So Fun Fact: When I worked at Harbor Freight, one of our selling points for Hercules Brand tools is that a whole team of designers had left DeWalt to work for Hercules. The tools them selves are made by a company that is owned by Botch. Any manufacturing discrepancies are covered under warrantee along with just plain user error, and if there's an odd difference in how something works that because of patent protections.
I started my apprenticeship in the 60’s, went from journeyman carpenter to general contractor, now retired. Now I have a small wood working workshop and help out the my kids with their projects.I have had the opportunity to own and use tools from all the different manufactures.Over the past 10 years or so, I have been replacing slowly replacing my old worn out favorite tools with the Hercules brand from Harbor Freight. This brand is just as good, most times better than the big name brand ones we’re used too. My father taught me to always take care of your tools and they will take care of you. Take the time to learn how to properly and safely use the tool they won’t let you down.
Yea. When I got into heavy industrial maintenance (foundry) HF was about all I could afford. I still have those original hand tools and sockets and the only ones that were "bad" were ones that got worn out from hundreds of thousands of impacts over almost 20 years. And HF has replaced them every time.
@@pantango5503you won’t go wrong with Hercules planer. It’s made in the dewalt factory as is all the Hercules tools. Just the color of the plastic is different and the motors on Hercules have been modified to keep dust out of the brushes/brushless motors
I've been using HF for years. 20 years ago, their power tools were orange Central Machinery, and totally useless. The brush material was much too soft. They even started including an extra set of brushes with each. Now they have Bower and Hercules. I've used both, and they work great. I tend to lean towards Hercules most of the time. I've got their rotary hammer drill / jack hammer one size down from the largest. It has worked great for me. I get lots of my consumables and mechanic tools there as well. I highly recommend them.
Matthew, I've been a fan of HF clamps for almost 15 years. They are sturdy, made well, easy operation, and relatively cheap. The best point is they have a LIFETIME warranty. I've broken several bar clamps and quick clamps and HF has replaced each one without comment. About 7 years ago I started replacing my small power tools (drills & drivers, recip saw, ROS, circ saw, jig saw) and settled on the HF BAUER brand. I had problems with the batteries (all cordless units) for a while with not charging or wearing out too fast. I wrote to HF's president with full details of issues and he responded with new set of 9 batteries and three charging stations. No questions asked. THAT is the type of customer service and support I appreciate. The spring on my bench top drill press broke (raises quill after drilling) and HF does not have repair parts. The local store manager replaced the whole machine. No complaints on customer service here. HF is getting better every year. I intend to keep using them for good tools and supplies at reasonable prices.
I usually have good luck with everything I get at HF. I use the Pittsburgh black bar clamps and they work great. My black and decker drill battery charger quit working back in the summer. It was late and I had to have a drill so I went to Walmart and got a hyper tough corded drill it burnt up after 2 days. I went to HF and got a warrior corded drill used it 90 days pretty heavy it quit working and I took it back and swapped it. It was 91 days so the store warranty was over but they went ahead and honored it. And the next one I got has worked fine ever since.
As a general contractor for 38 years, you’re constantly replacing your tools and in today’s world things are always getting stolen started buying Harbor freight tools. They were just as good and the thieves don’t want them.
I live on a county line. Two cities equal distance from my farm. Now, they both have a HF store. Just depends on my reason for going to town , on whether I go south or north
I'm a newbie Lady woodworker and have the same Hercules miter saw and love it. I bought it to rebuild my home after Hurricane Ian - I've used it for everything from Crown Moulding to building cabinets. It cuts perfectly every time. After almost two years, I just changed the factory blade out only because I destroyed it cutting some James Hardie Cement board with it. The motor handled that cement board like a champ even with the wrong blade on it. It really is a beast!
😂😂😂 factory blade on Hardieboard!!! There are actually specialized blades for all manner of cement board types. ... but you may not have known that. My slider is just a 10". I only use it on job sites. I use Bauer 60T for all but trim work. There I use an 80T Freud Industrial made for miter/radial arm saws. Spendy? Well...because there's enough carbide in the tips, it can be sharpened several times.
I really appreciate your thorough analysis. I very much like the way you compare the motors and the belts under the hood so to speak. Excellent job. Thank you!
I do building maintenance in a 50,000 square foot building. I’ve owned multiple Hercules corded and cordless tools for 2 years now with never a failure. Most of the tools are used multiple times a day and I’ve never had any issues with them ever. Harbor freight has stepped up their game substantially with the Hercules line.
@@BubuH-cq6km lol, you must smell it in your comment then, because I have never had any problems with any Hercules tools. I might also add it’s a private Christian school, and I’m also the high school shop teacher. My shop students also use these tools and never any failures in the 2 years we have used them.
@@BubuH-cq6km No..... YOU, smell........... of *"Troll-ism."* What’s interesting about (you people/trolls) & your alcoholism, is that just a few years before the infamous potato famine, Ireland was the site of a massively successful temperance campaign led by the noted Catholic priest, Theobald Mathew. So successful was this campaign that between 1838 and 1841, their national alcohol consumption was cut in half.
@rogerjustice8835 I've been working in building maintenance in one of the largest military hospitals for 10 years now, mostly on HVAC systems, but have recently moved up to the boilers and chillers too. Most of my toolbox is filled with HF tools. My impact and driver are Hercules, all my large box wrenches, and no complaints.
I watch your channel because I have a small woodshop. Over the last few years of using many brands, i now use Hercules. IMO they are as reliable as any other brand and at a cheaper price. I use the Hercules tools daily like the sliding miter saw, planer, and table saw along with hand power tools. I've not had any issues.
I bought the old sliding saw 15 years ago and it still works and I have tried to destroy it. Best Buy I have ever got from harbor freight. I do put blades in it.
@@MatthewPeechWoodworking If you have any pull with harbor freight, please ask them to bring back the 12 inch non-sliding Hercules miter saw - it's perfect for 90% of most cuts, more compact and more accurate.
My dad always taught me "buy cheap tools, then replace them with good tools" The thought was why spend lots of money on something you might only use once or twice, but if you use it enough to wear it out, then replace it with something much better. That lesson has served me well over the last 30 years. I have a number of HF tools that are still going strong that would have been twice as much to have bought them at HD or Lowes. A few tools I have had to replace, and when I did, I looked at how long I had it, and then decided if cheap was still the way to go or not. I replaced a wooden mallet last year that had served me off an on for 5 years. went cheap again. Replaced some chisels after six months, went expensive on those.
As a 20 year commercial/industrial electrician I was married to Milwaukee but have been switching to Bauer for home use with good results. Thanks for the videos and feedback.
I bought a Bauer (next step down) miter saw when I started building my 70' x 30' (with 12' walls) board and batten pole building. EVERY piece of rough cut lumber (boards, battens, girts, purlins, 4x6 poles) used in that building was cut AT LEAST twice (as I had to square both ends AND cut lengths). 12" boards, 3" battens I used ONE blade and it still works like a beast. I was blown away. I have used other HF tools in the build as well and actually call the building my "Harbor Freight" build, lol!!!
A few years ago I read an article where Harbor Freight leadership had shifted directions and they brought in executives/engineers from the name brands to improve the quality of their offerings - looks like the fruit of that vision is now evident
I never really had problems with their hand tools, even way back. But it was their power tools that had a lot of cut corners and issues. Some examples I still recall: Air tools (all) - they were basically on/off, no throttling. Still an issue on their grinders unfortunately. Power tools - bad motor design. Were not meant in the least to operate under extended load and when they did, they got hot enough to damage unprotected elements Basically any air or electric tool - poor bearing design and selection. - EXTREMELY prone to contamination and therefore early failure. It was pretty obvious trade off though. $10 air grinder for the occasional use vs paying $180+ for the next competitor. If you weren't going to be using the tool all the time as a core function, then it was usually the better financial decision. Their blades and discs were also relatively junk. Everywhere I've working in the last 20 years supplies cutoff wheels, grinding wheels, flap discs, etc so I've never bothered going back to try HFs.
My son was building a house and his contractor quit on him before finishing. We went bought the Hercules 12" compact miter saw and was very pleased with it. We installed 2900 sq ft of LVP, cut lumber, treated lumber, trim and other with it. After about 4 or 5 months of use we bought another blade for it. Highly recommend this saw.
I've been a Harbor Freight customer since the 1980's before they had brick and mortar stores, they would call you in the evenings, ask if you needed anything. Bought a lot of abrasive cutting wheels, grinding wheels, etc from them. Sometimes they were very good quality, sometimes not so much, but they were so cheap it was always worth the gamble. When we moved to where we live now back in 1999, I bought the 12 speed floor drill press for $185 with the coupons (back then the coupons were awesome... you could stack them, combine them, it was great!!) That Drill press has drilled a lot of holes, and is still going strong today, no issues with it except when mud daubers built one of their condominiums inside the motor. But I took the motor apart, cleaned it all out, lubed the bearings, and it's still working fine today. I'll stick my neck out and say that the Hercules cordless tools are on par with Big Yellow and even Big Red... with MUCH better warranty, for fraction of the price. And the batteries are excellent quality also and much much more reasonably priced than Big Red and Big Yellow. There's not much at HF anymore that I would consider a "gamble" to buy, except for the very lowest tier power tools (Warrior, etc.) The rule of "You get what you pay for" still applies there. I love Harbor Freight!
I remember they had a catalog, and they had an American made Quincy air compressor for a great price. I had already bought the model somewhere else, before seeing it in the Harbor Frieght catalog, but I would have bought it. I did buy a Granberg Alaskan mill from Harbor Frieght, back in the early 90s.
@@richtomlinson7090 The catalog! I still remember that! It was like the "Toys R Us" catalog for men! I miss that catalog. ...and those 20% 25% and 30% coupons.
Got a warrior rotary tool($5. Came with a bunch of accessories too)and used it mercilessly. When I put too much stress on it..overheat and back on in seconds. Still have it.
I have the Bauer 12 inch dual bevel miter saw. I love it. It's been running everyday for over a year now. Cuts just as tight as the Dewalt I replaced with it. I absolutely love the Bauer 20 volt tools. They run forever on a charge. The batteries are a ton cheaper and they take abuse excellently. I'm going to brag about the 1/2 inch hammer drill. I did a job where I had to drill 250 1/4 holes 5 inches deep in concrete. My drill was 3 years old and it drilled every hole and the only problem it grew is now the chuck likes to loosen up. I still use it for all my hand drilling. I bought one to replace it and haven't opened it yet.
