12 Bauer Power Tools Worthy Of Your Home Garage

These days, it's imperative for homeowners and renters alike learn a few basic repair skills and collect the bones of a working toolbox to get small jobs done. Professional services are becoming increasingly expensive even for the simplest fix, and people are regularly faced with hard financial choices — I have personally and unfortunately paid an electrician $350 for a 10 minute rewire of an old hot water tank that I just couldn't get right.

Among the many products and brands owned by Harbor Freight, none are perhaps as supremely divided in merit as Bauer power tools. Bauer is one of Harbor Freight's lowest priced power tool lines, making products that are attractive to novice home improvers and hobbyists looking to build a competent toolkit for the first time.

Replacing a door, repairing damaged drywall, installing new floor boards, or even performing weld-free rust repair on your car can all be done with a bit of know-how and a couple of hand and power tools. Fortunately for people looking to get these kinds of jobs done on a budget that won't interfere with other important aspects of life, Bauer power tools are just what the doctor ordered. Bauer gear won't always excite or impress, but it will consistently get the job done at a ridiculously low price point. There are even a few hidden gems within the range, too!

A fitting place to start for any collection of tools, the drill/driver fulfills one of the primary functions that anyone working with tools of any sort will need to accomplish. As the name implies, this tool drills holes, and drives fasteners. The Bauer 20V ½-Inch Drill/Driver Kit features a 1.5Ah battery, a charger, and the tool itself along with a tool bag to store your new gear safely. It also comes with two impact bits to get you started right out of the box. The whole package sells for $55, providing a solid starting point for anyone who needs the ability to drive a screw into the wall or fix a wonky cabinet door.

The drill delivers a maximum torque output of 450 in-lb, and features a standard, ½-inch chuck. It's rounded out with two speed options and 17 clutch positions to dial in the exact amount of force you need on every project. An upgraded version is also available as a bare tool (meaning it comes without the battery and charger) for $40. This alternative features a brushless motor, providing better longevity and up to a 60% improvement in runtime over a brushed drill.

The circular saw is another staple on job sites and in workshops and garages everywhere. Almost every project you encounter will require fastening and cutting in some capacity, and when that involves wood and composite materials, a circular saw is a handy ally to have at the ready. But not all circular saws are the same. In fact, this one may look a little different than most will anticipate.

Bauer's 20V 4½-Inch Compact Circular Saw delivers a reliable cutting implement that's 15% lighter than a standard circular saw unit. It features a barrel grip body that places the blade significantly farther up in the tool's dimensions. This makes it a great option for safety conscious users, placing the blade a little farther away from where they'll be setting their hands on the tool. For $60, this small form factor saw is a solid investment for anyone working on light duty home improvement projects or precision sawing tasks. However, it should be noted that the smaller blade is not prepared to handle bulkier cutting demands that a standard circular saw is designed to slice through. Even so, the compact saw can offer up to 375 cuts per charge and features a potent motor that produces a 5,000 rpm blade speed, more than capable when handling light and moderate cutting duties.

Home improvers, garage workshop enthusiasts, and more may want to grab ahold of a traditional circular saw as well. For $90, it's actually quite hard to beat out the Bauer 20V Brushless 7¼-Inch Circular Saw. This is a standard model that features a traditional blade dimension with a 2.5-inch max cut depth, and the same design language as just about every other brand in the circular saw market (aside from their worm drive models).

The brushless motor improves the tool's longevity and durability across cuts on individual projects. It can provide up to 300 cuts on a single charge and features a soft start to the motor to reduce jumping and improve handling control as you prepare to use the tool. The saw's bevel offers cut angles between zero and 56 degrees with positive stops at zero and 45 for confidence when dialing in common cut angle requirements. The saw also features a bright LED light included in its build to help make the workpiece and markings you made on it easier to see and follow as you move through a cut.

When a smooth finish is necessary on your project and cash is tight between buying supplies and funding new tool additions, Bauer should be a go-to resource. The 20V 5-Inch Random Orbit Sander with Dust Bag from Bauer delivers solid sanding performance at a truly ridiculous price. For $25 you'll get the bare tool, in comparison to Harbor Freight's flagship model, the 5-inch Hercules sander for more than double the price ($55).

