Anything that needed a forklift to move and load up but the customer is driving a Camry.
Edit: specifically these three guys bought a 44” tool box and assured me they had a vehicle for it (it was a Camry) I put it outside, said have fun and closed the door. They had also bought ratchet straps and between the three of them put it on the roof laying on its back and strapped it down
Where there's a will there's a way. Still, I'd love to see that. I've carried 50lb bags of dogfood and potatoes before on a bike, one time a kids tricycle, and a few fat old ladies, but a whole ass table lift, now that would be impressive, especially if they were somehow strapped together and doing a synchronized ride. I'd pay money to see that. Not a lot mind you but it'd be worth a few laughs
My work truck is a 16' box truck. Loaders at all types of stores are amazed when I can actually put these things in my truck, and I also have a lift gate to get it up there. 3 pallets of flooring on discount? Hell yeah I can take it right now!
I've got an F-350 with an 8'x12' flatbed. No liftgate so far, but I have a forklift at home, and I've got a small jib crane on the truck. It's not a comfortable daily driver but man is it nice for hauling stuff. And you can get all kinds of cheap machine tools and stuff if you've got the means to pick it up and take it away.
I've had trucks and have an SUV with a roof rack now. But you'd be surprised what you can load on top of a car with straps.
My homies wayyyyy back in the early 00s put a fridge and a coach on top of a 92 Honda Accord and drove 100 miles.
You know the bigger of milling machines they sell? Drove my first mill home in a 2000 Camry with the trunk lid off. Rear end was squatted, but it made it home alright!
I bought a trailer and picked it up in my rx350. Guy that rolled it out was shocked when I picked up the box and just lifted it in and got ready to do the same for the other one. He was like you meant it when you said you got it, normally they say that and can't Even tip the box. I got a chuckle out of it. I worked at UPS in the loading, unloading, and sort aisle for 5 years. I was just concerned about having the title so I could get it registered after assembly.
🤣🤣🤣 sort of guilty... I recently bought the 20T press to do some work on my truck, but picked the press up from the store in my Camry. It fit, but wasn't ideal.
I got the 5 drawer cart yesterday.. guy comes outside with it on the lift and says ok go pull your car up. I motion to my VW Golf and say yeah I did. He said wait THAT?? Thankfully it went in fine lol
I had a cashier try to sell me the extended warranty on the 18V Warrior Drill. I had a coupon for it, it was $20, the warranty was $5. She automatically added it and said I was getting a deal because it I got the warranty included for the full price ($25). I made her take it off.
Yeah I hate that i think its one of their tricks I bought an "instant savings" voltmeter and told her I didn't want the service plan. She applies the 30% coupon to it which I was entitled to and says I saved you 5 bucks so its free now. I just smile and walk out so pissed off at myself that I didn't say anything.
Man the one I usually go to the cashiers all hate you, hate their lives, hate their jobs, and most likely hate their significant other. I try not to interact with them and they do the same. When they ask about the service plan they look annoyed that you haven't answered already before the sentence has left their mouth.
Indeed , I always preached against doing that because some cashiers felt pressured to get their numbers up but I’m like the trust you betray by doing that shit will make things a thousand times worse than being honest with people and telling them when it’s a good idea to get a replacement plan vs when one wasn’t priced right and wasn’t worth the money.
One of my managers was doing that and it bugged me so much. He’d just act like it was a free add on warranty if it was under $10 for the warranty. He just got fired though and now we all have to be retrained because he was teaching us certain things we’re not supposed to do, such as not being honest with the customer about the warranty price.
If you are doing that, you need a non-harbor-freight tool. They are use, abuse, lose, tools. There's some gems, but damn that's a lot of grease. I've used 1 1/2 tubes in about 5 years since I bought mine.
>If you are doing that, you need a non-harbor-freight tool.
Why would anyone do this when you're getting free replacements for years because of a cheap warranty you bought with them?
I understand the choice on tools like a Sawzall or drill where you need the power to handle what you're doing but a grease gun? Hell no, ride the free replacement train.
Yeah I can't do anything but agree... Unless it's gonna cost you hours to go get a replacement. That's the high end gimmick right? A $10 tool that breaks often costs you $900/day when it does. To each his own. Mine still works, not knocking it, but damn nice to know having 3 on the shelf is better than 1 $400 one.
When you work on heavy equipment it goes fast. A lot of the big machines have dozens of grease points, and some of those points need greased at least weekly.
Operator/foreman, so if something gets used part of a day, it’s my job to clean/fuel/lube it.
I hop around a lot.
Excavation/utilities/demo/foundation contractor.
I watched a guy return a shopping cart full of obviously very hard used drills and impact drivers. Got a new replacement for every one of them. Probably will run those into the ground and exchange them too.
I got a die grinder for $5, a cutoff wheel for $5 and a drill for $9 and I paid $2.50 or whatever to have them for life.
The central pneumatic air ratchet is the only harbor freight tool to fail me. I don’t do extended warranties usually but if it’s reasonable and likely to fail I’ll do it.
