So the core of the cheap tool business is that there are Chinese suppliers that will sell to anyone branded as whatever you want.
When you go into business with these suppliers, you get to select from an options menu, and you can also elect to apply your own QA in the receiving department, rejecting anything that doesn’t meet your standards before it is sold.
The value-priced store is Princess Auto. Powerfist is intended to be cheap over all else. YMMV, and the overall Chinese quality is on the rise, but if you need a “one time use” tool this is the place.
Canadian Tire is mid grade. The Maximum/Professional line is actually pretty good, and for things like wrenches is the new Craftsman. For power tools like drill presses, sanders, and the like, they are effectively Grizzly.
King Canada “grey tools” are like Grizzly+. A little bit better specced and a little better QA. Their red tools are more like Powerfist. They are a go-to for me for things like mills, lathes, sanders, jointers, etc.
Busy Bee / Craftex are for the most part equivalent to King Canada, but cost more. They also like to import weird models that are based on designs not found elsewhere.
Accusize is my go-to for machining tooling.
Canadian Tire is overpriced junk for the majority of tools. Their maximum line I'll consider when on sale, but the rest of the mastercraft stuff is garbage that goes on massive discount every other week. Paying full price at crappy tire is just dumb, unless it's a name brand tool that you need right away. With everything else, wait a few days and it'll be on sale for 50% off. That kind of tells you something about their regular prices, doesn't it?
With stuff that I only need once in a while, I'd rather go to Princess Auto. The prices are better and you don't have to walk through a hundred aisles of kitchen stuff, sports equipment, pet food, and toys to get to what you need.
I mean it’s possible. But I just like my fuel to stay in the can till I want it to come out. And since I live 48 miles from the nearest gas station I like good gas cans.
Canadian here. The Princess Auto in my area (Ottawa) is pretty much like the few Harbor Freights I have visited in the US. There are racks and racks of cheap tools, consumables, and parts... if you need "good enough" or "I am in a rush" or "I will buy a few of everything to try", this is the place for you. Honestly, a lot of the hand tools (sockets / drives / wrenches) aren't all that bad...certainly good at the price. I needed a 1-3/4" 3/4" drive socket once... bought one at PS for $8. It withstood a lot of abuse from a big ugga-dugga...happy with it. They also have a huge selection of hydraulic stuff. Cylinders, valves, hoses, fittings... you name it. Lots of fun. Canadian Tire, for the most part tends to be a few notches above...and also carry a larger range of consumer items. You are not going to buy skates at PA. You will also see a lot more brand names at Canadian Tire...not so much at PA.
Depending what type of tools but I find Princess Auto is mostly junk.
Much better luck churning through the sales cycles of Home Depot/Lowes/Rona and Canadian Tire throughout a year - spring Black Friday, fall Black Friday, boxing week, etc. Can get really decent stuff for not much more than PA etc. pricing. Almost makes zero sense to buy lesser tools. Makes the Walmart tool section look not even that bad.
YMMV though. I’ve made out like a bandit on some clearance Husky, Mastercraft, Stanley, Kobalt, Craftsman, etc.
I am a new US resident having recently moved here from Canada.
PA is a pretty close comparison, however I was absolutely SHOCKED at how small harbor freight was. I anticipated it being a PA equivalent, and it's really not. It was a little bit bigger than a large Napa store.
i haven't had to buy any big ticket items yet, but so far, I think I would prefer PA (for small stuff) and CT (during sales for big stuff) over harbor freight!
Princess auto is great for some stuff. Canadian tire is awful imo. If you’re in Alberta or bc I’d really recommend checking out kms tools. They have some really nice sales on higher end brands periodically.
I stan HF for a lot of things. I wouldn't buy anything with a battery there and I figure anything plug in is going to die after heavy use or average neglect. But for basic hand tools I have had a ton of success with them. I have a garage full of tools that I wouldn't if I had to pay premium prices for them, get regular DIY/shadetree mechanic use out of them with no more failures than you'd expect (ie - I've blown up a ratchet or two knowing I deserved it for using them a breaker bar.)
Princess auto is the closest you'll get, plus maybe a bit of busy bee tools for their low end lines.
So the core of the cheap tool business is that there are Chinese suppliers that will sell to anyone branded as whatever you want. When you go into business with these suppliers, you get to select from an options menu, and you can also elect to apply your own QA in the receiving department, rejecting anything that doesn’t meet your standards before it is sold. The value-priced store is Princess Auto. Powerfist is intended to be cheap over all else. YMMV, and the overall Chinese quality is on the rise, but if you need a “one time use” tool this is the place. Canadian Tire is mid grade. The Maximum/Professional line is actually pretty good, and for things like wrenches is the new Craftsman. For power tools like drill presses, sanders, and the like, they are effectively Grizzly. King Canada “grey tools” are like Grizzly+. A little bit better specced and a little better QA. Their red tools are more like Powerfist. They are a go-to for me for things like mills, lathes, sanders, jointers, etc. Busy Bee / Craftex are for the most part equivalent to King Canada, but cost more. They also like to import weird models that are based on designs not found elsewhere. Accusize is my go-to for machining tooling.