Started building my tool inventory about 4 years ago with Harbor Freight. At 66, a gal, I wanted to do woodwork 'stuff'. Started with a scroll saw, now have the lesser expensive band saw but it works great cutting things thin or ripping small boards (needed a 3/16" shave off a 2x2" board for threshold). Got their 8" drill press which I've made countless cribbage boards on, but just went up to the 12" Bauer Drill Press for larger boards (it ROCKS). Small Bauer cordless drill for light duty everywhere in the house. 2 maple Workbenches with drawers, put on casters, so I can put 'em back to back for working on large items (also put under table mounted router on one end). I've built a rolling plywood/sheetrock holder that swings out from the wall, ceiling mounted shelving, and so much more I can't remember now. I also have many Ryobi tools cuz I had the batteries, but if I started over again, I'd probably just get the HF ones. You know, you're going to make me go back and spend more money. I REALLY want that saw! I'll keep a watch for a sale.
The HF belt sander sandpaper is great. I bought 50 grit for initial sanding when a lot of material had to be removed. The HF dust collector has been working well in my shop for over 6 years. I have added a super dust deputy from Oneida to collect most dust and chips so I seldom have to empty the plastic bag. I added the Wynn filter to replace the exhaust bag,but that isn't necessary.
I'm quite glad you reflected openly and honestly about this! I have found myself, being a retired Air Force Mechanic, there are just some tools you need to spend money on. However, the reality is that HF has sincerely changed that game. Literally. Not everything is a win, but it's not SUPPOSED to be! HF has a metric and price point for their marketing concept and it's to sell 5X as many tools because they're affordable! They do this and as of the last 5 years, their product quality in turn has ALSO quantified for the better. Their warranties are even BETTER than the big box stores so overall, 9/10 you can get a win with HF because you can walk back in a get a direct replacement as you mentioned and be done. Big Box stores don't do that anymore! I'm a HF fan and not even shy about it.
Exactly right. Was quoted 500$ to have my motorcycle tires changed, after I quit laughing at dude, I went 3 blocks to H,F bought a Mcgraw pancake compressor, motorcycle tire bead breaker, hose and nozzle pack for compressor, 4 tire irons and bead lube all for just over 100$ and laughed at dude again when I went by with the compressor strapped to my sissybar, took me only 3 hours😊🎉👍🏆🇺🇸
Im a 69 yr old woman who does wood crafts and I have been buying my power tools and pin nailer and Brad nailer, from Harbor Freight I've bought their drills and bits and never had any problems with anything, i also buy Ryobi products with no problems.
If you’re doing any drywall work the Bauer drywall sander is not to be missed. You will need a good vacuum with filter and bag,but a real timesaver. As mentioned, sandpaper isn’t great but it is cheap.
I justified buying the Hercules miter saw when I replaced the flooring in my house. It made the 'wood' floor installation easy and basically paid for itself as I did the floor by myself, instead of hiring someone. Since, then I've used on ~10 other projects. Great tool, I'm totally happy with mine.
I own a fair number of HF tools and am pretty satisfied with most. I’ve bought a few bad wrenches and screwdrivers that were crap, but they were on the cheap end of cheap. Some of their hose clamps were very disappointing, teeth slipped before they were tight. Also have had some zip ties that failed easier than I thought they should. HF is my go to for driveway alarms, battery (not solar) motion lights, and Drummond shallow well pump with pressure tank. Apparently you can’t fix the pressure tank if it springs a leak, but the only one I’ve had leak was one that froze WTH water in it.
I’m watching the vid and even taking notes. Then I come to the comment section to see what other folks are recommending. I read this comment and “awesome!”, that’s been my experience exactly! Then I noticed it was the comment I wrote only two months ago.😂.- no recollection whatsoever. OK, I promise not to run for President.
I purchased several of the clamps based on this video and I’m not disappointed! I went to a local box retailer the next and was amazed at the price markups, corporate greed. The HF clamps work great and I have no regrets purchasing them. Thanks Matt for an honest review!
Precision is where I find the difference in store brand vs name brand. I would be interested in a video of you setting it up, checking the ease and accuracy of set up. Will it stay accurate during use. Thanks for the video. I've been eyeing the dewalt 780, but haven't wanted to spend 550.
I would absolutely hate to steer someone wrong when it comes to cash outlay but, I think if you do some research from others using the Hercules miter saw, you'll find that it is a good purchase. Even the stock blade is good quality if the laser expansion cuts are indicative of such. The dust boot is worthless as it sucks in on itself but that isn't a deal breaker in my opinion. It has a large footprint so if that's an issue you may want to look at something else. Mine has remained accurate for at least three years.
I have the Hercules miter saw, dust extractor, and their benchtop planer. They all work great and are so affordable. I have been a carpenter for almost 30 years and have had Ridgid and mostly Dewalt. I think the Hercules work great and have had no problems with any of them yet.
I have that exact brad nailer. I love it! I am not a professional, but it has worked 100% reliably for me doing DIY home projects when it comes to wrapping up the project and installing trim. I wouldn't use it as a pro for the reasons you mentioned. But yes, I do adjust the air output pressure on my tank to control depth. I got mine for $24.99 on a holiday sale. I'd have to buy 5 of them to get to the same price as your rigid model. I say that for if it quits working anytime soon, I will simply get another.
I got one of these saws for Father’s Day and its a freeking beast! I love the thing! And what I was surprised with most was how the thing jumps with the torc when you first turn it on! Had to learn to expect it when starting my cuts! So far its been a really great tool for me! And you cant beat the price point
Hey! Matthew has a lot of very interesting stuff on his channel! I hope you would consider to looking at them as they be very helpful or interesting. Thanks !!
I love seeing these reviews of HF tools! I have both the crown stapler/brad nailer and the Hercules 12" Saw. They've both held up really well for me and I am 100% happy with both purchases! Their clamps are awesome too for the price! I even bought a couple of parallel clamps and they've been great! Lifetime warranty on clamps....if one breaks....take it back. Good to see HF getting a little love! Excellent video Matt! Appreciate it!
I recently purchased the HERCULES 12 Gallon OSHA-Compliant Dust Extractor after needing a dust collector in my tiny Shed in a Box that I use as my shop. As the colder weather is descending, I still have projects to complete and this extractor is half the price as others. It is powerful and quieter than my Bauer 6-gallon vac, which I have used for years. I cover my filters with pool filter socks to block the finer dust. I purchased my sliding compound mitre saw as reconditioned and picked up other tools at a local auction.
Bought this in 2019. Since then I've installed fencing, flooring, built furniture, cabinets and framed with this saw. I switched to a Diablo blade and installed a zero clearance insert and never looked back. It's a bulletproof beast that cuts true and I would recommend it to anyone.
Bought the Miter Saw shown over two years ago. It has worked flawlessly to this date. I purchased it to build an outdoor shed for tools and garden equipment. So far it’s the best motor driven tool I have.
I have the miter saw and the matching stand and both are great. I've had them for two years or a tad bit more but love my saw. The stand is rock solid also and the legs fold down and rolls into my shop for storage easily. Both are heavy weights and well worth your money.
I wouldn’t use anything greater than 24 inches on the metal f style clamps. They flex after that size. Now I started buying the pipe clamps and parallel clamps by Bremel. They are absolutely a great buy and price when caught on sell.
Wore out my Craftsman battery tools, and had to replace everything. Went with Bauer after reading a lot of reviews. Got package deals including 4 batteries and 2 chargers. After several projects, including building a 40x12 redwood deck, I can still say I love them. What I didn't love were the blades. I went back and bought Hercules blades and they are excellent.
I really think that Harbor Freight should have put a spiral cutter in the Hercules model. For the same price, Wen sells one with a spiral cutter, and for about $75 more you can get a spiral cutter with two speeds.
Has anyone said you sound like B Bob Thornton? That said, I'm posting this comment just 4:45 into the vid to say you seem like a worthy man to tell us what you are finding out; that you are experienced, reliable, skilled and with a keen eye to save a buck without compromising much in the level of quality. Bravo. I will sub. Thanks a million.
Great video! I, too, have had very good luck with CERTAIN tools, etc., from Harbor Freight. Last year, I found the HERCULES 550 lb. Universal Aluminum Mobile Folding Miter Saw Stand on sale if a person is a member of the Inside Track Club at Harbor Freight. So, I joined the club, noticed that, when the club discount was applied, I really wound up saving money---and the miter saw stand has been a top-notch performer through nearly countless uses over the past year. Currently, in my location, this $189.99 miter saw stand is discounted $40 to $149.99 for Inside Track members. Yep, that savings paid for a one-year membership. Plus, I've saved money on several things during the year due to the Inside Track Club membership. I give the HERCULES 550 lb. Universal Aluminum Mobile Folding Miter Saw Stand a 5-star endorsement. It's plenty sturdy and easily movable because of the good wheels.
I purchased a Hercules random orbit 8mm throw for a paint correction while waiting on my more expensive 21 mm one and it has not let me down! A year later and I still use it to this day when I need a short throw for my detailing business
I purchased the Hercules Planer about 8 months ago. Have used it for large, small, thick and thin pieces. Very smooth cut with minimum snipe. Had a little snipe out of the box, but after adjustment, I got it to a point I can barely see it. Plenty of power. Now we will see how long it last under repeated performance. I do lots of respawning and planing to 1/4” or even 1/8” stock. I secure the thin pieces to a long, wider stock with double sided tape and the results are very good.
Thank you for this helpful insight. I've had a Hercules plunge router for about a year now, and couldn't be happier with its performance and features. When I was first considering purchasing one, I spoke with the HF manager (who I trusted) and asked him about its quality. He told me that his best gauge was that he'd sold a lot of Hercules products and very few had been brought back due to manufacture defects, especially compared to the Warrior and Bauer tools.
I've purchased / used HF tools for more then 20 years and they are orders of magnitude better then they were in the 90's. One thing you can rely on is HF does not censor reviews like the box stores, Amazon, etc. Reviews on the HF site will tell you exactly what model or part number is good or what to avoid. If I was starting over in the trades today I'd purchase 80% of my power, air, and hand tools from HF and save THOUSANDS over the big brands. Their better power tools used to be the name brands in different colors. Now they have their own dedicated lines and they are pretty good. (Use to purchase the 3 1/2hp router for production framing of window / door cut outs. They were Exactly the same as the Porter Cable routers at 1/3 the cost. All parts were interchangeable. Only difference was the color of the plastic parts.)
