Acceptable and Unacceptable Harbor Freight Tools

[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.

[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

[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.

[Exodus_2pt0]

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

[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?

[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.

[MattAvino]

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

genius.

[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.

[MoparJ]

What capacity press were you using? I've always heard good things about the 20ton.

It was the 6 ton; I should have tried the 20 ton though. A buddy bought the 12 ton for his shop and it was working great for a month or two until the hydraulics wouldn't hold pressure at all anymore.

[cuchullainn]

^That compressor is a massive piece of shit when it comes to high volume tools. It wont run a DA sander whatsoever.

Mine runs this one ok.


Most people who buy a sub 40 gallon compressor aren't looking to run high volume tools. At least they should not be.

[mcr_driver]

I think the issue with HF tools is that on the whole a majority of them can take the abuse at the price. The issue is quality control between batches from good ole China. I've had adaptor sets snap on the first use and other one's take the same level of abuse time and time again. I've also had two jacks go out on me. An aluminum one and a floor jack. Take HF tools with a grain of salt you will always get what you pay for.

[Swanny]

^That compressor is a massive piece of shit when it comes to high volume tools. It wont run a DA sander whatsoever.

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

[brianao34]

Surprised no one has mentioned their shop presses.....they are horrible. The frames flex with very little pressure and there is no room to fit anything under it anyway. Someone with even basic welding skills can make a better one with some steel stock and a bottle jack.

I had one of their drills shock the shit out of me and catch fire right in my hand...I'm lucky that thing didn't kill me. :p

Other than that, they always have cool stuff that no one else has locally; even if it is cheaply made. The hand tools are perfect for junkyard toolboxes or extras to keep in the trunk.

What capacity press were you using? I've always heard good things about the 20ton.

[MattAvino]

^That compressor is a massive piece of shit when it comes to high volume tools. It wont run a DA sander whatsoever.

[N2MYE30]

^



I have this little bastard. I gotta say, I'm pretty damn pleased with it. Had it for 3 years, with the exception of my Snap-On Boat anchor 1/2 inch impact it'll run anything I have. Sandblasters, sprayguns, not a problem unless you run them all day. Needed a couple tweaks but for $100 new, you can't beat it.

That being said, I now have a 60gal IR.

I too have this lil guy. I think the gauges are crap but aside from that, well worth it.