5 Handy Quinn Tools You Can Get At Harbor Freight For Under $25






Many a DIYer might be quick to tell you that their local Harbor Freight has aided in several of the projects they’ve undertaken in their home, yard, or garage. They’d likely also tell you the retailer has helped them accomplish those tasks while coming in under budget, as the family-owned hardware store chain has made its name by offering customers high-quality tools at prices that shouldn’t break the bank.

If you are familiar with the chain, you may already know that Harbor Freight Tools actually owns many of the notable brands whose tools appear in its stores, and that list includes those bearing the brand name of Quinn Tools. That brand is largely focused on the manufacture of non-powered hand tools, with Harbor Freight currently listing some 100 different offerings in the Quinn Tools lineup both online and through its various brick-and-mortar outlets.

If you’ve perused Quinn Tools products before, you’ve likely noted that they are particularly budget-friendly, even by Harbor Freight standards. Even within Quinn’s budget-minded parameters, there are items bearing its brand that are considerably cheaper than others. Budget basement pricing aside, some of those tools are still very much worth checking out if you are looking to save a few bucks on essential tools. Here’s a few handy Quinn Tools you can currently pick up from Harbor Freight for less than $25.

Three-Piece Scissors Set — $5.99

Scissors may not be something many people consider a tool in the proper sense, but a good set can be invaluable for folks working on smaller DIY jobs and virtually any level of crafting project. To that end, high-quality scissors can also be surprisingly pricey, depending on your needs and, of course, the retail environment you’re shopping in.

If you are shopping for quality scissors at Harbor Freight, you might be happy to learn you can currently purchase not one, but three such items from its Quinn Tools brand for a mere $5.99. For that low price, you get one large 9-inch scissor, one medium 8-inch scissor with a detachable serrated blade, and one small 5¼-inch pair. Each of those scissors is made of titanium-coated stainless steel and equipped with molded ergonomic grips for comfort.

As for their quality, Harbor Freight shoppers who’ve purchased the three-scissor set are almost universally happy with them, rating the tools at 4.8-stars out of 5. Those who rated the scissors at  four or five stars claim that they are sharp, durable, and comfortable to use. Price is also a common point of praise, with some users noting that many other brands charge the same or even more for a single pair of scissors. Some users did note potential quality control issues, however, claiming that the 8-inch scissor in particular was prone to breaking. Others noted their scissors struggled to cut heavier items like cardboard.

Pry Bar Set — $11.99

As with any budget-minded brand, you’d be correct in assuming that there are a few products in the Quinn Tools lineup you’d be wise to avoid. The brand’s pry bars are clearly not among them, though, with its two-piece Set currently boasting a user rating of 4.9-stars. That set should be all the more enticing to Harbor Freight shoppers as it is currently selling for just $11.99.

That modest investment will net you one 8-inch pry bar for smaller jobs, and one 18-inch bar built for more heavy duty work. Per Quinn, the tools are ideal for demolition projects, aligning mechanical equipment, and any number of other jobs that might require a certain degree of leverage from users. To that end, the pry bars are made from heat-treated chrome-vanadium steel and boast a black oxide finish to protect against corrosion. The steel shafts also run all the way through the molded handle and are equipped with a beveled edge to provide maximum torque and leverage. 

As noted, the pry bars’ esteem among customers is very high, with 99 of the 100 reviews posted on their Harbor Freight page being four or  five stars, and the lone outlier being three stars. Users praise the set for its quality, durability, and variety, with many noting the small pry bar is an ideal alternative to using a screwdriver. Moreover, many note the 18-inch bar is great for engine work, while one and all agree it’s hard to beat the quality for the cost.

Precision Screwdriver Set — $14.99

Sometimes, a delicate hand is preferable for mechanical work, particularly when it comes to jobs where smaller screws and fixtures are part of the equation. If delicate is the order of the day in your work, then a precision screwdriver set is an absolute necessity, and that means this Quinn 12-Piece package is well worth a look.

That set is priced at $14.99, and includes 12 precision screwdrivers, each of which is made with three holding zones to make it easy for users to pivot between power, precision, and fast spin driving. The versatility is heightened by the set including precision slotted heads for hex, Phillips, and star head screws. They are also manufactured using S2 Steel for increased strength and durability. The screwdrivers are also color coded to make it easy to distinguish one driver style from another, with Quinn even including a handy carrying case for the lot.

