HF reviews

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What is your opinion on HF reviews. I realize they are probably mostly from DIY guys but it doesn't seem like Amazon with fake reviews.

My air hose was leaking and I thought it was the whip hose but after replacing it it is still leaking, it appears to be the inlet fitting on the reel. This is a Tool Shop manual reel from Menards that has lasted me over 8 years so I figure I got my moneys worth. After searching for something new I would like to step up to a retractable reel but since I only use it on average a couple times a month don't want to spend a lot so I looked at HF and they have one on sale for $60.

https://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-x-50-ft-Retractable-Hose-Reel-93897.html

It gets good reviews plus there are a few on youtube that are good. Any one here have one of these?

I'm not to worried about the hose which seems to be the weak point in most reals because I have a 50' Goodyear hose.
 
My own opinion, I won't buy anything from harbor freight no matter what the reviews. Most of their stuff is made in a communist country who has targeted the United States with intellectual theft, internet attacks, and flooded the market with garbage products made by slave labor.

I'll stick with supporting my fellow Americans by purchasing products made by them whenever possible, and doing my part to encourage manufacturing to return to the United States by not intentionally seeking out a product based solely on price alone.
 
I don't think the HF reviews are actively being gamed like Amazon's. As such, I tend to trust the overall rating of any given item, assuming there have been enough submitted.

Now one thing I have noticed about their website's review system that should be noted - the site's default sort order for every product's reviews is by Highest Rated.

So if you just begin reading through the first few on a product, they will always be the most positive submitted for the product.

I find manually selecting the sort order to be Most Recent is a good way to read through reviews. Some products go through upgrades/updates and their quality (and therefore review rating) will change over time to match.

Reading the reviews in chronological order can help identify such patterns and take them into consideration when applicable.
 
Exactly. The older reviews are always the worst. They make improvements and usually new versions of a product are better. There's rarely a middle of the road review. It's either a review stating how great the tool is or a brutal beat down so I tend to believe if the reviews were fake, the negative would be removed.
 
Originally Posted by Fawteen
My own opinion, I won't buy anything from harbor freight no matter what the reviews. Most of their stuff is made in a communist country who has targeted the United States with intellectual theft, internet attacks, and flooded the market with garbage products made by slave labor.

I'll stick with supporting my fellow Americans by purchasing products made by them whenever possible, and doing my part to encourage manufacturing to return to the United States by not intentionally seeking out a product based solely on price alone.



A lot of the stuff at HF is now made in taiwan and is very high quality.
 
IMO with HF, you want to check both positive and negative reviews. You can also check Youtube for reviews from real people.

I've had a positive experience with most of the stuff I've bought there.
 
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Originally Posted by Chris142
Originally Posted by Fawteen
My own opinion, I won't buy anything from harbor freight no matter what the reviews. Most of their stuff is made in a communist country who has targeted the United States with intellectual theft, internet attacks, and flooded the market with garbage products made by slave labor.

I'll stick with supporting my fellow Americans by purchasing products made by them whenever possible, and doing my part to encourage manufacturing to return to the United States by not intentionally seeking out a product based solely on price alone.



A lot of the stuff at HF is now made in taiwan and is very high quality.


Doesn't change the fact that it takes jobs away from people here in the USA. Even if it's folks programming robots.

So much stuff you have no choice, and many things are priced obnoxiously to get here. But folks who don't make an effort need to own the fact of the damage done.

IMO Taiwan, like anyplace else can make high quality and low quality stuff. So Im not sure that's a determinant as much as what the buyer is mandating. And a job in Taiwan is a job not in the USA all the same.

I like to walk around the store. It's a neat place. With some interesting stuff and some junk. I don't think the reviews are manipulated like products on Amazon, because I've never observed HF to push or trade reviews for anything.
 
these little trucks were popular in early 70s when gas went way up in price. Many Datsun small trucks.
And were very popular in early 2000s (and maybe still) in England where gas was $6+ a gallon - to pay for their medical care..
Yet our Merican trucks get higher and bigger every year.
They may shrink when gas goes up again.
 
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Originally Posted by Duffyjr
I actually ended up with the Diablo. The main reason was the swivel mount and with the coupon was only $42.xx.

https://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-x-50-ft-Enclosed-Retractable-Air-Hose-Reel-64351.html

I got it mounted and seems to work so we'll see how long it lasts. The whip hose is to short so I need to attach my other one on to it.

Thanks for all the replies.



2 things it says pvc hose..
usually that gets very stiff in the winter.
doesnt hold up like rubber or hybrid.

