5 Harbor Freight Finds That Outshine Ryobi In Price And Quality

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Ryobi has built a strong reputation for producing dependable, powerful tools that are still relatively affordable — at least compared to premium-grade brands like Snap-On and Milwaukee. In addition to its versatile catalog, Ryobi is popular with homeowners, DIYers, and even some professional tradespeople because of its lower prices. However, you can find tools out there offering even more value than Ryobi.

Obviously, many products from budget brands and no-name companies are cheaper than equivalent tools from Ryobi. But there are also options that are close to the same quality as Ryobi and some that are even better, despite costing less. Harbor Freight is home to several of these examples. The retailer has multiple in-house brands with loyal users producing tools with solid overall reviews from people who’ve owned and operated them.

Some of these private labels, like Hercules, have higher prices overall because they’re built to compete with higher-tier companies like Makita. Even these brands have certain tools that can be bought for less than Ryobi counterparts. While there are Ryobi tools that Harbor Freight doesn’t make, there are still several products available if you’re looking for similar or superior performance without spending as much money. Here are five Harbor Freight finds that outshine Ryobi in price and — based on firsthand feedback — quality. More information on how the quality of these tools was evaluated can be found at the end of this list.

There are several different Ryobi leaf blowers varying in price, but even one of its most affordable is well over twice the price of the Hercules 20V Compact Jobsite Blower. The smaller size and modest power of the Hercules blower don’t make it ideal for large yards with a lot of leaves. This is because it’s designed to quickly clean up jobsites and other smaller areas, such as patios and cars.

The Ryobi One+ HP Compact Leaf Blowerwhich costs $109, delivers 220 cfm of airflow, so it moves more air per minute than the Hercules model, which maxes out at 120 cfm. However, the Hercules blower is faster, expelling air at 200 mph compared to Ryobi’s 140 mph. The Hercules 20V Compact Jobsite Blower is also equipped with three different speeds that can be quickly adjusted with a selector switch and is lightweight enough for overhead use. It also comes with nozzle adapters that allow it to work as an inflator for common items.

Hercules’ blower has strong user reviews overall, with a 4.7 out of five average rating and 95% of surveyed customers recommending the product. It’s also popular with Redditors. One owner on r/harborfreight even calls it one of their favorite tools, while several others note the various ways the blower makes itself useful. In addition to cleaning yards, these include drying wet vehicles, stoking barbecues and campfires, clearing dog hair, and inflating paddle boards. Some of these users also suggest using larger-capacity batteries to get the most out of the compact blower, though. The Hercules 20V Compact Jobsite Blower (model HC102B) is currently available from Harbor Freight for $45.

You don’t often see power tools for cheaper than $30, let alone $20, which is why the Warrior Corded 4 ½-inch Angle Grinder is one of the Harbor Freight finds that are no-brainers at their price. The grinder is the same size as Ryobi’s corded grinder, which, at $74, is over triple the price. Ryobi’s 7.5-amp tool also draws more current, despite delivering 1,000 fewer max rpm than the 12,000 rpm of Warrior’s. Four out of five (80%) customers who’ve reviewed the Ryobi grinder recommend it, which isn’t bad at all. However, 89% of surveyed customers recommend the Warrior model. Its greater cutting speed and much lower price no doubt play a big part in why its owners are more satisfied.

Warrior’s angle grinder is adjustable and includes a slide switch with a lock-on mechanism. A two-position side handle is built in for additional control and comfort during use, and the tool has a Type 27 guard to deflect debris. The product includes an arbor nut and wrench.

The grinder’s gear case is cast aluminum, though its body is plastic, which helps explain why it can be sold for less. However, after getting some hands-on time with the Warrior grinder and testing its capabilities, Dad Deals concluded that it “doesn’t feel like a cheap tool.” The YouTube channel gives the product a positive review and says it’s certainly worth buying given its low cost, while several commenters who own the grinder concur. The Warrior Corded 4 ½-inch Angle Grinder is currently available from Harbor Freight for $17.

Some Harbor Freight finds that outshine Ryobi are not individual tools but instead are bundles with especially good deals. The Bauer 20V 2-Tool Cordless Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit is significantly cheaper than a Ryobi bundle offering the same two types of tools and batteries — in this case, a pair of 1.5-Ah units. Both include a charger for their proprietary batteries, as well, though Bauer says it is a dedicated rapid charger.

Overall, Ryobi’s two-tool bundle, which costs $149, has strong user reviews from Home Depot customers, but Bauer’s combo kit is practically unanimously praised. It has a near-perfect 4.9 out of five overall customer score, with 99% of surveyed customers recommending it. Users give generally good reviews to Harbor Freight cordless drills, and the tools included in this bundle are no exception, with owners praising the ease of use and lightweight construction of Bauer’s drill/driver.

