First Time at Harbor Freight

Wow. That place really is amazing. I was tempted by many, many tools.

Went in to buy a trailer that is on sale for $290 and ended up paying $275 out the door including tax thanks to the teller signing me up for their insider club for free. That's pretty sweet. I was proud of myself for only buying the one thing I went in there for. But that was tough. Now to build the trailer...

What sort of trailer?

It was a lot like this for me:

PeterAK wrote: I was proud of myself for only buying the one thing I went in there for. But that was tough.

Wow. I don't think I've ever succeeded in doing that before. I would've said... well I came in expecting to spend $300 on this trailer... I saved $25... what else can I pick up for $25?... and the habit continues.

It's the toy store for grown ups.

Here's he trailer i bought:

http://www.harborfreight.com/1195-lb-capacity-48-inch-x-96-inch-heavy-duty-foldable-utility-trailer-with-12-inch-wheels-90154.html

Considered the non folding one that has a higher capacity but 1200 lbs should be plenty and it would be an extra $100.

my first visit to Harbor Freight was to deliver a pizza, I barely made it out of the store without buying something. I could have spent A LOT more time there, too.

headed there now....I have a coupon for the powder coating gun....we'll see what else I walk out with.

... tractor supply company just opened across the street from our harbor freight... the next time I goto HF will hit TSC... going to be trouble... lol

We could start a thread: I went to HF to buy a _ and came home wtih a __.

This is where you'll end up;

"Hey, that looks handy! I probably won't use it more than once every 5 years but it's so cheap I'll get it anyway"

Then you go home and try to decide where to put it. You pick a spot and open the drawer....., only to find the same item you bought last time you were there! For the same reason!

Tractor Supply Company is almost worse for me.... i'm always buying lights or tons of bulk hardware.

Just.... because.

Every time I get near a HF store I come home with some new air tool. I'm sure that I have at least 2 or 3 that I have never used. But at that time I thought I had the need for it.

funny.. last time I went to HF I walked out buying nothing.

I carry a stack of 20% off coupons in my wallet. Just never know.....

Sometimes I walk out with nothing, other times junk I don't need, other times just what I need. I'm headed there now to get some wire brushes, have to finish cleaning up the head on the Fiat before paint and reassembly.

I guess that (the first visit) is the one you will always remember!

I need one of those portable air tanks. They had an aluminum one that looked really nice!!! I have a client that is really need the HF in Worcester MA. For some reason that client seems to get alot more attention than most of the other clients of mine.

I think that you have to like flea markets to like HF. At flea markets, you search through all the crap to find stuff worth having. Same at HF. I've got 15 or so tools from there. 1/3 have functioned quite well, 1/3 adequately, and 1/3 has broke or is such complete crap that it just makes me mad looking at it.

In reply to kreb:

They have really stepped up their game lately

I wish they still had the blue anodized pneumatic fittings.

I took my wife there ONCE! She spent over 100.00, including a roll around tool box.

ThePhranc wrote: They have really stepped up their game lately

Seriously? It'd be great if that was the case. I've always looked at it like this:

(relative to proven high-quality tools)

-They give you 2/3 the quality at 1/3 the price.

-Why not give us all the quality at 2/3 the price?

cwh wrote: I took my wife there ONCE! She spent over 100.00, including a roll around tool box.

Hold on to that one. Does she have a sister?

ThePhranc wrote: In reply to kreb: They have really stepped up their game lately

Certainly in the customer service dept, that is true. The last several of my visits, the roving clerks actually asked me if I needed any help and for the few times I needed help, they were......helpful....and friendly, too.

And when I asked for help (without being asked), they dropped what they were doing and took me to the aisle that had the item I was looking for.

I think this ^ is a new corporate policy, it makes me happy. I enjoy being able to walk out with nothing but I love just going in and wandering around..

BTW, I bought a fender roller there and when it broke I took it back; they no longer sell them so they offered my money back. I decided I would just fix it myself, so I never did but did end up using a coupon on Eastwoods fender roller. It was the same...came in the same box...painted with the same paint, just different sticker and $100 more.