A Tool Store With A Cult Following Is Cheaper Than Costco For Hurricane Preparedness Gadgets

Few shopping destinations are as enticing as Costco, the legendary bulk-sales behemoth that tempts you with everything from Tempur-Pedic mattresses and enormous jugs of Kirkland brand liquor to Blackstone barbecues and immaculate 6-person camping tents. So when it comes to hurricane preparedness, many of us will naturally think of making a Costco run to stock up on necessities like flashlights, water, food, batteries, and generators. But while you can count on Costco for things like essential camping items that cost less than $50, it's not always the most affordable spot to gather goods for your hurricane kit. Instead, beeline it for Harbor Freight, a discount tool store that's amassed a cult following thanks to unbeatable deals and a 90-day return policy.

Harbor Freight's motto is "Whatever you do, do it for less." This immediately tells you that the store strives to carry low-cost items, many of which are often cheaper than what you'll find at Costco. To fulfill this mission, Harbor Freight doesn't carry the array of big-name brands for which Costco is known. Further, they operate on a tiered-pricing model, which offers customers the same type of item at different price points. Harbor Freight refers to this as its "good, better, best policy," giving customers the opportunity to choose items that fit their budget.

How are they able to do this? The kicker is that all Harbor Freight products are actually made by Harbor Freight, regardless of the name you see on the packaging. The brands that they assign to their products are simply a way for consumers to differentiate between quality and pricing. According to DIY with Dave on YouTube, this is a clever, psychological marketing strategy. "You learn over time that the Hercules brand tools are great," he explains, "and the Warrior tools are the cheapest."

If you live in one of the places in America most likely to get hit by a hurricane, you know that having a first aid kit should top your preparedness list. You'll find the 10-person, 101-piece First Aid Kit at Harbor Freight for $14.99 — significantly cheaper than Costco's 89-piece Uncharted First Aid Kit, which sells for $39.99. Batteries, of course, are another must. Costco's 40-pack of Duracell AA batteries runs $20.99. This sounds great — until you realize Harbor Freight's Thunderbolt Magnum 24-pack is $7.99. This means you can buy two packs and actually score 48 batteries for just $15.98.

Only one flashlight is available at Costco online at the time of this writing, the Infinity X1 7000L Dual Power Rechargeable Flashlight, which sells for $49.99. In comparison, Harbor Freight offers a range of lower-priced, rechargeable flashlights, including the $29.99 Braun 1800 Lumen Rechargeable Waterproof Tactical LED Flashlight. A fire extinguisher is another highly recommended hurricane essential. Again, Harbor Freight comes in better on price with a 2.5-pound canister priced at $24.99 versus Costco's First Alert Extinguisher, which costs $39.99.

Hurricane items like generators might be cheaper at Costco, but sometimes Harbor Freight sells a better-quality equivalent. In a Facebook post, one shopper was torn between keeping the Predator 5000 Watt Inverter Generator he recently purchased from Harbor Freight, or returning it to buy Costco's Firman Tri-fuel Portable Generator 9400W. (At the time of this writing, the Predator costs $1099.99 and the Firman costs $999). Replies overwhelmingly endorsed the Predator, noting its superiority despite its higher price. As one satisfied Harbor Freight customer shared, "I've had both. I'll stick with the Predator every day, every time. So much quieter and never once had a problem."