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revmoo posted:Why do roughly half of the quick-connect air tool fittings I have leak air and the other half never leak even a tiny amount? How can I tell if a quick connect is going to leak just by looking at it in the store? Because Chinese parts have no quality control. That being said, you can usually buy 3 harbor freight tools for the price of an american made tool.
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Nov 11, 2012 04:11
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Any suggestions on battery operated grease guns? I'm looking to get something fairly heavy duty for my dad to use on the farm. We have a hand pump John Deere gun that's nice but he's getting old and I think its too much work for him when he needs to do an entire machine at once (or anything at all considering the number of bearings I've had to replace this past year). Looking around on the internet I see people recommending Milwaukee and Lincoln. I've also had my eye on the 18v John Deere. Any other brands I should be looking at? Shoulder strap is a must.
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Nov 11, 2012 06:30
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thebigcow posted:I see people recommending Milwaukee I don't know anything about the others, as the only one I've used is the Milwaukee. Been around for a few years now and still does what it did when it came out of the box. No complaints.
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Nov 11, 2012 16:22
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veedubfreak posted:Because Chinese parts have no quality control. That being said, you can usually buy 3 harbor freight tools for the price of an american made tool. That's why I'd like to be able to visually tell. Pretty much all of my tool fittings are from HF and half of them never leak no matter how much you pull the hose around on it, and the rest leak a small amount constantly and sometimes a moderate amount if you shift it around. Fortunately somehow all the tools I care about managed to end up with non-leaky fittings.
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Nov 11, 2012 17:55
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thebigcow posted:Any suggestions on battery operated grease guns? I'm looking to get something fairly heavy duty for my dad to use on the farm. We have a hand pump John Deere gun that's nice but he's getting old and I think its too much work for him when he needs to do an entire machine at once (or anything at all considering the number of bearings I've had to replace this past year). Alemite is the only real answer, most of the other brands are copies/clones anyway so get the original.
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Nov 12, 2012 12:10
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Has he considered an air powered unit? Or does he do a lot of his greasing away from the barn area/no compressor.
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Nov 12, 2012 12:29
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Rhyno posted:So the Milwaukee drill/driver set I bought a few months back ended up not being so great. Something internal on the drill broke making it useless. Thankfully Amazon is taking a return on it but they no longer stock the set themselves so I'm just getting a refund, not a replacement. So I'm looking at other sets. Specifically this one by Makita. A guy at work got this or something very close to this, 18v Makita set. He's very happy with it, I haven't touched it so I can't give impressions.
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Nov 12, 2012 13:38
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stevobob posted:A guy at work got this or something very close to this, 18v Makita set. He's very happy with it, I haven't touched it so I can't give impressions. I've got a Makita LXT set, and I adore it. Drill, Impact, Sawzall, circ saw, vacuum (seriously), and soon to be angle grinder. I've had it since '09, and the batteries show no signs of letting up any time soon. I just used it to build another firewood shed. Over 150 3" galvy screws, 24 4"x1/4" lags, and 48 strong tie screws on the impact battery, and it charged up in less than 15 minutes (meaning it was at 50% or better). Hard to go wrong with Makita, if you ask me. The Rigid toolsets look nice, I like the orbital motion of the sawzall, but their warranty isn't what it looks like on paper (you have to send EVERYTHING back to get service on one part, and there have been problems with long lead times), there's no warranty on replacement batteries that you buy, and their selection of tools is really limited. I've got a set at work. Milwaukee has an amazing number of tools for their system, but the reliability is hit or miss, according to people in the business. I wouldn't buy anything else. DeWalt is overpriced. Ryobi is actually decent if you are going to abuse them and don't care if they break (they get used a lot in boatbuilding... no matter the brand, the tools get fiberglass in them and go poof). As for that set you linked, just be mindful that those are the compact batteries, and only have half the capacity of the normal batteries. (1.5AH versus 3.0 AH) If you can afford it, the extra $50 would be well spent on: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...&pf_rd_i=507846 sharkytm fucked around with this message at 16:55 on Nov 12, 2012 |
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Nov 12, 2012 16:23
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Sockington posted:Has he considered an air powered unit? Or does he do a lot of his greasing away from the barn area/no compressor. Some of the most neglected equipment is nowhere near a compressor and we wouldn't want to/absolutely can't take a portable compressor to it. Not sure I want to spend Alemite money. Decisions 
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Nov 13, 2012 00:12
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I also have the 3.0 amp hour LXT drill/impact set as well and it is fantastic. The impact sounds much better than my brother's Ridgid or my dad's Milwaukee, as both of them sound sort of gravelly when running. I nearly built an entire deck on one battery charge. I considered the 1.5 amp hour set but only for a second because those were prominently displayed. When I found the larger battery set for slightly more, I got that. Chauncey fucked around with this message at 04:22 on Nov 13, 2012 |
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Nov 13, 2012 04:19
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Nov 14, 2012 18:38
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I think my feelings are hurt by this.
