Make Your Next Move A Breeze With These Highly-Rated Harbor Freight Finds

Moving house is up there with life's most exciting ventures. Yet it's also renowned for being one of its most stressful. Plus, it almost always comes with a few unexpected costs. Precisely what you'll need in order to move house depends on the items you're moving, how fragile they are, and how much they weigh. The best thing to do first is comb your home for the things that aren't worth moving to a new place, declutter them from your life, then take stock. What appliances do you need to move? Which furniture items can be broken down into smaller parts, and more importantly, which ones can't? Do you have lots of fragile items, like glassware, that need to be wrapped and protected? By assessing your belongings this way you'll be able to discern what equipment and supplies you're likely to need to move them.

Whatever that equipment might be, there's a pretty good chance that you'll find what you need at Harbor Freight. This includes everything from heavy-duty hand trucks and boxcutters to tape guns, moving blankets, and rolls of bubble wrap. To help you get the best deals on moving supplies and equipment from Harbor Freight, we trawled their lineup of products, isoloating the most highly-rated items that have the potential to streamline a move. Everything listed below has racked up a 4.4 star-rating at minimum, from at least 100 buyers (you can find more details on our methodology at the end of this article).

One of the best tips for unpacking efficiently after a move is to arm yourself with a box cutter. It makes scoring through your boxes' tape seals easy, instead of trying to tear them open and damaging the boxes. Even before moving, a sharp box cutter can help with cutting various other packing materials, like plastic wrap and bubble wrap. If you don't have one, then Doyle's Professional Retractable Utility Knife could be worth considering. It's designed with quick, tool-free blade changing in mind, and includes a secure lock to ensure it's safe when in your pocket.

Diving into the reviews, it's currently rated 4.8 out of 5 stars overall. That's thanks to over 1,100 user reviews to date, including 952 (86%) who've awarded the knife full marks. Most buyers said that it's a great knife, including several who praised its attractive price point. It's complimented for its build quality and ease of use, too, including one user who said, "Proper design and quality at a fair price."

One of the most important things to consider when choosing a moving company is the equipment that they bring along with them. That includes boxes, packing materials, protective blankets and covers, and perhaps most importantly, a couple of furniture dollies. These are especially useful for heavy, bulky items, like hot tubs and pianos, effectively serving as shoes with wheels and allowing you to wheel awkward items from A to B without putting undue strain on your back. This 18 inch by 12 inch, 1,000 pound Capacity Hardwood Dolly from Franklin is well-suited for items that you want to protect from accidental dings during transit. It's covered with carpet to protect whatever it is that you're moving. And while you may need several in order to move larger items (like that hot tub in your yard), customers seem to agree that they're affordably priced.

In fact, out of over 7,780 reviews to date, more than 6,657 (85%) have awarded the dolly five stars, lending to an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5. Value for money comes up frequently in the comments. So, too, does the product's ability to help move heavy, unwieldy machinery, furniture, and other weighty items. "I purchased one of these to help move heavy items out of an apartment," said one user. "It worked very well. It is a quality item that is made very durable. It was very helpful when I moved dressers and other furniture out of the apartment."

Unlike the previous dolly, this 24 inch by 16 inch, 1,000 pound capacity Solid Deck Hardwood Dolly with Carpet from Franklin provides a single, solid platform for mounting objects. It does still feature carpet, though, which means that your goods are protected from scratches. It's more expensive than the previous product; however, it is also slightly larger. Given the solid-deck style platform, it's also likely to help with a wider variety of home furnishings.

What the two have in common is a 4.8-star rating. In this case, that's the result of more than 670 reviews, over 567 (83%) of which gave it top marks. It's praised for assisting buyers with moving heavy items that might otherwise require the need for professional help. Most users also agreed that it's well built, sturdy, and at just under $30, offers good value for money. "Very useful while moving!" said one user. "We had some heavy furniture that would've required two men to move but with this dolly we were able to move it all ourselves!"

When you're busy calculating how many boxes you'll need during moving, you might forget about how to secure some of your larger items. Thankfully, plastic wrap can help in several ways. It can be used to bind up boxes and protect furniture, which is perhaps the most common use for it when moving home. But it can also be used to wrap up drawers or cutlery inserts with the items still in situ, thus making them much easier to move. Franklin's 18 inch by 1,000 foot High-Performance Stretch Wrap is well-suited to such uses. Its dimensions (18 inches wide) are better suited to large items than kitchen-grade plastic wrap. It's also self-adhering, non-sticky, and according to Franklin, resistant to tears and punctures.

