The Harbor Freight PASS/FAIL Thread...

[bgarrett]

ALL LED lights FAIL


Actually an LED will burn forever so I think its their switches or maybe the electronic parts that fail.

Damn shame too because LEDS are wonderful and will replace all other lights soon

[johnny1290]

Just a quicky:

That air powered 90 degree grinder pictured above-I got about a year out of the first one, just bought another and it's doa out of the box. I'll still give it a pass as it's cheap enough on sale and broke at the head as others described.

The 8 dollar electric angle grinders 4.5"- PASS
Not smooth like a makita, but work fine for the price and i'd have to kill 12 of them before Id have paid as much as he did for one. Surprisingly durable in the face of abuse.

1/2" impact-FAIL so awful I threw it away immediately. It was their cheapest model.

Edit: step drill bits PASS-get on sale for 8.99/3
$1.99 airgun-with the small metal tube to direct air-FAIL broke in first use
Small tool bags you get free with coupons-PASS
6" digital caliper-PASS
Black Goodyear 50ft. Air hose-PASS $20 on sale
Full face shield-FAIL x 2 can't see anything out of it
Earplugs-FAIL don't expand again like better ones do
Cutting discs for 3" cutoff wheel. FAIL made in Russia and prone to fly apart. Get what you pay for but I keep buying them cuz they're there. I have a 3m cutoff wheel green? I got who knows where that's lasted probably 2 or 3 times as long as the hf. Same with their 4.5", unless you find dewalt discs

[danc333]

I have a 28 degree pneumatic framing nailer that I used to frame the walls in my downstairs den. It has worked very well. (PASS). My dad has a flooring nailer that he has used to put about 2500 sq ft of T&G hardwood flooring down with. Considering a name brand new one is several hundred dollars and the HF one is about $129. I'd say (PASS). I will try to find model numbers.

[shaunwhite11188]

4" Capacity Swivel Base Drill Press Vise- Pass
4 Piece Steel Adjustable Wrench Set-Fail
60 Piece SAE/Metric Tap and Die Set-Pass
1/8" Air Micro Die Grinder-Pass
6" Dial Caliper-Pass
Pick Set-Pass
18 Piece T-Handle Ball Point and Hex Key Wrench Set-Pass(used everyday and dont even budge wwhen cheater bar is on them)
5 minute epoxy-Pass
1/4 Torque wrench-Pass(Has lifetime warranty surprisingly and only used until i purchase a snap on or cdi)
7 Piece, 3/8" Shank, 1/4" to 1" Titanium Nitride Coated Forstner Bit Set-Pass
4 Piece Socket Adapter Set-Pass but only used step up and in low torque applications
Loctite-Pass
TOTAL CONTROL HACKSAW-Fail Handle broken in half
10 Piece Color Coded T-Handle Metric and SAE Hex Key Set-Fail twisted

[WVBrady]

Mover's dolly 38970-1VGA Pass
Hydraulic lift table-don't see the one that I have; not the high lift one. Worked ok, but paint flecked off, showing rusty metal underneath. Used lift to unload my 550 pound
gun safe from the pickup and load it onto the dolly to move it into my house.

[wyndycity]

4" angle grinder = Fail

After three separate light uses, it decided to just literally fall apart in my hands while cutting some exposed nail ends. I think vibration just caused the gear housing screws to loosen enabling the gearing to separate.

I knew what I was getting myself into when buying a HF power tool but didn't think it'd fail on me so quickly. I revived it with new screws and some loctite though but too bad I hardly use it now that I wised up and bought a 4.5" Makita.

[bugdust]

Great thread

*40 ln pressure pot sandblaster - FAIL, I broke two pieces while assembling it, went to ACE and replaced them, then never could get it to work right, returned to HF for refund
*20 lb pressure pot sandblaster - PASS, same brand/style as above, just 1/2 the size, works great
*dead-man valve for sandblaster - PASS
*4" cut-off wheels, 7/8" hole - PASS, not Dewalt quality but not Dewalt price either
*weld wire - I've bought .023 and .035 from there, both seem to rust a little quicker than name brand but better than what I've bought at Tractor Supply so - PASS
*blue casters - PASS, just because of the price. I have them on my engine stand (VW engines). They work but one squeeks bad and is stiff...may be my fault since I welded them on

I've bought other stuff ther but that's all that comes to mind right now. Is Cummins Tools still around? I bought a lot of stuff from there a few years ago with mixed results.
*black 5" swivel casters - PASS, I just put four on a body rotisserie and they seem to work great. I'll know for sure when I put the body on this week
*glass beads - PASS, work fine. I usually use Dupont StarBlast though
*3 pc step-drill set - PASS, just bought for $8+, have used two of them on 1/4" steel and they seem to work fine

[beelsr]

chain saw chain sharpener - don't waste your time, way too much flex. Major FAIL.

grinders - if you get the more expensive/higher amp model: PASS, otherwise maybe FAIL. I keep a few with different wheels/grits ready so I don't have to stop and change wheels in the middle of what I'm doing. Had a few for years and they sound like there's sand in the bearings but they keep running just fine.

Black-handled pry bars - haven't broken one yet in 10 years. A little bendy but metal's supposed to bend, right?

1/2 deep impact sockets - thousands of lugnuts as well. 1 failure, warrantied no problem.

wooden ball-pein hammers, wood shrunk, had to add wedges. fine otherwise. i'd get fiberglass if buying new ones. heads haven't chipped.

step drill - fine but i only use them for crap holes. for good stuff, I use my irwins.

