At any rate, I own the Harbor Freight one, and have for a few weeks. Best thing to do it sign up for Harbor Freights E-mails. Go to their site and click free retail flyers, then log in and choose E-mail specials. They will then e-mail about weekly ads, and about once a month yoiu will get a 20% off one item coupon. (the current 20% coupon I have now is good from 3/27 to 3/30.) If you go to buy it and they are out of stock, ask them if they will do a rain check with your 20% off coupon and they usually will (depends on manager, but every time I have done it they let me.)
I have used it 2 times so far, to cut trim, and to remove a bathroom tile. Works great. But I will say the quality is Not nearly as high as dremel.
Pretty much the rule is if you do home repairs harbor freight stuff is good, If you do construction and rely on your tools to work all the time and with lots of use, maybe go with a better brand of tool.
hmmm - I've been thinking about regrouting the bathroom - was going to hire someone cause I've heard its a PITA - but this might make it reasonable to take on, on my own.
Are the harbor freight power tools any better than their hand tools?? I had a 12" wrench snap wen I was tightening anchor-bolts (I'm a Union Ironworker) and have been very weary of buying or using any of their tools since. This is a pretty good price for this but am hoping for some positive feedback before I bite.
the Fein oscillates between 11K-22K opm vs the Chicago Tools max 11K opm. Funny how the Harbor Freight description doesn't mention anything about cutting metal. For $40, it might be worth trying it out.
damoses1
New Member
posted: Mar. 29, 2009 @ 12:26p
Ha ha ha. I wouldn't trust Harbor Freight tools for any commercial work. They are perfect for home use though.
Remember, if you break one of their tools, most have a lifetime warranty! Very neat!
damoses1 said: Ha ha ha. I wouldn't trust Harbor Freight tools for any commercial work. They are perfect for home use though.
Remember, if you break one of their tools, most have a lifetime warranty! Very neat!
Like Sears/Craftsman only their Handtools have a lifetime warranty. Power tools are covered by a 30 day moneyback/90day exchange. What kind of warranty do your products have? Lifetime warranty on all hand tools All other items are 30 day money back and 90 day replacement unless otherwise specified
Method72
Member
posted: Mar. 29, 2009 @ 1:28p
Harbor Freight tools are absolute crap, even for the odd jobs.. Yes they will get the job done for some, but for many that need to use it for a project will get what they paid for. One thing to never forget, is always try to buy American made products for quality, economy and just keeping the money in the USA. I am sure there is something similar that is made here...
Method72 said: Harbor Freight tools are absolute crap, even for the odd jobs.. Yes they will get the job done for some, but for many that need to use it for a project will get what they paid for. One thing to never forget, is always try to buy American made products for quality, economy and just keeping the money in the USA. I am sure there is something similar that is made here...
There you have it folks. Four, count them: 4 lines of pure ignorance and mindless flag waving. Do you mean we should buy American as in Sears Craftsman?? I have several Craftsman power tools, 19 volt cordless drill, palm sander, circular saw, reciprocating saw,router. All made in China. I suspect the Ryobi brand or similar. Also, I have a small compressor, nail and brad guns as well as all the Staples, brads and accessories that came from Harbor Freight. They were a fraction of the cost of what Home Depot, Sears and Lowes charged for similar items, which, of course are all made in China. Thanks for adding nothing to the discussion but your silly,unresearched,wrap yourself in the flag opinion.
PeakMaster said: Method72 said: Harbor Freight tools are absolute crap, even for the odd jobs.. Yes they will get the job done for some, but for many that need to use it for a project will get what they paid for. One thing to never forget, is always try to buy American made products for quality, economy and just keeping the money in the USA. I am sure there is something similar that is made here...
There you have it folks. Four, count them: 4 lines of pure ignorance and mindless flag waving. Do you mean we should buy American as in Sears Craftsman?? I have several Craftsman power tools, 19 volt cordless drill, palm sander, circular saw, reciprocating saw,router. All made in China. I suspect the Ryobi brand or similar. Also, I have a small compressor, nail and brad guns as well as all the Staples, brads and accessories that came from Harbor Freight. They were a fraction of the cost of what Home Depot, Sears and Lowes charged for similar items, which, of course are all made in China. Thanks for adding nothing to the discussion but your silly,unresearched,wrap yourself in the flag opinion.
