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26 Harbor Freight Gems Every DIYer Needs

Jason WhiteUpdated: Oct. 23, 2020

No frills and deep discounts are two reasons why DIYers love Harbor Freight. We suggest you add the following tools and gear to your collection ASAP!

Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links.

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Framing Nailer

Every good DIYer needs a reliable framing nailer. If you ever plan on renovating or building anything with walls, one of these will drastically cut down your work time compared to a hammer and nails. This model from Banks is well reviewed, rugged design, and only costs $100.

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Hydraulic Table Cart

Hydraulic Table Cart

An adjustable height table cart has lots of uses around the workshop. It’s great for unloading heavy items from the back of a truck or just getting things up to a comfortable working height. This Harbor Freight version will only cost you $180 and it can move and lift up to 500 lbs.

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image_26421 standing foam mats

Anti-Fatigue Foam Mats

In addition to being easy on the feet and a relief to the lower back, these affordable mats are popular with DIY customers and makers, who cut and glue them into elaborate costumes and sculptures. Anti-fatigue mats are perfect for anyone with a shop of any size. Sure, you can always make your own with spare carpet pad, but if there’s any chance that your shop or work space will get wet, sooner or later you’ll wish that you’d used something that wasn’t essentially a big sponge.

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image_24768 Trailer Hitch

Trailer Hitch

If you’re planning on standard towing for a DIYer, you’ll want to be sure to check out this dependable three-ball hitch and see if it’s a good fit for your needs. If you’re going to be hauling materials from the lumber yard or hardware store, a trailer will let you get things done faster and more efficiently. Selecting a trailer hitch involves balancing quality and affordability, as well as an understanding of the kinds of items and trailers you’ll be towing.

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Mini Jackhammer

Mini Jackhammer

Do you do concrete work for a living? A jackhammer is a must-have tool for busting up old concrete steps, walkways, and pads. The professional models are pricey, but this one's only $360. Still not a cheap tool, but should pay for itself over time (and money saved at the chiropractor).

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2 HP Dust Collector

2 HP Dust Collector

A single-stage dust collector with a 4' hose is a coveted tool in most home woodshops, because it keeps your shop cleaner and protects your lungs from the harmful effects of sawdust. You can spend a few hundred to a few thousand dollars on a dust collector, but Harbor Freight sells this 2-HP model for just $200. That's more than enough sucking power for most home shops. The bag on top filters particles down to 5 microns, and the lower collection bag is clear so you can see when it needs to be changed. Check out this DIY dust-collection modification.

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Metal Cutoff Saw

Metal Cutoff Saw

A metal chop saw is the tool to use when you need perfectly straight or angled cuts in angle iron, rebar, or steel pipe. A 14" model is normally $150 or more at home centers, but this one works great and it's only $95. The 3-1/2HP motor slices through metal with ease. Plus it's also fairly lightweight and easy to carry and store when not in use.

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portable generator

Portable Generator

If you ever work on sites that lack electric power, or if you want to make sure that your equipment doesn’t draw so many amps that you’re tripping breakers inside your home, then you need a portable generator. And when it’s time to pick the best power generator for your needs, don’t miss the great deals that Harbor Freight offers on these solid units.

Sure, for a contractor who’s paying a five man crew to be onsite it may make sense to pay an extra $1,200 for a generator with identical specs, as long as it buys some peace of mind. But if your only expense is the generator itself, Harbor Freight is a no-brainer.

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Engine Hoist

Engine Hoist

If you work on cars, or just have lots of heavy stuff in your shop that you need to move around, this shop crane (sometimes called an engine hoist) is worth its weight in gold. It's easy to wheel around, and the legs fold up for easy storage. Beyond engines, our editors have wheeled around all kinds of heavy stuff, including table saws and jointers.

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Stethoscope

Stethoscope

If you like playing car doctor in your garage, this mechanic's stethoscope only costs $5. It's just what the doctor ordered for diagnosing problems under the hood such as piston slap, worn gears, and other mysterious bumps and squeaks. Just touch the probe to the non-rotating part you think might be faulty and listen. Only $4. Not for medical use.

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Furniture dolly

Furniture dolly

You probably couldn't build a furniture dolly this cheap yourself. For $16, you get a heavy-duty dolly made from hardwood and rated for 1,000 lbs. The rubber wheel swivel casters ensure smooth hauling of even the heaviest loads. But, if you prefer the DIY route, learn how to make your own dolly using a pallet.

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Angle Grinder

Angle Grinder

If you're a typical DIYer, then a angle grinder probably isn't something you'll use very much. You can rent them at home centers; but for only $15, why not just buy your own? They're great for cutting, grinding, and polishing wood, metal, and concrete. They come with metal-cutting blades, but you can also outfit them with diamond blades, wire wheels and sanding disks. Check out our 10 easy ways to cut metal.

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Grinding and Cut-off Wheels

Grinding and Cutoff Wheels

Harbor Freight is a fantastic source for high-use, short-lifespan tools. A great example is cutting and grinding wheels. As anyone who’s used an angle grinder knows, the life expectancy of a cutting wheel is short at best. More expensive cutting wheels last a little longer, but for an average DIYer, this gain is almost unnoticeable.

Pick up your cutting discs at Harbor Freight and over the course of a few projects you’ll see significant savings. This holds true for rotary tool grinding and cutting discs as wells as angle grinder cut-off wheels.

