Harbor Freight's New Hercules DRILL vs M18 Gen 3 & 4
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- Опубликовано: 27 авг 2024
- Our lifetime of TOOL RANKINGS : torquetestchan... 6Ah HO Battery: amzn.to/3nVeFRA Milwaukee Gen4 for currently $125: amzn.to/3mdYRsR Hercules: shorturl.at/vORY5
Today we upgrade our drill dyno and unwrap the new Milwaukee Gen 4 2904 Hammer Drill and Hercules Brushless Hammer Drill to see who can upstage the M18 2803 Gen 3 the most. Drills aren't ONLY about power, so as always consider multiple sources for this info, but we may be one of the few places you can SEE that power quantified tool for tool as we include more and more to our ranking.
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As always, the creator of this channel works in product development for Astro Tools, who do not make cordless drills. Always consider multiple sources when looking as a tool!
We don't often pray at the alter of High output, but if you own an M18 drill - these are actually worth their weight and then some amzn.to/3nVeFRA.
I don't expect this will be the last Hercules we will test at this rate of results. Some aren't great (new 12V cut-off for instance, we've found) but others really seem to put a hurt on other top brands. Make your suggestions!
Can you test Milwaukee and DeWalts normal brushless drills? To see how bad it is 🤣
can you do a test of aussie brand wrenches?
We should make out
Could you run the kobalt hammer drill? I've had mine for about 3 years now and it's still kicking. Curious how it compares to these others. I bought a combo set (1/4in driver and a hammer drill) for $200 3 years ago. I use them both almost daily as an industrial maintenance tech and they have been great for me. It is about time for me to upgrade though and I'm not sure if I should stick to kobalt or go with Hercules...
I'm assuming with the Hercules you were referring to the extreme performance battery?
Dumb question - have you ever tested multiples of the same model to look at consistency within a brand?
Not a dumb question at all. We have in 3 seperate cases in cordless impacts, in the M18 2767's case we've bought 3 and tested another heavily used 1 that was not ours.
We've also done it with a cordless cut-off tool we happen to have 2 of (DeWALT, because it's so good). And this gen 3 M18 drill we actually have more than one of as well just from drilling all kinds of stuff. So far in all of those cases the results have been boring because they all make the same numbers, I think in two cases we've shown this on camera: The Rigid Octane in our 2nd purchase of it when Max Output came out, and the M18 2767 when we borrowed that one the guy used as a wrecking ball in a junk yard.
I'm sure there are differences out there, but it might take a pallet of tools from various brands to find them.
Not a dumb question at all!
@@kilgorefarms2169 In my experience if you send in a tool for performing at 9 tenths, they just send it back.
That’s actually a very good question…
Thanks for asking this.
Speaking of overshooting the mark: these videos have no business being this good. Keep up the good work!
One can no longer just believe in brands alone. You and PF do an outstanding job of presenting real work data to us, Thanks.
Harbor Freight really stepping up to shake that "throwaway tool" reputation... And I approve!
Not me, i buy once.
The premium Harbor Freight hand tools are outstanding; but they only have the premium version of some mechanic's tools, like sockets, wrenches, and ratchets. I have some of their ratchets that Iv'e been using for 9 years, and they are very tight and precise. They also have a "premium" version of air tools, which are as good as anything on the market. I have one of their expensive composite air impact wrenches, and it absolutely screams, and will remove just about any fastener.. It appears that they have at least 3 different lines of power tools now too, the Chicago Electric (trash), the Bauer (trash) and the Hercules (very good). And welders: Chicago Electric (trash), the Titanium (very good) and the Vulcan (commercial quality with a long warranty). I have a Vulcan Tig welder, and it's built like a tank. You have to pay for their premium tools, or you won't get a useful product.
When I use to do electrical work. I had a 18 volt Hercules 1/4 inch impact driver. I dropped it off 12 foot ladders, 30 ft flight of steps, all kinds of tough places. I put the Milwaukee fuel brushless to shame. That was like 4 years ago.
