this post was submitted on 06 Nov 2023
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Asklemmy
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You're usually fine using a cheap item. If you use it enough to break it, then you need a quality item.
Ah the old Harbor Freight rule
Obligatory Iโve been using the same $20 impact socket set professionally for 20 years and its fine
Hmm. Kinda rhymes with "garbage crate". Horrible store. I'm never going back.
I've always been partial to "hazard fraught"
I disagree with it being garbage though. It's true, most of their merchandise isn't the highest quality, but when you need a tool for just one project that you don't already own and can't seem to borrow from anyone it's a great place to get that tool on the cheap, and for some oddball tools there's may be no convenient place to track them down.
I was recently working on a small project I needed a router for. In this case I was able to borrow a router from a friend but he only had one bit for it and it wasn't one I needed. If you haven't priced out router bits recently, they tend to go for like $20-30 a piece from the usual big retailers.
I was able to get a set of 15 bits from harbor freight for about $30-40 and they did exactly what I needed them to.
I'm sure they probably won't last as long as the good bits, but for how often I need a router these will probably last me the rest of my life.
Needed a rivnut tool for a different project a few months ago, and nowhere else around me carries them, beat waiting a couple days for one from Amazon.
Also have a bike rack from them that's doing the job just fine, and a handful of little weird tools for various hobbies.
I wouldn't trust them for anything my life or livelihood depends on, but for little incidental things I can't borrow or find anywhere else they do just fine.
Both of the tools I tried from there failed hard and fast. The first was a rotary tool. I ended up keeping the plastic and using a motor from a printer instead until I bought my Foredom.
The second was a vibratory tumbler. After running it for a few hours, I walked into my garage to find it filled with smoke and the acrid smell of burning electrical equipment.
I took it back to the store for a refund and the manager threatened me, saying that he wouldn't let me make any more returns after bringing back an obviously defective piece of garbage.
Glad you had a better experience, but that place is definitely not for me.
Hand tools are fine 99%. Cutting tools--the part that actually does the cutting--are usually fine. Power tools are very hit or miss. Like, I would definitely not buy any cordless or corded tools there. Air tools are generally okay, but don't work as well as other, more expensive air tool brands. OTOH, I've used a Harbor Freight flooring stapler that failed in under a day of use, while the Husky branded stapler did just fine for a few years. Impact sockets are good, although they're limited on sizes (I don't think that they have anything bigger than 22mm). I've been using a Harbor Freight floor jack and jack stands for a few years now without issue.
I concur with that general rule!