6 Harbor Freight Finds Useful For Motorcycle & ATV Owners

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Harbor Freight has built a reputation for selling tools and supplies at extremely competitive prices. This makes it an extremely tempting storefront for those looking to build up their home garage. Wondering around the isles of these bargain hardware stores can feel a bit like treasure hunting as you search through the store's impressive catalog. There are all kinds of great deals on display, and the store's regular sales can make some of the bargains even more tempting. Harbor Freight has useful products for everything from carpentry to home repair, but their main demographic is home auto mechanics. But what about tools for those who prefer less traditional vehicles?

Motorcycle and ATV owners generally have a much harder time finding hardware to suit their specific needs. They often have to resort to more expensive specialty stores for some of the harder-to-find components for their vehicle, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't try to save money where they can. You probably already know you can get a decent ratchet set and lots of other tools that are must-haves for every home garage, but there are a few finds waiting amidst Harbor Freight's inventory that you might not be expecting. I've been riding a motorcycle for 15 years, and I've found that one of the best ways to find good, affordable gear is to check out what products are on offer and see what people are saying about each of them to gauge their quality. Here are a few great items that can be found at Harbor Freight that Motorcycle and ATV owners will appreciate.

Harbor Freight has a number of partner brands, but many of the more budget-oriented tools available at the store are made by the company's primary store brand, Pittsburgh. This brand offers a wide variety of different kinds of tools and has several sub-brands associated with it. One of these sub-brands is called Pittsburg Motorcycle, and it has various bike-specific items available, which are sold exclusively through Harbor Freight.

One of the most popular items Pittsburg Motorcycle sells is its 1,000-pound Steel Motorcycle Lift. This lift table is made of diamond plate steel and has a foot-operated heavy-duty hydraulic pump for hands-free lifting that can take a 1,000-pound bike up to 29.5 inches off the ground. Getting your bike up to eye level makes maintenance much easier and allows you to service your vehicle in comfort. It has several nice features built in, too. It has retractable casters with an integrated leg-lock so you can move it around your garage and position it securely, a three-position tire vise, a 7-inch wide tire stop, and a welded steel frame.

This is one of the highest-reviewed motorcycle products on Harbor Freight's website. Forums like the ones at Garage Journal and the Harley-Davidson Forums are likewise full of testimonials from home mechanics who've used this lift and found that it has stood up to years of hard use.

The 1,000-pound lift is for motorcycles only. ATV users won't be able to fit their wider, four-wheel vehicles on the narrow table. Some of you may also want a lift that can handle a bit more weight. In those instances, the Pittsburgh Automotive 1,500-pound Aluminum ATV/Motorcycle Lift might make for a better fit.

As the name implies, this lift can support both motorcycles and ATVs with a weight capacity of up to 1,500 pounds. The flip side is that its lift range only goes from 3 ⅝-inches to 17 inches, meaning it only goes a little over half as high as the table lift. That said, having your bike off a table is also beneficial. It's more compact, which makes storage easier, but it also allows easier access to the underside of the bike. A table isn't much less restrictive than the floor, but the narrow lift trades some of that stability for extra room to work. It also comes with a pair of saddle extensions that fit the lift and can add an extra two inches to its maximum height. The aluminum construction means that the lift is lighter and easier to move. The lift also has a locking bar for added safety and stability.

John P. of OneMansBlog wrote in his review that those with the space and budget should invest in a heavy-duty foot-powered lift, but "if you need something portable, or that generally doesn't cost too much or take up a lot of room, the Aluminum Harbor Freight ATV / Motorcycle lift will do just fine."

Don't worry if your ATV doesn't already come with a pre-installed tow hitch. Harbor Freight has you covered there, too. Haul-Master also makes an ATV hitch adapter. This add-on has a 2-inch square drawbar, which makes it easy to attach everything from carriers to trailers. It also has a ½-inch thick tow loop to attach winch cables and tow straps.

Just like Haul-Master's cargo carrier, this tow hitch is made from heavy-duty steel that has been powder-coated to prevent rust and corrosion. Not only that, but it's designed to maintain your vehicle's current ground clearance, so you won't have to worry about catching or dragging when you take your ATV through more rugged terrain. The design was modeled after the Curt CUR45006, which usually retails for around $50. With the Haul-Master version going for just $12.99, that's a hard bargain to beat.

This product has maintained a 4.7 out of five weighted review score on Harbor Freight's website, with 366 current reviews. It also has a 4.2 out of five on Amazon. While most people find that it's most appropriate for use with an ATV, many have found that it's also adequate for use on tractors, mules, and riding mowers.