You’ve seen them in Walmart, to be sure, and maybe in use on a job site or in a buddy’s workshop. Hart Tools have a distinctive black-and-white-and-blue color scheme that stands out almost as well as Dewalt’s yellow or Ryobi’s trademark green.
Manufactured worldwide (but mostly in China), these American-designed tools come from a company owned by the Techtronic Industries Company— the same company making Ryobi, Hoover, and many other brands you may already use.
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About the Hart Product Line
Hart Tools made a name for themselves with their framing hammers. As part of the Techtronic Industries Company Limited (referred to as TTI), Hart tools carry much of the same panache and quality as other brands under the TTI umbrella:
- Milwaukee
- Ridgid
- Homelite
- Oreck
- Ryobi
These brands have better name recognition than Hart, but that may have more to do with having been around a bit longer than Hart, as opposed to Hart tools being of lower quality (they’re not).
Hart tools include all many DIY and home improvement implements, including power tools and accessories, outdoor tools for lawn care, and many hand tools.
Who Makes Hart Tools for Walmart?
While Hart Tools originated in southern California, 24 years after the company’s 1983 inception, it became part of the TTI family. With its huge manufacturing capabilities, TTI allowed Hart Tools to expand and market tools to large swaths of the population— something that’s difficult for smaller companies without the backing of a firm like TTI.
Where Are Hart Tools Made?
Hart Tools no longer get built in a local workshop and sold to people in the neighborhood. As part of an international conglomerate, the company produces its tools on two continents.
Are Hart Tools Made in China?
TTI’s manufacturing facilities reside in several locations globally, including:
- The United States
- Vietnam
- Mexico
- Several European countries
However, the majority of the company’s facilities are located in China. As a result, there’s a good chance your Hart tool was assembled in China. It’s not a sure thing, but it’s a pretty good likelihood.
Are Hart Tools Made in USA?
Since there are TTI plants in the USA, some Hart tools may get built there, but they’re designed in the States.
TTI was founded in Hong Kong in the mid-1980s with the goal of manufacturing tools for established brands. Originally, the company built for Craftsman and Bissell.
If a Hart tool’s provenance is of paramount importance to you, you can find its exact manufacturing locale listed on the product’s packaging.
Who Owns Hart Tools?
TTI is the outright owner of the brand, though when the company began as a framing hammer manufacturer in California, it was a locally-owned operation.
Are Some Hart Tools Made by Milwaukee?
Hart Tools are not made by Milwaukee. As a sister brand to the Milwaukee line of tools, Hart and Milwaukee are both manufactured by TTI in locations around the world.
Is Hart the Same as Ryobi?
Hart and Ryobi are both made by TTI, as are Milwaukee tools. While the quality level of both brands is comparable, the tools are not the same. They share different branding, they are designed by different design teams and are not interchangeable.
The batteries are incompatible, so if you try to set a Hart battery into a Ryobi drill or vice versa, it won’t fit. The benefit is that if you show up on a Ryobi job site with your Hart tools, there’s little chance of anyone “accidentally” attaching your battery to their tool and leaving with it.
For what’s worth, a Hart drill outperformed a Ryobi in this battle to the death, though impact wrenches from both brands went head-to-head, and Ryobi came out on top.
Are Hart Tools Any Good?
Let’s be honest: there will be those who look down on Hart Tools because Walmart sells them. There’s a swath of the construction-adjacent population that thinks that if you didn’t get your tools from a specialized shop, or at least a big-box home improvement retailer, your tools are automatically inferior.
That’s just dumb.
Knowing what we do about where Hart Tools are designed and manufactured and who owns and operates the brand, we can conclude that it doesn’t matter where you bought your gear. Anyone looking down on a Hart tool owner should look in their own toolbox.
If they find Ryobi or Milwaukee tools, they are using comparable tools made by the same parent company.
Another great draw to the brand is its affordability. There’s a difference between kinds of cheap: “cheap” as in “inexpensive” and “cheap” as in “of poor quality.”
Hart tools are relatively inexpensive but are quite durable.
Where to Buy Hart Tools in the US
Because Hart Tools entered into a partnership with the Walmart corporation, those stores are the only place you can get these tools. To find the Walmart closest to you, you can do one of two things:
- Look out your window, or
- Visit the Walmart Store Finder.
Hart Tools Alternatives
Maybe Hart Tools aren’t your jam, or you can’t get to a Walmart. There are comparable alternatives, and you’ll be able to find something that works for you at a similar price point.
Bauer Tools from Harbor Freight
In terms of availability (provided there’s a Harbor Freight in your area), Bauer Tools will be just as accessible as Harts. They are comparable in price, and when it comes to power tools, they hold up pretty well in a side-by-side comparison. It may come down to which one you personally prefer.
Ryobi
Made by the same company as Hart Tools, Ryobi tools provide a similar experience to that of using something from Hart. You will pay a little more for Ryobi tools, to be sure. However, brand loyalty is a thing, and some people gladly pay a little more to stick with the brand they love.
Ryobi power tools are a bit higher-end, though, so you will pay more for them than the same tool from Hart.
Black and Decker
As something of a rival tool brand to all those under the TTI umbrella, Black and Decker tools get the job done as well as Harts, and with several quality levels (and corresponding price points), you can find similarly priced Black and Decker tools. Again, it may come down to brand loyalty for you.