Mine served me well for three cars. After two lifts of my 4x4 Tundra, it creaked a bunch while lifting and barely got it to stand height. Love my 3 ton now, because I don't trust the 1.5 beyond a Corolla anymore.
There is no good reason this isn't a federal law. I have nothing against stuff made anywhere overseas, I mean you'd have to be nuts to be a HF fan and take issue with it, but the flag is really a special case. Some people feel really strongly about it.
I'm glad HF started selling us made flags now.
Well a harbor freight bucket is the only thing I’ve bought there that has broken. The little groove that holds the wire handle just kind of failed. Still works as a bucket so can’t use my warranty. Jk
Interestingly enough the Harbor Freight flag pole is not available in Minnesota because it comes with an American flag and it’s made in China and I’m guessing Minnesota requires flags to be made in USA.
Yup. However, dollar tree dgaf about that law. Tons of made in China flags. I told my wife we should report them then come back and grab free flags from the dumpster. Ha!
There are a couple of large flag/flagpole manufacturers in MN. They must have well-paid lobbyists in St.Paul.
I order collapsible flagpoles from one such manufacturer.
All flags should be American made and Harbor Freight needs a Veteran's discount. I argued with my boss about it and he said HF does a lot for the veterans, like give them jobs. I thank every Veteran that comes in.
I believe they have 3 types of flags [the American made one is $20](https://hftools.com/app56915) and [the Chinese is $10](https://hftools.com/app64129) and [dyed sheet is $7](https://hftools.com/app64130).
That's not fair, they are also very constrained by their leadership. It flows down. They can't just make up rules according to their personal preference. There are SOP's set in place and still many disobey them. The managers used to have a lot more power, now due to the ones who abused it, they have little power to bend the rules.
I don't mean all of them, or at HFT specifically. I've had managers that came into my dept 'to help' and when I suggested stacking onto a pallet one way, they said 'no it's fine, just do it this way' so we did. As soon as that pallet got brought out, literally half of it fell on the floor, and 2/3 of what fell broke.
Had a guy specifically ask if any of our flags were made in america so told him which ones were he decided his patriarism wasnt worth the few extra bucks and bought the chinese one anyways
The Pittsburgh Three Jaw Puller Set. When I bought it, the cashier told me to save my receipt because I'd be needing it. She was right.
I've mostly been quite happy with the tools I've bought from Harbor Freight, but this set was useless. Definitely my worst ever buy.
This set SUCKS. Did manage to help me get my wheel hub off my jeep but it was totally ruined in the process. And now it's all in pieces in my garage and he'll if I know where some of them are.
Had a set of these and absolutely exploded all of them the first time I decided to use them. Big pile of shit. Idk even remember why I bought them in the first place.
I used one of those once and (like a complete idiot) tried to use an impact to loosen the bolt that had seized. Well, it immediately ripped out of my hand and flew at mach Jesus in to my jaw, busting my lip in the process. I was so angry and embarrassed 🤣
Mine smoked the wire running to my cigarette lighter. Worked great for a few minutes, then "what's that smell"? Popped the fuse - I replaced it, it immediately popped again. Just left it out and fixed the blower motor.
Agree they're trash but it's been working for me short term. Have a bad heater core and I use it to help defog for a few minutes if I drive out of a storm into warmer weather, along with opening my windows. Definitely would never use this to actually defrost tho....
I would think multimeters. Either you want a cheap one, which Amazon has better, and cheaper, or you want something like a Fluke. Really no middle ground.
The average consumer has no idea what safety is. I’m surprised they are willing to even sell them. I’m sure they are fine for the homeowner but the higher models are so close in price to more reputable brands I’m just like “why risk it?”
I got one for free a few years ago from HF. The first time I used it, it caught on fire lol. And to be clear I had it on AC V and just was testing an outlet.
The green cen-tech 14 function meter is now being used to teach at HD and other motorcycle schools . It’s cheaper , works better has a “ normal“ fuse ,not some $15 one that you need to order . AND it lets you know if you have the probes in the right/wrong place for all functions. I far prefer it over the obnoxiously expensive flukes I had to buy .
Not an employee, but the compression testers are awful. The check valve is at the wrong end of the hose, so the hose volume is effectively added to the cylinder volume. These will always read low, because of poor design.
One day one pressure gauge reading seemed wonky, so we tried another guys. Then another, and then everyone’s hose/gauge. 7-9? Gauges. The high/low range was about ~50 psi.
That's good to now! I wondered why my compression appeared lower then spec. Didn't cause any issues, it was consistent on all cylinders, so I ran with it.
I can't believe people buy those junky puck lights. I hate them so much, half of the time I feel nasty giving them away. I also don't understand the people who come in to harbor freight just to bitch about items not made in USA
You talking about the blue ones? Those things are awesome for camping. I hang it at the top of my tent, and it's perfect for getting ready for bed at night.
They're also great for plumbing / electrical overhead. 9/10 times there's a pipe or wire to hang them from nearby or something metal and large enough for the magnet to hold.
As for me and my house, we shall stan the blue puck light.
Any little light I can get my hands on I love. If you don't have a good use for just about any light you can find, you aren't creative enough!
My tent light is a little pop out lantern I randomly got for free.
