Harbor Freight...new store.

[hunter63]

As a customer of Harbor Freight over the years....Yes, the is still a need for cheap, use once for a job, and just stuff like wire ties, tape, paint brushes, cheapo tarps...

NEWS FLASH...Mag/and ferro rod fire starters....$2.00 bucks each!

I'm happy that a new store just opened about 10 miles away, 20 miles closer than the old closest store.

Also this one isn't just down the street from the closest Dunhams Sporting Goods.....My go to store for playing with Mosin Nagants and other old Mil surplus firearms.

Using the logic of the "Well we just drove 30 miles, may as well stop and see what they got" has cost me some money in the last few years.....LOL
(Now I guess I'll have to make a special trip......Oh, Darn)

[Rick]

I think all the cool stores go to Wisconsin just for the cheese curds and beer.

[letslearntogether47]

It's one of my favorite stores.
Yes some of the stuff is cheap.But also some of the stuff last for years as well.

Wish we had a Northern Tool local also.
But they're all South...git it.....SOUTH?:creepy:

[pete lynch]

Those mag block firestarters are they have ok but not the greatest. Though for 2 bucks it aint a bad deal for learning how to use one.
They do have some decent snap grommets for use on tarps and canopies etc. I go there whenever I'm up in the Capitol. My truck seems to steer me there all by itself.

[hunter63]

Those mag block firestarters are they have ok but not the greatest. Though for 2 bucks it aint a bad deal for learning how to use one.
They do have some decent snap grommets for use on tarps and canopies etc. I go there whenever I'm up in the Capitol. My truck seems to steer me there all by itself.

LOL, I agree, when it was a ways away....seemed like a treat, had my list of cheap crap to pick up...so maybe now that it's close by the magic won't be there.

And yeah, those mag blocks are the cheaper ones, but a $2 bucks...... I bought a lot of them and put them in every coat/ jacket I own.

[crashdive123]

Did you try the Harbor Freight mag blocks? I read a review (don't know how valid the testing was) that said the tester could not get the mag shavings to light with a spark. Probably best to find out before you need it.

[hunter63]

Yeah I tried it , but didn't try to light the shaving mag block....sure throws sparks though!

Actually I had tried a $8 buck one from Gander Mountain....Was trying out Carmex lip balm rubbed on a piece of fluffed up Kleenex tissue from a mini pack, rather than cotton balls and PJ.
I have carried both of these for years, before I learned about the cotton balls, both worked fine, so don't really "need" the cotton balls/PJ, but carry some anyway.

Started just fine, but as it was burning the shaving were flashing up one at a time...so the "tinder ball" lite,..... not the magnesium.
Was not impressed with "lighting magnesium" so didn't even try these.

[Rick]

Keep an eye on the mag blocks. The cheaper ones tend to dislodge the fero rod and it gets lost. If it were me I'd probably wrap a couple of turns of duct tape on one end. About 1/2 inch wide duct tape. Then you know you won't loose it AND have some spare duct tape. Win/Win.

[pete lynch]

Yeah, I did try the mag block and they do light if you have a good sized pile of shavings. That's why I figured they would be an affordable learning tool. The Doans blocks I have work a lot better but they are the genuine article.

[kyratshooter]

Those blocks will shave down and work OK. I have a half dozen of them scattered through my gear. At that price you can put one in each vehicle, every tool box, every tackle box and purposely take the ferro rods off and epoxey them into antler tips and such for use on keychains.

Anyone that can walk through a Harbor Freight for 10 minutes and not find something they absolutely, positively must take home, has a defective Y chromisone.

[canid]

Anyone that can walk through a Harbor Freight for 10 minutes and not find something they absolutely, positively must take home, has a defective Y chromisone.


Indeed, and anybody who can walk into harbor freight and get back out within those 10 min. may suffer the same ailment.

[hunter63]

Those blocks will shave down and work OK. I have a half dozen of them scattered through my gear. At that price you can put one in each vehicle, every tool box, every tackle box and purposely take the ferro rods off and epoxey them into antler tips and such for use on keychains.

Anyone that can walk through a Harbor Freight for 10 minutes and not find something they absolutely, positively must take home, has a defective Y chromisone.

That's kinda the way I look at it.....Old and forgetful, means more of everything, scattered everywhere you "might" be able to find it, LOL.

I do have a friend that has positively "OD'd on Harbor Freight tools.....Detective for years, and had a "Fix it" service,.......I used to help him out from time to time, if it had to do with electricity or gas....Used to drive me nuts, with all the cheapo tools, so normally used my own.

Just stopped by the other day, had to slow down with the fix it stuff, for health reasons, and was kinda hinting that a lot of his "used on one job, or just because he didn't have one yet", tools....He was putting up for sale......No really wasn't interested as I have most of the same ones, but better brands.
Well, maybe the big Miller Generator/welder Combo, w/suitcase wire welder attachment........maybe not.

I do swear that if a new catalog came out....He stocked up on anything Harbor Freight sold and he didn't have..........Not that there is anything wrong with that....LOL
We all seem to have our own addictions.......
One thing I can relate, is that over the years, he did make extensive use of the "life time guarantee" and always had some tools in transit, being replaced.

[Rick]

Life is an absolute mystery to me. Brand new Klein, Craftsman or Snap-On tools can disappear while I'm unwrapping them. I can have that "tear your hand off" plastic in one hand and the tool is gone! Junk tools can be thrown away and they will be back in the tool box the next time you open it. How does that happen?

[2dumb2kwit]

Every time I go there, they have those dang two in a pack, little LED flashlights on sale for like $3.99, and I have to get a couple. I have those things everywhere! LOL

[hunter63]

I hear ya,
When the kids were small. I used to pick up all my tools along side the foundation on the house every time I cut the grass....That's where the mower would throw them.....Now there is no excuse....and they still disappear.
Good thing I can afford it now.

[kyratshooter]

Life is an absolute mystery to me. Brand new Klein, Craftsman or Snap-On tools can disappear while I'm unwrapping them. I can have that "tear your hand off" plastic in one hand and the tool is gone! Junk tools can be thrown away and they will be back in the tool box the next time you open it. How does that happen?

Absolutely the same thing here!!!

I have a good Craftsman socket set I spend most of my time searching out. The old broken plastic tool box on the back porch that is filled with all the cast off $5.99 socket sets is always there and once I knock the rustwater out of the 11/64 minisocket it will work until the cheap ratchet grinds to a hault. Then I smack it against the picnic table and it works for another half hour.

A couple of years back I moved and then started a remodel project. The first thing I had moved into storage was my tools, so they were in the bottom left corner of a completely stuffed 14x25 storage building. I went to Harbor Freight and bought a new skillsaw, drill and reciprocating saw, level and framing square for less than $75 and proceeded to rebuild a house.