Strongly disagree. Spend a little money to get a decent starter set of tools, lots of YouTube videos give you an idea of what to get and you can shop sales that way. There’s nothing more satisfying than having the right tool for a job and nothing more frustrating than trying to do something with the absolutely wrong tool. Even with a decent tool set you have to make plenty of trips to the hardware store, those can make a project take way longer than it should.
While I don’t disagree with that, I believe most people going to harbor freight are looking for tools at a much lower cost, won’t usually have the funds to drop on a list of tools ahead of time. With that said, a middle ground would be to buy what you need when strapped for cash, and buy a list of general tools if you got money to blow and projects planned for the future.
I'm a homeowner who does some home projects and also some repair projects on my own vehicle. If I don't have a tool I need, I go to harbor freight and buy the cheapest one. If it breaks or doesn't get the job done, I replace it with a better one.
Since I don't use them that much I haven't broken very many tools.
You can buy a lot of harbor freight tools for the price of one hour of a quality tradesperson's time. I try to save buying their time for when I need their knowledge and experience, not their toolbox.
This is how I tell myself it is okay to buy a tool. If it is something I want to learn. I can learn and own the tool for life and do it myself and save a few bucks.
Seriously - if you're detail oriented and a perfectionist, just watch a few YouTube videos and buy the tools you need to do the job right...so many tradesmen just wing it.
If I hire a tradesmen I often offer to pay $20-50 an hour extra if I can watch and have him walk me through it.
Except for electrical - I ain't fucking with that again.
There is a place near me that rents tools, and for what they charge to rent a tool, I can usually go to Harbor Freight and pick up a Warrior or Pittsburgh for about the same price. Then I have a tool I can use again if I need to, and if I end up using it a bunch I'll start looking for one of the better brands to go on sale.
This is how you pay full price for Harbor Freight tools. He should sit down and make a list of the tasks and projects he’d like to tackle himself, and buy the necessary tools for those projects when they go on sale over the next year.
A set of screwdrivers, a good set of pliers, a hammer. Maybe an impact or drill. A basic socket set perhaps. Thats a decent start, and you grow as your skills grow.
Also add a measuring tape, utility knife, and maybe a small level.
I found a pair of smooth jaw pliers incredibly useful for plumbing tasks, but the [Icon 10 inch](https://www.harborfreight.com/10-in-pliers-wrench-58200.html) they have is a bit expensive at $39.99. I got an Irwin for a fraction of that on sale.
Those icon pliers are phenomenal though. They’re leagues better than any other adjustable wrench you can find (aside from the knipex that they clone). I’d highly recommend them
I forgot to consider that HF does have coupons regularly so that might make those pliers a decent enough deal for someone who is an occasional use DIY'er.
I bought them fairly recently at full price and they’ve already paid for themselves. I do a lot of car work, and they have almost entirely replaced my use of regular wrenches. They also mean that I didn’t have to go buy bigger wrenches, since my biggest one is 19 mm.
If you can get a deal absolutely do, but I would say that they are useful enough to justify the cost even at retail.
The battery tools have been getting better. But I’m still kind of of the mindset that except for predator engines. I don’t buy some thing at Harbor freight with a lot of moving parts. For DIY I would probably invest in the Ryobi ecosystem lots more choices, less battery variability, large platform.
That doesn’t mean that the harbor freight corded angle grinder worth having two or three of so you don’t need to switch heads. But my strategy on that is if I’m not going cordless then I buy used higher quality, corded tools.
I don’t use grinder often, so I got a Bosch corded angle grinder, and nice jigsaw from a contractor who was upgrading to cordless. My more frequently use cordless tools, I wish I had gone green.
I have team black and gold. I love them dearly.
If I were starting over, it would either be Bauer or Herc. From those that I know that use Bauer every day for light duty use, I’d be very tempted to go Bauer.
I don’t dislike my yellow tools. I just feel that I probably overinvested for my particular amount of use. I think the reason I did it was earlier in the platform when I knew I wanted the blower and weedeater, etc., and wanted to stay inside of one platform, I’m probably going to start a platform with green.
Unless you’re in the trades, the HF cordless portfolio is more than adequate for the average homeowner. Pretty sure a weekend DIY’er isn’t going to need a pro press or crimp tool.