Which is why I bought the flexzilla. because in the middle of winter its not trying to fight a snake to use it.
 
Rand X 2 I have had flexzillas on all 4 reels in my shop and 3 garden hoses on the house for several years and I give all of them a 5 out of 5 rating. I even have a flexzilla cord that I plug my race to work truck in all winter. Even has a green Led on the end.
 
About 30% of the HF stuff purchased in the last 5 years has failed. The hose reel is leaking at the swivel, the pressure reg has a blown diaphragm and on and on. Have gone back to looking for good used tools.
 
Originally Posted by Rand
Originally Posted by Duffyjr
I actually ended up with the Diablo. The main reason was the swivel mount and with the coupon was only $42.xx.

https://www.harborfreight.com/38-in-x-50-ft-Enclosed-Retractable-Air-Hose-Reel-64351.html

I got it mounted and seems to work so we'll see how long it lasts. The whip hose is to short so I need to attach my other one on to it.

Thanks for all the replies.



2 things it says pvc hose..
usually that gets very stiff in the winter.
doesnt hold up like rubber or hybrid.

Which is why I bought the flexzilla. because in the middle of winter its not trying to fight a snake to use it.


It says it's a hybrid hose so we'll see come this winter. I still have my 50' Goodyear hose that is over 8 years old and still in perfect shape but I wonder how hard it is to replace the hose it came with with the Goodyear hose.

I agree with you all on Flexzilla, I have a 50' extension cord I bought just for the winter.
 
I know several professional mechanics/techs who are buying the US General tool boxes over Snap-On, Mac and Matco for a fraction of the price with almost as good quality. I have a couple of their floor jacks. An aluminum and a low profile 3 ton. Excellent equipment for the money.
 
HF is just like every other retailer, some of their stuff is good some not. I thought it was interesting someone mentioned some items being made in China, what store doesn't have some Chinese goods? Did you know Milwaukee cordless tools are made there? I don't like it either, but it's the world we live in and there's not a whole lot we can do about it.
HF has some good tools, and it seems they're making inroads into offering some really good tools. Look at the Hercules and Bauer lines, other than being brushed tools, they're pretty darn good, and for the money, they've got the homeowner market covered in spades. Only time will tell if they step on up with brushless pro grade tools. Also, I've been using PP ratchets and sockets with no complaints, and if you look at the competition, it's hard to find really good stuff made in the USA.
Yes, some of their stuff is pretty much junk, or at least really chency, but look at Lowes, HD ets.

Don't get me wrong, I wish we could go back 50 years or so , to the quality your grandfather enjoyed, but that went the way of the dial telephone.
 
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My Hercules angle grinder bought for $35 with a coupon is a very good tool. I can find no faults with it.
 
Originally Posted by Fawteen
My own opinion, I won't buy anything from harbor freight no matter what the reviews. Most of their stuff is made in a communist country who has targeted the United States with intellectual theft, internet attacks, and flooded the market with garbage products made by slave labor.

I'll stick with supporting my fellow Americans by purchasing products made by them whenever possible, and doing my part to encourage manufacturing to return to the United States by not intentionally seeking out a product based solely on price alone.



If I had folks like you giving me the bucks I could do the same. Some of us have not won the powerball yet so sometimes getting a whole set of wrenches or sockets for the cost of one over priced snap on is just more sense. And besides good ole american favorites like snap on do have some tools made in china.
I think most of their rollaways are made there.
Oh and if you don't want to support china or other countries then stop buying tires, bandages, shoes, clothes, towels, and all the other crap.
The one good thing about HF is finally it gave the over priced outfits the competition they needed. I remember $40. crappy castors in the late 60's just crazy prices then for some stuff. Snap on then was cheap $13. for a long 1/2 drive ratchet. But then what were the wages then?

And yeah if I needed a rollaway for a mechanic job I go HF and put a big snap on sticker on it.
 
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Originally Posted by GoldDot40
I know several professional mechanics/techs who are buying the US General tool boxes over Snap-On, Mac and Matco for a fraction of the price with almost as good quality. I have a couple of their floor jacks. An aluminum and a low profile 3 ton. Excellent equipment for the money.


I just ordered the HF rolling tool cart. I could not find a comparable chest that was not almost double.

While I don't care for most of the HF hand tools, tool chests and floor jack's are mostly made in China.

Just a matter of who sells it. An American made cart was at least 3 to 4 times the price. Their cart is better made than the Craftsman Waterloo cart I have now.
 
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