6 Must-Have Harbor Freight Finds For Home Improvement On A Budget

If you're beginning a home improvement job, whether that's a minor fix or a pretty major renovation, you'll need to have the right tools on hand. While you could go to a local store and sift through the numerous supplies available at the outlet, this could, unfortunately, lead to you overspending on tools that you might not even need for the job. What's more, if you're new to home improvement projects, you might even end up purchasing subpar tools that don't fit your needs and may just fall apart before you complete your project. 

Given this, to help you purchase the right tools for upcoming home improvement projects at an affordable price, we've compiled a list of six must-have tools from Harbor Freight based on user ratings and reviews. While there are numerous outlets around the country, Harbor Freight also has an online platform that lists various power and hand tools perfect for home renovation projects. You'll find a more detailed methodology that explains how we selected these products at the end of this list.

If you're building new furniture or restoring old pieces, a quality Harbor Freight sander is essential. While a saw might help you cut down all the wood to size and create solid pieces of furniture, you'll need a sander to smooth out all the surfaces and edges before you can stain or paint them to your preferences. So, if you're in the market for a sander, this Bauer 5-inch Orbit Palm Sander makes a good choice. 

It is built with an industrial fan-cooled motor that allows you to use it for extended periods. It delivers up to 13,000 orbits per minute, which is plenty for most sanding tasks around the house. Thanks to the rubber palm grip, it's also fairly comfortable to use. The tool weighs just about 3.39 pounds, making it lightweight enough to hold and use for as long as you need to. 

The product boasts an impressive overall rating of 4.7 out of five on Harbor Freight's platform, and several reviewers have noted that the product is a "steal" for the price. Currently, the product is priced at $44.99 on Harbor Freight, but, per many reviews, you may be able to snag it for less during sale days.

A combination wrench set is a must-have in your toolbox if you're working on DIY home renovation projects. New DIYers often gravitate toward adjustable wrenches because they're versatile and can work on fasteners of multiple sizes. However, since adjustable wrenches have multiple moving parts, you'll have to be mindful of how much pressure you apply so you don't break the tool or the fastener. In contrast, combination wrenches, while not versatile, are made to withstand a lot of force. They're also thinner and more compact than adjustable wrenches, allowing for usage in tight spaces where an adjustable wrench might be too bulky to fit into.

If you're in the market for combination wrenches, the 32-piece Pittsburgh SAE and Metric Combination Wrench set, which is available for $21.99 on Harbor Freight's website, is a great choice. And because they come in multiple sizes, they can help with all kinds of fasteners, ensuring you always have the right wrench for the job. The wrenches are made of durable carbon steel, which won't crack or break when you apply pressure to them, and the fully polished chrome plate finish will keep them looking new for years. 

As expected for a quality product like this, it's received an average rating of 4.7 out of five. Reviewers have noted that it offers great value and is perfect for tight places. As mentioned by some reviewers, the only downside is that this set is missing a standard 15-millimeter wrench. However, you're likely to find that the comprehensive number of wrenches included in this set will suffice for most projects.

A drill can help you with a range of home improvement projects, from assembling and building furniture to mixing paint (with the right attachment, of course) and hanging up shelves, among other things. Given how versatile this power tool can be, it's a good idea to purchase a quality drill that will last you years. While you can choose between corded and cordless variants, a cordless drill, like the Warrior 18V Cordless ⅜-inch Drill/Driver Kit, is a great option because it allows you to be mobile when working on your projects.

This model comes with 20 torque clutch settings, which means it's more than capable of handling a range of drilling tasks. It's also a pretty user-friendly tool — the keyless chuck design, which allows you to change drill bits quickly without the need for keys, the LED light that provides visibility when working in low-light areas, and the lightweight construction are all features that indicate this. If you're considering purchasing this Warrior cordless drill, you can buy it on Harbor Freight's website for $29.99. It's received an overall user score of 4.6 out of five, with 96% of customers recommending it. 

The reviews mention that, while the drill doesn't have any added frills, it does its job well and charges fairly quickly. If you have a little extra cash to spare, we also recommend purchasing a drill bit set to improve the versatility of the tool.

When working on home improvement projects, a bar clamp can come in handy to hold wood or metal panels together while you cut, drill, or fasten them. Although this Pittsburgh 24-inch Quick Release Bar Clamp, being a lightweight model, might not be the most useful tool for big projects with heavy panels or objects, it can prove useful for DIY projects around the house. A noteworthy feature of this product is its quick-release lever, which helps you adjust and detach objects quickly. What's more, it has a comfortable grip handle that makes it easy to use for extended durations. The powder-coated exterior can prevent corrosion, which, in turn, extends the product's lifespan.

On Harbor Freight's website, this product has an average user score of 4.7 out of five, with 98% of customers recommending it. The reviews mention that the bar clamp works as expected, especially given its affordable pricing of $6.99. This is a solid tool to purchase if you've never owned a bar clamp before, but you may want to consider upgrading to a more expensive and heavy-duty model as and when your projects grow in complexity and size.

If you're working on home renovation projects, it's safe to assume you'll want to paint or stain surfaces efficiently at some point. The Avanti Airless Paint, Primer & Stain Sprayer, which has 12-inch to 15-inch spray coverage, is just what you need for this purpose. It's designed with a powerful pump that delivers up to 3,000 PSI of spraying pressure, making it easy for you to tackle even the most demanding painting jobs. What's more, the variable pressure trigger ensures a precise feathering and blending technique, giving you a more professional-looking result in the end.

The product also has a durable and flexible suction tube, which allows the paint, primer, or staining liquid to be directly drawn from the container. One of the highlights of this tool is that it has all-direction wheels, which can make it easy for you to move it around different areas. This is especially helpful if you're trying to paint, prime, or stain a larger area that requires you to frequently reposition the sprayer. If you think this paint, primer, and stain sprayer from Avanti would make a good addition to your arsenal of home renovation tools, you can purchase it on Harbor Freight's website for $249.99. 

The product has received an average user score of 4.4 out of five, with multiple reviewers noting that it was easy to set up and use. It has also received numerous five-star reviews, and around 90% of customers who purchased it recommend it.

If you're mounting heavy items on the wall, you'll need to know where the studs are to ensure the wall hangings stay put and don't fall off after a short while. Since there's no way to accurately guess where the studs are, a stud finder tool, like the Franklin Sensors ProSensor M10 Stud Finder, will come in handy. Unlike stud finders with a single sensor, this tool has three built-in sensors that can help accurately identify studs behind drywall. All you need to do is press and hold the button to turn on the tool. When the LED light turns from red to green, you've found the center of the stud. 

This particular stud finder tool is fairly easy to use, given that it requires no calibration. The only thing to note is that it only locates studs up to a maximum of 1-inch thickness, which might be an issue if you're renovating an older house with thick walls. That said, it should work just fine in most residential properties. The product has an average user score of 4.3 out of five, which indicates just how useful and reliable people have found this product to be. It's also pretty affordable, given that it costs just $13.99 and might be available for even less on sale days.

Regardless of the type of home renovation project you're looking to take on, it can help to have a few different tools as part of your toolbox. While there's always room to expand your collection, the tools listed above make a great starting point. We've made sure to only select tools that have an average rating of four or above out of five, with numerous positive reviews. We've also considered the features and the cost of each tool, ensuring that each recommendation here offers good value for money.