Harbor Freight Non-Gem

[MarkSingleton]

Joel H. said:

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Many things don't have to cost a mint to be useful.

Joel

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Exactly.

While waiting to find the USA made super tool ( read, no longer made) at a yard sale or estate sale, I have purchased a "throw away" HF tool.

Once I find the wanted "vintage, USA made, quality, old school, it will be around forever, and just work every time, all day long one" I can sell, give away, or throw out the HF tool.

[YSU65]

What about ,"Buy the best tool you can afford!" And, "Buy quality!!" and, "A bad workman blames his tools!!!"

So if I had to only buy Festool, great tools BTW, I would be golfing instead of woodworking with my HF tools. And I don't blame my tools when I make a mistake. I blame me.

There may be an opportunity to introduce a Six Sigma program in China. Interesting thought.......

[Steve N]

I don't believe it is feasible to equip a shop today with all American made tools, they are rare.

[packerguy®]

TomFromStLouis said:

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Frankly I amazed that people even go to HF. The false economy of throw away products never tempted me.

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But for some things that ARE throw away items......you save a ton.....like acid brushes, chip brushes, gloves, etc.

I know I get the acid brushes for like $2 there....same pack at rockler on sale is like $8.

[K. L. McReynolds]

Dollar Store. Packs of decent(wooden handle) foam brushes and decent bristle brushes(plastic handles) for $2 and $3.

I use the bristle brushes for priming and painting oil based products. Less expensive to use and throw away than clean.

[therick34]

TomFromStLouis said:

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Frankly I amazed that people even go to HF. The false economy of throw away products never tempted me.

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While I do think some folks get carried away with purchases from HF, a generalization dismissing them as false economy is also incorrect. If you ever have use for nitrile gloves, you should try them from HF, especially when they're on sale. They are the same or better quality than you'd get at any other store for darn near half the price. There are other gems (the flooring nailer comes to mind), but for some disposables it's a false economy to shop elsewhere.

Table saws, routers, blades? Not a chance. Disposables including gloves, paint strainers, acid brushes, etc.? Absolutely.

Just my two cents.

Rick

[TomFromStLouis]

kompera said:

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...Go nuts hating the store….

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Way to generalize.

I don't "hate" any store. Hate takes lots of energy I don't care to give to place I simply have no use for.

So lemme get this straight. I can save maybe $4 or $5 on a bag of acid brushes which last me ten years, but buying foam brushes are a waste of my hard earned money. I might save some money on disposable gloves over the ones I got online: many more hundreds of pennies saved on an item I replenish every five or ten years.

And if I use just one extra gallon of gas to save all these pennies I have broken even financially and exposed myself to a store full of cheap crap that makes me think about when we will run out of landfill space.

I have read a number of HF threads and here is my conclusion: IF I were just starting out and had nothing whatever AND I wanted to use F style clamps (which I do not use), then go there and load up and while you are there pick up some acid brushes and nitrile gloves and do not even consider anything else. You're right: great store.

[Arlin Eastman]

HF does sell a small tabletop bandsaw that I got 7 years ago and I put it together and tuned it up and it has worked great for everything I needed.

Arlin

[packerguy®]

TomFromStLouis said:

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So lemme get this straight. I can save maybe $4 or $5 on a bag of acid brushes which last me ten years, but buying foam brushes are a waste of my hard earned money. I might save some money on disposable gloves over the ones I got online: many more hundreds of pennies saved on an item I replenish every five or ten years.

And if I use just one extra gallon of gas to save all these pennies I have broken even financially and exposed myself to a store full of cheap crap that makes me think about when we will run out of landfill space.

I have read a number of HF threads and here is my conclusion: IF I were just starting out and had nothing whatever AND I wanted to use F style clamps (which I do not use), then go there and load up and while you are there pick up some acid brushes and nitrile gloves and do not even consider anything else. You're right: great store.

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I think your take is a bit one sided.

Fact is there is alot of stuff there worth buying. You dont need to be poor and starting out. I spend probably $500 a year on gloves, brushes, etc.....beats paying twice that at the next cheapest source. Sure if you buy a box of gloves every 5 years, why bother saving a few bucks. I agree. But I buy maybe 50-75 boxes every five years. Thats a bunch of money.

I have some of their F clamps......the price is hard to beat compared to the jorgeys....which I also have.

There is a lot of junk there.....sure.....all stores have cheap junk......I never understood why people complain about stores like HF or even walmart for example. They fill a need.....and thats why they have been open for so long. I am sure a lot of it is the same reason cities have multiple grocery stores, all selling the same products....but people sat oh, I would never shop at such and such store, but buy the same stuff at a different store...so its OK.

[Steve N]

packerguy® said:

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They fill a need.....and thats why they have been open for so long.

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This is proven daily by the number of people passing through their doors. To say you won't shop there because some of the products come from a country you don't like just has you paying 3 to 5 times the price for the exact same product. I have principles, I do not have Crazy principles.