5 Handy Harbor Freight Gadgets To Upgrade Your Garage

A home garage can be a lot of things to a lot of people. It can make for incredibly convenient extra storage space or serve as additional room in the house for laundry and other chores. It can also be a rehearsal space for rock bands or a workshop for DIYers and professionals alike. If you use your garage as a place to keep your tools, you know how easy it can be for an orderly setup to degrade into a crowded mess. This is why it's always worth keeping a look out for any tips for organizing the tools in your garage.

In addition to being tool retailer, Harbor Freight also has several useful gadgets that can upgrade your garage space. These items range from small devices all the way to storage systems with innovative built-in mechanical and electronic features, all of which can make it easier to both organize your garage and work within it. Here are five handy gadgets from Harbor Freight that can help you bring your garage to the next level. We've collected what we think are some of the best, based on reviews and recommendations from experts, YouTube videos, online discussions, and customers who've purchased and used them. 

One of the easy ways to upgrade your garage that makes it more functional is by improving its lighting setup. The better you can see what you're doing, the easier it will be to both find the tools you need as well as use them effectively. The Braun 8,000-lumen Motion Sensor Shop Light, available for $22.99, fits standard E26 sockets, making it fairly easy to replace your old bulbs with bright, motion-activated illumination.

Its 8,000-lumen light is 10 times brighter than a 60-watt bulb and its tri-panel design allows for full, 360-degree light distribution. Built with aluminum panels that resist heat and corrosion, Harbor Freight says its light can last up to 50,000 hours. Plus, its motion sensor can be toggled on and off. Based on nearly 100 user reviews, Braun's shop light has an excellent 4.8 out of 5 overall customer score, with 97% of surveyed customers recommending it.

These reviews praise its bright light and convenient motion sensing, as well as its simple installation process. One woodworker called it a "game changer" and says using them makes their workspace feel "like a whole new garage." Additionally, multiple redditors have posted their appreciation for Braun's device. However, at least one owner was dissatisfied with its motion sensing capabilities, though they noted that the work light itself worked well. Considering the subjectivity of the amount of light you need and can tolerate, this product's high lumen count level may either be a positive or negative for you.

There are several Harbor Freight magnetic gadgets that can help organize your workshop. Because they're magnetic, they're a snap to install and remove, and you can easily change their location as needed. One of the simplest of these products is also one of the most convenient — the U.S. General Magnetic Glove/Tissue Dispenser. Available for $14.99, it doesn't include any movable parts or electronics — it simply adheres to metal surfaces and provides a handy place to keep a box of gloves or tissues, allowing you to pull ones out as needed.

This tissue dispenser pairs well with metal tool storage units, which are also available from U.S. General. It comes in a variety of colors, including black, white, red, blue, green, yellow, orange, and gray, so you can either match your garage aesthetic or have the dispenser easily stand out for easy locating. It has four individual magnets to provide a secure grip and can hold up to 4 pounds. Harbor Freight users are big fans of the simple device, which has a strong 4.6 out of 5 overall customer rating based on more than 3,100 reviews, with 93% of customers recommending it.

Some buyers complain that tissue or glove boxes fit too loosely, making it hard to pull out what you need. However — as shown in a video breakdown by the Tool in Hand YouTube channel — you can bend the adjustable interior to grip the box more tightly, something these users may not have been aware of. The video reviewer also highlights that the magnets are covered to prevent damage to the surface of whatever the dispenser is placed against.

Anyone who uses their garage to work on their car, whether it's for minor tune-ups or major repairs, knows that one necessary gadget you'll need is a jack. However, not all jacks are built the same; if you want one that reviewers say is especially reliable and handy, the Daytona 3-ton Super Duty Low-Profile Floor Jack with Rapid Pump offers a professional-grade option that can make DIYers feel like expert mechanics.

Selling for $289.99 and made with all-welded steel construction, this floor jack sports a durable finish and comes in five different colors, including Candy Apple Red and Metallic Purple. The jack is also equipped with internal magnetic filtration and upgraded piston pump seals to extend the life of the tool. It can lift between a height of 3-and-¾ inches and 23-and-⅛ inches. 

This product has a near-perfect overall user rating of 4.9 out of 5, with 99% of customers recommending it. It's also been reviewed quite favorably elsewhere on other sites and in Reddit threads, with many owners referring to the jack as the best they've ever used, even after five years of heavy use in a professional auto body shop. The only downside is the fact that its 3-ton capacity might be overkill. If you're looking for a more affordable but still excellent option, the best Harbor Freight Daytona floor jack for small home garages is probably its 1.5-ton model. It's less than half the price but isn't reviewed quite as well as the 3-ton jack.

