harbor freight saw blade

[KINGRIUS]

Re: harbor freight saw blade

I've had a 10 yr old skil saw that I bought a $15 hitachi diamond blade for. I figure I've done about 3 times the cutting I would have done if I'd used new clean firebricks as opposed to my old used ones. Having to clean them all off with the saw blade and then cut them in half has worn it down. I just had to buy my second diamond blade. But the cheap old skil saw is still kicking! I am within about 4 chains from closing the oven and figure I might have to get one more blade before I'm done with the project. That'll be $45 in blades and my saw might still work when I'm done with the build.

[cecilB]

Re: harbor freight saw blade

Good news! My 17 year old son was home on his lunch break and grabbed the new blade and put it on and it is fine! A friend of ours had put it on and got something wrong on there. Funny!
I know my son is LOVING the fact that he was right - but I didn't say much - just laughed!

We put a few rings up today. I don't know if I'm thrilled with it, we ended up putting wedge shaped bricks on top of the soldiers - they were half bricks cut in half again, diagonally. The thing is is the back ends of them stick out a bit. Oh well, it'll be covered up, right.

I'm just so glad that the blade actually did work!

Cecelia

[splatgirl]

Re: harbor freight saw blade

yay!
to answer your question, I did return my HF after about a week. They didn't seem to have a problem with that, but it was kind of a PITA to clean it up, repack it and haul it across town again.

I definitely agree with the comment that there seems to be quality differences from lot to lot with the cheap Chinese tools. And I certainly don't knock the stuff, because I've abused the crap out of several other HF tools over the last 5+ years and they're all still just fine for the price paid. And I actually thought the design of the HF saw tray and stand was superior to what I got with the Felker.

IIRC, I was close to having about $400 into the HF saw between it, the stand and the two blades I had to buy, so at that point, it made the $589 including shipping I paid for the Felker (blade included) look like a bargain. That said, I will use the Felker for at least two more projects in the immediate future plus who knows how many others.

[ThisOldGarageNJ]

Re: harbor freight saw blade

I've bought a few chinese tools and most are no longer with me. I bought them for low precision/one time use and most of them died before their intended use was complete.

hey christo, these are exactly the things i buy at HF.... sometimes you get lucky and they last,, they a 4 inch angle grinder on sale now for 14.99, i bought a spare for that price and keep it on the shelf as a backup

[RTflorida]

Re: harbor freight saw blade

I am all for buying dirt cheap Chinese (HF) for a project I know will abuse the hell out of a tool. Usually those projects are few and far between so I don't feel bad about spending $15, $20, or even $50 bucks for a tool I will trash in a day or two.....but I won't do that to a $200 or $250 Bosch. Even the best, most expensive tools will fail quickly if you get too 'creative' with there use. My Bosch tools are my day to day 'normal' project tools that I treat to last for years.

RT

[arren]

Re: harbor freight saw blade

Hello to all

In the wake of STRATOS, ?Blades? in the English speaking world, the highest selling and most highly rated fins in the world, Blades HF has been launched.
Developed around the LAYERING technology that combines rubber and a plastic support, these fins are covered by the most recent patents and studies carried out on TECHNISUB fins - spring effect, flow channelling, foot piece with rigid material rib, rotating adjustable buckles that can be unlocked quickly, and pre-deformed elements.
The performance provided makes these fins a real winner. They will repeat and exceed the success enjoyed with the Stratos range. The fins are totally edged in rubber for better protection against impact.

Thanks for sharing

[cecilB]

Re: harbor freight saw blade

Well, I don't know what STRATOS is, or fins, but I already have to replace the SECOND blade on my HF wet saw. I think it happens when my son uses it - he goes too fast. Could that be why?
My second blade I got a lowes - whatever their brand is - I paid about 50 bucks.

Cecelia

[RTflorida]

Re: harbor freight saw blade

Too fast will trash a blade in no time. I know I'm sounding like a broken record on this topic, but REALLY - it is all about keeping water flowing directly over the blade, listening to the saw, and the 'feel' of the bricks as they go through the blade. You can easily tell if you are going too fast.
There is absolutely no reason for anyone to be using several blades to build an oven (even the cheap blades) other than user error. There I said it, now everyone please, proceed with pelting me with your brick cutoffs for being overly critical and judgemental (I am always guilty of both).



RT

[kebwi]

Re: harbor freight saw blade

Problem is, not having cut so much as a single brick yet, I don't know what the signs are. I don't know what a good cut feels like. One could argue that it shouldn't be "too forced", that the blade should "eat the brick on its own without pushing", or any number of heuristic touchy-feely concepts like that, but the bottom line is, one simply doesn't know what feels right until after doing it wrong, seeing the result, AND intuiting the cause so that future usage can be modified. I can imagine someone having lots of trouble and twiddling their water nozzles incessantly when the underlying cause -- in their case -- is actually pushing the bricks too hard and they never figure it out because they're focused on the nozzles.

On some level, this information probably can't be conveyed by text and must be discovered, but I for one, have no confidence that I will be able to tell what is right or wrong when I start working, short of blatant smoke 'n flames.

I just hope it "makes sense".

In my case, I'll just have to see how it goes.

[splatgirl]

Re: harbor freight saw blade

One of the issues I had with the HF saw was that the water delivery at the blade was extremely poor. Adjusting and re-aiming the nozzle several times still didn't really solve the problem, but part of the issue was the crappy pump, too.
Anyway, I agree. Anything with a diamond blade or bit like that will wear out in short order without constant, generous delivery of fresh water to its' surface.