Air compressor

[rtp]

With the exception of the big security bit set, yeah, HF tools are junk. Some are even dangerous. I bought what was their top of the line floor jack a decade or so ago. It dropped the car before I could get stands under it. This is the one I recommend if you're a catalytic converter thief, however

I had one of their T-35 T-handles break and throw shards of metal into my glasses. One piece actually stuck. Their zipties start to degrade shortly after you install them. I could probably go on, but you get the point, right? If it can hurt or kill you, maybe spend a little more and buy decent tools.

Good tools are worth it. Buy once, cry once. Pass them down to your grandchildren.

I've occasionally bought HF for 'disposable' tools, or ones truly one to few time usage only. Things like a spackle/drywall hawk are tough to screw up, for example, and I have one of their orbital polishers I re-greased and use for car polishing/buffing. I have a couple of their 'wooden workbenches' which I'm sure are made for them by <some other company>, which I've reinforced and glued, and holds up well for a reloading and workbench. I think the Aluminum 'race jack' I have may have come from them like over a decade back and it's fine, but it was an expensive purchase IIRC, like $200 or more, and I don't lift anything over 1.5 tons or so with it. I think I also have an ancient big mitre saw from them - it's zero bells and whistles, but has been going for 15 years for sporadic use.

I think some of their higher $ items may be ok 'for the money,' but their habit of replacing models perpetually, no parts availability for most things (or until they randomly make a new model 6 months later). A big nope to their battery powered tools of any of their lines - it's interesting they're trying to make their 'higher end' lineups including for battery powered tools ("Hercules" for electric or 'Predator' for crap engines), but their reputation vs price vs lack of parts makes it a big nope for me (Makita for electric power tools, although Milwaukee and DeWalt are fine alternatives in general).

So pretty much - informed purchasing their on some higher end stuff may be ok - their higher end toolbox line is reasonably ok, but know what you're getting into and expect the worst.
Their hand tools, bench grinders, even bench vices and the like - no thanks.

 

[rtp]

With the exception of the big security bit set, yeah, HF tools are junk. Some are even dangerous. I bought what was their top of the line floor jack a decade or so ago. It dropped the car before I could get stands under it. This is the one I recommend if you're a catalytic converter thief, however

I had one of their T-35 T-handles break and throw shards of metal into my glasses. One piece actually stuck. Their zipties start to degrade shortly after you install them. I could probably go on, but you get the point, right? If it can hurt or kill you, maybe spend a little more and buy decent tools.

Good tools are worth it. Buy once, cry once. Pass them down to your grandchildren.

Doh - the AL 'race jack' and a (wooden) workbench are among the only 'quality' HF buys I've had. It's surisingly difficult to find a quality jack nowadays...

Bits and hand tools - completely agree. Sadly, with the Craftsman/Sears mess (there are kind of now two 'Craftsman' tools), Craftsman seems to no longer even be viable as a 'good enough' option. I think the 'Lowes Craftsman' is better than the crap 'Sears Craftsman' now, but last Xmas I bought myself a bunch of sale cases full of bits, and the Phillips #2 bit snap on me on first (lightweight) use. Have since gone back to Makita and DeWalt even for bits now.. $ but pay once, or at least a lot less frequently.

 

[pmcdonald]

Both those compressors have a long thin coiled hose - get yourself a nice short thick hose so you can dump a lot of air quickly when seating tubeless tyres.

Cheers! That explains why it felt a little hamstrung seating. I saw plenty around, I'll grab one next time I'm over that way

 

[Shifty Shane]

After my last couple of struggles beading new tires I'm toying with the idea of buying an air compressor. They're quite cheap used and a use or two pretty much pays back the cost of taking it in to the bike store for them to mount.

Anyone running one for this type of use? Anything I should look for or be aware of? I've heard a 40L tank is handy. I'll also need a good presta attachment.

Sorry I'm so late to the conversation. If you're looking for a quick blast of high volume, high pressure air to seat bike tires to the wheel bead, you could consider using a CO2 inflator. They use 9 or 20 ounce paintball CO2 cylinders filled with liquid CO2 at approximately 800psi. Liquid CO2 occupies less than 1% of the equivalent volume of compressed air, so a 20oz CO2 cylinder is comparable to a 60L compressed air tank. You can fill approximately 23-29" x 2.5" tires to 35psi with a 20oz CO2 cylinder. The CO2 molecules are smaller than Oxygen and Nitrogen, so they will permeate the rubber tire faster and won't hold the pressure as long. Also, they require refilling which costs $5 to $10 per fill.