/diy/ - Do It Yourself

Literally most of my hand tools are from Harbor Freight.

Look asshole I don't care that your German weeaboo pliers grip parts with more finesse or that your StrapOn wrenches are machined .00001" more accurately. They get the job done.

>>1800733
i could not agree more all of my sand paper is harbor freight

Most of my around home tools are harbor freight, wouldn't use em for work but when I'm wrenching on my 20 yr old shitbox why the fuck spend the money on the professional grade shit

Less than $20. Try not to buy any Chinesium

I usually get my chinesium stuff off Amazon these days. There are actually quite a few brands putting out good quality stuff at good prices. I have some stuff from Tekton, Sunex, Ares, and Neiko. Recently came across Sata, which is like a pro brand of Apex for overseas markets. Definitely tempted to check out their 120 position ratchets. So far all have been plenty good enough for someone who does their own maintenance and has a project car, such as myself.

As a matter of fact, I’ve used a number of expensive name brand tools at work, as they’re provided by the company and most of our tools come from McMaster. I can tell you from experience to stay far away from Williams (Snap-On industrial) reversible ratcheting wrenches. Complete garbage. I ordered 3 13mm wrenches to place in toolboxes around the production areas and all had sloppy ratcheting mechanisms that required excessive swing to engage the pawls and selector switches that flipped themselves almost every single backswing. I’ve used bargain-bin gearwrench stuff that was much better.
I’ve also had the chance to use a variety of Wera tools. I imagine Wera’s target audience is rich people who want the nicest looking tools they have zero intention of ever actually using. I carry a Toolcheck Plus metric set in my go-everywhere bag and after 6 months of use all the bits are rusty and the carrying case is falling apart. The little ratchet also has a really rough mechanism. I’ve personally broken one of their Zyklop 3/8 ratchets that was less than 3 months old and had seen hardly any use.
I really like Proto stuff. Probably wouldn’t buy it with my own money though.

There are still some good options at Harbor Freight though. Their toolboxes/carts are very nice for the money. Their floorjacks are great too. Supposedly Snap-On lost a lawsuit against HF because it turned out their floorjacks came from the same factory, just with different paint and stickers.

>>1800733
I bet you live in a trailer too.

The Bauer bench planer has good reviews. That and the sander seem to be a good value.

>>1800731
Only a few things, but mostly a die/tap set. Couldn't pass up the price.

>>1800731
In the overall scheme of my tool collection, not much at all.

Stuff I have that was actually worth buying
>20 ton press
>6.5 predator motor
>dial indicators
>wood clamps (blue, not C-clamps or Quick release garbage)
>bearing splitter set
>ball joint removal tool

Stuff I bought and is mediocre
>8gal compressor
>1/2 pittsburgh polished ratchet, composite ratchets
>80amp stick welder (back when it was grey and $99 which everyone touted how great of a deal it was)
>warrior 20 piece endmill set
>index able carbide lathe tooling
>center drills
>calipers
>telescoping bore gauges

Stuff I bought and returned because it broke out of the box, or was just absolute fucking trash
>tap die set
>electric planer
>windsor bench plane
>benchtop buffer
>Bauer portable bandsaw (the milwaukee is more expensive but worth every penny)
>10" drill press
>auto darkening welding hood
>central pneumatic nail gun
>M2 115 piece drill bit set
>left hand drill bit set

Also I havent bought anything in over a year, after the tariffs hit. And I see how they have changed the coupons making it harder to use.
So for example, I paid 49.99 for the warrior endmills, they are $80 now, and the $25 Carbide set used to be a "meh" deal with a coupon but Central Machinery is not longer allowed and its price went up.
I have little incentive to go into harbor freight, since they are going to either jack the prices or cut corners on new revisions. At that point just buy something better from somewhere else.

>>1800791
That is the old style $49 sander before the Trump tarrifs, that could have a 20% coupon code added to it.
Its shittier than the "standard" "used to be $99 before the trump tariff " sander which is much heavier and substantially nicer. This heavier pattern is sold under a ton of names even like craftsman and ryobi

I'm thinking about getting the bauer SDS Plus roto hammer drill so i can drill holes in my foundation and dump termite poison into the holes. I'm not really sure wtf I am doing but I can't afford to hire a pro.

Can this do the job, and how do I drill holes without puncturing plumbing, etc
https://www.harborfreight.com/1-in-sds-plus-type-variable-speed-pro-rotary-hammer-kit-63443.html

>>1800733
>They get the job done.
Not really. Harbor Fright is really good for consumables like sand paper or paint rollers, but tools for real work day-in-day-out you should lay down good money on good products.

>>1800807
>I haven’t bought anything in over a year
I haven’t bought any actual tools from them in awhile, I got O-rings and hose clamp assortments on my last few trips.

The rest of the stuff, I would rather get a better Taiwan brand from Amazon or Home Depot for only a couple bucks more.

What went wrong with the Bauer band saw? And you’re lucky the HF calipers are mediocre, mine were machined poorly or bent later and won’t open more than 2.5” on a 6” caliper.

>>1800871
>And you’re lucky the HF calipers are mediocre,
I sat and opened up box after box to find ones that the jaws were machined straight. I have a few pairs of them, lots of lemons nowadays the QC has gone way down.

>What went wrong with the Bauer band saw?
I had wanted a portable bandsaw for a long time, but never bought one, the second the Bauer came out I got it.
10 minutes of use, on some like 1/4 mild steel scrap I had.
One of the main guide bearings broke. The one right under the plate. It crumbled into pieces and balls fell everywhere.
They wouldnt send me a new bearing in the mail, told me to exchange it.
I exchanged it and the second bandsaw I got had a very loud, poor sounding motor. It also got hot after the second cut.

I returned it and bought a beat to fuck used Porter Cable on ebay. It served me well for a few years sitting in a little stand. I used it so much I just decided to buy a Milwaukee and havent looked back since. Its so smooth and powerful its not funny.

>>1800731
Their heat shrink is fucking garbage

>>1800884
So that’s why all the calipers are open. When I got mine, I used it for some smaller stuff and didn’t realize how bad it was over 2” until it was past the 90 days, so I got a better one from Amazon.

And the bandsaw, that’s why I refuse to buy anything electrical or with moving parts for more than $50 from that place, with a couple exceptions like maybe the jacks but even that is risky with the 90-day warranty. Everything from HF, there always comes a day where you find out how they shaved off those pennies in manufacturing costs.

Most companies do it, but other companies try to make their stuff last at least 1 year or 3 years, HF is just trying to get to 90 days, and if you buy the 2 year replacement plan, it costs as much as getting the tool from a better company with a real warranty.

none, its fucking useless trash

>let me modify my tools straight out the package just to get it to sort half as work..

last thing i got from them was years ago

>5 speed bench top drill press
Meh, it’s okay. It does what I need.
>90 amp flux core
Mainly bought it to dink around with it and change it to dc but haven’t gotten around to it.
>4.5 inch angle grinder
Got it on sale 10 or so years ago for $4 and the fucker just will not die. It’s loud but works
>7 inch angle grinder
Workhorse

I mainly use hf for consumables and stuff like tarps and bungee cords

>>1800870
This. Unless you plan on using something only once or twice, you're better off spending the few extra dollars on something better.

>>1800994
>>1800870
It’s a different store than it was 5 years ago. Their better brands seem as good as the stuff you would get at Home Depot. But then you see that the Doyle is only $3 less than the Irwin or Milwaukee, and then you think “well should I save the $3 or trust the brand that has been on jobsites for decades?”

Also the thing where a few months down the line, you always find some little shit where HF cut pennies to increase their profit margin, I feel like that company is more concerned with the profit margin than having good brand recognition.

>>1801003
> I feel like that company is more concerned with the profit margin than having good brand recognition.

Oh they care about brand recognation, Why else would they clone everyone elses color schemes and fonts and everything else! They didnt even have to built it!

>>1801008
They care about other brands’ brand recognition?

I’m so tempted to go over there today and grab one of those blue compressors.

>>1801014
Of course
People are stupid. Remember the absolute fucking retards who were comparing the Doyles to Mac because they look similar?
See how people are saying the Icons are competing with Snapon because of looks?

They didnt steal other peoples brand recognition for no reason.

>>1800731
Start with all chinesium tools
If the tool breaks, replace with a better one
If you lose the tool, replace with another chinesium
If the tool endures, then chinesium was the correct choice in the first place

>>1800731
Anytime I need a new tool I usually go to harbor freight and get it with the 20% off coupon. If I use it a lot I'll get a better quality one. Most tools I buy are for home improvement projects and don't get used daily so for the most part buying the cheap chinese junk to test first works well for me.

>>1801017
You've got the formula down buddy

>>1800731
0 because they always lock their damn dumpsters

>dumpster diver

>>1800789
i can smell the salt from here

>>1801046
Nobody is "salty" when people brag about being lower class. Some people have empathy and others just look down upon them really.

>>1801037
>>1801017
>rebuying things instead of spending a little extra on something that wouldnt have broke in the first place.
Like they say, its expensive to be poor.

>>1801017
That’s a waste of money and time for lots of stuff. It sucks when you have to drop everything in the middle of a job because your shitty tool broke, or worse you damage a part when the shitty tool didn’t work very well so you need to buy a better tool, plus a new part, plus spend the extra time changing out that part.

