10 Of The Best Northern Tool + Equipment Alternatives (That Are Still Budget Friendly)

Like you, we're always looking for the best deals on the best tools, whether they're for a DIY project or for your job as a professional tradesperson. Often, that leads to us looking at big box stores, where low prices can be achieved because those companies can purchase in huge quantities. Stores like Harbor Freight focus on affordability while still providing quality merchandise. After all, Harbor Freight brand Hercules makes some of the best power tools on the market, regardless of price.

That brings us to another "budget-first" retailer, Northern Tool + Equipment. Founded forty years ago as a mail-order business based out of a garage in Minnesota, Northern Tool + Equipment is now a massive family business that includes a massive online presence and over 120 retail stores. It also manufactures its own tool brands and performs repairs of equipment large and small.

However, unlike Harbor Freight, Northern Tool + Equipment carries more than just a few niche brands. "Quality tools for serious work" is the company tagline, and that's evident in the lineup of brands that it offers. Stihl, Milwaukee, DeWalt, and Briggs & Stratton are names that have all appeared in SlashGear articles ranking the best tools by brand, and they are all on the shelves of Northern Tool + Equipment. 

But what if Northern Tool + Equipment isn't an option for you? SlashGear has you covered with this list of ten of the best Northern Tool + Equipment alternatives — retailers that carry a similar range of products while also trying to keep you from breaking the bank.

Ace Hardware was founded in 1924 by a small group of Chicago hardware store owners looking to consolidate their buying power. By teaming up, these stores were all able to take advantage of bulk pricing, thereby lowering both their costs and the prices they charged customers.

Ace is probably the closest many of us have to a local hardware store these days, with big box stores like Lowe's and The Home Depot forcing many smaller shops to close their doors. In fact, many Aces are mom-and-pop stores themselves, giving a more local flavor to the tools and parts they offer. And with more than 5,000 stores worldwide, there's probably one just up the block.

One of Ace's strongest draws for both pros and DIYers is its wide variety of small parts. Things like washers, fasteners, nuts, and bolts are all readily available in dozens of sizes, and the hardware store almost always has a better selection of these parts than any big box store. Aside from these small parts, local Ace Hardware stores carry tools for your home garage, grills, home decor, outdoor power equipment, and more. It's basically a smaller version of a big box retailer but catered to the local area. And because there's no set formula for an Ace store, you get an amazing variety of spaces, from giant former warehouses to cozy little storefronts on Main Street. It's genuinely one of the best in-person hardware store experiences.

Tractor Supply Company is a massive American retailer that caters to recreational farmers, gardeners, ranchers, and pet owners — basically, if you've got a patch of land, Tractor Supply has something for you. The company operates over 2,200 stores in 49 U.S. states and employs over 50,000 people. But it's also geared towards, as its catchphrase states, "Life Out Here." As such, while Tractor Supply Company is huge on a corporate level, individual stores feel a lot more like hometown establishments, especially in smaller towns where locals may not have many shopping options.

As a rural supply store that carries everything from power generators to live chickens, Tractor Supply offers a ton of merchandise, frequent sales, and name-brand tools (including some underrated finds) alongside lesser-known products. Livestock, poultry, and horse supplies are all available alongside ATVs, fencing, clothing, and welding equipment. 

Given the large size of most Tractor Supply stores, it's easy to lose an afternoon just wandering the aisles and checking out some equipment you never even knew you wanted. With frequent sales and a massive selection, Tractor Supply Company offers a great alternative to Northern Tool + Equipment, either in person or online.

Mill's Fleet Farm and Blain's Farm & Fleet are a pair of Wisconsin businesses born from the same ideas — discount prices and a legal loophole. In the 1950s, Wisconsin law required minimum markups, meaning that stores couldn't sell wholesale or discount prices. However, customers who owned a fleet could buy at a lower price — and since a fleet was defined as five or more internal combustion engines, farmers fell into that category, as they often owned several tractors and other equipment. Two sets of brothers opened their first agricultural stores in 1955, ready to take advantage of the deals they could offer farmers — the Mills brothers and the Blains.