I started hitting harbor freight before home depot for tools. I know they are not the best but everything changed when I bought like 14 dollar grinder made by Hercules and until today its still running. Heavily used grinder.
As an electrician trainee working on a budget this is excellent news. I can keep the rigid tools that I baby at home and absolutely abuse a set of hercules tools, knowing I have 5 years to yeet them across job sites.
Like a beater car or truck...
and most people aren't going to get all excited about swiping a Hercules too off a job site either, but a nice orange, red, or yellow tool on the other hand.
Aren't Rigid tools lifetime?
There are restrictions.@@pioneltapinessi947
TTC has become my absolute favorite YT channel. I heard your voice across a restaurant the other day and I instantly looked up from my food, peered around the room, and said "Who's watching TTC????" lol😁
Hercules has a starter kit that includes the drill or impact driver with a 2ah battery and charger for about $100, that' hard to beat. Granted the 2ah isn't ideal but it's useful for sure. I bought the impact driver and I couldn't be happier with it so far.
Now they have a 5a 20v battery and charger and any 20v tool free for 119..
I personally buy Bauer because it has more tools id use around a cabinet shop.
@@straysavages1961 I just picked up this tool and a 5ah battery and charger for $99.... Going to pick up another battery, charger, and impact in June parking lot sale and get this... Can return the charger for a partial $22 credit making... $77!
I'm rewatching this episode 11 months since it's release and HF has been running a Hercules sale 3 AH charger 5 AH battery and tool for $99 for the last 3 months. To next level that $199 kit price the same sale you could also get another 3AH charger 5AH battery and then choose an 8AH extreme performance battery combined total $198. You can believe I've started patiently replacing my yellow tools/batteries with blue from the Freight.
Congrats to Hercules! This is great because it inspires competition. I imagine Milwaukee will be creating some type of stacked lithium at some point. I was able to get that Hercules 20% off last weekend, glad I did.
Yeah that was crazy. I have the milwaukee and its crazy how big of a hole you can cut out with it in high gear. I'm very impressed with it
congrats to China for making their clones more effective each iteration
They had the drill and driver with batteries and charger for $200 last month, great deal.
@@nmatthew7469 i hope the chinese workers are being paid well for this "competition". someone should take one of these to AvE for inspection.
@@CrudeBuster You mean hey made the China-made Hercules better than the China-made Milwaukee, and possibly better than the "made with global components" DeWalt? 🤣
Schocking to see that the HO batteries make so much differents. Now i am wondering how the smaller/lighter HO 3.0 runs against the 5.0 & 6.0 Ah batteries
I'd also like to know this
Yes, show smaller output batteries. I usually go with the smallest (lightest) in my drill.
Load testing the batteries themselves, a 3ah HO performs like an XC5.0. But your point is a good one, to check that on these drill as well
I think it was the compact m18 impact wrench where the 3.0 ho and the xc5.0 performed very similar. I assumed it'd ve very similar for the impact driver and drill, been loving the size and weight savings. Ounces equal pounds
Another vote for Kobalt XTR. I'm in dewalt and kobalt batteries so I'm hoping for a better showing compared to that dewalt you did. I'm still running the old non-xtr drill.
Yep I had the XTR first and old timers told me m18 would smoke it. I didn't understand how anyone could want more torque because that thing will rip your arm right off. Started using the m18 gen3 and there isn't nearly the power under load.
@@ThaNinjaSeal Yeah, I have the M12 Fuel gen2 and I have to be careful when it breaks through metal. I wouldn’t mind a handle for it. I haven’t seen a need for M18 yet.
Used to have a few hercules , never had any issues. That being said, when I had the money - I upgraded to the kobalt. Have to say, for home use, I've never had a problem w them - been very reliable tools.
I'm really curious to see how rigid fits in. Also, some rigid and Ryobi models look almost identical, so I'd be curious to know if they do perform identically.
