What do I think? I think keep Harbor Freight's sorry excuses for tools away from your car unless you're trying to break it!
| Slant Six Forum https://slantsix.org/forum/ |
|
| What? Really? Plug In Alternator/ battery tester? https://slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47126 |
Page 1 of 1 |
| Author: | ValiantBoyWonder [ Sun Nov 27, 2011 10:42 pm ] |
| Post subject: | What? Really? Plug In Alternator/ battery tester? |
http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive ... 66842.html what do you guys think? i don't know much electrical. also: http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive ... 68701.html anybody want to duct tape a couple of these panels to the roof of your car? http://www.harborfreight.com/15-watt-so ... 44768.html |
|
| Author: | Reed [ Sun Nov 27, 2011 10:50 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
The plug in tool is just a volt meter that reads the voltage at the cigarette lighter socket. In theory that is as fine a place as any to read the voltage of your system. However, reading voltage at the cigarette lighter socket csn give false readings due to poor connectiOns or degraded connectiOns between the alternator and the lighter. The jumper cables also, in theory, could be used to check battery voltage. However, in general, I don't recommend shopping at Harbor Freight since nearly all of their "merchandise" comes from Chinese manufacturers with all the baggage that carries. |
|
| Author: | SlantSixDan [ Sun Nov 27, 2011 11:18 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: What? Really? Plug In Alternator/ battery tester? |
What do I think? I think keep Harbor Freight's sorry excuses for tools away from your car unless you're trying to break it!
|
|
| Author: | emsvitil [ Sun Nov 27, 2011 11:36 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
If you're going to harbor freight, just get a FREE (with coupon) volt meter............. |
|
| Author: | Charrlie_S [ Mon Nov 28, 2011 4:28 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
I just got a couple of Harbour Frieght items. Got them home, and had a problem. Called the customer disservice number and got exactly nowhere. So got back in the truck, and returned everything. I told the manager I would never be back in the store. I usually only get items that are low enough priced, compared to other sources, that if I only get one use out of it, I'm satisfied. Their stuff has always been junk, and is getting worse. At one time they sold a automive fuse kit. They had a lawsuit againt them, because some cars caught on fire, when a fuse did not blow. |
|
| Author: | supton [ Mon Nov 28, 2011 5:39 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
The floor jack and jack stands that I got from them has been ok. Everything else is just as cheap as you'd expect. Take a look around on the web. A number of people will buy say their angle grinder for some project in their garage, from a local Harbor Freight outlet. Use for a few hours; when it quits, it was time to go to bed anyhow. Return at the store, under their replacement policy. Repeat until project is done. Sounds horrible, and it is; but it can be a cheap low buck method. Assuming there is one local, that is, and you can live with such interruptions to your work (not likely if you're being paid to do this--there's a reason why professional tools cost professional prices).For electrical stuff like you're linking to, I'd buy elsewhere. I'm not sure what gauge jumper cables ought to be, but those look a bit under-gauge. They'll work, and weigh less; but you'll wait longer to jump. And might have HF's legendary QC at that.  The 1.5W solar charger is likely cheap enough to try--but let's face it, it's only for something you parked, and didn't expect to start a few months from now anyhow.
|
|
| Author: | Slanted Opinion [ Mon Nov 28, 2011 6:25 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Along the lines of the initial question... yes, a voltmeter is a good addition to your automobile, it will give you additional insight as to what your battery and alternator are doing. Something like this would be better, as it will show you the actual voltage, rather than simply a set of indicator lights: http://www.amazon.com/Equus-3721-Batter ... 204&sr=1-2 |
|
| Author: | KBB_of_TMC [ Mon Dec 05, 2011 10:00 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
I used several of similar, but not identical, plug-in voltage indicators over the years. The one I got from J.C.Whitney was very inaccurate until I took it apart and reset the pots, while the one from Radio Shack worked OK. It isn't a replacement for a voltmeter, but I found it handy to help track down intermittent problems that only appeared rarely, only when driving and inconvinient to try to read a meter. I've tested several of the Harbor Freight and similar very inexpensive DMMs and found that they were good to about 0.1V. Resistance measurments seemed OK, especially above the lowest scale. The ~10A ranges were sometimes off by 50%, but they rarely get used that way. I always carry one in every car. They don't like to get wet, but they're cheap enough to replace. |
|
| Author: | Sam Powell [ Sun Dec 11, 2011 6:46 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
The use it and throw it away approach is valid, especially if you do not want the tool cluttering up your work space when you are finished with the project. I bought a table saw to build a room on my house for $139. It lasted just long enough to finish the project. I then sold it on Craig's list for $25. I don't know if I would get under a car on Harbor Freight jack stands. Come to think of it, I am not sure who is selling jack stands I would trust. It used to be Sears, but I am not so sure about them now. I always throw the wheels and tires under the car when crawling under it with the wheels off. Sam |
|
| Author: | exoJjL [ Wed Dec 14, 2011 2:45 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
I recently bought a die grinder from Harbor "frightened" and the clerk told me with the two year warranty it covers "wear and tear" and people use the tool for a year and just replace it and that it's worth it because the cheap made-in-china motors burn out. Thanks for the honesty jack-holes.  yeah, what a confidence booster.My angle grinder cost $10 with a coupon. I'm sure my cheap price craze is just a phase. 
|
|
| Author: | slantvaliant [ Wed Dec 14, 2011 7:00 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
On one forum I visit, there is a saying: "Every Harbor Freight tool will eventually be used as a hammer." That said, I do have a few tools from HF that work well enough - an angle grinder that somehow survived my son's Mercury Monarch rebuild, the six-way screwdrivers, light duty EMT-style shears, etc. Buy quality when you can. |
|
| Page 1 of 1 | All times are UTC-08:00 |
| Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited https://www.phpbb.com/ |
|