Harbore Freight Axes......Any good?


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I just saw a Harbor Freight ad and they had an axe for 29.00. Wood handle 4.5 lb head and 30.5 inch handle. I would not use it very much as I mainly use my Estwing hatchets. I was wondering if anyone had any good or bad experience with the Harbor Freight Axes. Thanks in advance for any information. Have a very blessed day everyone.

Update on my original question of are Harbor Freight Axes ...any good? I was in there tonight and they had a 4.5 pound axe with a 36 inch hickory handle. The handle looked decent,not great but decent and the best thing was the 29.00 axe was on sale for 19.99, I couldn't say no. It may not see a lot of use,hence the reason I can't justify 50 to 100 dollars. Thanks everyone for your advice on my original post about these. God bless yoy all,I'm glad I joined this forum. Have a blessed night everyone.
 
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I don't have a way to test hardness correctly. I have 2 hatchets and the firemans hatchet. I have reprofiled and sharpened another hatchet from Harbor freight. Metal comes off both Estwing and Fiskars hatchets quicker than the Harbor Freight hatchets. Yet I was able to cut the spike off the firemans hatchet with a sawzall . That to me says they are getting the Heat treat right
 
Thanks for the advice guys. I'll let you know what I decide. I'm eyeing a Council Tool Boys axe on Walmart's site for 49.00 free delivery. I have heard good things about them on here. You all are a great group
 
I haven't spent more than $5 on an ax or hatchet in 40 years. In fact, the four I have were bought back then and haven't been replaced - except for a Vaughn carpenter's hatchet that I re-profiled as a faux "norse" belt ax - just for grins. That one is about 20 years old, I estimate.

My son just brought me what might be a HF light ax. Decent handle with good grain. All it needed was a good edge. It's a bit light for heavy splitting, but light enough to go in the boat when I camp out of it or the truck. Rings like a dinner bell and seems to hold sharp.

There's many great steels out there at garage sales. My obstinance is based on a belief that a lot of old American axes were made by men who came from Germany, Finland, Norway, Sweden, etc, or, were sons of same. They found work in American foundries all over the upper mid west and NE, as well as in Canada. Cheaply made steels didn't survive, either in the field or in the marketplace. IMO, spending $300 on a piece of work like those current imports is jus ta point of pride. I get that. I do it for other items (packs from Frost River) so I don't waggle the pointy finger at anyone. Pride in ownership is valid, and those axes are very fine examples of the craft. The reason I don't buy gold plated axes is because they are going to take a beating, get dropped, smack something they are not supposed to, maybe get left out in the rain by mistake, etc.

The edge quality of my old steel pass the shave test and I don't sweat the details.
 
A buddy of mine bought one of the double bits with a fiberglass handle.
I was duly impressed by it as we split up around a cord or more of hickory wood and it never flinched.
 
I bought a couple of their $9.00 fiberglass handled hatchets with the thought (¿fantasy?) Of slinging them to a pack for camping. As yet, undone, but the edges have been "tuned-up" very sharp. I need to jyst chop some wood out back....but then I'd have to "polish" the edge for chopping..... uhm, yeah.....

I'd say go ahead and get the axe. But I wouldn't use it differently than a $100.00 axe.
 
I bought 2 of the plastic handled hatchets on sale plus using the 20% coupon. I had the Idea of using them to chop roots and such, where I didn't want to use my good hatchets. When I went to sharpen them I was pleasantly surprised at the steel quality. I later base on the first 2 bought a firemans hatchet just to tinker with. I am happy with it after my modifications.20181012_171857.jpg
 
Following for a review.

I heat with wood so a couple of tools get a lot of regular use. Favorite axe is from a swap meet about 30 years ago and hatchet is a Plumb rig axe I've had since the 70s.

Have others but when you find a good one . . .

Still interested in new ware though.
 
So for the category of won't be used often I would only recommend a full sized axe like that for splitting only. For general use a boys axe in my opinion is a better option for the casual user.

I might not be as big and strong as some of the other folks on this forum but I personally find that I am only able to use a full sized axe effectively if I've been doing quite a bit of axe work for a period of time. Picking an axe up on occasion to do some work I find a boys axe is more effective since I can pick one up and use it without wearing out quickly. For splitting it doesn't matter near as much what you are using. I have a 4 lbs Rockaway I use for really nasty stuff but couldn't see myself picking it up for general use and certainly not as a Bushcraft axe of any sort.

This is part of why we always ask "what are you planning on using it for?".

Now as for the Harbor Freight axes I have one of their $8 hatchets that came on a yellow handle. It's my go to beater axe that I find myself grabbing and using often and without hesitation. The newer ones seem to have different heads with worse profiles but the one I have has perfectly good steel and a good profile. It's an excellent tool and worth every penny spent.

Harbor Freight camp axe side view by MJGEGB, on Flickr

Back when it was shinny and new sitting on top of a couple of limbs it had just bucked and split directly on the ground. Now it's covered in rust and dirt without a care in the world.
 
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