thankyou harbor freight?

allen levine

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new york city burbs
my BIL told me he was driving home and saw they are opening a harbor freight 8 minutes from my home.
So, has anyone heard about a new location in Hempstead NY? 226 penninsula blvd? Right near Staples?


if its true, Id like to personally thank them for their timing, since Ill have plenty of free time to spend looking and shopping in their store.
IM not promoting their store,nor have any financial interest other than spending money, but I love to shop there and spend time there.
 
just got my Harbor freight flier in the mail.....Looks like I might be taking the 50 minute ride their tomorrow.....I am like you...Just looking at everything is a great way to spend an afternoon! (Kind of like looking through the Grizzly catalog ...and dreaming)
 
Harbor Freight

To mention Harbor Freight and Grizzly in the same sentence takes a strong man.

Be very cautious of Harbor Freight stuff.

They have many items that are OK for short term cheap and quick use.

Some OK stuff just be aware they do not have a lot of tools that will be passed on to your Grand Kids.

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To keep this post civil I kept my real thoughts on HF held tightly in check.
 
I have to admit, I love going to harbor freight here in Reno.

Am I going to buy a table saw or Lathe from them?

I doubt it, but they do have great deals on a lot of 'stuff'.

Locking Casters? Sure thing.
Diamond blades for cutting flagstone? You betcha.

And they also have some things you just can't find anywhere else. It's a fun store to shop at for sure.

Can you buy stuff there that is junk? Sure thing. But they also have a bunch of other stuff that's actually a pretty good deal.
 
I purchase mainly stuff that usually overpriced at other places and not the kind of stuff Ill be using for 10 years.
Gloves, bungee cords, disposable paint brushes, metal rulers, rope, dust pans, but I have purchased a few expensive items.
Hydraulic lift table, and had no problems with it.
Lathe stopped working after a week, they didnt give me a hard time returning it.
Hoses, no problems.
Little odds and ends of hardware.
Castors, wheels.
Scissors.
and the most important tool in my arsenal, a tweezers with a built on magnifier, something I use constantly.(on sale when I purchased it for 99 cents)
I look foward to it opening, so I hope its true.
 
Harbor freight

Allen - I buy a lot of the same type of items you mentioned from Harbor freight. In fact I have a small drill press I got from them maybe 8 or 10 years ago for less than $40, maybe less than $30, that I have used a lot and it still works fine.
 
They have a dandy flush cut saw, made in Japan, that sells for $10, and sometimes $5 on sale.

Like Allen said, some good stuff, and lots of interesting stuff, but no heirlooms.
 
I wish I had one 8 minutes from the house. Must be nice!

I just bought a 2 quart pressure pot and spray gun from them for 30 something bucks and just love it to death. Finishing goes much faster now and I use less material now.

It is hit or miss with some of there tools but like you said you need to decide on how long you plan on using it for to decide if it's woth it.
 
after this store(and I see ads for help online tonight for the store) opens, and makes a fortune, since the nearest one is almost 2 hours from here without traffic, and long island, queens, bklyn, is one of the heaviest populated areas on earth, I hope some other like Woodcraft, rockler, decide to tap the market over here.
(I do understand internet sales are probably easier than locations here due to incredibly high taxes and real estate costs on LI)
 
To mention Harbor Freight and Grizzly in the same sentence takes a strong man.

Be very cautious of Harbor Freight stuff.

They have many items that are OK for short term cheap and quick use.

Some OK stuff just be aware they do not have a lot of tools that will be passed on to your Grand Kids.

-----

To keep this post civil I kept my real thoughts on HF held tightly in check.

I am selfish, I buy my tools for me. Been to to many estate sales and seen the grandkids trading good tools for very little money.
All these old iron tools and handtools that show up here that someone has bought cheap or repaired belonged to someones grandpa in most cases. I have also spent a lot of time in the Griz showroom and many of the tools look exactly the same as the HF ones. And I know than in several cases the parts are interchangeable...

I love my kids and grandkids. In fact I have given my son and daughter several decent tools now while they are young enough to need them...
 
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10 years ago I would have considered something, or looking for a partner to dive in with, but at this point of my life, Id rather be the customer.
Cost of running a business on LI has skyrocketed through the roof.
And then comes the most important factor. I dont have the energy anymore to be in retail, no matter what type of business.
(although Im tinkering with some thoughts of a being a partner in a very small retail food operation, something with little risk and little time input for myself)
AFter Tuesday, Im done worrying about monthly nuts and nutso customers.
Ive learned two things in my life. Little kids and retail life are for young people.
 
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Typical SoCal mentality; I have a Harbor Freight 10 miles north of me and one 10 miles south of me and it still seems like a special trip to go there :D . They have many diamonds in the rough and I am sure ones experience with them is commensurate with the expectation of an item costing 1/2 to 1/10 of the "real thing".

I have a $15 recip saw that I bought expecting to destroy it during the original demolition of the previous homeowners "shop". It just won't die. Noisy, rough and sounds like every pulse is its last but, it works for rough stuff. Their hand-screws work as well as any with a little TLC. No problems with air hose, couplers, spiral whips, etc.
 
We've got two here in the KC area, but both are about the same distance from where I live. One has a hardwood store just across the street from it, so it get's the preference. Typically I don't buy any major tools there that I use consistently. I've got a few of their nailers/staplers, A/C Manifold Gauges and vacuum pump, and several automotive tools that have come in handy. My biggest purchases are usually their casters, airline fittings, and their 10" pneumatic wheels (when they are on sale).
 
HF is a fun store to shop. And they do have some unique items and tools you can't find elsewhere. But the tools I do buy there I class as one time use or once a year only use tools. Definitely not quality stuff.
In Springfield, MO the HF is only a matter of blocks away from the Grizzly store so I try to get visits to both in on the days I am up that way.
And, the flagship store for Bass Pro Shops is only a few more blocks down the road from HF. If one is not careful, a visit to Springfield could get very-very expensive.
Did I mention the big photography shop on the same road? :eek: ;)
 
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