Harbor Freight Deal Alerts & Discussion Thread

Well there’s a deal alerts thread for Home Depot and Lowe’s and many other stores but for some odd reason there was no Harbor Freight thread!
But now there is.
So…
This thread can be used for discussion and alerts of deals related to Harbor Freight Tools…. you know.

Though, if you don’t know what Harbor Freight Tools is, they are a retailer who sells “quality” tools for “ridiculously low prices”. The “quality” part is mostly a lie but the “ridiculously low prices” is quite accurate. They are the Dollar Tree of tools. Now although their products are usually low quality, many of the items are very decent and are well worth the value. Some products at Harbor Freight are absolutely garbage, while other products are decent and are a very good value (which this thread should be discussing). You just need to know what is good and what is bad.
Look up Harbor Freight tools to learn more. If you don’t shop there, I strongly suggest you browse their site and/or take a look in a store.

Here is the Harbor Freight Coupon Database, where you can find lots of useful coupons, especially 20% off and free item coupons, and also upload your own!

Here is a Wire Storehouse that comes with a bunch of spools of wire and cable, making a total of 400 feet of wire, and it is only $40!

http://www.harborfreight.com/400-ft-wire-storehouse-61527.html

But not only that, there is a coupon that lowers the price to $35!!

GFCI outlet $7! Before the cheapest I found was about $9 at Home Depot when bought in a pack of three. This is a generic GFCI but it works well (if the item is the same as the one in the picture). GE brands and sells this same GFCI, and it is sold at Walmart for $15.

!

http://www.harborfreight.com/household/electrical/120-volt-15-amp-gfci-outlet-with-led-white-67516.html

Note: As this is not a Tamper Resistant receptacle, it is a code violation to install these in most places in your home; see Article 406.12 of the 2011 National Electric Code.

This is a wire connector assortment of 158 wire connectors for $5. That is the cheapest you can get in stores, otherwise you need to buy online. These connectors are not garbage; they are decent quality. They are manufactured by a Taiwanese manufacturer called Heavy Power. You find Heavy Power’s wire connectors everywhere; most light fixtures come with them, and also GE, Cambridge, KingInnovation, and probably others, brand these connectors as their own and sell them. So these are not crap; they are common.

!

http://www.harborfreight.com/household/electrical/158-piece-wire-connector-assortment-67520.html

Take a look at this. This is a kit of a cordless drill and a flashlight. Comes with 1 battery I think, and charger. $26!!! :open_mouth:

!

http://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/cordless-drills/18-volt-38-in-cordless-drilldriver-and-flashlight-kit-69652.html

raccoon's patio umbrella, $24.99

Oscillating Power Tool. You probably know that oscillating tools are very useful, but this one is also very cheap, $19! And it’s not garbage!

http://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/oscillating-tools/oscillating-multi-tool-68861.html

There are a lot of other power tools for good prices so go and take a look for yourself. I posted this tool because oscillating tools are very useful.

Here’s a mains powered drill for $20! The cheapest at home depot is $30. But there is a discount and it is now $12!!
It’s not the best drill but it works perfectly fine for basic use.

http://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-Variable-Speed-Reversible-Drill-60614.html?ccdenc=eyJjb2RlIjoiODUwMjMzMDEiLCJza3UiOiI2MDYxNCIsImlzIjoiMTEuOTkiLCJwcm9kdWN0X2lk IjoiOTE1MiJ9

I would avoid this one. I use this type of tool regularly and the one I bought from HF around 5 years ago is still doing fine but is no longer sold. I bought one of these last year as a back-up so if the old one died my job would keep going. The new one which is just like the one here lasted about 30 minutes before the motor windings went up in smoke. Ditto for their cheap side-grinders.

Harbor Freight tools can be awesome and I buy stuff there all the time but some of their stuff is junk, so buyer beware!

Phil

No different than the Lowes and Home Depot threads which some of us find very useful even if it isn’t always directly related to flashlights.

Phil

I detect some HF bigotry here. :slight_smile:

My motto is never buy anything with moving parts. That said, there are a number of items that I get at HF on a regular basis, and I am a professional. You just have to know what is OK for your purpose.
It actually takes an experienced professional to buy wisely at HF and only the inexperienced or those that are easily swayed by peer pressure would never even consider walking into one of their stores.

Clint Eastwood said “A man has gotta know his limitations”

I say “A man has gotta know his tolerances”

Final thought: I get a very small percentage of my tools at HF, but I am man enough not feel as though my manhood is threatened every time I walk into a HF.

Actually, I'm very fond of HF. They have enabled me to do all kinds of work that I would not have had the means to do otherwise. I feel the same as dcho above, but I differ in that I probably buy more tools from HF then he has indicated for himself.

Generally, the tools are of cheap, soft metal. So I only buy stuff from them that I don't expect to use often. Exceptions (off the top of my head) would be these as I use them often:

  • Benchtop Drill Press
  • Arbor Press
  • 12 Ton Press
  • Elastic Gloves (Sam's usually has a better deal though)
  • Shrink wrap for wires

They are not high quality, but they are good enough for my amateur projects. One of the lights that some have modified with great results is that big headed 4AA flashlight.

So, I think this is a good thread. Here is my contribution. You can usually print a 20 to 25% off coupon from online. I always have to google to find it. The links have always taken me to HF's site, but for some reason I usually have trouble finding them on HF's site.

