> I love Harbor Freight

Me too :-)

> Americans are too cheap to pay for quality

I would agree if you inserted the word "most" since I own Snap-On and IR tools along with LogRite (USA), Stihl, and Husky chain saws.

I pay for quality were it is needed or wanted, which usually means made in America or Germany.

 

When I go to the auto parts store I always ask where the parts are from before I order or buy. If they don't know I don't buy.. I go elsewhere.
I just bought 2 gas tanks a few months ago... made in Canada, I ok with that, also got some front brake rotors also from Canada.
But sometimes I get knock off parts... but not often. I try to keep my American truck just that.

 

i use to work for stilh from 02-05... and believe me they dont care much for quality anymore... its "how fast can we get this out" and "how cheaply can it be made" now.. they use to care about that in the past but not anymore...

ive got a mix when it comes to tools. Craftsman makes up the majority.. along with that i have MAC (not MAC co. 2 different companys similarly named) and snapon as well.. and theres also some Pittsburgh steel tools in there that ive gotten from HF too.. drill bits i got from them stink.. but hey get what you paid for i guess...

ive heard alot of great things about IR's pneumatic tools but never had the chance to own one myself

 

I had a saginaw pump die after runing for 5 minutes.

 

The firsdt set of brake rotors that I put on my Taurus were purchased from Ford and warped in about a year. The last set I put on were from AZ and made in China and lasted over two years before warping.

I'm no fan of foreign made products but Fords rotors were double the price with no warranty to speak of.

Tim

 

Don't you mean Matco?

http://www.matcotools.com/

 

yup... never noticed they had a T in their name before.. seen the trucks a million times even got their catalog downstairs (granted a few yrs old now so willing to bet the price list isnt right anymore lol) always thought it was mac co.. never got anything off their trucks though.. but have been in them... guy that handled our area his truck was always a mess... where the mac and snap on guys kept theirs nice and clean..

 

Strange you mention that cause I put a replacement rotor from Napa for $80 on my mercury and the thing warped after a few months and I dont hit the brakes hard unless its a "emergency" type of situation. So I am just going to throw those rotors away and I am saving up to get some heavy duty cross drilled and slotted rotors designed for my car from summit they are $65 - $75 a piece.

I also got brake pads from napa for my 82 F150 truck and with those pads (orignals were from oreill) if you hit the brakes firm its a metal on metal grinding and vibration which was never there even with the old chewed up rotor it didnt make noise.

I got brake shoes for a 89 E150 work van I worked on for fathers business. They came from napa and I couldnt get the brake drum back on with the shoes retracted all the way. Only way to get the drum back on was to remove the adjustment screw and hammer the brakes in. Sad thing is those shoes are called for on this van by napa. I went to oreilly got the shoes from them never had a problem.

So I think its something to do with the quality of napa parts so I stopped going there and I am starting to think thats why my rotor warped where the driverside one which is orignal from 1978 hasnt warped but the passenger side I replaced after previous owner let a stuck caliper warp it, it warped in under a year.

Now I did try to get a rotor for the car from Advance since thats where I got my calipers from (since they dont carry rebuild kits and the sales man kept telling me those kits dont replace everything which in reality theres only a square cut seal and a dust boot) but they told me it would take 2 to 3 weeks to get a rotor for the car. That is ****ing out of the question to wait that long for a part as common as a brake rotor.

 

> about IR's pneumatic tools

Been a few years, but I think most people agreed the 2131 was one of the best 1/2" impacts. Actually need to rebuild mine now.

 

When it comes to brakes I always get the Napa parts with lifetime warranty and I have used the warranty quite a bit as I have had my 86 150 for 13 years,but it shouldn't take 3 mastercylinders and 2 brake boosters before my truck will stop right and not leak brake fluid everywhere as thats what it took the second time I went to replace these parts under warranty,I have better things to do with my time then dealing with problems like this when a 45 min to 1hr repair now takes all day because of how many times you have to remove and replace a defective part.

 

yep I havent even replaced my pads or rotor that was from napa calipers I didnt have any problems with them but they came from advance. Im going to get the pads and rotors from summit next go around when i get the money.

I like most people got tired of going back and forth for wrong parts or parts that dont fit right