The Good, Bad & Ugly of Harbor Freight!
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- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
- The Good, Bad & Ugly of Harbor Freight!
You have been asking for it so here is the unvarnished truth about America's favorite discount hardware store!
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Since they changed their coupon stuff , I find myself going less and less. I go there because I need something at that moment and can use a coupon. Now it's hard to get what I want when I need it so I just go to HD or Lowes or ACE.
👍
its still cheaper to go to harbor freight th an home depot or lowes
Yes without coupons, Home Depot/ Lowes or any of the local chain retailers have competitive prices to Harbor Freight. Since they got rid of coupon, I haven't been to HF except for the 30% off this weekend.
I haven't been to ACE in a long time
you still save a ton on most items also you can get 20% coupons still also they have items the other guys dont have i have had bad luck on garden hose to stiff in a coil wants to kink i lay off those for a retired home owner its a blessing to save a little
We're getting a Harbor Freight in Tooele, UT. I'm very excited. Wife and teen daughter who thought the new building was going to be a clothing store are... not as excited.
I haven't been to HF since they discontinued the coupons. I knew I could always save 20% on whatever item I chose. They are crazy if they think the coupons didn't bring customers in the door. I'll still shop at HF occasionally, but not nearly as often.
On whatever item?? That 20% coupon had so many exclusions that it was practically useless unless you wanted Quinn or Doyle hand tools. No Bauer, Hercules, Icon, Daytona jacks, etc.
@@l00nybin I was thinking the same thing. Lol usually their good stuff wasn't allowed on the coupon.
I buy less tools from them. I think it is because I no longer sit on the crapper flipping through the catalog anymore.
This is funny and true, I know because it’s the same for me. Thank goodness I have other reading material🤓 .
I miss the coupons, I could save when I wanted. Not when they want you to save.
Exactly. Since they tried to force all their customers to Inside Track membership my business with them is less than 1/2 of what it was a couple of years ago. I don't have an HF in my county so the coupons helped offset my shipping cost. I also don't like how they pick and choose which customer reviews they post, somewhat deceptive.
Since they got rid of the coupons(in American rifleman magazine)and monthly catalogs I unsubscribed from their useless email list.
I like being able to use the coupons on what I wanted, not what they wanted me to buy.
No one is praising this new system, just the bear 😆
Yep, I need the tool I need not the one that has a sales sticker.
Haven’t been to HF since they eliminated coupons and don’t plan on returning anytime soon.....
JCPennys eliminated coupons and went down hill fast
a bit of advice from a retiree you spend your money now with out thinking about the future when you retire you will wish you had saved more you want be able to make it on soc sec. alone im 87 but i planed mine many yrs ago so im ok
Your honesty and candor are greatly appreciated, especially in this time of fake reviews being so very common. I didn't expect that a cartoon bear would turn out to be such a class act. 😊
As a DIY, regular home owner I built my entire tool collection on HF. If something breaks or doesn't meet my standards later, then I buy the high quality replacement. I wouldn't be able to afford my full collection otherwise.
Same here
Same. And yeah, I can see how if you'd gotten used to the constant 20% off coupons with no exclusions I can see how that would be devastating to lose that. However, I came in at the very tail end of that about a year or so ago now, and I started rebuilding my tool collection.
Nothing beats the days of when I bought my first home and didn’t have any money so I went to harbor freight for tools and left there with enough money to buy a Big Mac lol and I’m still using those clamps 5 years later lol
Funny thing is that HF and McD's is right next to each other in my nearby city
@@brandonframe1743 same where I live, there’s a HF literally connected to a shooting range and it’s close to a McD
Back in my day you could get a hamburger, 1 gallon of fuel and a hammer for $100.00 what happened to this world !
I once took my young kids into HF and my daughter said, "daddy, what's that smell?"... i just laughed and said, "that's what China smells like". the more you know.
Only country whose GDP grew during the Plannedemic...
