Harbor Freight "Professional 301 piece mechanic's tool kit"?

[strvger]

ok, here is the way i do it:
for equipment, parts, whatever, made in china, i use the harbor freight tools;
for equipment, parts, whatever made in the US, i use craftsman.

just the difference on tolerances of the stuff i'm working on and the tools that fit them best. i have only broken one harbor freight tool, but several craftsman tools over the years. so for me, harbor freight and sears do just fine. going into most of the home depot, lowes, etc. stores, most of their tools come from china as well. i don't pay their prices as harbor freight is almost always cheaper, especially with their online specials, tent sales, etc. just my $.02.

 

[rockin86ranger]

u get what you pay for.i have alot of harbour freight.toolsand they havent broke yet.i mean come-on u cant beat the price.but if u want something thats good and warranted,( besides craftsman) i would go with S&K.there not as much as maco or snapon.i just got a S&K 480 ps auto/diesel kit for 1700$ wich isnt bad at all

you have a link for that set

 

[strvger]

Quote:
....If a girl is so shallow she can't BARE IT to ride in a truck that cost 750 dollars but is in perfect mechanical shape, who needs her.....

fixed it for ya.

 

[straycat]

I've had good luck with most HF tools. Although I've never had one of their socket sets...

I normally only buy Craftsman, from KMart of all places. They always have sales.

I've never had a Craftsman socket or wrench open up on me, never had a Crescent wrench tooth break, Breaker Bar still hasn't busted yet. Craftsman is where it's at.

I have had only two Craftsman tools in 25 years that broke on me...a screwdriver and a 1/4 inch rachet. I brought them back to Sear and they handed me a replacement without crying or a hassle!!!!!

Hey!! Get this......our Ace Hardware stores are selling Craftsman tools now!!! I saw this about two months ago!! COOL!!!!!!

 

[Hopman]

I have had only two Craftsman tools in 25 years that broke on me...a screwdriver and a 1/4 inch rachet. I brought them back to Sear and they handed me a replacement without crying or a hassle!!!!!

Tools are one of those things not to cheap out on. Get the Craftsmen ones. I keep a 104 piece set in my Ranger. The case fits perfectly behind the seat.

My dad swears by them, and he uses them every day as a hydraulic mechanic. I do too.

They also make some killer good drill drivers. The community theater group I work with has 7 19.2v ones they purchased in 2008. They've been smashed, bashed, used, and abused by people who don't normally use tools. Yet after all that, they still work great!

 

[caveman_joey]

Everyone has their own opinion thats the bottom line. If you are going to be using these tools everyday possibly for the rest of your life go ahead and buy a quality tool that has a good reputation for durability and warranty. If you know you are going to use the tools everyday don't buy a cheap tool and then have to upgrade to the quality tool that is a waste of time and money. Trust me if your job and reputation depends on you having tools that work and don't have to be replaced on a weekly basis then INVEST in your future by purchasing quality. I have harbor freight tools but they are not tools that I use more than 2 times a year. Good quality hand tools will last you a lifetime without having to use the lifetime warranty. Don't be afraid to mix brands some manufacturers just make certain tools better than others also don't assume a kit will have what you need in it... talk to your instructors and have them tell you what tools as a minimum you should need. If you are doing body work that is a whole different critter with its own "top of the line" or "quality" brands. Remember anything with a battery or a motor you will eventually have to replace thats life. Whatever tools you do decide to purchase engrave or stamp your name on them because a theif doesn't care if it was a cheap tool or an exspensive one.

 

[94bigsteele]

you have a link for that set

no ,but ill try and find it for you,....what school you goin to?

 

[t0x1k]

There are 2 things with Harbor Freights tools, the cheapest tools and the cheap tools.
The crab in the blister packs or packages that are just down right crappy, avoid like the plague. The better the package the better the tool.

I've got a 14.99 4.5" angle grinder, i've thrown it, beat the piss out of it, used a 10" cut off wheel on it, over heated it, everything. Not a single chip on the gears and plenty of grease inside.

I got a shallow impact socket set, and breaker bar. Broke free every bolt on the front end of my truck, even the nasty radius arm bolts and the tools never broke a sweat.
http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-t...lf-inch-drive-sae-impact-socket-set-2543.html



Now I bought a 2 pack of double sided ratchets for 9.99, piece of shit, the reverse/forward switch doesn't stay put and the ratchet system is failing.

