13 Of The Worst Harbor Freight Products, According To Users

Harbor Freight has a strong reputation among its customers for selling capable, affordably priced tools and accessories. However, like any retailer, there are a few duds in its lineup. Even the biggest tool brands like DeWalt have plenty of products that are worth avoiding, so it was always inevitable that a few Harbor Freight products wouldn't live up to the standard set by the rest of the retailer's range. The easiest way to find those flops at Harbor Freight is to see what previous customers have said about them in reviews.

If you're shopping on Harbor Freight's website, you'll be able to see the reviews for each product as you browse. However, if you shop in store, you'll need to know which products to avoid before you go. To give you a heads up on which products reviewers say you need to steer clear of, we've trawled through the entirety of Harbor Freight's current range to find the worst reviewed products that the retailer has to offer. Each of them receive ratings far lower than average, with reviewers taking to Harbor Freight's website en masse to voice their disapproval.

With an average rating of 3.6 out of five stars from around 2,800 reviews, the Pittsburgh Brake Bleeder and Vacuum Pump Kit is one of Harbor Freight's worst reviewed automotive products. Many of the most negative reviews center around the poor quality of the kit's components, with scores of reviewers claiming that the seal cannot hold enough vacuum pressure. In many cases, these reviewers say that the kit either works for only a very short amount of time before failing, or does not work at all from the point of purchase.

Like many Harbor Freight products, the kit is at least cheap. It retails for $25.99, and at the time of writing, is only available in-store. However, multiple reviewers say that even that price is too much given the quality issues with certain kit components. It's worth pointing out that not every reviewer has a negative opinion of the kit — in fact, it has racked up over 1,300 five-star reviews to date. However, the large proportion of one-star reviews suggests that the kit suffers from serious quality control issues, so it's not worth the risk if you're looking to make bleeding your brakes by yourself as hassle-free as possible.

With simple, cheap tools like the Warrior Four-Way Chuck Key, there are only a few things that could make them worth avoiding. Two of the biggest potential flaws are that the key either doesn't fit properly, or it's made from inadequately hardened metal and breaks after a few uses.

Unfortunately, plenty of Harbor Freight reviewers complain of both problems with the Warrior chuck key, with some even alleging that the key was such poor quality that they could only use it once before it broke. If that wasn't bad enough, some users report taking their original key back to the store for a replacement, only to be given a new key that suffered from the same quality problems.

The key retails for $9.99, but its reviews should serve as a warning for anyone looking to take a gamble on it instead of buying a pricier key. With an average rating of just 3.5 out of five stars from more than 350 reviews, there's a chance that any potential buyer will find themselves with a dud. Many of the newer reviews of the key are more positive, and many of the one-star reviews are from several years ago, so it's possible that Harbor Freight has recently increased the build quality of the key. However, with so many other options available both online and from other retailers, it's probably still advisable to give this particular Warrior key a miss.

Another cheap tool with far-from-stellar reviews is the Pittsburgh Grommet Pliers with 100 Grommets, which retails for $4.99. At the time of writing, it has an average rating of 3.4 out of five stars from over 600 reviews. Scroll through the one-star reviews and many users say the same things: the pliers broke after one or two uses, or simply never worked as intended at all.

A number of reviewers noted that they ended up bending the handles of the pliers while attempting to use them, with one saying that they, "squeezed and now the bottom of the pliers touch each other." Even some reviewers who did manage to use the pliers for more than a single use said that many of the grommets didn't end up staying in the material. While the pliers have earned their fair share of five star reviews, the high level of negative reviews means that anyone looking to tackle more demanding jobs should stay away.

With an average rating of 3.6 stars from over 230 reviews, the Warrior 1/4 Inch to 2-1/8 Inch Forstner Drill Bit Set is just one of a long list of Warrior products that gets sub-par reviews from buyers. Nearly all of the most negative reviews revolve around the bit set's lack of sharpness, with multiple reviewers saying that they could not get the bits to cut at all. Some reviewers that did manage one or two cuts said that the bits dulled very quickly and couldn't be easily sharpened again.