The Bauer random orbit sander is compatible with all standard hook and loop sanding discs, in both five and eight hole configurations. The sander itself comes with a starter pack of discs in various grits so that you can get started quickly (as long as you already have a Bauer battery pack to support your collection). The sander achieves 10,000-orbits-per-minute (OPM) sanding speeds in a 3-millimeter radius to produce swirl-free finishes. The palm grip on top of the sander is molded ergonomically to fit your hand comfortably, as well. This is an important consideration since sanding is often a time consuming and vibration-heavy task that can get uncomfortable in a hurry. Rounding out the tool is a locking dust bag to help contain the mess that you'd be throwing all over the garage otherwise.

Some might opt for a handheld sheet or belt sander, but one of the most useful sanding tools you can bring into your garage is actually a standing model. Set up on a benchtop, the Bauer 4x36-Inch Belt and 6-Inch Disc Sander combines two crucial functions into one tool. The tool features a tilting belt face to help get the exact angle of attack you demand of any given workpiece shaping and finishing task. It's built with a steel base and body, weighing in at a respectable 35 pounds — in the case of a tabletop tool, weight is typically your friend.

The sander is run on a 4.3 amp motor that delivers 3,560 rpm and 1,800-surface-feet-per-minute (sfpm) speeds. It also features a tool-free tension release to make changing sanding belts easier and a stop bar to enhance safety when in use. Rather than bringing your tool to the workpiece, often when working with delicate or small parts you'll benefit tremendously by bringing the material to your sander. This allows you to take off excess material with precise movements and stop the sanding as soon as you hit your target.

Drills are among the most common inclusions to hobbyist and professional toolkits, and they come in all sorts of unique setups. Mixing drill units, for instance, feature a specialist design that's purpose-built for plasterers and painters, and rarely see use as a true drill. Another kind that frequently gets a lot of use — albeit in a more traditional role — is the hammer drill. These drills aren't fastener drivers, but instead ramp up the raw power of the machinery to punch through even the densest workpieces you may encounter. Hammer drills feature prominently in work concerning concrete and other hard mediums.

Bauer's 7.5 Amp ½-Inch Hammer Drill features variable speed trigger action and a pistol grip design for easy handling and improved maneuverability. It's a corded tool, so it can deliver ample power without ever needing to recharge. Many hammer drills are expensive, but Bauer's model sells for just $45, with a price reduction down to $25 for Harbor Freight's Inside Track Club members, offered until the end of January 2025. The drill offers substantial impact energy, rated for 45,000 BPM in hammer drill mode. It features a keyed chuck (and comes with an adjustment key), as well as hammer drill and drill-only modes. However, it doesn't seem that the tool features a hammer action only mode, which could be a drawback for some.

Unlike a circular saw, the jigsaw features a reciprocating blade oriented down and away from the tool body. To use it, you'll stand over the tool and allow it to glide away from you as it carves through your workpiece. The straight blade's rapid vertical movement allows you to introduce waves and curves into your cuts, something most other handheld saws will struggle to achieve. Try to turn a circular saw for a curved cut and you'll bind up the blade — it may even jump out of the cut, creating a seriously dangerous situation.

The Bauer 20V Variable Speed Jigsaw features a four-position orbital selection dial to control cut speed, and as a byproduct, the smoothness of your resulting cut. The tool also features a zero to 45 degree tilt angle, allowing for both right and left bevel action for precision cuts without having to work out quirky workpiece adjustments. The bare tool is $45 at Harbor Freight, giving you a jigsaw that delivers speeds up to 2,400 strokes per minute (spm) and a 1-inch stroke length for a solid bargain. The jigsaw also features positive stops to help dial in the exact cut angle you're looking for and an LED light to douse your work in light for improved cutline adherence as you work your way across a board.

The Bauer Corded 8 Amp 4½-Inch Paddle Switch Angle Grinder is a great asset to bring into your garage, regardless of the kinds of projects you typically tackle. The tool features a two-position handle that can be attached on either side to accommodate left- or right-handed use. It features an 11,500 rpm disc speed for immense cutting performance across a range of materials. The switch is located at the bottom of the tool's inline body for ergonomic handling. It doesn't include a lock-on feature, but this is actually a blessing for those purchasing their first angle grinder, as it vastly improves the tool's safety. It's discounted from $45 to $40 until March 6, 2025, delivering even better cost effectiveness than the tool already exhibits.

