WHYDTYTT: What Have You Done To Your Truck Today?

[1986F150Six]

Another HF item that has been well used this summer and hasn't disappointed.

Cool breeze!

[Danny G]

Yeah,

They sure have stepped up their game!

There are a few consumables that I always pick up (gloves, big Tywraps)

Abrasives and cutting tools still suck.

But their fine tooth composite ratchets are my goto in winter when steel tools remind me how many broken bones I have in my hands.

Way back when, it was "Jap Crap", then the Taiwanese, then the Chinese tools that were barely serviceable.

Now even India is making decent stuff.

China will make anything to a cost for anybody.

Harbor Freight has longstanding relationships with these factories, shipping companies, etc.

Eric knows what it takes to be competitive.

And they're selling to the middle AND the bottom of the market.

For a homeowner/hobbyist it's all good.

Are they going after Festool? No I don't think so...

But tradesmen don't point and laugh if you show up with some 'cheap' piece of rarely used equipment.

Mostly because they have a bunch of HF in their garage at home.

Do I come to work with a Harbor Freight tablesaw or slide miter?

Nope.

But my next jobsite compressor is going to be a Fortress.

I have a $20 grinder.that lives with a diamond masonry blade in it, and I can't kill it.

I almost bought one of those harbor freight fortress compressors but went with the bit Kobalt quiet tech from Lowe's. Its my third Kobalt compressor, 2nd quiet tech, and they work really well. The portable quiet tech we can have a conversation next to while it's running.

[Gary Lewis]

Yeah,

They sure have stepped up their game!

There are a few consumables that I always pick up (gloves, big Tywraps)

Abrasives and cutting tools still suck.

But their fine tooth composite ratchets are my goto in winter when steel tools remind me how many broken bones I have in my hands.

Way back when, it was "Jap Crap", then the Taiwanese, then the Chinese tools that were barely serviceable.

Now even India is making decent stuff.

China will make anything to a cost for anybody.

Harbor Freight has longstanding relationships with these factories, shipping companies, etc.

Eric knows what it takes to be competitive.

And they're selling to the middle AND the bottom of the market.

For a homeowner/hobbyist it's all good.

Are they going after Festool? No I don't think so...

But tradesmen don't point and laugh if you show up with some 'cheap' piece of rarely used equipment.

Mostly because they have a bunch of HF in their garage at home.

Do I come to work with a Harbor Freight tablesaw or slide miter?

Nope.

But my next jobsite compressor is going to be a Fortress.

I have a $20 grinder.that lives with a diamond masonry blade in it, and I can't kill it.

I almost bought one of those harbor freight fortress compressors but went with the bit Kobalt quiet tech from Lowe's. Its my third Kobalt compressor, 2nd quiet tech, and they work really well. The portable quiet tech we can have a conversation next to while it's running.

Janey has a little Campbell-Hausfeld that she uses to clean lint out of her quilting machine. It was $60 on sale years ago and we realized that it would be less expensive than all the canned air she was buying.

When we got it the fittings leaked and it would cycle on frequently. I took them apart and used my combo of Teflon tape and TFE paste to seal them. That works perfectly and it rarely ever comes on now. But every once in a while it'll come on during the night, and even though it is on the floor above and well away from us it is still NOISY!!!!

So if the Quiet Tech stuff works that would be a much better solution.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Yeah,

They sure have stepped up their game!

There are a few consumables that I always pick up (gloves, big Tywraps)

Abrasives and cutting tools still suck.

But their fine tooth composite ratchets are my goto in winter when steel tools remind me how many broken bones I have in my hands.

Way back when, it was "Jap Crap", then the Taiwanese, then the Chinese tools that were barely serviceable.

Now even India is making decent stuff.

China will make anything to a cost for anybody.

Harbor Freight has longstanding relationships with these factories, shipping companies, etc.

Eric knows what it takes to be competitive.

And they're selling to the middle AND the bottom of the market.

For a homeowner/hobbyist it's all good.

Are they going after Festool? No I don't think so...

But tradesmen don't point and laugh if you show up with some 'cheap' piece of rarely used equipment.

Mostly because they have a bunch of HF in their garage at home.

Do I come to work with a Harbor Freight tablesaw or slide miter?

Nope.

But my next jobsite compressor is going to be a Fortress.

I have a $20 grinder.that lives with a diamond masonry blade in it, and I can't kill it.

