is that for carving your pumpkin this year?

I've used this one a few times and it's been reliable and consistent and less than $15.00.

WIN!

Flex Drive Compression Tester
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1350437808

Their electric long shaft die grinder. Major win. I have ground pounds of aluminum and steel with this thing and can't kill it. Comparable to Milwaukee and Dewalt of the same tool.

For grinders go with Metabo, German made. I like the 6" but they also make a 4". You can steal these off Ebay from time to time.

realizing joe already posted it -

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1353426958

i had quite a different experience with this - i was all happy to find a grinder for just $20
i started to use it to cut my endlinks off - i barely got into the first cut when this thing shot sparks out the side and failed
after that it just poped and farted when i would try to turn it back on
i went to sears and got a craftsman to finish the job

I think that is the grinder that I have used for the past 2+ years with no problem. Why didn't you just take it back and see if they would exchange it.

My cheap Chicago electric corded drill started spitting out sparks and smoking some. I just let it cool off a bit then when back to drilling.

to be honest i had a pile of receipts from the tools and stuff i had to buy - combined with the parts receipts and some how i lost the harbor freight one
kinda sucks b/c i bought extra wheels for it too

anyone purchase one of these? interested in buying the 134.99 lathe.

Wood Lathes | Find the Best Wood Lathe For Your Money at Harbor Freight

The lower priced two are absolute crap. Go for the one for $200, and you can make pens & wine stoppers. If you want to make bigger stuff, you need a bigger lathe.

Surprisingly, the cheap HSS lathe tools are okay once you figure out how to sharpen them correctly.

BTW, I have a Jet lathe, pretty much the same as the smaller $200 model shown.

Here's a pic of my first pen, which I still use. All the subsequent ones have been given away as gifts.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1353433996


It's rosewood, and a Woodcraft gold slimline kit. Since then, I buy my pen kits online (eBay) for much cheaper.

Now I am aware that pen kits exist.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1353444005

Need advice. Harbor freight welding blankets: win or fail?

I figure win since 50% cheaper than closest competitor and it's not mechanical. I imagine it won't shread the eyelets in a day or catch fire and burn my garage down? Anyone have one?

They look fine. If you have any problems you can increase their effectiveness by soaking them with water. What are you tying to stop sparks from hitting?

Hey Jeff, I actually just bought them from the store by you on 59. They'll be shielding the garage door and other car in the garage. They look good and I think I got 1/100 of this amount of exhaust heat wrap for the same price a few years ago. Ha!

Hey guys, advice needed.

I am looking at buying an engine hoist (for my car, nothing drastic and huge). I remember seeing one on these pages, but was curious if anyone had anymore insight to give.

Make sure you get something 5 tons or up. Odds are you'll forget few lines and hoses here and there... a 5 ton or up will ensure you get the engine out without worry. :party:

Go to the local barnes and noble or boarders and find a copy of Super Street. In there will be an add for HF on one of the pages. One of the coupons will be an engine hoist for $99 and also a 20% off coupon. You want to cut them both out of the magazine and then put it back on the shelf. That hoist is perfect for pulling the miata engine out.

Pulled 2 BP's, multiple KA's (cuz they suck), a 4g63, a vg30, and a 2jz, 4.0l out of a jeep plus i'm sure a bunch of other stuff all with the same HF hoist. Just one guy in a group of friends owns it and loans it out to all of us for our task. I'm waiting to find a v8 to pull with it. lol Seems to be holding up so far. Welds look like total garbage, but they're holding. It also jacks slow, but i think it's just low on fluid.

40 Lb. Capacity Floor Blast Cabinet
Central Pneumatic - Item#68893

WIN @ $170 on sale w/20% off coupon
The HF site has a lot of buyer comments that bring the score down because it leaks, but as several mention the key is sealing up the unit during assembly. It comes as a stack of flat panels and loads of hardware. I sealed every panel joint and hole with silicone and have used it at least ten times now and does not leak at all. No dust w/o any vacuum system. The only negative is that the included light is on the weak side. My 60 gal single stage compressor has no issue keeping up either. Yay.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1362747940

If you mean like this one:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1362751687
10" Random Orbit Waxer/Polisher
I bought one last year and it works fine. I have used it to polish two cars, and also to polish out the hull on a friend's boat. i am not sure what all of the low reviews on the HF site are about but I (and someone I lent it to) have been pleased with it. It works much better than a purely rotary polisher for polishing out paint and what not. That is generally true with rotary versus random orbital.

Here is another HF item while I am at it...

