When I need tools that won’t kill me, I buy old tools.
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Not only that but people just throw stuff away when it breaks rather than try to repair it. I fix and sell old lawnmowers for fun and you’d be surprised how many people put their mower on the curb just because the pull cord broke or the carburetor needs a simple cleaning.
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Ain’t nothing like used Craftsman.
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About the only thing I buy from Horrid Fright these days are the cheap earmuffs.
Among the touch-labor people at work, “Harbor Freight” is sometimes uttered as a pejorative. (Only Stanley and Proto tools are allowed onsite.)
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Sometimes you eat the bar, and sometimes the bar breaks and you have to issue successive recalls.
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Don’t forget about their reasonably-priced sextants!
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HF can be great for tools you’ll only use once.
In all seriousness, you just need to set your expectations accordingly. Know what you are getting from HF will be cheap crap made cheaply. For some things this is fine. I was able to get a couple of nice, basic toolboxes that have lasted me many years. But if you need something that’s guaranteed to last for the long haul, go with something higher quality. I certainly wouldn’t trust anything from HF for anything related to life safety or that had a risk of exploding in my face.
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We stand behind our products, at least 8 feet behind.
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I have one too and it’s okay for basic use like lug nuts. If I need one more accurate or heavy-duty (like torquing a wheel bearing nut) I use the loaner tools from the nearby auto shop.
Stanley has taken a serious nose-dive in quality over the past 10 years or so. Real pros use Snap-On
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I don’t disagree with the sentiment in general. But I did use a cheepo HF drill press (and some 3d printed chucks / mandrels of my own design) to make an engagement ring for my now fiance 
Don’t waste your $2 on these though, absolute garbage: https://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/clamps-vises/4-in-ratcheting-bar-clampspreader-68974.html
(Edit: wrong link)
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There are some tools that you can get away with buying cheap. The tool holding your car from crushing your head like a melon? Probably want to spend a little more.
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Super underrated Pro Tip here.
You can typically borrow or rent for a reasonable price a lot of high quality and specialized tools from your local parts store. Great for something you’ll only need once.
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Yep - as long as it’s a generic tool and not something manufacturer-specific. Ran into this problem just last month changing the timing belt on my Toyota. Taking the harmonic balancer off/on requires a special holding tool that keeps the engine from cranking backwards while you torque the center bolt to 250 ft/lbs (needed a huge cheater bar for that and busted 2 cheap socket extensions in the process). Had to buy one on Amazon for $60 bucks.
Anybody doing a timing belt/water pump change on a Toyota V6 and need a slightly used harmonic balancer removal tool?
Brilliant idea. I need to look for one in my area.
Maybe someone should build an app for that? hmmm…
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I’ve got a machinist friend who’s got a welding shop out in his garage. He’s got 3-4 HF 6" grinders out there. He likes them because they’re cheap enough that he can keep different heads on each one and not have to keep changing out a more expensive tool. Yeah they die a lot faster but they’re so cheap he pretty much treats them as disposable.
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For decoration, perhaps. I wouldn’t trust a Harbor Freight sextant for actual navigation at sea.
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Gah, I hate that crap. Single purpose tools are the worst.
A few years back I replaced the bearings on my Whirlpool washing machine and needed a special Whirlpool-made bearing press to install the replacement parts. (FWIW I don’t recommend this repair to anybody. While I was successful, it was awful to do. The old bearing was completely fused and I needed to cut it into tiny pieces with a Dremel and a chisel set to extract it.)
It’s a beautifully made tool and very nicely engineered - which I’d expect for something that cost like $80, but what am I supposed to do with it now? I don’t even have any Whirlpool appliances anymore. It just feels so wasteful.
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My supercheap 8" electronic calipers has been great for 12 years. I just wish someone would make rechargeable button batteries. I don’t mind that they eventually die but it drives me nuts to have to go somewhere to replace them because their life in the tool is always just as long as the replacements in the drawer. Ditto electronic thermometer batteries.
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I wish there were more places offering tool libraries, but I think BiFL isn’t always the best option. Being in or just out of college and needing a saw for a basic project doesn’t warrant a high end sliding miter saw. Especially if part way in you realize you’d rather pay someone else and never do it again.
But I do think safety is a great point and needlessly suffering using a cheap or unergonomic tool sucks. I sometimes will go years without touching a tool I bought. I tend to buy a cheap version and if I’m using it enough to warrant a nicer tool (or it breaks) I get the nice one.
What a letdown! America’s shade tree mechanics will not stand for being jacked around. I anticipate a ratcheting up of lawsuits all over the country.
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