[TheMidnightNarwhal]

I'm going down to the states and finally be able to stop by harbor freight. Does anything I see on their website can be bought in person? It's mainly screw drivers and specialty pliers I want to buy.

[DDD31]

Yes assuming they have it in stock.

Unfortunately most of Harbor Freight’s tools are very low quality (hence their very low prices) and don’t last much past one or two uses. I’ve bought a fair amount of their tools and have been disappointed with most of them so buyer beware.

[ItsGary]

Originally Posted by DDD31

Yes assuming they have it in stock.

Unfortunately most of Harbor Freight’s tools are very low quality (hence their very low prices) and don’t last much past one or two uses. I’ve bought a fair amount of their tools and have been disappointed with most of them so buyer beware.

Makes sense to buy HF tools if you only do stuff at home. I've had no issues with the Pittsburgh Jack that I bought, though I do like how they expose that their items are made in the same factory as the bigger brand names

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by ItsGary

Makes sense to buy HF tools if you only do stuff at home. I've had no issues with the Pittsburgh Jack that I bought, though I do like how they expose that their items are made in the same factory as the bigger brand names

Yeah, but don't see how a long reach screwdriver or some pliers can be that cheap to break lol.

Anything hand tools taht isn't to specialied I don't see how can break with one or 2 uses. Electric or air tools okay then I can see the cheapness and beaing breakable easy.

Originally Posted by DDD31

Yes assuming they have it in stock.

Unfortunately most of Harbor Freight’s tools are very low quality (hence their very low prices) and don’t last much past one or two uses. I’ve bought a fair amount of their tools and have been disappointed with most of them so buyer beware.

I agree jacks might be sketch but I read a lot of good reviews and fantastic feedback on their jacks. And oh yeah oh yeah

[ItsGary]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

Yeah, but don't see how a long reach screwdriver or some pliers can be that cheap to break lol.

Anything hand tools taht isn't to specialied I don't see how can break with one or 2 uses. Electric or air tools okay then I can see the cheapness and beaing breakable easy.




I agree jacks might be sketch but I read a lot of good reviews and fantastic feedback on their jacks. And oh yeah oh yeah

[DDD31]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

Yeah, but don't see how a long reach screwdriver or some pliers can be that cheap to break lol.

Anything hand tools taht isn't to specialied I don't see how can break with one or 2 uses. Electric or air tools okay then I can see the cheapness and beaing breakable easy.

Their pliers and screwdrivers don’t necessarily break but the metal they use is fairly soft which causes them to bend easily and the screwdriver tips become very ductile which increases the chance of stripping a screw. Their tools are ok for light duty use or non-precision use but there’s a reason they’re so cheap. I’ve wasted enough money on their tools thinking I’m getting a deal but I’ve found that they’re so poor that I’d rather spend more to get a tool I can use for years.

[Z K]

Harbor Freight online can be different. You can order items to be mailed to your house but you may have to pay for shipping. The online inventory can contain items that are not available in store.

I have had a few Harbor Freight aluminum racing jacks. They work great and are 1/2 the price as some other ones. One lasted 15 years of constant usage. I replaced it with a new one only because the pumping was getting slow on the old one.

Harbor Freight quality is a hit and miss depending on what it is. They source their products from all over the place. You may find a good set of sockets only to have a crappy ratchet in the same kit. Definitely helps to check reviews online before purchasing. They are branching out into higher end tools with their ICON line up so things may be improving but with higher pricing to match.

[FriedPiston]

Never go to a Harbor Freight store without loading up on coupons! https://www.hfqpdb.com/

Take advantage of their 20% off single item coupon and free with purchase coupon by splitting up your transactions.

[ShopVac]

Originally Posted by ItsGary

Makes sense to buy HF tools if you only do stuff at home. I've had no issues with the Pittsburgh Jack that I bought, though I do like how they expose that their items are made in the same factory as the bigger brand names

I had a Pittsburgh jack fully explode on me while lifting my car. Was not pretty...

Odd tool that you need cheap for a one time use...and make sure that one time isn't something that could kill you. That's what they're good for,

The $18 heat gun for vinyl wraps...perfect.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by ShopVac

I had a Pittsburgh jack fully explode on me while lifting my car. Was not pretty...