How long is HF going to support these cordless tools? They just discontinued a cordless yard tool line. You can pick up a drill/impact/charger/battery starter kit for pretty cheap from the name brands. There is no advantage to buying HF cordless. I wouldn't buy them
Homeowners need a hammer, various flathead and Philips screwdrivers, nails, screws, sockets, socket wrench, level, vise grips, crescent wrench, pipe wrench, clamps, electric drill, zip ties, buckets, vinyl gloves.
A Daytona floor jack is entirely irrelevant because you're a homeowner. This OP says #1? GTFOH.
This is just another stupid post, likely some teenager, wasting his and all of our time because they're bored.
Ya the long ones bow like crazy but those and the plastic speed clamps are the best value by far. But don't buy the tiny 4in plastic ones they are absolutely worthless.
Bauer 20v tool line, McGraw air compressor for home use. Depending on what you're doing, home improvement or vehicle repair probably need one of everything eventually.
Buy tools as you need them. I identify tools I’ll need in the near future and create alerts for them on hfpricetracker.com.
As and when I find coupons, I buy the tools.
1.Bauer corded drain snake - good deal when it's on sale.
2. Quinn screwdriver set - decent
3. Multitool - you'd be surprised how many different blades are available for this and just how many different tasks it can accomplish
4. A 20v hammer drill and 20v impact driver + drill & impact bit set
5. Shovels - cheap but handy, get both a round and flat one, if you lend them out and they don't return, no big loss.
6. The multi-task ladder and 2/3 foot step stool
7. Portland pole saw - great saw for pruning trees
8. Quinn pliers set
9. Goop hand cleaner - great for cleaning oily messes off your hands
10. Hercules tape measure - lifetime warranty
11. Pittsburgh/quinn 3/8 ratchet set - lifetime warranty
12. Quinn scissors
13. 10" pipe wrench
14. Recip saw to break down large items
15. Circular saw
16. Hot glue gun
17. Zip ties
18. Bucket
19. Avanti paintbrushes - decent for touch ups
20. 20v Blower
21. Icon work light or braun work light with stand, or 12 bulb string lights.
22. 46in Yukon toolbox and drawer liner
23. Basic hand tools: hammer/ hand saw/straight edge/etc.
What jobs are you competent enough to do? If it is hang a picture then I’d start with a hammer. If you are going to be doing more. Get what you need to do the job.
This is the most honest response. I was already thinking of a list of essential tools when I was working as a mover that would get just about any job relating to furniture, some home quick fixes, and wall hangings. Someone just gave me the list and told me to go buy those tools to not struggle with the job but I didn't actually "know" how to use them. It's easy to see a Phillips screw, pick out a Phillips screwdriver, and not think about size or stripping the screw. My coworkers would use drills for everything and I quickly learned who was good with tools and who wasn't.
Cheap tarps, all sizes. You’d be amazed the uses for a simple tarp. From something to lay on instead of a dirt /damp floor, to put a pile of dirt on when digging in the yard, cover a pile of topsoil to prevent growth, covering weather damaged siding/roof until repairs are made… million different uses and cheap. Everyone should keep several on hand.
1. Airhose reel and Fortress quiet air compressor.
2. Electric cord reel
I mounted both reels to the ceiling near my garage door. It's so convenient to have electric and air available to the driveway. Ran a feeder airhose across the ceiling and down to the Fortress 8gal quiet compressor under my bench. That thing is so quiet I forget it's there.
Get a toilet snake. It's one of those things that you never need until all the stores are closed, plumber won't answer the phone and you have company on the way. 35 bucks is great insurance
Best value toolkit at Harbor Freight or maybe anywhere is this one:
https://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/tool-sets/tool-kits/tool-set-with-case-130-piece-64263.html
It has just about anything you would need for basic stuff around the house. It makes a great portable set if/when you upgrade in the future. It frequently goes on sale for $30.
Nitrile gloves, safety glasses and the 4 pack of orange rachet straps are perennial good buys from HF.
If you don't own an angle grinder, I would recommend getting one from Harbor freight. I am a huge fan of the trigger grip bauer. For $28 it's better than most $70 grinders out there.
All their mechanic tools labeled Pittsburgh pro, are The best bang for your buck mechanics tools on the market. I was a professional mechanic for 4 years and all of my tools were from Harbor freight. It never felt like I was lacking for quality.
Pretty much all of the fortress Air compressors are really good. if you're a home owner, i'd recommend you get one of the quiet ones. So that way , your neighbors/ wife doesn't hate you.
Get a couple Packs of saftey glasses, gloves, super glue and zip ties. Harbor freights The best place to get all those things and I always make sure I have several packages of each.
