Link: http://HarborFreightReviews.com/HFRreviews.html

Item: 40-Piece 3/8" and 1/4" Drive Socket Set
Item number: 47902
Retail price: $4.99
Frequent sale price: $2.99 (with coupon)
Target price: $2.99
Item Link

They're something about a $2.99 socket set with a lifetime warranty that makes one just have to buy it. This 40-piece set is compact and just the right size for carrying in your vehicle for some unexpected emergencies. I lamented earlier about being trapped out in my van doing a pick up of an item which turned out to be unexpectedly large. Specifically, I just needed one wrench or socket to make the job of loading much, much easier and to save half an hour of juggling and groaning. This one would have saved my butt.

First impressions: We generally like this set, but it's definitely light-duty or occasional medium-duty. All of the sockets are 1/4" drive except for the 4 largest which are 3/8" drive. Of course a 3/8" to 1/4" adapter is included, but the use of a 3/8" drive ratchet with this set is somewhat misleading in as much as one might expect the sockets to be the same drive size. The fact that the ratchet itself is the larger 3/8" drive is probably a good idea because its mechanics are correspondingly stronger than a comparable-quality 1/4" drive ratchet. We've only used this set a few times, but it does seem to perform OK for its size and better than might be expected from its very low price. We do advise that you keep the form-fitted box that this set comes in because the latch on the plastic case is very weak and not expected to last long. So keep it neatly cased, unless you want to find yourself picking up the sockets spilled across the ground.

And the performance? The small protrusion on the socket side of the 3/8" to 1/4" adapter which holds the socket securely on the adapter is defective on our test unit. This leaves the sockets continually falling off when tipped at the 'wrong' angle (which is almost every angle). We strongly suggest that you open the package and closely check the 3/8" to 1/4" adapter for the specific socket set you are buying before you leave the store. The ratchet itself has considerable free-play. Our test unit's ratchet moves about 15 degrees or so before the gear mechanism engages to drive the socket; this translates into several inches of wasted movement at the end of the handle. Both of these defects are annoyances but tolerable considering the very low price and the fact that we plan on using this set only occasionally for light-duty work.

We are still pleased with our little set and will probably not even take it back to see if Harbor Freight has a 'better' set available at our local store. It's three bucks and it's a 'spare' set kept for occasional light-duty use. It's just fine considering the price and our intended purpose.

How does this set compare with a more expensive set? Well, the most obvious way is that a better-quality set would most likely include a higher quality 1/4" drive ratchet and a 1/4" to 3/8" adapter needed for only the 4 largest sockets rather than visa versa as this inexpensive set requires. More expensive ratchet means a smaller drive size is sufficient because of the higher-quality materials and workmanship. Harbor Freight kept the cost of this set very low by using a lower-quality, but larger drive ratchet. Also, we wouldn't tolerate the free-play in the ratchet or the defective 3/8" to 1/4" adapter with a significantly more expensive set. For frequent use we would advise investing in a better quality socket set such as that offered by Craftsman, but we stand by our original conclusion that this is a good set for occasional bench and unexpected travel use.

This set has you covered in both SAE and metric sizes up to 11/16" and 15mm. Of course more serious roadside repairs require a more serious socket set, such as the 52-piece set reviewed earlier which includes a 1/2" ratchet that will take you up to 7/8". We actually recommend that you carry that set with you if you are serious about making your own roadside repairs or if you do MoHo maintenance while traveling. But this set is even cheaper and more compact, so no excuses not to carry something in every vehicle.

We use a 1/4" drive Craftsman socket set for most of our bench work requiring this type of tool. The cost of this set is considerably more, $19.99; unfortunately, that's for just the SAE sockets. The metric socket set is another $19.99. So, the Craftsman equivalent of this $3 Harbor Freight socket set costs around $40 or over 10-times as much. We can stand a little free-play in our ratchet and some dropping sockets for that price difference, at least for our duplicate socket sets that we only use occasionally. The Craftsman 1/4" socket sets are great tools and regular use often demands the better-quality tool but be prepared to pay for it.

We wouldn't expect this set to stand up to heavy-duty work or even regular medium-duty work. After all it's a $3 socket set that even includes metric sockets. However, it's suitable for light-duty work and can find use as a bench set for electrical or other light repairs. It's compact size makes it even easier to stow than our recommend toolkit, so even those disinclined to carry tools for roadside repairs have no excuses for not carrying at least this small set. You never know when you'll be out shopping and find that the newly purchased barbecue grill just misses fitting in your trunk by four little nuts.

Bottom line: A $2.99 socket set with a lifetime warranty? Gotta have it! This compact set is fine for occasional light-duty use or even for some emergency roadside repairs and other needs when traveling.

