WD wrote:
Took my wife to a newly enlarge JoAnn Fabric Store this afternoon and found that
it's next door neighbor will soon be Harbor Freight.

Within an approx. five Miles' radius we have Two HDs, a Lowes, two Cummins
Tools, Costco, Woodcraft and Aces Hardware and not too far off we have Paxton
Liberty Hardwood and Schutte Lumber.

If woodcraft is your hobby or profession, it's like paradise.... Maybe Lee
Valley might even open a store here in the not too distance future (just
kidding)?

Not bad huh?

In my experience you need to be VERY selective as to what you get at
Harbor Freight. I will admit that it is a GREAT place to visit for tool
junkies but I have probably replaced about one third of the tools and
virtually all of the power tools I've gotten from Harbor Freight. I
have concluded that they are ok for general purpose, hack around hand
tools but if you do serious woodworking their tools are a liability more
than a cost savings. I can't see saving $100 on a tool that could
potentially ruin that fine piece of figured Cherry you are trying to
mortise.

I have found their tools to be insufficiently hardened, wrong alloys, or
are poorly machined and might be out of square or have easily stripped
threads, etc. You need a hammer? Great, maybe they can supply a useful
one. You want some cheap furniture pads to transport your finished work?
HF is a bargain. You need a smoothing plane? Get a good one - it will
last a lifetime and every cut will be satisfying rather than curse
generating.

TWS