10 New Harbor Freight Tools Every Home Mechanic Will Want
The home mechanic is a tinkerer at heart. People with a passion for automotive or any other kind of repair and fabrication project will almost assuredly spend much of their time on a near-constant hunt for the next tool to improve their workflow and home shop area. Home mechanics often look to fill in the small gaps in their shop setup whenever they buy a new tool. This means adding drill bits, diagnostic equipment, nuts and bolts, and cables and fluids to the storage racks on a regular basis. But these kinds of refills don't grab much attention or inspire action on the next project. Handy homeowners hoping to stay one step ahead of any new mechanical work that might fall into their lap will want to stay current with the newest tool releases and product lines. This is where Harbor Freight comes into the picture.
Harbor Freight is a cost-effective outlet for all things home improvement, mechanical repair, and construction. The online and in-store retailer offers a helpful collection of new tools coming to its shelves to highlight the great new assets that you might consider featuring in your workshop. Whether you're a long-standing home mechanic or someone new to the practice, these great new Harbor Freight tools can make a direct and lasting impact on the work you do maintaining and repairing all kinds of electrical and automotive equipment at home from oil changes to total engine rebuilds.
Hercules Cordless 1/2-Inch Ultra Torque Impact Wrench
From one of Harbor Freight's own brands, the Hercules 1/2-Inch Ultra Torque Impact Wrench provides comparable power to the Milwaukee brand impact wrench at a fraction of the cost. The bare unit (being a cordless tool, it will need to be paired with a Hercules 20-volt battery) comes in at $190. A 1,500-pound-feet torque rating makes it a hefty operator that can handle even the most intensely seized nuts and bolts. The three-speed brushless motor places it in league with some of the big dogs, brand-wise, and a variable-speed trigger offers precise power control often seen on premium models but lacking in budget-friendly iterations.
Most mechanics will get tired of turning fasteners by hand very quickly. This method requires more physical effort and is generally slower than the equivalent power tool. There will always be applications for hand fastening, but a wide range of applications inherent to a mechanic's daily routine can benefit greatly from an impact wrench. This tool might look like a drill or impact driver, but it's designed specifically to replace the hand-fastening action of your socket set or combination wrench. One of the most visible uses for this kind of tool is in those rapid tire changes on the racetrack. However, an impact wrench can benefit a mechanics workshop in both large and small ways.
Cen-Tech Manual Charger and Engine Start
The Cen-Tech Manual Charger with Engine Start combines multiple functions into a single unit for just $45. The device is a portable tool that features 2- to 10-amp charging rates for charging or battery maintenance requirements. It also includes a 50 amp engine start feature to get your car back in gear when an emergency occurs and you need the vehicle back on in a hurry.
The multifunctional device makes for a fantastic addition to a home workshop, and the combined reach of the cables—stretching out to cover 12 feet of distance at their peak—allows the unit to find a consistent home somewhere on your shelves or worktop. It also features an AC power switch to ensure safe usage and a definite off position when the charger isn't in use. Added safety features protect against short circuiting, reversed polarity, overcharge, and defective or incorrect battery specifics.
Quinn 3/8-Inch Drive Spark Plug Socket Set (SAE and Metric)
Changing spark plugs is a routine part of mechanical upkeep on a vehicle of nearly any sort. These components are crucial to igniting fuel inside the combustion chamber of a traditional engine and are often a hard-wearing part that performs reliably over a lengthy stretch of use. Even so, spark plugs eventually wear out and require replacing, roughly every 30,000 and 90,000 miles. This makes the job one that your vehicle might demand every few years or nearly once a decade. Fortunately, spark plug replacements are a relatively simple task — if you've got the tools you need to make the swap. Even a novice home mechanic can tackle the job of replacing spark plugs, relegating the need to pay for this service to the garbage heap.
