My biggest complaint about the tool world is battery incompatibility. It's like what the computer industry went through until cabling standards and finite protocols were introduced. Then companies could build of of each other's progress. Tool companies work so hard and making their stuff so proprietary, it's ridiculous. Like those times when I have three dead Milwaukee batteries waiting to be charged while my Dewalt charger sits idle because it's not compatible. Sigh.. I'm done venting...
I completely agree... this is the next thing the EU should start standardizing. Similarly repairability is also something that needs to change... there are so many tools that are essentially throw-away because they are made to resist repairs.
@@fuzzy1dk That used to be the case with phone chargers as well. Those have all been unified into micro-usb and usb-c. Except for apple that was somehow [lobbying/bribery] exempt from that rule... They'll definitely need a bit of incentive though ;)
@@fuzzy1dk Yeah, that's fair but I think there's a chance. Chargers for EV's have become standardized, for phones, why not for tools? And a singular charger means that we could have a single battery that fits all :) Ah... one can dream
I think Harbor Freight is already capturing this market. I’m willing to pay the highest tool prices for the best tools. But I’m not crazy about paying the highest prices for the same quality as the cheapest. Even their new parallel bar clamps are on par with clamps at nearly twice the cost. I’m hoping they do move in this direction. I dislike junk tools when I need quality but I will be the first at Harbor Freight if they provide high quality at a reasonable price.
For those who are curious, it appears the company Izzy was referring to was Snap-On. A quick scan of LinkedIn profiles revealed a bunch of Snap-On product managers are now at Harbor Freight. Interesting -- bringing top-dollar brand know-how to bottom-dollar brand chain. Getting out my popcorn!
Damn when I was a mechanic I was very much a snap-on guy. They make good tools and it’s nice that they come to your shop and you can get truck financing
Thanks for letting us know that! I was very VERY curious of which tool company he was talking about. I would have never found out if I hadnt seen this comment. Some of us arent geniuses and wouldnt know the name of a Snap-On product manager or engineer from someone who designs womens underwear.
Was just talking about this the other day. Harbor freight is upping their game. Purchased their dust collection system and it works beautifully. Just purchased the 9500 watt predator generator and it started on 2 pulls. Next, will be purchasing the Fortress ultra quiet 10gl air compressor. Love Harbor Freight.
I have always been a Makita guy and as a union carpenter most of my brothers were DeWalt guys. in fact I was a DeWalt field tester. Now I have a small woodworking business and I buy a lot of Harbor Freight tools and I like the Bauer line up. And I find myself reaching for them more and more. So I think that I agree 👍👍
I’ve actually been interested myself in Bauer because of color scheme. Honestly my last couple of Milwaukee tools have sparked right out of the box and even though usable, have not impressed me much. The only reason I didn’t make the switch when Bauer first came out was I was waiting for the craftsman lineup and it to fill out. Now I haven’t made any official jump away from my original Rigid 18v and Milwaukee 12v yet, but I am still eyeing the Bauer as I expand my rental properties business, my home woodworking business, and need travel tools….
I have been a glorified Stanley (DeWalt) man myself because you always go with what you know, but they are a little too proud of their product as we know by the price tag they present. I had my hands on a Hercules the other day, and must say I was impressed also.
Hercules has been charging Ridgid prices and not offering anything Ridgid doesnt offer. Their 5 year over the counter warranty could be a game changer but that only works on their ultra torque currently... and the ridgid octane is better. Bauer is garbage tier and Ryobi/hart are more affordable and Ryobi is starting to make some quality stuff, plus their selection of stupid but fun power tools that will see use around a house but not a jobsite is unmatched. They should really make all of their brands run on the same battery... people are afraid to buy into the battery platform after they discontinued stuff like lynx as well.
Ryobi is for moms drilling holes in the drywall. I went to Colorado to visit and while I was there bought a corded Ryobi hammer drill to hang a self I build for my grandson. Smoke tested that thing drilling into block and returned it when done. Wasn't sure it was going to get four holes drilled lol.
@@kcl5038Ridgid just changed the Lifetime Service Agreement so that now they pay the shipping both ways...and its lifetime...and that includes batteries. Nobody else has this level of warranty.
I have all Ryobi other than two specialty dewalts, no way will I switch out a dozen tools and batteries because X company has a few % better rating if even that.
Hey Izzy... First of all, I love your channel!!! I got into woodworking as a hobby about 5 years ago and have been watching your videos since the beginning. I've become quite the weekend project warrior and have grown far beyond what I ever expected, or even thought I was capable of. It's channels like yours that have inspired me to get there. On to Harbor Freight. As a weekend warrior I don't want to invest more than I have to for my tools. Also, in the learning process I have tended to purchase "cheaper" tools and learned how to make them work. Once I have figured out how to make a cheap tool do what I want it to do I can either continue to use it or purchase a higher quality tool with an understanding of what makes it a better tool. That being said, I purchase a significant amount of my tools from HF. I went with the Bauer line of power tools in the early days and have been very happy with the quality and performance. I have many Bauer battery and electric tools that, with the exception of one tool, have been very happy with and no problems whatsoever. The one problem tool was a jigsaw which the laser was off. Took it back, got a free replacement and it has been working great ever since. Occasionally I will purchase the 2-year warranty for $10 - $15 bucks. The overall tool is still way less than the name brands and I can walk in and get a replacement tool anytime. I also use many other HF tools. I use their ratcheting bar clamps. Not as good as Bessey or other top brands, but at $5-$6 a clamp, they usually do what I need them to do. And they have a lifetime warranty. Their new Bremen clamp line seem really good, and they just came out with 2 new parallel bar clamps that seem to be excellent quality. The bottom line at HF is understanding their product lines and what you're buying. Some tools are "throw away", or "one time use" tools. They are usually not great quality but are super cheap and will usually do the job but may not last long. (Although I purchased a Chicago Electric multi tool about 5 years ago and can't kill it)! Then they have their "better" tool line like Bauer, etc. In my opinion, usually great tools for DYI'ers and weekend warriors. Much better quality than other middle line brands and at a very good price point. And their "Best" lineup which will usually be close to the main line brands but for a lot less money. And if you are concerned about the 90-day warranty, you can usually purchase a 1- or 2-year warranty for minimal cost. Your total cost will be much less than equivalent name brands and you can just walk into any HF store, look up your phone number and exchange it on site. No service centers to deal with. And it's an accidental damage warranty also. Run over the tool with your truck, take in what's left of it, get a new one. Sorry this was so long but I've seen so many TH-cam videos of "experts" bashing HF. Maybe their experience has not been great, but honestly, they seem like they've never really tried much of the product line. That's why I appreciated this video. It was honest, informed and open minded. Disclaimer... I have no connection with Harbor Freight except that I shop there a lot and am a member of their inside track club!
Great response and feedback. Very accurate. "One time use" or "get you through the job" are reasonable statements. Hand tools that ride around in tractors or equipment, perfect examples are subject to the environment and most likely going to bounce out or get left on a surface to be lost. Probably going to be used in a fashion that they aren't designed for, as most tools are not matter the name tattooed on it. Izzy swan is correct people will buy the most cost effective tool solutions for their situation. All power /tools only have so many revolutions. Return on investment.
I think Harbor Freight has been steadily improving their tools for years now, but they have also been raising their prices (as one would expect as their costs go up with more focus on quality). They can possibly have an advantage, as you said, with the fact they largely make their own tools, but if they continue to raise their prices, they might find brand recognition and loyalty difficult to overcome.
@@izzyswan I don't think HF is planning to market to the skilled trades so much as people who are still entry level in the trades. I could be wrong on this because globalization is about to come to a screeching halt or drastically slow down. China is about to go offline, Russia is toast and large swaths of even Europe are about to hit the demographic bomb. Good old US is about to be even more the center of the financial universe. We're about the only major industrialized nation of earth without a HUGE demographic problem, two gigantic motes, a HUGE navy, air force and army and all the money in the world to just keep expanding it all. Geography really matters in this and I'm almost 101% sure HF is well aware of it.
I agree. I've noticed the same thing. They are less expensive, but they are coming up to that line where I'd just stay with the tried and true bunch. You can't vastly improve your product; compete and have very low prices, but as Gerald Jensen above stated, they have a poor image to overcome and it must be a Herculean effort. See what I did there?
I bought the Omni Pro 220 welder I have been impressed with it. When it first came out I paid $749.99 for it with a coupon and it is up to $1149.00 week before last. 😁🛫
My 12" Hercules saw is a beast. It has all the features of the Dewalt Miter saw, at about 1/2 the price. And the fact I can go to a Harbor Freight store, and pickup a replacement is phenomenal. I have watched their tools go from marginal to outstanding. I own a ton of their tools, in my woodshop, and the perform very well. I hope that they snatch up more of the market.
Have the same Hercules saw. It was true and square right out if the box and works very, very well. Two decks later, I’m in a position to say it was a great purchase. And the blade has stayed remarkably sharp.
Yup agree, I was getting ready to buy the yellow equivalent miter then the Herc came out. I waited a year for others to test it then went to store and inspected & tested them both. Like you went with Herc for 1/2 the cost and about 1 1/2 of using it hard still powering through everything and very accurate!
As a maker/DIY/ home hobbyist, for someone who does not rely on corded or cordless power tools on a daily basis to make a living, I can say emphatically that Harbor Freight tools (Hercules lineup in particular) have been absolutely outstanding in performance, price, features, and overall value. I've probably purchased about $1,500 in tools from HFT over the past 24 months and couldn't be happier with their performance. And they just keep getting better and better! They do have a marketing stigma to overcome but I can say they are certainly positioning themselves to compete with the big boys.
I’ve seen harbor freight store numbers explode near me in the last 5 years. I agree with you. I love that they have been making their stuff better and more accessible. They know what they are doing, I went from a seasonal trip 5 years ago to monthly trip last year now it’s weekly with the stores being everywhere around me now. They hooked me
All I can say is they have a gigantic marketing problem to overcome ... after so many years of substandard tools, they've got a lot of convincin' to do!
You're absolutely correct, they most certainly do have much to overcome to guys like us. That said, most tool guys still shop there for consumables anyway so our attention isn't hard to get but more importantly there is huge market for people for diy people who don't know the difference between Ryobi and DeWalt in terms of quality so they have no preconceived notions anyway and then there's the new generations of up and coming tradesmen.
All I can say is I recall not that long ago when porter cable was a professionals brand.... What do folks see porter cable as nowadays? For better or worse (likely worse) things change faster than they once did.
That's only trrue with a subset of their customers/potential customers. Lots of us have given them good press because we've had great tools from them for the past decade plus. I run a small but professional woodworking shop, and probably half my power tools are from Harbor Freight, a couple more than a decade old. Only ever had problems with one tool I bought form them, and they made it right without questions. I don't go out and evangelize for them, but I do speak up when I see someone criticizing them. Almost always it is someone with no firsthand experience, or one bad experience they never bothered trying to get resolved. Sometimes, it is someone with a genuine and legitimate complaint - all business have issues, of course. I don't think HF is the best toolmaker out there, nor the best company in the world, not by any stretch. But they are nothing near as bad as some vocal few people try to make them out to be... they have been slowly building and building in quality and service for a long time now, and as Izzy says, are positioned to do some great things now!
They definitely have to provide a lot of pleasant surprises to change that reputation but that’s not only doable, they’ve already started doing that. I hope the trend continues.
I've been a harbor freight fan for years. Had to work my way through some of the junk but in the end they always got me through the job. I bought a Campbell/ Hausefeld 60 gal. 5 h.p. compressor back in 1991...yep, still using it. And you're right Izzy, they keep getting better. I wish them all the luck!
I have the same compressor. I got it when they used to have a traveling truckload sale. Every year they'd come to the Army Reserve center and have a giant weekend long truck sale and I've picked up clamps, hammers, tool belts, etc. along with the compressor and still have most of the items.
I never used to purchase tools from HF except recently. Just purchased the Bauer electric rotary palm sander and did a great job on the king size frame, bookcase and side table with great dust control. Purchased the leaf vacuum last spring and wow half price from the competition and works wonderful. They are definitely on my list for tools now. Nice video!!!