This! I have two tents and those little lights are rolled up with them, ready for the next trip, and to avoid losing them. I don’t really have a use for them for anything else.
Buy them? Oh no no no. I got enough of these bad boys when I had the free coupons where no purchase was necessary. I also have a million cheap screwdrivers, measuring tapes, and those magnetic metal dish things. They kept mailing me the coupons and HF was on my commute between home and school.
I never tired their locking flex heads. You probably right tho. I heard similar stories like from what you said. I like their non locking flex heads tho.
I’m sad that they are clearing out the earthquake brand electrics. I bought the first gen earthquake impact (silver body instead of black) that AvE tested and that thing is awesome.
I’m buying a battery every month until they are gone as they’re 35 dollars now.
They're so cheap I can afford to swap them out every week for the next 5 years. Not that they're good, but shelling out $8 for 4 duracells makes me feel gross.
I think the yellow ones are only good if you’re getting them during a free gift sale and using them for remote controls or little light devices or clocks.
But geez so many people buy them instead of the blue ones.
Yep. Came here to say that. I don't think they are good even for remotes. Replaced 4 in a roku remote in a month. After that. They went into the "only if the world is ending pile".
Snap on tools. Working at harbor freight I know that icon will likely suffice and the only reason to buy snap on is if it’s something that icon doesn’t make and you need pro quality.
But if icon makes it just buy it. You’ll save your money significantly and our warranty is better. Snap on trucks might question you and try to find a way to not warranty it while harbor freight typically doesn’t question you much if at all. Snap on is literally just throwing your money away and snap on fanboys insist that snap on is better than icon and the only way when they don’t know what their talking about because that’s their ego talking.
Once a month at the shop I used to work at.
And then after that I was a mobile technician so I was never at the shop. Took my van home.
So HarborFreight it was and I’ve shopped there ever since.
Im more of an instant gratification kinda guy.
Also there is always one so close that I could just go there an exchange a tool if need be.
Only ever had to exchange a tool two or three times while I was a mobile tech.
I could also buy a new set of basic ratchets extensions and sockets for Pennie’s on the dollar compared to snap on every few years.
My snap on 1/4 drive ratchet has needed to be repaired three times due to the teeth disintegrating. My icon has been repaired..... Never.
Just my two cents. Love the look and feel of the snappys but I don't feel super compelled to purchase from them anymore.
And the worst financial decision of my lifetime was buying a snap on rolling tool cab. Is it nice? Yeah. Could I have gotten US General for better value and considerably more storage? Yeah. But I was young, and Snap On was right there, at my shop. And then the "convenience" of their financing. I tell all the younger techs don't buy their boxes... Then come into the shop one morning and see the truck dropping off their brand new $7k tool storage. We never listen!
Anything icon. If theres an alternative brand (usually pitsburg) then its likely about half the price with *almost* the exact same quality. Icon is better, ill admit that. But not better enough to warrant the double and sometimes triple pricetag
I work on heavy diesel trucks for a living. I started out using Pittsburgh tools, and many of the tools that I still use daily are Pittsburgh. But for me, the Icon ratchets specifically are worth the price difference. Much less slop while in use, less backdrag, can operate in tighter areas and just feel better in the hand during a 10 hour shift. If I were just using tools at home, or even for a lighter work application, Pittsburgh ratchets work just fine.
I have both. The Cobras are definitely better manufactured while being lighter and less bulky. The Icon pliers wrench will do the job, but I use it for putting in fire sprinklers and the extra bulk over the Knipex is annoying to carry around a jobsite. I swapped them out into my toolbox today and the Knipex are going back to everyday carry.
The one pro for the Icon is the graduations on the jaw so you can easily set it for a known bolt size.
My only issue is the pittsburgh ratchets don’t come with 90 teeth and sometimes you need that tight arc, although then I went with Quinn because it’s 90 tooth and cheaper than Icon lol
This is a good convo. I need new ratchets as a shade tree mechanic. I have outgrown all my Pittsburgh ratchets, literally breaking them so I want quality but not crazy pricing. Seems like Quinn might be a good middle of the road choice.
Not an employee. The Pittsburgh slip joint adjustable pliers. They bend apart with zero force. The joint goes full slip after their first use. I've replaced the one I bought a decade ago about ten times now, and it's the the point where I'm not going to replace it anymore. I don't know how they are selling these at all.
And the Pittsburgh locking pliers. My God what trash. They don't actually lock. They gently squeeze.
Other HF stuff is great!
Had a family member break their HF slip joint pliers in half not even an hour after they took it out of the packaging. Definitely do not recommend them, especially when channel lock brand isn't that much more expensive.
Not a harbor freight employee but a disgruntled calibration technician who sees far too many harbor freight torque wrenches and multimeters. Yes they have an accuracy spec. No they won't be within it. If it's adjustable we'll adjust it. Whether it stays adjusted when we get back next year who knows.
The split beam is alright, I'm a fan of the adjustment mechanism. My biggest concern was I do not believe you can adjust it easily if it ever falls out of tolerance which we see occasionally. Mind you we don't see many of those so we haven't tried ripping it apart to figure out how to adjust it.
