I went out for Chinese food at one of my two favorite places in Bellingham: Xing's Panda Palace
(the other fave Chinese place is Oriento's)
Xing's is in an older and moderately large shopping mall and with today's economy, there has been some shuffling of retail spaces. I noticed that two storefronts ( a used sporting vendor and something else -- so memorable a shopping experience I forgot what was there six months ago) had been combined and were being remodeled.
And then I saw the sign. Opening Soon.
1155 E. SUNSET DRIVE, SUITE 118Crap - Harbor Freight is opening a very large store in Bellingham. I am sooo f*cked... Their closest store was in Lynwood -- a two hour drive away. Yes, it is cheap Chinese crap and if you use something on a daily basis, you would be a lot better served by getting something made in India or Taiwan at an ISO9000 factory and paying the extra bucks for something that will last 30 years before needing to be rebuilt. That being said, if you figure that you will only give very light-duty use to a tool and really need that tool, HF is your way to go. My socket wrenches are either Craftsman or Snap-On, Screwdrivers? Enderes or Klein, Lathe? old-skool South Bend, Mill? a Taiwanese Grizzly. You get the picture. For incidental spray painting? Harbor Freight. Dent puller? HF, Come Along? HF, etc...
BELLINGHAM, WA 98226
(Coming Soon!)
I love living just 3 miles from a Harbor Freight! Overall I have been very pleased with my purchases. Like you said- if you were earning your money everyday, HF might not be your store. But for 90% of us and 90% of the things I need and use, their stuff is better than the average guy's opinion. I own an engine crane from HF- cost less than $200 7 or 8 years ago. It sits under my carport under a blue tarp and gets used for something at least once per year. Not always an engine change, but something. It has far paid for itself but I never could have afforded a domestic brand crane.