I totally agree with you@ABetterLifeInc. But it has taken a decade and owning several of their power tools, for me to get to that point. Bauer and Hercules are an example of their great tools,IMO.
He should have tightened it and see if he beeped at 250+. Rookie. Harbor Freight is still at the "sane" price. Everyone else has lost their minds. Like new trucks. Predator engines are excellent.
EXACTLY! Harbor Freight has come a long way. Only thing I hate is every time I buy something from HF, it's not long they come out with something better than what I just bought!!😤 😅
Gotta give u props Stan for always giving companies big or small their time to showcase and explain their products on your channel . Your questions regarding the products is spot that ur able to articulate ur question and their answer to anyone watching your video and thats not easy takes a good amount of effort and a lot of common sense.
The video you released of Harbor Freight should be shown at the entrance to all their stores. I didn’t know of their R&D and I am sure I am not alone. Thanks again for your channel Stan!!
I love harbor freight. I work on trucks for a living and the one thing that always made me go with snap on vs harbor freight was return policy. But then when I actually had an icon ratchet I broke I brought it in just to see if they would return it and as soon as I walked in this guy saw I was bringing in a ratchet he came up to me saw what kind it was grabbed it and said your good to go lol. Once I saw how easy it was that instantly won me over
Stan, I bought that off-road jack and it’s amazing! Relatively light Weight and super easy to use, especially if you have to drag it across a dirt driveway. I can literally drag it across my lawn and soft muddy areas.
@@stuartrinker I was skeptical at first and watched a few videos comparing it to the CAT and pro eagle versions and the badlands off-road jack was significantly cheaper, built every bit as heavy duty without the heavy part and had additional Cary handles which the other two didn’t. It’s definitely a must have for anyone needing to Jack something up outside of a paved driveway or concrete floor.
Best Jack I've bought so far. I'd drag my Jack all over the yard. The normal metal one. Xtra blocking to go with it. Now just out the extended part onto the badlands and you're rocking.
I will always be a HF fan. The hand tools are unbeatable, with their unbeatable prices and lifetime warranties all you have to do is take it to the counter in the store and they replace it in less than 5 minutes. I have tons of their tools and do tons of stupid things with them, but I’ve only had to take in one warranty. I broke some 14” long reach needle nose pliers and they got me new ones no questions asked!
Love me some HFT. I don’t make a living with my tools but I am hard on them. I make knives and work on classic trucks as hobbies. Plus handle repair and maintenance of home, lawn, etc. Nearly all have held up. I confirmed last night at my most local store that I am getting a store in my town in the next few months. I’m pickled tink! Glad to see HFT coming along nicely and adding great items to their inventory.
After seeing this, I'm buying this trailer and maybe 2 of them for this 2024 season. HB has always had a special place in the hearts of tradesmen and they just keep getting better.
I have had a Harbor freight 14 inch bandsaw for 15-20 years. I have made thousands (not kidding) of bandsaw boxes and have not even replaced the wheel "tire". Zero problems. I paid $299. One thing I am convinced of is that if you put white paint and better guides on it you have the same saw as a Jet which is a clone of the old original delta from decades ago. The delta riser kit is a bolt on. I also own about 500 6 inch bar clamps of both ratchet and screw style from harbor freight and at the time I purchased some were 99 cents on sale and some were $1.99 Their "hercules" tools are excellent
I will give them props on that trailer for that price can't beat it I purchased a red trailer from them back in 1995 and I still have that trailer till today stored outside with no issues aside from regular maintenance. 🙂
I remember the first time i heard of harbor freight. I live in chicago and then there was only one like an hour away. I had my first motorcycle and needed transmission work the shop wanted more than the motorcycle was worth. I didnt know squat about engines back then. A mechanic at that shop i was talking with told me get the manual and do it yourself its not that hard. I was low on funds so i did then i needed tools specialty tools that where expensive so i would have to ask shops if i could pay for time on theirs one mechanic metioned harbor freight to me. I rebuilt that engine and transmission using HF tools.
Did they start all the strict testing requirements after the jack stands were failing? They are improving some stuff for sure. Daytona floor jacks are at a great price point and seem like good quality….
I remember going into a Harbor Freight store back in the 90's and you can just smell the store, and it wasn't a good smell. The only tools worth buying was the Pittsburg wrenches and sockets, and the pneumatic tools. But now, the smell is gone, and the tools have greatly improved. There will always be people that believe the only tools you should be using is Snap-On or else you're not a real mechanic. That couldn't be any farther from the truth.
Can't really say if they are the best tools but at least they're hand tools have a lifetime warranty. No issues taken them back and exchanging them if needed. Cannot even do that with Craftsman anymore
Craftsman is warrantied through lowes and other retailers. Unfortunately tools sold by sears(2017 and prior) are no longer the responsibility of craftsman who was bought by Black and Decker. I no longer buy craftsman but they are good as compared to the competition and have a good warranty servicing network.
