Harbor Freight tools thread.

You too, huh?

 

While would agree that you should probably get a quality welder, $1100 for a hobbyist is a heck of lot more than $90. The 170amp welder (which is actually quite good ) is only $179 and will handle 1/4 steel just fine. There are numerous videos out there about how good they actually are, and having one myself, they work very well for the hobbyist welder.

 

Agreed.. $1100 to learn how to weld is foolish as fuck.

For $230 you can buy a quality 110 from the big brands at a Home Depot or Lowe's store, which is a far shot more affordable for someone who doesn't know if they're wanting to fully invest in welding.

I know guys who have been welding for a decade and haven't "graduated" to an $1100 unit.

 

I know a guy who went to underwater welding school and he uses the same Hobart 190 as I pretend to know how to use

 

Yeah, I learned on a 80's sears special, which I still have.. My welder is the one tool I dropped coin on. I got my Miller 170 new for $699 with cart, seems they have gone up a bit.

 

The Maddox bearing race seal driver kit they sell for $40 is nice. The 39.5mm race drove the ECGS bushing perfectly into my diff. I was quite happy with the quality.

 

Has anyone bought the 30,000 BTU Tank Top Propane Heater?

 

I have the 15k BTU one and it works really well.

 

HF tools is an interesting topic, here is one that they do not make "in your face" in their sales yet it is a great bargain for avid DIY wrenchers:



HF calls it a , intended to let one use any 1/2" drive tool as a torque wrench, however I found it better suited to stand as a reference standard against which I calibrate my various "clicker" torque wrenches.

It is very accurate, ± 0.5% for the one I got based on dead weight testing (much more accurate than the ± 2.0% of even the best clickers), and as it is a strain gauge based instrument used only occasionally it has remained so for 4 years now--read more about my testing here from 4 years ago. At $30, sometimes on sale for less, it is a heck of a deal for anal retentive sorts like me...

 

Worked perfect

 

My maternal grandfather (a Scotsman stationary steam engineer) told us often that any machine/tool is only as good as its operator. This is true for many HF tools...

 

I would say yes. I have modified almost all of the tools I have purchased from HF.

For example, Their Tubing Notcher works perfect, after you weld some bracing plates, some large nuts and clamping hardware, and weld the hole saw bit to the bearing shaft. Works almost as well as a $350 unit, well not really, but I was able to built this...

Edit: That is also a HF Spray pot, and yes, it needed the regulator modified as well, lol!

 

Very interesting. I've never even seen that at HF. Guess I need to look when they open up the local store on the 17th of next month. Seems like a good idea to use for verifying calibration. Just take the battery out when not in use.

 

I have bought HF Pittsburgh hand tools for work,won't feel bad if someone lifted them.Impact sockets are good,long 1/2" breaker bar has held-up.Broke one extension and replaced with no drama.Had to change a tire on a friend's boat trailer,lug nut would not budge.So I jumped on it and extension broke.Did it without extension with no problem.

I call them China Fright,most things with motors or batteries don't last long.Shop I worked at bought the drill presses for deburring and such,motors would be smoked in a few weeks.

 

Agreed re: machine tools. Most are junk especially the smaller drill presses all having weak motors, sloppy quills, and flimsy columns, bases and tables.

Wen makes a nice Affordable 10" press; 3/4 hp with with a varible speed drive, cast iron base & table (their model 4212)--Walmart has it online for $180 w/ free shipping.



On mine the quill is nicely fitted in the head and TIR at the chuck (replaced with a Jacobs) is < 0.001"

 

Sub'd

 

I've been curious about these - Home Depot sells them as well. How's the depth stop on these?

 

It is one of the lock ring on the pinion shaft thingys--not OMG WOW, but not bad and locks in position well, and 110% better than the cheap-ass plastic based thing on the HF presses. There is no quill lock unfortunately, not often needed but nice to have.

Here is a photo of the depth ring, and the South Bend (Jacobs) chuck I used to replace the Wen supplied chuck (which was OK but again not OMG WOW):



The variable speed drive is very well-implemented 500 to 3100 rpm just by moving a lever on the left side 90° from back to front.

[edit]
Here is a link to Amazon and the

South Bend Lathe SB1370 1/2" by JT33 Drill Chuck

South Bend JT33 chuck--$25 and free shipping if you are a Prime member--it is an AAA+ chuck...
[/edit]

 

things that come to my mind are deep impact sockets, disposal gloves, magnetic plates, plier set, and breaker bars. I'm very wary about tools that require a bit more precision, such as my torque wrench.