I am in trouble...

They just opened a harbor freight less than 2 miles from my house. The one I used to go to was a 45 minute drive, so only worth going there if I was looking for something specific... now I can pop in any time and look for stuff

For added torture, sign up for their email sales notification.

That's dangerous indeed. There's one approx 15min from me..... last time I was in there for some cheap phillips head screw drivers, didn't buy any, but came out with a 4$ bug zapper tennis racket to hit people with. Good times were had.

You're screwed.

Within the next month or so (and for the price of a Snap-On torque wrench), you'll have a generator, a sand blaster, an engine hoist, a small trailer and some screwdrivers you didn't even need. Plus a whole box full of the little impulse stuff they sell near the register!

None of it will be all that good, but you'll have them!

The one in our town is within 2 miles. The novelty factor wore off after a year. It's nice to have right there since I'm renovating my house...

Clem

You mean, "The Christmas Store"?

Dr. Hess wrote: You mean, "The Christmas any time of the year regardless if you need to buy gifts or not Store"?

i went ahead and fixed that for ya

I have one about a mile from my office. Usually manage to stop in every week or so.

I did get to walk through the distribution center store in Dillon, SC the other day. It wasn't a cheap trip. They stock just about everything listed on the web site.

There is store less than a mile from my house.

A blessing and a curse

4 hour round trip for me

my nearest is syracuse. 1-1/2 hour each way. Never been to one

The nearest one to me is Albany, it gives me a reason to visit the in-laws now and then.

harbor freight is the lays potato chips of the tool sellers world. Betcha cant buy just one...tool

4cylndrfury wrote: harbor freight is the lays potato chips of the tool sellers world. Betcha cant buy just one...tool

a magizine worthy quote

Love me some HF. I usually spend $10 and come out with all kinds of little things that make wrenching just a little easier. Love my drill-to-socket adapters. Chuck the 1/2" socket adapter into my worm drive 1/2" drill and hold on!

Don't forget the LED Mini-Flashlights.

ClemSparks wrote: The one in our town is within 2 miles. The novelty factor wore off after a year. It's nice to have right there since I'm renovating my house... Clem

+11tybillion.

It's nice when you know you will probably break the tool, or if you plan on using the tool ONCE. But wandering through rows and rows of crappy tools gets pretty old after a while. We've had one for quite a while now, and I only go there if I'm desparate. The only think on my permanent list there are the disposable gloves- either the nit ones or the latex ones- they are just easier to find there.

I've gone through 4 of their horrible angle grinders. total POS.

I bet you'll like it for the first few times you go. Then it will wear off.

E-

The mini LED flashlights are great. Be sure to turn them on inside the package before you buy to make sure they work, though. Those things got us through The Great Ice Storm of 2009. With no electricty, we just left one of those laying everywhere: Bathroom, next to the bed, pocket, etc. Used them at night for reading. Sometimes they don't make good contact at the "bulb" PCB to the aluminum shell. A little piece of aluminum foil wedged in there fixes it.

Here's how to make your $10 angle grinder last longer: First off, take the head apart and pack it with grease, all around the gears. Next, take the back end apart and super glue the switch arm onto the actual switch, which is in the back. There is an arm from what you think is the switch back to the real switch. The arm springs off the switch and then it won't turn on. Dab of HF superglue fixes that. Next, it ain't a Makita, so don't try grinding down all the welds on your Locost with it. I use my $10 HF angle grinder for small wire brush jobs. I put a wire cup in it. Works just fine.

I bought a 7 or 8" HF angle grinder for big jobs, and that does just fine, but you better be holding onto that thing. I have a Makita for general smaller work.

I cut the floor and rear suspension out of a wrecked 318ti with an HF angle grinder with a cutting wheel... I expected it to be dead when I was done.. still running good a year later

Dr. Hess, it's funny that you mention having to grease the grinder. When I bought my power shear from HF I noticed it was loud as hell and making all sorts of terrible noises.....Took it apart and there wasn't any kind of lubrication in the head.

Little bit of grease later and its quieter and will eat right through aluminum sheet.

ours if 45 mins to an hr got flier today

not only do I have a HF ~15 min from the house there is a Great Northern Tools another 15 min farther

But half the fun of Harbor Freight is finding what random stuff they have in this week--RC airplanes, nose hair trimmers, wheelchairs...all real examples of things I've seen there.

Snowdoggie wrote: Don't forget the LED Mini-Flashlights.

mounted one of those under the barrel of my paintball gun. Makes night games a little bit easier, also makes late night critter painting a breeze.

HF is right across the interstate from work for me.

My son loves his electronic fly swatter. It makes a nice, satisfying, loud ZAP sound when you connect with the fly.

The LED lights are good, too. I put a dab of aluminum anti-sieze on the threads when I have to replace the batteries.