Harbor Freight Tool

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Back to the dent puller: The stud welder has worked fine for me. I was less impressed with the puller tool. For some reason it has a harder time gripping the smaller diameter studs vs. the heavier ones.
 
I was researching thier powder coating guns a while back. Not exactly body tools but close.. It turned out the recommended one is the upscale model,but I can't seem to find it right now..
 
I still need to pick up one too, the 60gal one im using is really good but its my roommates lol and not sure how much longer that douche is sticking around. Riches aint worth a damn for body work lol too small
 
xlexl said:
The 60gal ones they sell at home depot was what was recommended to me, 4-500 bucks if I remember right, theyre usually the ones you see on craigslist too for 200bucks-ish
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I was looking at Northern tool for a air compressor. But I might go to Tractor Supply or Sears
 
ill also give a rundown on h.f tools, as i have spent 10k in their in the last year.
please do not critisize me, anyone.lol

i have...
stud dent puller.......... work great, but the puller itself is garbage with the smallest studs that come with it. the bigger stud you use, the better it works.

resipricating (saw-zall) saw. i have the cheap 29.00 ones, and i get 2 year warrities on them. i have only had one blow up after cutting 1" solid steel.

i have the largest mig welder they sell. it is 220 . two year warrenty!. had no problems out of it for first year. then went to weld my carport frames together, and it fell off my makeshift ladder.lol took it back for a no-question refund. have the second one, and has been a champ, including putting all settings up to max, flaming glory, welding 1 inch by 3 inch steel to my car trailer after i snapped it in half. welds turned out perfect. i did notice that after 7 minutes straight of use on high, it would trip the internal breaker, so i would have to let it cool.
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THESE WELDER FOR ANYONE OTHER THAN A PRO. SHOOT, I THINK I AM A PRO, AND STILL HAVE NO COMPLAINTS WITH IT. BUT GET A WARRANTY!
h.f pliers............ junk. they break, twist.....
h.f screw drivers. if not being used on daily basis, they are fine, but did not stand up in my garage.
long prybars...... junk. putting all my weight into pullling on one of these, it snapped, and left me all bruised on the back of my head!
long board sanders........ the only complaint is with these, is there is no center support for the sanding area. so, after using it on a car that is rounded, look down the file part, and you will see it is no longer straight, but yet bowed. i still keep mine, but cannot do perfect bodywork with inperfect tool
sandblasting cabinet........ awesome if you use your mind and make your own vaccumm for it. if you do not hook up vacuum, as you use it, the thing builds pressure, and starts blowing dust out all orfisaces.
h.f parts washer........ garbage
i bought the biggest one, like 200 bucks. used it two times, emptied it, and decided to bring it back out again. filled it and found out the pump will not work!
h.f saw-zall blades..... great for soft metal. junk for anything else!
2 ton engine hoist......... 100%
engine hoist leverler....... EPIC FAIL!. some cars you have to tilt the engine with this thing. and that is what its for right?, wrong. one you have weight on it, you cannot turn the tiny crank knob on it at all. and when you start out on angles and then to level out as you set engine down, the turn knob actually hits the chains. i have one sitting im the dirt on the side of my shop. still have found no good use for it!
h.f trans jack....... decent for hobby. i have used it a few times, but the only down fall is the weak bolt on brackets that move to allow the trans to sit in the "cradle"

h.f hand-held gravity spot sand blaster.................. 30.00 garbage..............
h.f gravity auto paint guns.... not bad. i call them throwaways, even though they cost 30 bucks. i use them to paint one car, and they work great, but no matter how good i clean them, the next time i use it, it kills the paintjob. so i just chuck them. still have a few laying around....for nothing.lol
h.f pliers............. epic fail. id rather buy them from wal-mart. i've had them break and jsut self implode on me.
H.F (CHICAGO) WINCHES...... 100% awesome.
if there was one item at h.f that i could not say enough good about, their winches would be it. i have used the 10,000 winch on my car trailer, and i pulled a single axle dump truck on my trailer, with all 6 tires flat and two sutck completly..... worked flawlessy, and for years after. now on my car trailer, i bought a 89.99 3,000 lb atv winch, and i swear, that thing has no problems pulling a full size chebby 4x4 up on my trailer that sits 26 inches off the ground. they are awesome. of course i have 2 year warrenyies on them, and they have since expired!. now, they came out with a brand called badland. i do not know anything about them. they still sell the chicago one too though
 
continued......

frame straighening hydraulics...... they have worked great for me, as i bought them just to use on the front ears of a 2000 chebby extreme. them suckers made me like 3k in under an hour!

36" shop floor fan. works fine. no complaints.
floor jacks.... i got the cheap low profile ones, and have no complaints

h.f 100 lb sandblaster pot....... so,so. it works and all, but after about 3 hours of use, i get a hole in the hose righe up near the bottom of the pot. they way they got it set, is that the sand actually hits dead into the side wall of the hose, causeing it to develope a blowout after short use. so, every time i fix the hose, it gets like 3 " shorter :(

h.f 4" angle grinder.......... for the price, no complaints. i get about the same usage as a milwakee as one of these, so no complaints.

h.f snap ring pliers.... EPIC FAIL. OVER AND OVER

h.f piston ring remover/installer.......cheaply made, but still work fine.

h.f manual tire breaker.....DO NOT BUY! GARBAGE FOR ANY NEWER TIres

h.f tire changing spoons................... good for light work. break at and decent work.
 
do not worry, otr, i will go out in the garage tommorow, and evaluate everything else i have. !
 
