Author Topic: YAY Harbor Freight (Read 4003 times)

ChadTower · « **on:** July 30, 2008, 10:05:09 am »

They just opened one not far from my house...

Before now the closest one was a couple hours away... now they've opened three in my part of MA, one only a few miles down the road.

shmokes · « **Reply #1 on:** July 30, 2008, 10:26:46 am »

That's awesome. I never had one near until I moved to Miami. The one that's here is still a good 25 minute drive (more if it's even close to rush hour), but it's a lot better than nothing. I somehow lost my Dremel tool in the move from Utah and now that I'm dirt poor, I can't afford to replace it with a Dremel. Harbor Freight will give me a knock-off for $20, though. I've been eying their 4.5" angle grinder they have for $20, too. The Dremel is a must, though, cos I've finally been finishing my cabinet this Summer (it's my first summer off in years), and I'll need a Dremel to cut the center tab off of my T-molding so it can go around bends and corners (my T-molding is made of metal).

ahofle · « **Reply #2 on:** July 30, 2008, 11:05:36 am »

There's one a few miles from where I work. Every once in a while after lunch a few of us stop in there. It's like being a kid in a candy store. I picked up a digital multimeter the other day for like $3, WTF! It's a great place to buy tools that you don't use very often.

ChadTower · « **Reply #3 on:** July 30, 2008, 11:09:57 am »

Quote from: ahofle on July 30, 2008, 11:05:36 am

It's a great place to buy tools that you don't use very often.

That's one of the big things for me. I don't have any other versatile tool shops in my area, just stuff like Lowe's and Home Depot. You don't always want to buy a middle class tool if you're only going to use it once or twice. And I can't tell you how many times I've had to wait on a project while I ordered a tool that no one around here carried (coughcoughsecuritybitscough).

shmokes · « **Reply #4 on:** July 30, 2008, 11:15:00 am »

Exactly. And unless you have loads of expendable cash, it's tough to fork over $60 or $80 on a tool that you only need for one job for the foreseeable future. The tools at Harbor Freight are definitely lower quality, and ain't going to last as long as even a Black and Decker, most likely, but if you're only using a tool once a year, it's probably going to last as long as you want it to, regardless.

Plus, plenty of stuff is just fine. I got a couple saw-horses from them for like $12 (for the pair). They're great, and will last basically as long as any other sawhorse. It's not like they have a motor that's going to burn up or anything like that.

shardian · « **Reply #5 on:** July 30, 2008, 11:42:47 am »

Harbor freight is the GO-TO place for many tools - especially clamps. I got some 60" bar clamps for $9 each. First off, Lowes doesn't sell them that large. Second, Lowes charges like $50 each for the biggest Bar Clamp they have at around 45"-50".

shmokes · « **Reply #6 on:** July 30, 2008, 11:53:22 am »

Speaking of bar clamps, I got this set from Amazon for $25. That's EIGHT bar clamps of varying sizes, plus a bunch of clips with surprisingly strong springs and nice, pivoting tips to accommodate varying thicknesses of materials. Freaking amazing quality for the price. It's all metal, except for the twisty handle, which is durable plastic (and the clips are plastic). All of the actions are smooth and work great. I have never seen a better value in clamps. The clamps alone are worth two or three times the price.

ChadTower · « **Reply #7 on:** July 30, 2008, 12:06:32 pm »

I think that's the set that a bunch of us bought when it was listed in the tool price watch thread. I have one if it's the same set and I agree they're excellent clamps.

SavannahLion · « **Reply #8 on:** July 30, 2008, 12:18:45 pm »

So am I understanding right that Harbor Freight is like what? The Wall*Mart of tool shops?

ChadTower · « **Reply #9 on:** July 30, 2008, 12:21:47 pm »

Quote from: SavannahLion on July 30, 2008, 12:18:45 pm

So am I understanding right that Harbor Freight is like what? The Wall*Mart of tool shops?

