HF tool pass/fail

trigun7469 wrote: Craftsman Evolv its cheaper and better then most of the HF junk

So is this a pass or a fail of the Craftsman Evolv purchased at HF?

I'm assuming this means that the cheaper Evolv line is also better than Craftsman's own more expensive RP line?

FAIL: Sledge hammer, head fell off after a couple swings almost injured me. http://www.harborfreight.com/8-lb-sledge-hammer-with-hickory-handle-95969.html

FAIL:PryBar complete junk had to use a American made to get the job done. http://www.harborfreight.com/48-gooseneck-wrecking-bar-69038.html

FAIL Drill Bits, never had any luck with the wood, steel or any of them.

FAIL: Aluminum Jack after a year of light use I have trouble lowering and raising it. http://www.harborfreight.com/rapid-pump-15-ton-compact-aluminum-racing-jack-68053-html-7814.html

FAIL: Taps and Die, poor quality was not able to complete the job after one use.

Pass: used it once did the job but would not trust for more then a few uses. http://www.harborfreight.com/5-ton-three-jaw-hydraulic-gear-puller-95326.html

Pass:Transmission Jack used once did the job and sold it. http://www.harborfreight.com/800-lb-low-lift-transmission-jack-69685.html

Fail: Tool kit is convenient but the hand tools, screw drivers and the drawers are garbage. The drawers keep falling off track after one years use. http://www.harborfreight.com/105-piece-tool-kit-4030.html

Swank Force One wrote:

trigun7469 wrote: Craftsman Evolv its cheaper and better then most of the HF junk

So is this a pass or a fail of the Craftsman Evolv purchased at HF? I'm assuming this means that the cheaper Evolv line is also better than Craftsman's own more expensive RP line?

I was responding to the first page that American owned tool companies can be affordable.

In reply to trigun7469:

HF is an American owned tool company, just like Sears. The difference is, these days, Sears charges more for imported Asian tools than HF, and the HF ones seem to be just as good.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: In reply to trigun7469: HF is an American owned tool company, just like Sears. The difference is, these days, Sears charges more for imported Asian tools than HF, and the HF ones seem to be just as good.

Similar to the assumption that Walmart is always cheaper then Target, which is not always the case. I shop at more then one store to find deals. To this day I bought a craftsman tool chest super cheap and HF cannot touch that price even with the coupons and free flashlights. If I were to compare Pittsburgh brand to the Craftsman Evolv and they were the same price I would choose craftsman, not because they are American, but they have consistently been a better tool for me.

HF LED sensor security light= no problems so far..pass HF 3/8 Cordless Drill=no problems so far..pass HF hammer= no problems

I should get mrs. DX a 'I survived the stench of HF' shirt.

Electric 3.5" cutoff tool is going strong.

HF Die Grinder Fail

Switch failed, melted actually, luckily in the off position. Replaced with a radio shack switch.

http://www.harborfreight.com/electric-die-grinder-with-long-shaft-44141.html

Kenny_McCormic wrote: #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.

Lowes now sells this light. The only difference is the blue part is yellow.

I disagree with a guy in the link on the first page. He said HF metal socket rails are a fail because it's hard to get the sockets off. I have a bunch of these, and might I suggest it's a pass. Yes, the sockets are hard to get off, but not once has any of mine failed to hold a socket, which is their job. And, yes, while the edges are sharp and I have bled on one of them because of it, they have never failed their duty.

Also, i'm very happy I passed on the HF vice now that I saw the picture above.

oldeskewltoy wrote:

holy E36 M3! that just happened to my father's exact same model vise this weekend. he was beating a piece of quarter inch steel bar into a 90 and the jaw snapped right off.

massive fail

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: he was beating a piece of quarter inch steel bar into a 90

My instructor once told me, a man who bends steel without heat will go to hell.

For 1/4, use a damn torch...

Trans_Maro wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: he was beating a piece of quarter inch steel bar into a 90

My instructor once told me, a man who bends steel without heat will go to hell. For 1/4, use a damn torch...

my dad is 80 and he broke that E36 M3 with a 5 lb hammer. your instructor sounds like the kind of primadonna that wouldn't have to make due with a vise from HF ( read "a puzzy") but either way... heat is for real thickness. quarter inch is the stuff little girls make brackets out of when angle iron isn't handy.

:D

Spring loaded center punch: Pass, put some marks in some high quality cast iron and didn't appear to damage the tip at all.

3pc Step drills: Sorta pass, one of them doesn't have any sizes stamped on it, so I'll probably exchange them for another set. Cut said cast iron well enough considering what I was driving it with.

3/8" Variable speed reversible power drill: Better than expected, though I suspect this one has more than acceptable run out on the chuck, might swap it out on that reason once I get ahold of a dial indicator and a dowel pin to confirm. Seems to have adequate torque and gears aren't too loud. I stalled it pretty hard a few times running a step drill too slow through cast iron and it didnt let any smoke out or smell terribly hot. Its no black and decker but for $18.49 on sale, good enough for beating on or when you need a drill to fix your other drill.

