Harbor Freight has launched a new line of Hercules 12V cordless power tools, including a drill/driver kit, impact driver kit, and screwdriver kit.
We first wrote about Harbor Freight Hercules cordless power tools in 2017, after which we talked about how they were looking to make a serious push into the pro tool market. After that, they launched a new Hercules 12″ sliding miter saw.
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More recently, Harbor Freight announced a new line of premium Icon tools and tool storage products, and we spoke about their new premium Quinn screwdrivers earlier this month.
They also came out with ultra-quiet Fortress air compressors.
The new Harbor Freight Hercules 12V cordless drill (item no.64370) is said to be a lightweight and compact design, capable of longer runtimes and legendary performance.
- 3/8″ ratcheting chuck
- 312 in-lbs max torque
- 0-400/0-1500 RPM
- 7-1/2″ long
- Weighs 2 lbs
- LED worklight
Harbor Freight emphasizes that their Hercules 12V drill is built with a Jacobs-branded chuck.
Price: $80 for the kit
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The kit comes with a charger, carrying bag, and 2.0Ah battery.
Next, there is a new Hercules 12V impact driver (item no. 64369) which, like the drill, has decent on-paper specs.
Harbor Freight says that it has all-metal gear construction, built to withstand jobsite abuse.
- 1/4″ hex bit holder
- 1000 in-lbs max torque
- 0-2500 RPM
- 0-3030 IPM
- LED worklight with delayed-off
- 6-3/4″ long
- Weighs 1.87 lbs
Price: $80 for the kit
As with the drill, the kit comes with a charger, carrying bag, and 2.0Ah Li-ion battery.
Lastly, Harbor Freight is also introducing a new Hercules 12V cordless screwdriver (item no. 64368).
- 1/4″ quick-release chuck
- 312 in-lbs max torque
- 0-400/0-1500 RPM
- 6-3/8″ long
- Weighs 1.7 lbs
- LED worklight
The cordless screwdriver is similar to the drill, but with a quick-release 1/4″ hex chuck.
Price: $80 for the kit
The kit comes with a charger, carrying bag, and 2.0Ah battery.
All of the new tool kits come with some starter bits.
Additional 2.0Ah batteries are priced at $25 each.
Additional chargers are also available, at $30.
More Info(via Harbor Freight)
First Thoughts
Harbor Freight is comparing their new Hercules 12V cordless power tools to Dewalt’s 12V Max tools. Let’s do the same.
Dewalt 12V Max Drill Kit: $89 via Amazon
Dewalt 12V Max Impact Driver Kit: $89 via Amazon
Dewalt 12V Max Cordless Screwdriver Kit: $96 via Amazon
Dewalt 12V Max Cordless Drill and Impact Driver Kit: $129 via Amazon
So, the Dewalt drill and impact driver kits cost $9 more, each. The screwdriver kit is $16 more.
But, the Dewalt kits come with (2) Li-ion batteries, although individually they’re lower capacity (1.5Ah vs. 2.0Ah). Harbor Freight’s Hercules kits come with (1). The Dewalt 2-tool kit is $129. (So is Bosch’s at the moment.)
Ignoring promo pricing on Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita, and Bosch 12V Max cordless drill, impact, and screwdriver kits, are these Harbor Freight Hercules 12V tools a good buy?
Actually, the specs are decent. Surprisingly, Harbor Freight’s Hercules tools best Dewalt’s 12V Max tools, specs-wise, at least on paper. Dewalt’s first 12V Max offerings launched more than 8 years ago, so maybe this is not that much of a surprise.
I bought a Harbor Freight Hercules 20V Max drill and impact driver when they first came out, for review consideration purposes, and they’re not bad. My complaints are more with the fit and finish than anything else, but those niggles were enough for me to drag my feet through the review process, leading to the tools being buried under newer interests. Maybe I’ll pull them out for final testing and review one of these days.
If Harbor Freight took lessons from their 20V Hercules tools and applied them to these 12V tools, they might be decent buys, at least for users not looking to buy into a system.
Dewalt’s 12V Max cordless power tool lineup has been stagnant. Harbor Freight’s Hercules 20V lineup has not seen any new tools, but not a lot of time has passed since their initial rollout. But if they’re not actively releasing new Hercules 20V cordless power tools, at what pace will they launch new 12V Hercules tools?