I have been a HF fan for years even with the crappy tools. I bought an air saw for $7 and it still goes. I just recently remodeled my entire kitchen and anytime I needed a tool HF was my first stop. This includes a Fortress air compressor, a couple of Banks air nailers, and many Bauer corded tools. Not one has let me down through out the entire project and I was so glad to save some substantial money on tools I will use over and over again. If, that’s a big if these days, HF is able to maintain their price points they will be near impossible to beat. Like you being a Makita guy, I’m a Milwaukee guy. I have used Milwaukee professionally for many years and never even had to use their warranty. They have always done what I asked and then some. For DIY projects though HF will always be my first place to shop. Only downside I find with HF’s 90 day warranty is they want ‘everything’ back in that period. I thought the cashier was confused when she told me this only to hear the manager turn someone away a few weeks later for not having the box. So I have a large stash of HF boxes until the warranty period is up.
Makes sense that they would recruit some highly respected talent because Walmart has been pushing its Hart lineup pretty hard, and Harbor Freight has to get serious if they want to stay in the game.
HF has some genuine diamonds in the rough. Tool boxes are amazing, and until Husky came out with that massive 56" rolling box (yes, I own one), they were the guys to beat. When HF went away from the "freebie" thing (Flashlight, batteries, magnetic parts holder), I asked a manager why. He said "we're trying to move away from being 'the junk store', stay tuned, the owner has huge plans over the next 2 to 5 years". This was 3 years ago. I own some of their hand tools, and honestly? They are just as good as my other "big name" tools for 1/4 the cost. I have yet to break any of them, but my neighbor broke his 1/2" drive breaker bar. He put it on the counter, they said "go grab another" and it was done. There was no "fill out this form", "oh, I'm not sure how we handle that", or the like. It was grab and go in 5 minutes total. I believe they will take out a chunk of the market. I can't afford to mortgage my life for Snap-On and MAC, I can't really justify a bunch of Milwaukee tools (though I am looking to move to them because their battery technology just seems to be so much better than the others). Only criticism? FREAKING TH-cam ALGORITHM PUSHING CLICK BAIT TITLES! I know, you have to do it, they have driven it. Lots of content creators have been forced to move to it in order to get the views. so sad TH-cam...so sad.
I have a chop saw that has done a whole lot of work for me over the last 4 years. Still going strong, too. Just built myself a planter with it. Made a second one for the neighbor cause he loved mine so much. Put an extra 100 in my pocket.
I bought one of their 14" chop saws and built a ceramic brick patio with it using diamond blades and a jerry rigged water system. Probably about 15-1600 cuts. Even with the water spray, diamond and ceramic dust in all the bearings and gears, and general neglect, it's been a trooper. Going into it I thought I might have to buy 2 or 3 of them, but at $120 each it was still cheaper than a single Dewalt, so I said "screw it" and got HF. Kinda classy too, since they included a spare set of brushes. To me that means they expect it to last. I can for sure recommend that saw at least.
I think that you are right. In the past couple of years I’ve seen a lot of videos on TH-cam where people talk about what they think is good from harbor frieght, and a lot of those end something along the lines of “I bought this to last one project and I haven’t been able to break it” which has been my experience as well. Hell, even the garden hoses are a great deal. My parents ran two 100ft hoses from their front yard into the goat pasture for a year and those hoses have no signs of damage and are still in service. They’re making strides in quality from what I’ve seen and it almost seems like they’re trying to become the Trader Joe’s of tools. House brands mostly, but good house brands. Straight to market can be the future in the US if production, distribution and storage can keep up.
Thank you for sharing your opinions it's always good hearing about new stuff from a man I respect. Keep up the great work and keep us posted on any new developments on this.
I agree with your assessment of the situation. I can add that the HF Badlands winch line is what people are buying for their 4WD toys, and lately I've been pretty impressed with their hand measurement tools, like levels and combination squares. I had sold off almost all my tools when I moved into a motorhome, and ... stuff happens, and I had to buy some again, and I bought HF.
15 20 years ago guys on the job site always gave me crap for having Ryobi tools, but they were affordable and I used them hard and no one stole them off the job site, like the guys that had the expensive brands. Same thing with harbor freight tools.
HF put in a store in our little town less than a year ago and I was personally told my an employee that they are doing a killer business. I do buy from HF and yes, in the past they were on the level of the semi that pulled into town selling Buffalo tools - junk. Game Changer as you said. There is hardly a week that goes by where I don't purchase something from HF. As I scan the isles and compare the look and feel of new tool products one can see a huge improvement. IE. I own a 12" slider miter saw from Lowes - best features for the money, as it was at the time purchase. Yesterday I checked out a comparable unit - it surpassed the Kolbalt with the secondary fence far superior. Same with the drills and impact drives. I purchased handheld metal power band saw - compared it to a Dewalt - they looked identical. I have used this machine many times and it works like a champ. Having said all, you can still find the cheap tools there, but get this - Warrior the cheapest line there - I picked up a set of wobbler extension sockets for $5.00 life time warranty the gal said. Any problem bring it back. Since when and where would you get that. I had long ago purchase a socket set from K-Mart, remember them. Life time warranty. Had socket fail they replaced it with one from the floor, but as my dad always said - warranty is only as good as the company and for as long as they are in business. Find a K-Mart today. Methinks HF is going to be there longer than K-Mart was. Good video and report - Dan Stafford, Florida Panhandle
I've been purchasing harbor freight Hercules, Atlas, and other tools for a few yrs now, after refusing to shop there for almost 20 yrs. Their new quality in certain power tools is no bs and well worth the value. Still no break downs, problems, or complaints with my purchases. I wish the tool comparison channels would feature harbor freight, (especially Hercules) a lot more than they do, which is hardly ever. Good show, thumbs up.
I’ve been using the Ridgid lineup just because of the lifetime warranty which includes the BATTERIES. The warranty is super easy to use on the batteries. I’ve swapped out several batts over the years. I also have some tools from HF. My opinion is that they are all made in China, so the free batt was the deciding factor
For cordless tools, I too, went with Ridgid for the same reason. As long as you register the batteries, you can just keep getting them replaced when they wear out. I've only had to replace them once so far in like 8 years, but it was super easy. I still shop and support Harbor Freight for tools I need, but might not use that often.
I was a pro Ridgid guy, but not anymore. Be careful of their warranty because they may conveniently lose your info. I have a very wide variety of Ridgid tools, table saw, miter saw, drills... When I encountered the dead battery, they conveniently lost my warranty info. I logged into their site and noticed that the table saw was no longer there. When I called they said it must have been when they switched to a new system. They also said there was nothing they could do with the missing items. So I'm out of luck.
@@score2high It's been reported that Ridgid doesn't stand behind their table saw and that may be the real reason they "lost" your warranty. It's not a warranty, it's an agreement that they weasel out of all the time. So, I wouldn't even buy a pencil from anyone who acts that way.
I have the Hercules jobsite table saw and 12" miter saw. I've used them to do everything from flooring, trim work, furniture and decking for the last three years. I took a chance on them and they have yet to let me down. If I wasn't already heavily invested in Milwaukee's M18 cordless lineup I would definitely give Hercules a chance on that too.
As a part-time woodworker/craftsman and knife maker, I can say I've used HF brand tools for several years...I've seen what you have seen...there quality has dramatically improved and only seems to be getting better. There Hercules/Bauer line are ever expanding and are very good quality...I'm excited to see where they go from here...
I agree with you 100%. I stopped at Harbor Freight this morning for a few consumable items and looked at their Bauer 12” compound sliding miter saw. Very impressive for about 45% less $ in comparison to the "name brands". I wouldn’t hesitate to buy one of their cordless tools based solely on the cost of replacement batteries. Great job on this video! 👍👍👍👍👍
Well, their dust collectors have gone down in quality for their updated versions. Their drill presses, bandsaws, planers, and shop style tools are wretched, and you can find far better versions for same price point.
I feel the same way. I recently bought a Bauer 5" corded sander and it was a complete POS. I threw it in the garbage after a couple hours in pure frustration and disgust at myself for buying a HF power tool. I can't understand all the super-positive comments.
I'm a manager at Harbor Freight. I have all Milwaukee and Ridgid tools and would avoid alot of the power tools from HF especially the outdoor power tools. BUT the new brushless Hercules tools with the 5 year warranty is a damn good deal. Was a great decision for them.
Izzy, Thanks for another thought provoking video. Unfortunately, I feel like I'm bucking the majority with my recent HF purchase. First let me say, I've been woodworking for over 40 years and know how to use and care for my tools. I had a large sanding job on a board/batten dining room remodel and my Bosch 5" RO sander is too slow for this kind of work. So, after seeing several videos similar to yours, two weeks ago I bought a Bauer corded sander. It has sanding orbits, power specs, etc. akin to the yellow or red sanders. I had not purchased a HF power tool for years due to low quality issues. The new sander flings sandpaper off the pad, vibrates like a freight train and throws dust everywhere. Yes the pads were pressed on securely and evenly and the dust bin was properly attached. I was so frustrated with the mess and chasing after flying sandpaper, I pitched it in the garbage after a couple hours and vowed (once again) to never buy HF power tools. Lesson learned.
I've been using a Bauer 12 1/2" planer for 4 years now. I have run a lot of hardwood, mostly oak, walnut & cherry through it and it as long as I keep the blades sharp it does what I expect it to. It's not as good as spiral head planer, but it was also less than 1/2 the cost. I also just bought some the Bremen parallel clamps and they are a strong as my Bessey Clamps. I agree they are improving and will be a force in the tool market place.
Great video Red errr. Izzy. LOL I do agree with what you are saying. I see it in my HF. people who actually do manual labor shop there because they need a tool, not a service agreement. It’s what drove Craftsman in hand tools. If it broke you went and swapped it out. With social media driving the consumers today it will not take long to turn the reputation and like you said we already go there for consumables.
So, I know someone in the off-road racing/mod industry and years ago a writer for a major off-road mag was invited to a marketing show and tell where he and a bunch of other reps (mostly press) in a variety of trades showed up and were presented with cordless tools from all the regular major brands and one mystery brand. They were given the opportunity to use the tools in a variety of simulated work scenarios to get a feel for how the mystery tools compared to the big brands without knowing the mystery brand. As I understand it, everyone was very impressed during the discussion following and especially surprised when it was finally revealed that the mystery tools were from Harbor Freight and they made the statement that within the next x years they would be competing wit the likes of DeWalt, Makita and others. Ever since it has been interesting to watch HF roll out new, improved tool lines one after another, each better than the last. I'm also fully invested in Makita, but I'll admit to buying a Bauer demo-rotary hammer for a one-off (as we usually look to HF for) job and that thing has been loaned out and used over and over again and has held up side-by-side with my contractor friends' Bosch. Not saying its equivalent, but I honestly think it has been definitely worth the 1/5x investment that the Bosh would have been.
I actually like their quiet compressor. It works well (for a DIY'er). I'm also going to pick up some of the parallel clamps after a few woodworkers I trust reviewed it. But I would never pick up drill bits, chisels etc.
We have purchased a 4 unit apt. house and I started buying tools for this house. I chose the Bauer 20V line because I won't be using these every day but only when needed. I now have about 15 of their 20V tools ranging from chain saws to sanders and I am extremely satisfied and impressed with the quality and performance. Not one of those tools have crapped out on me, brushed or brushless.
I have been using some Harbor Freight tools for decades. I have the philosophy that expendable tools (I.E. welding clamps) are a good deal to buy at Harbor Freight because they are going to be abused from the welding process and so spending 2 to 3 times more for Vise Grips is crazy. Also, 30 to 40 years ago I bought a 4" angle grinder from Harbor Freight. When I got it, I opened the gear box and there was almost NO grease in it. I added grease and that grinder is STILL working for me in my blacksmithing shop today. I have recently bought a Bauer 1/2" electric impact gun and I have used it once so far. It seems pretty solid and works good although it is fairly heavy. It's great to hear that they are "Upping" their game. I look forward to seeing more.
