will trade reloading equipment for snakes? I can offer rattlers, bullsnakes, garter snakes, etc. LOL

[Trailblaster]

I misplaced my Mitutoyo dial caliper and brought a harbor freight digital caliper and a dial caliper.The Digital caliper never gave the same reading twice in a row no matter what I did with the batteries.The dial caliper was a real *** .Luckily I found my Mitutoyo it fell behind the reloading bench this caliper is smooth as glass compared to the HF one.

[jcwit]

I misplaced my Mitutoyo dial caliper and brought a harbor freight digital caliper and a dial caliper.The Digital caliper never gave the same reading twice in a row no matter what I did with the batteries.The dial caliper was a real *** .Luckily I found my Mitutoyo it fell behind the reloading bench this ca

liper is smooth as glass compared to the HF one.


So take it back and get your money back, sorta simple soluttition.

[edsmith]

ENCO has a one ton arbor press for $39.99

[Recluse]

I got my reloading kit by trading a snake for it.

I didn't think lawyers were worth that much.

You got a helluva deal.

:coffee:

[1hole]

" brought a harbor freight digital caliper and a dial caliper.The Digital caliper never gave the same reading twice in a row no matter what I did with the batteries.The dial caliper was a real *** ."

I bought a 6" stainless steel Midway dial caliper years ago after my lovely and precise old Swiss made vernier caliper got too hard to read with aging eyes. I knew the Midway calipers were exactly the same as RCBS, Lyman, Hornady at the time but MUCH less costly. That cheap caliper has worked precisely for almost 20 years now IF I blow the rack clean with high pressure air once a year or so. About 6 years ago I needed an additional caliper and saw that Harbor Freight's were identical with the reloading tool makers but at HALF the cost of my old MIdway. HF's are often on sale for $12.

Eventually, I added a second and third 6" HF caliper, a 12" dial, plus a 6" digital. They all work fine. All read within a half thousanth, most are tighter, against my .33" and 1.0" Jo blocks. Are they as "pretty" as my Swiss tool, or my friend's Starretts or Brown & Sharpes? NO! But they work as well as any for my various needs. I can buy maybe 8-9 HFs for one Mitutoyo or 10-12 HF calipers for the price of ONE Starrett or B&S so I really don't care! And if ANY of them get dropped on a concrete floor they are likely gone so the cheapies are a rational choice even for some pro machine shops I know of. And IF I should get a bad one they would swap it as fast as the more expensive makers so I'm really not running much of a risk am I?

The top of the line stuff is nice but....every one makes his own choices and then pays his own prices. Cheap doesn't bother me if they work and mine do quite well. And those who say they don't care for Chinese stuff had best not take a look at their computer, cell phone, digital cameras, electric power or hand tools, etc., "Made in ..." tags!


And we are WAAY off topic!

[tonyb]

I got my reloading kit by trading a snake for it.

Was the kit an RCBSssssssssss?:mrgreen:

[mdi]

I have a HF rotary tumbler that has been tumbling brass for three years with no problem. Not three years straight though, I don't have that much brass!

[lylejb]

I didn't think lawyers were worth that much

Lawyer?!? I thought that was a Senator!!:bigsmyl2:

[lwknight]

Don't most Senators start out as Lawyers? How do you think this country got in the way that it is. You have to hire a lawyer for just about everything nowdays.
And evidently Lawyers start out as snakes.

[HeavyMetal]

Got a HB freight viberating cleaner in a trade for ?? Heck I don't even remember!

Did the deal because my old Lyman 600 bit the big one and had the bowl break. Been real happy so far with the HB cleaner. Does a good job and was slightly larger than the Lyman 600. It will not replace my big Dillon but I won't fire up the Dillon to clean a hundred cases either!

[jcwit]

I've heard of others thad good luck with the H/F tumblers. Don't take me wrong, I'm a big believer in getting more value for the dollars spent, maybe I got in on a bad run of tumblers. What my problem was the motor bearings went bad, they were bronze bearings, I went thru 3 or 4 before I gave up.

Frankly, Cabelas has their tumbler for $49.99 and it comes with media, compound, and a sifter. And they also have a satisfaction guarntee as does H/F.

[Marlin Hunter]

One thing nice about Harbor Freight is that everything is made in China and buying stuff from them helps sink the U.S. deeper in the hole, but when you are already deep in the hole and can't afford anything else, it may be the only way to get out.

[Black Wolf]

Don't most Senators start out as Lawyers? How do you think this country got in the way that it is. You have to hire a lawyer for just about everything nowdays.
And evidently Lawyers start out as snakes.

Yes - it's called evilution.

Snake --> Female --> Lawyer --> Spouse of President --> Senator --> Presidential Candidate --> U.S. Secretary of State

[smilin-buddha]

God, I LOVE this forum!