It won’t be long until new Harbor Freight coupons discount the prices a little bit.
Skil’s PWRCore 12 brushless 1/2″ cordless drill/driver kit is $80 on Amazon, and like the Hercules drill it comes with a 2.0Ah battery. The PWRCore drill has added features that make it a little more compelling than the Hercules, and it’s more powerful too. The Skil is aimed at DIYers, but the comparison seems fair. Which $80 12V-class drill kit would you purchase?
See Also: Skil PWRCore 12 Brushless Drill Kit Review
The new Harbor Freight Hercules 12V drill and drivers say all the right stuff on paper. Frankly, I think they’re moving in the right direction, or at least in a direction that keeps me open minded and even optimistic about what’s to come.
If you were looking to buy new 12V-class cordless power tools, would these make it to your shortlist?
I haven’t been to a Harbor Freight store since I bought Hercules 20V tools for testing. If there’s enough interest, I’ll head over to pick up one or more of these new 12V tools for some hands-on time.
Are there any Hercules 12V or 20V cordless power tools you’d like to see Harbor Freight come out with soon?
mattd
I don’t think I would buy into any new platform until they have proven that they are going to be continually outputting tools. when you have platforms like milwaukee and their large 12v lineup, I just cannot see justifying getting into these Until they have proven that they will keep innovating.
Steve
For better or for worse HF doesn’t innovate, they copy, they are not a tool company so they have no R&D.
Tim D.
Dell’s business model was less about innovation and more about producing a comparable product for a better price point. That doesn’t mean that Dell isn’t a computer company.
TonyT
Dell was innovative: they were the first major company to do quick, build to order PC’s. So, not amazing tech, but still quite an advance. Now? I don’t see much innovation from anyone in the PC biz – last product that made an impact was probably the MS Surface.
George Gallo
Agreed,
With all of the Dewalt 18V & 20V & now 60 FlexVolt max tools with interchanging batteries from the 20 V to the 60 FlexVolt, it’s kinda hard to walkway from the “Tribe of Tools” that we started out with and their ecosystem.
Eric
And even with their limited line they still have several different battery platforms. It’s way to complicated for what they’re offering. You have your Bauer and Hercules 20v drills and impacts. Then the 20v earthquake impact stuff. the 20v Bauer impact stuff. And then the 12v earthquake ratchets, and now the Hercules 12v drills and impacts. And they’re all using slightly different batteries. So even if they do manage to come out with a more complete line up I won’t even consider it until they can consolidate their battery platforms. It’s just not worth the hassle.
HF Salesperson
I’ve worked at HF for 5 years and honestly have my doubts about the 12v hercs. I would put the spotlight on the 20v Bauer lineup tho. I have the drill, hex impact ( which really surprised me) the 6 1/2 in saw and 4 1/2in Angle grinder. This week I got my sneak peak at what’s to come: 2 leaf blowers, a hand vac, portable worklights, radio, water transfer pump, 10in chainsaw, hedge trimmers, tire inflater and: I believe what appears to be a auto battery jumpstart, or more likely a emergency power inverter to run a small 110 device to which I actually am skeptical. I can say they all use the same battery, and of the existing products I have I am not let down in the least. As always: dont buy a pontiac montana on year 1. Personally I would see the dust settle before buying the Hercules 12v series as they are underpowered compared to a 20v ANYTHING.
Chip
Haha ,HF now is comparing themselves to Hilti.
If you are down on your luck,and you need ..wait not even then.
You can purchase Ryobi, Ridgid, Porter Cable,Kobalt for the same price.
Or buy a good brand at a pawnshop.
Radical Pragmatist
I can’t say that I understand the purpose in the Hercules 12V line. It would make more sense if they used a stem style battery that could fit in the grip like a Milwaukee or Bosch. The Dewalt style pack is just a little smaller than the 18/20V battery and the cost difference between the different voltages is to small to matter.