Matthew, Thank you for the thorough review. I never considered Harbor Freight for power tools before. Now, it looks like I should. What really stuck out to me was the fact that you took the motor covers off to look at the 'guts' of the tools. And I never would have considered looking into, let along replacing, things like the brushes in the motors. Very eye-opening and well done, Brother.
Since they came out with the Bauer and Hercules lines they've really stepped up their quality, that's for sure....Chicago Electric was a great line for, it might work after you get it home and if you are lucky you might get to finish the project with it still working afterwards LOL.
I've had good luck with several Harbor Freight power tools over the past few years. I bought a Banks pin nailer for less than $30, and it's been working fine. I also bought a 4-1/2 inch angle grinder that was on sale for about $9. I needed it for one specific project and figured if it lasted long enough for that then it was money well spent. I've been using it for a couple of years now, mostly for sharpening my lawn mower blades, and it's still working great. Most recently I bought a Bauer DA polisher/sander that was on sale for $35. The only thing I've used it for was to compound out a long strip of dock rash from the side of my fiberglass boat, but it worked great for that. Several years ago I was in the market for a 12" miter saw and it came down to a choice between the two saws you looked at in this video. I was very impressed with the Hercules saw, but wound up going with the Dewalt only because when I looked online I could buy pretty much any replacement part I needed for it, while only a limited number of parts were available for the Hercules. I also use a lot of the Harbor Freight clamps. They've worked well for me although the longer clamps (24") do seem to have more of a tendency to flex sideways than the name brand clamps. That's not a deal-breaker, just something you have to be aware of when you're clamping up a project. I also bought a couple of the Harbor Freight cabinet clamps, they work fine. Since I'm a hobby woodworker the lower cost of the Harbor Freight tools is very attractive. If I was a pro who depended on these tools every day for my livelihood then the additional cost of the name brand tools might be worth considering, but for me the balance of cost/performance/reliability makes the HF brands well worth considering when I need (well let's be honest and say when I want) a new power tool.
I like their tape measures for throw around tools they seem to walk off at work, so I don't keep any of the high end stuff there, but for $2 for the 25' tape measure on this last sale this weekend, its a great deal.
I borrow my step dad's harbor freight saw all the time. He is a master plumber and overall handyman. Said he got it about 25 years ago when in the trades. I cleaned it and gave her some TLC, but overall I'm incredibly impressed with it.
You missed the nailer depth adjustment on the back of the gun. It is the black knob mounted on the red part. You can twist it R/L to adjust the depth. Great video.
I came to the comments to post the same thing. But you already pointed it out, so I will just add that my crown stapler from HF (not the exact one shown here) purchased a few years ago does indeed adjust the depth using that large knob at the top of the unit.
I have been impressed with the Brad nailer/ stapler . I got 10 years out of my last one under hard use, my Chicago electric Mig welder is 14 years old and I use it alot too because I moved to the rust belt. SDS hammer drill has been solid as well. I noticed you have the dimming light issue in your shop . I tracked my lights dimming down when I start a motor to the nuetral at the weather head. No word from the power company when they are going to fix it. Not a huge issue but the wife always asks me what I'm doing to make the lights flicker. I bought the towable trencher when I bought my house because I had to run new power lines and install French drains and downspout drains. It's a beast. It's not the fastest machine but it has a good bit of power and it definitely beats a shovel.I highly recommend it if you have digging projects. It saved me a lot of money on rentals over the last 4 or 5 years.
I got into Harbor Freight because clamps were such a huge rip-off. Theirs may not be the greatest, but they do work, and one always needs more clamps anyways.
And if you look at the manufacturers recommendation for PSI on wood glue it is around 70-100 psi. You don’t need, and shouldn’t use, 1,200 psi when clamping wood. If you need that much to close gaps your jointing needs work.
Harbor freight bessimer clamps have been tested against the top brands and was as good and sometimes better. It makes it really hard to justify Bessie prices when hf bessimer is at least the same quality for half the price.
Harbor freight has come a long way in the last 10 years. I won’t buy name brands at Home Depot or lowers all I buy now is Hercules they seem to last and if you have a problem with it just return it to the store and exchange… hassle free. I always buy a year’s extended warranty just in case. I have the table, saw miter box and planer all working flawlessly. The planer is better than the dewalt or the others names, just because the HF planer has 3 knives. I buy harbor freight at least ounce a week for something or another. HF is not a cheap quality store anymore, they are giving your other name brands a serious run for their money. But do your research some of HF tools I won’t buy.
I use the Hercules 12 inch miter saw and the Hercules table saw as well. Ive been using them everyday for the last 4 years and they are beasts! I love them! I also have that same banks brad nailer, been using it for 2 years and it has not let me down at all.
About 10-12 years ago I bought a corded Chicago Electric drill for 10 bucks. I was using it with a 6 inch hole saw into 3/4 in maple. It started to smoke and then caught on fire. I threw it out on the driveway and watched it melt. Glad to hear their tools have improved. Matthew Peech…love that guy! Great videos!
Mine was in 99 a battery powered plugged in to charge smoked and blew up. 2nd time I got a cash refund had to make alot of noise but got all cash back.😂
I'm 78 years old and I've been buying tools and accessories and all that stuff from Harbor freight for years. My initial impression was they were good enough for casual Home use. Now I think like with the Hercules brand they are very competitive for anybody.
Harbor freight has improved their tools. Also for new wood workers or just in general diy kind of people, you can buy beginners tool at great prices and their warranty is also great.I have their membership and get a little extra discount. The membership is not expensive.
I have a HF Predator Generator. Starts every time with less than 5 pulls, and is big enough to give me enough power for the basics in my house, water, freezer, fridge, and a few light/ outlet circuits. No complaints at all. Selective circuit/ isolator box cost me as much as the generator though. I also bought a HF tile saw for a one time bathroom redo, and it's still working after being loaned out, and yet another project for myself. Can't complain about anything from HF!
Ill just say this im 44 years old been working on cars and trucks of all sorts, and now im a greyhound bus mechanic, i currently own snap on, mac, milwaukee cordless impact guns, if u want to get to lug nuts off semi trucks grey hound buses is the HARBOUR FREIGHT 18V EARTHQUAKE IMPACT 1/2 OR 3/4, NOT SURE WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO IT BUT IT TAKES THEM OFF WITH EASE SND BACK ON
I have a bunch of the Bauer 20V cordless tools. Generally happy with all of them. I built my entire garage/shop with the 20V circular saw, and I framed it with 2x6s. Once the shop was done, I picked up the newer Bauer table top drill press. Very impressed with the quality of that item. The runout is barely measurable, it has a ton of power and the cross laser is a nice touch. My shop is also lit with 9 of the LED shop lights, as are my sheds and attic. Not a woodworking too per se, but the Bauer pole chainsaw is rather amazing. With a 5A 20V battery, I've cut branches that it should not have the power to cut. But it goes right through anything I've tried. It leaks oil like an Exxon tanker in Alaska, but it cuts like a champ.
I'm 73 and purchased the HF miter saw 2 years ago. Hands dow the best miter saw I've even used. As good or better than the Dewalt. I've done several projects, and it has performed flawlessly. Best $300 I ever spent. I have it mounted on a Kobalt portable miter stand that makes it an awesome miter saw setup. Highly recommend! 50 years carpentry experience
Been following you for a couple years Matthew and really appreciate the time and effort you put into your videos! You Rock! I’m a diy woodworker and enjoy doing most all of my mechanic work on our vehicles so I’m a big fan of Harbor Freight and have been for many years. I own most of the Bauer line of 20v tools and have never had one fail me. I’m also a big fan of their clamps. I wish I’d seen this video a year or so ago but I bought the 12” Admiral compound sliding miter saw. It’s been a great help to me so far. Keep up the great work, we appreciate you!
A little late to the comments, but I've purchased multiple items from HF while renovating an 1880s farm house. The Bauer compound miter saw has been an amazing tool. I've used it to cut LP siding for not only the exterior, but entire interior of my house! I'm now using it for the interior trim. A few years back I used a multi tool from HF and turned an RV into a mobile pet grooming shop. I've since used it for so many things, like precise cutting the siding to go around electric boxes. I also have the Bauer impact driver, and have used it to screw the siding up, among many other things. The only tools I haven't been happy with have been the Bauer cordless finish nailer (never had the oomph to drive the nails in all the way) and an angle grinder (wheel got stuck on and won't come off).
Good vid. We had a Chicago hammer drill we put to the test breaking concrete day after day and I was always amazed how long it lasted. I've bought a roofing nailer that didn't last the day. It's hit or miss but they've stepped up their game considerably. You sound a lot like Billy Bob Thorton . 😆
Since you took the time to explain a well-in-depth video, I am taking the time to give my "spill" on H/F tools, etc. ~ lol ~ I purchased the Bauer 1/2" drill more of a test but I used it for a shipping container conversion and I am totally impressed!! I must have drilled 50 or more holes in the ceiling rafters to run wiring - about 100 in the "very hard" stell walls ~ used for mixing mud for sheetrock and mixing thin-set for the tile bathroom and THIS DRILL IS AWESOME ~ I also purchased the el cheapo tile saw [have bought these before] and it works great with one exception: [when you are pushing the tiles through with the edge guide set, it seemed to break off a small chip at the end of the cut that does not happen with the radial arm pro tile saws but they are 5 6o 10 times the price!!] ~ I did solve this issue by cutting into on end about and inch and then flipping the tile over and making the full cut from the other end...... I have used H/P auto spray guns for years and when they are cleaned as ALL guns should be, they work practically as well as the Sharps and Binks $400 to $600 guns that I used in my commercial body shops!! Yes, these disposable sprayer cups that you mentioned are a big plus for production work ~ I also have their best grade of acoustical spray gun and it works great, however, if you are doing much overhead / ceiling sprayiing you need to buy the angled rubber boot connector or either just but a small amount of mix in the hopper or you will HAVE THE MIX ALL OVER YOU OR THE FLOOR...LOL I used their cheapest side cutter/grinder to cut dozens of window and door holes in the above-mentioned super hard shipping contained walls and they are workhorses, however, for I next container build I am going to buy the better grade ONLY because they have a "trigger switch" instead of the simple off & on switches of the cheaper grinders......... And YES, these assorted packs are great as well ~ I have most from AC spring connectors, bolts, nuts, o-rings, etc etc and they are life-lines in nothing having to make the trips to hardware stores plus having to pay 5x as much for a simple item... The cheap sandpaper is as you say not so great because even the wet paper tends to leave scratches on finishing work so I buy the Bauer papers which hold up well and are super great for sanding drywall ~ Also, their wet/dry sanding block sponges are a flexible and handy plus for drywall finishing..... I have had a 12" Chicago General multi-angle chop saw for years and it also works great ~ I have numerous C-clamps and assorted welding clams that are very strong and very handy ~ I have recently bought a small hammer by just impulse just to check it out because it had interchangeable heads on it ~ One side has a metal head and the other side has a choice of 3 other rubber/plastic heads for various useage!! The metal side works great for giving something a quick tap and the other side of flexibles I used the white/soft screw on head to set ceramic tiles....lite taps!! I have used H/F DA sanders for years and the better grade just keeps on going & going!! ~ I recently bought a heavy-duty 61/2" saw and it is pretty amazing as well ~ It pulls a solid 11 amps and never stalls out.......I guess my take on H/F is that one should just use common sense in making their purchases?? Ask the staff about various tools and IF THEY HAVE HIGH RETURNS OR COMPLAINS?? As far as the small items that look cheaply made, then I always pass on them!!! I have probably missed some of my tools/items but I am well pleased ~ Oops, I also have a 225 amp stick welder that works great.....$199 ion sale versus a $660 Lincoln....lol
I bought the 10" Chicago Electric compound sliding miter to do work on my roof (because it was lightweight). I was absolutely blown away by the quality, and soon afterwards gave my 12" Dewalt to my son. But probably the best quality tool I got from them recently was the Vulcan Omnipro 220 multi process welder, which I have used daily with my repair and fabrication business for a year now.
