so, how are their tools, if I was to take a guess from looking at the prices, I would say, not so good.
Yes, my best friend is a hammer.
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Although you may hear from a few that mention a few "gems", you'd not be too far off base to consider anything they make as total junk.
That can be said of most of the stuff HF makes and sells.
In terms of HF stuff, I've heard the 6" planer and the dust collectors represent decent values.
Don't waste your money.
JT
i have a couple of there 6" grinder/sanders, way underpowered but they just wont die.
I got them for preping plywood floors and concrete grinding.
one ive had for about 2.5 years, the bearings are nasty sounding, but i think i only paid 29.99 when it was on sale.
I've got a CE tile saw that won't die. It stays outside in the weather more than it's inside. Dale has an SCMS that he leaves set up on the scaffold rain or shine. Neither is the finest tool of it's kind by any means, but we bought them as disposable and they still keep ticking.
I've got a CE palm nailer that has outlasted two Sencos.
I've bought a couple of CE angle grinders. One died the first day, one lasted a year or so of fairly heavy work. I've had many brand name grinders not last a week.
I've got a CE bench grinder that gets light use. It's over 10 years old.
I had a drill press that I needed for one project and bought on the cheap. It was a total piece of krap. One of my subs bought a CE nailgun. Threw it off the roof before noon.
So, to answer your question: if it's something you're planning on keeping and using for years, don't buy CE. If you just plan on using it for one project, you might get lucky. You can buy 2 of most of that stuff for less than what a "real" one costs.
http://grantlogan.net
"I could have had Miss September...... I couuld have had Miss May. I could have had Miss November, but I waited for December....." ZZ Top.
I own several of these "Harbor Freight" power tools. I do not expect them to equal a top of the line tool, but for the most part they have performed adequately.
My general practice is to start with a cheap, basic tool. As I use the tool, I also learn what features I value. When the cheapie dies, I am in a position to make an informed choice from the selection available.
Also, having a cheap tool on the truck is usually better than not having any tool at all; you also quickly learn if having the tool is worth having at all.
Keep in mind that the tool itself is often secondary to the other things: the work station, the bits / blades, the accessories.
my next question is if lets just say I got the sliding miter. its cheap, and Easy to ajust squaring up so I don't see a reason why this would not be a good purchase
Yes, my best friend is a hammer.
My father in law of whom i often refer to as "Thee Harbor Freight King" purchased there sliding compound miter saw and had major issues (i dont recall what) they replaced it and he had more problems with the replacement. Got money back.
Ended up getting a nice 12"dewault off craigslist.
"Easy to ajust squaring "Translation could be "Easy to knock out of whack every other cut"
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Andy, that miter saw Grant referred to I bought, I left it with Dale for free. it really is NOT a good choice, it is very frustrating to use. The springs are way too strong, the slop is horrid.
I recently got a replacement for that saw, and I wanted a slightly better, but still "disposable" saw. I got a Kobalt at Lowes or 199.00...10" slider. It is most definitly a LOT more saw, for not that much more coin.
Just letting ya know.
I too have a few of those grinders and similar cheap tools, and they are OK for some things, but I Really think that the Miter saw is borderline dangerous due to the quality of it, and the springs.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
"We strive for conversion,we get lost in conversation, and wallow in consternation. "Me.
You want to do this on a budget - buy em used.You can find the Milwaukee slider for under $200, the older Bosch 10" slider for just about $200.Hell - you can find a decent quality 12" non-slide for $150 or less - how much do you really need a slider.Here's a suggestion - to buy tools on a budget - only buy tools that will compliment your end "kit".So - buy a 10" or 12" non slider now - then later when you can afford it - buy a slider. You'll always have a use for the non-slider cause it's light weight and great for framing.Also - BUY USED - a good used purchase is one that you can always sell for exactly (or more) than what you paid for it.You buy a used slider today for $235 - a year from now you can sell it for $235.Watch Craigslist religiously: 4-8 times a day if you are home. A great deal can be had, but they go fast.Check out BT3.com (Google it) - it is a website devoted the the older Ryobi Bt3000 saws - but more importantly, they have a tool bargains forum that has the most dedicate tool bargain hunters around on it. If there is a tool deal somewhere - it will be posted there first.Julian
"how much do you really need a slider"
only too much
Yes, my best friend is a hammer.
One big problem with cheap tools is that frequently the bearings are so bad that there can be a lot of slop in them.
That's sort of OK for grinders, and drills, but not good for tools where you want more precision, like a miter saw.
So even if you have the saw all squared up, you could still get a bad cut from the blade wobble.
They make sears look good
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Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
HF and CE have their uses.
I have about 7 of the HF 4-1/2" grinders and a few of the 18V drills.
Got the drills for the batt pack when the whole mess was on sale for under $10, used the batt cells for DW rebuilds and used the chuck on some corded older drill that had a key chuck, threw the rest into the parts bin.
Have the grinders so one is always handy as have about 7 different shop areas. Never had one of the 4-1/2" guys go bad. Did have a $18 CE 7-1/2" grinder throw the plasting cooling fan, still works, just dont use it for more than 5 min at a time.
Only tape measures I buy are HF, 25 ft for $2 on sale, etc...
I've had a couple of lemons from them and one peach. Their bench grinders are puss-poor. But I got a 14" abrasive cut-off saw that I have been happy with for seven years. I went to Hartville Hardware to purchase a Milwaukee and they were out of stock. I went to Harbor Freight and got what I thought was a disposable. It is still going strong and I use it a lot building steel security devices. Even their abrasive blades are pretty good. Their twist drill bits are junk. Their SDS+ bits are okay and I don't break down and cry if I ruin one on rebar like I do with a Hilti. ;-)