Tools are on order!

[Jaymez]

I'm not sure exactly how much I'm going to be able to get done before it gets too friggin cold outside, but, I've ordered the tools I need to start making some forward progress on my Square Body!

Ordered was a set of sheet metal magnets, an air saw, and a sheet metal flange tool. All is coming from Harbor Freight. The only tool I REALLY need to make progress is the saw. I have to cut the bolts for the rear springs so I can flip the frame and resume rust treatment.

After the frame is coated in chassis black, I get to resume the body work. Thankfully, on the cab, there isn't a whole lot to really do. Patch some holes in the floor and I'm hell bent on shaving the clearance lights. I need to check that lift laws link to make sure they aren't required on a lifted truck.

I can't wait to get working on my truck again!

 

[RetroC10Sport]

I've never bought anything from Harbor Freight, but i hear their quality has gone up a little in the past few years.

 

[Jaymez]

I certainly hope so. If not, you will definately see a rant from me!

A couple of years a go, I was going to a swap meet and wanted some sort of wagon to carry my parts finds in. Those little red wagons are friggin' expensive! I wasn't about to pay $200 for a Radio Flyer or more for one of the bad add off road versions, so I bought a hand truck from Harbor Freight, I bought one of the ones that could lay down and be used as a four wheeled cart with casters up front.

The damn thing collasped under the weight of four car tires sized for an Olds Alero.

 

[Irishman999]

Im a patron of Harbor freight, the only tool from there I broke was because I was abusing it. I bought a pressure washer from them last November, I was sure it would throw a rod after a day of use but... I gave it a good heat cycle break in and the thing still works like it did the first day, I used it so much it should really be worn out by now.

 

[greencountry05]

All I've bought from them so far was a tarp. I just know that next time I will go to the store in Tulsa because I ordered over the phone and what would've been a five minute conversation turned into thirty because the guy was in India, I could barely understand him and he kept trying to sell me a magazine subscription. Next on my list is a aluminum floor jack and some jack stands so I can stop using my buddies stuff lol.

 

[HotRodPC]

All I've bought from them so far was a tarp. I just know that next time I will go to the store in Tulsa because I ordered over the phone and what would've been a five minute conversation turned into thirty because the guy was in India, I could barely understand him and he kept trying to sell me a magazine subscription. Next on my list is a aluminum floor jack and some jack stands so I can stop using my buddies stuff lol.

Just an FYI, go for the Jack Stands, they are great, I have a 6 ton set that on sale were like $18 and they are great and plenty of height, but the 3ton ones, they are kind of short. Still good, but not good enough to get enough height to pull a trans. Great for doing a brake job but just not enough height for much else, so I'd go for the 6 ton if I were you. On that 3000lb aluminum jack, I have one. Love it cuz its light and I carry it around like a lunch box, and having a bad back its great, BUT, its not got enough power for a square body truck. It screams just to lift the rear end of my 3/4 ton truck when its empty, and it won't even lift the front end with a big block in the truck. So if you want the aluminum jack, stay away from the 3000lb one and go for the bigger one. Lucky for me, I am in Moore, and I have a HF south of me in Norman, and one North of me in OKC. Lots of good stuff for cheap, but lots of junk too. So be careful.

 

[Irishman999]

The beauty of the cheap crap that breaks is how many you can get for the price. For example.... During my move I could have spent 50 bucks or so buying nice ratchet straps, instead I bought 3 times as many crappy ones from harbor freight (none broke).

 

[Jaymez]

There's a lot of stuff I would never consider buying from HF or any other Discount Store. Jacks and Jack Stands being two examples. In that case, I'd much rather pay for quality than risk a jack failure while trying to slide the stands under the truck.

The stuff I bought, I figure if it fails my hand is going to hurt but I won't be out a ton of money and I don't think I'll be putting my life in any serious danger.

I am THRILLED that there is no HF store local to me that I know of. I could easily spend too much money in there if I had the ability to impulse buy.

