Harbor Frieght

[90fastiva]

So I just place and order on harbor freight for a new shop vise. With a few codes and searching around I got a free screwdriver set ( yea the cheap one but don't mind if I break those) and a free tarp. All together spent right at 40 bucks. Cheapos or not I love buying new tools!!

[Hot_Wheels]

I bought there blue vise i think 6in? It felt hevay duty and worked for some projects but it didnt last very long!! the nut stripped out in less then a month and fell apart! Its cheap cast. I may buy another one and get the warranty or look into a craftsman or similar? You would think you could go cheap on a vise because its not very mechanical but i was wrong!

[skeeters_keeper]

After using my dad's cheap northern tool vice for years, and a handful of other cheap vices, when I was ready to start equipping my own shop I looked for 6 months to find the right vice. I loved our Wilton that we have at work. But they are pricey! Still, I watched CL and yardsales - one day I went to a yard sale and got the vice of my dreams. A 6" wilton with pipe jaws. This one: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too..._245473_245473

$10

One of the most loved pieces of equipment in my shop. I took it all apart, cleaned it, greased it, painted it. It opens and closes like butter and holds anything I could want it to! Add in a set of hardwood and aluminum jaws and you can use it for anything.

Moral of the story is: watch for good deals and get a good vice. You'll thank yourself every time you use it.

[Gomez]

Nate, you should add that to my Tool Porn thread. Maybe it will jumpstart the thread a little.

[90fastiva]

Well good thing is if it does not last I didn't spend much on it. I have had some luck and some not so much with cheap tools in the past.

[skeeters_keeper]

Don't get me wrong, I buy a lot of cheap tools - I love HF! I even have a HF cross slide vice on my drill press. I've just found for a bench vise an older heavy duty one really takes the cake.

[scitzz]

Don't get me wrong, I buy a lot of cheap tools - I love HF! I even have a HF cross slide vice on my drill press. I've just found for a bench vise an older heavy duty one really takes the cake.

Yup! HF is the bomb diggity, yo!

You just have to know what to buy and what to avoid, and sometimes, you are the one doing the learning. When you learn something good or bad, share it out!

I have a Wilton I picked up on the cheap, but the base is wobbly, still have to figure out why...

[Gomez]

The $8.99 3/8" Harbor Freight "Pittsburgh" ratchets that are rubber coated are the best ratchets I have. I used them at work all day and regularly put well over my body weight on it. Super smooth and very strong. I have yet to break one and would much rather use it than any of my Snap-On or Matco ratchets.

[scitzz]

The $8.99 3/8" Harbor Freight "Pittsburgh" ratchets that are rubber coated are the best ratchets I have. I used them at work all day and regularly put well over my body weight on it. Super smooth and very strong. I have yet to break one and would much rather use it than any of my Snap-On or Matco ratchets.

Really? I have been using the same craftsmen ratchets, 3/8 and 1/2 inch for quite a long time, but wouldn't mind expanding my sets. I haven't been brave enough to try them.

[1990new]

The $8.99 3/8" Harbor Freight "Pittsburgh" ratchets that are rubber coated are the best ratchets I have. I used them at work all day and regularly put well over my body weight on it. Super smooth and very strong. I have yet to break one and would much rather use it than any of my Snap-On or Matco ratchets.

I agree with you, when I left my 3/8 Penncrest ratcht that I had been using for over 42 trouble free years at the junk yard last year, I bought one of these to replace it.
It appear to be a good quality tool...works great for me.

[skeeters_keeper]

The composite ratchet? I have one too - I picked it up as a cheap JY tool. Haven't been able to break it yet! And the handle isn't cold in the winter because its plastic.

I still grab my craftsman first... but it was a surprisingly good ratchet. I really really like the extendable 1/2" drive HF ratchet too. Its like always having a pipe!

[DriverOne]

The HF 750-lb engine stand was actually listed as being one of the best cheapo stands, exceeding the 750-lb capacity by over 2x!

[HOT ROD ARTICLE]

[LINK TO HF STAND]

I go to Harbor Freight almost exclusively. The only time I go elsewhere is when I can't find the parts at HF. My next stop is usually Northern Tool, and then Sears, Ace Hardware, Lowe's, Home Depot, and so forth. There's even a place called Tri-Star Imports in Seneca that has more cheap goodies, and pictures of Jesus in several skin-colors...

[90fastiva]

I bought a strut spring compressor from there for the festiva and it worked great. So figure I try it out on dads truck and it has about 400 lbs springs and I greased it up good and it did great. I love HF. If this vise don't work o well lol.