Harbor Freight

[Atlas]

Their prices are good, but I wonder about the customer service. I just had two really cruddy interactions with them.

 

One was over applying $100 worth of active coupons on a $3200 order for toolboxes. I realized when I got home that there were coupons so I called customer service to ask if they could be retroactively applied to the order I placed that day. No. The only way is to cancel the order and re-initiate it, but... can't cancel the order until the toolboxes arrive at the store (well after the coupons are expired). OK, my mistake, not worth getting upset over $100 on $3200, I'll remember next time. They weren't even Inside Track coupons.

 

Meanwhile I ordered two service carts which arrived at my house. Packaging was destroyed, but the carts looked OK. Ten million pieces of assembly later, I got to the last step, install drawer onto glides. That's when I realized the glides were damaged in shipping, all the plastic pins to hold the drawer closed when the cart is moving around were busted off. So I called customer service. They don't have replacement parts. I can ship them back to HF in their original boxes (LOL), or take it up with a store manager to see if they'll accept an assembled return. The nearest HF is an hour's drive, that's just not going to happen. We're talking $0.02 in broken plastic. Shipping weight for the two carts is 130 lbs... are you kidding me, you're going to pay to return ship and refund for $0.02 worth of broken plastic.

 

As I'm going back and forth with the rep, I was browsing their replacement parts listings on the HF website. Exact same cart. Replacement drawer glides. So I asked if they would send those as replacements and she says no. The SKU doesn't match mine even though it's the same exact cart, it's for a different color cart (the glides are unpainted, it doesn't matter), but the glides are likely a new/updated version.

 

Interesting, you don't say... 

 

Now I'm seriously re-considering this toolbox order. If parts are going to disintegrate like this or it's going to require traveling to the 6th floor of Hell every time I need to beg them for a proprietary part, I'm not sure I want the boxes anymore.

 

Anyone else have any good/bad HF experiences?

[CamGTP]

I have tons of their tools, other random items, bought a generator and a tool cart from them too. Never really had a bad experience with them yet. I live 3 miles from the one in town and it is helpful if I really need something from them. With being that close if I did order something in I have been able check it out beforehand to make sure it's not damaged.

 

Haven't had to warranty anything yet but I'm sure that day will come. Though for some things I probably wouldn't even bother because I'd end up breaking the tool in a way I shouldn't have and they might not even warranty it lol.

 

One thing that bugs me a little is that everything is tied to a phone number or do you have an account, do you want to sign up for this that or another thing. Let me just buy the damn thing as a walk in customer, give me my receipt and if I have problems I will come back.

[garagerog]

Stories like this make me long for the days of Sears and their line of Craftsman tools. Not high end but quality tools with a guaranteed  replacement policy.  Guess I could never justify the cost of a dedicated set of impact sockets as for example on lug nuts I'd get 95% there with an impact gun and then hand torque to finish. Once I was overzealous or just not paying close enough attention and over torqued and sure enough split a chrome Craftsman socket. Sears replaced it, no questions asked. One of the most used tools that I have over the decades is a little 4" Craftsman crescent wrench that my uncle gave to me as a birthday gift when I was a relative tyke, fits in your pocket taking up no more room than a set of keys.  I've always coveted the high end tools like SK and Snap-On that professional mechanics use, but hate spending money on myself. I decided when my son was a teenager I wanted him to get off on the right foot tool wise so I ponied up and got him a nice variety of SK tools as a Christmas gift, they have served him well to this day in the harsh environment of Alaska where he has chosen to reside.

[asilverblazer]

I've broken tools, I've had tools go bad. I view most hand tools as disposable, they get lost, they get damaged, they get modified (I have been known to cut/weld sockets together to get a drive size or depth I need). It seems like I also collect hand tools too, they seem to appear without me specifically buying them. I don't want to stress about losing a 'nice' tool.

 

Tools that have failed that annoy me, belt sander, battery drill, table saw, router - some were nicer brands, some weren't. They all burnt up under normal use. On one hand, glad I didn't pay 'too' much for them. 

 

I would like to have a nice big matching set of tools, wrenches, sockets, ratchets, but like noted above, I don't think I'll benefit from the cost, don't want to 'worry' about them, I have plenty already.

 

To that end, Harbor Freight has plenty of stuff that fits the bill. I would NOT recommend them for more expensive/investment items. 

Edited March 5 by asilverblazer

[richard wysong]

The problem I have found is that replacement parts don't exist for most items, I have 1 of their bandsaws, they don't  carry blades for it anymore never mind the cheap cast aluminum brackets that hold the table, Many many items that need small parts to function properly are rendered useless. lifetime warranty on hand tools requires receipt. I too miss Sears, I have a drawer full of broken craftsman stuff that I haven't figured out how to warranty yet. That said it is hard to beat their prices on toolboxes, I've had 1 of their roller boxes for about 10 years, no issues. Snap-On is out of control on their prices, you can buy a car for the price of a large roller combo, regular 10mm sockets like $25 now, it hurts when you lose 1. local guy won't stop at my shop anymore cuz after 50 years in the business I don't need any tools and he doesn't like warrantying the broken stuff. There hasn't been a Mac or Matco truck in the area for decades, Cornwell stops at my friends shop down the street

[TrueBlue]

Haven't bought a lot of HF tools, as I've always been a Craftsman, and other name brand user. But I have got quite a few of their inexpensive things that are not mission critical to me. A while back I picked up a Hercules 1hp 8" bench grinder from them and I've got to say the thing is well made and will last me for the rest of my life. I bought another bench grinder from them years ago and burned it up. Not this one. Their Hercules line seems to be pretty stout. If I didn't already have a lot invested in Milwaukee and Ridgid 18v tools and batteries I'd be giving their Hercules cordless tools a whirl for sure.

I've returned one thing and it was painless. Can't remember now what it was, but they're close by, and what I returned was an in stock item so it was easy for them to replace it. No issues on that one incident.

[Atlas]

90% of my mechanics and hand tools are Stanley. The rest are Craftsman now that they're all owned by the same corporate mega-profit extractor, Craftsman are easier to find these days. I've never bought tools from HF, only incidentals like mentioned in a few other posts.

 

I'll probably still give the HF/ US General toolboxes a whirl. I considered them because HF sponsored some of my favorite Youtubers a while back and they're still using those boxes a few years later. Trail Mater, MORR, and a few others. I think Mater also now has Cornwell boxes but you can see he still uses his USG bright green boxes too.

 

I'd love Snap-On, but won't justify the price. I'd pay a premium. But not a fortune. Snap On wants a fortune. Everything else is global, and US assembly doesn't really matter to me, assembly isn't what makes a good toolbox; materials and build quality matter more.

[RyanbabZ71]

No issues with Harbor Freight.  I have a Yukon toolbox and one of the US General roll arounds.  The yukon is really nice.  Most of my sockets and ratchets are craftsman but I do have some of their stuff also. 

[CamGTP]

I have a Husky 72in box from Home Depot, at the time it was the best bang for the buck. It's a deep enough box for what I needed but now I need another as I've basically filled it up.