ATL Harbor Freight moving into Dunwoody!

No, they are not. But from personal experience in the last couple years, I twisted off the drive stud on a new Craftsman 12" or 14" breaker bar (whatever length the standard 3/8" breaker is) by hand. I didn't even get a chance to put a cheater pipe on it, or whack it with the BFH, or anything. One hand on the socket, one hand on the bar, heave, and splat. Twisted it right off. And I get chrome splinters and cuts all the time from the flaky finishes.

90% of my tools are old Craftsman stuff I inherited from my dad, and the 15-year-old Craftsman socket set I bought back then has been great. But the stuff from the last 5 years seems to be not up to par.

^Yep. I have a couple OLD Craftsman ratchets and they're great. The new stuff sucks, bad.

And i'm pretty sure the HF Pittsburgh line IS lifetime replacement warranteed.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: ^Yep. I have a couple OLD Craftsman ratchets and they're great. The new stuff sucks, bad. And i'm pretty sure the HF Pittsburgh line IS lifetime replacement warranteed.

I just bought a Pittsburgh breaker bar at HF last week, it's made in Taiwan. yes, discussing the relationship between taiwan and china could be a thread of its own. no, i don't want to start that.

AngryCorvair wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: ^Yep. I have a couple OLD Craftsman ratchets and they're great. The new stuff sucks, bad. And i'm pretty sure the HF Pittsburgh line IS lifetime replacement warranteed.

I just bought a Pittsburgh breaker bar at HF last week, it's made in Taiwan. yes, discussing the relationship between taiwan and china could be a thread of its own. no, i don't want to start that.

Their relationship isn't the issue at all. It's their relationship with the US that's the issue.

WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!!

I need tools to work on my Grassroots-level projects.

Since i'm poor, i don't have money to buy an entire Matco or Snap-On compliment of tools. (Is even THEIR stuff all made in the US?)

Craftsman hand tools are made in China.

Oops.

If there is a domestic-made product at an equivalent price and equivalent (superior, preferably) quality, i will buy it. Otherwise, i worked hard for my money, and i'll buy the best i can afford. No wake-up call necessary.

^^^^^^ what he said^^^^^^

really do wish I could afford SO, Matco, etc... (assuming the question 92CelicaHalfTrac asked) but I can't ... so I tend to buy Craftsman most of the time ... Pittsburgh some of the time (the store is much farther away and IIRC the warranty is a mail in... might be wrong about that) + there's a Sears store just about everywhere you go... ++ K-Mart is now a branch of Sears +++ Ace Hardware (5 min away) carries Craftsman tools.....

If you can't afford the everyday mechanic tools, IE- SnapOff, MAC, Matco, or Cornwell, look to Proto, Klein, Armstrong, Klann, etc.... Or anything in your metalworking catalog.

Although I must admit, Cornwell is probably the best in straight socket quality, both impact and chrome, for a very economical price. You can look at the sales flyer off their site for prices. I prefer Matco for any impact swivels. MAC is just rebranded overseas sourced Stanley.

bravenrace wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

bravenrace wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

bravenrace wrote: Hey, now you can buy more cheap chinese tools that only work longer than Craftsman!

FTFY.

What tools are you specifically referring to?

The ratchets, so far. I've split a craftsman socket or two, but i blame that mostly on me, and i don't actually have any HF sockets yet.

\ In any case, are HF tools warrantied for life?

The Pittsburgh hand tools at least are. I broke a 17mm wrench once and they grabbed a new package off the shelf and handed me a 17mm, no questions asked.

NOT TO BRING THIS BACK, BUT......

i was just on the HF website and they do not show the dunwoody store. is it open yet? i will be going OTP this weekend and if they are open i need to shop a little.

m4ff3w wrote:

bravenrace wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

bravenrace wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

bravenrace wrote: Hey, now you can buy more cheap chinese tools that only work longer than Craftsman!

FTFY.

What tools are you specifically referring to?

