# Harbor Freight Ram set



## robnj772 (Jan 15, 2008)

trimixdiver said:


> Just wondering if any of you like the HF hydraulic punch set? I got it and like the ram and pump, dont know about the punches yet. I have a full greenlee set that I will use and greenlee drawbar.
> 
> Thanks


 
Harbor Freight is CRAP!!!!!!!
You would be better off buying tools made by Walmart.

How can you even think to compare Horrible Freight to Greenlee?


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## trimixdiver (Jan 13, 2011)

robnj772 said:


> Harbor Freight is CRAP!!!!!!!
> You would be better off buying tools made by Walmart.
> 
> How can you even think to compare Horrible Freight to Greenlee?


 
I have a Greenlee 767 that was passed down from my Grandfather, it great. Its 6500psi as I recall

The HF is 10,000psi. But using it with my Greenlee knockouts its just as good as the 767. Time will tell I guess. I already thought of painting it Greenlee green.......

PS. I totaly agree with Horror Freight being crap, I went into it the first time the other day when a friend told me about the 767 clone. Ive been to china before for Westinghouse and the air in there even smelt like china!!


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

Some HF stuff is ok. 
But the best thing about it is it's cheap enough to toss when your done. 
Provided it lasts that long.


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## davis9 (Mar 21, 2009)

I saw it at the store for 75 bucks looked like you couldn't go wrong.

Tom


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I wouldn't send a Harbor Freight tool out on a job for other guys to use, but if you intend to use it yourself personally, it might be okay. For the money, you really can't go too wrong. You'll at least get your 75 bucks worth, I'm sure. In the end, however, I think you'll be in the position most of us have found ourselves in... Harbor Freight tools just aren't worth fooling around with. 

The one time I nearly always choose a vendor like Harbor Freight is when I'm considering a significant investment in a certain type of tool (or a new use for an existing tool). I'll buy a cheapie to see if I'll actually use it that much, or if it will actually work for what I intend to use it for. I use the cheapie until it breaks and I get a good one, or long enough to figure out whether or not I even want/need a good one.

Having said all that, if I got a large job dumped on me tomorrow, and I had to staff up and tool up really quickly, I'd likely be sending a lot of Harbor Freight type tools out on the job.


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## davis9 (Mar 21, 2009)

The biggest drawback I can see is that there aren't quick couplers to the hyd ram.
Tom
http://www.harborfreight.com/hydraulic-punch-driver-kit-96718.html


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

davis9 said:


> The biggest drawback I can see is that there aren't quick couplers to the hyd ram.
> Tom
> http://www.harborfreight.com/hydraulic-punch-driver-kit-96718.html


If that was the only drawback, seems like 15 bucks would solve that. 

I'm not sure if I even uncouple mine all that much.


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## trimixdiver (Jan 13, 2011)

Its a screw on coupler, takes just the same amount of time as the "quick" coupler.


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## StarLo (Jan 12, 2011)

I don't think I have ever uncoupled a KO set before. The hose makes it easy to carry around and the entire unit fits in the box with the hose connected.

I like Harbor Freight for the above mentioned reasons. I bought a $28 "Multi-tool" to see how I would like it before spending $100+ on one, the HF one is still going BTW so I guess it was a good investment.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

I used to think all HF stuff was junk but some of it isn't bad. Their unibits for one, they work great and they are cheap. I might look at this punch set in person next time I'm there and see if I like it.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

trimixdiver said:


> Just wondering if any of you like the HF hydraulic punch set? I got it and like the ram and pump, dont know about the punches yet. I have a full greenlee set that I will use and greenlee drawbar.
> 
> Thanks


I bought one for a job and sorry to say, it is just as good as my greenlee. It would be worth the money just to get the dies. The pump and ram work perfect. Best chump change I have spent in a while.
Everything is interchangeable with the Greenlee I have.


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## trimixdiver (Jan 13, 2011)

jrannis said:


> I bought one for a job and sorry to say, it is just as good as my greenlee. It would be worth the money just to get the dies. The pump and ram work perfect. Best chump change I have spent in a while.
> Everything is interchangeable with the Greenlee I have.



So the dies are good? I noticed that they are not the same sizes 2"=2" as my greenlee dies.

The draw bar for the 1/2 in die has a larger outer diameter than the greenlee.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

trimixdiver said:


> So the dies are good? I noticed that they are not the same sizes 2"=2" as my greenlee dies.
> 
> The draw bar for the 1/2 in die has a larger outer diameter than the greenlee.



