After all the great response to our coverage of the Speedy Stitcher, we’re happy to pass on a tip from reader nrChris: Harbor Freight is currently offering a coupon that’ll land you a cheap sewing awl for just $3. If you’re thinking about messing around with one of these, this might be a good start.
$7 Off Quick Stitch Sewing Awl Coupon [Harbor Freight]
TM reader nrChris writes: “I bought this Harbor Freight dial indicator to check runout on my new — and in need of a rehab — table saw. It’s amazing: flip the switch and it’s a very strong magnet. Flip it again and it’s inert. The best part is that this features a standard thread — 5/16″ I think — so you can re-purpose them nicely. I’m going back for a few more to use with tablesaw jigs and featherboards while they’re on sale.”
Harbor Freight is offering this gravity feed blaster gun for $10 right now. I don’t really need one, but at this price I’ll probably pick one up just for the hell of it. The Central Pneumatic #93321 features a 9-ounce hopper, a 5 mm nozzle, and demands a max air pressure of 90 PSI and a volume of 1.7 CFM.
Gravity Feed Blaster Gun [Harbor Freight]
Long-time TM reader Joel sent us a link to this great Harbor Freight coupon that lets you pick up a set of basic hearing protectors for $4. He writes: “Cheap hearing protection is way better than none. I got my first hearing protectors this last winter. I couldn’t imagine working with my power tools without it now. Do yourself a favor and buy these. At $4, there’s no excuse.”
Ear Muffs Coupon [Harbor Freight]
I actually own one of these 1/4″ pneumatic die grinders from Harbor Freight, and it’s not too bad. It spins at 22,000 rpm when provided a steady stream of 90 psi air, and does its job quite reasonably.
This $6 bit set from Harbor Freight includes many of the crazy bits you only rarely use – like hollow hex, Pozi, hollow-tip Torx, and splined — but have to have when the need arises. As far as I’m concerned, that’s one of the prime applications for cheap-ass tools.
Having seen too many guys with bits of wire sticking out of their bellies, I decided long ago that a) I’d never use a straight wire brush on a power tool, and b) I’d avoid sticking any kind of brush on a 10,000 RPM angle grinder. Anything doing abrasive work at that speed will shed bits, and I’d rather not find those in me.
So here’s my solution: quite a while back I picked up a cheap(-ass) Chicago Electric 7″ polisher/sander from Harbor Freight and installed a knot cup brush on it. It spins at a max of only 3,300 RPM, which works fine for knocking off paint and corrosion but keeps the wire where it should be.
Note: I just checked and the same model is still for sale at HF for $50. If you keep an eye out, though, this item tends to end up in the sale bin pretty regularly. And if you’re worried about reliability: I can’t vouch for it as a polisher/sander, but I’ve used this tool in this capacity on and off for four years now.
7″ Variable Speed Polisher/Sander [Harbor Freight]
This inexpensive powder coat oven from Harbor Freight might be a good alternative to that “recovered” oven you’ve been thinking about installing in the shop. Why? It runs on 110V so you don’t have to drop 220V, it’s a lot more compact, and you need a range top in the garage like you need an extra hole in your head.
Harbor Freight is currently listing this four-piece set of locking pliers for $5 — cheap enough that you could lose them or foul them while welding and not worry much. And before you comment, understand that I’m fully aware that these are nowhere near the quality of a set of Vise-Grips or other quality locking pliers. But I know two things about locking pliers:
1) They’re easy to lose and foul, and
2) When you need more than two of them, you often need a lot of them.
This is especially true of welding clamps, which HF also sells. I have a drawer full of ‘em.
As far as these go, you get a 4-3/4″ needle-nosed set, a 4″ straight-jaw set, and two 5″ C-clamp sets. Maximum jaw openings are 1-1/2″, 1-3/4″, 1″, and 2″.
4-Piece Mini Locking Pliers Set [Harbor Freight]
I’m not sure I’d want to bet my ass on this — like hauling my Jeep up out of a ravine while I’m in it – but I can think of any number of projects that’d benefit from this tool. And it’d beat the living hell out of a come-along for loading a car up a relatively shallow ramp.
Features include a 1.5 HP 12V motor, and remote control with a 9′ cord, and 50′ of 5/32″ aircraft cable. But the best feature of all is the price: $49.99 at Harbor Freight right now.
2,000 Lb. Capacity Utility Winch [Harbor Freight]
We found some more coupons for in-store use at Harbor Freight. This 125 psi Air Regulator for $14 seems tempting, as does a 12-pack bag of steel wool for $0.49 or a $6 pair of welding gloves.
Coupons, Coupons [Harbor Freight]
Store Locations [Harbor Freight]
Reader Paul stopped by to see us here at Maker Faire and told us about this tool he bought yesterday from Harbor Freight: the “Wonder Winder.” As Paul said, you just stick your extension cord in the end and wind away to roll it up in the attached cage.
It’s $22 right now at HF, but Paul said he’s seen it on sale recently, so you might keep an eye out.
Harbor Freight: Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re defintely cheap and cheerful — and even more cheap with these printable coupons. Our favorite: this $80 lathe.
Coupons! [Harbor Freight]
More Coupons! [Harbor Freight]
Make no bones about it: this drill absolutely will not compete with your Milwaukee, Bosch, or DeWalt in terms of features or reliability. On the other hand, you can have one for about a third the price of a battery alone from those other companies.
As we mentioned in this week’s Tool Talk podcast, we visited the cabinet shop of a company that refurbishes jet interiors a while back and saw these scattered all over the shop. For low-torque/low-stress situations, these make a quite decent solution. And maybe HF was listening — they’re on sale for $15 again right now.
Hell, just pick ‘em up for the parts! It’s pretty tough to find a motor and battery for this price anywhere else.
18V 3/8″ Drill w/Keyless Chuck [Harbor Freight]
Will turned us on to this wild tool from Harbor Freight that we’ve never seen in the store: a 1″ gasoline-powered impact wrench. He writes: “When I saw this online, I thought, ‘Holy cow!’ I’ve never used one myself, but I could see using it to bust lugs on a semi.”
As if Harbor Freight’s prices weren’t low enough, they’re offering 20 printable coupons for various in-store purchases valid through this weekend. Discounted items include: a pneumatic spark plug cleaner for $6 , an angle finder for $2, a self-centering drill press setup for $5, and, of course, the measuring wheel (pictured) for $20.
Note: Don’t print the one above. Print the ones from the HF site directly, linked below.
Harbor Freight Printable Coupons [Harbour Freight]
Harbor Freight Store Location [Harbour Freight]
Ever notice that when you drop a bolt or socket under the hood it always ends up somewhere both hard-to-reach and dark? Harbor Freight’s offering a tool right now that kills both those birds with one $7 stone.
David writes: “Harbor Freight now has a cheap and functional fix for this problem in the form of a magnetic light on a stalk. Nestled into the end of the flexible stalk is a high-power magnet and in the middle of the magnet is a white LED light. The stalk bends smoothly and stays in place while you’re maneuvering it toward your intended target, and the bright light helps you see what’s going on so you can nail it the first time. The handle doubles as a Mag-Lite-style battery compartment with a sealed on-off button. I’ve had no reliability problems with mine, and I’m a happy customer!”
Flexible Magnetic Pickup Tool [Harbor Freight]
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