I used to run a manufacturing company that built electronic devices. All employees had tools. What I did to cut down the theft was serial number all tools with an etcher or stamps. Each person had their own number. If a tool broke they got a new one free, but if they lost one, they had to buy a new one...theft went to Zero. They also didn't loan their tools to others so that saved problems. On more expensive tools like drills/saws etc. they still had numbers but they checked them out and were responsible for them, again, NO problems. People that are 'forced' to be honest have no problem especially when they are personally responsible. If someone quits and takes the tools with them, the price is deducted from their last pay check...

Where I work, everyone has their own locking toolbox with their own tools except for a few shop tools for common tasks, and they’re nice tools. We’ve never had a problem with anything going missing.

😂🤣

Human nature is sad sometimes…

​@@jonh284 i bet your company pays decent wages. the only people we have issues with are temp labor. all the hired on crew never steal anything

I manage a high volume auto repair shop with 10 bays. Matco and SnapOn stopped coming around during the pandemic and have not returned. Rarely if ever. My technicians (including master techs with 20-30 years experience) have started buying HF over the past 2 years and have been pleasantly surprised. Some duds to be sure but overall 👍👍

@Randy R - Nice post! Thank you.

Snap on is a complete ripoff. Their tools are not as good as they claim. And when they stop showing up your stuck with a p.o.s broken tool that you cant get fixed. I was a sucker for years buying snap on.

I agree, they are competitive now and they have to be considering what places like Home Depot and Walmart offer now for tools. Harbor freight has to do what they can to be cheap and useful but not complete junk that nobody would even bother with.

Q

I am a machinist of 30 years. The most satisfying thing I ever did with my Harbor Freight Bauer cordless drill was throw it in the nearest dumpster.

I bought my first Bauer tool 6 years ago, and it still running fine. I can't tell you how much I spent on Snap-on and Mac tools (Thousands!) but the bauer tools have been good and cost less.

@@650gringo They've gotten a bit better, now that they've finally gone brushless.

@@ex8280 The motor was fine. It was the chuck that was terrible. It would loosen while drilling and drop the drill bit out every time. Super frustrating.

Kind of a random comparison considering that Dewalt model is one of their low end, homeowner grade tools which only costs $99 for the entire kit with battery/charger/bag. It's not just about brand, you still get what you pay for.

And garage sales. I've found a LOT of old 6 pt wrenches and sockets that you can't buy new since sears went under

i was gonna bring up the same point. Bought my first HF floor jack in 2000 and it still works fine this day, I bought one of the yellow HF / Snap On style Jacks about 5 years ago and has had zero issues. I a professional mechanic and shop owner who probably has $80K in snap on, I am not afraid to pay the truck price, but when I can get the same tool somewhere else for 1/2-1/3 less I am gonna do it!

I would agree with you. I'm on my second-floor jack. (1st one was stolen) I've had it for about 6 years and use it on a regular basis along with my engine hoist.

Harbor freight actually owns some of the snap on brand. That's why they can sell the same stuff. And they can use the snap on name to there stores. I've seen it a lot. Compare to snap on. Snap on is a registered trade mark. So hf would have to pay for the use of the name, but hf owns like 40%ish of snap on

I have a HF 3-ton floor jack that works GREAT !!!!!! It's 6 years old and going strong

Snapon is not owned by Harbor Freight!

My record beats you, a plastic radial sprinkler from Walmart that lasted about 9 seconds before failing.

should have bought 3 or 4 together.

Some of their stuff is junk at harbor tools.They're paranoid when you return anything. It's a nightmare they even require an id for cheap junk lol

I never had a problem returning anything to Harbor freight

​@@james-jg8iu I guess it depends on region. My harbor freight winds up giving you $5 when you return something with the receipt.

That’s why you have double jacking supports 😂

I've bought and used electrical tape from dollar store for years and it worked great!

Depends on if you need it to stretch or not. Sometimes in the field you need a stiff tape. Even Temflex doesn't have the structural rigidity of the super cheap vinyl tapes. I know... you have to store it in your armpit for it to work if its cold out. But who wants to waste super 33 on a wire pull.

3M, Loctite, Permatex. These brands simply set the bar. I have been impressed with Frog Tape (3M Scotch competitor) and Gorilla products. Now I'm becoming curious about Rigid tools. Used to be the go-to brand for plumbing tools but now seems to be a Home Depot house brand that makes a little of everything. Did Rigid change hands?

