6 Adorable Mini Tools You Can Get At Harbor Freight

Miniature versions of everyday items are quite irresistible. That's why toy retailer Super Impulse created a whole line of miniature versions of recognizable games, like tiny versions of Boggle and Candy Land. While Super Impulse's games and figures are fun novelties, they're not entirely practical. When you aim the shrink ray at tools, though, you have the potential to make something small and useful in the real world. In fact, if it's miniature tools you want, put the shrink ray aside and head to Harbor Freight.

While there aren't shelves full of miniature versions of tools you wouldn't expect to find shrunken down, the few that are available aren't toys or models meant to decorate someone's workbench. They're actually functional, though their application is not quite the same as their larger brethren. These six adorable mini tools available at Harbor Freight will either be perfect for finishing off a unique project or inspiring you to take on something tiny. Great for working in tight spaces and, depending on the tool, for hobbyists and creative projects, these tools may be small, but they're capable of rather big things.

In the same vein as the Mighty Mite miniature table saw that Harbor Freight unfortunately no longer stocks, Warrior's Mini Cut-Off Saw is a hobbyist's dream tool. With this tiny saw, cutting through stacks of wooden, plastic, or soft metal rods is much easier on the hands. With a built-in clamp to keep the material steady, the 0.9 amp, 2-inch saw works its magic through a variety of softer mediums. To maximize efficiency, the cut-off saw features a transparent blade guard and can achieve miter cuts at zero to 45-degree angles.

Though it's a mini tool, safety is still very important. At over 10,000 RPM, the steel blade can do quite a bit of damage if you're not careful. To prevent accidental slips, the saw can be benchtop mounted using the predrilled holes. It can also be clamped into place to guarantee a stable cut each time. Measuring only 6.75 inches high, 5.5 inches wide, and 9 inches long and weighing just under 4 pounds, Warrior's miniature cut-off saw isn't a nuisance even to an already crowded workspace.

The Warrior saw has earned plenty of praise to score 4.4 stars on Harbor Freight. Recommended by more than 90 percent, users really appreciate the low price ($37.99 at the time of writing) and its size. One review even notes that it's an excellent replacement for hobby knives, allowing for quicker cuts.

Mini lathes aren't really an anomaly. They're simply a scaled-down, consumer-grade application of the professional-grade iteration. Still, this 7-inch by 10-inch lathe is quite the adorable miniature compared to some of its larger counterparts. In fact, even for consumers, it's on the smaller side. Of Harbor Freight's other available lathes, it's the smallest. There is another 7-inch lathe with a 12-inch space between centers, but even that's dwarfed by the 10-inch by 18-inch and 14-inch by 20-inch options.

The mini lathe comes mounted on a bottom plate to catch all the shavings and features an automatic feed with a variable speed ranging from 1,100 RPM to 2,500 RPM. Ideal for tackling small projects, the lathe can cut threads at 12 to 52 threads per inch, giving users fine, closely packed threading. Though only recommended by 83% of its buyers, the mini lathe still scored four stars, with nearly 50% of reviews leaning toward 5-star accolades. As several reviews confirm, the mini lathe works well for hobby enthusiasts.

Despite being a mini lathe, it's still an expensive piece of machinery. In fact, it's far costlier than some of Harbor Freight's bigger lathes, at $749.99. Comparatively, the 14-inch by 20-inch is $599.99, though it's worth noting that it's only a wood lathe while the mini supports multiple mediums.

There's a pretty specific use case for this tiny tubing cutter, but for those who do need it, it's pocket-sized for easy access. Capable of cutting ⅛ inch to 1 ⅛ inch copper, aluminum, and brass tubes, Pittsburgh's Mini Tubing Cutter is a wonder for projects around the house. The compact design isn't just so that it's easy to carry around the job site. Being a mini handheld cutter, it fits well in tight spaces, such as under sinks. If you have a tight space behind an appliance and need to shorten a pipe to fit, the conveniently small tool should get the job done.

Not only is the mini tubing cutter lightweight and little, but its price is on the smaller side, too. The convenient tubing and pipe cutter can be added to a toolbox of miniature tools for the digestible price of $7.49 through Harbor Freight. At that price, it's probably worth having more than one on hand, as a spare will mitigate downtime should you lose the first tiny cutter.

Recommended by 87 percent of its buyers, the cutter is praised for its ability to reach tight spaces and the effectiveness of its blade. If you mostly dabble in ¾ inch tubing, Pittsburgh also has a dedicated cutter for $8.99 that's even more lightweight than the .40-pound mini cutter.

Tubing cutters aren't the only thing that would fit well in Harbor Freight's mini tool box. This set of three mini locking pliers is a smaller version of its curved jaw locking pliers. Unlike the larger pliers, the mini set doesn't have a comfort grip, but it does come with three types of pliers. There's the standard curved jaw, a long nose, and a C-clamp to give you options when the job calls for a miniature plier. All three tools vary in size but fall within 4 and 5 inches. Both the C-clamp and long nose pliers can open to 1 ½ inches, while the curved jaw is limited to 1 ¼ inches. All three of them lock, giving you a secure grip.

The pliers may be small, but they're still durable. Made from carbon steel, they'll get the job done. They work so well, in fact, that they come recommended by 92 percent of the customers who have purchased them. With 4.5 stars across over 270 reviews, it's evident that the pliers can come in handy for smaller projects. Finally, you can tackle that household project that's been sitting because all of your current tools are too big.

Icon's Mini Soft Grip Picks are surprisingly versatile despite their size. The four-piece set comes with a hook, 45-degree pick, 90-degree pick, and an awl, all perfect for keeping machinery cleaned or punching holes. The mini size makes them especially helpful in tight spaces, like if you're working under the hood of a car. Whether you need to carve something into a soft surface or have gunk to scrape away from a car component, the 3-inch shaft is still durable.

The stainless steel head and ergonomic handles come together for a mini tool that's comfortable to use without sacrificing quality. Speaking of quality, the mini pick set has garnered more than a 4.7-star review and a 94 percent customer recommendation rating. The four-piece set retails for $19.99, which amounts to just under $5 per pick and hook.

Pittsburgh has its own set of mini picks, which includes a round angle hook, a 90-degree pick, a 120-degree pick, and a straight pick. While Icon's total length is 6 inches, the Pittsburgh picks are a little shorter at 5 ¼ inches. This four-piece miniature tool set has 4.7 stars, over 6,300 reviews, and boasts a 98 percent customer recommendation rate. At only $1.99, it's a difficult set to pass up.

If you need to grind something in a tight space, it may be time to swap out that full-sized grinder for McGraw's ¼-inch tiny alternative. The miniature tool is only 5 inches long and weighs a manageable 1 pound. Despite its compact size, this grinder can handle the work ahead. For $24.99, you get a 20,000 RPM maximum and a tool that runs off 90 PSI, making it an affordable and lightweight but powerful mini tool. Its size isn't a deterrent, as the grinder has a 4.7-star rating and a 96 percent recommendation rating.

McGraw's mini grinder isn't the only one available at Harbor Freight. A similar ¼ inch model from Chief retails for $39.99 and boasts a slightly higher review and recommendation rating. Of 218 reviews, more than 210 users gave it a 4 or 5-star rating. That's not even the last of the mini grinders, either. Chief sells an ¼ inch model that's only 4.9 inches, making it the smallest of the three. The most expensive of the three, this model retails for $49.99, but that didn't stop it from scoring 4.8 stars and a 97 percent recommended recommendation rating.