[Boatanchors] Y'all are right, the Harbor Fright Soldering gun is a piece...

[Glen Zook via Boatanchors]

I have had one of the Harbor Freight heat guns for several years.  It works very well!  Either you got a lemon or I got a rare excellent example!
It has been my experience that the items, at Harbor Freight, range from below dismal to excellent.  It just depends on the item.  Fortunately, there is a Harbor Freight outlet less than 5-miles from my house.  As such, I can go and actually "handle" the merchandise before purchasing.  
Although I have not had an occasion to return an item, Harbor Freight does have an excellent return policy.
My wife griped the first time I went over to the store.  But, she found all sorts of things for home decor, miscellaneous yard items, and so forth.  Nowadays, she "suggests" visiting the store from time to time!
I have had very good results with certain paint guns and certain hand tools like hand seamers.  But, there are definitely things that I won't purchase because of inferior quality.  However, I have found the same thing to be true at other outlets like Home Depot and Lowe's.  Almost all of the tools available from those sources are also from China and suffer the same great range in quality as those at Harbor Freight.  The prices, for same quality tools, are, generally, quite a bit lower at Harbor Freight than at the "mainstream" home improvement centers, etc. Glen, K9STH 
 Website: http://k9sth.net
      From: Rob Atkinson <ranchorobbo at gmail.com>
 To: Ken Kaplan <krkaplan at cox.net> 
Cc: "boatanchors at mailman.qth.net" <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>; Glen Zook <gzook at yahoo.com> 
 Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2015 2:27 PM
 Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] Y'all are right, the Harbor Fright Soldering gun is a piece...
   
On Sat, Sep 12, 2015 at 11:45 AM, Ken Kaplan <krkaplan at cox.net> wrote:
>  if you need more heat than the gun provides, try
> pre-heating the work with a hot air gun - Harbor Freight :-)
>

I got a hot air gun at HF two years ago and when I tried it, smoke
came out of the front.  It seemed to work but I eventually learned
there's a fan in there that in mine, wasn't running right.

I think HF = cheap c**p from China.    I'd rather pay more and get
some quality.  I like tools that work right.

Maybe I have had bad luck.  I know people who have bought their tools
and not had any problem.  I think it is a gamble and I have been
unlucky a few times.