99.98 recovery...
The most washed body part in 2020 was not the hands, but the brain...
Don't even look at VAERS...
@@justtime6736 Because everything they report is 100% accurate. 🥸
I hope they bring back the old coupon system.... flipping though the catalog with a drink was a nice way of unwinding after work
i went to harbor freight to buy a tool box and they were too busy to bother with me, so i instead went to home depot. dude helped me get it to the door and made sure it had everything it was supposed to, even asked if i wanted help getting it in the car.
turns out, a few of my coworkers bought their boxes from harbor freight, and the drawers wont stay closed anymore. so i think i dodged a bullet there
I used to go to Harbor Freight like every two weeks. Since they discontinued the coupons, I stopped going.
weekly here until they dropped their bathroom reading materials.
Really miss the 20% Coupons. I used to go in 3 or 4 times a week. Now doing good to get in once every couple of weeks. Hope someone from HF are reading comments. Good vid. Thanks!!!
I didn't go that often but at least a couple of times a month. Haven't been there in 2 months now.
Think one of the hidden gems at HF is the Pittsburgh Pro line of ratcheting wrenches. Especially if one want a different style wrench (flex head or double box end), one would be hard press to beat the quality & price point.
17:07 no, I was definitely using the 20% off all the time. I’m the extremely poor demographic. And the truth is more than a few times it saved us. Mom was a single mom. And we didn’t have money or a person to help. So I had to learn a lot of things the hardest way.
same. but you're tougher that way. thats how strength is built
since they slowed the 20% down. And when they did come out the inside track club has the better deal with the 30% off $20 or less, instead of the $10 or less. I finally decided to join for a year. I hope it holds its value over this year to prove it’s going to be worth it to me to join again.
Garage sales and craigslist tool lots are the best deal out there.
Five years ago, I didn't even want to set foot in a HF unless I needed jobber tools or certain materials (zip ties, enamel, etc.) Now, I love going there. Many of the non-specialist tools I use for my business are from there, and they've never failed me. I'm lucky enough to live within 20 mins of a HF, HD, Lowe's, and Ace, and I go to them all for different reasons. It's not perfect, but it's one hell of a lot better than it used to be.
Great overview. That’s generally how I feel about Harbor Freight, there’s Good, there’s Bad, and there’s some Ugly. But you can’t help not love the place...I feel like a kid in a candy or toy store whenever I walk into that place.
Only place I could find an adjustable spanner wrench. American verbiage spanner btw.
I remember Harbor Freight was a traveling road show. You would get a terrible photo copy of a 8 page catalog. It was total chaos but they were trying.
When was this. I found out about then about early 2000 and went to the Pasadena store.
@@jvh22a
Early 80’s they would pass out flyers at the Tulare farm show
Thanks for the Video..... People can say what they want about HF Quality, But I'm here to tell you, if you don't go out of your way to destroy tools they will last. In 98 I changed departments where I worked. I needed a 90* Die Grinder. I paid $22....I never expected it to last forever, but I used it almost every day until I retired in 2015. It locked up (1) time because I had not been oiling it properly....resolved that and it never missed a beat after that....In fact I still use it now that I am retired....I would say that's a good value.
A bit I appreciate: the automatic emailed receipt. You know everybody is tracking your purchases anyway, at least they let *you* benefit from it. I can just search my email, instead of hoping I had scanned it or put the paper somewhere.
I think the biggest purchase I ever made there, which was with a 20% coupon, was a folding 4x8 trailer. Other than that, the 20% did make impulse buys easier. I do have a bunch of the blue led flashlights, and the magnetic parts dish are handy when I remember to use them 🤣
This was all very well said and reasonable. Hopefully folks at the Freight watch and address the issues you point out.