Taiwan stuff for slightly more than the bottom barrel crap is the way to go for lots of stuff if you’re not using it daily at work.

>>1801055
>>1801058
my purposes are as a home owner and working on my own car, so I'm sure there's some truth to your words as a mechanic or some other professional, but a quick look at the snap-on site says that a 8" cutter is $63, while I'm sure I bought mine from harbor freight for $7 ten years ago.

>>1801055

>Wasting my money on a tool that I may never need again

>>1801069
I didn’t say buy Snap On, that’s a fuckin waste if you don’t have a credit line with the Snappy guy who shows up twice a week. I’m saying for lots of the tools, it’s worth buying the $12 Taiwan made version from a known brand instead of the $7 HF bottom bin shit.

But now HF offers an $11 Taiwan version for lots of those tools which is a copy of the $12 name brand one and better than the $7 HFT one they sold, but I would rather spend the $1 more on the name brand anyway.

>>1801069
Or you could have bought very high quality USA made, Channellock brand dykes which routinely go on sale for $15. The worst part is, since you have no reference you dont understand how fucking horrible your HF dykes really are.

>>1801070
You know its bad when an extra $7 to ensure the tool you are buying will last you more than one job is a serious financial burden.

>>1801077
>>1801080
t. brandloyal sheep

>>1801082
Says the man loyal to harbor freight.
I buy things that have proven to be quality and work well for a long period of time. There are brands im loyal to because they make good products.

Its a far cry from someone like you who is loyal to buying things as cheaply as humanly possible disregarding how shitty something may or may not be.

>>1801087
not that anon but I have a tool rack full of 10+ year old harbor freight tools that still work great for my use level. You're just arguing which shade of gray you like best

>>1801087
>implying i buy anything from HF
i buy my shit from ebay, amazon, and aliexpress
and still most of my tools are just shit ive found/given to me
and none of the shit ive bought has broken on me once
mostly because i do research before i buy
unlike you who thinks just because it is a name brand and has a higher price tag its better

>>1801082
I don’t want to second guess whether or not a tool is going to finish the job, and I’m just a weekender. It’s worth spending the extra $7 on something you won’t have to doubt. And even if HF has their new “Pro” brand for $1 or $2 less than the name brand, I would rather not have to guess where HF’s contracted factory decided to cut corners that day.

Like I said, the day always comes where you find out how HF cut their pennies. Look at all the times the SKU changes because they switch manufacturers to the next guy who will make it for less, and watch how each different one along the line has one or two less parts or something is a little thinner on the new one to save material, it looks the same on the showroom floor but reveals itself under stress.

>>1801099
>he didnt even read my post
i just said i dont buy shit from them you sped learn how to read
plus you can just do some research before you buy anything or hell go to a flee market and buy good tools from suckers who dont know how much their worth
but no you need to buy that shiny new tool for more money then its worth
god you an ignoramus

>>1801104
>didn’t read my post
It was a short post, I’m pretty sure I didn’t miss anything.

Most of us don’t have time to go searching flea markets to find a needle in a rusty haystack, we’re too busy shitposting.

I’m so tempted to buy that stupid 8gal, I can’t stand the 3gal I have that runs at 0.5CFM.

>>1801097
Id love to see whatever you store your tools in. Shoeboxes maybe, because "why the fuck would you waste your money on a toolbox".
You buy mainland chinese tools from aliexpress, pull tools out of the dumpster, buy no name shit on ebay, and you havent broken a single tool in your lifetime of wrenching or /diy/ work?

Im very impressed. Im sure your extensive screwdriver collection and your hardcore unscrewing and re-screwing battery covers on childrens toys has really put your tool collection to the test!

>you can just do some research before you buy anything or hell go to a flee market and buy good tools from suckers who dont know how much their worth
This is fucking funny coming from the guy whining about preferring brands.
You want to know how you get those good finds at the flea markets? By knowing all about what brands were decent and which ones were shit.

They arent worth anything unless they are a good quality, and if they were good quality 9 times out of 10 it was from a known entity.
Just because its old and cheap at a flea market doesnt mean its good. There is WAY more complete SHIT at flea markets than any real usable tools. Its been this way for 15+ years now. The amount of complete garbage tools hanging around from the 80s is crazy.
.
There are some tools that were quality and nobody knew about them.Brands like True-Craft are very good and would be a great deal if you got them on the cheap since nobody had heard of them.
But in general it doesnt take that much tool knowledge to know what would be worth buying or not from a quick glance.
I have a giant amount of used tools from good brands. I have been buying used tools for 2 decades now.
This is WHY im brand loyal to better brands, and if im going to buy something new I am willing to pay a little more up front to get something better.

>>1801108
>Most of us don’t have time
if you dont have time to save money then you dont have time to diy
but go ahead and wast your money i dont care ill just be sitting here laughing at you

>>1801110
t. upset loser who wasts money on shitty tools because muh namebrand
i bet you dont even use your tools you only go here to larp as a handy man

>>1801111
>that entire post
tl;dr

>>1801113
Youve given up that easy huh?
Is this why money is so tight for you?

>>1801116
>Youve given up that easy huh?
when did i say that?

>>1801113
I would go to the flea markets and pawn shops if the chances were better. It’s either cheap crap, or really beat up used decent tools for like 75% the cost of getting a brand new updated version, or it’s brand new but they’re asking 90% of MSRP and I could buy one on sale at Home Depot for cheaper than the pawn shop with warranty. Finding a good deal a those places is like 1 in 100,000, not worth my time unless I happen upon it and get lucky.

>>1800731
Harbor Freight is too expensive.
I hear you can buy all your tools from suppliers like Zhongxing on TaoBao to save some money.
Youll be surprised how long they can sit on your shelf not being used!

>>1801117
>when did i say that?
>>1801113
But its ok, since you dont follow any real logic I didnt expect you to keep going.

>>1801111
this is just cargo cult boomerism
there are no good tools anymore
new shit is cheap, old shit is worn out
made in USA is trash quality now, just buy chinese tools or build your own from scratch

>>1801118
>updated version
>warranty
t.dumbass getting scammed
warranties are a wast of money
and new tools shit anyway
>>1801122
>cant even point the words
its ok i understand that you are retarded

>>1801126
Are you still using hand drills? Do you really think the lithium battery brushless drills are inferior to the lead acid or nickel battery drills of yesteryear?

>>1801126
Post pics of your toolboxes. I want to know what brands of tools to buy on Aliexpress.
Im trying to be objective and would love to get a good deal.

>>1801130
hand drill are useful if you dont want tearout retard

>>1801125
>new shit is cheap, old shit is worn out
>made in USA is trash quality now,
This isnt really true.
Regardless I dont get caught up in country of origin. I care about the tool itself, not where its made. I have tools from a ton of different countries. Its about buying quality, and quality costs money.

>>1801134
What the fuck are you talking about?
Tearout come from using shitty twist drills

>>1801134
>I never use power drills because I never want tearout
retard

>>1801141
i never said i never used power tool you retard

>>1801141
He doesnt use a powerdrill because he hasnt found one a goodwill yet.
But he found a bunch of hand drills at a pawnshop because nobody wanted them!

>>1801142
Post pics of your power tool collection. Im sure there are great deals to be had there at BangGood. I just dont know what to look for.

>>1801136
It's easier to just learn to work around the faults of shitty tools, IMO. Hunting down the last remaining specimens of tools that work(ed) as intended is a hobby for rich boomers, not people who actually intend to make things. Buy trash, treat it like trash, and build your own if you want something nice that lasts.

>>1801142
You can insult online but you can't do shit except talk shit because you probably don't even DIY anything, just get butthurt other people use brushless drills that you can't afford because your workkmanship is shit and you're using your dead grandpa's tools from 1943 and you don't understand technology.

>>1801148
>It's easier to just learn to work around the faults of shitty tools, IMO.
IMO, its worth spending $7 to buy a pair of dykes that will cut piano wire easily, as opposed to saving $7 and getting some soft dull dykes that will struggle to cut safety wire.
Its not like the two pairs of cutters arent sitting next to each other on the shelf in the store.

You arent "building" your own hand tools

>>1801159
correction
YOU arent building your own tools

>>1800871
some of the shit at harbor freight comes from taiwan. my torque wrenches are taiwan harbor freight

>>1801159
dykes are a consumable in my experience.

>>1800860
Termites don't eat whatever you'd be drilling into. Why would you put poison there? Best place to nuke termites is outside around the perimeter with those poison feeder things they sell.

>>1801162
Yes, but tons of it is excluded from the coupons and costs as much as the name brand, so I would rather just get Gearwrench or whatever real brand for the same price.

All of this also relies on whether or not you believe Harbor Freight will still exist in the same form in the future.

>>1800731
Is pic related the canadian version of harbor freight?

>>1801195
it was a torque wrench for like $10 i don't really care about the warranty lol

>>1801234
That’s one of the few things worth going to the store for, nobody else has even bottom barrel torque wrenches for <$25. I think HF has a few loss leaders to get you in the door including the $10 torque wrench, $15 breaker bar, and they can’t be making much if anything on the silver RapidPump 3-ton jacks when you could find them <$70. The $67 jack is the thing that got me in the store the first time.

>>1801193
They're inside the perimeter and may not even cross outside the foundation line. I need to saturate the soil that they cross to so they contaminate the subterranean nest. I will still trench around my house, but I know where they are and they're at least 10 ft part the edge of the foundation

>>1800759
>I’ve personally broken one of their Zyklop 3/8 ratchets that was less than 3 months old and had seen hardly any use.