Harbor Frieght has too many brands. They should have made a single quality brand that covered 12V and 18/20V and offered all of the different tool categories. Instead they have Hercules/Bauer/Earthquake/Warrior each with its own battery platform. Why would anyone buy into that when they can get Dewalt or Milwaukee or Ryobi with a huge variety of tools that share batteries? Madness
Stuart
Ergonomics. I am fond of many Bosch and Milwaukee 12V and M12 tools, but if I had to choose based on ergonomics, I like Dewalt an Makita grips better.
Radical Pragmatist
I can certainly see how the M12 tool grip would be less comfortable for some people, but Milwaukee sells far more 12V tools than Dewalt does. I run a maintenance crew and all of our cordless tools are Milwaukee. The M12 tools always seem to find there way into peoples hands before the M18 tools do. If ergonomics are that much of a concern then get the 18V tool. Again, not much of a price difference.
I have a Dewalt RO sander that I purchased specifically because I preferred the feel of over any other sander I tried, but its a corded tool. I understand the ergonomics argument, but the first job of a tool is to be useful. If you are buying into a battery platform then you are making an investment and I don’t see why anyone would invest in this.
Stuart
Frankly, I can think of a lot of directions I’d go in before buying these tools for personal use. But, ToolGuyd recognizes that different people have different needs, wants, and budgets. The fact of the matter is that a lot of people are interested in Harbor Freight tools, especially new Hercules cordless power tools. While not personally interested in buying these tools, I think that the development was interesting and worthy of an introductory preview post.
There are countless unknown cordless power tool brands on Amazon. People still buy those tools. Honestly, on a tight budget, I’d trust Harbor Freight over those other brands.
My drill purchase history started with Black & Decker. I then went to Craftsman but then returned it for Hitachi, and then Bosch. If I were 20 again, it’s possible that Hercules tools would have gotten my attention.
Eric
I wouldn’t have a problem buying Dewalt 12v if they would have kept going with the line and introduced new stuff. A coworker has the screwdriver and I do like the slimmer grip. But with Milwuakee’s massive and constantly growing 12v line it just made a lot more sense to go M12.
HF Salesperson
I echo that: The Hercules 12v is a step down. With a big sticker price. Like a 1987 Cadillac Cimmeron rebadged from a Chevy Cavalier.
Matt
Agreed
Steve
HF has one tool brand, HF, all the names they stick on the tools after drawing names out of a hat are pointless. They are there to give the appearance of variety and to make it hard to keep track of so when people see them they don’t always associate them with HF.
Matt N
All the fake brands they recently made up is a joke….
ktash
I recently got the two quinn screwdrivers you wrote about. I’ve already used one of them to pry things up. It’s a decent screwdriver and one I don’t mind abusing, unlike my other good tools. But I wouldn’t be likely to buy most battery or electrical tools from Harbor Freight because there are too many other good brands to invest in. For example, Ryobi is a great platform to invest in with their many innovations at a similar price point for drills, etc. It’s also a stable product line. Harbor Freight doesn’t have that reputation. I’m all for Harbor Freight making better tools, but think they have a long way to go to do that.
I nearly bought a sheet metal crimper from them today. Neither of the big box stores had it in stock, and I needed it right away as part of a diy gone awry. I was grateful I could buy it for about 1/3 of going price and probably donate it since it was a one time thing. They really are a good source for such things. I fixed the problem without needing a specialty tool, but will always think of them in such a situation.
fred
HF must be doing something right to have grown from a mail-order seller of cheap goods to a $5 billion/year retailer with over 900 stores. They obviously fill a niche market that may overlook them selling mostly house brands with made-up names – with new brands seemingly introduced to fit some marketing agenda.
Hoser
Being successful or turning large profits doesn’t mean a person or company is “doing something right”, history is filled with examples of that. There are establishments that sell food really fast that pump people full of antibiotics and hormones, while serving them “meat” that contains who knows what, all because people are too lazy to cook a nutritious meal, and they view this food that’s made fast as cheap and convenient, so they can overlook the fact that it’s slowly killing them.