What difference does the draw stud size make? As long as the finished KO is the right size, who cares if the draw stud is 1/2", 5/16", 3/8", 187/512"?


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## StarLo (Jan 12, 2011)

480sparky said:


> What difference does the draw stud size make? As long as the finished KO is the right size, who cares if the draw stud is 1/2", 5/16", 3/8", 187/512"?


Because they were discussing whether the dies were interchangeable with the Greenlee, and if the drawstud is a different size, it won't be interchangeable.


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

I have a HF not far from my house. I have a good amount of there tools, but they are ones i just dont care about. 

If you have to rely on it, dont get it at harbor frieght. 

if it moves, dont get it at harbor freight. 

If it has a switch, dong et it at harbor frieght.


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

My experience with Harbor Freight tools is they are fine if you don't expect to use them very much. If you are expecting to use them professionally they usually won't last. The sockets and wrenches are not bad and I expect them to hold up to more use than their other tools. The wratchets are junk. I've broken 2-3 of them.


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## gold (Feb 15, 2008)

Harbor Freight is good for some stuff i get files there, shovels rakes cut off wheels for grinders . I just got one of those little steel rolling carts for 30 bucks. A machinery Dollie, my heat gun, a dead blow hammer, a trailer I use on the lawn mower, tarps... point is theres stuff there thats usable
Don't buy the electrical tape, just don't do it. I bought a right angle drill there looks like a knock off of a milwaukee hole hog. I was in a pinch at the time but its been running like a horse ever since, not that I would recommend buying it. The knock out set I don't know If I was using it daily or even weekly no, but if its just a few times a year which is about all I use my hand kit, I may think about it since I do have the hand kit when it fails.


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## loopholeguy (May 18, 2010)

My boss bought about 15 sets, a year and a half ago. About half of them, the 3/4" cutter wouldn't screw onto the shaft. Watch out for that. Also they don't have the notches for lining up the center, if you use those. The shaft for the 1/2" KO is also different from Greenlee. The acual hole that cut varies slightly from standard, but not enough to make difference. Other than that, there has been no problem with them. We use them all the time and they seem to hold up fine.


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## sandboxdoc1 (Oct 29, 2010)

For the price $80 harbor is asking for that hydraulic set, you'd get your money's worth for sure. I use to think harbor sucks but a comparable greenlee would set you back more than 5 times what the harbor tool costs.


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## knowshorts (Jan 9, 2009)

sandboxdoc1 said:


> For the price $80 harbor is asking for that hydraulic set, you'd get your money's worth for sure. I use to think harbor sucks but a comparable greenlee would set you back more than 5 times what the harbor tool costs.


But that greenlee set will last you your entire life.


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## Trimix-leccy (Dec 4, 2007)

Thread hijack...only posting because we both have Trimix in our forum names...:thumbsup: .message ends.


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## sandboxdoc1 (Oct 29, 2010)

knowshorts said:


> But that greenlee set will last you your entire life.


 Not if that set grows legs on a jobsite or due to theft. You know the day laborers or ex-felons that are alongside under other subs/trades...


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## John R. Lock (Oct 30, 2015)

*Harbor Freight Ram set*

I would be wary as well,especially for the price except that my co worker and I have been really putting this set to the test doing several (500+)ko's so far and I am impressed.It may be hard for some to accept the fact that an 80.00 complete ko set would actually even work let alone stand side by side with a greenlee.Better yet I have witnessed no leaks at all and we have definately gotten more than our moneys worth.So if you are in need of a tool and cannot dish out the dough for a G/L....this one is worth every cent!


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## Year_Zero (Nov 3, 2013)

The shop I work for has several they all work fine with dies up to 4" so far.

BTW the Greenlee tap set that sells for $30+ at the supply house is identical to the $12 tap set they sell at HF. A lot of the low end Greenlee stuff is re-labeled Chinese.


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## John R. Lock (Oct 30, 2015)

Thats great to know about the tap sets,I have a new one now but next time I will be trying HF brand.


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## RMRiggs (Feb 16, 2015)

I have good luck with mine so far, i have only had it a couple of months though...


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## PetrosA (Feb 18, 2012)

The tap sets look similar, but I've had way more taps shatter out of the HF sets than the original Greenlees.


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