iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Harbor Freight in Maine

Started by thecfarm, October 17, 2013, 10:08:36 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

thecfarm

We went to the Big City,Auburn, and I saw a Harbor Freight store. First one in Maine. One is coming to Bnagor too. Just brought some black tape,grinding wheels and some drill bits. Need the drill bits for the wife's cabinets and other things she is redoing. They should drill wood.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

SPIKER

For years all I bought were top of line tools, Craftsman, SnapON and the like.   Fact is now 90% of my tools under 15 years old are all HF stuff.   Holds up (MOSTLY) costs less and most of it now also has lifetime guarantee...

I STILL buy some stuff from top line names but if you look close 80% of it is "MADE IN CHINA"  :-\ so might as well buy the stuff from the Made in CHINA store...   

I have a 12" slide compound miter saw orange works great.   Same for several angle grinders, 4.5" and 9" Grinders (Chicago brand) work real well.   One part though the Drill Master Power Tool stuff not so much.   Tooling has been OK as have all the consumable items (disks, pads, sand paper, cutters, bits etc) are priced fairly.   

Mark
I'm looking for help all the shrinks have given up on me :o

petefrom bearswamp

Just went to our store in N. Syracuse yesterday.
Picked up some light duty ratchet straps and an el cheapo battery charger for my Adirondack camp.
I have used quite a bit of their stuff for over 15 yrs with very few problems.
Kubota 8540 tractor, FEL bucket and forks, Farmi winch
Kubota 900 RTV
Polaris 570 Sportsman ATV
3 Huskies 1 gas Echo 1 cordless Echo vintage Homelite super xl12
57 acres of woodland

WH_Conley

I get most of my stuff from Harbor Freight anymore. I figure if it is made in China I may as well pay the made in China price. I have a compound miter saw down at the barn that has cut all the materials to length for at least 2000 pallets. I have used it for other stuff too. Still going strong.
Bill

Lanternguy

we don't have HF in Canada but I've been in one and it was like the Princess Auto chain we have in Canada, mostly cheaper china made stuff but for the odd tool i may use once every 10 years it does the job.   
Echo CS3000, Stihl MS180, Echo 450P, Stihl MS361, Stihl HS46C-E, Stihl Magnum BR600, Echo SRM225, Stihl FS 56, Echo TC-210 Tiller, Stihl BG56 C-E,  Black and Decker Alligator, Poulin Pro Blower

LAZERDAN

Funny you brought this up now,  I was just there sat. and was after a cheap grinder ( I have the good ones already ) they were on sale in a flyer 14.99. I get there and they are    not      the price the flyer says, NOPE they are 9.99 (Drill Master)  so I took 2.  I gave'm both a workout Sunday, I put the wire wheel on one and a cut-off on the other.  When It dies I won,t be sad, I will chuck it and say , I got my moneys worth !    WHAT A COUNTRY    on the flip side, it feels like selling you soul to the Devil.      Lazerdan

red oaks lumber

i'll stick with craftsman, life time warranty. that you cant beat with a club. :) bought their black garden hoses, wife hit one with the lawn mower, they replaced it no questions asks.
i guess the saying " get what you payed for " is a true statement.
the experts think i do things wrong
over 18 million b.f. processed and 7341 happy customers i disagree

drobertson

I have to agree, so much is made in China, manufactured by US supported companies.  It really is almost a double edge sword.  Why pay more for the same quality, (mainly cut off disks, grinding wheels, ect,.  But for machinery, of any size or purpose,  I will strain to remain in the good ole U.S.of A.   This said, I don't blame anyone for picking up a good deal on a product if it suits the needs, after all it's all about getting the job done.
david
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

easymoney

i think sears was the first to offer satisfaction or your money back. i was talking to a sears employee once about their money back policy. he said a woman came in one day and bought a leaf blower and came back a couple of days later and asked for her money back. he asked her why she wanted to return it was it no good? she replied that her husband had used it to blow the leaves from their gutters  she did not need it any more so she wanted to return it for a refund. the same thing happens with clothing people will buy fancy clothing for a special occasion and return them after they have worn them for a refund.

woodmills1

I must say HF is the only store that I have seen starry eyed couples pushing carts looking at the stuff
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

timberlinetree

Forget dinner and a movie for date nite it's HF and dinner she loves the store more than me! :D
I've met Vets who have lived but still lost their lives... Thank a Vet

Family man and loving it :)

scgargoyle

I like their big tool boxes. They run about $369 on sale, are all bearing drawers, and are rugged. As a toolmaker, my toolboxes get a workout with a lot of weight in the drawers, and they hold up.

I did have trouble with a hammer drill. The gears stripped after 4 holes in concrete. They gave me a new one, and suggested I bring it in for a replacement near the end of the warranty, whether it was defective or not! It was cheap enough that as long as I get my work done on the new house with it, it's worth it.
I hope my ship comes in before the dock rots!

