HF- "Huge Parking Lot Sale"

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Stopped at local HF to buy a battery powered impact wrench. Place was loaded with ICON hand tools. Looked very nice and sized to get into tight places but no reputation or reviews to go on. They have these tools competing against their own Pittsburgh Pro hand tools that are a really good value. Cost appears to be 2x greater. Don't know if this will work.
Looked over the 1/2" Earthquake cordless 20 volt li impact wrench. $270 less 20% coupon=$216 with all accessories. Picked up the "Huge Parking Lot Sale" flyer and saw the exact same item for $220. I guess HF charges $4 to bring it out from the store to the parking lot. LOL
Think I'll pay more and get a Milwaukee.
 
Earthquake is one of the excluded brands in the fine print of the 20% off coupons.

Icon is HF's highest end line of tools. I have the 1/2" drive 25" breaker bar and it's been great. Good quality tool with a solid feel.
 
Originally Posted by cpayne5
Earthquake is one of the excluded brands in the fine print of the 20% off coupons.

Icon is HF's highest end line of tools. I have the 1/2" drive 25" breaker bar and it's been great. Good quality tool with a solid feel.


Thank you- the printing is so small and smeared. I guess I missed it. The store manager said the tool WAS 20% off when I asked. Probably misunderstood me.
The Pittsburgh Pro 25" breaker bar is pretty good, too. Surprised me when I removed a axle nut torqued to 340 ft/lbs. Allowing a 20% or so correction factor for dynamic vs. static friction, results in well over 400 ft/lbs to break free. Bent a lot and I was concerned it may break/shatter. Yes, I did it wo a pipe extension but with alot of grunting (and cursing)
 
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Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
I wanna get a look at the Icon sockets. Did you happen to check them out?


I was impressed with their sockets. Thin and well machined but who knows if they will hold up
 
Originally Posted by willbur
They have these tools competing against their own Pittsburgh Pro hand tools that are a really good value. Cost appears to be 2x greater. Don't know if this will work.

They're not really competing. Someone looking for a 2' breaker bar in the $20 price range isn't likely to see the Icon for $50 and go for it instead.
 
For the record, EVERYTHING at Harbor Freight is utter dog feces, el poo poo, bull excrement, cow dung, caa caa, doo doo! With that firmly in mind, you then weigh the task at hand and the amount of use that tool will see as to whether it is going to be able to perform the job you need it to do.

I have and do buy things from HF occasionally, but I do so with the aforementioned knowledge and mindset. For instance, I bought a $50 nail gun/stapler for the express purpose of building a chicken coop and nothing else. It was passable for that project and has sufficed for a few others. Worth the investment. However, I am also a woodworker and contractor, and I wouldn't touch this same tool with a 10' pole as a professional or if I expected to use this tool on a regular basis.

HF has it place, just know going in that you're buying garbage, so don't expect that garbage to perform even remotely adequately. If you're wanting a tool that has a warranty and manufacturer support, stick to name brand tools, such as the Milwaukee you mentioned or DeWalt, Makita, or several others. For me, enjoyment using the tool is every bit as important as tool quality. It is fun and enjoyable to use good tools, it is dangerous and NOT fun to use garbage that is a hassle to use, doesn't work well, or otherwise under performs.
 
Originally Posted by A_Spruce
For the record, EVERYTHING at Harbor Freight is utter dog feces, el poo poo, bull excrement, cow dung, caa caa, doo doo! With that firmly in mind, you then weigh the task at hand and the amount of use that tool will see as to whether it is going to be able to perform the job you need it to do.

I have and do buy things from HF occasionally, but I do so with the aforementioned knowledge and mindset. For instance, I bought a $50 nail gun/stapler for the express purpose of building a chicken coop and nothing else. It was passable for that project and has sufficed for a few others. Worth the investment. However, I am also a woodworker and contractor, and I wouldn't touch this same tool with a 10' pole as a professional or if I expected to use this tool on a regular basis.