Wow PeakMaster thats a real harsh way to make your point!
PeakMaster said: Method72 said: Harbor Freight tools are absolute crap, even for the odd jobs.. Yes they will get the job done for some, but for many that need to use it for a project will get what they paid for. One thing to never forget, is always try to buy American made products for quality, economy and just keeping the money in the USA. I am sure there is something similar that is made here...
There you have it folks. Four, count them: 4 lines of pure ignorance and mindless flag waving. Do you mean we should buy American as in Sears Craftsman?? I have several Craftsman power tools, 19 volt cordless drill, palm sander, circular saw, reciprocating saw,router. All made in China. I suspect the Ryobi brand or similar. Also, I have a small compressor, nail and brad guns as well as all the Staples, brads and accessories that came from Harbor Freight. They were a fraction of the cost of what Home Depot, Sears and Lowes charged for similar items, which, of course are all made in China. Thanks for adding nothing to the discussion but your silly,unresearched,wrap yourself in the flag opinion.
but but!! my craftsman air compressor came with a "Made in USA" safety valve!! That counts right?? (all other parts China, I think they accidentally switched their factory to China but I forgive them, innocent mistake)
For anyone replacing single tiles that are broken.....Re-grouting.....or wanting to make any type of plunge "exact" type cut....This is absolutely a great tool.....
I am not endorsing the knock-off....
But if it can do half as much as the real one..... A great deal.....
For metal.....You can pretty much us a recriprocating saw or Air tool(cutting nails or screws)unless real detail is required....
. I needed a seat wrench... Harbor Freight wanted five bucks and HomeD wanted eight. As I may never again need this tool, Harbor Freight (and three dollars less) is good.
Didn't look but the wrenches are prolly both from the People's Republic. The new seats were. .
I frequent Harbor Freight, and frequently the products are crap and break on me. But... they're often 80% less than a brand name, so even when I re-buy I'm ahead of the game.
Don't buy unless it's a great deal. I've had a lot of the power tools die on me after very light use. The handtools also fall apart.
srqt
Senior Member
posted: Mar. 29, 2009 @ 3:28p
Method72 said: Harbor Freight tools are absolute crap, even for the odd jobs.. Yes they will get the job done for some, but for many that need to use it for a project will get what they paid for. One thing to never forget, is always try to buy American made products for quality, economy and just keeping the money in the USA. I am sure there is something similar that is made here...
Any sensible economist will tell you that buying the item you want for the best price is the most efficient way for a capitalist market to operate. During WWII, your reason for buying USA maybe patriotic but today it only supports inefficient industry producing products that people are not willing to buy. Just take a look at the parking lot of a busy mall and see what people are driving. Your USA auto may have been assembled in Mexico with parts made from various countries.
98cbrhondaf3 said: Pretty much the rule is if you do home repairs harbor freight stuff is good, If you do construction and rely on your tools to work all the time and with lots of use, maybe go with a better brand of tool.Good advice. Basically, you usually get what you pay for. Often you get less than what you pay for but rarely you will get any more.
I also like the old adage: buy cheap, pay twice. This one has been true for me soooooo many times.
spinn said: the Fein oscillates between 11K-22K opm vs the Chicago Tools max 11K opm. Funny how the Harbor Freight description doesn't mention anything about cutting metal. For $40, it might be worth trying it out.
It does not specifically mention cutting metal but it does have the blades and accessories for additional purchase to the right side. Thanks, OP
I posted the deal and it doesn,t matter to me..but I can tell you. The difference in quality between Craftsman labled hand tools and Northern Tools top of the line supposed mechanic quality hand tools is like night & day..
