Harbor Freight has taken $100 off the price of their US General full bank service cart, which first launched around 7 months ago in June 2021.
The new price is now $599.99, from $699.99.
Shipping to my zip is estimated to be $96.95. Harbor Freight offers free pickup if you order in-store and have a truck to move the tool box in.
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Is it just me, or has this become a pattern for Harbor Freight, where they significantly discount new products within the first year?
Harbor Freight launched their Icon 56″ roller cabinet at $3,999.99.
Eight months later, Harbor Freight slashed the Icon 56″ tool cabinet price down to $2,799.99 and $2,239.99 “with coupon.”
Today, Harbor Freight has the Icon 56″ tool cabinet priced at $2,199 on their website, which is very far from the original $4,000, and even the 2020 “new price” of $2,800.
Is $600 Harbor Freight’s final price on their still very new US General full bank service cart?
You can learn more about the tool cart here:
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Chris
That type of price cutting makes me think these aren’t selling like they thought they would. I have no doubt they’re selling, just probably not in the quantities that Harbor Freight was hoping for.
Craig
Aren’t there availability issues? I remember reading that orders placed were taking months to show up due to supply chain issues and shipping delays. This would certainly explain the low sales since people are probably hesitant to buy a box that’s gonna take 3 or more months to show up.
Chris
I wouldn’t know. It is pure speculation just like anyone else’s answer here. The original post doesn’t have the answer. I can only base my response on my experience and that consists of no-one I know buying tool boxes from Harbor Freight. Them cutting coupons has effectively stopped most people I know from going for all but the cheapest throwaway supply/tool runs. For us, Home Depot gets a lot more business because there are 5 within 20 minutes of us and customer service for returns and such is much more manageable. Harbor Freights coupons helped mitigate aggravations but now they’re gone, so it’s less worth it to go now. I don’t miss the days of standing in line behind 8 other people because H.F. would only open 1 register every day.
JimmyD
I’m in a large Harbor Freight group on Facebook. A lot of guys were saying their box orders were being delayed for weeks or even months.
And if you do ever buy a box from Harbor Freight, open the carton before you leave the store. There is a steady stream of people posting in our group about getting boxes with dents or other damage, sometimes damage that’s not visible on the outside of the shipping carton. So do yourself a favor and make sure there are no bent or crushed parts, then take it home.
Brandon B.
This was a “good value” at $700, but not the “so good it’s basically the only logical choice” that so many of their other cabinets seem to be. This brings it closer to the rest of their U.S. General line.
Jared
Well, at launch it did seem like everyone’s complaint was that it was too expensive.
Maybe this is a means of capturing the maximum revenue? Those who need it badly or just like having newly released products will be willing to pay the premium. Once it settles down, drop the price down to capture more sales.
KMR
I think you nailed it. This is totally a sales/pricing strategy on HF’s part.
Jeremy Strueh
Honestly with what this is a retail price in the Midwest America market needs to pan out between 399.00 and 499.00. That would put it in a good volume sales territory. However I am unsure what their cost to produce and place it in retail space is. That will largely determine final pricing.
Mike
HF used to be a really good deal for the money when it came to tool boxes, the 44″ roller used to be a steal of a deal. Now….not so much.
Brad
Considering how much nicer the Series2 44″ chest is than the old one, it still seems like a pretty good deal to me. Heavier gauge steel, better hardware, decent welds, and of course the additional size (4″ front to back) makes it a more substantial piece. The 56″ chest used to be the sweet spot in value in the US General line, because of those features and its size:price ratio, etc., but now it doesn’t appear that the 56″ offers any step up from the 44″ other than the actual size.
Gordon
I know it’s a hot take, but HF stopped being a viable store when they eliminated the coupons. If you follow prices on HFCDB, they have been steadily rising and coupons have been disappearing. I don’t find the prices cheap enough to take a risk on a low quality tool.
Jim
I agree. With the consumer and prosumer brands making every possible tool under the sun for their cordless platforms, it’s more rare that there is a some job around the house where a nearly disposable tool from HF makes sense. I think they saw this coming and that’s why they have tried to change their model, but I’m not sure it’s working.
The example I like is an oscillating tool. You’re a homeowner and you need to pick one up for your bathroom remodel. A decade or so ago, would you go for the $20 corded HF tool or the $120+ Dewalt corded tool. That’s a significant price savings to go with HF. But now, the homeowner already has a few ryobi batteries, so the choice is between the $30 corded HF tool and the $60 tool-only from Ryobi. Figure the Ryobi is in stock at the HD, which is closer to home than a HF, and you had to go to HD anyways for XYZ, and it’s a done deal.
Gordon
It’s funny you mention the OMT because I went through exactly that issue a few years ago. I bought the cheap HF tool and have regretted it since. Yes it got the job done. But it was so painful. The cord was annoying and the vibration was making my hands buzz for hours after using it. I should have just thrown $20 in the trash.
I was exclusively in the Makita battery and not a huge fan of their OMT. It almost got me to buy into the DeWalt brand because they had a special on the atomic OMT, or the M12 line with a similarly priced special. It also made me seriously debate buying some Ryobi tools as a better alternative to throw away tools. At least you can resell a Ryobi if you truly only need it one time.