WIN
Utility Trailer 4'x8' - Heavy Duty Folding Utility Trailer
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1362752531
I bought one of these several years ago when I was road racing motorcycles and hauled it collectively thousands of miles with my bike on top. The fold up feature is great if you have limited garage space.

No real issues at all. The wiring it comes with is sort of weak like the wiring that comes with most trailer light kits. i replaced it by hacking up a cheap 120V extension cord. Also it comes COMPLETELY disassembled and it will take you the good part of a day to assemble it.

Variable Speed Rotary Tool Kit

WIN so far @ $25

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1362754631

I'm cheap, so I bought this instead of a Dremel because it's only $25. I've gotten 2-3 hours out of it so far, nothing serious, but it is still holding up. It's not perfect, as some of the accessories are hard to change out due to being almost exactly the same size as the biggest the hole can get, but it still works.

I haven't cranked it all the way up, so I'm not sure how it performs at '11', but on the bright side I haven't had to, it has plenty of power at 4-5.

I just recently got their 750lb engine stand.

Its very basic, but works great and for $46 bucks (currently on sale) its a no-brainer. Definitely recommend.

I don't have success with any rotary tools. I have burned up two genuine Dremel tools and one HF one like what you posted. My latest battery operated Dremel has lasted me the longest and has the best accessories I've used, except the batteries have been a PITA to charge since new. +1 to the cheap corded rotary tool.

Yeah I haven't exactly strained it either, mostly just plastic shit (like enlarging the headphone jack hole on my phone case). That's why it's a 'win so far'. Also I'd say I got my $25 out of it, so in that sense it's a win.

The 2 ton, low pro high lift jack from HF. SO MUCH WIN. Let me just jack up the car from the diff without hitting the bumper. It does weigh almost 100 pounds though, so shop only jack.

2" x 50 yards Flame Retardant Aluminum Foil Tape - $6.99
WIN

2" x 50 yards Flame Retardant Aluminum Foil Tape
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1362762164


This convenient aluminum foil tape makes a vapor- and moisture-proof seal to secure boxes for moving, packages for mailing, quick fixes and is also suitable for permanent sealing. The aluminum foil tape is a flame retardant acrylic adhesive to provide a safe, secure seal. This aluminum foil tape is sure to come in handy for a variety of applications in any home, shop or garage.

Makes a vapor- and moisture-proof seal
Suitable for permanent sealing
High tack
Flame retardant acrylic adhesive
thick


I use this tape for heat shielding small hoses, lines and other components from turbine and exhaust pipe heat, including underneath the driver's floorboard. It is reflective and protects well against radiant heat. I also use it to seal up seams and edges around the bumper mouth, intercooler, and radiator. The glue does not get soft and run when it gets really hot - no sticky residue and it stays stuck.

Nice one on the tape. I'll be buying some of that next time I am there.

Agreed, if you don't leave it outside. If you do, it will fade to pink in about 5 weeks. But it does the job, even hauling a lot more than the weight limit specifies. Kinda bouncy towing it unloaded, but it's light enough that it really isn't too bad. I've had mine for at least 5 years.

Oh, and take the bearings out and repack them with real grease before using.

And buy the LED lighting kit right away. The stock lights, at least on the smaller trailer are complete garbage. LED kit is awesome. And picking up a spare while you're there might not be a bad idea either. Now sure if anyone noticed but that trailer is $100 off this weekend.

I had one sitting with a SBC (longblock) on it for 6-8 years in the back of my garage. Other than a bit of surface rust on the bolts, it held up fine.

Still have it, because I can't get anyone to buy it off CL.

I've considered it. My lights are both JB welded together, because when you let the trailer tip, they hit the ground if it isn't an even surface. Both lights in the rear have been broken off several times. I solved the problem by bolting a piece of 2x4 underneath the back frame.

I've wrapped most of the rubber lines on the hotside with it to prevent failure due to heat hardening of the rubber. Well, the ones that weren't already sleeved with the expensive sleeving.

It sticks well to itself, too.

Sorry, no. That is known as a "wax spreader" for various reasons including it's whopping .75 amps of pad struggling power. It's fine if you are just smearing some nu-finish around, but it wont cut clearcoat.

this is the one:

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/c...mage_20973.jpg

6" Variable Speed Dual Action Polisher

5.7 amps and mucho nacho. Not to mention it doesn't have a female pleasure device on the handle. Which the other one might actually work well as.

