Chicago Electric ...Good stuff?

[Glenn]

Just curious to know if anyone has purchased Chicago Electric tools from Harbor Freight.

The tools look solid in the catalogue, but has anybody had some actual experience with the Router or Biscuit Jointers? I bought an 18Volt drill at a Discount warehouse in town and the thing works great, only cost $39.00 Canadian. Only after the purchase did I notice it was the same drill as in the catalogue.

Thanks
Glenn

[J.H.]

Anyone had experience with the 10" sliding compound miter saw?

[joseph]

over the years have bought items ,sometimes I have scored but I would say it's a break even ,some is junk ,Period.I have a trim router on my shelf ,i call it a backup now .used it 2-3 times .base is not level ,it's all plastic but mostly that thing sceams so loud ,i guess it can not hurt me but makes me nervous .you want accuracy dependability look elsewhere .

[Todd]

i bouth their 10" slide saw for $99 with the intention of only using it for siding. Thats about all it's good for. Dont get me wrong, it's not horrible but it's definately not an Hitachi. Over the years i have purchased alot of tools and equipment fron harbor freight. Mostly because their prices are way to good to pass up. I picked up a 7 x 40 lathe for $69!It definately is not a delta but it does it's job. I have several of their screw guns which are great, though they do lack a hi-lo switch. Their hand tools all seem fine, alteast the ones i have purchased. I bought a power auger and bit from them a couple of years ago and it still work great. I have their d handle jig saw which is identical to the bosch, but only paid $39! Most recently i bought their 15 piece router bit set for $30 and it works well. And I just got their hollow chisel dedicated mortiser for $125 which also works well.And just tonight I noticed in their catalog a table saw of theirs that i have been eyeing for a while is the identical one they are selling from delta for much cheaper. I guess i should have mentioned that the larger equipment is central machinery and they smaller electric tools are the chigago. Overall i would rate the quality and performance of the chicago at 8 out of ten and the central machinery 7 out of ten. Their prices for everything i would rate at 10 of ten. i have noticed their wuality is improving from when i first purchased from them many years ago.
Hope that helps, sorry for being so long winded.
Todd

[ScottW]

We are talking contractor's tools here, right? I cannot imagine a $39. anything holding up on the jobsite, I just don't believe it's possible!Homeowner stuff, sure, no problem, but not the way we have to work them.

[Steve]

Their electric tools are so-so. If you expect accuracy and long life under hard use, you should probably look elsewhere. I bought a $35 cheezy little drill press; works OK but all I use it for is cutting plugs.

You should be skeptical of the factory reconditioned tools, even the brand-name ones. Freind bought a Dewalt "factory reconditioned" cordless drill, had to return it because the batteries were worn out; after all, you are buying a used tool.

A lot of the air tools, including spray guns, are pretty good. The mechanic's tools seem to be OK also. Bar clamps can often be had for dirt cheap, and they seem to hold up and work well.

All in all, you get what you pay for.

[Tim]

I once used a chicago electric miterbox (loaned to me by my girlfriend's father) and watched the nuts and bolts come loose after cutting 4 pieces of chair rail. Inaccuracy is one thing but that tool was down right dangerous. I would never buy a power tool that is put together in such a haphazard way. Injuries cost more than the couple of hundred dollars difference between what is at best a poor homeowners tool and a professional tool.

[mlg]

i have bought chicago eletric cordless 5 1/2" 18 vold trim saw, which is pretty good, it does the job in a pinch. It sure was better that the 18v B & D i bought and re-sold in one week. But i moved up to an 18v reconditioned 6 1/2" Dewalt. It is much superior over any of them. Check out ebay for tool deals or even the Tool king of denver.

[J.H.]

Thanks for the input. I was considering buying the 10" sliding compound saw, and reconsidered. I now have the 12" DeWalt slider, and every time I squeeze the trigger I am confident it is not going to fall apart.

[rocky]

You "tool guys" should know something about an item before you bash it.

What all you brainy folk didn't figure out is that the "cheap" Chicago Electric 10" sliding miter is the SAME SAW as the venerable Makita LS1011N, only US$350 less. Don't believe me? Have a look at the links below. It's called a "rebranding."

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=41168

http://www.makita.com/Tools_Image_View.asp?id=291

OOPS! How many of you loved the extra cash you doled out for a saw that probably fared worse in the 2000 JLC Online comparison tests than this one did?

[Jeff]

Yes rebranding does happen and most times it is the same tools sold under different labels. I say most times!!! For example most of the rigid tools sold exclusively buy Home Depot are made by Emerson electric, Sears and True Value also market similar tools marketed under their own labels (rebranding). As for most for the tools made in China (or similar Asian markets) they are made based on the design of other tools not always in the same factories. A good example of this is the Grizzly Jig Saw that LOOKS like a Bosch. This saw is an excellent value but it is NOT a Bosch saw. The motor and castings are made in the Asian market and in my humble opinion the do not have the fit and finish of the Bosch. With that said, what is value? That is personal opinion. I believe that value is a factor of price, durability, features, and ease of use. So what is the best value for a tile guy who uses a chop saw occasionally may find that he price point of the saw is the dominant factor, were a finish carpenter my want fit and finish at any price. Now for my personal horror story from a harbor Freight purchase. I purchased a $20 four inch angle grinder to cut and grind some bolts off. It lasted me about fifteen minutes be for I spun the drive gear. After 45 minutes of repair I hade the grinder back on line. Again it lasted 15 minutes. I took the drive to my local tool store and bought the Dewalt for $70 and finished the job. The $20 tool was NO value.

[gabe]

In response to Rocky's rebranding message the two saws are not the same (actually the chicago version looks more like someting makita would have made 20 years ago, a clumsy heavier saw). In any event the motors are drastically different when you take into consideration that makita started out exclusively making motors and have been superior to most others for years. Specifically, the makita ls1011n has a 13 amp, 115 V motor and runs a no load speed of 4500 rpm whereas the chicago saw is 11 amp, 110 v and has a rpm speed of 4000. The chicago saw only mentions three positive stops on their saw whereas the makita has 13 positve stops. These differences may seem subtle and suggest a 300 dollar price difference to the layman, but to those who actually appreciate true craftsmanship and strive to produce quality work the discrepancy between the two saws is nothiing short of laughable.