Straw Poll

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  • Black wallnut
    cycling to health
    • Jan 2003
    • 4715
    • Ellensburg, Wa, USA.
    • BT3k 1999

    #1

    Straw Poll

    Does the site really need a seperate forum for Harbor Freight Jewels and lemons? You can cast your vote so that all can see. Not that the decision will in any manner reflect the outcome of the poll. Hence the use of the word straw in the title, use care when building with straw!
    138
    Yes.
    21.74%
    30
    No.
    55.07%
    76
    I do not care.
    23.19%
    32

    The poll is expired.

    Donate to my Tour de Cure


    marK in WA and Ryobi Fanatic Association State President ©

    Head servant of the forum

    ©
  • shoottx
    Veteran Member
    • May 2008
    • 1240
    • Plano, Texas
    • BT3000

    #2
    I got to this site because of troubles with my BT3K. I found it a great resource and community to help with information for fixing the saw. Because of the friendly nature of the site I continued to hang around.

    Lately one of the questions I have been pondering is what will be the evolving role for this site. With the death of the BT3K and the only available options being offered by Sears, what direction should we encourage.

    If you look back at the last few weeks worth of posts there were more posts about computer issues than BT3K saws. I am not saying computer questions are bad. There are still a number of woodworking project related discussions, but few of them are BT3K related. There are almost as more "around the coffee pot discussions" than anything else, I think in part because of sense of community around this site.

    So as the site evolves where should it go and what are the options, as one person said "It is above my pay grade"
    Often in error - Never in doubt

    Mike

    Comment

    • crokett
      The Full Monte
      • Jan 2003
      • 10627
      • Mebane, NC, USA.
      • Ryobi BT3000

      #3
      We don't need a separate forum, but an article detailing jewels and lemons would be nice. I volunteer to maintain said article, assuming other folks give me updates.
      David

      The chief cause of failure in this life is giving up what you want most for what you want at the moment.

      Comment

      • ragswl4
        Veteran Member
        • Jan 2007
        • 1559
        • Winchester, Ca
        • C-Man 22114

        #4
        Tool reviews seems a great place for HF or any other tool item that is good or bad. First place I look when I am considering buying a tool. Unfortunately there are not a lot of reviews. Tool talk is also a good place for this type of info, IMHO.
        RAGS
        Raggy and Me in San Felipe
        sigpic

        Comment

        • BobSch
          Veteran Member
          • Aug 2004
          • 4385
          • Minneapolis, MN, USA.
          • BT3100

          #5
          Originally posted by shoottx

          ... as one person said "It is above my pay grade"
          And look at where HE ended up!
          Bob

          Bad decisions make good stories.

          Comment

          • crokett
            The Full Monte
            • Jan 2003
            • 10627
            • Mebane, NC, USA.
            • Ryobi BT3000

            #6
            Originally posted by ragswl4
            Tool reviews seems a great place for HF or any other tool item that is good or bad. First place I look when I am considering buying a tool. Unfortunately there are not a lot of reviews. Tool talk is also a good place for this type of info, IMHO.
            Rags, the problem is not everybody can find the reviews. I couldn't until Loring posted a link in another post. It would be handy to have a reference such as an article that lists all the various tools and what people thought of them.
            David

            The chief cause of failure in this life is giving up what you want most for what you want at the moment.

            Comment

            • Tom Slick
              Veteran Member
              • May 2005
              • 2913
              • Paso Robles, Calif, USA.
              • sears BT3 clone

              #7
              Are there other sites that evaluate HF tools as unbiased as this one? If not it might be a great way to attract new "value minded" members like ourselves.
              Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. - Thomas Edison

              Comment

              • AusRob
                Forum Newbie
                • Jun 2008
                • 46

                #8
                What's a harbour freight????

                Rob
                http://www.dam%6efinefurniture.com/

                Comment

                • leehljp
                  The Full Monte
                  • Dec 2002
                  • 8770
                  • Tunica, MS
                  • BT3000/3100

                  #9
                  AusRob,

                  HF is a cheap Taiwan tool company. Most of their tools come from manufacturers in Taiwan that make name brand tools for US, Euro and probably Aus and Canada. HF takes these patterns, skip the fine tuning (fine grinding of edges, etc.) leave the paint off and sell these copy cat tools at a cheap price. Some of the QC gets so bad that it isn't worth it. On the other hand some of the tools are as good as tools costing 4 to 5 times as much. I have a good Bosch copy jig saw and it works great, better than my Porter Cable that cost twice as much.

                  It is taking a chance, but they have a pretty good return policy for tools that don't work.

                  Some people won't buy ANYTHING there; Some won't buy any electrical/motor things there - only hand tools such as wrenches, screwdrivers etc; and a few people will buy most anything while looking at everything with caution, fear and trembling - until it is deemed workable!

                  http://www.harborfreight.com/

                  One other thing: Their local stores as well as their web site offer some name brand tools at great prices when they get them.

                  THANKS Mark, I appreciate you bringing this to a straw vote. I thought it at least deserved a good discussion and a vote.
                  Last edited by leehljp; 11-11-2008, 03:37 AM.
                  Hank Lee

                  Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

                  Comment

                  • herb fellows
                    Veteran Member
                    • Apr 2007
                    • 1867
                    • New York City
                    • bt3100

                    #10
                    Originally posted by crokett
                    Rags, the problem is not everybody can find the reviews. I couldn't until Loring posted a link in another post. It would be handy to have a reference such as an article that lists all the various tools and what people thought of them.
                    I agree, that's why I asked about it to begin with. It was more time consuming than necessary to find out all the info, imho. I just thought it would be nice to have it all in one easily accesible place.
                    You don't need a parachute to skydive, you only need a parachute to skydive twice.

