Harbor Freight

This place always smells like rubber and chemicals mixed together to the point that, sometimes, I can’t stay in the store for very long. Other than that, it’s an ok store.
They have just about any thingamajig you could want for whatever project you’ve cooked up. Nothing here is high quality, but that doesn’t mean it won’t work, especially if you’re not a heavy duty fix-​it-​upper kind of person. I have a few clamps from here that work perfectly well for the little projects I work on, a few tarps we use for camping and a battery operated tennis racket bug swatter that is pretty cool and works great.
What I wouldn’t buy from here is power tools. Their prices may seem a lot cheaper than other stores, but that’s because the quality of the tool just isn’t there. Save the headache and fork out a few more bucks for a better product elsewhere.
They frequently run coupons in the newspaper and junk mail, which can come in handy.
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From a retail experience perspective, this place is fine. Remember to look online for coupons, (slickdeals, etc.) to save a ton of $$$. I do not recommend their savers club. I didn’t find it worth it over the normal coupons.
The annoying part about Harbor Freight is that some stuff is excellent and other stuff is worthless junk made of «Chinesium» that doesn’t even last long enough to do the one thing you bought the throw away tool for in the first place.

A Handyman’s best friend.
If you’re like me (and God help you if you are), you like to think you know how to fix things, build things, and how to «improve» you home. I have a real problem paying a professional for a job done right when I can half-​ass it for far less. I’m not afraid to try most things around the house, but often what stops me is the lack of the appropriate tools. I could pay a couple thousand for a professional tiler, or I could just buy a $ 79.00 tile saw, buy some tile from HoBo, and give it a try. Often times it’s just as cheap to buy a no-​name «imported» tool from Harbor Freight as it would be to rent a professional-​grade tool from Home Depot. Sure, your impact drill from HF will last you maybe 10% longer than you need to finish your job, but at least you don’t have to rush to get a job done before your rental fees double. And if your tool breaks the day you take it home, you can always exchange it for a new one!
Sometimes its just fun to wander the isles and find some stuff you didn’t realize that you needed. Last week, I stumbled across a tool for making clean looking caulk lines. Helpful for when I finally get around to re-​caulking my bath tub or windows. Need a set of microscrewdrivers for adjusting your glasses? I wouldn’t pay $ 20 for a good set, but for a $ 2.99 investment, I’ll never need to make a special trip again! In general, the store is loaded with every sort of tool and misc. hardware you can think of. I have a decent selection of tools from here and have used them quite extensively. No complaints. Sure, what they sell is not Snap-​on or Makita quality, but then again, I’m not world class tradesman.

I’m not sure that I trust a nail gun that costs $ 49.99, but I’m glad it exists. Just in case. If you are in need of a ratchet set, vise grips or level set this is your place. You are gonna find some funky off brands, but for basic needs their prices can’t be beat. I don’t think I’d buy any of their power tools, because I get the feeling that it’ll end up costing me more in the long run. The layout of the store is kind of confusing because there doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to what is located where. In the end this store is a good bet for basic tool needs, but I’d stick to a store with better brands when buying your more expensive toys.