Thanks 340, that's what i'm talking about.

I don't think you will hear anyone on this thread knock you for HF buying lol, we are all looking at this thread for a reason. Hell, HF is the only reason my car is even getting done right now lol. If I had to buy this stuff from even sears it would take me a year of collecting before I even had what I needed.

I bought the 7" vertical sander i'll let you know how it works later on when I get to that point, picking up 3M 8" sticky pad backing for it, since thats the sand paper I already have.

Not HF, however I strongly recomend Devilbliss DeKups for your spray guns, I think I saw a starter set with the adapter and enough cups for a long time if you keep cleaning them for around 30 or 40 bucks. This is why I like them, the cup actually sits flat for pouring your mixed primer/paint into, you than put the lid onto them(1/4 turn lock style) and than screw your gun on it(still flat) and hang up the entire thing. Also when your spraying you can tell when your getting empty before it starts spattering because its clear, and the inner cup that the paint/primer sits in is flexable and shrinks as your spraying. Cleaning is MUCH easier and if you don't feel like it trash it. They seal well enough that you can cap them and use them later(not a lot later but still...)
 
I've bought H/F breaker bars, and had them break. Always at the joint.
Agree with their floor jacks. Been very happy with those. As well as the jack stands.
Agree on the screwdrivers. They're weak.
I have bought a couple of their rechargeable drills. You get what you pay for with those. The batteries just don't hold up well.
I've been real happy with a lot of their tools. Things I use alot, I generally buy good quality. But there are those things you only use once in a while and those come from H/F.
I don't do body work, so I can't say much about welders or paint guns. I know my son hates H/F paint guns.
H/F is great for shop sundries.
A brand of tools I've been really happy with is Gear Wrench. It seems like Advance Auto is always got them on sale/closeout.
I have a great set of screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches and sockets. I will go so far to say that my Gear Wrench ratchets are superior to Snap-On. I own both and I am much happier with my Gear Wrench tools.
 
I've purchased a 8 inch grinder, and pry bar and the grinder isn't worth a crap and broke the pry bar the first 10 min. Ouch'!!!!!!!!!!
Moe
 
I just picked up one of there 4 1/2 inch grinders on sale for $20.00.It has replaceable brushes, and they give you a spare set too. Has a grinding disk included. Just used it today to grind the rivets off of the upper ball joints on a 02 Dakota. It worked great.
 
I have bought a few tools from them over the years and they have held up well for limited use / not everyday mechanic work.

880 lb electric over head hoist, awsome it will lift a complete small block off the floor the the engine stand with no issue.

I have 2 2000# atv winches I think the were 70 each. Have one on my 4-wheeler and one on my trailer, they have been on there for about 3 years and have not failed.

Small tire changer, great for atv tires and lawn mower tires works great.

Bearing puller, great for rebuilding transmissions and rear ends works great.

3" cheap cut off wheel, put a air quick disconnect in it, put the air to it hardly no power. Took the quick disconnect off, threw it in the trash.

$100.00 generator, use it at camp it works great and will run all night on a tank of gas.
 
dge467 said:
I just picked up one of there 4 1/2 inch grinders on sale for $20.00.It has replaceable brushes, and they give you a spare set too. Has a grinding disk included. Just used it today to grind the rivets off of the upper ball joints on a 02 Dakota. It worked great.
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I still have mine after 2 years the warranty are great.
 
oh, i did buy a devilbiss gun. use it all the time!

oh, another h.f tool..

punch and flare pneumatic tool............................ works great on new metal, but if you try to go over the old quarter area to flange it, it gets clogged with the tar like material. would not buy another one
 
340plot said:
oh, i did buy a devilbiss gun. use it all the time!

oh, another h.f tool..

punch and flare pneumatic tool............................ works great on new metal, but if you try to go over the old quarter area to flange it, it gets clogged with the tar like material. would not buy another one
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Bummer, I bought one a couple of months ago, but have not used it yet.
 
Remindes me.

Universal Ball joint 4x4 set.
Works, tough on my jeep because of the angle had to play around with it, but it did what it was supposed to.

grinding wire wheel...got it second hand from a friend so not sure how it worked new, but now it will run and as soon as you put a load on it, it winds down and you have to flip it off and back on again. The more I use it the better it gets so maybe the brushes are coroded from not being used in such a long time.
 
I have the stud gun. It works good. The pulling tool is a pile of crap though. First nail I pulled got stuck in the tool and I could never get it out. Its now a seal puller lol... Get the twist handled pulling tool, they grip nicer and are faster to get on and off.
 
old tired rebel said:
What tool did you buy?
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The flange / punch tool to install patch panels, 1/4 panels etc.
I did try it on a new piece of sheet metal when I bought it, and it seemed to work ok.
Nothing like the old Matco I was used too, but Matco, Snap-on and Mac do not seem to carry them any more.
 
Maybe cleaning the inside and outside really well will help.
 
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