[deadbodyman]

Originally Posted by oldred

There have been a lot of changes lately and not for the good either. The story I heard is that the old man who founded HF turned over operations to his son who then promptly squandered the company's assets buying everything from mansions to super expensive paintings and art works then after an argument ensued the son had him thrown out -literally and he was told "not to come back"! They have been embroiled in a bitter legal battle but it looks as if the son is going to remain in charge. Price increases have been the most obvious change and when prices go up what's the point in even shopping there? Other things like eliminating the direct-to-store ordering for large items, which eliminated freight charges, and the as yet unsubstantiated story that they have been contracting for even cheaper goods (this seems to have been the case with a popular grinder I bought recently, much cheaper constructed) all add up to even less reason to go there. HF's success has been due to more than just low prices and if prices continue to increase and services and promotions decrease I think their future could be in doubt, JMO however. At this point it makes little difference to me because in the past I enjoyed going to the store and looking for the bargains but no more, the price increases and that POS grinder with the plastic gear case was it for me I am done with them.

Boy,You said it Red ...My feelings exactly...Same old story though kids squandering away a lifes work..shoulda raised them better I guess...Cant wait to see the kid on the street with a cup in his hand mabee then he'll learn somthing

[killerformula]

This might be slightly off the coupon topic, but it certainly seems like less of the "good" items are getting put on sale anymore. You always see the cheap wrenches and sockets, the 2-8 gallon compressors and other low-end stuff up for grabs, but I've yet to see one of the 60 gallon compressors or any of the nice air tools go on sale, and I've been watching their email flyer for months. From what I'm hearing it used to be you could catch a good deal on one of the better items, but now it seems all they do is put the junk on sale for a few bucks off.

K

[adamsautoadvice]

Originally Posted by killerformula

It certainly seems like less of the "good" items are getting put on sale anymore.

I feel like your right. HF seems to have changed their strategy. I guess maybe they were losing money on selling some of the larger items at discounts and letting people use the 20% off coupons. The whole reason you go to HF is so you can get great deals on those items though.

[pepi]

Most of what they sell in junk, so with that in mind it might be a better statement that the, HA HA expensive stuff in not on sale ..... expensive junk or cheap junk .. about the same junk I'd say, one just cost more. Waste a lot of money or waste a little ......... and get 20% off; what a deal better get in line soon .... LOL

[oldred]

Originally Posted by pepi

Most of what they sell in junk, so with that in mind it might be a better statement that the, HA HA expensive stuff in not on sale ..... expensive junk or cheap junk .. about the same junk I'd say, one just cost more. Waste a lot of money or waste a little ......... and get 20% off; what a deal better get in line soon .... LOL

You know that's a common thought but not all the upper end stuff is junk. The U.S.A. built US General air compressors are developing a really good reputation and the better line of air tools are decent also, same for the US general tool boxes. The IR "Thunder Gun" rip-off they sell called the "Earthquake" line of impact wrenches are just plain brutes and seem to hold up well, my 1/2" has been treated unmercifully and is about as good as any I have owned except for my Snap-On. Their large machinery such as lathes and mills are the exact same ones sold under several different names and are the same quality but at a much lower price, at least that has been the case but prices are quickly closing in on the other brands. The long and short of it is don't just write off everything they sell, while it is true that much of their stuff is total junk and some just so-so quality some of the items they have are a real bargain.

[deadbodyman]

listen to guys like old red when they something is worth buying from there or keep wasting your money.the air tools I bought for the shop are still working great,the auto darkening welding helmet,the E wheel,,blasting cabinete,,stretcher/shrinker, bead roller wheel dollies ,6pair of jack stands and two 20ton air/hydraulic bottle jacks and ram set are still working great and I never regretted buying them, I'm looking at that big US general box for 799.00 next it looks like a well made box for that kind of money.they do have a lot of junk though designed to sell to homeowners for one time use.I wouldn't buy a paintgun, plasma cutter or mig welder from there .but even 20.00 paint gun can be usefull as a wheel chock if your car is rolling backwards.
If ya want a steak ,buy a steak,dont buy a .99 double cheese burger and complain about it ...but that dang double cheese burger tastes pretty good when your starving and cant stop for lunch ,dont it?

[adamsautoadvice]

I think it's fine to go to HF. Most who go know a lot of their products are junk, but when you need a tool you need a tool.