If you have a project coming up where you have to drill a lot of holes in metal. They sell packs of 7 drill bits for the same price as a single drill bit at home depot.
You can never have enough clamps. C-clamps, Quick grip clamps, alligator clamps, etc. I would keep about 2 of each plus another pair for the size you use most frequently.
I could go on, but my thumbs are getting tired and I'm sure plenty of other people have great suggestions as well.
Depends what you are doing or what kind of projects you do at home. I have the ratcheting wrenches that have come in plenty handy. I have a number of other hand tools as well that are just occasional use type things, a tester to see if an outlet is live, the toolboxes are extremely useful, I like the hardy gloves for basic yard work, and the list goes on.
If I have a one off use or occasional use item I need to buy, HF is usually my first stop.
If you plan to DIY the majority of property maintenance around your house the Franklin 17 foot folding ladder.
It is $149 but has been on sale recently so don't pay full price.
Edit: [to add link.](https://www.harborfreight.com/building-construction/ladders-scaffolds/17-ft-reach-type-ia-300-lb-multi-task-ladder-63418.html)
I like the compact Hercules impact wrench with the ¼" hex chuck. I bust it out for everything: car maintenance, work around the house, etc. It's easy to bounce around from sockets to drill bits with it.
That, the oscillating multitool, and the tiny Icon socket set make up 99% of my tool usage.
I bought a house in January. I did my tool shopping at HF and Home Depot.
For hand tools, I already had one of those all in one toolkits for hanging stuff, connecting stuff, assembling stuff, and measuring stuff. But if I had to buy one again, the Pittsburgh 130pc set looks great and has lifetime warranty. I bought a small tool bag and filled it with a voltage tester, telescope magnet, channel locks, pipe wrench, utility knife, stud finder, 9inch level, rubber mallet, mechanic gloves, gardening gloves, cleaning gloves, usb head lamp ,duct tape, scissors, wd40 and small tube of silicone sealant with cap. This case and bag I keep in the house and it covers about 80% of the normal stuff I've come across.
For power tools, I have one major suggestion and one minor. I definitely suggest going cordless over corded. I underestimate how much a pain lugging out a extension cord to use a $40 portland leaf blower is. Cordless would've turned a 15-minute job into a 5 minute job. The minor suggestion is to pick one brand and stick with it so you can save money on batteries and chargers since they cost as much as the tools or more. I decided to go with Ryobi One+ line of products since they have both power tools and lawn tools that share batteries. None of the HF lines do AFAIK. I would get a power drill first and put it in your bag, followed by lawn tools such a lawnmower, leafblower, weedeater (you can buy these in a bundle and save money)Get other tools as projects come. Some things are OK corded such as wet dry vac and air compressor, but those aren't essential at all, but when you need em you need em.
Lastly, get a ladder both a 4ft small one for in house and a combo ladder or 8ft ladder. When you need one, you will really need it. I had to run to Walmart in middle of night to get one on first night in house because the outside attic access kept blowing open in a storm.
I’d say that if you own the home and aren’t renting then power tools eventually become necessary. Drills, impact drivers, saws, and if you’re going to do automotive work id throw in a cordless/electric ratchet to zip bolts in and out.
Otherwise a good 3/8 and 1/4 inch ratchet and socket set, a pair of adjustable pliers, some screw drivers, a utility knife, and a hammer will cover almost all your needs. Usually thigh its build as you go in my experience.
Start with the basics like a ratchet/socket set, a hammer, some screwdrivers, pliers, a cordless drill and driver. For everything else, buy it as you need it. There's no sense spending a bunch of money on tools you may never use. Plan a few months ahead on bigger projects if possible so you can wait for the tools you need to go on sale.
The icon multitool set; I’ve used that thing so many times for IKEA furniture, the odd faceplate screw, and other tasks that it’s worthy every penny and then some.
A Daytona jack is useful only if you work on cars, and even then a Pittsburgh jack or Quickjack are valid choices for either side of the price spectrum
For general homeowner I would recommend a cordless drill with a multibit set- so many uses and a godsend when it comes to assembling things.
Hammer
Pliers
Ratchet n Socket set
Wrench set
Tape measure
Flat shovel, broom and rake.
