Analyzing the 2012 Black Friday Ads: Harbor Freight Tools Offers Decent Deals

Black Friday is among the busiest shopping days of the year, so it's no surprise to see stores leaking their ads early in an attempt to generate buzz. Here at dealnews our editors are tirelessly taking every Black Friday ad we come across and dissecting it for all to see, exposing the bad deals from the good, and in the process letting you know which sales are worth your time.

Today, we cross-examine the 2012 Harbor Freight Tools Black Friday ad. And as it turns out, there are some notable deals contained within the yet-to-be-official ad. In fact, many items are less than last Black Friday. Here are some of the highlights:

• Chicago Electric 800W 63cc Portable Generator for $89
• Although not an all-time low, $89 is the second-lowest price we've seen for this generator this year. (We saw it for $79 back in January). It's not exactly a doorbuster, but it's still lower than the normal sale price of $97.
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• Drill Master 18-Volt Cordless 3/8" Drill/Driver with Keyless Chuck for $15
• This 18-volt drill is $4 under last Black Friday's mention and the lowest price we've seen for any 18-volt cordless 3/8" drill/driver. Snatch this one up if you can.
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• Pittsburgh 22-Piece Screwdriver Set for $9
• Although it's not the cheapest 22-piece screwdriver set we've seen this year (we saw a generic one for $6 in June), this specific Pittsburgh set is $5 under last year's Black Friday deal and the second-lowest price we've seen for any 22-piece screwdriver set this year.
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• Pittsburgh SAE & Metric 32-Piece Wrench Set for $6
• Another tool set that's considerably cheaper than its 2011 Black Friday price is this 32-piece Pittsburgh wrench set; it's a full $20 under our June mention and $12 less than a smaller, 22-piece set we listed last November.
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• Chicago Electric Oscillating Multifunction Power Tool for $15
• This multifunction power tool is $3 under its price from last Black Friday. And although we've seen it multiple times throughout the year since then (many times stacked with a coupon code), this Black Friday deal is the lowest price we've ever seen for this model by at least $5.
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• Bunker Hill Security Wireless Driveway Alert System for $10
• Need a low-budget driveway security system? At $10, this price beats every deal we've listed for this package by at least 50%, if not more.
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• Haul-Master 500-lb. Capacity Steel Cargo Carrier for $40
• Another all-time low, this steel cargo carrier is $27 under the best price we've seen for similar cargo carriers. An Editors' Choice-worthy deal indeed.
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• Haul-Master 1,000-lb. Steel Loading Ramps Set for $40
• These dual loading ramps have a 500-lb. weight capacity (each) and are easily at their lowest price of the year, as well as $32 under the best price we've seen to boot.

Hard as we tried, it was virtually impossible to stump Harbor Freights' leaked Black Friday ad. Many of the tool and hardware deals are at (or very close to) all-time low prices, while several also beat last year's Black Friday prices. The ad is perhaps not as enthralling as, say, a 47" HDTV for $299, but this is one Black Friday sale that lives up to the hype.

Keep an eye on all the Black Friday ads as they trickle in by visiting our Black Friday hub. We've already posted ads from Fred's, Half Price Books, and Sprint.

An avid gadget lover, Louis Ramirez has covered technology for Gizmodo, CNET, Laptop, and various other publications. Follow him on Twitter at @LouisRamirez.

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