A hornady lit. I got the snake in a deal I did a few years ago. It was a hognose that I no longer had another snake to breed it to. He had wanted the snake and mentioned he had a Hornady kit that he had sitting in his closet.

[dolang1]

HF tumblers work for me. I use an o-ring as a drive belt. Cut it at a 45 and super glue it to size. I haven't had one break in over a year. Later Don

[jcwit]

Try Motion Industries the former Berry Bearings will get you the correct size of "O" rings, and they're cheap.

[1hole]

"everything is made in China and buying stuff from them helps sink the U.S. deeper in the hole, but when you are already deep in the hole and can't afford anything else,"

Our massive national debt is the politicial classes greatest system for transfer of money from the working classes to wealthy bankers and other nations ever conceived. China has much of it, and is going to get tens of billions more if they remain dumb enough to buy it. Our piddly few personal purchases mean no more to that than pouring a cup of water in the ocean to make it rise. [smilie=b:

Tumblers have ONE weak point; the motors. None of them are made by the tumbler people, they all buy motors from the cheapest source. Some motors last, some don't but it's all luck of the draw, not anything to do with the color of the bowl. May as well buy an inexpensive one so it won't be so much lost if it quits and you can't get it replaced. ;)

[AZ Pete]

Don't most Senators start out as Lawyers? How do you think this country got in the way that it is. You have to hire a lawyer for just about everything nowdays.
And evidently Lawyers start out as snakes.

Democrat Senators do (I beleive the entire Democrat Leadership are currently lawyers). Many of the Republicans are businessmen/women.

[John Boy]

Harbor Freight - I've had good luck with them:
* Two digital read out K type thermometers ... +/- 2 degrees
* A mechanical and 2 digital micrometers. The digital's are 0.001 off measured with certified plug gauges
* Two rotary tumblers that I use weekly with ceramic media and burnishing solution
* One vibratory tumbler that is the same as a Frankford with a HF label. The motor model codes are even the same

[retread]

I have a HF rotary tumbler that has been tumbling brass for three years with no problem. Not three years straight though, I don't have that much brass!

My wife wanted to tumble some agates she has been collecting off our local beach. Most of her ideas are short in duration so I did not want to spend a bunch of money on one only to find out she had lost interest after the first go around. Well she has stuck with it and the HF Dual Drum has been running 24/7 for the last 3 months. Went to the local guy for some more abrasive powders and noticed he had almost the identical dual drum setup (but blue instead of red) and claimed they were a commercial quality and much better that the HF. He said the HF probably wouldn't get through the first batch. That was 2.5 months ago. With that cheap Chinese junk you can get lucky and get one that holds up or one that fails right away. Just a carp shoot.

[tward]

Been using a HF dual drum tumbler for 3 years no problems yet. Tumble every week or 2. Tim

[LUBEDUDE]

The way they came up with the name, Harbor Freight is interesting. When you say the Chinese words, "mostly disposable junk" in Chinese, it sounds like "harbor freight".

The rest is history! :kidding:

[William Yanda]

I have the HF tumbler, use it occasionally for tumbling brass with ss pins. So far it has yet to eat a belt. The pack that came with it still looks at me when I go down cellar.

[NavyVet1959]

I have one of their vibratory tumblers and the only problem that I had with it was that I made the mistake of putting it on a table top and it eventually walked off. When it hit the floor, it broke the threaded rod that connects it all together. Turns out that is a metric threaded rod and I could not find one locally. I was able to find an SAE threaded rod that was pretty close in size and use it along with swapping out the various nuts to SAE threads. These days, I keep the tumbler on the floor so that it can't try and commit suicide off the top of a table again. :)

I've heard of a few other people having this problem also, but I can't really fault the manufacturer if the rod breaks after having fallen from that height, given it's weight. That's a lot of force on a small rod. By the very nature of the design, the unit is going to try to walk around a bit. Remember those vibrating electric football games (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_football)? Same principle... :)

[375supermag]

"And evidently Lawyers start out as snakes."

I see no reason to insult snakes by comparing them to lawyers. Snakes eat things like rats and mice...typical vermin, which are a lot like lawyers. Unfortunately, most snakes aren't able to swallow a lawyer...too bad. Probably for the best though, a snake would get sick digesting something as disgusting as a lawyer.

[mold maker]

At 73, a lifetime warranty isn't worth much. I don't put stuff to industrial use so HF saves me money. The few times I've had honest failure, they have done right by me.
The rock polishing tumbler I bought has done many pounds of polished stones and several lbs of Black powder. Like any tool, ya have to lube it once in a while.

[Ramjet-SS]

In Wisconsin these stores have gun buster signs. So my line of thinking is this; you do not support the 2nd Amendment YOU WILL NOT GET MY MONEY EVER.