It isn't just the sharpness of the bits that has come in for criticism either, but the overall finish too. One reviewer claimed that parts of the bit looked "like it was finished by a guy in his garage with a file instead of being machined." Buyers who do decide to take a chance on the $42.99 bit set will need to make sure they test out the bits quickly, as the set only comes with a 90-day warranty against defects from the date of purchase.

Some of Quinn's tools are worth buying while others should be avoided, and the brand's riveter fits firmly into the latter camp. It retails for $16.99, so it is at least cheap, but that's about all that it has going for it. Reviews for the tool are mixed, with some reviewers happy to give it the full five out of five stars but others slamming it with a single-star rating. The significant number of reviewers hitting it with a one-star rating results in the 8 Inch Single-Hand Riveter having an average rating of 3.6 out of five stars from around 380 reviews.

According to the negative reviews, the tool often jams, slips, or breaks altogether, sometimes after just one or two uses. Jamming is the most common complaint, with multiple reviewers saying that the riveter became impossible to unjam once a rivet initially got stuck. Some reviewers claim to have used the tool for over 100 rivets before it broke, while others say it only lasted for a few rivets before it needed replacing.

The Central Forge No. 4 Jack and Mini Plane Set takes the unenviable title of being the worst reviewed product in Harbor Freight's current range, with a dismal average rating of three out of five stars from more than 600 reviews.

Almost 200 reviewers have left the set a one-star review, with 38 of those reviews mentioning the word, "junk." Quality issues are the main reason for the negativity, with many saying that the blade was poor quality and could not be properly aligned. A significant number of other reviews noted that the blade dulled very quickly.

Quite a few reviewers said that they attempted to sharpen the blade or spent time trying to work out if the set could be properly adjusted, but to no avail. It's an inexpensive set, at $14.99, but one reviewer said that even at its low price it still wasn't worth the drive to the store to get it.

Only around 100 reviewers have shared their thoughts about the Pittsburgh Straight Cut Aviation Snips, but among that relatively small number of reviews, the consensus is that these snips don't compare to pricier products. Even some of the five star reviews seem to acknowledge this, with one saying that they were only expecting to use the snips a few times and that they'd be acceptable for that short period.

On the other hand, some of the reviewers that were only planning to use them on occasion still ended up being unhappy with the tool. Among the one-star reviews are multiple users that say the snips dulled or broke after just a handful of uses, with some saying that they were simply incapable of cutting tougher material from the offset. The tool's average rating of 3.6 out of five stars won't instill confidence even in occasional users, who would probably be better off spending a few extra dollars on a pricier, better quality pair from another retailer.

While U.S. General's tool cabinets are generally considered to be good alternatives to cabinets from big-name brands, not all of the brand's products are as well-reviewed. One particularly poorly scoring product is the Magnetic Wrench Rack, which is designed to hold wrenches within tool drawers so that they're always within easy reach. To keep the rack pieces stable, each one features a magnetic base that's supposed to attach securely to the base of a drawer.

However, an average review rating of 3.6 out of five stars from over 700 reviews is enough to make it clear that the rack can't hold up to its brand's claims. More than 100 reviewers have left one-star reviews of the rack, with many stating that the design is flawed, as the rack pieces can easily fall over. Some say that the cause of the instability is the magnets on the base, which aren't strong enough to keep the rack pieces upright.

Other reviewers say that, even if they can get the magnets to stick, the racks easily become misaligned, which means they need to be frequently rearranged to keep them in place. All of which entirely defeats the point of the rack, which is supposed to make storing and grabbing wrenches less of a hassle, not add an extra step to your toolbox tidying routine.

It's important to know what your vehicle's tire pressure should be, and then ensure you check it at regular intervals. Driving with the incorrect tire pressure can lead to multiple problems, including potentially increasing your car's braking distance and increasing the rate of tire wear. However, just as important as actually checking your tire pressure is ensuring that the gauge you're using to check it is accurate and reliable. For that reason, it's advisable to steer clear of the Pittsburgh 110 PSI Dial Tire Pressure Gauge, which has received very mixed reviews from buyers.

