Just curious, which HVLP Paint gun did you buy from Harbor Freight? I'm
thiinking of buying one of their turbine type sprayers (no air
compressor needed).

davefr wrote:
Like I said, it depends on the tool. You're rolling the dice.
Several
of there tools that are actually acceptable and represent pretty good
value.

However most of them are unfit for any reasonable use. If you only
get one usable tool for every 4-5 you purchase then you have been
penny wise and pound foolish.

I think their upper end air tools are decent. Feedback on their
cheapy angle grinders is also pretty good.

However I would never touch any of their tools where precision or
cutting is a requirement. An example if their cordless drills. You
can actually wobble the chuck laterally!!

I bought one of their 1/2 HP 6" bench grinders. What total garbage.
The motor is so gutless it stalls out at the slightest load. I
measured the running amperage and it was only 2 amps. (another
deceptive HP rating)

On the other hand I bought one of their $2.99 digital multimeters.
It's perfectly acceptable for basic use. If I need precision I'll
dig
out my Fluke, but for simple continuity tests or rough voltage
measurements it's OK.


(davefr) wrote in message
. com...
90% of them are pure junk not fit for the intended purpose. The
other
10% are OK for occassional use.

Forget these HF dregs and buy known quality tools that you can
trust
and that will help you achieve quality work.

Chicago Electric is a brand name intended to decieve the consumer
into
thinking these are made in the USA. Chicago Electric along with
Pittsburg Forge, and Central Pnuematic are farmed out to the lowest
cost/lowest quality manufacturers in China.

Buy quality and you'll only say ouch once. Buy this crap and
you'll
curse and swear every time you use it and eventually get so
frustrated
it'll go in the garbage can.


ender (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 been eyeballing HF power power tools for about a year. I finaly
brokdown and told my wife to get me a combo disk/belt sander for
Cristmas as an experiment. It was the central machienry brand 4" belt
with a 6" disk. On christmas day I assembled it pluged it in and
fooled around with it for about 10 minutes. It seemed to be
acceptable. I did not expect it to last very long because it was
CHEAP. The other day I needed to use it for real the first time. I
turned it on Its motor was bound up and it literaly went up in smoke.

I dont use some of my more than others this was one I knew I would not
use every weekend but when I had a use for it, it would be very handy
to have.

I think this exeriment can be dubed a colosal failure. I tried to
return it but could only get store credit which is fine I love HF. But
I think I will stick to buying thier disposable hand tools, saw blades
ect.

I am an avid woodworker and It is a good rule of thumb you get what you
pay for when you buy power tools. HF power tools are great for a one
time project after that the tool will probably just colect dust in a
garage.

The argument of buying a cheap tool to learn with I find very strange.
Why not buy a good tool that is easy to use. I makes learning much
easier and fun.

"tablesawnut" wrote in message
The other day I needed to use it for real the first time. I
turned it on Its motor was bound up and it literaly went up in smoke.

I think this exeriment can be dubed a colosal failure. I tried to
return it but could only get store credit which is fine I love HF.

I am an avid woodworker and It is a good rule of thumb you get what you
pay for when you buy power tools.

The argument of buying a cheap tool to learn with I find very strange.
Why not buy a good tool that is easy to use. I makes learning much
easier and fun.

All this and you "love HF"???

I don't live near any of their stores to actually see the tools first hand,
but I've not been tempted to order anything based just on stories like
yours.

"tablesawnut" wrote:

I am an avid woodworker and It is a good rule of thumb you get what you
pay for when you buy power tools. HF power tools are great for a one
time project after that the tool will probably just colect dust in a
garage.

The argument of buying a cheap tool to learn with I find very strange.
Why not buy a good tool that is easy to use. I makes learning much
easier and fun.



The two exceptions to this are the 4" angle grinder which can sometimes be
found for as low as $12, and the 7x10" machinist's lathe which has sold for
as little as $250 in the past and gets very good reviews from folks who
seem to know what they are talking about. My angle grinder takes a licking
and keeps on ticking. If it ever stops, it goes in the trash with few
regrets.

