Oh no!

[LCHIEN]

My daughter informed me yesterday that she saw a sign that there's a HF store coming to a location about 2-miles from my house in Katy.

The longish distance to the other HF stores in the Houston area has probably saved me money in the past.

I really don't need any more tools.

[chopnhack]

Don't worry, you will take a long look at many of their items and determine that you really don't need it...

[leehljp]

Shortly after the HF came to the south Memphis area, I discovered I didn't need them as much as I thought. I am however, re-discovering that it is cheaper to buy there for my daughter and S-I-L's "around their house" tool needs than to loan my own tools.

[Mr__Bill]

My daughter informed me yesterday that she saw a sign that there's a HF store coming to a location about 2-miles from my house in Katy.

The longish distance to the other HF stores in the Houston area has probably saved me money in the past.

I really don't need any more tools.

But, now when someone asks to borrow, you can point them to HF.... You loose fewer tools and some not really friends.

Bill
on the left coast in the rain

[BadeMillsap]

Loring

How far from Fulshear? My daughter and S-I-L just built a house in Cross Creek Ranch and he NEEDS all KINDS of stuff

[atgcpaul]

I have pretty much all the tools I need, too, but when you need that one time use tool in a hurry, there's no other place more convenient to me than HF. The two HDs are 3 and 5 miles away. Lowes is also 5 miles away.

Where I used to live the two different HFs were 30-40 mile round trips for me in not so good parts of town. Going there was a luxury because there was nothing else of interest in between that I could justify the trip. Our new place is about a mile from the closest HF (maybe that should have been a sign to buy elsewhere) but it's also next to a large Asian grocery store we frequent as well as a Trader Joes and the mall and I get a 20% off coupon in the weekly circulars--every week.

I don't think you'll be drawn in all the time, but you'll appreciate the convenience.

[cwsmith]

Having a Harbour Freight store closer sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

I know that there's a lot of negative stuff said about HF, and I use to be one of those. My own opinion at that time was based on other opinions though and the observation that the mailer prices that I'd seen simply couldn't be for anything but "junk".

However, now that I have a HF store only three miles away I've found myself wonderfully surprised. That's not to say that some of the stuff there is very poor, but it doesn't take an expert to tell the difference and one finds themselfs soon appreciative of what a great store the place is.

I simply don't know of anywhere else in NY's southern tier that I could buy some of the things that I have found there and to date, there's only been a couple of items that I've been disappointed in enough to return.

CWS

[newbie2wood]

On the plus side:

You can load up on the freebies (mini-flashlights, screwdriver sets, work gloves, volt meters, tape measures). Well, not totally free but getting a tape measure or volt meter with a .99 cent package of super glue is not a bad deal (don't forget the 20% off coupon).

[LCHIEN]

Loring

How far from Fulshear? My daughter and S-I-L just built a house in Cross Creek Ranch and he NEEDS all KINDS of stuff

About 14 miles

[capncarl]

HF is about 150 miles round trip for me so I have to plan the trips. I've not seen anyone on this site mention their Toggle Clamps. Suprising to me because that is a valuable tool for jig hold downs. At $5 each compared to $10 to $20 elsewhere, they are a bargan and compare in quality. We use to have a traveling tool show come to town 3-4 times a year that sold about the same stuff as HF, named Homier tools, wonder if it is the same co.?
capncarl

[frumper64]

No, I believe Homier is a separate, though similar, company. They used to come around here every year or so too, but I haven't seen them in the last two or three years.

[leehljp]

HF is about 150 miles round trip for me so I have to plan the trips. I've not seen anyone on this site mention their Toggle Clamps. Suprising to me because that is a valuable tool for jig hold downs. At $5 each compared to $10 to $20 elsewhere, they are a bargan and compare in quality.
capncarl

I have some of their toggle clamps. Does great!

[phrog]

Great for cheap one-time use tools. I was working on the house and needed a sander but did not want to use my PC; so I bought a HF for $8. Used it for several days and just as I finished, dropped it from the ladder. Had it been my PC, I would still be crying.

[chopnhack]

HF is about 150 miles round trip for me so I have to plan the trips. I've not seen anyone on this site mention their Toggle Clamps. Suprising to me because that is a valuable tool for jig hold downs. At $5 each compared to $10 to $20 elsewhere, they are a bargan and compare in quality. We use to have a traveling tool show come to town 3-4 times a year that sold about the same stuff as HF, named Homier tools, wonder if it is the same co.?
capncarl

Thanks for pointing out the less expensive toggles Have you used any for jigs? The specs show that the clamping capacity is only 1/4" on one model and 5/16" on the other... I guess you could always pad under the entire toggle to lift it when necessary. I thought that other manufacturers toggles had a greater capacity.

[Pappy]

About the only thing I buy at HF now is things like tarps on sale, acid brushes, and nitrile gloves. The do have some 10" pneumatic wheels/tires on sale for $5. I have some 8" ones that I got free, but they all need tubes. The HF sets are cheaper than the tubes.