Harbor Freight Tool/Product Review

[HotRodPC]

I'm sure I'll get beat up for this, but what the hell, I'm a big boy and can take it, so pound away.

I don't like supporting China just as much as none of us do. It's a fact, even the big name tool companies like Snap-On, Matco, Mac, Cornwell and Craftsman are having many tools made in China these days. To be honest, If I am going to buy China JUNK, then I may as well buy the JUNK as cheap as I can, and NOT pay for a name like Snap-On, Blue Point or Craftsman. It would be my hopes that when companies like Blue Point, Matco, and all those big guys see that we ARE NOT going to pay high dollar prices for JUNK, that we'll pay low prices for JUNK, then maybe they'll bring their manufacturing back home to American Soil where it belongs.

Do I feel guilty for buying China merchandise from Harbor Freight? No I don't. Honestly I feel betrayed by Snap-On, Sears, Matco and all the big US names. It's an insult to me with all the misleading these tool companies are doing and I want it to hurt their business so they wake up and do the right thing. They are consumer driven based companies. The only voice consumers have, is to not buy their products.

We all know, most of HF products are a crap shoot. Some are great, some are not worth the sales tax you'd pay for them. So I figured it would cool to have a few tool reviews of the good, the bad and the ugly and experiences with HF good and bad. Try to include part #'s if you can. For example, if you say a HF impact wrench, we'd want to know which one. They have about 20 different ones and probably 2/3 are junk and we want to know which ones to avoid, and to know which 1/3 are the good ones, like the Earthquakes.

I'll be getting started with some GOOD ones since they are fairly recent.

 

[HotRodPC]

Default 1/2" Drive 25" Breaker Bar Pittsburgh Professional - item#67933

1/2" Drive 25" Breaker Bar Pittsburgh Professional - item#67933 Usually $10.99 on sale. Lifetime Warranty.

Usually on sale for $10.99. This thing kicks ass. We've used it working on Medium Duty trucks with a 4 ft floor jack handle on it for a cheater pipe and 2 guys at or over 250lbs standing on it and this tool didn't even strain. It gets used frequently and never had a problem. I bought one for myself not long ago and used a 20% off coupon as I do with most items I get at HF, making my cost about $8.80. Also comes with Lifetime Warranty.

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[HotRodPC]

1/2" Heavy Duty Composite Ratchet Pittsburgh - item#66314

1/2" Heavy Duty Composite Ratchet Pittsburgh - item#66314 $9.99 on sale.
3/8" Heavy Duty Composite Ratchet Pittsburgh - item#66313 $8.99 on sale.
!/4 drive also available in this series. All are Lifetime Warranty.

I have to say, the best ratchets I've ever owned. Fine teeth that don't skip, and great for those tight places where you don't have alot of room to ratchet back and forth. I have health issues with my hands, and the grip and lack of hand fatigue is great. The quick release button works good, doesn't jamb like my Crapsman ratchets do and they hold the socket on very well. I've used the 1/2 in drive for about a year now and decided to go ahead and get a 3/8 drive one too. I'll add, they are made of composite, even though the gears are steel, so this isn't a ratchet you want to use as a hammer like I have. It held up fine but it did chew up part of the outer housing. It just looks nasty, but the tool is still 100% functional.

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[HotRodPC]

3/8" Variable Speed Reversible Drill Drill Master - item#3670

Did you think I was going to let HF have 3 good reviews in a row??? HELLLLLLLLL NO !!!

3/8" Variable Speed Reversible Drill Drill Master - item#3670 90 Day Warranty
Reg Price 24.99 but I've bought 1 before on one of their sidewalk super sales for like $8.99.

How can you go wrong with a $9 Drill motor right??? YES you can. This POS isn't worth the sales tax. It might be OK for drilling into soft wood for a few holes and then let it rest, but it will NOT hold up past 1 frame rivet on squarebody truck. I went thru 3 of these in 1 day on 3 rivets. Finally I chucked the 3rd one in the trash can being it wasn't even worth my gas and time to go get it exchanched. AVOID THIS HUNK OF **** !!! It will even throw red hot metal out of the vents onto your hands and burn you and god forbid, please use safety goggles using this POS if you have one. It will throw hot steel into your eyes too.

 

[Irishman999]

I got this set and its one of my favorite tools, the seal driving kit thats all aluminum and anodized crazy colors:

http://www.harborfreight.com/10-piece-bearing-race-and-seal-driver-set-95853.html

considering the price and where it came from you will be blown away by the quality of everything.

 

[Irishman999]

Did you think I was going to let HF have 3 good reviews in a row??? HELLLLLLLLL NO !!!

3/8" Variable Speed Reversible Drill Drill Master - item#3670 90 Day Warranty
Reg Price 24.99 but I've bought 1 before on one of their sidewalk super sales for like $8.99.

