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General Forestry => General Board => Topic started by: thecfarm on October 17, 2013, 10:08:36 AM

Title: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: thecfarm on October 17, 2013, 10:08:36 AM
We went to the Big City,Auburn, and I saw a Harbor Freight store. First one in Maine. One is coming to Bnagor too. Just brought some black tape,grinding wheels and some drill bits. Need the drill bits for the wife's cabinets and other things she is redoing. They should drill wood.
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: SPIKER on October 17, 2013, 11:09:27 AM
For years all I bought were top of line tools, Craftsman, SnapON and the like.   Fact is now 90% of my tools under 15 years old are all HF stuff.   Holds up (MOSTLY) costs less and most of it now also has lifetime guarantee...

I STILL buy some stuff from top line names but if you look close 80% of it is "MADE IN CHINA"  :-\ so might as well buy the stuff from the Made in CHINA store...   

I have a 12" slide compound miter saw orange works great.   Same for several angle grinders, 4.5" and 9" Grinders (Chicago brand) work real well.   One part though the Drill Master Power Tool stuff not so much.   Tooling has been OK as have all the consumable items (disks, pads, sand paper, cutters, bits etc) are priced fairly.   

Mark
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: petefrom bearswamp on October 17, 2013, 12:39:16 PM
Just went to our store in N. Syracuse yesterday.
Picked up some light duty ratchet straps and an el cheapo battery charger for my Adirondack camp.
I have used quite a bit of their stuff for over 15 yrs with very few problems.
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: WH_Conley on October 17, 2013, 04:08:19 PM
I get most of my stuff from Harbor Freight anymore. I figure if it is made in China I may as well pay the made in China price. I have a compound miter saw down at the barn that has cut all the materials to length for at least 2000 pallets. I have used it for other stuff too. Still going strong.
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: Lanternguy on October 17, 2013, 04:34:58 PM
we don't have HF in Canada but I've been in one and it was like the Princess Auto chain we have in Canada, mostly cheaper china made stuff but for the odd tool i may use once every 10 years it does the job.   
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: LAZERDAN on October 17, 2013, 08:43:43 PM
Funny you brought this up now,  I was just there sat. and was after a cheap grinder ( I have the good ones already ) they were on sale in a flyer 14.99. I get there and they are    not      the price the flyer says, NOPE they are 9.99 (Drill Master)  so I took 2.  I gave'm both a workout Sunday, I put the wire wheel on one and a cut-off on the other.  When It dies I won,t be sad, I will chuck it and say , I got my moneys worth !    WHAT A COUNTRY    on the flip side, it feels like selling you soul to the Devil.      Lazerdan
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: red oaks lumber on October 17, 2013, 09:17:36 PM
i'll stick with craftsman, life time warranty. that you cant beat with a club. :) bought their black garden hoses, wife hit one with the lawn mower, they replaced it no questions asks.
i guess the saying " get what you payed for " is a true statement.
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: drobertson on October 17, 2013, 09:44:00 PM
I have to agree, so much is made in China, manufactured by US supported companies.  It really is almost a double edge sword.  Why pay more for the same quality, (mainly cut off disks, grinding wheels, ect,.  But for machinery, of any size or purpose,  I will strain to remain in the good ole U.S.of A.   This said, I don't blame anyone for picking up a good deal on a product if it suits the needs, after all it's all about getting the job done.
david
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: easymoney on October 17, 2013, 10:06:47 PM
i think sears was the first to offer satisfaction or your money back. i was talking to a sears employee once about their money back policy. he said a woman came in one day and bought a leaf blower and came back a couple of days later and asked for her money back. he asked her why she wanted to return it was it no good? she replied that her husband had used it to blow the leaves from their gutters  she did not need it any more so she wanted to return it for a refund. the same thing happens with clothing people will buy fancy clothing for a special occasion and return them after they have worn them for a refund.
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: woodmills1 on October 18, 2013, 08:03:44 PM
I must say HF is the only store that I have seen starry eyed couples pushing carts looking at the stuff
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: timberlinetree on October 19, 2013, 06:14:38 AM
Forget dinner and a movie for date nite it's HF and dinner she loves the store more than me! :D
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: scgargoyle on October 19, 2013, 06:30:14 AM
I like their big tool boxes. They run about $369 on sale, are all bearing drawers, and are rugged. As a toolmaker, my toolboxes get a workout with a lot of weight in the drawers, and they hold up.