Both brands are made by TTI (who also makes Milwaukee), so they're probably very similarly constructed, if not identical, apart from the case colors. Usually there are some small differences, though.
@@bjn714 yes and since battery seemed to make such a big difference I'm really curious if there's a huge performance difference
@@bjn714 I'd be furious if they was the same
I really would like to know how the full size Ridgid Octane fairs as the tq was rated so high. I don't think they make a new version that is rated like the Octane.
@@bjn714 In all the comparisons where they break them down, I've never seen them be exactly the same.
I'd like to see a longevity test done.
Say run them at 75% constant load and see which ones burn out quicker.
The majority of new release tools have quite a bit of thermal overload protection that shuts the motor off before damage is done. It'd take a while to actually trash one.
@@ToAstYNaChO What's your point? If it takes 3 months to figure it out, so be it.
@@evictioncarpentry2628 Are customer reviews not enough ?
@@vietfrost Why are you even here if reviews are enough? You don't need to see any testing this channel does on that case.
@@evictioncarpentry2628 That testing would take time and space, and to do endurance testing on these would open the doors to everyone wanting to see everything endurance tested. They also would need to buy and test multiple samples of each model, as TTC has had one off issues with a few air impacts and the 4th gen Fuel impact driver.
Amazing that you now have a setup for this! I’d def recommend the flex along with makitas XGT. I’m sure your already on it tho!
10-4!
This plus the 1/4in Hercules impact driver are making me consider just picking a few of these up to have as extras if we get a new guy who needs a drill to borrow. I like that Harbor Freight is remaining cheap and also actually attempting (and not doing bad at all) to compete. Good for them.
I love the competition, keeps the manufacturers on there toes and we all win in the end.
Nice job Hercules, time to step it up Milwaukee/Dewalt when the cheaper price drill is outperforming you guys.
Big name tool companies have been doing the same run of the mill stuff for years, so much so, they didn't realize their no-name brand competitors are now kicking their asses....they've played off their brand names and colors for so long, people have just been assuming they're gonna be the best. Although a lot of these things are actually made in the same factories in China, they do have different internals for the most part....but the no-name stuff is really starting to catch up, and fast.
I bought the new brushless Hercules impact driver and hammer drill driver set for home. They are far more impressive then I was expecting. They seem every bit as powerful as my Milwaukee gen 3 set. But for the price they an awesome set of tools. Plus being able to bring the tool in for the 5 year warranty in store is awesome.
I love it when the underdog performs. What a great episode.
With all the battery adapters out there on the market, I'd love to see the HO Milwaukee battery on the Hercules and see if there is improvements.
The other way around would technically be a better outcome- hercules operates at 20V and milwaukee at 18V
@@ilyketrainz 20v max tools are the same as 18v tools. Just marketing to sell tools. Both 18v and 20v batteries measure the same right off the charger. That’s why they have to use the “max” in the label.
@@ilyketrainz they all operate at the same voltage.
@@ilyketrainz20v tools aren't a thing. It's 18v.
@@ilyketrainz 20v is just marketing fluff. They are both 18V
That new watts load tester is sweet
Thanks! We got two of them because it seems like they are stopping production of these things overseas and it takes 2-3 months to get them here. So we have 2400W of load we can dial up. Ohh the possibilities
Yeah, I like it.
I can't believe how much power these tools can put out. I'd imagine they can't do it for too long due to how little the motors are, but even being able to make a couple dyno passes is impressive to me.
@@volvo09 Agreed. 1Kw is insane. They do go into heat protection mode if kept there eventually, but that's just good design. A worse tool will let out the smoke
I bought the prior gen Hercules drill in a bind. In a kit with carrying case, charger and one 5ah battery for $95. This thing prove well worth the cost when it put a 2 inch Lennox BiMetal holesaw through 1/4 inch plate steel 8 times on a single charge!
Well done, I'm always impressed with both the quality and delivery of these videos!
For a request, I'd be very interested in Kobalt's XTR and Next Gen drills paired each with a standard 4ah battery and their 4ah ultimate output battery.