                    Comment

                    • herb fellows
                      Veteran Member
                      • Apr 2007
                      • 1867
                      • New York City
                      • bt3100

                      #11
                      Originally posted by leehljp
                      AusRob,
                      .
                      HF is a cheap Taiwan tool company. Most of their tools come from manufacturers in Taiwan that make name brand tools for US, Euro and probably Aus and Canada. HF takes these patterns, skip the fine tuning (fine grinding of edges, etc.) leave the paint off and sell these copy cat tools at a cheap price. Some of the QC gets so bad that it isn't worth it. On the other hand some of the tools are as good as tools costing 4 to 5 times as much. I have a good Bosch copy jig saw and it works great, better than my Porter Cable that cost twice as much.

                      It is taking a chance, but they have a pretty good return policy for tools that don't work.

                      Some people won't buy ANYTHING there; Some won't buy any electrical/motor things there - only hand tools such as wrenches, screwdrivers etc; and a few people will buy most anything while looking at everything with caution, fear and trembling - until it is deemed workable!

                      http://www.harborfreight.com/

                      One other thing: Their local stores as well as their web site offer some name brand tools at great prices when they get them.

                      THANKS Mark, I appreciate you bringing this to a straw vote. I thought it at least deserved a good discussion and a vote.
                      Not that anything is foolproof, ,but a good review by many might just lessen the anxiety level. For instance, the one thing I heard nothing but good about was their 6 inch digital caliper. At $10, as opposed to $50-60 for a 'name brand'. I want to know about that, as well as being made aware of the real dogs out there
                      You don't need a parachute to skydive, you only need a parachute to skydive twice.

                      Comment

                      • poolhound
                        Veteran Member
                        • Mar 2006
                        • 3196
                        • Phoenix, AZ
                        • BT3100

                        #12
                        Given all the discussion in the originating thread I DON'T think I would want a dedicated space just for HF.

                        When I threw my 2 cents in, early in the thread I was thinking that having some way to organize our tool related posts to make specific content easier to find could be a benefit to veteran members and newbies alike. Wether to structure by tool type or manufacturer would be a secondary question only if the members and powers that be, consider it to be worth the effort.

                        I do agree with some of your (Mark) comments re: increased complexity, confusing titles and more potential for incorrectly catogorized threads.

                        Increased effort to setup and admin time to monitor would only be worthwhile if it brought everybody a clear benefit
                        Jon

                        Phoenix AZ - It's a dry heat
                        ________________________________

                        We all make mistakes and I should know I've made enough of them
                        techzibits.com

                        Comment

                        • cwithboat
                          Senior Member
                          • Jan 2008
                          • 614
                          • 47deg54.3'N 122deg34.7'W
                          • Craftsman Pro 21829

                          #13
                          I don't think its a good idea to have a specific forum for a single mfg which would have no appeal to those of us who have no access to HF.

                          What I would like to see is a forum discussing materials, mostly wood in all its varieties. Which wood for which project? Which tools like which woods? Positive and negative experiences with purchases, etc.
                          regards,
                          Charlie
                          A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke.
                          Rudyard Kipling

                          Comment

                          • Black wallnut
                            cycling to health
                            • Jan 2003
                            • 4715
                            • Ellensburg, Wa, USA.
                            • BT3k 1999

                            #14
                            Originally posted by cwithboat
                            I don't think its a good idea to have a specific forum for a single mfg which would have no appeal to those of us who have no access to HF.

                            What I would like to see is a forum discussing materials, mostly wood in all its varieties. Which wood for which project? Which tools like which woods? Positive and negative experiences with purchases, etc.
                            Now come on a trip to Kent is not that far from where you live although the toll for the bridge or the ferry charge might make it expensive. Ya'll need to go visit the city every once in a while to remind yourself that its the folks that live in the shadow of the 'needle who make decisions that effect us all!
                            Donate to my Tour de Cure


                            marK in WA and Ryobi Fanatic Association State President ©

                            Head servant of the forum

                            ©

                            Comment

                            • cwithboat
                              Senior Member
                              • Jan 2008
                              • 614
                              • 47deg54.3'N 122deg34.7'W
                              • Craftsman Pro 21829

                              #15
                              Originally posted by Black wallnut
                              Now come on a trip to Kent is not that far from where you live although the toll for the bridge or the ferry charge might make it expensive. Ya'll need to go visit the city every once in a while to remind yourself that its the folks that live in the shadow of the 'needle who make decisions that effect us all!
                              There are a few reasons to go to Seattle:
                              1. see our grandson
                              2. baseball
                              3. symphony or play at night
                              4. Chinese food (associated with one of the above) see Whaler's brunch

                              A drive to Kent from home is 80+ miles one way over the toll bridge
                              Via ferry its 55 miles +$12 each way
                              From Magnolia where the kid is its 26 miles one way through what is rated as one of the worst traffic messes in the U.S.
                              baseball is a bus + ferry walk-on and walk to Safeco
                              If not available locally, it is always a better deal to order over the internet
                              The people who make the decisions are in Olympia not Seattle
                              regards,
                              Charlie
                              A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke.
                              Rudyard Kipling

                              Comment

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