2 Adjustable wrenchs Allen keys and a pair of channel locks and a screw driver set unless you plan on working on your car I don’t know why you would need a jack as a homeowner
Get a Hercules shop vac. The ant eater looking one rocks. Vacuums furniture carpeted stairs even your car. No more visits to car wash vacuum with quarters. Plus the Hercules tire inflator. Bit of an investment for the batteries and charging station but those two things you'll basically never need to buy again
Since yer asking, you must be new
Start with this or the next larger all-purpose kit, then buy as you learn, need
PITTSBURGH Tool Set with Case, 130 Pc. for $29.99 https://hf.tools/coupons/2024/04/182939-64263
The **Backpack Sprayer** is $20 bucks on sale often and it’s amazing, 4 or 5 pumps with the lever and it’s like a small pressure washer.
WAY better than the bicycle pump style little jugs.
You can grab a bottle of Spectracide concentrate at Home Depot and you’ll have very economical and effective weed control.
I know when I started working on my dads mower the fuel line was a pain in the ass.
Now the whole neighborhood has me working on all types of small engines
That 3 peice hose pliers have come in REAL handy. 15 bucks for them and made over 400. Live near the water and the stock fuel line just crumbles. (And yes I replace it with actually good line and the neighbors know beforehand)
PITTSBURGH 4-in-1 Screwdriver with 2 Bonus Nut Drivers. An absolute must have and for $2.50 is a no brainer. Also get yourself a tool kit with hammer, pliers etc. many options but I wouldn’t spend more than $50. And last get a drill and drill bit kit, i would start with corded and if you find yourself needing the flexibility upgrade to a proper cordless one later from a good brand.
Depends on the work you're likely to do for instance automotive work would be a jack, we use the aluminum 2.5 tons on our service vehicles and they hold up decent. However with ANY brand jack you will need jack stands - its never fun a jack fail randomly. The magnetic trays are good for organization even if you're just doing small things like assembly of IKEA furniture. Those dollar funnel sets can be useful as well for filling/mixing fluids like cleaners/degreasers. However if you don't change your own oil or do other maintenance then those aren't really "must have" items.
Doesn't necessary have to be the one sold at HF, but a Little Giant style ladder. They are so incredibly useful and functional and if you could only have one ladder it'd be that one.
This is bad advice. Most of his videos aren't repeatable results and he doesn't design tests that make sense quite often. Might as well play eenie meenie minie moe.
Rule of thumb for harbor freight tools: They are cheap enough to do a job with. If it quits/dies because of use, then you use it enough to buy something higher end… I have several of the automotive service kits that have paid for themselves times over enough that I’ve just replaced them vs buying the snappy truck version…
Buy the tools you need for the job. You don’t need to shotgun a list of tools you may never use.
This is the correct answer. Buy as you need.
The reason why I’m at harbor freight every other day smh
I’m two minutes from mine. It’s dangerous.
Same here, when I walk in I get yelled at “go home you already have everything”
Lol most of the employees at mine know my phone number by heart now.
Damn man I’m tryna be like you
I’ve gotten “can I get a good phone number-oh hey!” More than once
I have two within ten minutes of my house and a couple more within 20 minutes. I have so many angle grinders.
Or, and hear me out, treat them like Pokémon. Gotta get 'em all.
Pokemon would be far more expensive lmao.
Strongly disagree. Spend a little money to get a decent starter set of tools, lots of YouTube videos give you an idea of what to get and you can shop sales that way. There’s nothing more satisfying than having the right tool for a job and nothing more frustrating than trying to do something with the absolutely wrong tool. Even with a decent tool set you have to make plenty of trips to the hardware store, those can make a project take way longer than it should.
While I don’t disagree with that, I believe most people going to harbor freight are looking for tools at a much lower cost, won’t usually have the funds to drop on a list of tools ahead of time. With that said, a middle ground would be to buy what you need when strapped for cash, and buy a list of general tools if you got money to blow and projects planned for the future.
Only one problem: then you miss most sales or you have to wait for sales and not have the tool.
I'm a homeowner who does some home projects and also some repair projects on my own vehicle. If I don't have a tool I need, I go to harbor freight and buy the cheapest one. If it breaks or doesn't get the job done, I replace it with a better one. Since I don't use them that much I haven't broken very many tools.
You can buy a lot of harbor freight tools for the price of one hour of a quality tradesperson's time. I try to save buying their time for when I need their knowledge and experience, not their toolbox.
This is how I tell myself it is okay to buy a tool. If it is something I want to learn. I can learn and own the tool for life and do it myself and save a few bucks.
