What's Your Favorite Harbor Freight Tools/Stuff?, Sure, a lot of is shi*#, but there are some gems in there... Options

[narly_charley]

Figured I'd start this to help someone else find some gems at the good ol' Harbor Freight! What do you guys like that you regularly or one time bought from there?

My favorites:

- Their vehicle jacks
- Nylon zip ties
- Grinding wheels
- Tiny spring clips for plastic bags in the kitchen
- Corded 1/2" drive electric impact wrench (if you don't have air)
- 21mm deep impact socket. c:
- I have a tool cart that I got for Christmas one year and it works GREAT!

[narly_charley]

Well that's the thing, if I'm in the middle of a job and snap a tool then what? I have to borrow one from a co-worker if they're not using it. Worse yet I snap a tool and it damages something else I have to pay for. Worser yetter I break a tool it breaks me! I get you guys wrench at home without a time frame or a budget or whatever, that's cool. For anyone making a living at this, for the love of holy heck don't get harbor freight junk. It's super appealing cause it's super cheap but you'll find yourself with sloppy tools rounding stuff off or breaking in the middle of working and then you're stuck. Sure my snap-on 3/8ths universal joint costs like $30 but I've been using the same one for 10 years and even use it on my 150ftlb 3/8ths gun. New guy popped the pin right out of his HF universal joint just cranking on it by hand with my long handle ratchet. :lol: And it was brand new!

And there's some tools that you just can't get anywhere else but from the tool guys, my Mac MR4C ratchet sure looks similar to some other mini ratchets out there but I've put my hands on the knockoff tools and they're not even close. The amount of slop between teeth and roll back after advancing to the next tooth is just god awful bad on cheaper ratchets, may not mean alot to the home user but to me it does. More time taking up slack is less time turning the bolt or nut, and when you're in a super tight spot sometimes just a click at a time is all you get so you better make every click count.

Exactly... My dad's been a tech for 35 years or so and he uses nothing but Snap-On, Mac, etc. He said other tools work, but when you're wrenching on stuff all day, you want to use what is COMFORTABLE in your hand and will last.

The cheapest I'd go for tools was the Craftsmen stuff made in the U.S. since at least it was actually decent, and had the lifetime warranty. The only time anything ever broke was when it was used in a way you really weren't supposed to use it, and then Sears replaced it no questions asked. You do get what you pay for though as with most anything else in life. That said anything from Harbor Freight or a parts house brand I've never been impressed with, just cheap junk not worth a damn. At least the Craftsmen stuff was good to get started with and lasts. Of course now I don't think they're even around or if so it's probably made where all the other cheap crap is made.

I bought the last 270-ish piece Craftsman set that is 100% US made. Now most of their stuff is made overseas. My biggest gripe is that all the 1/2" drive sockets are 12 pointers, which I HATE.