@@flyingsodwai1382 me ,if you ever have had wire to come loose using cheap tape , you appreciate good tape lol

yeah cheap electrical tape is never good to get unless you enjoy causing yourself suffering

There’s a reason my cordless are Milwaukee and dewalt. There’s a reason I own free replacement hand tools from harbor freight. It might be the fact the store is 3 miles away.!

I have used harbor freight’s electric tools for years and they just keep working! Love the price of them too

I don’t think their tools are as bad as people think I think people just beat on them more because of the cheaper price. I have Milwaukee tools now, and I don’t baby them by any means but I’d certainly think twice before sending my 6 1/4 circular saw through a concrete footing. HF says fuckin send it.

Some things are OK at HF for small jobs Some things are not. Just like the guy says. For example their hand wrenches are terrible the ones that say Pittsburgh on them they are good for scrap metal! I would rather buy used tools but quality.

don't beat on any tools and you should be good.....

Same here - bought Chicago oscillating tool with intention of ltd use of specialized wood cutting. After 3 years of abusive 😂wood cutting, metal cutting, sanding, the thing won't quit.

That's a great point! My experience with that is finding that antique screws in old house hardware, like in doorknobs and strikeplates are all too easy to ruin (strip) with a high-quality screwdriver. I'd rather ruin a cheap screwdriver than try to replace screws you "can't" get anymore!

The $5 - $10 blister pack was pretty underwhelming for me, however, the Chicago Tool (orange) variable speed one (mine was about $26) has been an absolute rock star. It was a little under half the cost of the "real" one, and I use it several times a week for model building and simple home repairs.

@@kristophermelin7160 By blister packs do you mean things like drill bits, counter syncs, etc. I bought a set of counter syncs from HF and the one that I used was dull after one use. I've bought plenty of other HF tools and lots of them are still going strong though. I'm in need of a new cordless drill and the Bauer brand looks pretty good to me for the money.

Blister Packs- referring to the rotary tools in plastic cases that hang in a peg rather than the ones that come in a box on the shelf.

Thanks!

I don't know man, some of their 50 dollar power tools get a lot done. The cheap ass impact wrench is just working for me

That's a great story, thanks for sharing!

Doubt it. How would the new nailer work if it's parts were in the old gun?

@@josephgreenwood5729 , he took the parts back out....

yes but keep in mind they're rebranded SECONDS... in the video he says their quality control is less stringent, but it's not really they're just the ones that were rejected for the big name brands. for example I bought a benchtop ring roller. the bottom roller on it was out by a 32nd of an inch meaning instead of rings it rolled corkscrews. since I was just using it for myself I didn't really care, but even so it was really annoying to have to bend it back straight after rolling before I brazed the ring closed. often times factory seconds are just cosmetic blemishes, for example I bought a egg size cast iron frying pan that had a large blob where the cast had chipped out, but this blob wasn't located on the useful portion of the pan it was up near the lip so it was still fully functional it just looked kind of ugly. the problem is with more complex tools you don't know which way it went was it cosmetic? or was it rejected for accuracy? or was it rejected for weakened structural integrity? maybe the glue they used on all the magnets that hold the driver bits in was the wrong glue... the new guy on his first day at the factory put the wrong glue in the machine. as he said though, you know the risk going in. maybe the batch of pliers that they get, are all the ones that are made as they're setting up the machine, and they all have different gap tolerances before the operator gets it on the money. it still work but the little wire cutting bit on the inside won't cut all the way through.

@@josephgreenwood5729 the way I read it, he took the parts from the harbor freight version to repair the broken one.

Yep, and apparently the upper management listens too! Was glad to see a HF finally open in my area, but unfortunately the new staff they hired seemed to leave a lot to be desired, with chronically surly attitudes and a store manager who liked to hire all his homies, but could obviously care less about anything else. So one day after experiencing one rude clerk too many, in desperation I contacted the HF regional manager w/ my complaints, though frankly didn't expect much of it. But upon returning to the same store a couple weeks later... lo and behold, the sales mgr, as well as every single clerk in the store, had all been suddenly replaced, and thankfully by folks with a noticeably more professional work ethic and a much more helpful 'attitude'! And maybe it was just another kinda 'quality control' issue, as mentioned earlier... though IMHO once notified, they also seem to do a pretty good job of attempting to make it right for the customer, even after the sale.

Wow, that's crazy!

Pittsburgh products come with a lifetime warranty too! So IF they break, you can just take it in, and they'll replace it.

😮😅😅

While I'm happy that your Pitt sockets worked out well I question why an assembly plant would ever use Proto tools. They really aren't known for quality or durability by anyone in the mechanical or industrial industries.