Over 360 buyers have rated this home moving product so far, and of those, 300 (82%) have awarded it five stars, lending to an overall rating of 4.8. As for why, many appear impressed with the wrap's durability, including one who used it to protect their toolbox on a 1,500-mile move. Others have praised the value for money it offers versus buying similar products from the store. One user, who titled their review "Best furniture wrap," said, "This wrap is thicker than any you will find at big box stores. The thickness makes it durable, holds really well and saves time!"

When you think about the list of equipment you'll need to move house, chances are that some of it comes on wheels. Yes, most of your belongings are likely to be carried by hand, perhaps between you and a few kindly friends. But there are some, like your appliances and those boxes rather ominously labeled "Books," with which you could probably use a little assistance. This 4-in-1 Convertible Hand Truck from Franklin is designed to provide such help. It can be configured in various ways: as a flat platform to hold several boxes (with and without a backstop); as a 45-degree platform to assist with loading and sorting; and as a standard hand truck. It also has non-marring wheels, which should help to prevent scuff marks on the floors of your old and new homes.

To date, the hand truck has received over 1,550 reviews, including 1,354 (87%) 5-star ratings. It's rated 4.8 stars overall, and as for why, the reasons vary. Most users agree that it's well-built and durable, and that it's an excellent ally for a house move. It's praised for being easy to fold away and store, and an excellent tool for moving large, bulky items, like washing machines and dryers. As one user said, "Well built and strong. Used to move freezers, washing machines, and very heavy boxes and books and tools. Worked well and has great balance."

Have you spoken to a friend or family member recently and been told that it's inevitable that something will get broken along the way? If so, then don't listen to them. This is one of the most common myths you should stop believing about moving. Things are only likely to break if they're not packed properly, and fortunately, provided that you have the right materials for the job, that's actually quite easy to do. This 12 inch by 30 foot Bubble Wrap roll from Duck Brand is a good example. It's made for wrapping up various fragile items, like picture frames, glassware, and precious ornaments. It's perforated for easy tearing, and according to Duck Brand, it's flexible enough to conform to various items thanks to thick, small-sized bubbles.

So far, over 300 users have reviewed the bubble wrap, and out of those, 244 (78%) have awarded it full marks. Overall, it's rated 4.7 out of 5 stars, and as you read the reviews, the reason becomes clear. Many users have said that it's helped them to move their items successfully, without breakages, and that it was very easy to use. It's also praised for its price tag (currently less than $6), especially given the amount of wrap that comes on each roll. "Nothing broken!" said one user, who used it to help pack their neighbors' house. "This bubble wrap was perfect for wrapping her small glass pieces. I'm happy to say that nothing got broken in the move."

One of the most important items on any house-moving checklist is proper protection for your furniture during transit. Whether you're moving cross-country or merely down the road, once things are loaded into the van, it's important that you do whatever you can to prevent items from banging against and damaging each other. These 72 inch by 80 inch Moving Blankets are designed to help in this regard. Each one offers 40 square feet of heavy-duty coverage, helping to protect your furniture from dust and dirt. You can also use them as "layers" between stacked furnishings, ensuring those on top don't scratch the ones underneath.

To date, the blankets have been rated by over 7,230 users, and of those, more than 5,800 have awarded them top marks. Overall, they're rated 4.7 out of 5 stars. Several have found some creative uses for these Harbor Freight moving blankets, including one who uses them on the floor of their tent when camping. They're widely praised for offering great value for money (they're currently less than $9), and many users have said they're impressed by the blankets' quality. One user, who described them as "Nice and thick," added, "very protective of the valuables it covers, keeps an eye out for knicks and chips and shoots them down long before they get to the valuables! I would follow these blankets into battle anytime!"