The Icon Magnetic Tool Mat, available for $24.99, can be a quick, cheap way to upgrade your garage. If you've ever had to chase loose screws or small tools after they've rolled off and fell to the floor, you'll likely appreciate this one. The mat measures 11 inches by 9 inches, so it can also be used to line the inside of a toolbox, and is equipped with an abrasion-resistant covering. Since it is soft and flexible, it can conform to curved surfaces, including fenders or truck beds. Out of over 175 user reviews, the vast majority are sitting at 5 out of 5 stars, making this tool mat one of the highest-rated Harbor Freight products there is: 100% of surveyed customers recommend the product.

Reviewers say the mat has a reputation for being a bit of a gimmick, but there's a pattern of skeptical users being won over by the gadget after actually using it. One reviewer from Reddit put it best, saying, "I thought it was a novelty till I saw someone on here have it on the bottom of their car with all their sockets and extensions." Other reviewers shared similar stories, talking about the various ways owners utilize the mat; examples included sticking it to the back of a truck cab or holding spray cans.

One of the things you should know about the mat is that its front-facing magnets may be stronger than its back-facing ones. As shown by the YouTube channel Harbor Freight Reviews, you might end up pulling the mat off the surface you've got it stuck to when grabbing a tool that's adhered to it. Unfortunately, Harbor Freight doesn't list its maximum weight capacity, but the video review demonstrates that, when placed vertically, it can even hold something as heavy as a brake rotor without sliding toward the floor.

There are plenty of tool storage options available at Harbor Freight, but the U.S. General 56 x 22-inch Roll Cab (Series 3) stands out for a few reasons. Its size, build quality, and its built-in power strip all make it noteworthy. U.S. General is one of the tool brands owned by Harbor Freight; while the brand sells magnetic power strips that can be placed against metal surfaces, the roll cab's in-drawer 120V/USB charging system is a convenient way to provide power to tools and other gadgets in a more organized and accessible fashion.

Reviewers report U.S. General's cab rolls even when fully loaded, despite holding up to 4,400 pounds and offering 23,500 cubic inches of storage. It includes large-width drawers, one of which is specifically designed for power and air tool racks (sold separately). Other drawers are suitable for sockets, hand tools, and more. The tool chest is designed to be modular and fit with other U.S. General Series 3 storage solutions. It also comes in several different colors so you can have a unified garage aesthetic.

Based on over 3,400 customer reviews, the Series 3 U.S. General 56 x 22-inch Roll Cab has an excellent 4.8 out of 5 average user rating, with 98% of customers recommending it. The website of Bob Vila himself, the patron saint of DIYers, also named it the "best multipurpose" tool chest, praising its heavy-duty construction and drawer configuration. The downside is that "plastic drawer tends to catch", according to the review. Additionally, while you get a lot with this tool cab, you're certainly paying for the privilege: The U.S. General Series 3 will set you back a cool $999.99.

Only products currently for sale at Harbor Freight and those that can provide your garage with some tangible benefit, such as improved illumination, organization, or convenience, were considered for this list. A variety of sources were researched for selecting the Harbor Freight products and to evaluate their reliability and usefulness. These include expert recommendations from publications featuring professional tool reviewers who test hardware and accessories, such as Bob Vila and Pro Tool Reviews. Also included are YouTube videos from channels dedicated to showcasing tools and other products in the flesh, like Tool in Hand and Harbor Freight Reviews.

Reddit was also sourced, as it's a common place for tool owners to go online and share their feedback. The forum has the double benefit of providing firsthand opinions of redditors who've used Harbor Freight products, as well as the insight gained from conversations between owners. Some subreddits, like r/HarborFreight, have an additional advantage, since contributors can often compare one Harbor Freight product to another, adding valuable context and comparisons to their personal reviews.

The same can be said for many of the user reviews found on Harbor Freight's own product pages, which also aggregate customer ratings. All of the items included on this list have strong average user ratings of at least 4.6 out of 5, based on dozens — if not thousands — of customer reviews. At least 93% of surveyed customers recommend each product as well, meaning that — if the wisdom of the crowd is to be believed — the included Harbor Freight gadgets on this list are likely to be handy for upgrading your garage.