HARBOR FREIGHT Tools

Seadoobuddy

Seadoobuddy

Premium Member
Premium Member
Since this company gets recommended quite often on this site I thought I would start a thread about them.

I'm sure that many of you, as I do, get their ads several times a week whether it's in the Sunday paper ad "collection", or an ad in magazines.

One thing I see at the bottom of each coupon is a disclaimer that reads "Limit one coupon per customer per day".

For those who shop there, (I've never been in one) does this mean that only 1 coupon can be used each day TOTALLY?
Or does it mean that you can buy only 1 of each item per day w/ a coupon.

Can I go in and buy 5 separate different items each w/a coupon?
Or should my wife go with me and we buy 2 items then go to car then return and check out through a different register with more items?

They do offer "NO HASSLE RETURN POLICY" as stated in their ads.
 
Depends on the coupon. Some say 20 % off ONE item and others say off your total order.

If it is one item I think you can use only one of those a day. Meaning that if you had a second coupon you would have to wait a day or let your spouse also buy something the same day you do,,,
 
It all depends on the person at the register. I've used multiple regular coupons... but I've only tried to use a single 20% off coupon.

BUT... if you want to send the wife though... they can't stop that, since it's a separate sale.

Remember... it's an "Import" tool shop. Some tools are good... some are junk. But... since they are cheap... you can always pitch them. But yes... generally... they will take them back if you don't like them.
 
I've been buying tools at Harbor Freight for a number of years, one of the two original stores was in Lexington.

Anyway like any where you get what you pay for, they've got crap and they also have decent tools. Don't expect much from a $5.00 socket set it's really crap not hardly worth throwing away. However if you buy a set $25.00 to $30.00 they're decent tools and still a bargain. I wouldn't expect to use them if I were a professional mechanic but for a shade tree mechanic for occasional use they are fine.

Harbor Freight's return policy is pretty good, on hand tools they will replace it, but like above if you buy a crap tool they will replace it with another crap tool. If you break one of their better tools they will replace it with a like tool.

Other items (unless you buy an extended warranty) is 90 days, and you had better have a receipt.

One other thing, don't buy unless it's on sale, which it usually is, if it's not on sale today it will be in a couple of days. They have more sales than Kohl's.

Lou
 
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True, some are decent and some are, well garbage... but they have a lot of cool items when on sale, work very well for the money, trailer lighting, jacks, stands, press, etc etc.
A friend has loaned me this super large adjustable wrench for repitching impellers! This works great!

I`m not sure if this is the exact one, but you get the idea. for 25-30$, you can`t beat it...
http://www.harborfreight.com/24-inch-adjustable-wrench-39621.html
 
I avoid any of the electric tools besides the grinders. They run 9.99 sales on their 4.5" grinders, I've got 9-10 of them and never had one fail yet. Its easier for me to plug in a grinder to change tools than it is to keep swapping between a cut off wheel and a wire wheel.

I've got the 20ton press, works great. Folding engine hoist also works great, picked up all sorts of stuff with that and saved my back.

The original earthquake air impacts work great. I've heard from a friend and read online that the new line isn't as powerful.

I've really only had problems with a reciprocating saw, heat gun, and cordless impact. All were under $20 and broke after a year or so of use.
 
Thanks Guys but I really only wanted to know the following - (IN RED)
"One thing I see at the bottom of each coupon is a disclaimer that reads "Limit one coupon per customer per day".

For those who shop there, (I've never been in one) does this mean that only 1 coupon can be used each day TOTALLY?
Or does it mean that you can buy only 1 of each item per day w/ a coupon.

Can I go in and buy 5 separate different items each w/a coupon?
Or should my wife go with me and we buy 2 items then go to car then return and check out through a different register with more items?

They do offer "NO HASSLE RETURN POLICY" as stated in their ads.
 
You can use 1 coupon per item. You can use multiple coupons per transaction. I have a harbor freight 1 mile from me in madison heights, i bought 5 items and used 5 coupons just this week. You can only use 1 20% off coupon and 1 free item per transaction. I bought an impact gun and used a coupon that was specificly for it, i used a coupon for a jack, a coupon for 20% of an assortment of bungee cords, a coupon for a set of torx head sockets and i bought a $2 pick tool set and used a free coupon for a measuring tape. The 20% off coupn does not work on jacks, some tool boxes and anything that is on there sidewalk sale items.
 
Thank you. That's what I wanted to hear.

Now guys, feel free to post your experiences with HF tools
 
Like Doc said it can depend on the person at the register. I know at one of my local HF (I have 3 that I am near) the one I use a 20% off and they have rang me out separately so I could get 20% off all my items, then I asked if I could give it to the guy behind me cause he left his at home(right), and low and behold the guy let me!!! I think this is a great thread and I too will post up what I have bought.
 
LouDoo said:
I've been buying tools at Harbor Freight for a number of years, one of the two original stores was in Lexington.

Anyway like any where you get what you pay for, they've got crap and they also have decent tools. Don't expect much from a $5.00 socket set it's really crap not hardly worth throwing away. However if you buy a set $25.00 to $30.00 they're decent tools and still a bargain. I wouldn't expect to use them if I were a professional mechanic but for a shade tree mechanic for occasional use they are fine.

Harbor Freight's return policy is pretty good, on hand tools they will replace it, but like above if you buy a crap tool they will replace it with another crap tool. If you break one of their better tools they will replace it with a like tool.

Other items (unless you buy an extended warranty) is 90 days, and you had better have a receipt.

