HERCULES VS BAUER
Harbor Freight now sells cordless power tools, but what’s the difference between Hercules and Bauer? You can use the comparison tables below to find out which is best.
HARBOR FREIGHT CORDLESS TOOLS
With so many cordless tools to choose from, Harbor Freight now sells their very own cordless tool lineup too.
Harbor Freight carries two primary cordless tool series or brands. The Hercules Series is geared towards professionals which Harbor Freight advertises is just as good as Milwaukee, but cheaper.
Harbor Freight Hercules Brand
Then there’s the Bauer Brand which is geared more for everyday small home projects that Harbor Freight claims is superior over Ryobi Cordless tools.
Harbor Freight Bauer Brand
The biggest downside is Hercules and Bauer batteries are not compatible even though most of the tools both use 20V systems. Hercules gets a little more complex and offers a few 12V cordless tools too.
The good news is there’s an option for a battery adapter to go from a Bauer tool to a Hercules battery if you started with Hercules 20v and want to buy a Bauer 20v power tool.
With all the different options check out the side-by-side comparisons below ⤵️
HERCULES VS BAUER CORDLESS DRILL
Both Bauer and Hercules have a 1/2 inch drill/driver cordless power tool. Now the Hercules lineup does include a 12v option, but we’ll stick to comparing the Bauer vs Hercules 20v versions for now:
| Harbor Freight Cordless Drill Comparison Tool | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Bauer 20v 1/2in Drill/Driver |
Hercules 20v 1/2in Drill/Driver w/Side Handle |
| Model | 2191CR-B | HCB91B |
| Price (MSRP) |  $39 |
 $69 |
| Chuck Size | 1/2 in. | 1/2 in. |
| Motor Type | Brushless | Brushless |
| Speed (max.) | 500/1900 RPM | 550/2000 RPM |
| Max Torque | 405 in. lbs. | 1200 in. lbs. |
| Battery Capacity | 1.5-12 Ah | 2-12 Ah |
| Gearbox Ctrl. | 2-speed | 2-speed |
| Clutch Settings | 22 position | 14 position |
| Weight | 2.7 lb. | 3.26 lb. |
| Light | LED | LED |
Torque is the biggest difference between the Hercules drill and the Bauer. The higher torque of the Hercules is nice if you plan to be constantly drilling into harder surfaces like metal.
HERCULES VS BAUER CORDLESS IMPACT WRENCH
The Harbor Freight cordless impact wrenches options quadruple, so the next comparison table provides the option to select between the different Hercules and Bauer cordless impact wrenches which all use 20V.
With around 11 different options between Hercules and Bauer Torque Wrenches, it really depends on what your max torque needs are.
For occasional DIY automotive projects, the middle of the pack 1/2 inch impacts should be fine.
Just don’t tighten your lug nuts with an impact wrench. Use a torque wrench for that.
HERCULES VS BAUER CORDLESS RATCHET
Cordless ratchets are a God send. They will seriously change your life. As soon as we started using one to rip apart our project cars, we never put it down. Hercules and Bauer combined have 6 different cordless ratchets to choose from:
The ratchet selection is where things get interesting because the Bauer carries 20V which has slightly better specs over the Hercules 12V.
With Hercules being targeted at professionals, this seems the opposite. Both don’t list as having brushed motors like the other tools on the website, but if you download and read the Bauer and Hercules Ratchet manuals you’ll find that the motors are brushed.
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