LD

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:


"tablesawnut" wrote in message
The other day I needed to use it for real the first time. I
turned it on Its motor was bound up and it literaly went up in smoke.

I think this exeriment can be dubed a colosal failure. I tried to
return it but could only get store credit which is fine I love HF.

I am an avid woodworker and It is a good rule of thumb you get what
you pay for when you buy power tools.

The argument of buying a cheap tool to learn with I find very
strange. Why not buy a good tool that is easy to use. I makes
learning much easier and fun.

All this and you "love HF"???

I don't live near any of their stores to actually see the tools first
hand, but I've not been tempted to order anything based just on
stories like yours.




I've got a store nearby, but based on what I've seen there I would NEVER
buy anything from them online - even clamps.

The two exceptions to this are the 4" angle grinder which can sometimes be
found for as low as $12, and the 7x10" machinist's lathe which has sold
for
as little as $250 in the past and gets very good reviews from folks who
seem to know what they are talking about. My angle grinder takes a licking
and keeps on ticking. If it ever stops, it goes in the trash with few
regrets.

LD

Ah the old argument, cheap v expensive tools.
I'm in UK so no HF here but we have our equivalents and I assume that the
same Chinese tool factory supplies our retailers.
I have a number of cheap 4 1/2" angle grinders. They're great tools. Not as
powerful as the top line stuff so I take a little longer on a job. That's
not a problem for a hobbyist. I take the view that even top grade tools fail
eventually. If you have spent all of your $ on one of those, then you are
stuck. I have a few cheap grinders so when one fails I always have a
replacement. I can also have them set up with different wheels for the same
job. e.g. one for cutting, one for grinding.
The other side of the argument is whether the tool will actually do the job.
This is when cheap = nasty. When you need accuracy or you are relying on one
tool, pay for quality. I carry good quality tools in my car so that I don't
have to carry more than one of each. In the workshop, space is not so much
of a premium so I may risk cheaper tools.
It is not always the case that cheap = poor quality. Many Chinese tools are
now very good indeed. When I was maintenance engineer in a sawmill, a local
supplier sold spanner sets (6 - 19mm) for £2.99. That's 1/4" - 3/4" for
about $3. In 5 years we never had a spanner fail and, believe me, they were
used hard every day. We lost a few but who cares at that price.
The difficulty is spotting quality in a tool. If anyone can tell me how to
do that without reference to the brand name, please do so.

John

Have bought lots of stuff from HF and like it. Can't beat it for
non-precesion tools like clamps, rulers, misc, etc. I needed a cheap router
for some jobs that I only do a few times a month so picked one up for $49
and it has worked out great. Picked up a really nice drill press for $40
and it has been better than expected. If I were to use a router on a
regular basis I would have got a good one and it would have cost me a couple
of hundred bucks. So, as was said, you get what you pay for. Only you know
"how much tool" you need. As far as waiting and spending all of your $$ to
get a top quality tool is not always the wisest thing to do either. Use
some common sense and you will be fine.


"tablesawnut" wrote in message
ps.com...

davefr wrote:
Like I said, it depends on the tool. You're rolling the dice.
Several
of there tools that are actually acceptable and represent pretty good
value.

However most of them are unfit for any reasonable use. If you only
get one usable tool for every 4-5 you purchase then you have been
penny wise and pound foolish.

I think their upper end air tools are decent. Feedback on their
cheapy angle grinders is also pretty good.

However I would never touch any of their tools where precision or
cutting is a requirement. An example if their cordless drills. You
can actually wobble the chuck laterally!!

I bought one of their 1/2 HP 6" bench grinders. What total garbage.
The motor is so gutless it stalls out at the slightest load. I
measured the running amperage and it was only 2 amps. (another
deceptive HP rating)

On the other hand I bought one of their $2.99 digital multimeters.
It's perfectly acceptable for basic use. If I need precision I'll
dig
out my Fluke, but for simple continuity tests or rough voltage
measurements it's OK.


(davefr) wrote in message
. com...
90% of them are pure junk not fit for the intended purpose. The
other
10% are OK for occassional use.

