Reply by MrRon

Although many others have brought up the topic of HF quality, I wanted to try to approach it from a different perspective. Instead of condemning all HF tools as junk as some people do, I wanted to keep an open mind. Fussy made a great point about paid ads by the name brand tool makers; it’s all about the money. If one goes into a HF store, you should have a pretty good idea of what your needs are and if the tool will suit your needs. This is true with name brand tools as well. I guess it takes a certain amount of knowledge of tools to be able to make good judgement calls. One should note that Northern Tool and Equipment carries pretty much the same quality tools as HF. The name “Harbor Freight” conjurs up a negative image of a store selling surplus and distressed goods; in other words, “junk”. The Northern name presents a positive image, implying that it is an industrial supplier that caters to serious industry. Please note that I have no connection with HF what-so-ever. I’m just a shopper like you.