15 Heavy-Duty Harbor Freight Tools That Are Worth Buying, According To Reviews

As the human species has evolved, so, too, have the shelters that we occupy and the ways in which we ferry ourselves from A to B. This is fantastic; in the grand scheme of the animal kingdom, it's truly quite remarkable, our use of tools having truly propelled us into a league of our own. However, our need for them has become increasingly complex, and our uses of them increasingly heavy. Does this sound familiar?

It could be that, in a bid to save a small fortune, you decided to buy yourself a fixer-upper and need solid, reliable tools (here are some that new owners should consider buying). Or it could be that your growing family has a small fleet of vehicles, which solely you are responsible for keeping road-worthy. In either case, heavy-duty tools are very much your friend, and there are few better places to source them than Harbor Freight, whose promise to help patrons get the job done for less is a boon to buyers on a budget.

However, as with any retailer that stocks a wide range of products from brands big and small, not knowing where to look is one of the mistakes everyone makes when shopping at Harbor Freight, especially since not all of the heavy-duty tools there are created equal. Focusing exclusively on heavy-duty tools and highlighting an array of equipment that's rated at least four stars by real customers, if you need a heavy-duty hand with your project, be it domestic or vehicular, this guide is written to help you score the very best bang for your buck at Harbor Freight.

Available in eight colors and awarded 4.9 out of five stars overall, the Daytona's 3 Ton Heavy Duty Ratcheting Jack promises to make light, easy work of hoisting your vehicle. At $49.99, it's budget-friendly for those hoping to save on car maintenance costs by doing the work at home. And given that the average weight of a new vehicle in the United States is approximately 4,329 pounds — a little over two tons — this stand is strong enough for most home mechanics. Need something with a little more "oomph?" You can always opt for the Daytona six-ton or 12-ton versions, which are priced at $79.99 and $159.99, respectively.

Out of 4,756 reviews, 4,217 give it full marks, with 99% recommending it to potential buyers. As one customer explains, the stands "did exactly what they are supposed to do. They held my car up without fear of falling. Very stable and strong. Even better, they come in a wide variety of color choices!"

HFT's Heavy Duty Reflective All-Purpose Weather-Resistant Tarp is designed to withstand the worst of the weather. That includes rain, snow, and strong sun. It's also built to keep any equipment stored beneath it nice and cool, thanks to a reflective silver finish. In the 5'6" x 7'6" size, the product is priced at $4.99. It's available in plenty of larger sizes, too, all the way up to a 28'10" x 59' version, which costs $159.99.

Customer feedback suggests that the range is more than up to the job. It receives an overall rating of 4.7 out of five stars, with 98% of customers recommending the product. Just as impressive is that, out of 3,133 reviews to date, more than 78% award it the full five stars. As one recent five-star reviewer says, "I've had other tarps, but paid much more for lesser durability. I would (and will) buy again."

Available for $19.99, Doyle's Heavy Duty Ratcheting Crimper features a rugged design that inspires confidence. It's handy on those days when you have lots of odd jobs to tick off your list, thanks to color coding that makes size identification as quick as it's likely to get. It also comes with a 100% lifetime guarantee.

As for reviews, 92% of customers who purchased the product are happy to recommend it. What's more, out of 614 total reviews to date, over 78% give it top marks. One customer, praising the quality of the product, says, "Got this for a quick job to wire my truck. Ended up using it on all my projects. Great tool and built well."

Built for anyone who depends on roadside power to keep things moving, Viking's 3400 Peak Amp Pro Portable Car Battery Jump Starter and Power Pack is as well suited to 12V cars, trucks, and SUVs as it is to 24V diesel semitrucks. It's also built for durability, and even if your vehicle's battery is in fine fettle, you may well find other uses for it, like keeping the kids' devices topped up via the rapid-charge USB output.

It's priced at $379.99, so it may not be the most affordable Harbor Freight tool. However, since more than 82% of reviews give it five stars, it seems that, if you need a robust and reliable roadside solution, it's well worth the outlay. As one user says, "I have had the Viking 3400 for about 2 years now. It will not disappoint you. The power it puts out will turnover your car with a dead battery. It is easy to use, easy to recharge and holds the charge for a very long time. You will not need another."

Hercules' 9 Amp Variable-Speed Surface Conditioning Tool takes the sting out of arduous, messy jobs like stripping paint, derusting surfaces, and conditioning metal. It manages these with a high-torque motor, which yields a top speed of 3700 RPM. In other words, it packs a heavy-duty punch — and for $139.99, it's a fine example of the value for money that the various brands of tools owned by Harbor Freight can provide.