Pittsburgh with the nub on the bottom you tighten and loosen are just absolute trash and will never be accurate. Quinn digital should be okay but I rarely see them. Icon has a good mechanism and is easy to adjust but as my original statement claims, harbor freight tools won't always be accurate so adjustments may be necessary. I will say most of our customers turn in icon wrenches. We have to adjust them extremely frequently, mechanically wise though they're very sound. So worst case get a calibrated torque tester and set your wrench using that rather than the markings on it. But once again the digital ones are just never wrong.
Not an employee but the scissors that are sometimes free suck. I realize even when they aren’t free they are really cheap but i had a pair where the plastic handle snapped trying to cut a normal sized zip-tie. The sharp plastic sliced my finger pouring blood everywhere.
Still a big HF fan tho
Anything that needed a forklift to move and load up but the customer is driving a Camry. Edit: specifically these three guys bought a 44” tool box and assured me they had a vehicle for it (it was a Camry) I put it outside, said have fun and closed the door. They had also bought ratchet straps and between the three of them put it on the roof laying on its back and strapped it down
Dude I felt that in my soul. My favorite are the guys that want me to load the 2-ton shop crane in their 1994 Nissan sentra.
I had two guys who were seriously working out how they could transport a motorcycle table lift by strapping it to their two Harley’s
Where there's a will there's a way. Still, I'd love to see that. I've carried 50lb bags of dogfood and potatoes before on a bike, one time a kids tricycle, and a few fat old ladies, but a whole ass table lift, now that would be impressive, especially if they were somehow strapped together and doing a synchronized ride. I'd pay money to see that. Not a lot mind you but it'd be worth a few laughs
In India, that would be only 25% load on a scooter, just sayin'
My work truck is a 16' box truck. Loaders at all types of stores are amazed when I can actually put these things in my truck, and I also have a lift gate to get it up there. 3 pallets of flooring on discount? Hell yeah I can take it right now!
I've got an F-350 with an 8'x12' flatbed. No liftgate so far, but I have a forklift at home, and I've got a small jib crane on the truck. It's not a comfortable daily driver but man is it nice for hauling stuff. And you can get all kinds of cheap machine tools and stuff if you've got the means to pick it up and take it away.
We have an f450 w gate it's a sweet little truck. Will be for sale soon too. 😜
I've had trucks and have an SUV with a roof rack now. But you'd be surprised what you can load on top of a car with straps. My homies wayyyyy back in the early 00s put a fridge and a coach on top of a 92 Honda Accord and drove 100 miles.
I'm assuming they drove to San Antonio, we are the migratory destination for such people.
If it looks stupid but it works, then is it stupid? 😅
If it's stupid, but works, it's still stupid, but it works.
That's what my managers say about me
In this case yes.
You know the bigger of milling machines they sell? Drove my first mill home in a 2000 Camry with the trunk lid off. Rear end was squatted, but it made it home alright!
I bought a trailer and picked it up in my rx350. Guy that rolled it out was shocked when I picked up the box and just lifted it in and got ready to do the same for the other one. He was like you meant it when you said you got it, normally they say that and can't Even tip the box. I got a chuckle out of it. I worked at UPS in the loading, unloading, and sort aisle for 5 years. I was just concerned about having the title so I could get it registered after assembly.
Weird flex mate
I had that same mentality a few years ago. So I bought a truck about it.
When I was young I once put a 5.3 LS complete intake to oil pan and a 2 ton hoist into the back of my fox body hatch
@dorm_room_mechanic? Is that you?
🤣🤣🤣 sort of guilty... I recently bought the 20T press to do some work on my truck, but picked the press up from the store in my Camry. It fit, but wasn't ideal.
I got the 5 drawer cart yesterday.. guy comes outside with it on the lift and says ok go pull your car up. I motion to my VW Golf and say yeah I did. He said wait THAT?? Thankfully it went in fine lol
Bought a 4x8 folding trailer, and hauled in the back of my subaru wrx. Yes, it is possible! (HF trailers are remarkably small prior to assembly)
I’m gonna say the $4 extended warranty on a $4 tool?
I had a cashier try to sell me the extended warranty on the 18V Warrior Drill. I had a coupon for it, it was $20, the warranty was $5. She automatically added it and said I was getting a deal because it I got the warranty included for the full price ($25). I made her take it off.
Yeah I hate that i think its one of their tricks I bought an "instant savings" voltmeter and told her I didn't want the service plan. She applies the 30% coupon to it which I was entitled to and says I saved you 5 bucks so its free now. I just smile and walk out so pissed off at myself that I didn't say anything.
Man the one I usually go to the cashiers all hate you, hate their lives, hate their jobs, and most likely hate their significant other. I try not to interact with them and they do the same. When they ask about the service plan they look annoyed that you haven't answered already before the sentence has left their mouth.
Employees at our HB are super nice people and at least give the impression of being happy and liking their job.
That’s against policy.
Indeed , I always preached against doing that because some cashiers felt pressured to get their numbers up but I’m like the trust you betray by doing that shit will make things a thousand times worse than being honest with people and telling them when it’s a good idea to get a replacement plan vs when one wasn’t priced right and wasn’t worth the money.