You have to play the coupon game for a lot of their deals, but they have stuff I buy periodically because they are almost always “On Sale”:

8” cable ties in White or Black for $1.99/100:
http://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-black-cable-ties-pack-of-100-34635.html

Also, the jumbo 24” wire ties for $1.69/10; I use these for changing tires on my bike:
http://www.harborfreight.com/24-inch-heavy-duty-cable-ties-10-pack-66487.html

Dual-temp heat gun for $14.99, sometimes you can get a couple of extra bucks off with a coupon:
http://www.harborfreight.com/1500-watt-dual-temperature-heat-gun-5721112-62340.html

Heat Shrink Tubing assortment, five 48” sections of 1/4”, 3/8”, 1/2”, 3/4”, and 1” for $3.49:
http://www.harborfreight.com/5-piece-heat-shrink-wire-wrap-assortment-9639.html

And also, a 9-piece assortment of smaller diameters for $1.69:
http://www.harborfreight.com/9-piece-heat-shrink-wire-wrap-assortment-96024.html

FYI: anyone shopping at Harbor Freight should check out this site:

It’s an independent third-party review site for harbor freight products.

Also, I do NOT recommend the $80-$100 electric pressure washer. I used mine about 3 times before the nozzle trigger valve failed out of warranty. The housing is plastic which split at a seam and could not be repaired. Fortunately, the pump still works and I’ve been able to use another pressure washer wand with the electric unit when I don’t need the full power of the gasoline washer.

Edit: I like the step drill bits: a three piece kit for less than a single bit sells for elsewhere:
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-titanium-nitride-coated-high-speed-steel-step-drills-91616.html

These seven-packs of 1/8” drill bits for $2.99 are nice:
http://www.harborfreight.com/18-in-titanium-nitride-coated-high-speed-steel-drill-bit-set-7-pc-61582.html

Shave the ribs on the lid of this parts box and it fits their 800W inverter perfectly, with room for the cables:
http://www.harborfreight.com/abs-storage-organizer.html
Actually, a lot of their parts boxes are nice:
http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=parts+box

Nitrile gloves, I like to keep these around for when I’m preparing jalapenos for grilling:
http://www.harborfreight.com/5-mil-nitrile-powder-free-gloves-100-pc-large-68497.html

Also, this 4xAA 109 LED flashlight. It’s never been quite cheap enough for me to buy one, but I’ve always been tempted as it looks like it’s about the right size for my 75mm aspheric optic I’ve had in my parts bin for ages:
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-3-4-quarter-inch-109-led-flashlight-98506.html

Same story with this multimeter: I almost bought one a couple of years ago when they were half this price:
http://www.harborfreight.com/5-in-1-digital-multimeter-98674.html
Autoranging with Frequency, light, temp, and sound measurement.

I’ve heard and read many good things about that multimeter… I guess it’s a generic branded version of a decent -possibly name brand meter.

I bought from them recently:
1.5 tons aluminium floor jack $59.99
11 Ft. 4 In. X 23 Ft. 4 In. Blue All Purpose Tarp $14.39
11 Ft. 4 In. X 17 Ft. 6 In. Blue All Purpose Tarp $12.49
11 Ft. 4 In. X 11 Ft. 6 In. Blue All Purpose Tarp $7.99
25 Ft. X 1 In. QuikFind Tape Measure With ABS Casing (Free of charge)
Shipping $6.99

No big deal; return it and get a new one! One awesome thing about Harbor Freight is that you can easily return almost anything.

Yeah, and also, even better, sometimes Harbor Freight has coupons for FREE stuff!! :open_mouth: :smiley: :bigsmile:

My business is remodeling, from rough rentals up. I can’t afford to have a tool die mid-job and I do not ‘baby’ my tools; if they can’t take some abuse I won’t have them. Even here you don’t get what you don’t pay for but for average use it’s unbeatable at these prices. Some HF items I use and recommend:

20 Ton low-profile Hydraulic Jack

“5” Random Orbit Sander”:http://www.harborfreight.com/5-inch-random-orbital-palm-sander-93431.html (This one is OK, the rest are junk)

3x21 Belt Sander (dust collector not too good, but you can’t kill this sander)

“1/2” Countersink”:http://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-six-flute-countersink-61552.html (wood and soft metal only)

Extendable Basin Wrench (as good as any)

5 in 1 Paint Scraper

3pc Detail Wire Brush (handles weak, brass brush very useful on softer surfaces/Aluminum)

Butane Torch (Not a “Weller” but worth the price)

Large Plastic Speed Square (Measuring scale not true, otherwise decent)

Small Speed Square (Measuring scale not true, otherwise decent)

4 in 1 Screwdriver (near-junk, but cheap/free when on sale so just get another one)

Wood Spade Bit Set (1/4” quick-change base; only reason I use these)

100 pc Security Bit set (only decent but has them all, even the oddest ones)

Left-Hand drill set (fair, I use only to remove broken screws/bolts)

“1/2” Dr. Torque Wrench”:http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-inch-drive-click-type-torque-wrench-239.html (OK for casual use within about 5% accuracy)

4pc Wood Chisel set (good sharp steel, handles are crap under heavy use)

Laminate Floor Install kit (keep the “Bucking bar”, toss the rest)

3 keyed-alike Padlocks (Fair security, nice for 6 keys to fit all 3 locks)

I don’t know why some links won’t work, copy and paste them. Avoid drills (except for use in wood) and driver bits. Impact sockets good for hand use, other wrenches and sockets are a gamble, no measurement tools are accurate, crow and pry bars are too soft.
You can get good stuff at great prices here, but you gotta know what to get and much is pure junk.

Phil

Those looks exactly like the brushes I got from Dollar Tree!