I have been abusing the Bauer 20 volt tools. After a couple years I love them, the brushless tools are the way to go for sure. I have been using the small brushless 1/2 inch impact when rebuilding axles and it’s never let me down yet.
The dust collector (Which is considered to be one stage) can be converted onto a two stage system. There are quite a few videos on youtube showing how to do it. I converted mine and piped my whole shop through it. It works great! I also have the Hercules miter saw, I love it, one of the most used tools in my shop.
I've been buying harbor freight tools since they were "mail order". I gave away a little drill press after 28 years - it still worked, I just wanted an upgrade. I also gave away a 4x36 sander after 28 years. I had it for about ten years when it rattled off of my workbench onto concrete - the disc sander broke. I picked it up, pulled off the broken disc sander, fired it up, and it worked until I gave it away - it's probably still working. Currently, my shop is either 1950's cast iron (mostly restored by me) or harbor freight. If you haven't been in a harbor freight lately, they've SERIOUSLY stepped up their game! Milwaukee might be A LITTLE bit better - but not enough for the price difference.
I have a whole collection of Ridgid tools. Love them. My wife wanted a set of her own that she could do stuff with and we decided on Hercules. Ive been well impressed. The drill and driver are well put together and provide enough power to do what she needs them to do. Definitely reccomend
I bought one of the Hercules cordless drills a year or so ago. I have since bought two more, one being a hammer drill. They are beasts! Based on that experience, I bought a Hercules cordless trim router, two cordless fans, and a cordless hand-held shop vac (the larger one). All are really great tools. Hercules is now my go-to brand for most anything.
The basic Harbor Freight tool set for about $29.95. I have one in each vehicle, and it is my go to tools all in one plastic case wben working on lawn care power tools, etc. I like this set so well, that I bought them for my kids and grandchildren for Christmas! In all of using them, I have never broken a single piece!
A number of years ago I bought a Bauer electric drill/mixer for mixing drywall mud. I have mixed at least a couple thousand buckets with it. It's a little louder than other brands, but at 64.00 compared to at least 175.00, it its well worth it. Good drill. Thank you for your reviews Matthew!
I bought the 1" air gun to take the lugs off my semi truck and farm equipment. I have had it for 2 years and love it. We use it all the time. Rain, mud, snow. It always works.
I love Harbor Feight. I buy a lot of their tools just for now to get a job done, but end up just keeping them because I haven't had to replace them. I even buy some of their stuff for sewing projects.
bought my hercules miter in 2019. as a finish carpenter and cabinet builder, its made over 10,000 cuts i estimate. runs like new. plus i broken the handle. they sell the parts cheap. new handle was like 12 bucks and shipped fast. dope saw and have not had to calibrate it
More than 20 years ago I bought one of their upright table bandsaws and a 6" riser kit to allow cutting thicker woods. The fit and finish on the machine was perfect. The assembly went very smoothly according to plan. I set it up, adjusted the blade and it tracked perfectly as it should. The test cuts were without incident and it experienced no lags at all. I then cut through a piece of hardwood 12" thick, 16" long and 3" wide. It cut very smoothly and I did go to a 2 tpi blade which makes a big difference in cutting and clearing the cut sawdust from the wooden block. Overall I still use and highly recommend this saw and it was one of the best investments in my shop...from Harbor Freight!! Thank you HF!!
Woodstoney - Do you know if they still offer the band saw or something very comparable? Would be interested in checking it out next time I'm at my local HF store.
I bought a Hercules angle grinder 5 or 6 years ago and it’s still going strong. I honestly didn’t think it would last much past my first project using it, but I was on a budget, needed a grinder and it was on sale. Bought it, loved it, went back and bought another one so I don’t have to change discs every time when switching between cutting and grinding
im a DIYer and pick this saw up from facebook marketplace with the stand for 200, only used on one project so far... amazing. My dad had an old delta miter that i have used for years, that doesnt slide, lets just say i wont be asking to borrow anymore
I have the dust collector from harbor freight. I’ve modified it with a Oneida cyclone to collect the large debris into. A 55 gal garbage can. It works great for my garage shop. I use it for my table saw, chop saw, planer and jointer. All of my machines are hard piped in with blast gates, so a simple opening as I work keeps the sawdust down. Hope that’s helpful. 🫡
Up until about 10 years ago I bought everything DeWalt. I started replacing worn out tools with Harbor Freight Hercules tools around then. Both corded and cordless tools in my opinion are just as good, some even slightly better than DeWalt. I work around the house doing every kind of project you can imagine, building decks, new flooring, trim to building a snow plow and garden tractor implements, I have 17 Hercules tools, corded and cordless, to date and 0 DeWalt tools left. I honestly have not been disappointed with a single Hercules tool thus far. As for drill bits, blades and most steel made items like that, I'd go buy somewhere else. Grinding disk's and cutoff wheels and brush wheels seem to be pretty decent, not the best you can get, but for the money they are pretty decent value.
Thanks for this great video & keep making more. I've had my HB Hercules miter saw for over 5 years now & never had any problems with it so far. I also have a Hercules 20-volt drill for a couple of years now & it hasn't let me down either yet.
As a veteran carpenter/ contractor I used to only buy higher end tools for my business, after several years of working with experience and realizing I can do quality work with the most garbage tools made I decided to start using harbor freight tools and yes some of the hand held power tools I bought worked out great . So yes I agree with this tutorial.
I have a HF, $9.99 angle grinder bought in 2001…still runs to this day. Lots of miles on it. Not every tool is A+ quality but for the price, you can’t beat most of it.
Got the dust collector about 4 years ago , except for the dust bag seal and filter bag it's been great. Have recently revamped the holding for dust. 55 gallon drum and vented outside (no filter to plug).
I bought that Hercules miter saw over 3 years when I built my 40x60 shop. Thousands of cuts later and I love it. You need to try the Hercules 1/4" impact driver. THAT, is a beast. And it comes with a 5 year warranty. Not all the Hercules tools beat the big names, but this does. The Bremen bar clamps are great too. I also really like the Bauer 25' tape measures, that stay out until you push the button to retract them. I have these all over the shop and in each vehicle.
★ For anyone interested in checking out what the course Woodworking Kickstart: From Novice to Natural is all about! matthewpeech.com/course
Hey! I know you! OK, you got me! I gotta see what stuff you like! Thanx!
So Fun Fact: When I worked at Harbor Freight, one of our selling points for Hercules Brand tools is that a whole team of designers had left DeWalt to work for Hercules. The tools them selves are made by a company that is owned by Botch. Any manufacturing discrepancies are covered under warrantee along with just plain user error, and if there's an odd difference in how something works that because of patent protections.
I was curious about this… Thanks for your comment. 👍🏻
Underrated comment
Botch isn’t a company I’d buy anything from! Sounds like they’re already messed up…
You botched up the word Botch, or did you? These days I could see a brand called botch.
I.have had good luck with Bauer
I started my apprenticeship in the 60’s, went from journeyman carpenter to general contractor, now retired. Now I have a small wood working workshop and help out the my kids with their projects.I have had the opportunity to own and use tools from all the different manufactures.Over the past 10 years or so, I have been replacing slowly replacing my old worn out favorite tools with the Hercules brand from Harbor Freight. This brand is just as good, most times better than the big name brand ones we’re used too. My father taught me to always take care of your tools and they will take care of you. Take the time to learn how to properly and safely use the tool they won’t let you down.
Yea. When I got into heavy industrial maintenance (foundry) HF was about all I could afford. I still have those original hand tools and sockets and the only ones that were "bad" were ones that got worn out from hundreds of thousands of impacts over almost 20 years. And HF has replaced them every time.
I liked the Hercules router enough to build a custom table and lift for a second one.
Have you tried the bench planer yet? I'm in the market for a planer. I'm a hobbyist btw, not a professional
@@pantango5503you won’t go wrong with Hercules planer. It’s made in the dewalt factory as is all the Hercules tools. Just the color of the plastic is different and the motors on Hercules have been modified to keep dust out of the brushes/brushless motors
I've been using HF for years. 20 years ago, their power tools were orange Central Machinery, and totally useless. The brush material was much too soft. They even started including an extra set of brushes with each. Now they have Bower and Hercules. I've used both, and they work great. I tend to lean towards Hercules most of the time. I've got their rotary hammer drill / jack hammer one size down from the largest. It has worked great for me. I get lots of my consumables and mechanic tools there as well. I highly recommend them.
I am 66 years old. I have been a carpenter, all-around tradesmen my whole life bought Hercules, 12 inch miter saw. Love it.
Great to know thank you
Matthew, I've been a fan of HF clamps for almost 15 years. They are sturdy, made well, easy operation, and relatively cheap. The best point is they have a LIFETIME warranty. I've broken several bar clamps and quick clamps and HF has replaced each one without comment. About 7 years ago I started replacing my small power tools (drills & drivers, recip saw, ROS, circ saw, jig saw) and settled on the HF BAUER brand. I had problems with the batteries (all cordless units) for a while with not charging or wearing out too fast. I wrote to HF's president with full details of issues and he responded with new set of 9 batteries and three charging stations. No questions asked. THAT is the type of customer service and support I appreciate.
