Bench top drill-press was a wobbly piece of crap, the only thing I've ever returned there.
I bought an angle grinder for a boat rebuild expecting it to be consumable with the fiberglass dust. Still ticking many projects later, though the switch is sticky.
Best value ever was the cast stainless air chisel for like $4, including a few chisel bits. It looks like a 50s art deco piece, and does serious damage. I don't know how they shipped it from China for $4.
Hfts is my go to store if the tool isnt for sale on craigslist. Just about any cheap tool is better than not having it at all ( bench top sander, drill press, battery powered ¼ impact...). Some tools need fixing or modifying to work right ( aviation snips need the cutting ends bent in, and bolts tightened and they work great after that.) Some tools slip past quality control ( if there even is any?) so that even some of the "awesome buy" tools have problems. With the tools that have problems I just take them back and try and get a good one. There are some do not buy at all, products like the anvil shaped cast iron object they sell. Most are cheap enough it wont break the bank to them try out but check online reviews.
Phenomenal buys i have come across are the two ended (¼ and ⅜) flex head, long reach, 72 tooth ratchet. It gets into places unreachable by any combination of extestions or wrenches. It will save hundreds of hairs on your head and give back years of your life ( disclaimer if you have high blood pressure 
). Lifetime returns (if its in stock) and you break its gears with abuse. Its a must for small, tight engine bays. It also will work as a speeder wrench with an extension on the end you arent using.... Ok running out of pros... buy it under $30. (The 20℅ off coupon is always listed on their website just pull it up on your smartphone and show the cashier)
Get any and all "crv" labeled sockets and they wont let you down, get 6 points if you can.
4x6 horizontal bandsaw,if you have a use for one,( the red corded sawsall with bi metal lenon blades, makes for a less precise alternative) has a huge following lots of mods for it. Buy the usa made bi metal blades and it will cut through rr track.
Flap disks, cutting disk, and grinding disks assortment are a killer deal $10. Even if you dont like their grinders. ( i like them btw, and have 4 each with a different end. If they crap out i just buy another with a warranty and return any of them under the same warranty)
Respirators made by gerson $15 work, and work well. Toss the whole thing and dont worry about replacing the filters. (On the safety note glasses work for a while and so do the face shields but do get scratched easily).
Movers dollys are another good buy and work well for moving motors, transmissions, fuel tank, and other around.
Used their impact sockets in dealership daily use for the past 4 years. Have not stripped/cracked/broken one yet. Same with the 90* angle grinder. Their floor jack is pretty decent, although the valve could stand to be a little smoother when you are trying to set stuff down gently. Tested their 6-ton floor jack to capacity and then some and they are sturdy.
Their transmission jack is a little flaky, lots of slop everywhere and the valving doesn't appreciate cold weather for some reason. When it gets cold, you have to pump the hell out of it to get it to do anything. Their 1/2" swivel impact sockets, quite frankly, suck. Had the little spring retainer work off quite a few times and then they come apart at shotgun velocity and go everywhere.
mattmacklind wrote: I pre-nailed before I screwed it and it really works great.
In reply to mattmacklind:
Thanks for the feedback. If not for putting it in a basement, I've considered a 36" or wider HF rolling chest topped with a sheet of particleboard as a work surface.
Brett_Murphy wrote:mattmacklind wrote: I pre-nailed before I screwed it and it really works great.
I expected something to come of that...good work.
Basil Exposition wrote:novaderrik wrote: what is that smell that is in every Harbor Freight store? i can never quite place it.China
that's what i thought.. "cheapness" had also crossed my mind.
i did use my HF transmission jack the other day to take the 700r4 out of my Camaro and put a T5 back in it's place.. i didn't die, but i did almost break off one of the plastic knobs on the tilting mechanism by having the audacity to turn it..
Anything you buy that you cannot physically see, meaning in a box or container, OPEN AND GO THROUGH IT TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS ACTUALLY THERE. 3 trips to HF today, a total of 9!! packages had to be sorted through to get one wood burner with tips.
revrico wrote: Anything you buy that you cannot physically see, meaning in a box or container, OPEN AND GO THROUGH IT TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS ACTUALLY THERE. 3 trips to HF today, a total of 9!! packages had to be sorted through to get one wood burner with tips.
Aww man I ordered the willow creek or something like that one from amazon, I never thought to check hf. Still haven't used it haha.
Brian wrote: In reply to mattmacklind: Thanks for the feedback. If not for putting it in a basement, I've considered a 36" or wider HF rolling chest topped with a sheet of particleboard as a work surface.
I worked with a guy who bought two of the 42inch rolling chests, installed all but one of the swivel wheels(due to interference with the one on the other chest), and put a 1/2" deep square groove all the way under the middle of a 44"x44" x2" wood block. Mounted back to back with the workbench top, he had more tool storage than I'll probably need in my lifetime, and it still rolled around better than the Crapsman Rolling chest I'm currently using at work.
novaderrik wrote: what is that smell that is in every Harbor Freight store? i can never quite place it.
I imagine that's what China smells like.
Their highest end DA buffer is incredible for the price, i bought a pad to put on to use sticky sanding sheets to turn it into an electric DA as well. their 10" tile saw is nice too. the new floor nailer is better than the old one but it needed modified to work right. the first one kept popping the magazine open when i hit it. the second did the same so i took it apart, the hook that holds it closed needed 1/16" shaved off with the grinder to stay hooked. once i did that it was fine. the old one lasted 8 years and still works but it's worn enough that it misfires and jams too often.
bought a drill, it let the smoke out in a couple minutes. bought an air ratchet and the gears inside exploded on the 2nd bolt. we mostly use them for cheap supplies for jobs. blankets, dollies, tarps, gloves, hearing protectors, blades for vibrating multifunction tools because theirs fit my ridgid jobsmart one. and we're never lacking for free screwdrivers to pound on. the last free tape measure i got was 1/4" off over 10 feet compared to my dewalt and stanley ones.
The home goods section always has interesting stuff. Like the apple peeler thing. Or a bottle opener you screw to the wall. Or retractable dog leashes.
My cheap black drill is great for the money, I let the smoke out of it once but upon disassembly it looked fine so I put it back together, ran like nothing ever happened, mostly ball bearing construction. Must have had extra smoke in it. Just be careful driving wood screws, don't stall it and rev it between screws. Chuck has about .010" runout but it's a hand drill and it grips tight so who cares.
nepa03focus wrote: Aww man I ordered the willow creek or something like that one from amazon, I never thought to check hf. Still haven't used it haha.
I was specifically looking for a soldering iron for speaker work, no soldering irons or guns(although gun tips), no solder, no desolder braid. I really miss having a RadioHack or Fry's electronic around. But I found a plug in "7 in 1" wood burner/soldering iron. 3 solder tips and 4 wood/leather tips. 8.99. It took me 4 laps of the store to find it, right next to a 4" tablesaw for making picture frames.
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