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Nov 14, 2012 19:04
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Rhyno posted:I think my feelings are hurt by this. ..because the nose picking unit is only $8.99 most of the time, right? I used mine to clean minor stains off of the toilets this last weekend. They were here when I moved in, and they're gone now.. all without doing (noticeable) damage to the porcelain. 
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Nov 14, 2012 19:15
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Jalopnik has an amusing article on Harbor Freight today. I found it quite amusing.
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Nov 14, 2012 22:08
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definitely on the do-not-buy list... the loving HF air die grinder. What a worthless piece of poo poo. I bought it two or three years ago, never even took it out of the box till today, and it won't work worth a drat even after being completely disassembled and lubed. The design and construction is EXTREMELY poor, as well. On a more positive note, I think I set a new record for "furthest distance a lovely tool was thrown."
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Nov 14, 2012 22:26
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kastein posted:definitely on the do-not-buy list... the loving HF air die grinder. What a worthless piece of poo poo. I bought it two or three years ago, never even took it out of the box till today, and it won't work worth a drat even after being completely disassembled and lubed. The design and construction is EXTREMELY poor, as well. I dunno, I've got a straight shaft one and an angle grinder, they both work fine.
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Nov 15, 2012 01:20
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sharkytm posted:I dunno, I've got a straight shaft one and an angle grinder, they both work fine. As any HF veteran knows: your experience on one tool has absolutely nothing to do with someone else's experience of the "same" tool. Why? Absolutely, positively no consistency or quality control. You either need to fix it or bring it back enough times until you get a "good" one. It's part of the deal. Own it.
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Nov 15, 2012 05:06
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When I disassembled it I determined that they had assembled it wrong - the air port on the turbine assembly wasn't lined up with the air port on the valve. Even after putting it together right all it did was blast air from everywhere and not spin. No gaskets were installed anywhere, and it was the stereotypical harbor freight grade ultra-rough machining everywhere so I'm fairly certain it just wasn't building enough pressure to get the drat thing spinning. Tried the usual bash it on the ground trick, tried lubing it, tried bashing it again, tried everything, then got pissed and threw it as far as I could into the woods. I think I know where it landed.
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Nov 15, 2012 05:24
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kastein posted:I think I know where it landed. Part of you wants to waste another 20 minutes of life taking it apart one more time. ---- Most of the items I have from HF have served me well. Like others have said, it is very clear that quality control on most items sold there does not exist. I've gotten a couple bad apples from there. I got an air impact from there years ago and it had no trigger! 
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Nov 15, 2012 12:57
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I like Harbor Freight, and I'm glad it's around because it's fun to buy things you could never otherwise justify. There are a couple of rules you have to follow though, or you will actually end up spending more money in the long run because you'll end up buying the same tool over and over. Rule the first: Be aware that power tools of any form have a 50%+ chance of immediate and catastrophic failure. I had a pneumatic drill die on its second use the other day, I bought it knowing I wouldn't use it all that often but I was still surprised at how fast that happened. I’m in the market for a MIG welder right now and HF isn't even being considered. I know how that would end, best case scenario I save a few hundred dollars and get a handful of low duty cycle uses out of it only to have it fail within a couple years and I’m right back to where I am now. I’d rather pony up the cash for a Lincoln or Miller and just be done with it. Rule the second: Be honest with yourself about how much you will use the tool. I have a pipe wrench that costs like $5 from there and it’s shown no sign of fatigue in the few times I've used it. If I were a plumber I’d feel much more confident on the jobsite with a Ridged, but for my needs this is fine. Precision instruments are doubly so. I’d have no problem paying exponentially more for a Fluke multimeter if I were an electrician using it every day, but for a guy who just needs to find a blown fuse a couple times a year why not get the $4 HF special? I am a machinist, and didn't think twice about dumping money into a Mitotoyo micrometer that I use constantly, but I also didn't have a problem getting a stand for it from HF. I guess the point is you don’t need the brand name unless you are giving it the kind of abuse that made that brand name famous for withstanding.
