Harbor Freight Sale

[tony barnhill]

Just got my flyer...$169.99 3000lb winch on sale for $69.99 through 12 May...perfect for LBC trailer!!

 

[Steve_S]

No comment other than to say... no comment.

<-- doesn't approve of Horrible Freight

 

[tony barnhill]

Sorry, Steve - but some of their things are good for what they're designed...but, I do agree there's some of their stuff I wouldn't touch!

However, when I spend $15 on one of their engine stands I don't mind taking a torch to it ot modify it to hold a Midget engine from the side!

 

[Steve_S]

It isn't always just the quality, but it IS always that everything in there comes from China. Inferior materials, no safety standards and a government that has publicly waged war on our economy. I'm not feeding their economy and killing my own just to save ten bucks on an air tool.

Wanna know how I really feel? LOL!

 

[tony barnhill]

hehehehe...name 1 thing that's produced totally in the USA from nothing but raw USA materials with only USA labor....hehehehe

 

[Steve_S]

The three tools I bought last month.

It isn't about only buying US-made, although that's always a good thing. It's about NOT buying from countries who are trying to hurt us. Places like Wall Mart and Horrible Freight are doing a ton of business, and we wonder why all our manufacturing plants are closing and unemployment is on the rise.

 

[tony barnhill]

...& what are those 3 tools & by whom are they manufactured?

 

[Steve_S]

Gawd, you're gonna make me think now. I'll have to dig through the tool box until I remember which they were. I had to go to three stores before I found them. I think one was a torpedo level. The other two were also small hand tools. Most of the tools I buy are US-made. Occasionally I buy tools manufactured in Mexico, sometimes Australia and on rare occasion Japan or Taiwan. I really try to avoid Asian-made tools whenever possible. The quality is not good, and the way they treat their workers is inhumane.

 

[tony barnhill]

I'd almost bet those 3 tools had some foreign input to their production - either Mexico, China, Vietnam (I saw a baseballcap in Puerto Rico that was made there!), or Korea! Nothing is made entirely here anymore.

And, not getting into politics I hope, but what we think is inhumane here is the norm in many society's (pay, working hours, cleanliness, etc.). So, we ned to judge companies based on the societies in which they operate, not against ours....if the average hourly salary in, say, Honduras is $1.00 & a company is paying $2.00 per hour, that's not inhumane - that's taking care of their workers!

 

[Steve_S]

Anything is possible, and companies do source out components sometimes, but the idea is for the majority of the money to go into supporting our own economy and not our enemies!

As for inhumane treatment of workers, I understand fully that our society is far different from most out there, but there are a lot of sweat shops in Asia that are beyond what I would consider poor treatment. Pay rate is irrelevant when it comes to basic human rights!

I'll leave that topic alone at this point though. What it comes down to is that I don't support companies that support cheap Chinese goods.

 

[tony barnhill]

Gotcha!! While we might differ on who's the enemy & who's the friend, I understand....now, what about Saudi arabian oil? hehehe

 

[philman]

Dollar Bills are still made in the USA.

 

[equiprx]

I have been outfitting two shops over the past few months and have spent about a thousand at HF and more at other suppliers. Now I'm making a list of stuff that they sent that turned out to be totally useless from bad manufacturing or junk design. I'm interested to see what their return policy is like.

 

[tony barnhill]

Hey, I take stuff back to HF all the time! They just give me my $$$'s back.

 

[Steve_S]

I bought a tool there once about a year ago. Felt dirty doing it but at least it wasn't a Chinese tool. Turned out to not be what I needed so I returned it. They gave me the riot act, took a ton of information I tried to refuse giving, and I've been receiving tons of junk mail from them ever since, despite complaints.

I'd buy US petroleum products if there were a way to know what was what.

 

[roger_abbott]

Lots of tools are still made in the USA. Take a look at https://www.stillmadeinusa.com/tools.html.

It's just a matter of putting your money where your mouth is.

 

[tony barnhill]

Glad to see that list..all my <span style="font-weight: bold">permanent</span> tools are Craftsman - only my <span style="font-weight: bold">expendable</span> rarely used items are made by other manufacturers.

 

[Steve_S]

Not even all the Craftsman stuff is US-made. All their power tools are Chinese now. Some of the hand tools have been outsourced as well.

Lots of US dollars in this mouth! :wink:

 

[maynard]

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the Craftsman toolboxes are now Chinese.

 

[Basil]

Try to find cloths not made in China!