Who Makes Harbor Freight's Steam Cleaners & How Much Do They Cost?

When you've got a really awful mess on your hands, something too intense to handle with just a rag and some elbow grease, what are you supposed to do? You could try using some more intensive cleaning chemicals, but depending on the surface, harsh chemicals may end up doing more harm than good. If you need to clean a surface without damaging it, then you might want to invest in a steam cleaner. A combination of hot steam and high-pressure blasting will dissolve most nasty messes, and since it's just water vapor, there's a much lower chance of permanent damage.

If you happen to live near a Harbor Freight hardware store or enjoy shopping with the chain online with an Inside Track membership, you can grab a new steam cleaner fairly easily. That said, Harbor Freight actually has two kinds of steam cleaners available from two different brands, and with two drastically different price tags at that. Both of these brands fall under Harbor Freight's own umbrella of in-store brands, manufacturing products for Harbor Freight's exclusive distribution.

The more expensive steam cleaner is branded under Central Machinery, Harbor Freight's brand for workshop heavy machinery. Central Machinery specializes in things like massive floor fans, portable cement mixers, backyard saw mills, and various other motor-powered monsters. The cheaper steam cleaner is branded under Grant's, Harbor Freight's cleaning product brand. You go to Grant's when you want all-purpose cleaning tools, foam-spraying guns, and a veritable galaxy of rags, sponges, and shammies.

The kind of steam cleaner you should buy from Harbor Freight depends heavily on how big of a mess you're tackling, how long you plan to battle against it, and of course, how much you have to spend on the war effort.

If you've only got a small stain to deal with on your car or workbench, you might prefer the more accessible pricing of Grant's steam cleaner. For a modest $39.99, you get an 11.5 fl. oz. tank of water, heated to over 200 degrees Fahrenheit for degreasing, dirt-blasting, and bacteria-busting. As it only has an operational time of about 6.5 minutes, this is a cleaner intended more for quick operations, thanks in part to its pop-open tank cap for fast water refills and fast heat-up action. It also comes with 11 accessories, like a funnel, a small bucket, and various hose attachments.

If you're waging war against a true monster of a mess, you might need to whip out the big guns and invest $129.99 in Central Machinery's steam cleaner. While it costs $90 more than the Grant's model, this cleaner features proportionally greater functionality to make up the difference. The tank can hold up to 41 oz. of water at a time, eliminating the need for constant refills, and the battery is rated for up to 45 minutes of continuous operation. Add all that to a high-impact construction, and you've got a tool intended for dealing with heavier, nastier messes with larger surface areas.