As for how it fares in the roaring pantheon of customer feedback, it comes out swinging. Not a single user to date has felt the need to give it just one star; in fact, out of 110 reviews, 100 award it five stars, while 99% gladly recommend the product. As one says, "This thing is a beast. It will take as much force or pressure you apply and keep coming back for more." Another buyer, who purchased the Hercules in place of a more expensive wheel sander from Makita (currently $814 at Home Depot), agrees, saying, "The Hercules conditioning tool is a fantastic tool at a reasonable price."

The Pittsburgh 2 Ton Capacity Foldable Shop Crane is more than up to the task of hoisting the engines clear of most cars and trucks. It also folds away surprisingly small, meaning it won't soak up excess space in your shop when not in use. Priced at $369.99 (with a lighter, one-ton capacity version available for $269.99), customers on Harbor Freight seem overall very pleased with the value for money it represents. Of 401 total reviews, 334 (83%) award it five stars, 11% give it four stars, and a total of 96% say that they would recommend the product. .

Reviews praise this crane for doing precisely what it says, explaining that it's a fantastic hoist, and offer examples of how it's helped them to lift the most heavy, unwieldy items, such as a 950-lb motor. Others voice satisfaction with the value for money, especially given its material quality. As one user says, "The steel framing is thick, fully coated, weather resistant steel. I left this thing outside in the weather for 3 months before putting it in my shop. Looks brand new and shiny. The hardware is huge. No cheap, thin wall junk on this unit." To put it simply (and to quote the title of their review), "What a beast! Heavy duty for sure."

Chock-full of storage, including drawers and hooks, Vulcan's 500lb Capacity Heavy Duty Large Welding Cabinet is designed to keep your welding station tidy, safe, and mobile. It's priced at $399.99, which might seem steep for what amounts to a storage unit. However, of the 1,501 customers who reviewed it, 84% were pleased enough with their purchase to award it five stars. A further 12% gave it four, while 99% said that, overall, they'd be happy to recommend it. Reading the reviews, what seems to make the cabinet stand out is its ability to keep smaller shops organized and mobile, as well as its impressive heavy-duty build quality. As one user puts it, "Everything on this cart is exceptional! Thick, durable paint, thick steel, plenty of storage for rods, tips and helmets. I was very pleased!"

Long enough to make fiddly jump-starts easier, without the need to park bumper to bumper, Viking's 30ft, 1 Gauge Super Heavy Duty Jumper Cables are also built to resist water, oil, gas, and even battery acid. Priced at $64.99, they come supplied with a heavy-duty case, allowing you to keep them handy in your trunk without annoying, awkward cables getting in the way.

98% of those who bought the cables would recommend them, including 86% who award them five stars. Some praise the length and quality of the product, while others explain that just having them stowed away in the trunk is reassuring, even at times that they don't need them. One user says, "Everything about these cables are high quality. The 30' length is more than adequate, even for full-length pickup trucks. It proves super helpful on off-road trails as well, getting around trees and such."

The 6in. Swivel Vise from Central Machinery is a handy and decidedly heavy-duty workshop companion. Its cast-iron build makes for a total product weight of 28lb, and it comes with its own in-built anvil for shaping, which is ideal for anybody who needs to fabricate metal. In all, it's a superb all-purpose vise, and at $79.99, it seems to represent excellent value for money, offering 8000 lb of clamping force while undercutting the cost of other products like the 6in. Swivel Vise from Doyle, which is currently priced at $199.99.

Users of Central Machinery's vise, it seems, would agree. They praise its quality, heavy-duty build, its proficiency with all kinds of clamping jobs, its excellent value for money, and the fact that it's well-suited to shops both big and small. One user, who describes it as the strong and heavy tool they needed at a fantastic price point, says, "If you need a heavy vise to take on most tasks, buy it."

Equipping yourself with a hand truck is one of the best ways to make moving your bulky furniture easier. They're also very handy for other laborious tasks, like shifting stock around a warehouse or reorganizing heavy equipment in your garage. Designed with all of these tasks in mind, Franklin's 1000 lb. Capacity Heavy Duty Hand Truck is built to handle the heavy lifting for you. The brand has designed it with 10-inch, solid-rubber tires, which it says require zero maintenance. It's also made with heavy-duty steel, and has built-in stair climber bars to make step work both safer and easier.