Harbor freight offers a lifetime warranty on some of their hand tools as well, cause who under normal use breaks a socket or wrench?

 

[odie1969]

Well I have yet to brake any ratchet from HF or split any sockets. Unlike my craftsmen set I replaced both the 1/4 and 3/8 ratchets atleast three times each. Each time it seemed the ratchets would strip out quicker then before. But I only use HF tools as a hobbyist. If I was to use them everyday I would head towards Matco, Cornwell, or one of the other profesional quality tool companys.

 

[feellnfroggy]

Yall remember all these lifetime warranties, only apply to hand tools. However Sears if you stand there and bitch long enough any manager eventually gives in, its policy, LOL.

 

[R***A**N**G**E***R]

Any body have this, i was wondering how the quality is on the pieces in it, im fixing to start school for auto body and then later doing the mechanical part of it too. I have always used snap-on and matco tools, which is what my dad uses. I have some harbor freight specials too but im curious if this set is worth the price, Im going to be using them for the auto body side for awhile before doing the mechanical side. I was thinking about getting this then if/when things break replace them with a better quality tool. This is what i can afford on my student budget.

So what do you think go for it or not, any help would be appreciated.

Heres a link

http://www.harborfreight.com/professional-301-piece-mechanics-tool-kit-45951.html

This is what I bought at walmart and keep it behind the seat in my ranger!! I have used the shit out of it!! NO PROBLEMS SO FAR!!

Stanley 201-Piece Mechanics Tool Set $79.88

 

[OilPatch197]

My Vote goes to S&K, and Wright tools. DON'T BUY CHEAP TOOLS DUMMY. They will not be near the spec(sloppy fitting on a bolt) and do you want to wrench with a cheap socket? You want bloody knuckles?

BTW I HATE Craftsman ratchets! Those bloody things break every time you drop them.

harbor freight is no longer any cheaper on anything.

Yeah! Funny how this happens to companies, they sell cheap, and once they become popular, they no longer are competitive.

Anyone else notice that Cheaper Than Dirt! is not as 'cheap' as they used to be? Now, I think they are relying on repeat business...don't get me wrong, their prices are still competitive, but not near as low as they were a couple of years ago...

Hell, even ammo at Cabelas is cheaper than cheaper than dirt.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

ive avoided snap on, its hard to avoid when they come see you once a week and show you all the cool crap they got..... but i just go to sears and pick up my own stuff. cheaper, and hands down best warranty. and if they dont have the one you bought in stock, they will give you something better, without batting an eye!

What is really fun is when you have a ton of Snap-On stuff and the rep hurts himself and can't work. The local one has things tied up so they can't replace him. So the result is NO service.

I mostly use Sears stuff, I have a 14pc wrench set from HF that works fine, and I really like the smoothness of Stanley rachets.

I work on old nasty stuff, the only thing I break is the 3/8 to 1/4 adapters. Still have the original ratchets (unless I lose them)

 

[74duster318]

I would only buy cheapest tools of decent quality if it's for a set of tools I always keep in my truck. Otherwise for stuff at home, I use almost all craftsman, with some mac, stanley, and a set of duralast's in there. The only reason for cheaper tools in the truck is because i've had a set stolen out of my other truck already, not gonna lose another. Them bastards can go try and cash in a walmart/HF crap set to get their drug money...at least a very small amount of it.

However, with that said, don't go too cheap. My alternator went out on the way to work a few weeks ago. I made it to work where I ordered a new one and installed it after work in the parking lot. I stupidly didn't have a tool kit in the truck, and borrowed a cheap one someone else had. Snapped every damn socket I needed, and all the ones closest to it. Luckily I caught one of our tech's leaving and he went and grabbed me what I needed. Lesson learned?---Quality tools can sometimes mean the difference between being stranded and helpless, or just hitting an unpleasant speedbump. They can also save you a ton of money in the long run.

Cornhole and snapoff tools are outrageously expensive. I get their catalogs at work with "employee prices". I'd hate to see their regular retail prices... They have a 135 mig welder that has the same capabilities of my Millermatic 135, only about 300 bucks more expensive than my fully outfitted Miller. That's the same for everything in their catalogs.

 

[JohnnyO]

Harbor Freight stuff is generally crap, but it's really inexpensive crap, so if something breaks I don't worry about it. Got a shop vac from there for work, it's fine, and if it breaks I'll throw it out and get another one for $39.99.

If we don't buy their shit to keep the Chinese employed, they'll start coming here.