The Bauer 20V 1/2-inch Drill/Driver offers two speeds and can deliver up to 1,700 rpm and 450 in-lbs of torque. The Bauer 20V 1/4-inch Impact Driver produces up to 1,300 in-lbs of torque and 2,900 rpm. Both tools are designed with all-metal gear construction with a textured overmold grip and both feature an integrated LED worklight to illuminate the work area. The 1/2-inch keyless ratcheting chuck on the drill/driver and 1/4-inch hex drive on the impact driver allow for quick and easy swaps with all kinds of compatible bits. The Bauer 20V 2-Tool Cordless Drill and Impact Driver Kit (model 2498C-B1) is currently available from Harbor Freight for $100.

Harbor Freight sells multiple routers and the most expensive of its options comes from its premium tool brand Hercules. Despite being the priciest Harbor Freight router, the Hercules 20V Compact Router is still considerably cheaper than the Ryobi One+ HP 18V Compact Router available at Home Depot for $129. Both weigh under 4 pounds and are brushless, cordless routers with a fixed base and compact design that’s ideal for a workbench.

The base of the Hercules 20V Compact Router is cast aluminum, as is the motor housing. When powered by a Hercules 20V 5-Ah battery, it can deliver up to 100 feet of cutting per charger. At 90 degrees, its depth of cut is 1 1/2 inches and a fine-adjustment screw allows for increments of 0.039 inches per revolution. The tool utilizes a soft start and electronic speed control to help prevent chipping and gouging and is equipped with a transparent horseshoe sub-base that allows for more flexibility and visibility. It also features two automatic LED worklights.

Over 100 users have rated the trim router a very strong 4.8 out of five average user score, with high marks for quality (though, unsurprisingly, its low price is what’s liked most). After showcasing the Hercules 20V Compact Router and putting it to the test, a video reviewer for YouTube channel Eric Rhoten reports that “for the money, I think it’s a pretty good deal.” Pleased with its overall results, the reviewer recommends the tool, as do multiple commenters who also own the product. The Hercules 20V Compact Router (model HCB043) is currently available from Harbor Freight for $70.

One subset of Ryobi tools that the brand is often praised for is its lawn and outdoor equipment, which includes several different lawn mower models. Somewhat surprisingly, there’s only one mower currently available from Harbor Freight — the Atlas 80V 21-inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower. Harbor Freight’s one-and-only mower is much cheaper than the Ryobi 40V HP 21-inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower, which costs $449 and is perhaps closest in design to the Atlas model.

The Atlas 80V 21-inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower rests on 10-inch flat-free wheels, allowing for high levels of traction, even on rough terrain. Its cruise control function and variable-speed rear wheel drive allow the mower to be self-propelled. Between these features and its powerful, brushless motor, the mower is designed to tackle tall, thick, or wet grass in addition to standard unkempt lawns. It offers seven different cutting heights that can easily be adjusted with a single lever mechanism.

The machine can run at full power with a single Atlas 80V battery, but a convenient feature is its ability to utilize two batteries at once to provide up to 80 minutes of runtime. When one battery runs out, the other will automatically step in to keep the motor running. A push-button start removes the hassle of pulling, pumping, and priming, while an adjustable handle allows users to adjust its height as well as fold the mower flat for easier storage. At least one redditor on r/harborfreight says the Atlas is “a big upgrade from Ryobi” for both its mower and battery and says it runs “flawlessly.” Other redditors express their happiness with the mower, praising its performance, durability, and reliability. The Atlas 80V 21-inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower is currently available from Harbor Freight for $270.

All of the tools included in this list of Harbor Freight finds that outshine Ryobi in price and quality are currently available to purchase from Harbor Freight. Price comparisons are made between new (not pre-owned) products using the current list price offered by Harbor Freight and Home Depot. Home Depot has an exclusive agreement with Ryobi and is the primary seller of the brand in North America, which is why its prices were used as a metric. Cost differentials of at least 15% (if not much, much more) were considered worthy of including in this list.

The Harbor Freight and Ryobi tools that are directly compared to one another offer very similar, if not identical, functionality at the same general level of power and class. Cordless 18V and 20V tools are roughly equivalent and considered equals in this context. Quality is more subjective than cost, however. To determine whether or not the quality of the tools included in this list outshines that of Ryobi, firsthand experience from a variety of sources was taken into account.

These sources include user ratings and reviews, and YouTube video testing and expert feedback, as well as opinions from owners who’ve discussed these tools on Reddit. Online forums and dedicated tool-related subreddits are especially useful because they provide user opinions and actual use-cases, along with additional insight gained from back-and-forth discussions of knowledgeable users with firsthand experience.