@@martinscluff yes, Lowes and some hardware stores but they don't want to be bothered with the old tools. Won't even take them. They want you to send back yourself!! Screw that
Pricing at HF is, in my opinion, what prices of basic tools are supposed to be. The only thing I do not buy is their battery operated tools. That may change in the future as their quality has gone up…BUT unfortunately so has their prices.
I’m not a PRO at all most DIY and no issues ever on any HF product, I’m fan of the Bauer 20V and now I’m looking over the Hercules 20V line and have hundreds of hand tools and everything works good
Torque wrenches in reverse are not as accurate as they are in the tightening direction. Not sure on the lights why they powder coated them instead of anodizing them. A hard coat anodize would probably fair better than powder coat.
Those are not real Bearing Buddies on that trailer. The dust cap has a removable plug that covers a zerk fitting that directs grease directly to the bearings. A Bearing Buddy has the zerk fitting on the outside to allow the entire hub space, and the bearings, to be filled with grease.
I love Harbor Freight, it’s easily my go-to for tools. I was all about Craftsman when you could actually find a Sears, but they dove far off the cliff with junk. Now I find myself having bought in to the Milwaukee M12/M18 lines, still need more for my collection but the prices are insane. The little inflator that was $70 a year or two ago is now $160….no. Just no. Bauer and Hercules are drawing my eye……
You should invest in some decent directional handheld microphones. Point the mic at the mouth of the person speaking and greatly reduce all the background noise from the rest of the show. OR use a directional shotgun mic on a boom and handled by a sound guy to again reduce the background noise. That would make the person speaking easier to understand and your video so much more pleasant to watch.
Their stuff is fine if you don't use it on a daily basis, but it will not stand up to daily use. I have also had their generators that won't last 10 hours. Their grinding wheels and cut of disks are junk in comparison to name brand.
They may be junk in comparison to “name brand” wheels, but when you get ten for the price of two “name brand” wheels… I’m still buying warrior. Also I know multiple mechanics that have had the same set of Pittsburgh sockets for more than ten years and use them daily. It depends on what the tool is honestly.
@@Dirtmonkey Impressing someone with the name on the outside of the tool has never made me money. For me, it is always producing quality product using affordable tools.
I have been a longtime HFT customer. There are some things i would buy there, and some things I would stick to Lowes/Home Depot for. My two most used power tool pieces came from HFT - belt sander and air compressor. Neither have given me a lick of trouble to this day. However...I need to call BS on that new Icon knife. I have it, and it's a great work knife for the money and for the materials. That knife is a direct knock off of another knife by a knife brand that's been on the market for longer. HFT DID NOT develop that from the ground up as they claimed. Take a look at the Begg Knives Mini Glimpse then look at the Icon knife. Mini Glimpse has been on the market way longer.
I have a difficult time getting on the HF train. Icon is respectable but HF can’t sell to everybody. They need to maintain their niche market. And that is what I think they are doing, although they are trying to appear to be something greater than they are. It is meant to appeal to the same consumer segment. I think that place is dangerous.
I wish. The ZT 0350 I carry now is $180 and that’s about median price among the premium brands. You have your $70 Kershaw models available at stores like Walmart, then $150+ for Benchmade, ZT, Spyderco and others.
I remember the days when HF was a cheapest and got the job done! I do like some of their nice stuff, but I feel like they are losing their main attraction… price.
They don’t grab the competitions tools IS THE BIGGEST LIE OUT THERE. They literally copy snap on. Their new pistol grip plyers. Direct snap on copy. They literally compare their stuff to snap on on their tags. Show you how much your saving. 😂😂😂😂😂😂🐣
Gotta admit one thing though. Their stores dont smell like china made tools do. I find it so odd that china made actually has a smell to their low quality tools.
Boy when you said “ get your hands dirty” really made me think of all these lazy newer people coming to work anymore and it’s like they’re afraid to get dirty and ask me how I did… easy. It’s called working . Is it me or is it lots of other places too that get lazy lazy people and almost have to physically take them to job ( site ) etc and make them /show them what to do and it’s like a struggle. And many think they shouldn’t have to do this or that or wonder why so and so gets to do what they are , etc? I do it all and been there over 25 years . And don’t even question what I’m told. If I was to complain , it would be why they gave me some lazy help that’s basically in the way trying to stay clean. Not like I’m trying to get filthy but ya gotta do what’s needed. A boss that retired told a guy as we’re doing asphalt that day to ”get in there.. we’re not petting kittens”. I thought that was pretty good. lol Just wondering if anyone else has same issues or similar? And of course ya can tell when ya go to a store , fast food , etc that it’s almost a hassle to help ya which is why they’re even there . I’ll give em points for at least being there I guess whether it’s good or bad at least they’re working… I guess …… not sure if it’s byproduct of the ol mask year stuff or it was like that then it made it way worse? And I don’t consider myself to be the old guy at work at 46 years old ; but maybe I morphed into 1 ? Guess I was always told to take pride in your name and reputation and be courteous, polite , strong, rugged, dependable, helpful, and take pride in anything ya do . Whether cleaning toilets/bathrooms the best to plowing roads , grading , loading , etc . From top to bottom. Oh well. I liked the video Stan . I think people in general will always give harbor freight the stigma of cheap crap which isn’t fair and should try some things themselves and not look at anything on internet or reviews but to live in real life and check it out and try it out. Keep receipts if need be return. Ya live in Minnesota? Any chance near Altoz? Just wondering if they have any shows or updates or if surplus of equipment? Would love to see the switch with a finish type mower , and blade for snow, snowblower , broom , etc. As a homeowner it’d be fantastic to have those options for us . Not sure if they can give better price points or maybe. Make a tad smaller version? Ya it’s off topic , sorry. But a Hercules impact could be helpful on one .😎. Thanks for informative videos and it’s crazy no snow to plow and 50 degrees out right? God bless and good health and wealth to you and all . Amen 🇺🇸
You're definitely not alone noticing that. It's been happening for longer than the Kung Flu started but I think gotten worse afterwards. If the new hires show up at all then they're hiding in the bathroom playing with their phones. The trainers have had to be retrained to teach the newer generation how to actually work. Not do the job they've been hired for but to actually work. They were told the newer generation has never worked before so they have no concept of how to. They wanted the trainers to actually call the new hires every morning to wake them up to remind them to come to work. Finally got management to understand that if we are calling these people when we get up we're also not clocked in and are working off the clock. Been with the company for 25 years and got told last year they now invented a robot that can do my job. Sad part is I can't actually blame them. Guess I'm going to be a new hire somewhere else soon.
