6 Harbor Freight Pittsburgh Tools Worth Buying (And 4 To Avoid)

A tool's value cannot be measured by its price tag alone. You've got to factor in what it means to the user, and Harbor Freight's Pittsburgh line of tools often manages to punch far above its weight in that category. Pittsburgh often toes the line between "value" and "cheap" tools, but the toolmakers' tools can be incredibly useful for folks just starting out in a trade, people who recently bought their first home, or those who need a certain tool and happen to live near a Harbor Freight store.

Pittsburgh tools are made by Harbor Freight as a house brand, and many of the tools and sets are covered by a limited lifetime warranty. I've returned a single broken wrench and got a full set as a replacement, but your mileage may vary on that kind of generous refund. What's more important is getting a tool worth buying, and Pittsburgh tools are generally more hit than miss in that regard. Still, it's handy to know what's worth buying and what should be avoided, so we put together this list. As a former professional automotive technician, and a notorious cheapskate, I personally filled my toolboxes with plenty of Pittsburgh tools. After 15 years in the trade, I can tell you which tools lasted throughout my career, and which didn't make it through their first task.

Automotive technicians, mechanics, and shade-tree DIYers all need tools to get any job done, whether it's a simple oil change or swapping out a transmission. And while some tools can be used for a number of different jobs in dozens of trades, others are unitaskers — those annoying items that take up valuable space in your toolbox (or kitchen drawer) but are necessary to get a certain job done. In some cases, these are expensive specialty tools that are needed for delicate tasks, but for this item you'll only need to spend about ten bucks.

Pittsburgh Panel Clip Pliers do what they say on the package. As kind of a reverse-action pliers, it's designed to fit around a plastic body clip or pin, slipping between plastic body panels and an automobile's frame and separating the two. This tool isn't for everyone, but if you're working with cars in any capacity it's a lifesaver. Using screwdrivers or other metal tools to pull apart panels can risk breaking clips, scratching metal, or damaging the soft plastic you're trying to work around, so it's worth investing in this tool if you need to do any work that requires the removal of body panels.

Replacing window regulators or lock actuators are a couple examples of jobs that will benefit from your investment in this affordable little tool. I purchased the Pittsburgh Panel Clip Pliers early in my career, and my first set remains the only one I've ever needed.

Harbor Freight carries a variety of different brands in its stores, and most have better reputations than Pittsburgh. Labels geared towards professionals include Icon and Hercules, and both have gotten rave reviews from us here at SlashGear. Pittsburgh also makes several tools under its Pittsburgh Pro lineup, and while it feels like cheating to add a "Pro" level Pittsburgh tool to this list, these extensions absolutely rule.

The 4-Piece Pittsburgh Pro ⅜" Drive Quick-Release Extension Bar Set includes extensions measuring 3, 6, 10, and 18 inches, and all utilize a quick-release collar near the tip. That black, knurled collar releases a little ball when pulled back, allowing easy removal of your socket. When engaged, the socket is solidly held in place, preventing it from slipping off in tight quarters, or when a fastener tries to stick inside the socket.

At $20, the 4-Piece Pittsburgh Pro ⅜" Drive Quick-Release Extension Bar Set isn't the cheapest extension set available at Harbor Freight. But these extensions are generally more useful than the Pittsburgh wobble extensions the store carries, and I've had those cheaper tips snap off when removing spark plugs on a couple different occasions. If you're going to end up buying ⅜" drive extensions — and you should, as they're incredibly useful — why not get the locking extensions that will securely hold your socket in place, so you won't have to go playing claw game with a magnet or pickup tool later?

For the home mechanic working in their garage or driveway, a creeper can be a godsend. These low-profile tools allow a person to slide under a vehicle that's just a little off the ground, either by design or using a floor jack and stands. They usually have little casters to allow for easier movement than just pushing yourself under a vehicle on a piece of cardboard like our dads all did, and often have soft padded pillows that fit under your head for extra comfort and a nice angle to view what you're working on.

The Pittsburgh 300 lb. Capacity Low-Profile Creeper, which costs a little under $40, is one of five creeper models that Harbor Freight sells, but reviews are full of reasons to avoid this particular offering. In fact, the online-only grey version of this tool is one of the worst-reviewed Pittsburgh items on Harbor Freight's website. Folks that have purchased this creeper complain about its flimsy frame that fractures frequently, casters that crack constantly, and wheels that won't roll, or that burst through the middle like an alien through John Hurt. In short, this creeper is as cheap as my use of alliteration.

