Serious question about those carbide burr sets from Harbor Freight

I needed a set of carbide burrs for a boiler tube repair last month and didn't want to drop $200 on the good stuff. Picked up a 10 piece set for $35 and figured I'd be replacing them after one job. They actually held up better than I expected on 1/4 inch plate, but I'm wondering if anyone else has gotten decent life out of them or if I just got lucky.

3 comments

3 Comments

milarodriguez1mo ago

Is it just me or is Harbor Freight basically the king of "it'll work for the weekend warrior but don't bet your life on it"? @ryan_shah38 pretty much nailed it with treating them like consumables from the jump. I think that's the real trick with their stuff - if you set your expectations right from the start you're rarely let down. There's something funny about buying cheap tools and being surprised they didn't fall apart, but feeling ripped off when a pricey one finally dies on you.

charles_mitchell1mo ago

Same thing happened to me with a set from there last year. I was convinced I'd be throwing them in the trash after one use but they kept on going way past what I expected. On thin wall tubing and soft steel they do fine, you just have to keep an eye on them when you start pushing into harder stuff. The chatter is real once they start going though, that's your sign to grab a new one. It's nice having a drawer full of them so you don't have to stop and sharpen or buy singles.

ryan_shah381mo ago

Yeah I had the same thing happen with a set I grabbed last year. Figured they'd be junk but they surprised me on some mild steel and stainless tubing I was cutting down for a buddy's project. They do dull faster than the good brands for sure but for the price you can just treat em like consumables and not feel bad about it. I've gotten maybe 4 or 5 decent jobs out of a single burr before it starts chattering more than cutting. For hobby stuff or one off repairs they're totally fine, but if I was running them all day every day I'd probably buck up for the real deal.