Thanks for the review, I've been hesitating to purchase this exact set just because I've had bad luck with HF cutting tools on the past but I think you are right with proper care this is probably the best set you can get for the money. Good review. Take care.
Sic Boy That's understandable. For me, it's one of those rarely used items so if I get a few projects done with them, I'm good. Since I have a lathe and a tool post grinding attachment, I could always sharpen them up if I needed to. Or make a set but for around 8 bucks it's really not worth the effort...lol. Take care, G.
Got a set of these along with the ones you chuck in a drill to make little rubber check valve discs a few years ago. I got a sheet of nitrile rubber from McMaster Carr and went to town on it. Though both sets punched ok, the rubber profile ended up tapered because the rubber compressed. Lubing with oil or WD40 helped but didn't solve the problem. Ended up buying a one of those leather punches with the rotating head with different sizes and removing the cutters and chucking those in a drill.for near perfect results. They only worked better because the walls were of thinner material, so they cut easier and wedged less. For less compressible material like leather or cardboard these and the drill type work great. I did chuck these in the lathe and honed them and they work with just a single medium tap of a brass hammer. I took them to the belt sander and changed the points to more of a round head. I can only guess that the point is there to center the force from a errant hammer blow, but it does seem odd. BTW, if you get one of the plier style leather punches, don't waste your money on the ones made of stamped steel. Get the forged ones that are more like good lineman's pliers. They are well worth it. All very handy tools when you need them. And if you fiddle in the shop, you'll find that you "need" them all the time. New flaps for lawn enders and trailing shields for lawn mowers to leather scabbards for wood chisels and axes. These are just a must have because nothing else really does what they do. As usual, dead on accurate information, G. Thanks for posting this. Only I could post something this long about punches. LOL!
+blmeflmm66 Great info! I was given one of the stamped steel leather punching plier sets years ago and fully agree with your statements. They work, but not all that well. I looked up a better set and really like that you can change the tubes out. Odd is dead on regarding the point but you might be correct. I haven't looked at higher ended sets to see what they look like. I know they like to knock off tools, so they might be there for a reason- or they got lazy...lol. Take care, G.
Sounds like a good cheap buy. I like you pointing out making gromets or washers etc. hadn't thought of that use. On my list for HF. Can't go in there and not come out with something even if just browsing. Is your HF accepting the "on phone screen picture" of the 20% off coupon? Or do you print all of yours out?
MRrwmac They are Mac. Making washers was my reason for purchase. I botched many up that weren't centered but they're so easy to make I just kept going till I got what I needed. I try to wander around when I have time and always see something I would've never thought they'd have. I've never tried to use the phone, I always just print them out. I'll have to try to remember to ask them at my next visit. G.
If they're steel- I would say yes. HF does sell a knockout kit but I've never used their brand. Here's a link. Good luck, G. www.harborfreight.com/knockout-punch-kit-10-pc-60575.html
Thanks for this awesome review! Do you think I could punch a hole in a thin rubber mat? I bought these floor mats at auto zone and I need holes in the so I can install grommets to use with existing non-slip clips. Thanks again :)
It may not last that long, but it should punch out many before it's dulled. If that's the only size you need, I would try to find a single on Amazon, eBay, etc. Good luck, G.
Great review as usual G, I just might pick up a set to keep in my hobby room. Bought a Blue Point set many years ago that I keep in my regular tool box but having a second set especially considering the cost makes sense to me. Never thought to look for one at HF for them, guess I need to pay more attention to what all they sell. :-)
***** Thanks Larry! I have NO DOUBT your Blue Point set is FAR superior to these since I know they most likely came off a Snap-On truck, but for a few bucks you might as well get a banger set for the hobby room. Use these for tough jobs over sacrificing your really expensive set I say! When I start looking for something on the cheap, I always start at HF and work my way up from there if need be. They have tons of weird specialty stuff you almost can't find locally anywhere else- other than on tool trucks. Take care, G.
+TheRebelEye I'm pretty sure it would work just fine. Not sure of your purpose, but they do sell a grommet kit as well. Good luck, G. www.harborfreight.com/103-piece-1-2-half-inch-grommet-installation-kit-30037.html
Jesse Crandle Yeah I misspoke a bit..lol. I meant like to use on cabinet doors instead of the rubber or felt type. But I see custom tooled leather door stop wedges or disks in your near future! I bet you'd sell sell them like hotcakes in high-end boutiques and branch out from there. Hmm, maybe I should make them now that I think of it...lol. G.
