Harbor Freight Tools vs. China Bashing

[Purdy Swoft]

Harbor freight warrantees their tools and also offers extended warranty. Most things are made in China now any way. Faulty tools or products can be purchased any where. As long as the product is in warranty Harbor freight will stand behind it. The Tools are not Craftsman or Snap On but neither is the price.

[Marvin/TN]

And so are Snap on Tools.

[triumphleroy]

I am still using the open end set my Dad used on his 29 Sport Coupe During WWII Era. They are "Dunlap" and were "Sears and Roebuck" second brand line to "Craftsman" Their Best quality line. been using them since I started working and riding on the Little Doodle-Bug motor scooter he bought to get to work on after he sold his Sport Coupe....

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by CAPE A

Bring back the SK !!! still have 3/8 '' and 1/4 '' set from when i was a kid.abt 45 yrs now, Love them.
Do have 4 Craftsman ratchets to bring back. JUNK !!!Nuckle busters when they slip
and were never abused like the SK's.

Yep, I've had Craftsman ratchets go bad with very little use. They sure aren't what they used to be in the 60's and 70's. Now they will only exchange the head ratchet part rather than the complete wrench.

I was looking at another brand American made used ratchet I wanted to buy the other day. As I turned it through the clicks, I could feel it skip a few, so I passed on it.

[triumphleroy]

Dads old Craftsman Ratchet does not have a reversing lever, turn wrench over and push the 1/2 inch driver through to opposite side and go after it? Still working since the 30's.."FORGED IN THE U.S.A." still works on 29 Sport Coupe!

[Bob Bidonde]

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I am currently using Harbor Freight tools to restore a Model A, and none have broken yet. Many of Harbor Freight's hand tools have a lifetime replacement guarantee.

All of the negative posts are the same old story that was once said about Japan.

[leo]

Manufacturing is starting to return to the USA. As soon as it gets more costly to make things abroad and ship them here there will be no reason for business to continue to import. The question is will we still be able to manufacture here? The EPA is doing it's part to curtail manufacturing because it's "dirty and pollutes the air". We seem to have a penchant for shooting ourselves in the foot......

[45GPW]

Originally Posted by Bob Bidonde

All of the negative posts are the same old story that was once said about Japan.

Not necessarily. There are differences and other reasons why some of us choose to avoid such tools and other products. Most of those things aren't allowed discussion topics here, not that any of it would change anyone's opinion, because we're all going to do or buy whatever we want.

One of my reasons, which can be discussed, is that I prefer older products.

The vehicles in our "fleet" average 59+ years old, except for our 2 daily drivers. One of the daily drivers is 15 years old, so it isn't particularly new either. Our choice has been to not conform to the mentality of the current "throw-away society."

Most of my hand tools are from the 1940s-70s and will likely still be around 40 to 70 years from now, because their quality is that good. Some of my power tools date from the 1970s and even earlier. My table saw was made in 1951 and will still outperform any table saw of similar size on the market today. All of those things will still be going years from now, as long as I, or my heirs, continue to take care of them and don't abuse them.

Let me know in 40 to 70 years how many of your 40 to 70 year old Harbor Freight tools are still working.

[mshmodela]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

Yep, I've had Craftsman ratchets go bad with very little use. They sure aren't what they used to be in the 60's and 70's. Now they will only exchange the head ratchet part rather than the complete wrench.

I was looking at another brand American made used ratchet I wanted to buy the other day. As I turned it through the clicks, I could feel it skip a few, so I passed on it.

Looking at my Dad's SK-Wayne set, they are very $$$$ but appears just like what I have in two different sets plus extras... granger.com sells them.. I'd guess I'd spend $3k-$4 on the set of my Dad's today... I have a 20 years old small socket set I carry in my car which are Craftsmen -they are very good as well.

[45GPW]

Originally Posted by mshmodela

Looking at my Dad's SK-Wayne set, they are very $$$$ but appears just like what I have in two different sets plus extras... granger.com sells them.. I'd guess I'd spend $3k-$4 on the set of my Dad's today...

Grainger prices are generally pretty high.

