# My 2014 General Experience with Harbor Freight



## Florida_Jim (Jul 10, 2010)

I look a HF stuff as a "kit". you usually have to do some modifications to get a proper running tool. That said, they're some great values. Especially with the 20% coupon.
The dust collector being one of them. With a Wynn filter, a trash can with a home made thein baffle, you have a pretty good dust system.


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## Raz1 (Dec 8, 2013)

John,

I like you go for the 20-25% off coupons that I get in both my VFW and American Legion magazines. I have made some purchases this past year. The haerest thing I have tried to get was the rubber plug for the cylinder on the 2 ton engine hoist. Finally I found a small bottle jack at a garage sale that was questionable but for $1.00 I bought it for the plug. I am putting a floor in the overhead of my work shop and when they put the wallboard hoist on sale @ $149.00 I got my most recent 25% coupon out of the VFW magazine and drove to the closest store. I have now hoisted the plywood sheathing up into the overhead by myself. I wait for the round magnetic base "saucers" to be on the "free no purchase required" list and I have accumulated a few as well as the 25' free tapes, I swear my wife eats those tapes. She claimed the pneumatic roller seat as her own so now I have a twin with His or Hers on the side of the cushions. I have been buying HF Stuff since you had to order from Camarillo, CA in the late 80's. most of it is still in my tool boxes.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

I have had much worse experience with Sears Crapsman items than with HF. I live within 20 miles of a HF, so I go there often. I don't buy anything online because of potential problems.


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## JHAstrello (Sep 3, 2014)

I thought that when I purchased the 'lift table' - there on site at the HF store; I wouldn't have any worries. What I have decided, is that if I do buy anything like this at a HF store, I will open the box and do a complete inspection before I leave the store/parking lot. The box for the table was not damaged (had a few bruises - but nothing that I thought should raise any concern); but only after I got the table out and really tried to move/roll it, did I find the shattered wheel.


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## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

HF QA is carried out by the customer. If you know that, have the time and patience to take this responsibility on, you can get some good deals. I have a small number of HF tools. Don't like the clamps I bought there, like a couple of doo-dads I've picked up, like my DC (but I bought that used off of CL, so the original purchaser did the QA).


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## JHAstrello (Sep 3, 2014)

Charles - I think you hit the nail right on the head. I certainly agree.

Just finished putting the 'Crane' together, and didn't run into any more problems other than the general irritation of very poor instructions. The biggest problems (both overcome) were:

1) had to open the instructions to three different pages at one time to figure out exactly which bolt/nut/washer to use. Instruction page had the item number (8, 9, 23 - nut, washer, bolt). Then you went to the 'hardware card' where each nut/bolt/washer was described by size and not item number.

2) As I was assembling the crane, there should have been clear instructions to only finger tighten most bolts/nuts so that everything would align properly. More than once had to loosen parts, put in new bolts for another piece, then go back and re-tighten everything.

Craftsman is NOT what it used to be - by any stretch. I don't even buy their hand tools anymore.


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

The unfortunate fact is that there are loyal HF customers who willingly filter out all the bad experiences and post glowing reviews on their purchases. Other people see the positive, but skewed reviews and fall into the HF quality trap. This company is okay if you're willing to continuously make lemonade out of lemons, but I encourage people to buy reputable brands from reputable sellers.

Thanks, John, for a real-life review of your Harbor Freight experience.


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## ColonelTravis (Mar 19, 2013)

Bought that Benchtop Belt/Disk Sander and found the same crappy construction (couldn't put it all together because of some bent metal) but there are a few stores close I took it back and got another one in better shape. No question there are better sanders out there, but with the coupon and a sale, and the fact that I don't use it for heavy duty stuff I've found it to be a good value.

Sorry about your experience. If I didn't have the several, nearby stores I wouldn't order anything substantial from them online because the sander is not the first thing I've had to take back. I've found plenty of good buys on smallish items, just got this thing, which is a big hit with the ladies:









Cost $4. Absolutely great for filing a dovetail saw.


