5 Changes We Wish Harbor Freight Would Make

Harbor Freight has a lot to offer its customers compared to larger competitors. The company also leaves a lot to be desired. Let’s start with the good stuff. Harbor Freight offers tens of thousands of tools and equipment, usually at a fraction of what places like Lowe’s and Home Depot charge. If you’re on a budget, you’ll be happy to know there are lots of good tools under $150 at Harbor Freight. The company also offers conveniences like online shopping, coupons, members-only deals, store credit accounts, and a large stock of replacement parts for the tools you already own.

But no store is perfect, and Harbor Freight has its share of flaws. A few changes could easily improve the customer experience, and some requests show up more consistently in online feedback than others. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, and Harbor Freight employees and executives probably hear thousands of suggestions every day. That said, these are five changes that we wish Harbor Freight would make.

Harbor Freight’s customer base tends to consist of professional craftsmen and everyday DIYers. While some customers plan trips to the store ahead of time, it’s safe to assume that others visit the store to get that one tool they’re missing when they’re already elbows deep in a project. In either case, a cold refreshment could be a welcome relief for hardworking customers.

People pay for convenience. Grabbing a cold drink from a cooler at the checkout counter feels like a small purchase, but it makes a big impact to someone who’s spent the last few hours slogging away on a job or project. A good selection of bottled water, electrolyte drinks like Gatorade or Powerade, sodas, and energy drinks offers a little something to everyone. Plus, every drink purchase is more revenue for the store, so it’s a win-win.

Nothing sells a product like seeing what it can do up close. Customers can read the specs on the box or check reviews online, but there’s something about seeing the product in person that photos and videos can’t compare to. Some Reddit users point out that stores like Home Depot have demo products that allow customers to test and compare items in the store, and we agree that this benefit would be welcome at Harbor Freight.

Having demo products available for customers to test gives them a better idea of what they’re buying. That doesn’t mean customers should be able to take things like chainsaws and jackhammers for an in-store test drive, but some items, like hand tools, would work well for demos. Out of the package, customers can hold the tools to get better a feel for grip, weight, size, and comfort. Some Harbor Freight stores do have demo tools, such as the G2 ratchets, but having more items on display for touching and testing would be a helpful change for shoppers.

Harbor Freight isn’t lacking on product lines. For example, the brand currently have four brands of pliers: Pittsburgh Pro, Quinn, Icon, and Doyle. The same four names pop up in the screwdriver section, along with the Warrior brand. Having four or more brands per tool type is a bit excessive, and we wish Harbor Freight would stick to just two or three per product line.

Variety is usually a good thing. Shoppers like options, especially when it comes to price. But too many options can make it harder to compare products, and even harder to make a decision. Three tool brands — budget, mid-grade, and premium — could to be the sweet spot. Anything beyond that just adds to the confusion. However, two tools of a similar price can be significantly different if they’re made for different purposes. For example, a Doyle side cutter is different from an Icon side cutter since one is for electrical work and the other is made with car mechanics in mind. Regardless of the tool’s purpose, having fewer options per tool might make some buying decisions easier.

Bauer and Hercules are two of the most recognizable Harbor Freight brands. They’re only found at Harbor Freight, and they’re made to rival other popular tool systems like Milwaukee Tool, Ryobi, and DeWalt, all of which use a proprietary battery line. Since both brands are made specifically for Harbor Freight, some shoppers think the two product lines should use only one type of battery compatible with all their tools.

This is something no other tool brand does, which could give Harbor Freight a competitive advantage. It would also prevent shoppers from getting locked in one battery system or having to buy new, expensive batteries when switching from one to the other. Compatible batteries mean customers can build up their tool collection with the best mix of Bauer and Hercules for much cheaper. Naturally, there are drawbacks to this idea. For example, this move might not be profitable for Harbor Freight, which could mean an increase in the price of each brand’s tools. Still, we can still dream.

One thing you might have noticed about Harbor Freight is that it always charges for shipping for online orders. What you might not know is why it does this. Many big box stores bake shipping into the price you see online, so shipping is only technically free. Harbor Freight does not do this. If you don’t want to pay for shipping, your only alternative is to buy your items in the store.

We wish Harbor Freight would give us another option: shipping items to the store for free. Currently, there is no such option, but it would be a helpful addition in case an item isn’t available locally. Shipping between stores is probably cheaper for Harbor Freight, while the customer can get the item they need while avoiding shipping costs. This isn’t an uncommon practice; Stores like Walmart, Target, and Home Depot offer this service at no charge to the customer. It could also lead that user to make more purchases, since they’d have to get through the store’s doors to retrieve their item.