I got a set of adjustable wrenchs from Northern & a set of all types of pliers, channel locks what have you..The big Channel Locks and biggest adjustable broke after only using once or twice..and that was suppose to be there best quality stuff..Craftsman may not be the Rolls Royce of hand tools but they hold up pretty darn well..
I replaced the US made GE blower motor in the 40 year old furnace for the first time, the new GE looked exactly the same but said parts from China assembled in Mexico..The guy said don,t expect this one to last more than 5 years..I just replaced it after only 3 years..
This will be great for jobs around the house. I have used other harbor freight power tools and can say they at very least work decent. Longevity wise perhaps not as good as the commercial quality ones, but can't be the price for light duty.
I picked up the diamond blade and a few other accessories to see how this holds up for various jobs.
For those who know what they're looking at, does this come with the right blade for removing grout?
conrua
Member
posted: Mar. 29, 2009 @ 8:42p
nuggy said: I have the Fein Multimaster....
For anyone replacing single tiles that are broken.....Re-grouting.....or wanting to make any type of plunge "exact" type cut....This is absolutely a great tool.....
I am not endorsing the knock-off....
But if it can do half as much as the real one..... A great deal.....
For metal.....You can pretty much us a recriprocating saw or Air tool(cutting nails or screws)unless real detail is required....
Nuggy,
I'm thinking of replacing my carpet with wood and do not want to remove the baseboard. can this tool cuts the bottom of the baseboard?
egs
Member
posted: Mar. 29, 2009 @ 9:22p
I bought it for $32 + tax ($40 - 20% coupon) and it works fine (not Fein ). Yes, the speed is not adjustable, but what I played with it was fine for $32. If I hit something later that it can't handle, I'll probably go buy the Dremel equivalent at some point. But for now, it works.
egs
Member
posted: Mar. 29, 2009 @ 9:26p
conrua said: I'm thinking of replacing my carpet with wood and do not want to remove the baseboard. can this tool cuts the bottom of the baseboard?
It should work fine. Just rip up the carpet, use some scrap pieces of the hardwood floor and any extra layer you would put beneath the hardwood as a guide and you should be able to trim off the bottom part of the baseboard just fine.
CurlyKicker
Ancient Member
posted: Mar. 29, 2009 @ 9:27p
poohbie said: For those who know what they're looking at, does this come with the right blade for removing grout?
Yes. If you compare what they use in the videos I posted and the tools included with the HF version, the grout removal tool is included.
CurlyKicker
Ancient Member
posted: Mar. 29, 2009 @ 9:31p
conrua said: nuggy said: I have the Fein Multimaster....
For anyone replacing single tiles that are broken.....Re-grouting.....or wanting to make any type of plunge "exact" type cut....This is absolutely a great tool.....
I am not endorsing the knock-off....
But if it can do half as much as the real one..... A great deal.....
For metal.....You can pretty much us a recriprocating saw or Air tool(cutting nails or screws)unless real detail is required....
Nuggy,
I'm thinking of replacing my carpet with wood and do not want to remove the baseboard. can this tool cuts the bottom of the baseboard?
Again, go HERE to not only see the blades they use but to see how they use the tool for various projects, including removing grout and cutting baseboards.
Edit: The re-direct doesn't seem to be working so here's the raw link:
conrua said: nuggy said: I have the Fein Multimaster....
For anyone replacing single tiles that are broken.....Re-grouting.....or wanting to make any type of plunge "exact" type cut....This is absolutely a great tool.....
I am not endorsing the knock-off....
But if it can do half as much as the real one..... A great deal.....
For metal.....You can pretty much us a recriprocating saw or Air tool(cutting nails or screws)unless real detail is required....
Nuggy,
I'm thinking of replacing my carpet with wood and do not want to remove the baseboard. can this tool cuts the bottom of the baseboard?Your baseboard should already be 3/8" off the subfloor anyways, but even if it's not and you have to cut a gap, how do you intend to put the new floor under the baseboard when you get to the opposite side of the room?
I currently have many HF tools in my tool box next to my Crafstman, S&K, Snap-On... I Mainly buy some of their air-tools and Impact sockets but I also have a couple of 24" breaker bars from there and have had very few issues. Oh, and my hammer drill is from HF and has worked fine for the last 3 years.
