Harbor Freight
Recommended 29× on r/BuyItForLife
Shop Harbor Freight
Tools Pipe Taps 6 Piece
This pipe tap set effectively taps custom pipe fittings and cleans rust and scale from existing threads quickly. Made from heat treated and precision ground 1050 high carbon steel...
Precision Screwdriver Set with Tweezers
Star Torx bits from T4 T5 T6 to T20 Spanner, tri wing, and other tamper proof bits Miniature phillips and straight bits Bonus tweezers for picking up small screws and parts cushion...
Warrior 4.3 Amp 4-1/2 in. Angle Grinder with Slide Switch
Angle Grinder quickly removes stock for efficient shaping, grinding, and metal cutting. The 4-1/2 in. angle grinder has a 4.3 amp motor that delivers 12,000 RPM and features an alu...
Bauer 8 Amp 4-1/2 in. Paddle Switch Angle Grinder
Paddle Switch Angle Grinder features a smooth paddle switch for precise control while wearing gloves. The high-performance 8 amp motor delivers up to 11,500 RPM for fast material r...
Pittsburgh Slotted Screwdriver
This slotted screwdriver has the classic features of a standard screwdriver with textured TPR grips for a secure hold and a vanadium steel construction for durability.
Hercules Brushless Cordless Impact Driver
Compact, 3-Speed Impact Driver has a 4-mode selector with speeds 1, 2, and 3, plus an auto mode for driving self-tapping metal screws without stripping the work material by ceasing...
Dining 20oz Tumbler
Keep your beverages at the perfect temperature - hot or cold - with this rugged stainless steel tumbler. The high-strength double-wall design keeps liquids insulated from outside t...
Ozark Trail Director Chair
Stay comfortable even when you're a larger person with the built-for-bigger Ozark Trail Oversized Director Chair with Side Table. The durable steel frame and comfortable seat fabri...
Banks 18 Gauge Brad Air Nailer
The BANKS 18 GA Brad Nailer is ideal for fastening all types of trim and molding. The lightweight, narrow body tool is easy to handle, making it ideal for floor molding and cabinet...
Pittsburgh Tools 130 Pc. 1/4" & 3/8" Drive Tool Kit
The tool kit includes a hammer, screwdrivers, driver bits, wrenches, socket set, pliers, cutters, locking pliers, tape measure, hex wrenches, precision screwdrivers, and commonly u...
Bauer 20V Cordless 6-Tool Combo Kit
The BAUER 20V, 6-Tool Combo Kit includes a 1/4 in. hex impact driver, 1/2 in. drill/driver, 6-1/2 in. circular saw, brushless oscillating multi-tool, jet fan blower, 150/300 lumen...
Pittsburgh Tool Set with Case
Why r/BuyItForLife recommends Harbor Freight
29 mentions from real owners
- #1Dec 5, 2025
Is there anything you're convinced is "the cheaper the better"?
Anything I anticipate only using once or twice. I buy a lot of cheap tools from Harbor Freight that I don't use often. I'm not a full time mechanic, so I don't need to drop $200-400 on a full wrench set or a torque wrench. If I somehow break or wear down a cheap tool enough to need a replacement, then I obviously use it enough to justify a nicer tool.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #2Dec 5, 2025
Is there anything you're convinced is "the cheaper the better"?
Garbage bins. All the foot pedal ones eventually break, even the most expensive ones we've had from Simple Human and the like. Meanwhile I have several <$20 bins from Walmart with a manual lid that continue to work and hold up just fine. I've also had surprisingly good luck with basic tools from Harbor Freight, and saved myself hundreds over the "buy once, cry once" approach. Tools that have held up surprisingly well include crescent wrenches, screwdrivers, vice grips, socket wrenches, and an electric nail gun. I've also had some good luck with their storage and organization bins, as long as you avoid the ones that are obviously made of stupidly thin plastic that won't last. Their stacking tilt bins are like $2 apiece and are great for all sorts of things. I built up a set for my electronics repair bench and they're all great - I had to avoid one in the store that had bad tolerances on the tilting door, but it was obvious enough I could tell as soon as I picked it up.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #3Dec 5, 2025
Is there anything you're convinced is "the cheaper the better"?
