[vcf-midatlantic] Next set of tools being upgraded

[W2HX]

I agree. It isn’t the best quality, but for the work I do, it is plenty good enough (I do not use my tools professionally). 
Eugene


-----Original Message-----
From: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic-bounces at lists.vcfed.org> On Behalf Of Bruce via vcf-midatlantic
Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2021 10:35 AM
To: vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic at lists.vcfed.org>
Cc: Bruce <freemab222 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [vcf-midatlantic] Next set of tools being upgraded

You'd better check the country of manufacture of those name brand tools you prefer.  Many are now from China, despite being long-time American brands.

My experience is different from yours.  HF wrenches, including Allen keys, perform just fine, even the ratchet ones.  I have screwdrivers, driver bits, a bench vise, and many other non-powered tools I've never had a problem with.
Drill bits are a bit less reliable.  HF bits are fine for wood and soft metals, even mild steel, but will not necessarily stand up to (normalized - not hardened) medium-carbon steel (in my limited experience).  That is no surprise and no particular disappointment.
I had one saber saw on which the blade-mounting lever broke.  I returned it
(90 day return window) and bought the next higher priced one.  I had a double blade (opposite spin) circular saw fail in some manner that I forget, and they replaced it without argument.  The funniest problem item was an anvil:  I cut off a corner of the mounting slot in the base to make a quick-release anvil mount -- and out spilled a bunch of steel beads!  The casting had a hollow I could fit my pinkie into!  BTW, those anvils have very soft faces.  They're useful, but not up to snuff for serious work.
But grinders, welders, auto-darkening welding helmets, miscellaneous cabinets and racks, etc., etc., just end up costing half what I'd pay elsewhere and perform just fine.  The cheapest HF bench grinder works, but takes a while to come up to speed as it's underpowered.
The big caveat:  Those battery-powered hand tools, typically 18V rechargeable drills and so forth.  Either the HD batteries or the HD chargers are crap.  They never last.  I won't buy those anymore.
Overall, however, HF is my first stop for tools.
OTOH, I *never* recommend a professional buy his critical tools there.  If your income depends upon the reliability of your tools, you don't want one crapping out on you in the middle of a job.  Pros should buy professional-quality tools (and not just name brands because some of those are crap too).
Bruce
NJ


On Wed, Jul 14, 2021 at 9:56 AM Sentrytv via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic at lists.vcfed.org> wrote:

> I have gone to Harbor freight to buy many things and aside from the 
> free flashlights and batteries most of their tools are pretty poor 
> quality, or at least the items that I have purchased.
> I ended up returning most of the items that were poor quality.
>
>  I have to admit the scan tool I bought from them, to scan codes on my 
> car, was reasonably priced and worked well.
>
> There is no doubt that their prices are reasonable, but I really hate 
> buying stuff from China.
>
> That may be my opinion but I think a lot of us feel that way.
>
> Mike R.
>
>
>
>
> Sent from:
> My extremely complicated, hand held electronic device.
>
> > On Jul 14, 2021, at 8:59 AM, Martin Flynn via vcf-midatlantic <
> vcf-midatlantic at lists.vcfed.org> wrote:
> >
> > Bruce,
> > I’m a harbor freight regular, however when working (or conserving)
> historic kit, I don’t want to screw it up worse than it is with a hand 
> tool that tears up the fasteners.
> >
> > Right tool at the right time was my dad’s signature line…
> >
> > Martin
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
> >
> >> Of course, this is none of my business (as a lurker on this list) 
> >> but I must point out that the hand tools at Harbor Freight are 
> >> mostly of quite good quality.  I use these in my shop and have 
> >> little complaint.  Their main claim to fame is price -- quite low, 
> >> generally.  It is no longer a situation like in the '60's when 
> >> you'd buy a set of Allen wrenches from
> the
> >> $1 bin at the auto parts store and the damned thing would twist 
> >> into a hexagonal screw the first time you applied any torque to it.
> >
>
>