Friday, January 06, 2017

Buying stuff



First Time at Harbor Freight


7am - We needed magnets for Scampy's Stealth Curtains and battery powered LED lights to illuminate Scampy's storage cabinets. That's all we intended to buy. Nothing else!

But we were newbies at Harbor Freight. Oh my! Were we in for a BIG surprise! How naive were our intentions to buy Nothing Else!

Harbor Freight moves in on a newbie so subtly. Opposite the magnet display we were attracted by a bunch of gasoline engine products. Two of these were electric generators.

Hmmmm? We could use an electric generator when we go Boondock Camping. $109.99!!!!  Impossible! Could not be! This must be a pricing mistake. But it was NOT a pricing mistake.  $109.99 was the real price for a brand new electric generator!

Then we came upon a tiny Air Compressor that could be used to inflate our tires while Boondock Camping. 12 volt DC. Plugs into Little Honda's 12 volt outlet. $8.99!!!! Impossible! Could not be! This must be a pricing mistake. But it was NOT a pricing mistake.  $8.99 was the real price for a brand new Compact Air Compressor!

I asked the lady at the register:
"Do you have shopping carts?"

Harbor Freight had done what most of America knows it does. In less than 5-minutes, Harbor Freight hooked another newbie.

By the time we were at the check-out line, our shopping cart was overflowing! But the total price was only $227.23!! Including a 2-year warranty on the generator.

Granted! This generator is likely junk. And I will probably return this generator to Harbor Freight and buy instead:
Honda EU1000i Inverter Generator

But wow! While it lasted, what a Kick!!



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Posted by at

28 comments:

  1. W3JDR1/6/17, 10:58 AM

    George
    I have a couple of those cheapy HF generators. If it's the one I think it is, you can get it as low as $89 during certain sales. Beware that is's a 2 cycle engine, can be hard to start, and is fairly loud. Also, it's only an 800 watt unit

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tioga George1/6/17, 9:07 PM

      Hi W3,

      That generator was returned to Harbor Freight this afternoon. Instead I believe I'll purchase a Honda 1000 watt generator.

      The bad characteristics in your comment were some of the reasons that this generator was returned.

      Tioga George

      .

      Delete
  2. Croft1/6/17, 11:07 AM

    We always come out of Harbor Freight with more than we intended.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tioga George1/6/17, 9:09 PM

      Hi Croft,

      As a Harbor Freight newbie, I sure came out with more stuff than I intended!

      Tioga George

      .

      Delete
  3. Andrew1/6/17, 11:23 AM

    Beware of HF, you will likely find nothing of lasting quality there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ed, Carol and Gopher the dog1/6/17, 9:06 PM

      The Dollar Store of tools. Chinese Junk.

      Delete
    2. Tioga George1/6/17, 9:17 PM

      Hi Andrew,

      Really?! Interesting that you feel that way.

      I bought some quality stuff at great prices.For example, a compact 12 volt DC air compressor for filling tires when Boondocking [just in case I get a low or flat tire out there].

      Returned the generator though. Want a Honda 1000 watt.

      Tioga George

      .

      Delete
    3. Tioga George1/6/17, 9:32 PM

      Hi Ed and Carol,

      Yes, most stuff sold by Harbor Freight does come from China.

      However, I have a metal goods manufacturing background. Worked at Punch Press Products in Los Angeles as general manager. Worked my way up from apprentice machinist. I know extremely well, good quality from bad.

      My 20 years experience shows me that the metal goods sold at Harbor Tools is good quality.

      Tioga George

      .

      Delete
    4. Andrew1/6/17, 10:44 PM

      Be sure to test that inflator before you need it. Some of them these days arent rated to run long enough to fill a single tire without stopping to cool ( Yes Im being serious! )

      Delete
  4. Hotel California1/6/17, 11:34 AM

    While I can't vouch for the Harbor Freight generators (I have a Honda 2000), I do own just about everything else they sell. The quality of their items has been very, very good for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sheila1/6/17, 2:04 PM

      Honda EU2000i is simply the best generator out there! Excellent choice! Sometimes one can cheap out on certain products but having reliable power is important to me and my Honda generator is there every time.

      Delete
    2. Tioga George1/6/17, 9:33 PM

      Hi Hotel,

      Your experience mirrors my own.

      Tioga George

      .

