Harbor Freight Upping Their Game ?

[brjr51]

Yeah I’m a tool junkie. Always on the lookout for the latest and greatest. I was a big Craftsman fan up to about 5 -10 years ago when the bean counters sent production overseas. Loved the Professional Series tools they carried, have a nice collection of the ratchets, sockets, wrenches, screwdrivers, etc. But I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve gone to Harbor Freight for twenty years or so for an occasional tool. Lately I’ve noticed they’re trying to up their game, with an upgraded line of power tools, their chests and carts aren’t bad, and their top line hydraulic jacks are nice, along with other items.Yeah a lot of it is still that Far East stuff Dad warned you about, but they’re making an effort which I applaud.
I’m telling ya, if someone would sell a quality line of USA made hand tools for a reasonable price retail, like Sears use to, they would fill quite a void. First thing I look for when I pick up a wrench or screwdriver is to see where it’s made. If it’s anything other than Made In USA I put it back on the shelf and look elsewhere.
Or maybe I’m just a cranky old guy who doesn’t understand modern economics. I’ll always pay a premium for quality tools.

 

[shouldazagged]

All my Craftsman ratchets, sockets, etc., are U.S.-made stuff. One socket failed thirty years ago, and was replaced without question.

Sears appears to be circling the drain. Do they still even sell Craftsman-branded products?

 

[Kanewpadle]

Stanley/Black and Decker bought Craftsman a while back. Lowe’s hardware now sells Craftsman.

Harbor Freight isn’t bad for cheap or rarely used tools.

We once had a complete set of a Craftsman sockets, wrenches, and ratchets at work. The youngsters lost a lot of them. Same with screw drivers, pliers, and other tools. So now I buy at Harbor Freight. Doesn’t piss me off so much when they loose those.

 

[Muley Gil]

The last time I broke a Craftsman ratchet handle, I went to the small Sears store near me and it was replaced with a Chinese made Craftsman.

 

[DWalt]

The last time I broke a Craftsman ratchet handle, I went to the small Sears store near me and it was replaced with a Chinese made Craftsman.

I had the exact same Sears experience. I haven't bought much from Harbor Freight but what I have bought did the job.

The closest Sears store to me shut down last spring. I was sorry to see it go.

 

[BC38]

FWIW, my kid is in his second year of the ASE certification program at the local community college. About this time last year we started shopping for a decent medium sized tool box for him for school.

We compared the 27" base cabinet & top box set at the local Sears to the similarly sized one at Harbor Freight. The Harbor Freight was made of heavier sheet steel was slightly bigger and cost over $200 less.

Pretty much a no brainer as far as I was concerned.

 

[Old Corp]

Have a healthy mix of HF and good, older Sears stuff.
Figure I don't make my living with the tools. Just for my occasional needs and projects. The HF stuff has done fine for me in that role.

 

[bullmack]

I brought a Craftsman ratchet into Sears about 3 years ago that had quit working. Was expecting a replacement - nope - they said they could send it somewhere to be rebuilt.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

I have a complete set of Craftsman (Made in USA) hand tools from the old days, probably more than I need as I just repair stuff around the house. As my old power tools wear out, if I cannot borrow or do without; I look for what is on sale, as it is now all made in the same slave ship in the South China Sea.

 

[loknload]

All my tools are old time made in the USA Craftsman. Haven’t bought a Craftsman tool in a lot of years. I believe the last things I purchased through them were my Rolling mechanics chests which were well made but made in Mexico, and my Craftsman drill press. Have some Rogid,Bonney and Husky wrenches and sockets as well.
All current things I’ve currently purchased has been Crescent, Channel Lock,Vise Grip and Klein. For the most part my tool buying days are over
Harbor Freight was always the place I would go when I needed something big and wasn’t going to be used a lot. I needed a 1” drive socket set, $1200 from Snap On and I don’t think Craftsman went that big. Purchased a set from HF and I believed I paid $195. for it and it’s still has good as the day I bought it.
Use to use their stuff as throw always, use it once or twice, break or damage it and throw it away, didn’t spend a lot of money for it.
I remember when they first got started and would bring a tent sale to a local hotel for three or four days. That was like going to a gun show!
Today though I keep one tool bag of good assembled tools for my everyday repair stuff other than that the other acquired stuff is out in the garage!

 

[ace22]

i grew up learning that craftsman tools were the only way to go. i have 2 craftsman rolling cabinets full of them. i also have a few lesser brand tools that i grabbed during a sale or when i needed something quick from a store closer than a 24 mile round trip to a sears store that closed 2 years ago.
i have never bought anything from harbor freight, i've never even been in one of their stores but it doesn't mean that i won't some day in the future.