Harbor Freight customers generally agree the set is worth the modest investment, rating it at 4.7-stars, while noting that the set provides excellent value and is ideal for repairing eye glasses and electronics, as well as other small precision jobs. Some YouTube reviews even compare it favorably to similar sets from Icon. However, one unsatisfied Harbor Freight customer noted they felt the tips on the drivers were too soft and not well-enough defined.

¼-inch Drive Chrome Socket and Ratchet Set – $19.99

For many, a socket and ratchet set is the very definition of a must-have tool. There are, of course, several different versions of socket and ratchet sets, all of which are handy in any number of situations. While Quinn Tools makes sockets and ratchets to fit most of those needs, one of the more common size sets you’ll find is ¼-inch, with the brand selling such a kit through Harbor Freight for $19.99.

That set comes with 21 individual pieces, including 10 SAE styled socket heads — sized 3/16-inch, 7/32-inch, ¼-inch, 9/32-inch, 5/16-inch, 11/32-inch, ⅜-inch, 7/16-inch, ½-inch, 9/16-inch – as well as 10 in Metric style — sized 5 millimeters, 6 millimeters, 7 millimeters, 8 millimeters, 9 millimeters, 10 millimeters, 11 millimeters, 12 millimeters, 13 millimeters, and 14 millimeters. It also includes a 72-tooth quick-release polished chrome-vanadium steel ratchet.

If you’re familiar with Quinn’s sockets, you may already know that they are fairly well-regarded by customers as a solid investment. So, it may not come as much of a shock that this socket and ratchet set is also well rated, with Harbor Freight shoppers rating it at 4.8-stars. That rating is based on more than 1,300 reviews, by the way, so it’s about as legit as you’ll find. Those users claim they use the set for everything from oil changes and light engine work to other small repairs, and generally agree it’s incredibly durable and versatile for the price, even as some claimed their ratchet malfunctioned with little usage. 

Four-Piece Plier Set — $24.99

In the arena of must-have tools, pliers are pretty high on the list of devices any DIYer would need to add when assembling a home tool kit. Like any tool, buying a full set of pliers can add up with a quickness. If you’re not looking to splurge on a set of pliers, you’ll no doubt be interested to know that Quinn is selling a four-piece plier Set through Harbor Freight right now for $24.99.

Like the other items on this list, Quinn’s four-piece plier set has an impressive user rating, with customers awarding it a 4.7-star rating. And yes, like the other items on this list, price point is a major point of praise, with users happy enough to pay under $25 to add groove joint pliers, long nose pliers, diagonal pliers, and linesman’s pliers to their tool box. For the record, the quality of the tools themselves is another common point of praise, with some claiming they were surprised by the durability at the price point.

Some users did, however, note the exact opposite experience, claiming that their pliers broke or rusted soon after purchase. As for their makeup, the set is manufactured using forged and hardened steel, boast jaws with milled teeth, and are fit with hardened cutting edges. They are also designed with riveted joints to reduce wobbling during usage. Perhaps best of all, the set comes backed by a lifetime warranty from Quinn Tools, which should cover any potential issues.  





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The Windows Insider Program is about to get much easier

Ed Bott / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.


ZDNET’s key takeaways

  • Microsoft is making the Insider Program less complicated.
  • Beta channel will be a more reliable preview of the next retail release.
  • Other changes will allow testers to quickly enable/disable new features.

Last month, Microsoft took official notice of its customers’ many complaints about Windows 11. Pavan Davaluri, the executive vice president who runs the Windows and Devices group, promised sweeping changes to Windows 11. Today, the company announced the first of those changes in a post authored by Alec Oot, who’s been the principal group product manager for the Windows Insider Program since January 2024.

Those changes will streamline the Insider program, which has lost sight of its original goals in the past few years. (For a brief history of the program and what had gone wrong, see my post from last November: “The Windows Insider Program is a confusing mess.”)

Also: If Microsoft really wants to fix Windows 11, it should do these four things ASAP

If you’re currently participating in the Windows Insider Program, these are meaningful changes. Here’s what you can expect.

Simplifying the Insider channel lineup

Throughout the Windows 11 era, signing up for the Insider program has required choosing one of four channels using a dialog in Windows Settings. Here’s what those options look like today on one of my test PCs.

insider-program-channels-lineup-old

The current Insider channel lineup is confusing, to say the least.

Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNET

Which channel should you choose? As the company admitted in today’s post, “the channel structure became confusing. It was not clear what channel to pick based on what you wanted to get out of the program.”

