Hercules Vs. Bauer: Which Is The Higher Quality Harbor Freight Tool Brand?

You may have noticed while wandering the aisles of your local Harbor Freight that there are several different brands of tools you can't find anywhere else. That's because a majority of the brands that the retail chain sells are actually owned by Harbor Freight itself. The company has gone so far as to create multiple brands that sell the same kinds of tools in order to create a variety of options for its customers. That doesn't mean that these tools are all created to equal design specifications, however. There is a hierarchy of build quality among these tools, with the premium brands tending to cost a bit more than the budget-minded ones.

Two of the more prominent brands that you are likely to find inside Harbor Freight's walls are Hercules and Bauer. These brands both make a wide variety of different power tools, and each of them has its own cordless 20V battery system. It's typically a good idea to try and stick to a single brand once you start investing in cordless tools since the batteries can sometimes cost as much or even more than the tools themselves. This might lead some perspective handypeople to question: Which of these is the higher quality tool brand? By checking out the specs and professional reviews of a few of the more comparable items offered by both of them, we can get a clearer picture of the advantages that each of these tool brands has to offer and which of them is of higher quality.

One of the first power tools that most people are going to buy when they're first starting their collection is a cordless drill. There aren't a whole heck of a lot of DIY projects out there that don't require a drill, so you're going to want to make sure you get a good one.

The Bauer drill has a brushless motor, which helps to reduce the friction when the drill turns. It has a two-speed gearbox, a 22-position clutch, a textured over mold to help reduce vibration, and an on-board LED work light. This drill can turn with up to 405 in. lbs. of torque, which is about what you would expect of an entry-level tool. Eric Jopp of Tools in Action stated that while he initially had his doubts about Harbor Freight's power tools, this drill is the thing that changed his mind due to its price-to-performance ratio. It currently retails for just $39.99, making it an excellent choice for DIYers looking for a budget tool.

Hercules' drill is the higher quality product, however. It also has a brushless motor and several of the other features that the Bauer offers, but it's a much more powerful tool.  "It has specs that come out in a good place for a Pro-level compact drill," says Kenny Koehler of Pro Tool Reviews. Its clutch only has 14 speeds, but it puts out significantly more power. The Hercules drill rotates at up to 1,200 in. lbs. of torque — nearly three times that of the Bauer drill. This can have a major impact on the tool's performance when you attempt to drill or drive through dense materials like hardwood or metal. Hercules also advertises 'all-metal gear construction,' which means that you should be able to expect it to stand up to a bit more abuse — though it's a bit more expensive, sitting at $69.99.

Next up we have the random orbital sander. I've been building furniture and doing home renovations for a few years now, and I can tell you that the Random-Orbit (RO) sander sees more play time than most of the tools in my shop. Hercules and Bauer both make a 5" corded sander that comes with a built-in dust bag and uses a hook-and-loop system for attaching new sandpaperer disks. 

The sander made by Bauer has a 2.8 amp motor which puts out 13,000 OPM (orbits per minute.) It has a rubber palm grip and 6-speed variable control. This tool also retails at the affordable price of $39.99. It seems that it has some vibration issues, though. "It sands the wood. It does a decent job," says YouTuber Derek's Workshop and Projects. "But if I was going to be a serious woodworker, DIYer, or even work professionally, I would steer far, far away from that thing because I don't think you can stand to use it for more than just a half an hour."

The Hercules version is a bit more expensive at $49.99, but it's the better tool overall for a couple of reasons. This RO sander has a 3 amp motor pushing 13,000 OPM, giving it the same speed, but more consistent overall power. This means that it can withstand more pressure without the power bottoming out. It also has a variable speed control button dial and, more importantly, upgraded vibration control. The YouTube channel Bought2Build tested this sander out on carbon fiber, aluminum, painted steel, and wood in their review. "I have hours of running this sander and so far I'm still really happy with it."