I love the harbor freight ad that piped up after this
I'm currently working toward replacing all my Milwaukee tools with Hercules 20v brushless. I've been hanging on to my Milwaukee ratchet, but I think that's going to get replaced by the Hercules one as well. Now that this new hammer drill is out, I'm definitely getting it.
It is great to see unbiased tests.
Yes everyone has his favorites.
Nice to HF get an unbiased review.
Glad you guys came up with this dyno setup. Before this, the standard test was how big of a lag bolt it could set lol
The data shall set you free!
Well you done it again. You made another tool testing catagory entertaining and truly informative.
I've not been able to get into other channels testing drills.
Can you also please test the compact drills as well, like the M12 Milwaukee, Bosch 12V, ToolPRO 12V, VEVOR 12V, SP Tools 12V, Snap On 14.4V.
Maybe even test cordless screwdrivers?
I finally realized what you timer chime reminds me of. I had a 91 Honda accord back in the day and the key in the ignition chime sounds identical to your timer chime.
Try the flex and dewalt with the pouch lithium batteries.
We tested the DCD999 with the 5ah powerstack, it matches a 6ah 21700 XR battery
I hope you get to the Bauer 1/2" drill driver. Brushless, and I just picked one up for $34. Feels powerful.
The problem I ran into with every cordless drill out there is their lackluster speed, way too slow for some heavier drilling applications where you need the higher speeds. For a home diy application they're great, but for heavy use, you'll want to drag out a corded drill.
There's so much I could say, but naw... As impressive as Hercules did here, *Torque Test Channel* continues to be the hero in every test!
*_Sincerely..._* Thank you for being honest, when *so many* in this world aren't willing to be. ❤️🍻
_(not a dig at any brand or channel, just a sad matter-of-fact)_
I love the apology at the end of any sort of blunt comment.
Stop Apologizing for everything!
Truth is Truth!!!
@@user-xv6gu7qz4o Roger that 😅
As someone already many thousands into Milwaukee batteries and tools I'm not switching. Good to see competition, that benefits everyone.
Last night I had to open up my Milwaukee fuel 18g finish gun and fix the mechanism that racks the piston back. I accidently shot a nail into concrete oopsie.
The point is they used the exact same screw for every hole and it was very easy to fix. I wish electronics would follow.
Would love to see Hilti both the old 22v and nuron verses these drills. I have a 22v Hilti drill that doesn’t seem to stout but it’s been a very rouged tool.
Very impressive for the Hercules. Now i'm very curious to see how the new 24v Flex Hammer drill stacks up.
Skip the 24v tools. Get the awesome v28 Milwaukee ones! So much better!
@@hardtymz2517 you're kidding right? Milwaukee abandoned that platform, not to mention all their M18 stuff is more powerful than their m28 line. It could have been something amazing but they didn't really try very hard with it.
It should also be noted that the Gen4 has an actual mechanical clutch. Where the Gen3 has an electronic clutch.
Would be nice to see some FEIN tools here. They are the Inverters of the power drill and here in Germany all over the industry you will find them. Especially the 4speed
I bought this hercules hammer drill and impact driver this week when they were on sale for a total of $233 with 2 batteries and chargers. I'm an electrician, and I only use milwaukee fuel tools. I can attest that these drills are basically the same as the milwaukee drills. I bought them to use when I'm working in trenches and when I'm under a house. If it breaks, I can just go to the harbor freight down the street, and I'll get a new replacement. It is great and cheap for a beater drill. The only con to them is that the trigger feel is awkward and really leaves something left to be desired
Bosch drill would be cool to see
Would love tp see metabo hpt offerings. I know they have a new 36v and 18v top and drills coming over from japan
Picked up the herc from my local HF for like $67 open box
Nice!👍
Should have had a look on the inside, check quality of the gears, bearings etc.
I really appreciate your interaction with ideas in the comments. Many channels don't / won't / refuse to do this.
