It's a Sign! Update

Bill Arnold

1974
Staff member
Messages
8,622
Location
Thomasville, GA
A new addition to our small burg:

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It's directly across the highway from Lowe's. Not that there's any real competition between the two, but soon we won't have to drive 40 miles to stop by HF. It's 1.7 miles from our home!
 
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They are building all over it seems. There is a new one going in Three Rivers, eight miles from me, better than the 28 miles I have to travel now.
 
Woot! I'm surprised they don't have the "Manager's Closeout" sale signs up yet. Seems like they've got that sign up every other week at my local HF. :D
 
HF claims over 750 stores now, with more on the way.

Various websites are advertising about the hiring process for our store. Following is the first paragraph on one of them:

"Harbor Freight Tools: New Store Now Hiring in Thomasville, GA Harbor Freight Tools USA, Inc. Thomasville, GA 31757 December 2017 , In attain in addition to achieve company desired goals that have been set in the actual vision and objective, Harbor Freight Tools USA, Inc. back in open up employment opportunities for the best daughter's and daughters Unites States to follow the recruitment Harbor Freight Tools: New Store Now Hiring in Thomasville, GA Harbor Freight Tools USA, Inc. Thomasville, GA 31757, to fill typically the post of do the job being required. Presently Harbor Freight Tools USA, Inc. at Thomasville, GA 31757 are in need of skilled human resources, who have the skills and knowledge to contribute to the company's success. Therefore , to prospective job applicants are expected in order to meticulous in awareness of every information given at each position is necessary on Harbor Freight Tools: New Store Now Hiring in Thomasville, GA below."

Yeah, I've read it several times and I still say, "Huh?"

No worries - other ads sound "normal".
 
There was an ad circular in our Sunday newspaper. Harbor Freight Grand Opening is January 10, 2018.

They are actually already open. I did a walk-through and picked up a couple of items Saturday. This is a really clean, un-crowded store with more on display than others I've visited.

I signed up for their Inside Track Club, so looking forward to additional discount coupons!
 
They have some great bargains, if you are careful what you buy. I avoid their hand held power tools. Also, if you buy anything, use it heavily immediately after you buy it, and keep the receipt. When it breaks in less than 30 days they will replace it, if you still have the receipt. I have a Harbor Freight about 5 miles away and learned what to avoid over the past several years.My son bought a 1/2" drill, and drilled eight 1/4" holes in 1/4" thick mild steel with a new good quality drill bit. The first three holes went well. During the next four, the drill began loosing power and during the last hole the drill became so hot that he couldn't hold onto it, and the windings melted before the last hole was finished. He switched to my DeWalt 3/8" drill and finished drilling the 32 holes that he needed with the same bit that he started with. He took the Harbor Freight drill back and bought a DeWalt from Lowes. However, 3 years ago, I bought one of their multi saws with the oscillating blade and have used it frequently without issue. A friend bought one the same day that I did, and the mechanism inside of his broke in the first 10 minutes of use. He took his back and got a replacement that is still running without problems. I think their main problem is a total lack of quality control. Rather, they let their customers be their quality control inspectors.

Charley
 
Other than the strange plastic smell, it's always kind of a fun place to browse. Never know what you might find.

Things I've bought and been happy with
Jack Stands
ATV Lift
Floor Jack
Nitrile Gloves
Glue sticks
Hand held metal band saw
Harddware of all sorts
Storage bins
Inner tubes
Casters
Cart tires
Can probably come up with more later, lol.
 
HF claims over 750 stores now, with more on the way.

Various websites are advertising about the hiring process for our store. Following is the first paragraph on one of them:

"Harbor Freight Tools: New Store Now Hiring in Thomasville, GA Harbor Freight Tools USA, Inc. Thomasville, GA 31757 December 2017 , In attain in addition to achieve company desired goals that have been set in the actual vision and objective, Harbor Freight Tools USA, Inc. back in open up employment opportunities for the best daughter's and daughters Unites States to follow the recruitment Harbor Freight Tools: New Store Now Hiring in Thomasville, GA Harbor Freight Tools USA, Inc. Thomasville, GA 31757, to fill typically the post of do the job being required. Presently Harbor Freight Tools USA, Inc. at Thomasville, GA 31757 are in need of skilled human resources, who have the skills and knowledge to contribute to the company's success. Therefore , to prospective job applicants are expected in order to meticulous in awareness of every information given at each position is necessary on Harbor Freight Tools: New Store Now Hiring in Thomasville, GA below."

Yeah, I've read it several times and I still say, "Huh?"

No worries - other ads sound "normal".

Ha! I missed this earlier. Apparently whoever writes their user manuals was also contracted to write the HR ad copy, lol. :rofl:
 
...I bought one of their multi saws with the oscillating blade and have used it frequently without issue. A friend bought one the same day that I did, and the mechanism inside of his broke in the first 10 minutes of use. He took his back and got a replacement that is still running without problems...

Similar story.Years ago I bought two right-angle drills (to use as a bowl sander on the lathe). I kept one and sent the other one to Stu in Tokyo. Within about a month, Stu's drill had set the bearings free and totally stopped running. Mine, on the other hand, has hay years of heavy use, and aside from sounding like a monkey going through a meat grinder, it has never failed to run. Stu would have returned his if it weren't for the high cost of shipping.

I do agree that their handheld power tools are a roll of the dice. I needed a Sawzall a year or so ago, and decided to get the $30 one at HF instead of spending three times that for a good name brand. For as seldom as I need a Sawzall, I'm pretty sure the cheapie one will suffice. :thumb:
 
While still living in Florida, there was an HF about 20 minutes from us. I got familiar with some of their products but was real cautious about power tools. I bought things like gloves, sanding sponges and other expendables. I had a PC trim router that worked great and I used a lot. I was tired of having to change bits so often when working a project, so I looked the the HF trim router a bit more. At only $20 back then, it became a no-brainer to give it a shot. For the past 15 years or so, I reach for the HF trim router because bit changing is much easier than on the PC. A couple years after purchasing the first HF trim router, I got another one during the time I worked in a commercial shop. My typical setup now is to keep a chamfer bit in the PC, 1/4" roundover in one HF and 1/8" roundover in the other HF. Sure saves time!
 
I like HF... I bought one of their dust collectors about 12 years ago and have it installed in a separate closet that's outside my shop... the inside of the closet is about 1/2 inch or more deep in dust, but the vac runs every time I hit the switch.... however, in the first year I had it, the motor stopped running... I called HF and complained, they sent me a new 2 hp motor for it, then I discovered it wasn't the motor at all, but the switch had fried... I replaced the switch and we're still running on the original motor...the spare went to my son for him to play with.

I also bought their one inch belt sander with a 5" disc sander on the side... it shook and rattled and got to the point I had to spin the belt to get it started, but has worked well until last week when I couldn't start it.... guess I'll need another, but the new ones don't seem to have the disc on the side... in the years that it did work, I went through about 30 or 40 belts.... I used it to sharpen turning tools for several years before I got a slow speed grinder... every so often in sharpening a tool I would cut the belt and it would go flying off.... also used it to shape and polish the ends of the shafts in my crush grind pepper mills, so the belts usually wind up with a coating of aluminum in the grit and have to be replaced.

First 10 years I lived in TN, closest HF was on the north side of Knoxville, about 55 or 60 miles away.... early last year they opened on in Farragut, only about 40 miles away.
 
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