Updated: My Last Harbor Freight Order--these guys are doofuses!

[thinkxingu]

Hello My Fine Feathered Friends,
Ordered the Harbor Freight moisture meter for $13 nine days ago and still not here. Paid $7 for shipping, so why the heck will it take 10-14 days to arrive (per their FAQ)?!

I should have checked the info, but who would think it would take so long? If it was free shipping like Amazon, I probably wouldn't complain.

S

 

[fossil]

I've bought a thing or two from HF, and have been consitently disappointed with the quality of the merchandise and with their customer service. I still get their flyers in the mail, and I pitch them straight into the recycle bin. That's my experience. Rick

 

[yanksforever]

I bought the same one and it took forever to receive it. And to add insult to injury it was broken and didn't
even turn on. They made me send the piece of crap back before they would reissue another one. This one seems to
work fine...but would i order from them again?....probably not!

 

[JustWood]

HF is crap !
I have stocked my shop tool boxes with Craftsman and some of Northern Tools BIG tools and have been happy with the quality. Fast and free shipping alot of times if you get on their email list.

 

[ww&hk]

There is always a reason why some retailers are SO much less expensive than everybody else...you pay for quality and timeliness. I too, learned the hard way.

 

[quads]

I have never mail-ordered anything from Harbor Freight, I go to the store and look at it, which of course isn't an option if there is no store in your area. It's an hour and a half drive for me. Everything I actually decided to buy from them turned out to be pretty good. But, there have been things I looked at in the store and did not purchase because of questionable quality.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

I had about 11 days for mine to show up, but it did and it works

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I've only ordered once but probably not again. Like quads, I'll go to the store before ordering so you can see the stuff first. Then you still have to be pretty picky what you buy as most of it is junk.

 

[SolarAndWood]

I ripped my thigh open on a wrench of theirs that snapped; but my very inexpensive 3 ton floor jack has been all good.

 

[ROBERT F]

Its is harbor freight after all! about the only thing I get there anymore is a new drag chain every now and then. And only if its on sale.

 

[SolarAndWood]

the only thing I get there anymore is a new drag chain

I have half a dozen broken chains along with a nice collection of failed hooks. Fine for securing a piece of equipment on a trailer or light duty work but suspect for anything more.

 

[afblue]

The name alone should already imply the quality of the items. Harbor Freight aka "of the boat from Asia" But I am just as much a victim as anyone else, I will only buy from the store because its bound to break, just hopefully after the "first and only time I planned on using it". On that note I should probably order my Moisture meter now if its going to take that long to come in....... haha

 

[allhandsworking]

Hello My Fine Feathered Friends,
Ordered the Harbor Freight moisture meter for $13 nine days ago and still not here. Paid $7 for shipping, so why the heck will it take 10-14 days to arrive (per their FAQ)?!

I should have checked the info, but who would think it would take so long? If it was free shipping like Amazon, I probably wouldn't complain.

S

It takes about 15 days delivery from China

 

[fossil]

We actually have a Harbor Freight store here in Bend, Oregon. I didn't even know that until I was looking for a trailer dolly to help move my log splitter around. On their corporate website there was one that would serve, so I called my local store and the dude said, "Yeah we got one of those, c'mon over." OK, so over I went. There was a display model hanging from the ceiling. I said, "I want one of those." He sez, "Okey dokey", and trots off to the back room to find it. Meanwhile I'm looking around this place. It's like a flea market of the cheapest junkiest "tools" & stuff into which I'd ever immersed myself. Finally, the guy comes back and says something like, "Well, I had to pull it out of the warehouse (the closed up furniture store next door) and it's right outside". I say, "OK, thanks", and go and pay him for it. I go out and look and the box has been opened, so I take a quick inventory. The damn thing's missing a wheel. The guy made it right, of course, and I came home with my money and no dolly. Ordered one from Northern Tool & got a better product for right around the same price in very little time. I'll not be going back to HF, in any of their manifestations. Rick

 

[rhetoric]

Ok, let me be the contrarian...

I love HF. I don't buy space-based infared telescopes there, I buy safety glasses and work gloves and bungie cords. And I bought a sawzall that I'll probably use 12 time in my whole life. That comes to about $1.25 per use. I bought an 8 gallon compressor and it "roofed" my massive house just fine. At $80, it was cheaper than a rental and it still works. Northern Tool sells the EXACT same compressor w/ a different sticker on it for $40.00 more. I'm sure all Craftsman tools are made in Chicago by hand by skilled smiths who wear leather aprons and them magnifying flip down glasses?

 

[CarbonNeutral]

Ok, let me be the contrarian...

I love HF. I don't buy space-based infared telescopes there, I buy safety glasses and work gloves and bungie cords. And I bought a sawzall that I'll probably use 12 time in my whole life. That comes to about $1.25 per use. I bought an 8 gallon compressor and it "roofed" my massive house just fine. At $80, it was cheaper than a rental and it still works. Northern Tool sells the EXACT same compressor w/ a different sticker on it for $40.00 more. I'm sure all Craftsman tools are made in Chicago by hand by skilled smiths who wear leather aprons and them magnifying flip down glasses?

