Harbor Freight Tools ?????

[Eagle]

Need user feedback, if available, on two different items in their catalog:

1. I have a decent Craftsman mechanics roll-away tool chest, but as I clean up the house and poke into boxes that have been unopened since two moves back, I keep finding lots of tools that I haven't seen for years. They won't all fit in the tool chest, but I don't really want to drop another $400 or $500 for a second one to hold the overflow.

Harbor Freight has a roll-away base, intermediare chest, and top chest in one of their catalogs for $199. Yes, I know it's made in China and I am sure the metal isn't as thick as Sears, but ... just as a place to hold the assorted extra wreches and "stuff" that don't get used every day, would this be adequate? Or will it disintegrate the first time I put any weight in any drawer?

2. In another catalog they offer an 8,000-pound winch. Pic looks a lot like a name brand I've seen -- Superwinch, maybe. Has anyone ever bought or used one of Harbor Freight's winches? Are they any good at all ... as in would it be better than nothing for an occasional moderate wheeling trip?

[Majo]

there was a good discussion of this over on Pirate4x4.com a while ago, lemme dig up the link for ya

[green rust]

check the weight of the box, that will tell you how much steel is in it. Compare it to something of quality like a snap-on or mac box to see if it is worth it.

[Tombs]

Originally Posted by Majo

there was a good discussion of this over on Pirate4x4.com a while ago, lemme dig up the link for ya

Another one on Michigan Jeepers.com too. Some say its like the mile marker winch that has just been reboxed for harbor, yet other people say it's a warn reboxed. So I guess its all who you talk to. Personally, I think, for the money, it WOULD be better than nothing at all. I heard they are a bit slow but they do the job.

[REDXJ4FUN]

I know a few who have that winch on trailer to drag dead cars on and they seem to work well. as for the boxes go for it if your not going to be in and out of everyday it should be fine.

[RichP]

Down here in the allentown area we have an 'Agere' warehouse that is disposing of the Agere stuff from plants they are closing down. This place is huge, they have heavy industrial grade tool chests, big heavy buggers on big wheels that goe for a few hundred, some of these are even heavier grade than Snap-on o MAC sells. I was looking for some of that chrome shelving, the kind with the wireweave shelves, they have tons of the stuff at $10 a shelf in any size or you can buy a pallet of it for like $200. I may have a project coming up to build a lights out data center locally and if it does go thru I will be picking up to big Liebert UPS's with 60 12v batteries each for around $40K each, new are $80,000. I got 3 4mm sun DAT DDS4' in external cases for $18 each
Anybody want some Sun Ultra sparcs, $30 each.... My buddie picked up an almost NEW HP color laser with full duplexing and 2 tray add on's and direct jet card for $100 [only cause he was two steps in front of me when we both saw it ]....
Room full of techtronic Oscilliscopes, signal generators, test equipment, etc.
Lotta hand tools but mainly for plumbing and industrial applications.

[CStamm]

RichP,

I PM'ed ya about Agere. I'm over here from BMJA. Hope to talk to ya soon. TIA.

[Eagle]

I found a Ramsey 8500 pound winch in the Northern Tool and Equipment catalog that is visually identical to the Harbor Freight unit, even under a magafying glass. Only difference seems to be the Ramset decal. Harbor Freight wants $299, Northern Tool wants $499 for the Ramsey.

The Ramsey has a limited lifetime warranty. Does anyone know what Ramsey's warranty covers? Is it worth paying almost double for what appears to be the same winch?

[Fred]

Eagle,
There is a guy here in CO who has the Harbor Freight winch and is perfectly happy with it. He has ARB lockers front and rear and uses it only infrequently but he has had it a couple of years, I think.
I'm 50/50 on electrical tools from Harbor Freight.

Fred

[Eagle]

Does anyone have, or know someone who has, a Ramsey model 8.5E? If it's made in China, I'm going to guess that they are the same unit.

[green rust]

see if you can get the model # from the two winches that look identical. They maybe the same. I know a lot of tool companies do this. same tool same model # only it says snap-on and is $30.00 more.

[Eagle]

Ramsey is Model 8.5E, as posted above. I don't know if Harbor Freight uses model numbers.

[Johann]

I have that tool box if it's the one with the black crinkle finish. It's smaller than it looks in the catalog but it has held up to everything I have stuffed into it. Came with precut foam for the drawer bottom.

I'd buy it again.

I've seen it as low as $169 in the catalog specials.

[Eagle]

Originally Posted by Johann

I have that tool box if it's the one with the black crinkle finish. It's smaller than it looks in the catalog but it has held up to everything I have stuffed into it. Came with precut foam for the drawer bottom.

I'd buy it again.

I've seen it as low as $169 in the catalog specials.

Crinkle finish = CHECK

That's the one. Thanks

[churky89]

I've seen posts about Harbor Freight,some are good some are bad.There is one here inthe DFW area,haven't had a chance to go there yet.Maybe next weekend,I am lookin for another tool box,just the top..gonna use it for screws,bolts n electrical stuff.Then I don't have to dig thru all that stuff to find what I'm lookin for..