When I was up at the Airmans show, a couple of us went to a cool hanger party. In the guys hanger, Sam H pointed out a cool tool that I just had to have.... I found it at Harbor Freight last week and was going back and forth on buying it. The MSRP was 899, but was listed for $699.

As we all know with tools, there are "need to have," and "nice to have." This was def on the "nice to have side," and $700 was just too steep.

Tonight I opened up my laptop and the page was still in the cash. I looked close and low and behold there is a sale and its now $369! I did a quick search and found a coupon code on the web which knocked off another $74.

Net net is I just bought if for $295. "Nice to have" just slid over to "need to have!"

Coupon Code: 12260182

http://www.harborfreight.com/40-inch-capacity-shear-press-brake-and-slip-roll-43353.html

If you set it up properly, it will cut 20g aluminum fairly straight across about 2/3 of the width. The roll works OK with some work. The brake is sharp, so making some dies for reasonable radii is important (or using some other tricks).

I got the 30 inch unit because it cuts a lot straighter (more rigid), will do .062" CRS all the way across and .080 Al reasonably well. It takes a bit to really get the alignment right to maintain the reflex for heavy work, but it can do the job.

Very handy to have. I've made a few boxes, a battery box cover, rolled/welded a few custom header tanks, and numerous minor projects with it.

Nice score!!

As much as folks bag on Harbor Freight, they have been good to me. I've made a lot of parts and fixed a lot of goodies with HF tools. Well done airman!

I have had pretty good luck with harbor freight. Keep in mind it depends on the tool and the mission. Gravity feed spray guns for $19. Die grinders for $10 folding engine hoist, Parts washer, generator all have been great.

I have a 3/8 air impact that pisses me off though!!!

I stay away from most hand tools screwdrivers, ratchets, wrenches etc...

But have used impact sockets with good luck

Have thought about the sheet metal tool looks like it might be good.

My first experience with HF was about 30 years ago in San Francisco. I bought a 36 inch 1/2" drive extension for 3 dollars. There is a bolt on a New Holland 283 hay baler that is way back there and I figured what could go wrong. The next spring I needed it and it twisted off like it was butter. Had to borrow all my neighbors extensions and mine to get to it.

A contractor friend had a HF very large bench vise bolted to a rear bumper of his utility body. A dear crossed the road, hit the vise and it broke in half.

I bought a 1/8 to 3/8 drill index and the drills were so soft that you could put em in a vise and bend them 90 degrees without them breaking.

Good tools are like good guns. After you have been using them for 20 years you never wish you had bought a cheaper one.

Tim

Ahhh crap...might need to make a trip to HF. That thing would sure come in handy getting this jet boat I'm working on back together.

I get all my tools from harbor freight and I've been happy with all of them. Except for a $50 HVLP gun I bought that turned out to be a piece of crap.

Harbor Freight quality is generally shit, but sometimes you need cheap and expendable. It's pretty easy to tell what's going to be good and what will get used up, and when you need to shop for a better made tool elsewhere. It's a large grey area.

I buy tools from many sources, from HF, Amazon, Sears, Grizzly, Enco, Aircraft Tool Supply, Aircraft Spruce, Home Depot, and garage sales. I think for something like a sheet metal brake for the garage, the HF is decent choice.

I post on a deep sea fishing site and the subject of tools came up. Most people with boats keep a few tools aboard. The salt water and air are really rough on tools so the consensus on that site is HF tool for the ocean. When they get too bad just through em over the side and restock at HF.

And yes, I purchased some tools at garage sales that were top quality from 50 years ago. better than most produced today

Tim

If you need a tool for use ONCE then it's thrown away, Harbor Freight is fine. A manual break or shear from them will work adequately for occasional use.

If you have to use a hand tool a second time, count on needing to buy another one. I work with hand tools for a living and I won't waste my time with Harbor Freight any more.

All you need to do is try a Matco, Snap On or even a Craftsman ratchet after using a HF junker and you will never willingly go back.

Like so many things in life, with tools, you get what you pay for.

Av8r3400 wrote:If you need a tool for use ONCE then it's thrown away, Harbor Freight is fine. A manual break or shear from them will work adequately for occasional use.

It's a grey area. Every model tool and even batch of tools is on a piece by piece basis. Some of their "Pittsburgh" brand end wrenches are indestructible.

I have one and use it every week at least. It is a supreme POS. After a half day of adjusting it will only be ok. My sheer was almost impossible to get adjusted enough to even cut .032 alum. The sheer now works ok with some modification. It will probably be covered in a thick coating of Cosmoline oil that you are going to LOVE getting off. With that said i still use it all the time and it does fine for small sheet metal projects. I seem to have the most problems if i try to do anything on it full length.

I agree that Harbor Freight purchases require some, um, discernment, but there are some good tools there. One of my favorites is this composite ratchet:

http://m.harborfreight.com/3-8-eighth-inch-heavy-duty-composite-ratchet-66313.html

I know, a plastic ratchet sounds like a disaster, but I've used this thing a ton and haven't broken it. Actually really solid feeling, nice positive fine ratcheting, plastic doesn't ding stuff up when I get carried away, not cold in the winter, and less than $10...

Had good luck with some other hand tools, some drill bits, their heavy duty rolling tool chest is nice (too bad not eligible for 20% off any more). Some people like to go to Vegas to try their luck, I find HF more convenient, odds might be better too.

Sorry Greg...you were excited about your new toy and I inadvertently turned it into an HF debate.

AEROPOD wrote:Sorry Greg...you were excited about your new toy and I inadvertently turned it into an HF debate.

Heh... I would rather see PSA's like this posted than not.

AEROPOD wrote:Sorry Greg...you were excited about your new toy and I inadvertently turned it into an HF debate.

I think it's a rule somewhere that every forum thread about a specific HF tool has to end up as a debate about HF in general. You can't really generalize about the stuff there though, some is good, some is terrible, some will break or never work, some will last forever... About like any store I suppose, but the extremes of quality are probably larger than usual, keeps it interesting.

NoCOpilot wrote:I think it's a rule somewhere that every forum thread about a specific HF tool has to end up as a debate about HF in general.

It's true, I saw it in the fine print of the user agreement.

Ha ha, kind of a shop skill to be proud of: what type of HF crap is worth darkening their doorway for! My last purchase (left my good voltmeter at home, on the way to a job) was a voltmeter/multimeter. The second time I used it was the last time, the wires broke off (1/64" dia) where they entered the case, and no way to fix it. No surprise, it was only 10 bucks, my fault

On the other hand, a steel wheeled pair of dollies bought years ago, made for moving snowmachines around on concrete, where cheap also and have come in very handy, HF couldn't screw them up. Their "solar panels" on the other hand are pure junk, junk AND expensive when figured at a per watt basis.

BR:

"Gluttonous Shop Tools". What in the world are you referring to? Why everyone knows that you can't have enough tools and that there are no tools that are too expensive.

I have spent many hours patiently explaining to my wife what prudent and wise investment tools are (second only to airplanes). Shame on you for even suggesting the term Gluttonous!!

That said though, I love Craig's List. If you want it, it will eventually come up and for a lot less than you have to pay new. I find that if you have time, Craig's List is a nice way to buy quality tools for a lot less than new price.

P.S. Thanks for the updates on the bird. We are looking forward to it flying!