5 Great Harbor Freight Holiday Finds For DIYers (Based On User Reviews)
The holiday shopping season is upon us, and it's time to start assembling your wish list and gathering gifts for your loved ones. Whether you have a list of home improvement or automotive repair projects lined up for next year or you have family and friends who are do-it-yourselfers, Harbor Freight has a wide array of tools and supplies that make appropriate and enthusiastically appreciated gifts for the holidays.
With time running short to gather gifts, we're combing through user reviews of Harbor Freight products to find the best gifts for DIY enthusiasts. Some of these gifts are stocking stuffers that can be purchased for under $30, while others are more expensive tools priced at $100 or more. All of these items can be had for less than $250, however, making them affordable for just about anyone and appropriate to put on your wish list without making you seem like a greedy Grinch.
Quinn 15-piece screwdriver set
Every automotive tinkerer and home improvement warrior needs a versatile set of screwdrivers, and one of Harbor Freight's best values in this category is the Quinn 15-piece screwdriver set that retails for $27.99, which works out to just $1.87 per screwdriver.
The set includes three round shank and 12 square shank screwdrivers. The round shank drivers are 1 1/2 and 8-inch long Philips size 0 drivers and an 8-inch long Phillips size 2 driver. The square shank options are as follows: a 2 1/2-inch long Phillips size 0 driver, a 3-inch Phillips size 1 driver, 4 and 6-inch long Phillips size 2 drivers, a 6-inch long Phillips size 3 driver, 4 and 6-inch long 3/16 flat blade drivers, 4 and 6-inch long 1/4-inch flat blade drivers, and 6 and 8-inch long 5/16-inch flat blade drivers.
99% of the nearly 700 buyers who left reviews at Harbor Freight's site recommended this set. The drivers have magnetic heads to help guide screws into their holes and retrieve dropped fasteners. They also have the sizes marked on the handle to make identification easier while you're at work.
Warrior 1,500-watt dual temperature heat gun
Another reasonably priced gift option available from Harbor Freight is the Warrior 1,500-watt 11 amp dual temperature heat gun that sells for $19.99. Heat guns are versatile tools that can be used to thaw frozen pipes, solder copper pipe joints, shrink rubber heat shrink tubing, strip paint, or melt the glue used to mount vinyl tile. This gun has a maximum temperature output of 1,000º Fahrenheit, a 96% recommendation rate from more than 3,500 Harbor Freight buyers, and an average rating of 4.6 out of five stars.
An October SlashGear article mentioned one limitation of this tool: the six-foot-long power cord. However, our previous piece did point out some features that might offset that limitation: "Warrior boasts that its superior coil design allows this gun to heat up faster than the competition. The durable body also allows it to withstand any accidents you might have with the tool, like dropping it on a hard surface."
Hercules 12V 1/4-inch hex driver
A power drill/driver is a useful tool for both automotive do-it-yourselfers and home project warriors, and the Hercules 12V 1/4 inch hex driver is a good value at $39.99 for the bare tool. A 2 amp hour battery for this tool costs $24.99, and a 4 amp battery sells for $34.99. Harbor Freight also offers a Hercules charger for $44.99 that will top off both 12V and 20V lithium-ion batteries.
The 12V hex driver has a two-speed transmission and variable speed trigger, allowing you to run it at between 0 and 1,500 rpm with precision. It has a maximum torque output of 312 inch-pounds and a built-in LED light to help you see what you're working on.
This driver has a near-perfect 98% recommendation rate from nearly 150 Harbor Freight buyers, and a SlashGear feature on Hercules tools praised this driver's power and ease of use. "Hercules' Hex Compact Screwdriver combines compact size with surprising muscle and adaptability [...] Using the tool's 1/4-inch quick-release chuck, you can not only swap out the bit on the end, but do it one-handed!"
Bauer 1/2-inch 20V impact wrench
Serious automotive do-it-yourselfers know the value of a powerful impact wrench for removing wheel lugs and stubborn fasteners, and the Bauer 20V brushless impact gun is a good value at $129.99 for the bare tool. Harbor Freight sells 20V Bauer batteries for between $29.99 and $99.99 depending on capacity, and a Bauer 20V charger can be had for as little as $32.99.
This impact wrench has an average rating of 4.9 out of five stars and a recommendation rate of 98% from Harbor Freight buyers. It has an impressive maximum breakaway torque of 1,000 ft-lbs, enough to loosen the rustiest fasteners easily. A September SlashGear article noted the 650 ft-lbs of fastening torque and some other features and specifications of this powerful tool. "With its three-speed drive control switch, you can get this thing spinning at up to 1,800 RPM, guaranteed to spin even the most stubborn bolts into next week."
US General 4-drawer tech cart
Once a do-it-yourselfer has gathered a sizable selection of tools, a way to store and organize them easily becomes critical. One way to do this is with the US General 30-inch 4-drawer tech cart that retails for $219.99. This cart provides up to 12,600 cubic inches of storage space and can hold up to 580 pounds of gear. It has 5-inch casters on all four legs (2 of which can be locked in place) and comes in five colors: red, black, green, blue, orange, and yellow.
This cart has a fold-away side shelf, and the lid can be used as a work surface when closed. It also has a barrel-style lock to keep the contents safe from theft and weighs less than 100 pounds when empty so that it can be easily loaded into a van or truck. The cart has a 98% recommendation rate from nearly 3,000 Harbor Freight buyers, and a SlashGear feature on affordable tool storage options mentioned this cart's versatility, durability, and features.