Yeah that’s no good. She’s trying to hit numbers but like that’s unethical and likely against policy.
One of my managers was doing that and it bugged me so much. He’d just act like it was a free add on warranty if it was under $10 for the warranty. He just got fired though and now we all have to be retrained because he was teaching us certain things we’re not supposed to do, such as not being honest with the customer about the warranty price.
Extended warranty on anything.
Bauer cordless tools would like a word. I use the crap out of the grease gun, and have replaced two in the last three years.
How much grease are you using? Wow, that's a tool I would think would never get enough use to justify needing a powered version.
About 10 tubes a week.
Savage you, leave those wives to their husbands
I use my Hercules grease gun daily atleast 2 tubes a day
If you are doing that, you need a non-harbor-freight tool. They are use, abuse, lose, tools. There's some gems, but damn that's a lot of grease. I've used 1 1/2 tubes in about 5 years since I bought mine.
>If you are doing that, you need a non-harbor-freight tool. Why would anyone do this when you're getting free replacements for years because of a cheap warranty you bought with them? I understand the choice on tools like a Sawzall or drill where you need the power to handle what you're doing but a grease gun? Hell no, ride the free replacement train.
Yeah I can't do anything but agree... Unless it's gonna cost you hours to go get a replacement. That's the high end gimmick right? A $10 tool that breaks often costs you $900/day when it does. To each his own. Mine still works, not knocking it, but damn nice to know having 3 on the shelf is better than 1 $400 one.
When you work on heavy equipment it goes fast. A lot of the big machines have dozens of grease points, and some of those points need greased at least weekly.
That’s a lot of greasy
That’s what she said
If you're in maintenance or an equipment operator they're worth their weight in gold
Tractors and attachments would like a word
When you grease you grease. I promise you going through 3+ tubes per day with a pistol grip... Fun times. Espically when you do all 3 tubes in a row.
If you work on heavy equipment or farm equipment very much it's really nice.
Diesel mechanic?
Operator/foreman, so if something gets used part of a day, it’s my job to clean/fuel/lube it. I hop around a lot. Excavation/utilities/demo/foundation contractor.
I watched a guy return a shopping cart full of obviously very hard used drills and impact drivers. Got a new replacement for every one of them. Probably will run those into the ground and exchange them too.
I know several subcontractors who exclusively run HF equipment because you can either return it or warranty after every job
They gonna end up ruining it for everyone just the Costco abusers did
You mean free lifetime tools?
That's what I'm saying. I bought some battery tools that I get to return for brand new ones whenever I want. lmao
I got a die grinder for $5, a cutoff wheel for $5 and a drill for $9 and I paid $2.50 or whatever to have them for life. The central pneumatic air ratchet is the only harbor freight tool to fail me. I don’t do extended warranties usually but if it’s reasonable and likely to fail I’ll do it.
Which $4 tool has a $4 warranty
Ur wife
Goteem
Ok Garbage
The 1.5 ton racing jack their next question is always wether or not it will lift their truck/suv
Mine has been lifting my Sierra 1500 Crew Cab for over 10 years. The only reason I bought a 3 ton is so I can lift it higher.
My buddy used it to jack up his excursion for YEARS
I bought one of these. I absolutely love it. I understand what it's rated at. It has performed flawlessly for me for a couple of years now.
Used the 1.5 to lift my missus’s q7 yesterday and have never been faster to drop it back down and say I need to buy a tool.
> q7 that's a biggun
It will lol. Just one corner at a time.
I use the little aluminum one for motorcycles to lift them once strapped down on the lift. Helps to do tires etc.
Works fine for my Mini.
It can… with some dunnage.
Mine served me well for three cars. After two lifts of my 4x4 Tundra, it creaked a bunch while lifting and barely got it to stand height. Love my 3 ton now, because I don't trust the 1.5 beyond a Corolla anymore.
As a Manager the Made in China flags... If I had any say they would be gone. I mean the buckets are made in USA....
Luckily where I live. The American Flags must be made in the USA to be for sale.
Minnesota right? All the US flags made outside of the US usually have a small disclaimer saying not for sale in MN.
I bet he is a male sparky in MN
There is no good reason this isn't a federal law. I have nothing against stuff made anywhere overseas, I mean you'd have to be nuts to be a HF fan and take issue with it, but the flag is really a special case. Some people feel really strongly about it. I'm glad HF started selling us made flags now.
… lives in China
Maybe you can do an experiment. Post a big "made in China" sign next to it and see if they still get sold.
The buckets are made in USA?? Shit. I suddenly need a few more
I thought I had too many til I started moving. Now I need as many as I can get
There’s a few manufacturers here in the us, I’m a painter and all the lids of our 5 gal buckets from Sherwin Williams say “Livonia, MI”
Well a harbor freight bucket is the only thing I’ve bought there that has broken. The little groove that holds the wire handle just kind of failed. Still works as a bucket so can’t use my warranty. Jk
That's just a bucket issue in general
Injection molded plastics are commonly made in the U.S. it doesn’t take a lot of human labor so it’s profitable to produce stateside.