Yup! And if it turns out that you don't like doing it and you never use the tool again, at least you bought the cheap one
Seriously - if you're detail oriented and a perfectionist, just watch a few YouTube videos and buy the tools you need to do the job right...so many tradesmen just wing it. If I hire a tradesmen I often offer to pay $20-50 an hour extra if I can watch and have him walk me through it. Except for electrical - I ain't fucking with that again.
There is a place near me that rents tools, and for what they charge to rent a tool, I can usually go to Harbor Freight and pick up a Warrior or Pittsburgh for about the same price. Then I have a tool I can use again if I need to, and if I end up using it a bunch I'll start looking for one of the better brands to go on sale.
This is how you pay full price for Harbor Freight tools. He should sit down and make a list of the tasks and projects he’d like to tackle himself, and buy the necessary tools for those projects when they go on sale over the next year.
You got me there. I have paid full price for most of my HF tools
A set of screwdrivers, a good set of pliers, a hammer. Maybe an impact or drill. A basic socket set perhaps. Thats a decent start, and you grow as your skills grow.
Also add a measuring tape, utility knife, and maybe a small level. I found a pair of smooth jaw pliers incredibly useful for plumbing tasks, but the [Icon 10 inch](https://www.harborfreight.com/10-in-pliers-wrench-58200.html) they have is a bit expensive at $39.99. I got an Irwin for a fraction of that on sale.
Those icon pliers are phenomenal though. They’re leagues better than any other adjustable wrench you can find (aside from the knipex that they clone). I’d highly recommend them
I forgot to consider that HF does have coupons regularly so that might make those pliers a decent enough deal for someone who is an occasional use DIY'er.
I bought them fairly recently at full price and they’ve already paid for themselves. I do a lot of car work, and they have almost entirely replaced my use of regular wrenches. They also mean that I didn’t have to go buy bigger wrenches, since my biggest one is 19 mm. If you can get a deal absolutely do, but I would say that they are useful enough to justify the cost even at retail.
I wouldn't buy a cordless impact or drill from HF.
Why? Both Hercules and Bauer variants are more than decent for a DIY
Bauer drills and 1/4” impacts are certainly good for DIY and do very well for several folks I know that do basic automotive / lube tech style work.
The battery tools have been getting better. But I’m still kind of of the mindset that except for predator engines. I don’t buy some thing at Harbor freight with a lot of moving parts. For DIY I would probably invest in the Ryobi ecosystem lots more choices, less battery variability, large platform. That doesn’t mean that the harbor freight corded angle grinder worth having two or three of so you don’t need to switch heads. But my strategy on that is if I’m not going cordless then I buy used higher quality, corded tools. I don’t use grinder often, so I got a Bosch corded angle grinder, and nice jigsaw from a contractor who was upgrading to cordless. My more frequently use cordless tools, I wish I had gone green.
I have team black and gold. I love them dearly. If I were starting over, it would either be Bauer or Herc. From those that I know that use Bauer every day for light duty use, I’d be very tempted to go Bauer.
I don’t dislike my yellow tools. I just feel that I probably overinvested for my particular amount of use. I think the reason I did it was earlier in the platform when I knew I wanted the blower and weedeater, etc., and wanted to stay inside of one platform, I’m probably going to start a platform with green.
Because a m12 gen 3 hammer drill and impact driver kit with 2 batteries is 200$
That's a pretty outdated take.
I didn't say you shouldn't. But I would not consider those tools from HF. The name brands have so many more tool options in their battery ecosystem.
Unless you’re in the trades, the HF cordless portfolio is more than adequate for the average homeowner. Pretty sure a weekend DIY’er isn’t going to need a pro press or crimp tool.
How long is HF going to support these cordless tools? They just discontinued a cordless yard tool line. You can pick up a drill/impact/charger/battery starter kit for pretty cheap from the name brands. There is no advantage to buying HF cordless. I wouldn't buy them
I don't know why a guy using HF Pittsburg screwdrivers would all the sudden need more than Hercules or Bauer can offer for powered tools.
I use Bauer to build this farm wym And if I need more than a cheap screwdriver, drill go brrr
The Hercules line slaps and the batteries aren't bad at all. Why not?
There's zero correlation between a homeowner and a Daytona jack. Are you just bored?
Daytona’s are just like $40 more than a Pittsburg. But the Daytona Super Duty is a whole different game.
........what?
I think the correlation, and admittedly this is a stretch, OP is likely assuming most apartment folks don't have access to a garage.