As a satisfied Craftsman C3 user, I feel the pain of being left behind on a battery platform. Think C3 is now 2 battery platforms behind current Craftsman 20ish V
I hate the lack of coupons cause i know they’re not dropping the prices like they said they were and i used to get a bunch of free stuff using coupons from hfqpdp. I got so many of those magnetic tool holders and screw holders for every purchase i made especially since they let u stack coupons. Now since they got rid of the coupons, i’ve only gone in a couple times.
I have a friend who will drive to 5 different grocery stores with his coupons because he knows where all the best deals are. I drive to one grocery store and buy all of my groceries right there because I just want to get my stuff and get back home.
I buy all of my canned and non-perishable stuff at one store but I buy my meat at a small shop a few miles away. The quality is much better, the prices aren't that much higher, it's locally raised and, for steaks, chops etc. they'll cut it the way you want it. They also have several varieties of homemade sausage and bratwurst and their ground chuck is so lean that you HAVE to ad some fat so that it'll hold together if you're making burgers.
@@MikeBrown-ii3pt -- Yep, you sound like my buddy. I'll just pay more where the best product is and get what I need without driving all over town to get the best whatever. If I'm not saving enough to pay for my time I'm not doing it, and I consider my time very expensive. Not driving out of my way and spending an extra 10 minutes between the drive and getting inside and finding the product to save 50 cents. I'd better be saving multiples of dollars if that's gonna happen.
With gas prices the last week or two, he's probably spending more driving around! haha.
@@PhillyFixed now, yes. Last year, it was worth it if the stores were reasonably close.
@@HadToChangeMyName_CZcamsSucks I don't "drive all over town". The meat market is on my way to/from the other store. You're time isn't worth any more than mine, just like mine isn't worth any more than yours. However, the quality and service I get at the local shop far outweighs the 10-15 cents/lb I'd save by buying mass produced, prepackaged meat from the big grocery store.
When I started working on cars at home the only game in town was Sears and I bought a craftsmen set. It was good enough, then we got a harbor freight and I was able to pick up a lot of tools that I needed but couldn't have afforded otherwise. Starting a few years back they started selling their big sets similar to my old craftsman set and every tool in it was better than my old craftsman version. I've bought 5 or 6 of these sets for young people getting started in cars because I know how much that first craftsman set meant to me starting out. Harbor Freight makes tools accessible to people and I appreciate that.
The last 2 times I was in HF in Frederick an employee would ask if I needed help. I would explain what I wanted and they were able to take me directly to the items. Keep up the good work.
It can’t be any worse than my last trip to Lowe’s. I was waiting for the apocalypse to kick off in that place. No employees, lines out the door. The few employees that were their were either 70+ or out on work release. Took 20 minutes at the register to sell me 4 carriage bolts. The girl “very new” had no idea how to ring them up and when she asked a senior rep the older rep said you’ll never learn unless you look it up. Well that was another 10 minutes :( people were yelling in frustration and about to lose it. I think they are trying to drive people out of brink and mortar and to online.
That’s why I do buy online pickup in store. Almost every time I look around and try and buy something while I’m in store like a good markdown or clearance item and every time I just get tired of waiting and walk out
Great stuff Red... If I didn't know better, you could have been trained by Circuit City Corporate sales training department from back in the 80's! The concise & accurate delivery in your presentations is refreshing. We were trained to use the FAB method selling Hi-Fi gear in the mid 70's - Feature, Advantage, Benefit... it works every time!
I hear you on the employee training. I went to my local HF and asked one of the employees where the bottle jacks were, he walked me over to the Daytona floor jacks and pointed to the floor jacks and said "Here you go". I politely said I was looking for a bottle jack, not a floor jack. He said he didn't know what a bottle jack was and had to ask somebody else about it over his 2-way radio. Nice kid, just not well versed in their inventory or basic tools.
thats any store. Being it a hardware store doesn't mean anything. no better than your autozone Guy being far from a mechanic. its just a store like jc Penney or walmart in the end
Harbor Freight for me used to be cheap tools that were not as durable or as precision as name brand tools(especially power tools), but would last if not put through abuse. They still have that budget line of tools that serve the DIY segment, but now have upgraded product lines that are much better than five years ago. I am glad they are doing well, they bring easier access to good tools to more people, expanding to more places all the time.