What's worse is that, for just a little more money, Harbor Freight's other creepers are all well-reviewed and have better features! Extra padding, better construction, thicker wheels — there's even one that can transform into a stool for seated work.

You know what's a great feeling after taking the time to purchase a waste oil container for your at-home oil change? Watching that oil spray all over both you and the floor because the container's catch basin is too shallow to allow the oil to drain into the reservoir. Bonus points if you were impatient and decided to do the oil change right after getting home from Harbor Freight, like I was. Hot oil doesn't taste any better than cold oil, but it is more uncomfortable when it lands on you!

The idea behind the Pittsburgh Waste Oil Storage Container is a good one. You drain the oil into this plastic container, close up the various drains with the included caps, and store until you can take it to a shop for disposal. In practice, oil drains from a vehicle faster than it can be taken in by the hole in this container, and its surface is too shallow. The plugs also tend to leak, so even if you do manage to get oil to go where it's supposed to it doesn't stay there. Finally, the fill hole is just large enough to allow a 17mm drain plug to fall in, requiring you to either fish the plug out with a magnet or pour all that oil into another open container. All this fun for just $18 — $10 more than the simple, useful Pittsburgh Oil Pan that often shares a shelf with this container.

Instructors at trade school did their best to impart knowledge on me, and while I soaked that information up at the time, my brain has devolved into that of a goldfish. One piece of advice that did stick with me was to never become a "hammer and chisel" mechanic — that is, a technician that's constantly banging on parts with the biggest, heaviest hammer they can find.

That being said, there are times when you're going to need to whack something, and if you can't get a hammer into a tight space, a chisel or punch can work as a handy hammer extension. Chisels can be useful for spreading parts like battery terminals, removing stubborn bolts by getting under the head, or making cuts in metal. Punches are great for popping rusted bolts out from unthreaded holes like you'll find in old struts, or for removing rivets.

I bought the 12-piece Pittsburgh Punch and Chisel Set the day I graduated from Lincoln Tech, which also happened to be the day I got my first job in the automotive industry. The first thing another tech told me was that I wasted my $16 at Harbor Freight and that these things would shatter immediately. Over 15 years later, the only thing that has broken is the thin plastic that held these chisels in their storage pouch. They are sturdy, reliable, and ready to take a beating.

There are dozens of reasons to own a set of picks and hooks, like removing o-rings, cleaning out little grooves in other tools, or seating gaskets in place. What there's no reason for is spending a lot on a set of picks. They are thin metal sticks, and will almost inevitably break or bend during their lifetime. The Pittsburgh Mini Pick and Hook Set does what it says on the tin, and the included picks are surprisingly sturdy — I've only gone through three sets in my whole career.

There are several different styles of pick and hook sets available at Harbor Freight, but I like these because of their low price and small, comfortable handles. I prefer the mini screwdriver-style over the standard screwdriver size pick and hook set Pittsburgh also makes because those larger handles feel gigantic by comparison, offering less control and often leading to ripped gaskets or scratches on delicate surfaces. The dental-pick style is too long for practical work, taking that set out of the running for this list. I also like that these picks are squared off so they don't roll away while you're working, and brightly-colored so they're easy to spot. And at only two bucks for the set you're not exactly going to lose sleep if you bend a hook or abuse these tools.

Harbor Freight's various screwdriver sets are kind of a joke among its customers. Often given away for free via the store's various coupons or buy-one-get-one promotions, the quality of most of these screwdrivers is found wanting. Even so, if you've actually decided you need a set of screwdrivers to get started, you'd think one of the slightly more expensive sets on the rack would suit your needs. The 12-Piece Pittsburgh Cushion Grip Screwdriver Set exists to dissuade you of that belief.

Harbor Freight carries 25 screwdriver sets from Pittsburgh, but these are the worst by a long shot, and they aren't even the cheapest ones available from the discount warehouse store! Customer reviews often mention that the Phillips head screwdrivers in this set are often deformed, or become misshapen quickly after only a few uses. Most of the driver shafts are misaligned, and while the cushioned grip is comfortable at first, the adhesive that keeps it in place wears quickly, allowing the driver to spin in your hand. If the grip doesn't spin, tear, or dissolve into goo when coming into contact with oil, then you'll often have to deal with the entire head of the driver coming loose and spinning when you're trying to use it.