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## emart (Mar 16, 2011)

> Craftsman is NOT what it used to be - by any stretch. I don t even buy their hand tools anymore.
> 
> - JHAstrello


I couldn't agree more. Lately it seems all my newer craftsman tools are either going kaput or are just not suitable for real work. I said a lot of interesting things when my combination sander's table wouldn't hold at 90 degrees and ruined one of my chisels I was sharpening. It's a shame because my vintage machines run better than their new stuff.


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

Harbor freight is always a crap shoot, sometimes literally. But it's a godsend for new woodworkers with small shops and little money to get started. I began with a lot of harbor freight stuff, and later upgraded the tools I use the most to higher end machines. But I still own several HF tools.

Sounds like you got good customer service at the store at least


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## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

I bought a HF dust collector, then I bought the large 1 micron filter from PennState to replace the top bag. I put a plastic bag in the lower cloth bag. Between the two, I have a good dust collector.


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## JHAstrello (Sep 3, 2014)

Thanks David. Exploring the ways to install and improve the dust collection. I'll be doing that over the next several weeks.


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## JHAstrello (Sep 3, 2014)

Living out in the country, and away from the readily available selection of stores/shops, I have to drive about 50 miles to get to a decent selection of products. As noted, the people in the store have been simply GREAT. Really nice, and more than willing to help out.

My opinion is that HF simply has the: 'make it cheap, and if it is broken/breaks - give them a new one'. Limited 'spare parts' are available, and they simply do not want to deal with returning something to a 'factory recondition facility'.


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## Raz1 (Dec 8, 2013)

@JHAstrello. I also live 60-70 miles from the big city. I have had more good experiences compared to bad at HF. I only have 1 comment to those who post here and have nothing but BAD to say about HF. "Don't got there, Buy elsewhere". I think that if a person expects HF items to fit into a commercial/industrial atmosphere then they are setting themselves up for a fall. I am a retired home workshop kinda guy. I research what I buy and if HF fills the bill I buy HF. If I require a bit more stamina I buy elsewhere. My handtools, ie: wrenches, hammers, screwdrivers etc. many are from HF. When I retired from the Navy in 1986 I went to work for Lockheed. We were required to supply our own hand tools with all other tools supplied by the company. Many bought big name tools and the Snap-on supplier was at the flightline gate every payday, twice monthly, Collecting payments and selling more tools. Some of these folks making the payments did not last long at the job but were still stuck with the payments. To this day My tools still include tools I bought from HF and they are still doing the job called upon to perform. I have done all sorts of automotive work from engine changes to minor repairs. I do not abuse my tools. So all in all I, like you JH, do shop at HF and seldom am let down because I research my purchases thoughly.


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## ChuckC (May 13, 2010)

> I bought a HF dust collector, then I bought the large 1 micron filter from PennState to replace the top bag. I put a plastic bag in the lower cloth bag. Between the two, I have a good dust collector.
> 
> - dbray45


What lower cloth bag? The upper filter is cloth and the lower bag is plastic.


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## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

Older HF models (like mine) had a cloth collector bag.


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## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

Mine had a cloth bag as well.


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## JHAstrello (Sep 3, 2014)

I did finish putting together the HF Dust Collectior today - and will post a review later today. All though all the parts were there (this time), I did have to adjust a few items that had minor dings (collector unit suffered a slight ding to the circumference, but a few taps with a rubber mallet brought it back. Unit works, and I will start adding the 'accessory kit' and running plumbing today.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

I've got one of their collectors but it's destined for use as a blower to evacuate smoke from a laser engraver.

Also have a concrete mixer that was modified to work as a parts tumbler and a couple drill presses that had the quill rotation locked into place with epoxy so they can serve as branding presses.

I mostly use Harbor Freight as a source of inexpensive parts to put together my home-brew devices and for they, they're products have been decent.


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## Blackie_ (Jul 10, 2011)

I view HF as a gamble and or a started kit, something to get you by until you get something better, so far the HF DC that I've been using for a few years now has been the best item I've purchased from there so far, I've owned two of the 4" bench top belt sanders and you'd thunk I would have learned from the first purchase both turned out to be crap, luckily I have a friend that is machinist he was able to put together with some mods that repaired one of the two.


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## Blackie_ (Jul 10, 2011)

Double Post.


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