 

[HotRodPC]

I'll give you that on a couple of their jacks, and makes sense, but their jack stands are just fine, and actually, I have a neighbor that paid a butt load for some "GOOD QUALITY" stands, and he likes mine much better, and feels safer with mine that he does his own, and I spent less than a 1/3 of what he did. His have pins that appear that could break or bend, when you see these stands, you can tell, they are not going anywhere.
On some HF tie down straps, not ratchet type, the pinch coupler type, I kid you not, my 8200lb Box Van ran out of gas in the middle of a big intersection on an AF base. My SIL was in front of me, he turned around, and all I had for him to pull me out the way was one of those 6ft tie down straps. I told him to take off SLOOOWWWWWW to not break it and get me out of the intersection. After getting out of the intersection, now what? No gas can !!! So I had him tow me about 2 blocks to a gas station and even pulling that heavy truck up the drive entrance, that thing did not break or even slip. I was amazed. Bottom line, some of its good stuff, and some is junk. I did have a drill motor, after first use drilling out some rivets, that thing was throwing sparks, and spitting out chunks of hot metal. They replaced it no questions asked, and now I just know its not a tough one, so I only use in on wood or thin metal, and bought me a Makita drill that I can't kill noway nohow.

 

[85k10383]

James, why go with an air saw, just out of curiosity? A right angle grinder with a cut-off wheel will go through spring bolts (and shackles LOL) with no trouble, and does double duty as a rust remover with a wire wheel. A good one, (Dewalt) will set you back 80 bux at Costco. And if you are as dumb as me, you can grind some skin off your arm with a rust remover disc!

 

[crazy4offroad]

I had a flux core mig from there, it lasted just long enough that they wouldnt cover it. I dont like buying anything there anymore. Dad had a 1/2 cordless drill that snapped in half. He said the material (plastic) that held it together was next to nothing it was so thin. Keep buying from there and we'll all be speaking Chinese lol. They might make decent things like hammers, punches or jackstands but I wouldnt even buy a drillbit from them.

 

[RetroC10Sport]

unfortunately, many tool makers are going that way.

I refuse to buy Mac tools because when Stanley took over, they closed the Sabina, ohio plant and most Mac tools are made in Asia now.

Danaher owns Matco tools, so they are just overpriced Craftsman/Kobalt now. Still made in the US, but not as good of quality as 10+ years ago when Kobalt was actually made by Williams which is a division of Snap On.

Most Blue Point tools (Snap On) are made in Asia now.

 

[Irishman999]

I had a flux core mig from there, it lasted just long enough that they wouldnt cover it. I dont like buying anything there anymore. Dad had a 1/2 cordless drill that snapped in half. He said the material (plastic) that held it together was next to nothing it was so thin. Keep buying from there and we'll all be speaking Chinese lol. They might make decent things like hammers, punches or jackstands but I wouldnt even buy a drillbit from them.

Funny you mention the drill bits from HF, don't buy them. I got a indexed machining set and tried to use one of the bits to drill a 1/8th inch hole in the floor of my Jeep Comanche. Fresh bit never used would not drill at all, just spun around until i barely pushed and BENT in half. I **** you not it looks like they melted aluminum cans and poured them in molds and painted them black. Kinda like a movie prop gun, looks real but no where close to being functional.

 

[HotRodPC]

hahahah, yeah, I have seen their drill bits like a piece of laffy taffy after drilling into some metal. It just couldn't handle the heat. I have several of their 4 wheel flat mover dollies to roll motors and transmissions around the shop, and they work OK too.
All tool mfg are getting cheaper now days. I quit buying Craftsman long ago. I still have mostly Craftsman, but their support of having many items in stock now sucks, and you have to order it, or you get a ratchet "Kit" now, and if they don't have a kit, they give you a refurbed ratchet. I had to ask my bro which George he stole his ratchet from. He said he didn't, he exchanged his at Sears, and they give him a used refurb that used to belong some dude named George. Some items they won't even honor their warranty, they will offer you a refund or last catalog price, but if its part of a set, they won't buy the whole set back, so you have a set of something and missing one, like nut drivers for example. Why the hell do I need them now, if the 1/4 and the most common one I use, it not going to be replaced? Give me a full refund on the whole set and I'll go get me a set of Snap On drivers.

 

[RetroC10Sport]

Yep, Craftsman warranty is horrible nowadays.

I have a lot of C-man tools, but my priority sizes and ratchets are Snap on. Though my primary 3/8s rat is a 65 year old Plomb.