I needed a 4" grinder. I looked at good, name-brand ones that were over $100 each. I couldn't decide on one. I was at Harbor Freight a week later and they had the Chicago Electric 4" grinders for $9.99 each. I bought four. One has a sanding disc, one has a grinding disc, one has a cup brush, and one has a cut-off wheel. No time needed to change between needs. Gotta love it.
I've bought from Harbor Frieght and I've always been happy with the product. You can get a warantee on most of their stuff, it's an additional charge. I bought a $9 grinder expecting to fry it immediately, but after 6 months it's still going strong! And I use that one for all my dirty work where I don't want to mess up my Mikita. But I will say that it's noisy. I've also got an engine hoist, bead blaster, cutoff saw and 12" disk sander from them. I love their prices and haven't been burned yet. But as always, I figure you get what you pay for. If the $9 grinder had crapped out after two uses it still would have been worth it. IMHO...
I've got a bead roller, a couple of 4" grinders, a buffer, chop saw, sawsall, 8,000 pound winch,sand blast cabinet,dial indecator and mag base,cordless drop light, porto power 10 ton, I could keep going I'm sure If I really thought about it the only thing I've ever had to waranty was my winch( my dog chewed up the lead) and have had years of service no complaints. (the winch I abuse weekly!!) just my 2 cents
I forgot that back in early 2004 I bought a 3,000 lb winch from them for $120. It lasted until the first part of 2006, but it put 12 cars on the trailer before it gave up the ghost.
You do get what you pay for. I use Harbor Freight for those things that are "throw-away" tools. I have about $35000 in tools that are good tools. Some times you need to have something that you can modify or use it the one time and know that it is not going to be around long. Their electric drills are great for small holes in wood or soft metals but if you push them they will smoke on ya.
i went and looked around at the harbor freight store near my house today.. and right as i entered i see ALL TOOLS have a lifetime warranty cool so i stand corrected.. not a bad deal and i also saw some powder paint.. but could not find a powder coating gun
the one here does not carry the gun in the store, you have to order it either at the store or online. The one here also only carries black, red, yellow and white powder....but I also believe "certain" colors can be ordered.
yes yeah just dont take any money with you. I even took the wife with me one time, to get {one} ten dollar tool. Well she calls the dollar store the tweney dollar. AND now we call haborfreight the onehundred dollar store. lol
I can't go in that store! Every time I do I see more "Gotta Have its" and at their prices I can. I bought a MIG welder with gas bottle from them in 1984. It has helped build 3 street rod chassis a 12 sec. race car, trailer repairs and more. It has saved me hundreds of $$$ because I can weld up stuff when I need.
even though most of their stuff is china or korean or whatever made the only thing I have bought from them that I absolutely didn't like was a pliers set. all of the pliers will slip out of joint if you put any pressure on them and that doesn't feel too good when ya pinch the ole fingers in between the plier handles. but other than those pliers everything else I have bought from them either at the store or mail order has been pretty good stuff for working around the house and out in the garage. i don't think their stuff would handle day in and day out use but i don't think many of use would expect a $9 grinder to live up to professional autobody shop abuse or a $100 welder to be able to use it everyday and have it last long. So you do get what you pay for but their stuff works for me
Seriously though, some jobs simply don't require heavy-duty tools, so Harbor Freight is a great place to get tools for such jobs...
Have any of you guys been to a northern tool store? We have one here in Tampa and I think its pretty good. It has some better quality stuff than the HF store. That being said, I have bought a hydraulic ram for my hoist and a 3 ton jack and they have both worked great for a few years now. I have contimplated buying some other things but just cant bring myself to purchace things like a mig/tig welder or a bead blast cabinet from them. My tools see moderate use and I cant stand it when you go to use apiece of machinery and it breaks. that happened with a cheap compressor and now I use IR. I use miller for my welding and I just bought a skat bead blast cabinet. I also would not purchase hand tools from them like wrenches orrachets or sockets.