Now look at tools, or any consumer good for that matter, everyone is entitled to have whatever they want, whether they can afford it or not. So instead of saving money, renting a quality tool, paying somebody with the proper tool to do the job, or even just realizing they can’t afford it, they demand that the product be cheaper, because they have a right to buy it. Now look through the comments of any post here on TG that mentions HF and there are numerous comments of people buying HF tools only expecting them to last the duration of one project. Now let’s break that down, let’s say that a HF tool is 1/5 the price of a quality tool. The consumer buys that tool, it breaks shortly after or during the project it was purchased for, then they throw it away and those recycleable materials are wasted and the tool fills landfills. On the other hand, another consumer buys a quality tool that he has saved up for, he pays 4 times the price for it, but now that tool lasts decades, it’s an heirloom tool. And then he can hand it off to a child or grandchild and eventually it becomes a collectible, sold on eBay and either used in a limited fashion or displayed somewhere proudly. Tell me where the real bargain is.
I know people that go to Wallyworld EVERY DAY, and they buy their child some cheap meaningless toy because they cry nonstop until mom gives in. The child takes it home, it humors them for a hot minute, and then it’s thrown away, all because it’s cheap. People have tuned themselves to buying 10 cheap, disposable items at 1/4 the price instead of one quality lasting item.
If huge profits meant the right thing was being done, the world would be a much better place. . . . . .
Craig
I completely agree with many of your points on waste and the value of quality merchandise. However I think most people on here are only buying HF tools because they only need to use it one time. Yes the tool may break after that one use but who cares because it’s no longer needed. They don’t want a quality metal crimper that can be handed down because they will never use it again. Yes a professional can be paid a high rate but a certain satisfaction comes with doing something properly oneself on the first try. Yes you can also rent but depending on the tool that can be a huge hassle to locate what you need and the rental cost may compare to HF’s purchase price. I don’t think anyone on here is buying HF’s $500 jackhammers as disposable items. There are also items that are disposable no matter what and I don’t want to pay a premium price for something that will inevitably be thrown away. For instance, when I cut down a tree and spread tree killer on the stump, i don’t need a $12 Purdy paintbrush to do so since that brush will be wrapped and disposed of immediately. HF is great for such items.
Alison
Thank you! So true. I don’t think of anyone as “Entitled” by making an economic decision to purchase a tool at Harbor Freight over buying a quality tool for a one-time job. Although I thank Hoser for his sentiments, there’s clearly a disdain for people’s consumer habits and a disconnect regarding why people make the choices for cheap or better products.
Would I purchase a Hercules cordless drill? My Makita 18v that I bought 12 years ago is doing okay. The concern with HF cordless drill sets is if they’ll be around when I need a new battery.
Jim Felt
What you just said. Damnitall.
Jim Felt
I meant to direct the above to “Hoser”! Oops.
(I’ll blame this iPhone for this misfire. As usual. )
Just a medic
I can see why HF compares these new tools against Dewalt’s 12v line. They appear identical from the photographs: size, shape, contours, balance… Exactly identical. Might they be manufactured in the same plant from the same molds as Dewalt 12v tools?
Tim
If I had a nickel for every time I see it speculated that name brand tools and HF brand tools were manufactured in the same plant I’d be a wealthy man.
This is obviously true at times (like ridgid / aeg), but I doubt SBD is allowing HF to use their molds.
Eric
The molds themselves are easy enough to copy and make a few changes to to make them their own. And Dewalt is the logical choice for comparison in the 12v world since they haven’t done anything to them since they came out several years ago. The Milwaukee or Bosch stuff is much more powerful.
Frank D
You know how people have negative comments on some brands like ridgid, dewalt, black & decker and ryobi in particular … maybe they should focus on HF tools instead.
No way I’m buying into HF cordless or corded tools, regardless of how much they say they compare to x y z. I’ll pay half again as much and double to avoid buying something motorized there. I have used some of them and bought a couple on a roadrrip to fix something I had not anticipated, and I did not wnat to try to rent ot borrow tools, … some tools failed out of the box, others lasted; but were basically one project use.
Nothing about HF inspires me that their cordless tools are any better built and have better components.
Steve the Gullible
Nope, I’m gullible but not that gullible. I had an old HF 1/2″ corded drill that sounded like the bearings had fallen out of it when I first bought it and it still sounded like that after I abused it with heavy duty drilling for 5-10 years. But even if it actually lasts there are some tools that just suck the life out of you to use them. Like walking a cat into a dog show, driving a Geo Metro, sitting in the beauty parlor while your wife gets her hair done, buying feminine hygiene products at Walmart for your daughters, etc. Doesn’t matter if they work or not if your soul is withering.