I didn't want to hear that because I was going to buy the full set of Zyklop ratchets, 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2"

>>1801230
Do they also sell tires?

>>1800731
Jeez, I don't think most you have ever set foot in a Harbor Freight Tools store.

Sure, they sell cheap crap from China.

But, they also sell cheaper crappier crap from India. That's the crap you need to avoid. Like the plague.

>>1801250
Those are supposedly pretty bad for a number of reasons. If you look at reviews on line, it’s either “5 stars! Reddit and GarageJournal told me to buy them and I haven’t used them yet but they look really pretty!” or “2 Stars, have SK at work and a friend told me to buy these for a home set, my Craftsman sockets don’t fit on the ratchet, the rubber is peeling off, and the selector switch gets jammed up, I expected much more from a set this expensive.”

Wera is a meme, but if you’re going to buy that PlaySkool stuff, don’t waste money on anything besides the screwdrivers.

>>1801251
They actually do. It's like a hardware store with kitchen and camping stuff and a basic garage.

>>1800731
have a brad nailer from HF. Works great. only 20 bucks.

>>1801230
No. Princess Auto is. Canadian Tire is more Home Depot tier

>>1801125
My 1960s Bosch combi set, GDX 18V-200C, 1/2" impact sockets and GSR 18-2 Li Plus would want to have a talk about that.

>>1801307
>he doesn’t use metal bodied ungrounded corded tools

>>1800811
Cope faggot

>>1801260

Good to know, shame because they are neat. I will admit that GJ does affect my purchasing habits, that bunch of old boomers.

>>1801308
My 1960s Bosch Combi has exposed metal and isn't grounded.
However it is swiss made quality and will probably still work in the 2060s, that is including the jigsaw, excenter grinder and saw I have for it.
(Probably replacing the power cord soon though)

>>1801161
Lets see the hand tools youve built

>>1801309
The sander isnt a "good value", its a weak light piece of trash. The only one who will have to "cope" is the poor guy who actually buys one.

every time I open up a thread on this board it's filled with assmad
bros... let it go

>>1801314
Buy products from the brands that make them well. There’s like 3 other Yuro companies that are known for making really good wrenches, I assume at least one of them does good ratchets if you must be unique and want muh German tools. Wera is screwdrivers (if you don’t mind the peeling soft plastic), Knipex for pliers, Wurth I think is the way to go for wrenches. Also I believe a lot of the Wera stuff isn’t made in first world countries.

Or go with a premium US brand. As much as the tool trucks are a ripoff, if you want one small set with a 3/8” ratchet and a dozen metric sockets, you could drop $250 on Snap On and have a lifetime main set to reach for that can’t be beat. Alternatively, SK has some perfect sets that you can pass on to your kids, pic related.

>>1801317
>My 1960s Bosch Combi has exposed metal and isn't grounded.
The exposed metal is the gearbox. It is already insulated from anything electrical so you are fine.

I will oneup you. This is a Westinghouse motor I restored (cleaned and painted, was 100% working when I got it). The date of manufacture is 1926. Keep oil in it and it will run forever.

>>1801250
Yeah don’t bother with Wera. All that money goes into the extravagant cases which feature these goofy CAD-style diagrams and high density foam to retain the sockets/bits. The actual tools look super nice until you hold them in your hand. Then you suddenly realize the internals are sloppy and weak. Whatever coating or material they’re using to achieve that matte anodized look is pretty worthless too as these things will rust over at the slightest hint of moisture. Even their screwdrivers are pretty shit. In no time at all the rubbery parts on the handle start to peel away. If you introduce the wrong kind of oil/grease or literally any solvent they’re guaranteed to turn into shit. All their tools are made in the fucking Czech Republic anyway. Any run of the mill Taiwanese tool will serve you much better than Wera shit.

Like I said, they’re tools for rich people to look at and feel superior for owning, not for people who actually fucking use them.

>>1800860
I bought that tool because renting one to chip tile was like $25. I've used it dozens of times in 8 months. It's great.

>>1800731
I got this for sheeting rocking by myself .

It was worth it, cheaper then renting for how long I used it.

>>1801418
Renting Mexicans aint nearly as cheap these days since Trump sent so many back. Supply and demand.

>>1801385
I looked up rental price and its $40 for 4 hour min and $57 a day. $59.99 at harbor freight w a coupon. fuck renting tools.

>>1801016
or when snapon tried to sue them because they "stole" their floor jack design even though they didn't have a patent... those daytona jacks were made in the same factory for a fraction on what snapon sells their jacks for... literally just a name and retards buy their shit for insane prices... thry wont stop because the shills wont

>>1801420
>The Obama administration deported 1.18 million people in his first three years, the number of deportations has been a little under 800,000 so far under Trump, according to the Post.

>>1801449
t. retard. prices changed now because of what trump did now. Prices did not change now because of what happened 8 years ago.

>>1801445
Snap-On did in fact have a patent on their design, which is why they took them to court in the first place.The case was not thrown out. Snap-On was successful and forced Harbor Freight to settle out of court. Nobody will ever know what that entailed.
Snap-on OEMs a lot of things that arent hand tools out. Are you surprised that a hand tool company went to an OEM to build a jack?
Their higher end USA made jacks are made by Hein-Werner. Napa sells similar Hein-Werner jacks for less.
This isnt a surprise to anyone, and every actual tool brand does this. Is the field service, the regular tool truck guy, the financing, whatever other perks important enough to you to pay a premium? For some people it is, which is why the whole system works. Look at Hilti for another brand who has a system in place that makes people buy into their premiums, and its worth it. I know its hard for some people to fathom.

Whats funny about the whole jack situation, the Daytona jack was the first tool that started the aggressive marketing campaigns against major tool brands while also using their likenesses.
Yeah, they lucked out and convinced one OEM to undercut their own customer. Right place right time sort of deal.
And that perfect storm of publicity kicked off the "new and improved" harbor freight you have today.
Literally none of the other tools stealing likenesses are OEMed from the same place. Yet absolute fucking retards lacking any critical thinking skills have started comparing everything that has a stolen likeness to the original brand. Its painfully obvious they didnt pull anymore OEM contracts out from under any other brand, and that the tools arent comparable.

The worst part is? Their marketing stunts are working and idiots are eating it up.

>>1801469
>t. retard.

Why would you start off by announcing that you are a retard? And the signature goes at the end, retard.

>>1801470

Imagine sucking off Snapon this hard. What are you fucking smoking?

>>1801470

That's some hardcore shilling there. Snap on dropped the lawsuit because it was literally the exact same jack made in the exact same Chinese factory

>>1800731
On the same note as harbor fright, has anyone ever tried the retardedly cheap chink sandpaper off amazon?

https://www.amazon.com/Sander-20PCS-Sanding-Aluminum-SATC/dp/B07RHNRL5R
https://www.amazon.com/Inch-8-Hole-Sanding-Discs-LotFancy/dp/B06XQH4PVM/

Like these packs are legit several times cheaper than even HR...does it just instantly denigrate?

are they worth it for that cost?

>>1800733
I have nice tools, and I aint mad at ya. Frankly, i dgaf about you...

But go ahead and keep thinking proper mechanics give a fuck about you.

>>1800737
They're your knuckles..... you'll learn.

>>1801645

I've used them and still have packs of them going. Works fine for me

>>1801470
>literally none of the other tools are OEMed from the same place
Ehhh... I wouldn’t be surprised if the Hercules tools are coming from the same factory as the bottom barrel DeWalt tools. I mean the fucking batteries are basically interchangeable.

>>1801648
>I dont care about you
>look at how much I dont care I'm even typing it out for you

>>1801689
man i need a meglinating variable intensity multifunction power tool
i have so much concrete hex finials that need untranking

>>1800731
I own a pair of bolt cutters I’ve used once and an aluminum pipe wrench that is absolute shit compared to my rigid wrenches. They must have fucked up the metallurgy on the wrench teeth so it gouges the shit out of the pipe. It’s so bad I can only use it for demo work.

>>1800870
Their Teflon tape is terrible but otherwise this.

>>1801657
is chink "zirc" sandpaper worth jack shit more compared to the Aluminum Oxide shit?

>>1800731
Just a 4 ton jack

Most of what I've bought there has been for one off jobs, and generally they only last for that one task anyway. Although the bolt cutter I got from there failed immidiately getting all fucked up, they now function perfectly as a crimping tool for larger ferrules and such that would otherwise require a several hundred dollar crimping tool.

>>1801003
Been using HF f clamps for like 10 years. No problems. Maybe a little rusty but I treat them like shit.

>>1800731
As of the last 7 years or so a bunch?

Buy dewalt 300 dollar grease gun. Cool.

Buy china 1/4" impact with attachment for $35.

Got both. Both work same/same

SAMESAME RREEEEEEEEEEEEE

>>1801470
>While the settlement “is confidential, what we can say is that we’re pleased with the outcome. We’re continuing to sell the Daytona jack and did not have to make any payment to Snap-On,” said Karen Denne, a Harbor Freight spokesman.

Eat a bag of dicks. If anyone had to pay it was crap on for lying about their Chinesium jack being (((assembled))) in the USA.