Not quite. It's more like Toys R Us. There's plenty of good quality stuff there - but there is also plenty of low end stuff too that you usually don't find elsewhere. And the selection is off the charts. Poke around their website for an idea.

ChadTower · « **Reply #10 on:** July 30, 2008, 12:41:40 pm »

Quote from: pinballjim on July 30, 2008, 12:39:59 pm

But, man oh man, my dad bought some pop riveter & rivets there 20+ years ago for $10 and never used it and that thing has been a godsend for pinball repairs.

That's exactly the type of tool I'm talking about... I'd never find one of those around here without either spending hours on the phone or 5x what Harbor Freight prices them.

shardian · « **Reply #11 on:** July 30, 2008, 01:02:41 pm »

I think they are about due for a massive sidewalk sale too! You can't help but buy tools during the sale that you may not ever use. They are too cheap to pass up!

ChadTower · « **Reply #12 on:** July 30, 2008, 01:21:30 pm »

Quote from: shardian on July 30, 2008, 01:02:41 pm

I think they are about due for a massive sidewalk sale too! You can't help but buy tools during the sale that you may not ever use. They are too cheap to pass up!

Nice. They're having some grand opening sales right now too. I'll probably head over there in the next couple of days. I have a bunch of hand tools I need and some super fine sandpaper. Also need a framing nailer, and while I'm at it, a brad nailer would be nice.

Ken Layton · « **Reply #13 on:** July 30, 2008, 02:20:26 pm »

Their nut/bolt/hardware assortments are great. Plenty of wing nut, roll pin, screws, washers, etc in nice plastic boxes.

shmokes · « **Reply #14 on:** July 30, 2008, 02:49:33 pm »

Weird . . . I looked for nuts/bolts in my store and couldn't find anything to speak of. Maybe I just missed it, but I figured they just don't carry that stuff.

AtomSmasher · « **Reply #15 on:** July 30, 2008, 02:54:21 pm »

Quote from: shmokes on July 30, 2008, 02:49:33 pm

Weird . . . I looked for nuts/bolts in my store and couldn't find anything to speak of. Maybe I just missed it, but I figured they just don't carry that stuff.

They do carry them, but they don't carry much and they're stacked in the plastic boxes, so it can be easy to miss.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=31852

shardian · « **Reply #16 on:** July 30, 2008, 03:11:42 pm »

They have nuts and bolts. You may be thinking of loose bulk type. These are just boxes of misc stuff. I prefer Tractor Supply Co. for my nuts/nolts needs. They have a super huge selection and reasonable prices.

Ken Layton · « **Reply #17 on:** July 30, 2008, 04:37:01 pm »

shmokes · « **Reply #18 on:** July 30, 2008, 05:46:20 pm »

Oh, I see. Yeah, I was thinking of loose hardware that you put in little baggies, like you get at an Ace Hardware. Those things look crazy inexpensive, though. Are the plastic cases they come in well marked, with sizes and everything? I'd love to have a good selection of screws, nuts, bolts, washers, etc., so I don't find myself having to make a trip to the hardware store every time I need a particular sized screw for something. But at the same time, I don't want to have a bunch of screws in random bins that aren't well marked. If I can get something inexpensive like that, that already does all my organizing for me, I'd be all over it.

ahofle · « **Reply #19 on:** July 30, 2008, 05:56:12 pm »

Wow, are those online only or something? I have never seen those in the store nearby (I know because I would have bought one of each whether I needed them or not

). Guess I have a reason to go back soon!

mountain · « **Reply #20 on:** July 30, 2008, 06:16:13 pm »

Its easy to see how those could get missed, I usually spend at least an hour in there and always feel like I missed something. The place is usually crammed with so much stuff.

Ken Layton · « **Reply #21 on:** July 30, 2008, 08:52:22 pm »

Quote from: ahofle on July 30, 2008, 05:56:12 pm

Wow, are those online only or something? I have never seen those in the store nearby (I know because I would have bought one of each whether I needed them or not ). Guess I have a reason to go back soon!

