Harbor Freight Black Friday 2012

11 Comments

1. Peter

   Oct 17, 2012

   Since I do not follow the prices at HF, how good/unusually low of a price is that really?

   US General 11 drawer 3-section tool storage cabinet – $149.99

   Thank you

   Reply

   • Stuart

     Oct 17, 2012

     The current price looks to be $200 with the “original” price given as $300.

     Reply

2. Rick

   Oct 17, 2012

   Aren’t all the products sold at Harbor Freight made in China though? There might be a sale, but if the items are made in China and the quality isn’t there, what merit would buying said products bring?

   Reply

   • Peter

     Oct 17, 2012

     Most of their stuff is made in China which might not be pc but their line of tool chests seems to be pretty good.

     Reply

3. Mike

   Oct 17, 2012

   Harbor freight is garbage guys anyone who cares about quality should never buy from there. Theres a few exceptions some of the things like jackstands and a couple floor jacks they offer are actually pretty decent. The toolboxes arent designed all that well,i have a few guys at work that have bought them(because they are cheap,you get what you pay for) for a starter box they are ok,but the small casters and thin gage metal leave things to be desired,they also dont seem very stable as most of their boxes arent very wide and overly tall.

   Reply

   • James N.

     Oct 18, 2012

     A lot of the stuff there is crap, but it has its place and I’m happy they exist. I use them mostly for backups or cheap introductions to tools I haven’t owned before.

     Stuff I’m satisfied with to just list a few:

     -Backup to the backup socket sets. They have the 1/4 socket sets that come with SAE/Metric sockets, ratchet, short extension, and a case for $3. Great as gifts and to keep an emergency set in the car. $3 is a very fair price; sure it’s crap quality, but I used it out of laziness one day when I just wanted to quickly take out my stereo, plug in a new working antenna, and get everything back together. It worked flawlessly and I didn’t even have to bust out the quality sockets and ratchets.

     – Backup torque wrenches for $10 each, with my CDI (Snap-on Company) primary torque wrenches. I have a digital torque adapter to calibrate them and they’re within the 4%.

     – Socket trays, Hansen style at about a third of the cost and they work just great for impact sockets (but I don’t use their impact sockets, even though others generally like them).

     – Cheap stuff like gloves, wire brushes, magnetic trays, battery terminal cleaning brush, screwdriver bits to be eaten up by my drill, etc.

     – Their “go-through” long screwdrivers are great. Huge long beasts where the shaft goes all the way through the handle and ends with a steel cap – really strong for under $10 for two. They also have a cheaper longer screwdriver set too.

     With that said, I’ve hit my HF limit and I haven’t made a purchase in a while since I’ve run out of stuff I need from them. Working on just buying high quality stuff to round out my tool collection.

     Reply

     • James N.

       Oct 18, 2012

       In case you’d like links to the products I mentioned:

       Forgot to mention their $10 breaker bars are great. A mechanic friend told me he’s been using it daily for seven years so far: http://www.harborfreight.com/12-drive-25-breaker-bar-67933.html

       http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-super-long-screwdriver-set-34253.html

       http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-16-inch-go-thru-screwdriver-set-65772.html

       http://www.harborfreight.com/100-piece-security-bit-set-68457.html

       http://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-metric-socket-trayorganizer-68102.html

       http://www.harborfreight.com/led-flashlight-mini-2-piece-9-led-3-12-69065.html

       My mistake, this backup socket set for $3 has 1/4″ sockets AND 3/8″ sockets with an adapter and a 3/8″ drive ratchet: http://www.harborfreight.com/40-piece-3-8-eighth-inch-and-1-4-quarter-inch-drive-socket-set-47902.html

       I also forgot to mention their many cheap ratchets, which I highly recommend. Someone on GarageJounal reviewed some of them for max torque and they held up fine against all the major branded ratchets. No, they won’t replace your Snap-on or even Gearwrench 84 tooth set, but for the specialty ratchets like rotohead, indexable, extendable, composite (light and extremely comfortable, but not the strongest in the torque department), double flex, and others, they’re mostly $10 and can’t be beat.

       Sorry for going on so long, I just feel being a snob about HF isn’t in your best interest. I’m not saying they’re a high quality brand at all, but they have their place in the world.

       Reply

4. Mike

   Oct 17, 2012

   This is great stuff if you’re in a throwaway situation – I work in an industrial setting with lots of acids and chemicals, and we go through a lot of Harbor Freight wrenches. If something gets dropped in a vat, you’re not going in after it, and you don’t feel too bad losing it. Or if you’re doing a one off project and need something quick. Otherwise, I’d rather spend the money and get something that’ll last for years and that I’ll enjoy using. Life’s too short for crappy tools!

   Reply

5. MikeH

   Oct 18, 2012

   I purchased their very high end, very large rolling tool cabinet and top chest and have been really pleased with it – it was at least half of a comparable chest and has very large heavy wheals and nice drawer slides – in a non-industrial situation it holds up great

   I have also purchased many of their tool which i use in situations where i wouldn’t use my good stuff (jamming a sawz-all into a hole to cut a tree root off low) – they are cheap, do the job and i don’t worry about ruining them – this place is low end but fulfills a need at a certain level – some of their stuff they even warranty now

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6. Matt

   Oct 20, 2012

   HF stuff is great for leaving in the car or trailer. No big deal if it gets ripped off, and if it only lasts that one time you need to make a repair in the field, also no big deal.

   Reply

7. todd

   Nov 15, 2012

   There are very few popularly known brand names made in the good ole USA. Even Snap on is not all US made. Here is information from “stillmadeinUSA.com”

   “Snap-on Tools: a business division of Snap-on Inc., Snap-on Tools Group manufactures tools for motor vehicle service and repair at 4 facilities in the U.S. (Elkmont, AL; Algona, IA; Elizabethton, TN; and Milwaukee, WI). Known for their franchised dealer vans, Snap-on tools are now also available online. Many, but not all, tools imprinted with the Snap-on name are made in US, other tool brands (including Blue Point) are imported. County of origin is provided for each product on the Snap-On website, so check before you purchase.”

   I will agree with you that there are many poor quality tools at Harbor Freight. Then again I have purchased many items from them that I am very satisfied with. I have a garage full of them actually. I can repair or build almost anything I need for my house or automobiles. If I had purchased Snap-On I would still be paying for my first set of wrenches. I do not need professional quality tools nor can I afford them. There’s been a number of times that I purchased a tool at Harbor Freight for the same price that it cost to rent one. When I am done, I get to keep it. I think Harbor Freight is the perfect store for the weekend warrior.

   Reply