Fein's patents on the Multimaster expired a year or two ago, and there are now several Multimaster clones, including one made by Proxxon (not widely available in the US), a no-name one that is only available on eBay, the HF "Multifunction tool", the Dremel Multimax, Rockwell Sonicrafter, and Bosch Multi-X.
There are some differences between the units. The Multi-X is the only cordless version available. The Proxxon model is a miniaturized one for specialty work. Of all of these, the HF model is clearly the worst in terms of both quality and performance. The HF model is a fixed 11k OPM, whereas the other units are adjustable from 10 to 21k. I don't know much about the eBay only unit, my guess is its not much better than the HF model, and I'd avoid it. Oddly, I've seen the HF units going on eBay for ridiculous amounts of money (well more than the regular price at HF). The Fein is clearly the king of the hill in terms of quality. The Sonicrafter is generally well regarded in term of quality and is slightly-moderately more than the Multimax (I think there are a couple different Sonicrafters). The Dremel is generally considered to haev acceptable but not good quality, at least for regular home owner tasks.
My guess is the HF quality is quite poor. Its probably acceptable for occasional home owner use, but I wouldn't count on it doing much work, or going through metal well. On the other hand, its $32 after coupon, which is a third of the cost of the Dremel, and practically a tenth of the cost of the Fein. It may be worth it just get it to play around with it and see if you like it, or a "just in case" tool.
Method72 said: Harbor Freight tools are absolute crap, even for the odd jobs.. Yes they will get the job done for some, but for many that need to use it for a project will get what they paid for. One thing to never forget, is always try to buy American made products for quality, economy and just keeping the money in the USA. I am sure there is something similar that is made here...
I actually ONLY buy things not made in america, that in itself insures better quality.
Anything that is made in america is usually more expensive and half as good.
I am 100% american but I am a consumer 1st and i make decisions that are best for me, thats just how i am and how most americans are. I just tell it like it is.
I have the fein. I use it almost everyday for work. its an awesome tool. there are unlimited possibilities of things you can do with it. It will cut through anything. true the replacement blades are insane. and that is a real consideration. theres a solid chance that after a serious project like removing cabinet floors or trimming alot of base boards your blade might be ready to replace and @ $35 a pop...ouch
I used a friends dremel last week....dont waste your money....it doesnt have the power of the fein. I looked at the HF model back around black friday they had a great deal on their version. no variable speed...also the blade locking system is so so. I decided not to buy it...
get the fein...yes its alot of $$. quality tools arent cheep....i dont care what my fellow posters say. I work for a living and use tools everyday.
brotherhpj said: PeakMaster said: Method72 said: Harbor Freight tools are absolute crap, even for the odd jobs.. Yes they will get the job done for some, but for many that need to use it for a project will get what they paid for. One thing to never forget, is always try to buy American made products for quality, economy and just keeping the money in the USA. I am sure there is something similar that is made here...
There you have it folks. Four, count them: 4 lines of pure ignorance and mindless flag waving. Do you mean we should buy American as in Sears Craftsman?? I have several Craftsman power tools, 19 volt cordless drill, palm sander, circular saw, reciprocating saw,router. All made in China. I suspect the Ryobi brand or similar. Also, I have a small compressor, nail and brad guns as well as all the Staples, brads and accessories that came from Harbor Freight. They were a fraction of the cost of what Home Depot, Sears and Lowes charged for similar items, which, of course are all made in China. Thanks for adding nothing to the discussion but your silly,unresearched,wrap yourself in the flag opinion.
Wow PeakMaster thats a real harsh way to make your point!
PeakMaster, where did Method tell you in his comment to buy tools at Sears? Oh, wait, he didn't, only to consider products made in the USA... Again folks, another ignorant, mindless net-troll putting words into the mouth of another...
I buy tools several times a year from HF, some for home use and some for commercial. I break one here and there, but I use them like I stole them so that's what I get.
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