Has Harbor Freight jumped the shark?

[Baddog]

I went to a Harbor Freight in York Pa. to pick up a floor jack the customer service was terrible . I ask the manager if the sale was still on he said no and if I didn’t like the price he would put it back . I needed the jack so I bought it but I will not go back . I guess good help is hard to fine .

 

[tuckerdog1]

Doing my best, to NOT buy made in China. Had a HF greenhouse for several years. It was recently beat to crap by a hailstorm. Could have replaced it on the cheap with another HF greenhouse, but paid almost double the HF price to get one same size, made in Israel.

 

[mike.t]

Maybe I am just old (well, I actually am, but I digress as usual), but the whole Harbor Freight thing just never grabbed me. Several friends have told me they have the greatest deals, etc., justifying the prices with the "so cheap, you can throw it away if/when it quits". Call me crazy, but I guess I just don't want tools that face a certain and premature death.

My lovely and gracious wife accompanied me to one of their stores last year, just to see what the hype was about. Pittsburgh tools not made in Pittsburgh, Chicago Electric tools that were powered by electricity, but not made in Chicago. Of course, there were the incredible Predator generators (quieter than a Honda at a single digit percentage of the price ), of which can also be discarded when they stop working.

Oh, well...

For those of us that can't afford the big boy tools $ HF is fine, use them a few times a year, work great, name of the tool? Does it matter if it works? Not for the pro, but good enough for the average guy/gal.
Tell your wife I said hi and happy and safe holidays to both of you.;o)

 

[ramosans]

Get the app you will have all coupons you will need. Also search their webpage for the item you want Print or download coupon to your phone and use at the register. COVID is affecting printing and mailing.

 

[DavidWJ]

I have LEO family in California and I've heard from them that many business owners both small and big are leaving because of high cost of doing business or closing because of no business due to COVID. That leaves less competition and discounts go away and prices go up.

I'll second (and third) that! Life long Californians are leaving because of the insanity, and I'm one of them.
By the way, Harbor Freight does online shopping with $10 no-limit shipping per order.

 

[Donniesoup]

As a 30 year retail worker no they haven’t “jumped the shark”. The 15% off was for everything including generators, predator brand, everything no exceptions. I receive emails almost daily with their current promos. If you want 20% off go tho their website and print or show the cashier at the register. I shop there often and no, I do not work for them.

 

[NMWildcat]

I went to a Harbor Freight in York Pa. to pick up a floor jack the customer service was terrible . I ask the manager if the sale was still on he said no and if I didn’t like the price he would put it back . I needed the jack so I bought it but I will not go back . I guess good help is hard to fine .

And this is HF's fault how? Sounds like you felt entitled to a sale price that no longer existed.....
At HF, all you have to do is pay attention and usually in a few days/weeks the 'sale' price will be back.

 

[bkbonner]

Just bought a 35ah battery for my trailer mover

Just saw a 20% off coupon in HGTV magazine, and Handyman Magazine.

I attached a copy.

Since Sears has is no longer. I pickup Pittsburgh hand tools vs. Craftsman. I miss Craftsman tools.

They have some good deals and some meh deals.

 

[bkbonner]

I just bought two of those bags too! Good size for organizing stuff in the garage or basement of the RV.

 

[snoopdogg1]

I went in last week with the 15% off coupon to get a 3500 Predator. As mentioned above, the 20% usually excludes these and many other items.
The cashier searched for all available coupons and current/prior sales and I ended up getting it for $539 instead of the usual $799 or sale price of $769.
I dont know what that cashier found, but it was impressive.
I do think that this is a factor of the specific store or manager way of doing business, this one is very customer focused and luckily 5 miles away.

 

[KyDan]

You were really lucky to get that much off with a coupon!!
My local HF recently denied my little 20% off coupon due to the fine print on the coupon.
I was just buying a roll of mig wire at regular price but coupon fine print said no so store said no.
Got a measly 50¢ off a pair of gloves....
I still shop there occasionally but the coupons have lost most of the luster from a few years ago.

 

[gusmom]

We are in North Central Texas and have received great service and deals from all of our area Harbor Freight stores and personnel. About 1.5 years ago we purchased a Predator 3500 inverter generator on sale. The manager actually told us to purchase the extended warranty, and then before it expires, return the generator to the store and exchange for a new one for whatever reason. We did just that and maybe 3 weeks ago returned the first one for a replacement. No questions asked. We forgot that we needed to empty all the fuel from ours before they could take it. One of their employees actually assisted my husband in the parking lot with draining the fuel, and then loaded the new generator into our truck bed. We purchased another warranty and will exchange again in another 1.5 years. Not a bad deal to always have a new or almost new generator!

 

[Dsimes]

I still receive regular emails and publications with sales and coupons and free items. I also see 20% off coupons on my car magazines and home improvement magazines. At least the Ohio stores are still offering them for now. Who knows with the way COVID is destroying the economy though.

 

[Dsimes]

Just saw a 20% off coupon in HGTV magazine, and Handyman Magazine.

I attached a copy.

Since Sears has is no longer. I pickup Pittsburgh hand tools vs. Craftsman. I miss Craftsman tools.

They have some good deals and some meh deals.

Our Lowes here in Ohio has a huge Craftsman tool isle! The craftsman display is larger than their own Kobalt tool line.

 

[SetauketJeff]

Not a bench press. Just a big metal vise, similar to this one.

Yup, meant vise, was thinking about using it as a press. I have a 12" vise on my workbench in my garage. And sometimes that's not large enough to accommodate the part I'm working on and the two sockets. Have even used two spaced plates on the extract side.

 

[SetauketJeff]

Not a bench press. Just a big metal vise, similar to this one.

I was even thinking about picking this up:

 

[TitanMike]

Our Lowes here in Ohio has a huge Craftsman tool isle! The craftsman display is larger than their own Kobalt tool line.

Craftsman was sold to Stanley/Black and Decker so you'll see Craftsman almost everywhere you see the Stanley or Black and Decker line.

Sears has died pretty much the same death as an Elephant being eaten by Pygmies. One bite at a time.

 

[Retired Dave]

Has Harbor Frieght Tools jumped the shark?

I have noticed changes...retiring yellow flyer, no 20% off coupon, no free stuff, better deals elsewhere, less friendly staff, bigger overhead...is anyone else noticing a trend that feels like the end of Harbor Freight Tools?

I just went today and hey were bragging about a 15% off on everything coupon. Turns out it was the same old 20% off coupon..but now only 15%

Is this just me?

It's not just you. HF has begun marketing higher priced tools, tool chests, compressors, and they've put many of their standard tools, like the Pittsburgh brand, on closeout. I was shocked to see their torque wrenches are a hundred bucks and up.

 

[mike.t]

Remember when Kia and Hyundai sold cheap cars? You get a big enough following you can start selling (slowly) better and higher-priced items and slowly get rid of the cheap ones that got you going.

 

[Larry-NC]

Sort of

It's not just you. HF has begun marketing higher priced tools, tool chests, compressors, and they've put many of their standard tools, like the Pittsburgh brand, on closeout. I was shocked to see their torque wrenches are a hundred bucks and up.

I just bought a Pittsburgh torque wrench on sale for $9.99 and used a 25% coupon to do it. The sales are fewer and further between, but they are still there. My thought is that these are mostly COVID-based changes, although the new lines may crowd out the old simply due to limited shelf space. On the other hand, if users reject the higher-priced lines, the original lines may push out the higher-priced ones.