Harbor Freight tools thread.

I bought one of them 10-12 yrs ago with the motorcycle wheel attachment. I had no issues with it and changed many bike and trailer tires.
I never tried a car tire as they just get done when I buy new tires.

 

I had a friend who had the same experience late last year, except he was changing bike tires with the suck-ass adapter they sell for that. I have been dealing with HF since they were mail order only in the late 70s.

You always have gotten pretty much what you paid for (keep in mind that if you buy the cheapest there is you will likely get the cheapest there is)--however many of their tools, like the tire changer and the bench power tools, have gone downhill over the last 5 to 7 years--severely downhill over the last couple years.

My 10-year old grandson got me their WorkMate clamping workbench "clone" for Christmas (he picked it out himself and it is the thought that counts)--it is a completely useless piece of folded tin-foil incapable of clamping anything.

I took all the clamping stuff off and attached a plywood top, making it a half-way decent folding table. You can see it peeking out under the top case in this photo:

 

if anyone interested, they are having huge parking lot sale this weekend Fri-Sun

 

Is there a online list of the sales? Need to see if it's worth my time

 

It's not worth it to me.
Their prices are so good with coupons, I never thought the lot sales were worth it.

I generally know what I need before I go over to the store. Those items on sale during the lot sale are never what I want.

It is a good advertisement to get you there, which is usually a good thing.

 

Nothing to special....

 

all their tools are going to get wet if they put them out in the parking lot here where I live.

 

that wont be good for the quality of the product

 

That..... looks like it was frustrating

 

Anyone carry the 1.5 ton aluminum low pro jack in there taco? After seeing them in the store they are TINY (compared to my shop floor jack). Would love to keep one mounted in my bed if they are able to lift at least one end of the truck.

 

Here in FL they have a "huge" sale every weekend--my wife and I joke about it when we get the emails, guess what? "Harbor Freight is having a sale this weekend!"..

 

Mine does too. Not every weekend but every two to three weeks. Never anything worthwhile for sale at them. More seems like a "help us sell old stock" sale

 

Ordered a hitch mounted carry tray for a big move where I won't need a trailer. 500lb limit...53$....hmmmm

Mixed reviews so we will see how it holds up to cross country driving.

 

Picked up this one today.

 

I have had that same vise for 7 or 8 years and have been very pleased with it, and upon occasion have treated it much less than nicely...

 

Been using their floor Jacks for 20 years. We bought 2 of them and lifted a heavy ass 14 in. ship line section at a time to put new rollers under it. Never blew a seal. Still going strong.

 

This is my older version of same; I checked my records, it is a bit over 8 years old:

 

We had a vise of their's; though it didn't look like that blue one, in the above post.

Was working on a drive shaft and universal joint for a garden tractor; and the vise shattered. If you look at the blue one, above, the stationary jaw, the inside one; broke off.

The funny part was, you could still see a portion on an old bolt, about 1/2" diameter, half cast into the jaw where it broke. It looked like it wasn't fully molten when they poured the hot metal to cast it. The break occurred right on that piece of a bolt.

It gets better: They used some kind of body putty to smooth out, the defect in the metal, then painted over the whole mess.

Assistant manager tried to give me a rash of shit, over breaking it; until I forced him to look closely at the old scrap iron bolt. I got my money back, and then bought an old vise from a garage going out of business.

 

I'll try to break mine tomorrow. I'm replacing my carrier bearing and u joints. But before that I need to mount it to my workbench.