I was in our local HF store several days ago. This was always a busy store at any time of the day. But at that time, the store had only a few shoppers. As others have mentioned, the 20% off coupon was my motivation to visit. I'd be interested to see sales numbers since the beginning of the 'coupon less' model.
I love how the " clearance" items are the same price as they always are LMAO
Yeah, that has been a huge joke. Often the clearance price is more than the sale price.
I’ve bought many tools on clearance price from Harbor Freight and they’ve been 10-25% cheaper than regular price! As a matter of fact that is how I buy anything from Harbor Freight is during their clearance sales! The last thing I bought was a 3/4”x100’ industrial grade water hose normal price $32 paid $25
Recently a few have increased in price
Most products are increased in price prior to going on sale. Grocery stores do this often.
@@denoftools the Warrior is reduced. I purchased it about two weeks ago to see how well the 12 volt system works. The drill doesn't have much extra power and needed to get my Makita driver. The light is the brightest light that I own and was very surprised.
The HarborFreight store in Reno gave my daughter a tool cart to use as a rolling classroom, as a music teacher she goes from classroom to classroom. Thanks for supporting the teachers HarborFreight!!
Big takeaway---the Franklin “little giant” ladder is currently at $99!!! Thanks, Red-I’ve been watching for that price drop since I missed it a few months ago.
Im been shopping at harbor freight for I dunno 10-15 years. I still do like the store, but I do feel the higher end tools they have kinda lost their way some. Like I get having the good lines, but I feel more like they have taken over. My local HF is sandwiched between a Home Depot and Lowes. So I dont really want the better stuff there, I usally have to go to one of the big box stores anyways for materials. Im all about going in there to get the tools that are far cheaper. Not really bitching, but I do see the more higher end stuff goes in there the less floor space for the stuff I have always gotten there/ tired of those tool carts in the way lol. I do really like they are American owned
Sorry bear, I loved the coupons so I could choose what I wanted to use my savings on.
Bought a bench top drill press in about 1985 for home/hobby use. Still works just fine.
7:07 I was surprised by how well they treat their employees
There health insurace for employee is great.
Agree about the lynx. I have the hedge trimmer and blower. They work well, but hate seeing the battery line die. Has turned me off from buying any HF battery lines now. Will stick with name brands. Love HF for other tools.
My mid roll ad was the Charmin bears. The beats are taking over
That is so emBEARrassing.
I would like to se HF come out with a much higher set of ramps, especially since now I have no jack stands
no thx i dont like trusting my life to the cheapest thing i can find. my life isnt worth much but still more than HF lol
The Bauer demo hammers used to be pretty decent and last us 2-3 years. The last few we purchased all fell apart same day of unboxing. The Hercules one we used wasn’t very good either, it was weaker than the Bauer. Harbor Freight is fine for some things but I have no confidence in Bauer and Hercules tools longevity/ quality.
My biggest complaint about Harbor Freight and a lot of other manufacturers is that I want socket sets and wrench sets that do not skip sizes. That's the exact reason why I have fallen so hard for tekton tools, I love the sets that I've gotten from them.
I'm gonna go get the franklin ladder tomorrow to replace a 6 and 8 foot step ladder. Need functionality of an extension ladder to clean gutters and use on stairs at our front door to reach the gutters as well.
I would love to see free shipping for Inside Track members. I'm my opinion that would drive a lot of business and add value to Inside Track membership.
Yes yes yes! I've been saying the same thing!
