Are Harbor Freight's Painting Supplies Worth Buying? Here's What Reddit Users Are Saying

In the grand scheme of renovations, painting may be one of the easiest ways to transform a room, but if you don't already have paint supplies, it's not exactly cheap. A gallon of paint from a home improvement store will easily run you $20 to $50 or more, so when you need multiple gallons plus trays, brushes, rollers, a tarp, and tape, costs add up quickly. If you're looking for ways to keep your painting project budget-friendly, you might have considered purchasing inexpensive supplies from Harbor Freight, but according to Redditors, you may want to reconsider if you're in need of paintbrushes and rollers.

Since it often cuts out middlemen and sources products directly from factories, Harbor Freight can offer more affordable pricing than some of its competitors. While there are many highly rated Harbor Freight tools suitable for your next renovation project, not every item the store carries is as well regarded, at least according to Reddit users. And since using the wrong brushes and rollers is one of the mistakes everyone makes when painting their home, it's smart to put a little thought into the supplies you buy.

When user Larrymobile asked Redditors their opinion on Harbor Freight paint supplies in the r/Tools subreddit, a few chimed in, echoing much of the same sentiment — the paint brushes and rollers aren't the best if you're looking for a flawless paint job, but other supplies are okay. "Anything that doesn't directly put the paint on the walls should be good from HF. Tarps, handles, tray covers, and stands from HF will do the job. But brushes and roller covers I'd get from a big box store/local paint shop," advised one Redditor.

A similar question was asked in the r/harborfreight subreddit about Harbor Freight's brushes. While some felt these brushes were only good for quick projects or when detail doesn't matter, a few commenters recommended the Avanti brand, which Harbor Freight calls its "best" paint brush brand. "I was given one of the $5 avanti brushes as a freebie from HF via email. That thing surprised me it felt very smooth and nice," said Dan_T93. "The 'best' ones called Avanti are pretty solid," said another Redditor.

A review of Harbor Freight's website shows that many paint brushes and rollers have decent customer ratings. However, if you don't want to take that chance, grab supplies like trays, tape, and tarps from Harbor Freight to save money, and head to a big-box home improvement store for your rollers and brushes. Also, make sure you're buying the correct paintbrush for the paint you're using so that you don't have to run to the store again.