I’m a professional and I buy their icon stuff and some of their other stuff. Fuck snap on. If I really need something from them I’ll buy it but I’m not going into debt to do my job. Also it’s way easier for me to warranty a harbor freight tool than a snap on one
View on Redditopen_in_new - #4Dec 5, 2025
Is there anything you're convinced is "the cheaper the better"?
Ah yes, the ol’ Harbor Freight Rule. Buy your first tool cheap. If you use it to the point that it breaks, invest in a more expensive/higher quality replacement. That being said, some of the cheap tools I’ve picked up at Harbor Freight have been more durable than more expensive brands. YMMV.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #5Dec 5, 2025
Is there anything you're convinced is "the cheaper the better"?
I have built so many bee boxes and frames with my Harbor Freight brad nailer. It's also sided 4 sheds and done trim work at my in-laws. It's shot tens of thousands of pin nails and staples and there's no sign of it wearing out. And honestly for how good it's done for the price, I'd get another if it ever does wear out.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #6Dec 5, 2025
Is there anything you're convinced is "the cheaper the better"?
I work in facilities so I appreciate a good tool but I’ve been so impressed with cheap tools that take a beating. Can’t begin to describe the stories of husky and harbor freight tools that were originally bought as cheap throwaways and lasting me years. Granted there is some benefit to buying fancier tools like wiha or snap on but for my day to day my cheap tools get the job done.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #7Dec 4, 2025
Is there anything you're convinced is "the cheaper the better"?
Harbor freight has come so far in recent years. Plus the warranty matches all the big dogs like snap on, Mac, etc… Adam savage said something along the lines of - buy cheap tools and if you’re using one of them all the time and it breaks, then consider buying a better version of that one thing
View on Redditopen_in_new - #8Dec 4, 2025
Is there anything you're convinced is "the cheaper the better"?
I always buy the cheapest tool I can find. If I use it enough that it breaks I buy the best I can afford. My harbor freight tools are wonderful for the most part though.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #9Dec 2, 2025
With a new style of water bottle popping up every year, Which one have you stuck with?
I have a 4-year-old, $5 stainless 12 oz hot/cold cup, that is very effective at keeping whichever temp is required, and it is dishwasher safe. It travels well and doesn’t mold. Harbor Freight.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #10Dec 1, 2025
My grandmas drill that she gave me to use to hang curtains
I believe may items are not as high quality as they used to be, TVs and Refrigerators for one. Used to work at BestBuy and the amount of people buying them after a few years makes me nervous to buy some new ones myself haha. But tools? Sheesh bro they are insane now. I've watched guys tear the Harbor Freight Hercules drill to shreds and it still chugs along. Insane.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #11Dec 1, 2025
Fooled by Fiskars "Limited Lifetime Guarantee"
Felco is one of the best but you can get a pair of Doyle ones from harbor freight for $25 that have a lifetime warranty. From my experience with harbor freight, if they break you just go into the store and they take the broken thing and give you a new one right there.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #12Nov 4, 2025
Which brands/products have gotten better over time?
Harbor Freight is legit now! Remember when they were basically the dollar store of tools? Now their Icon line actually competes with the big boys.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #13Nov 4, 2025
Which brands/products have gotten better over time?
Coffee (beans from varied independent roasters), Harbor Freight Tools, Leatherman (ARC)--leatherman really upped its game.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #14Nov 2, 2025
Companies with good warrenties that they actually honor?
I’ve had great warranty experiences with Hunter Douglas, Kohler/Kallista, Schlage, All-Clad, Wusthof, Harbor Freight Icon tools, and Concept 2.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #15Sep 7, 2025
All my laundry baskets look like this, please help!
We have about 10 Harbor Freight reusable bags. They’re close to IKEA quality for 69 cents in store.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #16Aug 12, 2025
What's One Product You Bought Thinking It Would Be Temporary But It Ended Up Lasting You For Year's?
Pneumatic brad nailer from HF. Thought I'd have trashed it by now.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #17Aug 11, 2025
What's One Product You Bought Thinking It Would Be Temporary But It Ended Up Lasting You For Year's?