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Nov 15, 2012 18:56
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tonedef131 posted:I like Harbor Freight, and I'm glad it's around because it's fun to buy things you could never otherwise justify. There are a couple of rules you have to follow though, or you will actually end up spending more money in the long run because you'll end up buying the same tool over and over. There's a reason I spent 1100 on my Miller set up instead of chancing burning down my garage with a Harbor Fright welder.
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Nov 15, 2012 21:28
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A Harbor Freight Pipe Wrench is LITERALLY the most useful tool I have. I used to gently caress around doing alignments at work with rusted to poo poo tie rods with wrenches, blow torches, rust penetrant and breaker bars. All I need now is just to tighten a pipe wrench around any stubborn tie rod and that poo poo doesn't have a CHOICE except to turn. The best 7 dollars I ever spent.
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Nov 16, 2012 05:28
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They also double as great hammers when you misplaced your BFH 3 minutes ago and now can't find it to save your life. As for tie rods - if adjuster sleeves are involved, you need one of these: http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/p-18414-4-piece-tie-rodpitman-arm-adjusting-tool-set.aspx I used a pipe wrench last time, mauled the drat adjuster sleeve, couldn't get it dialed in quite right and brought it to my local shop. The tech they had working on it had a set of these (probably snap-on, not whatever brand that set is) and holy hell did they ever make things easier. The way they're designed, they grab on the edge of the adjusting sleeve in the slot and turn it, which both increases the grip the tool has and pries the sleeve open slightly as it turns it, breaking any rust and dirt free, while I was in effect crushing the sleeve together with my pipe wrench while turning it.
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Nov 16, 2012 06:49
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Right, we have a set of those in the shop. They actually sell just a wrench with an adjustable end on it that does the same thing. The sleeves are only on bigger trucks, and most jeeps.
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Nov 16, 2012 08:29
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kastein posted:As for tie rods - if adjuster sleeves are involved, you need one of these: http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/p-18414-4-piece-tie-rodpitman-arm-adjusting-tool-set.aspx
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Nov 16, 2012 13:07
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kastein posted:definitely on the do-not-buy list... the loving HF air die grinder. What a worthless piece of poo poo. I bought it two or three years ago, never even took it out of the box till today, and it won't work worth a drat even after being completely disassembled and lubed. The design and construction is EXTREMELY poor, as well. Had a pep boys one for years, works great. had the harbor freight right angle one for a year or two with only a couple uses, also works great.
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Nov 16, 2012 15:06
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I have the HF 90 degree die grinder as well, and the thing works like a champ. BUt I mainly just use it for flat repairs.
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Nov 16, 2012 16:51
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Bang Me Please posted:Seriously one of the most confusing tools I've learned how to use, even after repeated use. I can imagine the "huh uhhh durrr which way did I want to turn this, which way do I put the grabber on there  " effect is pretty strong for the first few uses.
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Nov 16, 2012 18:00
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What is everyone's opinion on 12pt/universal sockets? I recently picked up a set on super sale thinking it was a standard set (http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brow...t.jsp?locale=en), but it turned out to be universal. Apparently I can't read. I've heard bad things but I have zero personal experience, my other set is all 6pt as well as my impact sockets. I'm thinking about taking it back but I'm wondering if there is any actual reason to keep some around.
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Nov 17, 2012 16:04
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12pt sockets/wrenches seem to fit pretty good on some external torx bolt heads, but actual 12 point bolts seem to be pretty rare in cars. I've seen heads with 12 points on them, but I think they were aftermarket. 12 points do have the advantage of getting onto the head easier in tight spaces too I guess.
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Nov 17, 2012 18:02
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I've heard they're great at rounding off bolts. The only time I had to seek out a 12pt socket was when I was trying to get wheel locks off after I lost the key--you can hammer on a 12pt and try to break the bolt loose.