The spring on my bench top drill press broke (raises quill after drilling) and HF does not have repair parts. The local store manager replaced the whole machine. No complaints on customer service here. HF is getting better every year. I intend to keep using them for good tools and supplies at reasonable prices.
I usually have good luck with everything I get at HF. I use the Pittsburgh black bar clamps and they work great. My black and decker drill battery charger quit working back in the summer. It was late and I had to have a drill so I went to Walmart and got a hyper tough corded drill it burnt up after 2 days. I went to HF and got a warrior corded drill used it 90 days pretty heavy it quit working and I took it back and swapped it. It was 91 days so the store warranty was over but they went ahead and honored it. And the next one I got has worked fine ever since.
Harbor freight’s warranty reminds me of how it was with craftsman, walk in with a broken ratchet and walk out with a new one
As a general contractor for 38 years, you’re constantly replacing your tools and in today’s world things are always getting stolen started buying Harbor freight tools. They were just as good and the thieves don’t want them.
The theives aren't brand snobs they will steal whatever they see
"Keeps you from having to take another trip to town'..." Only rural people understand how important this is.
Shoot, I’m suburban, but going to the hardware store or Lowe’s is at least 30-45 minutes out of my day.
Hahaha… 45 min each way! That’s highway driving.
I live on a county line. Two cities equal distance from my farm. Now, they both have a HF store. Just depends on my reason for going to town , on whether I go south or north
Hey urban folks have to wait for amazon to bring the right one tho
@@adamm3492 Fact
You do know you’re the perfect teacher.
You explain well, well mannered, and your voice is soothing 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Keep making videos 😁😁😁
I agree!
He sounds exactly like Billy Bob Thornton
I'm a newbie Lady woodworker and have the same Hercules miter saw and love it. I bought it to rebuild my home after Hurricane Ian - I've used it for everything from Crown Moulding to building cabinets. It cuts perfectly every time. After almost two years, I just changed the factory blade out only because I destroyed it cutting some James Hardie Cement board with it. The motor handled that cement board like a champ even with the wrong blade on it. It really is a beast!
Cool, we were 'displaced' for six months after Ian, living in hotels sucks.
😂😂😂 factory blade on Hardieboard!!! There are actually specialized blades for all manner of cement board types.
... but you may not have known that.
My slider is just a 10". I only use it on job sites. I use Bauer 60T for all but trim work. There I use an 80T Freud Industrial made for miter/radial arm saws. Spendy? Well...because there's enough carbide in the tips, it can be sharpened several times.
You are state of the art genius!!!!
I really appreciate your thorough analysis. I very much like the way you compare the motors and the belts under the hood so to speak. Excellent job. Thank you!
Thank you very much! I have to see what's on the inside of all of my tools. The motor is what counts.
Their motors have power... UNLIMITED POWER!!!!
I do building maintenance in a 50,000 square foot building. I’ve owned multiple Hercules corded and cordless tools for 2 years now with never a failure. Most of the tools are used multiple times a day and I’ve never had any issues with them ever. Harbor freight has stepped up their game substantially with the Hercules line.
" never had a problem ever" I smell 🐮 💩
@@BubuH-cq6km lol, you must smell it in your comment then, because I have never had any problems with any Hercules tools. I might also add it’s a private Christian school, and I’m also the high school shop teacher. My shop students also use these tools and never any failures in the 2 years we have used them.
@@BubuH-cq6km No..... YOU, smell........... of *"Troll-ism."*
What’s interesting about (you people/trolls) & your alcoholism, is that just a few years before the infamous potato famine, Ireland was the site of a massively successful temperance campaign led by the noted Catholic priest, Theobald Mathew. So successful was this campaign that between 1838 and 1841, their national alcohol consumption was cut in half.
@rogerjustice8835 I've been working in building maintenance in one of the largest military hospitals for 10 years now, mostly on HVAC systems, but have recently moved up to the boilers and chillers too. Most of my toolbox is filled with HF tools. My impact and driver are Hercules, all my large box wrenches, and no complaints.
I watch your channel because I have a small woodshop. Over the last few years of using many brands, i now use Hercules. IMO they are as reliable as any other brand and at a cheaper price. I use the Hercules tools daily like the sliding miter saw, planer, and table saw along with hand power tools. I've not had any issues.
Nice! I'll have to give some other things a chance. If they are build like the miter saw... I'm sure they will pass the test.
I bought their Central belt/disc sander combo in the late 90s/early 2000s, can't remember exact date, and it is still going strong.
This is what I was wondering. Good to know they can stand alot of use.
I bought the old sliding saw 15 years ago and it still works and I have tried to destroy it. Best Buy I have ever got from harbor freight. I do put blades in it.
@@MatthewPeechWoodworking If you have any pull with harbor freight, please ask them to bring back the 12 inch non-sliding Hercules miter saw - it's perfect for 90% of most cuts, more compact and more accurate.
My dad always taught me "buy cheap tools, then replace them with good tools" The thought was why spend lots of money on something you might only use once or twice, but if you use it enough to wear it out, then replace it with something much better. That lesson has served me well over the last 30 years. I have a number of HF tools that are still going strong that would have been twice as much to have bought them at HD or Lowes. A few tools I have had to replace, and when I did, I looked at how long I had it, and then decided if cheap was still the way to go or not. I replaced a wooden mallet last year that had served me off an on for 5 years. went cheap again. Replaced some chisels after six months, went expensive on those.
As a 20 year commercial/industrial electrician I was married to Milwaukee but have been switching to Bauer for home use with good results. Thanks for the videos and feedback.
I prefer their Hercules line, but the few Bauers I've purchased, I'm also happy with.
I bought a Bauer (next step down) miter saw when I started building my 70' x 30' (with 12' walls) board and batten pole building. EVERY piece of rough cut lumber (boards, battens, girts, purlins, 4x6 poles) used in that building was cut AT LEAST twice (as I had to square both ends AND cut lengths). 12" boards, 3" battens I used ONE blade and it still works like a beast. I was blown away.
I have used other HF tools in the build as well and actually call the building my "Harbor Freight" build, lol!!!
I also have had great success with Bauer drill/drivers. Still got my original battery from over 5 years ago.
A few years ago I read an article where Harbor Freight leadership had shifted directions and they brought in executives/engineers from the name brands to improve the quality of their offerings - looks like the fruit of that vision is now evident
TRUE
I never really had problems with their hand tools, even way back. But it was their power tools that had a lot of cut corners and issues.
Some examples I still recall:
Air tools (all) - they were basically on/off, no throttling. Still an issue on their grinders unfortunately.
Power tools - bad motor design. Were not meant in the least to operate under extended load and when they did, they got hot enough to damage unprotected elements
Basically any air or electric tool - poor bearing design and selection. - EXTREMELY prone to contamination and therefore early failure.
It was pretty obvious trade off though. $10 air grinder for the occasional use vs paying $180+ for the next competitor. If you weren't going to be using the tool all the time as a core function, then it was usually the better financial decision.
Their blades and discs were also relatively junk. Everywhere I've working in the last 20 years supplies cutoff wheels, grinding wheels, flap discs, etc so I've never bothered going back to try HFs.
Some things have gone away that i wish wouldn't have but for the most part they seem to follow trends in the youtube maker community
My son was building a house and his contractor quit on him before finishing. We went bought the Hercules 12" compact miter saw and was very pleased with it. We installed 2900 sq ft of LVP, cut lumber, treated lumber, trim and other with it. After about 4 or 5 months of use we bought another blade for it. Highly recommend this saw.
I bought this miter saw about 4 months ago. I love it!
I've been a Harbor Freight customer since the 1980's before they had brick and mortar stores, they would call you in the evenings, ask if you needed anything. Bought a lot of abrasive cutting wheels, grinding wheels, etc from them. Sometimes they were very good quality, sometimes not so much, but they were so cheap it was always worth the gamble. When we moved to where we live now back in 1999, I bought the 12 speed floor drill press for $185 with the coupons (back then the coupons were awesome... you could stack them, combine them, it was great!!) That Drill press has drilled a lot of holes, and is still going strong today, no issues with it except when mud daubers built one of their condominiums inside the motor. But I took the motor apart, cleaned it all out, lubed the bearings, and it's still working fine today. I'll stick my neck out and say that the Hercules cordless tools are on par with Big Yellow and even Big Red... with MUCH better warranty, for fraction of the price. And the batteries are excellent quality also and much much more reasonably priced than Big Red and Big Yellow. There's not much at HF anymore that I would consider a "gamble" to buy, except for the very lowest tier power tools (Warrior, etc.) The rule of "You get what you pay for" still applies there.
I love Harbor Freight!
I second all of that!
I remember they had a catalog, and they had an American made Quincy air compressor for a great price.
I had already bought the model somewhere else, before seeing it in the Harbor Frieght catalog, but I would have bought it.
I did buy a Granberg Alaskan mill from Harbor Frieght, back in the early 90s.
@@richtomlinson7090 The catalog! I still remember that! It was like the "Toys R Us" catalog for men!
I miss that catalog. ...and those 20% 25% and 30% coupons.
Got a warrior rotary tool($5. Came with a bunch of accessories too)and used it mercilessly. When I put too much stress on it..overheat and back on in seconds. Still have it.
I have the Bauer 12 inch dual bevel miter saw. I love it. It's been running everyday for over a year now. Cuts just as tight as the Dewalt I replaced with it. I absolutely love the Bauer 20 volt tools. They run forever on a charge. The batteries are a ton cheaper and they take abuse excellently. I'm going to brag about the 1/2 inch hammer drill. I did a job where I had to drill 250 1/4 holes 5 inches deep in concrete. My drill was 3 years old and it drilled every hole and the only problem it grew is now the chuck likes to loosen up. I still use it for all my hand drilling. I bought one to replace it and haven't opened it yet.
