Cmmarshall
Member
I see a lot of disdain on this site for harbor freight and their discount tools. But I have to say, my lathe, drill press, belt and disc sander combo, bench grinder and countless small tools have not only saved me tons of money, but they work flawlessly and many have for years now. I understand some people get a bad apple on occasion, but it isn't just a HF issue. I have bought brand name, well respected tools that have failed within days of purchase and had to send them back.
Take the 10 x 18 lathe I purchased into account. MT 2, variable speed, belt driven, plenty of horsepower, perfect out of the box, centers lines up and I have never had to adjust or repair a thing. (Also, compare to the Excelsior lathe, I think you will find it is the EXACT same lathe).
My drill press works perfect every time, small tools never have failed, bench grinder I've had for years never has let me down and the list goes on.
I'm just saying, some of us don't have thousands of dollars to spend on tools, though I assure you we wish we did. But if I did, I would still bargain hunt, compare and purchase the tool with the most bang for my buck. Regardless of the brand name.
Just keep in mind when you call tools junk, that just because you wouldn't own it doesn't mean the next guy can't make gorgeous pens, top notch bowls, flawless spindles and plenty of other high quality pieces with it.
I have saved thousands in tools buying low priced, quality products. Thousands I have undoubtedly spent buying materials to play with. Ha.
Take the 10 x 18 lathe I purchased into account. MT 2, variable speed, belt driven, plenty of horsepower, perfect out of the box, centers lines up and I have never had to adjust or repair a thing. (Also, compare to the Excelsior lathe, I think you will find it is the EXACT same lathe).
My drill press works perfect every time, small tools never have failed, bench grinder I've had for years never has let me down and the list goes on.
I'm just saying, some of us don't have thousands of dollars to spend on tools, though I assure you we wish we did. But if I did, I would still bargain hunt, compare and purchase the tool with the most bang for my buck. Regardless of the brand name.
Just keep in mind when you call tools junk, that just because you wouldn't own it doesn't mean the next guy can't make gorgeous pens, top notch bowls, flawless spindles and plenty of other high quality pieces with it.
I have saved thousands in tools buying low priced, quality products. Thousands I have undoubtedly spent buying materials to play with. Ha.