While the laws have changed since then, these two businesses have thrived by offering wide varieties of goods for the farmer, rancher, and outdoorsman. Both Blain's Farm and Fleet and Fleet Farm — the company dropped its family name in 2018 — serve the Midwest, although there isn't much overlap. Farm and Fleet has stores in Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa; Fleet Farm also has locations in Iowa and Wisconsin but claims Minnesota and Dakotas as well.

Both companies have massive stores with a huge variety of products. A quick look at both stores' weekly ads shows deals on poultry and horse feed, power tools, auto parts, house paint, and firearms. Blain's Farm & Fleet and Fleet Farm ship nationwide, and both are solid alternatives to Northern Tool + Equipment.

JB Tools is a well-known online store for mechanics looking for a good deal on virtually any automotive tool. Founded in 2009 by friends Jason and Bob (hence the JB), the Michigan-based retailer is now becoming known as a general tool and equipment store, with large selections of items for camping and hunting as well as outdoor power equipment. The company prides itself on its roots as an American small business that's proven it is able to compete with larger distributors.

The massive list of brands that are carried by JB Tools includes many names familiar to mechanics, including Autel, TSI, and Power Probe. But popular brands like DeWalt and Craftsman are also represented. While JB Tools remains primarily focused on products and tools related to the automotive industry, the company also carries a wide array of outdoor equipment, power tools, home improvement products, and several of SlashGear's favorite flashlight brands. While JB Tools may not have the brick-and-mortar component that Northern Tool + Equipment does, its 60-day return policy, free shipping, and a catalog of over 60,000 items make it a quality alternative.

In 45 years of business, Harbor Freight has gone from a niche discount tool shop to one of the biggest tool chains in the country. Northern Tool + Equipment could be described as a more rural-focused alternative to Harbor Freight; however, there's no reason to forgo the original budget tool store. Harbor Freight carries tools that can be useful in any part of the country, and with over 1,500 locations nationwide, there's bound to be one nearby.

The company claims to carry over 7,500 tools, and its low prices are a result of working directly with toolmakers to avoid markup — savings that Harbor Freight then passes on to its customers. And new products are being added all the time, from the well-reviewed line of Hercules power tools to scroll saws. While I've always thought of Harbor Freight as a great place for new automotive technicians to build out their tool sets, the store caters to every interest, from hobbyist to professional. Woodworking, plumbing, welding, and general home improvement can all be accomplished with just one trip to the local Harbor Freight — or one order from its website.

SlashGear often sings Harbor Freight's praises, whether it's for great Harbor Freight finds we've come across or well-reviewed products at dirt-cheap prices. Just be aware of the fact that there are some Harbor Freight products to avoid when shopping at Harbor Freight, and you'll come away with some great tools without doing too much damage to your wallet.

A brand name with over 4,500 stores worldwide, True Value was a lot like Ace Hardware in that it was made up of independent hardware stores that operated under its banner. However, in 2018, True Value was purchased by private equity firm Acon Investments, turning it into a corporate-owned chain after over 70 years of business.

While the move was controversial among store owners at the time, True Value stores continue to operate today as a worldwide brand, with over 4,500 stores in over 60 countries. However, it still maintains a local flavor, with each True Value store's owner having input in what items they choose to carry based on the neighborhood they operate in. They also often maintain a personal touch to their stores by retaining their own names alongside the True Value badge, meaning the Lembke & Sons True Value of Berwyn, IL, and the Bear Hill True Value of Waldoboro, ME, may have access to the same products, but they'll choose to stock what's most valuable for their own communities.

However, most True Value stores carry what one would expect from a local hardware store regardless of location. Budget-friendly products like air compressors and leaf blowers, tools for the garage, and even a few underrated tools can all be found on the shelves of your local True Value, along with larger special-order equipment like lawnmowers and log splitters.