All sockets and wrenches are made the same worldwide using the same steel, no matter what brand they are. There is no way to make them cheaper, and no reason to make them better. I don't believe a word you're saying about Proto.

Maybe that’s why I constantly see the Mexican roofers and they are buying a new nail gun. They’re probably just swapping them out every 30 days. 🤣

Idk I'm on my second Predator auger, 1st one paid for itself 30 times over, current one is well on it's way to doing the same. Sucks you had to go through 5 for one project.

But what was your time worth driving back and forth?

@@wb5mgr be careful, they may be swapping with you your wife's sexual time. Look at your kids eyes and make sure they look like you. Peace ✌️

5 trips to the store for 1 project would put me through the roof.

I love this comment and have been thinking the same thing for years. I had a friend working at the local liquor store back in the day and his boss made sure to tell him NEVER refer to the cheap wines as "cheap". Inexpensive is the correct word when referring to your own products that you are actively trying to sell.

I am with you here, the difference between Cheap and Inexpensive.

We call that a good value. A quality product with a great price is a great value.

I was hoping someone would point that out. Everytime he sad "cheap" when he meant "inexpensive" I cringed.

Witt Wittwer I agree, HF tools sometimes may not make it through one job depending what it is. I have taken back a number of their tools back. On he other side I have had some that lasted for awhile then broke. I would go buy another one and take the broken one back for a refund because they keep the same tool line for a long time. I would take the new one out of the box put the broken one in the box and away it went. I would have the new tool the next time I needed it. I didn't do heavy work as you, mine was in the driveway DIY so that's not the same as you.

Remember that god awful central forge brand? I haven't seen it in awhile. I once twisted a 1/8 hex wrench with my fingers....on the short side. Back then Pittsburgh was the better brand of tool they carried.

Oh ya, I remember. I used to laugh at the name. Forged? Ya right. None of those tools was remotely forged. Complete junk

@richmac918 Unfortunately living costs in the US are much higher than in China so our labor costs are higher. It's not just always more profit. Also they can't organize in China to get a living wage so labor gets exploited and can't do anything about it. As the Chinese economy develops their labor costs do go up, and quality increases as it did in Japan after WW2. Now Japanese goods are high quality where once they were considered cheap jun. All economies go through the same cycle.

@@andyrothauser1312 You are absolutely right about everything you said and all economies go through this cycle. My comment about profit was directed at those companies that are manufacturing a product in China where their competitors products are being manufacturerd right along with it but their sell price is orders of magnitude higher. You could argue that they have better quality control (probably true) BUT the price difference is still way out of line.

I disagree. Their electric tools are ok too for the average homeowner. Take a miter saw. I've owned it 10 years still works like new because I may have used it 10 times in it's entire lifetime. There is no reason to spend twice as much when you don't use it but you still need it for a project.

Yea, well they charged me a 30% restocking fee for a "broken" tool.

never happened to me. They exchange broken tools for no charge.@@rickg.188

@@rickg.188 Did you return it within the 30-day return period?

That warranty doesn't help much when a socket or a wrench breaks in the middle of something. I'll continue buying good quality hand tools from local stores. The exception: their tool storage seem to be fairly good.

Ironically it lasts just as long as the warranty.

Yeah, if you pay attention and have a keen eye you can spot tools that actually work and are a deal. You just have to be selective and realize lots of their stuff is "throwaway" after using it a dozen times

Well said. True.

@@quantumtechcrypto7080 I have a ton of HF tools that I've had no issues with, in fact I've got a 2nd hand band saw from the 80's that still works like a champ.

Agree.. Always oil Air Tools whenever you use them. Put 10 drops in the line.

@@jbroadbelt6 $17. Maybe you should take a course in arithmetic.

@@jbroadbelt6 Are your going write a book about taking basic arithmetic courses as an adult ? What an embarrassment !

@@thewolfdoctor761dammmmn bro. The autistic wolf doctor. lol. That was just about the gayest story I’ve ever heard.

Is it Chicago Eletric? I have that same one from ten years ago too lol

same here lol

@@homerthompson6028 mine is

I bought the same piece of junk Sawzall from Harbor Freight when I moved into my condo. I put it on a shelf for 17 years never using it. Finally a friend asked me to trim some small branches off the bottom of his tree using the Harbor Freight reciprocating saw. I put a pruning blade on it and started to cut. Within seconds the piece of deal started to vibrate itself apart. I of course stopped and tossed it in the trash. I was lucky enough to score a Ridgid reciprocating saw on Offer Up used and have been tickled pink with its performance. I guess what you said in your video is true, "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR"!