John
Love this reply. Made my day!
OverKnight
With only a 90-day warranty, Harbor Freight is clearly telling us they don’t think these tools will last very long. I’m not interested in any product that only offers a 90-day warranty.
Ryan
This review should have stated DO NOT BUY. There’s no reason to own such crap. If you came across this for free, you should put it on Craigslist immediately for some poor sap who doesn’t know better.
Go to YouTube and search for “AVE” and find his review on this brand.
Don’t buy this. Don’t let your friends buy this.
Nathan
HOW SBD hasn’t sued them I don’t understand. I mean OK the names are the same, the colors are different . . . . . but they are near copies of the same items.
Admittedly their older variant items – which I suppose were made in china.
While a potentially good product like you say – simple google shopping price check says buy ANYTHING else. And like you pointed out I’d pick up that Skil/cheveron tool before this one.
Eric
Snap On sued over the jacks and lost. Harbor Freight changes just enough stuff so that they aren’t direct copies.
Addison
I think that there is a huge opportunity for low price and (super) low quality to capture a whole lot of the market. I think it would take 2 things; 1) a good battery (not great) if the battery doesn’t last no one would complete their own set of tools. And B) a near complete offering of tools at the beginning. Hazard Fraught could definitely do B), but I am not sure about batteries. Ryobi is closer, but Red, Yellow and Makita are right there saying: ‘spend a little more get the good one’. Imagine if Ryobi was available at Target, Menards (or any tools were available there), Batteries Plus or an auto parts store with national network. I think there is huge market but one that would need deep pockets for R & D and tooling. Great question!
Joe framer
The only reason for this topic was to get responses. Add to revenue,sell ads… Capitalism,I’m all for it…
…HF has a purpose,like Kmart,wall Mart,joblot,….it’s junk sold cheap. If people buy it ,they deserve what they get.
,.As you know I prefer American made tools, helping Americans have jobs, helping our country. When Americans have jobs they buy Houses, Products, hire other people for work.,in the end it actually helps yourself buy helping American companies…
…How about reviews on new tools from legit companies,there are hundreds of new tools out there made by the top 5 or 6 companies…
Houston
Imported tools (or any good for that matter) still produce American jobs. Jobs to unload the cargo ships, jobs to transport the cargo across the country, jobs to maintain those fleets, etc.
Whether made in America or elsewhere, the bulk of the profits are going to a CEO or and owner, not into the American worker’s pocket.
fred
BTW – Eric Smidt CEO and principal owner of HF is reportedly worth somewhere around $3 billion.
fred
Maybe closer to $4 billion:
http://labusinessjournal.com/news/2018/may/18/eric-smidt/
ktash
Well, say what you will about HF, and I often will talk trash about them, at least he didn’t do it by running the company into the ground like Sears and fast eddie. They still have a business that wants to sell actual tools.
fred
No they have not run the company into the ground – quite the reverse as apparently the company (HF) is growing. If they had to rely on my shopping there – I’m afraid that they’d starve – as I frequent them only when I need some nitrile gloves or chip brushes. But the store is usually crowded with what seems like satisfied customers – albeit customers who may not be the tool-buying cognoscenti. I know that Hoser took exception to my saying that they must be doing something right – but I was not talking from the standpoint of moral/ ethical imperatives – or what might be the greater good for society/humanity. I was more commenting on the thought that no one is twisting anybody’s arm to shop at HF – that they are employing lots of folks to staff their stores and warehouses and consumers seem to buy more from them each year – misguided (or not) as that might be. We can get on our tool-buying high horse and disdain /lament this growth of what I perceive as the low-end – sometimes even shoddy – part of the market – but I’m happy that we live in a country that allows everyone the freedom to choose how they spend their money.
ktash
I get a few things there, too, like chip brushes, nitrile gloves, and magnets. Always with a coupon or two. I’ve gotten free magnetic bars with the coupons that I use to hang tools on the sides of carts, etc. Very handy. And I recently got their Apache case for a specialty jig I use a lot. Great case with pluck out foam. Can’t complain about the quality there for my use. But nothing motorized.
