Harbor Freight - Too good to be true?

[snacksnack]

i have tools from nearly all the places mentioned as well. snap on has some tools you just buy else where. Their angle wrenches are the best. I believe they have a patent on the angles.

My hf jack stands are over 15 years old and going strong.

[mikeb]

My tool set started out as a metric craftsman set about 42 years ago, but over the years tools broke, tools were lost, and tools were loaned out and not returned. Tools were replaced with whatever was handy at the time.

Now I've got a tool set that's quite diverse - I've got some original craftsman tools, a few no name wrenches from India and China, some tools from the hardware and auto parts stores, and even a 60+ year old Proto 9/16 wrench that came out of my dad's toolbox. All of them have seen heavy use and they all still work fine.

I quit buying Sears tools when the quality went to shit about 15-20 years ago - screwdriver tips would snap off opening paint cans, and they would fix ratchets with plastic parts right before they refused to warranty them at all.

Harbor freight seems to have stepped up their quality over the past few years - If I needed a tool i'd buy it from them without any hesitation. I have some of their tools and they have all worked well for me.

[lowthreeohz]

i have plenty of HF stuff, none of it precision but all of it suitable for the tasks i buy them for. i find "bedding" the brushes on the electronics before any actual use seems to help prolong the lifespan. and mikeb (sup dude - long time!!) is right, their quality really seems to have improved over the last couple of years.