I recently dumped my old drill driver and battery system and replaced them all with the Hercules line. So far I’m glad to see I made a good choice. I’m glad I didn’t go the DeWaukee route.
Curious as to which platform you were running previously. I have a few Hercules and Bauer tools now, my Dewalt stuff just sits most of the time LOL.
@@wildbill23c Nothing special, I was using Ryobi and was looking to upgrade to Ridgid, Makita or DeWalt. Not big on all the different tools within a particular eco system, I was just looking for the basics, Drill, Driver & Torque.
Very impressive! Thanks for sharing this with us!
Impressive! If I were changing battery lines, or starting my tool journey, or needing to add HO batteries to my current collection, I would give the Hercules a serious look. Since I already have M18 HO batteries, a bare M18 Fuel drill will cost me less than starting over in Hercules, so it might not be more cost effective to switch.
I got the Hercules cordless 20V impact drill, circular saw, palm sander, and the oscillating multi tool and I love them. Great tools 👍🏻
You guys are costing me a lot of money! This weekend I bought Hercules 1/4 inch impact driver and 1/2 inch impact wrench based on your comparison. Now this is on my list.
Or I saved a lot of money not spending on Red.😊
You guys have an awesome channel!
You can get both the drill kit and impact kit for 97.99 at harbor freight. You can also get 2 5ah for 89.99.
Not the particular drill we tested here, and different battery in the kit. But that is correct
Also note that nearly all of the 5ah herc batteries being sold today are the new "black top" batteries using lower quality highstar 18650 cells, compared to the older "blue top" batteries with samsung cells. Too early to tell if the move to the cheaper cells is a value engineering move or if HF can't get the samsung cells (or can't for the same price). I'd always be suspicious of too-good-to-be-true deals at HF. The Extreme Performance batteries (4.0, 8.0, 12.0) are using 21700 cells that so far haven't been swapped out for cheaper variants. I'd still look at the shelves, I just found a couple of blue tops at my local stores last weekend.
Would be nice to see if the Kobalt XTR Drill is like the XTR Driver and XTR High Torque Impact.
Ditto, the XTR impact driver is great, the XTR high torque not as much. The drill performs very well, would be curious how it would do on the Dyno.
XTR drill has an emergency kickback shutoff just like the HILTI
id love to see the rest of the TTI herd (rigid & ryobi), craftaman, kobalt, and for giggles, a corded drill. Also interested in how the drills perform in hammerdrill mode (if equipped). maybe use the air hammer rig?
Whats funny is that my gen 3 Milwaukee was to powerful for a job the other day doing screw work and i had to use my ryobi which worked 100x better with the clutch setup being so much softer
Test the Cat drill with the graphene battery
Great Video. Trying the „most powerful drill“ from Bosch would be interesting I think. GSB-1330 CN
would love to see the Bosch Profactor drill tested! and their new mid range 1/2" impact too.
Yea since they claim strongest drill in its class
I really googled "jacobs locking truck". You got me sir. Real talk thanks for allowing me to explain to my coworkers that checking this channel out is better than believing whats on the box of what they bought.
Fantastic job.
The chuck of the drill is a keyless Jacobs brand chuck, known for resilience- locking are even better when dealing with those jumpy situations. If you check one out at HF stores you’ll see the small writing saying “jacobs” on the chuck right by the clutch adjust
Impressive for the Hercules I think the Flex Turbo Hammer drill with their stacked lithium would be a good comparison
My real money is spent on bigger shop equipment like my table saw, lathe, bandsaw, drill press, planer ect. As far as corded tools, Ryobi works just fine for my use case
As a daily user of cordless M18 drills being used under high torque, close quarters usage, I find the M18 Gen. 3 Milwaukee drill to be unacceptably loud with a shrill motor whine. Out of curiosity, I purchased a Flex 24V drill and the motor sounds wonderful, with no loud shrill sound. I noticed too that other Milwaukee M18 tools, like the circular saw, model 2732, also has the exact same "shrill" motor whine. I compared the M18 saw to a Flex saw, and the Flex circular saw motor sounds quiet in comparison.
