Do we need a British HF ?

[RJSakowski]

Indeed! Regarding Brexit, it always about something else than economics, and we are steadily seeing the results.
There is quite a lot that I choose to import, almost regardless, like both my welders. It's not that stuff is not manufactured here - but not so much other than very high end specialist big business investments. Since before the millennium, the push for govt. was to move the land to a "high-value service economy", whatever that is. This trickle-down stuff has not worked! Despite the proliferation of beauty shops and food outlets, there is a limit to how many can be someone else's hairdresser, (or whatever).

We don't have a all tools store chain equivalent to HF in UK. From the responses, I guess we won't miss it much.

More particularly about import complexity, those that be, in UK, have long thought it a good wheeze to make the public do their tax collecting, and other related tasks, for them, under the guise of a "more efficient" computer system. I think their aim is to have it all automatic, only going "ka-ching" for them. The same for import arrangements. They try to push all of it onto the sellers. This is why I suddenly find I have "an account" at FedEX, and I am supposed to "register" and "log in", and become "part of their community", and all that crap, when what actually happened is the seller (of a welder) had to make upstream arrangements (with FedEx) and move the VAT and import duties into a special account, which I get to pay into without the remotest chance of ever communicating with a human!

I don't blame you for not exporting to UK. I note also that Stefan (Gotteswinter) will only bo business with EU countries, and those that have good arrangements with EU. I don't blame him either. There may not now be enough UK manufactured tools and suchlike stuff to support a country-wide store chain equivalent of Harbor Freight. I don't really want to be permanently buying Chinese from Banggood or eBay, but now, I also can't aspire to good stuff from Shars, etc.

[Edit: As from 4th April, all businesses are required to interface whatever accounting software they have, including spreadsheets, via a list of certain software providers approved, to somehow submit all their business accounts electronically, for VAT and tax calculation. We are not talking accountants summary accounts. They mean every transaction. The scheme is mind-bogglingy misinformed from the outset, and I think it may flop at the first try. Needless to say, later this month, I will be de-registering for VAT. It does mean that this month, I shop for all sorts of machine tool items to claim the last VAT on.

OK - so no Harbor Freight to go shopping at, but I think I can manage to find a 6 x 4 bandsaw, compressor, pillar drill, etc.

and .. they can stick their tax collection software up where it fits best! ]

Since virtually everything that HF sells is imported from China anyway, I doubt that would be much of an impediment to opening up shop there. I'm sure that an organization as large as theirs would have the logistical capability to deal with it.

 

[Gnpenning]

Indeed! Regarding Brexit, it always about something else than economics, and we are steadily seeing the results.
There is quite a lot that I choose to import, almost regardless, like both my welders. It's not that stuff is not manufactured here - but not so much other than very high end specialist big business investments. Since before the millennium, the push for govt. was to move the land to a "high-value service economy", whatever that is. This trickle-down stuff has not worked! Despite the proliferation of beauty shops and food outlets, there is a limit to how many can be someone else's hairdresser, (or whatever).

We don't have a all tools store chain equivalent to HF in UK. From the responses, I guess we won't miss it much.

More particularly about import complexity, those that be, in UK, have long thought it a good wheeze to make the public do their tax collecting, and other related tasks, for them, under the guise of a "more efficient" computer system. I think their aim is to have it all automatic, only going "ka-ching" for them. The same for import arrangements. They try to push all of it onto the sellers. This is why I suddenly find I have "an account" at FedEX, and I am supposed to "register" and "log in", and become "part of their community", and all that crap, when what actually happened is the seller (of a welder) had to make upstream arrangements (with FedEx) and move the VAT and import duties into a special account, which I get to pay into without the remotest chance of ever communicating with a human!

I don't blame you for not exporting to UK. I note also that Stefan (Gotteswinter) will only bo business with EU countries, and those that have good arrangements with EU. I don't blame him either. There may not now be enough UK manufactured tools and suchlike stuff to support a country-wide store chain equivalent of Harbor Freight. I don't really want to be permanently buying Chinese from Banggood or eBay, but now, I also can't aspire to good stuff from Shars, etc.

