Socket Holders

[HotRodPC]

I think most of HF stuff is crap. Northern Tool has better quality stuff.

I think Northern Tool is same quality junk as HF. HF is a crap shoot. Some of it is OK.

 

[davbell22602]

I think Northern Tool is same quality junk as HF. HF is a crap shoot. Some of it is OK.

I know HF has all the bad reviews on there items compared to northern tool.

 

[skysurfer]

I stay away from HF for the most part, unless it's something without lots of moving parts. Simple things like the jack stands I purchased recently are hard to go wrong with.

One success story with the Central Machinery brand is my 8" bench grinder. I bought it back in the late 80's and it still works great. On the other hand, I bought a small 12v compressor to keep in the truck last year and it worked for less than a minute before it internally detonated.

Their big compressors seem to be a good deal. I got the 60 gal. two-stage model six months ago and it has been trouble free. They are made in South Carolina by the same company that makes Bel Aire compressors. The only downside is the motor spins the pump at higher rpm's than other brands so it's noisy. I put mine in a storage area away from my work area so it doesn't bother me.

I don't know if they still carry them , but I also got my Hansen tap & die set at HF. Top quality set and they had the best price anywhere.

 

[89Suburban]

I have been looking everywhere for different styles of holders and I think for the money I got to try that first one I posted. It holds so many sockets and is labeled and just seems like the best combination of features. I guess I'll be the guinea pig and test it out.

 

[RetroC10Sport]

The tap & die sets HF have now are total ****.

 

[davbell22602]

Northern has wilmar tools

 

[Irishman999]

You can pretty much look at a tool at HF and judge its quality, weather or not it will work. I have got a ton of stuff there since I always seem to live within a mile of a HF, so far I had a electric nibbler and a drill crap out on me. Both were extremely cheap to begin with. Took them in with receipts and got a full refund.

The nibbler was a little different, I was cutting to thick of sheet metal and it kept breaking the jaw. I was using it beyond its capabilities. The drill was just a cheap piece of ****, it had no torque and when the chuck was forced to stop smoke came out of the vents. Still works though.

 

[Old77]

I've only bought one tool from HF....a polisher. It is alright for what it is and I've used it a few times.

 

[HotRodPC]

I know what drill you are talking about. I have bought it on sale for like $7.99 or $9.99. I used it to drill big frame rivets. After the 2nd one, it started spitting out hot metal chunks of stuff and smoking like crazy. Ohhhhh it smellled gooooood !!!! They did exchange it since I didn't have the receipt. So now I know, its just a cheap household use drill that I use for wood projects and that's about it.

 

[HotRodPC]

I've only bought one tool from HF....a polisher. It is alright for what it is and I've used it a few times.

I have many things from HF, and some have junked out, but not many and I expect it to happen for the price paid. I have some stuff that has well exceeded my expectations and when it does finally go, I won't be unhappy about it. Things like trailer lights, jack stands, wireless connectors, you can't beat their prices and the quality is fine.

 

[skysurfer]

I just remembered... I bought a HF drill set once because the size I needed was broken in my existing set. Wasn't worried about quality because I was just drilling some oak. So I'm drilling away with about a 1/8" drill and suddenly the drill motor slips towards the wood. I thought I broke the drill bit but when I looked at the bit it had bent at 90 degrees. Damn thing was so soft it wouldn't snap.

 

[davbell22602]

I just remembered... I bought a HF drill set once because the size I needed was broken in my existing set. Wasn't worried about quality because I was just drilling some oak. So I'm drilling away with about a 1/8" drill and suddenly the drill motor slips towards the wood. I thought I broke the drill bit but when I looked at the bit it had bent at 90 degrees. Damn thing was so soft it wouldn't snap.

I get the dewalt bits with the pilot tips from lowes.

 

[Irishman999]

I just remembered... I bought a HF drill set once because the size I needed was broken in my existing set. Wasn't worried about quality because I was just drilling some oak. So I'm drilling away with about a 1/8" drill and suddenly the drill motor slips towards the wood. I thought I broke the drill bit but when I looked at the bit it had bent at 90 degrees. Damn thing was so soft it wouldn't snap.

I did that exact thing, a real WTF?!? moment. I got a set a few years ago that was a "machinist" set that went up in small increments, it had hundreds of bits all in a nice quality looking tin indexed case. The bits themselves had a nice finish that looked like quality black hardened tool steel.

I went to drill a hole in the floor board of the Jeep truck and same thing, bent 90 degrees. Its like the drill bits were cast out of aluminum cans and painted with nice paint to trick you into buying them.

These came from a traveling tool swap meet that sells "cummins" JUNK. The bench grinder I got chucked a disk off the shaft. My Dad and I each got 5 peice cummins vice grip knockoffs thinking we got an awesome deal, we broke every single one of them.

 

[jake wells]

im glad i have all my tools new, used, ancient craftsman
never broke any of them yet.

the items i bought from harbor freight was there 5.5hp vertical shaft honda copycat engine for my mower and i can tell you.it has never let me down except when i broke the pull rope. i have beat it slammed it and mowed weeds down that were up to my knees.

there engines rock and Honda parts work on them and the best thing is i have had it 3 years.

 

[davbell22602]

im glad i have all my tools new, used, ancient craftsman
never broke any of them yet.

the items i bought from harbor freight was there 5.5hp vertical shaft honda copycat engine for my mower and i can tell you.it has never let me down except when i broke the pull rope. i have beat it slammed it and mowed weeds down that were up to my knees.

there engines rock and Honda parts work on them and the best thing is i have had it 3 years.

Honda lawn equipment parts are expensive along with the freight to get them to the US.