3 Harbor Freight Quinn Tools Worth Buying (And 2 To Avoid)

Harbor Freight is known for offering low-priced tools that still perform at a high level. The Harbor Freight name owns a wide range of tool brands found within its storefronts and online retail presence. Some are high-end options, while others position themselves as budget-friendly tools that will get the job done and provide entry-level solutions for less mobile buyers.

One option within the budget category is Quinn, a hand tool brand that serves auto mechanics and others working in shop settings. Options like Quinn's comprehensive 428-piece master technician's tool set can prepare many techs well. Both pros looking for cheap and cheerful solutions and DIYers needing a few cost-effective pieces to get the job done can rely on the performance standards of a Quinn tool. Within Harbor Freight's digital storehouse, 101 unique Quinn tools are stocked in the company's catalog. Most feature great reviews alongside their great price tags and good utility value. Some stand out from the pack, while a few others fall short of the mark, tools that most users will want to avoid. These five tools exist at the two extremes of the Quinn spectrum, with three excellent options that provide immense value to buyers and two that fail to deliver.

The Quinn 66-piece ¼-inch, 3/8-inch, and ½-inch drive SAE and metric Hi-Vis socket set is a comprehensive solution that covers just about every bolt fastening need you'll encounter as a mechanic under the hood or home improver tackling DIY renovation projects. Professionals looking for a new and well-rounded socket set might also consider this option. The kit includes three ratchet heads with quick-release functionality and a 72-tooth inner dimension. They're made with chrome vanadium steel to provide an immaculate shine and excellent durability over the long term. The heads come in short, medium, and long lengths across the three inclusions, covering all three primary drive sizes. This gives users an abundance of fastening options when tackling all manner of jobs, from brute force installations to delicate turning requirements.

The sockets are also made from chrome vanadium and feature high-visibility color coding to make selecting the right one a breeze. The kit features 26 ¼-inch sockets, 28 3/8-inch sockets, and six ½-inch sockets as well as three extension bars (one for each ratchet connection size). Perhaps the most impressive feature of them all is the price. Listed at $60, Inside Track Club members are currently able to save on this offering and purchase the kit for $50. With over 1,300 reviews, the socket set has garnered nearly 1,100 five-star ratings, averaging 4.8 out of 5.

Delicate repair works come into the picture far more often than people might anticipate. The ability to reach into the recesses of a computer tower, home entertainment cabinet setup, or even into the bowels of a toy with small moving parts is a key asset that can't be overstated. Grabbing parts is often reserved for a pair of pliers, and repair works tend to demand the use of a precision screwdriver set and other purpose-built hand tools and accessories. The Quinn 87-piece electronics repair kit brings all of these essentials into one kit that can transform the way you handle delicate repair tasks. Enjoying a 4.9-star average rating with 125 of its 137 reviews garnering the 5-star treatment, 100% of customers who gave feedback on Harbor Freight's website would recommend this item to others.

The kit includes everything you would expect to need when tackling delicate repairs on all kinds of sensitive electronics. Whether you're fixing a phone, RC car, or a game console, the wide range of specialty bits to go with the precision screwdriver (a tool similar in build parameters to some of the best multi-bit drivers around) makes getting into sensitive equipment effortless. The toolkit also includes 64 specialty bits, as well as soft plastic pry tools and accessories, such as a static discharge strap to prevent unintentional damage when working with sensitive components that are open and exposed. Tweezers, small pry blades, and more round out the kit to help make crucial repairs to even the most complex electronics systems.

Mechanics will be particularly well-versed in the use of a breaker bar. As the name suggests, breaker bars are a crucial brute-force element in any toolbox, introducing intense torque when delicate turning is not an option. Raw breakaway power is sometimes required to get a seized bolt moving again. When this is the case, the breaker bar is your best friend. A heavy, elongated handle connects to your socket, providing extra length and, consequently, significantly more turning power through the lever action. It's physics, and it's fascinating.

Breaker bars do one job exceedingly well, but they aren't all made with the same level of functionality embedded into the frame. The Quinn ½-Inch Drive Extendable Breaker Bar takes its job a step further. Most breaker bars are forged with heft and length as the first and most important characteristic of the build. This option offers extendibility that gives you the exact amount of length you require for any unique turning task. The extension allows for a range of lengths between 16 inches and 24-3/4 inches. This means that instead of getting set up for a job only to find that you need a longer bar and having to go back to square one, you can simply extend the breaker bar to add leverage. This is another tool with high praise coming through its reviews (a 4.8-star rating across nearly 300 entries). It's a tool currently on sale for Inside Track Club members, priced at $20.

While many Quinn tools provide great value and perform their role admirably, there are a few that users suggest skipping. One tool that doesn't live up to the goal of its function is this 10-inch contour gauge. Importantly, the tool still receives a 4.4-star average rating across more than 300 reviews, but this places it among the bottom of the barrel within the Quinn catalog. The primary gripes that users air out about this measurement solution involve its size and overall value. The contour gauge is a unique specialty solution. Rather than having to mark out quirky dimensions by hand when doing things like laying flooring elements around door frames or measuring for pipes and other impediments, a contour gauge allows you to produce an exact layout guide in one fell swoop.

The Quinn contour gauge lacks the ability to lock in your measurement once you've made it. This means you'll have to transfer the gauge very carefully from the target area to your workpiece. If you aren't careful, you may have to start over again if one or more slides fall out of place. Many users also note that the tool is just a little bit too small to be useful in its ideal setting. A larger, more feature-rich alternative is something that contour gauge users should be on the lookout for.

Another tool that doesn't exactly garner the rave reviews of some other Quinn solutions is the 8-inch single-hand professional riveter. Out of 360-plus ratings, it has received an average of 3.6 stars, with nearly 100 1-star ratings. Reviewers offering negative feedback are quick to point out that the riveter lacks the power necessary to muscle through anything heavier than basic aluminum rivets. The tool frequently jams, and many users have reported that it broke entirely while they attempted to use the riveter.

The tool includes a few quality inclusions, such as a quick change nosepiece functionality that doesn't require additional tools to make the swap. Ergonomic handles help make its use comfortable, as well. However, if using the tool involves jamming it right away rather than actually setting a rivet in place, none of these functions actually perform as intended. Harbor Freight notes that the $17 price tag is a 43% savings when compared to an Arrow model of the same variety. There are even other riveters available from Harbor Freight to consider. However, with prices for this kind of hand riveting tool living in the sub-$30 range, there's really no need to target major savings since high-quality alternatives are relatively inexpensive, too.