I did have trouble with a hammer drill. The gears stripped after 4 holes in concrete. They gave me a new one, and suggested I bring it in for a replacement near the end of the warranty, whether it was defective or not! It was cheap enough that as long as I get my work done on the new house with it, it's worth it.
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: SwampDonkey on October 19, 2013, 08:16:11 AM
I would say Canadian Tire would probably be comparable, but maybe more like north-ern_tool. But, I bought JobMate brand hacksaw blade in CT and the teeth and blade body pretty much crumbled. I think it was an aluminum blade, I never saw a hacksaw blade disintegrate like that before. Bought a couple sets of screw drivers, all soft metal. Twisted to snot. Had to order some good ones from Lee Valley. ::) Contrary to popular belief, not all Chinese stuff is junk.
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: beenthere on October 19, 2013, 08:35:09 AM
The Chinese may just have the best marketing plan. We buy twice as much for stuff that lasts less than half of the time. For them, a win-win situation and why their economy is going gang busters.

Their new coal-fired generating plants and steel mills can't be built fast enough and their people are very hungry for new cars.
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: justallan1 on October 19, 2013, 09:39:12 AM
I buy a lot of grinding wheels, cut-off wheels, tie downs, etc. from there and have a couple small grinders, a chop saw and their big green verticle milling machine. The grinders and chop saw hold up pretty good and I've had the mill/drill better than 10 years and it easily paid for itself.
As for mechanic tools, I feel the amount of time wasted after you slip and punch an engine block because your wrench flexed more than would have paid for some quality tools.

Allan
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: Delawhere Jack on October 19, 2013, 04:33:43 PM
Quote from: scgargoyle on October 19, 2013, 06:30:14 AM
I like their big tool boxes. They run about $369 on sale, are all bearing drawers, and are rugged. As a toolmaker, my toolboxes get a workout with a lot of weight in the drawers, and they hold up.


That is the only thing I've bought at HF that didn't disappoint me. Bought mine about 8-9 years ago. Much better built than what Craftsman offered and less than half the price.
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: Ruffneck on October 19, 2013, 06:04:06 PM
Just saw this in a HF add:



 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/29542/image_11454.jpg)

Normally $2,599
On Sale for $1,899.99
280cc 7 HP motor
Max log diameter  22 inches
20 inch cutting capacity
(subject to a $89.95 additional freight charge)