As a General Contractor in business for over 30 years, here is my take on the Harbor Freight Tool Issue. For tools that I use in my business on daily basis (such as cordless drills & saws) I switched to Milwaukee about 5 years ago and am extremely happy. They are my "GO TO" tool. In my opinion, they are by far the best cordless tool that I've used (and I've used ryobi, makita; porter cable; craftsman; & dewalt). If I land a project, that requires a tool I don't own & probably won't use again, then I will buy HF as a "disposable tool" that I will be happy if it just completes the project. While some of the tools have been "total crap", surprisingly most have been decent. As an example, 2o years ago when I built my house, I installed all the tile to save money. I usually subcontract the tile work, though occasionally if it's a small job I will do the work. Anyway, I couldn't justify spending $1500 for an M-K tile saw & bought the $250 Chicago Tools tile saw (HF). It wasn't the highest quality, & I had to make adjustments to blade watering system & the alignment of the sliding table, but it "still got the job done", That saw worked adequately for over 15 years, so I'd say that I got my moneys worth. In fact a few years ago when it finally broke, I bought another one. It has been improved & didn't require any adjustments on my part. Using a high quality tile blade is a necessity though.
Have been an employee of several sub contractors for a couple decades & strongly agree the red cordless tools are consistently the best of breed. Ridgid & Makita are generally next best, for most tools I wouldn't hesitate to buy anything made by the 3. Worth mentioning directtools generally has a Ridgid tile saw that qualifies for lifetime service and costs less than what you paid at HF, not to mention you don't have to make a small handful of minor adjustments.
Heard an interview with a Ryobi higher-up a couple years ago. He said Ryobi is a "Battery Company," not a tool company. Their ever-widening product line is merely a vehicle to drive battery sales to a broader market. That was an interesting point of view, I hadn't realized.
I've been using the Baur (?sp) line for a few years with no complaints (the screw gun/drill). The only thing I've done was upgrade to their larger battery. 8 months ago, I purchased the cordless hot glue gun... Freaking love it! And I've had their floor drill press for about 5 years with no issues. I don't *love* Harbor Freight, but some tools and consumables are worth buying.
I tend to stay away from HF power tools, and have for years. I did however bite the bullet and purchase the Hercules mitre saw because of the overwhelming comments. I would say it is as good as any mitre saw I have ever used. Well made, stout and accurate, I am very pleasantly surprised. The other thing I have purchased are their floor model tool boxes. Again, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the boxes, and would buy them again. I have also purchased a couple of Bauer tools to get me by, but if they continue to improve on their quality of products, I agree that they will start stripping some of the market share from other makers and big box stores.
You said it Izzy. I break tools… give me a “make payments for the rest of your life” Crap-on, and I’ll break it nearly as quickly as the $19.95 Harbor Freight Chineseium special. The difference is I don’t have to wait weeks or months to get a replacement HF. I took a Craftsman wrench into Lowes, they gave me a 800 number, a month later I had a replacement wrench by mail, same with Kobalt. Harbor freight didn’t have the exact model breaker bar I broke, they gave me my choice of a replacement. They’re gonna kill the competition.
I have a few hand tools and f style clamps from hf that have done a great job and my son in law who does maintenance and welding has been using harbor freight cordless tools for a while. He has tried to convince me to try them but I have been hung up on the stigma that they were substandard because they were not one of the big name brands. With that said I was in my local store the other day looking at the Hercules compound miter saw and it seems super nice and well built. I had watched a video about deflection and thought I would check it. Mabel I wasn’t trying hard enough but at full extension I could not get it to show any noticeable movement. Thanks for the video.
Me too. I'm a full time handyman, and the Bauer line is everyday workhorse. their little dust buster style vac is trash, and I've had the depth set lever wear out on two circular saws, but other than that they have taken a beating and keep going.
Being on a tight tool budget, I have several Harbor Freight tools and have been generally satisfied. The Bauer SDS hammer drill, small circ saw, Fortress compressor have all been great. The first central tool compressor was so loud that I couldn't use it in my shop. The Predator generator has been super reliable. Their Pelican style boxes are outstanding and I have several sizes for various cameras and electronic equipment.
I agree with you, all you have to do is look at the Bauer brushless impact driver and how it out performs some of the name brands or keep up with others. My point is that Hercules is there flagship so it's going to be more powerful than that Bauer impact driver in my opinion.👍
I needed to replace a 12V drill that I use for pilot holes, it's not a drill/driver, no clutch. I looked at specs for a number of lightweight, compact drills, battery tech didn't lock me in because this is my only 12v. Semi-retired mechanical engineer so specs are meaningful. I chose a Hercules. I went in HF to get cutting boards, which I use for HMW strips, took home a flyer and made my selection.
I think they do have a shot at grabbing a bigger market share, even if they have tools that are only slightly better than they have been. The 1300 locations are, in my experience, generally smaller than Lowe's or Home Depot. They have less staff, less square footage, and ZERO garden space. This means they have lower overhead, and can make higher profits even on lower margins. They also email me just about every day. I don't always read the ems, but I occasionally do if it's something I want. That's way more often then I ever read an HD email. If the tools are Rigid equivalent, with a no BS 5 year warranty and cheap batteries, I'm there.
I'm mostly interested in HF's consumables and accessories. The Chicago Electric tools are good enough for most applications. Had a multitool that gave up the ghost a few years ago, but I put it through a few beatings. It's hard to be competitive, but the Hercules line has some of my attention. They need to expand. There is little to no innovation from the major brands atm so it's a good time to catch up.
Interstingly I have seen several youtubers reviewing Hercules and saying what you are saying about the quality and performance of Hercules tools. There drop tests, speed tests… going on. Typically it is prohibitive to jump lines because of battery cost, well if that isn’t an issue…. Also interesting to hear about the development team Harbor Freight snatched up
Surprised I've not seen this at the top, but Project farm channel has compared a lot of harbor freight tools vs the "big names" so if you want apples to apples comparisons (including battery duration and motor strength) you can probably find it there. Hard numbers vs anecdotal.
My two cents worth from an old duffer. I live in rural Nebraska and have helped with harvest several seasons. The farmers I helped used John Deere combines and would have JD technicians, mechanics, come out on service calls. These men were highly trained professionals and techs often were SnapOn or Mac tool guys. I was surprised to see an abundance of Pittsburgh wrenches and sockets. They told me the quality was good and if it broke HF would replace it. For professional mechanics to buy and use Pittsburgh was a very positive testimony!
I have several HF tools and have been really liking their Breeman clamps. Also just bought their 9inch bandsaw and it works great for me. The 12v Hercules line is something I've been looking at and may try it because of this video.
Their 12" Hercules double bevel sliding miter saw is as good as anything out there for twice the price, and better than some of the big names. I returned a Ridgid due to poor quality and bought the Hercules.
I’ve been a contractor for the last 28 years. I’ve been through all the manufacturers of cordless tools. I’ve switched to Bauer tools. The batteries are stronger than the tool sometimes. I’ve twisted the case of a drill in half before the battery stopped. Harbor freight has replaced two hammer drills and a reciprocating saw so far no charge. I have about 15-20 different tools from drills to pole saws to chainsaws. You’re right that other people laugh when you show up with Harbor Freight tools but they do the job. I recently bought a small electric chainsaw and bought the warranty because they said it covered the chain if it became dull( they said I would just get a Whole new saw not just a chain)
I still have a 1/2 hp bench grinder that I bought for $20 in the early 90s for from HF when they had a sale at a local Elks Lodge. Still works just fine. I've bought many tools including their thickness planer and 9k watt Predator gas generator and have had no issues with any of them. I even recently stopped buying the extended warranties.
At work, I have access to all of the big name equipment. At home, I'm a DIY weekend warrior home owner. I'm slowly, one piece at a time, going from mix and match NiCd tools that are aging over to the Bauer line. I think we have all figured out that you're really marrying a battery type. At this point I have 3 Bauer chargers - one in the basement, one in the garage, and the 3rd still unopened. I also have 3 batteries: 2 x 5AH and 1 x 3 AH. The 3AH came with one of the tools in the kit. I've got a one acre lot with fencing, a bunch of trees and a few flower beds scattered around the yard. One of the 5AH batteries will usually run the string trimmer to do the whole yard, unless I've let it get too grown up, then I may have to switch to a 2nd battery. As far as the drill and driver, the batteries last longer than I usually want to work on a given day. I've built my grandkids a set of bunk beds, rebuilt my deck using composite and hidden fasteners. Still going strong. The HF table saw isn't the greatest, and I have to take a little extra time to make sure things are all square. Sliding miter saw made consistent cuts on the decking, and is holding up well. The bottom line, and I think this goes for any tool: they have done everything that I've asked from them.
Ahhhh….still remember the sight and smell when I walked into a HF store. I felt like a kid in a candy store during Christmas. I could never resist buying something, whether or not I needed it (and almost always these things come in handy later). Glad to see HF upping their tool lines. I wish the HF stores were closer to me.
The battery operated tool world has exploded in the last 10 to 20 years. I remember that my first battery operated drill was a Makita. That was over 20 years ago. One of the reasons I changed brands was battery voltage, amperage, and life. We went from 9 volt to 12, 18, 20, and 36 volt. Then something interesting happened. You could buy the tool without the battery for a considerable discount. Now, I am a DIY'er and also a tool freak. I need to have one of each. Not having to buy with the batteries allows me to buy more tools that I will need once or twice a year. Currently I am full up with Dewalt. It would be expensive for me to buy another brand.
Been a dewalt guy my whole life, 2 years ago I was in a bind needed a second 1/4 impact driver, swung in and picked up the Hercules 18v. Running side by side with my DeWalt 20 volt driver (which was also new). The Hercules outperformed it all day long. I have since switched all my power tools over to Hercules. They flat out outperform DeWalt, and the batteries are half the cost.
I recently bought some of the Breman parallel clamps, they work great. I also have many of their high quality sockets and wrenches that I have used for years with no problems. Since I am a weekend woodworker, the power tools I have bought I used until they failed, which wasn't long. I usually buy a warranty with them just so I can get a few more months out of another tool. I hope they actually do improve their quality in power tools.
I bought 3 x 24” Bremen parallel clamps this past weekend for an upcoming project after seeing a parallel clamp review by 731 Woodworks and also getting a warmer fuzzy for HF clamps recently.
I've become a strong advocate of the Bauer 20V line for the do-it-yourselfer. I have a bunch of their stuff - drill, hammer drill, jigsaw, circular saw, sawsall, oscillating tool, orbital sander, regular sander, air pump, vacuum cleaner, leaf blower, weed whacker. I love just about all of them. You can't beat the price, and it's SO super handy to have all of those tools sharing a common battery platform. I've only had one tool failure. That was an orbital sander that I used to sand every square inch of my 36x30 extra-tall garage prior to painting. It doesn't have any kind of valve between the dust bag and the motor. I turned it upside down too many times, and got crap in the motor and fried it. A better design would have helped, but for a $34 tool, I just said "so what!" tossed it, and bought another. I don't think I'd recommend this whole line for a pro, but for a hardcore do-it-yourselfer who spends weekends, evenings and vacation time with power tools in his hand, they've done me fine, and saved me a TON of money.
What you're going to end up seeing is a huge release of tools at a higher price point. I wouldn't be surprised if HF is going after Ryobi's market...and they'll price accordingly. They've already done similar with some of their other lines. Look at how much the tool boxes have gone up recently, with efforts to go after Snap-on and MAC.
Funny thing is, many people still think Milwaukee is a US company but it is foreign owned. On the other hand, Harbor Freight is a privately owned US company. Imagine if they were to start supplying tools in the US. That would make things interesting.
Amateur woodworker here. I use Ridgid stationary and DeWalt power tools. I tried a Bauer sander after a DeWalt crapped out and was impressed. Since then I've expanded on the Bauer tools - what I really like is what you mentioned - battery costs are significantly lower. Their quality meets my needs and it looks like they are really moving on from their old brand names (Chicago and Central Machinery). If they continue to get better, they'll drag the rest of the tool industry with them. Competition improves the breed.
Thanks for your insights on this subject. I think you are correct. I am not a Habor Freight guy either, but I have bought a Bauer cordless tool for the first time - three months ago. I did this for the same reasons you stated - (1) battery cost and (2) perceived tool quality. I own Dewalt, Ryobi and Craftsman cordless tools. I buy third party batteries for my Dewalt and Craftsman tools to keep costs down. I have been very impressed with the feature set and build quality of my Bauer tool in addition to the lower cost for Bauer batteries. My future cordless tool purchases will be with Bauer and maybe Hercules. Nice to know that my decision process was consistent with a professional, like you! Thank you.