Forget these HF dregs and buy known quality tools that you can
trust
and that will help you achieve quality work.

Chicago Electric is a brand name intended to decieve the consumer
into
thinking these are made in the USA. Chicago Electric along with
Pittsburg Forge, and Central Pnuematic are farmed out to the lowest
cost/lowest quality manufacturers in China.

Buy quality and you'll only say ouch once. Buy this crap and
you'll
curse and swear every time you use it and eventually get so
frustrated
it'll go in the garbage can.


ender (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 been eyeballing HF power power tools for about a year. I finaly
brokdown and told my wife to get me a combo disk/belt sander for
Cristmas as an experiment. It was the central machienry brand 4" belt
with a 6" disk. On christmas day I assembled it pluged it in and
fooled around with it for about 10 minutes. It seemed to be
acceptable. I did not expect it to last very long because it was
CHEAP. The other day I needed to use it for real the first time. I
turned it on Its motor was bound up and it literaly went up in smoke.

I dont use some of my more than others this was one I knew I would not
use every weekend but when I had a use for it, it would be very handy
to have.

I think this exeriment can be dubed a colosal failure. I tried to
return it but could only get store credit which is fine I love HF. But
I think I will stick to buying thier disposable hand tools, saw blades
ect.

I am an avid woodworker and It is a good rule of thumb you get what you
pay for when you buy power tools. HF power tools are great for a one
time project after that the tool will probably just colect dust in a
garage.

The argument of buying a cheap tool to learn with I find very strange.
Why not buy a good tool that is easy to use. I makes learning much
easier and fun.

We use several HF / Central Machinery tools in our business and have found
they are either go bad right away or they last a good while. We bought a
Central Machinery demiliton rotary hammer last Wedsnday and have already put
8 hours on it. It has paid for itself twice already. $59.00 vs $349.00 for a
name brand. We have several. nail and brad guns and have never had a problem
with any of them. $19.99 for a 2" brad nailer !!!! I love it!!! I don't
worry about theft near as much. You don't see any HF tools in a pawn shop.

AZCRAIG

www.azcraig.us
Vintage Travel Trailer Restorations and Repairs


"tablesawnut" wrote in message
ps.com...

davefr wrote:
Like I said, it depends on the tool. You're rolling the dice.
Several
of there tools that are actually acceptable and represent pretty good
value.

However most of them are unfit for any reasonable use. If you only
get one usable tool for every 4-5 you purchase then you have been
penny wise and pound foolish.

I think their upper end air tools are decent. Feedback on their
cheapy angle grinders is also pretty good.

However I would never touch any of their tools where precision or
cutting is a requirement. An example if their cordless drills. You
can actually wobble the chuck laterally!!

I bought one of their 1/2 HP 6" bench grinders. What total garbage.
The motor is so gutless it stalls out at the slightest load. I
measured the running amperage and it was only 2 amps. (another
deceptive HP rating)

On the other hand I bought one of their $2.99 digital multimeters.
It's perfectly acceptable for basic use. If I need precision I'll
dig
out my Fluke, but for simple continuity tests or rough voltage
measurements it's OK.


(davefr) wrote in message
. com...
90% of them are pure junk not fit for the intended purpose. The
other
10% are OK for occassional use.

Forget these HF dregs and buy known quality tools that you can
trust
and that will help you achieve quality work.

Chicago Electric is a brand name intended to decieve the consumer
into
thinking these are made in the USA. Chicago Electric along with
Pittsburg Forge, and Central Pnuematic are farmed out to the lowest
cost/lowest quality manufacturers in China.

Buy quality and you'll only say ouch once. Buy this crap and
you'll
curse and swear every time you use it and eventually get so
frustrated
it'll go in the garbage can.


ender (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 been eyeballing HF power power tools for about a year. I finaly
brokdown and told my wife to get me a combo disk/belt sander for
Cristmas as an experiment. It was the central machienry brand 4" belt
with a 6" disk. On christmas day I assembled it pluged it in and
fooled around with it for about 10 minutes. It seemed to be
acceptable. I did not expect it to last very long because it was
CHEAP. The other day I needed to use it for real the first time. I
turned it on Its motor was bound up and it literaly went up in smoke.

