HARBOR FREIGHT SALE...

Just a note here...

Their 90 Amp FCAW is at the LOWEST price in years for $81.something... the standard helmet at $39. Guaranteed to pay for itself the second time you use it. Easy learning curve as well.

Secondly... a 14 inch electric Chain Saw for $47 bucks, really comes in handy for the average homeowner.

http://view.harborfreightemail.com/...tm_source=1041&cid=mEmail_s1041_c1015b_fd&r=0

I don't have any interest in this company nor do I collect commissions, but I should! HA! My only interest is sharing what I have found to work for me for dimes on the dollar.

I like my craftsman electric chainsaw. It was the best deal at the time I bought it a few years ago. It can set for months and when I need it, it is ready to go. Like the joke about electric cars, the extension cord on the saw is some times a bit restrictive. I also like my mig welder. Mine works gas or flux core but I like the smooth non contaminated beads with gas. No chipping and little or no grinding. Talking about tools around the house...A couple of years ago I bought a four stroke weed whacker. It is a slightly heavier than a comparable two stroke but more torque and quieter. My next gas chainsaw I am going to see if there is a four stroke. The problem with two stokes is the diaphragm in the carb dries out and gets brittle when not in use.

Tony, is HF your second home? Just an impression I got, it's mine as well, especially when I'm in the dog house.

Cesare

I need to learn how to weld... :dunce:

I think Tony denies commissions just a little too loudly.......

They just opened a harbor freight about two blocks from me in San Dimas. But I dont need anything right now.

you haven't looked.:grin:

My wife and I don't go to the big city very often but when we do I take her to Hobby Lobby because there is a Harbor Freight at the other end of the parking lot. It is one of the few time we don't mind being apart. Usually I don't have anything particular in mind but often find something I didn't know I couldn't live with out.

I love Harbor Freight! I wish we had them in Canada, except they'd be called "Harbour Freight" (lol)

The General brand tool chests seem to be of decent quality and a great value. I have a few HF tools in my garage and my general purpose tools.

welding

aww jeez zonk..
I have gas, arc and mig here......
ya shoulda spent the whole weekend!!
mikemo
to be honest, I ain't that good, but practice makes perfect:dance2:

mikemo90 said:

aww jeez zonk..
I have gas, arc and mig here......
ya shoulda spent the whole weekend!!
mikemo
to be honest, I ain't that good, but practice makes perfect:dance2:

Click to expand...

Just call it art. A good while back a shop owner commissioned me to make some metal whales to hold bubble machines. They were about three feet long made of sheet metal. I welded the first one up with my mig and ground the edges real nice and took it in to show. The lady wrinkled her nose and said "I thought you was going to weld it" I said I did weld it and she asked "where are the spatters and holes?" I took the piece back home dug out the oldest crappiest rod I had cranked up the buzz box and spattered and blew holes and when I brought the piece back to her runs and all she loved it. She also sold the heck out of those whales too.

Papa Tony

Is there a subliminal IPO message on HF we don't know about, I bet you'll get royalties once they find out. Insider information Ha!
Hey its OK, no smart dog will bite the hand that feeds it. LOL :worship:

HA! I didn't mean to start an uproar...

I swear though... our new store is on the right hand side of the road and no matter what car I am in... it pulls strongly to the right as I attempt to drive past!

I know much of the stuff ain't the greatest and I don't think I would use their stuff on a daily basis, especially if I was in business... but they really can provide the hobbyist a lot of stuff they normally couldn't afford or even think of buying. Next to that FCAW welder... I think the collapsible and folding 4 x 8 trailer has been the biggest bang for the buck I ever spent.

I still have a "Central-something or other" bench grinder that my Dad bought 50 years ago and used almost daily at his place of business and when it crapped out on me... I bought another for something like $40 bucks and before I tossed the old one, I thought I'd take a look at it. The start capacitor had come loose and I just repositioned it and secured it and WHAA-LA! I now have TWO, one for grinding and the other with wire brushes and they are still running after all these years!

Harbor Freight

I'm a huge HF fan too. I have a garage full of HF tools. Sure they can't compare in quality to the higher end brands but they literally cost one fifth or less the price.

Their hand tools are warranted and I've never had one break yet. As for their power tools, they may not be elegant, but they certainly get the job done. The ONLY HF tool failure I've encountered was with their small portable air compressor.

The trick is to wait until the items you want are on special sale. I've bought angle grinders, multi-tools, 8" buffers and variable speed drills for as little as $10 each.

There are some things that I would not buy there. While their $80 flux core welder is a great deal, I find their flux core wire to be inferior and for the couple of bucks extra, the Lincoln wire makes a big difference. I think there sandpapers don't hold up well when compared to more professional brands.

But for everything else......I LOVE HF!!!

Ed

EXACTLY Ed... My pro-welder friend that borrowed...e

my 90 amp FCAW used up all my wire and then bought some new locally made .030 or .035 wire and said it made a WORLD of difference. I haven't had the opportunity to use it since but with my (lack of) welding skills... I can use all the help I can get.

I used to think

That old fashioned was, a thing of the older man, until I became one; then I began to appreciate quality over cheap. Now I rather pay more for made in America than made in ef*ng shaina, which won't last or service your needs as much.

Well... yur right and yur right Julio...

The Made in America stuff really is the stuff from China as China is simply the manufacturing arm of the U.S. Design Centers... and the quality is beginning to be equal or better in some cases.

I too would rather spend more and get a quality product when I am after something that needs to sustain itself for years for my family or to respect those that follow me. Even though I don't expect to live another 30 years, I probably would install a roof with a 30 year warranty. I'd hate to think after I'm gone that they'd cuss me out saying that cheap bastard installed a crappy roof.

I useta think that most stuff like cars were to be considered as some kinda sacred item to be cared for and cherished and kept on the road forever. I think it was Steve Hoelscher who called his Ford AeroStar an "appliance"... and caused me to put that description against a lot of things. I LOVE my refrigerator, but now that even the simplest of repairs seems to involve a Mother Board and $600 dollars, I'll spend another $400 and toss it. BTW... have you noticed that there are almost no more kitchen appliances made in this country any more?

So it ain't my fault and it ain't yours either. For the most part all this automation and stuff produced overseas still requires maintenance, sales people, and generally a higher education to find a job outside of the food service industry. All this manual labor stuff is left for hobbies and hobbyists. Its just what is...

Hope to see you soon in April...

HOLD ON!!! Last weekend's sale is held over (again)...

and looky here:



This regularly $229.99 Welding Cabinet can be had for only $149.99 to haul around your $81.99 FCAW Welder as demonstrated here. The Argon Gas bottle in this foto is empty and just for looks. (Not really, shown is the 180 AMP 240 volt Mig Welder for $289.99.)

Actually, its really a pretty nice looking roll-around CABINET, they also have CARTS for about $50 bucks...



and this is more my speed... pictured with the $82 dollar FCAW welder and a $40 dollar helmet. It also has chain provisions to carry a bottle or two if one decides to upgrade.

I'm still having fun, hope you all are as well!

Stay out of my garage old man!!!

Quit snooping around my shop Tony. HA!


What sucks is that I bought to soon and got this hideous blue when I would have loved the new color for the HF gear. BLACK!!

Well, 'dats what happens when you leave your garage open...

But do I have a deal for you!

Order yourself a BRAND NEW BLACK CART or CABINET and ship the Blue cart to me.

You have my address... and that'll be a Big Win-Win!

I'll go stand out front later tomorrow...