Home improvers will find ample use for an angle grinder around the home. They're excellent for performing hard landscaping — shearing cleanly through concrete and clay bricks, cutting metal and stone with ease, and acting as a shaping and buffing tool when needed, too. Angle grinders are also a core component in metalworking, allowing you to cut rough stock by hand and clean up welding joints. Angle grinders can even serve as a non-orbiting sander with the correct attachment, producing huge spin rates and a fast first polish on your workpiece.

Bauer's 20V Brushless Variable Speed Oscillating Multitool is a true steal for $40. The brushless motor is a major win for renovators who will assuredly be punishing the tool with all kinds of demanding cutting requirements. Multitools feature an oscillating blade that rapidly vibrates back and forth on a horizontal plane. You can also affix the blade facing out at different angles rather than straight out from the stalk in order to reach tight spaces easier.

The universal quick change head makes swapping blades or switching to a different cutting, grinding, or sanding accessory simple. The tool also delivers a tight 2.9-degree oscillation range for precision cuts across a wide variety of materials. It also has a rubberized grip to maximum comfort, and a six-speed control dial to lock in the perfect cut speed for your job. Rounding out the package is an LED light to make work easier and safer. Compared to Harbor Freight's Hercules alternative, you'll get a solid multitool for half the price ($80 for the Hercules option).

The Bauer 20V Reciprocating Saw is listed at Harbor Freight for $50 and promises to provide immense cutting versatility. Producing 3,000 spm blade speeds, this is a cordless reciprocating saw purpose-built to handle high volume timber cutting tasks while on the move, but it goes beyond that singular function — otherwise you might as well just break out your circular saw. The reciprocating saw allows you to cut straight through existing timber structures without worrying about embedded nails, screws, and other surprises.

These metal inclusions would damage your jigsaw, circular saw, or multitool blade immediately upon contact. Reciprocating saws are built differently, and deliver care-free cutting as you work to remove material from decking, roof segments, or even entire stud walls. Bauer's reciprocating saw features a double oil sealed shaft to help improve the tool's longevity, while also introducing an anti-vibration frame and rugged D-handle design to keep you working for longer. The tool-free blade change functionality also provides ample ease of use and speed in your workflow.

An impact wrench adds huge torque to the capabilities of a home mechanic, in the same way an impact driver changes the conversation surrounding fastening tasks. But the impact wrench is designed to turn nuts, not drive screws. Not only can an impact wrench provide enough breakaway torque to turn a stubborn bolt, they are also adept at delivering rapid turning speeds on routine fasteners, too. This makes them a great choice for speeding up your workflow as well as delivering a backstop to get a nut turning that just won't budge under standard hand pressure with your regular wrench.

Bauer carries a few solid options within the impact wrench segment. Perhaps its most impressive example is the 20V Brushless ½-Inch High Torque Impact Wrench Kit. It sells for $160 and produces up to 1,000 lb-ft of breakaway torque and 650 lb-ft of fastening torque. It offers three speed selections and is built with other much-loved features like a variable speed trigger to dial up the exact turning speed and power you require. The bare tool sells for $130, saving you a bit of money if you already have batteries and a charger for the Bauer 20V tool family. Another option for those who don't need as much power might be to opt for what appears to be the lineup's outgoing, older model. Currently, the ⅜-inch impact wrench (as a bare tool offering) is on clearance for just $30.

This final power tool is the apple of many people's eyes. Pressure washers allow for a huge range of cleaning uses. From spraying down a boat or car that's been out in the elements for a bit too long — perhaps you're an avid off-road adventurer — to blasting away grime or finicky weeds in your driveway area, it is the perfect companion.

Unfortunately, powerful pressure washers often land on the expensive end of the price spectrum. It can be a challenge to find a quality tool in this category without breaking the bank. However, the Bauer 3,000 PSI 1.1 GPM Brushless Electric Pressure Washer does a genuinely solid job of bringing these two ends of the market together. Listed at Harbor Freight for $350, it compares directly to competitors selling for $100 or more above its price. The pressure washer features a brushless motor rated for a 14.5 amp output. It also comes with a variety of accessory nozzles and a 25-foot non-marring hose and 35-foot power cord. The electric start kicks on rapidly every time you want to use the pressure washer, and additional components like an onboard 1 gallon detergent tank round out a versatile cleaning machine that can handle whatever tasks you might demand of it.