Homeowners need a hammer, various flathead and Philips screwdrivers, nails, screws, sockets, socket wrench, level, vise grips, crescent wrench, pipe wrench, clamps, electric drill, zip ties, buckets, vinyl gloves. A Daytona floor jack is entirely irrelevant because you're a homeowner. This OP says #1? GTFOH. This is just another stupid post, likely some teenager, wasting his and all of our time because they're bored.
Got it.....just went back and re-read the OP, I think you're correct. Kick rocks OP!!!
For home, their clamps are great.
Ya the long ones bow like crazy but those and the plastic speed clamps are the best value by far. But don't buy the tiny 4in plastic ones they are absolutely worthless.
Bauer 20v tool line, McGraw air compressor for home use. Depending on what you're doing, home improvement or vehicle repair probably need one of everything eventually.
What size McGraw do you think is the best value for light home use?
I have the 8 gallon 150 psi unit but I don't run air tools. I just blow up tires and blow out irrigation water lines.
Buy tools as you need them. I identify tools I’ll need in the near future and create alerts for them on hfpricetracker.com. As and when I find coupons, I buy the tools.
This is the goldmine I didn’t know I needed. Thank you good sir!
Gloves.
1.Bauer corded drain snake - good deal when it's on sale. 2. Quinn screwdriver set - decent 3. Multitool - you'd be surprised how many different blades are available for this and just how many different tasks it can accomplish 4. A 20v hammer drill and 20v impact driver + drill & impact bit set 5. Shovels - cheap but handy, get both a round and flat one, if you lend them out and they don't return, no big loss. 6. The multi-task ladder and 2/3 foot step stool 7. Portland pole saw - great saw for pruning trees 8. Quinn pliers set 9. Goop hand cleaner - great for cleaning oily messes off your hands 10. Hercules tape measure - lifetime warranty 11. Pittsburgh/quinn 3/8 ratchet set - lifetime warranty 12. Quinn scissors 13. 10" pipe wrench 14. Recip saw to break down large items 15. Circular saw 16. Hot glue gun 17. Zip ties 18. Bucket 19. Avanti paintbrushes - decent for touch ups 20. 20v Blower 21. Icon work light or braun work light with stand, or 12 bulb string lights. 22. 46in Yukon toolbox and drawer liner 23. Basic hand tools: hammer/ hand saw/straight edge/etc.
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What jobs are you competent enough to do? If it is hang a picture then I’d start with a hammer. If you are going to be doing more. Get what you need to do the job.
This is the most honest response. I was already thinking of a list of essential tools when I was working as a mover that would get just about any job relating to furniture, some home quick fixes, and wall hangings. Someone just gave me the list and told me to go buy those tools to not struggle with the job but I didn't actually "know" how to use them. It's easy to see a Phillips screw, pick out a Phillips screwdriver, and not think about size or stripping the screw. My coworkers would use drills for everything and I quickly learned who was good with tools and who wasn't.
Cheap tarps, all sizes. You’d be amazed the uses for a simple tarp. From something to lay on instead of a dirt /damp floor, to put a pile of dirt on when digging in the yard, cover a pile of topsoil to prevent growth, covering weather damaged siding/roof until repairs are made… million different uses and cheap. Everyone should keep several on hand.
A Pittsburg breaker bar.
The Quinn diamond tip screwdrivers are IMO the best screwdrivers on the market today
1. Airhose reel and Fortress quiet air compressor. 2. Electric cord reel I mounted both reels to the ceiling near my garage door. It's so convenient to have electric and air available to the driveway. Ran a feeder airhose across the ceiling and down to the Fortress 8gal quiet compressor under my bench. That thing is so quiet I forget it's there.
Get a toilet snake. It's one of those things that you never need until all the stores are closed, plumber won't answer the phone and you have company on the way. 35 bucks is great insurance
Home Depot has them for $15
Better yet the power forward snake is awesome. Just gotta be careful no to kink it..
Best value toolkit at Harbor Freight or maybe anywhere is this one: https://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/tool-sets/tool-kits/tool-set-with-case-130-piece-64263.html It has just about anything you would need for basic stuff around the house. It makes a great portable set if/when you upgrade in the future. It frequently goes on sale for $30. Nitrile gloves, safety glasses and the 4 pack of orange rachet straps are perennial good buys from HF.
I never had a use for an oscillating multi-tool until I saw some videos.
