24 replies to this topic

[DarkHand]

So I was out shopping with the family and I didn't want to go around to 87 million different stores. Decided to spend the time looking around at Harbor Freight. After all, I needed a few little things, I could pick them up while I waited there.

It took much longer than I thought for them to come back. Three hours later, I walked out with the oil pressure testing gauge and blue threadlock that I went in there for, along with a new pair of noise blocking earmuffs, a pair of mig pliers, a new spring loaded center punch, some butt welding sheet metal clamps, snap ring pliers, a seal driver set, a leakdown testing kit, mechanics stethoscope, an angle die grinder, an air powered cutoff wheel, replacement cutoff wheels, an air hose reel and 50 feet of hose, an inline desiccant air dryer, 2 air hose leads, a new welding cart, a tabletop sandblasting cabinet, a 40 pound pressurized sandblaster, and a 12-ton shop press. And just that morning, I had bought a portable welding table and a machinists straightedge online.




DO NOT GET STUCK AT HARBOR FREIGHT WITH A CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD!!!

Edited by DarkHand, 04 March 2008 - 12:06 PM.

[85supersleeper]

i think its time for me to go to harbor freight.....with my credit AND debit card.

haha great story man. sounds like something i would do.

[Maine_Honda_Racer]

I wish they had those around here.

[DarkHand]

I think I singlehandedly bumped up the Chinese GDP.

I wish they had those around here.

I was going to say that there probably is one around you, but found that they're strangely missing from your entire area... None at all in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, or Connecticut. Weird!

Even though I usually have good luck with most Harbor Freight stuff, you get what you pay for... I broke off the air inlet on the ridiculously expensive $7 die grinder while I was attaching a hose connector to it.

Edited by DarkHand, 04 March 2008 - 12:57 PM.

[Maine_Honda_Racer]

Yeah, I've ordered things from their website. Its always cheap enough that you can replace it five or six times and still have paid less.

[Sgt. Pepper]

I was in Harbor Freight yesterday with a gift card and credit card. Got 50' of (Good-Year) rubber air hose, an orbital sander, some 6" sanding discs, compressor oil and air tool oil. It could have been alot worse, but I was focused on what I needed. There was alot of stuff that caught my eye.

[DarkHand]

I was in Harbor Freight yesterday with a gift card and credit card. Got 50' of (Good-Year) rubber air hose, an orbital sander, some 6" sanding discs, compressor oil and air tool oil. It could have been alot worse, but I was focused on what I needed. There was alot of stuff that caught my eye.

That's how I was for the first hour, but then I started looking at absolutely everything and deciding if it would help me with the Civic and CRX or not... Looking at useful stuff for hours upon hours, while waiting for your ride, with a card in your hand is dangerous.

I found places to put the little stuff easily enough, but I have no idea where I'm going to put all the big stuff in my one-car garage! It's looking like I'm going to be taking over the basement in addition to the garage now. The compressor is already in there, which works out well as it cuts way down on noise and is near to the only 220v outlet in the house. The blasting cabinet is going to have to find a place in the garage somehow, but I suppose the press can go into the basement as well as the pressurized blaster when it's not in use. I put the welding cart together last night and that's saved me some space due to the shelves that are built in, all my welding stuff is there now. But my drill press, chop saw, and engine hoist take up a ton of garage space. I might be able to move the hoist into the basement and free up some garage space for the press, but I'm not sure which way is better yet. I'm going to have to take out the card table I have down there as my 'workbench' and replace it with the portable welding table, to save floor real estate. Eventually I need to pick up or build a small honest to goodness workbench, which I need pretty badly to mount a vise and grinding wheel on. I've also got a standing shelving unit in there housing two transmissions, two heads, various other car parts and lots of tools. Not to mention a cheapo rolling toolbox taking up space, 5 rolls of carpet stacked up along the side wall, oh and a torn down 3G Civic.

And to think I still need to eventually fit a rotisserie in there!

Edited by DarkHand, 04 March 2008 - 05:16 PM.

[Screech]

If my wife is about to leave me in a place like that she takes my wallet. I still end up filling a cart, or two. But, once she sees it I get asked, "Do you REALLY need that?"...... for every little thing, and for items over $100 I get asked multiple times for it. She's not learned to keep the wallet away from me when I'm online though, and the "Did you really need this" is not as intimidating since it is paid for and in the house already.

[D Jaws II]

Funny you should mention Harbor Freight....in the same tone as I do. As a matter of fact, I was looking in the Yellow Book the other day, but couldn't find a listing for

Harbor Freight Shoppers Anonymous.

Dang, I hate it when that happens.


BTDT


Nice finds!!


Donnie

[tjbizzo]

EL... OH... EL... at this thread! I have been there and done that more times than I care to remember. It's amazing how easy it is to put something into the shopping cart, but it is soooo difficult (even painful!) to take it back out and put it back on the shelf. It's like a hypnotic or subliminal suggestion or something. That shopping cart is truly like a one-way buying machine, sort of a Raid Roach Motel for tools. "Tools go in, but they don't come out!"

[pvbcrx]

I travel between VA and FL waaaay too often, and there's a huge Harbor Freight right off I-95 in SC, near South of the Border. It's one of their distribution hubs, so the retail store out front has to have all the best "factory fresh" stuff from China. Never stopped...afraid to...

[kedwards]

I travel between VA and FL waaaay too often, and there's a huge Harbor Freight right off I-95 in SC, near South of the Border. It's one of their distribution hubs, so the retail store out front has to have all the best "factory fresh" stuff from China. Never stopped...afraid to...

I would see it going to and from races at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC.

I finally was going by when they were open, so I stopped there. Pretty much what you see at a normal Harbor Freight, though there are a few closeouts.

Keith

[C8V6C]

Thats where I get some of my stuff from....always cheap stuff

[stevo911_]

i want a harbour freight up here
anyone know what their shipping rates are like to canada?

[zakats]

i want a harbour freight up here
anyone know what their shipping rates are like to canada?

http://www.harborfreight.com/

This thread could easily turn into a mini support group... we all share the same problem/addiction