Those of us raised anywhere near a Menards store just heard this regional big-box store's theme song after reading the name. But "save big money at Menards" isn't just a catchy jingle; it's an expectation. The company started as a modest pole-building business, but when John Menard's customers began asking for materials and lumber, he expanded into the building materials business. Today, Menards is primarily a home improvement store on par with The Home Depot and Lowes. It also carries the tools necessary to perform those DIY jobs around the house, including several of SlashGear's favorite cordless drill brands. But it's not limited to hand tools — stuff for your home mechanic shop or that next plumbing job is always on hand, along with some unexpected finds.

Even though Menards is mostly known as a Midwest-based home improvement store, the family-owned retailer has expanded to over 300 locations, including stores as far west as Wyoming and as far east as West Virginia. If there's not a location nearby, Menards also ships country-wide through its website and offers deals on plenty of stuff for around the home, garage, shop, or barn, making it another good alternative to Northern Tool + Equipment.

Calling itself a "modern day mercantile," Murdoch's Ranch and Home Supply is a popular store in the Western United States. It's big on community, hosting events like its annual "Famous 25¢ Cookout" for local nonprofits, and has products for DIY enthusiasts, outdoorsmen, and ranchers alike.

Murdoch's was founded by John Murdoch in 1994, with one store in Bozeman, Montana. Today, the company supports 40 stores across Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Texas, and Wyoming. Murdoch's also offers online shopping and shipping for many of their products, making it a solid alternative to Northern Tool + Equipment.

Murdoch's has a good selection of tools, including several of SlashGear's favorite DeWalt tools for DIY projects. It also carries larger power equipment like generators, riding mowers, and pressure washers. It even has accessories for your llamas and alpacas – if that's what you're after. Clothing, hunting gear, car batteries, and larger things like boats and ATVs are available from Murdoch's, and most stores also feature power equipment repair and veterinary clinics.

The 75-year-old tool and equipment mainstay has come a long way from its roots as a repair shop in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It's now a primarily online business, although it also maintains ten brick-and-mortar stores and a pair of large equipment dealerships in the upper Midwest. Acme specializes in package deals to lower the overall prices of its tools and equipment and carries several recognizable brands. It's also an authorized online dealer of Milwaukee tools, a factor we'll focus on in our next entry.

Acme Tools, contrary to what those of us raised on Roadrunner cartoons may have been led to believe, is a dealer of reliable tools and equipment of all sizes, from scissors to scissor lifts. It's one of the most popular online equipment dealers for a number of reasons. Large equipment like lathes, planers, and drill presses are all available with free shipping, a great deal considering the size and weight of most of these machines. Big brands like Makita, Gearwrench, and Husqvarna are all carried by Acme, and the company provides a guarantee that its prices are the lowest available. Acme will even issue store credit if you find a tool you've already purchased from them sold for a lower price elsewhere.

There's no getting around the fact that Amazon is everywhere these days. Whether you're trying to get off the grid (after just one last order) or you've got functional wi-fi on the ranch, Amazon can get basically any product to you at a reasonable price. Shipping is often free, even to remote locations, and some of the most obscure products or parts can be ordered through the site.

The online mega-retailer carries everything one might need for the homestead, from log splitters to chainsaws. Many of the biggest names in tools have their own stores on the site, including DeWalt, Makita, and Dremel. But it's not just brand names — if low prices are your passion, and you're willing to trust star ratings that may or may not have been manipulated, you can get any number of products on the cheap. We're talking everything from specialty woodworking tools to automotive ratcheting wrenches — all the way up to a new tiny house.

However, it's important to consider the source when buying power tools from Amazon. As our sister site, HouseDigest writes, there are a number of unauthorized retailers carrying big-name brands like Milwaukee and Ryobi on the site. The prices for these tools are often too good to be true because they are — those tools are often being sold without warranties or can be knock-offs of the brands that you thought you were purchasing.