You can get S-K tools from Epstein's (harryepstein.com) for considerably less.

[Bob Bidonde]

The world's highest corporate tax rate (going to 39%) makes new manufacturing in the USA absurd. The high corporate tax rate is driving existing manufacturing overseas.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by 45GPW

Grainger prices are generally pretty high.

You can get S-K tools from Epstein's (harryepstein.com) for considerably less.

Yep, I learned my lesson yesterday when I went to Grainger for two brass fittings for my electric fuel pump. 3/8" male pipe, 90* and 1/4" compression, and the price for 2 pieces was $41.18. Today I looked on ebay and found a surplus store selling new brass fittings 7 fittings for $9 with free shipping.

[triumphleroy]

Graingers was wholesale in the not too long ago but have become Retail Plus as of late, and as you say folks are finding out the hard way about their change.

[leo]

Hey Bob, you make a good point, whatever the EPA can't do to curtail manufacturing here, the tax code will. This is just an indirect way to put the kibosh on "dirty and polluting" manufacturing.

[45GPW]

Originally Posted by triumphleroy

Graingers was wholesale in the not too long ago but have become Retail Plus as of late, and as you say folks are finding out the hard way about their change.

Grainger has always been higher than wholesale pricing, except to high-volume customers, where their discounts range from 10% to 50% or more, depending on annual purchasing volume.

If you're a low volume account or a walk-in cash customer (they'll sell to anyone now), you get catalog list prices and no discount.

There are two advantages to having a Grainger account, in spite of their usual pricing:

1. If you need something "right now, this minute" that you won't be able to find at a hardware store or home improvement center, and are close enough to a Grainger store to do a will-call order. This mostly applies to service or manufacturing businesses, where time is of the essence.

2. If you want to actually see an item before buying, instead of buying sight-unseen online or mail order.

[BlueSunoco]

Originally Posted by Bob Bidonde

The world's highest corporate tax rate (going to 39%) makes new manufacturing in the USA absurd. The high corporate tax rate is driving existing manufacturing overseas.

Bob, as we're forbidden to speak certain 'things' on here, Google 'the demise of the American middle class' for the reason this is all happening.

Quite by design, been in the works for many many years...............

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by 45GPW

Grainger has always been higher than wholesale pricing, except to high-volume customers, where their discounts range from 10% to 50% or more, depending on annual purchasing volume.

If you're a low volume account or a walk-in cash customer (they'll sell to anyone now), you get catalog list prices and no discount.

There are two advantages to having a Grainger account, in spite of their usual pricing:

1. If you need something "right now, this minute" that you won't be able to find at a hardware store or home improvement center, and are close enough to a Grainger store to do a will-call order. This mostly applies to service or manufacturing businesses, where time is of the essence.

2. If you want to actually see an item before buying, instead of buying sight-unseen online or mail order.

yea grainger does have or can get just about anything. I work for a rather large manufacturing machine repair company and we get an employee discount of 17%. Has come in useful many times!

[nhusa]

Originally Posted by 19ED30

I wonder if China sell's the same Crap to there people!!

On Harber Fright tool's , I was helping a friend in a nother State,
Picked up a grinder , to my surprise there was a second set of brushes in box !!
I Shortly found out why

I spend a lot of time in China and can tell you that most Chineese don't have a clue about how to use a tool never mind what the quality is. What I find funny is that when the chineese visit the US they purchase a bunch of brandname stuff becuse they can be sure it is real instead of a knock off. As for me I love to buy knock off stuff in china. I get Rolex watches for $10 that work for few weeks and Tumi luggage that is Ok as long as I carry on.

[Mike V. Florida]

You order a 12.00 pizza for delivery. When it arrives you give the driver 15.00 and say thanks. You have them almost 30% tip and did not even blink an eye. Why convenience!

Grainger, and others, are very much like that pizza delivery, one stop shopping. No waiting for the parts, no hunting around, no time wasted. I'm not taking sides, some feel the extra money for this convenience is worth it and of course some don't think so.

[tagroff]

I bought one of their dual action polishers and it has worked just fine for a year now