Cute little thing :D :D :D
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: fat olde elf on October 19, 2013, 06:16:51 PM
Interestng thread.... Years ago my HF mantra was "buy two because one of them is not going to work" They have been getting better. I get HF gift cards for my birthday and such now. There was a recent assessment article in Wood magazine on 18 volt driver-drills. 8 or 9 different drills were assessed, all but one of them showed CHINA as the country of origin. Go figure.  Most table saws on the market are not produced in the US. Wait until the Chinese start trying to make  automobiles.  I hope they do better with that than they did with drywall.  Glad to be 76. Even though I am in excellent health, I am concerned about the country I love and have served.  Say your prayers......
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: SwampDonkey on October 19, 2013, 06:18:00 PM
Might have to add some type of blade lubricator for cutting balsam fir. Them big pitch blisters in the bark are nice and sticky ooze. :D
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: woodmills1 on October 19, 2013, 06:49:39 PM
I bought a pack of lumber crayons at HF
the package said lifetime quarantee
They were so hard they wouldn't mark in the summer
lasts a lifetime :D
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: sharp edge on October 20, 2013, 12:24:08 AM
have bought enough stuff from H/f to start my own H/F store, some junk in it. In my junk pile I have  a lot of stuff that is made in USA :( :(
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: SwampDonkey on October 20, 2013, 05:46:33 AM
A little tale. My grandfather, who is no longer with us, had a cousin in RI he would visit once in a  great while. Mom took him down one time a few years back. They did a little shopping and some flea market canvassing. Grandfather liked flea markets. Well, he found an axe. Made in Canada stamped right on the handle. Well, brought it home of course. My uncle split firewood for the kitchen stove every March-April out behind the house. He used that new axe. It lasted about 4 blocks of wood before the metal along the blade broke off in bits and pieces.  ;D :D :D I figure it was a Garant handle and a Chinese blade. I know Chinese C-clamps are no good, the metal crumbles in the threads, so then they can't be tightened. The last C clamps I got, were German Made. Good steel.
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: mometal77 on October 20, 2013, 08:32:14 AM
What can cost 25 at a hardware store goes for half price at HF. I love the oxy acetylene hoses made in america....plus here people actually are happy working there.  The manager gives me a better at cost deal at times after my 8500 watt generator was stolen i went in there she marked it down 300 dollars for me and a few other tools at a quarter of the price.  One store i love going too.  Plus i was told from one manager the company gave her 5000 dollars to move to another store to another state. I don't know many who do that for a single person. With anything in life the old saying... you get what you pay for. Some tools have lasted me quite a while.  My air compressor did come from lowes but its nice to be able to break a grinding disc and not cry over if it breaks in half.  I would recommend a welding supply store for a C clamp... ebay too.  You can also drill and re nut those slidable C clamps.  http://metalwebnews.com/
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: SwampDonkey on October 20, 2013, 09:32:00 AM
Best to avoid the ones with slop in their movement between screw and thread, they will fail. Pure junk.
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: sharp edge on October 20, 2013, 09:55:11 AM
Lot of the trouble with C-clamps is with the nuts. The nut turning the handle puts to much force on them. 8) 8) I done it a time or 2.

SE
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: giant splinter on October 20, 2013, 10:18:28 AM
If you look closely at the HF sawmill it bears a striking resemblance to the Woodland Mills HM126, I suspect it may be an adequate mill for a guy sawing on weekends and small building projects and the price is down low enough that it is affordable for a lot of those sawyers with a tight budget could get a start into making lumber for their own use projects. Might even be ok for a contractor wanting to mill a few patio cover specialty beams or railing.
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: BobInMN on October 20, 2013, 10:57:26 AM
I bought the Harbor Freight Sawmill.  Ordered last Easter on sale and using the 25% off coupon, total I paid, including shipping to my door, was $1456.00.  It was on backorder until September (I wasn't billed until it shipped).  Put some Woodmizer blades on it and it works great.
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: thecfarm on October 20, 2013, 12:36:44 PM
BobInMN,congrats on the mill. What's all the lumber being used for?
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: BobInMN on October 20, 2013, 02:16:12 PM
I haven't sawn very much, so far.  I'd like to cut enough to build the grandkids a playhouse next year.  After that I would kind of like to build a small cabin/guest house.  I've got some plans for a 12' X 18', 1-1/2 story cabin.  It would be a nice size to move if I ever wanted to sell it.
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: SPIKER on October 20, 2013, 10:48:13 PM
Quote from: BobInMN on October 20, 2013, 02:16:12 PM
I haven't sawn very much, so far.  I'd like to cut enough to build the grandkids a playhouse next year.  After that I would kind of like to build a small cabin/guest house.  I've got some plans for a 12' X 18', 1-1/2 story cabin.  It would be a nice size to move if I ever wanted to sell it.
Bob:

I have heard the lift/threaded rod NUT is soft brass and can strip out pretty easy.   If you can keep them lubricated and an eye on them for sawdust or dirt built up.   I have a 25% off that I was looking at maybe buying one then re-selling it after trying it out for hobby playing around.

Mark
Title: Re: Harbor Freight in Maine
Post by: BobInMN on October 21, 2013, 11:54:05 AM
Mark,

The lift screw is sealed in a square tube, kind of hard to get at to lube.  There is a posting on another forum on how to easily replace the nut with a steel one from a Harbor Freight jack.  The guys that are having troubles with the lift on the LT-10 should look at this design, it would be an easy fix.

When I set my mill up the engine started on the very first pull.  So far I'm very satisfied for what I paid for this mill.  I know someone else who just ordered one and didn't have to wait for backorder.  Seems HF now has them in stock.

Bob