Big Harbor Freight Sidewalk Sale

[cracker39]

I just visited our local HF outlet in Lakeland Florida. They have some really great buys for builders and a sidewalk sale coming up.

I looked and only bought a recripical saw for !9.99 and a new water filter for my compressor (I really had to restrain myself from buying more), but plan on going back for their Oct 1-2 sale. They have 6" bar clamps for $1.99 and 12" bar clamps for $2.49. These are complete clamps on a slide bar. At the sale coming up, they'll have many highly discounted tools. I plan on getting a bunch of clamps. They will also have Ratchet bar clamps, 12" for 1.99, 18" for 2.49 and 24" for 2.99. These are foreign made knockoffs, but I have some now and they have held up well. Due to the need for many clamps during trailer construction, if you have a local store, be sure to take advantage of this sale. You can check their site for local stores at http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/retail_stores.taf

Other items of interest at the upcoming sidewalk sale are: Brad nailer (pneumatic) for 14.99 with coupon, orbital palm sander for 5.99, 3" c-clamps 2/3.00 and a 3.6V cordless screwdriver that adjusts from straight to pistol grip. They have a really neat small plugin 12V auto heater for 5.99. I'd think that would take the chill off a TD. In the store, I saw two cordless drills, 14V and 18V both under $25. I plan on getting one to go with my Dewalt cordless drill, just to use as a cordless high speed screwdriver. Oh, they also have a 800lb capacity swingdown tongue jack with 4" or 5" wheel for $23 which I plan on buying.

I have that flyer and didn't see it at their web site, but you can sign up for flyers by mail. If anyone wants to know if a particular item is for sale on Oct 1-2, let me know and I'll check it.

[IraRat]

Anyone have any experience with this HF cheapie?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... mber=43343

[cracker39]

Ira, just about all of their stuff is imported and not the highest quality. I wouldn't buy much if anything from them if I was using it professionally, but for occasional use, their clamps are OK. Most of their power tools are Chicago brand. I'll buy one of their cheap cordless drill to use as a spare cordless high speed screwdriver, but would never replace my Dewalt with one of their Chicago drills. All of my main workshop and power tools are brand names (Dewalt, Makita, Ryobi, etc.) or from Sears or Grizzly. Now, their tongue jack looks like the one I saw at Tractor Supply but is much cheaper.

I've already made up my shopping list for their sale. About 2 doen clamps of various types (avg about 2.25 each), a cordless drill and holster (14.99 and 2.99) and a fold-up clamping work bench (8.99). Most of what they sell is medium-grade at best. You just have to look and decide what is worth buying at the low prices and what isn't. The only thing I ever ordered from HF was a 4x6 utility trailer. I think the one I have now, a 4x8, came from NT. I think from what I see in their catalogs, HF and NT are pretty much the same level when it comes to quality.

[IraRat]

I know that a lot of it is crap.

But this is the kind of thing, for 60 bucks, you don't mind buying crap if you get a season or two use out of it. Plus, it's supposedly stainless.

[cracker39]

I saw that stove/grill unit in the store, but didn't really take a good look at it. The oven looks like it might hold a frozen dinner container or a few small baking potatoes and I suppose you could broil a couple of small steaks in it. They also have a two burner camp stove similar to the Coleman stove. I plan to use my 3-burner propane camp stove I bought from Sears about 20 years ago. I had an adapter hose to use a big tank with it, but all of the propane tanks have a different connector now, and my adapter hose is no darned good anymore. I think I'll get an adapter that lets you refill the small disposable tanks from a big one.

[Kevin A]

Anyone have any experience with this HF cheapie?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... mber=43343

I bought one of those last year when they were on sale for $39.99, I used it for the first time at the redwood gathering in July. It seemed to work well, hard to beat the price.

[cracker39]

Kevin, you'r absolutely right about the price. Most RV supply companies (just checked Flagship RV's catalog) want well over a hundred bucks for a 2-burner counter top propane unit.

[IraRat]

Does the stainless hold up pretty well? I'm always skeptical when I hear stainless, because who knows.

And yeah, that oven looks ridiculosuly tiny.

This is one that I'm getting a real headache deciding over. I think I'm gonna bite the bullet and get the $200 Cabela's Outback combo. (Like the Flamineta.)

My galley is REALLY rough now, but looking at my counter space, I think I'm better off mounting the Outback on the floor, on a slideout draw. And if I ever need more, I can always throw an additional 2-burner on the countertop or side table. Northern has cast iron ones which look pretty heavy duty.