The new lineup consists of two primary channels: Experimental and Beta. The Release Preview channel will still be available, primarily for the benefit of corporate customers who want early access to production builds a few days before their official release. That option will be available under the Advanced Options section.

windows-insider-channel-lineup-new

This simplified lineup is easier to follow. Beta is the upcoming retail release, Experimental is for the adventurous.

Screenshot courtesy of Microsoft

Here’s Microsoft’s official description of what’s in each channel now, with the company’s emphasis retained:

  • Experimental replaces what were previously the Dev and Canary channels. The name is deliberate: you’re getting early access to features under active development, with the understanding that what you see may change, get delayed, or not ship at all. We’ve heard your feedback that you want to access and contribute to features early in development and this is the channel to do that.
  • Beta is a refresh of the previous Beta Channel and previews what we plan to ship in the coming weeks. The big change: we’re ending gradual feature rollouts in Beta. When we announce a feature in a Beta update and you take that update, you will have that feature. You may occasionally see small differences within a feature as we test variations, but the feature itself will always be on your device.

These changes will apply to the Windows Insider Program for Business as well.

Offering a choice of platforms

For those testers who want to tinker with the bleeding edge of Windows development, a few additional options will be available in the Experimental channel. These advanced options will allow you to choose from a platform that’s aligned to a currently supported retail build. Currently, that’s Windows 11 version 25H2 or 26H1, with the latter being exclusively for new hardware arriving soon with Snapdragon X2 Arm chips.

Also: Microsoft account vs. local account: How to choose

There will also be a Future Platforms option, which represents a preview build that is not aligned to a retail version of Windows. According to today’s announcement, this option is “aimed at users who are looking to be at the forefront of platform development. Insiders looking for the earliest access to features should remain on a version aligned to a retail build.”

windows-insider-advanced-options-new

The Future Platforms option is the equivalent of the current Canary channel

Screenshot courtesy of Microsoft

Minimizing the chaos of Controlled Feature Rollout

Last month, I urged Microsoft to stop using its Controlled Feature Rollout technology, especially for builds in the Beta channel. Apparently, someone in Redmond was listening.

One of the most common questions we receive from Insiders is “why don’t I have access to a feature that’s been announced in a WIP blog?” This is usually due to a technology called Controlled Feature Rollout (CFR), a gradual process of rolling out new features to ensure quality before releasing to wider audiences. These gradual rollouts are an industry standard that help us measure impact before releasing more broadly. But they also make your experience unpredictable and often mean you don’t get the new features that motivated many of you to join the Insider program to begin with.

Moving forward, Insider builds in the Beta channel will no longer suffer from this gradual rollout of features. Meanwhile, the company says, “Insiders in the Experimental channel will have a new ability to enable or disable specific features via the new Feature Flags page on the Windows Insider Program settings page.”

windows-insider-feature-flags

Builds in the Experimental channel will include the option to turn new features on or off.

Screenshot courtesy of Microsoft

Not every feature will be available from this list, but the intent is to add those flags for “visible new features” that are announced as part of a new Insider build.

Making it easier to change channels

The final change announced today is one I didn’t see coming. Historically, leaving the Windows Insider Program or downgrading a channel (from Dev to Beta, for example) has required a full wipe and reinstall. That’s a major hurdle and a big impediment to anyone who doesn’t have the time or technical skills to do that sort of migration.

Also: Why Microsoft is forcing Windows 11 25H2 update on all eligible PCs

Beginning with the new channel lineup, it should be easier to change channels or leave the program without jumping through a bunch of hoops.

To make this a more streamlined and consistent experience, we’re making some behind the scenes changes to enable Insider builds to use an in-place upgrade (IPU) to hop between versions. This will allow in most cases Insiders to move between Experimental, Beta, and Release Preview on the same Windows core version, or leave the program without a clean install. An IPU takes a bit more time than your normal update but migrates your apps, settings, and data in-place.

If you’ve chosen one of the future platforms from the Experimental channel, those options don’t apply. To move back to a supported retail platform, you’ll need to do a clean install.

Also: Apple, Google, and Microsoft join Anthropic’s Project Glasswing to defend world’s most critical software

The upshot of all these changes should make things a lot clearer for anyone trying to figure out what’s coming in the next big feature update. Beta channel updates, for example, should offer a more accurate preview of what’s coming in the next big feature update, so over the next month or two we should get a better picture of what’s coming in the 26H2 release, due in October.

When can we start to see those changes rolling out to the general public? Stay tuned.





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