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Bolt Cutters

Bolt Cutters

Here's another tool you don't need every day, but a set of bolt cutters sure comes in handy. Got an old padlock you need to open but can't find the key? Need to cut through some threaded rod, a bolt, a chain, or some chain link fencing? Bolt cutters will make short work of all of these.

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Rotary Hammer

Rotary Hammer

A rotary hammer will easily drill holes in masonry, chisel concrete apart like a mini-jackhammer, and even drive rebar into the ground. Once you own one, you'll wonder what you ever did without it. Find out the difference between a hammer drill and a rotary hammer.

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Furniture Blankets

Furniture Blankets

Planning a move or just need to protect your furniture during a remodel? At only $5-10 each (depending on size), these furniture blankets cost less than half what moving supply companies charge. We've seen them go for as little as $3 on sale at Harbor Freight, so load up and get moving!

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Deep Well Sockets

Deep Well Sockets

Unless you work on cars a lot, you probably don't need deep well sockets very often. But when you need them, you really need them! So stop borrowing your neighbor's socket set and buy this 10-piece set instead. They're available in SAE or metric in various drive sizes and a bargain at only $12. Impact-rated sockets are also available for about $25-32. Check out 6-point sockets vs. 12-point sockets.

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Right Angle Drill

Right Angle Drill

Need to chew holes through a bunch of wall studs for new plumbing or electrical lines? You'll want a heavy duty right angle drill. They're not cheap at home centers – about $250. And renting costs add up quickly over the course of several days. But Harbor Freight sells them for only $150. With a two-speed gearbox and heat treated gears, this thing is a beast! Learn how to bore holes in studs.

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Micro Pinner

Micro Pinner

A 23-gauge air nailer — sometimes called a micro pinner — is great for nailing on small trim because it's less likely to split the wood. The nails don't have any heads, so you don't have to set them and fill the hole with wood putty. Premium brands go for as much as $270, but this one only costs $25.

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Chain Hoist

Chain Hoist

Like a shop crane, a chain hoist is a great tool to have for lifting heavy objects. But the advantage of a chain hoist is that you can lift things ten feet up in the air! Which is a big help if you need to hoist something big in an auto shop or industrial warehouse. Normally an expensive item, but Harbor Freight sells one-ton hoists for $60. See more tips for when working by yourself.

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Jack Stands

Jack Stands

These are great when you need to get all four of your car wheels off the ground for things like brake jobs, replacing shocks, and other automotive tasks where you're working underneath your car for an extended period of time. Harbor Freight sells these three ton adjustable-height jack stands for under $50, a price you can't beat.

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Drillmaster Router

Drillmaster Router

This fixed-base router is equipped with a 2-HP motor, which is plenty powerful for most routing tasks, and comes with ¼' and ½' collets. It even has some extras like a spindle lock for quick and easy bit changes and a micro-adjustment feature. (Check out this DIY portable router table base.)

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image_25797 Airbrush and Compressor Kit

Airbrush and Compressor Kit

Perfect for learning the basics of airbrush technique, this no-frills, high-value kit provides a compressor and brush for less than half the cost of many high-end airbrushes alone. This kit is great for trying out an airbrush for DIY hobbies and detail work such as wall stencils.

If you find that you enjoy airbrushing, you may want to upgrade to a brush with finer controls, but even then you’ll find that the compressor runs like a champ.

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Pneumatic Stapler

Pneumatic Stapler

Need an air stapler for woodworking, crafts, carpeting, or installing upholstery on furniture? $25 gets you a 20-gauge stapler that you power with a compressor. It'll drive 7/16' crown staples all day long up to 5/8' in length. Learn how to choose an air compressor here.

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Reciprocating Saw Blades

Reciprocating Saw Blades

And, while you’re getting a reciprocating saw, grab some blades for it as well. This may seem obvious, but in fact not all blades are created equally. There’s a huge range of factors that make picking the right blade a detailed science. And in fact, many of the various saw blades you’ll find at Harbor Freight aren’t great choices for precision work. But the Harbor Freight reciprocating saw blades are a good purchase.

The fine finish blades for circular saws or miter saws need to have precisely cut teeth, and a durable body. Quality blades for these saws are expensive, and are often re-sharpened rather than replaced. Reciprocating saw blades, on the other hand, are designed to be used and abused. And Harbor Freight’s selection of blades is more than up to that task.

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floor jack

Floor Jacks

Even those who aren’t fans of Harbor Freight tools have to admit that their floor jack selection is top-notch. If you’re a DIYer considering buying a floor jack and stands for home car maintenance, do not whip out that credit card until you’ve seen what Harbor Freight has to offer.

Notice that the jack pictured is another Pittsburgh brand product. Once again, this line isn’t at the top or bottom of the price list, but offers solid quality at a very reasonable sticker price.

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image_18697 t-rex dinosaur puzzle

Project Kits for Young DIYers

This balsa wood T-Rex skeleton is the kind of puzzle that builds skills and confidence at the same time. These affordably priced models are a great way to get kids started in DIY. The sticker price makes it less painful when the inevitable wrecking ball of youthful enthusiasm meets breakable parts, and the variety of options means that you can match a young person’s interests, from woodworking to electronics.

Originally Published: July 21, 2020