Doyle Anvil 2 Week Update - More Issues Found

This update on the Doyle Anvil from Harbor Freight isn't too great. While the Doyle anvil is only $10 and not perfect, there are some issues that buyers should be aware of. Not all of these anvils suffer the same defects, so it is important to try and look yours over in a Harbor Freight store instead of online. Find out if I think it is still worth the price of admission!
#harborfreight #blacksmithing #forging
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[@KaptainFuzzy]

I appreciate the review and followup. The honest evaluation is refreshing, and I wish more people understood your highlighting of the negatives isn't a complete admonishment. Silly people.

[@GarageHobbyist]

Right on. There are always trade offs for budget options, and it is important to be aware of them when making a purchasing decision. There is a difference between being aware, and trashing the product.

[@nisamvise1724]

@@GarageHobbyist Would you say this anvil is the best beginner one?

[@GarageHobbyist]

@@nisamvise1724I would say for the price and buying a new anvil, yes. It beats the cast steel options that are in the same price range, even with its flaws.

[@nisamvise1724]

@@GarageHobbyist glad to hear that, thank you

[@chordsofpower117]

Part of me holds a bit of liability for recommending this, the other part of me feels this has permitted some solid ongoing content and more than likely even more content to come with your new forging hobby alone. Like most stuff from HF, it just "Is what it is!".. The (Bondo?) filler is a tad obnoxious as it will serve no other purpose than to give the illusion of base cast material consistency. But at the end of the day, for most typical home use, a nice chunk of (mostly) consistent steel to work with shaping metal stock upon is a huge added benefit. I feel this will serve a fine purpose for any entry level forger or someone doing any kind of metal fabrication work or stock shaping on. By the time the forger advances to the point of needing a more acceptable and "long term" replacement, by that time they will know exactly what to look for and probably make that greater investment at that time based on the acquired experience. However, any tool that gets you better at what you're doing to the point you feel an upgrade is warranted, that tool has paid for itself 10 times over up to that point in time. So, I guess the moral of the story here is, an inferior tool to start with just might be the gateway to becoming a lifelong skilled tool user.

[@GarageHobbyist]

No liability. I have been using it quite a bit and it works quite well! I still think it is a great option for beginners, myself included. I just want to accurately document the experience and its faults. This thing is so hyped up on the internet, potential buyers just need to know it may have some flaws, and a little work may be required to bring certain areas up to par. It is a $140 anvil after all!

[@BeeHiverson]

Idk what has more filler in it the instagram girls or these anvils.

[@GarageHobbyist]

😆😆

[@thomaslemay8817]

All the defects were caused by the same fundamental problems with the metal while it was still in the furnace . They did not put enough flux in the molten metal and skim off the contaminants. Those pockets and voids will be distributed throughout the entire casting. As long as the buyers understand that little nugget of information, they won't be surprised when it breaks into or they hit it, and a large void appears. For occasional lite use, it will work.

[@GarageHobbyist]

Exactly. It's a $140 anvil, so its not going to be the best. It is important to be aware of the issues that may arise with something like this, especially as a beginner.

[@Neufman1]

This is exactly the information I was looking for, thank you! I plan on buying one, as I’ve been using the HF cast iron anvil for my light anvil, so I wanted a heads up of the issues I’d be facing.

[@jgj6331]

Buyer beware….. I bought a Doyle anvil earlier this year and tried to return it due to a casting defect in the horn that had been filled with weld and crudely ground down with a coarse disc. Since the nearest store seems to have only one in stock at a time, I tried to return it to another store. That store was gracious enough to let me open up and examine the one they had…. but I found an odd defect beneath the tail that was poorly hidden with filler and I didn’t swap. I did eventually exchange it at the original store for the only one they had in stock. Unfortunately, it - too - had a filled defect in the horn and a golfball-sized void along the middle of the Pritchel hole. This one also seemed very soft with poor rebound and little - to no - ring. It dented nearly as easily as the cast iron anvil I have. I suspect it was not properly tempered. So, 3 out of 3 were not acceptable to me. It is interesting that the half dozen display models I have seen are nearly PERFECT… but, of course, it is corporate policy that displays can’t be sold or purchased. In my opinion, it is quite possible that the displays were from early production when HF was trying to generate interest in them. I also suspect that as demand increased, quality control decreased to meet demand. I eventually returned mine for a refund and ended up buying a Vevor 66# London-style from Amazon. The casting was noticeably better than the Doyle - as were the rebound and ring. I would definitely not recommend the Doyle anvil at this time…..