Mopar4wd
After a melted down angle grinder 10-15 years ago I have stayed away from harbor freight power tools. One exception is the OMT which I bought for a job many years ago and it worked fine and still does, but I now have a dewalt cordless so it sits in the box. I still like HF for some of the hand tools and misc stuff. I also like the tool boxes. My service cart is still awesome close to 10 years on now. I have notices some of the big box tool storage not doing so well in the same time frame (like my bosses Kobalt box). Near me HF are usually still somewhat busy, big movers are things like tarps dollies etc, but also tool boxes, welding stuff, generators, predator engines, compressors, and hand tools. Never really see them moving much of the power tools.
Mike
I work at a H F store. Very few people actually brought their coupons in with them. They expected the store to have the coupon for them. That’s not how it works! You can still get all the discounts through emails and texts.
Joe E.
When the coupons disappeared, I stopped going.
Their prices keep going up. There are no longer deals to be had. I can get the same quality or better at any box hardware or automotive store.
Matt the Hoople
This has been my observation as well. At the current pricing, I have a lot more options with Lowe’s, Depot and Northern Tool a couple blocks down the same road. I’ll walk into Harbor Freight when I need a one-off large impact socket or something for a one-time use project but other than that, don’t bother.
Based on the reduced customer presence I see when I do go there, I suspect it won’t be long before my local store closes up shop.
Jim Felt
Oddly enough I remember seeing the kinda empty of customer breathy HF store and wondering why they even kept their (local) doors open.
And that was maybe 10 years ago. Might be more of a store location issue?
But now I’ve no idea. We only occasionally shop at HF for low use (and value) dollies and tarps. AKA disposals.
Matt the Hoople
LOL. Now that you mention it, the last time I went to HF was for tarps.
John
The bigger Harbor Freight gets, the more difficult it will be for them to offer compelling values. It’s much better to start off with higher prices, reduce them in the future and then crow about “savings.” With more corporate overhead and rapidly increasing raw material and freight costs, they are probably being forced to raise prices. They might be seeing less store traffic as a result of these increase and the lack of coupons, so it’s forcing them to re-think their pricing strategies. You attract more customers with price reductions than you do with increases, so why not price things in a way that allows for some downward movement and a built-in marketing opportunity when prices drop?
Mc703
I just picked up the “1/4 In, 3/8 In. Drive Long Reach Dual Flex Head Ratchet” bc I was thinking it’s one of those tools you will need. Small random stuff like compressor couplings and Pittsburgh hand tools for the hassle free warranty are all I do to HF for now
Julia
All these high price complainers and “they stopped the coupons!!” folks are missing the point on this full bank tool cart.
There are very few full bank tool cart options out there that aren’t $1200 – 1500+. You can’t just go to Lowe’s or Home Depot for one of these – short of the truck brands, and some third party options like Homak and Sunnex, no one else makes these. And currently, the Hf full bank is the very cheapest option available for a pretty damn decent quality cart.
Stuart
I price-checked HF’s Snap-on “compared to” model, and it is indeed listed at $1800+.
But are automotive pros choosing Harbor Freight over Snap-on?
Julian
Even if you compare it to the Homak, Sunnex or Bluepoint or Mac or Matco ALSO made in China full bank carts – it’s still the least expensive full bank cart available by at least $300-400.
For those of us looking to work out of an open top tool cart with lots of drawers, the HF cart is def the value choice. And in person, it’s just as good quality as any of the other China tool carts, truck brand or otherwise.
I prefer the tool carts as I add dual sets of magnetic rails on the lid underside that allows me to store a full SAE and Metruc wrench set and then when you consider the 40+ linear inches of pry bar storage left and right of the main deep open top, it’s like a tool box with three drawers open simultaneously.
I don’t own the HF, it’s a bit too large for where my mechanic cart is stored, I own the Homak 7 drawer version which itself is uniquely positioned as probs let the only full bank tool cart with slightly smaller depth and width dimensions.
lawrence mcatee
Honestly…. I priced a box from snap on Matco and mac. It’s time to upgrade mine. 72 inch top and bottom and two side cabinets.
Hf icon series…. 8,856 with tax snap on …. 32,826 I’m ordering the icon today to replace my old snap on that I bought new. I could buy this setup 4 times for what the snap on costs. I do not in the slightest care about branding. I’ve seen reviews and everyone loves the icon. I’ve looked at it closely every time I go in there. Honestly myself and alot or other techs are just tired of getting it raw from the tool trucks.
Brad
I really feel sorry for the youngsters who are suckered into the tool truck brand pitch when they’re so young and naive. Paying off that fancy Snap-On roller has to be the mechanic’s version of student loans.
Michael
“They stopped the coupons” is also missing the point that this was probably part of the plan. My cooky uncle that make pine furniture asks, “What do you think of Harbor Freight? I’ve gotten a lot of nice cheap things from there.” They’ve captured a market and are cranking up the prices because they can. It’s like my Grandparents and Sears.