The Good: A couple of years ago I needed a hydraulic crimper for installing lugs on large wire. #4. The harbor freight nearest the job did not have one in stock. But, the manager checked his computer and found one a a store a distance away. He called to make sure they actually had one in stock. He had them reserve it for my name through the end of the next day. I picked it up on the way home, even though it was a significant detour. This was an example of GOOD customer service.
I’ve saved thousands of dollars buying Harbor Freight tools and doing the job myself. In 2017, I was quoted $4500 to replace two flights of carpeted stairs with hardwood stairs. I spent $450 on tools and $1100 on material and did the work myself. I saved nearly $3000 on that one DIY project. I saved even more on laying porcelain tiles in three bathrooms and one laundry room. When I was done, I sold the Harbor Freight tile saw with the $50 blade I purchased separately for $275.00 cash.
I have only had one Harbor Freight Tool fail. It was a chop saw for cutting steel. It failed after about forty cuts of 2 inch by 2 inch square tubing. One of the plastic screw in brush retainer caps broke, when I tried to replace the brushes. It has been sitting in my attic for over ten years. I still saved money by doing that project myself. I was making standoffs for a boat dock.
Lowes training suggested I use a jigsaw to cut drywall for and outlet box instead of an oscillating tool. One among many gems in the tool world training sessions. They did link me to some wood work web videos though so they weren't completely lost 😅
Oh my word. I never use a jigsaw if I have an alternative, frequently the oscillating tool is my alternative.
That's old school. We use to do that back in the day. Hell Makita sells a specialty jig saw made specifically for overhead cutting drywall.
I pulled the trigger and joined the ITC and have saved more money and have better tools than ever using coupons. Instant savings imo is the best. Its paid for itself in just 3 months of using it. Thanks Bear for the great video.
Three years ago I recommend "The Bear" to their employees while I was visiting. The staff member took down your CZcams name promised to look it up. Of course, my favorite HF story is when an employee pushing a flatbed cart full of box surgical/nitrile gloves accidentally crashed it into a display, and then in frustration, started to kick the boxes across the room, one by one, by one.
. Wish I had videoed it. :P
The latest free screwdriver set is crap but the set before wasn't bad. I use it as pry bars and general purpose leverage devices. The free LED flashlights are very bright, just not durable. Still usable. Magnetic parts holder is decent. Just too small. 5 inch would be better. Some of the older tools are junk. I had some needle nose locking pliers that were so soft that the teeth wore out in one use. After getting replacements, they are now somewhat usable. The best thing I have ever found in HF were the Apache cases. They are solid and much cheaper than the national brands.
I did the inside track club years back. I dropped it because they never had any deals I wanted. Recently,I bought a Titanium welder and the manager cut me a deal if I would sign up for a two year ITC. I noticed that since they dropped the coupons the ITC deals got better so I have been in the store more often.
the uk needs a harbor freight i remember my scout group getting a new hall not having the budget and having to beg for stuff to help get set up tools were a must ngl
By far my favorite purchase from HF is their 12,000lb winch for 300$ and out of the different brands I have owned bad lands blows them all away
I used to think HF only sold junk and so I had never went into a store. However, after actually going into a store for the first time I now love HF!
I turned in 4 of the 6 ton stands in silver. Got a store credit. Been waiting for some kind of replacement from them. Crickets. But Good point I also make. These stands were under other brands for sure too! No recalls under other brands. This earned my trust in jacks and jack stands, at least. Just waiting on something to fill the hole.
As far as the free items go, I'm not surprised they changed it. people used to come into the store and buy a 50 cent snap knife and get a free flashlight or tarp.
Hey Bear,
Thanks for all your work on turning out these videos.
Just my two cents here, I tried getting into one of the earlier H.F. Drill and battery platforms thinking I would expand it to cover all my needs. The batteries lasted a few months and the gears in the hammer drill failed. The battery analyzer fried while in my hand after 4 or 5 months. No warranty left but I was hoping for some mercy, no luck. I’m an active do it yourselfer. I don’t abuse my tools. The coupons would still bring me into the store. now that’s gone. H.F. Did me a favor, I buy what I need from Lowe’s or H.D. I spend a little more but I don’t have to deal with the disappointment. Side note Amazon sells decent 19.2 Craftsman knock-off batteries , so all my 19.2 tools are still serving me well.
