Harbor Freight

[MI2600]

I buy at HF with the expectation of one-time use and always save my receipt.

 

[Brando73]

I have seen scattered suggestions to buy this or that from Harbor Freight and I wonder what serious reloaders think about that. Calipers, scales, vices, tumblers, magnifiers, on and on. I'm trying to get into this as cheaply as I can, but I don't want to completely ignore quality. What do the experts say?

The magnifier lamp is great and I have two. The Calipers are a coin toss so make sure they work before you leave the store. Get a cheap one from home depot. Same ones but they seem to be more good than bad. Scales....not a fan, close but no cigar. Most of the other stuff, or any of the stuff that excludes scales and Calipers, sure. If they break buy another or return it.

 

[Walkalong]

I recently examined the Harbor Freight Pittsburgh calipers for a friend. I was not impressed

Yep, they aren't any good anymore.

 

[markr6754]

Nothing better than their Mini Chop Saw for turning .223REM/5.56Nato cases into .300 Blackout. Multiple hundreds, probably need to get a new blade...cutting nickel plated cases is hard on it.
Blue Latex gloves...were a good value prior to Covid, now hard to find. Lots of guys bought their $119 to $149 wooden workbench for reloading. I went another route, but essentially the same bench.
I picked up a cheap clamp on vise...not exactly reloading material, but I've built 7 AR platform guns on it.

 

[mkl]

Buy precision tools ( Starret, Mitutoyo, etc.) on Ebay. Electronic scales are about the same quality as most of the cheaper ones made in China and that you find on Amazon (they all drift negating repeatable measurements). Beam balance scales will maintain their accuracy IF you can find some made in the USA (older RCBS and similar).

Other than the two items mentioned above, I've found Harbor Freight quality about the same as that purchased from any other vendor which does not sell items made in the USA.

 

[Series70]

I started out many moons ago with a plastic Lyman caliper, and I lived to tell the tale. As you advance, you'll know when it's time to upgrade.

My plastic dial caliper says RCBS and I'm still using it. How bad could they be if major reloading brands were willing to put their names on them?

 

[Mr. Zorg]

As a new reloader I avoided both HF & reloading company badged calipers, instead purchasing this iGaging tool via Amazon. I'm pleased to see some posts by experienced reloaders giving iGaging calipers a thumb's up!

https://www.amazon.com/iGaging-ABSO...ords=igaging+HAZM044625&qid=1604546567&sr=8-1