Of 185 reviews, 89% award the product five stars. Of the remaining 20, 17 give it four stars, and just three award it three stars. Add this to the 99% who, overall, would recommend the product, and at $99.99, this heavy-duty moving partner could well be worth the expense. As for the reviews themselves, customers praise its sturdy capability, explaining that it's surprisingly well built for the price point. As one customer says, "The Franklin 1000lb Heavy Duty Hand Truck is a no-nonsense, rugged workhorse for anyone needing to haul extremely heavy items. The durability, stability, and capacity are outstanding, especially when handling bulky heavy loads."

Designed to withstand more than 50 pounds of pressure before the motor stalls, the Hercules 8 in. Heavy Duty Professional Bench Grinder is, as its name suggests, built for heavy-duty use. It's well-suited to homes and professional shops alike, not least because it's equipped with an industrial-grade motor. This helps to keep operation smooth and vibrations to a minimum, while rubber-mounted feet help to minimize the possibility of the machine "walking" while in use. You could use it for removing rust and smoothing metal edges, and when the growing season begins, it'll make restoring the edge on your favorite shears in a cinch.

Reading the reviews, and they put to bed any doubts as to whether Hercules tools like this are worth buying. Of 161 users, 80% give it full marks, with 95% overall recommending the product. Customer comments compare its quality to top-end products, as well as praise its smoothness, power, and quiet operation. It's worth mentioning that the Hercules is not the cheapest grinder in its size category, at $199.99. However, as one user says, "I've owned smaller grinders but they never did the job due to lack of power. Decided to spend more to get more. I wasn't disappointed."

If you're getting stuck into a new bathroom or kitchen and you insist upon not enlisting a professional, then the Quinn 21 in. Heavy Duty Carbide Tile Cutter could easily become one of your most trusted DIY allies. It's priced at $39.99, which is likely to be far less than you'd spend hiring a tiler, and it comes with a built-in measuring guide to help with precise, professional cuts. You can use it for cutting materials such as porcelain, ceramic, and mosaic tiles.

Overall, 90% of customers are happy to recommend it. 73% award it five stars, with a further 13% giving four. Customers praise its ease of use and versatility, and for those who want a professional finish but can't afford the professional, users agree with the product description — that it helps to make tile cuts as precise as possible. As one buyer puts it, "I bought it to cut ceramic tiles for a backsplash I am working on. Great product. Easy to use, the cuts were perfect. I will use it again for my next tile work."

There's perhaps no tool more frequently used than a screwdriver. From changing batteries in your kids' toys and removing rusty fixings from your fence, to assembling your latest Ikea purchase, every household can benefit from having a decent set of screwdrivers. Costing $24.99, and promising to fit nicely into any highly-rated Harbor Freight toolbox, this 6-piece set of heavy-duty screwdrivers from Doyle comes with a lifetime guarantee. That says a lot about the brand's confidence in the product, although it's perhaps no surprise given the drivers' high-strength steel construction and wrench-ready, high-leverage-capable shafts. There's even a striking cap on the two largest screwdrivers, allowing you to pair them with your trusty hammer for any demolition work that needs doing.

Of 268 customer reviews, 212 (79%) give it five stars. A further 52 give it four stars, lending to the set's overall 4.8 out of five-star rating. 99% recommend the product overall, with several customers citing pleasant surprise at the set's heavy-duty build, especially given its affordability. One user, who holds that this is the best set of screwdrivers at Harbor Freight, says, "Had these for several years and they get used hard. Holding up great. 5 stars all the way."

Designed as a heavy-duty shop vacuum, the extra-large tank in Bauer's 14 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum, in conjunction with a built-in drain, aims to make cleanup as easy as possible. Its versatility makes it as ideal for professionals as it does for avid DIY home improvers, and because it easily converts from dry to wet mode (according to the product script), it clears up dust, debris, and spillages with equal ease.

Of course, customer feedback is the ultimate litmus test for whether or not products deliver on their promises. In this case, out of 1,312 user-reviewers, 84% award it five stars. 96% recommend the product, too, and overall, it currently basks in a 4.7 out of five-star rating. It's priced at $119.99, which doesn't seem unreasonable for a heavy-duty appliance like this. And according to customer feedback, it's not. Among the reviews, it's praised for its powerful suction and reliability, its ability to put up with a substantial amount of both use and abuse, and its comparability to big-name brands at a more budget-friendly price. "I didn't know these vacuums were so strong," says one user. "If you want a comparable product to the major brands at a lower cost then I would recommend buying this shop vac."

To determine which heavy-duty Harbor Freight tools are most worth buying, the writer focused on products with an overall customer rating of at least four stars. Feedback was sourced from real customer reviews, as published on the Harbor Freight website. To avoid repetition and to offer readers as varied a list as possible, similar or functionally identical items were avoided.