How does Harbor Freight make a profit????

I'm a couponer at HF, but rarely use coupons at any other brick-and-mortar stores. Shopping online I'm always searching for a promo code or coupon though. When HF started limiting what you could use the 20% and the rare 25% coupons on a few years ago I was a little annoyed, but soon remembered how cheap everything was to begin with and continued to use the coupons for what I could.

I bought the HF 4x8' 12" wheel folding trailer with an email flyer that was $50 or so cheaper than the in store price.

I got the 50' 10ga extension cord on sale plus the 25% New Years Day coupon for less than $50 shipped to my house. I couldn't buy 50' of 10-2 SOOW for that, let alone terminate the ends.

The year before I got the HF bench top X2 Clone Mill shipped to my house for about $450 with it being on sale and adding the New Years 25% off. I could have driven to the store, but ordering online someone else had to load it bring it to my house and unload it.

As far as quality goes...

I've yet to break a Pittsburgh impact socket or extension.

I like having cheap wrenches around from HF & thrift shops, so I don't feel bad about cutting or bending one to fit a specific use.

I've had my share of crap from HF too. I bought a dry wall texture gun, it was okay, I did a less than professional but acceptable knock-down in a bathroom remodel with it. It worked so I thought I'd get the little air-less paint gun too, I managed to paint one wall after constant issues, before I was so frustrated that I literally threw it away.

I've thrown away a few of the free LED lights that won't stay on without holding them just right.

I will not use cut off wheels from them anymore, they're not so much cut off wheels as they are little hand held claymores, instant shrapnel.

I've got a HF metric tap and die set, it's okay for chasing threads, but you'll be lucking to get more than two or three holes tapped in anything tougher than PVC. On the other hand I've got a HF pipe thread tap and die set that's been great and tapped dozens of holes.

I threw away most of the HF "vice-grip" style pliers, I had as well, they'd always twist, especially the needle nosed ones. I went to name brand and solved that problem.

I'm rambling again, it really is a crap shoot. I've paid close attention to the Harbor Freight Good Tools List over on Pirate4x4 for what might actually be useable.

• Lee

My own personal experience just today. I was thinking of this thread the whole time.
I was near a store so I went in for some deep sockets.
$10.99 for the chrome. $11.99 for the color coded.

The shelf was out on the chrome. I really did not want the color coded because even the ones on the shelf were loosing their color already.

At the sales counter, I asked if I could get the colored units for the price of the chrome (I was asking for $1 off.) Instead, I was presented with a 25% off coupon. This would basically give me $3 off the purchase.
She then checked inventory and found they did have more of the chrome in the back room.

I got sockets that I was willing to pay $10.99 for only $8.25.

In reply to JohnRW1621:

You just jogged my memory on this one.

I sent SWMBO to HF after work one day, her dad and I both need tarps, and I wanted some of the C-clamps that were on sale. I had a coupon I forgot to give her before she went. I called and told her, "you're cute, just ask if they have any coupons when you check out." I thought they might do 10% just because, but they did exactly the same thing, they gave her 25% off. I'm not complaining, just hard to figure out.

• Lee

I actually keep the colored socket sets in my junkyard bag. Let's me keep everything loose and just chuck it in the bag, and still easy to quickly grab the socket i want.

(Pink = 10mm)

I still have the Rotary buffer/polisher I bought for $40 2 years ago. After full details on 6 cars which included about 6 straight hours of detailing per car and countless spot polishes on the Miata the damn thing won't die.

Went there last weekend with SWMBO so that we could each use a 20% coupon. I forgot to tear them off the page and didn't realize that right next to both was a coupon for the free 6 pc screwdriver set. In a fluid motion the cashier reached under the register and tossed one into each of our bags. I won't run out of chisels and prybars for a while now.