I Bought the Bare 2803 to Use exclusively with My 10 inch Ice Auger. I also purchased a couple Knock off 5 ah which actually ended up being 3 ah. With the knock offs I could not even get 6 inches drilled without the tool cutting out due too the Batteries getting Hot. I bought a 6Ah HO and Wow what a Difference I can drill Non stop now and the Drill feels Totally different with the HO battery which your Test has Proved Here. Thanks
As a DIY human I truly appreciate this data when shopping tools.
Love watching you guys test HF tools along with name brands. I buy all hercules and bauer products and ive only ever had one bauer drill let me down. (I started a 22hp lawn mower motor by the top nut and practically twisted my wrist and broke the chuck connection. my fault completely.) Would there be a possibility of testing the Hercules right angle drill at some point in the near future as ive been keeping my eye on it wondering how it does with loads with the 5, 8 and 12 ah batteries. Id be using it for work framing single family homes.
Can you try out the bosch drills?
As a former part time employee of HF, and someone who has an old Chicago Electric that's been a daily warrior at work for years, I have a soft spot for their improved brands. It's nice to see that when the old one gives it up, it's descendant will do it proud.
I paid 250 for gen 4 kit. impact and drill with a 3.0 ho, regular 5.0, charger, and bag. slightly used. mostly new. both batteries look brand new. regular charger. my old job let me keep a HO 3.0 and a lil milwauke baggy so im rocking the 3.0s on both tools and the 5.0 as a backup it's sweet. better deal than Hercules.
I really appreciate all your efforts I would really like to see more of these flashlights tested the best for the real lumens
I would like to see the kobalt xtr and 3rd gen on this dyno. Impressive from a HF tool. 😊
This is all very compelling for Harbor Freight... IF I had not already invested heavily in the Milwaukee ecosystem. I would also be interested to see how each of these (and the impacts and ratchets) perform after a few years of professional use.
I love the red tools. 6 years and never had a problem. I want that gen 4 now.😅
And an 8amp high output.
I doubt they'd do the day in and day out torture of some professional use shops, maybe in the small automotive stuff, but once you get into the HD vehicles they probably wouldn't work very well....that's where those higher priced tools come in that the pros go for...what I find too, is the availability at Harbor Freight is very hit and miss...but seems to be much easier to find the brand name stuff because its everywhere, VS Bauer, and Hercules only being available at Harbor Freight, and maybe Ebay from scalpers.
I would love to see the 36v metabo hpt hammer drill in this test
Would be interested to see how the Dewalt DCD130, Makita XGT, or other mixer type drills do on these tests.
One thing to keep in mind when talking about the out the door price for the Hercules. They are now offering (at least in the stores I've been to) a kit with a 2.5 ah battery and charger for like $98.
On the other standard drill (which i sure makes the same though) correct.
It's a 2ah battery not a 2.5ah
@@TorqueTestChannel I'm just a moron for not paying attention to this one being a hammer drill 😂. Great video always though!
@Christian Esquivel You're right. I guess I didn't pay close enough attention. I'm used to 2.5 being hercules smallest battery since it's the smallest you can get outside of the kit.
They are listing the same specs. You will have to test and find out. Both look the same and brushless. Only difference is hammer drill setting and handle.
Would love to see you guys test the new Metabo HPT hammer drill
You can pat yourself on the back along with other tool testing channels. Competition makes things better. You’ve exposed the real numbers so now they have to compete. LOVE THIS
The only tool testing channel worth every minute of it, and the information. Real science, and hard data.
I would be really interested in those big boy right angle drills that plumbers and electricians bust out for rough ins. Particularly how different models not only stack up in power, but also how their design impacts the user. Tool weight and the torque experienced by the operator would be a pretty big deciding factor for me.
