Well I posted this in another thread until I found this one:

Harbor Freight Vice? Any one got one? any one busted one? I need a vice, no no a widget for holding things, not the other kind. Would you trust a 6" swivel vice from HF or should I be scared the casting will shatter just as I'm applying 10,000,000lb/ft via a breaker bar to something and propel myself across the garage where I impale myself on the sharp edge of the car followed by the breaker bar and part then impaling themselves on my already crushed form?

But skimming this thread I now see two 'fails' they cracked and one 'new one, hasn't cracked yet. Hmm, sounds like I need to shop elsewhere then

I recently got tired of having my tools piled up in my tool box drawers, shelves. etc., and started looking for another roller box. I have an old Western Auto bottom box with a Craftsman middle box and smaller top box, and a 3 part Craftsman roller box. HF had the black tool box on for like $150. We looked. It looked like junk. Oh, I'm sure it was worth a bill or so, but load it up with steel tools and it looked like it would come apart. However, the red tool box, bottom and top, was on for $330 on a coupon. I bought that one. Naturally, the next day, I got a coupon for the box for $299. Whatever. I would say that quality wise, it is every bit as good as the Craftsman box(es) I have. Not a $6K snapon, of course, but for the three bill range, not bad at all. Still not sure how to use it as a hammer, though.

The HF red boxes are awesome.

I'm trying to sell my Matco stack to get some HF boxes.

Not joking.

Large milling vice for drill press. Pass.

12 Ton shop press. Pass.

Shrinker/Stretcher. Pass.

Liquid Transfer Pump. Pass.

Seeing that I haven't really bought anything from HF in a while, I now have some input.

11'x19' Heavy Duty Agricultural Tarp (on sale for $29.99): Pass

Set of 4 Ratchet Straps (on sale for $12.99): Pass

stan_d wrote: I have one of their sandblasters works great. I buy clear plastic sheet from wally world 2.79 yard ,to cover glass. A strong wet dry vac and stuff 2 rags in air vent to make it a negative pressure, in fact it holds the door shut with it unlatched. When new flip of over and recaulk all joints. Put a piece of screen over sand intake pipe to keep trash out. I use their glass beed media.

Which one do you have, the large or small? Or

I have the big one and it is OK. Not a commercial multi-thousand dollar rig by any means, but OK. Do caulk all the joints and use a vac, as noted. I had an older model similar to the smaller one but made in India instead of China. It was fair. Leaked a lot. Better than nothing, but that was about it.

I have the big one as well. Seal it well with silicone or something when you assemble and it's pretty decent.

Lighting could be FAR better, which is my next modification i'll do to it.

10-gal air compressor (67708): Pass

20-oz HVLP spray gun (66222): Pass

Been spraying the kitchen cabinets, the two work great together. I generally have a "no moving parts" HF policy, but these two are making re-consider. The compressor is loud, but pretty punchy (2.5 hp). At least as good as the Craftsman/Husky sub-$500 compressors out there.

Cheap 3 lb mini-sledge: FAIL The head flies off the 2nd or 3rd time you use it.

20 gal compressor (110V orange old style): FAIL It barely runs an air ratchet

Reciprocating saw (older orange style): PASS buy some decent blades the HF ones suck

4 1/2 angle grinder and wheels (older orange style): PASS I've used grinding wheels, cut off wheels, and flap wheels, all also PASS

Pittsburgh hand tools (new "pro" packaging and some older packaging): PASS Just make sure you but stuff that is pittsburgh brand. 98% of my hand tools are Pittsburgh.

Non-pittsburgh hand tools: FAIL I've broken several adapters and extensions.

This past weekend they were having a sidewalk sale and I scored the 1000lb wheel dollies for 29.99 a pair instead of 59-69 both there and anywhere else.

EDIT: I have one of their vises and the only issue I've had is the thread to clamp down the vise to the swivel base failed. I solid mounted the vise and still use it.

Pass nor fail, but it sure doesn't like cutting rubber.

Recently bought another 'joint jigger' (tubing notcher). It took some shimming to get it accurate but once lined up it does everything I ask. The shaft for the holesaw is still loose in the bushings probably .010, so I'll give it a 75% 'pass'.

Their flux core weld wire sucks, badly. Major fail.

I've had good luck with the little float chargers. The only ones that died were the ones I ran over and one that I mistakenly connected to a dead battery, the poor thing melted. I have them on the race car, the Jensen and the motorcycle right now, humming happily away. Pass.

Got one of the $20 half sheet electric sanders for doing house stuff, works fine. Pass.

Toyman01 wrote: I bought one of these a month ago. Love it. 2 Ton Low Profile Heavy Duty Floor Jack Rapid Pump® The only problem, now I need taller jack stands. It'll put a car almost 2 feet in the air.

+1, PASS

Threadlockers: PASS, made in the USA, looks like loctite in a HF bottle to me part numbers even seem to line up (IE HF 42 vs loctite 242), and its stupid cheap.

$5 2 piece strap wrench set, MEH, kinda worked torquing my chainsaw flywheel nut, the primary complaint is they smell like concentrated tire warehouse.

In reply to Kenny_McCormic:

What's wrong with that smell?

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Toyman01 wrote: I bought one of these a month ago. Love it. 2 Ton Low Profile Heavy Duty Floor Jack Rapid Pump® The only problem, now I need taller jack stands. It'll put a car almost 2 feet in the air.

+1, PASS

got one too. Love.

Hot Rod Magazine has the best coupons.

well.. my $35 reciporcating saw finally died. Before the BMW was stripped and hauled away for scrap, it managed to kill the saw.

Considering it chewed up both a saab 900 and a BMW 318ti and did numerous fence work.. it owed me -no- money

I've had a Pittsburgh 1/2 in drive torque wrench for about 15 years. I don't know how accurate it is but it still works, so I guess that's a pass?

HVLP detail spray gun is a pass for spraying stain and poly on furniture. not sure about spraying auto paint though.

www.harborfreight.com/material-handling/hand-trucks/bigfoot-hand-truck-97568.html

FAIL

Bent the axle at 400 lbs (if that)

Double flair tool=Big Fail, could barely make a single flair in a steel brake line. Promptly returned it, and got one that works from Sears.

To be fair, I have lots of HF stuff that serves me well.

belteshazzar wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Toyman01 wrote: I bought one of these a month ago. Love it. 2 Ton Low Profile Heavy Duty Floor Jack Rapid Pump® The only problem, now I need taller jack stands. It'll put a car almost 2 feet in the air.

+1, PASS

got one too. Love. Hot Rod Magazine has the best coupons.

Just got one yesterday - holy crap what an improvement over the one it's replacing.

32925 29 High Speed Steel Drill Bit Set- Tentative pass, I haven't got a drill to spin them in currently, nor have I bothered measuring any. However, they look straight and I did pull the 1/4" out and try to notch the end of the shank it with a almost new Bahco file, it didn't do much bit take off the black oxide. For $12(on sale for $16+25% coupon) I'll just replace any failures with better ones from Production Tool Supply. EDIT, took a Mitutoyo dial caliper to a few, they're good, the 5/16 even read out .3125

These lights are well worth that they charge for them, keep a couple stuck in your trunk.

45 Piece Titanium Nitride Coated Alloy Steel SAE Tap & Die Set, $84 - 25% coupon equals 100% win.

PASS.

Craftsman Evolv its cheaper and better then most of the HF junk