I got a harbor freight belt sander like 15 years ago for one project and i still use it when i need one.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #18Aug 3, 2025
What products used to be well built back in the day but now are low quality?
The telephone. Back then, capable of literal murder it was that tough. Now? Dies when it hits the floor, screen cracks etc. Toy truck, I have one, Tonka, a 6 year old can ride it stand on etc. It was left here 24 year ago, out in the rain and snow, I leave it out on a pile of sand year round. Modern toy truck? Plastic, crushes under a 6 year old (albeit they are 15 pound overweight) toss it off the deck onto dirt it explodes. Swimming pool? Then, shotcrete concrete, tile deck, hard plumbed, in ground. Now, one big fiberglass tub what when it cracks it's toast. Needs redecked every ten years, pumps fail in 5. Tools? Stanley, in the day they made planes that are still in use and collected, now, junk castings and case hardened throwaway blades, handles fall off, quit making USA in the 90s and now mostly Chinese. Same for Craftsman, altho the 80s metrics sockets were junk. Start of their downfall. Now I just buy Husky or Harbor Freight, don't care about a warranty (no tools with moving parts are now per Craftsman) and live with it. Why pay ahead for a replacement when all they are really saying is "We got your money in advance you financed an even cheaper piece of junk and here it is." And the real kicker, tool sets in the 1970s cost about $1 a piece, 110 pc toolset $110 dollars. Now? Same - but inflation has ruined the value of a dollar, which means we are paying 10c a piece in 1970s money back figured. How? Cheap labor in a country with no benefits and 50-60 hour weeks. China is setting the prices to kill any of our domestic production which is why we don't have factories now. Our Corporations sold off our future jobs and have virtual slaves making stuff, all to give it away at Temu prices and free shipping? That just changed folk, no USPS rates shipping from China cheaper than shipping from the coast. It died and tariffs will add high costs on single items. Nope, they have to ship a conex load now to make a buck. Look for more Euro brands and maybe even Taiwan and Japanese - which were considered "good stuff" when China first entered the market, thank you Bill Clinton. W
View on Redditopen_in_new - #19Aug 1, 2025
iFixIt Mako/Essential Precision Bit Set
You can get a less BIFL, cheaper, more fully featured kit like that at Harbor Freight, in case anyone is on the fence and wants a tool trial option. I've had it for about a year now and aside from some of the fully plastic tools deforming (mostly operator error) it's a great set for a phenomenal price.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #20Jul 11, 2025
What's something you've had forever that surprisingly outlasted its time ?
Harbor Freight angle grinder. Was supposed to be for one project. That was a decade ago
View on Redditopen_in_new - #21Jul 6, 2025
What is the best quality camp chair like the type in this image?
Harbor freight director chair with side table and pockets. Best $35 spent
View on Redditopen_in_new - #22Jun 10, 2025
Whetstone recommendations?
I have been using a harbor freight whetstone. Might not be the absolute best option but it still works enough to get my knives sharpened.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #23Jun 5, 2025
Who swears by an Otterbox Defender despite the negative feedback it often receives?
Go to Harbor Freight and buy a small tool kit whose box is a little bigger than your phone. Throw away the tools, tape a bit of bubble wrap inside the case, and carry your phone around in that. Max $20. Short of running over it with a car, the box and the phone will last forever.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #24May 1, 2025
what’s the BIFL version of a garden hose nozzle?
Solid metal from Harbor freight lifetime warranty lol
View on Redditopen_in_new - #25Apr 3, 2025
Meta: Can we stop with the "but its all made in the same factory" BS
The [Harbor Freight 3 ton super duty jack](https://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton-low-profile-superduty-floor-jack-with-rapid-pump-metallic-purple-70611.html) for list price of $289 is made in the same factory in China as the [Snapon FJ300 jack](https://shop.snapon.com/product/Short-Chassis-Service-Jacks/3-Ton-Floor-Jack-(Red)/FJ300) that apparently sells for $1,030. They are almost identical with the only differences being that snapon has different seals and aluminum handle. [Snapon sued Harbor Freight but ended up settling and dismissing the lawsuit.](https://biztimes.com/snap-on-harbor-freight-settle-floor-jack-case/) “Harbor Freight also alleged Snap-on’s jacks were made in the same factory as the Harbor Freight ones and the company’s business model is what caused a higher price. Snap-on denied those allegations in its response.” I have this Daytona jack and it is quality built and there is no way I would pay almost 5 times as much for the same thing.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #26Mar 3, 2025
Where Does "Buy It for Life" Not Make Sense?
