Rate the Harbor Freight Tools Thread- Pass or Fail?

[Ulma Doctor]

i tried the low temp aluminum brazing rod for the first time, i'll give it a THUMBS UP !
i made a repair to an aluminum motorcycle intake manifold that was modified by a moron
i had to close up an enlarged bolt hole, then re-drill the mounting tab.
it worked very well once i got the hang of the working temperature,
expect a learning curve- practice on similar scrap material first

the melt temperature is around 730°F
the aluminum must be clean- use stainless a steel brush thoroughly
they claim 71,000 PSI deposits- it is harder than cast aluminum- the deposits drill well

 

[C-Bag]

i tried the low temp aluminum brazing rod for the first time, i'll give it a THUMBS UP !
i made a repair to an aluminum motorcycle intake manifold that was modified by a moron
i had to close up an enlarged bolt hole, then re-drill the mounting tab.
it worked very well once i got the hang of the working temperature,
expect a learning curve- practice on similar scrap material first

the melt temperature is around 730°F
the aluminum must be clean- use stainless a steel brush thoroughly
they claim 71,000 PSI deposits- it is harder than cast aluminum- the deposits drill well

Thanks for that Doc! Timely indeed. I look at that every time I’m in there and think it can’t be any good But when I think about shopping there for 40yrs now (!!!) I don’t get the junk duds I used to regularly get there in the past. But that caution is hard to forget. Do they sell the flux too or is it on the rod?

 

[Ulma Doctor]

Thanks for that Doc! Timely indeed. I look at that every time I’m in there and think it can’t be any good But when I think about shopping there for 40yrs now (!!!) I don’t get the junk duds I used to regularly get there in the past. But that caution is hard to forget. Do they sell the flux too or is it on the rod?

no flux needed, just very clean parent metals

 

[C-Bag]

Really, how they do that?

 

[Ulma Doctor]

Really, how they do that?

i'm not exactly sure
zinc, silver, copper, silicon, magnesium alloy at a guess

 

[682bear]

i'm not exactly sure
zinc, silver, copper, silicon, magnesium alloy at a guess

So it is very similar to aluminum bronze?

I have no practical experience with al-br, just what I have read, that its difficult to get paint to stick to it, and that it tends to get brittle as it ages...

The spindle bearings on my Hendey lathe project are commonly referred to as 'babbit bearings', but are actually made of al-br...

-Bear

 

[Ulma Doctor]

So it is very similar to aluminum bronze?

I have no practical experience with al-br, just what I have read, that its difficult to get paint to stick to it, and that it tends to get brittle as it ages...

The spindle bearings on my Hendey lathe project are commonly referred to as 'babbit bearings', but are actually made of al-br...

-Bear

here is a video explaining the different brands and their performance.
i just watched it 5 minutes ago...

 

[682bear]

here is a video explaining the different brands and their performance.
i just watched it 5 minutes ago...

Very interesting...

-Bear

 

[Bi11Hudson]

Not following any particular thread, just (mild) curiosity if any comments are made. Many(?) years past, at least 15 or 20, there are some electric tools that I acquired from HF. Subsequent research (within last 5 years) shows that the part numbers have been deleted so far back that there is no record of their ever having existed. I am quite pleased with each one, no complaints, minor adjustments over time, no real modifications, &c.

The first is a wood planer, (not jointer) of all metal construction. A few years back, I needed to replace the drive belt. HF says they never had such a machine. I did find, eventually, a belt. The cross reference had no mention of HF or any other brand. The machine is !!STOUT!!. The outfeed table could be a little longer but is plenty strong. Other than the handle to adjust depth of cut and the belt, there is no plastic. Forgot the switch. . .

Next is a grinder. Again, HF denies it being a HF product. The nameplate says otherwise. A 'slow speed', water cooled sharpening grinder on one end, through a right angle (worm) drive with a high speed grinder on the other. I have had to make repairs to the plastic bowl under the slow grinder. But I damaged it myself, so that doesn't count.

And yet another grinder, a "tool grinder". 5 inch "cup" wheel on each end. Cast (iron?) adjustable table each end, slots in the table, reversible rotation(?), and Chinese grinding wheels. Excepting the grinding wheels, which I replaced, the machine is so well built I would have called it Taiwan or Japan sourced. I've never used the reverse rotation, no idea what it would be for. But a 3 position switch means it was meant to run bass ackward.

All three have stout motors and full size line cords. It gives rise to the question that early on, when HF first started to go national(US), did they buy from other "sources" to fill out their product line until mainland China could "come up to speed". That could quickly devolve into a political question, so I'll leave any further thought to the individual.

.

 

[ebolton]

I have two HF air compressors, a big one in my cellar shop and a pancake style out in my shed. The big one replaced an ancient Craftsman that basically blew up. Both of the HF ones have been fine, quality seems OK and they always work.
-Ed