Harbor Freight does carry some well reviewed screwdriver sets that are worth buying, though — for example, the Pittsburgh 8-Piece Screwdriver Set sells for $10 — just two dollars more than the Cushion Grip Set.

Groove joint pliers are universally useful tools. A long handled set like the Pittsburgh 10" Groove Joint Pliers often works well for grabbing a nut while removing a bolt on the other side of a part, or for holding a part in place while tightening a fastener. The grooves are the important part of a set of groove joint pliers, though — too rounded or shallow, and the handles of the tool will quickly slide together.

Maybe I'm unlucky, but I've bought these twice (shame on me) and both times the grooves simply didn't hold the pliers in place, leading to pinches and blisters on my hand and frustration with the tool – it's a problem I have also found with Harbor Freight's oil filter pliers. The nut holding the two halves of these pliers also frequently loosens or falls off, making these some of the least reliable pliers I've ever owned. One-star reviews on Harbor Freight's website and a few YouTube reviewers' complaints line up with my experience. However, if you're willing to spend a little more, Harbor Freight does offer a more dependable option — the Icon Pliers Wrench, sold for $40, is a copy of the popular Knipex 86-05-250 Pliers Wrench and gets the job done consistently, in my experience.

Torque wrenches are required in the automotive industry, and for good reason. Over-tightening lug nuts after service can result in stripped or broken studs; under-tightening can result in a lost nut or wheel. A torque wrench verifies that the fasteners in question are properly tightened, and in a shop with cameras on its work bays, also provides visual confirmation that technicians are thoroughly doing their jobs.

SlashGear has dug into how a torque wrench works and how to properly torque your lug nuts, but the most important thing to take away from those articles is this: If you ever need to remove your vehicle's wheels, whether it's for a rotation or a brake pad replacement, you should use a torque wrench during reassembly, ideally a digital or click-type one.

The Pittsburgh ½" Drive 10 to 150 ft-lb Torque Wrench is reliable, serves its purpose, and is the only one I ever had to buy. Adjustments are made by rotating a sleeve on the handle, and with a range of 10 ft-lbs to 150, most vehicle lugnuts and other parts that require specific tightnesses are covered. This torque wrench costs around $22 at Harbor Freight, and for smaller fasteners like those found on transmissions or oil pans, a smaller inch-pound torque wrench is also a good idea to have around.

Even if you aren't the type of person who constantly upgrades and adds to their tool collection, it's worth paying some attention to new tools that can make your life a lot easier. Case in point — I spent most of my career not knowing that this tool exists, and instead foolishly stripped wires using a razor blade and a lack of self-preservational instincts. After cutting my finger open for the umpteenth time, one of my newer coworkers showed me her brand new Pittsburgh Self-Adjusting Wire Strippers and made me promise to get a set so I wouldn't bleed all over her toolbox. Again.

While I ended up getting the equivalent tool from Irwin, Pittsburgh's 8" Self-Adjusting Wire Stripper costs just ten bucks at Harbor Freight, compared to the $25 I paid. You simply slide the wire you need stripped into the end of the tool, give the handles a squeeze, and the metal jaws expose your wire without damaging conductors. This wire stripper is easy to use, has a comfortable grip, and has built-in spots for cutting and crimping wires and butt connectors, and with its bright green color handles, you won't spend a ton of time hunting for this wire stripper in your toolbox's electrical drawer. I keep a set in my garage, and another in my on-the-go tool kit.

Slashgear's assessment of Harbor Freight Pittsburgh tool hits and misses was assembled using a variety of different sources. Tool vlogs, YouTube reviews, customer impressions from the Harbor Freight website, and experiences from my own career were all factored in.

I was broke when I started my 15 years in the automotive industry, and Pittsburgh tools formed the backbone of my tool collection when I started out. As I improved in skill, I upgraded many of those tools, but I still have several that I only needed to purchase once. More importantly, I had no interest in buying new tools for the sake of doing so, especially when I realized that Harbor Freight carries plenty of tools comparable to the big name brands at half the price or less.