The HF heat shrink ring terminals are pure tits. It's a damn shame they don't make them in butt connectors, or I'd have used them for everything on my car. They're adhesive lined too, so you can yank the hell out of them without an issue.

10 Pack 14-16 Gauge Watertight Heat-Shrink Ring Terminals

10 Pack 14-16 Gauge Watertight Heat-Shrink Butt Connectors

???

Sorry I have to disagree. I use it to pleasure myself all the time.

The marine grade heat shrink is also the tits, it too is adhesive lined. The normal heat shrink blows dick.

Got a link on a good vendor for the heat shrink?

Harbor Freight Tools ;)

Well i guess i meant more like a direct link but i take it thats it?

42 Piece Marine Heat Shrink Tubing

touche! in the derriere!

i almost never use anything but 1/8

Anyone have experience with this:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1371223557

18 Volt Cordless Impact Wrench

or this:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1371223557

1/2" 18 Volt Cordless Impact Wrench


I'm going to do a clutch job on my prelude soon, using this as excuse to buy a battery powered impact finally and wanted to know if the HF ones were any good.

I have the top one. Its not as good as my friends long snout old version, but its still good enough to easily zip off miata bell housing, PPF, FW, etc bolts. I mainly use it for lug nuts. Its not a monster like some of the $400 electric impacts with 850lbft or breaking torque but its good enough for most things.

No experience on the bottom one. It uses the newer battery that is the same as all the other HF 18v stuff. And those batteries are really easy to find in the store.

I'll just use it for bell housing bolts and lugnuts and such, simple jobs. I'll probably opt for the newer style. I'll be picking up the trusty tranny jack as well.

I ended up with the later, I didnt even see the former. Out of the box it removed lugnuts off my car, so I satisfied so far; I figure I'll eventually buy the drill and impact driver that uses the same batteries.

The charger does not have an auto shutoff, but it at least has an indicator that tells you when it's charged.

Picked up a tranny jack as well and a dead blow hammer; having a harbor freight store locally is going to be troublesome...too many cheap things in one store.

:giggle:

You know my tag team's finishing move is the Tranny Press, right?

I thought the sawzall slam was your guyths signature

nope, while that's in the rotation, the tranny press is our specialty. We will be performing together again at the end of Aug, we will even be in our costumes.

anyways, so far the impact is working well; the charger doesn't self shut-off, but it at least has a "fully charged" indicator. The packaging suggests a 90 minute charge time.

And the tranny jack is great, used it before with much success.

The boostin bangers will be showing the Texas crew how it is done.

Can't give this a win or fail, but a 4/10.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1371690434

It works, but falls apart real fast, and shoots shit everywhere. (bits of the pads)
The best i've used were from Global Abrasive Products. High quality, and affordable.

I think it depends on locallity. The HF in worcester has norton/st gobain abrasives stuff, maybe because Norton was founded here and still has a plant. The norton/st gobain ones of those are the ones we use in the shop, feels like the last forever.

Mine got destroyed in about 10 minutes use. The GAP ones at work last hours.

I'll try some more just because they're affordable, and can be found easily. I don't do to much metal work at home anyway. Either way. Still better than a solid grinding disc.

win:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-L...o/DSC_9408.JPG

^ That, should be an advertisement for harbor freight.

Uh yeah, I'd call it a fail. Quality grinding and sanding wheels that don't fall apart while spinning at 10,000rpm are not that expensive and not something I would recommend cheaping out on.

i came in here to talk about an extension cord i bought at hf but then realized i had more electrical questions than hf opinions on their extension cord.
i live in an apt and have an ac in the living room.
there's no outlet in there so i've ran an extension cord from the ac to the wall.
after a few months of this setup, the breaker tripped...
after some troubleshooting with the ac, the breakers, different circuits (is that what they're called? the outlets on one breaker is a circuit? and then other outlets on a different breaker is a different circuit?) and the cord, i've found that the extension cord is what's causing the problem.

i just assume there's nothing i can do to fix a cord that trips breakers, so i've thrown that in the trash, but then i wonder about a few things...

the fuse for the ac was 3.15al/250v, BUT THE EXTENSION CORD was only rated at 125v - is that a problem?
amp rating on the cord was 1250w and idk how many watts the ac is...

so idk if this is a win or fail or user error because idk anything about electricity.
also i shouldn't have the fucker plugged into an extension cord anyway, right?

oh well.

i used a hf jack and stands the other day - woot

the length and girth of an extension cord matters.

too long
too skinny
in retrospect, i think it was a 16/3 cable that's waaaaaaaaaay too long - 100'