(800) 853-2651
SHOP NOW

Guys who hate Harbor -Freight

Yesterday's Tractor Forums
D

dr sportster

Well-known Member
It is not all bad Here are a few things that will save you money at H-F and a few not Chinese. Red rags - you need shop rags and get quite a few for the money. Safety glasses, shop stools for sitting jobs,
Reasonably priced jacks for lifting vehicles. All Norton abrasives at H-F made in Canada . I have seen made in USA air hose [ Goodyear] I have seen USA made welding hose at H-F. An auto darkening welding hood
can be had for 35 dollars. Other items you can see the poor quality but if you pick and choose you will get some useful stuff. The large toolboxes seem to have the same drawer rollers as Snap-on. Use discretion
.
 
Sorry on the red rags. Last packet I bought were not what red rags are supposed to be and totally SUCK. Conversely, I recently learned that if a HF tool fails just take it back to the cashier, show it, go to the ones for sale, bring it and the old one back to the cashier who takes the old one and bids you farewell. Not bad.

Were it not for HF my shop would be probably 1/16 the size it is now and at my age, I need all the help I can get. That's because if I bought name brands, popular in the US, I would only have been able to afford 1/16 the amount of tools and equipment.....ok I exaggerated....1/3..............
 
Dr,
Just how important is where something is made?
I remember back in the 50 - 60's if you parked a foreign car in a strong Union shop parking lot, you were given a warning. Next warning could be flat tires or sugar in gas.

Now days People think Milwaukee tools are the gold metal tools.
News flash, they are made in China?
How many Milwaukee tools are in a worker's tool boxes in a Union shop?
Please don't think I hate Milwaukee tools or Unions. I give Milwaukee a Gold metal.



My point, does it really matter where things are made if they are good tools??
 
I've bought a lot of stuff from HF and in general have had good outcomes.

I've often wondered about the guys who wouldn't think of buying tools anywhere but Snap-On, and others.

Having been a Ford Service Manager, a GM Assistant Service Manager, and having owned my own auto body shop, it's been my studied observation that high dollar, name brand tools won't lead to a half arsed mechanic doing anything but half arsed work. The flip side is, of course, a top notch mechanic might do top notch work with tools someone else might turn their nose up at.

It all boils down to the individual.
 
at my body shop i bought the walker floor jacks. about five bills or so a copy. after three or four years they were ready for a rebuild. sent out, it was a little over a hundred to rebuild one. i have been now buying the harbor freight aluminum lo pro racing jacks. had very good luck with them at a third the cost.
 
The tool is an extension of the hand that holds it. If the hand fails it is not the tool's fault. If the tool fails when used correctly, it is the tools fault, and that does not get the job done by the skilled or novice either one. My tools are a mixed lot from SnapOn to proudly Chinese no name, and each is solid enough to perform professionally. Jim
 
My though on things made in China is that it is hard to avoid them. I would prefer though not to buy stuff made in a country that hates us, is our enemy. I think we need a national policy to bring back manufacturing to this country or at least not be buying things, including oil, from people that hate us. What if they said no more drugs or no more oil? What if they are putting spy or sabotage programs in computers/phones?
 
Most of the tools I have are from HF and some are more than a decade old and I have a remodeling business. The tools get hard use and they hold up as well as any average brand. You could pay more for Milwaukee or Festool and get better tools but unless you have something to do where you are using the tool hard all day I don't think it's worth it. I had a job a while back where I needed to drill about a hundred holes in concrete all at once so I bought a Milwaukee hammer drill. It worked really well but if I was still drilling a few holes at a time I would have bought a HF drill. I could have bought 8 HF drills for what the Milwaukee cost.
 

I don't hate Harbor Freight. I simply refuse to do any business with them. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
 
I bought a 42 bottom tool box there last winter. So far I am satisfied. Seems like good quality.
 
The price has gone up at HF, and the quality has gone up on a lot of their tools. I bought a bender from them that was short a die,they took one off of the floor model and said have a good day! Ibuy there drill bit sets and had very good use from them. The big drill bits,wooden box 1 inch and up are all most worthless. Everytime I use them they must be sharpened,they just don t hold an edge. But they are a lot better than having the welding shop do it.(Cheaper anyway)
 

On the other side of the coil, some folks are "tool snobs" and wouldn't be caught dead with ANY tool from HF, good quality, or not!
 