Interesting point about the good of society/humanity. There are folks who can’t afford better but want to do some home repairs and it does benefit them. Those are the people you often see, I think, in the store. But yes, I don’t like the throwaway society very much, and wish there were better quality alternatives for people who can’t afford more.
Daniel
I disagree with the ‘buy American’ mentality. I don’t believe that people should buy something JUST because it’s American.
I believe that people should make their purchases based on what the best product is in their price range is. If that product happens to be American, then great, but if it’s not, that’s fine too.
If we all start intentionally buying things solely based on the fact that they’re American, we can pretty much kiss quality good-buy, because we are telling those companies that we won’t do business with their competitors by default, simply because they’re overseas. There’s no (or less) incentive to make better products.
Almost like communism. Where’s the incentive to make a better product if you all get paid the same no matter what?
We encourage better products with our dollar.
No offense intended to anyone, but someone else not being able to afford their house because they have a crappy job doesn’t affect me at all. If they have a crappy job, they need to get a better job, end of story. Working for an ‘All-American’ company may or may not be the way to do it.
I won’t buy an inferior product from an ‘All-American’ company simply to help out its employees. That’s not my responsibility.
I buy from HF, but only the low-end stuff. The higher priced stuff doesn’t compete at all in terms of performance or price. But basic hand tools, maybe the cheapest Drill Master stuff, literally ANYTHING to get the job done, no problem. Hey, the Drill Master circ saw is actually pretty good. Had it for over a year and it cost me $25 out the door.
mark
I have bought several power tools from HF … Usually an item that I don’t NORMALLY need, but have a use for it now … The tools have been worth the price I paid … If you want to see if a particular tool will work for an application
you can always upgrade later …
RCWARD
The whole gimmick at HF was low priced tools. They were junk tools but low priced. Now as they put out better tools of course the gimmick of low prices goes out the window too. I still wouldn’t pay top dollar for anything HF.
Flotsam
I am not interested since I bought into Milwaukee M12 two years ago. I got 4 tools (drill, driver, 3/8 ratchet & hackzall) for $200 so figure a price point of $50 per tool . Right now HF can’t match that at all. Not to mention since then I have bought other M12 tools that are non-existent in the HF world.
I was interested in the ratchet primarily and even had a HF ratchet on back order but glad i gave up on that. In the end the Milwaukee ratchet is better and if i did get the ratchet it would have been incompatible with the batteries of this Hercules set.
Bryan
“Legendary performance” from a brand new tool line…….
A sucker is born every minute.
The What?
If hf is really trying to make a push into the pro market then why does none of their brands have a full lineup of cordless tools? Hercules, which I’m guessing is supposed to be their premium brand, doesn’t make any other tools besides a 12″ miter saw and a bunch of drills and drivers. You would think that they would have cordless circ saws, recip, oscillator, grinder, etc made by Hercules. But if you look up cordless on the site, they don’t have a set brand that makes the cordless tools that they sell. You can’t buy a combo kit from hf. Which is more than evident that Hercules, Bauer, Warrior, Drill Master, and Chicago Electric are all the same brand.
fred
The brands you mention may not all be sourced from the same OEM – but they certainly are brands dreamed up by Harbor Freight to convey some image – maybe like :
Hercules = Strong ?
Bauer = sounds like a German company ?
Warrior = tough ?
Chicago Electric = that city south of Milwaukee ?
They do the same with brands like Pittsburgh and US General
Steve
They had a coming soon sign, with pictures, for all those Hercules and Bauer tools you mentioned when I was in there yesterday. It’s taking them forever to roll this stuff out though, it’s been like a year and a half already since they dropped the brand names on the market. After seeing the taredown videos of the Hercules tools, hard pass for me, thanks anyway HF.
bobad
Don’t really see any advantage to 12v tools over 20v. They’re not significantly smaller or cheaper.
ktash
Holy cow! I actually ran into someone who thought HF sold many different brands. She’d bought a corded power tool from them recently and I suggested that for not much more she could get a much better brand tool on sale at a big box store, if she hadn’t already opened it. But she swore by the HF brand and said it got very high ratings, etc. So yes, there are people out there who things HF sells good brands, not just the new ones “pro” brands but their standard ones. No one was going to change her mind, either. I tried.