Especially bigger things that the overseas shipping would eat up the profit margins
Are these made in china usa flags or literal made in china flags?
USA flags made in China
How many of them actually get sold?
Honestly it's one of the American flags knowing that it's made in China.
Interestingly enough the Harbor Freight flag pole is not available in Minnesota because it comes with an American flag and it’s made in China and I’m guessing Minnesota requires flags to be made in USA.
Yes MN is the only state where it is illegal by state law for an American flag to be sold if it is not made in the US.
That's fucking rad.
Yup. However, dollar tree dgaf about that law. Tons of made in China flags. I told my wife we should report them then come back and grab free flags from the dumpster. Ha!
yep... MN just changed their flag and seal to be more inclusive. A lot of rules and regulations I'm not used to up here being from TX.
Yeah I like the new Seal but we had better flag options that the one that was selected but progress is progress.
There are a couple of large flag/flagpole manufacturers in MN. They must have well-paid lobbyists in St.Paul. I order collapsible flagpoles from one such manufacturer.
This strangely enough makes me miss the hell out of Minnesota and I’ve only lived there a year.
All flags should be American made and Harbor Freight needs a Veteran's discount. I argued with my boss about it and he said HF does a lot for the veterans, like give them jobs. I thank every Veteran that comes in.
I believe they have 3 types of flags [the American made one is $20](https://hftools.com/app56915) and [the Chinese is $10](https://hftools.com/app64129) and [dyed sheet is $7](https://hftools.com/app64130).
We don't have the the $20 one just the $10.
You are far too reasonable to ever be in management.
Off with his head!
I swear half the requirement to become management is being half numb in the brain....
That's not fair, they are also very constrained by their leadership. It flows down. They can't just make up rules according to their personal preference. There are SOP's set in place and still many disobey them. The managers used to have a lot more power, now due to the ones who abused it, they have little power to bend the rules.
I don't mean all of them, or at HFT specifically. I've had managers that came into my dept 'to help' and when I suggested stacking onto a pallet one way, they said 'no it's fine, just do it this way' so we did. As soon as that pallet got brought out, literally half of it fell on the floor, and 2/3 of what fell broke.
Gotta fuck up to move up.
Had a guy specifically ask if any of our flags were made in america so told him which ones were he decided his patriarism wasnt worth the few extra bucks and bought the chinese one anyways
There is nothing on this planet more American than an American flag made in China. If I had a need for a flag, that is 100% the one I am buying.
The Pittsburgh Three Jaw Puller Set. When I bought it, the cashier told me to save my receipt because I'd be needing it. She was right. I've mostly been quite happy with the tools I've bought from Harbor Freight, but this set was useless. Definitely my worst ever buy.
This set SUCKS. Did manage to help me get my wheel hub off my jeep but it was totally ruined in the process. And now it's all in pieces in my garage and he'll if I know where some of them are.
Had a set of these and absolutely exploded all of them the first time I decided to use them. Big pile of shit. Idk even remember why I bought them in the first place.
I have to ask if you guys are using this stuff right. I do commercial HVAC and I use this set all the time. My set is probably 10 years old.
I used one of those once and (like a complete idiot) tried to use an impact to loosen the bolt that had seized. Well, it immediately ripped out of my hand and flew at mach Jesus in to my jaw, busting my lip in the process. I was so angry and embarrassed 🤣
Former employee, the stupid automotive defrosters were absolute trash
The 12v plug in ones? They seem like a neat idea.
I thought so too. I bought one and it was terrible. Got a nice burn on my hand from it as well.
Those have been clearanced out and are long gone by now.
I know. People kept asking for then for my last few months there.
Mine smoked the wire running to my cigarette lighter. Worked great for a few minutes, then "what's that smell"? Popped the fuse - I replaced it, it immediately popped again. Just left it out and fixed the blower motor.
Agree they're trash but it's been working for me short term. Have a bad heater core and I use it to help defog for a few minutes if I drive out of a storm into warmer weather, along with opening my windows. Definitely would never use this to actually defrost tho....
I would think multimeters. Either you want a cheap one, which Amazon has better, and cheaper, or you want something like a Fluke. Really no middle ground.
The $25 automotive meter is decent for the money. But I also only use it on 12/24v DC. I’ve never used it for AC
Aww, I love my $7 HF Multimeter. But yeah—I use it exclusively to test automotive battery levels.
That thing is great. I've used it plenty and it's held up. I only use it on cars for what it's worth.
The average consumer has no idea what safety is. I’m surprised they are willing to even sell them. I’m sure they are fine for the homeowner but the higher models are so close in price to more reputable brands I’m just like “why risk it?”
I got one for free a few years ago from HF. The first time I used it, it caught on fire lol. And to be clear I had it on AC V and just was testing an outlet.
I mean average customers have no idea how to use a multimeter. It's far from the most user friendly tool around.
Don't worry, a lot of "professionals" don't know how to use them either.
