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Rando thought: HF/or "budget" tool trucks?

vandelay industries

vandelay industries

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Just a rando thought i had at work last thursday: Will Harbor Freight have mobile tool trucks much like Snap-on, Maatco etc?

They could be company trucks or franchised-out. i think it could/would be very lucrative. These trucks might cater to the more up-and-coming shops or home-type shops that seem to be cropping up---refer to the 'Tube (youtube).


i have no real interest in this. Just a random thought i had at work.


OR, as a business idea, maybe get your own stepvan and sell harbor freight-ish tools out of it? Again, here, i don't have any real interest (ok, stomach) in this.
 
Lol. I’m not sure there’s enough margin on Horrid chinaFreight tools to make a go of this. I use their stuff “sometimes”
Like when I need to cut it up or throw it away after one use
:haha:
 
Bent77 said:
Lol. I’m not sure there’s enough margin on Horrid chinaFreight tools to make a go of this. I use their stuff “sometimes”
Like when I need to cut it up or throw it away after one use
:haha:
Click to expand...

Well, that's what i mean when i think they might start off catering to the up-and -coming shops that can't really comfortably afford top quality (here, i think HF is improving a little), and don't do that as many jobs requiring those tools vs. a top shop. As the shop grows, they can then afford the top quality stuff?

Another thing that seems to be proliferating, and i'm really wanting to go this route myself, is steel-type buildings being errected on residential land and used, not necessarily commercially, but as a place to work on cars/hobby shop. In this case, you're not using the tools daily/commercially and here's where the "chinaFreight" tools may really shine-----good enough to get the job done. But not good enough to be used repeatedly/daily/commercially........

Actually, that's a good name for a tool store-----"China Freight." Hey, why not just be upfront about it?
 
My friend's former Snap-On truck guy now has a Gear Wrench truck--Snap-On was trying to force him to "upgrade" to a larger inventory,and also was trying to hold him responsible for unpaid bills some crackheads owed ,they got credit,bought thousands of bucks worth of tools,tool chests,etc--then sold them for dope,and vanished..the agreement when he was hired was he wasn't to be held liable if that happened,he was insured & bonded..
So he quit,and got a consignment with Gear-Wrench..I never knew they had tool trucks..

My friend has bought quite a few of the Gear Wrench tools and likes them,and there is no hassles when a socket cracks or other defects arise,unlike Snap-On--he bought a few air impacts off Snap-On that costed almost $600 each,they were very impressive at first--but lasted about 6 months before they started losing power--they wanted them sent in for "rebuilding",took a month for them to tell him "we cannot get the parts for that model",then offered him a $100 "discount" on another new one..
It seemed there was always a hassle when it came to getting broken sockets replaced,etc.."We have to order it"--he spends a few grand a month on tools,scanners,etc,so its not like he does no business with them..

He was in a bind so he went to Lowe's and bought a Kobolt air impact and its held up very well,though its not as powerful as the Snap-On ones were..

I'm not sure if Harbor Freight would make much having tool trucks,there are a half dozen others already established here like MAC,Cornwell,Snap-On,etc..most shops want higher quality tools,and there are several stores close by if they needed a "bargain" tool from them..(one is 2 miles from my house,2 more 15 miles away in opposite directions.).

The metal carport & buildings seem to be selling well in this area,but there are enough dealers already selling them ,it would be tough to compete ..

I was tempted to sell smaller quonset buildings after I built mine,the Steelmaster company paid me $100 each time a prospective customer came to look mine over,most people balk at buying something they cant examine first,so they used me as a "demo"..
I made maybe $500 the first year--after others bought and built one,I guess they used them instead,they didn't contact me again..

I think there is a market for the smaller quonsets--the smallest one Steelmaster offered back then was 10 x 10 feet,and people with riding mowers or motorcycles and ATV's would likely rather have a steel building than a flimsy "tin" shed from Home Depot,or a tent garage,that offer practically no protection from theft or a fire..

Stick built sheds are fairly expensive for a good one that isn't particle board,and they can burn..if a homeowner is willing to spend a few grand on one of those,a quonset of similar size would likely cost less..

Delivery seems to be the lone business that is actually increasing,now that people are afraid to go do their shopping themselves or go get food,etc..
 
There’s gearwrench here in Las Vegas. I’ll admit to using HF tools but it irks me to be honest. I put them on the trucks and don’t feel bad beating on them or loosing them other than that I try the American tools as much as possible.
 
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