Izzy, I am now 65, I had lots of contractors in my family, whan I was growing up, I saw them try out all the brands, as their companies grew bigger, it was not uncommon to see them with 2 or 3 trucks dedicated and just full of tools, like 50 impacts, 50 drills, 75 handsaws.... all per truck, and when they sold their companies and went on their pension, most of the tools they had were Makita and Bosch, so at my age, I have mostly Makita battery tools and boch and Makita corded tools, I wont change, plus there is no Harbor Freight in Canada... Cheers!
I think they will start grabbing a large share and, if the tool quality steps up, deservedly so. Let's face it, there will always be purists who eschew the brand simply due to the history. But there will also be those who move past that and concern themselves more with a deal on a quality tool if it meets their needs. I actually bought their Hercules 12" dual bevel sliding compound miter. Just for fun I checked it straight out of the box and, at full extension, it was only 1/10 degree out. It's a work horse, but didn't break the bank.
I did construction for the military for 12 years. We got all the top of the line manufacturers. Being a poor enlisted guy, there was no way I was buying a nice $150 drill from DeWalt. I was talking to my stepdad about it and he asked why I didn't buy at Harbor Freight. He made the great point that his drill could burn up and need to be replaced 4 or 5 times before it equalled the cost of a DeWalt (or other high end brand.) A 5 year warranty would be a game changer. I was watching another channel testing chainsaw sharpeners. Oregon makes theirs in China as does Harbor Freight (Chicago Electric). It got me thinking about how off brand things are often made in the same factory with very minor differences...
I bought a bunch of the Bauer tools with income taxes. Pole saw, hedger, hammer drill(snappy little thing), usb power pack. Outside the power tool line-up I have bought socket sets, 20 ton air over hydraulic jack, belt grinder(needed a lot of love to get setup and be decent) I intend to buy their mini metal lathe. And other stuff as I need it in the future. I love their warranty. As long as it's in date they go and pull a new one off the shelf for you. (What I use to love about sears till they sold craftsman)
Before I took the plunge, I watched a bunch of comparison vids between DeWalt, Hercules and Milwaukee's. Milwaukee always came out on top, but they are also the most expensive. But several times Hercules was either even with DeWalt or nipping at their heels and at 2/3 the cost or less. I got the Hercules 12" compound miter saw and some of the 18v power tools and have had no complaints. The Bauer random orbit sanders are available for $20 from time to time and I have a few of them. not one of them has gone bad on me.
It should be interesting to see. I know here in Canada we have Canadian Tire and they have made a game changer in their stores where their cordless tools and other products share a single battery platform. So I definitely agree there's big things coming in the tool industry and most of it won't be from the tool giants.
Izzy you are the man and I value your input. I too have never been a HR guy until recently just dabbling in things here and there. I just built my first-ever wood shop and was relegating my corded tools to the shop as I have gone ALL-IN on Milwaukee cordless for my day job of being a deck and porch builder. I might have to rethink the cordless option of HR for the shop.
I agree....I go there for many items...except wood working tools .... power saws...band saw....lathe...etc. Great for hand tools, drill bits, and such. Bought two of their 2000W generators and parallel kit (on sale) for my camper....fantastic generators.
I was gifted a 20v 1/2 Bauer impact and extra battery for Christmas. So when I need a drill I went to look at the Bauer line. And they felt well built and balanced. It’s been six years and I don’t have a complaint.
I found HFT a little over 5 years ago and I've bought most everything there ever since. When they brought out their Bauer line I went all in. I had tools from 7 different brands and about 10 different battery platforms. I've sold almost all of it and replaced it with Bauer. Having all or most of your tools use one battery platform is a game changer and makes the work much more fun. I put them on par with Ryobi and Craftsman and they are perfect for weekend warriors like myself. If I were in the trades professionally, I'd have no qualms about using their Hercules line over Dewalt, Milwaukee, and Makita. They are of similar quality and even if not exactly on par, it's close enough for a lot less money. Part of the reason they were cheaper was the lack of warranty. The big brands aren't giving you that warranty for free. Even if you paid extra for HFT's warranty you still save a lot of money. My fear is if they are including that warranty now, how much more will you end up paying for the tool?
HF is owned by a family and for a long time run by the father and a son. The father wanted cheap, cheap, cheap products while the son wanted quality. For years the father had his way, but he passed away several years ago and ever since then HF has been improving their quality. But as Izzy mentioned, they have years worth of "cheap" reputation to overcome, so they couldn't just go premium all at once, it has been a slow and methodical transition dropping the worst line of tools and bringing something a little nicer in. Then doing the same thing again and again until we are at the point we are at now.
I gotta say, I’ve bought HF tools for years, and they’ve always done their job. I have to agree with you here. My recent purchases have been comparable to my Dewalt setup( because once you buy batteries your kind of IN) great vid.
I WAS a DeWalt guy! And yes, I was skeptical about harbour freight tools. But my DeWalt batteries died on me about 3 yrs ago, and there was now we're close to go for a battery. But there was a harbour freight just down the road. So I bought it thinking I would throw it away after that job. I can tell you I still have it, and my DeWalt with new batteries. My go to is the Hercules. I would put that up against my DeWalt any day. I can't say anything about the rest of the Hercules line, or even the bower line. But that impact is the best purchase I've made from harbour freight.
I've found similar results with mechanics tools sockets and wrenches etc .. the harbor freight line is much better than ever has been in the past and for the price point you can spend $200 and get what probably will take you $2,000 to buy from a snap-on truck. I've got a couple of friends that exclusively use the Hercules tools and have had great luck with those as well.
The newer tools work well but they have way too many brands with different batteries. Bauer, Hercules, warrior, earthquake, Chicago electric, drill master, etc. I wish they would fully commit to just a few brands and expand the line of tools for those brands only.
I've been saying for several years, that hf was going after the tool market that sears/craftsman sold to Lowes. I've not yet used their new cordless stuff, I'm financially committed to Milwaukee for my plumbing business. Having said that I have been reluctantly impressed by what I continue to see hf put out.
I've purchased, in thel last few months, a number of HB toosls (all corded bauer) A sander, a trim router, and a jigsaw. I've been perfectly satisfied with each. The only reason I have opted out of their cordless tools is I haven't wanted to buy into yet another line of batteries! Looks like it may be time to rethink.
I bought the Hercules 12-inch compound miter saw and it is great. Their Bauer line ain't no slouch either. I am a hard-core Harbor Freight fan. From clamps to tape to gloves even micro fabric cloths. They have one particular tool stand that I buy and add a 3/4-inch plywood top to for added strength then add casters and you have cheap very strong and sturdy mobile carts for any tool you want to mount on it. It is advertised to support up to 500 pounds and is currently $42. I like them so well I currently have 3 still in the box that I haven't put together yet bui I have them ready when I want them.
My father in law was always a craftsman too guy ,he would not buy anything else. He was a fool and die man for 45 years at a company named Diamond Chain. He used to get on me for buying my tools from Harbor Freight and I told him to check them out ,their hand tools are great you can spend a little on them are you can spend more . It all depends on what you want. He now buys all his tools and power tools from them. I'm not a professional mechanic just a backyard guy who has to work on my family's car.
Over 10 years ago, probably at least 15, I bought a corded belt sander from HF. It used a 4x24 belt. It appeared to be a Makita copy. I haved used it ever since. It performs very well. The only problem I had was with the switch. I also bought their original multitool. And I still use it. But after that period, their power tools became pretty bad and I have not bought anymore that have been much good. I have now moved on to other companies and don't plan to go back. I do still get other items there though.
I wonder why the Makita batteries are so expensive over there. Here in the Netherlands they're about $70 including tax. It might also be worth it to have the batteries refurbished, replacing the battery cells isn't rocket science and there are many companies around that can do that and replace them with similar (or higher quality) cells.
My DeWalt 20v inflator (one of my favorite tools) was left out in the rain this summer. I had a really hard time justifying the purchase of $130+ tool again. I ended up buying the Bauer cordless inflator, small battery & charger for less than $60 with tax. Now, it's nowhere near as fancy as the DeWalt *AND* doesn't do high volume inflation (HF sells a separate tool for that) but it works for the basic function of inflating tires. It's also much smaller and handier than the DeWalt. I figured this was a way to dip my toe into the Bauer line for certain tools I won't use quite as often.
it doesn’t help that “national brands” have dropped their balls when it comes to that infamous words such as , first of all , customer loyalty , prestige, reputation and quality! , and as always , love your honest , on point education , advise and knowledge!🙏👌👍
They buy customer loyalty with batteries. "Give" one or two away with the tool then sell the blades. As I said above, I do mostly Bosch and have found it cheaper to wait for sales, then buy tool kits with batteries and a charger, than the batteries alone.
I recently did a quick price comp on my favorite bosch 12v drill driver combo (batteries included) to hercules drill driver (sold separately) 12v (no batteries included) and after you added in batts the price was basically the same.
They will start offering kicks soon with lower prices, and the battery replacement is where the big saving will come from and the new return policy makes it better bet most tools don't have that's kind of replacement.
I recently bought a Hercules 12" sliding compound miter saw and 20v drill. I have used multiple Dewalt for years and the battery cost is outrageous. So far the Hercules have performed just as well as any Dewalt that I have owned. My next Hercules purchase will be the small 1/2" 20v impact wrench and the impact driver.
I'm also a Makita guy. Full shop complement of brushless models and 12 or 14 batteries, etc... (serious DIY guy here). Some Bosch (love their 12v screwdriver), and I also have some Ryobi stuff for the garden but it is items Makita does not make. I do have some HF stuff, but it's mostly low end stuff to beat up (ie, corded grinders, set up each one and leave it).
Harbor Freight: The power products that I have bought is the Atlas lawn and garden tools. I've bought a lawn mower, weed eater, and chainsaw. The lawn mower and weed eater are off the chain while the chainsaw sucks. The problem with the chainsaw that after 10 to 15 cuts, the battery is gone. I can cut 2 normal sized lawns with the mower before the battery needs charging.
Izzy - great back to basics vid. I too have noticed a significant increase in quality over the past 9 months. 2 things come to mind. The Bremen line of clamps which function every bit as well as Bessey, Pony et Al at a 1/3 of the price. Next is the Bauer shop vac. I was in a bind and picked up a 5hp for $40! The darn thing is every bit as good as my high dollar Stanley 6hp and blows (well sucks) 2x better than the almost similarly priced 3hp Ridgid. I’ve been slowly moving off my Ridgid platform to others but haven’t committed to a new platform yet. HF absolutely knows it will take a lot to convince folks to move to another platform. And the other big guys know this as well, hence the reason why we are continuing to see drastically reduced bundle prices form Milwaukee DeWalt Bosch Makita etc. When they make the BiG Splash- expect some drastic moves by the mid tier guys to compete.
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My biggest complaint about the tool world is battery incompatibility. It's like what the computer industry went through until cabling standards and finite protocols were introduced. Then companies could build of of each other's progress. Tool companies work so hard and making their stuff so proprietary, it's ridiculous. Like those times when I have three dead Milwaukee batteries waiting to be charged while my Dewalt charger sits idle because it's not compatible. Sigh.. I'm done venting...
I completely agree... this is the next thing the EU should start standardizing. Similarly repairability is also something that needs to change... there are so many tools that are essentially throw-away because they are made to resist repairs.
the companies would never agree to that because the batteries are what keeps you locked in to the brand
@@fuzzy1dk That used to be the case with phone chargers as well. Those have all been unified into micro-usb and usb-c. Except for apple that was somehow [lobbying/bribery] exempt from that rule... They'll definitely need a bit of incentive though ;)
@@WoLpH sure but I don't think chargers where ever as big of a lock-in as batteries are
@@fuzzy1dk Yeah, that's fair but I think there's a chance. Chargers for EV's have become standardized, for phones, why not for tools? And a singular charger means that we could have a single battery that fits all :) Ah... one can dream
I think Harbor Freight is already capturing this market. I’m willing to pay the highest tool prices for the best tools. But I’m not crazy about paying the highest prices for the same quality as the cheapest.