[@GarageHobbyist]

Sorry to hear that you had 3 bad ones. Thanks for driving home the point of inspecting these before you make a purchase. When I bought this one the store didn’t have any and I had to order it online, so inspecting it wasn’t an option. Luckily mine only had a few small defects I could live with.

[@DarrenMalin]

it is a cheap anvil for a beginner , most of us do not have the moony to dump into a pro anvil.

[@andrewsparks4112]

A small button magnet. Can be used to find bond under paint.

[@GarageHobbyist]

That's a good idea. The filled spots on my anvil were pretty small, so I'm not sure how easy it would have been to find them.

[@aviatordave1]

Appreciate the follow up! I’m headed out today to buy one of these at my local HF. I’ll take a good look at the faces of what they have in stock. Thanks for the review!

[@GarageHobbyist]

Be aware the face is coated in grease/cosmoline to keep it from rusting. If possible wipe, it away to get a good look

[@rickershomesteadahobbyfarm3291]

I ended up tracking one of these down and giving $112 for it. I’m pretty happy with that. I think it’ll make a good anvil to learn on. Once I get better at it I’ll buy a good one. Thanks for these videos though bc I was very close to buying the cheaper cast iron one. I’m glad that people like you have put up a lot of reviews on this anvil to make it easier for people who are trying to get into the hobby.

[@GarageHobbyist]

That’s a good price for it! Not a bad little chunk of steel. I need to get some more free time so I can actually use it 😂😂

[@bobg8378]

I've got several anvils myself so don't really have a dog in this fight, that said I've thought these look like great anvils for the price until I saw that weld pop out. Craters like that make it very hard to anything precise on an anvil. Hopefully that will be the only one. Great video.

[@GarageHobbyist]

I think that's what a lot of people don't understand. Other people have had quite a few welds in the face, and if they start popping out it really isn't going to work well and be super frustrating to use, especially for a beginner. Thanks for watching!

[@choimdachoim9491]

I appreciate your conclusions. I have no anvil and don't want to buy a piece of railroad track so I am excited that HF has an affordable "something" better than the blue joke they had before. When I was a kid me and my 5 brothers would make arrow-heads and spear-tips out of nails, using a 12" piece of a 4" diameter steel shaft as anvil. We'd install them onto a common weed at our place called, appropriately, Arrow-weed. That wasn't much in the way of forging but it gets into your blood a little and I've always wanted to continue, plus, my wife wants to try forging and hammering. Point being, this red anvil is perfect for us.

[@GarageHobbyist]

Absolutely. I actually had a piece of railroad track I was going to use and this happened to come out as I was getting started. Not a bad deal for a 65 lb anvil, even with a couple issues.

[@waynebrumley2315]

all you had to do was take it back !

[@GarageHobbyist]

When this was filmed, these weren't readily available in store, and there is really no way of knowing whether the replacement would have been any better until the paint was stripped and grease cleaned off.

[@kravenofspider]

I'm assuming that this guy is a heavy worker of metal. He probably needs a good professional type of anvil. I'm a regular garage guy so this still seems way better than railroad track or the HF blue.

[@GarageHobbyist]

I’m just a regular garage guy. I just started blacksmithing so no heavy use yet. Maybe one day I’ll have a nice old anvil, but this one is hard to beat for the price!

[@michaelvitetta7231]

Those weld spots are super soft according to other reviews. What does the inside of the holes look like are there voids in there?

[@GarageHobbyist]

The inside of the hardy and pritchel? I didn't notice anything obvious. I'll take a closer look.

[@michaelvitetta7231]

@@GarageHobbyist just wondering if there were voids in there it could be a sign for buyers to get another.

[@GarageHobbyist]

@@michaelvitetta7231 Not anything that I noticed while filing it out. But that would be a concern if there were!

[@RoadHead62]

Don't fix it. Take it to the local store and exchange it.

[@GarageHobbyist]

I probably would have if any local stores had one. They are out of stock in several of the closer stores.

[@JB-xp8xl]

What you think is a mistake that has been welded over is most likely the vent hole was ground smooth after they poured the casting. Sure seems to be a lot of worry over something you're going to beat on with a hammer. It is an anvil for crying out loud. You're still going to miss the roadrunner with it. Choose one that has a basic shape for your needs and get on with it.

[@GarageHobbyist]

One of the welds already broke out of the face. I'm fortunate enough to only have a couple, others have had quite a few on theirs. If they break out and the face looks like the surface of the moon, its going to be pretty hard to keep things flat.