I buy lot's of tools there period. Some used regularly some not, but when I need them they're there. Besides if I borrow it and tear it up, I have to buy it anyways. If I think I will or can tear it up I get the warranty. It's paid for itself multiple times. I don't care about brand names I just want it to do what it's suppose to do. If it does it cheaper awesome. My grand daddy use to say " I could tear up a anvil with a rubber mallet."
I love the place. I still mostly buy inexpensive hand tools, air tools, etc., but I'm happy with it.
I really want to see them giving you more than a 90-day warranty on the Hercules line at a minimum, without needing to buy an extended warranty. Like 2 years on the tool and a year on the battery would be reasonable. Otherwise you're paying Ryobi / Ridgid / Kobalt prices or close to it in some cases and it doesn't make sense to not go with the others.
I just found this channel today. I’m in love. Such a breath of fresh air. I love the concept. I love Harbor Freight. I’m trying my hand at hobby wood working I go to HF at least once a week.
One Reddit post bought lithelli battery. Says it doesn't work. No other comments online.
Thank you for revisiting that. My lynx saw is good for 14 inch n slower
I don't miss the BS ads and coupon hunting, but that missing 20% single item coupon has seriously cut down on my visits.
Dodge City Kansas where I live just opened a HF. 25k population. We have a Sutherland's, True Value, Ace Hardware, an Orschelns and Tractor Supply . This ought to be interesting to see how long it lasts.
100-120$ 4 drawer cart now 160$+ too much inflation.
The 20%, 25%, and 30% off five items $10 or less coupons going away killed this store for me. I don't consider anything they sell to be worth paying full retail price for, except things like Gorilla Glue, StaLube products, Frog Tape, and such items. I don't buy their battery tools, power tools, pneumatic tools or really almost any of their hand tools.
What I do buy are things like work gloves, air hose, chip/acid brushes, clamps, tarps, and consumables like that. Why would I want to pay full price for those, or buy an ITC membership for that stuff? Barely gone to the store since they did away with them, and I have less than a block away from my house!
My greatest disappointment with Harbor Freight was when I bought a dust collector. I unpacked it, but didn't assemble it right away or do a parts inventory. When I started to put it together, I couldn't find some of the parts. contacted Harbor Freight and offered to buy replacements for the missing parts. They refused to do so. So, I've got a $200 dust collector that I can't use. I bought another dust collector from another company. I still have the HF dust collector and hope to someday figure out something to do with it.
Jonesboro, AR Harbor Freight Employees are awesome, Especially the store Manager.
The store is packed anytime it is open, great place.
BTW, I miss the catalog, but I like the sale prices better than the 20% coupon. With all the exclusions, I never used the coupon, but now, I buy a lot more, because the sales include the good tools also.
The only issue I’ve had with HF is the warranty doesn’t cover a lot of tools in the “automotive” area. I couldn’t get a lug nut socket warrantied and they do not sell them separately so I had to buy an identical one from somewhere else.
Harbor Freight buys 20k of your merch shirts for new uniform shirts options. That would be a great way to support the channel. Publicity in the stores and the profits off the shirts.
I just found myself looking the bear in the eyes while watching , omg I am in trouble
Just be thankful it's the good looking bear instead of that pasty white guy he lets run the show once in a while...I don't want him hypnotizing me
@@HadToChangeMyName_CZcamsSucks LOLOLOLOL
I just bought $250.00 worth of stuff, all < $20 each and signed up for the ITC, they even gave me the $10 gift card because I complained about the computer being down during the last 30% off deal. Only problem was they were out of the $19 digital calipers. I don't need them, but I don't need 1/2 the tools I have :D. I actually bought extra angle grinders just so that I don't have to change them. Now I have 6 different angle grinders, just to have different tools on them and not have to change them out.
