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When it comes to tools, yard care, and other home improvement material and equipment, Lowe’s and Harbor Freight are two of the largest names in the U.S. market. Harbor Freight is certainly more focused on tools and hardware, with several budget-friendly quality tools in its catalogue. Meanwhile, Lowe’s will happily sell you a yard care power tool set and a dishwasher in the same transaction, while also offering unexpected services like solar panel installation. When it comes to the tools they offer, however, the two companies are pretty similar.
In the past, we’ve compared Home Depot to Walmart or Costco, and it wasn’t hard to find some areas where one outshines the other. After all, we were comparing department stores to specialized hardware stores. It’s clear that Lowe’s and Harbor Freight — two companies that operate in the same sector and act in no small part through the brands they own — look much more similar, which makes it a bit more challenging to distinguish which place is better to shop for certain items.
Still, we managed to find three products from Lowe’s that Harbor Freight can’t compete with. These are niche tools with specific use cases, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find something better at Harbor Freight. They may not be the only Lowe’s items that outperform competing products at Harbor Freight, but they’re hard to disagree with.
Milwaukee Convertible Hand Truck
The Milwaukee Convertible Hand Truck sold by Lowe’s has 150 pounds of capacity when used like a normal hand truck in vertical position and 300 pounds in horizontal position. While Harbor Freight’s closest item, the Franklin 2-in-1 Convertible Hand Truck, can carry far more with an 800-pound carrying capacity, Lowe’s option works much better as a portable unit. As some users point out, it’s great if you don’t need (or if you already have) a bulkier tool that can move heavier items.
The Franklin model weighs 30 pounds on its own, but the Milwaukee hand truck is half as heavy. It has 5-inch tires instead of the 10-inch monsters of the Harbor Freight model, and it is not as wide, which makes it easier to maneuver in small spaces. No, it’s not made by the Milwaukee you’re thinking about. Instead, this is an established alternative brand that makes affordable tools (though mostly hand trucks). Lots of Lowe’s users found the hand truck to be useful when moving, while others said it was helpful to use when setting up event spaces.
What really makes this unit the best portable hand truck option, however, is its ability to fold down and become even smaller. We haven’t tested this item ourselves, but according to Lowe’s instructional videos and some user reviews, unfolding it and switching between vertical and horizontal positions is pretty simple. Plus, it’s only $79.99, which is $10 less than Harbor Freight’s comparable model.
Kobalt 850-Lumen 6 -Mode LED Rechargeable Headlamp
At first blush, Kobalt’s 850-lumen headlamp looks like a modestly more powerful version of the Braun 700 Lumen rechargeable LED headlamp sold by Harbor Freight. A more careful examination, however, reveals a few pivotal differences. First, while the Kobalt measures 850 Lumens max by default, it can be pushed momentarily to 1,000 lumens using “Turbo” mode. This makes Lowe’s option significantly more powerful and versatile. As seen in a YouTube video by The Backwoods Mechanic, this small torch can light up a much larger area than what you’d think, as Lowe’s customer reviews often point out.
Both lights are rechargeable and cost about the same price. Speaking broadly, versatility is the most important advantage the Kobalt model has over the Braun. The latter can change the area covered by the light from a broad but shallow view to a focused beam. It also has three modes: high power, low power, and strobe. Meanwhile, Lowe’s offers a headlamp with more max brightness and four power modes — plus strobing and red light modes.
These features are all appreciated by user reviewers, who say the light allows you to keep your hands free to use other tools. Some users complained in the reviews on both product pages that these lights don’t last as long on a full charge as the manufacturer claims. However, the added brightness and versatility of the Kobalt model makes it a more worthwhile purchase.
Kobalt Quiet Tech 24-volt String Trimmer and Leaf Blower Kit
Kobalt is all over this article. That’s unsurprising, seeing as it’s one of the brands owned by Lowe’s. The brand’s Quiet Tech String Trimmer, Blower, and Battery Kit also beats out its competition at Harbor Freight, as customers say it is not only more powerful than its competitors but also quieter.
Priced at $219, this set includes a blower and a string trimmer, as well as a 24V/4Ah battery and its charger. For some users, this is enough for a small yard. Others claim that you would be better served by a larger battery if you need to care for a larger surface. You can find a comparable bundle of tools at Harbor Freight by getting the $55 Bauer string trimmer, the $55 blower, and the $100 battery and charger combo. Combined, these will cost you $210.
While the Kobalt bundle is slightly pricier, it’s worth it for the better quality. Kobalt’s blower has a variable speed trigger and moves air at a maximum of 500 cfm at 120 mph, while the Bauer has two static speeds and stops at 338 cfm and 96 mph. Kobalt’s string trimmer also has a wider and adjustable swath that can stretch between 13 and 15 inches, whereas the Bauer model can only span 12 inches. According to a user review, the Kobalt items are also easy to put together and use even for beginners.
Methodology
To determine which tools offered by Lowe’s were the best, we relied on customer reviews and only included items that had at least a 3.9-star rating out of 5. We then found alternatives at Harbor Freight that had similar offerings at a comparable price. Finally, we compared the items to find products at Lowe’s that had extra features or would get you more value for your purchase. When available, we considered the opinions of users and professional reviewers when building this list.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