      Delete
    3. Tioga George1/6/17, 9:46 PM

      Hi Sheila,

      I agree with your Honda comment. However, the Honda eu1000i is the same quality as the eu2000i.

      All I need to do with a generator is keep a 12 volt DC Deep Cycle Battery charged. The Honda eu1000i will do that nicely.

      Also, the Honda eu1000i weighs less than 29 lbs while the eu2000i weighs over 46 lbs. As a 79 year old, those 17 extra pounds are a killer.

      Tioga George

      .

      Delete
  5. Croft1/6/17, 11:35 AM

    Harbor Freight is a great place for a homeowner to get a great deal on tools that will last for many years of occasional use. If you are a professional tradesman and use your tools on a daily basis you should look elsewhere but if you are like me and use your socket set or whatever five or ten times a year, it will last forever.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don1/6/17, 9:07 PM

      Croft speaks the truth. I use them for almost all of my tools.

      That said I fear George is correct about the generator. I've often looked at one of their generators and thought I should try it but I always wise up.

      Delete
    2. Tioga George1/6/17, 9:49 PM

      Hi Croft,

      Thanks for your comment. I am like you. An ocassional tool user.

      Tioga George

      .

      Delete
    3. Croft1/7/17, 2:07 PM

      My son bought one of those generators with the intention of carrying it in the back of his work truck for the odd occasion he had no access to power. However when he did need it, it ran for 8 - 10 hours a day. It lasted him only a few months. It was a wise choice to return it and hold out for the Honda.

      Delete
  6. Carol and Bill1/6/17, 2:33 PM

    Bill doesn't need to go to Harbor Freight any more - he already has one of everything they sell!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tioga George1/6/17, 10:01 PM

      Hi Carol,

      I used to be like Bill. I owned every kind of tool. However, I lost every single tool that I had accumulated over my lifetime.

      That was when I had a heart attack in 2014 while driving MsTioga. I went unconscious and MsTioga went off Interstate 5 and was destroyed.

      I was in recovery from heart surgery for months, and was not able to retrieve anything stored in MsTioga.

      Now I am in "accumulating mode" for tools. Having a good time at that enterprise!

      George

      PS: I have you on my calendar for a March visit in Las Vegas! 😎

      George

      .

      Delete
  7. anita1/6/17, 5:19 PM

    I remember when we discovered Harbor Freight!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tioga George1/6/17, 10:04 PM

      Hi Anita,

      Did you do as I did as a Harbor Freight newbie? I filled my shopping cart at my first visit.

      Tioga George

      .

      Delete
  8. Garth1/6/17, 6:53 PM

    Harbor Fright is good for occasional use tools, but never ever buy anything there that your life depends on.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tioga George1/6/17, 10:06 PM

      Hi Garth,

      Harbor Fright? [Is that a typo?]

      That your life depends on??

      Tioga George

      .

      Delete
  9. Ray1/6/17, 7:23 PM

    Always read the reviews at the HF website. Some of it is good and some it is pure junk. I had that cheap air pump - worked one time (kind of).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tioga George1/6/17, 10:13 PM

      Hi Ray,

      I bought that cheap air compressor that you bought too. I will test it out during the 30-day return period. And if it also fails, I'll return it.

      Did you return yours when it failed?

      If your answer is, "no". Why didn't you return it?

      Tioga George

      .

      Delete
  10. Ed, Carol and Gopher the dog1/6/17, 9:08 PM

    When you fire up that generator, you will make an enemy of every boondocker within a hundred yards.
    Ed

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tioga George1/6/17, 10:16 PM

      Hi Ed and Carol,

      I never fired it up. Bought it one day, returned it the next day.

      Going to buy a Honda eu1000i generator.

      George

      .

      Delete
  11. peteolsonmusic1/9/17, 1:23 AM

    Ah, yes...Harbor Freight! I have bought certain things and had them fail almost immediately; others I have used intermittently for years. I bought a set of socket wrench extensions of different lengths and drive sizes: every one of them broke in two when just a small amount of force was applied! I got a very good deal on two 50' 10ga extension cords, which we use all the time. They're the best place to buy nitrile disposable gloves, which I also use all the time (I wait or a sale, and buy a ton of them..) I always read the online reviews of whatever item I'm interested in - they seem to be unedited and accurate...

    ReplyDelete

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