[GhostHawk]

Well I don't have the check blocks for my HF digital calipers. What I do have are factory loaded rounds where people have compared bullet size. Such as PPU 7.62x39 which shows .310. I use them as a check for important readings.

I did buy one of their vibratory cleaners and so far been happy with it. We have the single drum tumbler, it has run 2 batches of rocks so far, mostly agate and quartz. No complaints.

Oh and the little 2" cut off saw is a gem. Had to replace the blade, but that was my fault, steel on steel = dull blade.

[bangerjim]

The way they came up with the name, Harbor Freight is interesting. When you say the Chinese words, "mostly disposable junk" in Chinese, it sounds like "harbor freight".

The rest is history! :kidding:

Back in the 70's they went by "Harbor Freight Salvage" and ran small ads in various magazines. Not the prolific tree-killing mailings and print ads of today. They were out of S. Ca and seem to sell junk that they bought off ships that had damage in packaging or shipping damage.

They sure have evolved to a mega cheeeeep carp tool supplier to the slobbering USA masses wanting cheap auto repair tools. Some of their stuff is good. You just need to watch what you buy and what your are using it for.

"If you make a living with the tool.....buy name brand quality. If only a week-end hobby warrior, buy HF."

I have HF stuff, mostly 10-12 years old on the BIG stationary stuff. The newer versions seem to be really "off" on quality and accuracy.

Just do your research.

bangerjim

[LUBEDUDE]

"And evidently Lawyers start out as snakes."

I see no reason to insult snakes by comparing them to lawyers. Snakes eat things like rats and mice...typical vermin, which are a lot like lawyers. Unfortunately, most snakes aren't able to swallow a lawyer...too bad. Probably for the best though, a snake would get sick digesting something as disgusting as a lawyer.


Hating lawyers goes back further than most think -

From Shakepear's King Henry VI, Part 2; " The first thing we have to do, let's kill all of the lawyers."

[Silverboolit]

Chinese manufactured products are made to the specs of the purchasing company's requirements. Just to say that Harbor Freight is carp and not worth buying depends on the final use of the product. I used to buy their battery drills for about 14.00. They all have short lived batteries. What is kinda funny is that their replacement batteries are higher priced than a new drill. My newer B&D and Hitachi have better batteries, but still made in China.

[lightload]

I enjoy browsing at Harbor Freight. One day I asked an employee, a young girl, this question. "Are these tools any good"? She thought for a few seconds and then said, "They is if you don't use'em." She was sincere.

[jmort]

China Freight sells the same stuff that Northern Tool and many other stores sell. Used to have all kinds of Made in USA top of the line electric hand tools, Milwaukee mainly, and then I discovered that no common electric hand tools, drills, sawzalls, circular saws etc. are made in USA anymore, Milwaukee, DeWalt, Skil all of them, China. Sold all of the made in USA tools bought mostly Ryobi which works OK, and kept the difference. Works for me as I use the tools occasionally. If the American companies don't care,neither do I. There are no made in the USA options except for wrenches, hammers, etc

[NavyVet1959]

I figure that if I need to tighten the lock nut on a die or turn the powder measure bolt, it really doesn't make a difference (other than my pocketbook) whether I choose a cheap wrench from China or an overpriced one from Snap-On. Having a set of cheap wrenches in only the sizes you need for your press hanging by the press is convenient. Having to go search through your main set of tools for a particular size is a pain in the butt sometimes. Besides, you don't feel so bad when you take a grinder or a torch to a wrench from Harbor Freight if you need to make a wrench that is a custom length or bend in the handle.

[salpal48]

I purchase a Dual HF tumbler about 6 Mo. ago. They were running a Sale.. I wanted to order some Replacement parts In cases of something going wrong. After calling the replacement parts hotline. Most Parts are now discontinued. . Junk, Junk, Chinese Junk./ There would have been another 4 letter word used. but this is a respectable forum.
Sal

[bangerjim]

A friend of mine lives in HF stores! His garage is filled to the top with their huge tool chests, hand and power tools.

I noticed something while visiting him......ALL the hand power tools come with SPARE brushes?!?!?! Never heard of that with QUALITY tools. I have some power drills , sanders and planers that are going 40 years old and still have the SAME set of brushes in them. Spare brushes says a lot about the quality!!!!!! And you would NEVER be able to find those in any standard power repair store like good old American tools.

Making brushes by sanding them down is NOT something I would want to do.

Spare parts from HF? I think not. If you are worrying about future failures......buy a 2nd tool at the time for a spare.

bangerjim

[EddieNFL]

Once again proving the cheapest is seldom the least expensive.

[brassrat]

I must have spent $300 on rechargeable batteries of all sizes. They have much more punch than others and their charger takes forever, but outperforms all others I have.

[bangerjim]

I must have spent $300 on rechargeable batteries of all sizes. They have much more punch than others and their charger takes forever, but outperforms all others I have.


