Harbor freight brew cart- anyone using?

[Tommydee]

Would love to do SS, but they are pricey. This is $67. Now that I've done 2 batches outdoors, I definitely need a brew cart. Im BIAB...im not planning to mount the burner/kettle on the cart, just thinking refractometer, brew salts, pH meter, scale in the drawer, sanitizer bin on top shelf, other stuff on bottom shelf. Also, prior to start of brew day, use it to haul my kettle (empty), burner, and burner stand (inverted metal milk crate!)from garage to driveway/patio.

I know HF can be hit or miss, but I only brew once per month or so. Any brew experience with this? Other alternatives, maybe I should be looking at poly Rubbermaid instead? Will starsans start to rust this?

https://t.harborfreight.com/30-in-l...d-service-cart-with-locking-drawer-61161.html

 

[Roland_deschain]

If it were me, I'd pull the trigger and give it a try. It would definitely be handy for brew days.

 

[Gonefishing]

I like it too and would give it a shot.

 

[soccerdad]

I'm trying to envision a support added for hoist that could support 25# or so of wet grain. I suppose just bar bell weights as ballast on the opposite side.

 

[schematix]

An HF cart was one of my first purchases. I still use it to this day.

I got the plastic one though. Unusually nice for HF. Spent about $99 IIRC.

 

[Roland_deschain]

I'm trying to envision a support added for hoist that could support 25# or so of wet grain. I suppose just bar bell weights as ballast on the opposite side.

I wouldn't trust it for a hoist, IMO that is asking for trouble. I would consider building a teepee style hoist. Collapsible, easy to set up, and inexpensive to make. Obviously the pic is overkill..

 

[griffi]

I bought a heavy duty hydraulic lift cart from HF - works well with my eBIAB system and I love the smooth up and down for transfers

 

[soccerdad]

I wouldn't trust it for a hoist, IMO that is asking for trouble. I would consider building a teepee style hoist. Collapsible, easy to set up, and inexpensive to make. Obviously the pic is overkill..

Pretty much what I use but just made with 3 pices of conduit. But I only use it outside for 10G batches. 99.9% of the time I do 5G batches indoors and hand lift the bag

 

[GrogNerd]

Love HF.

The best description I've heard describing buying stuff there: unless your life or your job depends on it


Except their $13 "dremel" is a POS, but whaddya expect from a $13 knockoff?

 

[Tommydee]

Love HF.

The best description I've heard describing buying stuff there: unless your life or your job depends on it


Except their $13 "dremel" is a POS, but whaddya expect from a $13 knockoff?

Ha, well described! I would add,
And you don't mind a few instant repairs to make it work, or noxious fumes from unregulated Chinese polymer/rubber plants. The rubber tires on my HF hand truck stunk up my car for a month....and I had to put tire slime to stop a slow leak on one of the wheels.....but working great for 3 years!

 

[Tommydee]

In the "life depends on it" category, doubt this thing is sturdy enough for hoist anchor.....not needed, as I have a nice light fiberglass ladder that I stuck an eyebolt in the apex, and it works fine for my nice weather patio setup....for cold, inclement garage brew days, have an eyebolt above garage door. Should have snapped a photo yesterday....

If I finish my garage cleaning chore before 5, might swing by and pick one up, will report back.

 

[schematix]

Love HF.

The best description I've heard describing buying stuff there: unless your life or your job depends on it

HF is one of the stores that convinced me to change my attitude towards purchases.

I don't buy anything less than Dewalt now.

Life's too short to buy sheetty tools.

I've been holding onto my old grain mill for a while now because i'm so scared the HF low speed drill gear is going to shred in the middle of a brew day... 0 faith in it.

 

[ericbw]

For storing and moving stuff around, I think it looks like a deal. I have to get my stuff up from the basement, so a cart wouldn't do me any good. Otherwise I would get something like this.

 

[ebstauffer]

And you don't mind a few instant repairs to make it work, or noxious fumes from unregulated Chinese polymer/rubber plants.