***** Etsy, my friend. You wouldn't believe the things people make on there out of concrete and sell for 80 dollars. Square planters, little ones, covers for kleenex boxes, pencil cups? All for 40-80 dollars.You could make dozens of them with one bag of concrete, so it really surprises me to see people paying outrageous prices like that. Say you wanted to seriously do that, just use some stiff leather, put a 3M adhesive pad on the back, and then maybe add a little crimped on brass lip around the outside of the leather circle. Door knob stops for $40 a piece!
Jesse Crandle LOL!!!! You're not kidding man. I've seen some of the stuff on there and was taken back. My wife, before we had our child, used to make some really cool stuff and did really well selling on the site. She asked me to make a Wizard of OZ inspired pen set to sell so I did. Acrylic pens, one black and green and the other pink and black- to represent to good and bad witches. Really cool swirly acrylic blanks. I think they were going for about 100 a set and I told her to pull the listing because I couldn't keep up with my work and hers...lol. But yeah, that's really not a bad idea! Leather disk, with some brass accent for 40. Add an initial for an additional 40! G.
***** After I went to bed last night I was thinking about it a little, it'd be easy to make a 3" puck with a hole saw, put the brass around it, then either stamp or even burn the engravings. I'm sure people would buy it. When I was growing up my mother had a band saw, she used to make all kinds of arts and craft style things out of lumber. This was in the early 90s, and even then people loved buying things that looked like cats lol. I'm sure if she picked it up again and painted cats rainbow colors and whatnot they'd sell like hotcakes on the internet.
I got windows 10 last week and when I try to watch some vids I get a black screen with a message,"If playback doesn't begin shortly,try restarting your device." I can't watch your vid
Dave Grohl Hmm, I don't know Dave and that sucks! You might try updating Adobe Flash to see if that helps out any. Or maybe load up Firefox and try that instead. It's my browser of choice. Or perhaps Google Chrome if all else fails. As with most new OS's, the people become the true beta testers...lol. All hail 10 I guess...lol. G.
Ghostses, will these make clean holes on paper and heavy cardstock? (I'm interested in the 1/8 inch size.) I am a crafter and just bought a well-known brand craft screw punch to do the job. However, like a lot of tools sold to crafters, it's not very well made and doesn't do a clean job of cutting the hole. Someone recommended this product so I was happy to find your review on it. Thanks for any help you can give me.
+Stacey Landon Stacey, I do believe they would make clean holes in paper and cardstock- providing you use a good substrate. Perhaps a self-healing cutting board, a piece of UHMW plastic, or even a hard board like maple or oak. At the very least, and with using a 20% off coupon, it might be a good gamble to see if it will work for your tasks. If not, and with you being a crafter, you might find another project for their use. Hope this helps in some way. Good luck, G.
Have had my set for 2 years. As indicated being aware of what you're punching through and into. I prefer the backing of a piece of wood.
hankus253 That's cool Hank! Yep, you're correct! They should work for a long time with following the simple rules. Take care, G.
Thanks for the review, I've been hesitating to purchase this exact set just because I've had bad luck with HF cutting tools on the past but I think you are right with proper care this is probably the best set you can get for the money. Good review. Take care.
Sic Boy That's understandable. For me, it's one of those rarely used items so if I get a few projects done with them, I'm good. Since I have a lathe and a tool post grinding attachment, I could always sharpen them up if I needed to. Or make a set but for around 8 bucks it's really not worth the effort...lol. Take care, G.
Good demonstration. Contemplating on getting this set. Definitely will now. Thank you.
Thanks Alex. Hope it works out for your needs. Take care, C.