Bob Channell
OK, you’ve trashed these tools unmercifully, and some of it I can agree with, but here’s my take. We do HVAC work and beat our tools to death, daily. I have a ton of Milwaukee both M12 and M18, no complaints, they are tough and never a failure, not even a battery, I’m still using originals that are over 3 years old.
Just for grins I bought two new tools for us to try out. I figure if they stand up to my guys, then they’re good to go. First up I bought the Makita sub compact set drill and impact driver. We often need carry around tools when doing service work to drill a hold in duct or remove a bunch of screws to open a cabinet. So far they’re awesome, if not the most powerful, which for our use is a plus, you don’t strip screws out all the time. Remember driving deck screws is not the major task for us.
Next up was a HF 12v screwdriver, it’s compact, has excellent clutch settings, for driving anything from tiny sheet metal screws to deck screws, although I would want to drive a ton of large screws, but then again, that’s not our thing. It has taken a beating and never failed yet. Fit and finish are top notch, so I don’t know what the gripe was there. I paid $65 for the kit, yes only one battery. Compared to the DeWalt screwdriver, the HF is two speed and can double as a drill, the DeWalt is single speed and cannot drill very well. I actually liked the plastic casing of the HF better than the DW. I’ve used it on several jobs that were way above it’s head in terms of power, when I was far away from a Milwaukee impact driver and it’s going fine.
Now you can gripe about too many lines at HF and why not brushless, etc (I’d like to see brushless myself, but not a gripe), all the things you can think of, but in actual HEAVY use, since the first day they arrived at HF for sale, the thing has done it’s job. Only time will tell, but this is actual use not armchair reviewing.
Stuart
Thank you, it does look like the price is currently $65 for the kits. It’s uncertain if this is the new price or temporary pricing.
Still, $130 gets you a drill kit and impact driver kit, with both tools, 2 chargers, 2 batteries, 2 tool bags. At the time of this posting, a Bosch 12V Max drill and impact combo kit is $99 via Amazon, and so is Makita’s 12V Max combo kit. Dewalt’s older 12V Max drill kit is $80 at Amazon right now.
If Harbor Freight can offer competitive specs, performance, and longevity at close pricing, that’s great. At the time of this posting, the pricing was not quite as desirable. $65 kit pricing definitely gives the Hercules tools better positioning.
I plan to pick up some or all of these Hercules tools the next time I plan for cross-brand drill and driver comparison testing. I bought a Hercules 20V drill and a Hercules 20V impact driver, and think they’re okay, but they don’t quite compare with similarly priced offerings from other pro tool brands.
John Crawford
Hi all!
I have worked in property maintenance for more than 30 years and have got to see all the battery tools from their infancy, the first being the Makita drill driver that everyone was hot after. DeWalt’s are nice but I always checked out some other stuff just to see what all the hub-bub was about. For the 12v sector I started with Milwaukee, which was great. I then checked out Stanley when they had the drill/impact set. It was everything it could be. I put together a deck with them and they were definitely taxed. But they did what they were built for. Next I worked with Menard’s Workforce 12v set. They did better than the Stanley’s. Finally, I caught eye of the Harbour Freight 12v drill. For the last two years this drill has worked tougher than any other 12v drill I have had. I have built decks, fastened railing with 1/2 inch by 3 inch lag bolts (it drove them right in), nimble enough to install window coverings and even stir up 5 gallon buckets of paint, though it did tax it a bit. If I want something more, I will pull out the Rockwell 20v. But for what this is, I am seriously impressed with the HF 12v drill. I am rough on my tools and when it finally comes time to retire this drill, I will purchase another one, it works that well. Not saying others are not good, but this little guy has worked out very well for me, it takes a bit abuse and just keeps working. I live in North Dakota and this drill has had to work in negative temperatures to my surprise. When there are larger jobs to do, I pull out bigger guns, but this HF 12v drill does the rest of the 95 percent of my work and it does a very good job doing it. There is enough torque with it that I constantly have to set the clutch. I most definitely will buy it again.