PASS: wood drill bits. Cheap and they do the job. They are single-use for any substantial steel, though.

PASS: 12-ton shop press. I've had mine for 4 years and done many big jobs with it. My dad has one that's over a decade old and gets weekly heavy-duty use at the marina he owns.

PASS: Piston ring pliars. A bit more flex than I'd like, but they did the job with minimal drama.

PASS: Piston ring clamp tool thing (used to put pistons back in the cylinders). Worked great.

PASS: rubber mallet with rubber and plastic cap pieces. I've abused it quite a bit. Still going strong.

PASS: zipties in the giant bags or plastic jars. I use them all the time. They work just as well as any other in my experience.

FAIL: HF version of brillo sponges. Grit is lacking, they don't do E36 M3.

PASS/FAIL: multi-pack of wire/brass/bristle detailing brushes. They pass because they're like $1 for a pack of three of them. They're good for one or two good scrubbings of gunky engine parts before they start to lose their bristles though. I just buy 5 packs at a time and am set.

PASS: deep impact sockets. I've used the metric set for 4-5 years of rallycross and autocross tire changes. My lugs wore faster than the sockets.

PASS: engine hoist. When I got it one of the holes for the bolts that hold it together was drilled a few inches from where it should have been. I drilled my own and have hoisted a dozen engines with it since with no issue.

PASS: engine leveler: Not the smoothest operation of the leveling crank, but it does the job with some elbow grease.

PASS: tripod engine stand. I've built two BMW M42s on it and it's fine. For a bigger engine I would go with a heavier-duty one though.

PASS: magnetic tool strip things. I have a few on my workbench that hold drill bits and stuff. They hold the stuff, so I guess they work :)

FAIL: grinder/cutting wheels. Single-use at best, even though they're cheap. I get name-brand ones at Home Depot now.

PASS: wire brush combo pack for drill. They're pretty stiff so I don't use them on softer materials. But they hold up to some heavy rust removal just fine.

PASS: 3/8 drive torque wrench. I use it for small things and my ghetto calibration calculations show it to be accurate. Wish the settings went lower for really small things like timing case M6 bolts though.

FAIL: orange ratcheting tie-downs. Had two of them pop open on the road, and almost lost my rally tires from my trailer

PASS: 10gal air compressor. Sat in the box in my uncle's farm field for 2 years before he gave it to me. Box practically fell apart. Compressor has worked great for the last year for small jobs, filling tanks, some air tools.

PASS: Pittsburgh brand tools (various): generally they've held up about as well as standard Craftsman stuff in my experience. A few other brands I've gotten at HF don't hold up as well, but I can't recall what they were called.

Also, I've noticed lately HF seems to primarily use oil type Italian made compressor pumps on their compressors lately, I imagine these are quite good.

In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:

fail: Pittsburgh pry bar. It snapped.

pass: replacement Pittsburgh pry bar. It bent the subframe in the car.

I think this is the real trick at HF. One batch can be fantastic and the next one is utter E36 M3e.

Pass: HF cordless impact wrench. 3 autox seasons Pass: HF torque wrench Fail: Death Stick spring compressors. I should have known better Pass: HF $60 on sale aluminum jack

Update on the 60614 3/8 power drill(the really cheap one), built a workbench today, 3" deck screw number 12 hit a knot and didn't want to go in the last turn, I pulled the trigger a second time and a cartoonish cloud of white magic electrical smoke came out. After cooling down it worked just as well as it did before(after the smoke incident I let it free rev a second after each stall). All told it drove 35 3" deck screw into fir, with 3/4" deep undersized pilot holes.

I disassembled it after this and the windings look fine, maybe a bit darkened, everything is on shielded ball bearings except the rear support on the quill (it uses a steel bushing), chuck end of quill is on a big ball bearing. Helical steel gears, well greased. I don't think I'll be warrantying this one after all. A bit under cooled, but a ok drill for occasional use.

PASS: The 9 function metal detector. My sister lost her ring in the snow, so I went out to HF and bought the "expensive" one which was just under $50 out the door with a 20% coupon (all my 25% ones were at home...) We tried searching for it with about 4-6 inches of snow on the ground and nothing. Once it melted, however, she was actually able to find it very quickly.

A huge Fail on their brake tube flaring kit.

(And I consider myself fairly objective on their stuff. Sure, a lot of it won't last a day in a "real" shop, but for many of us, much of their stuff can last years.)

Just not the flaring kit - straight into the trash can.

Fail: 6" combination Mortise Gauge. Absolute garbage in every way.

FAIL FAIL FAIL: Caulk gun, handle/trigger bent beyond all use in less than one tube of cheap latex caulk.