How can you go wrong with a $9 Drill motor right??? YES you can. This POS isn't worth the sales tax. It might be OK for drilling into soft wood for a few holes and then let it rest, but it will NOT hold up past 1 frame rivet on squarebody truck. I went thru 3 of these in 1 day on 3 rivets. Finally I chucked the 3rd one in the trash can being it wasn't even worth my gas and time to go get it exchanched. AVOID THIS HUNK OF **** !!! It will even throw red hot metal out of the vents onto your hands and burn you and god forbid, please use safety goggles using this POS if you have one. It will throw hot steel into your eyes too.

It is a piece of **** but I have managed to get by using mine for a few years now. This unit will actually smoke out of the vents if you hold the chuck with one hand and the trigger with the other. I did drill out exhaust manifold studs with this drill as well as other projects.

 

[HotRodPC]

RTV Silicone and Threadlocket

Check this out !!! Made in USA and Purchased at Harbor Freight.

It says Made in USA right on the blister pack.

3 Oz. RTV Silicone - Red Pro Seal - item#90026 $2.99

Compare to 3oz Permatex Red RTV at Auto Zone for $6.99.

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Threadlocker, No. 42, 10 mL Medium Strength HFT - item#65192 $2.99

Compare to Permatex Medium Strength Blue for ONLY 6ml, not 10ml for $6.49.

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[Irishman999]

If you get anything from harborfreight snag one of these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/pulley-remover-and-installer-set-40749.html

To rent one from a big box parts store its going to cost about 30 bucks for a deposit. This tool will pay off the first time you need one.

 

[HotRodPC]

I got this set and its one of my favorite tools, the seal driving kit thats all aluminum and anodized crazy colors:

http://www.harborfreight.com/10-piece-bearing-race-and-seal-driver-set-95853.html

considering the price and where it came from you will be blown away by the quality of everything.

Your link went to some crazy sale BS, but I believe this is what you have.

10 Piece Bearing Race and Seal Driver Set U.S. General - item#9585

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I have this too and it fits some of my trans bushings IIRC, it's either this set or the other. Yeah, it's pretty to look at too.

 

[HotRodPC]

If you get anything from harborfreight snag one of these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/pulley-remover-and-installer-set-40749.html

To rent one from a big box parts store its going to cost about 30 bucks for a deposit. This tool will pay off the first time you need one.

I have that too. Although I didn't have good luck with it. This PS pulley was stuck on bad. Of course it had been out in the weather for 15 years on a motor. I got that on sale for $12.99.

 

[Irishman999]

Your link went to some crazy sale BS, but I believe this is what you have.

10 Piece Bearing Race and Seal Driver Set U.S. General - item#9585

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I have this too and it fits some of my trans bushings IIRC, it's either this set or the other. Yeah, it's pretty to look at too.

Thanks there hotrod, apparently if you link anything from harbor freight its going to take you to the same page of ********. They are really pretty to look at.

 

[Irishman999]

I have that too. Although I didn't have good luck with it. This PS pulley was stuck on bad. Of course it had been out in the weather for 15 years on a motor. I got that on sale for $12.99.

Its a total cheap piece of ****

I put vice grips on the outside of those two coupling things that grab that groove in the pulley and the thing worked awesome. The beauty of this tool is you dont need an impact gun to run down the bolt to push the pulley off. With a pair of vice grips holding the two halves together you can set it on a bench and use hand tools for the hard part.

You cant return a borrowed puller with vice grip marks all over the tool to autozone.

 

[clkelley]

1/2" Drive 25" Breaker Bar Pittsburgh Professional - item#67933 Usually $10.99 on sale. Lifetime Warranty.

Usually on sale for $10.99. This thing kicks ass. We've used it working on Medium Duty trucks with a 4 ft floor jack handle on it for a cheater pipe and 2 guys at or over 250lbs standing on it and this tool didn't even strain. It gets used frequently and never had a problem. I bought one for myself not long ago and used a 20% off coupon as I do with most items I get at HF, making my cost about $8.80. Also comes with Lifetime Warranty.

I have the EXACT same breaker bar and I agree 10000%

 

[clkelley]

If you get anything from harborfreight snag one of these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/pulley-remover-and-installer-set-40749.html

To rent one from a big box parts store its going to cost about 30 bucks for a deposit. This tool will pay off the first time you need one.

Got that one too, I got tired of borrowing the same set from AutoZone for power steering pump pulleys...

 

[davbell22602]

I bought these 2 hex socket sets metric n standard and they are awesome.

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I also got this impact socket adapter set also. It good to have also. The only downfall about is there's no 3/4 drive to 1/2 drive adapter in the set.

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