5 Must-Have Harbor Freight Tools For Your Home Kit

The life of a homeowner is one of constant movement. One weekend you might be fixing a segment of bathroom wall that was damaged by water, the next you'll be mulching the garden beds. The needs of a house have us going from one end of the DIY spectrum to the other and back again. That's why a basic home tool kit is essential, as those are the kind of tools that help DIYers tackle plenty of important tasks, but sometimes it's not enough.

Chances are, your personal list of "essential tools" is going to include some very specific things, the shape of which depends on the projects you tend to tackle and the kind of house maintenance you need to do. For those seeking to add a piece or two to their home kit, Harbor Freight offers a wide selection of equipment across their surprisingly high number of in-house brands. The store carries all the standard fare you'd expect of a home improvement retailer, but also specializes in areas like welding, automotive care, and more. The five tools and accessories on this list are some of the products that can have the biggest impact on your approach to home improvement and repairs.

A coping saw provides versatile cutting functionality that goes far beyond that of a typical hand saw. This versatile cutting tool provides a manual analog to the jigsaw and is an ideal component of woodworking starter kits, too. With a coping saw, you can perform curved slices by hand or engage in wavy cutting patterns that follow a custom line. The 6-Inch Coping Saw by Portland Saw is a good entry-level saw, seen as it's listed for $6 at Harbor Freight. It features a high carbon steel blade with a soft, ergonomic grip to make it using it as straightforward as possible.

The 6-inch throat isn't as large as other saws, admittedly, but it's more than enough clearance for most cutting requirements. The pin-mount blade retention system and easy twist tensioning layout make for a tool that's responsive and simple to use. Moreover, when tackling internal cuts, it's easy to disengage the blade in order to slide it through a pilot hole and then reapply tension.

A coping saw is a classic hand tool that provides extended cutting coverage for those who need precision, and Portland Saw's solution is a no nonsense model that provides exactly what you need to bolster your home toolkit while keeping the price tag low.

An inspection camera is one of those gadgets for mechanics that aren't standard power tools. It's used to look around inside the engine compartments and identify problems without disassembling the whole thing first. Whether you're a hobbyist mechanic or a professional in the automotive sector, an inspection camera could be the next member of your kit. That said, you could find a use for one of those tools even if you don't typically work on vehicles.

The Ames Instruments 2.7-Inch Color Compact Digital Inspection Camera is a cost-effective inspection solution that is designed for mechanics, sure, but is far more versatile than you'd expect. When tackling plumbing tasks, drywall repairs, attic electrical improvements, and much more, an inspection camera can be extremely useful. This tool features a 2.7-inch screen with sharp resolution and color visuals, while the 9mm water-resistant camera and 38-inch cable (which is waterproof up to 1 meter of depth) has a range wide enough to give renovators a better sense of what they're working with in all types of recessed spaces. The 5x digital zoom makes it easier to identify issues, while the LED lights integrated into the unit offer four adjustable brightness options.

Drill bits are toolbox additions that come and go. It's entirely possible to sharpen drill bits with your bench grinder and return them to functionality, but many simply throw them away when they start to dull. If you can't find a worthy replacement for the broken and dull bits that are no longer in service, you end up without an essential part of your home improvement kit. That might mean having to use the wrong size, or (better, but not ideal) interrupting your work to visit a hardware store.

What those users need is a large and comprehensive collection of drill bits; Ideally, a single purchase that provides near-endless coverage for all your drilling needs. This, however, is often an expensive investment that many aren't prepared to make. This is where the Bauer 115-Piece Cobalt Split Point Drill Bit Set comes into play. Bauer's kit comes in at $139.99, which isn't cheap, but it's hardly expensive for what's on offer. It features a huge collection of split point drill bits, all neatly organized in a toolbox. The bits are made from cobalt steel that promises to last longer and be safely usable and precise even at high speeds. The bits retain their hardness at high temperatures (up to 1,000 degrees), allowing them to be used for lengthy sessions with little downtime or even on harder materials like cast iron or heat-treated steel. The collection is housed in a metal storage case and features minute sizing increments to support drilling needs across a large spectrum of tasks.

A tool that's only really useful outdoors, the Portland 14 Amp Electric Chipper Shredder is perhaps a tool that many homeowners won't have considered in the past, and that some might not need or have the space to use. Lawn care frequently centers on mowing the grass and cleaning up the edges, but many homeowners will spend so much time pulling weeds from the lawn and trimming the bushes, without focusing on handling the byproducts of those tasks. For some, throwing it in the trash might be enough, but for extended landscaping, that just doesn't cut it.

If you end up with too many weeds and branches leftover from your trimming, you might want to go with a chipper shredder. The Portland 14 Amp version features two 7-inch cutting blades to chop even dense material down to a more manageable size. The tool can handle branches up to 1.5 inches in diameter, effectively tearing apart waste to give you more options when dealing with it later. Some users use the debris as mulch, while others bag it up and throw it away when it's smaller and more manageable.

The Bauer 20V Cordless Variable-Speed Rotary Tool Kit rivals the hobbyist rotary tool stations of many other manufacturers, while keeping the price low. This cordless tool station uses 20V Bauer batteries, meaning you can take it with you whenever you need it. This makes it an ideal option for an on-the-go toolbox, but can be part of a stationary work station, too. The rotary tool is powered by a motor that can reach 33,000 RPM and comes with a variable speed dial for more delicate jobs. The kit is wall-mountable and comes with 36 accessories.

The Bauer's built-in spindle lock makes bit changes fast, while the ergonomic pen design makes long sessions less exhausting. The tool also features a flexible shaft that helps dial in precise action angles when tackling workpieces with odd shapes and hard-to-reach areas. Rotary tools provide extreme versatility to users, and this model is no different. Listed at Harbor Freight for $35, the tool station seems to be good quality at a bargain price, when compared to the alternatives offered by well-known brands.