Started building my tool inventory about 4 years ago with Harbor Freight. At 66, a gal, I wanted to do woodwork 'stuff'. Started with a scroll saw, now have the lesser expensive band saw but it works great cutting things thin or ripping small boards (needed a 3/16" shave off a 2x2" board for threshold). Got their 8" drill press which I've made countless cribbage boards on, but just went up to the 12" Bauer Drill Press for larger boards (it ROCKS). Small Bauer cordless drill for light duty everywhere in the house. 2 maple Workbenches with drawers, put on casters, so I can put 'em back to back for working on large items (also put under table mounted router on one end). I've built a rolling plywood/sheetrock holder that swings out from the wall, ceiling mounted shelving, and so much more I can't remember now. I also have many Ryobi tools cuz I had the batteries, but if I started over again, I'd probably just get the HF ones. You know, you're going to make me go back and spend more money. I REALLY want that saw! I'll keep a watch for a sale.
Very impressed! I really enjoy stuff like this! Thank you Mr Peech!!!
Now go through the process to get it dialed in. I would love to see how accurate it is for square and mitered cuts. Great video!
That is very important! And how it holds those settings. Probably fine since it appears to be identical frame as Dewalt.
@@jaygriffin4 just look at online reviews and your questions are answered
Mine was dead on when I got it
Mine was dead nuts out of the box and I've only had to adjust it once after 5 years of use.
I've had one for over 2 years and it is dead on accurate
The HF belt sander sandpaper is great. I bought 50 grit for initial sanding when a lot of material had to be removed. The HF dust collector has been working well in my shop for over 6 years. I have added a super dust deputy from Oneida to collect most dust and chips so I seldom have to empty the plastic bag. I added the Wynn filter to replace the exhaust bag,but that isn't necessary.
I'm quite glad you reflected openly and honestly about this! I have found myself, being a retired Air Force Mechanic, there are just some tools you need to spend money on. However, the reality is that HF has sincerely changed that game. Literally. Not everything is a win, but it's not SUPPOSED to be! HF has a metric and price point for their marketing concept and it's to sell 5X as many tools because they're affordable! They do this and as of the last 5 years, their product quality in turn has ALSO quantified for the better. Their warranties are even BETTER than the big box stores so overall, 9/10 you can get a win with HF because you can walk back in a get a direct replacement as you mentioned and be done. Big Box stores don't do that anymore! I'm a HF fan and not even shy about it.
Exactly right.
Was quoted 500$ to have my motorcycle tires changed, after I quit laughing at dude, I went 3 blocks to H,F bought a Mcgraw pancake compressor, motorcycle tire bead breaker, hose and nozzle pack for compressor, 4 tire irons and bead lube all for just over 100$ and laughed at dude again when I went by with the compressor strapped to my sissybar, took me only 3 hours😊🎉👍🏆🇺🇸
Watched the Early Access on Patreon, but had to come to TH-cam so I could give it a 👍🏼. Thanks again!!
Thanks for the 👍🏻!
Im a 69 yr old woman who does wood crafts and I have been buying my power tools and pin nailer and Brad nailer, from Harbor Freight I've bought their drills and bits and never had any problems with anything, i also buy Ryobi products with no problems.
If you’re doing any drywall work the Bauer drywall sander is not to be missed. You will need a good vacuum with filter and bag,but a real timesaver. As mentioned, sandpaper isn’t great but it is cheap.
I justified buying the Hercules miter saw when I replaced the flooring in my house. It made the 'wood' floor installation easy and basically paid for itself as I did the floor by myself, instead of hiring someone. Since, then I've used on ~10 other projects. Great tool, I'm totally happy with mine.
I own a fair number of HF tools and am pretty satisfied with most. I’ve bought a few bad wrenches and screwdrivers that were crap, but they were on the cheap end of cheap. Some of their hose clamps were very disappointing, teeth slipped before they were tight. Also have had some zip ties that failed easier than I thought they should.
HF is my go to for driveway alarms, battery (not solar) motion lights, and Drummond shallow well pump with pressure tank. Apparently you can’t fix the pressure tank if it springs a leak, but the only one I’ve had leak was one that froze WTH water in it.
I’m watching the vid and even taking notes. Then I come to the comment section to see what other folks are recommending. I read this comment and “awesome!”, that’s been my experience exactly! Then I noticed it was the comment I wrote only two months ago.😂.- no recollection whatsoever. OK, I promise not to run for President.
I have the Hercules plunge router. And I love it. Lots of power never had a problem.
I purchased several of the clamps based on this video and I’m not disappointed! I went to a local box retailer the next and was amazed at the price markups, corporate greed. The HF clamps work great and I have no regrets purchasing them. Thanks Matt for an honest review!
Precision is where I find the difference in store brand vs name brand. I would be interested in a video of you setting it up, checking the ease and accuracy of set up. Will it stay accurate during use. Thanks for the video. I've been eyeing the dewalt 780, but haven't wanted to spend 550.
This is a great idea! I totally agree. How easy it is to be accurate is important!!
Mine was square and accurate out of the box..had it 3 tears now and 0 issues.
@@calvinmcdaniel1887 that’s great!!
I had mine 1 1/2 years and zero issues. Accurate right out of the box. You won’t be disappointed with Hercules.
I would absolutely hate to steer someone wrong when it comes to cash outlay but, I think if you do some research from others using the Hercules miter saw, you'll find that it is a good purchase. Even the stock blade is good quality if the laser expansion cuts are indicative of such. The dust boot is worthless as it sucks in on itself but that isn't a deal breaker in my opinion. It has a large footprint so if that's an issue you may want to look at something else. Mine has remained accurate for at least three years.
As to sand paper discs, I use HF 60 and 80 (6") on my Festool ROS. Very pleased with the results.
I bought Hercules Table saw a year ago for 299! And thing is a beast! It kinda looks like a Dewalt saw. Thanks for sharing video 👍
Could be that Hercules comes from the same factory in China as the DeWalt. It makes you wonder, doesn't it?
I have the Hercules miter saw, dust extractor, and their benchtop planer. They all work great and are so affordable. I have been a carpenter for almost 30 years and have had Ridgid and mostly Dewalt. I think the Hercules work great and have had no problems with any of them yet.
@@randy71074 A planer is on my wishlist so thanks for the review.
I have that exact brad nailer. I love it! I am not a professional, but it has worked 100% reliably for me doing DIY home projects when it comes to wrapping up the project and installing trim. I wouldn't use it as a pro for the reasons you mentioned. But yes, I do adjust the air output pressure on my tank to control depth. I got mine for $24.99 on a holiday sale. I'd have to buy 5 of them to get to the same price as your rigid model. I say that for if it quits working anytime soon, I will simply get another.
I got one of these saws for Father’s Day and its a freeking beast! I love the thing! And what I was surprised with most was how the thing jumps with the torc when you first turn it on! Had to learn to expect it when starting my cuts! So far its been a really great tool for me! And you cant beat the price point
Love your channel, I just found it about 1 month ago. There are others yes but none as thorough or as explanatory as you ,for us beginners.
Hey! Matthew has a lot of very interesting stuff on his channel! I hope you would consider to looking at them as they be very helpful or interesting. Thanks !!
I love seeing these reviews of HF tools! I have both the crown stapler/brad nailer and the Hercules 12" Saw. They've both held up really well for me and I am 100% happy with both purchases! Their clamps are awesome too for the price! I even bought a couple of parallel clamps and they've been great! Lifetime warranty on clamps....if one breaks....take it back.
Good to see HF getting a little love! Excellent video Matt! Appreciate it!
I recently purchased the HERCULES 12 Gallon OSHA-Compliant Dust Extractor after needing a dust collector in my tiny Shed in a Box that I use as my shop. As the colder weather is descending, I still have projects to complete and this extractor is half the price as others. It is powerful and quieter than my Bauer 6-gallon vac, which I have used for years. I cover my filters with pool filter socks to block the finer dust. I purchased my sliding compound mitre saw as reconditioned and picked up other tools at a local auction.
I second the hercules dust collector.
I wonder how well it will pair with the Bauer cyclone dust separator?
Bought this in 2019. Since then I've installed fencing, flooring, built furniture, cabinets and framed with this saw. I switched to a Diablo blade and installed a zero clearance insert and never looked back. It's a bulletproof beast that cuts true and I would recommend it to anyone.
I've been using that Hercules saw for several years now, and it's fantastic. It's still accurate and cuts like butter!
Bought the Miter Saw shown over two years ago. It has worked flawlessly to this date.
I purchased it to build an outdoor shed for tools and garden equipment.
So far it’s the best motor driven tool I have.
I have the miter saw and the matching stand and both are great. I've had them for two years or a tad bit more but love my saw. The stand is rock solid also and the legs fold down and rolls into my shop for storage easily. Both are heavy weights and well worth your money.
I wouldn’t use anything greater than 24 inches on the metal f style clamps. They flex after that size. Now I started buying the pipe clamps and parallel clamps by Bremel. They are absolutely a great buy and price when caught on sell.
Wore out my Craftsman battery tools, and had to replace everything. Went with Bauer after reading a lot of reviews. Got package deals including 4 batteries and 2 chargers. After several projects, including building a 40x12 redwood deck, I can still say I love them. What I didn't love were the blades. I went back and bought Hercules blades and they are excellent.
Love my HF tools thus far. Really enjoying the Hercules planer. Great video. As always! And by the way, The Patreon Community is the best.
Thanks Polly! I'll have to try the planer!
You will love it
I really think that Harbor Freight should have put a spiral cutter in the Hercules model.
For the same price, Wen sells one with a spiral cutter, and for about $75 more you can get a spiral cutter with two speeds.
Has anyone said you sound like B Bob Thornton? That said, I'm posting this comment just 4:45 into the vid to say you seem like a worthy man to tell us what you are finding out; that you are experienced, reliable, skilled and with a keen eye to save a buck without compromising much in the level of quality. Bravo. I will sub. Thanks a million.
Great video!
I, too, have had very good luck with CERTAIN tools, etc., from Harbor Freight.
Last year, I found the HERCULES 550 lb. Universal Aluminum Mobile Folding Miter Saw Stand on sale if a person is a member of the Inside Track Club at Harbor Freight. So, I joined the club, noticed that, when the club discount was applied, I really wound up saving money---and the miter saw stand has been a top-notch performer through nearly countless uses over the past year.
Currently, in my location, this $189.99 miter saw stand is discounted $40 to $149.99 for Inside Track members. Yep, that savings paid for a one-year membership. Plus, I've saved money on several things during the year due to the Inside Track Club membership.
I give the HERCULES 550 lb. Universal Aluminum Mobile Folding Miter Saw Stand a 5-star endorsement. It's plenty sturdy and easily movable because of the good wheels.
