Acceptable and Unacceptable Harbor Freight Tools

[efficient]

http://www.harborfreight.com/7-piece...set-67908.html
i have the old version of this and was using it today its not all that good because its real loose and doesnt stay still.

[MattAvino]

I do like the idea of linking all the dead ones together. Like a more practical human centipede.

genius.

[brianao34]

Bad
The Cheap Tap/Die Set: These are only good for chasing/re-threading, don't try and tap a new hole. Won't work. Smashed all the threads on the tap.

[Swanny]

Bad
The Cheap Tap/Die Set: These are only good for chasing/re-threading, don't try and tap a new hole. Won't work. Smashed all the threads on the tap.

Good to know! How much was the set?

[Exodus_2pt0]

^ Don't EVER use cheap taps. Unless you want to be drilling that out too.

[FunfGan]

uh-oh. I bought one of these and haven't used it yet. What exactly failed on yours?

It is just very flimsy and not well made. Any amount of weight on it makes it almost impossible to crank because it flexes and binds. Spend a little extra on the other one I posted. Well worth it.

For the record, my buddy has one of those and we've used it 15+ times when lifting the 5.0L and various other engines on top of those times.

[mrsleeve]

^ Don't EVER use cheap taps. Unless you want to be drilling that out too.

I was going to say this. Tap and Die is one place YOU HAVE to spend some coin if your going to acctauly use them like as a tap and die. I have my Gpas old sets that were made to last

[red318is]

i have had good luck with horrible frights ratcheting box ends. lifetime warranty and its not like you are "supposed" to be hard on those anyway, but i always am and they work great.

[squidmaster]

Good:
Chicago Angle grinder, extremely loud
Chicago 7in orbital buffer/sander, though it's quite loud
Electric impact gun- advertises 250ftlb torque, mine did 275 consistently. very handy
Bad:
18" belt sander- paper doesn't stray straight, and it's extremely loud. ended up borrowing a Ryobi that was perfect and half the volume

[UpstateMike]

I like my 3$ hf die grinder, my 5$ paint spray gun (use it for spraying rustoleum on car and truck frames as well as painting trailers), I dislike the aluminum floor jack. It has no nuts. And the impact sockets are garbage. Oh I forgot. The red auto darkening welding helmet is a bargain especially when you catch it on sale for 30 or 35$.

[bonobo]

good:
piston ring compressor
3/8 drive ratchet
wire wheels
$2 flashlight
star head sockets
engine lift straps
harbor freight brand loctite
mallets
toolbox
adjustable wrenches
screwdrivers

bad:
piston ring pliers - useless in every single way imaginable
breaker bars - mine snapped while removing a crank bolt (no cheater bar), probably okay in lower torque situations
metric hardware set - Heads snap off with very little torque, avoid at all costs unless you enjoy drilling out busted bolts
load leveler - constant binding and flexing made my engine swap much more painful than it had to be
engine stand - while attached to my s50, tipped over VERY easily. Approach with extreme caution...

[UpstateMike]

This thread rocks!

[squidmaster]

@bonobo the engine stand IS very sketchy. That's why I went ahead and got one from oriely, but that one had the same issues! The typical t-frame roller chassis obviously is a horrible design.

[chance]

did you guys get the cheapest one or what? they have 2 or 3 models of the engine stand.

I had my m30 on the one with the 2 front wheels (as apposed to the single wheel) and it never tipped.

The casters suck balls, but thats to be expected, really.

[jpn]

Yeah, I'd vouch for this one, I used it on my VW mk4s front bearings, great tool!

Good:



The Front Wheel Bearing Adapters make doing the rear wheel bearings on the E30 a quick and painless job. The threaded rod that comes with it is a bit sketchy, but I had a machine shop turn down a new one for me. If your rear trailing arms are rusted to shit, I wouldn't even bother trying with the rod that it comes with because it will probably strip off.

Anyway, I think I got this thing for like $90 shipped with a 20% off coupon.