If you have not, check out the latest Harbor Freight AD.

I know these guys have some cheap stuff, that a lot of folks won't touch. but, for the home mechanic, they have a lot of great bargains.

Just to mention a few in the AD:

2 Ton shop crane (engine hoist)- $149.99

36" bar clamps- $4.49

6" dial caliper gauge .001" accuracy- $11.97

There's a lot more in there.
I love these guys. Us hobby mechanics can get a decent garage setup with some of these deals.

 

True that.

 

Personally, I'd rather have no tool than a lousy tool. I try to buy quality stuff from a reputable dealer for a lifetime investment. Beside, my Dad told me not to ever "buy a pig in a poke".

 

I know what you're saying. For many of my standard tools, ratchets, wenches, screwdrivers etc. I by mostly Craftsman or other quality brands.

But for someone that works on cars as a hobby, but doesn't want to rent or borrow tools, Harbor Freight has a lot to offer. I've got a well stocked shop now, and I could not have done it buying some of these tools at Sears or Snap-On..

some examples

spring compressors- $8 (name brand about $60)

large 3 jaw gear puller that I knew I would have to grind on to pull a sticky timing gear - $9 (name brand about $30)

3/4" Socket set- $25 (Don't even want to guess what these cost in Crafstman or such) I really only needed 1 socket, but it would have been like $10-15 for a brand name single socket..I got a set of 10 or so.

ratcheting wrenches, like $7. I bought the set just for the 9/16" for those pesky header bolts in my 390. I now have a set of ratcheting wrenches that cost like $80, but those cheapies did the job when I needed them.

For tools that I just use occasionally, they have saved me a lot of money. In many cases, it allowed me to buy a tool that normally I would have borrowed or rented. And that's just not as convenient.

 

Some of the Harbor Freight stuff is OK but you do have to watch it.

 

I love the stuff! Like others said before, for a hobby mechanic the prices can't be beat!

For x-mas I got a HF parts cleaner, 3/4" metric sockets and wrenches (needed a big socket for my bike's rear axle), 115pc TiNitride coated drill bits, etc.

K

 

for a lifetime investment most of Harbor frieghts stuff will never last. you have to evaluate your own cost effective approch.
$8 spring compressor vs $60 name brand X I may use 2 times a year = $8 spring compessor.
we buy $159 Porter Cable routers at work for the children to play with. and they turn one into our maintenance dept a couple times a week for repair. either new brushes, power cord or switch. only 2 of these repair parts not including the labor is the same price of a 19.95 dollar router from HF . so when they bust em they go in the trash and they get a new one.

 

I really like to buy quality tools when I need one. However, I have a lot of "cheap" air tools that I have had for 15 years. They have actually been used a lot but not like in a shop. Some have replaceable bearings etc. I just depends on the use, abuse and care level.

 

Watch the points on those drill bit sets. All of the Chineese import sets I have seen at HF or Cummins etc have had bad sharpening jobs. It looks like someone ran them thru a belt sander for a moment by hand b4 plating them with the titanium coating. I pulled 4 bits out of a set the other day at random in a store and NONE of them were sharpened properly. They had uneven points, improper angles, you name it, -Very Bad!!! They probably would have done just fine in wood, maybe even aluminum, but not in steel. The few bits like those that I have actually used (at a friends house) were made of poor quality steel also. Some just twisted, others wouldn't cut even with a proper point, and others just shattered like glass. Cutting tools are one place you probably should go with high quality tools.

 

I agree on cutting tools. I started to drill a hole using a lathe with a 1/2" China drill bit. As soon as it touched the workpiece, it split down the middle for 1". Never saw something like that happen before. I knew why when I looked on the shank and saw made in China.

 

Snap-on and up here in Canada their competitor is Mac tools. b oth have excellent products in the hand tool side. But one can get similar product with a liftime gaurentee at our Canadian tire stores for about 20-30% of Snap-ons cost.

We don't have Harbour Freight..we got Pricess Auto...same idea from the same supplier (China). and yea there are some good deals..but it all comes down to how often you uise that particular item...once a year then go Oriental...50+ times..I'll spend my $$ on the good North Am stuff.

have a good weekend folks...gonna try to stay waRM ..its been freakin cold (-28 F), for over 3 days now...


rgds,

stk

 

They got a 1/2 inch clicker torqe wrench in there for $11.00. Thats a good deal

 

They got a bunch of deals like that. I was just in while ago. I picked up a 1 ton chain hoist for 39.99, a hose reel and 50ft hose for my Air compressor for 29.99 , and here was the real surprise. 6 pair of leather work gloves for 5.97.. less than a buck a pair for work gloves :-)

Works for me.

 

Like the drill bits some things you should go for quality in. Especially torque wrenches and micrometers and other fine measuring equipment.

 

I got a set of theor TiN bits. they cut well through metal. My only problem was my old drill chuck dug into the base of the bit, creating a metal bur that I had to grind off. They may be a little soft.

I'd rather spend a lot less on consumables like bits. It doesn't seem to matter what I spend, they are all usually worthess after several passes through metal.

Do you guys know of a real good bit that is worth the crazy price?