With the Quinn 3/8-Inch Drive Spark Plug Socket Set, you'll never have to worry about reaching into the cavity to remove and replace these components. Shipping with sockets in both SAE and metric measurements, the 14-piece set includes extensions and universal joints for varied reaching requirements and costs $70. Each socket introduces a rubber insert to keep spark plugs snugly in place throughout the operation and the joints and extra-long socket options in the kit make reaching deep into the engine bay or around obstacles a breeze.
Maddox 125 PSI High-Performance Inflator
For its $140 price tag, the Maddox 12V, 125 PSI High-Performance Inflator is a cost-effective and essential piece of equipment for any home mechanic. This is another tool that is compact enough to place in your trunk on a long journey or off-roading adventure, but something that factors heavily in daily mechanical repair tasks in the workshop, too. An air compression tool is crucial when inflating tires, and the Maddox inflator performs relentlessly well under varied demands and conditions. The lengthy, 24-foot power cord comes prepared with alligator battery clamps that allow it to be used on the go. With a cable long enough to reach around any vehicle that might sit on your driveway, the inflator is purpose-built for versatility.
The dials are easy to read and the unit's sealed power switch makes for a long-lasting tool that won't disappoint. It provides more than enough power through the 12V motor to fill tires quickly, and a screw-on, quick-release hose (also at the end of a 24-foot length) makes for reliable tire fill ups. It's rated at a 3.0 CFM output that translates to a two-minute fill from 10 to 30 PSI in a 35-inch tire.
Icon 12-Inch Adjustable Pliers Wrench
A mechanic is often a multifaceted problem solver. Rarely will you open up an appliance, engine, or any other type of work piece and find that a repair requires only a small part replacement. As a mechanic, you'll often pull double duty as a fabricator, electrician, or even woodworker when internal components utilize timber bracing or similar solutions. But to get into the recesses of a component or take out a pipe or cap in order to empty a reservoir, there's often a great deal of gripping and twisting involved. The humble wrench or set of pliers is generally the workhorse in these situations. Icon's 12-inch S-Jaw Pliers Wrench with a Quick-Adjust mechanism provides a humble yet powerful grip on any tightened fitting you may need to release. At $20, the Icon Pliers Wrench makes for a cost-effective and potent solution to fastening solutions that your impact wrench won't field.
Made from hardened forged steel, the S-Jaw grippers feature a 3-inch opening within the jaws and a 12-inch levering arm—a perfect middle ground for creating intense torque without an excessive back end that's hard to operate in tight spaces. The angled teeth make gripping fasteners or other materials a simple task and the handles introduce molded grips for added comfort, even when you're squeezing hard on a part.
Icon Master Interchangeable Puller Set
The Icon Master Interchangeable Puller Set features a two-jaw setup with 64 individual configurations. The kit is listed for $200, more than $600 cheaper than the comparable Snap-On puller kit. It's a professional tool chest that can be utilized in a wide range of removal tasks from harmonic balancers to wheels and timing gears. The jaws are reversible, so pulling tasks can be completed regardless of whether they require an inside or outside grip.
Every mechanic will need to be able to rip components out of a machine's chassis. Sometimes this task won't require a delicate touch and a whole lot of grace. Other times you'll need to carefully shimmy a part out of the vehicle to maintain its integrity. The Icon master puller kit is the perfect complement to a workshop that consistently sees the need to remove pieces and keep them for later use or reinstall them after repair or cleaning. Harbor Freight notes that the set can produce 10 tons of pulling capacity and highlights the carrying case as a hidden feature in the kit's versatility. The case can be placed into most tool drawers as an open storage tray.
7-Function Digital Multimeter
Testing equipment forms a crucial carve out in any home mechanic's garage. Perhaps no tool is more versatile in this space than the humble multimeter. There are plenty of spiffy models out there that include all the bells and whistles. But at the end of the day, a mechanic — whether a home DIY dabbler or a professional in the trade — only needs a simple and functional unit that performs the job. A simple multimeter can be dramatically cheaper than the more expensive units while providing functionally the same experience, aside from a more luxurious ambiance. Harbor Freight's 7-Function Digital Multimeter is just the tool for a no-nonsense mechanic working out of any sized garage. It retails for just $7 and features a few key facets that place it only a short distance behind the more expensive 9-function Cen-Tech multimeter exclusive to Harbor Freight.