Link: http://HarborFreightReviews.com/HFRreviews.html

Item: 4-Piece Chisel Set
Item number: 42429
Retail price: $8.99
Frequent sale price: $5.99 (with coupon)
Best price: $4.99 (with coupon)
Target price: $5.99
Item Link

An inexpensive set of chisels that work well for mortising and other light to medium woodworking jobs. Expect them to chip if you high a nail or two while chiseling, but this is a great set to chip (if you must) -- inexpensive and easy to resharpen (You do sharpen your chisels from time-to-time, don't you?).

Bottom line: Not for the serious woodworker but good enough for the rest of us to meet most simple woodworking demands. Priced right at Harbor Freight when bought at our target price.

Link: http://HarborFreightReviews.com/HFRreviews.html

Item: 16-oz Fiberglas Handle Hammer
Item number: 47872 (claw style)
Item number: 47873 (rip style)
Retail price: $4.99
Frequent sale price: $3.99
Target price: $2.99
Item Link

You can get a better balanced hammer for several times this price, but it won't matter if you're only driving a few nails. It makes our "Hot Buys" list as a spare or duplicate hammer and as a primary hammer for those who don't hammer much. In short, we like it.

This is a prime example of the type of tools for which that Harbor Freight™ has become known: a perfectly acceptable quality tool at a very low price. How good is "acceptable quality"? Well, that's "relativity" applied to tools all over again (click here and see the text box in this other review for a discussion of the theory of relativity applied to tools; no, it doesn't involve hammering so fast that the nail backs out of the hole, viz. time travel). It's perhaps easiest to explain by example.

For hammering a few nails around the home or shop, this is a perfectly good hammer. It has a firm grip and a decent feel, delivering its 16-oz blows with precision dictated by its user. If we were to be using a hammer all day, or for that matter even several hours continuously, we would probably select a better quality hammer such as a Craftsman™. Higher quality hammers have a better balance and more comfortable grips, giving them an overall better feel. This makes little different to the nail but it does matter to the user over extended periods of time. Hand and forearm fatigue and ultimately 'blow control' is influenced by the feel of the hammer. If you're doing lots of manual hammering, you should probably invest in a better quality tool.

Caution: Most higher priced hammers are NOT better quality than this hammer from Harbor Freight. Don't be fooled by just the higher price; check the balance and overall feel as well as the warranty. For most applications, this hammer is a great.

Don't get us wrong, we really like this hammer. For its very low price we get a good-quality hammer (or two or three) that we can distribute throughout our home and shop, making sure that there's always a good-quality hammer within easy reach. For doing a lot of manual hammering (Does anybody really do this anymore since the introduction of the air nailer?), we do feel the different with a precision-balanced Craftsman™ tool. (OK, "precision balanced" is perhaps a bit too strong, but go to Sears™ and you'll feel the difference. )

Bottom line: Buy a couple for spares or for your primary hammer if you don't do a lot of carpentry or construction work. The overall quality is good and the balance is fine, but some more expensive hammers have a noticeably better feel.

Link: http://HarborFreightReviews.com

Item: Three Folding Star Bit and SAE/Metric Hex Keys
Item number: 94905
Retail price: $9.99
Frequent sale price: $6.99
Target price: $5.99 (with coupon)
Item Link

The one hex wrench that I need is always the one hex key misplaced. This set keeps them attached in a hard to loose package. Covering SAE-, metric-, and star-key sizes, this set is worth their target price just for the convenience. Those who are always organized and who invariably put their tools back in the right place can probably pass on this set, but the rest of us benefit greatly by keeping the set locked together. And having the keys mounted in order of size saves time by not having to 'dig' through the 'pack' of loose hex keys.

We have individual hex keys spread out throughout our home and shop for the various applications where they're frequently used (e.g., bicycle tool kit, scroll saw). This set attached pocket-knife-style insures that we'll always have the needed size back in our main tool supply.

This is a quality tool from Harbor Freight. Individual hex keys work best for some applications and simple sets can be purchased from a number of retailers at this price and even lower, but the convenience factor makes them well worth the target price for many of us.

Bottom line: This hex-key set is a great convenience, always having the right-sized hex key on-hand, and not a bad buy at the target price.

Link: http://HarborFreightReviews.com

Item: 16" x 24" Steel Square
Item number: 9541
Retail price: $7.99
Regular sale price: $4.99
Target price: $4.99
Item Link

This quality steel square is a great bargain at our target price and won't easily become lost amongst the boards thanks to its bright yellow color. Both English (hum, I see this is now being called by some at Harbor Freight "SAE" but really?) and metric scales are etched clearly into the steel, but both edges still produce smooth straight lines for drawing. Admittedly we do little more than draw simple perpendicular lines on pieces to be cut, but we get more than our money's worth at that. For lines 10" and less, we often use our stripped-down combination square.

Bottom line: A great buy at the target price, brightly colored and well marked for easy reading.