The Millermatic 252 went kaput at work today so I picked up

http://www.harborfreight.co...taf?itemnumber=93793

It'll do until I can get the Miller fixed, but hey, it throws a pretty decent bead





What other good stuff have you guys gotten from the freight?

[This message has been edited by RideZiLightning (edited 08-11-2009).]

I got an electric flyswatter that was pretty cool.

quote Originally posted by WhiteDevil88: I got an electric flyswatter that was pretty cool.

X2 My daughter decided to test it. She now knows it works. She will not be testing it twice.

As for me, it would be slipper toe pry bars. They cost $10 for a set of 4 and they retrieved my stuck axle from my tranny. Nothing else would work. All hail slipper toe pry bars.

Jim

[This message has been edited by jimbolaya (edited 08-11-2009).]

When I buy things from Harbor Freight, I buy them because I need them for 1 project and they are cheap. I bought a 4" angle grinder to remove some one-way security bolts. The grinder was $10.00 and I figured it would be worth it rather than spending hours trying to hacksaw hardened bolts. 5 years later, it is the most used tool in my garage for custom metal working and still going strong. They even gave me a set of new brushes for the motor and I am on the original set. I would love to get one of their welders but don't have 220volt power at my house.

[This message has been edited by IMSA GT (edited 08-11-2009).]

quote Originally posted by IMSA GT: When I buy things from Harbor Freight, I buy them because I need them for 1 project and they are cheap. I bought a 4" angle grinder to remove some one-way security bolts. The grinder was $10.00 and I figured it would be worth it rather than spending hours trying to hacksaw hardened bolts. 5 years later, it is the most used tool in my garage for custom metal working and still going strong. They even gave me a set of new brushes for the motor and I am on the original set. I would love to get one of their welders but don't have 220volt power at my house.

Same deal with a couple die grinders I have

No 220, not ever for your stove or washer/dryer? You can wire up two 110s at your breaker, easiest way

I bought a $79 2hp 4 gallon air compressor 8 years ago and it passed away about two weeks ago. Their new ad has a 2hp 8 gallon for $89 so i'll be picking up one of those soon. I've also got the pry bar set, the angle grinder plus I have an apple peeler that my 4 yr old loves.

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--Dillon
Green 1987 GT 5spd
Black 1986 SE V6 Auto - 3800SC Swap in Progress
"And this one time, on the Fiero Forum..."

Not a bad bead, but I think your skill might just have a little to do with that.

Nice though.

Steve

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Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: Not a bad bead, but I think your skill might just have a little to do with that. Nice though. Steve

lol thank you

I've never used a HF welder before, and with how everyone always talks about them I was surprised

My HF cherry picker works awesome still, and I put an 8 ton air ram from HF on it as well

Works amazing

HF sure put many tool rental stores out of business.

I still can’t comprehend how they can sell an item like a 55 lb anvil at a price far less than the shipping cost must be. Next they will be selling us 50 lb bags of Chinese sand at a bargain price.

we call tools from HF chinap-on, pronounced chin-app-on (aka chinese snap on).

These are suicide tools but work great for when you dont want to cut a snap on or craftsman wrench in half. I do have a HF cherry picker, and although the hydraulic likes to leak down now and then, it gets the job done. I also like to use their cheapo gravity feed spray guns to spray ceramic coat, because I wont use my accuspray gun for that nasty stuff.

I buy tons of stuff there. A lot of times I need some kind of specialty tool I need for a one time use. ie/ needed one of those 2' long rivet guns to put in two rivets in a door handle...only time ive needed it in 20 years. New one at auto store was over $200. Since I figured Id never need it again, i spent $19 for cheapo at HF. Worked fine and now I dont even know where it is and really dont care...maybe it even got thrown away.

As much as I would like a Miller or Lincoln welder, I can't afford (or justify) one of the nice ones. So, I also picked up a HF Dual Mig (the 151). The duty-cycle isn't the longest, but for what I need to weld, it is more than adequate.

I have mixed feelings, though. I'd love to 'buy American' on this kind of thing, but what budget Mig welder is available that is in the price range, and also made in America? Are the Miller or Lincoln units still made here?

HF has some decent things, but also has a lot of cr@p, too. I like things like the nitril gloves (saves hands while working on greasy stuff), o-ring, clevis pins, etc assortments. Again, trying to find something similar in a 'regular' store is either impossible, or more than 5X the cost, and _many_ times ends up being made in the same place in china besides!

(Where is that giant 'reset' button on our industry?)

blakeinspace and I purchased a coordless impact wrench. I have use it several times and love it, blake still hasn't enjoyed the power of the wrench. That's what he gets for letting me keep it at my place.

I buy a lot of stuff from Harbor Freight.

Truth be told, a lot of the expensive NAME BRAND tools are actually made in China, and more often than not, you can get those same tools from HF with just a different badge.

For example, Hobart makes a high quality 220 volt SPOT welder. They sell it for over $500 bucks.

Harbor Freight sells the EXACT SAME spot welder under the name of Chicago Electric (or something). The tool is 100% identical... I mean, there is no difference at all... literally, and they sell it for just over $200.


But you need to be careful, much of the stuff that is made at HF is crap. Like, I would never get a set of socket bits from them, I woudl still go Husky, Craftsman, Stanley, or Blackhawk or something like that... you know.. forged and cryotreated.

Otherwise, they have some good stuff for dirt cheap.

Their BIG power tools (like a drill press) is usually the same thing as the Sears Craftsman drill press too...


Their power drill and electric screw drivers are all garabage tools though... but they're cheap, and you can use them until they break basically. Definitely not Dewalt or Makita quality.

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Todd,
2008 Jeep Patriot Limited 4x2
2002 Ford Explorer Sport 2dr 4x2
2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6
1981 EZ-GO Xi875-A "Miami Dolphins" Medical Cart
1973 Volkswagen Type-2 Transporter

quote Originally posted by Tom Slick: blakeinspace and I purchased a coordless impact wrench. I have use it several times and love it, blake still hasn't enjoyed the power of the wrench. That's what he gets for letting me keep it at my place.

speaking of... I want my half back...

or just cut the darn thing in two...

quote Originally posted by blakeinspace: speaking of... I want my half back... or just cut the darn thing in two...

that would involve us going back to HF to buy a saw, I'll
meet you there after work.

[This message has been edited by Tom Slick (edited 08-13-2009).]

I have a HF cherrypicker, works well and I even leave it outside most of the time...

I buy alot of the random socket stuff and abrasives that I use on things I do not want to look super nice. Bags, and tool box type stuff is most likely the next highest purchased thing for me.

I get random welding gear there, but nothing very expensive... typically just magnets, angle gauge, wire, and maybe a few little wear parts for my hobart mig.