Just bought the stand during the "12 Days of Christmas" sale for $95
I purchased a Hercules random orbit 8mm throw for a paint correction while waiting on my more expensive 21 mm one and it has not let me down! A year later and I still use it to this day when I need a short throw for my detailing business
Thanks for the comparison of the tools! Good to know!
I purchased the Hercules Planer about 8 months ago. Have used it for large, small, thick and thin pieces. Very smooth cut with minimum snipe. Had a little snipe out of the box, but after adjustment, I got it to a point I can barely see it. Plenty of power. Now we will see how long it last under repeated performance. I do lots of respawning and planing to 1/4” or even 1/8” stock. I secure the thin pieces to a long, wider stock with double sided tape and the results are very good.
I bought an 18ga Brad nailer about 30 years ago from Harbor Freight and still use it. Bought it when it was I think $9.95 on sale
Thats awesome! Gonna have to try one
Thank you for this helpful insight. I've had a Hercules plunge router for about a year now, and couldn't be happier with its performance and features. When I was first considering purchasing one, I spoke with the HF manager (who I trusted) and asked him about its quality. He told me that his best gauge was that he'd sold a lot of Hercules products and very few had been brought back due to manufacture defects, especially compared to the Warrior and Bauer tools.
I've purchased / used HF tools for more then 20 years and they are orders of magnitude better then they were in the 90's. One thing you can rely on is HF does not censor reviews like the box stores, Amazon, etc. Reviews on the HF site will tell you exactly what model or part number is good or what to avoid. If I was starting over in the trades today I'd purchase 80% of my power, air, and hand tools from HF and save THOUSANDS over the big brands. Their better power tools used to be the name brands in different colors. Now they have their own dedicated lines and they are pretty good. (Use to purchase the 3 1/2hp router for production framing of window / door cut outs. They were Exactly the same as the Porter Cable routers at 1/3 the cost. All parts were interchangeable. Only difference was the color of the plastic parts.)
Great points! They have come a long way.
Matthew, Thank you for the thorough review. I never considered Harbor Freight for power tools before. Now, it looks like I should. What really stuck out to me was the fact that you took the motor covers off to look at the 'guts' of the tools. And I never would have considered looking into, let along replacing, things like the brushes in the motors. Very eye-opening and well done, Brother.
Great video Matthew. In the last year or so , I too have found that HF's quality to be on the rise.
Since they came out with the Bauer and Hercules lines they've really stepped up their quality, that's for sure....Chicago Electric was a great line for, it might work after you get it home and if you are lucky you might get to finish the project with it still working afterwards LOL.
I've had good luck with several Harbor Freight power tools over the past few years. I bought a Banks pin nailer for less than $30, and it's been working fine. I also bought a 4-1/2 inch angle grinder that was on sale for about $9. I needed it for one specific project and figured if it lasted long enough for that then it was money well spent. I've been using it for a couple of years now, mostly for sharpening my lawn mower blades, and it's still working great. Most recently I bought a Bauer DA polisher/sander that was on sale for $35. The only thing I've used it for was to compound out a long strip of dock rash from the side of my fiberglass boat, but it worked great for that. Several years ago I was in the market for a 12" miter saw and it came down to a choice between the two saws you looked at in this video. I was very impressed with the Hercules saw, but wound up going with the Dewalt only because when I looked online I could buy pretty much any replacement part I needed for it, while only a limited number of parts were available for the Hercules. I also use a lot of the Harbor Freight clamps. They've worked well for me although the longer clamps (24") do seem to have more of a tendency to flex sideways than the name brand clamps. That's not a deal-breaker, just something you have to be aware of when you're clamping up a project. I also bought a couple of the Harbor Freight cabinet clamps, they work fine. Since I'm a hobby woodworker the lower cost of the Harbor Freight tools is very attractive. If I was a pro who depended on these tools every day for my livelihood then the additional cost of the name brand tools might be worth considering, but for me the balance of cost/performance/reliability makes the HF brands well worth considering when I need (well let's be honest and say when I want) a new power tool.
I recently purchased tape measure, clamps,blankets, 4 wheel dolley, 3 inch casters, and zip ties and use regularly with great success!
I like their tape measures for throw around tools they seem to walk off at work, so I don't keep any of the high end stuff there, but for $2 for the 25' tape measure on this last sale this weekend, its a great deal.
I borrow my step dad's harbor freight saw all the time. He is a master plumber and overall handyman. Said he got it about 25 years ago when in the trades. I cleaned it and gave her some TLC, but overall I'm incredibly impressed with it.
You missed the nailer depth adjustment on the back of the gun. It is the black knob mounted on the red part. You can twist it R/L to adjust the depth. Great video.
I came to the comments to post the same thing. But you already pointed it out, so I will just add that my crown stapler from HF (not the exact one shown here) purchased a few years ago does indeed adjust the depth using that large knob at the top of the unit.
I have been impressed with the Brad nailer/ stapler . I got 10 years out of my last one under hard use, my Chicago electric Mig welder is 14 years old and I use it alot too because I moved to the rust belt. SDS hammer drill has been solid as well. I noticed you have the dimming light issue in your shop . I tracked my lights dimming down when I start a motor to the nuetral at the weather head. No word from the power company when they are going to fix it. Not a huge issue but the wife always asks me what I'm doing to make the lights flicker. I bought the towable trencher when I bought my house because I had to run new power lines and install French drains and downspout drains. It's a beast. It's not the fastest machine but it has a good bit of power and it definitely beats a shovel.I highly recommend it if you have digging projects. It saved me a lot of money on rentals over the last 4 or 5 years.
I got into Harbor Freight because clamps were such a huge rip-off. Theirs may not be the greatest, but they do work, and one always needs more clamps anyways.
Always!
I did the same thing! The 💵 of clamps is crazy!
And if you look at the manufacturers recommendation for PSI on wood glue it is around 70-100 psi. You don’t need, and shouldn’t use, 1,200 psi when clamping wood. If you need that much to close gaps your jointing needs work.
Harbor freight bessimer clamps have been tested against the top brands and was as good and sometimes better. It makes it really hard to justify Bessie prices when hf bessimer is at least the same quality for half the price.
Harbor freight has come a long way in the last 10 years. I won’t buy name brands at Home Depot or lowers all I buy now is Hercules they seem to last and if you have a problem with it just return it to the store and exchange… hassle free. I always buy a year’s extended warranty just in case.
I have the table, saw miter box and planer all working flawlessly. The planer is better than the dewalt or the others names, just because the HF planer has 3 knives. I buy harbor freight at least ounce a week for something or another. HF is not a cheap quality store anymore, they are giving your other name brands a serious run for their money.
But do your research some of HF tools I won’t buy.
I use the Hercules 12 inch miter saw and the Hercules table saw as well. Ive been using them everyday for the last 4 years and they are beasts! I love them! I also have that same banks brad nailer, been using it for 2 years and it has not let me down at all.
About 10-12 years ago I bought a corded Chicago Electric drill for 10 bucks. I was using it with a 6 inch hole saw into 3/4 in maple. It started to smoke and then caught on fire. I threw it out on the driveway and watched it melt. Glad to hear their tools have improved. Matthew Peech…love that guy! Great videos!
Mine was in 99 a battery powered plugged in to charge smoked and blew up. 2nd time I got a cash refund had to make alot of noise but got all cash back.😂
If you buy crimper electric connectors...take a mamagne.the ones I bought were steel
I'm 78 years old and I've been buying tools and accessories and all that stuff from Harbor freight for years. My initial impression was they were good enough for casual Home use. Now I think like with the Hercules brand they are very competitive for anybody.
Harbor freight has improved their tools. Also for new wood workers or just in general diy kind of people, you can buy beginners tool at great prices and their warranty is also great.I have their membership and get a little extra discount. The membership is not expensive.
Thanks for sharing! They have a lot to offer for sure.
I have a HF Predator Generator. Starts every time with less than 5 pulls, and is big enough to give me enough power for the basics in my house, water, freezer, fridge, and a few light/ outlet circuits. No complaints at all. Selective circuit/ isolator box cost me as much as the generator though. I also bought a HF tile saw for a one time bathroom redo, and it's still working after being loaned out, and yet another project for myself. Can't complain about anything from HF!
Ill just say this im 44 years old been working on cars and trucks of all sorts, and now im a greyhound bus mechanic, i currently own snap on, mac, milwaukee cordless impact guns, if u want to get to lug nuts off semi trucks grey hound buses is the HARBOUR FREIGHT 18V EARTHQUAKE IMPACT 1/2 OR 3/4, NOT SURE WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO IT BUT IT TAKES THEM OFF WITH EASE SND BACK ON
I have a bunch of the Bauer 20V cordless tools. Generally happy with all of them. I built my entire garage/shop with the 20V circular saw, and I framed it with 2x6s. Once the shop was done, I picked up the newer Bauer table top drill press. Very impressed with the quality of that item. The runout is barely measurable, it has a ton of power and the cross laser is a nice touch. My shop is also lit with 9 of the LED shop lights, as are my sheds and attic. Not a woodworking too per se, but the Bauer pole chainsaw is rather amazing. With a 5A 20V battery, I've cut branches that it should not have the power to cut. But it goes right through anything I've tried. It leaks oil like an Exxon tanker in Alaska, but it cuts like a champ.
I'm 73 and purchased the HF miter saw 2 years ago. Hands dow the best miter saw I've even used. As good or better than the Dewalt. I've done several projects, and it has performed flawlessly. Best $300 I ever spent. I have it mounted on a Kobalt portable miter stand that makes it an awesome miter saw setup.
Highly recommend!
50 years carpentry experience
That Hercules saw is a beast. I have had one for the past 3 yrs and absolutely love it. There table saw looks pretty amazing as well.
Been following you for a couple years Matthew and really appreciate the time and effort you put into your videos! You Rock! I’m a diy woodworker and enjoy doing most all of my mechanic work on our vehicles so I’m a big fan of Harbor Freight and have been for many years. I own most of the Bauer line of 20v tools and have never had one fail me. I’m also a big fan of their clamps. I wish I’d seen this video a year or so ago but I bought the 12” Admiral compound sliding miter saw. It’s been a great help to me so far. Keep up the great work, we appreciate you!
Your comment about avoiding another trip to town really hits home. I live more than 40 miles from each of the four nearby Harbor Freight locations.