I'll find out just how good the free stuff is for us ITC people.
I have some of those luminar lanterns. it's like having the sun in a can. but yeah those yellow batteries are trash, they go dead almost instantly.
Battery Comment- I just bought a BRAND NEW Ryobi One + 18 volt 3/8" cordless screw gun/ drill AND a Impact Driver which is also a One + platform Ryobi! The reason was because I was given a nearly complete set of older (blue) Ryobi tools that include a reciprocating saw, 5 and 1/2" circular saw, 1/2" cordless drill, Dust Buster style Vacuum, and a flashlight that all use the older 18 volt One + batteries!! On a happy accident, I wasn't aware that the new batteries fit the older tools or that the older batteries fit the newer tools either!! BUT I am so glad I "dodged the bullet" by buying a different brand of tools!! And honestly I was planning on slowly upgrading all my cordless tools to ONE TYPE anyhow, because I was fed up having three or four different battery chargers laying around!!
Thanks for being honest.
HF is my Andy store.
I’m a professional mechanic in buildings.
I don’t hesitate to use HF tools if I believe they are good enough.
I do wish HF was more open communicating.
Again. Thanks Bear.
If I had a store only 15min away I would be happy and broke, I won't go because they over an hour away, but I'm still broke..go figure 😉
I like the Pittsburgh ratchets over the Icon. I have a blue 44" US General bottom that works just fine. If I get another box it would be a smaller top US General. US General and Pittsburgh in my opinion are better then the old sears Craftsman stuff.
Omg. The Harbor Freight rubber smell. I miss it 😆. My old small HF doesn’t smell like that anymore either. They musta got rid of what made that smell.
Probably the air hoses....
@@scoutmaster33 the dolly tires are the culprit
@@traewatkins931 Cosmoline?
@@traewatkins931 chinesium
I thought it was the rubber wheel chocks?
I actually had an instance where a harbor freight screwdriver was the only one I could get to work I was trying some craftsman and snap-on ones and they'd just slip then you know tried the harbor freight one that I'm sure was picked up for free and it worked so maybe not a total joke.
I was never a coupon guy, but once I got accustomed to using them, I thought it was fun. I really miss my dual coupon catalog. My purchasing has plummeted since they got rid of them. I will say, that I hit the store pretty hard and theres less I need, but I could have said that before. Doesn't help that its a 160 mile round trip to all three in my area.
I'm running low on free tape measures and microfiber towels.... but my 20+ magnetic parts trays are forever!
Mentioning Customer Service there, my local store I have never had a instance I would say was less than good service. Or really any of them. Just always feels like the employees also shop there and generally have given me honest and informative opinions. And stayed open late when ive been in there past closing time(and didnt say a word to me, just let me keep shoping at my own pace). I honestly cant say the same about other stores I buy tools from. Great Store, Amsterdam NY if anybody from HF is reading and want to send some Pizzas or something to that store lol.
I did exactly. I talked with the manager first to make sure it was ok, than had 12 pizzas and soft drinks delivered on “truck day” when everyone is working. I’ve never had as good, much less “better” customer service than I have in my local HF, and I wanted them to know how much I appreciated them!
HF could raise the price of the Inside track Club to 100 or 150 an offer free shipping like Amazon and they would get a lot more members.
They could also do an Amazon and including streaming video in the price. They could have every instructional video from all of the woodworking/construction shows that have been shown over the years. That would be quite a service to members of this "club".
