[pminmo]

As I'm setting there tonight with a 5/8" fostner bit from a set from Harbor Freight (less than $10) on my 7 x 10" Central Machines metal lathe from Harbor Freight, getting ready to make a measurement with a 6" lcd digital calipers (you guessed it from HF!) all of a sudden it dawns on me. (Oh yea, plus the T-handle that I use to change tool bits if from a $4 set of T handles, and the large Metric wrench to loosen the tail stock is from a cheap set of HF wrench's.) This company which I used to laugh at, I'm using a bunch of there el cheapo tools with very good results. First I don't have any affiliation with HF, just a coworker that stops by there on the way home a couple of times a month, and makes a "run" for us coworkers to gobble up the latest in elcheapo sales stuff. Now mind you, I do have some expensive tastes, my wood working tools are Powermatic, Delta, Porter Cable and on the lower end Jet and Ryobi. But I must conceed that $25 pneumatic crown stapler works like a champ, especially next to my $150 Porter Cable brad nailer. So after this dissertation what I really wanted to say was my best tooling investments that have been used in making my CNC machine (mostly wood) is that set of Forstner Bits from Harbor freight, along with the digital calipers and and a cheap set of 123 blocks from Enco. What's your's?

[chuckknigh]

Mine include a Forstner bit set from Harbor Freight (TiN coated!), a multi-speed Dremel clone, also from HF, a refurbished RotoZip, also from HF...let's see, what else. My benchtop drill press, also from Harbor Freight...and my machinist's dial gauge from you know where. :-)

Oh yeah, there's also the $20 cross slide vise from Cummins Tools...a Harbor Freight competitor! Not perfect, but darned good.

China is making some usable tools, now! :-)

-- Chuck Knight

[strat]

i have a few cheapys from HF also but as far as bits and tools i'm a grizzly man

[pack rat]

Thanks for the question. It poused me to think and I inverted the question " which are the most expensive tools that I have?" Answer: Harbor Freight

[foamcutter]

I also have some HF tools but I have also found by watching their ads and being part of their club thing Sears can have some very nice tools at a moderate investment, and a plus, most of theirs are guaranteed. Oh and don't forget the best of all the Garage Sale gems. Ron

[cnczane]

A "Tool Shop" brand circle cutter of the type that let's you set the radius via an "outrigger" knife.

I set it to cut blind holes for my gas pipe rails (no adjustment... ) and for my ball screw thrust bearings. (Again, no adjustment...)

[NeoMoses]

For the metalworking guys out there (I know I'm in the woodworking forum) these Eron Vises can't be beat. I'd put them up against a Kurt any day.

http://www.hpi-heartech.com/accessories/vises.html

[hook'em]

(my first real post)
I would go along with, what appears to be a concensus, that some of the 'less expensive' tools can suffice, and be downright 'un-live-withoutable'. I own a Griz table saw, a PC router under a table of my making, Delta 12" drill press and miter saw,Ryobi bench top band saw, Mitutoyo and Starrett cals. But the tools I use the most are my telescoping magnetic pickup/screwdriver with six different bits($3.99 @ HF) and my 8 ft. Stanley tape measure (6.99 @ Home Depot). I wouldn't want to be caught dead w/out my tape measure.

[radio-op]

Hey hook'em, I hear you about the tape. I must have 3 or 4 just so I have one near my right hand at any given time
Bill

[ehiebert]

Hmmm... my HF collection?

9x20 lathe (still in need of a QCTP and boring bar set)
Lathe carbide bits
13" Drill Press
6" Calipers... about 4 sets
Multimeter for $3.99
Bar Clamps.. bar clamps.. bar clamps.
Pipe clamps
Welding magnets
All of my Pneumatics, brad nailer, hose, air wands, die grinder
Forstner Bits (the TiN coated ones)
4-Speed Bandsaw

I'm sure there is more that I can't remember. The amazing thing is that their post sales support is actually pretty good. I managed to twist the drive spline on my drill press while holesawing through gas pipe..... eventhough the drill was 10 months old, they had my craditcard purchase on file, and could verify my warranty request on the spot!!! Ask Home Desperate to do that for you...... NOT!!!

Eventhough I only asked for the drive spline to be replaced they sent me an entire quill set with a new chuck too. The chuck I cut the MT down and now use in the lathe and I have an extra set of quill bearings for whenever I need them.

HF is not so bad if you purchase carefully. Like someone else said, my most expensive machines are from HF!

[mvaughn]

This is great....

I know have my shopping list put together for my next trip to HarborFreight.

[High Seas]

Just another data point - I found some of the same gear at the Homier sales (truckload) that are functionally and quality wise similar to HF but at about 1/2 or less!
I needed some dollys (snicker-snicker hehe) for the car - 19 bucks a pair. For the same ones - I means EXACTLY the same - HF was gonna get me at nearly 50! Someone else pointed out on the forum elsewhere - that the gear is nearly almost always made at the same factories in China anyway.
It pays to shop around - and have your list when you're lookin!
cheers - Jim

[vacpress]

my favorite "cheap tool" has gotta be my $60 ryobi drill press. its the one that usually costs $100, but it was on sale when i went to get it; which was lucky because it was also the same night i got my first PCB etching to work, so it was also the night i broke my first 4 PCB hole drills in a row with my hand drill and just went and got the press. at that point it was my only non handtool, and my friends thought i was daft. i lived in a place where there was always a zillion people around. i still use the thing alot even though i have a bigger one also, i actually think of the ryobi as "my accurate drill press". sad, i know, but its what i have.



isnt that a common story for the hobbiest?

whats a homier sale? i love and hate seeing you aussies and newzelanders on the net everywhere - love cuz your culture seems rad, hate because i can only imagine what it is like to live somewhere as beautifull as new zealand. i am probably thinking about this because I watched Dead Alive last night, for about the millionthtime.

[ehiebert]

The best way I have found to save money at HF is to bring in competitor's ads. They will price match.

Also, if you go their web site you can select the "Order from Printed Catalog" option. In the box you enter the base part number, and then try a bunch of part number extensions like 17482-0-VGA, 17482-1-VGA, 17482-2-VGA.... 17482-7-VGA. There are also different extensions from the printed catalog. Just keep punchinh until you get the one with the cheapest price. Now print that screen off and take it to your walk-in store to save the shipping.


Eldon.

[chuckknigh]

whats a homier sale?

Homier is a merchant selling Chinese tools, just like Harbor Freight. But where HF focussed on mail order, and a small number of retail stores, Homier has a different strategy.

They take a caravan of trucks, filled with their equipment, around to various locations...VFW halls, convention centers, etc.

http://www.homier.com

They put an ad in the main paper in the "area" they're going into, about a week in advance...it's a zoo on the sale day.

They're usually there 2 or 3 days, and sell an ENORMOUS amount of stuff.

Another retailer with the same strategy is Cummins Tools, http://www.cumminstools.com

And, BTW, Harbor Freight will price match their printed ads. :-) The quality, and quality control at HF is also slightly higher. (Micro Mill Drill is a perfect example...the details are slightly different, and the HF unit is better)

-- Chuck Knight

[whiteriver]

We get Cummings tool up here in North Idaho about 4 times a year at several different locations. I have bought a few things. Just gotta watch them. I have looked at a name brand item inside then after you pay and go out to the truck to get your stuff its a cummings nock off. So just expect that and you'll be ok. So far the quality has been good. I have bought a few hundred dollars woth over the last few years. Haven't had to throw anything away yet. Only thing that has broke is the legs on some shop lights. Poor chinese pot metal.


Donny