At the time of writing, it has an average rating of 3.5 out of five stars from over 1,500 reviews on Harbor Freight's website. Those include over 400 one star reviews, many of which claim that the gauge broke after a few uses or gave inaccurate readings. One review even reported that, no matter which tire they tried to measure, the gauge would return a reading of 40 PSI. While some reviewers report being happy with their purchase, there is a high enough concentration of dissatisfied users that buyers looking for confidence in their gauge's readings should probably look elsewhere.

Warrior's products can be hit and miss, with some being no-brainers at their price and others being scored very poorly by reviewers. With an average rating of 3.6 out of five stars from around 120 reviews, Warrior's Cartridge and Spiral Abrasive rolls are not among the brand's best products. The main complaints from reviewers who left a one-star verdict concern the rolls' inferior material quality, with most reporting that they survived only one or two uses before degrading.

Some say the rolls disintegrated after use, some say the metal shaft breaks, and others simply say the set broke and give little further description of the issue. The key issue of build quality is brought up in every single one-star review, although like all of the products here, there are still plenty of buyers who give the rolls a much more positive review. The pack costs just $7.99 too, so it's cheap enough that some buyers might be willing to gamble on it even with its underwhelming review score.

It isn't quite the lowest rated product in Harbor Freight's current range, but the Pittsburgh Crossbar Dent Repair Kit gets close. It has an average rating of 3.1 out of five stars from just over 100 reviews, with almost 40 of those reviews giving the kit a single star. Reviewers complain that the kit doesn't work, with many directing their criticism towards the glue that's included with the kit. According to those reviewers, it simply isn't strong enough to pull out dents.

One reviewer also claimed that the kit's plastic tabs broke before they could repair the dent, while another reported that a component was missing from the kit. Like most of Harbor Freight's low-rated products, the dent repair kit is cheap, retailing for $15.99. However, it's also mostly ineffective for larger or deeper dents according to reviewers, and so it's probably best to look elsewhere for affordable dent repair.

Many of the poorest scoring tools and accessories hail from Harbor Freight's DIY and automotive departments, but the retailer's outdoor living range isn't without its underwhelming products. One of the worst reviewed products is the Thunderbolt Solar 30 Amp Solar Charge Controller, which has an average rating of 3.5 out of five stars from over 220 reviews at the time of writing.

Around 50 reviewers have given the controller a one star review, with some of those reviews being much more alarming than others. While many of these negative reviews revolve around the same issues as critical reviews of Harbor Freight's other poor-scoring products — namely, concerns about the build quality and longevity of the device — some make more serious allegations. One of the most recent reviews alleges that the controller caught fire while it was in use, while a different reviewer reports that their unit melted. This isn't a new problem either, with reviews stretching back years that allege various quality and manufacturing issues with the device.

The Pittsburgh 300 lb. Capacity Low-Profile Creeper has all the ingredients to be a hit with Harbor Freight buyers on paper. It's attractively priced, retailing for $39.99, and it sports a similar design to its big-name rivals. Plenty of reviewers have posted that they're happy with the creeper, but a worryingly high number of users have given it a one star rating. Those unhappy users are numerous enough that the creeper's average rating has been dragged down to 3.2 out of five stars from around 530 reviews.

By far the most common complaint is that the wheels of the creeper are prone to breaking after just a few uses, particularly for users who weigh close to the product's officially quoted 300 pound maximum capacity. However, some reviewers say they weigh half that figure, yet they still found the wheels snapping after a few uses. The creeper only comes with a 90 day warranty too, so if you're only planning on using it occasionally, there's a good chance that it will already be out of warranty after you've used it a few times. If it subsequently breaks, there isn't much you can do aside from heading back to a different retailer for a better quality creeper.

Comparing user reviews on Harbor Freight's website is arguably the best way to get an accurate picture of how buyers really feel about the retailer's products. We relied on that shared knowledge from reviewers when compiling this list, aggregating poorly reviewed products from each Harbor Freight department into an initial database before picking out 13 of the lowest-scoring products.

Each of these products has an average rating of 3.6 out of five stars or less, putting it among the absolute worst rated products that the retailer currently sells. To ensure that each poorly-scored product had been put through its paces by a suitably wide range of reviewers, we excluded all products that had received less than 100 reviews. Due to our method of data collection, we have only included products that are currently sold at Harbor Freight, either in-store, on its website, or both.