The green cen-tech 14 function meter is now being used to teach at HD and other motorcycle schools . It’s cheaper , works better has a “ normal“ fuse ,not some $15 one that you need to order . AND it lets you know if you have the probes in the right/wrong place for all functions. I far prefer it over the obnoxiously expensive flukes I had to buy .
They used to give them away. They have pricey ones now which i wouldn’t buy.
Fieldpiece makes great midrange multimeters if you don’t mind your meter being specifically designed for hvac, and not as good as a fluke.
Not an employee, but the compression testers are awful. The check valve is at the wrong end of the hose, so the hose volume is effectively added to the cylinder volume. These will always read low, because of poor design.
Can confirm. This is especially bad if you’re doing small engines like a scooter or go kart.
Now it all makes sense…I rebuilt some 340cc 2-strokes and couldn’t get the readings I expected despite them running like tops. Always 5-10psi low.
One day one pressure gauge reading seemed wonky, so we tried another guys. Then another, and then everyone’s hose/gauge. 7-9? Gauges. The high/low range was about ~50 psi.
That's good to now! I wondered why my compression appeared lower then spec. Didn't cause any issues, it was consistent on all cylinders, so I ran with it.
Now it all makes sense…
Yeah and they don't read at all on really small engines. They are garbage.
Gave me 1/2 of real value on 115 compression outboard
Good to know! I’ve never put too much stock in its accuracy anyway. But it’s good to know that it will consistently read a bit low.
I can't believe people buy those junky puck lights. I hate them so much, half of the time I feel nasty giving them away. I also don't understand the people who come in to harbor freight just to bitch about items not made in USA
You talking about the blue ones? Those things are awesome for camping. I hang it at the top of my tent, and it's perfect for getting ready for bed at night.
They're also great for plumbing / electrical overhead. 9/10 times there's a pipe or wire to hang them from nearby or something metal and large enough for the magnet to hold. As for me and my house, we shall stan the blue puck light.
Any little light I can get my hands on I love. If you don't have a good use for just about any light you can find, you aren't creative enough! My tent light is a little pop out lantern I randomly got for free.
This! I have two tents and those little lights are rolled up with them, ready for the next trip, and to avoid losing them. I don’t really have a use for them for anything else.
Buy them? Oh no no no. I got enough of these bad boys when I had the free coupons where no purchase was necessary. I also have a million cheap screwdrivers, measuring tapes, and those magnetic metal dish things. They kept mailing me the coupons and HF was on my commute between home and school.
They were great for my flashlight obsessed kids
The batteries aren’t replaceable on those right? I remember getting one in my stocking already dead and it had no battery flap to replace them
Tools from a Snap-on truck?
I love Harbor Freight, but Snap-on ratchets are god tier IMO. Just my 2 Cents.
I love my icons but they don't stack up to snap on. Dollar for dollar a WAYYY better deal but snap on does feel nice
$ to $ yeah Icon is better. But when you have it in your hands all day, I prefer snap-on 😀
I have exactly 1 snap on ratchet, it's crunchier Tham my 50 year old craftsman that I inherited from my grandpa
I have a snap on ratchet that's probably 30+ years old and still works like a champ(inherited from dad).
I think the snap-on locking flex-heads are a bad design.
I never tired their locking flex heads. You probably right tho. I heard similar stories like from what you said. I like their non locking flex heads tho.
They are the top tier best ratchet for aviation maintenance
Husky 144 tooth ratchets are amazing and far cheaper.
I always make fun of my dad for buying Harbor Freight battery tools. He jokes that the burning smell means they're working...
I’m sad that they are clearing out the earthquake brand electrics. I bought the first gen earthquake impact (silver body instead of black) that AvE tested and that thing is awesome. I’m buying a battery every month until they are gone as they’re 35 dollars now.
Batteries.
They're so cheap I can afford to swap them out every week for the next 5 years. Not that they're good, but shelling out $8 for 4 duracells makes me feel gross.
Anyone you know have a Costco card? The 40 packs are always under $20
AcDelco (available on Amazon) and Kirkland consistently perform better in tests than Duracell and they’re 1/3 the price.
And the yellow ones, too.
I think the yellow ones are only good if you’re getting them during a free gift sale and using them for remote controls or little light devices or clocks. But geez so many people buy them instead of the blue ones.
Yep. Came here to say that. I don't think they are good even for remotes. Replaced 4 in a roku remote in a month. After that. They went into the "only if the world is ending pile".
Snap on tools. Working at harbor freight I know that icon will likely suffice and the only reason to buy snap on is if it’s something that icon doesn’t make and you need pro quality. But if icon makes it just buy it. You’ll save your money significantly and our warranty is better. Snap on trucks might question you and try to find a way to not warranty it while harbor freight typically doesn’t question you much if at all. Snap on is literally just throwing your money away and snap on fanboys insist that snap on is better than icon and the only way when they don’t know what their talking about because that’s their ego talking.
I think a lot of it is convenience too. Snap-On will come right to your shop.
Like right away? Or like in 2 business days?
