Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Harbor Freight Unrestricted Discount Coupons

For any of you long-time Harbor Freight customers, I’m a little frustrated in that I hear/read about guys getting deals on drill presses, band saws, etc. at 20%, 25%, even 30% off but for the life of me, I haven’t been able to find anything like that since Christmas when I really began searching. I even paid for their “Inside Track Club” membership but so far every time there’s a 20% (or higher) discount coupon, the fine print excludes anything made by name-brands and Central Machinery, which is HF’s in-house brand for most of their shop equipment.

My question: are there only certain times of year that “unrestricted” discount coupons are offered?

Not sure of a set time. Seems like there was a 20% off anything at Black Friday.

You are right. There’s so much exclusions now about all the coupons are good for are nitrile gloves and microfiber clothes.

All the HF “name brand” items are excluded.

Hf is all Chinese junk. Why shop there?

Maybe it's because we cant afford the alternative.

Forth of July iirc or nearing Black Friday or maybe around Veterans day. Or? No, I can't recall but only once or maybe twice a year. Can't imagine anything better than a used something else could be had.... What item specifically?

I've gotten totally adequate service from many a Harbor Freight tool....

88% of tools are Chinese junk, I don’t understand what’s the difference in buying it from HF or Grainger.

There are other options besides Grainger and HF. I understand most tools are made over seas as well. I just have found anything i have ever tried from HF just seems to be of poor quality.

Those Harbor freight coupons come out about three or four times a year. Harbor freight is great for the weekend do it yourselfer who doesn't need a 300 dollar drill to make a few holes or drive a few screws. Myself i am a Milwaukee addict which is turning into a expensive habit

I don’t buy much there, I prefer name brands.

I only get junk I’ll use once or twice at HF. Beyond that, it’s worth the price to get something more robust.

I’ve got a set of the $20 Pittsburgh impact sockets that have been used and abused.

Having snap on impacts wouldn’t give the warm fuzzies.

Black Friday or July 4th - hmm, OK. Thanks for replying - there's so much hysteria posting on the CF now, I didn't think anyone even noticed this post

HF is the place I go first to purchase stuff. You can't beat a life time guarantee.

I'm not a tool snob but I was in a local HF store last week. I was not impressed. I also got a "coupon flyer" and there were so many restrictions I left it in the car. After leaving the store I tossed it. I have a Home Depot and a Menards chuck full of Chinese crap just down the street. I doubt I will be back any time soon.

kwg

That right there. I can't afford a $120.00 3/8 ratchet, that I'll use 8-10 times a year. I'm also Real bad about leaving tools sitting on my tractor or swather, etc when I do repairs in the field. I'd rather plow up rusted cheap wrenches every spring.

What do you buy instead? Which items from HF have you found to be junk, and which brand proved more reliable?

Harbor freight =Dollar General.China junk..

Indeed. Impacts made in Taiwan are plenty good enough for most. I built some good chit with the $90 wirefeed welder when I needed to. Jack stands. Floor jacks. The better pneumatic impacts are fairly good. Rattlecan sanding primer, OK. Gray tarps, nothing bad to say about them. 4 1/2" cutoff wheels, they get'r done cheap. $11 angle grinders, uhhhh..... Colored 1/4" sockets, not too bad. Bolt cutters - I'm in... $5 hammers of various types, got hammered. Cheapass dial calipers, good enough in the crud. 12V test light, duhh, Little cheapass transfer hand pump, saved my ass for $6.

My Craftsman band saw crapped out on me so went to Hf and got their big floor model band saw reasonable and the 20% coupon worked on it too. It’s a direct copy of an old Delta that is solid as a rock. No complaints. Later read it is most likely the best machine they make. For a hobbiest like me it will do fine.

I'm not in there that much but they do have both my mailing and E-mail info. So I get offers which are sometimes pretty good. I get smaller, cheaper stuff there that I only use occasionally. For "serious" stuff like lithium Ion tools I'm building up my DeWalt collection that I get elsewhere. They sometimes have lots of other small stuff besides tools that are interesting. Although I'm beginning to have second thoughts about patronizing the Chinese products.