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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- Time keeps marching on and things change, only time will tell how Harbor Freights new strategies will go for them, we know their changes of late have been controversial!
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This video definitely ended up being more of a rant/discussion about Harbor Freight in general vs getting into specifics. Read the end of this comment for finishing thoughts and things I missed, BUT if you want to see a few videos more focused specifically on the coupons and savings aspect of this check out these informative videos by Justin Dow, Den Of Tools & Client Graphics as they all are more informed on the current situation than I am. The subject just got me thinking!
Justin Dow's Video: th-cam.com/video/mavXgVHv02U/w-d-xo.html
Den Of Tools Video: th-cam.com/video/kU8HsBQ99vM/w-d-xo.html
Client Graphics Video: th-cam.com/video/Zc1Ae1G9clo/w-d-xo.html
To mention a few more things I may not have said or didn't say clearly, we all kind of understand at this point Harbor Freight sells their tools in lines of "Good"(Pittsburgh), "Better"(Pittsburg Pro), "Best"(ICON). We all know Icon still isn't actually at a high enough level to be classified as best and while there are many great Pittsburgh & Pittsburgh Pro tools out there many of them are not. My opinion is they would be better off improving the lines they have in a way that is affordable to them vs trying to jump up to a whole new market without having finished a solid foundation first.
I said this on another channel a video on this same topic. The catalog and the coupons are what bring you in to the store, and gets you excited. Moving away from that it's just another big box stores even tho it's really not. I feel like it's turning into a Menard's for tools. A lot of too much and an "in store only rebate program" which sucks if you don't know Menard's rebate program
Harbor Freight has massively expanded over the last decade, and have probably picked up a ton of debt in the process. The old marketing model (cheap, cheap, cheap) was not cutting it any more for their bottom line, and so this move up the scale. I don't see this as a bad thing, as I can still get their good quality cheap tools (and there are a lot of them). Any HF veteran knows what to avoid after awhile.
As far as their coupons and free stuff, well those were nice, but not a game changer for me. Overall, I still enjoy the store, and will continue to shop there as the need arises. I've kind of reached the saturation point, tool wise, and have everything I need, so my trips there have been on the decline for that reason, and not the product mix issue. I expect there are a lot of people in my situation.
Like you just said though, "Any HF veteran knows what to avoid". I think they would be better off staying catering to the affordable side of things and spend that extra money improving the product lines and shitty things they have on the shelf now vs still offering it as their low end option. Bump the price another 20% or so if they need to if it costs that much more to get right but it just is silly to still be offering some absolute garbage across the shelf from ICON.
@@GearHeadsGarageChannel Agree with everything you say here. There's a point of cheapness where tools simply don't function as intended any more, and I don't know why any retailer would want to be associated with them.
Yeah I can agree with the saturation issue. Mostly now I use them for consumables, welder tips, cut off wheels gloves, glasses, sandpaper, etc.
@@jimmulone2422 Funny cus most of those consumables I am not happy with lol its mostly hand tools and a few specialty tools I like from them.
As a DIYer I have a mix of good quality tools and harbor freight tools, when working on something I find I need a tool today and can’t wait for an online order so I go to harbor freight usually with a coupon, not sure how I feel about it now
I think with the offer of a higher quality tool line they are trying to Capture the new mechanics just starting out along with the more serious diys
Well, harbor freight isn't a bad option to get tools, especialy for something not use too much and save money. But for the price of "ICON", I'll go with Tekton.
The good thing with all this is HF is still owned by the 1 guy that started it when he was only 16 yrs old. It's not like the "big box" or high-end co's that have multiple people in charge. So if these new changes FAIL it can change back quickly. The biggest "downfall" in this new shift (IMO) is the end of the paper-cat. When you go to HF take a look around at the people in there. Most of them are 40yrs and older. Retired Tinkers. People on a Budget. Professionals in a hurry to grab a replacement tool to get the job done while they are waiting for their Expensive Tools to be warrantied. People not looking to make lifetime commitments on the tools they are buying. People that don't want to rely on the Internet (tech) for shopping, warranty, discounts, etc etc etc. When I used to get those paper catalogs from them I could sit on the toilet in the morning and see all the tools on 1 page that I'm looking for. If I look it up on the net, I only see the one I'm looking for. If that catalog is just sitting there, I'll open it and look at it. If I have to go to the net to look at it, I'll look at other things. Since they've started this now....... I don't think about HF as much as I used to.