The US General boxes are definitely a good value though. Just look at all the articles and threads about those units online.

[killerformula]

I think the buyer has to do his research and that it works both ways. There are inexpensive items that are junk, and there are others that are a bargain. On the other hand with expensive brands, some things are top of the line and others are just a rip off in price for the brand name.

You don't always have to spend big money to have a good tool. HF is one of those places were if you do a little background checking on what you're buying or you have a realistic idea about what you're using a tool for you can make an informed decision about what you're buying and from where.

Quick example, when I put the floors down in my house I bought a couple of budget nailers from HF. They did the job just fine and if I ever need to replace any planks or decide to do the upstairs, I have them and they'll do the job. If I were a contractor and were going to put in thousands of square feet of flooring on a paid professional job, no, I probably woudln't have gotten my nailer from HF and I would have gone to a big name brand. But for my 1000 square feet of flooring it makes no sense to spend 4 times as much for a tool I'll likely use once or twice in my life. I guess my point is there is a place for non top end tools, too.

K

[oldred]

Originally Posted by killerformula

There are inexpensive items that are junk, and there are others that are a bargain.

It makes no sense to spend 4 times as much for a tool I'll likely use once or twice in my life. I guess my point is there is a place for non top end tools, too.

Both points are good reasons for buying (some) HF tools.

A person just needs to use a little common sense when shopping for tools there, for instance the "Earthquake" impact wrenches are not exactly cheap even at sale prices but they are a lot less costly than the "real" Ingersol Rand item, about $89 for the 1/2" vs well over $200 for the IR and the Earthquake is a decent tool with lots of torque and decent reliability. BUT Harbor Freight also has a line of impact wrenches that are dirt cheap, like $9.99 for 1/2", and when someone buys one of those they are much more likely to be disappointed with it. In an everyday shop a $9.99 impact tool is not going to hold up well but people buy these things and when they fail the usual "HF sells nothing but junk" rant starts, realistically just what should they expect from a $10 impact wrench? The $89 however can be money well spent for the home shop and can result in a person getting a bargain on a tool that will likely perform comparably with one that costs nearly three times as much and in a home shop environment should have perfectly acceptable reliability. Those impacts are just one example and there are many others but as I have said repeatably, IMO at least, for a tool that is to be relied on to earn a person's income HF is probably not the place to go even for the bargains but a home shop is a whole 'nother story!

[Silverback]

As some others have said, they have their good stuff and they have their junk, the same as everyone out there... What I have noticed is that they've caused some of the others, like HD, Lowes and Sears to drop some of their prices on stuff that is pretty close in quality, to the point that sometimes you can get it cheaper from one of them then HF now.

OF COURSE if you keep a 20% off coupon in the car (or if the girl at the register remembers you and scans the 20% off coupon in her pocket, at least when my wife is not with me), you can do well almost every time you go... of course, the girl a the sears tool counter knows me too

[oldred]

Originally Posted by Silverback

r if the girl at the register remembers you and scans the 20% off coupon in her pocket, at least when my wife is not with me), you can do well almost every time you go... of course, the girl a the sears tool counter knows me too

[deadbodyman]

A big smile and a pleasant disposition goes a long way.
One of the things I always hated was stopping to change the bits in my die grinder ,I bought a few of their 9,99 die grinders and I loved them so much I went back and bought a dozen more ...Now I have a dedicated tool for each bit and I just reach in and pull out a different tool ,I must have twenty of them with different bits chucked in them .It really saves time and aggravation when you dont have to change a bit twenty times a day....they went on sale last week 6.99 I bought two more just in case I ever need one.All those die grinders are great You just cant beat them.

[adamsautoadvice]

Originally Posted by killerformula

You don't always have to spend big money to have a good tool. HF is one of those places were if you do a little background checking on what you're buying or you have a realistic idea about what you're using a tool for you can make an informed decision about what you're buying and from where.

Very true! It's good to check what people say online about anything you get from there. Overall I've been happy with the little odds and ends I've bought from there.

http://hfreviews.com/

[adamsautoadvice]

This guy used a lot of those 20% Off Coupons!

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=67850

[deadbodyman]

WOW...Read the rest of the thread...
200 yrs ago we taught them how to build our rail roads...in a couple more years they'll own them...