I dont use some of my more than others this was one I knew I would not
use every weekend but when I had a use for it, it would be very handy
to have.

I think this exeriment can be dubed a colosal failure. I tried to
return it but could only get store credit which is fine I love HF. But
I think I will stick to buying thier disposable hand tools, saw blades
ect.

I am an avid woodworker and It is a good rule of thumb you get what you
pay for when you buy power tools. HF power tools are great for a one
time project after that the tool will probably just colect dust in a
garage.

The argument of buying a cheap tool to learn with I find very strange.
Why not buy a good tool that is easy to use. I makes learning much
easier and fun.

On Sun, 16 Jan 2005 06:22:51 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:


"tablesawnut" wrote in message
The other day I needed to use it for real the first time. I
turned it on Its motor was bound up and it literaly went up in smoke.

I think this exeriment can be dubed a colosal failure. I tried to
return it but could only get store credit which is fine I love HF.

I am an avid woodworker and It is a good rule of thumb you get what you
pay for when you buy power tools.

The argument of buying a cheap tool to learn with I find very strange.
Why not buy a good tool that is easy to use. I makes learning much
easier and fun.

All this and you "love HF"???

I don't live near any of their stores to actually see the tools first hand,
but I've not been tempted to order anything based just on stories like
yours.




like any vendor, there are the good ones and the bad.

Porter Cable routers are among the best made. PC's detail sander seems
in the running on the most useless tool thread.


Harbor Freight's 2 HP dust collector gets good reviews. their bench
grinders, OTOH....

s wrote:
....
...PC's detail sander seems
in the running on the most useless tool thread.
....

I think that particular rap is on the detail sander as a tool itself,
not PC...

And, as noted, my wife uses one a fair amount and is quite pleased to
have it..."different strokes..."

I tend to disagree with you about the clamps.
I have bought some good and some bad things from HF, but the clamps
aluminum bar clamps 24" @ 6.99 and 3/4 pipe clamps @ 3.49 were well
worth the price. As for other items, A set of twist drill bits and
fostener bits were on the good side as well. Other excellent buys were
Tarps, a set of drifts, a dial gauge. Some failures sanding blocks,
alum oxide paper (good for rough stuff and some sanding drums), a set of
internal /external snap ring pliers, a corner chisel.
You must be careful when you order, and return the crap... they will
take it back... They even pay shipping.
Power tools are another thing. I went to the Allentown PA store once and
was surprised at the low quality of some items. One thing I did want
that seemed to be of high quality was a Air Hose Reel. They had some
very good ones for some reasonable prices.

Lobby Dosser wrote:
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:


"tablesawnut" wrote in message

The other day I needed to use it for real the first time. I
turned it on Its motor was bound up and it literaly went up in smoke.

I think this exeriment can be dubed a colosal failure. I tried to
return it but could only get store credit which is fine I love HF.

I am an avid woodworker and It is a good rule of thumb you get what
you pay for when you buy power tools.

The argument of buying a cheap tool to learn with I find very
strange. Why not buy a good tool that is easy to use. I makes
learning much easier and fun.

All this and you "love HF"???

I don't live near any of their stores to actually see the tools first
hand, but I've not been tempted to order anything based just on
stories like yours.





I've got a store nearby, but based on what I've seen there I would NEVER
buy anything from them online - even clamps.

On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 22:18:38 -0500, tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com wrote:

One thing I did want
that seemed to be of high quality was a Air Hose Reel. They had some
very good ones for some reasonable prices.

I followed (price) this hose reel for sometimes, last year I paid something like
$19, it look and feel exactly like one selling for more than $40 plus elsewhere.

tiredofspam nospam.nospam.com wrote:

I tend to disagree with you about the clamps.
I have bought some good and some bad things from HF, but the clamps
aluminum bar clamps 24" @ 6.99 and 3/4 pipe clamps @ 3.49 were well
worth the price.

I wasn't clear. I buy the clamps off the shelf in the store. Just won't
order anything from them online. ALL my pipe clamps are HF - bought the
3/4" for $2.49 ea.