I have one thing to ad but you can decide if it belongs in the "bad" or "ugly" area. A few weeks ago, I bought 2 of the Braun #63983 work lights. One was fine but the led charge indicator didn't light up when I plugged in the second (I tried the charging cables from both lights on it). The next day, I exchanged it for another one which also was good. With all that said, the following week, I was in the store again and the light that I'd exchanged was on the "open box" shelf with a price sticker $1 less than an unopened one. The sticker also said "as is no returns or exchanges" on it. I KNOW that it was my exchanged light because I'd cut the plastic very carefully to avoid cutting the cable with my utility knife when I opened it and, I put it back in its original packaging in a certain way before exchanging it. I told them that the charge indicator didn't light up when I plugged it in so I think that someone probably turned it on, saw that it worked (because of the slight charge from factory testing) and then put it on the open box shelf.
What I have found is if it's going to break it will break at 91 days haha
As an employee they need to provide better product training. With the Icon recall it would have been nice to tell the employees about it before the customers started coming in.
The pre-sale process is broken. I purchased an item which was out of stock during the February 20% off sale. In may, I still had not received the item and had to call dozens of times to complain. They had items in stock - but couldn’t give me one because those items were set aside for other customers.
You know, I just don't go to Harbor Freight that often, and when I do I just don't buy as much. I think the old cheesy fliers I got in the mail with the coupons, gave me a chance to sit back and look at all the tools and the coupons gave me a sense of urgency to go get the deal. Plus they are still running reduced Covid hours here, so they are never open when I am ready to go get stuff, and the other day I was there, and they are like "The store is closing in 45 minutes!" as soon as I walked in. I was like "Oh NO 45 Minutes! It's okay I will just go across the street to Home Depot!" and I left. Today I went to buy a dump bed yard trailer for my riding mower. I ended up skipping it at $119 because for $129 rural king had one that was already assembled, so I didn't have to mess with it. I would have gotten it if I had a %20 off coupon to throw on it though.
why l like the Bear, he tells it like it is no matter what store or brand. keep it up. I like those instant coupons, takes away from taking time looking online and all over
The local store here said they are working on getting buy online/ pick up in store.
Another honest review. Just left HF for the 2nd time this weekend🤣 shine on Red!
Anyone know why they are closing out the $20 metal folding stepstool? I bought one for a camping table...hope they replace it with a similar one...it works great and is solid
A shame that an HF finally opened up just a mile away from me and they end the coupons. I've been there a few times to pick up odds and ends but nothing pricey. However, last time I was looking for a simple magnetizer/demagnetizer for screwdriver tips and the clerk looked at me like I was from another planet.
I used to just take a pic of the coupons..so I always had one if I needed it...much easier than clipping. And they csn be reused when or if need be
CAN* be reused....smh
Didn't know about the jack stand recall, and I have those... Glad I watched this!
Here is my theory on extended service plans. If I buy numerous items over a period of time that offer an extended service plan, and nothing breaks, I've wasted my money. If I buy EVERY service plan offered to me, I could probably have saved that money to re-purchase any item that breaks. If nothing breaks, I'm not out all that extra money. If I find myself regularly returning items, and needing to use extended warranties, then I probably need to be shopping somewhere else. I decline the extended warranties at Lowe's and Home Depot for the same reason. Why throw away all that money on extended warranties. The only time it may payoff is if you rarely buy anything that offers the extension, and even then, it's extremely rare that you would need it.
So glad I bought all my big tools like my drill press, dust collector and others before they added all the exclusions and finally eliminated the 20% off coupon!
I love harbor freight , there prices are still decent for a home owner they have most tools I need at a good price . Been there for years and I’ll continue to go as well close to home and I love when they have discount sales going on .
I don't go to Harbor Freight as often as I used to. It's harder to get the good deals and the big box stores are competitive on many items.
Great video and content! Love the channel and all your videos! Thx John 😎👍
The Sparks, NV store has marked down/returned items priced more than the same 'NEW' item. WTH?
Lol ours too. The clearance section is barley marked down.
Then there's the scratch and dent section. Socket sets and whatnot that are not complete. Nobody needs a 10mm. You don't need to worry about that. Nah it will be fine