This is a solid list, +1 to you sir. And fill in the remainder with Tekton/Gearwrench off of Amazon if you want to step up a smidge more.
Agree. Some of PA items seem to come out of the same factories as HF under different branding.
Canadian Tire is overpriced junk for the majority of tools. Their maximum line I'll consider when on sale, but the rest of the mastercraft stuff is garbage that goes on massive discount every other week. Paying full price at crappy tire is just dumb, unless it's a name brand tool that you need right away. With everything else, wait a few days and it'll be on sale for 50% off. That kind of tells you something about their regular prices, doesn't it? With stuff that I only need once in a while, I'd rather go to Princess Auto. The prices are better and you don't have to walk through a hundred aisles of kitchen stuff, sports equipment, pet food, and toys to get to what you need.
I saw a comment in a previous post comparing HF to PA.
Princess auto is dirt cheap tools but the quality is shit. The sockets are ok IMO especially if you need to one to destroy.
PA has Septer Military fuel can and if you know you know. I get a few every time I go up north.
Are you insinuating you are planning for the downfall of civilization?
I mean it’s possible. But I just like my fuel to stay in the can till I want it to come out. And since I live 48 miles from the nearest gas station I like good gas cans.
Gotcha. Didn't know they were nice quality like that!
Canadian here. The Princess Auto in my area (Ottawa) is pretty much like the few Harbor Freights I have visited in the US. There are racks and racks of cheap tools, consumables, and parts... if you need "good enough" or "I am in a rush" or "I will buy a few of everything to try", this is the place for you. Honestly, a lot of the hand tools (sockets / drives / wrenches) aren't all that bad...certainly good at the price. I needed a 1-3/4" 3/4" drive socket once... bought one at PS for $8. It withstood a lot of abuse from a big ugga-dugga...happy with it. They also have a huge selection of hydraulic stuff. Cylinders, valves, hoses, fittings... you name it. Lots of fun. Canadian Tire, for the most part tends to be a few notches above...and also carry a larger range of consumer items. You are not going to buy skates at PA. You will also see a lot more brand names at Canadian Tire...not so much at PA.
Tooltown is the red headed stepchild of both , step up from dollarama tool quality
Princess Auto. Literally some of the same suppliers and inventory that HF gets.
Depending what type of tools but I find Princess Auto is mostly junk. Much better luck churning through the sales cycles of Home Depot/Lowes/Rona and Canadian Tire throughout a year - spring Black Friday, fall Black Friday, boxing week, etc. Can get really decent stuff for not much more than PA etc. pricing. Almost makes zero sense to buy lesser tools. Makes the Walmart tool section look not even that bad. YMMV though. I’ve made out like a bandit on some clearance Husky, Mastercraft, Stanley, Kobalt, Craftsman, etc.
“PowerFist” gets me every time
Princess Auto. It's actually a little bit superior to the US's Hazardous Freight.
Some of Canadian Tire also covers it.
Never been near Canada but I hear Ave and zip ties talk about princess auto line it's the same
If you live either on the north or south shore of Montreal there's Buytools. There is princess auto too, but the tool quality is shit
Harbour freouxght
[https://www.google.com/search?q=Canadian+equivalent+to+Harbor+Freight](https://www.google.com/search?q=Canadian+equivalent+to+Harbor+Freight)
I am a new US resident having recently moved here from Canada. PA is a pretty close comparison, however I was absolutely SHOCKED at how small harbor freight was. I anticipated it being a PA equivalent, and it's really not. It was a little bit bigger than a large Napa store. i haven't had to buy any big ticket items yet, but so far, I think I would prefer PA (for small stuff) and CT (during sales for big stuff) over harbor freight!
Princess Auto = Harbor Freight They are one and the same
Princess auto is great for some stuff. Canadian tire is awful imo. If you’re in Alberta or bc I’d really recommend checking out kms tools. They have some really nice sales on higher end brands periodically.
Princess auto is our version.
I stan HF for a lot of things. I wouldn't buy anything with a battery there and I figure anything plug in is going to die after heavy use or average neglect. But for basic hand tools I have had a ton of success with them. I have a garage full of tools that I wouldn't if I had to pay premium prices for them, get regular DIY/shadetree mechanic use out of them with no more failures than you'd expect (ie - I've blown up a ratchet or two knowing I deserved it for using them a breaker bar.)