anyone have any luck w/harbor freight compressor or mig welders. I know my dad had got a blaster, cut off , and air hammer bout 10yrs ago. and i think they all still work, though they may not have a rustangs worth of work on them?

 

You get what you pay for.

 

1/2 price made in china no good. have seen the ones i want lincoln mig @ home creapo $ 4hudo n either portercable comp or craftsman pro4-6. I need a job b4 i can make a purchase like that.

anybody have good tools that didn't cost them thousands?

 

Harbor freight stuff is always real hit or miss with me...

 

I have their pancake compressor and it is ok for a cheapie. It is about 2 years old now and still working. As for mig welder, the HF ones honestly are not very good. I bought a miller and after several years it is still working great.

 

Things like hand tools are ok its hard to mess up a screw driver.But power tools i only buy name brand.

 

Stick with a oil-filled compressor. The oil free ones are louder than sin and your neighbors will hate you. Never tried an HF welder (Chicago Electric), but by all accounts they are pretty lousy (including duty cycle).

As for their other items, I've had pretty good success overall. I'm on the same cheapo $20 angle grinder that I've used the heck out of on my Jeep. Also, the small specialty tools like angle finders, $2.99 multimeter, pneumatic grease gun, drill bits ... they're all fine for hobbyists who want to fill their toolbox without the expectation of using them daily or making a living with them. YMMV.

FWIW, I'd find a used Lincoln/Miller/Hobart welder that uses shielding gas and don't look back at the HF stuff.