I bought the same power saw for $20 7 years ago & I abused the hell out of it. From pine trunks, solid iron bars, hollow metal fence posts, etc. It finally seized up last summer but I definitely got my money's worth.

Led me to think

@@MillicentDavis-mn7hl All impact tools must be of a certain quality, so an impact socket from harbor freight will likely be just as good as the brand names. Ratchet handles, OTOH, the harbor freight ones will work, but high end brand names will have better fit and finish, and a bit stronger. My HF socket handles from 1995 still work, none have broken, but require a finger to stop them from ratcheting back after turning the fastener, while say Snap Off ones don't.

I bought the cheap impact standard, and metric sockets just for testing purposes. Two years later and they are still holding up.

What was their brand name?

I was wondering about these very items. Thank you.

there are absolutely a cart load of hidden gems at harbor freight

I bought a HF nailer. The Three different degree nailer, their most expensive one. It jammed halfway through every single Nail Clip. Returned it and bought the Makita from Home Depot and haven't had any regrets.

I bought a heat gun once and that thing survived hell and back. I used it until the whole outside of it melted off and only had to toss it after I left it in the rain once.

@@rondoanderson same. I bought 2 about 10 years ago for $19 each to do all the questionable rough work and beat the piss out of, and reserving my name brand grinders for gentler use. The only one that hasn't even tried to die is the harbor freight, and the other one has never been out of the box. go figure

AvE did a couple BOLTRs on HF pneumatic impacts and was stunned that they were actually decent. He also BOLTRd some power tools and found they were garbage as expected.

Yup, you don't always need professional grade

I work construction for a living and build things at home as a hobby. Very little of HF equipment will ever see my job sites again (wrenches, hammers, etc seem ok; power tools are often a one use item. Others I work with get the warranty and just repeatedly keep returning the tools). But for my hobbies...things were theres not a lot of torque, no or few spinning parts, etc they're...ok. but like wire wheels...one can end up looking like a dang pin cushion only so many times before calling it off...lol

Lemme ask, how does it feel....Blindly supporting corrupt corporations? For profits... these corporations abuse human/labor rights laws, "corporate capitalist" corrupt corporations who manufacture/buy from manufacturer, that use forced labor/slave labor and child labor practices, so you get a product for a "deal" a nice low cost? No excuses, you are part of the problem!

I have an axe I bought there 25 years ago it's great steel(turns out I want the only person who figured it out). A few years ago they were selling a pretty good sloyd (greenwood carving) knife.

@@pointman2021 , have you bought a circular saw or a stone slab cutting saw from harbor freight? I almost pulled the trigger on one, but feared unreliability. Sometimes it is a luck of the draw on the power tools. It was only $365

@@moveon7564 apples & oranges. Nobody with 30k in tools puts them in a $99 box

@@jackwilbur9419 forreal. Who has a full Snap-On industrial tool set that they spent $40k on but puts it into a HF rolling case? 😂 That is such a ridiculous thing to say. In a shop, I'd only be leaving my tools there if I truly trusted my coworkers and we had numerous cameras, serious high security roller doors over all the entrances, and an alarm system that was sufficient for me to feel comfortable. Plus my serialized fancy-ass tools would be properly insured anyways....

Yeah, I got one of their rolling tool chests. The powdercoat was a little thin on some of the edges and absent on sharp corners of the lid, needed touched up with some spraypaint, but I ain't mad at it. Nice rolling casters on it, big hard rubber wheels, brakes work and the stomp tabs are a good size, lid's pneumatic. It's a big rolling chest with a ton of storage, nice and sturdy (it ends up being an ersatz workbench sometimes) and was, what? 1/3 the cost of something name brand?

I bought 2 of the 72" top/bottom box sets on sale a couple years ago. I got a whole wall of tool storage space in my garage for under $5k. (I am a tool hoarder, so I easily have well over $30k in tools) They are comparable to the middle level name brand boxes like Extreme, Husky, etc.

Prove it. Show some high end custom furniture videos.

HF has a 50 pack of utility blades for $5 that are honestly just as good as any other brand. Plus you are meant to put in a fresh one when you are doing something that requires precision cutting anyways. I do agree with you about drill bits, but HF now offers some decent diamond and titanium bits that are honestly not bad at all. They seem expensive compared to the rest of their stuff, but you actually get your moneys worth and I would recommend it without hesitation for anyone who plans on using those bits for more than just a few small jobs.

I like HF. I walked in with a broken clamp once and had not opened my mouth when an eagle eyed clerk saw me and shouted, "just go get another one!!"

Harbor Freight C-clamps are garbage. I won't buy those again.