Even their new parallel bar clamps are on par with clamps at nearly twice the cost. I’m hoping they do move in this direction. I dislike junk tools when I need quality but I will be the first at Harbor Freight if they provide high quality at a reasonable price.
For those who are curious, it appears the company Izzy was referring to was Snap-On. A quick scan of LinkedIn profiles revealed a bunch of Snap-On product managers are now at Harbor Freight. Interesting -- bringing top-dollar brand know-how to bottom-dollar brand chain. Getting out my popcorn!
Thank you. No idea why people hide the ball like that. If it's on LinkedIn it's in the public arena. It's not a big secret.
WOW.
What do Snap-On employees know about making affordable tools?? 😂
Damn when I was a mechanic I was very much a snap-on guy. They make good tools and it’s nice that they come to your shop and you can get truck financing
Thanks for letting us know that! I was very VERY curious of which tool company he was talking about. I would have never found out if I hadnt seen this comment. Some of us arent geniuses and wouldnt know the name of a Snap-On product manager or engineer from someone who designs womens underwear.
Was just talking about this the other day. Harbor freight is upping their game. Purchased their dust collection system and it works beautifully. Just purchased the 9500 watt predator generator and it started on 2 pulls. Next, will be purchasing the Fortress ultra quiet 10gl air compressor. Love Harbor Freight.
$10 more and u can get the 26 gal kobalt quiet tech compressor. Just a heads up.... ive loved mine for the past couple years
I have always been a Makita guy and as a union carpenter most of my brothers were DeWalt guys. in fact I was a DeWalt field tester.
Now I have a small woodworking business and I buy a lot of Harbor Freight tools and I like the Bauer line up. And I find myself reaching for them more and more.
So I think that I agree 👍👍
I use the bauer for woodworking as well, and anything else. My impact driver started sparking today after 2 years of hard use
I’ve actually been interested myself in Bauer because of color scheme. Honestly my last couple of Milwaukee tools have sparked right out of the box and even though usable, have not impressed me much.
The only reason I didn’t make the switch when Bauer first came out was I was waiting for the craftsman lineup and it to fill out.
Now I haven’t made any official jump away from my original Rigid 18v and Milwaukee 12v yet, but I am still eyeing the Bauer as I expand my rental properties business, my home woodworking business, and need travel tools….
I have been a glorified Stanley (DeWalt) man myself because you always go with what you know, but they are a little too proud of their product as we know by the price tag they present. I had my hands on a Hercules the other day, and must say I was impressed also.
I'd say the problem is ryobi is already there and doesn't seem to be slowing down with new tool types and technologies.
And look out for the Hart line as well. I'm a big Ryobi user.
Hercules has been charging Ridgid prices and not offering anything Ridgid doesnt offer. Their 5 year over the counter warranty could be a game changer but that only works on their ultra torque currently... and the ridgid octane is better. Bauer is garbage tier and Ryobi/hart are more affordable and Ryobi is starting to make some quality stuff, plus their selection of stupid but fun power tools that will see use around a house but not a jobsite is unmatched. They should really make all of their brands run on the same battery... people are afraid to buy into the battery platform after they discontinued stuff like lynx as well.
Ryobi is for moms drilling holes in the drywall. I went to Colorado to visit and while I was there bought a corded Ryobi hammer drill to hang a self I build for my grandson. Smoke tested that thing drilling into block and returned it when done. Wasn't sure it was going to get four holes drilled lol.
@@kcl5038Ridgid just changed the Lifetime Service Agreement so that now they pay the shipping both ways...and its lifetime...and that includes batteries. Nobody else has this level of warranty.
I have all Ryobi other than two specialty dewalts, no way will I switch out a dozen tools and batteries because X company has a few % better rating if even that.
Hey Izzy...
First of all, I love your channel!!! I got into woodworking as a hobby about 5 years ago and have been watching your videos since the beginning. I've become quite the weekend project warrior and have grown far beyond what I ever expected, or even thought I was capable of. It's channels like yours that have inspired me to get there.
On to Harbor Freight.
As a weekend warrior I don't want to invest more than I have to for my tools. Also, in the learning process I have tended to purchase "cheaper" tools and learned how to make them work. Once I have figured out how to make a cheap tool do what I want it to do I can either continue to use it or purchase a higher quality tool with an understanding of what makes it a better tool.
That being said, I purchase a significant amount of my tools from HF. I went with the Bauer line of power tools in the early days and have been very happy with the quality and performance. I have many Bauer battery and electric tools that, with the exception of one tool, have been very happy with and no problems whatsoever. The one problem tool was a jigsaw which the laser was off. Took it back, got a free replacement and it has been working great ever since. Occasionally I will purchase the 2-year warranty for $10 - $15 bucks. The overall tool is still way less than the name brands and I can walk in and get a replacement tool anytime.
I also use many other HF tools. I use their ratcheting bar clamps. Not as good as Bessey or other top brands, but at $5-$6 a clamp, they usually do what I need them to do. And they have a lifetime warranty. Their new Bremen clamp line seem really good, and they just came out with 2 new parallel bar clamps that seem to be excellent quality.
The bottom line at HF is understanding their product lines and what you're buying. Some tools are "throw away", or "one time use" tools. They are usually not great quality but are super cheap and will usually do the job but may not last long. (Although I purchased a Chicago Electric multi tool about 5 years ago and can't kill it)! Then they have their "better" tool line like Bauer, etc. In my opinion, usually great tools for DYI'ers and weekend warriors. Much better quality than other middle line brands and at a very good price point. And their "Best" lineup which will usually be close to the main line brands but for a lot less money. And if you are concerned about the 90-day warranty, you can usually purchase a 1- or 2-year warranty for minimal cost. Your total cost will be much less than equivalent name brands and you can just walk into any HF store, look up your phone number and exchange it on site. No service centers to deal with. And it's an accidental damage warranty also. Run over the tool with your truck, take in what's left of it, get a new one.
Sorry this was so long but I've seen so many TH-cam videos of "experts" bashing HF. Maybe their experience has not been great, but honestly, they seem like they've never really tried much of the product line. That's why I appreciated this video. It was honest, informed and open minded.
Disclaimer... I have no connection with Harbor Freight except that I shop there a lot and am a member of their inside track club!
Great response and feedback. Very accurate. "One time use" or "get you through the job" are reasonable statements. Hand tools that ride around in tractors or equipment, perfect examples are subject to the environment and most likely going to bounce out or get left on a surface to be lost. Probably going to be used in a fashion that they aren't designed for, as most tools are not matter the name tattooed on it. Izzy swan is correct people will buy the most cost effective tool solutions for their situation. All power /tools only have so many revolutions. Return on investment.
I think Harbor Freight has been steadily improving their tools for years now, but they have also been raising their prices (as one would expect as their costs go up with more focus on quality). They can possibly have an advantage, as you said, with the fact they largely make their own tools, but if they continue to raise their prices, they might find brand recognition and loyalty difficult to overcome.
Its definitely going to be difficult.
@@izzyswan I don't think HF is planning to market to the skilled trades so much as people who are still entry level in the trades. I could be wrong on this because globalization is about to come to a screeching halt or drastically slow down. China is about to go offline, Russia is toast and large swaths of even Europe are about to hit the demographic bomb. Good old US is about to be even more the center of the financial universe. We're about the only major industrialized nation of earth without a HUGE demographic problem, two gigantic motes, a HUGE navy, air force and army and all the money in the world to just keep expanding it all. Geography really matters in this and I'm almost 101% sure HF is well aware of it.
I agree. I've noticed the same thing. They are less expensive, but they are coming up to that line where I'd just stay with the tried and true bunch. You can't vastly improve your product; compete and have very low prices, but as Gerald Jensen above stated, they have a poor image to overcome and it must be a Herculean effort. See what I did there?
@@wallypoly563 that was really clever! You deserve a standing ovation, now take a Bauer!
I bought the Omni Pro 220 welder I have been impressed with it. When it first came out I paid $749.99 for it with a coupon and it is up to $1149.00 week before last. 😁🛫
My 12" Hercules saw is a beast. It has all the features of the Dewalt Miter saw, at about 1/2 the price. And the fact I can go to a Harbor Freight store, and pickup a replacement is phenomenal. I have watched their tools go from marginal to outstanding. I own a ton of their tools, in my woodshop, and the perform very well. I hope that they snatch up more of the market.
If you're talking about the compound miter saw, it's pretty much a rebranded DeWalt. They're both made in the same factory.
Have the same Hercules saw. It was true and square right out if the box and works very, very well. Two decks later, I’m in a position to say it was a great purchase. And the blade has stayed remarkably sharp.
Yup agree, I was getting ready to buy the yellow equivalent miter then the Herc came out. I waited a year for others to test it then went to store and inspected & tested them both. Like you went with Herc for 1/2 the cost and about 1 1/2 of using it hard still powering through everything and very accurate!
As a maker/DIY/ home hobbyist, for someone who does not rely on corded or cordless power tools on a daily basis to make a living, I can say emphatically that Harbor Freight tools (Hercules lineup in particular) have been absolutely outstanding in performance, price, features, and overall value. I've probably purchased about $1,500 in tools from HFT over the past 24 months and couldn't be happier with their performance. And they just keep getting better and better! They do have a marketing stigma to overcome but I can say they are certainly positioning themselves to compete with the big boys.
I’ve seen harbor freight store numbers explode near me in the last 5 years. I agree with you. I love that they have been making their stuff better and more accessible. They know what they are doing, I went from a seasonal trip 5 years ago to monthly trip last year now it’s weekly with the stores being everywhere around me now. They hooked me
That's because sears went out of business
All I can say is they have a gigantic marketing problem to overcome ... after so many years of substandard tools, they've got a lot of convincin' to do!
You're absolutely correct, they most certainly do have much to overcome to guys like us. That said, most tool guys still shop there for consumables anyway so our attention isn't hard to get but more importantly there is huge market for people for diy people who don't know the difference between Ryobi and DeWalt in terms of quality so they have no preconceived notions anyway and then there's the new generations of up and coming tradesmen.
All I can say is I recall not that long ago when porter cable was a professionals brand.... What do folks see porter cable as nowadays? For better or worse (likely worse) things change faster than they once did.
That's only trrue with a subset of their customers/potential customers. Lots of us have given them good press because we've had great tools from them for the past decade plus. I run a small but professional woodworking shop, and probably half my power tools are from Harbor Freight, a couple more than a decade old. Only ever had problems with one tool I bought form them, and they made it right without questions. I don't go out and evangelize for them, but I do speak up when I see someone criticizing them. Almost always it is someone with no firsthand experience, or one bad experience they never bothered trying to get resolved. Sometimes, it is someone with a genuine and legitimate complaint - all business have issues, of course. I don't think HF is the best toolmaker out there, nor the best company in the world, not by any stretch. But they are nothing near as bad as some vocal few people try to make them out to be... they have been slowly building and building in quality and service for a long time now, and as Izzy says, are positioned to do some great things now!
@@girthbrooks39 yeah, today's PC tools are junk grade and get less respect than Ryobi.
They definitely have to provide a lot of pleasant surprises to change that reputation but that’s not only doable, they’ve already started doing that. I hope the trend continues.
I've been a harbor freight fan for years. Had to work my way through some of the junk but in the end they always got me through the job. I bought a Campbell/ Hausefeld 60 gal. 5 h.p. compressor back in 1991...yep, still using it. And you're right Izzy, they keep getting better. I wish them all the luck!
I have the same compressor. I got it when they used to have a traveling truckload sale. Every year they'd come to the Army Reserve center and have a giant weekend long truck sale and I've picked up clamps, hammers, tool belts, etc. along with the compressor and still have most of the items.
I never used to purchase tools from HF except recently. Just purchased the Bauer electric rotary palm sander and did a great job on the king size frame, bookcase and side table with great dust control. Purchased the leaf vacuum last spring and wow half price from the competition and works wonderful. They are definitely on my list for tools now. Nice video!!!
