Harbor Freight tool review

[ngpmike]

Anyone remember when Black & Decker made kitchen appliances? I remember...

Yep! Late 60s - early 70s IIRC!

[300D50]

Well I'll be, seems I should still be a tyke.
They apparently were still going till around 2013!

[ngpmike]

Never had any B&D kitchen appliances. Just remember seeing the TV ads. Didn't notice when the ads quit. Haven't had TV since about '05!

[RichardSIA]

Bought a new HF angled die grinder.
The old one lasted about fifteen years.
The new one died in less than twenty minutes!
Yes, I did oil it before use.
So much for their new and improved quality.

[Lonnie-S]

I had a lighting problem to solve. When it rains, I need to keep my full size garage door closed. That eliminates a lot of light, especially underneath the chassis and into the transmission tunnel. I have these old halogen lights that are bulky, draw a world of current and are hot as hell if you get anywhere near them. I rarely use them.

So into my inbox comes a Harbor Freight e-mail announcing the sale of some new LED work lights for about $15 each. They're 1,000 lumens each and very adjustable. So, putting 2 and 4 together to get 3, I wonder if I can retrofit my unused halogen light stands to solve my new problem. Also, LED lights do not trigger my automatic welding helmet like halogen bulbs do.

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Well, yes, I can. I went from these:

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To these:

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They do adjust well. There are some little punched out teats used to align the el-cheapo legs that come with them. Those keep the base from rotating 360 degrees on the yellow stand. However, those could easily be hammered flat if you choose to allow 360 rotation. I've left them alone for now. If rotation proves to be an issue, the solution is simple, but I have the option of using them individually on the original legs now if I wish.

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They do a pretty good job of lighting things up from underneath and are handier that typical automotive work lights. There is also a stand for the old halogens that the yellow piece goes onto. It adjusts, so I can go from ground level to about 6' off the ground with my newly re-purposed halogen setup.

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Cheers,

[JAMADOR]

I've got the same light, but HomeDepot store brand. Very handy, though the cord is a bit short.

[Miatav8,MstrASE,A&P,F]

Vevor seems to be the higher end of hbf/China products. I recently picked up an 8 inch machinist rotary table that was very well made and heavy. It doesn't unlock to free wheel into position (90:1) but otherwise great for under $200. Same goes for the biggest x-y table I could find for about $100 and weighed 70 lbs. Needed a little work (clean/lube/adjust) but nothing major.

[kabuku6]

Thanks for the insight. I frequently see their tools for sale on the cheaper end of the internet, but have been too skeptical to purchase any.

[Miatav8,MstrASE,A&P,F]

Seems the best deals on vevor are amazon or ebay versus the vevor site. I also have an electric tiller (was digging in a confined crawl space for a walk in basement) that has held up well considering it isn't built to break up red clay.

[tibimakai]

I have purchased my miter saw(portable band saw-same as Harbor freight one) for $199 to my door, and it works great. I have cut up all my chassis tubes with it. Just don't apply to much force on it and it works great.
My Vevor mini lathe 8.9"x23.9" works, but I don't recommend it. I had to work on it a lot, to make it useable. Ways weren't parallel, to start. That tells you everything. I had to sand the bottom of it to have the same height, all the way. Tailstock hole was a mess, it had a big step inside the main hole, missing material from casting it. I had to bore it out at work, and made a bronze bushing. So on and so on.

[Lonnie-S]

@MV8
@tibimakai

I wasn't familiar with Vevor, but just looked up their website. Man, their prices are excellent. To bad about the lathe, Tibor. Some of their lathe products with accessories included look like they'd be a good fit for my needs. But, I need something that works, not a new project. Lathe ways are the absolute foundation of the tool.

Cheers,

[tibimakai]

If I would know what I know now, after having this cheap lathe, I would try finding a good old American lathe. Even if it needs a bit of work, is most likely better than a new cheap lathe.
It is tempting to get the new one, though.