The world is not the same. Kids need to be outside, in the dirt, a helluva lot more if you ask me. (Among so many other things, but to kind of sum it up)
@@Dirtmonkey amen. Meeting neighbors and making friends and being creative while “ bored , nothing to do”. lol. Then ya mingle and learn to socialize with others and play sports and learn sportsmanship, teammates, etc . And not hiding inside on phones , games, etc … and what ever happened to earning allowance??? Lots of neighbors with kids never outside, never.. pre-teens & teens. They don’t mow, shovel sidewalks, etc . I came home 1 day to the 9-month pregnant wife mowing steep yard and kids inside and husband at work. Which I get along with him and rest of neighbors. He works a lot as I do myself but they’re never doing regular seasonal upkeep . Bare minimum. I did their yard that time and help out and do sidewalks too all working 16+ hr days to boot. But my dad made me at least mow and do stuff for money as my step-dad too. No free rides or magic money from nowhere at our house growing up . And helping clean house , laundry , etc. so many nowadays act like extremely exhausted when they have to actually do something. Not even hard tasks . And don’t get me started on any of them about getting dirty or something “gross “ like just taking out trash. Or hands dirty from helping outside. Want to say “ hey, we got soap and water. You’ll be able to wash hands or whatever so don’t be a wuss”. And it’s always the same thing. Even the adults/coworkers “. When they come in and say “ oh it’s cold out” . Or “it’s hot out” …. That’s when I want to tell them “ ya , that’s called outside. You should try it more often. It’s good for you. They make clothes that allow us to enjoy it or work or both.” I get it. People are addicted to phones but they don’t realize life is passing by while they’re distracted. And even form opinions and views from their phones instead of going or being in places to see and feel for themselves in “real life and time”. And I’m upper 40’s in age and think it’s bad now as far as help in labor jobs but can only speculate in 10-20 years. And if folks aren’t aware of skyrocketed price of labor yet , it’ll be hard to swallow for some mandatory fix for home. But for those of us that can and will I suppose we can bang out some hustle bucks. (Off-topic??? ) ya. Sorry and long rant but with new hires and lack of drive or able to keep up with me is sad, and I’m kinda of old guy nowadays at work. Best of luck to all , love vids and equipment to make trades/jobs easier and projects complete. Keep it up and take pride in everything ya do everyone.💯🇺🇸👍🏽
They sell tool without the battery. I've gone to Harbor Frieght for an appliance dolly and gloves. Although, when I bought the appliance dolly, the plate was bent up. Harbor Frieght isn't always top notch tools, when you pick them up from the store!! Or at least they are scratch and dent items. I'm not afraid to speak the truth about Harbor Frieght.
OR, it could also be that they make all of their products in China using low wage and slave labor. That would sure cut the price to the consumer while still allowing a healthy profit.
Not gonna lie this is all cap Snap on and Knipex are 100% copied ** I will say they are very good tools I used snap on daily and when I’m handed a new icon I don’t notice to much difference we will see about how long it lasts
I lost confidence in Harbor freight 15 years ago when a credit card transaction between a store and their corporate offices Got my private information stolen. Apologies are not acceptable. When they are so closely aligned with China, the flow of information concerns me.
whoa, wait now uncle stan! Don't end the video like a jerk..... more info on that torq wrench..... plz. lol...... you're not a jerk....oh crap don't ban me been watching for a long time.... foxes long time. how long does the battery last and what battery is in it. don't need one often but don't like those stupid expensive button batteries.
I have carried this Knife since December. I use it daily cutting cardboard and such at work. have never needed to sharpen it once just run it over my leather and polish wheel once a week. well worth 40 dollars