@@wymple09 Not perfect I agree. A little awkward to use with rear release. My small ones fail to clamp tightly. but the F style clamps are super.

@@wymple09 YES. The plastic ones break under their own spring pressure. lol And hardened carbon steel is hardened carbon steel, eg. a razor blade is a razor blade. The same for files and chisels. Their little diamond coated nickel steel bits and burrs for rotary tools and die grinders work just fine, too. Never tried their drill bits. Maybe I should? See how fast they snap on me. 😂😂😂😂

I bought a dovetail jig there that no one around had in any other big box store. Made the dovetail joint perfectly when I rebuilt the cheap fiberboard drawers in the kitchen with real wood.

YES, my dad always said he could NEVER have too many clamps!!! Too funny

You've got that right brother! And you can never have enough sizes of Clamps! Well.....or tools .... lol

They really do get you to thinking, '-well maybe I might just do that myself-'. You might save yourself a lot of money by cruising the place and maybe if it turns out that you really don't have the skill for the job, well you didn't lose that much either. I had a broken tile in the kitchen that I put up with for a long time, then saw their tile saw for like 29 bucks and discovered that tile work is kinda fun to me and I can do it plenty well enough. Have a sewer line that seems to block itself up pretty regular, probably put in without a gradient. Once a year I gotta pull out my HF Snake, and another 100 buck plumber bill saved.

Repent and live for JESUS CHRIST before it’s too late!!

The money-empowered hierarchies of their fellowman (i.e. the corporations owners of the Earth's human money funneling human-ant-colonies.) Will treat you nicely because you are a higher level of human-ant you should see how the ants who build all of those cheap tools are treated (as employees) in those countries where "their" money empowered hierarchies "are even less human" (& more money empowered ant brained) - all for the money. Until the "capitalistic-mind-indoctrination-education systems" who own all of the ant-minded peoples entertainment systems on the face of the Earth. Got their Snowball Effect of converting all of the used to be free of charge Village way of life people into human and colonies over-consuming the face of the Earth. And never mind the climate change problem because money empowered science will fix all of that. So that the wealthy few can remain the wealthy few until they're over-opulence indulged & "created end." If we didn't believe as a human "race to the end" that is okay that we covet & buy every thing of excessive convenience from our Corporation owners who keep us toiling and buying a toiling for the excessive convenience of money to buy everything "we never needed" to naturally and ecologically sustainably supply our lives comfortably enough to to survive - on an Earth that God had originally intended to supply for all of his creation predominantlyfree-of-charge. But since we love to covet and things of excessive convenience to buy (more than the Creater Himself) now we're going to pay and pay. But only because we don't know Jesus quite well enough and because we are stubborn and want everything that are overlords on the Earth have. Which makes us forget that this is a temporary gig here on Earth. So if you don't want to create a village population maintained way of life where we toil for our provision from nature as we nurture nature for our provision. Then just keep being an over-consumer and you'll get what you pay for.

People don't quit companies so much as they leave bad bosses.

@@tkleo2006 "boss" is indeed a 4 letter word

All i understood is you went to college.

@@borjealsbraden9874 Read it again then. It's not rocket science🤣

Me too. The same for drills for me. Saves tons of time from changing bits and driver heads

I even paid full price (all $15) for my HF angle grinder, and am happy with it. I needed it away from home for a small repair on my Dad's house. Nice that it is so light and low powered, which is often preferable vs. the twice as heavy, twice as powerful, 8x as expensive Craftsman Professional one I have when I need that.

Good idea. We do this with our drills/impacts. If we need to drill, we grab the one with the drill. Or the one with the screwdriver bit for screwing screws. Or the nut driver one for that purpose. It works really well on cutting time down by not having to change the piece for each different use.

excellent idea!

Years ago the heater blower in my car stopped working. I took it apart to find the brushes were worn to nothing. It was late Sunday and below zero and I needed defrost to get to work in the morning. With a little shaving of the brushes I dissected from the angle grinder, I repaired the blower. (I think a new blower was $120.)

You'd be amazed by the amount of people that say things overheat or break during "normal use." "I was only using it at max speed for fifteen minutes straight. For a ten dollar orbital sander it's a piece of crap."

Read the Directions..., Communist!!! Lol! Seriously, reading directions is indeed a lost art.

Been wanting to get into welding, would you suggest their 230v Mig as a decent starter?