Next up, we're going to compare the trusty reciprocating saw. This isn't the most precise tool when it comes to fine woodworking, but it's always good to have one in the shop for cutting out wood, drywall, metal, or anything else that might be in your way. The Bauer model has a brushless motor and puts out up to 3,000 SPM with a 1 ⅛" stroke. It has an adjustable pivoting shoe and impact-resistant housing. It sells for $64.99. BuildALot Acres reviewed the tool on his YouTube channel, and he enjoyed using it. "I think this took is pretty nice. The main advantage of this, though, isn't the speed," he said, instead remarking that its primary strengths were its cordless nature and compact size — both of which the Hercules version shares.

The Hercules model also operates at 3,000 SPM with a 1 ⅛" stroke, so you should be able to expect both tools to cut at roughly the same rate. It has a few extras as well, though, like an LED work light, an anti-vibration design, all metal gears, and casing to make it more durable. The Hercules saw also boasts an electric break, making the tool safer and easier to rapidly move between cuts, as well as an integrated hanging hook for storage. 

You might think it's not worth dropping a bunch more money for a few extra bells and whistles, but his one goes for $69.99, putting it much closer to the Baur's price point than most other Hercules tools. Hank O'Hop of The Drive loved this saw in his review. "As a DIYer, there's no reason you should look past the Hercules 20V reciprocating saw," he said. "It's got a lot of great features, it runs well, and it's comfortable to use."

The primary focus on brand quality is usually placed on the build quality and performance of the products that they produce, but it's also worth taking a look at their warranty. Power tools get used and abused on job sites and sometimes they break. Having a solid warranty from the manufacturer shows that they have faith in their product and it ensures that you won't have to be out shopping for a new expensive tool for a while.

Bauer products get the same 90-day return period that comes standard with most Harbor Freight products. This is good enough to make sure your tool wasn't defective right out of the box and that it won't break the first time you try to use it, but three months goes by pretty quickly. If you want more coverage, you'll have to purchase Harbor Freight's Extended Service Protection.

Hercules products get a bit more coverage. The company's 20V batteries and chargers come with a three-year warranty. Meanwhile, its 20V brushless power tools get 5 whole years of coverage. It's worth noting, though, that this warranty is somewhat restrictive. Essentially, if the tool breaks as a result of wear and tear, improper use, or attempted modification (as well as other things), Hercules isn't liable to provide a new tool. That said, if it's Hercule's fault, they will provide coverage for any broken or defective power tools.

So, after looking at a few direct comparisons, you might be starting to see some of the strengths and weaknesses that each of these brands offers. I own a handful of Bauer tools myself. I usually buy DeWalt, but I turn to Bauer when I think I will only use something a few times a year or when I don't feel like I don't need top-tier build quality. I have a cordless fan, light, leaf blower, string trimmer, pressure washer, and an inflator that I use for pool floaties. These tools are very inexpensive, and Harbor Freight frequently has seasonal deals where you can get a tool for free when you buy one of its battery and charger sets or vice versa. In my experience, Bauer tools are adequate for simple tasks if a bit unimpressive when it comes to heavy workloads. The specs and reviews on other products seem to support this.

Nearly every product in Hercules' catalog has a rating that's somewhere between four and five stars. Harbor Freight itself compares many of Bauer's tools to those made by Ryobi, another budget-minded DIY brand. Meanwhile, it typically compares the Hercules brand tools to Milwaukee or DeWalt, which are often considered to be among the more premium brands. Many of them offer more power than the Bauer alternatives, and those that don't typically have a few other features baked in to make them more geared toward professional use, such as metal internal components, more speed or torque controls, and superior vibration absorption. This implies that while Hercules is more expensive, it is a higher-quality brand.

I've spent a lot of time working with power tools and more specifically, with Bauer brand tools purchased from Harbor Freight. In order to make this recommendation, I started by comparing the specs of three popular power tools in order to get an idea of the difference in build quality between them. I deliberately chose three very different tools in order to ensure that these differences were similar across each brand's respective catalog and not just in one specific tool type. I then searched for reviews of these tools from professional publications and users who had thoroughly tested their capabilities in order to ensure that they perform as well in real-world applications as their specifications promise. I drew my conclusion that Hercules is the higher quality brand based on these observations.