Harbor Freight Extended Warranty: What To Know Before Spending The Extra Money

Harbor Freight is well-known for its affordable offerings. Whether you're browsing the aisles for tools every DIYer should know about or taking a look at tools people love for garden and yard products, you're sure to find a good deal. That said, not every tool is perfect, and it's not uncommon to run into mass-produced items with defects, or ones that don't perform as promised after a few uses. To rectify this and ensure customers are satisfied, Harbor Freight offers a free, limited 90-day warranty on its products. If the new drill or power saw you purchased is defective, damaged upon arrival, or malfunctioning, you can get a replacement or a refund. This policy doesn't apply, however, to cases of normal wear and tear, misuse, or lack of maintenance, and after this 90-day period has passed, you'll have missed your chance to get a replacement for free.

While a nearly three-month grace period is pretty generous, there are situations where it can be beneficial to pay for a longer-term warranty, especially if you're investing in a more expensive product like Harbor Freight's electric lawn mower. In these cases, you should be looking at an Extended Service Protection Plan (ESP). These plans will cover your purchase for one or two additional years, and if the product fails or malfunctions within that time, you'll get a replacement free of charge. Additionally, these plans cover repairs due to normal wear and tear during this period, a major upgrade over the free 90-day plan.

Whether paying extra for an ESP is worth it will depend heavily on the item, how you intend to use it, and how experienced you are with repairs and maintenance. The exact price of an ESP is based on a percentage of the price of the item and how long you want coverage. So for expensive products, you can expect to pay more. That said, more expensive items are prime candidates for an extended warranty. If they fail, you don't want to shell out hundreds more for a replacement if you're past the 90-day window.

Another major factor to consider is how frequently you'll use the item you bought. If you're only picking it up occasionally for DIYs or special products, the extra cost probably won't be worth it in the long run. If you rely on it as part of your job or your home's maintenance routine, an extended warranty can be a savior. The same goes for repairs — if you think you'll actually use the tool enough to need repairs, you'll get the most bang for your buck with an ESP. If you plan to do the repairs yourself, though, or don't anticipate any future issues, it's okay to pass. Overall, it's a gamble, and the odds depend on your situation.

On the bright side, you don't have to worry about an ESP at all if you're only picking up hand tools. As part of its regular warranty, Harbor Freight's policy is that if a hand tool fails within the original purchaser's lifetime, they can bring it back to the store for a free replacement.