I almost bought one of those harbor freight fortress compressors but went with the bit Kobalt quiet tech from Lowe's. Its my third Kobalt compressor, 2nd quiet tech, and they work really well. The portable quiet tech we can have a conversation next to while it's running.

I have two California Air quiet compressors.

One for trim a d a tiny one for kitchen installs, where I'm only running a pinner.

But I'm looking for something much bigger, that can keep up sheathing or two roofing guns.

The larger Fortress seems to fill that bill.

California Air or Horrible Fate, who will win out?

It's a shame Jenn-air sold out to SBD/DeWalt.

I've had a blue compressor on the job since the '80's, but with any relationship sometimes one partner doesn't keep up their end of the bargain.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Janey has a little Campbell-Hausfeld that she uses to clean lint out of her quilting machine. It was $60 on sale years ago and we realized that it would be less expensive than all the canned air she was buying.

When we got it the fittings leaked and it would cycle on frequently. I took them apart and used my combo of Teflon tape and TFE paste to seal them. That works perfectly and it rarely ever comes on now. But every once in a while it'll come on during the night, and even though it is on the floor above and well away from us it is still NOISY!!!!

So if the Quiet Tech stuff works that would be a much better solution.

Gary,

My tiny California Air replaces a little Thomas that finally gave up, and the repair was more than the new tech Cali.

It is a counter top unit and I think the pressure switch clicking on is louder than it running.

[Gary Lewis]

Gary,

My tiny California Air replaces a little Thomas that finally gave up, and the repair was more than the new tech Cali.

It is a counter top unit and I think the pressure switch clicking on is louder than it running.

Wow! Things have come a looooong way! Janey's is so noisy that when I use it to air tires in the garage I go outside to get away from the noise.

[salans7]

Gary,

My tiny California Air replaces a little Thomas that finally gave up, and the repair was more than the new tech Cali.

It is a counter top unit and I think the pressure switch clicking on is louder than it running.

Wow! Things have come a looooong way! Janey's is so noisy that when I use it to air tires in the garage I go outside to get away from the noise.

I had an old hand me down Campbell Hausfeld that bit the dust a few years back, so I replaced it with a similar size Kobalt. During my absence from trucks or anything mechanical last year, the aluminum manifold decided it had enough and let go. And by let go I mean the thing literally just broke in half sitting all by itself. I didn't notice until I went to use it and the tool pressure control knob came off in my hand, along with part of the aluminum manifold. Not wanting to throw out a good compressor, or replace a crummy manifold with another crummy manifold, I built my own manifold and now have a compressor that should last me a few more years.

[85lebaront2]

I had an old hand me down Campbell Hausfeld that bit the dust a few years back, so I replaced it with a similar size Kobalt. During my absence from trucks or anything mechanical last year, the aluminum manifold decided it had enough and let go. And by let go I mean the thing literally just broke in half sitting all by itself. I didn't notice until I went to use it and the tool pressure control knob came off in my hand, along with part of the aluminum manifold. Not wanting to throw out a good compressor, or replace a crummy manifold with another crummy manifold, I built my own manifold and now have a compressor that should last me a few more years.

I have a Craftsman upright one I bought used on a local sales site. It had a simple fitting, so I added the setup I had on my old 220V one I had in NN. The compressor puts out 125psi at it's cutoff, I usually regulate it down to 100 psi for most use. We had a new front window installed earlier this year, and when the people came to install it, they had one of the little pancake style ones. I ran him a nice line over as the small line I use for tyre inflation is the size most people have. I had to drop the pressure down to 60psi for his nailers. He did almost the whole job before the compressor cycled.

I have since added a brace to the tank handle to keep the dryer/regulator/oiler from shifting.

[ctubutis]

I have a Craftsman upright one I bought used on a local sales site. It had a simple fitting, so I added the setup I had on my old 220V one I had in NN. The compressor puts out 125psi at it's cutoff, I usually regulate it down to 100 psi for most use.

I still have that exact same compressor! I bought it new at Sears in 2005.

[fords4life]

I have a Craftsman upright one I bought used on a local sales site. It had a simple fitting, so I added the setup I had on my old 220V one I had in NN. The compressor puts out 125psi at it's cutoff, I usually regulate it down to 100 psi for most use.

I still have that exact same compressor! I bought it new at Sears in 2005.

Didn't snap any photos tonight, but I finished getting the front of the fresh cleaned up and sprayed it all with Rustoleum Rust Reformer. Also got the radius arms, i-beams, and spindles started along with some engine brackets. I'll get top coat on that stuff tomorrow along with painting calipers and rotors.