Harbor Freight Tools

I’d been told about this place by a friend and I got a sale flyer in the mail yesterday so I decided to finally check out this store. I was excited by their prices and they had a lot of stuff I wanted so I went with a list.
I went with my mom and when we got in the store I realized there were no shopping carts so I asked an employee where they were and I was told they were outside. So, I go outside and I can’t see them because they are located in a dark, creepy, isolated corner of the lot. While I was feeling unsafe I could hear a girl screaming «EXCUSE ME!» at someone over and over before I finally realized it was me. It was an employee and I turned and said, «Yes»?” She then freaked out on me yelling in front of employees and customers in the open doorway of the store, «YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE STORE!!!»
She was smug as fuck, like she’d just caught the shoplifter of the year. It was her attitude that sent me over the top. She was gloating about her accusation, proud to embarrass me. Except she made a mistake.
I was dumbfounded because all I had in my hand was MY phone and their store flyer. I held up my phone and said, «I have to pay for MY phone?»
She stood there stupidly staring at me, realizing her mistake of course. As I pushed the cart into the store I said, «You need to get your facts straight before you accuse anyone of anything.» And then the stammering apology came, too late. It was embarrassing, rude and unprofessional and I left without buying anything.
Yeah, I left the person inside that I came with but I stole something before getting a shopping cart and going back inside. How stupid does that sound? I have to assume the girl was high because there’s no other reason for her behavior.
As I left I held my phone high for all to see that I was not stealing. My mom did the same.

1^st time to this location, what a crazy busy place at 11 am on a Saturday.
And in comparison to the Madison Heights store, this one lacks big time, in regards to staff to help you locate items & sufficient registers being open.
I have to laugh in allbeit ironically, as there were several GM/​Ford/​Chrysler pick up trucks & suv’s in the lot, and a few had the BUY AMERICAN /​out of a Job Yet Bumper stickers.
Well if they can find/​buy an item in Harbor Freight made in the USA, I’d be amazed !

I am not «handy».
I am not «good with tools».
I am constantly surprised when I manage to not cut off a limb even while just painting a wall.
So that means I don’t need «high end, professional quality» equipment. I just don’t. It would be like giving a Lamborghini to a 16 year old new driver — something bad is inevitably going to happen, so why knock over that first domino? Then again, you don’t always need a $ 1000+ copy of Photoshop to do something that the free MS Paint tool can do either, right?
Right.
Now, all of that being said, they have a decent selection of tools, equipment and supplies here. While I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t pick up anything that I was planning on using frequently for the rest of my life here, this is a great place for «Hey, I think I want to try out [x], and I need a tool to do it», and so you go get said tool, try it out, and then if it works out and you find yourself needing a better quality or grade of merchandise then you can see if they carry it and if not, go someplace else.
So if you’re like me — a guy who owns a home and gets sucked into doing stuff in, on, and around it from time to time… keep this place in mind.

Do you need a cardboard table-​saw, a paper machete sand-​blasting cabinet or a diamond in the rough? Then Harbor Freight is your place. Spin the wheel; take your chances. You have about a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ chance here of getting either a great tool at an awesome price or a piece of junk at a reasonable price.
This was my third visit and I finally got up the guts to buy something. I got about a hundred bucks worth of pneumatic tools and accessories. It would have ran me quite a bit more anywhere else. This place is known for their low prices not necessarily for quality. This doesn’t mean you won’t get quality — they have it, just not with every product.
On a side note, testosterone levels in this place make the tool section at Sears look like a tea party with Madame Prissypants. Don’t be surprised to see random customers head-​butting each other down the aisles. I’m told if you can crush a beer can on your forehead at the register you get 10% off a single item. 15% if the beer can is full.
Hey, let’s face it, sometimes a disposable tool is just what a job calls for. Just make sure you know what you’re getting in to.