Kids stuff -- toys, clothing, etc. They outgrow things SO fast, it's almost always better buying used for a steep discount or get hand-me-downs. Plus it helps cement the idea of reduce/reuse/recycle, delayed gratification for the "hot" new thing, learning how to do without (obviously don't let the kid go without essential clothes, duh -- this is more for toys). College furniture -- these things get ABUSED by ~~people~~ assholes who genuinely don't care. This is why Ikea exists. First set of tools -- (if you're not in the trades or an experienced maker), like for a general set of home repair tools. Get a generic set of something modest. Harbor Freight, Husky, Crapsman. Buy used even. But most importantly, don't spend too much. And when something wears out or fails, buy a better replacement. Most people will never wear out basic tools since most people don't do shit. You fall into that group of most people. Cookware -- see above for tools. But avoid non-stick, that shit is terrible at nearly any price point. There's a happy medium of decent quality at a cheap price, and stuff RAPIDLY goes up in price from there. A used Cuisinart stainless steel skillet is JUST AS GOOD for a home cook as a brand new All-Clad. Consumer electronics (laptops, mobile phones) -- yeah, this shit loses value year over year. And pretty much anything you have is trash-tier after 5-7 years, IF it survives that long. Sometimes it's bad after even 2-3 years (hello mobile phones). Get only the minimum you need. I tend to keep the last functional piece I owned as a "spare", since so much of this shit is unrepairable anymore. ---- (socks? I never lost one -- then again, I buy Darn Tough Socks and Exofficio underwear. That shit is *expensive*, but soooo worth it. Stuff that touches you all the time should be the best and most comfortable you can reasonably afford. I make the effort to keep track of them.)
View on Redditopen_in_new - #27Feb 3, 2025
Does anything ever become BIFL?
Harbor Freight’s Icon tools are extremely nice. I recently bought an Icon brakes tool kit that is every bit as nice as the Snap-on one that I had been borrowing from a friend; he even agrees with that assessment. Same thing with the HF Dayton Super Duty 3 ton jack (which has an interesting story about Snap-on suing them and loosing). Ten years ago, I would only buy something from Harbor Freight if I fully expected to have the tool only need to work once or if I had some difficult to access location where I needed to modify the tool to fit. I guess the Harbor Freight US General toolboxes were always pretty decent, but most of the rest were junk.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #28Jan 5, 2025
Has everything we buy reduced in quality over time? Has anything increased in quality or stayed high quality and durable?
Decent tools for low prices are something I’ve seen a huge improvement in over my lifetime; you won’t always get the ‘best’ or longest lasting, but I buy from harbor freight regularly because their quality has skyrocketed in recent years while prices continue to fall. These days you can buy all sorts of specialty kits and tools there for dirt cheap that will last a lifetime if maintained and used properly.
View on Redditopen_in_new - #29Jan 5, 2025
Has everything we buy reduced in quality over time? Has anything increased in quality or stayed high quality and durable?
I haven’t seen tools mentioned. I get 98% of my tools from Harbor Freight, I can afford the Icon line of stuff and it’s really good quality and it’s relatively well priced. The power tool technology is vastly improved and it’s cheaper. I got a dewalt 14.4v drill probably 20 years ago and it was like $120 buck for a drill and battery, maybe a charger. I can get a 20v system for under $100 bucks now and it’s much better quality. I’ll spend 40-50 or more on a good ratchet because I know it’s likely to outlast me, has a lifetime warranty, so the manufacturer has an incentive to make it last, and it’s nice to use. Craftsman used to be good when it was made in USA, now they are slightly worse than a ton of other brands that are sold everywhere. Icon, Milwaukee, Kobalt, Quinn, Duralast, Gearwrench, and Tekton all make super good tools and I’d buy any of them and not be concerned with them not lasting many years.
View on Redditopen_in_new