The tool can perform 9V and 1.5V battery testing, transistor testing, diode testing, AC and DC voltage and DC current readings, and resistance measurement. 18 gauge test leads (with 24-inch cables) are included and the device is internally fused to add an additional layer of user protection and unit longevity. The LCD-screened reading updates 2.5 times per second and it features overrange and low battery indicators.
Icon T8 Professional Intelligent Diagnostic Scanner
Continuing in the theme of diagnostic tools, the Icon T8 Professional Intelligent Diagnostic Scanner is one of the next pieces of prognosis gear that home mechanics should consider. It's the most expensive piece of gear on this list, but for good reason. At $900, the 8-inch touchscreen on the scanner is underpinned by a 2.0 GHz quad-core processor and the IDENTIFIX Code-Assist system supported by more than 4 million verified technical solutions. The Icon T8 diagnostic scanner is a professional-level tool, and when compared with a Snap-On variety, home mechanics will be gleefully counting their saved cash and thinking about what else they might be able to bring into their workspace ($900 compared to the far more expensive $2,585 Snap-On scanner).
This comprehensive unit can be leveraged to solve coded faults in a huge catalog of European, Asian, domestic, and exotic vehicles built as far back as 1996. Not only does the scanner come loaded with two years of the IDENTIFIX subscription service included, making it a highly value-added find for your garage, but the database makes for easily understood prognoses. This makes the device a good choice for car owners not wanting to bring their vehicle into the shop each time a warning light flickers on. Diagnostic tools are a must-have for any self-respecting mechanic, so adding one to your home shop will boost function and capability.
Bondo Glass-Reinforced Body Filler
Body repair work can feel like a bit of a drag. But with Bondo Glass-Reinforced Body Filler (retailing for $20) repairing rust-out holes, dents, and puncture wounds is fast and effective. This consumable tool is a component of the 3M Body Repair System. The fiberglass strands in the solution provide a finished layer that's twice as strong as standard body filler compounds. Moreover, the solution dries rapidly, allowing for sanding just 30 minutes after application. This means that a repair to a car door or hood can take place in a day or weekend rather than stretching out over multiple days or weekend work sessions. The solution is compatible with most paint finishes and comes with Bondo's cream hardener for an excellent finished surface regardless of the material.
This glass-reinforced body filler can be applied to wood, concrete, fiberglass, and masonry, in addition to the metal surfaces of a car body. It's also waterproof, making it suitable for boat hull repairs or car refurbishment in particularly wet environments — like Seattle or Florida. The solution ships as a 41-ounce container and can only be delivered within the 48 contiguous states through standard ground shipping routes.
Daytona Professional Steel Dollies (two piece set)
Steel dollies don't get the love they deserve until a mechanic needs a set. Then, they become a mainstay in the shop, and for good reason. The ability to swivel a project's workspace around inside the shop is an invaluable asset that can only be appreciated once it's been realized. For the basic mechanic, driving a car into the garage places it in a static position that may or may not be conducive to completing the job. You may end up struggling against a wall or corner to get the correct leverage on a workpiece and contort your body to apply the requisite torque or reach into a cavity straight and true.
With a set of Daytona Professional Steel Dollies (shipping with two dollies, so you might want two sets to entirely lift a vehicle), shifting the workspace created by a vehicle's position inside the workshop is simple. The steel dollies retail for $80, making a complete set of four a $160 total purchase. There are two locking casters on each dolly, and a complete set of four mobile units can handle a total load of 10,000 pounds. In comparison, two dollies used to swivel just the front or back of a vehicle (or a motorcycle) can carry a working load of 2,500 pounds on the pair of 1/4-inch steel plates.