In my experience, the drill bits were pure crap. The normal bits (like
brad point, but without the brad points), broke with alarming
frequency. The Forstner bits dulled very quickly.

Compared to a name brand, there's no comparison in quality on the drill
bits.

Also had bad luck with their jigsaw blades.. pure crap.

I'm now of the mindset of the other poster.. you lose so much money off
the crap that you buy there, that it's not worth the occasional good
value.

The only item I was ever truly happy with was their heavy duty grinder
stand.
Their pliers/wrenches have poor tolerances..
it's just **** poor. I feel stupid for wasting about $200 there over
the years. for basically a grinder stand and about 1/2 the pipe clamps
held up ok (the other half stick or otherwise perform substandardly to
the Ponys).

Hi,

A contractor friend of mine told
me that voltage, translates into work.

So I ordered a right angle
cordless drill at 18V., and a regular
cordless drill, also at 18V. .

After endless charging sessions, I
did get ONE hole, in a plastic cup,
using a wire drill, ~1/32", (or-so) -
and nothing else.

Now, I've got to locate quality
18V. batteries, or try to repair the
four that HF sent.

Lesson learned.

Ken .






On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 22:39:41 +0000,
Eugene wrote:

Jeffrey J. Kosowsky wrote:

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 their biscuit joiner, a friend gave me after he used it a few times
and decided he liked biscuits so he bought a better one. I used it to make
my router table but that is the only time I've used it so far. It has a
scratchy sound while running that makes you think its going to let the
magic smoke out any minute but managed to hold together so far. It isn't
very accurate, the plastic fence flexes and will move a bit from the start
of the project until the finish so its not something you would want to make
real fine furniture with or use a lot.

From my experience, HF tools in general are both cheap and inexpensive. I
have some really nice, cheap, automotive measuring gauges, for the little I
use them, they're fantastic. If I were a mechanic, they would have never
have held up. I also have a HF sand blaster and table saw. Again, for the
little I use these things, they are perfectly fine. I would never buy a tool
from them and expect it to work as well or hold up like a professional
quality tool would.




"Real Name" wrote in message
...
Hi,

A contractor friend of mine told
me that voltage, translates into work.

So I ordered a right angle
cordless drill at 18V., and a regular
cordless drill, also at 18V. .

After endless charging sessions, I
did get ONE hole, in a plastic cup,
using a wire drill, ~1/32", (or-so) -
and nothing else.

Now, I've got to locate quality
18V. batteries, or try to repair the
four that HF sent.

Lesson learned.

Ken .






On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 22:39:41 +0000,
Eugene wrote:

Jeffrey J. Kosowsky wrote:

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 their biscuit joiner, a friend gave me after he used it a few times
and decided he liked biscuits so he bought a better one. I used it to
make
my router table but that is the only time I've used it so far. It has a
scratchy sound while running that makes you think its going to let the
magic smoke out any minute but managed to hold together so far. It isn't
very accurate, the plastic fence flexes and will move a bit from the start
of the project until the finish so its not something you would want to
make
real fine furniture with or use a lot.

I had an order come up short one item. Called them on the phone, and they
shipped the missing item promptly.

Have you called them about warranty return?

--

Christopher A. Young
Do good work.
It's longer in the short run
but shorter in the long run.
..
..


"Real Name" wrote in message
...
Hi,

A contractor friend of mine told
me that voltage, translates into work.

So I ordered a right angle
cordless drill at 18V., and a regular
cordless drill, also at 18V. .

After endless charging sessions, I
did get ONE hole, in a plastic cup,
using a wire drill, ~1/32", (or-so) -
and nothing else.

Now, I've got to locate quality
18V. batteries, or try to repair the
four that HF sent.

Lesson learned.

Ken .

I'v e had reasonable results with their Drill Master cordless drills.
However, their Pittsburgh flare wrenches were worse than useless.

--

Christopher A. Young
Do good work.
It's longer in the short run
but shorter in the long run.
..
..