I concur - I buy stuff from them that I will use very infrequently - a 3/4" masonry bit that will likely see just one use - not paying $30 for that.

 

[thinkxingu]

Mornin',
I guess that makes sense if you want to get your task done in 15 days I don't know about y'all, but when I've got something I want to do, I want to do it NOW. I also like to 'buy once, cry once': for a few dollars more (though, when you add shipping it probably gets closer--the $13 meter I bought, with shipping, is now only $5 less than my local store's) I'd rather get a long-lasting product. If I never need it, I can sell it on CL and make most of the money back.

S

 

[rhetoric]

A cheap shingle cutter is about $250.00. Good ones can fetch alot more.

I bought a HF shingle cutter for $80.00. It cut every shingle just fine. Some design things are pretty stupid (it doesn't have a built in tape measure) but they were minor issues (I made my own ruler w/ masking tape).

Besides, I think it is our obligation to buy from the Chinese so they get Chinese fat, happy, and apathetic like we are so they don't invade.

 

[ManiacPD]

A cheap shingle cutter is about $250.00. Good ones can fetch alot more.

I bought a HF shingle cutter for $80.00. It cut every shingle just fine. Some design things are pretty stupid (it doesn't have a built in tape measure) but they were minor issues (I made my own ruler w/ masking tape).

Besides, I think it is our obligation to buy from the Chinese so they get Chinese fat, happy, and apathetic like we are so they don't invade.

If their guns are as good as their tools we've got nothing to worry about.

 

[rhetoric]

A cheap shingle cutter is about $250.00. Good ones can fetch alot more.

I bought a HF shingle cutter for $80.00. It cut every shingle just fine. Some design things are pretty stupid (it doesn't have a built in tape measure) but they were minor issues (I made my own ruler w/ masking tape).

Besides, I think it is our obligation to buy from the Chinese so they get Chinese fat, happy, and apathetic like we are so they don't invade.

If their guns are as good as their tools we've got nothing to worry about.

Precisely what we used to say about Japanese electronics and automobiles.

 

[thinkxingu]

So,
Hadn't heard from HF in 11 days, so I emailed them and this is what I got:

Dear Sir,

Your order currently shows item# 67143 is on back order. We are expecting the item in on approximately 10/30/09. Once the item arrives in stock, it will be shipped to you. Back order dates are only estimated dates and are not guaranteed. They can be delayed or shipped sooner. We apologize for any inconvenience this situation has caused and hope to have your order shipped as soon as possible.

Regards,

Doofus Faces


Aarggh Why don't they tell you these things? I could have ordered one from eBay and had it last week.

S

 

[TreePapa]

I haven't ordered anything from Harbor Frieght in a long time. I got a 'lectric chipper from them which was okay for the price and (lack of) power. And a corner sander that I didn't really need and haven't used, so I don't know how good or bad it is (but it sure feels chapo). But I like the store. Not for tools, but for things like gloves, tarps, rope, tarp clips, etc. Most of this stuff I would never order online just 'cuz the shipping would cancel out any saving over buyin' retail. But since there IS a HF store 20 minutes (no traffic) from my house, I'll go there from time to time.

Peace,
- Sequoia

 

[ManiacPD]

A cheap shingle cutter is about $250.00. Good ones can fetch alot more.

I bought a HF shingle cutter for $80.00. It cut every shingle just fine. Some design things are pretty stupid (it doesn't have a built in tape measure) but they were minor issues (I made my own ruler w/ masking tape).

Besides, I think it is our obligation to buy from the Chinese so they get Chinese fat, happy, and apathetic like we are so they don't invade.

If their guns are as good as their tools we've got nothing to worry about.

Precisely what we used to say about Japanese electronics and automobiles.

I know this is off topic, but...
Early Japanese stuff was junk. You are correct. It was 20 years after WWII, with the help of massive US investment and reconstruction, and the help of a guy named Deming before the Japanese got on the path to world class quality. This time around is much different as the Chinese own such a huge portion of our country.

I deal with imported product at my job every day. Between shipment delays, constant price increases and quality problems they have a long way to go. Even with our own people on the ground there it is difficult to get what we need. We are transitioning many products that were imported for the past few years back here to our US plant. They drove us to bring it back and that is perfectly fine with me.

 

[JustWood]

Check out these guys phat bastage catalog. I just got their master catalog 2 weeks ago. Makes HF catalog look like poo paper!! Haven't ordered anything yet so can't verify quality but their prices look good.
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRHM

 

[fishinpa]

Hello My Fine Feathered Friends,
Ordered the Harbor Freight moisture meter for $13 nine days ago and still not here. Paid $7 for shipping, so why the heck will it take 10-14 days to arrive (per their FAQ)?!

S

Because it's still on the boat from China!

HEY, Who you calling feathered?