Palram vs Harbor Freight Greenhouse

There are more than 10 greenhouse brands out there to choose from. Researching every single one of them is just too long, especially for a beginner. So today we are going to compare two most popular structures under 600$ – Palram vs Harbor Freight Greenhouse.

We will compare these two popular brands based on the size range, how long does it take to assemble, ease of setting up and durability. We will also talk about growth space which basically means how much plants you can fit in.

Also, let’s not forget about the price when it comes to buying a greenhouse kit. Harbor Freight (HFT) is well known for cheap tools, but what about the quality? When choosing a greenhouse, you should also consider the long term costs. These can usually be cut down when investing in good quality materials.

I have put together a little table with the main specifications and differences of these two greenhouses.

Palram vs Harbor Freight Greenhouse

Sizes

For a greenhouse gardener a size of the structure is the most important feature. It means how much fruit and veg you can produce all year round. An established greenhouse brand like Palram has a series of structures: Americana, Balance, Bella, Hybrid, Snap&Grow and so on.

For a complete beginner, all these names sound overwhelming and I always recommend going with the simplest model first. That is Palram Nature Series Hybrid from Palram. At Harbor Freight the similar option (and the only one available) is One Stop Gardens Greenhouse.

When it comes to the size, for a complete beginner with a small backyard or a garden, a 6 ft x 8 ft greenhouse is more than enough. This greenhouse will provide 50 sq feet of growing space for your flowers or veggies. Now, the interesting part – how much will you pay for the same size but from two different brands? Keep on reading!

Price

To help you to decide which greenhouse to buy I run some numbers to see how much you are paying for a square foot of growing space. A little table shows the average price that you will pay for a square foot to grow your plants or to keep the flower pots.

As you can see it turns out that you are paying almost double for the same amount of growing space when buying a Palram Greenhouse. However, does it mean that if the structure is cheap, the quality is cheap too? To answer this question, we need to look at the materials used.

Materials

Frame and glazing comprise any greenhouse structure. A long time ago a combo of wooden frame with glass glazing was unbeatable. It is still quite popular among greenhouse lovers. However, if we are talking a durable and cheap greenhouse, there is no place for wood and glass.

Both Palram Hybrid and One Stop Gardens greenhouses are made of the durable, rust free aluminum frame. To cover greenhouse manufacturers used polycarbonate plastic. Polycarbonate panels in both cases are UV-coated and provide 90% light transmission.

Assembly

On average, it will take you up to 8 hours to assemble either Palram Hybrid or HFT’s greenhouse. A kit comes with the instructions and manuals which are relatively easy to follow. I would recommend getting an extra pair of hands to cut down the assembly time to 4 hours.

You can also follow video tutorials to install the greenhouse. I find these very helpful.

I want to mention that you would need to secure your Harbor Freight greenhouse to the ground. It looks like many growers skip this step. Although it is made of sturdy material, you don’t want your greenhouse to blow away.

What I like about the Palram Hybrid greenhouse is that it comes with a galvanized steel base. Needless to say that it adds structural security and you might not need a foundation at all, but I would secure it with anchors anyways. That is not the case with HFT’s greenhouse – you have to screw it in place.

Palram vs Harbor Freight Greenhouse: Features

Now let’s compare what extras Palram and One Stop Gardens bring to the table. The most striking feature of the One Stop Gardens greenhouse is a sliding door. It makes a life of any gardener easier. No more holding the door with your leg or arm when trying to bring more pots inside!

Then, One Stop Gardens greenhouse comes with one roof vent which is not automatic. You can easily fix that by adding an automatic roof vent opener. Similarly, Palram Hybrid also has one roof vent which provides air flow essential in regulating heat and humidity.

To ease your life I recommend installing automatic roof vent opener. It opens automatically when temperature rises, so you just install it once and forget about it. That is enough about ventilation for a beginner. I just want to draw your attention to the fact that you still need to ventilate your greenhouse in winter.

What I specifically like about Palram Greenhouse is that they added gutters and gutter heads. It means that you can collect rainwater which is actually beneficial for plants and water your fruit and veg for free! For this feature alone I am happy to pay extra 200$ as it will save me more money in the long run.

However, it is easy to build a greenhouse rainwater catchment system on your own. So, how much does it cost? You can expect to pay anything from 160 to 313$ to install guttering system for a 6′ x 8′ greenhouse. I would say that it will take you 2 hours to have it up and running.  

Conclusion

Both of these greenhouses will shield your plants from snow, rain and wind for many years to come. They are both made of sturdy materials and let enough sunlight to grow healthy and beautiful plants. Although Palram is sturdier due to its galvanized steel base, you can secure HFT’s greenhouse to the foundation for extra security.

If you don’t want to do the work yourself, then I recommend buying Palram Hybrid. If you are up to some modifications, then One Stop Gardens greenhouse is the one for you. Let me know in the comments what you think about Palram vs Harbor Freight Greenhouse!

Happy Growing 🙂