The ratchets, so far. I've split a craftsman socket or two, but i blame that mostly on me, and i don't actually have any HF sockets yet.

\ In any case, are HF tools warrantied for life?

The Pittsburgh hand tools at least are. I broke a 17mm wrench once and they grabbed a new package off the shelf and handed me a 17mm, no questions asked.

I bought these last weekend http://www.harborfreight.com/22-piece-metric-sae-combination-wrench-set-47467.html

Lifetime Warranty on Hand Tools! We guarantee this Hand Tool to be free from defects in material and workmanship for the life of the product. Limitations apply.

itsarebuild wrote: NOT TO BRING THIS BACK, BUT...... i was just on the HF website and they do not show the dunwoody store. is it open yet? i will be going OTP this weekend and if they are open i need to shop a little.

On the drive by tonight they are definitley not open yet, the full lighted sign is now hung, there is a "NOW HIRING" sign in the window, the doors were open but the inside was filled with construction/contractor equipment, they're building the walls, lighting, etc. as we speak. I'd give it another month, but will try to keep posted, and I too noticed no word online yet about the store opening...

In reply to JoeyM:

$19.99, ummm did they screw up the price? That's less than $1/wrench with a warranty, I need a set if only to have a spare...

No, that's the price.

I stopped by the Dunwoody location at lunch yesterday. Some product on the shelf already. Looked like it was punchout work being done mainly. I'm thinking they will be open within 2 weeks.

In reply to slefain:

Cool, when I went buy this weekend they were putting up the shelves, they added 2 new "Coming Soon" signs in the windows...

HF is across the interstate from my workplace - next to a pretty good pizza place. Temptation abounds.

I drive past HF twice daily. They sell nothing I don't already have. You will reach the same saturation point in a year or so.

I want to be there for the "Grand Opening"

DukeOfUndersteer wrote: I want to be there for the "Grand Opening"

Oooh, ATL GRM meetup at Harbor Freight Grand Opening in Dunwoody, bring your 'project' car

Straight from the horses mouth: http://blog.harborfreight.com/reversible-drill/614/#comment-72

Harbor Freight Dunwoody opens 8/13!

HF Rep bricked, I was by there yesterday and lo and behold there was a small computer printed sign in the window:

OPEN 7/29 FRIDAY 8AM...

(that's tomorrow!)

i guess i'll be there saturday afternoon!

bravenrace wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

bravenrace wrote: Hey, now you can buy more cheap chinese tools that only work longer than Craftsman!

FTFY.

What tools are you specifically referring to?

I'll tell you what I tell my customers: Give me an endless supply of little chinese political prisoners sitting on cardboard boxes working 14 hour shifts, and I'll be able to compete with "made in china." Until then "Made (WELL) in America" is goin to be out of most people's reach. Don't hate the player, hate the game.

bravenrace wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

bravenrace wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

bravenrace wrote: Hey, now you can buy more cheap chinese tools that only work longer than Craftsman!

FTFY.

What tools are you specifically referring to?

The ratchets, so far. I've split a craftsman socket or two, but i blame that mostly on me, and i don't actually have any HF sockets yet.

\ That's interesting. I was an engineer for the company that produces Craftsman's hand tools. We tested all kinds of professional tools and some consumer grade tools to compare to Craftsman. We did ultimate strength and cycle testing, metallurgical analysis, and many other tests. That was quite a while ago, but I would be really surprised if HF ratchets are better than Craftsman. I'm not doubting your experience, I'm just suggesting that maybe your experience is more the exception than the rule. In any case, are HF tools warrantied for life?

Oh, and Craftsman tools are berkeleying garbage. Maybe things went downhill after you left. To quote Tommy Boy(?) I can take a E36 M3 in a box and stamp a guarantee on it. It's still a guaranteed piece of E36 M3.

Ill have to inform my father - he lives just north of there - i am lucky to have one less than 10 minutes from my house.

As for craftman rachets - THEY SUCK.. the 2 I have from the 60's are great but the few I got in the last 10 years are just junk.