>>1800731
the only things i have from harbor freight are those organisers that are sort of like sortimo stuff without the absurd prices and i really like them. thinking about getting a few of their knock-off pelican cases too because i'm not paying a shitload of money for the same thing.

I bought one of their torque wrenches and an 8” cheapo pair of lineman’s pliers to keep at home for when I want to do electrical work (I usually leave my good electricians tools at work in the truck). I’m tempted to get one of their rolling tool cart/box setups instead of going snap-on.

>do you want to purchase the replacement plan for an additional $21?
Nah we good.

I caved, I hate that 3gal compressor with it’s 0.6CFM so bad. Currently breaking in pic related.

>>1801913
The US General boxes are nice for the money, you get a better built box compared to a lower level Craftsman for the same price. I don’t think I would spend the money on that Icon stuff though, what good if the lifetime warranty if they dump the brand in 5yrs because nobody is going to spend $5000 on a box from HF when a similar brand new Snappy one is only a little bit more.

Tbqhwy, the new Milwaukee boxes are really nice for the money. You can get a good setup for under $1000.

40-50% of my shit is imported.

I spend the coin on the shit that needs to be high quality, but I have no problems cheaping out on shit that truly does not matter.

The more capability I have the better.

>>1801650

It feels the same whether you're punching shit with a Mac in your hand or a Horror Fright in your hand.

Get over yourself lmao

>>1801689
does it also do staples

My multitool just died today undercutting door jambs. I got three years of hard service out of that $15 tool.

>>1801441
Enjoy yours. I just ripped out 300 sq of tile with it.

>>1800731
A couple.

A combination square, that's still square after a couple months of good use. It was sharp as fuck when I got it, but getting those down with some 1200 grit sandpaper scraps got that fixed.

A set of needle files (the red package ones are neat, especially since a few of them have safe sides), but the flat files are barely, BARELY adequate.

and a few clamps.

I picked up that Central Forge plane set for giggles and my god the no.4 was a disaster. Rough everywhere, haphazardly cut and shaped chipbreaker, lever cap was a mess with how the spring was attached and the hole looked like someone only used a hand drill to make it, frog looked like someone stomped it into the ground. Returned that thing the same day. I didn't even want to make it into a scrub plane.
The only thing I liked about it was the sheet metal depth adjuster yoke with how long it was.

>>1801689
post more of these

>>1801003
HF's clamp game is strong for the price. I own the 11" C-Clamp pliers, C-clamp, quick release in three sets of sizes, and the clamp edge sawguide. I also have a set of phillips and flathead screwdrivers plus some ASE sockets which are good.
That being said I would never buy their power tools.

I own as many HF tools as I need to get jobs done. If I want better quality I buy better quality. If I like what HF offers and think the value/quality is good I will buy them.

>>1801418
yeah i got one of those too to rock my basement walls by myself, shit was cash.

>>1802353
+1 on their clamps, I like pic related and the other brands overcharge so much for the same thing. An Irwin or DeWalt branded chinese 24” clamp has to cost at least 5x as much as the $6 HF one.

>>1802356
You said they just send you these? How the hell does that work?

>>1801110
I lold

too bad we don't have these in europe, seeing the butthurt they cause in burgerland

>>1802610
It’s glorious, even with your cheap Aldi tool, you can’t touch Drillmaster and $19 sawzalls.

The worst part is they’re expanding like crazy. They opened three new ones within the past couple years within like 20min of my house. Although the closest one is sort of nice because most of them are in the hood with long ass lines to check out, but they built this one on the right side of the train tracks so most of the time I only have to wait for one boomer to pay before I’m at the register.

>>1802412
>You said they just send you these? How the hell does that work?

There was a class action lawsuit against them and I had saved all my receipts from them for years due to being able to write off tools as a tax reduction for my line of work. You could either get like 25% of the "you saved" amount on each receipt or 15% or so of your total amount spent. I went through and calculated each receipt both ways and submitted them to where they would make the most $$$. Ended up being not as many people submitting receipts as they thought would, so payouts were an even higher percentage. I ended up getting almost $4,000 worth of gift cards over the deal!

If I remember right you could have just told them you bought something and they would give you a $20 gift card, which ended up being more like $150 after it was all said and done, because like I said not many people took advantage of the lawsuit.

>>1802649
I remember that lawsuit now. I think I had a couple items eligible but wasn’t enough for the effort required. Was it the “You Saved” amount compared to other tool brands and retailers?

>>1802654
It was the "you saved" amount off of their "regular price" which things were never, ever sold for...

>>1800759
Thanks for the ad, Chang. Care to tell us what happened on June 4, 1989?

>>1801082
Thanks, PLA. Say hi to Winnie the Pooh for us!

>>1800733
Before I go to HF I always check Craigslist for what I need. If I can find a good used brand cheaper than HF the
n I go with that. I wish we manufactured more stuff here in USA, even if it was crap quality like HF, I rather buy our crap that theirs.

>>1800731
The only HF tool I've broken are tiny 5mm open ends

>>1800759
Kek, this sounds like a Bepis post but more well thought out. The shilling doe Apex (aka Gearwrench) and Sunex and HF boxes and the hate for Wera.

Also SATA is literally the same as Gearwrench, not sure why all the SATA recently popped up on Amazon, but it’s worth comparing the prices across the two brands because one might be cheaper for the same thing. They have some nice ratchets and socket sets for the money.

The 120 tooth, IMO, the cheaper 84T they offer is the better way to go. The 120T, especially on the 1/2” wrenches, makes the head fucking huge and adds weight and the 84T is butter smooth already, I actually prefer the 84T over the 120T even if they were the same price.

>>1803007

Has a crowsfoot literally EVER been useful for ANYONE EVER?

No.

>>1803120
I think the flare nut crowsfoots get used from time to time. There’s some plumbing in cars where you don’t have room to swing.

>>1800731
Harbor freight is good for little throw away tools or if you just got out the joint and need to do a few jobs to get on your feet but if you cant cut into your crystal meth habit to buy a Milwaukee screw gun , I mean have a little pride in your trade!

I spent 5 years as an apprentice a and 10 years as a journeyman, you think I want to carry any thing more than a set of anti vandal drill tips from this commie funding embarrassment?

>>1803163
Well put. Meth fund comes first.

>tfw you see a guy remodeling a bathroom with a Bauer drill and he def stops for rock on paydays

I'd rather burn my money that I would have used on the tool than end up with pos harbor freight shit. Own zero tools from these skeebs

>>1803171
Who the fuck drinks that skunk piss

I've bought a good chunk of tools from them over the years. Completely hit-or-miss on quality from item to item, but some of it was worth it. Nowadays if I find I use a tool frequently/hard enough to break the HF version, I spring for the nicer one.

>>1800731
0%
Fuck China

>>1801648
>thinking proper mechanics give a fuck about you
When did tradies opinions of themselves get so over inflated?

>>1801099
>>1801108
as much as i hate a namefag, your responding to trolls.

>>1800731
Everything that's broken.

>>1801125
tools have never been better, on average. You know nothing.

>>1801130
You are arguing with complete and uttter faggots.
...just so you know.

>>1801167
Buy better tools.
When diagonal cutters break, the tip goes shooting off... not exactly dangerous, but not the kind of thing one should invite into their lives.

Everyone is an idiot except for me.

>>1801162
And you paid close to precision instruments pricing, for an icon...
LOL

>>1801250
I wanted to love mine, as they feel great using.

but mine ocasionally wont lock onto random sockets.... which is lame.

>>1803972
>but mine ocasionally wont lock onto random sockets

How did they fuck this up?

>>1803120
All the time.

>>1803975

Doubt it. Name an instance in which you used one.

>>1803973
No idea. Maybe they dont know what 3/8" measures out to metric?

>>1803977
Ive got nothing to prove to some rando faggot on 4chan.

>>1803980
knew it you fucking crowfoot shill. Every time I think I've found a scenario for one, it just fucks right off.

>>1803171
Yes probably

>>1803977
On an F/A 18 Hornet. A crowsfoot is necessary to get the servo unmounted.

>>1800731
all of them, love their power tools too. Cut up two cars with their cheapest sawzall and angle grinder. They're incredible the earthquake is amazing. Got tons of HF sockets and have never broke any either, and I've reefed on some shit let me tell you. HF breaker bar has taken has had the cheater many times and shes still sure and straight as the day I bought her.

Seriously love this place

>>1804056
Trailing edge flap servo

>>1804059
>Harbor Freight: the first choice of chop-shop workers everywhere.

>>1804059

I have put I think 10' of cheater on my HF 1/2" cheater and it's still dead straight. Can't believe that thing is holding up.

>>1803007
>this sounds like a Bepis post
Because it probably is
The only person on earth who thinks "Apex tools" is a good thing is Bepis.
Not only does Apex take good companies and cut corners making them shit (see Gearwrenches move from Tawian to China), they are the biggest hand tool parent company in the world.
The name doesnt mean anything at all other than a corporate structure of aggressively cutting costs.

GearWrench has this prevailing reputation. Their wrenches used to be sold on tool trucks, for near tool truck prices while being tool truck quality 20 years ago. Then they got bought by Apex who started slapping the name on wrench sets and other tools aswell, while cutting corners and making the tools shittier.
Their sockets and ratchets have made a turn for the worse recently too.