As for the "higher end" stuff like ICON and what not...... it's too close (in $) to other tried and true brands IMO. Tekton for example. It's easy to warranty (like HF), it's an old USA company with a lot of there stuff still made here, and they are very close in prices. You tend to find the full line of Tekton in your local "Farm & Ranch Stores" as that is and always has been their target consumer.
Great points! and yes my Tekton things have held up well so far.
Ranchers and farmers are very cool people. They have Tractor supply where I'm at, and I always feel like I get a fair deal there. Same with the big HF
And you know: what man doesn't like sitting on the can and looking at a good tool catalog?
At our age thats damn near nirvana 😂
Well said! Good points, especially that few will buy HF items at higher prices. If you're paying hi money, why would you ever buy less than the accepted best brands?
I'm a life-long tool junkie, AND a retiree from an auto dealer but in parts, not service. Pro mechanics will N-E-V-E-R buy HF stuff, especially boxes, largely from peer pressure. Our guys razzed the livin' tar out of anyone with less than Snap-On, Mac, or Matco. Personally, for hand tools I won't buy anything less than Craftsman or from anyone that doesn't have a REAL forever warranty, meaning no questions & no receipt. HF's is a joke - who's gonna have a readable receipt after 20 yrs? And if the identical item is NA, it's money back instead? Or wait for one to ship? Useless, especially since they change brands.
But for oddball & misc tools, plus cheap power tools, HF has been awesome. Also for sacrificial tools, the ones you modify for a task. Again, price is key. Buying a $20 Chicago Electric "dispose-a-tool" is one thing, but some of the recent brands are close to the prices af Dewalt, Bosch, etc. At that point, why would you NOT buy the real thing?
The coupons are an essential part of their attraction too. I'd stop in just because I was nearby, usually purchase something with the 20-off coupon & often more than one item. It was fun, kind of a game. Now some of the current coupons are just insulting, so is the push for ITC membership. Like I'm gonna pay for the privilege of paying MORE than everyone did before? Not happening.
And the store was always busy, 2 or more cashiers & lines. Now, 1 cashier no waiting. Ever. Store manager says this change has KILLED his location. They are very definitely losing sales volume around here.
Sorry for being long-winded above, I've just never seen a company intentionally turn loyal customers into near enemies before
I did break a Pittsburgh impact socket and one of the adapters and all I did was walk in and they gave me new ones. Gotta love that!
I will say if you shop online, for now at least, coupon finding apps like Honey and Capital One do a great job of finding lots of discounts.
Overall, they're still selling the cheap tools, and they're just expanding to offer higher lines, so as of now I'm not that concerned.
Yeah I know they are still selling the cheaper stuff, just think it is strange and dont know how successful they will be with changing their image and selling a lot of ICON stuff when they are still selling the crappy stuff on the other side of the shelf. Some of the pittsburgh and pitts pro stuff is great but some of it isnt, I think theyd do better fixing the issues with the tools they already have been selling for years and get those lines worked out before adding a new one.
@@GearHeadsGarageChannel Yeah I definitely agree with that! Like you, I won't buy their more expensive brands, because I would spend that money on a more reputable brand instead. Focusing on fixing their cheap tools that aren't great and making them as good as they can be for the money would really put a shine on their reputation.
First impressions are hard to change. However I love the tool boxes I replaced my 1980s craftsman with them and was impressed by the quality. As far as hand tools I still own craftsman and some snap on.
Hate to double post but thought I'd toss this out. My 9-5 job for 15+ yrs was selling guns. I had a 300 Weatherby Mark in my display case for 13 of those yrs. It was WAY expensive, my total Top Shelf rifle. It was also listed at My Cost. Zero Profit for me, yet it was still too expensive for my customers to buy. When it finally did sell I brought another RIGHT in for the same "my cost" zero profit, because that super expensive zero margin rifle sold a hell of a lot of Savages I made bank on. I hope that HF is using their upper-end (low margin) stuff to drive the sales of their lower-end (high margin) stuff. But only time will tell.
Savage arms make a great gun I have a few of them in bolt action and for the money they are well worth it.
Personally I always forget there is a coupon and am going on my phone trying to download it in line. I like harbor freight because it harbor freight not really the coupons Wich usaly cover nothing anyway.
What 😳
No more free flashlight.
That sucks and me in the dark 😕
Better the only thing they need 2 do is sell individual sockets an wrenches 😍😍😍
HF has definitely been riding their high horse. They have improved their cordless lines and introduced new tools but I just can’t justify their purchase because they are not that far off from DeWalt or Milwaukee. I’d much rather get a proven brand with longer warranty. Same thing with Icon , I’d rather get a Gearwrench or other brand and probably find a better deal than Harbor Freight.