A little late to the comments, but I've purchased multiple items from HF while renovating an 1880s farm house. The Bauer compound miter saw has been an amazing tool. I've used it to cut LP siding for not only the exterior, but entire interior of my house! I'm now using it for the interior trim. A few years back I used a multi tool from HF and turned an RV into a mobile pet grooming shop. I've since used it for so many things, like precise cutting the siding to go around electric boxes. I also have the Bauer impact driver, and have used it to screw the siding up, among many other things. The only tools I haven't been happy with have been the Bauer cordless finish nailer (never had the oomph to drive the nails in all the way) and an angle grinder (wheel got stuck on and won't come off).
Good vid. We had a Chicago hammer drill we put to the test breaking concrete day after day and I was always amazed how long it lasted. I've bought a roofing nailer that didn't last the day. It's hit or miss but they've stepped up their game considerably.
You sound a lot like Billy Bob Thorton . 😆
Since you took the time to explain a well-in-depth video, I am taking the time to give my "spill" on H/F tools, etc. ~ lol ~ I purchased the Bauer 1/2" drill more of a test but I used it for a shipping container conversion and I am totally impressed!! I must have drilled 50 or more holes in the ceiling rafters to run wiring - about 100 in the "very hard" stell walls ~ used for mixing mud for sheetrock and mixing thin-set for the tile bathroom and THIS DRILL IS AWESOME ~ I also purchased the el cheapo tile saw [have bought these before] and it works great with one exception: [when you are pushing the tiles through with the edge guide set, it seemed to break off a small chip at the end of the cut that does not happen with the radial arm pro tile saws but they are 5 6o 10 times the price!!] ~ I did solve this issue by cutting into on end about and inch and then flipping the tile over and making the full cut from the other end......
I have used H/P auto spray guns for years and when they are cleaned as ALL guns should be, they work practically as well as the Sharps and Binks $400 to $600 guns that I used in my commercial body shops!! Yes, these disposable sprayer cups that you mentioned are a big plus for production work ~ I also have their best grade of acoustical spray gun and it works great, however, if you are doing much overhead / ceiling sprayiing you need to buy the angled rubber boot connector or either just but a small amount of mix in the hopper or you will HAVE THE MIX ALL OVER YOU OR THE FLOOR...LOL
I used their cheapest side cutter/grinder to cut dozens of window and door holes in the above-mentioned super hard shipping contained walls and they are workhorses, however, for I next container build I am going to buy the better grade ONLY because they have a "trigger switch" instead of the simple off & on switches of the cheaper grinders.........
And YES, these assorted packs are great as well ~ I have most from AC spring connectors, bolts, nuts, o-rings, etc etc and they are life-lines in nothing having to make the trips to hardware stores plus having to pay 5x as much for a simple item...
The cheap sandpaper is as you say not so great because even the wet paper tends to leave scratches on finishing work so I buy the Bauer papers which hold up well and are super great for sanding drywall ~ Also, their wet/dry sanding block sponges are a flexible and handy plus for drywall finishing.....
I have had a 12" Chicago General multi-angle chop saw for years and it also works great ~ I have numerous C-clamps and assorted welding clams that are very strong and very handy ~ I have recently bought a small hammer by just impulse just to check it out because it had interchangeable heads on it ~ One side has a metal head and the other side has a choice of 3 other rubber/plastic heads for various useage!! The metal side works great for giving something a quick tap and the other side of flexibles I used the white/soft screw on head to set ceramic tiles....lite taps!!
I have used H/F DA sanders for years and the better grade just keeps on going & going!! ~ I recently bought a heavy-duty 61/2" saw and it is pretty amazing as well ~ It pulls a solid 11 amps and never stalls out.......I guess my take on H/F is that one should just use common sense in making their purchases?? Ask the staff about various tools and IF THEY HAVE HIGH RETURNS OR COMPLAINS?? As far as the small items that look cheaply made, then I always pass on them!!!
I have probably missed some of my tools/items but I am well pleased ~ Oops, I also have a 225 amp stick welder that works great.....$199 ion sale versus a $660 Lincoln....lol
I bought the 10" Chicago Electric compound sliding miter to do work on my roof (because it was lightweight). I was absolutely blown away by the quality, and soon afterwards gave my 12" Dewalt to my son.
But probably the best quality tool I got from them recently was the Vulcan Omnipro 220 multi process welder, which I have used daily with my repair and fabrication business for a year now.
I have been abusing the Bauer 20 volt tools. After a couple years I love them, the brushless tools are the way to go for sure. I have been using the small brushless 1/2 inch impact when rebuilding axles and it’s never let me down yet.
The dust collector (Which is considered to be one stage) can be converted onto a two stage system. There are quite a few videos on youtube showing how to do it. I converted mine and piped my whole shop through it. It works great! I also have the Hercules miter saw, I love it, one of the most used tools in my shop.
I've been buying harbor freight tools since they were "mail order". I gave away a little drill press after 28 years - it still worked, I just wanted an upgrade. I also gave away a 4x36 sander after 28 years. I had it for about ten years when it rattled off of my workbench onto concrete - the disc sander broke. I picked it up, pulled off the broken disc sander, fired it up, and it worked until I gave it away - it's probably still working.
Currently, my shop is either 1950's cast iron (mostly restored by me) or harbor freight. If you haven't been in a harbor freight lately, they've SERIOUSLY stepped up their game! Milwaukee might be A LITTLE bit better - but not enough for the price difference.
I saw other online people recommend the Skil compound miter saw so I got one of those. I'm happy with it so far.
I have a whole collection of Ridgid tools. Love them. My wife wanted a set of her own that she could do stuff with and we decided on Hercules. Ive been well impressed. The drill and driver are well put together and provide enough power to do what she needs them to do. Definitely reccomend
I bought one of the Hercules cordless drills a year or so ago. I have since bought two more, one being a hammer drill. They are beasts! Based on that experience, I bought a Hercules cordless trim router, two cordless fans, and a cordless hand-held shop vac (the larger one). All are really great tools. Hercules is now my go-to brand for most anything.
The basic Harbor Freight tool set for about $29.95. I have one in each vehicle, and it is my go to tools all in one plastic case wben working on lawn care power tools, etc. I like this set so well, that I bought them for my kids and grandchildren for Christmas! In all of using them, I have never broken a single piece!
A number of years ago I bought a Bauer electric drill/mixer for mixing drywall mud. I have mixed at least a couple thousand buckets with it. It's a little louder than other brands, but at 64.00 compared to at least 175.00, it its well worth it. Good drill. Thank you for your reviews Matthew!
I bought the 1" air gun to take the lugs off my semi truck and farm equipment. I have had it for 2 years and love it. We use it all the time. Rain, mud, snow. It always works.
I love Harbor Feight. I buy a lot of their tools just for now to get a job done, but end up just keeping them because I haven't had to replace them.
I even buy some of their stuff for sewing projects.
bought my hercules miter in 2019. as a finish carpenter and cabinet builder, its made over 10,000 cuts i estimate. runs like new. plus i broken the handle. they sell the parts cheap. new handle was like 12 bucks and shipped fast. dope saw and have not had to calibrate it
More than 20 years ago I bought one of their upright table bandsaws and a 6" riser kit to allow cutting thicker woods. The fit and finish on the machine was perfect. The assembly went very smoothly according to plan. I set it up, adjusted the blade and it tracked perfectly as it should. The test cuts were without incident and it experienced no lags at all. I then cut through a piece of hardwood 12" thick, 16" long and 3" wide. It cut very smoothly and I did go to a 2 tpi blade which makes a big difference in cutting and clearing the cut sawdust from the wooden block. Overall I still use and highly recommend this saw and it was one of the best investments in my shop...from Harbor Freight!! Thank you HF!!
Woodstoney - Do you know if they still offer the band saw or something very comparable? Would be interested in checking it out next time I'm at my local HF store.
I bought the Hercules dust extractor two weeks ago. So far I love this thing. I will definitely be giving Harbor freight, a second look in the future.
Harbor Freight just opened a store in our small town. So far, I've been happy with the few things I bought. Thanks for the video.
I bought a Hercules angle grinder 5 or 6 years ago and it’s still going strong. I honestly didn’t think it would last much past my first project using it, but I was on a budget, needed a grinder and it was on sale. Bought it, loved it, went back and bought another one so I don’t have to change discs every time when switching between cutting and grinding
im a DIYer and pick this saw up from facebook marketplace with the stand for 200, only used on one project so far... amazing. My dad had an old delta miter that i have used for years, that doesnt slide, lets just say i wont be asking to borrow anymore
I have the dust collector from harbor freight. I’ve modified it with a Oneida cyclone to collect the large debris into. A 55 gal garbage can. It works great for my garage shop. I use it for my table saw, chop saw, planer and jointer. All of my machines are hard piped in with blast gates, so a simple opening as I work keeps the sawdust down. Hope that’s helpful. 🫡
Up until about 10 years ago I bought everything DeWalt. I started replacing worn out tools with Harbor Freight Hercules tools around then. Both corded and cordless tools in my opinion are just as good, some even slightly better than DeWalt. I work around the house doing every kind of project you can imagine, building decks, new flooring, trim to building a snow plow and garden tractor implements, I have 17 Hercules tools, corded and cordless, to date and 0 DeWalt tools left. I honestly have not been disappointed with a single Hercules tool thus far.
As for drill bits, blades and most steel made items like that, I'd go buy somewhere else. Grinding disk's and cutoff wheels and brush wheels seem to be pretty decent, not the best you can get, but for the money they are pretty decent value.
Thanks for this great video & keep making more. I've had my HB Hercules miter saw for over 5 years now & never had any problems with it so far. I also have a Hercules 20-volt drill for a couple of years now & it hasn't let me down either yet.
As a veteran carpenter/ contractor I used to only buy higher end tools for my business, after several years of working with experience and realizing I can do quality work with the most garbage tools made I decided to start using harbor freight tools and yes some of the hand held power tools I bought worked out great . So yes I agree with this tutorial.
I have a HF, $9.99 angle grinder bought in 2001…still runs to this day. Lots of miles on it. Not every tool is A+ quality but for the price, you can’t beat most of it.
Got the dust collector about 4 years ago , except for the dust bag seal and filter bag it's been great. Have recently revamped the holding for dust. 55 gallon drum and vented outside (no filter to plug).
I bought that Hercules miter saw over 3 years when I built my 40x60 shop. Thousands of cuts later and I love it. You need to try the Hercules 1/4" impact driver. THAT, is a beast. And it comes with a 5 year warranty. Not all the Hercules tools beat the big names, but this does. The Bremen bar clamps are great too. I also really like the Bauer 25' tape measures, that stay out until you push the button to retract them. I have these all over the shop and in each vehicle.