Harbor Freight shop equipment

[Rob & Helen Goodale]

There are SOME bargains there and LOTS of junk.  Be very selective in what you get.

I have a 14" metal cut-off saw under there "Chicago" name.  This is the orange one that they always have piles of.  That turned out to be a fantastic buy.  It runs like a top and I have cut a LOT of steel with it for many welding projects.  I also cut aluminum PianoDisc rails with it.  Not the most accurate thing in the world but close enough for that particular task.  I got it on sale for $50.00.  Normally it would be $100.00.  Even at that price it is a fantastic bargain. It even came with an extra set of motor brushes.

I also bought a hydraulic hoist for lifting out piano plates.  On the end is one of their chain wenches which gives me added control.  It folds up incredibly compact when not in use, yet with the legs fully extended you can lift several tons.  A perfect solution for a piano shop and inexpensive.  Nothing cheep about it's performance however.  I think I paid around $200.00.  Can't beat it.

I've purchased quite a few various sized C clamps and small bar clamps at Harbor Freight.  There is a little flexing because of the lower grade steel but for general purposes it has been fine.  I use more expensive clamps in critical applications.

ON THE FLIP SIDE:
I have purchased various types of bits there and they immediately went into the trash.  I've purchased sanding disks which turned out to have almost no adhesive and clogged and burned up almost immediately.  I bought a general purpose machine vice for my drill press.  There is so much looseness in the treads that is practically useless.  I bought some throw-away brushes for my glue pot.  Unless I crimp the metal handle on each of them the bristles fall out.  I purchased a box of 100 razor blades and they were as dull as a piece of cardboard right out of the box.  Straight to the trash.  I bought a set of punches which are made of such cheap steel that they chipped and bent on the first use, (punching leather!)  I got some buffing wheels that were so out of round that I had to remove probably a pound of material with the buffing rake to balance them.  I bought some chisels that are so soft there is no way to keep them sharp.  That's okay because I was looking for some junkers to hog out wood for jobs that didn't need to be neat, but I would never consider them for fine wood working.

Take it from ol' live and learn.  Be extremely careful what you buy at Harbor Freight.  I would not touch ANY of their cordless tools.  The metal cut-off saw was a real bargain but I would never consider any wood working equipment of any kind.  That is a task that demands accuracy and power.  Decent quality tools are critical for our type of work.  They are worth spending some money on.  In the past I bought a lot of cheep tools and later regretted it.  I just ended up buying them again.  When it comes to things like saws, routers, sanders, cordless tools, drill presses, band saws, jointers, planers, miter saws, air compressors, dust collectors, and other such shop equipment, buy the highest models of name brands you can afford.

Having tried just about everything out there at this point my preferences are Dewalt, Porter-Cable, and SOME Delta and Skill products.  Makita has never impressed me much.  They tend to be under powered and their cordless stuff doesn't seem to hold a charge all that long.  They also seem less accurate.  I've tossed out two Makita cordless drills because of frustration.  Stay away from Ryobe and Black & Decker, period.  As far as heavy shop equipment goes, without hesitation Powermatic is king.  It is as professional as it gets.  It is VERY expensive but if you can afford to splurge it is golden.  Delta equipment such as their famous "Unisaw" is also good stuff.  I bought a Jet drill press, never been happy with it.  I regret not getting the Delta.  Now I'll have to spend more money upgrading some day.  On the flip side I have a Delta 48" stationary sander that is under powered.

If you are serious about your work get serious about your tools.  Whether it be hand or power tools, get the best you can.  If you can't afford it, save your pennies in a jar until you have enough.  Junk tools bring junky results which makes your work junky.  Buying equipment twice is more expensive then buying good stuff once.  Then take good care of your tools and they will last for the duration of your career.  Never loan them to anyone you don't trust to take care of them the way you do, (or better yet don't loan them).

Rob Goodale, RPT
Las Vegas, NV


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Marcel Carey 
  To: 'Pianotech List' 
  Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2007 4:12 AM
  Subject: RE: Harbor Freight shop equipment

  Well well well, its about that time for me.  The fun time of choosing shop equipment!  I have looked at Harbor Freight for lots of hours now and its decision time for me.  Do any of you have any experience with Harbor Freight tools?  If so what is the tool and what did you think?  I'm interested in power tools.  A drill press, dust collector, bandsaw, grinder, router, disk and belt sander.  I understand a lot of you folks like the grizzly products and they do sound good, but I just cant stand to do the hole mail order thing.  I like to put my hands on the product.  The hand tools I have bought from Hf do an okay job for me.  Some things they have dont look so hot but others work well.  So before investing a lot of money I want to get a few opinions on these products from someone who has used them.  With Harbor Freight locations popping up all over the U.S one needs to know what to expect from the tools they push.  Thanks for any thoughts on this subject.  Oh... and one more thing.  I cant afford to brake the bank on this deal.  I know you get what you pay for but this will be my first shop.  I just need something that will do the job and last for a little while.  Thanks again.
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