They do have some great stuff like floor jacks, General carts & boxes but 95% of what they carry and their price points don’t make sense to me...... especially now without coupons.
Great topic though 👍🏽
Not to mention when it comes to electric tools their battery systems have not stayed consistent. That is the biggest achilles heel for me. I have stuck with milwaukee because they have a giant product line and make great tools for mechanics to use as well as construction and between M12 and M18 battery systems(which I can use the same charger for) I have all I need and all my tools can share batteries.
And yes I bought one of the daytona jacks for my shop it is great 👍
From the tests I've seen on Project Farm and other sites, their higher end cordless stuff is good. But I've been in with the Ryobi 18v system for 20 years, and the Milwaukee M12 for 10, and I'm not going anywhere else at this point. I suspect a major part of their intended market feels the same with whatever brand they've become established with. It's going to be a tough nut for them to crack. I think it would have been better for them to go after the 12v market that Ryobi has never tried to exploit at a lower price point than Milwaukee. The 18ish volt market is saturated at all price levels.
I bought a rotary demo hammer from HF in the 90's and it was definitely not Bosch quality.
Now?
You are missing out if you thumb your nose at them. Hercules and Bauer are just as good as Milwaukee and DeWalt now. They may not offer as many choices, but what they have performs just as well.
I worked on commercial and industrial applications and back then I considered DeWalt sub par. Milwaukee was the only game in town.
Times have changed
I have bought more than a few things from them. I probably only used a coupon 3-4 times. I usually forgot them when I would swing in.
The other thing is I would get the 20% off coupon, but anything you ever wanted to use it on was in the list of exclusions, which pissed me off.
I hope they don’t forget where they came from, but you may be onto something, they may have a new direction. Time will tell.
Jesse, I, for one, value your opinion, so never sell yourself short! I don't have any hand tools from Harbor Freight, so I can't attest to their quality. Although, I saw a review of an LED light that they sell, by a detailer on You Tube (Apex Detailing) who highly recommended it. I'm probably going to buy one. Way back when I was wrenching every day, I built my set with Snap-On tools. There's no arguing that their quality is top-notch. Now that I only work on my own cars, as therapy in retirement, if I need something, I look for GearWrench on Amazon. Their quality seems to be really good. I actually still have the set of Craftsman sockets that my parents gave me when I was 14 years old (back in the 60's!). Keep up the good work.
Thank you for the kind words Stephen I appreciate it! I have continued to build my toolset as I go and have tools from every brand and price range, Snap On hand tools are great but I also havent broken any of the cheaper stuff I have yet so I still dont even own a snap on wrench!
That's not to bad considering it would cost you $10,000 - $15,000 for the "competitor's" box's!
Me personally I didn't care much about the coupons for a free product, but I think it's a big mistake getting rid of 20% coupons, That's a big draw to bring people in the store. Once you're in the store most people will buy more products but you got to get them in the store. If your going to buy cheap tools you definitely want to get an extra 20% off. Saving money is the name of the game.
Sounds like Costco without the deals
I think hf has good tools but for example the icon line, I would rather spend 10$ for the gear wrench and so forth with the other brands. Honestly I do miss going inside the store and using that discount.. maybe it’s a sugar pill but I felt like I got a discount and I still feel like I did in some tools. In conclusion, I rather go to hd, lowes, ace before I go in hf.
U are so right they are trying to hard to be better which I don’t think will work I don’t ship there no more to much for the stuff they have they were better selling cheaper stuff
Harbor Fright started in California and I was using their junk since the beginning. The smell of chinese rubber, they seemed to get rid of it?
I got a mini lathe there display model cheap that was both terrible and useful as one of the most expensive ($200?) things I ever bought from HF at the time. There is no doubt they are discontinuing most of the cheap "usa name for a chinese product" brands and continue to expand more and more to expensive products. The problem is there is no other cheap alternative to HF once HF is not Harbor Fright anymore and it has finished becoming Holy Freight. I guess Amazon will still sell cheap Chinese junk as alternative options.
I like the tool boxes sold by Harbor Freight, however I should have checked Home Depot first. The prices are really close in price and they look nicer, especially the service cart.
Havent looked at the service carts at home depot but the milwaukee boxes they were selling a few years ago were not nearly as good quality as the gen 2 harbor freight boxes.
@@GearHeadsGarageChannel Check em out on line, the husky cart looks like its made by the same company that makes HF carts, but it has extra features attached.
