Harbor Freight - what happened to the 20% off coupons and the "free" trinkets like little flashlights,etc. Haven't seen any of these coupons in a few months, at least in Florida .

JoeH wrote:Harbor Freight - what happened to the 20% off coupons and the "free" trinkets like little flashlights,etc. Haven't seen any of these coupons in a few months, at least in Florida .Covid happened.

They also dropped their paper catalog and went to a digital catalog.The stuff they used to give away is now being offered at a lower price, with a coupon.And they are coming out with better quality (?) merchandise.At least that's my observations.

larry cad wrote:JoeH wrote:Harbor Freight - what happened to the 20% off coupons and the "free" trinkets like little flashlights,etc. Haven't seen any of these coupons in a few months, at least in Florida .Covid happened.Actually HF dropped the "free" trinket thing "BC" (BEFORE Covid)at least two yrs ago, 20% off coupons and printed "catalogs" (which were nothing more than a 6 page sales flier which had higher prices than in store pricing) are a more recent thing..I remember a time when HF used to send out real catalogs..And by the way, don't bother signing up with your email address, all they do is spam you with all the "new additions" in hopes to lure you into buying it..You can get the same info by accessing their online "catalog" from their website..SEE HERE"HAVEN'T RECEIVED A PRINT CATALOG FROM US? HERE'S WHYWe've changed the way we deliver the great savings you count on at Harbor Freight. We've moved from sending printed coupons and mailed monthly catalogs, to a digital format that makes it possible to send you even more savings, more often. You can find our very latest offers on our website—the same website you're on right now—but the best way to learn about our promotions is by email. When you sign up to receive our emails, you’ll get great savings sent directly to your inbox. You can also find the latest savings and deals on our new Harbor Freight Mobile App for IOS and Android phones. It’s free and available for download at both the App Store and Google Play.Why did we make this change? We're always looking to make everything we do better for our customers—the tools we sell, the values we provide, and the way we help you save. And providing these savings digitally offers a lot more for our customers: No more lost or late delivery—just check your inbox or our website You learn about the latest deals the instant they’re available—no more waiting a month for new deals and savings by mail Click on any item to get product information, reviews, product videos—everything you need to choose the right tool for your needs"Honestly, they have used multiple sales gimmicks with catalog pricing, in store pricing, sales flyer pricing, 20% off pricing it made trying to figure out if it was a good deal or not.. Must of been hard for their accounting staff to figure it out themselves..Now they seem to be using the "one low price strategy" which pretends to lower prices by removing coupons and discount pricing.. I would bet that the "buyers club" pricing has gotten leaned up..

With Sears headed toward extinction there aren't a lot of places to buy tools, especially automotive stuff. Their quality is headed upmarket with new brands like Icon and Bauer. I just bought a $69 Bauer trim router and it's almost identical to the $99 Makita at HD.If you the math, the ad coupons are always about 20% off, and the general 20% off coupon excluded compressors, welders, Bauer, and a laundry list of other stuff to the point it was only good on a bag of zip ties.Honestly I like where they are going...you can still buy the cheap junk I-only-need-it-one-time tools, but you can get some quality stuff too, so you pay for what you need.

Harbor Freight - what happened to the 20% off coupons

4x4van
Explorer III
Mar 04, 2021
SAR Tracker wrote:
And how many cordless tool ads are labeled "Tool Only" meaning you have to buy a battery separately? Example: 20v Hypermax™ Lithium-Ion Cordless 1/2 In. Drill/Driver - Tool Only $44.99. So you have to buy a battery - Cheapest is: 20v HyperMax™ Lithium-Ion 1.5 Ah Compact Battery for $22.99. Of course the battery is useless without a charger, cheapest is: 20v Hypermax™ Lithium-Ion Rapid Charger again, for $22.99. Now your up to $90.
No different than cordless tools at any other store/any other brand. I have quite a few Ryobi cordless tools; only a few of the combo packs actually include batteries and charger. Same thing with Makita, DeWalt, Craftsman, etc., which makes perfect sense; once you have a charger and 2-3 batteries, you certainly don't need a battery and charger for every single tool. That's kinda the point of having tools that use a common battery, isn't it?

I have quite a few HF tools, mostly hand tools, and have never had any of them break (lifetime warranty if they do) other than the tip of a small round-end allen wrench; which they replaced immediately. I also have several electric tools (not the cordless) that I am perfectly happy with, including an Bauer SDS Max demo hammer, Banks nail gun, Chicago Electric circular saw, and Fortress compressor. Now granted, I am not using them 8 hours a day to make a living, but I do all of my own maintenance on my RV, a Hummer, a car, wife's Tahoe, 3 PWC, 4 ATVs, 4 motorcycles, 3 trailers, and of course my home, not to mention working on my adult kids' stuff. Most of HF's hand tools are certainly better than today's "Craftsman", and cheaper to boot, and their higher end power tools are more than acceptable for non-commercial use. I also buy their Thunderbolt Alkaline batteries when they are on sale; they last just as long as Duracell or Energizer, at half the price.

If you go to their website, the "Instant Savings" section is where you can find the prices that corollate to what used to be "coupon" prices.

I have to believe that many of the Harbor Freight "naysayers" have likely not shopped HF lately, and instead are relying on what HF "used" to be/sell.
JoeH
Explorer III
Mar 08, 2021
This morning I received an email from HF.... guess what, the free trinkets are back ! LED flashlight,masks,tarps. Not that I'm going to go for one on it's own, but if I should need something, I'll certainly take my freebie

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