Carl Finch on mon 2 may 05
44677...)
At 08:10 AM 5/2/2005, Ken Nowicki wrote:
>Here's my take on Harbor Freight...
>
>It is what it is.
>
>Yes, most of what they sell is cheaply made,
>overseas... usually made in China, etc.
>
>Yes, if you want quality, long lasting tools,
>look elsewhere.
>
>But... on some rare occasions... a tool from
>Harbor Freight might come in handy.
I couldn't agree more. And maybe on occasions not even so rare.
>Case in point.
>Recently, I needed a die-grinder to [...]
My case was similar. I needed to drill holes in a concrete block wall. As
a child I watched my father hammer for hours on a star drill to do this,
and in my younger days I've done it myself--aaack! The tool of choice is
called a "rotary hammer" (an electric drill on steroids that hammers as it
drills). I could have rented one, but as I develop my workshop I'll be
needing it again from time to time. New ones from Bosch or Milwaukee cost
something like $200 and up (way up).
So I bought the Harbor Freight version for $59.95 (it was "on sale" down
from $120, I think).
But there was a catch--since it was a new tool for me, I didn't know how it
should work (sparse instructions) nor whether it was to have the sort of
'floating' bit it seemed to have. A call to HF's tech support led me to
conclude that the bit should not be loose, so I took it back to HF for an
exchange. I went through four other rotary hammer samples there until I
found one that held its bits more snugly. (Given the way it hammers, it
may well be that this axial play I experienced may not have been a problem
after all)
So my personal rules about Harbor Fright (sic) come down to this:
1. Only buy tools for recreational use (OK, I really mean occasional
use). For production work get the good stuff, as Jonathan, Mel, and others
have advised (and if, as Phil passionately bemoans, it even exists
anymore!). Obviously ones financial situation comes into play here, too.
2. Know enough about the tool or item to be able to judge whether the HF
version is even up to the intended use.
3. Try out the tool immediately. HF stuff has a reputation for failing
fast--or lasting for a while.
4. If it isn't on sale, wait. It seems that most of HF's stuff comes up
on sale pretty regularly, and the "savings" are frequently 50% over their
"regular" prices.
--Carl
in Medford, Oregon
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