Wal-mart and Harbor Freight

Anonymous-0 · Oct 2, 2012

I like how people everywhere continue to bash Wal-mart and Harbor Freight, but when it come to a question like "where do you get your shop towels, or where do you get your oil?", the answers will almost always include things like "I wait until it goes on sale at Wal-mart", or "they have a coupon at Harbor Freight and I stock up then.". I have bought a lot of things from Harbor Freight, and have had mixed results, some good, and some bad. And we go to Wal-mart mostly because it is the place that is open when we are in town. (Sundays and evenings) As for "China junk" at Wal-mart, it's the same "junk" that K-mart, Target and Shopko has. And the same "junk" that locally owned Bill's Pharmacy has, except that Bill isn't open at 2 pm on a Sunday when I feel a cold coming on and need some cold medicine. Don't get me wrong, we do the local thing when we can, sometimes it's just not possible.

Ultradog MN · Oct 2, 2012

I shop at Walmart. Don't have a problem with it like some people do.
I live about a mile from Harbor Fright and have never bought anything there. I went inside once and had a look around. The place stank like hot rubber and I saw rows and rows of cheap junk there.
I left whithout buying anything and haven't been back.
I made a post about it but it made some people too excieted and the thread went poof.
I buy good tools.

oldtanker · Oct 2, 2012

I was in a Wal Mart once this year when I met one of my sons in Detroit Lakes MN to bring him some stuff he needed. He's in school and a national Guard member. He had to be in DL for guard. WHile there he needed to get some things and he wanted to go there. I haven.t purchased anything in Wal Mart in a coupel of years. I get to Harbor Freight about 2 times a year and most often leave buying nothing. Last time I got several "assortments" of snap rings and such. I never buy tools there.

Rick

mkirsch · Oct 2, 2012

Not to mention, every dollar counts these days. If all you can buy is China crap, you may as well pay as little for it as you can.

ttown chuck · Oct 2, 2012

got a good deal at wal-mart the other day i noticed i had 2 flats on my dually. called around the local tire shops they had new tires at $180 each , i needed 6 so i took the wife to wal-mart and found goodyear wranglers for $76 each they could mount them but they could not balence them cause the hub was to big so they mounted them for free, had to take them to the local tire shop and had them balanced for $8 each they couldnt believe what i paid for the tires just goes to show, shop around

rrlund · Oct 2, 2012

Doesn't anybody live near an auto parts store?
I can't be the only one. I've never shopped Harbor Freight and buying that kind of thing at WalMart has never even gone through my mind. Too far from one of those to ever think about it too I guess.

Dick2 · Oct 2, 2012

Costco and Sam's Club have those too.

JML755 · Oct 2, 2012

(quoted from post at 11:57:06 10/02/12) Doesn't anybody live near an auto parts store?
I can't be the only one. I've never shopped Harbor Freight and buying that kind of thing at WalMart has never even gone through my mind. Too far from one of those to ever think about it too I guess.

I live about a mile from a WalMart that I have never set foot in. I drive past HF on my way home every day from work. I've been in there maybe 2-3 times. IIRC, I bought some bungie cords and some other "commodity" type stuff, no moving parts, never bought tools that I would depend upon.

I usually get my oil and stuff at an Auto Parts Store. Yeah Kmart, Meijers and other BB stores has it, but I don't like to have to park in a huge lot, walk to the very back of the store wandering past little girl's dresses, etc, stand in line with a bunch of people that decide at the last minute that they forgot something and run off to get it, argue with the cashier, scrounge through their pants for change to pay the bill, etc. I avoid O'Reilly's and am partial to Advance or Autozone. Park by the front door, walk a few feet to exactly what you need, usually no one in line and out the door in less than 5 minutes.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 2, 2012

Goin after midnight don't count tho......
I buy cheap watches for myself and usually just throw them away. Last one I got, I really liked cause it cost less than 5 bucks and has BIG stupid numbers that I can see at a glance.... Made in china of course... Wife got me an Armitron sports watch the other day in a nice metal box with big letters that say "America's Watch".... Paid a little more than 5 bucks.....
Flip the box up or turn the watch over to see "made in china".....

Why bother???????

huntingreen2day · Oct 2, 2012

Wal-mart 3 miles down the road. I buy what I need there that they have competitive prices on. Groceries, tires, oil or what ever. They employ a lot of people in my area. Have a Stepdaughter who has worked for them 20 years from Dallas to Boston. Good store and good management in my area. They contribute a lot to local events even our tractor show. Every local mom and pop had the same opportunity to expand their business Sam Walton did.

Traditional Farmer · Oct 2, 2012

I ordered a 10,000 lb winch from harbor freight that was on sale for $299+$18 shipping figured it'd last a few months until I could buy a $1200 Warn winch,well about 3 years later I'm still using the HF winch and have pulled some real heavy loads with it and its still going strong.
Walmarts must be doing something right the parking lots are always full and when they open a store there is 5 to 10 applicants for every available job.And if anyone doesn't like the place they are free to go elsewhere.Within 45 minutes of my place there are at least 9 Super Walmarts,a Sams and a Walmart distributiion center.

THEkyroastnear · Oct 2, 2012

if there is something i need at wal-mart i will get it but do not generally shop there, have some stuff from harb frght have had good luck with it so far

LJD · Oct 2, 2012

I've been buying from HF for 30 years. Some of the tools have been great for the price. Yeah, they also sell some cheap junk. Like buying anywhere - you need to pick carefully.

And Walmart? Again, if carefully they have some great bargains - especially if you buy from Walmart on-line. We have two Toshiba laptops here we bought for $299 each last year. 500GB hard drive and work great. We also have two year-old Plasma 42" TVs we got for $399 each. Those prices are hard to beat.

When it comes to electronics - I buy from Walmart on-line or NewEgg. For tools? HF is one of the best if you buy carefully. I'm still using my 9" grinder I bought from HF in 1979 and it's never even needed brushes yet.

rustyplow · Oct 2, 2012

K mart and the rest have the same china junk as walmart because walmart played a big part in stating that trend. The rest had to follow or close the doors because the american buying public does'nt give a rats patut about value or quality anymore. All that matters to them is that stupid smilely face and make believe price drop. And not to forget, I can go shopping at midnight. It's a free country. You can shop where you want and buy what you want but look what you have to choose from because thats what you did. I'll quit not but i'm far from done.

tjiniowa · Oct 2, 2012

Are you sure they are 10ply, that sounds way too cheap for a even a Walmart Goodyear, and yes they have there own Goodyears, made especially for Walmart. If they are 10ply then u did alright.

toadady · Oct 2, 2012

my wife has worked in chinamart for 8+ years now, she loves it, and the customers like her, without it our town was drying up ,

Detmurds · Oct 2, 2012

I am ok with Walmart and Harbor Freight. The way I see it is that there are US citizens working there! Support them, since everything is made in China anymore! Local auto parts stores who sell the same stuff are too expensive. Even as a true conservative I say this!

Wal-mart and Harbor Freight

Anonymous-0

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Ultradog MN

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oldtanker

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mkirsch

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ttown chuck

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rrlund

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Dick2

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JML755

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Anonymous-0

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huntingreen2day

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Traditional Farmer

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THEkyroastnear

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LJD

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rustyplow

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tjiniowa

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toadady

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Detmurds

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