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Nov 17, 2012 18:02
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Well, assuming you find something with bi-dexagonal 12pt heads (as opposed the VW triple-square nonsense), that's when you really need them, but otherwise it's up to you. Most of my larger sized sockets are 12pt, and I've never had much of a problem with them. I prefer hex sockets for smaller fasteners, though, that's when I'm warier of rounding them off.
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Nov 17, 2012 18:18
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Lowclock posted:12pt sockets/wrenches seem to fit pretty good on some external torx bolt heads, but actual 12 point bolts seem to be pretty rare in cars. I've seen heads with 12 points on them, but I think they were aftermarket. 12 points do have the advantage of getting onto the head easier in tight spaces too I guess. These ones are supposed to fit 6pt/12pt/torx/square/metric splined bolts. I already have an E-torx set for BMW transmission bolts though, and BMW never uses 12pt stuff. It just seems like they would round the poo poo out of regular hex head bolts but I don't have an experience actually using them, all my stuff now is 6pt. I do like the ratchets though. I'll probably return it and wait for one of the stanley sets to come on sale: http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/6/Tools/Sockets/SocketSets/PRD~0589287P/Stanley+183+Piece+Black+Chrome+Socket+Set.jsp?locale=en The nice thing about canadian tire is that every week there is at least something nice that is 2/3 off.
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Nov 17, 2012 18:26
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If you live in the rust belt and/or it isn't a real high quality brand I would walk on those. Besides, a good set of 6 points and 12 points will remove 90% of what you need, then buy etorx/torx/allen/spline/triple square to fit your needs based on the vehicles you have. The right socket always fits better than a universal "fits everything".
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Nov 17, 2012 18:52
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Lowclock posted:actual 12 point bolts seem to be pretty rare in cars The only place I've found them recently are on some rocker covers. Why one would choose to use them there is beyond me.
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Nov 17, 2012 19:03
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Motronic posted:The only place I've found them recently are on some rocker covers. Why one would choose to use them there is beyond me. That's the easiest place to get to when they're rounded off by an airgun, of course!
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Nov 17, 2012 19:06
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I have come across a need for 12 point bolts exactly once, and that was on some headers on a NASCAR motor. SOooooooooooooooooooooooo......
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Nov 17, 2012 22:33
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kastein posted:If you live in the rust belt and/or it isn't a real high quality brand I would walk on those. Besides, a good set of 6 points and 12 points will remove 90% of what you need, then buy etorx/torx/allen/spline/triple square to fit your needs based on the vehicles you have. The right socket always fits better than a universal "fits everything". I live in Halifax so most of the fasteners on my winter car are rusty. I've never successfully taken off an exhaust related bolt without either destroying the head or snapping it off. Taking em back.
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Nov 17, 2012 22:51
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Motronic posted:As any HF veteran knows: your experience on one tool has absolutely nothing to do with someone else's experience of the "same" tool. Why? Absolutely, positively no consistency or quality control. You either need to fix it or bring it back enough times until you get a "good" one. It's part of the deal. Own it. Maybe I just don't get the Harbor Freight mentality 'cause the nearest one has always been like a hour and a half away, but is gambling and having to drive back to store constantly really better than just coughing up the extra cash for a higher quality tool? I guess it would be good for a tool you only going to use once/rarely, but even then I'd guess you'd be able to get a better deal on used tools on ebay* or something. *I might be slight biased on this cause like 90% of the tools I own are from ebay. I think I might have an addiction.
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Nov 18, 2012 00:50
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ExplodingSims posted:Maybe I just don't get the Harbor Freight mentality 'cause the nearest one has always been like a hour and a half away, but is gambling and having to drive back to store constantly really better than just coughing up the extra cash for a higher quality tool? I guess it would be good for a tool you only going to use once/rarely, but even then I'd guess you'd be able to get a better deal on used tools on ebay* or something. For me at least, it kind of happens when I'm in the middle of a project and realize "gently caress, I need [insert odd tool i don't have here] right now, but don't want to spend a shitload of money on it because I'll probably only have a need for it once in a while. The last thing I got from there that fit this category was a $12 puller / installer kit for the PS pump pulley on my truck. FWIW, I haven't had anything from HF break except for a 3-jaw puller that I was (admittedly) abusing pretty hard. I don't think I beat my tools up quite as much as some folks on here though. And it's usually a difference where the "good" tool is (depending on what you consider to be a quality brand) 2x - 10x the cost of the HF poo poo.
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Nov 18, 2012 01:00
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