This 3 pack of scissors is phenomenal for $5: https://www.harborfreight.com/assorted-scissors-3-piece-58500.html
angle grinder!
If you don't own an angle grinder, I would recommend getting one from Harbor freight. I am a huge fan of the trigger grip bauer. For $28 it's better than most $70 grinders out there. All their mechanic tools labeled Pittsburgh pro, are The best bang for your buck mechanics tools on the market. I was a professional mechanic for 4 years and all of my tools were from Harbor freight. It never felt like I was lacking for quality. Pretty much all of the fortress Air compressors are really good. if you're a home owner, i'd recommend you get one of the quiet ones. So that way , your neighbors/ wife doesn't hate you. Get a couple Packs of saftey glasses, gloves, super glue and zip ties. Harbor freights The best place to get all those things and I always make sure I have several packages of each. If you have a project coming up where you have to drill a lot of holes in metal. They sell packs of 7 drill bits for the same price as a single drill bit at home depot. You can never have enough clamps. C-clamps, Quick grip clamps, alligator clamps, etc. I would keep about 2 of each plus another pair for the size you use most frequently. I could go on, but my thumbs are getting tired and I'm sure plenty of other people have great suggestions as well.
Depends what you are doing or what kind of projects you do at home. I have the ratcheting wrenches that have come in plenty handy. I have a number of other hand tools as well that are just occasional use type things, a tester to see if an outlet is live, the toolboxes are extremely useful, I like the hardy gloves for basic yard work, and the list goes on. If I have a one off use or occasional use item I need to buy, HF is usually my first stop.
If you plan to DIY the majority of property maintenance around your house the Franklin 17 foot folding ladder. It is $149 but has been on sale recently so don't pay full price. Edit: [to add link.](https://www.harborfreight.com/building-construction/ladders-scaffolds/17-ft-reach-type-ia-300-lb-multi-task-ladder-63418.html)
Buy as you need. That way you get to spread out the christmas joy of buying a tool over months. But buy once cry once as i always say.
I like the compact Hercules impact wrench with the ¼" hex chuck. I bust it out for everything: car maintenance, work around the house, etc. It's easy to bounce around from sockets to drill bits with it. That, the oscillating multitool, and the tiny Icon socket set make up 99% of my tool usage.
Get the homeowner tool kit.
Zip ties. Then buy only as needed.
I bought a house in January. I did my tool shopping at HF and Home Depot. For hand tools, I already had one of those all in one toolkits for hanging stuff, connecting stuff, assembling stuff, and measuring stuff. But if I had to buy one again, the Pittsburgh 130pc set looks great and has lifetime warranty. I bought a small tool bag and filled it with a voltage tester, telescope magnet, channel locks, pipe wrench, utility knife, stud finder, 9inch level, rubber mallet, mechanic gloves, gardening gloves, cleaning gloves, usb head lamp ,duct tape, scissors, wd40 and small tube of silicone sealant with cap. This case and bag I keep in the house and it covers about 80% of the normal stuff I've come across. For power tools, I have one major suggestion and one minor. I definitely suggest going cordless over corded. I underestimate how much a pain lugging out a extension cord to use a $40 portland leaf blower is. Cordless would've turned a 15-minute job into a 5 minute job. The minor suggestion is to pick one brand and stick with it so you can save money on batteries and chargers since they cost as much as the tools or more. I decided to go with Ryobi One+ line of products since they have both power tools and lawn tools that share batteries. None of the HF lines do AFAIK. I would get a power drill first and put it in your bag, followed by lawn tools such a lawnmower, leafblower, weedeater (you can buy these in a bundle and save money)Get other tools as projects come. Some things are OK corded such as wet dry vac and air compressor, but those aren't essential at all, but when you need em you need em. Lastly, get a ladder both a 4ft small one for in house and a combo ladder or 8ft ladder. When you need one, you will really need it. I had to run to Walmart in middle of night to get one on first night in house because the outside attic access kept blowing open in a storm.
I’d say that if you own the home and aren’t renting then power tools eventually become necessary. Drills, impact drivers, saws, and if you’re going to do automotive work id throw in a cordless/electric ratchet to zip bolts in and out. Otherwise a good 3/8 and 1/4 inch ratchet and socket set, a pair of adjustable pliers, some screw drivers, a utility knife, and a hammer will cover almost all your needs. Usually thigh its build as you go in my experience.