​@@riffedwood5597 If you're going to weld around the house/hobby, I completely disagree with @UNKPCRIDE get the HF titanium 170. It's 120 and 240 and unlike a Lincoln, it's actually under 800. a comparable Lincoln is 900+. Until you step into the 1200+ range don't even bother looking at a Lincoln, their cheapies are virtually useless. I have a weldpak 80a and either I suck at welding or it's a sucky unit but I can barely stitch together 1/8" and the weld looks like crap. On my friend's Titanium 170, my welds look almost as good as his and he's been hobby welding for 10+ years. So yea, as a person who's used one of each in the same price range, HF all the way

@@UNKPCRIDE so a few points, 1) no, there is no decent Lincoln for 600. the WP 125HD is the closest but it's 120v only, no gas option and I'd be floored if it really could do 125amp on 120. 2) the HF 170 has features no sub 900 lincoln does IE setup for gas, digital readouts, 110v and 220v capable 3) the 125 has even a weaker duty cycle! (20% @90amp vs 40% @90amp on 120). At any price below 1500 you're paying for the lincoln name, not for a capable machine.

I work on Toyotas. I used a 21mm Pittsburgh impact socket and a harbor freight 1/2” impact when I first started. The impact gun still goes strong when I need it. It’s my back up now but that 21mm still isn’t cracked. 5-6 days a week 15-20 cars a day.

I run 2 very busy small engine repair shop in up state NY, I use harbor freight impact sockets and beat the crap out of them. They serve us well!!

Those impact tools and also MOST handtools are guaranteed for life. If you break it take it back and they WILL replace it. I have not broken a impact set socket EVER.

Made in Taiwan, it says something.

@@americanrealitytoday Most are made in mainland China by ccp owned companies. You are funding the demise of America.

Those colored sockets are the best!!

lol i do love their 8 dollar colored deepwell sockets for 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2" have a zinc galvanized bucket you can get them at the farm store they make a great rod bucket. but lol i put my set of 1/2 inch harbor wonton sockets in it lmao

Color coded is the best for when you're under the rig in muck up to your eyeballs with the ol lady up top helping. I could say a certain size, but "hand me the purple socket" just is so much easier on the relationship when you're contemplating kicking out the jackstand for an early release from hell 🤣

Thanks for the sweet tip! My eyes are aging faster than me so I’ll def check those out.

So then are snap ons also in the two categories

@@rustypotatos Don't forget the quality control difference.

@@ContantContact Yeah, they pay a Chinese guy with a snap on hat big money to do that, lol.

I have a motorcycle lift with lock outs from them. It’s down right awesome

I been using Their jack for years and they did last and still working. Its only good for personal or DIY use only.

I bought my angle grinder years ago at HF, figuring it was getting old, I was in one day and they had angle grinders on sale, so I bought a second one. It is still sitting on the shelf waiting for the first one to wear out, and the cellophane wrapper is starting to show age! The nice thing about HF is you can afford owning 2 of the same tool. I think I have 5 pipe wrenches, but can never find one when I need it! I think I need to get more organized, but it is nice to be able to afford a lot of tools.

which one did you buy? i got the vulcan outlaw 195 from hf last week

I am the guy that even has two 15/32 sockets. If/when I need a tool I don't want to go to town to get it. But I have collected my tools over the last 52 years. about 75% are top shelf and the rest Harbor Freight. I still have the tools my dad gave me when I was 14 years old, I have worn them out pretty much though, and haven't used them in a long time. In my lifetime I have only lost a couple of wrenches and a couple of sockets because I was taught to take care of my tools by my dad who had his own shop and his living depended on them. Most were made in Japan and lasted though a lot of use though.

Why buy the quality tool because the quality tool can become a family heirloom

Doesn't harbor freight have a lifetime warranty on certain tools

Thats dumb. Cheap tools breaking is dangerous. Tools can be expensive, but so can an injury.

Facts! HF is my go to for those exact items! Including the tamper proof set. Only thing that sucks about the tamper proof set is the case is piece of crap. All the pieces end up not staying inside and the clip that closes it ends up ripping off, so I usually wrap it with electrical tape.

I have an oscillating tool that I bought years ago and surprisingly it's still working. It's not as good as name brand ones but it does the same thing and cost a lot less. You're right about use, break and throw away.

I'm an Enginerd and worked for a G.C., Masony Contr & Elec Contr during H.S. and thru College. i'm constantly doing things to upgrade my house and lot so some tools i'll only use 2-3 times and don't need to spend more $$ for Contr Grade so lower quality HF tools at time do the job.

