What would you buy from Harbor Freight?

A

astrochex

New member
So I have squat for tools and need to get stuff to perform my build.

As a start, I need crimpers for 4ga and 8ga, and some sort of a multimeter for continuity checking. Would I be doing myself a disservice by getting these tools (and others) at Harbor Freight?

Thanks.
 
Nope. I love their cutter/crimper that goes on sale for $3.99 all the time. Plus they have large crimpers that come in handy for the 4ga and 8ga lugs. Plus the cutters they have for larger gauge wire are worth the $8 or so.
 
If your looking for basic hand tools HF is a good place to go. Most of the tools I use at the local pick and pull come from there (lost one too many good tools there) and I have two multimeter's (and a really nice one from the shack of radio) from there as well. They cost me about $8 apiece and they work fine for simple checks. Most of their stuff could be called use and chuck but a lot of the hand tools are really good considering the price.
 
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I like to judge my tools on potential harm, or risk reduction.

If I'm likely to bust my hand open if my wrench snaps/strips/cracks, then I don't want the bargain.

If it's something like crimpers, almost any quality plier is going to compress copper, so sure...

but a 3/4" open end wrench, in a cramped engine bay- I'm going for a name brand if I can.
 
I buy a lot of air line connectors there and shit like that.. OCCASIONALLY a power tool that I know that I will use VERY seldom, like my rotozip/dust generator. I buy my trickle chargers there.

I WILL NEVER buy things like cutoff wheels, grinder wheels, etc that rotates at more than, like, 33 1/3 RPM and could explode at high speeds thus leaving me with a third eyelid.
 
n_olympios said:
I feel like an idiot for not understanding what the fg rods are for.
Click to expand...

astrochex said:
home electrical duty, fishing/feeding wires through walls and such
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This^^^

They are really handy when running wires across rafters when there's not enough room to get in there personally. One of them also works out pretty well for pushing wires under auto carpet, down behind a radio, or thru a firewall.

 
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I bough some cheap sockets to take to the pick and pull so I don't have to worry about loosing my good sockets anymore. Also the nylon upholstery and panel removal tools are pretty nice for 6 bucks.
 
I get some small stuff. I picked up a heat gun recently for $7 that works great for heat shrink. Beats a lighter. Also got a rivnut tool which works well enough for the price.

There are some threads on other automotive/metal shaping sites where the take HF stuff and mod them. Things like bead rollers, english wheels, etc.
 
Harbor freight is great for limited use/limited life tools that you need on the cheap and in a pinch. However, some of their stuff is actually not bad quality. I picked up an HVLP gun to use with my compressor for a speaker project a couple years ago and it worked great.
 
I just bought there $10 plasitc headlight "restoration" kit.

Before:
View attachment 2700

After:
View attachment 2701

The pics don't really show how yellowed they were before but the difference was night and day. Definitely worth the ten buck.

I also snagged a set of impact (made for air tool) 3/8 extenders and a supprisingly solid 3/8 ratchet for about $15.
 
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