Harbor Freight Dual action Polisher

Discussion in 'Compounds, Polishes, Paint Cleaners, and Glazes' started by Red Orc, Apr 7, 2013.

  1. Red Orc

    Red Orc Birth of a Detailer

    6" Variable Speed Dual Action Polisher

    [​IMG]

    Just came across this in on the Harbor Freight website.
    Has anybody ever had any experience with this polisher?
    $60 is a crazy stupid price for a random orbital polisher but I don't want to get it if it's gonna explode after two hours.
     
  2. Delgiorno12

    Delgiorno12 Birth of a Detailer

    Do they have them in stores? Take the extra 20% coupon in and get it for like $50, could be good to attach a carpet brush and use just for that if anything
     
  3. TroyScherer

    TroyScherer DB Forum Supporter

    It is the same polisher in the HD car care kit.
     
  4. DirtyWeRX

    DirtyWeRX DB Forum Supporter

    "allegedly"

    ;)
     
  5. InsanePaint

    InsanePaint Pro Detailer

    Pass......
     
  6. Red Orc

    Red Orc Birth of a Detailer

    Not sure.
    The Harbor Freight by me is isn't exactly far away but it's not close enough for me to want to go & see
     
  7. Kilo6_one

    Kilo6_one DB Forum Supporter

    Harbor freight has some good screwdrivers.
     
  8. DirtyWeRX

    DirtyWeRX DB Forum Supporter

    They have the best tools in the world... For one time use..


    They are great for buying tools that need to be grinded down, bent, or modified in some other way
     
  9. Kilo6_one

    Kilo6_one DB Forum Supporter

    every jack I have bough there or sears has failed......... but I have had some of their stuff for years. Like mini screw drivers etc, stuff that I dont actually use LOL
     
  10. Red Orc

    Red Orc Birth of a Detailer

    Thanks guys!
    I think I'll pass.....
     
  11. 3PedalMINI

    3PedalMINI DB Forum Supporter

    LOL! hell naw. No way is that thing getting within 10 feet of my car :)

    Harbor Trash is good for a few things like casters, tarps,moving blankets. We've purchased one of those hitch mounted cargo carriers and one of their trailers (4x8) "heavy duty" and have been extremely pleased with them. Granted on the trailer I trashed the wheel bearings and tires and got new ones, wired it up with my own lighting and wiring and did a few other minor structural modifications and have beat the nuts off of it and cannot come up with one complaint.

    Just last weekend ive been needing a scaffold for doing ceiling speakers, wiring and a few mics. things on jobsites and after doing much research on the werner and a few others online and the one from harbor freight is identical in every way. For $180 it was a no brainer!

    That being said, I spend an insane amount of money on proper power tools I use every day. For instance the 18v drill im about to buy from festool costs more then what ive spent at harbor freight on my trailer,hitch carier and scaffold combined :yikes:
     
  12. GDAL

    GDAL Super Moderator

    Yes and no ... believe it or not most of their measuring tools (calipers, torque wrenches, etc.) are more accurate out of the box than most of the stuff you find a Sears and other places with "higher end tools". The issue is that they tend to lose their accuracy a little bit faster than the higher end models. But for the price you pay, it makes sense buying another tool (instead of trying to get it calibrated) than spending money on a more expensive one. This only applies to DIY btw.
     
  13. Kilo6_one

    Kilo6_one DB Forum Supporter

    ^^ he is right, I had a tech that bought a micrometer from them, it was dead on...
    Ive seen snap on tools break apart so yeah, hand tools Id have no issue really where I got them. But something like a buffer or a jack, im not risking life and limb on a "deal"
     
  14. piginapoke

    piginapoke Obsessive Detailer

    Items that you use once or twice a year, HF is fine for that. Something that you need or use daily, you get what you pay for. The DA might be fine for a few weeks or months, or it might suck out of the box. I doubt that it will last as long as a PC or Griots, and for a tool your gonna use 10-15 hours a month for the next 15-20 years, spend the money or buy used.
     
  15. DirtyWeRX

    DirtyWeRX DB Forum Supporter

    Not sure if you knew this, but Harbor Freight has a lifetime warranty on all their hand tools. It blew my mind when I found this out. It might be good for the calipers and torque wrenches. No need to buy new ones, just swap them out for free :D

    actually, I still have an orange floor jack i got from there and it hasnt crapped out on me unlike the "Michelin" brand one I used to have. I would jsut throw jack stands under the car for good measure. I wouldnt trust leaving a car on the jack and getting underneath lol
     
  16. Kilo6_one

    Kilo6_one DB Forum Supporter

    I blew out a seal..... on both my craftsman and my HBF one. Maybe they have got better mine was 4 years ago.

    I still have not replaced it, i just use a crappy 20.00 one from Pepboys I have had for 10 years. I have to use ramps for my cars.
     
  17. ModdedMach

    ModdedMach Birth of a Detailer

    I actually got my floor jack from HF. But its pretty dang nice. Its a very wide super low profile cast iron one. Has like just over 2 inches of clearance in the front. It has a foot pump and the knob to let the jack down is at the end of the handle, you dont turn the whole handle, its like its own knob that turns a shaft inside the T handle. Ive had it for a year and a half, its holding up really well so far. It seems pretty well built too.

    I was gonna get one of those blue fancy aluminum ones from HF, but i decided something with a MUCH wider and lower profile and larger weight rating was the way to go. Glad i did.
     
  18. P1et

    P1et Official DB Moderator

    I would be worried bringing that thing anywhere close to my vehicles. I can just imagine the thing failing and destroying my paint.
     
  19. piginapoke

    piginapoke Obsessive Detailer

    My concerns would be that, 1) It will be loud. 2) It will be underpowered 3) It will not last long.
     
  20. RZJZA80

    RZJZA80 Two Bucket System Washer

    Your concerns are valid. I tested the 3D HD polisher (AKA Harbor Freight Polisher) when it first came out, and it was loud, and underpowered when compared to a GG6. There was a high pitched noise, and it sounded like metal grinding on the inside which made me worry and metal shavings would eventually fall on the paint, but the noise was too annoying to use it without ear plugs (I literally got a headache after 2 panels). In an emergency situation, I can see the Harbor Freight polisher being useful since it's so cheap, but I bought a couple spare GG6's so I wouldn't run into that problem.
     

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