If your goal is to make moving house a breeze, and you've added a couple of dollies to your basket, then this swivel handle from Franklin may also be worth considering. Per Franklin's product description, it's supplied with an attachment kit that allows you to use it with any wooden dolly. Just know that it's only strong enough to move loads up to 600 pounds. That means you'll need to avoid loading the previously featured 1,000 lb dollies to capacity and then trying to use this handle. For loads within its range, however, it's likely to come in handy. It has a free-swiveling joint that's designed to make navigating tight corners and hallways easier. The handle is also adjustable, stretching from 27 ½ to 38 and ¼ inches, and once fitted, can fold away beneath the dolly, making the entire set easy to store.

So far, more than 250 have rated the handle, and of those, 184 (72%) have awarded it 5 stars. Overall, it's rated 4.4 out of 5. Many of the 5-star reviewers agreed that it makes a great addition to handless wooden dollies, and that, with a price tag of less than $10, it's worth the money. "Bolts on easily and makes the flat dolly much more versatile," said one user. "I was planning to buy a specialized flat dolly to move some heavy boxes but this did the trick and ¼ the cost."

Just as a box cutter can make light work of unpacking your belongings, a tape gun can make speedy work of boxing them up in the first place. This Heavy Duty Packaging Tape Gun from Franklin is designed for comfortable use — ideal in homes where there are lots of boxes to pack up. It's also made to work with standard packaging tape rolls, meaning you're not "tied" to Franklin products when you buy it. Perhaps to prove the point, it comes with a roll of 1.88 inch by 55-yard roll of Stiktek packaging tape.

This tape gun is currently rated 4.7 stars overall. More than 120 buyers have reviewed the tape gun, and of those, 103 (79%) have awarded it a 5-star rating. Many said that taping up boxes (for both home moves and other commercial purposes) is much easier with the help of this product. It's praised for its comfortable grip and, importantly, for being much cheaper than other similar products found elsewhere. "Just got this tape gun and it makes the aggravating job of taping boxes easy," said one user. Another, who said it's a great tool for house moves, said, "Great time saver for packing! Great price too!"

Suitable for heavy boxes, bulky furniture, and awkward appliances, Franklin's 19 inch by 29 inch Folding Platform Truck is designed to move objects up to 330 pounds in weight. The platform itself is non-slip for security while moving, and when you've finished loading the van, it folds down flat for easy storage. It also features rubber bumpers along the edges — a small detail that helps protect your old and new house from dings and scratches.

It's rated 4.6 stars overall, with more than 1,470 user reviews. Of those, over 1,080 (73%) have given the truck full marks. It's employed by users for a number of reasons, too, including one who bought it to haul around the tools required to change the oil on their car. Another bought it to move music equipment, and as you'd expect, there are plenty who purchased the truck to help them move house. Regardless of how it's used, it's generally agreed that the truck is sturdy, that it performs well on various surfaces, and that it's very reasonably priced. As one user put it, "I originally purchased one of these carts in 2016 to assist with my daughter's college dorm move-in and have been using it for many, many moves since."

Given the amount of time that we spend in the land of nod, it makes sense to keep your mattress protected from exposure to dust and dirt when moving. You should also consider how to store your mattress when it's not in use, especially if you're loading one into storage while you wait for the keys to your new home. In either case, a breathable mattress bag is often the best tool for the job. Franklin's King-Size Mattress Bag, per the name, is large enough to accommodate king-sized mattresses, including both pillow-top and California king-size types. The plastic it's made from is 2 millimeters thick, meaning it'll resist snags and punctures. Each bag is also fitted with ventilation holes to prevent the build-up of mold and mildew, which is especially useful during periods of storage.

The bag is rated 4.5 stars overall. Over 240 users have reviewed it, including 180 (75%) who gave it five stars. It's praised for its price tag (currently less than $8), and there are plenty of users who've found it useful for keeping their mattresses both clean and protected during transit. In other words, according to reviews, it does exactly what it's supposed to do. "This mattress bag is very durable and strong," said one buyer. "You can't beat the price either! Used on all of my mattresses during my last move. Fit my queen mattress with extra room and my two king mattresses perfectly."

In order to help you make an informed purchase decision on house-moving products from Harbor Freight, we focused this article on items and solutions that have achieved an overall rating of at least 4.4 out of 5 stars. To ensure that these ratings offer a fair representation of each product's true quality, we isolated those with at least 100 user reviews. Beyond this, we dug into what individual reviewers are saying about each product.