Thanks for sharing
I have been a HF fan for years even with the crappy tools. I bought an air saw for $7 and it still goes. I just recently remodeled my entire kitchen and anytime I needed a tool HF was my first stop. This includes a Fortress air compressor, a couple of Banks air nailers, and many Bauer corded tools. Not one has let me down through out the entire project and I was so glad to save some substantial money on tools I will use over and over again. If, that’s a big if these days, HF is able to maintain their price points they will be near impossible to beat. Like you being a Makita guy, I’m a Milwaukee guy. I have used Milwaukee professionally for many years and never even had to use their warranty. They have always done what I asked and then some. For DIY projects though HF will always be my first place to shop.
Only downside I find with HF’s 90 day warranty is they want ‘everything’ back in that period. I thought the cashier was confused when she told me this only to hear the manager turn someone away a few weeks later for not having the box. So I have a large stash of HF boxes until the warranty period is up.
Makes sense that they would recruit some highly respected talent because Walmart has been pushing its Hart lineup pretty hard, and Harbor Freight has to get serious if they want to stay in the game.
HF has some genuine diamonds in the rough. Tool boxes are amazing, and until Husky came out with that massive 56" rolling box (yes, I own one), they were the guys to beat. When HF went away from the "freebie" thing (Flashlight, batteries, magnetic parts holder), I asked a manager why. He said "we're trying to move away from being 'the junk store', stay tuned, the owner has huge plans over the next 2 to 5 years". This was 3 years ago. I own some of their hand tools, and honestly? They are just as good as my other "big name" tools for 1/4 the cost. I have yet to break any of them, but my neighbor broke his 1/2" drive breaker bar. He put it on the counter, they said "go grab another" and it was done. There was no "fill out this form", "oh, I'm not sure how we handle that", or the like. It was grab and go in 5 minutes total. I believe they will take out a chunk of the market. I can't afford to mortgage my life for Snap-On and MAC, I can't really justify a bunch of Milwaukee tools (though I am looking to move to them because their battery technology just seems to be so much better than the others).
Only criticism? FREAKING TH-cam ALGORITHM PUSHING CLICK BAIT TITLES! I know, you have to do it, they have driven it. Lots of content creators have been forced to move to it in order to get the views. so sad TH-cam...so sad.
I have a chop saw that has done a whole lot of work for me over the last 4 years. Still going strong, too. Just built myself a planter with it. Made a second one for the neighbor cause he loved mine so much. Put an extra 100 in my pocket.
I bought one of their 14" chop saws and built a ceramic brick patio with it using diamond blades and a jerry rigged water system. Probably about 15-1600 cuts. Even with the water spray, diamond and ceramic dust in all the bearings and gears, and general neglect, it's been a trooper. Going into it I thought I might have to buy 2 or 3 of them, but at $120 each it was still cheaper than a single Dewalt, so I said "screw it" and got HF. Kinda classy too, since they included a spare set of brushes. To me that means they expect it to last. I can for sure recommend that saw at least.
@@bobcostas9716 nice. I agree completely n
I think that you are right. In the past couple of years I’ve seen a lot of videos on TH-cam where people talk about what they think is good from harbor frieght, and a lot of those end something along the lines of “I bought this to last one project and I haven’t been able to break it” which has been my experience as well. Hell, even the garden hoses are a great deal. My parents ran two 100ft hoses from their front yard into the goat pasture for a year and those hoses have no signs of damage and are still in service. They’re making strides in quality from what I’ve seen and it almost seems like they’re trying to become the Trader Joe’s of tools. House brands mostly, but good house brands. Straight to market can be the future in the US if production, distribution and storage can keep up.
Thank you for sharing your opinions it's always good hearing about new stuff from a man I respect. Keep up the great work and keep us posted on any new developments on this.
I agree with your assessment of the situation. I can add that the HF Badlands winch line is what people are buying for their 4WD toys, and lately I've been pretty impressed with their hand measurement tools, like levels and combination squares. I had sold off almost all my tools when I moved into a motorhome, and ... stuff happens, and I had to buy some again, and I bought HF.
15 20 years ago guys on the job site always gave me crap for having Ryobi tools, but they were affordable and I used them hard and no one stole them off the job site, like the guys that had the expensive brands. Same thing with harbor freight tools.
HF put in a store in our little town less than a year ago and I was personally told my an employee that they are doing a killer business. I do buy from HF and yes, in the past they were on the level of the semi that pulled into town selling Buffalo tools - junk. Game Changer as you said. There is hardly a week that goes by where I don't purchase something from HF. As I scan the isles and compare the look and feel of new tool products one can see a huge improvement. IE. I own a 12" slider miter saw from Lowes - best features for the money, as it was at the time purchase. Yesterday I checked out a comparable unit - it surpassed the Kolbalt with the secondary fence far superior. Same with the drills and impact drives. I purchased handheld metal power band saw - compared it to a Dewalt - they looked identical. I have used this machine many times and it works like a champ. Having said all, you can still find the cheap tools there, but get this - Warrior the cheapest line there - I picked up a set of wobbler extension sockets for $5.00 life time warranty the gal said. Any problem bring it back. Since when and where would you get that. I had long ago purchase a socket set from K-Mart, remember them. Life time warranty. Had socket fail they replaced it with one from the floor, but as my dad always said - warranty is only as good as the company and for as long as they are in business. Find a K-Mart today. Methinks HF is going to be there longer than K-Mart was. Good video and report - Dan Stafford, Florida Panhandle
I've been purchasing harbor freight Hercules, Atlas, and other tools for a few yrs now, after refusing to shop there for almost 20 yrs.
Their new quality in certain power tools is no bs and well worth the value.
Still no break downs, problems, or complaints with my purchases.
I wish the tool comparison channels would feature harbor freight, (especially Hercules) a lot more than they do, which is hardly ever.
Good show, thumbs up.
I’ve been using the Ridgid lineup just because of the lifetime warranty which includes the BATTERIES. The warranty is super easy to use on the batteries. I’ve swapped out several batts over the years.
I also have some tools from HF. My opinion is that they are all made in China, so the free batt was the deciding factor
For cordless tools, I too, went with Ridgid for the same reason. As long as you register the batteries, you can just keep getting them replaced when they wear out. I've only had to replace them once so far in like 8 years, but it was super easy. I still shop and support Harbor Freight for tools I need, but might not use that often.
I was a pro Ridgid guy, but not anymore. Be careful of their warranty because they may conveniently lose your info. I have a very wide variety of Ridgid tools, table saw, miter saw, drills... When I encountered the dead battery, they conveniently lost my warranty info. I logged into their site and noticed that the table saw was no longer there. When I called they said it must have been when they switched to a new system. They also said there was nothing they could do with the missing items. So I'm out of luck.
@@score2high
It's been reported that Ridgid doesn't stand behind their table saw and that may be the real reason they "lost" your warranty. It's not a warranty, it's an agreement that they weasel out of all the time. So, I wouldn't even buy a pencil from anyone who acts that way.
@@score2high ran into that myself....cost me some $$$ to replace....went with another brand after that
I would rather buy quality tools that don't require using a warranty
I have the Hercules jobsite table saw and 12" miter saw. I've used them to do everything from flooring, trim work, furniture and decking for the last three years. I took a chance on them and they have yet to let me down. If I wasn't already heavily invested in Milwaukee's M18 cordless lineup I would definitely give Hercules a chance on that too.
As a part-time woodworker/craftsman and knife maker, I can say I've used HF brand tools for several years...I've seen what you have seen...there quality has dramatically improved and only seems to be getting better.
There Hercules/Bauer line are ever expanding and are very good quality...I'm excited to see where they go from here...
I agree with you 100%. I stopped at Harbor Freight this morning for a few consumable items and looked at their Bauer 12” compound sliding miter saw. Very impressive for about 45% less $ in comparison to the "name brands". I wouldn’t hesitate to buy one of their cordless tools based solely on the cost of replacement batteries. Great job on this video! 👍👍👍👍👍
I always respect you and your advice thank you.And God Bless.
Well, their dust collectors have gone down in quality for their updated versions.
Their drill presses, bandsaws, planers, and shop style tools are wretched, and you can find far better versions for same price point.
I feel the same way. I recently bought a Bauer 5" corded sander and it was a complete POS. I threw it in the garbage after a couple hours in pure frustration and disgust at myself for buying a HF power tool. I can't understand all the super-positive comments.
I'm a manager at Harbor Freight. I have all Milwaukee and Ridgid tools and would avoid alot of the power tools from HF especially the outdoor power tools. BUT the new brushless Hercules tools with the 5 year warranty is a damn good deal. Was a great decision for them.
Izzy, Thanks for another thought provoking video. Unfortunately, I feel like I'm bucking the majority with my recent HF purchase. First let me say, I've been woodworking for over 40 years and know how to use and care for my tools. I had a large sanding job on a board/batten dining room remodel and my Bosch 5" RO sander is too slow for this kind of work. So, after seeing several videos similar to yours, two weeks ago I bought a Bauer corded sander. It has sanding orbits, power specs, etc. akin to the yellow or red sanders. I had not purchased a HF power tool for years due to low quality issues. The new sander flings sandpaper off the pad, vibrates like a freight train and throws dust everywhere. Yes the pads were pressed on securely and evenly and the dust bin was properly attached. I was so frustrated with the mess and chasing after flying sandpaper, I pitched it in the garbage after a couple hours and vowed (once again) to never buy HF power tools. Lesson learned.
But He was talking about the Hercules line… not Bauer
I've been using a Bauer 12 1/2" planer for 4 years now. I have run a lot of hardwood, mostly oak, walnut & cherry through it and it as long as I keep the blades sharp it does what I expect it to. It's not as good as spiral head planer, but it was also less than 1/2 the cost. I also just bought some the Bremen parallel clamps and they are a strong as my Bessey Clamps. I agree they are improving and will be a force in the tool market place.
I've had the same planer for 3 years now. Works great, no issues.
Great video Red errr. Izzy. LOL
I do agree with what you are saying. I see it in my HF. people who actually do manual labor shop there because they need a tool, not a service agreement. It’s what drove Craftsman in hand tools. If it broke you went and swapped it out. With social media driving the consumers today it will not take long to turn the reputation and like you said we already go there for consumables.
So, I know someone in the off-road racing/mod industry and years ago a writer for a major off-road mag was invited to a marketing show and tell where he and a bunch of other reps (mostly press) in a variety of trades showed up and were presented with cordless tools from all the regular major brands and one mystery brand. They were given the opportunity to use the tools in a variety of simulated work scenarios to get a feel for how the mystery tools compared to the big brands without knowing the mystery brand. As I understand it, everyone was very impressed during the discussion following and especially surprised when it was finally revealed that the mystery tools were from Harbor Freight and they made the statement that within the next x years they would be competing wit the likes of DeWalt, Makita and others. Ever since it has been interesting to watch HF roll out new, improved tool lines one after another, each better than the last.
I'm also fully invested in Makita, but I'll admit to buying a Bauer demo-rotary hammer for a one-off (as we usually look to HF for) job and that thing has been loaned out and used over and over again and has held up side-by-side with my contractor friends' Bosch. Not saying its equivalent, but I honestly think it has been definitely worth the 1/5x investment that the Bosh would have been.
I actually like their quiet compressor. It works well (for a DIY'er). I'm also going to pick up some of the parallel clamps after a few woodworkers I trust reviewed it. But I would never pick up drill bits, chisels etc.
I bought my HF tool, a vice, 25-30 yrs ago when they were mail order only. Glad to hear your support for them.
We have purchased a 4 unit apt. house and I started buying tools for this house. I chose the Bauer 20V line because I won't be using these every day but only when needed. I now have about 15 of their 20V tools ranging from chain saws to sanders and I am extremely satisfied and impressed with the quality and performance. Not one of those tools have crapped out on me, brushed or brushless.
I have been using some Harbor Freight tools for decades. I have the philosophy that expendable tools (I.E. welding clamps) are a good deal to buy at Harbor Freight because they are going to be abused from the welding process and so spending 2 to 3 times more for Vise Grips is crazy. Also, 30 to 40 years ago I bought a 4" angle grinder from Harbor Freight. When I got it, I opened the gear box and there was almost NO grease in it. I added grease and that grinder is STILL working for me in my blacksmithing shop today. I have recently bought a Bauer 1/2" electric impact gun and I have used it once so far. It seems pretty solid and works good although it is fairly heavy. It's great to hear that they are "Upping" their game. I look forward to seeing more.