When you go in the store, tell an employee the item number of what you're looking for. They should lead you right to it.

boykster · « **Reply #22 on:** July 31, 2008, 12:36:20 am »

Quote from: mountain on July 30, 2008, 06:16:13 pm

Its easy to see how those could get missed, I usually spend at least an hour in there and always feel like I missed something. The place is usually crammed with so much stuff.

Totally agree with this comment. We have one in the Seattle area - somewhat near the Fry's electronics so I will often head down there without the wife and have a 'guy' shopping trip

Great place for inexpensive, infrequently used specialized tools. And some of their tools are actually quite decent. I bought a rotary polisher there for $30 and it's lasted longer than the Porter&Cable it replaced. I use it every summer to polish my boat - so it gets a decent workout once a year.

ChadTower · « **Reply #23 on:** July 31, 2008, 09:31:08 am »

Quote from: shmokes on July 30, 2008, 05:46:20 pm

Oh, I see. Yeah, I was thinking of loose hardware that you put in little baggies, like you get at an Ace Hardware. Those things look crazy inexpensive, though. Are the plastic cases they come in well marked, with sizes and everything? I'd love to have a good selection of screws, nuts, bolts, washers, etc., so I don't find myself having to make a trip to the hardware store every time I need a particular sized screw for something. But at the same time, I don't want to have a bunch of screws in random bins that aren't well marked. If I can get something inexpensive like that, that already does all my organizing for me, I'd be all over it.

Of course, you could easily just buy a Sharpie too at that price.

Ken Layton · « **Reply #24 on:** July 31, 2008, 10:18:46 am »

Quote from: shmokes on July 30, 2008, 05:46:20 pm

Oh, I see. Yeah, I was thinking of loose hardware that you put in little baggies, like you get at an Ace Hardware. Those things look crazy inexpensive, though. Are the plastic cases they come in well marked, with sizes and everything? I'd love to have a good selection of screws, nuts, bolts, washers, etc., so I don't find myself having to make a trip to the hardware store every time I need a particular sized screw for something. But at the same time, I don't want to have a bunch of screws in random bins that aren't well marked. If I can get something inexpensive like that, that already does all my organizing for me, I'd be all over it.

Most of the assortments come with a paper listing the sizes and tray layout. You can tape it inside the lid so you know what you've used and what to reorder individually.

abrannan · « **Reply #25 on:** July 31, 2008, 10:36:09 am »

My local Harbor Freight is a little less stocked then most, because of county laws. They're prevented from seeling anything that's not UL listed, which includes basically all of their low-end power tools. Funny thing is, they still display them, and you can still get them shipped from the online store, you just can't buy it locally.

Forunately, the one near my work has no such restrictions...

Ummon · « **Reply #26 on:** July 31, 2008, 05:29:52 pm »

How can anything be more than an hour or so away in Massachusetts? Traffic, maybe?

ChadTower · « **Reply #27 on:** July 31, 2008, 06:53:15 pm »

Quote from: Ummon on July 31, 2008, 05:29:52 pm

How can anything be more than an hour or so away in Massachusetts? Traffic, maybe?

Traffic. Traffic affects everything heavily here. Besides, even with no traffic, it's still two hours from south to north in the east and three+ hours from east to west.

DrumAnBass · « **Reply #28 on:** August 01, 2008, 06:20:07 pm »

Yah I am thankful to have a Harbor Freight 2 miles from my house... Bought a hammer drill for $40 last weekend; sure enough it was dead on arrival when I went to try it out...!

Back to HF I went and swapped it... If it was more than 2 miles I would have been pissed - I know people do drive to the store from many miles away.

If I was working with tools every day for a living I would probably want better quality. But for an occasional weekend warrior, Harbor Frieght's cheap chinese crap does the job.

And if in a year my hammer drill dies, I go back and buy another for $40...


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