shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Northern Tool + Equipment?

Quality Tools for Serious Work - northerntool.com

Depends. Northern Tool is a legitimate family-owned tools and equipment retailer (since 1981) with a huge catalog, financing options, and physical stores — fine for pros and shops buying gear. Avoid it if you want rock-bottom prices, flawless order fulfillment, or dependable equipment servicing.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~20 public sources; review counts from ResellerRatings, Yelp, PissedConsumer; trust scores from Gridinsoft and AtopLegal.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of useBaymard UX case study exists; no outcome data
  • Feature depthRetailer, not software; not applicable
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

Custom

B2B volume account

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed

Best for

  • Pros and trades buying heavy equipment
  • B2B buyers wanting net-terms invoicing
  • DIYers near a physical store
  • Shops needing CIT equipment financing

Not for

  • Bottom-dollar buyers — Reddit pits it against cheaper Harbor Freight
  • Anyone needing equipment servicing or warranty support
  • Buyers wary of canceled orders and gift-card disputes
  • Software teams — it's a hardware retailer, not a product

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Canceled-order reports exist; one buyer lost gift-card value in the process

medium

Sale items often show 'See Sale Price in Cart' — discounts aren't always upfront

medium

Equipment servicing reviews are poor — budget for third-party service

low

Financing (credit card, CIT, NorTrac) means credit checks and interest risk

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Family-owned and operating since 1981
  • Enormous review footprint: 78,525 ResellerRatings reviews
  • B2B program with special business pricing and TreviPay net terms
  • Financing options: consumer credit card and CIT commercial equipment financing
  • Physical retail locations for pickup, e.g. Houston, TX

Cons

  • Order cancellations reported; one buyer claims gift-card value was kept
  • Users call it an awful place to get equipment serviced
  • Pricing questioned; 'unreal price difference' thread on r/Tools
  • PissedConsumer lists 310 complaints; 'frequent customer complaints'
  • TractorByNet forum thread warns 'Stay Away!!!!' about the website

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/22/2026 - 12 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x3review x6security x2news x1

Key stats

  • Value for money: 3/5

    Rating

  • Not disclosed

    Starting price

  • 12

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 3/5. 'Pricing was ok' but price-difference complaints exist
  • Ease of use. Baymard UX case study exists; no outcome data
  • Feature depth. Retailer, not software; not applicable
  • Support quality: 2/5. Servicing and cancellation complaints across platforms
  • Security posture: 3/5. Trust scores 72–79/100; no breaches found
  • 78,525 ResellerRatings reviews lifetime store reviews
  • 1981 Founded family-owned
  • 1,090 Yelp brand reviews reviewers on Yelp
  • 79/100 Gridinsoft trust score third-party scanner

Pricing

B2B volume account

Not disclosed

  • Special business pricing
  • Net terms invoicing via TreviPay

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Reviews are split: a massive positive review base on ResellerRatings, but recurring complaints about order cancellations, servicing, and pricing versus rivals.

“Northern tool is an awful place to get your equipment serviced.”
Facebook group
“Pricing was ok.”
Trustpilot
“Norther Tool canceled my order and stole my gift card”
Reddit, r/NorthernTool

Alternatives

Compare Northern Tool + Equipment with each alternative.

Full analysis

Based on ~20 public sources; review counts from ResellerRatings, Yelp, PissedConsumer; trust scores from Gridinsoft and AtopLegal.

Legit tool retailer since 1981, 78k+ ratings, financing + stores. Fine for gear; weak on service and price wars.

Methodology

Based on ~20 public sources; review counts from ResellerRatings, Yelp, PissedConsumer; trust scores from Gridinsoft and AtopLegal.

Sources

  1. Northern Tool + Equipment Reviews | Trustpilottrustpilot.com
    review
  2. Northern Tool Reviews | ResellerRatings (78,525 reviews)resellerratings.com
    review
  3. Northern Tool + Equipment Reviews | Yelpyelp.com
    review
  4. Northern Tool And Equipment Reviews | PissedConsumernorthern-tool-and-equipment.pissedconsumer.com
    review
  5. Northern Tool canceled my order and stole my gift card | Redditreddit.com
    review
  6. Harbor Freight vs Northern Tool? | Redditreddit.com
    review
  7. Northerntool.com Review | Gridinsoft Trust Score 79/100gridinsoft.com
    security
  8. Northern Tool Review 2026 | AtopLegal Trust Score 72/100atoplegal.com
    security
  9. Northern Tool — Quality Tools for Serious Worknortherntool.com
    official
  10. Northern Tool B2B Programnortherntool.com
    official
  11. Northern Tool Selects TreviPay for Net Termstrevipay.com
    news
  12. Commercial Equipment Financing (CIT)northerntool.com
    official

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