Harbor Freight Gems list updated.

[Photojosh]

The nice thing about Harbor Freight is their return policies are plenty lax... I haven't had to return much, but what I have they never give me any flack over...

Just thought I would second this statement.

I haven't returned a ton to HF (trim router missing some parts, miscast pipe clamp, etc) but they never give me any trouble. The people there know what the deal is with their tools and they know that the quality control is part of why the prices are so cheap.

Now, I've never tried taking something back like a year later, but I suspect that any time within the warranty period would be fine and if you are especially concerned, buy the extended one.

Just like all power tools, always keep your receipts.

[phi1l]

I don't see the multi-function tool on that list yet.

Look again, it's there

Funny Story

My brother liked to laugh and tease me about my HF power tools. So he brought his $300 Dewalt compressor over to help me with my roof. Whatta ya know, it wouldn't start (he says it was too cold!) so I brought out my HF 1 3/4 horse 4 gallon pancake compressor, fired right up and we used it for the whole job. Who's laughing now? At $70 (on sale + coupon) this was my second best buy next to my $70 10" sliding compound miter saw.

The tools I wouldn't buy again are the dremel knockoff (didn't last) and the plunge router (broke first try).

To be fair, my brother's a contractor and I was just building my own house so I didn't want to spend $5000 on tools. Instead I spent about $1000 and got everything I needed.

[Chris S]

www.hfreviews.com

[dbhost]

I'm not sure yet if this belongs on the GEM list or not. Saturday I bought a small drill press from Harbor Freight. It's this one, 38119, for $45 plus CA tax with a coupon. I assembled it today to see just what I had. It vibrates a little but I don't know yet if it's just the belt and that will even out on running some or if there is something off somewhere. What I really wanted was a Grizzly Radial Drill Press, but I needed it this week and at under $50 I figured I could not go wrong. I have about 700 holes to drill for the dreaded shelf supports. I figure that with a simple jig and the little drill press I'll only go slightly insane. The long term idea is to use it for a spindle sander. I have most of the drums that you can put a sanding tube on and then chuck in a drill and watch as it careens across the work destroying it. I hope in the drill press I'll have better luck.

But now, seems like there is always a but, I am wondering if the thrust bearings will hold out very long in the drill press with that kind of use.

I am open to ideas of how to reduce the vibration and any other comments you may have.

Bill

The quill stroke on that one is pretty short for a lot of my uses, but a lot of guys are happy with that model bench top DP. I have seen them go for as low as $30.00 after coupon savings... But that low is very rare. Usually they snatch around $70.00.

Vibration is unusual for the HF drill presses. If yours had been in the box a long time, chances are good it's the belt... But it is possible you got a dud... (Each make and model has some bad examples, from HF or Powermatic, doesn't matter... They all occasionally let junk go out the door...).

The nice thing about Harbor Freight is their return policies are plenty lax... I haven't had to return much, but what I have they never give me any flack over...

Keep us posted on that drill press. Hopefully it will pan out....

For the price of the thing, I am not sure I would worry about destroying the bearings...

[dbhost]

FYI, item #98303 T Track Hold Down Clamp has been discontinued, which is a shame. They work great, especially after replacing the standard bolts with T-bolts.

A pity, the set I have are really nice. Yeah T bolts work better, but I have the Rockler track and the OE bolts work fine with it...

[windmill]

FYI, item #98303 T Track Hold Down Clamp has been discontinued, which is a shame. They work great, especially after replacing the standard bolts with T-bolts.

[Mr__Bill]

I'm not sure yet if this belongs on the GEM list or not. Saturday I bought a small drill press from Harbor Freight. It's this one, 38119, for $45 plus CA tax with a coupon. I assembled it today to see just what I had. It vibrates a little but I don't know yet if it's just the belt and that will even out on running some or if there is something off somewhere. What I really wanted was a Grizzly Radial Drill Press, but I needed it this week and at under $50 I figured I could not go wrong. I have about 700 holes to drill for the dreaded shelf supports. I figure that with a simple jig and the little drill press I'll only go slightly insane. The long term idea is to use it for a spindle sander. I have most of the drums that you can put a sanding tube on and then chuck in a drill and watch as it careens across the work destroying it. I hope in the drill press I'll have better luck.

But now, seems like there is always a but, I am wondering if the thrust bearings will hold out very long in the drill press with that kind of use.

I am open to ideas of how to reduce the vibration and any other comments you may have.

Bill

[dbhost]

Eh, at the price of this thing, for the kind of use I am planning on using it for, I can gamble on it...

[billwmeyer]

The model # on my framing nailer is 04041. It is a 21 degree 10 gauge nailer, probably and older model.

Bill

[billwmeyer]

I have had it for about 4 or 5 years, but I have only used it on 2 projects. I was remodeling my bathroom when it jammed, and that is when my daughters house burned down and she and my 2 grandsons moved in with us. I didn't unjam it until I started the deck project. It works great, but I haven't used it as much as I want. Hopefully this summer it will get put to use building a shed.

I will try to remember to verify the model number when I get home tonight.

Bill

[dbhost]

I believe that is the nailer I have. It is heavy, but it is a good nailer. The only problem I had was when it started jamming about every other nail. I took it apart and found a piece of plastic from the nail strip had gotten caught inside. I have not had a jam since and used it a lot framing out my deck that I am working on.

Bill

Foreign obstruction jams I would not count against the nailer. But nice to know that is the only problem you have had with it. How long have you had the thing?

[dbhost]

That's cool. I am just looking for something to shoot nails for a fence project, and building the shed... After I am done with those two, it can go ahead and die...

I don't mean that harshly, just for the price, I wouldn't expect it to last too terribly long, but I would want it to hold up to those two jobs, and anything after that is just, well... extra. Pretty sure this would help with decking the attic and jobs like that too... Helping out the BIL at his place, that sort of thing.

[billwmeyer]

I believe that is the nailer I have. It is heavy, but it is a good nailer. The only problem I had was when it started jamming about every other nail. I took it apart and found a piece of plastic from the nail strip had gotten caught inside. I have not had a jam since and used it a lot framing out my deck that I am working on.

Bill

[tjr]

I've got the 21deg framer. Seems to work well for me, plenty of power, depth adjustment works fine but not toolless, air consumption is about 8-10 3.25" nails per charge of my pancake compressor. It's a pretty basic tool with no frills like rafter hook, ruler/stud gauge on side, etc. It's also not a convertible trigger - you have to push down and then fire for every nail. OK for me as it feels safer and I'm not usually working that fast.

Biggest disadvantage is that it's pretty heavy compared to the nicer brand name framers.