Got a set of these along with the ones you chuck in a drill to make little rubber check valve discs a few years ago. I got a sheet of nitrile rubber from McMaster Carr and went to town on it. Though both sets punched ok, the rubber profile ended up tapered because the rubber compressed. Lubing with oil or WD40 helped but didn't solve the problem. Ended up buying a one of those leather punches with the rotating head with different sizes and removing the cutters and chucking those in a drill.for near perfect results. They only worked better because the walls were of thinner material, so they cut easier and wedged less. For less compressible material like leather or cardboard these and the drill type work great. I did chuck these in the lathe and honed them and they work with just a single medium tap of a brass hammer. I took them to the belt sander and changed the points to more of a round head. I can only guess that the point is there to center the force from a errant hammer blow, but it does seem odd. BTW, if you get one of the plier style leather punches, don't waste your money on the ones made of stamped steel. Get the forged ones that are more like good lineman's pliers. They are well worth it. All very handy tools when you need them. And if you fiddle in the shop, you'll find that you "need" them all the time. New flaps for lawn enders and trailing shields for lawn mowers to leather scabbards for wood chisels and axes. These are just a must have because nothing else really does what they do. As usual, dead on accurate information, G. Thanks for posting this. Only I could post something this long about punches. LOL!
+blmeflmm66 Great info! I was given one of the stamped steel leather punching plier sets years ago and fully agree with your statements. They work, but not all that well. I looked up a better set and really like that you can change the tubes out.
Odd is dead on regarding the point but you might be correct. I haven't looked at higher ended sets to see what they look like. I know they like to knock off tools, so they might be there for a reason- or they got lazy...lol. Take care, G.
Thank you so much. I wondered what the purpose was for the keyway cutting it being so sharp like that. :-) thank you great video
No problem! Take care, G.
I've never seen anyone try to reply to everyone's comments. You're so nice and unique.
Thanks David! It's a ton of work, but I do try. Take care, G.
they are handy for making sanding disks and mops for dremel type tools
Sirus That's a great idea Sirus, sanding disks! I'm not sure what you mean by a mop- felt polishing disk? G.
+ghostses yup, you got it. I supose leather would be good for burnishing to
Sirus Good deal! G.
Sounds like a good cheap buy. I like you pointing out making gromets or washers etc. hadn't thought of that use. On my list for HF. Can't go in there and not come out with something even if just browsing. Is your HF accepting the "on phone screen picture" of the 20% off coupon? Or do you print all of yours out?
MRrwmac They are Mac. Making washers was my reason for purchase. I botched many up that weren't centered but they're so easy to make I just kept going till I got what I needed. I try to wander around when I have time and always see something I would've never thought they'd have.
I've never tried to use the phone, I always just print them out. I'll have to try to remember to ask them at my next visit. G.
I need to put a 1" hole in a bunch of collector boxes. I'm thinking a knockout punch is what I'm needing.
If they're steel- I would say yes. HF does sell a knockout kit but I've never used their brand. Here's a link. Good luck, G.
www.harborfreight.com/knockout-punch-kit-10-pc-60575.html
Thanks for this awesome review! Do you think I could punch a hole in a thin rubber mat? I bought these floor mats at auto zone and I need holes in the so I can install grommets to use with existing non-slip clips. Thanks again :)
Thanks Maria! Yes, you could punch holes is thin rubber no problem. Good luck, G.
Do you think they'll punch vinyl banner signs for brass grommets?
Sure. They would work great for that purpose. Good luck, G.
At 5:07, did you say UHMW plastic? Sounded like you said "UHMB" or "UHMV".
UHMW Greg. Ultra high molecular weight to be more precise. Hope this helps, G.
I need steel mesh for a vaporizer. Will hammer method work still on steel mesh material? Needs to be 8mm
It may not last that long, but it should punch out many before it's dulled. If that's the only size you need, I would try to find a single on Amazon, eBay, etc. Good luck, G.
Great review as usual G, I just might pick up a set to keep in my hobby room. Bought a Blue Point set many years ago that I keep in my regular tool box but having a second set especially considering the cost makes sense to me. Never thought to look for one at HF for them, guess I need to pay more attention to what all they sell. :-)
***** Thanks Larry! I have NO DOUBT your Blue Point set is FAR superior to these since I know they most likely came off a Snap-On truck, but for a few bucks you might as well get a banger set for the hobby room. Use these for tough jobs over sacrificing your really expensive set I say! When I start looking for something on the cheap, I always start at HF and work my way up from there if need be. They have tons of weird specialty stuff you almost can't find locally anywhere else- other than on tool trucks. Take care, G.
Can you use it also to punch hole on plywood? Thanks!
I wouldn't think so Liz. Good luck, G.
@@ghostses ok, thanks for quick reply.
No problem Liz! Take care, G.
Very useful and practical info. Thanks.
Thanks Bruce! Take care, G.
Cool set though I have always made my punches all you need is scrap tubing
Good deal! Take care, G.