[Edit: As from 4th April, all businesses are required to interface whatever accounting software they have, including spreadsheets, via a list of certain software providers approved, to somehow submit all their business accounts electronically, for VAT and tax calculation. We are not talking accountants summary accounts. They mean every transaction. The scheme is mind-bogglingy misinformed from the outset, and I think it may flop at the first try. Needless to say, later this month, I will be de-registering for VAT. It does mean that this month, I shop for all sorts of machine tool items to claim the last VAT on.

OK - so no Harbor Freight to go shopping at, but I think I can manage to find a 6 x 4 bandsaw, compressor, pillar drill, etc.

and .. they can stick their tax collection software up where it fits best! ]

Seems to me that the good Old colonists had a problem with the British tax system as well. Separation was painful but worth it.

 

[Larry42]

I have not looked close, but NPT and BSPT may even be the same. I have always known that the BSP was parallel, and BSPT was tapered, and tapered was supposedly what you needed to form a water or pressure seal.

I've got machines that use Metric pneumatics which are the British std. 1/4 & 3/8" are 19 tpi, 1/2 & 3/4 are 14tpi., 1 to 2" are 11tpi. Compare that to the NPT 1/4" are 18tpi, 1/2" are 14tpi, 1" are 11 1/2 tpi. You can see where it is very easy to go wrong! On top of that the British standard is a Whitworth thread form. The BS and NPT will go into each other and seal with tape or dope, usually. The metric machines I've maintained have always had a plastic seal under the head of the male component. Likely because the internal thread is the BS parallel thread.

 

[RandyWilson]

My thanks to all of you!
It seems we all like the convenience, and the fact it is there as a fallback, and that it keeps other vendors from hiking their prices too far.
One underlying theme I sense is that we all have a bunch of stuff that came from China, but that we would rather it were not that way.

Come in late, and I'm not going to read the 6 pages of comments. What you need to know about Harbor Freight is they have multiple levels of quality, and have been phasing out the cheaper stuff (and the coupons) over the last few years. As an example, the detractors will gleefully tell you about the $50 8" bench grinder that has runout in the wheels. They won't mention the $135 8" grinder with variable speed and proper tool rests sitting right beside it. The loud complaining is always accompanied by the "I haven't gone there in years" statement.

 

[7milesup]

I mirror Randy's sentiments.
I went to HF years ago to purchase some items when I didn't have much money. Some of the stuff worked well, other items weren't worth taking home. Ironically, I have a set of deep impact sockets that I bought there a couple of decades ago, and they have been flawless. Their $20 digital calipers work "ok", but finally bought Mitutoyo due to the unreliability of the HF brand. I still have a few around though for just banging around in the shop.
If you haven't visited HF in a while, you will be surprised by the quality. Sure, as Randy mentioned, they still have some crap, but they now have some very nice tools. I recently outfitted our work area at my place of employment with nearly all HF stuff. BUT, almost all of it was their Icon brand. If you have not used one of their Icon branded products, you are missing out. I was introduced to their Icon brand one evening when replacing the wheel bearings in my wife's car. I needed a 14mm offset box wrench. No one else had one so I had her pick up the $50 Icon set on the way home. They also had a $20 Pittsburgh set, which I passed on. To say I was impressed with the Icon would be an understatement.
I also own the 3500 Predator Quiet Generator. It has been flawless the last few years and has powered my house numerous times when the power went out. I own the small Ultra Quiet 2 gallon air compressor for trim work. Recently purchased the Hercules 12" sliding compound miter saw which has also been flawless. Hate to say it but that saw replaced my Bosch 10". I also own one of their US General tool boxes, although mine is rather old, with the new ones being significantly better than mine.

In the end, I look pragmatically at what I would like to purchase from them and what are other options. Truthfully, a lot of "name brand" tools are made in China and to the same or less quality as the HF stuff, especially their Icon line, but because of that Dewalt or Milwaukee name, it will cost you more.

Oh, their Bauer branded cut-off and grinding disks are a great value.