What should I get from Harbor Freight on Tuesday?

I have 3 25% off coupons that I can use on July 4. Trying to decide what to use them on.

Considering:

1. 4000 Watt generator Predator 4000

2. Transmission Jack 800 lb Trans Jack or MC/ATV jack 1500 lb Bike Jack. May need to drop a couple of transmissions in the next year or so from the E36 & the Tahoe. Any advice on which one is the better choice?

3. ???? Maybe the 12 Ton or 20 Ton Hydraulic Press? Any practical differences between the two other than capacity? Is the main difference in the hydraulic jack or are there differences in the frame?

4. Other ideas/suggestions? I have all the saws & air tools I think I need...

The 20 ton press has a bigger(taller and wider) frame as well as the jack. I've been kicking myself since day one for not getting the air over hydraulic jack to speed it up a bit, but I don't use it enough to justify that $90(with coupon) price tag. It really would be nice the times I do use it to not have to pump a million times just to get started.

Download the android app HFT Coupons. They don't have the 25% off, but they have a crapload of free items, and like all the different coupons from all the circulars in one place. Don't know if anyone else has noticed, but the ad from the store has different coupons from the website, has different from the magazine ads, etc. The app puts them all in one place.

I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on a rapid pump floor jack this time, they really are nice.

I hate to be a killjoy here, but I know that the Predator "brand" is specifically excluded and they exclude "floor jacks" as well, but I don't know if that includes the trans and bike jacks.

I'm thinking about the 20 ton press, personally. They've got a coupon running around right now to get it for $150 but 25% off of the regular price of 175 is more like $132, and that seems like a bargain. The 12 ton press is probably good enough, though -- I found that the 6 ton press was plenty for wheel bearings.

If you don't have the electric cutoff tool, I find that tool very useful and very reliable.

In reply to wae:

Wow. Shot my #1 down quick... . Don't need a floor jack, as I have several. I hope the trans or bike jacks aren't excluded.

Do need a jack for the Tahoe. It was missing when purchased and haven't found one in the junkyard yet. Any suggestions for a jack to replace the OEM one in case I get a flat? Last Chevy truck I owned had a bottle jack that wouldn't fit under the frame if a front tire was flat. The day I learned that was interesting. SWMBO thought I was going to take off the license plate and walk home...If that idea occurred to me at the time it probably would have happened.

I've got a 12 ton press that someone can have for free if they will pick it up at my house in north Houston. I'm moving and even the scammers on Craigslist are ignoring it.

I'll just put this here...

Harbor Freight Coupon Database

In reply to asoduk:

I've had that bookmarked for about a year now.

I have the 20ton press, it's pretty darn nice to be honest.

I plan to spend $.75+tax for a 3/8 socket rail and a multimeter. Maybe dust masks. All things we need for the garage.

I think all hydraulics are excluded from the 20% or 25% coupons.

I have that bike jack. I was using it 2 days ago. I modded it so that it has a new lowest stop that is just high enough to set my bike upright on its wheels. Nice and stable and convenient to work on that way. Note that is is not really for working on bikes, as when you have the wheels up off the ground with it, it's not that stable.

I have the same 20 ton press that HF sells, but with a different sticker on it. Very handy. Used it last week to break the bead on my bike tire when I changed it. I don't have a tire changer.

Brian wrote: I plan to spend $.75+tax for a 3/8 socket rail and a multimeter. Maybe dust masks. All things we need for the garage.

The multimeter isn't worth the paper the coupon is printed on, get a flashlight and buy a $30 meter elsewhere.

Last time i used 25 off on metal shrinker stretcher set. Was going to get english wheel until i read reviews. Probably nothing tomorrow

I have that MC jack, used it last week to do my transmission because it was closer to the car than the transmission jack.

In reply to Basil Exposition:

When are you moving?

The best tool I ever bought from them was the sheet metal bender. Don't know how I ever lived without one. I went yesterday and picked up wire wheels, 4 10 packs of 4.5" grinder cutoff discs, a free headlamp, and a pack of zip ties. Considering picking up a bead roller tomorrow. Either that or keep borrowing one every time I need it.

Basil Exposition wrote: I've got a 12 ton press that someone can have for free if they will pick it up at my house in north Houston. I'm moving and even the scammers on Craigslist are ignoring it.

I might be interested if it's an older one. I'm looking for one where the uprights are open as opposed to closed. Specifically, looking to use it to straighten kart axles. The current one has i-beams on the ends, so the axle would have to be perpendicular to the press as opposed to horizontal to the press. Not impossible to work around, but I'd prefer to find one that doesn't have that issue. I'm in Austin and travel to Houston quite a bit.

-Rob

aircooled wrote: If you don't have the electric cutoff tool, I find that tool very useful and very reliable.

the 3 inch one?