It’s not my market or likely people reading a tool blog.. I go to HF for bulk boxes of random stuff like o-rings or snap rings and tools I need once to work on my car.
Xrh07
They’re cranking prices because it’s hard to eat a 30% tariff on most of the stuff you sell.
Shipping costs, shortages and a 5% CPI inflation rate will contribute too. But the most immediate changes to HF’s business model happened because of the tariffs.
Chris
I think you missed one of the main questions right in the middle of the post.
“Is it just me, or has this become a pattern for Harbor Freight, where they significantly discount new products within the first year?”
The tool box is an example of the problem/question at hand, but it isn’t the only example. It is a trend that seems to be showing up more.
I’m one of the people you reference (haphazardly), but my suggestion is only one point among several examples to what seems to be a potentially common correlation.
Stuart
There are a couple of other data points in the Hercules lineup as well.
It’s impossible to guess whether pricing trends like this are planned, or if they’re responsive to either high or low sales volume. Or, is there a trend at all, or am so simply seeing coincidental price changes?
73 anoldguy
The problem for me on the Icon tool boxes is the depth of the boxes. I have a SO older KRL 72″ roll cabinet with a depth of 30″. (IN addition I have a classic 78 box–when you’ve doing this long as I have, you accumulate a lot of tools!).
Several of companies make boxes and upper cabinets with a depth of 30″ , not just the tool truck brands. But, the HF boxes and cabinets are of a 25″ depth, which means that you loose 17%+ space even though the boxes are approximately the same length.
As to the list price, we’ll, that’s fiction at least as far as the tool truck brands go. They are almost always on sale or with rebates or gift cards when purchased.
I agree that the Icon boxes are well made; but at least with a SO box, they can be had with various drawer combinations to fit your exact need, something that HF doesn’t do.
Harry
At $599, it’s still $100 more than their recent Black Friday special price of $499.
it’s a great cart even at $599. I’ve seen more than a few in local shops.
Albert
I considered buying at $500 last November, but thought it was still too much. Maybe it will be $400 this Memorial Day.
Brad
With the 15% off US General coupon, it should come out to $510. If you don’t want to wait for a sale, that’s probably as good as it’ll get.
Mopar4wd
HF seems to be moving on from coupons but going into more familiar discounts like other big box stores. some what high list prices and frequent sales. For myself I never buy tools at list price unless I need to complete a job or something. I look at list price on Dewalt and Ryobi and nope not going to do it. Setting a price at what you hope to get and marking it down is pretty common retail strategy (big time in the clothing world for instance)
Plain grainy
Weight on a lot of these carts is considerable. The shipping weight on the HF full bank is 290#. Gearwrench 7 drawer flip top cart is 160#(2-3 times the HF price). But a much more manageable weight to haul in a truck or trailer.
Julian Tracy
Ironic that in the same discussion where folks are complaining about the price while crapping all over the HF tool box’s quality, you are suggesting that another Chinese tool cart that cost 2-3 times the price yet is of a lesser build quality might be a better buy LOL
Plain grainy
I was pointing to the weight variable on carts. I only used one example to save time. Other brands may be lighter also. Like the global parts US constructed Craftsman carts! But I didn’t take the time to check all the carts weights. Just mentioning that weight is a consideration for me. I wasn’t telling everyone to purchase a Gearwrench cart because it’s lighter.
Mac
Our local Harbor Freight seems to be out of stock of the items I want… usually what’s on sale. It’s a 45 minute drive into town. If they answer the phone it’s 50/50 they even checked the shelf…of course the computer says it’s in stock.
HF is just right sizing products and price decreases and sales keep articles like this and buzz on forums spinning. Now that it’s $100 less I look forward to the black Friday price… assuming I win the competition to find one.
–Mac
Julian
The full bank cart is different than their other boxes. It’s never been an available in store item, it’s always been an item you have to order either online or in store (AND pay the $97 shipping fee)
Liam
$100 less for a tool chest that is on back-order for 6+ months… no thanks.
Coach James
I bought one of these carts during the black Friday sale, or around that time. I already had a “club ” membership from when I bought some tools for my son. I think the sale price was $499, and with the club discount, I paid $399 for mine. I am quite happy with it, and would not hesitate to buy another one, even at $499.
I looked at other brands of similar carts and the ones I found were way out of my price range, especially when shipping was included.
Wait time on mine was about three weeks.
It seems like some folks think HF is doing something unethical raising their prices. Their prices are going up just as every other company is raising prices.
Coach
John E.
There really isn’t a supply chain issue with the boxes, it just makes sense for HF too ship a crap load of the boxes once there are enough orders placed at one time. These boxes can be bought from alibaba.com if a company orders X amount at one time and gets a super ridiculous deal on them. I have found that America is about the only country that’s screaming “we have supply chain issues”. In layman’s terms, it’s just another reason to jack up prices.
Eric
I have the 5 drawer us general cart and love it im a full time heavy equipment mechanic. Snap on is like the Gucci of tools many other brands will do the same thing at a cheaper price but may not look as nice while doing it