Wonder if I can do drop cloth canvas with this.
+TheRebelEye
I'm pretty sure it would work just fine. Not sure of your purpose, but they do sell a grommet kit as well. Good luck, G.
www.harborfreight.com/103-piece-1-2-half-inch-grommet-installation-kit-30037.html
Funny, I bet a nice leather disk would make an attractive door knob stop. At least I'd like it more than the cheap plastic ones I have now!
Jesse Crandle Yeah I misspoke a bit..lol. I meant like to use on cabinet doors instead of the rubber or felt type. But I see custom tooled leather door stop wedges or disks in your near future! I bet you'd sell sell them like hotcakes in high-end boutiques and branch out from there. Hmm, maybe I should make them now that I think of it...lol. G.
***** Etsy, my friend. You wouldn't believe the things people make on there out of concrete and sell for 80 dollars. Square planters, little ones, covers for kleenex boxes, pencil cups? All for 40-80 dollars.You could make dozens of them with one bag of concrete, so it really surprises me to see people paying outrageous prices like that.
Say you wanted to seriously do that, just use some stiff leather, put a 3M adhesive pad on the back, and then maybe add a little crimped on brass lip around the outside of the leather circle. Door knob stops for $40 a piece!
Jesse Crandle LOL!!!! You're not kidding man. I've seen some of the stuff on there and was taken back. My wife, before we had our child, used to make some really cool stuff and did really well selling on the site. She asked me to make a Wizard of OZ inspired pen set to sell so I did. Acrylic pens, one black and green and the other pink and black- to represent to good and bad witches. Really cool swirly acrylic blanks. I think they were going for about 100 a set and I told her to pull the listing because I couldn't keep up with my work and hers...lol. But yeah, that's really not a bad idea! Leather disk, with some brass accent for 40. Add an initial for an additional 40! G.
***** After I went to bed last night I was thinking about it a little, it'd be easy to make a 3" puck with a hole saw, put the brass around it, then either stamp or even burn the engravings. I'm sure people would buy it.
When I was growing up my mother had a band saw, she used to make all kinds of arts and craft style things out of lumber. This was in the early 90s, and even then people loved buying things that looked like cats lol. I'm sure if she picked it up again and painted cats rainbow colors and whatnot they'd sell like hotcakes on the internet.
Jesse Crandle Yes it would. Sports teams, car logos, dogs, monograms, pretty much anything, and for sure rainbow cats. Get at it! G.
hello, I'm wondering if it works with epdm rubber?
I can't say for sure. But if it's fairly thin material- I can't see it being a problem. Good luck, G.
I got windows 10 last week and when I try to watch some vids I get a black screen with a message,"If playback doesn't begin shortly,try restarting your device."
I can't watch your vid
Dave Grohl Hmm, I don't know Dave and that sucks! You might try updating Adobe Flash to see if that helps out any. Or maybe load up Firefox and try that instead. It's my browser of choice. Or perhaps Google Chrome if all else fails. As with most new OS's, the people become the true beta testers...lol. All hail 10 I guess...lol. G.
***** thanks
Dave Grohl
No problem Dave! Good luck, G.
Thanks for the review!
Rickshaw Jack No Problem! Good to hear from you, G.
You can also use a kitchen plastic cutting board.
Buy a new one ;)
True! Take care, G.
Ghostses, will these make clean holes on paper and heavy cardstock? (I'm interested in the 1/8 inch size.)
I am a crafter and just bought a well-known brand craft screw punch to do the job. However, like a lot of tools sold to crafters, it's not very well made and doesn't do a clean job of cutting the hole. Someone recommended this product so I was happy to find your review on it. Thanks for any help you can give me.
+Stacey Landon
Stacey, I do believe they would make clean holes in paper and cardstock- providing you use a good substrate. Perhaps a self-healing cutting board, a piece of UHMW plastic, or even a hard board like maple or oak.
At the very least, and with using a 20% off coupon, it might be a good gamble to see if it will work for your tasks. If not, and with you being a crafter, you might find another project for their use. Hope this helps in some way. Good luck, G.
It does help me. Thank you
Thanks! Take care, G.
I am going to do something a little odd, This is a scotch brite pad, why would you want to do this, I dont know, spite my beer out!
LOL! Thanks Scott. I spit my beer out reading your comment! Take care, G.