HF has it place, just know going in that you're buying garbage, so don't expect that garbage to perform even remotely adequately. If you're wanting a tool that has a warranty and manufacturer support, stick to name brand tools, such as the Milwaukee you mentioned or DeWalt, Makita, or several others. For me, enjoyment using the tool is every bit as important as tool quality. It is fun and enjoyable to use good tools, it is dangerous and NOT fun to use garbage that is a hassle to use, doesn't work well, or otherwise under performs.


Yeah, they're fine for the application you have in mind. I was at Sears once buying some cheap non craftmans stuff. They tried to sell me on some craftsman tools instead, but I said that's ok, I'm not a professional. For light duty stuff where it's going to get lost or stolen or borrowed and never returned, sometimes the cheap stuff is all you need.
 
Originally Posted by A_Spruce
For the record, EVERYTHING at Harbor Freight is utter dog feces, el poo poo, bull excrement, cow dung, caa caa, doo doo! With that firmly in mind, you then weigh the task at hand and the amount of use that tool will see as to whether it is going to be able to perform the job you need it to do.


Yup. Not to mention that the majority of it is made in a foreign communist country that is hostile to the United States. Personally I have no time for garbage tools, and refuse to support a company that does business the way that harbor freight does.
 
Originally Posted by simple_gifts
I only have 3 vehicles so I don't need a huge parking lot.


How about a Bridge, do you need a bridge? I just have a couple in inventory.

They are going fast!

Good toll revenue to be had!
 
I have bashed HF in the past. Kinda easy to be uppity when you inherit Snap-On stuff...
HF does have a lotta junk, no doubt.

I also have some HF stuff that gets the job done.
I can have sets of tools in multiple places.
Works for me.
 
Originally Posted by A_Spruce
For the record, EVERYTHING at Harbor Freight is utter dog feces, el poo poo, bull excrement, cow dung, caa caa, doo doo! With that firmly in mind, you then weigh the task at hand and the amount of use that tool will see as to whether it is going to be able to perform the job you need it to do.

I have and do buy things from HF occasionally, but I do so with the aforementioned knowledge and mindset. For instance, I bought a $50 nail gun/stapler for the express purpose of building a chicken coop and nothing else. It was passable for that project and has sufficed for a few others. Worth the investment. However, I am also a woodworker and contractor, and I wouldn't touch this same tool with a 10' pole as a professional or if I expected to use this tool on a regular basis.

HF has it place, just know going in that you're buying garbage, so don't expect that garbage to perform even remotely adequately. If you're wanting a tool that has a warranty and manufacturer support, stick to name brand tools, such as the Milwaukee you mentioned or DeWalt, Makita, or several others. For me, enjoyment using the tool is every bit as important as tool quality. It is fun and enjoyable to use good tools, it is dangerous and NOT fun to use garbage that is a hassle to use, doesn't work well, or otherwise under performs.

I wouldn't say "everything," I'd say "most things." I buy throwaway gloves from them, chip brushes which are about half of what the paint store charges. I also found their impact sockets and 25" breaker bar to be very good, along with a few other items.
 
My two favorite socket wrenches are both Harbor Freight. They work well and have really good ergonomics. One is a 3/8" composite body the other is 3/8 flex head. Pittsburgh Pro line. I also have the Hercules angle grinder I bought for $34 and it handles everything I have thrown at it so far. Their compressed air brad gun is also fine I paid maybe $15 for it. Their pocket hole jig is great. The 12" compound mitre saw cost me $129 on sale and has been very reliable. The laser guide on it is useless, but the saw itself works great. They have a carbide blade for it with 96 teeth sold separately, that makes clean cuts. I have their 13" table top drill press and it has been fantastic. They are $279 now. I would recommend it to anyone.
 
For someone like me who doesn't want to spend a lot of money on low use tools, HF is a good alternative.

I do own many of the Dewalt 20V line for my power tools.
 
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