Harbor Freight Gems list updated.

[glebert]

re: the multi-purpose tool, I am not too enthralled with mine. I was using it to cut some framing nails in some joists, and after cutting maybe 8 nails I couldn't feel my hands. The next time I used it I intentionally kept a loose grip and it was better, but not great. I don't know that the more expensive tools are any better, though.

[woodturner]

It was a 3/4 SDS rotary hammer with 3 modes and usually sold for $30.

Was it like this 1"?
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-in-1-...mer-97743.html

[dbhost]

It looks like HF is changing up their tools. The old yellow / orangey motor cover equipped miter saws seem to be going away, the new ones seem, at least to my experience so far, to be MUCH better...

Unfortunately the 8" jointer is gone too. A pity. I really wanted one of those...

[Cochese]

Looks like several items from the list are no longer listed on the website. Hopefully it's just a case of them playing with the website and model numbers again, but it would be a shame to lose something like the 9" vise. I like mine.

Harbor Freight dud: the quick-release black and orange clamps. The grip breaks easily.

[BrazosJake]

Item #02957 Industrial Rotary Hammer (SDS Hammer Drill).

Sadly, they don't carry this item any longer. It was a 3/4 SDS rotary hammer with 3 modes and usually sold for $30. It was an awesome tool for the money. I used it to remove tile, drive lag screws while my cordless ID recharged, demolished rebar slabs. I even used it to defrost a heavily iced-up freezer.

I sold mine in a garage sale (was planning to move at the time) and found I needed it for tile removal last week. I ended up renting from the BORG for almost 2x as much as the HF tool sold for.

[leehljp]

I just purchased 2 of the 1 x 30 in belt sanders (with 20% coupon) and plan on purchasing two more in the near future. They are the knockoff/ identical of those offered by several companies.

This is going to be part of my "edgemaster" system (http://www.theedgemasters.com/) Sharpening supplies: (http://www.theedgemasters.com/Sharpe...esforSale.html). I ordered a leather belt, hone, (2) 1000 grit belts and a 600 grit belt. I will dedicate a sander to the leather belt, one to the 1000 grit and one to the 600. The fourth will be the utility change all.

I had one of these sanders in Japan and loved that machine. But after 8 years, I dropped it off of a table while cleaning and relocating workshop workflow and broke an adjustment tang.

On sharpening, I have found that for me and sharpening, each tool and each situation is different. There are things that I can finesse on one kind of sharpener that I can't on another. IMHO, the finesse in sharpening is where it is. I will go to lengths to get that on each tool that I sharpen. "Good enough" is not a part of my vocab in sharpness.

The HF sander: Item #2485
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-inch-...nder-2485.html

[bigdaddyjohn]

96335 Metric Bolt Extractors

Another fine treasure that has save my butt. In fact, I returned 2 days ago to get the SAE Version as I was stuck with no other way to remove seized Brake Bleeder Screws that were corroded, stripped and starting to break. PB Blaster, time, torch till cherry red, vise grips... Nothing worked. 2 minutes with 3/8" extractor and 3/8" drive wrench and zip/zap, out like nobody's business!

[JSUPreston]

My bike weighs 550 with me on it!

Seriously, the bike weighs in at about 300. I'm not 250, but seem to be closer to it than the 170 I want to be. I was talking with my boss about it, since he does enduros, and he said that for about the same price you could get one designed for a bike. Then again, I do have the truck....

[sweensdv]

I wonder how this would hold up to smaller motorcycles, like 250 class dirt bikes. It is almost big enough to handle my little Rebel. Wheelbase on my bike is 58".

According to the Owners Manual(?) it has a weight limitation of 500 lbs and it also says not to exceed 55 MPH when hauling anything. I suspect the 55 MPH thing is just lawyer speak but I think I would honor the weight guide lines. I say that mainly due to the fact that the bolts holding the basket to the receiver mounting bracket and the tie down loops were made in China. I don't know what your bike weighs but I suspect it can't weigh much more than my snow thrower.

[JSUPreston]

This is kind of a specialized addition to the Gem List. Today, I picked-up an Aluminum Mobility Device Carrier #66303. Fortunately, I don't need it for what its primarily intended for but I plan to use it to haul around my 2 stage snow thrower. I find as I get older I'm always looking for ways to make my life easier and I was getting real tired of fighting to get the snow thrower into the bed of my pick-up which sits rather high up off the ground. So this AM I went to HF and picked one up. It was listed at $200.......on sale for $159.99.........tacked on a 20% off coupon and I was out the door for $135.03 including tax.

I wonder how this would hold up to smaller motorcycles, like 250 class dirt bikes. It is almost big enough to handle my little Rebel. Wheelbase on my bike is 58".

[JSUPreston]

If you're constantly hauling around lawn movers or snow throwers this unit will make that job easier. All of you below the Mason Dixon Line can ignore the snow thrower comments.

Hey, one of my old colleges (Jacksonville State, Jacksonville, AL) bought a snow plow after the Blizzard of '93 (we got 3' to 4' in places, with 5 to 6' drifts-all unofficial since the closest official weather station at the time was 15 miles away and got considerably less snow).

At the time, we thought they were nuts for buying the thing. If this screwy weather keeps up, they may need it this year.

[dbhost]

If you're constantly hauling around lawn movers or snow throwers this unit will make that job easier. All of you below the Mason Dixon Line can ignore the snow thrower comments.

Not this year!

[sweensdv]

This is kind of a specialized addition to the Gem List. Today, I picked-up an Aluminum Mobility Device Carrier #66303. Fortunately, I don't need it for what its primarily intended for but I plan to use it to haul around my 2 stage snow thrower. I find as I get older I'm always looking for ways to make my life easier and I was getting real tired of fighting to get the snow thrower into the bed of my pick-up which sits rather high up off the ground. So this AM I went to HF and picked one up. It was listed at $200.......on sale for $159.99.........tacked on a 20% off coupon and I was out the door for $135.03 including tax.

The assembly was very straight forward and took about an hour to put together. One word of warning though about the assembly. In typical HF tradition there are both metric and SAE fasteners involved with the assembly. You'll need a 5/16" combination wrench, Philips head screwdriver, #10MM combination wrench and a #4MM allen wrench. Once assembled this unit is very sturdy and not a light weight at about 55lbs but was very easy to mount into my receiver.

If you're constantly hauling around lawn movers or snow throwers this unit will make that job easier. All of you below the Mason Dixon Line can ignore the snow thrower comments.

[BrazosJake]

What I really wanted was a Grizzly Radial Drill Press,

Mr. Bill,

I thought I wanted that one, too, but check the reviews on Amazon, they are scorching.

OooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhNNNooooooooooooo! !!!!!!!!!!

[BrazosJake]

Maybe it's on there, but 2957, the 3/4 SDS rotary hammer, belongs on the list. It's an awesome demolition tool/heavy-duty drill for $30. It has a hammer-only mode. I've used it to remove tile, demolish a slab, drive heavy lag bolts when my impact driver batteries are dead (hold on tight, though), and mix mortar.

For tile removal, with some care it'll pop them out intact, and you couldn't rent an air chisel for what this one costs.