I don't hate Harbor Freight.
I just don't buy stuff from there.
That doesn't mean I buy only Snap On either.
Can't afford them.
I would rather find a good, used USA tool and am willing to wait for something till I find it.
Sometimes I need it now though.
A while back I made a post here about needing a set of nut drivers. Went to home Depot because I know they sell Klein tools.
They had two sets. A China set for $19 or a Klein set for $57.
It was a tough choice but I bought the Kleins. They're USA made. Maybe the China ones would outlast me but I'm proud to own the Kleins.
I have also posted here about living near a small high tech foundry. They cast new Marvel Shebler carburators there. If I needed a new carb for an old tractor I wouldn't buy a China clone. I would buy a new MS - even at 3 times the price.
It keeps people in my community employed with good jobs.
We cry about the inferior products coming from afar. But what do we expect when price is the ONLY criteria we use when we buy stuff?
I don't care where you guys buy your tools.
You have your reasons and I won't argue with you about it.
I see a Lot of talk and praise for HF tools here. That is okay.
So why does a guy get questioned when he mentions that he doesn't shop there.
You all know why he doesn't buy there.
You knew it before you asked.

The white lumps in the second photo are new MS carbs still in their molds.



cvphoto97287.jpg




cvphoto97291.jpg
 
A few years back, I decided I needed a tool box for the pickup. I have a pretty comprehensive set of Craftsman tools, many of which were gifted to me in my teens (the old, decent American made Craftsman) that I didn't want to risk loss or theft. At the time, the pickup was sometimes parked out overnight in some less than desirable areas of town.

I was able to get a pretty decent, comprehensive set of hand tools at Harbor Freight at a price point that I wasn't too concerned about loss or theft. They have done everything I've needed them to do in the last couple of years.

However, I recently was turned on to the store brand at Menards. They're (IMHO) comparable in quality to HF or maybe even a little better, have the same lifetime warranty, and I can buy singles of stuff, versus HF that only sells stuff in sets. So lately, my tool $$$s have been spent at Mendards.

I'm just a shadetree kinda guy, though. If I was turning wrenches for a living, every day, I would be buying the quality stuff off of the tool trucks.
 
I don't disagree with you.
Yet my example about Milwaukee tools, best you can buy, is a good example how our attitudes have change form the 50's.

I've rebuilt some old tools that say MADE IN USA, good feeling.
 
Who makes Masterforce power tools at Menards?
ALL masterforce hand tools(screwdrivers, wrenches, ratchets, sockets, etc) are made in the USA. ALL master force hand tools have an unconditional lifetime warranty. I don't care what you do To break it, Menards will take it back.
 
I'll buy some things at HF, some I won't.

If I can tell by looking at it if it is 'good enough', I'll but it. Especially if it's probably a one time use.

Things I won't buy, precision measuring instruments, just about anything electric or battery operated, tools that get a daily work out.

Got burned a couple times, should have taken them back but just never got around to it.

But they have come a long way since they first opened up here. That was a long time ago, and it was real deal fleamarket junk! That's supposedly how they got started, a garage full of leftovers on their way to the dump, an energetic kid found a market for it, made a few bucks, the rest is history!
 
="dr sportster"](reply to post at 10:55:41 08/12/21)
Click to expand...

China made parts can be made just as good as American made.
If the importer/distributor/company wants them to be.

Most China made products were initially made with the equipment exported to China when the American company shut down the state side factory.
All in an effort to keep the company shareholders happy with annual dividends at any cost.

Seems some make a real effort to buy American made products.
Then make investments in companies that shifted most production out of America. As long as they pay that nice dividend every year.
 
Last thing I bought was a boat trailer tongue jack,stripped and fell to ground 4th time it was used. Luckly my foot wasn't under it.
 
Sorry Steve.
I do not know.
They are just cast here. They make both the bowl and cover. They are cast iron btw.
They would need to be machined next but I don't know who or where they do that.
I go there sometimes as they let me use their sand blast cabinets to do small parts - 2nd shift when all the muckity mucks are gone for the day.
Have seen them several times. 2 or 3 pallets of them. Maybe 1500-2K lbs of product.
 
It's kind of difficult to bring back American manufacturing when the conditions that have shut them down are continuing to get worse. Between the labor unions, OSHA and environmentalists the manufacturer has a really hard time making ends meet. There's no point to them manufacturing a product if they can't make a profit.
 
Additionally, who makes masterforce tools at Menards? The master force tools has some good stuff in which the master force hand tools are all USA made by the Apex and the screwdrivers are USA made by the Pratt-read. The overall Menards is the favorite master force big box hardware stores for selling the master force tools.
 
(quoted from post at 07:58:11 08/13/21) Additionally, who makes masterforce tools at Menards? The master force tools has some good stuff in which the master force hand tools are all USA made by the Apex and the screwdrivers are USA made by the Pratt-read. The overall Menards is the favorite master force big box hardware stores for selling the master force tools.
Click to expand...

It appears the Apex group has factories in 20 countries including China. I would not bet on everything being completely made in the USA, for any company.
 
Here is what I found. All made in USA.