I bought one of those today, and I dislike it greatly. I'm not going to take it back, it may serve some purpose, but it's not the tool I expected it to be. Wouldn't be so bad if you didn't have to hit the reset button every minute, but it took a few minutes just to cut through the side of the tank I'm working on while my 4.5" grinder from HF (that everyone says is E36 M3 and mine has been abused and awesome) got through the tank in seconds.

To clarify that statement, not making long huge cuts, just making a starter hole for the sawzall blade to go into.

Patrick wrote: The multimeter isn't worth the paper the coupon is printed on,

I guess that depends on what you use it for. I got tired of having my Fluke meters "borrowed" at work, so I switched to the $6 HF meters. For my uses, both personal & professional, they're more than accurate enough.

And no one ever "borrows" them.

In reply to Patrick:

Maybe I will get the head lamp instead. I will wait and see. I have a camping trip later this month.

EvanR wrote:

Patrick wrote: The multimeter isn't worth the paper the coupon is printed on,

I guess that depends on what you use it for. I got tired of having my Fluke meters "borrowed" at work, so I switched to the $6 HF meters. For my uses, both personal & professional, they're more than accurate enough. And no one ever "borrows" them.

Volts and ohms seem to be OK.

Current on the other hand, meh. Cheking the charging current from the hf 45 watt solar panel kit I use to keep the RV, lawn mower, and bike batteries charge over the winter, there was just over a 2 volt drop across the meter. There is no way the actual current without the meter is the same as when the meter was in the circuit.

lrrs wrote:

EvanR wrote:

Patrick wrote: The multimeter isn't worth the paper the coupon is printed on,

I guess that depends on what you use it for. I got tired of having my Fluke meters "borrowed" at work, so I switched to the $6 HF meters. For my uses, both personal & professional, they're more than accurate enough. And no one ever "borrows" them.

Volts and ohms seem to be OK. Current on the other hand, meh. Cheking the charging current from the hf 45 watt solar panel kit I use to keep the RV, lawn mower, and bike batteries charge over the winter, there was just over a 2 volt drop across the meter. There is no way the actual current without the meter is the same as when the meter was in the circuit.

I'll buy that. I almost never have a need to measure DC current. For AC current, I use a clamp-on ammeter.

I'll venture that 98% of what I need a meter for is voltage and resistance/continuity. For those, the $6 meter is acceptable.

Dr. Hess wrote: I think all hydraulics are excluded from the 20% or 25% coupons.

I can positively confirm that the 25% off coupon works on the 20-ton press.

RevRico wrote:

aircooled wrote: If you don't have the electric cutoff tool, I find that tool very useful and very reliable.

the 3 inch one? I bought one of those today, and I dislike it greatly. I'm not going to take it back, it may serve some purpose, but it's not the tool I expected it to be. Wouldn't be so bad if you didn't have to hit the reset button every minute, but it took a few **minutes** just to cut through the side of the tank I'm working on while my 4.5" grinder from HF (that everyone says is E36 M3 and mine has been abused and awesome) got through the tank in seconds. To clarify that statement, not making long huge cuts, just making a starter hole for the sawzall blade to go into.

I think so. This one:

If worked too hard it will pop it's internal breaker, but for general cutting tasks (e.g. something you might otherwise use a hacksaw for, bolts etc.) I find it very convenient. Maybe not the best choice if you are cutting thick metal (for that you probably want to use their horrifically loud angle grinder with a cutting blade). If you bog it down when cutting, that will tend to make it cut off.

In reply to aircooled:

Yea that one. I thought it would be more die grinder like because of the speed.

I do like the low profile, that's why I'm not returning it. Should be good for stuck bolts or lock nuts at the very least, or places I can't get a sawzall into.

To those that asked--

I'm moving at the end of this month.

Rob, I have no idea what you're talking about. Here's a picture of the top corner of the press for you to decide.

rob_lewis wrote:

Basil Exposition wrote: I've got a 12 ton press that someone can have for free if they will pick it up at my house in north Houston. I'm moving and even the scammers on Craigslist are ignoring it.

I might be interested if it's an older one. I'm looking for one where the uprights are open as opposed to closed. Specifically, looking to use it to straighten kart axles. The current one has i-beams on the ends, so the axle would have to be perpendicular to the press as opposed to horizontal to the press. Not impossible to work around, but I'd prefer to find one that doesn't have that issue. I'm in Austin and travel to Houston quite a bit. -Rob

It has i beams(we have one). Drill holes in i beams to slide your axles through?

wae wrote:

Dr. Hess wrote: I think all hydraulics are excluded from the 20% or 25% coupons.

I can positively confirm that the 25% off coupon works on the 20-ton press.

Well, good. You will find many uses for that thing. Stuff where before it was BFH on the vice, now it's put it in the press. Do be careful. 20 tons is a great deal of force and when things that don't want to let loose suddenly do, it can be "exciting."