If it says Apex, it is automatically "good" in this retards mind.
Its like saying Mac is nice, and its just a name under the Stanley Black Decker parent company, therefore anything made by Stanley Black Decker is great.
Now imagine if Stanley Black Decker didnt actually have a high end brand like Mac, just some middling mediocre brands from dead companies. That is what Apex actually is.

>>1800731
>(Eric) Smidt became president of the company in 1985 and CEO and sole owner in 1999. Today, Harbor Freight has over 1,000 stores in 48 states.
>In 2010, his father (Allan) sued Eric for "looting" the company and leveraging it to finance his own lavish lifestyle. The case was settled out of court.
>That same year Allan was allegedly kicked off the board by his son; he died in 2016.

Old dying man keeps his son in check, brings in customers with cheap low end tools, coupon codes, free gifts just like they have since the 80s. You use the tool 2 or 3 times and you are happy.
Old man dies, the affluent man with an affinity for yachts decides he needs a 6th one and "overhauls" the company.
Axe the free gifts, neuter the coupons, raise the prices of throwaway tools, create new lines of contemporary tools found elsewhere for the same price, "premium" tools like the Icon are about 50% too expensive for what you actually get, the "premium" power tools are only 10-20% cheaper than proven reliable brands with better build quality. The power tools have a piss poor 90 day warranty vs 2-3 years, unless you buy the extended warranty at which point they cost the same or more than other better tools.

They are losing their core audience while trying to capture this new audience they will ultimately fail to attract.
Good luck to them, but I wont be wasting my money there. Its much better off being spent elsewhere.

>>1804231
This post is based on nothing, most is ill-informed opinion and the rest is objectively wrong.

>>1803972
This is another common thing. Peeling grips on all their tools, the ratchets break, and only Wera sockets consistently fit on the ratchets properly.

>>1804237
>This post is based on nothing, most is ill-informed opinion and the rest is objectively wrong.
We get it bepis, you think reading blogs and making wild assumptions based upon parent companies makes you a tool connoisseur.
In reality all it does is convinces you to be a consumer of crappy products.

>>1800731
none, i ain't a burger.

>>1804236
I believe the company is in big debt too, they took out tons and tons of debt to build all these new stores and introduce the new tools. As annoying as he is, AvE shits on HF for this sketchy business model.

>>1804240
Gearwrench is still sold on tool trucks. There are more Gearwrench trucks now. I think people are complaining about the quality under Apex because the stuff is sold on Home Depot shelves now, not because of any actual quality issues.

Apex took some dying brands and kept them going and helped make the Gearwrench stuff more available without costing an arm and a leg to buy quality specialty tools off a tool truck. IMO they did a better job with lots of those brands than Stanley did, turning Stanley into cheap Walmart tools and making Porter Cable a budget brand.

>>1800731
If you're going to buy cheap at least buy craftsman. Cheaper than Milwaukee and DeWalt, and those two are cheaper than anything else.

I was so disappointed by DeWalt's toolbox. I bought the 120 some piece kit. The ratches are fucking terrible, and it's a retard-proof box. As in, all the parts are seated in extremely tight. Enough so that the only way to get the sockets out of them is to pry them out with a screw driver. It's retarded.

I bought a craftsman and have had the same kit for two years. Love it.

>>1804261
>. Enough so that the only way to get the sockets out of them is to pry them out with a screw driver.

I wonder if designers actually use tools. I have one like yours, and another set that mostly works but two or three sockets fall out of the top section when I open it. Nice snug pockets that work easily make life a bit nicer at no real cost other than attention to design detail.

>>1804273
The craftsman I bought is designed to perfection - the box anyway. The deep sockets are on the top lid and fit in just snugly to not fall out yet not too snug to where I can't easily get them out with my fingers while on my back.

I just can't fathom how DeWalt can make such a piece of shit. My brother is a carpenter by trade and swears by DeWalt. So I figured a toolbox would work. Nope. Worst kit ever. Worst ratchets ever.

I'll buy a shitty Stanley kit before I buy a DeWalt one.

>>1804280
I like this old Craftsman socket set I have. It has a center tray so when you open it, you put the tray in the lid. Gives you space to toss extra bits and extensions.

>>1804248

What's the issue here?

>>1804280

The box for my craftsman set was pure shit. Shitty latches that broke off, and every time you picked it up by the handle you could hear the sockets falling out of their pockets.

Pissed me off so I built my ammo can socket set that I have posted on here a few times.

>>1804366
This is the true, old guard Harbor Freight fan.
They bought a piece of literal garbage socket set for maybe $10 over 25 years ago. They barely used the thing because the second you actually try to break a bolt free with it you blow up the pot metal pawls. Under its very light, very remote use he "wore out" the 3/8 to 1/4 adapter (which you shouldnt be using anyways), so instead of buying something better he replaced the garbage adapter.

These are the types of people and the usage cases where people clamor on about how great Harbor Freight tools are, "Ive been using it for 25+ years!". And its also why I dont take them or anyone else in the HF review sections seriously.
While Harbor Freight in recent years has slightly changed and drastically raised their prices and their baseline tool quality, there is still a whole slew of products in the store that are still this shitty and bad.

>>1804447

Anon, calm down, take a deep breath, and show us on the doll where Bepis touched you.

>>1804455
As much as I hate bepis, he never was "buy the bottom of the barrel because im a cheap poorfaggot, then double down on my cheap terrible purchases"
He is "try to find bang for buck" by over-analyzing country of origins and parent companies and making educated guesses. And as annoying as it is sometimes, its not a bad thing.

The people that do trigger me are >>1800737 who are exactly the type of people who do >>1804248
They think they are smart and pulling a fast one on companies when in reality all they are doing is buying trash that is hindering their ability to actually work.

>>1804280
>>1804261
>The deep sockets are on the top lid and fit in just snugly to not fall out yet not too snug to where I can't easily get them out with my fingers while on my back.

Those blow mold cases wear out after use and the sockets fall out everywhere. If you actually plan on using a blow molded case for a long period of time, you want it to be pretty stiff. It saves your ass when you drop it while its open too.
I have two 150+ pc Dewalt sets. I was given one with the quick release ratchets, and I bought the one at Costco with the low profile non quick release ratchets.
The blow molding cases are substantial, they are thick and feel like they will last a long time, and yes they hold the socket in very well.
The sets are made in taiwan
The sockets are very high quality, they are knurled and stamped very evenly and the chrome is finished very nicely. The ratchets are fucking awesome, especially the low profile ones.

They are 100% a step above the shit tier ratchets that Non-Stanley Craftsman sets have. The sockets look and feel nicer too.
All the chinkshit polished Craftsman Ratchets ive have and have used were all terrible.
The Stanley made one I used seemed pretty nice, but then again that doesnt come in a Blow Mold case it comes in a case like the Dewalt stackable cases.

The only chinkshit craftsman set I have actually bought was the 42 piece bit set. The blow molded case has a big red latch on it that feels like its going to break, and the bit sockets feel cheap as shit.
Bang for buck, Dewalt is pretty fucking good and I would take it over Non-Stanley Craftsman all day every day.

>>1804447

There's no indication the old pot metal adapter was HF, though.

I love Harbor Freight, regardless.

>>1804481
He literally said it came out of his kit

>>1804481
Should buy one and try it out, they still sell similar kits
https://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-14-in-drive-sae-metric-socket-set-40-pc-62843.html

>>1800731
I have a bow saw and pole saw from them. Wobbly pieces of shit, both of em.

>>1804482
>>1804484

If that socket is from the same kit, what the fuck is that stamping? Not anything I recall from HF.

>>1804489
>what the fuck is that stamping?
Youve never seen the pot metal sockets before?
Thats literally what the store was founded on, cheap generic pot metal tools and power tools that burn out the second you use them.
I was given the same kit as a kid, I blew out the ratchet trying to remove skateboard wheels. I have some of the sockets laying around in my junk box, maybe ill go and see if I can find some.

>>1804493

I'm just saying, not sure what that socket set is, if it's even HF.

I have HF ratchets and sockets in all sizes and I have been reefing on them for some time. No discernible damage.

>>1804494
Its this set >>1804484 or a similar set back when they sold them in metal cases. Im only 30 and I remember when everything at Harbor Freight came in a metal case.

>>1804496

Fair. I am 25, but I have only been buying HF tools for about the past 10 years, and I know the quality of the tools is a lot better. I try to only buy the Taiwan shit.

>>1804288
>>1804261
>>1804476
The worst blow molded case I have is a 49 piece GearWrench 1/2 drive master socket set.
Tools are great, the case is thin and flimsy and the latches feel like they are going to break. Pretty sad as it wasnt cheap.

>>1804502
The impact socket set in this pic >>1804288 is GW and it has metal latches and extra plastic latches on the side. There is a little bit of wasted space, the case could’ve been smaller for what’s in there. Some of the smaller GW sets like the 3/8” drive with ratchet are nice and compact.

SK does a good job with their boxes.

Case's are a lose-lose situation.
Cheap case, people like you are mad.
Expensive case, people like me are mad. i toss the cases.

>>1803638
I always questioned this; I've been able to do better than every career mechanic by teaching myself the ins and outs; snap on is bullshit, since they don't only use their own tools.
You can purchase many snap on tools without the branding; for much cheaper, simply by purchasing through the supplier.
Most trades are easily learnable, though some are unsafe, most are beyond easy to learn.