What is that Harbor Freight smell?? It's the same in every single store I've been to. I think it's mold release agent or something. Hope it's not carcinogenic.

 

[z-bob]

What is that Harbor Freight smell?? It's the same in every single store I've been to. I think it's mold release agent or something. Hope it's not carcinogenic.

It's the rubber items; like wheel chocks. I bought a pair of them recently, and have to leave them in the back of my truck because they stink too bad to put in the cab or in the garage. They work good, though. Maybe the smell will go away after a few months in the sun.

 

[geoffm33]

I have a similar one (from Amazon) for my BIAB setup and it rocks a little. Its secure, but I wish it were more stable. I am looking at this one here to replace it.

 

[Tommydee]

We'll, I picked it up yesterday, the floor model looked sturdy enough for hauling/storing my gear to the patio...but not something I would base an actual BIAB brew stand on, just an equipment cart.

I'll report back in 2 weeks, won't have time to assemble and brew til then...with HF, assembly is usually a test of any man's mettle/Mcgyver skills. This is the key to HF... go into your purchase with low expectations, and a sense for adventure, and all is ok. With the exception of their roto hammer, I would only buy a tool that I plan to use 3 times or less, or tools with no moving parts. . If you need to demo tile, their Chicago rotohammer is surprisingly decent for the cost vs renting one at HD.

 

[ebstauffer]

This is the key to HF... go into your purchase with low expectations, and a sense for adventure, and all is ok.

Nothing truer has been spoken. Just picked up a drywall lift for $109. Im hoping it lasts through the job of drywalling my garage ceiling!!

 

[Mirilis]

I had considered one of these grooming tables but never got around to it. The ones made for bigger dogs should be sufficient to hold my tools during the day and if i flip the arm out i can move the table close to my burner and try to use it for a bag hoist.

 

[triethylborane]

What is that Harbor Freight smell?? It's the same in every single store I've been to. I think it's mold release agent or something. Hope it's not carcinogenic.

Phthalic anhydride/esters for plasticizer production, and formaldehyde. Also SARS and the sweet smell of production.

Carcinogenic? Add in mutagenic and enjoy.

 

[triethylborane]

Nothing truer has been spoken. Just picked up a drywall lift for $109. Im hoping it lasts through the job of drywalling my garage ceiling!!

That bugger will handle 16' sheets of 5/8" ceiling drywall . . . got the cheapest dewalt drywall screwdriver and it was cake.

 

[Tommydee]

OK, the "US General" (Made in China) brew cart is now assembled, loaded, and ready for action for tomorrow's brew day! I have to say for $65, I am pretty happy. Of course there is trademark HF shoddy quality, but it is solid where it matters. The drawer slide is much better than I expected, and the friendly factory worker on the other side of the world gave me 4 keys to the drawer (rather than the 2 indicated on the box) so I can pass out plent of spares.

This thing screams Harbor Freight, with plenty of quirks. The box boasts "study construction", and the instruction manual has all the part quantities wrong, and calls for wrenches that are not needed....but easy enough to put together.

Took and hour to assemble, should have been 30 minutes. The project within the project this time was hammering out a bent shelf, testing my lousy sheet metal skills...and one of the casters took a lot of hammering...you need to grease them per the instructions. In classic Harbor freight fashion, the chrome legs were coated in some mutagenic mystery oil, so I need to get a shower now.

You can see in the pics below it is perfect for my needs, which is storing and transporting my hot side equipment from the garage to the patio, and acting as a brew cart during the brew once i have the pot and burner set up elsewhere. The drawer is really nice, it fits all the small stuff i need for BIAB, even my scale and water salts.

While it might be sturdy enough to hold the weight of my full 10 gallon pot and burner, i would NOT attempt to actually set up and brew on the cart, as it is pretty small, and any kind of heat will certainly blast the cheap paint job to bits. I'll post back tomorrrow with more pics during the brew day, i plan to use the top to store sanitizing pan, spoon, grains/hops, etc once I dough in.

So far i would recommend, but lets wait to see if it survives tomorrow.