Harbor Freight

[d2jp]

My Snap-On guy retired at 60, owns a bunch of land, has a huge garage and wood-working shop. He also ended up buying a lot of 'distressed' independent garages throughout his years as a salesman. He now owns a considerable number of income producing properties. The guy that bought his route is also doing well. It's a lot of hard work, but I think the company provides pretty good support and makes a great product - if you're willing to work, and like that type of work, it can be a good career!

[TayMC197]

Originally Posted by JimN

I'm pretty sure the HF hand tools (wrenches, sockets, extensions) have lifetime warranty. I gave up on Craftsman screwdrivers (except slotted, which I absolutely REFUSE to spend a lot for because I think slotted screws' time passed about 20 years before I was born and I have no use for them. I don't even like Phillips, but when I was doing car audio, it was hard to find a car that didn't have them. I had replaced a #2 Craftsman Phillips one night and the first time I used it, the tip fractured. Later that day, the Snap On truck showed u p and I bought a few- I have never had a problem with them. They do wear, but that's the nature of Phillips screws and drivers- unlike square-drive, Torx and some others, Phillips head can cam out of the screw and that's why I don't like them, either.

Point is, a company that rests on its laurels will fail and that's what Sears has done. They used to replace a whole ratchet wrench and now, they only tell me they can give me a rebuild kit. Also, a lifetime warranty is great but if I need to drive all over town to replace tools all the time, I'd rather pay more for a tool that won't fail in the first place and that's why I bought Snap On for the things I used all the time and could wear. I think I wore out one Snap On impact socket and that's only because I used it more than any other and impact sockets are softer than the plated ones.

As far as screwdivers go, a Klein 10in1 is the way to go. I have 1 in my truck, my tool box, kitchen drawer, and my boat... Add a pair of channellocks, you can fix the world. lol

I'm a craftsman guy as far as wrenches, sockets, ratchets, allens, etc. go... if you manange to break one of those, then you weren't using it properly. I have broke sockets with my impact wrench... well we all know you need to use impact sockets for that. So it was my fault, not the tools...

[thatsmrmastercraft]

Originally Posted by TayMC197

As far as screwdivers go, a Klein 10in1 is the way to go. I have 1 in my truck, my tool box, kitchen drawer, and my boat... Add a pair of channellocks, you can fix the world. lol

I'm a craftsman guy as far as wrenches, sockets, ratchets, allens, etc. go... if you manange to break one of those, then you weren't using it properly. I have broke sockets with my impact wrench... well we all know you need to use impact sockets for that. So it was my fault, not the tools...

Don't forget duct tape, WD-40 and baling wire.

[TayMC197]

Zip ties!

[thatsmrmastercraft]

Originally Posted by TayMC197

Zip ties!

Can't forget them.

[jeverett]

Don't be fooled by the Snap-On or MAC trucks, they get you hooked on the tool "Crack" because they are good quality tools for sure. They are not in the tool business, they are in the $$ business, they get you hooked on credit and easy payments at some high interest rate and you keep coming back for more because it is good quality and a good feel. By the way according to our VP of international sourcing they are all made in China! the only thing you have to do to say made in the USA anymore is package it here, which is TBS.

[jeverett]

I do like harbor freight for one thing. I had to do some gel coat work so I bought one of their cheap spray guns and used it once and then threw it away so I didn't have to use a ton of Acetone to clean it afterward.

[JimN]

Originally Posted by jeverett

I do like harbor freight for one thing. I had to do some gel coat work so I bought one of their cheap spray guns and used it once and then threw it away so I didn't have to use a ton of Acetone to clean it afterward.

I bought one of their regular spray guns (my old one had water-based contact cement and I thought it was solvent-based, so it rotted the pot) and that worked as well as I could have hoped, so I bought one of the gravity-feed HVLP conversion guns and shot my kitchen cabinets with Minwax satin poly- it's flawless. I sprayed more poly and some shellac for some things I was refinishing and those were flawless, too. I bought a second gun as well as a smaller one when they were on sale- for the price, I have a hard time believing spending more will be any better. I also use their little filters that fit into the bottom of the container. Easy cleanup, decent regulator and all I have to do is make sure no moisture gets in.

It's like anything else- pick the better items and leave the rest.