"Jeffrey J. Kosowsky" wrote in message
...
Harbor Freight seems to have some very attractively priced power
tools, particularly those under the "Chicago Electric Power".

What has been your experience with Harbor Freight in general and with
the Chicago Electric brand in particular?
- How does the quality and value stack up?
- If one is a serious hobbyist who doesn't have unlimited money to
spend on tools, is it better to buy fewer name-brand, high-priced
tools or go for a broader range of Chicago Electric brand tools to
fill out my home shop?

Presumably you never get something for nothing so I imagine the
quality of a 29.95 sawzall type tool can't be as good as a $200
Milwaukee version... but that being said, is it worth buying this
stuff?

Please share your experiences and advice from a hobbyist perspective
(I know that if you use your tools professionally 8+ hours/day then it
pays to buy the best).

Thanks

I have on of their edge grinders (less than $20) for about three years.
Perhaps use it once a month so it does an adequate job for me.

$200 is kind of high for the saw. The price should be about $120. The
Chicago saw is not as powerful. I bought one from Sears for about $50 a few
years ago and am certain for what I had have used it for the Chicago would
have been good enough.