Link: http://HarborFreightReviews.com/HFRreviews.html

Item: Pack of 12 15" x 13" All Purpose Shop Towels
Item number: 46162
Retail price: $5.99
Frequent sale price: $2.99 (with coupon)
Target price: $2.99
Item Link
Also available in a 50-pack (click here to view) with a target price of $12.99.

At our target price this is a great buy on a small pack on shop towels. They're great for cleaning up greasy messes, for cleaning and re-oiling tools, and for general shop use. They aren't very absorbent, probably because of their tight weave or the dye and finish used, so they're not the best solution for picking up liquid spills. The bright red dye does manage to stay in the towel and not transfer onto your work which is somewhat surprising for a cheap cloth towel, so we can't really complain about their finish even if it does cut down on their absorbency.

The Harbor Freight description claims these towels are "soft" and "absorbent" We don't find them particularly "soft" (perhaps compared with sandpaper) or very "absorbent" (compared with a rock?) and not very good for picking up liquid spills, but we still think they're a must-have item and a great buy at our target price. It's probably the "theory of relativity" all over again; we like really soft cotton or microfiber towels for applications requiring a soft touch (e.g., polishing) and still prefer paper towels for most liquid spills. We use these towels for just about everything else. They're especially good for carrying around in the car or MoHo; they won't absorb atmospheric moisture and become soggy and fall apart like stowed papers towels left too long in your vehicle.

If you don't already have shop towels lying about for cleaning up all of those Harbor Freight tools, this small back of 12 is just what you need. For those of us who do more work (Are messier?), the larger 50-pack is a good deal and seems to be on sale at a comparable price more often. In either case, treat yourself to some real shop towels and save those flimsy paper towels you've been using for other tasks. There's something that makes the job feel more professional when you're carrying a few of these cloth towels around with you. And the tools clean up much easier with these cotton towels than with paper towels.

The 50-pack seems to go on sale for $12.99 quite frequently. On a regular sale, you can use your 20%-off coupon to bring the price down even more, making these towels just 21 cent each. At the coupon price of $2.99 for the 12-pack, they're still just 25 cents each. Isn't your project worth an extra buck to 'pro' it up a little with 4 or 5 of these shop towels? You can afford to use these as disposal towels, but they're machine washable too. We even use them to clean up our paint and caulking messes; they seem to be much more absorbent for these viscous liquids and work far better than paper towels.

Bottom line: If you need or don't already own a pack of shop towels, buy them when they're at our target price. They're good enough that you'll want to wash them, but they're cheap enough to throw away.