"RBM" rbm2(remove wrote in message
...
From my experience, HF tools in general are both cheap and inexpensive. I
have some really nice, cheap, automotive measuring gauges, for the little I
use them, they're fantastic. If I were a mechanic, they would have never
have held up. I also have a HF sand blaster and table saw. Again, for the
little I use these things, they are perfectly fine. I would never buy a tool
from them and expect it to work as well or hold up like a professional
quality tool would.

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in
:

I'v e had reasonable results with their Drill Master cordless drills.
However, their Pittsburgh flare wrenches were worse than useless.


The jigsaw I bought,a HF clone of a Bosch 1581,is a great tool.
Got it for $59USD.+ shipping.(on sale)

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

I don't have the Chicago Electric drills but I
have 2 12Volt Drill Master which I suppose are
made by the same manufacturer. Had them for over
a year and they perform just fine for occasional
use. I watch carefully that I don't over charge
them. I have friends that have higher power
Harbor Freight drills (don't know if they are
Chicago Electric or Drill Master) and they don't
have a problem.

After endless charging? Sure you didn't fry the
batteries? Mine say charge 5-6 hours maximum.


Real Name wrote:
Hi,

A contractor friend of mine told
me that voltage, translates into work.

So I ordered a right angle
cordless drill at 18V., and a regular
cordless drill, also at 18V. .

After endless charging sessions, I
did get ONE hole, in a plastic cup,
using a wire drill, ~1/32", (or-so) -
and nothing else.

Now, I've got to locate quality
18V. batteries, or try to repair the
four that HF sent.

Lesson learned.

Ken .






On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 22:39:41 +0000,
Eugene wrote:


Jeffrey J. Kosowsky wrote:


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 their biscuit joiner, a friend gave me after he used it a few times
and decided he liked biscuits so he bought a better one. I used it to make
my router table but that is the only time I've used it so far. It has a
scratchy sound while running that makes you think its going to let the
magic smoke out any minute but managed to hold together so far. It isn't
very accurate, the plastic fence flexes and will move a bit from the start
of the project until the finish so its not something you would want to make
real fine furniture with or use a lot.

Real Name wrote:
Hi,

A contractor friend of mine told
me that voltage, translates into work.

So I ordered a right angle
cordless drill at 18V., and a regular
cordless drill, also at 18V. .

After endless charging sessions, I
did get ONE hole, in a plastic cup,
using a wire drill, ~1/32", (or-so) -
and nothing else.

Now, I've got to locate quality
18V. batteries, or try to repair the
four that HF sent.

Lesson learned.

Ken .

I know a contractor that agrees that HF tools have, well, problems,
but he supplies his crew with them anyway because so many of his tools
get stolen by them. He says they are less inclined to steal crappy
tools than good ones and if they do it is no big loss.-Jitney

You do get what you pay for, as others have pointed out it may be
enough for the occasional use. In my case, I needed to cut a cast-iron
septic pipe and didn't have a sawzall at the time. So I paid the $30
or so for the cheap-o version and used it with the thought of: "if it
falls in, I'll just leave it there - no need to go 'fishing'". It
worked for that job, and a few others and finally the gearbox seized up
while doing some demolition work on an old deck.

In article , "RBM" rbm2(remove
says...
From my experience, HF tools in general are both cheap and inexpensive. I
have some really nice, cheap, automotive measuring gauges, for the little I
use them, they're fantastic. If I were a mechanic, they would have never
have held up. I also have a HF sand blaster and table saw. Again, for the
little I use these things, they are perfectly fine. I would never buy a tool
from them and expect it to work as well or hold up like a professional
quality tool would.

I've bought quite a few things from HF. Some are junk (18V
cordless drill at a dollar a volt), some are quite reasonable -
box-of-chocolates sort of thing. A 36-pack of disposable paint
brushes for $6 was a pretty good deal, as were the $2 multi-meters
(so I can loan them out; never to return, instead of my Flukes ;-).

I recently bought their 10" Sliding Compound Miter Saw. While it's
no Hitachi, it is actually pretty good, at 1/5 the price. I cut
some molding with it and the miters are dead on. For $100 I was
quite impressed.

--
Keith