Additionally, who makes masterforce tools at Menards? The master force tools has some good stuff in which the master force hand tools are all USA made by the Apex and the screwdrivers are USA made by the Pratt-read. The overall Menards is the favorite master force big box hardware stores for selling the master force tools.
 
My brother and dad both buy some stuff there. And as SV said they both have the same germination rate. I have bought a lot of tools from pawn shops with pretty much only name brand tools for much less than the new selling price. I just don't stop in there to buy much of anything. Bought a wheel and tire for a hand cart and has been as good as the one that came on it and was much cheaper than the tires I could buy and still had to change it.
 

I hope they are all made in the USA. I just find it interesting, that for one, while Apex makes their own ratcheting Gearwrenches in China; that they would tool up and make the ratcheting wrenches for Menard's in the USA. Also the description of both the Masterforce and Gearwrench lack showing the country of origin on the Menard's site. Could you post a link to the Menard's site where it says all their tools are made in the USA? I can find that statement on third party places but didn't see it on Menard's website. I have/used a lot of tools from the Apex group, they are quality tools for the most part, and have no doubt the Masterforce line they produce for Menard's is the same.
 


FWIW, here's my 2 cents. I wish I could buy 100% USA made tools, or those made in Poland, Germany, Sweden, Japan, etc. But- I can't begin to afford most of them. So I get what I can afford and if it's HF, so be it. Some of the stuff is good, some sucks. The CCP absolutely, positively sucks entirely and I hate supporting it at all. BUT- I can't work without tools and American made tools, normally, are unaffordable. Wish it were different, but I can't afford US made clothing new either. Used is another story and that's where I get a lot of my tools...and clothes!
 
(quoted from post at 09:37:05 08/13/21) Here is what I found. All made in USA.

Additionally, who makes masterforce tools at Menards? The master force tools has some good stuff in which the master force hand tools are all USA made by the Apex and the screwdrivers are USA made by the Pratt-read. The overall Menards is the favorite master force big box hardware stores for selling the master force tools.
Click to expand...

That verbiage is from an advertisement posing as an article, written by a foreigner lacking the knowledge of north american vocabulary.

Apex does own a lot of well known brands and has many facilities and factories all over the world, including USA.

Other than "made in USA" on the products or packaging, it seems that info via the company directly is a big secret.
 
I buy some stuff there like some said you can plan a HF tool just as fast as a snap on. I am hearing that they have gone to a new marketing program where all stores are NOPT company stores but are local owned franchise stores much like Mc Donalds . I do know I have 3 new ones opened in the last 6 months within 30 miles of me. Someone somewhere has to be buying the stuff for sure.
 
Harbor Freight fits a niche market, and if it works for you a particular individual, great. I have maybe bought 2-3 things there in the last 25 years. Those ratchets, sockets, and end wrenches at HF are a joke when it comes to daily hard use of tools like I used them for between 1990 and 2006 as a field mechanic at the Cat dealer. Im not a tool snob, but I do need to have tools that I have confidence in, and will be there when I need them. Snap On fits the bill for most of my needs, and the large Martin impact sockets are pretty good, made in Arlington, Tx, and quite a bit cheaper than Snap On.
 
Not knocking Menard's or their tool line but, to bring reality to the claim being propagated that Menard's tools are made in the USA, please read the packaging on Menard's tools next time you're there, not what third parties post on the internet. I don't see where Menard's makes the claim their tools are made in the USA. Marketing pictures generally only show the front side of the packaging. Finding (and enlarging if needed) some pictures of the backside of the packaging, to allow reading what is there, tells a different story of where some are made.

Apex makes tools, some in the USA and some around the world, Menard's sells tools made for them by Apex. If Apex produces some of their own tools outside the USA, why would they tool up to make those in the USA for Menard's? Some things are made in the USA and some are not -- Let's be real about this.

mvphoto80134.jpg


mvphoto80137.jpg


mvphoto80139.jpg


mvphoto80140.jpg


mvphoto80141.jpg
 
I will knock Menards and their Master Farce
tools. They are cheap.
I bought a pack of rotary wire brushes that
you put in a drill for cleaning up a rusty
machine. After just a few minutes or
moderate use the brushes were just a hub
and my clothes looked like a porqupine.
 
I have ordered several times off HF website. You can order a lot of hand tools for the $6.99 flat rate shipping.

I buy a lot of 4 inch C-Clamps. $3.99 at HF. the local hardware store wants $15.99.

The mini wire brushes on HF site are 0.79. Locally they are $4.99 and are the same item.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Yesterday's Tractor Forums
Buy Tractor Parts Here Buy Tractor Manuals Here

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Copyright © 1997-2025 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters
Website Accessibility Policy

Back
Top