1/2" breaker - hasn't failed me yet and I've jumped on it and piped it.

nylon trim pry bars - yellow and blue ones work great.

seal puller - FAIL broke the tip on the first seal I used it on. Cursed my B-i-L who stole my Lisle puller. Ended up doing the screw & slide hammer trick on that one.

screwdrivers - when using them as the base of a custom tool they're OK. Pretty much crap otherwise but I do have a drawer full of the screwdrivers I got for free with coupons. The same with their cheaper wrenches.

plastic pinch-type hose clamp pliers - work just as well as others if you get the nylon type. The plain plastic type loo like crap and I wouldn't trust them.

dead blow hammers - PASS

[captf71]

Item# 3418 - 2/10/55 Battery Charger - Starter = FAIL !!!

Bought this on sale for when I'd need it. When using it the first time, it appeared to work fine for 5 minutes then just stopped working. Could not return as I'd had it past the warranty period.

[bomber]

Motorcycle Lift Table = Pass (especially for the price) --

Impact Sockets = Pass (very seldom used, but work fine when needed)

[CatfishXpress]

Dead blow hammer - pass
Magnetic parts tray- pass

[rsanter]

Originally Posted by ImportTuner

The HF digital caliper sure looks like the Mitutoyo caliper ...

it looks alot like it but they are nowhere close to the real thing
for general service work PASS
for high precision work FAIL

bob

[musgofasta]

My list:

41'' rolling box - PASS PASS - $325ish with the 20% off coupons- great deal
4 drawer rolling tool cart - PASS - kinda wimpy casters but they'll be getting replaced
4.5'' grinder - PASS - better than Ryobi or other low end Asian models - $19 or less
90Amp Flux-only "MIG" welder - Marginal PASS - decent to learn on for $100 new - good in a pinch in the field - stock wire is crap - decent heat and wire speed
$10 HVLP Gun - PASS PASS - painted cabinets with it, shot lots of auto primer through it, hell of a value with the coupon
Above angle die grinder - PASS - won't die
Air Die Grinder - FAIL
Pittsburgh Crescent adjustable wrenches - decent PASS
Goodyear Air Hoses - PASS
6Ton Hydraulic press - PASS - it's just a bottle jack and metal frame

[Danglerb]

Originally Posted by rsanter

it looks alot like it but they are nowhere close to the real thing
for general service work PASS
for high precision work FAIL

bob

Caliper isn't a high precision tool regardless of who makes it, its a 0.001" type tool, not something for tenths.

99 cent plastic 6" caliper, PASS, should be in every toolbox.

Drill Master set of 100 security bits, PASS, all the bits you need, haven't broken one yet, and cheap enough I don't think twice about hammering one in with a ball peen on a messed up bolt.

Drill Master 8pc bolt extractor set, 4 reverse drills and 4 matching extractor things. PASS

[JayL]

Here is another HF Thread from weldingweb.com


http://weldingweb.com/forumdisplay.php?f=28

[Chris Adams]

Aviation Snips....Fail, even on thin sheet metal
Black-handled Pry bar set…. pass Work great, been abused for five years, still in great shape
Die grinders… pass I have two, both work great
Air nibbler… pass lots of years, still works great
Air ratchet 3/8… pass, works better than my Mac, darn it.
Impact sockets ½…. Pass, very good, some hogging after years of use.
1/2 breaker bar....Pass
Flex head ratchet wrenches pro metric… PASS, work as well as my Gearwrench.
Step Bits small and Large… pass Work almost as well as my ‘unibit’ brand.
10 Piece Color Coded T-Handle Metric and SAE Hex Key Set … pass, haven’t broken one yet, had them a year.
Blue handle screwdriver set with bolt head… Pass, darn it. I hate the way they look/feel and I’ve used them for every kind of prying, pounded on them, just plain abused them. None have failed in any way. Still hate the way they look.
Orange deadblow hammer….pass
Black deadblow hammer….pass
Red Socket trays, three set…. Pass. Always get them on sale, with coupon. Pay average of less than 2.00 a tray, and they work fine.
Socket Rails… Pass. Average cost under 70 cents a rail on sale. Made in Taiwan and very good.
Magnetic parts tray- pass bought three for a dollar…
8 inch grinder… Pass but way too heavy for my needs.
Air swivel 3/8 … Fail. Leaks like a sieve.
Air Hose Reel… Pass. The ten dollar one. Use it daily with 100 feet of 3/8 hose. Swivel valve leaks a little when cold but the reel is a big hit.
5 minute epoxy…Pass
Gorilla tape… Pass
Gorilla glue…. Pass
1/4 Torque wrench-Pass
½ inch Torque wrench-pass
Small cut off saw… Pass use it for stuff that is way too big.
3/8 pro ratchet...Pass, beat the tar out of it, works great

[Phatsub]

I've had these for a couple years now and they've held up very nicely. They're the 10" model.

[bgarrett]

Originally Posted by Phatsub

I've had these for a couple years now and they've held up very nicely. They're the 10" model.

Hey phatsub, What are those used for?

[mickeyone]

black handle pry bar set pass
3piece high voltage Pittsburgh Plier set..Not Kleins ...but better than craftsman ,dykes are sharp enough pass
Ratchetting PVC tubing cutter pass

[Phatsub]

I use them for cutting metal stuff like screws and nails. they work well for quick cuts on rubber hose too instead of using a utility knife.