Odd tool that you need cheap for a one time use...and make sure that one time isn't something that could kill you. That's what they're good for,

The $18 heat gun for vinyl wraps...perfect.

I'm more looking at like angled needle nose pliers or hose pliers. A set here locally is 40$ over there they're 15$ USD, so like 20$ here.

[CTinline-six]

For some stuff harbor freight is pretty good for. Jacks, electric impacts, heat guns, gloves, etc. Screw drivers and hand tools seem like lower quality and you are better off buying used quality stuff for the price.

[DETRoadster]

I have some personal rules for Harbor Freight:

1) Nothing my life depends on (jacks, jack stands, etc.)
2) Nothing I need to rely on to work day in and day out
3) No consumables (I once bought sandpaper and the wood I was "sanding" took the abrasive off the paper!)

Times I always buy at Harbor Freight

1) Need an odd tool that I'll use once like a 6" diameter hole saw.
2) A specialty tool that will be very expensive elsewhere such as battery terminal cable crimpers or a porta-power.
3) When I need to modify a tool. Like, buy a 1" combo wrench, cut it in half, weld it to a 3 foot bar.
4) Tool sets that are awesome to have on hand but rarely get used like a metric crow's foot set.
5) When I simply cant justify spending 3x to 5x to by the good stuff, like my 56" rolling Harbor Freight tool chest.

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

I'm more looking at like angled needle nose pliers or hose pliers. A set here locally is 40$ over there they're 15$ USD, so like 20$ here.

You won't be able to hold onto anything more than 2 oz with the needles, before they start to flex. And if the hose is more than 1" and thicker than a balloon, you may experience the same. At least in my personal experience.

The boat trailer jack I put on a few years ago, for <1/2 what West Marine wanted for the same stats, is still going strong. The ratchet ties-done straps are holding too.

What is very nice about brick/mortar is that you can put hands on and decide!

[tdott]

sucks that you can't check inventory online, if it's a big ticket item, i suggest you call ahead, if they dont have it they can check nearby stores.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by tdott

sucks that you can't check inventory online, if it's a big ticket item, i suggest you call ahead, if they dont have it they can check nearby stores.

I just realized the city I'm going to (Syracuse) has three harbor freights so I think I'll be ok in the end haha..

[angelr]

No, the store inventory does not always mirror online. I sell or have sold to a lot of these companies and they usually have a separate account for online and in store stuff. Home Depot, Sam's, Walmart etc.

[N54Yankee]

A couple years ago after hearing people talking about the place I had to see for myself and went to one. Took about a half hour checking stuff out and that was all I needed to form my opinion, out I walked never to return.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by DETRoadster

I have some personal rules for Harbor Freight:

1) Nothing my life depends on (jacks, jack stands, etc.)
2) Nothing I need to rely on to work day in and day out
3) No consumables (I once bought sandpaper and the wood I was "sanding" took the abrasive off the paper!)

Times I always buy at Harbor Freight

1) Need an odd tool that I'll use once like a 6" diameter hole saw.
2) A specialty tool that will be very expensive elsewhere such as battery terminal cable crimpers or a porta-power.
3) When I need to modify a tool. Like, buy a 1" combo wrench, cut it in half, weld it to a 3 foot bar.
4) Tool sets that are awesome to have on hand but rarely get used like a metric crow's foot set.
5) When I simply cant justify spending 3x to 5x to by the good stuff, like my 56" rolling Harbor Freight tool chest.

The problem with jacks is they are made in many of the same places, just painted and branded differently. Craftsman, Husky, Kobalt, all that stuff seems to be the same thing just painted differently (talking about new stuff). I've used harbor freight jacks for a while and have had no issues. In fact the only jack I've ever had slowly release and come down by itself was a heavy duty Craftsman. For jack stands I buy those elsewhere but also get stands that are rated much higher than anything I would ever need.

[lsturbointeg]

was interested in getting their new Garage Cabinets they had in an ad a few months back but I guess the product never took off as they don't even show a stock # or anything. kinda sucks cause the price wasn't too bad