>>1804240
I have/had some Gearwrench reversible ratcheting box end wrenches I’ve been using daily at work for 6 years now. I carry around a 7, 8, 10, 13, and 15 in my toolbag. Wherever possible, I pretty much always use the box ends to break bolts loose and torque them down. Have yet to strip out the gears or round off a bolt with them. I say “had” because over the last 6 months I’ve unfortunately misplaced the 7 and 10 and stopped carrying around the 15 because I only ever used it on one specific set of bolts on one specific machine I no longer maintain. I also bought a 34 piece set of their non-reversible ratcheting box end wrenches around 4 or 5 years ago to use at home, mostly because I needed the stubby 5/8 to use on a starter motor bolt on a 302. I picked it up for $50 near Christmas at Sears and they’ve been serving me just fine ever since.

I will say, however, that they’re in no way the best wrenches ever or that they compare to expensive brands. They’re simply good tools at good prices. I’ve had the chance to use a coworker’s Snap-On reversible ratcheting box end wrenches and I was impressed by how thin the wall is around the box end. I don’t think I’ve seen a lower profile ratcheting box end. I’ve also used numerous Proto wrenches, the I-beam ones, the black chrome ones, and some blackhawk stuff. I adore their spline drives, they’ve helped me get of quite a few rounded fasteners.

i just bought their second-cheapest circular saw and orbital sander. the saw cuts well (with a good blade), the shoe is rigid, and the laser works. the orbital sander ran for three hours straight and didn't die, i guess that's all you can ask of it.

>>1804682
You dont really save that much money going through the OEM, because they use expensive OEMs in the first place.
The Minnesota Twist Drill Thunderbits 21 piece, $140and the SnapOn branded ones are $160. Trusty Cook deadblow is $50 with no rubber grip and the snap-on one is $72 with a grip.
Its not like there is this huge disparity in pricing for most of their stuff. And you get the SnapOn warranty through the tool truck guy.

The stupid Daytona jack is the one exception, yet people like to pretend its the norm when clearly its not.

One of their angle grinders combusted in my hands. I kind of want to buy one for use as a loaner.

>>1804682
>snap on is bullshit, since they don't only use their own tools.
Snap-On is the warranty and the brand name, not the tool.

I worked at a dealership to put myself through school and I got so much shit for having used tools. Nevermind they worked just as well, never mind that I had duplicates of everything so I never borrowed tools, never mind I paid a fraction for them, nevermind that I owned them outright and had zero debt. Every fucker in the place gave me shit for my beat-up 1960s craftsman roller box and my mishmash of old Craftsman, S-K, Plumb/Proto, and New Britain stuff. I got half of my tools for a few hundred from a retiring shade-tree mechanic and the rest from garage and estate sales.

Every fucker in the place had Snap-on or MAC or Matco stuff and was in debt up to their eyeballs. Meanwhile, I had maybe $1,500 total invested in all of my tools and I was getting the same pay they were and doing jobs just as fast as they were. Once I graduated I only worked there for about another 8 months to build up some saving and then I split. Guys that worked there were just the dumbest motherfuckers and were somehow proud of it.

>>1804795
>Every fucker in the place had Snap-on or MAC or Matco stuff and was in debt up to their eyeballs

Yeah, because they planned on using their tools for longer than 8 months. In the overall scheme of using the tools for a whole career, who cares its not a big deal.
You are using ancient old tools and they still work great. Quality tools last.
Thats kind of the idea with buying the highest quality tools you can, they will literally last your whole career and you wont have to think about it.

Just because someone enjoys the snap-on, doesnt mean one approves of going in massive debt.
Some people have $30k of financed car, i dont see you faggots breaking their doors down to call them stupid.

>>1804795
>the rest from garage and estate sales.

this a thousand times over. even if it takes five or ten years before you can do any major wrenching, you should never buy anything new.

>>1804795
Those shop bois who compare dicks next to eachother’s snappy collections are retarded.

>>1804941
>five or ten years
I hope this is a troll

Buying used is sometimes the only option, too. I found some DOE wrenches, and the 1 1/8" is the only one that fits a lower ball-joint nut on a D44 if you don't want to split the knuckle and spindle.

>>1800731
Literally just the Chicago electric oscillating multitool and the attachments. Why harbor freight this time? Cause it was by dad's projects, he was paying for it, and I knew I'd break it. Got him the 2nd one.

>>1804975
This
Retool stores are often better and cheaper than harbor freight

>>1805165
ReStore, sweet jesus.

10 inch table saw and miter saw blades? $1.
Tools? sockets, ratchets, wrenches, sold by the pound.
Huge 9 inch Wildcat grinder with discs, $10.
P-C router with a ton of exta bits? $25.
HoleHawg in case? $30.
Rockwell 14 inch drill press? $75
Shopsmith $100.
Fucking UNISAW cabinet saw with a 3 HP motor? $150.

Now, YMMV. Different stores, different inventory, different prices.

>>1805301
Sadly my ReStores are expensive and dont have many tools. They sell a lot of books, and stuff like toilets and tiles. Lots of garbage ass furniture too.

I bought a tubular Stanley Hacksaw (my favorite hacksaw I own, legit awesome hacksaw) and Ive bought a small USA made ball-peen hammer. I dont think I have ever bought anything else at either location, and I have been in there on many occasions hoping to find a deal.

>>1802164

>>1800731

the towels are the best
great and I mean great for cleaner eye glasses
I wear readers and have a rag near all my work places (and one in my briefcase)

I like Harbor Freight because it has a bathroom and once I needed to piss so bad and just ran in - ended up buying some stuff before leaving

>>1803970

well put

All I need for now.

Just waiting on them to make a cheap CNC router.

>>1805594
Computer numeric crap

>>1801919
IIRC it's the same as the Husky I have. Works well, loud as hell, I've used it on everything from filling tires to framing floors.

>>1801381
Holy shit I actually have one of these and I was wondering if I should restore it or not. No idea what id use it for but I do have an old ass drill press that needs a motor

>>1801334
>, if you want one small set with a 3/8” ratchet and a dozen metric sockets, you could drop $250 on Snap On

Unless you are stinking rich or someone else is footing the bill, this is absolutely horrible advice. You can get excellent equivalent sets for 1/10th the cost.

Might be a good plaxe to ask, I need the cradle assembly for a drywall jack, looked on the internet but found nothing obvious. Is this something I could order from harbor freight or will they tell me to get fucked and buy the whole jack?

>>1805660
Damn, it looks exactly the same. HF claims 4.1 CFM @ 90psi compared to 3.7 on the Husky specs, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the HF specs were bullshit.

If I noticed that, I would’ve spent the extra $10 on the Husky for a 2 year warranty. I’m happy with the thing though, I mostly use it to air up tires or blow some dust off the work bench, and that thing gets up to 70psi by the time I get the hose unrolled.

>>1805781
I’m just saying for that main thing you use, you’re #1 ratchet, you could spend $25 on a decent Taiwan ratchet, but if you wanted to drop $100 on a Dual 80 for your most-used tool, I wouldn’t fault you. Going into debt with the truck guy is a different story.

>>1805781
>this is absolutely horrible advice.
Can you give an actual, real reason why buying the highest quality tools you can that will outlast you and have a real lifetime warranty is "horrible advice".
You may not value the idea of buying top of the line, but it doesnt mean its bad advice.

>>1805829
Call harbor freight customer service and tell them you broke yours and want to buy a replacement, they may sell you one. Thats your only chance, in store they will tell you to get fucked.

>>1805947
>you’re #1 ratchet, you could spend $25 on a decent Taiwan ratchet,
Milwaukee and GearWrench and even the Craftsman Professional are all closer to $40 than $25

Im going on record right now.
The new GearWrench logo looks like fucking shit. The old one wasnt amazing or anything, but the new one just looks fucking bad. And the color scheme looks cheap.

>>1805991

>>1805994

>>1805987
As a home gamer, you probably don’t need to spend $300 on the Snappy radiator tester kit you might use once or twice when the $40 HF kit will work fine. But for a few main hand tools, it’s not the worst idea.

Snappy is still overpriced though and you can get the same quality from other brands for a bit less.

>>1805999
I wouldnt buy anything snap on that isnt their main hand tools they make in house. That goes for every major tool truck brand. I still buy them from time to time.

>>1805990
Milwaukee ratchets are overpriced for no good reason, plus they’re new, I bet the prices will drop if they ever get on more shelves. Craftsman Pro doesn’t exist anymore. And Gearwrench, if you’re paying that much, it’s too much, use the 25% off code at Advance Auto and you can get 3/8” 120XP ratchets for <$25, and 84T for like $20. 4pc flex head Gearwrench set on Amazon is always around $100 and sometimes goes on sale for closer to $80, I shill that set all the time for people who have been using old Cratftsman box ratchets forever.

>>1805991
>>1805994
Kinda agree, they’re doing this as they put out more GW tool trucks. Maybe the color change is them thinking they want to be their own brand and not be called a cheap Snappy knockoff. I don’t mind the black and yellow, but the GW logo is meh, I prefer the old one. I don’t care much either way.

>>1806000
Buying Blue Point specialty tools is even more stupid, a lot of that is rebadged Chinese stuff that you can buy for 1/3 the price with a different name on it. Some of the test and diagnostic tools from the other trucks is the same, Mac or Matco have some lower end scanners that are the same as the HF scanners for way more money.

>>1806001
>gearwrench is making their own tool trucks
I wonder how the suits are going to feel when people who normally would just throw away broken tools start trying to warranty them.