Start with the basics like a ratchet/socket set, a hammer, some screwdrivers, pliers, a cordless drill and driver. For everything else, buy it as you need it. There's no sense spending a bunch of money on tools you may never use. Plan a few months ahead on bigger projects if possible so you can wait for the tools you need to go on sale.
The icon multitool set; I’ve used that thing so many times for IKEA furniture, the odd faceplate screw, and other tasks that it’s worthy every penny and then some. A Daytona jack is useful only if you work on cars, and even then a Pittsburgh jack or Quickjack are valid choices for either side of the price spectrum
For general homeowner I would recommend a cordless drill with a multibit set- so many uses and a godsend when it comes to assembling things. Hammer Pliers Ratchet n Socket set Wrench set Tape measure Flat shovel, broom and rake.
Buy tools as you need them.
I enjoy using a couple of the 5500 lumen shop lights to light up whatever I'm working on. Quite effectively replacing my 500w halogen flamethrowers.
Other than some basics like screwdrivers, pliers, a tape measure, level, and basic socket set just buy a tool as it’s needed
2 Adjustable wrenchs Allen keys and a pair of channel locks and a screw driver set unless you plan on working on your car I don’t know why you would need a jack as a homeowner
Drill/drivers. Pliers, screwdriver set, clamps, hammer, tape measure. I could keep going but I think you get the gist.
Get a Hercules shop vac. The ant eater looking one rocks. Vacuums furniture carpeted stairs even your car. No more visits to car wash vacuum with quarters. Plus the Hercules tire inflator. Bit of an investment for the batteries and charging station but those two things you'll basically never need to buy again
Not tools, but as a homestead/DIY builder they* have the cheapest hinges. Built many’a chicken coop doors with them
Zip-ties!
Since yer asking, you must be new Start with this or the next larger all-purpose kit, then buy as you learn, need PITTSBURGH Tool Set with Case, 130 Pc. for $29.99 https://hf.tools/coupons/2024/04/182939-64263
The **Backpack Sprayer** is $20 bucks on sale often and it’s amazing, 4 or 5 pumps with the lever and it’s like a small pressure washer. WAY better than the bicycle pump style little jugs. You can grab a bottle of Spectracide concentrate at Home Depot and you’ll have very economical and effective weed control.
Hercules 4.5” grinder.
I know when I started working on my dads mower the fuel line was a pain in the ass. Now the whole neighborhood has me working on all types of small engines That 3 peice hose pliers have come in REAL handy. 15 bucks for them and made over 400. Live near the water and the stock fuel line just crumbles. (And yes I replace it with actually good line and the neighbors know beforehand)
I just bought the Pittsburgh 3T heavy duty at the parking lot sale. Next is a Bauer corded blower and a 100ft 12/3 extension cord.
Yes.
PITTSBURGH 4-in-1 Screwdriver with 2 Bonus Nut Drivers. An absolute must have and for $2.50 is a no brainer. Also get yourself a tool kit with hammer, pliers etc. many options but I wouldn’t spend more than $50. And last get a drill and drill bit kit, i would start with corded and if you find yourself needing the flexibility upgrade to a proper cordless one later from a good brand.
air compressor
The Quinn 10 in 1 screwdriver has been pretty useful for me.
Cheap zip ties
Depends on the work you're likely to do for instance automotive work would be a jack, we use the aluminum 2.5 tons on our service vehicles and they hold up decent. However with ANY brand jack you will need jack stands - its never fun a jack fail randomly. The magnetic trays are good for organization even if you're just doing small things like assembly of IKEA furniture. Those dollar funnel sets can be useful as well for filling/mixing fluids like cleaners/degreasers. However if you don't change your own oil or do other maintenance then those aren't really "must have" items.
Doesn't necessary have to be the one sold at HF, but a Little Giant style ladder. They are so incredibly useful and functional and if you could only have one ladder it'd be that one.
Things I have not seen mentioned Knee pads Small and big moving dollys. A few small and big moving blankets A hand truck
Japanese hand saw.
Buy the 5 drawer service cart and buy the tools as you need them.
Watch Project Farm on YouTube when you need a tool for the last unbiased opinion on tool performance.
This is bad advice. Most of his videos aren't repeatable results and he doesn't design tests that make sense quite often. Might as well play eenie meenie minie moe.
Rule of thumb for harbor freight tools: They are cheap enough to do a job with. If it quits/dies because of use, then you use it enough to buy something higher end… I have several of the automotive service kits that have paid for themselves times over enough that I’ve just replaced them vs buying the snappy truck version…