The weld joints on those car stands are done cheap, spend the extra 10 bucks to save your life.. those welds will bust someday.. fact

@@WestHaddnin I bought a roll of nylon webbing online, which comes in all sorts of cool colors and designs (or you can recycle the material from your retired Harbor Freight ratchet straps), bought some 1" D rings and sewed custom belts for extra security on all my little tool boxes. Now if I drop them they don't explode and pieces fly everywhere

If it's the Daytona 3-ton with the wavy-looking design on the side rails, then you effectively got a Snap-On $1,200 jack for what- $300-$350? Either jack can use replacement parts from the other.

My Pittsburgh jack has been utterly abused over the last 10 years. Still works just fine.

I think they are honest when it comes to the reviews on their website too, it seems pretty much unmodderated. You can tell what tools are good or at least decent because they are 3.5 stars or better, and all the unreliable junk is 3 or less. It really looks like they don't mess with those ratings at all, and I've been basing all my purchases there off of those ratings for years and years and years and it has literally never let me down. Not even a single time. The really fantastic products are very consistently 4.5-5 stars.

Nowadays, the only difference between a Harbor Freight tool and a "big box store tool" is the color of the plastic. You'll pay way more for the color of the plastic and a name... in most cases.

@@thetruthserum2816 That isn't entirely true. HF does have some total scam products, like real lemons that just are no good. Most somewhat reputable tool brands typically don't offer products that are just a completely useless fail, not to the same extent in my experience. Some HF tools simply can't even be used for their intended purpose a single time.

Same. I love my cheap HF angel grinder w/ cord. Didn't know what I was doing with metal when I bought it and after a dozen projects I haven't replaced it, although cutting disks and grinding disks can very.

Still using my super cheap HF grinder from year 2000! Of course I use it occasionally, but it lasts a long time for casual users. Also super cheap centec multimeter I bought from HF in 1995 still works

Just wait, they will.

Along with every thing else you buy.

@@talisikid1618 I guess, but I haven't had a power tool break yet.

Thanks!

Y'know, some of this name brand garbage (coughDeWaltcough) I feel like you're paying for that logo. Like it's Calvin Klein or Tommy Hilfiger. 1/2 the reason to buy the brand is to flex on friends or coworkers.

Mine is still good 👍

First of all you have to know how to use tools to make them last. Way too many times I have seen some schmucks that just dont get it.

I've caught one of their hammer drills on fire doing the same job every other hammer drill I've ever used did without a hitch... never had a single on of their power tools last, ever. You must be either damned lucky or literally never use it.

@@nickaschenbecker9882 Milwaukee tools... over priced with serious design flaws they refuse to address. Many are designed in China and everything sold in the western hemisphere is made in china. Everything sold in Europe is made in Vietnam

Well not everything they sell is good. Their one gallon pump sprayers are garbage. Maybe 1 out of 10 holds up.

The key thing with their generators is to break it in how they say to.

lol pretty sure pump sprayers suck in just about every store. There is a few youtube videos on why and how to fix some of them 🙂

@@jron20r51 I put gas in it and topped off the oil and let her rip. lol damn thing held up great

My first predator 3300 inverter gen had a bad choke/run connector w/in a month. They replaced it and this one has been flawless. Just be sure to clean the exhaust spark arrestor as a clogged one will cause it to not run very well. Also have their 4400 pressure washer. So far so good on that too.

Tools.. Mostly power tools, carry a good resell value if you've ever taken a stroll though a pawn shop...obviously condition, and brand quality make the differ in what they'll except and resell, but it's more a marker to the thought of resell in general. You get what you pay for, but you might also get back near what you paid for when in vesting in higher quality/higher valued tools..

Hank, I disagree with your definition of quality. Some jobs don't require quality tools. If all you need to do is get through this job, then the cheapest tool that does that is what you might think you need, but you could easily be disappointed if you have to buy two of them to make it through the job. Some cheap tools won't produce quality results. Some of them won't last more than one job. Quality tools are what a professional wants. One example is that every Kobalt tool I've bought has broken the first time I've tried to use it. They didn't make it through the job I bought them for.

Exactly right, that is the way I purchase tools. I still have and use Harbor Freight hand tools I purchased 20+ years ago. I don't need brand name tools that I'll use 2 or 3 times a year. Plus where else would I find the unusual tool that I didn't know existed? You have to walk each aisle to find the weird tools. (ツ)

@@shepberryhill4912 Shep, By all means disagree, I'm always ready to consider another opinion/perspective! My point is that people equate cost with quality and IMHO more expensive doesn't mean that an item is better for the job at hand. If some Pharaoh commissioned a solid gold hammer it would be very expensive but even less suited for a carpenter than the $3 hammer as it would be too soft/ductile to hammer in a nail - from the carpenter's perspective it would be poor quality in spite of the cost. Per the more expensive is better theory. Recently saw a cost/quality trap on Amazon. Was looking for a fly rod for my granddaughter, found the same rod (pictures, specs ect) for prices ranging from $50 to $550. Buyer be ware! Like everything else, some tools are way overpriced relative to their true (functional and durable) value. I appreciate good stuff and consider myself as a "serious amateur" so I prefer to buy equipment approaching professional level if I can afford it. Even if it is a one-project and resell item. On the flip side, some tools are out and out crap that should never be offered for sale. I bought a bearing-puller kit for a one-off use that turned out to be useless. Just my 2 cents. Cheers!

