Anything Good at Harbor Freight?

[Snake45]

My town is finally getting a Harbor Freight. I'm good on airbrushes and compressors at the moment, but is there anything else there super-cool for modeling that I should go look for?

[afx]

I've bought a package of plastic clamps and the a set of calipers there.

Edited February 1, 2016 by afx

[disabled modeler]

We just got one here....they have some stuff that would be useful for building.

[Snake45]

I already have a nice dial caliper from my ammo reloading tools, but that's a great idea. Every modeler should have one. I started using it about 25 years ago and don't know how I got along without it.

[Deathgoblin]

Actually, they've got a lot of useful tools there.  Take a look.  I still need to go there and get a speed controller for my Dremel.

[Skip]

I think I paid $10 or 12 for the 6" metal digital calipers on sale a while back, I have a box full of Starret and Brown & Sharp.  I like the Harbor Freight calipers, they have decent feel to them and I'm not afraid to leave them on the bench or accidentally drop them!

ultrasonic cleaners aren't bad if you can get them on sale paid $30 for the small one, good for cleaning up the airbrush parts.   The DeLuxe Airbrush isn't too bad as long as you take the time to tune it in, I've got a couple I use as backups to higher dollar airbrushes.   Don't know that I'd use one as my number one airbrush, if someone asks to borrow one they get the Harbor Freight brush, not the Iwata or any of the others!!!    If you look around you will find stuff that is useable on your bench, small drill bits (they're sharp enough to use on plastic, when they wear toss me), files, cutters.  Just keep your eyes and mind open.  Most all of their stuff is A knock off made in China, they work but don't expect years of use out of them.

[astroracer]

File sets, miniature plier sets, glue, sanding and grinding supplies, etc. You have to go look, there is a TON of stuff you can use. I have one of their miniature cut-off saws. Works very well for brass and stainless tubing. Wood and plastic cuts slick with the small 3" saw blade. I also have a small hand held grinder/Dremel style tool that works well. 10 bucks for it and a bunch of collets and attachments. As mentioned, they have quite an assortment of clamps and small tools that work well for our hobby.

Mark

Edited February 1, 2016 by astroracer

[afx]

I like the digital calipers.  I set them for metric and it is like measuring everything in scale as 1 mm = 1" in 1/24 scale (or close enough for me).

[crazyjim]

Hole punch set.  Most of their stuff is cheap junk.

[Jantrix]

Hole punch set.  Most of their stuff is cheap junk.

Yep. But for the relatively gentle use they get at the hobby bench, they do fine.

I've bought clamps, calipers, files, sandpaper, needlenose pliers and flush cut diagonal cutters. 

Also for one or two time use tools I recommend them. I needed a socket big enought to change out a heating element in the my hot water heater. I got a whole set of them for $15. You can't beat it.

[Ace-Garageguy]

  Most of their stuff is cheap junk.

X2.

Your work is always better with good tools. While Harbor Freight does in fact have some things that can be useful, you really have to be careful and look hard at the quality of what you're buying.

I got a set of clamps similar to the ones shown above, and within a year, every one had snapped. I've bought hole-punches there that were made of such soft steel, you could only get 3 good uses out of them. I've bought files that weren't hard enough to cut aluminum. I once bought a dead-blow hammer that shattered with the first use. Sockets that split, screwdrivers with uselessly-soft tips, wire brushes that disintegrate, etc.

I even bought a tape-measure there once that had incorrect markings on it. Didn't line up with inches, though it was marked in inches.

It's really smarter to spend a little more and get a few quality tools, instead of getting a lot of trash that's semi-useless.

Edited February 1, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy

[Lunajammer]

This is my favorite. Worthless for heavy use, not a lot of torque, but I use it constantly for modeling. At $8.99 you get a lot, and when it craps out after a few years then replacing it is still cheaper than two cans of spray paint.

[gtx6970]

Most of there air tools are cheap junk. and not worth the effort . Same goes for the spray guns . I bought one of there coil spring compressors and it broke on the 1st spring I used it on.

 

I will use them for sand paper, gloves , hammers, shop towels, shop light bulbs  .  . Even the occasional socket if I only plan to use it once. There wrenches or screw drivers are so so if the fastener isnt rusted or super tight . But for the hobbiest 'most' of the tools will suffice

I do have one of the roll around tool boxes were the top opens and a few drawers( the red one thats an open space on the bottom )  . I like it , seems sturdy enough for my semi professional shop use . I also have a set of the car skates and they work real good .

