If You See A Harbor Freight Tool With An Orange Tag, Here's What It Means

If you've ever shopped for power tools at Harbor Freight, you might've seen certain ones marked with bright orange tags. Yellow tags usually mean clearance at places like Home Depot or Walmart, and red usually means an even deeper discount (often because there's a catch, like damage or lapsed expiration dates). But what does an orange tag mean? This writer spoke with Harbor Freight to get the answer.

Harbor Freight told us that an orange tag indicates that the item is a clearance product being sold as-is. It could be an open-box item, one with minor imperfections, or a pristine and unopened product. Either way, the orange tag is a tell-tale indicator to customers that they're going to save some money while they shop at the retailer.

Because these orange-tag items are reserved for Harbor Freight's physical stores only, availability and the types of items with orange tags will vary quite significantly from one location to another. Expect quantities to be limited, selection to be inconsistent, and restocks to be pretty much nonexistent.

Your local Harbor Freight might call these orange-tagged clearance tools "Open Box" or "As-Is," so it's important to know the difference. Open box items are ones that were opened by a customer and then returned. Some of these tools could be in brand-new condition, while others may have some light signs of use. Whatever the case may be, their discounted price is a reflection of their status.

As-is items, on the other hand, are tools that have essentially been refurbished. Harbor Freight will have fully tested and inspected as-is items to make sure they still work. The retailer, however, sells them with stricter conditions than standard merchandise. In other words, don't expect the same level of customer support or warranty with these as-is products. Regardless, the orange tag is an obvious indicator that the product is going for less than its list price, and if you don't grab it, someone else certainly will.