It makes sense as the business trend seems to be going away from coupons and sales. Walmart has been successful like that for a long time
Someone else did bring up the point that it is almost impossible to compete with Amazon on the cheap took market.
I brought up Walmart because they’re one company that’s succeeding with amazon’s competition and companies like harbor freight are probably looking at how to adapt
The average employee at harbor freight has never used a tool. In Roseburg the manager is a mask policeman. And the big masculine “girl ?” with the flat top hasn’t smiled since Y2K.
Bro 😭 you aint gotta go in on the last person like that you habe me laughing but chill bro it’s not that serious
@@christiandoupe9495 I’ve mellowed some. Plus her hair grew out🫢
It sounds like harbor freight’s trying to mimic how Sears was... key word... WAS...
Great video!
Thanks!
I don't like most of HF stuff, which is cheap Chinese junk. I have a few breaker bars and Icon Ratchets that I am happy with. The two best purchases were icon Torque Wrenches and Daytona yellow jack.
Love my daytona jack!
so true
I think the icon line is geared at the young mechanic's starting out and not harry the home owner. i have some icon wrench's and sockets that i use daily in the shop's i work in and they take the abuse and there just as good as the truck brands but at half or more the price. you are right about having the tool truck's come to you and that's why you pay a higher price but harbor freight has one up on them,if snappy come's on monday and you break brake you 19 mil socket on tuesday you got to wait till next week were as you break your HF 19 mil socket you can stop on your way home and swap it out and have it the next day. HF need's to bring there game up some and start making there box's deeper and start coming out with option's for the us general like stainless top's and hutch's if they want to keep the younger mech's/tec's to buy there box's. great vid brother keep the coming!!👍
Depends on each persons case. HF is a 20+ minute drive for me one way, the tool trucks stop by once a week but if I brake something or need something now they can stop by on demand within reason. I have broken my Matco 1/2 Long Ratcet a few times and each time it was fixed same day. That also is totally dependant on location and the truck driver tho. As for ICON tools taking abuse as well, idk, I have seen problems already with some of them while at the same time I have pittsburgh stuff 7+ years old used daily with no issues. I just think they are over reaching into a higher market when it would be better to build a good foundation and complete/fix the tool lines they currently have.
hf's got a few decent things, but i highly recommend harryjepstines web site for great deals on quality american brands like sk tools... thanx for the video & god bless dude
SK Tools are great! Only annoying thing is its pretty much online only because no one around here carries or sells them. I have several things from them though and have been very happy with the quality and abuse they have stood up to.
I think Harbor Freight knows that with amazon 2-day shipping, the low end is owned by Amazon. So the only way is up, but that market is so saturated.
Thats a really good point. Im sure it is not easy to compete.
@@GearHeadsGarageChannel Yea it's super hard to compete on the low end. This is a strategy alot of companies take though. Lure people in with cheap prices drive some sense of loyalty then raise your quality and price. Looking at you Hyundai.
Icon is just the premium harbor freight brand, tool trucks are garbage, the drivers mainly help people who buy off them n u have to ship ur tool off otherwise, harbor freight u walk in get new tool walk out
As a sales rep there...before I could never answer the question of what's on sale today because it went by the coupons...now this instant savings you get an idea somewhat, but where's the sale over date now? The paper has been gone for almost a year now where you been lol...it was in March or April last year. The 20% is gone now yes. A lot of it is due to people expecting to walk in with nothing and get the coupon price or people somehow seeing coupons late and complaining they just got the coupon today and it's expired not realizing their inbox refreshes when opened. The people who go on the website and say no that's bullshit it's a different price on your website...yeah it's a coupon Mr hardass just present what you seen and things will be right and make more sense. The instant savings are the deals now. It sucks for the customer because now they have to shop at the right time with no date to when the deal is over.
Hi are you Conan O'Brien's brother? Lol.
lol I get that a lot
Harbor Freight owns Snap On
Every time I go in now and mention the coupons they get up shoddy act weird about the question.. not a good sign.
Yeah things are changing. I honestly didnt use the coupons often I am just more concerned with their overall shift they are trying to make.
@@GearHeadsGarageChannel I don't think it's going to end well for us or them..
As long as they keep their 20% off coupon idc.
Check out den of tools. Pretty sure it’s done.
Tekten is better than Icon
Chinese Model , CPP
Just like Milwaukee... yeah, sadly made in China now.
They want to become northern tool.
Never been to a northern tool!
Support china....the American way!!!!.......such shame!!!