Hi everybody. I got an email a day or 2 ago from this place connected to FTE, and since then have noticed a few people on different boards here talking about them. I clicked on their link, and the prices look amazing for what they offer, and I found out there is a store right next to where I live.
The thing is though, I've never heard of them? And the prices that they give on alot of things seem obviously just way too good to be true. They had a 4 and a half inch grinder on there for like ten bucks? It looked exactly like my Mikita without the brand name on it, that I paid like 80$ for? They seem pretty straitforward as far as how they get the prices down, but how many people on here actually buy from them? Is the stuff good? There's a certain value from anything that cheap, but I'm thinking of buying a few things from them right now, and want to know if it's really that good of a place, or just a cheap store that puts out cheap things?
Thanks for your opinions, AleX

 

you get what you pay for....as long as you know that going in, you should be good. there are some good deals and some not-so-good deals.

I buy some things there. Ball joint press was as good as any. I bought a 1/2 drill for 29.00...the first time I used it the handle broke off, it was connected by 2 small screws.

I bought a metric tap and die set...the are good for thread-chasing, but if you really need to cut new threads expect one or two uses only.

 

The grinder is junk and so is a lot of there stuff. But they have some good deals on some good stuff too. There best line of pittsburg wrenches are actually good quality.
I have had a couple sets of the extra long ones and a couple sets of the stubbys.
Their chinese 3/4 drive sockets hold up well even with an impact but the wratchets are strictly junk iron. You just have to walk through and see whats junk and what will work for you. They have some nice test lights at a cheap price too.

 

Most everything they sell is made off shore, as long as you don't buy any precision tools with high expectations you'll be okay. Their 4 inch grinders are okay for $10.00 bucks but are not equal to your Mikita, I have a Mikita and three of their Chinese made grinders, I use different grinding wheels and sanding pads on all of them, that way I'm not changing them up all the time and minimizing their usage.

 

I go to Harbor Freight all the time for lots of little things.....tarps, cargo straps, jack stands, buffing wheels, parts bins, etc. I would NOT buy their power tools as they're all made in China, and I know my dad has burned out more than his share. He figures that he gets his use out of them for the price, but I just can't stand buying things more than once if I don't have to.

I agree completely with the sentiment that "you get what you pay for", and that as long as you keep away from anything advertised as "precision", or a powertool, you should be fine with them. They've got all sorts of things that have proven useful to me, so I can't badmouth them too much. I'm just weary of what they provide that I know is most likely junk.

 

OK, this all sounds pretty much like what I was thinking, so that works. Kind of dissapointing I can't get a real 10$ Sawzall haha, but I will definitely go there and check out their other stuff. I may buy a jack since they sent a coupon for it, but I'll see what it looks like when I'm there I guess.
Good to know of for some stuff either way though, Thanks for the help!
AleX

 

I have bought several of their hydraulic jacks and have had good luck with the air ones but have had about 50% luck with the straight hydraulic I was reminded of this last week when I grabbed a new looking jack and drove 170 miles to pickup a crewcab I bought and the jack should have been throwed away the first time I tried to use instead of leaveing it in the shop.

 

story--my cousin and i were at the junkyard and decided we were going to take some badges off the sides of some trucks. he used his harbor freight pry bar(8" glorified screwdriver with a bent head) and i used a snapon screwdriver. the first badge he went to pry off, snapped his pry bar in half, not the tip, in half. i went to work on it the same way and got it off pretty ezily.....it was held on my mostly glue.... i agree YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

 

They are great if you need a special tool that you may use 10-20 times. Not the best quality but their stuff will get the job done as long as you don't plan to put it to heavy use.

I have a hydraulic spring compressor that was like 80 bucks. I got it from them. Has come in handy.

I like the brand "Pennsylvania tool". I believe they are a Chinese company :P

 

Big ruth are you sure the brand is not pittsburg instead of pennsylvania . I don't know about all pittsburg but they have 3 digfferent grades of wrenches and the best ones will take some abuse the others shouldn't even hauled home at any price.

 

Pittsburg... Yeah. That's it. I don't own any of them but always chuckle about them when I am there because Im pretty sure they aren't made there

 

I do believe if you check, the full name of the place is "Harbor Freight and Salvage". If you realize it is a cheap tool and treat it that way they are okay, not good, but okay. Also, if you need to cut, weld, or otherwise mutilate a good tool to get a job done, Harbor Freight, here I come!

 

I thought it was "Harbor Freight and Tackle"? But regardless, you are dead on about their sole reason for existence.

 

If you get on their mailing list you get coupons like every week

HOWEVER check out the magazine racks in the auto mags there are coupons for the same items in your mailer that is CHEAPER.

Wanted to get a cherry picker and every other week i got coupons and the cherry picker was 139

Went to CVS pharmacy and looked through magazines ONLY to find there was a coupon for the exact same item for $99

So Caveat Emptor

Other than that it's good stuff for the money so long as your expectations aren't high.

 

I got my blast cabinet from them and the reclaimer. It works really good with some modification and replacing the gun with a IR gun.