>>1806001
>Maybe the color change is them thinking they want to be their own brand and not be called a cheap Snappy knockoff.


Good idea, make their color scheme look like a Stanley/Bostich ratchets you buy at Walmart!
Its like the anti-harbor freight marketing approach.

>>1806026
Well fun thing is I have a bunch of Gearwrench from Advance Auto with a “lifetime warranty”, but now they’re changing GW to TEQ Pro, so even though they’re the same tools with different markings, you won’t be able to warranty the old stuff there.

Whatever, I don’t break a whole lot of stuff unless I’m doing something stupid with them, I just want something that’s strong enough to not break with reasonable use, and if I get my use out of it and then it wears out or breaks, I don’t mind buying a new one. With ratchets and stuff, I will be happy if they offer a rebuild kit for a reasonable price.

I guess if the truck was coming to me, I would warranty it anyway because it doesn’t take any effort. I have a Craftsman socket I broke being a dumbass and I’m still waiting to see if Lowe’s will give me a new one without any hassle.

>>1806030
Those Bosch tools barely even exist anymore. And I’m a fan of visible tools, it’s nice to see the yellow on the screwdriver before you close the hood with the thing still sitting in there.

>>1806030
IMO doesn’t look too bad on the tool carts and shop seats

>>1801689
I like this post. It made me chuckle

>>1806124
There’s 4 pages of that AFAIK, too lazy to dig for the others.

Does /diy/ have a good and bad tools to buy there chart?

>>1806256
It would be outdated with some of these new brands.

Also there’s some tiers, like a ton of their automotive specialty tools are much cheaper than going to VatoZone, but with Amazon Prime, there are better options with next day shipping.

>25” Pitt Pro breaker bar ($15 w/coupon)
>US General boxes and carts with coupons (prices have all jumped up like $50 in the past couple years tho)
>Silver 3-Ton Rapid Pump jack (~$70)
>1/2” drive impact sockets

Is inside track worth it?

>>1806262
For their battery powered tools, you’re almost always better off buying a good brand with a warranty and far better lineup for $10 more, but the Portland yard tools seem to be not bad.

I’m still on the fence about buying the pole chainsaw. I know the regular chainsaw is supposed to be good, it even comes with an Oregon blade (surprising for $40). I got the hedge trimmer for like $30 or maybe $40, and I was surprised how good it is for the money, I have had it for a couple years and occasionally chew through some branches that barely fit in the blade, and it keeps going. Not sure about the pressure washer.

>>1806266

Depends on how often you use it. Duh.

I have it simply because I was buying a shitton of plastic organizer boxes and all of them happened to be on track club sale. The membership paid for itself on that one purchase alone, making it a no-brainer.

Kind of feel like that's the best idea. Wait to get it until you see a couple things you were going to get anyway go on member sale.

>>1800731

3 a beater pipe wrench, a stubby 3/8 ratchet & a prybar

Otherwise HF is for storage and cheap supplies (zip ties, evaporust, etc.) plus freebies

>>1806274
How much is it per year?

The coupons are always for the same stuff, so you can always get certain compressors and jacks and boxes on sale if you use the coupon database. Are those inside track sales on the same shit as the coupons? Or they give you sales on stuff that you can’t find coupons for?

>>1803638
Tradies have always been arrogant picks in my experience. I was an airplane mechanic for 7 years and I got an engineering degree on the side while being a mechanic. I got harassed daily by arrogant tradies for studying to be an engineer. I think a lot of them have some kind of inferiority complex or something.

How are their jack stands? Am I going to die if I put my 3100lbs truck up on them?

>>1806660
Just use 8 of them.

>>1806660
They’re fine. The same shit 3-ton stands is rebranded everywhere for ~$25. I have had a pair of 3-ton HF stands for years and they work as expected.

I shill for the ones at Northern Tool though, it’s the same design but they have a pin in addition to the ratcheting latch so they’re double locking. They go on sale a bit too, I got a pair of the 6-ton stands for $39.

IMO, go with 6-ton stands for the garage, even if you’re getting them from HF. I use the 3-ton for oil changes or brake jobs when I’m not really under the car completely, but the 6-ton double locking stands have a much wider footprint and are more stable when you need to lift the car high enough to work under there and might be yanking on stuff. If you use the 3-ton stands on an SUV and need to crawl under it, you’re going to have the things extended to the top notch and it doesn’t take a whole lot of lateral movement to make them shake real good like that.

I'm a retard so most of my chinesium tools are from home depot. Same shit quality for twice the price.

>>1806693
Not really, the "same quality" HF stuff is now the same exact price since they are axing their old shittier stuff.

>>1806267
Pressure washer kicks ass. Bought it a few months ago.

Are some of their sockets better than others? Bought a cheap set that was up by the cash register. The tolerance on them is pretty bad.

A lot

>>1806863
The $5 set with the round head ratchets are awful. The green handle Pitt socket sets aren’t too bad, I think that stuff is all Taiwan made, I doubt the slightly more expensive Quinn socket sets are any different besides the stamp. As for the Icon, I’m not sure, but I’m hoping the tolerances and QC on those is better than all the other Taiwan sockets they sell since the price is so much higher.

>>1804941
>even if it takes five or ten years before you can do any major wrenching
Kek

>>1806267
I use the string trimmer, it's good out of the box but impossible to restring it properly

Their brass hose adapters are garbage

Are their cheap plastic ammo boxes any good?

>>1806843
>Pressure washer kicks ass. Bought it a few months ago.

The 6.5HP one? I got one years ago and the check valves in the pump kept fucking up. I would re-seat them and they'd work for awhile, but would eventually cut a groove in themselves from the water. So I shitcanned the axial pump that was on there and bought a general triplex pump and threw on that engine and cart along with a 100' hose reel and hose. Still rocking that combo to this day. I also used some of my gift cards they sent me and bought the big 13hp pressure washer, but I haven't even had time to unbox it yet. I bet it'll be a fuggin beast...

>1806930
>Are their cheap plastic ammo boxes any good?

They're not bad as small toolboxes/light ammo storage. Not the most secure latch, but will still do the job for most stuff. Their steel .50cal style ammo cans are great. Basically the same as any army surplus ammo can, and when they go on sale with a coupon you can get them for like $9 a piece.

Are the pipe benders any good? I'm looking to make some mini bikes.

>>1806870
Yes, the $5 set is what I have. I'll go with something better next time and keep this set as a backup.

>>1800731
All of my hand tools are harbor freight aside from my Estwing hammer my dad gave me. HF is probably the best for hand tools if you're a home mechanic, or even a trades worker. Tool breaks? exchange it for a new one no questions asked. Probably gonna buy one of those US General tool chests this summer. I steer clear of their power tools though. Bought a Bauer drill just to test it out and keep at the house, and it was dead after a year.

>>1807011
That's disappointing. I need a miter saw and was thinking about getting their midrange Admiral model.

>>1807016

I have the older Chicago electric 12" dual bevel sliding miter saw and its never done me wrong... Just get a good blade for it and use it. Looks basically the same as the Admiral one, but the Admiral has even better reviews.

>>1806999
>Are the pipe benders any good? I'm looking to make some mini bikes.

If you're going to make mini bikes then you shouldn't have to bend very thick pipe. I'd opt for something like this pipe/tubing bender set over the HF hydraulic pipe kinker.

https://www.amazon.com/Mophorn-Bender-10-25mm-Manual-Tubing/dp/B074GN49KF/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=pipe+bender&qid=1587959930&sr=8-5

You can get it for even cheaper on e-bay ($110) but the link is too long to post...

>>1807032
>shouldn't have to bend very thick pipe

I should have said very large pipe... the smaller sizes from 3/8" to 1" diameter should be plenty for mini bike stuff. I have that exact same bender I linked and have used it with good results on 3/4" and down sch40 pipe.

I bought a socket set there. Regretted it. Everything with moving parts from there is shit. Hammers and screwdrivers are OK if you're nut picky.

>>1807034
Oh, hey. That looks perfect. I'm only looking to bend stuff around 3/4" - 7/8" so that should be fine. I think I'll spring for that. Thanks.

Does HF take coupons printed from the internet? I see people posting them on facebook all the time.

>>1800870

My engine hoist, horizontal band saw, and press are all Harbor Freight and those things have been doing daily work for 7 years now. I'm not saying it's all good but it isn't all shit, either.

Plus, saving money on the base tool gives you extra budget and apathy to spend on modifications.

>>1800731
You buy enough cheap shit to do the job.

You buy enough expensive stuff for specialize in a field.

I've got dozens of Harbor Freight chisels for wood working.
I build guitars.
They work for hammering, splitting, etc.
I also have a kit of twin cherry chisels worth multiple hundreds of dollars.

They are for finish work and finish work only.
The reason for this is the superior steel requires sharpening only after years of use.
Since they are only used for a few days during a project I never really ever have to sharpen them outside of 8k grit to sharpen the edge.
Oil them once a year, they are fine the rest of the time.

Never buy in excess.

>>1805365
>>1806124
>>1806185

Semi related but whats the /diy/ official meme tool brand?

>>1807590
Knipex a meme, but they’re also good.

Wera is the real meme, but I think that’s more a Reddit-GarageJournal meme, they’re for people who like to take pics of their tools but never use them. I would own lots of Wera if i posted on Reddit.