My father is a avid wood worker. He has built most of the family some of the nicest furniture and cabinetry you would ever want. He has some very high end saws, routers, shapers, planer etc. My HF chop saw and table saw are nowhere near as accurate, and may not even last as long, but the thing is even if I had his workshop and his fancy tools, without the decades of learning and experience he has I couldn't turn out the quality of project he does. However, even with my cheap HF wood working tools I can manage repairs around the house. I could probably even build a shelf or table or whatever that works just fine, even if it wasn't all intricately inlaid, and veneered, with fancy hidden compartments like some of the stuff he's made. With the frequency at which I mess with dead tree carcasses, my HF tools could possibly last the rest of my life, and even if they don't I won't be disappointed or feel like they owe me anything.

Bits are the worst for this. Sure your bit might last some % longer than the cheapos, but we're talking hundreds of % of price difference and I just carry around a box of cheap bits.

When I left home my first drill was $15 and I got it to drill holes for hanging some things and the like Then my parents downsized and I inherited a Dewalt drill. Then I bought some tools, went Dewalt (to keep to the same battery system) and all of a sudden I'm $400 in on something I could theoretically have bought for $100 If you do plan to use stuff for more than one or two projects though the cost per job comes down fast, though if I needed eg an angle grinder (something I've never needed) I'd likely just buy a cheap one. Or I might just offer some beer to a colleague to borrow his for a weekend

@Bigbone... Yeah this dude is just regurgitating crap he's heard from other "content" creators. Harbor Freight beats the breaks off their competition when it comes to quality+ price point. I have worked for a minute as a "professional"

Isn’t there a warranty on their products ? I’ve shopped at one but never made any major purchase.

@@ihavethedocuments2580. He gotta feed that body.

That is super interesting. Thanks! for sharing! It is amazing the lengths that some companies will go through to squeeze just a bit more out of their customers.

5 lb block costed $200 😂

Except that is pretty much irrelevant to the topic and in fact it is the opposite, that if a tool had extra metal in it, all else equal, it would be a more durable tool. Their tools also aren't identical to some other brand, so the more interesting psychology topic would be how can you get this all so wrong and yet feel like you don't need to rethink the false analogies? No, it is not the same tool, for better or worse, meaning you can also pay similar for generic junk elsewhere and end up with worse quality than some at HF.

wow, never knew that, miss my typewriter IBM selectric

A friend had a butcher friend (decades ago as you'll see by the prices). At the store one day, he asked why these pork chops were .79¢ and those were .69¢ a lb? The butcher made sure no one was around and replied "Well, some people like to pay .69¢ a lb and some people like to pay .79¢ a lb." Economic psychology in action.

Great point. Also you won’t be having to rush the job because you have a limited time to get the rental back. Chances are if you’re using a tool you don’t own, you won’t necessarily be fast and efficient with it.

Also, you might get a free flash light or magnetic screw dish! :)

If you are not a pro mechanic using impact tools every day, there is certainly no reason to drop major bucks on name brand tools, unless you want bragging rights in the neighborhood.

@@JENDALL714 don't forget about the batteries

on a one off job, just throw the cheap tools in the dumpster when you finish.

Coupons have been back for close to 6 months now, possibly more. If you haven't been in awhile you're definitely gonna see new stuff. They're in the middle of a massive image change, without affecting the prices.

They addressed an issue with a supplier of said jackstands and have fixed them, even replaced them for free. There are tons of pros who use their stands and jacks. They may not have been quality years and years ago but as of today they are totally well built and safer to use. The problem is, people don't put oil in the jacks and expect it to lift a vehicle and thus claim it's defective. See it all the time.

Agreed

I think they stopped sending out the coupon catalogs..... All I know is, I get at least one email a day with coupons from Harbor Freight. Yeah, its not the same scale as the catalogs, but I will admit, the rotation is pretty healthy

The predator engines are pretty good got my eye on the 9k generator they make its quiet would be good for power outages