SwampDonkey

I would say Canadian Tire would probably be comparable, but maybe more like north-ern_tool. But, I bought JobMate brand hacksaw blade in CT and the teeth and blade body pretty much crumbled. I think it was an aluminum blade, I never saw a hacksaw blade disintegrate like that before. Bought a couple sets of screw drivers, all soft metal. Twisted to snot. Had to order some good ones from Lee Valley. ::) Contrary to popular belief, not all Chinese stuff is junk.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

beenthere

The Chinese may just have the best marketing plan. We buy twice as much for stuff that lasts less than half of the time. For them, a win-win situation and why their economy is going gang busters.

Their new coal-fired generating plants and steel mills can't be built fast enough and their people are very hungry for new cars.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

justallan1

I buy a lot of grinding wheels, cut-off wheels, tie downs, etc. from there and have a couple small grinders, a chop saw and their big green verticle milling machine. The grinders and chop saw hold up pretty good and I've had the mill/drill better than 10 years and it easily paid for itself.
As for mechanic tools, I feel the amount of time wasted after you slip and punch an engine block because your wrench flexed more than would have paid for some quality tools.

Allan

Delawhere Jack

Quote from: scgargoyle on October 19, 2013, 06:30:14 AM
I like their big tool boxes. They run about $369 on sale, are all bearing drawers, and are rugged. As a toolmaker, my toolboxes get a workout with a lot of weight in the drawers, and they hold up.


That is the only thing I've bought at HF that didn't disappoint me. Bought mine about 8-9 years ago. Much better built than what Craftsman offered and less than half the price.

Ruffneck

Just saw this in a HF add:



 

Normally $2,599
On Sale for $1,899.99
280cc 7 HP motor
Max log diameter  22 inches
20 inch cutting capacity
(subject to a $89.95 additional freight charge)

Cute little thing :D :D :D

fat olde elf

Interestng thread.... Years ago my HF mantra was "buy two because one of them is not going to work" They have been getting better. I get HF gift cards for my birthday and such now. There was a recent assessment article in Wood magazine on 18 volt driver-drills. 8 or 9 different drills were assessed, all but one of them showed CHINA as the country of origin. Go figure.  Most table saws on the market are not produced in the US. Wait until the Chinese start trying to make  automobiles.  I hope they do better with that than they did with drywall.  Glad to be 76. Even though I am in excellent health, I am concerned about the country I love and have served.  Say your prayers......
Cook's MP-32 saw, MF-35, Several Husky Saws, Too Many Woodworking Tools, 4 PU's, Kind Wife.

SwampDonkey

Might have to add some type of blade lubricator for cutting balsam fir. Them big pitch blisters in the bark are nice and sticky ooze. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

woodmills1

I bought a pack of lumber crayons at HF
the package said lifetime quarantee
They were so hard they wouldn't mark in the summer
lasts a lifetime :D
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

sharp edge

have bought enough stuff from H/f to start my own H/F store, some junk in it. In my junk pile I have  a lot of stuff that is made in USA :( :(
The stroke of a pen is mighter than the stroke of a sword, but we like pictures.
91' escort powered A-14 belsaw, JD 350-c cat with jamer and dray, 12" powermatic planer

SwampDonkey

A little tale. My grandfather, who is no longer with us, had a cousin in RI he would visit once in a  great while. Mom took him down one time a few years back. They did a little shopping and some flea market canvassing. Grandfather liked flea markets. Well, he found an axe. Made in Canada stamped right on the handle. Well, brought it home of course. My uncle split firewood for the kitchen stove every March-April out behind the house. He used that new axe. It lasted about 4 blocks of wood before the metal along the blade broke off in bits and pieces.  ;D :D :D I figure it was a Garant handle and a Chinese blade. I know Chinese C-clamps are no good, the metal crumbles in the threads, so then they can't be tightened. The last C clamps I got, were German Made. Good steel.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

mometal77

What can cost 25 at a hardware store goes for half price at HF. I love the oxy acetylene hoses made in america....plus here people actually are happy working there.  The manager gives me a better at cost deal at times after my 8500 watt generator was stolen i went in there she marked it down 300 dollars for me and a few other tools at a quarter of the price.  One store i love going too.  Plus i was told from one manager the company gave her 5000 dollars to move to another store to another state. I don't know many who do that for a single person. With anything in life the old saying... you get what you pay for. Some tools have lasted me quite a while.  My air compressor did come from lowes but its nice to be able to break a grinding disc and not cry over if it breaks in half.  I would recommend a welding supply store for a C clamp... ebay too.  You can also drill and re nut those slidable C clamps.  http://metalwebnews.com/
Too many Assholes... not enough bullets..."I might have become a millionaire, but I chose to become a tramp!

SwampDonkey

Best to avoid the ones with slop in their movement between screw and thread, they will fail. Pure junk.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

sharp edge

Lot of the trouble with C-clamps is with the nuts. The nut turning the handle puts to much force on them. 8) 8) I done it a time or 2.

SE
The stroke of a pen is mighter than the stroke of a sword, but we like pictures.
91' escort powered A-14 belsaw, JD 350-c cat with jamer and dray, 12" powermatic planer

Thank You Sponsors!