 

[oldman10mm]

Been 'tooling' since the mid 60s',I'm 72. Graduated from high school in 64 right into the 'musclecar' era. Been wrenching on my cars since then. Much accumulation in 50 years. Many brands, Craftsman, Apex, Proto, Snap-on, HF, Stanley, S-K to name some. Where to grey ramps are now sits a HF toolbox dedicated for metric tools.

 

[PeterJ]

Bought the Chain saw sharpener at HF and for the light duty I have, it works great. Think I paid around $25.

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

I am lucky enough to inherited my father-in-laws Craftsman tools, including a vise that's over 100 years old. Every time I use his tools I look towards the sky and say "Thank you Larry". They are all still just like new and I treat them like my guns....clean them after every use.

The quality of tools today parallels life in general...not nearly as good as the old days in many respects. I am curious to know how much equipment used in today's military has a Made in China label on it. The Oakland Bay bridge in San Francisco was built with Chinese steel AND labor....look it up and see how that is going.

Troubled welds on the Bay Bridge: How a Chinese builder’s flaws left structural doubts and cost taxpayers | The Sacramento Bee

 

[TX-Dennis]

I was given a set of Craftsman wrenches for Christmas when I was 16. Broke a screwdriver when I was about 18, took it to Sears. The guy laughed at me and said I must have been prying something with it because they never break. I truthfully told him I was trying to get a rusted screw out of my car with it when it broke. I don't think he believed me, but he gave me a new one. That's the only failure I've had with a Craftsman tool in about 40 years. Of course, these are the old USA made ones.

Now if I could only find my 3/8 drive Craftsman ratchet. I know my son used it last, and only the Good Lord knows where he left it. I have an old S-K that's nearly as old. It still works perfectly, too. I've worn out several cheap ones over the years, though.

 

[Drm50]

I use tools every day. I will not buy anything that is made in Asia.
Where I live you can buy all the USA made industrial grade tools
you want at yard sales and flea markets. I buy tool boxes full of
tools for $5 or $10, just to get what I want out of them. The cheap stuff I give away. It's the aftermath of all the plants, mills
and mines that were shut down in this area. If shipping wasn't so expensive a guy could make a good living buying and selling tools
in this area. I bought a like new 1" rachet for $3, because they
couldn't get $5 out of it. I got to quit buying tools it's addictive just like guns.
Power tools I quit Sears a long time ago. Now I buy Dewalt just
because I've had good luck with them. Also in batterie tools to
keep all the same batteries. The one exception was that I bought
a Kobalt sliding miter saw recently because it was on sale. A lot
of the major branded tools are no better than dollar store stuff.
Sure they will replace it but you have overpaid for the name.

 

[MRB1]

I gave up on Craftsman products in the 80s. I bought a new Craftsman bench sander that failed three days after I bought it, and they wouldn't replace it - but recommended I leave it with their repair shop. The sandpaper was still clean. Made in China. They eventually replaced it after I had a classic meltdown in the tool department. Pawn shops still have a lot of old Craftsman hand tools that are worth the money.

 

[Fishslayer]

i have never bought anything from harbor freight, i've never even been in one of their stores but it doesn't mean that i won't some day in the future.

You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Harbor upping their game?
Looks like the same old **** to me!
I will buy a few things there,
But not many!
Since I have about 3 times the tools I actually need, don’t buy much of that stuff anywhere.
Last thing I bought at Sears?
Air Compressor.
The first thing bought bought there for me was probably underwear.
Started with drawers and ended with air.
Such is life!

 

[WardenRoss]

I was BLESSED to inherent all my Dad's Craftsman hand tools.

He had a hobby of going to Sears on Friday nights and purchasing their tools when they were on sale.

I remember those Friday nights because as a kid I would tag along and shop the LP records and hunting stuff.

After he passed I made the trip down to load up his tools and bring them to my house. I was amazed, when I started going through all the cabinets, to find a boat load of new tools still in original packaging.

My loaded truck was squatting a little because of all the weight. After I sorted them out, I made myself a complete set that fills my tall roll around box. I made two more sets, one for each of my sons AND a complete spare set.

These are all American made from the sixties. He also utilized small Craftsman tool boxes so he could be mobile. It funny, but he also kept a cheap set of tools for loaning to neighbors and for the farm hands to use. I have them too.

My youngest son uses his set often. The older son probably never will even open his box. I want to donate the spare set to a promising student at a tech school one day.

I kept all the metric tools as he had very little of them.

Times have changed.