One other thing, don't buy unless it's on sale, which it usually is, if it's not on sale today it will be in a couple of days. They have more sales than Kohl's.

Lou
Click to expand...

Ain't that the truth ! I try to keep an extra 20% coupon in my wallet for impulse purchases. I'm lucky enough to have one about 1/4 mile from my office, so i'm kind of the designated HF guy for my ride group, i get a call about once a month from a different guy who ask's me to grab xyz for them and bring it out on our next ride. they know my face when I walk in now :)
 
I agree with all the comments above but just to add some food for thought. One of the things I may buy at HF are electric tools that I'm not sure how much I'll use it. For example I bought one of the side grinders for 10-15 bucks a few years ago. At the time I bought it I wasn't sure if I would even use the thing that much but I thought "what the heck". Anyway as it were I used the thing all the time to the point to where I completely burnt up the motor. Since I did use it so much I went and bout a really nice grinder which costs a couple hundred bucks. That strategy has worked for me many times over. On the other hand I still have tools in my shop that I bought from HF that I don't use that much that still serve me well even after years of occasional use. I agree with Lou in that if I were a pro then I probably would buy much stuff there but for the shade tree mechanic I don't think you can beat them. :cheers:
 
I guess I'll update my trip to one in Tampa bay area last November when I visited and bought a ski.
i bought the trailer jack wheel, a hand pump, free scissors, free gloves, didn't like their funnels, bought some rope and bungee cords, didn't like their tarps, didn't like some other things else but can't remember what they were. i didn't use all the coupons i had with me, just thought it was too junky of an item

Went home to install the wheel jack, one bolt had the head sliced off so only half of it was there...couldn't tighten it. too far to go back so I bought a better one (bolt) at Lowes. The jack itself isn't the best. It wobbles a lot. The wheel also has a lot of play to it. Reg price was $35 got it for $19.99.

Would I go back, probably not, but maybe for a small cheap compressor.
I have a closer one to me in Sarasota, but I went to Tampa for something else so I stopped in. I think I'll stick to Sears or Lowes in Bradenton.
Pay a little more but probably get better quality.
 
i picked up their manual hydraulic log splitter for last weekend at the deer camp, which was a big hit since it was in the 20's at night and there wasn't much split wood up there. we would have been struggling to keep up with the demand for wood otherwise with just an axe and our backs. we were able to cut up a down tree and spend time between beers splitting the huge 16-20inch across pieces.
 
Here is a big scam artist. This guy is buying harbor freight items and selling them for triple the price, he is even using their pictures. I feel bad for the poor suckers who are buying his overpriced items

http://stores.ebay.com/lahardwarestore

He is selling a torque wrench for about $40, i picked the same one up at harbor freight for $10
 
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I've seen advertised in the HF coupon for a few weeks now. It interests me but i don't know what I would do with it.

Maybe keep a couple battery maintainers running at the lake over a weekend or so.

Has anyone ever bought this one or something similar? If so what do you use it for?

http://huvrtech.com/ Lot # 68751 or 90599. It's listed for $192.00 but on the coupon it says $144.99 reg price $259.99
 
I have a large two tier MAC box filled with many Harbor Freight tools mixed in with my MAC, Snap On and S&K tools. I would never use their sockets or battery powered tools (Impact sockets are "ok") Sockets to not grab stripped heads that well and can cause stripped heads and their battery tools just do not hold a charge... I stop in there at least 3-4 times a month. The deals are so great I find myself shaking my head when I go to put the new find in my box and see I had already bought the same item prior! Happens to me with their hardware parts ALOT!!!

I have some tools that I burn out and toss (I cannot get their air hack saws to last more than a few months) BUT my angle die grinder, muffler cut off tool and air hammer are all about 15 years old and still going. You do need almost two sets of ear protection though when using the air hammer as it is crazy loud for some reason!

I would not buy tools that you need to earn a living but for the occasional use you cannot beat the price. I bought a framing gun for about $50 with my coupon and that gun framed about 1000 square feet of my basement and is on it's second loan out to friends for their basements. WORKED AWESOME and for the price could not pass it up BUT if I were a framer, I would be too concerned with it failing in the middle of a job and the downtime would cause. Also, when ever I see a "contractor" with harbor freight brand tools, I wonder if they are really legit... A friend of my wife hired a molding guy to do crown work in her house. When I arrived, I saw the guy cutting the crown on a harbor freight compound saw.... I told her I would have passed when he broke that out... Two days later, she refused to allow him back in the house and had to have someone else come in to redo his work... The saw to me screamed "NEWBIE" LOL
 
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Ive went in there before with multiple coupons and sweet talked the cashier into letting me use all of them. They didn't put up any fight.
 
I thought y'alll might enjoy this.

(scary, but I own 5 items listed ahahha)

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LOL Spim. The Bono safety glasses, I almost spit my soda on my monitor. It's funny because I think that every time I see that tool on TV wearing those glasses. And my neighbor has that rickety aluminum green house, but he bought it from some gardening mag for big bucks. I help him move it and he always warns me to be delicate and if you just look at it wrong it will fall down.

Oh, and the 8-Function multitool :lols:

Thanks for sharing!
 
lol saw that on PWC too and thought it was funny. I have a few things from harbor freight( table saw, framing saw, air stapler--used that for my seat cover, woot! rotary buffer....think that's it.) and they've been great! I don't use the rotary buffer for my real detailing. I use my hella expensive high quality ones when I know I'm going to be using it for 20+ hours.
 
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