The real /diy/ meme is “just crawl flea markets and craigslist for the next 10 years until you find a good deal on a used old tool made in America when they made tools out of real steel, and then you fan fix that thing!”

>>1800733
a lot of people on forums rp as contractors and tradesmen for some reason. if you do that shit, buy nice shit. good for you. i'm a weekend warrior and all my shit is chinesium and used. it works for me

>>1805301
do you live around a lot of mexicans? they're always nabbing that shit and reselling it for more.

If there's something Project Farm videos have taught me it's that even cheap shit from Harbor Freight usually isn't worth the pennies.

>>1807614
The couple of his videos I have seen, he compares a lot of it to Amazon stuff. Amazon Prime changed the game, but you don’t always have 2 days to wait on a specialty automotive tool and AutoZone wants to charge 70% more than the same rebranded Chinesium at HF or Amazon.

That’s why I say there’s only really a handful of things worth going to HF for. The rest of it, you can get the same thing for less on Amazon for 20% less, or get a better version with a warranty from Home Depot for 20% more.

My bar clamps are all HF
I have their 4x36 belt sander and their wood lathe. I love both.
Also their pancake compressor. I only use an airbrush, Brad nailer, and blow gun. All work great

>>1800870
This
Harbor Freight tools are tools you only use once, for one job only because you were desperate.

>>1807600
Same boat. Most of may hand tools get used maybe a few times a month and HF hasn't let me down yet for that type of duty cycle. Also, especially for shit I know I won't use again, they're perfect.

My personal rule was that as my cheap stuff broke from use and abuse, i'd upgrade to name brand but I haven't had to upgrade yet.

>>1803638
Any profession where the workers surround themselves entirely with a bunch of the exact same people, they turn out like that. Kindly, they pump each other up. Unkindly, it becomes a circle jerk.

I think this has become even more inflated recently too when people started pushing trade schools instead of college again.

>>1800731
Bought their $99 coil roofing nailer for my small roof job. This is the only chinesium I own. If I planned on doing more roofing in the future I would have bought a better gun. For my little job it worked great.

>>1804795
hah, I've seen a few $10K+ tool boxes for sale of facebook marketplace recently because nobody is having car work done and the debt caught up with them in 3 weeks,

Your first set of tools should be chinesium trash that you slowly replace with increasingly higher quality tools.
Over time this allows you to develop a better tool set but it also teaches you to use your resources, critically consider your tools and brands, and when you're in a tight spot and can't replace that tool it can give you the opportunity to adapt and develop a little more know how around the materials and processes that you're building with.

>>1800731
A $25 18ga staple gun because I needed one for a job that could do 1.5" staples.
And a $25 jig saw because my 20yr old Skil one blew out on me in the middle of a contract job.

Rule of thumb I always use with Harbor Freight, don't buy stuff with working parts unless it's something you don't rely on a lot. Also stuff with working parts that's "On Sale" stay away from. More than likely those models tend to be defective and the're trying to get rid of stock.

I have a floor jack, engine lift, and an engine stand that are all both great and cheap. Some pneumatic stuff too like an impact driver, and a vacuum purge, all working fine after extensive use.

I live walking distance from one now so it's convenient in a pinch when I need a tool asap or something I don't plan to use often. Some tools have decent reviews. I own:

Low profile jack
Short impact sockets (decent reviews on the pro series?)
Some extra large hex keys since my motorcycle needed some 32mm~ hex keys or some shit
Pics
Just bought a set of Allen keys after I misplaced mine, plastic broke, and had mismatched keys everywhere
Rubber rope wrench thing, great for holding pulleys on fan
Dust masks I bought a long time ago which are now my Corona masks to help comfort dying people
Cut off disks
Metal braided wire things
Tiny picks as they are somewhat disposable
Spot weld cutters, worked alright
Tarps
Rags
Moving dollies and blanket
Screwdriver assorted bit set for torx, specialty, etc
Transmission jack
2 ton engine crane (for 300 lb engines, always go way above your needed requirement to offset the poor quality.)

I kind of want their beefy welding cart and 40" cabinets or so. Really good reviews and some well built in store.

Their drill bits suck ass, don't buy them.

>>1807598
>Wera is the real meme, but I think that’s more a Reddit-GarageJournal meme, they’re for people who like to take pics of their tools but never use them. I would own lots of Wera if i posted on Reddit.

the joker wrenches are great and so are the zyklop ratchets

>>1807959
I have heard far more negative on both of those than positive, and the only positive is from Redditors who haven’t used them.

The screwdrivers seem to be the only thing worthwhile, but not if you’re using them hard in grease and chemicals when the soft grip peels.

>>1807965
>i'm the only person who uses my tools, and only R*dditors like wera since they just handjob their tools

Holy shit lay off it bud lmao

Is the HF stick welder any good, considering its $100 price?

Also is stick welding for auto rust repair the right thing or is MIG really better suited?

>>1807967
Just wait til the day you want to use the Wera ratchet for a tough job and it binds up. The wrenches, I have heard that their goofy design just doesn’t work like it’s supposed to. People try and reinvent that stuff all the time and it results in meme tools that don’t work so well IRL.

Also see >>1807598

>>1807598
Wera is overpriced and not even produced in Germany anymore.
Go with Wiha instead.

>>1800731
Every tool I use professionally, is a reputable tool.
Every tool that I use rarely or know I am going to misuse is a hazard freight

>>1807986
>Just wait til the day you want to use the Wera ratchet for a tough job and it binds up.

I've put my whole body weight on the 1/2" one with no issue.

Go piss up a rope

>>1807987
Slav countries and Veitnam

>>1807991
Lol so defensive. I guess that’s what happens when you overpay for something colorful and then realize there are better alternatives for the money.

>>1807981
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tidmzG1PPjQ

>>1808004
do you even use your tools or do you just shitpost on /doy/?

>>1808006
>doy
u AMD?

>>1808020

snoy

>>1807725
Oh my god so much this. I’ve been working as an industrial mechanic for a little over a year now and the 4 dudes I work with are literally the single worst group of people I’ve ever had to be around. They’re like spoiled children who get pissed off every time a call comes in and interrupts their “shop time” which consists of sitting on the shop computers, reading random news articles, and then bitching about whatever the Democrats are doing or how stupid everyone else is. I’ve never worked with a more immature group of people, not back when I was 14 working at an amusement park, not when I spent 5 years as a machine operator working amongst mostly middle-aged women, but a bunch of full grown men between 40 and 65. They look down on pretty much everyone else and often talk down to operators when they come to fix their machines. Any time there’s an issue they can’t fix that gets turned over to the next shift and gets resolved, they make sure to spend a good hour or so doing the mental gymnastics required to either convince themselves they were just about to find the solution or that somehow everyone else is still wrong and they’re the best mechanics in the plant.

One of them was an electrician for like 15 or 20 years and, I shit you not, knows next to nothing about electrical circuits beyond checking voltages on terminal blocks and maybe some basic conjecture obtained from using an Ugly’s book. The other day he failed to diagnose a bad relay after 9 hours of troubleshooting because a little indicator light attached to the coil was lit and there was voltage on the supply side contact. The only thing downstream from that relay was a high voltage contactor that wasn’t pulling in. Spoiler, it was because the contacts were shot on the small relay so there was no voltage at the coil of the contactor. When we found out the solution he was like “what, we’re supposed to check BOTH sides of the contacts now!?” I almost fucking lost it.

>>1808006
A little of column A, a little of column B.

I would have lots of Wera if I were a redditor.

>>1808185
I have several Wera tools and they arent bad at all. You are hating on Wera because its popular, yet you suck Knipex cock cause its popular.
Its interesting which teams you arbitrarily decide to choose.

>>1808185
>I would have lots of Wera if I were a redditor.

If you had money.

>>1808188
No, Wera legit has a lot of bad complaints and are built in “developing” eastern Yuro shitholes, but they have pretty colors and look good in the unboxing videos.

Knipex is popular because they work and normal people who want premium pliers can get them from Home Depot.

>>1808195
I feel ya, I spent it all on Knipex.

>>1808227
>built in “developing” eastern Yuro shitholes

The czech republic?
Really dude?
You are an idiot who has obviously never touched them in your life. But hey, blogs right?

>>1806661

holy shit this guy must be a cuck

>>1806266
>>1806274
>>1806290
Why would you pay for it? You can get the coupons for free.

>>1808367
>>1808227
the czech make good ammo, and firearms.

>>1807965
You're talking out of your ass as usual. Wera gear is fine for professional use and the Joker wrenches are great. You're talking to the wrong people, i.e. non professionals.

>>1808188
>>1808367
This guy knows.
Namefags larping as professionals as per usual.

Not a single solitary one. Absolute garbage most of it. Not to mention the jobs that were lost to the dog eaters. Fuck HF and the container ship they came over on...

When are new coupons posted to the HF website? First day of the month?

>>1808562

Tripfags are insufferable. These guys spin their dicks more than their wrenches.

Wera is great, but you're retarded if you buy a $200+ set of 3/8 sockets. The quality is good, but those are Instagram tools. I've never seen a used or dirty wera tool irl or online.

Spent $500 supporting our Chinese friends at HF today. While they had most of what I wanted, they were out of a few item. Several other customers likewise encountered items they wanted that were not in stock. The employees said it was because the HF warehouse had been shutdown so they're no longer receiving shipments of goods to sell.