I needed an air brush last year for a quick job on a 1/1 car project and it works pretty good.

 

A friend of mine bought there jack stands,,when he got home. He fired up his welder and went  over all the welded areas after looking them over.just for his own piece of mind  otherwise they work good with no problems

[aurfalien]

Don't get me started on there soldering irons.

[Snake45]

I've read (on other boards) about good cheap Harbor Freight compressors for airbrushes, but after reading the above comments, I'm now even MORE happy with the Campbell-Hausfield I bought for well under $100 at Walmart in 2002. It's still going strong, and I believe Walmart still sells that unit, possibly even for less than I paid for mine more than a decade ago.

[JTalmage]

I have lots of their stuff. I don't use it every day so it lasts for me. Welding helmet, welding clamps, butt-welding clamps, I love their sheepskin mig welding gloves... grinding discs don't last as long as most better brands but theyre cheap enough to justify it. I have a variable speed buffer that I use seldomly as well. If I were doing this stuff every day I'd buy good stuff. 

Several people I know have their tool boxes and they are actually of good quality

I bought 2 sets of their 6 ton stands... the ones that are like 13 inches all the way down, and I had a car on them for almost 3 years with no issues.

Edited February 1, 2016 by JTalmage

[Ace-Garageguy]

I buy their air die-grinders for composite work. You CAN NOT use any lubricants in tools that will come in contact with composite materials during repairs or fabrication, particularly on aircraft.

I buy them from Harbor because they're cheap enough to be disposable after they fry from being run dry.

I don't think I'd trust my vision to a Harbor Freight welding helmet. Eyes are pretty expensive to replace, a lot more expensive than a real quality welding helmet.

[JTalmage]

They're surprisingly not bad. They don't get as dark as a high end helmet, but I don't do any super bright TIG work. Just MIG for now on all of my junk, which is plenty good. My welder is a Hobart so I do at least have a good welder and not a harbor freight unit. Welded up the entire underside of my mustang on homemade rotisserie stands that I also had to do some welding on. It's a cheap way to be, but it works well.. until some big shop knocks down my door to hire me lol! I've put many miles of wire thru my welder putting Mustangs back together for me and my friends. Same helmet too. 

[Miatatom]

I use this a lot. Took the rubber suction thing off the bottom and mounted it to a 2x6.

http://www.harborfreight.com/2-3-4-quarter-inch-articulated-vacuum-vise-3311.html

[Impalow]

I know you said no spray equipment... but this is my personal favorite harbor freight item.

http://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools/paint/adjustable-detail-spray-gun-92126.html

I use this for all my overall finishes... and clears.. Larger spray pattern than an airbrush, and smaller than a rattle can... perfect for 1/24-1/25 scale stuff. in my opinion.

you can get them for 10.00 with a coupon

 

[aurfalien]

I know you said no spray equipment... but this is my personal favorite harbor freight item.

http://www.harborfreight.com/air-tools/paint/adjustable-detail-spray-gun-92126.html

I use this for all my overall finishes... and clears.. Larger spray pattern than an airbrush, and smaller than a rattle can... perfect for 1/24-1/25 scale stuff. in my opinion.

you can get them for 10.00 with a coupon

 

So you use it straight out the box without any adjustments?  How far away do you hold it from your subject when spraying?

[Impalow]

So you use it straight out the box without any adjustments?  How far away do you hold it from your subject when spraying?

yup, basically straight out of the box... spray on a test piece to make sure the pattern is okay, then on to the model.   I have shot urethane clear, nail polish and base coat out of it with no issues.     As for distance, that depends on the material being sprayed really... but about the same as a rattle can.

This was painted with it... nail polish base, and clear. (obviously it was wet sanded and buffed... but not as much as you would think)

Straight out of the gun.

 

[aurfalien]

WOW, man that's killer!  Thanks for the post.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Impalow, I'm really curious about that side-gravity-feed detail gun. I'll go inexpensive it it actually works, but I've bought knockoff Chinee guns before and had the seals go bad after only a few uses.

I've also had knockoff guns that oxidized badly fairly quickly, with plated potmetal parts that SHOULD have been brass or stainless.

Your results look great though, and I'm always in the market for a decent small gun.

How long have you  had it?  

Any issues, other than normal maintenance? 

 

[aurfalien]

Well, I've read a few reviews on the HF site and it's mentioned the seals melt after some time so it's a good idea to have spares.  Attached is that particular review;