As a General Contractor in business for over 30 years, here is my take on the Harbor Freight Tool Issue. For tools that I use in my business on daily basis (such as cordless drills & saws) I switched to Milwaukee about 5 years ago and am extremely happy. They are my "GO TO" tool. In my opinion, they are by far the best cordless tool that I've used (and I've used ryobi, makita; porter cable; craftsman; & dewalt). If I land a project, that requires a tool I don't own & probably won't use again, then I will buy HF as a "disposable tool" that I will be happy if it just completes the project.
While some of the tools have been "total crap", surprisingly most have been decent. As an example, 2o years ago when I built my house, I installed all the tile to save money. I usually subcontract the tile work, though occasionally if it's a small job I will do the work. Anyway, I couldn't justify spending $1500 for an M-K tile saw & bought the $250 Chicago Tools tile saw (HF). It wasn't the highest quality, & I had to make adjustments to blade watering system & the alignment of the sliding table, but it "still got the job done", That saw worked adequately for over 15 years, so I'd say that I got my moneys worth. In fact a few years ago when it finally broke, I bought another one. It has been improved & didn't require any adjustments on my part. Using a high quality tile blade is a necessity though.
Have been an employee of several sub contractors for a couple decades & strongly agree the red cordless tools are consistently the best of breed. Ridgid & Makita are generally next best, for most tools I wouldn't hesitate to buy anything made by the 3.
Worth mentioning directtools generally has a Ridgid tile saw that qualifies for lifetime service and costs less than what you paid at HF, not to mention you don't have to make a small handful of minor adjustments.
Heard an interview with a Ryobi higher-up a couple years ago. He said Ryobi is a "Battery Company," not a tool company. Their ever-widening product line is merely a vehicle to drive battery sales to a broader market. That was an interesting point of view, I hadn't realized.
I've been using the Baur (?sp) line for a few years with no complaints (the screw gun/drill). The only thing I've done was upgrade to their larger battery. 8 months ago, I purchased the cordless hot glue gun... Freaking love it!
And I've had their floor drill press for about 5 years with no issues. I don't *love* Harbor Freight, but some tools and consumables are worth buying.
Been running Bauer cordless tools for over 4 years, love them. I also love my multiprocess titanium 200 welder.
I tend to stay away from HF power tools, and have for years. I did however bite the bullet and purchase the Hercules mitre saw because of the overwhelming comments. I would say it is as good as any mitre saw I have ever used. Well made, stout and accurate, I am very pleasantly surprised. The other thing I have purchased are their floor model tool boxes. Again, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the boxes, and would buy them again. I have also purchased a couple of Bauer tools to get me by, but if they continue to improve on their quality of products, I agree that they will start stripping some of the market share from other makers and big box stores.
You said it Izzy. I break tools… give me a “make payments for the rest of your life” Crap-on, and I’ll break it nearly as quickly as the $19.95 Harbor Freight Chineseium special.
The difference is I don’t have to wait weeks or months to get a replacement HF.
I took a Craftsman wrench into Lowes, they gave me a 800 number, a month later I had a replacement wrench by mail, same with Kobalt.
Harbor freight didn’t have the exact model breaker bar I broke, they gave me my choice of a replacement.
They’re gonna kill the competition.
I have a few hand tools and f style clamps from hf that have done a great job and my son in law who does maintenance and welding has been using harbor freight cordless tools for a while. He has tried to convince me to try them but I have been hung up on the stigma that they were substandard because they were not one of the big name brands. With that said I was in my local store the other day looking at the Hercules compound miter saw and it seems super nice and well built. I had watched a video about deflection and thought I would check it. Mabel I wasn’t trying hard enough but at full extension I could not get it to show any noticeable movement. Thanks for the video.
Judgement based on working experience is great.
Tool tear-down comparisons is also pretty informative!
I'm pretty deem into the Bauer line, and I really dig it. Haven't had any problems, everything has done exactly what I've asked of it
Me too. I'm a full time handyman, and the Bauer line is everyday workhorse. their little dust buster style vac is trash, and I've had the depth set lever wear out on two circular saws, but other than that they have taken a beating and keep going.
Being on a tight tool budget, I have several Harbor Freight tools and have been generally satisfied. The Bauer SDS hammer drill, small circ saw, Fortress compressor have all been great. The first central tool compressor was so loud that I couldn't use it in my shop. The Predator generator has been super reliable. Their Pelican style boxes are outstanding and I have several sizes for various cameras and electronic equipment.
I agree with you, all you have to do is look at the Bauer brushless impact driver and how it out performs some of the name brands or keep up with others. My point is that Hercules is there flagship so it's going to be more powerful than that Bauer impact driver in my opinion.👍
I needed to replace a 12V drill that I use for pilot holes, it's not a drill/driver, no clutch. I looked at specs for a number of lightweight, compact drills, battery tech didn't lock me in because this is my only 12v. Semi-retired mechanical engineer so specs are meaningful. I chose a Hercules. I went in HF to get cutting boards, which I use for HMW strips, took home a flyer and made my selection.
I’ve had their old Chicago electric tile/brick saw for 15 years and that thing still cuts 4” brick like a champ
I think they do have a shot at grabbing a bigger market share, even if they have tools that are only slightly better than they have been. The 1300 locations are, in my experience, generally smaller than Lowe's or Home Depot. They have less staff, less square footage, and ZERO garden space. This means they have lower overhead, and can make higher profits even on lower margins. They also email me just about every day. I don't always read the ems, but I occasionally do if it's something I want. That's way more often then I ever read an HD email. If the tools are Rigid equivalent, with a no BS 5 year warranty and cheap batteries, I'm there.
I think you’re spot on. HF is geared up for fair, good, best. They’re becoming the replacement for Sears/Craftsman.
I'm mostly interested in HF's consumables and accessories. The Chicago Electric tools are good enough for most applications. Had a multitool that gave up the ghost a few years ago, but I put it through a few beatings. It's hard to be competitive, but the Hercules line has some of my attention. They need to expand. There is little to no innovation from the major brands atm so it's a good time to catch up.
Interstingly I have seen several youtubers reviewing Hercules and saying what you are saying about the quality and performance of Hercules tools. There drop tests, speed tests… going on. Typically it is prohibitive to jump lines because of battery cost, well if that isn’t an issue…. Also interesting to hear about the development team Harbor Freight snatched up
*snapped-up
@@9and7 snatched up is a perfectly good and well known phrase
Surprised I've not seen this at the top, but Project farm channel has compared a lot of harbor freight tools vs the "big names" so if you want apples to apples comparisons (including battery duration and motor strength) you can probably find it there. Hard numbers vs anecdotal.
My two cents worth from an old duffer. I live in rural Nebraska and have helped with harvest several seasons. The farmers I helped used John Deere combines and would have JD technicians, mechanics, come out on service calls. These men were highly trained professionals and techs often were SnapOn or Mac tool guys. I was surprised to see an abundance of Pittsburgh wrenches and sockets. They told me the quality was good and if it broke HF would replace it. For professional mechanics to buy and use Pittsburgh was a very positive testimony!
I have several HF tools and have been really liking their Breeman clamps. Also just bought their 9inch bandsaw and it works great for me. The 12v Hercules line is something I've been looking at and may try it because of this video.
Their 12" Hercules double bevel sliding miter saw is as good as anything out there for twice the price, and better than some of the big names. I returned a Ridgid due to poor quality and bought the Hercules.
@@DonsWoodies Good to know, I'm planning on upgrading my mitersaw in a few months.
I’ve been a contractor for the last 28 years. I’ve been through all the manufacturers of cordless tools. I’ve switched to Bauer tools. The batteries are stronger than the tool sometimes. I’ve twisted the case of a drill in half before the battery stopped. Harbor freight has replaced two hammer drills and a reciprocating saw so far no charge. I have about 15-20 different tools from drills to pole saws to chainsaws. You’re right that other people laugh when you show up with Harbor Freight tools but they do the job. I recently bought a small electric chainsaw and bought the warranty because they said it covered the chain if it became dull( they said I would just get a Whole new saw not just a chain)
I still have a 1/2 hp bench grinder that I bought for $20 in the early 90s for from HF when they had a sale at a local Elks Lodge. Still works just fine. I've bought many tools including their thickness planer and 9k watt Predator gas generator and have had no issues with any of them. I even recently stopped buying the extended warranties.
At work, I have access to all of the big name equipment. At home, I'm a DIY weekend warrior home owner. I'm slowly, one piece at a time, going from mix and match NiCd tools that are aging over to the Bauer line. I think we have all figured out that you're really marrying a battery type. At this point I have 3 Bauer chargers - one in the basement, one in the garage, and the 3rd still unopened. I also have 3 batteries: 2 x 5AH and 1 x 3 AH. The 3AH came with one of the tools in the kit. I've got a one acre lot with fencing, a bunch of trees and a few flower beds scattered around the yard. One of the 5AH batteries will usually run the string trimmer to do the whole yard, unless I've let it get too grown up, then I may have to switch to a 2nd battery. As far as the drill and driver, the batteries last longer than I usually want to work on a given day. I've built my grandkids a set of bunk beds, rebuilt my deck using composite and hidden fasteners. Still going strong. The HF table saw isn't the greatest, and I have to take a little extra time to make sure things are all square. Sliding miter saw made consistent cuts on the decking, and is holding up well. The bottom line, and I think this goes for any tool: they have done everything that I've asked from them.
Ahhhh….still remember the sight and smell when I walked into a HF store. I felt like a kid in a candy store during Christmas. I could never resist buying something, whether or not I needed it (and almost always these things come in handy later). Glad to see HF upping their tool lines. I wish the HF stores were closer to me.
The battery operated tool world has exploded in the last 10 to 20 years. I remember that my first battery operated drill was a Makita. That was over 20 years ago. One of the reasons I changed brands was battery voltage, amperage, and life. We went from 9 volt to 12, 18, 20, and 36 volt. Then something interesting happened. You could buy the tool without the battery for a considerable discount. Now, I am a DIY'er and also a tool freak. I need to have one of each. Not having to buy with the batteries allows me to buy more tools that I will need once or twice a year. Currently I am full up with Dewalt. It would be expensive for me to buy another brand.
Been a dewalt guy my whole life, 2 years ago I was in a bind needed a second 1/4 impact driver, swung in and picked up the Hercules 18v. Running side by side with my DeWalt 20 volt driver (which was also new). The Hercules outperformed it all day long. I have since switched all my power tools over to Hercules. They flat out outperform DeWalt, and the batteries are half the cost.
I recently bought some of the Breman parallel clamps, they work great. I also have many of their high quality sockets and wrenches that I have used for years with no problems. Since I am a weekend woodworker, the power tools I have bought I used until they failed, which wasn't long. I usually buy a warranty with them just so I can get a few more months out of another tool. I hope they actually do improve their quality in power tools.
I bought 3 x 24” Bremen parallel clamps this past weekend for an upcoming project after seeing a parallel clamp review by 731 Woodworks and also getting a warmer fuzzy for HF clamps recently.
I've become a strong advocate of the Bauer 20V line for the do-it-yourselfer. I have a bunch of their stuff - drill, hammer drill, jigsaw, circular saw, sawsall, oscillating tool, orbital sander, regular sander, air pump, vacuum cleaner, leaf blower, weed whacker. I love just about all of them. You can't beat the price, and it's SO super handy to have all of those tools sharing a common battery platform. I've only had one tool failure. That was an orbital sander that I used to sand every square inch of my 36x30 extra-tall garage prior to painting. It doesn't have any kind of valve between the dust bag and the motor. I turned it upside down too many times, and got crap in the motor and fried it. A better design would have helped, but for a $34 tool, I just said "so what!" tossed it, and bought another. I don't think I'd recommend this whole line for a pro, but for a hardcore do-it-yourselfer who spends weekends, evenings and vacation time with power tools in his hand, they've done me fine, and saved me a TON of money.
What you're going to end up seeing is a huge release of tools at a higher price point. I wouldn't be surprised if HF is going after Ryobi's market...and they'll price accordingly. They've already done similar with some of their other lines. Look at how much the tool boxes have gone up recently, with efforts to go after Snap-on and MAC.
Funny thing is, many people still think Milwaukee is a US company but it is foreign owned. On the other hand, Harbor Freight is a privately owned US company. Imagine if they were to start supplying tools in the US. That would make things interesting.