If you are talking HF battery packs, they seem to have the lowest amp-hour ratings of any rechargeables I have ever seen. Battery technology in industry is all over the map and good ones are NOT cheap! Their packs are made from pretty cheap lower power (AH) batteries. The very few I know of (from friends) do not last and do not have any real length of operating time as do main stream power packs.

LiON is the best technology and I do not think they make any stuff using them. HF is still in the 20th century with NiMH batteries in all their stuff.

[brassrat]

I am talking about the AH. Maybe you haven't looked lately and they are better? I am just comparing with what I know which was WM sold stuff. lol

[bangerjim]

They may have "upgraded" their battery technology to slightly higher AH ratings, but they are still old generation NiMH batteries. I just do not buy HF battery tools at all! I only buy and use LiON Bosch tools for personal and company use. That technology last for many years, no memory, VERY fast charge time, huge AH output, VERY light weight.

If you are spending $300 on old technology batteries, you should check out the new LiON tools and the excellent performance therein. That $300 cost for replacement packs will go away fast.

From what I have seen in their stores and at several friend's shops, HF battery tools are still very low on the spectrum of quality battery tools.

bangerjim

[Kent Fowler]

"And evidently Lawyers start out as snakes."

I see no reason to insult snakes by comparing them to lawyers. Snakes eat things like rats and mice...typical vermin, which are a lot like lawyers. Unfortunately, most snakes aren't able to swallow a lawyer...too bad. Probably for the best though, a snake would get sick digesting something as disgusting as a lawyer.

Why do you think they drill holes in a lawyers coffin. So the maggots will have a way to get out to throw up.

[brassrat]

I know a little about Li-Ion batteries from phones and screwguns. I love my whiddle 12v DW.screwgun. I have never seen LI --AA, AAA--C--D batteries. My HF- AAs will last me 8-10 + hrs in a scanner and this is double the others. This only works with their charger, the other, quick chargers, last much less.

[bangerjim]

Lion tech is totally different that NiCad or NIMH. The battery packs have crowbar circuits inside to prevent over discharge or shorts.

You will probably never see raw LION batteries in the sizes you mentioned because the charging circuit is internal to the pack and tool, with feedback to the charging stand to maximize cycle time and charge rate.

I have 2 Lexus hybrid SUV's (400 and 450H) and their LiON packs are under the back seat....over 300 volts worth! The older one is going on 7 years in the SW desert heat with no problems! The engine/wheel motor-generators can charge those batteries from almost dead to full charge in about 30 minutes! I can run the AC system on high blower for almost 20 minutes without the engine even running to assist and charge the batteries.

Hopefully the new Al/C battery just discovered will be out in a few years. Made from simply aluminum and carbon, they are light weight, charge extremely fast. But right now they do not have the AH saturation of LiON.

If you are just looking for standard size rechargeable batteries for stuff, you are pretty much limited to NiCAD and NiMH right now.

[NavyVet1959]

HF is still in the 20th century with NiMH batteries in all their stuff.

I would be happy with NiMH... Seems like every time I look at something from them, I see it using NiCd batteries. I *hate* NiCd.

[brassrat]

I can't remember NiCad batteries. Jim your cars sound great. As for myself, I have made a few, and have parts for more, powerpacks, for phones, etc. As long as I have all these batteries, they can be used for more than just a specific item. I wire the packs to a 12v plug, some are wired for in series, other in parallel.

[NavyVet1959]

I can't remember NiCad batteries.

Wow... You must be really young... I still see NiCd powdered stuff these days AND AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE...

Seems like all the solar rechargeable path lights that I see for sale still have NiCd batteries...
http://www.harborfreight.com/solar-copper-led-path-lights-10-piece-69461.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-white-led-solar-light-set-61444-10503.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/solar-led-spot-light-2-piece-60562.html

Or you could just be old like many of us old farts and just not remember ANYTHING...:kidding:

[bangerjim]

I have tried NIMH AA batteries in some of my solar garden lights that came with NICd's. Did not work well. NIMH's charge at a different rate than the old NiCD's..Notice your charger has a switch to select which one you are charging! I have no idea what the difference in the charging circuit is when flipping that switch.

But I have had very little luck seeing improved performance in solar lighting using the "wrong" type of battery. My solar light batteries last about 6 months here in this SW desert heat. About ready to throw them away and trench for low level Malibu lighting cables again! Those NEVER run down and the 12V bulbs last for many years. Thought I would upgrade to fancy solar, but they suck.

And solar garden lights throw almost no light! Just a bright spot in the night.

banger

[MostlyOnThePaper]

Milwaukee used to put spare brushes inside the handle of the tool, probably where HF got the idea. Nobody noticed on the Milwaukee stuff because it doesn't suck/need replaced very often. The place I worked at machined graphite and the graphite dust was problematic in electric motors to say the least.