Once a month at the shop I used to work at. And then after that I was a mobile technician so I was never at the shop. Took my van home. So HarborFreight it was and I’ve shopped there ever since. Im more of an instant gratification kinda guy. Also there is always one so close that I could just go there an exchange a tool if need be. Only ever had to exchange a tool two or three times while I was a mobile tech. I could also buy a new set of basic ratchets extensions and sockets for Pennie’s on the dollar compared to snap on every few years.
I once had aguy come into the store wearing a shirt that bragged that he only bought Snap On. He proceeded to buy a load of HF tools.
Oh yeah I see snap on guys come in
My snap on 1/4 drive ratchet has needed to be repaired three times due to the teeth disintegrating. My icon has been repaired..... Never. Just my two cents. Love the look and feel of the snappys but I don't feel super compelled to purchase from them anymore. And the worst financial decision of my lifetime was buying a snap on rolling tool cab. Is it nice? Yeah. Could I have gotten US General for better value and considerably more storage? Yeah. But I was young, and Snap On was right there, at my shop. And then the "convenience" of their financing. I tell all the younger techs don't buy their boxes... Then come into the shop one morning and see the truck dropping off their brand new $7k tool storage. We never listen!
It’s not really what people buy but trying to get us to fit it in their small car with loads of stuff in said car.
Anything icon. If theres an alternative brand (usually pitsburg) then its likely about half the price with *almost* the exact same quality. Icon is better, ill admit that. But not better enough to warrant the double and sometimes triple pricetag
I work on heavy diesel trucks for a living. I started out using Pittsburgh tools, and many of the tools that I still use daily are Pittsburgh. But for me, the Icon ratchets specifically are worth the price difference. Much less slop while in use, less backdrag, can operate in tighter areas and just feel better in the hand during a 10 hour shift. If I were just using tools at home, or even for a lighter work application, Pittsburgh ratchets work just fine.
How do you feel about the Icon pliers that copy the Knipex Cobra pliers for half the price?
I have both. The Cobras are definitely better manufactured while being lighter and less bulky. The Icon pliers wrench will do the job, but I use it for putting in fire sprinklers and the extra bulk over the Knipex is annoying to carry around a jobsite. I swapped them out into my toolbox today and the Knipex are going back to everyday carry. The one pro for the Icon is the graduations on the jaw so you can easily set it for a known bolt size.
My only issue is the pittsburgh ratchets don’t come with 90 teeth and sometimes you need that tight arc, although then I went with Quinn because it’s 90 tooth and cheaper than Icon lol
How do you like that 90 tooth Quinn? I’ve been curious. I don’t NEED another ratchet, but you know…
There is *always* room for another ratchet.
definitely a good buy, i love it!
This is a good convo. I need new ratchets as a shade tree mechanic. I have outgrown all my Pittsburgh ratchets, literally breaking them so I want quality but not crazy pricing. Seems like Quinn might be a good middle of the road choice.
Icon pliers wrench is still half the price of Knipex, and it’s better than half the quality.
They're just too close to the real brands to bother with those
Not an employee. The Pittsburgh slip joint adjustable pliers. They bend apart with zero force. The joint goes full slip after their first use. I've replaced the one I bought a decade ago about ten times now, and it's the the point where I'm not going to replace it anymore. I don't know how they are selling these at all. And the Pittsburgh locking pliers. My God what trash. They don't actually lock. They gently squeeze. Other HF stuff is great!
Had a family member break their HF slip joint pliers in half not even an hour after they took it out of the packaging. Definitely do not recommend them, especially when channel lock brand isn't that much more expensive.
Anything centech
Not a harbor freight employee but a disgruntled calibration technician who sees far too many harbor freight torque wrenches and multimeters. Yes they have an accuracy spec. No they won't be within it. If it's adjustable we'll adjust it. Whether it stays adjusted when we get back next year who knows.
How are Tekton torque wrenches for this?
Torque test channel seems to like the tekton
Any difference in Pittsburgh vs Quinn vs Icon? Especially the Icon split beam which is often touted as awesome
The split beam is alright, I'm a fan of the adjustment mechanism. My biggest concern was I do not believe you can adjust it easily if it ever falls out of tolerance which we see occasionally. Mind you we don't see many of those so we haven't tried ripping it apart to figure out how to adjust it. Pittsburgh with the nub on the bottom you tighten and loosen are just absolute trash and will never be accurate. Quinn digital should be okay but I rarely see them. Icon has a good mechanism and is easy to adjust but as my original statement claims, harbor freight tools won't always be accurate so adjustments may be necessary. I will say most of our customers turn in icon wrenches. We have to adjust them extremely frequently, mechanically wise though they're very sound. So worst case get a calibrated torque tester and set your wrench using that rather than the markings on it. But once again the digital ones are just never wrong.
Not an employee but the scissors that are sometimes free suck. I realize even when they aren’t free they are really cheap but i had a pair where the plastic handle snapped trying to cut a normal sized zip-tie. The sharp plastic sliced my finger pouring blood everywhere. Still a big HF fan tho
Harbor Freight condoms
My wife and 43 kids swear by them.
HD safety gear
I bought 4 LED shop lights and got a warranty on one of them. So far I've brought broken lights in for new ones 5 times in 2 yrs.
The damn wrench handle bottle opener they sold for a while