Amateur woodworker here. I use Ridgid stationary and DeWalt power tools. I tried a Bauer sander after a DeWalt crapped out and was impressed. Since then I've expanded on the Bauer tools - what I really like is what you mentioned - battery costs are significantly lower. Their quality meets my needs and it looks like they are really moving on from their old brand names (Chicago and Central Machinery). If they continue to get better, they'll drag the rest of the tool industry with them. Competition improves the breed.
I have switched over to the Rigid tool line because of the lifetime warranty. it's hard to beat that.
Thanks for your insights on this subject. I think you are correct. I am not a Habor Freight guy either, but I have bought a Bauer cordless tool for the first time - three months ago. I did this for the same reasons you stated - (1) battery cost and (2) perceived tool quality. I own Dewalt, Ryobi and Craftsman cordless tools. I buy third party batteries for my Dewalt and Craftsman tools to keep costs down. I have been very impressed with the feature set and build quality of my Bauer tool in addition to the lower cost for Bauer batteries. My future cordless tool purchases will be with Bauer and maybe Hercules. Nice to know that my decision process was consistent with a professional, like you! Thank you.
Izzy, I am now 65, I had lots of contractors in my family, whan I was growing up, I saw them try out all the brands, as their companies grew bigger, it was not uncommon to see them with 2 or 3 trucks dedicated and just full of tools, like 50 impacts, 50 drills, 75 handsaws.... all per truck, and when they sold their companies and went on their pension, most of the tools they had were Makita and Bosch, so at my age, I have mostly Makita battery tools and boch and Makita corded tools, I wont change, plus there is no Harbor Freight in Canada... Cheers!
I think they will start grabbing a large share and, if the tool quality steps up, deservedly so.
Let's face it, there will always be purists who eschew the brand simply due to the history. But there will also be those who move past that and concern themselves more with a deal on a quality tool if it meets their needs.
I actually bought their Hercules 12" dual bevel sliding compound miter. Just for fun I checked it straight out of the box and, at full extension, it was only 1/10 degree out. It's a work horse, but didn't break the bank.
thank you for the reply we will check them out
I did construction for the military for 12 years. We got all the top of the line manufacturers. Being a poor enlisted guy, there was no way I was buying a nice $150 drill from DeWalt. I was talking to my stepdad about it and he asked why I didn't buy at Harbor Freight. He made the great point that his drill could burn up and need to be replaced 4 or 5 times before it equalled the cost of a DeWalt (or other high end brand.) A 5 year warranty would be a game changer.
I was watching another channel testing chainsaw sharpeners. Oregon makes theirs in China as does Harbor Freight (Chicago Electric). It got me thinking about how off brand things are often made in the same factory with very minor differences...
I bought a bunch of the Bauer tools with income taxes. Pole saw, hedger, hammer drill(snappy little thing), usb power pack.
Outside the power tool line-up I have bought socket sets, 20 ton air over hydraulic jack, belt grinder(needed a lot of love to get setup and be decent)
I intend to buy their mini metal lathe. And other stuff as I need it in the future.
I love their warranty. As long as it's in date they go and pull a new one off the shelf for you. (What I use to love about sears till they sold craftsman)
Before I took the plunge, I watched a bunch of comparison vids between DeWalt, Hercules and Milwaukee's. Milwaukee always came out on top, but they are also the most expensive. But several times Hercules was either even with DeWalt or nipping at their heels and at 2/3 the cost or less. I got the Hercules 12" compound miter saw and some of the 18v power tools and have had no complaints. The Bauer random orbit sanders are available for $20 from time to time and I have a few of them. not one of them has gone bad on me.
It should be interesting to see. I know here in Canada we have Canadian Tire and they have made a game changer in their stores where their cordless tools and other products share a single battery platform. So I definitely agree there's big things coming in the tool industry and most of it won't be from the tool giants.
Izzy you are the man and I value your input. I too have never been a HR guy until recently just dabbling in things here and there. I just built my first-ever wood shop and was relegating my corded tools to the shop as I have gone ALL-IN on Milwaukee cordless for my day job of being a deck and porch builder. I might have to rethink the cordless option of HR for the shop.
I agree....I go there for many items...except wood working tools .... power saws...band saw....lathe...etc. Great for hand tools, drill bits, and such. Bought two of their 2000W generators and parallel kit (on sale) for my camper....fantastic generators.
I was gifted a 20v 1/2 Bauer impact and extra battery for Christmas. So when I need a drill I went to look at the Bauer line. And they felt well built and balanced. It’s been six years and I don’t have a complaint.
I found HFT a little over 5 years ago and I've bought most everything there ever since. When they brought out their Bauer line I went all in. I had tools from 7 different brands and about 10 different battery platforms. I've sold almost all of it and replaced it with Bauer. Having all or most of your tools use one battery platform is a game changer and makes the work much more fun.
I put them on par with Ryobi and Craftsman and they are perfect for weekend warriors like myself. If I were in the trades professionally, I'd have no qualms about using their Hercules line over Dewalt, Milwaukee, and Makita.
They are of similar quality and even if not exactly on par, it's close enough for a lot less money.
Part of the reason they were cheaper was the lack of warranty. The big brands aren't giving you that warranty for free. Even if you paid extra for HFT's warranty you still save a lot of money. My fear is if they are including that warranty now, how much more will you end up paying for the tool?
HF is owned by a family and for a long time run by the father and a son. The father wanted cheap, cheap, cheap products while the son wanted quality. For years the father had his way, but he passed away several years ago and ever since then HF has been improving their quality. But as Izzy mentioned, they have years worth of "cheap" reputation to overcome, so they couldn't just go premium all at once, it has been a slow and methodical transition dropping the worst line of tools and bringing something a little nicer in. Then doing the same thing again and again until we are at the point we are at now.
I gotta say, I’ve bought HF tools for years, and they’ve always done their job. I have to agree with you here. My recent purchases have been comparable to my Dewalt setup( because once you buy batteries your kind of IN) great vid.
I WAS a DeWalt guy! And yes, I was skeptical about harbour freight tools. But my DeWalt batteries died on me about 3 yrs ago, and there was now we're close to go for a battery. But there was a harbour freight just down the road. So I bought it thinking I would throw it away after that job. I can tell you I still have it, and my DeWalt with new batteries. My go to is the Hercules. I would put that up against my DeWalt any day. I can't say anything about the rest of the Hercules line, or even the bower line. But that impact is the best purchase I've made from harbour freight.
I've found similar results with mechanics tools sockets and wrenches etc .. the harbor freight line is much better than ever has been in the past and for the price point you can spend $200 and get what probably will take you $2,000 to buy from a snap-on truck. I've got a couple of friends that exclusively use the Hercules tools and have had great luck with those as well.
The newer tools work well but they have way too many brands with different batteries. Bauer, Hercules, warrior, earthquake, Chicago electric, drill master, etc. I wish they would fully commit to just a few brands and expand the line of tools for those brands only.
I've been saying for several years, that hf was going after the tool market that sears/craftsman sold to Lowes. I've not yet used their new cordless stuff, I'm financially committed to Milwaukee for my plumbing business. Having said that I have been reluctantly impressed by what I continue to see hf put out.
I've purchased, in thel last few months, a number of HB toosls (all corded bauer)
A sander, a trim router, and a jigsaw.
I've been perfectly satisfied with each.
The only reason I have opted out of their cordless tools is I haven't wanted to buy into yet another line of batteries!
Looks like it may be time to rethink.
Things keep changing. Great video Izzy. Honest review for sure!
Thank you!
I bought the Hercules 12-inch compound miter saw and it is great. Their Bauer line ain't no slouch either. I am a hard-core Harbor Freight fan. From clamps to tape to gloves even micro fabric cloths. They have one particular tool stand that I buy and add a 3/4-inch plywood top to for added strength then add casters and you have cheap very strong and sturdy mobile carts for any tool you want to mount on it. It is advertised to support up to 500 pounds and is currently $42. I like them so well I currently have 3 still in the box that I haven't put together yet bui I have them ready when I want them.
My father in law was always a craftsman too guy ,he would not buy anything else. He was a fool and die man for 45 years at a company named Diamond Chain. He used to get on me for buying my tools from Harbor Freight and I told him to check them out ,their hand tools are great you can spend a little on them are you can spend more . It all depends on what you want. He now buys all his tools and power tools from them. I'm not a professional mechanic just a backyard guy who has to work on my family's car.
Over 10 years ago, probably at least 15, I bought a corded belt sander from HF. It used a 4x24 belt. It appeared to be a Makita copy. I haved used it ever since. It performs very well. The only problem I had was with the switch. I also bought their original multitool. And I still use it. But after that period, their power tools became pretty bad and I have not bought anymore that have been much good. I have now moved on to other companies and don't plan to go back. I do still get other items there though.
I wonder why the Makita batteries are so expensive over there. Here in the Netherlands they're about $70 including tax. It might also be worth it to have the batteries refurbished, replacing the battery cells isn't rocket science and there are many companies around that can do that and replace them with similar (or higher quality) cells.
My DeWalt 20v inflator (one of my favorite tools) was left out in the rain this summer. I had a really hard time justifying the purchase of $130+ tool again. I ended up buying the Bauer cordless inflator, small battery & charger for less than $60 with tax. Now, it's nowhere near as fancy as the DeWalt *AND* doesn't do high volume inflation (HF sells a separate tool for that) but it works for the basic function of inflating tires. It's also much smaller and handier than the DeWalt. I figured this was a way to dip my toe into the Bauer line for certain tools I won't use quite as often.
it doesn’t help that “national brands” have dropped their balls when it comes to that infamous words such as , first of all , customer loyalty , prestige, reputation and quality! , and as always , love your honest , on point education , advise and knowledge!🙏👌👍
They buy customer loyalty with batteries. "Give" one or two away with the tool then sell the blades. As I said above, I do mostly Bosch and have found it cheaper to wait for sales, then buy tool kits with batteries and a charger, than the batteries alone.
@@kwilliams2239 turkey day is a coming soon!😁
I recently did a quick price comp on my favorite bosch 12v drill driver combo (batteries included) to hercules drill driver (sold separately) 12v (no batteries included) and after you added in batts the price was basically the same.
They will start offering kicks soon with lower prices, and the battery replacement is where the big saving will come from and the new return policy makes it better bet most tools don't have that's kind of replacement.
I recently bought a Hercules 12" sliding compound miter saw and 20v drill. I have used multiple Dewalt for years and the battery cost is outrageous. So far the Hercules have performed just as well as any Dewalt that I have owned. My next Hercules purchase will be the small 1/2" 20v impact wrench and the impact driver.
I'm also a Makita guy. Full shop complement of brushless models and 12 or 14 batteries, etc... (serious DIY guy here). Some Bosch (love their 12v screwdriver), and I also have some Ryobi stuff for the garden but it is items Makita does not make. I do have some HF stuff, but it's mostly low end stuff to beat up (ie, corded grinders, set up each one and leave it).
Harbor Freight: The power products that I have bought is the Atlas lawn and garden tools. I've bought a lawn mower, weed eater, and chainsaw. The lawn mower and weed eater are off the chain while the chainsaw sucks. The problem with the chainsaw that after 10 to 15 cuts, the battery is gone. I can cut 2 normal sized lawns with the mower before the battery needs charging.
Izzy - great back to basics vid. I too have noticed a significant increase in quality over the past 9 months. 2 things come to mind. The Bremen line of clamps which function every bit as well as Bessey, Pony et Al at a 1/3 of the price. Next is the Bauer shop vac. I was in a bind and picked up a 5hp for $40! The darn thing is every bit as good as my high dollar Stanley 6hp and blows (well sucks) 2x better than the almost similarly priced 3hp Ridgid. I’ve been slowly moving off my Ridgid platform to others but haven’t committed to a new platform yet. HF absolutely knows it will take a lot to convince folks to move to another platform. And the other big guys know this as well, hence the reason why we are continuing to see drastically reduced bundle prices form Milwaukee DeWalt Bosch Makita etc. When they make the BiG Splash- expect some drastic moves by the mid tier guys to compete.
I have used a lot of different brands of shop vacs over the years. Bought a Bauer and it beats the others hands down.