Makita is the most powerful I reckon, more powerful than Milwaukee at least
I work at the harbor freight store in yuba city CA and I started about 8 years ago(June 2016) worked there from the beginning and built the store and I've been there since. Imagine drill master drill(less then $20 combo) harbor freight is night and day compared to when I first started. Tool boxes, icon hand tools, daytona floor Jack's. Harbor freight has come a long way from when I first started. Went from embarrassed to sale anything to really good stuff for the price and warranty is second none to most places. Snap on, brake a ratchet and wait for the snap on truck to order it and days later, icon, as long as we have it in stock, same day and a 1/4 of the price
I use the 3ah Ho batteries on my drills(actually most tools if the small capacity doesn't hinder the tool), I liked the fact they were lighter and noticed a power difference but damn I didn't think it was that much!
The power difference you're noticing with 3ah HO batteries over the standard 5ah is likely just a placebo.
A 3ah HO is half of a 6ah HO and only outputs 35Amps of current, lower than the 40Amps of a standard 5ah XC. Project Farm had done a video on this exact comparison too, I'm not just theorising based on specs.
Meanwhile a 6Ah HO outputs 70 amps of current which is reflected in the 40% power difference over the standard 5Ah (40amps).
I use 3Ah HO batteries too but usually on stuff that doesn't need a lot of power like impact drivers. Drills benefit a lot going from 3 to 6 HOs. At the end of the day a 3Ah HO isn't a 6Ah HO but for a compact battery it's so much better than the previous 2Ah with 18650s.
As of a few days ago harbor freight sells this as a kit for $97.99 Tool battery and charger I do believe it’s a 2ah battery but if I’m not mistaken they will let you up grade and just pay the difference which is still wayyyyyyyy cheaper then the Milwaukee. Harbor freight did a really good job with the Hercules line 👍🏼.
Impressive results power and torque wise for the Hercules based on the price point @Torque Test Channel
after the impact test i think this is a super good test for comparing power drills. i have always been curious to the metabo hpt/ hikoki dv36da. This is also a beast, especially with the 4ah 36v battery. i drilled 5 inch holes through concrete floors from 10 inch with one battery load without stalling. the full load runtime it can handle compared to milwaukee without overheating is massive i mentioned when tapping holes with both machines.
Amazing testing as always!
I have been considering the herc for my business for the warranty part but after seeing this I feel like it is really a no brainer if it feels good in my hand. I need to go try it out.
Awsome dude! Been waiting on this one! Maybe for a future cordless drill test: test the chuck runout :)
I’m an addict so I just grabbed a craftsman brushed “4 tool” combo with a drill, sander, recip, and light for $99. Figured my Herc brushless recip was at the shop and the Bauer 20v orbital is too weak for wet sanding sometimes, and who doesn’t need another light? 😂 but I’ve got so many drills I have a dedicated paint mixing drill, let me know if you’d want the crapsman for a budget roundup👍
Wow at the rate Harbor Freight power tools are improving, in a few years when someone says they're team red, they'll mean Bauer
It’s really cool HF is putting out way better tools than in the past, but it creates a weird scenario, I go there for cheap tools, some of the HF brand tools are as much or close to big brands anymore
For all the "expensive" tools they carry, they still have cheap versions.
@@VorsprungDurchNik I own plenty of their tools, tons of hand tools, generator, even the Zurich ZR 15s scanner, but it still creates a weird position as far as HF goes in opinion
@VIKINGNORM You're not wrong, obviously. And with many of the price points on the new high end stuff being so close to the competition, what's going to draw the guy who is in the market for a Milwaukee over to HF? The $24 or so price difference probably isn't going to factor in. HF's reputation isn't, either, whether it's fair or not. 5 year warranty maybe... But then again, the stores aren't as numerous as Home Depot or Ace Hardware. If they keep tue same level of quality and yet managed to drop the prices significantly (1/2 to 2/3s the price of a comparable Milwaukee product, for example), then they'd be doing something. But right now all they seem to be doing is saying, "See? We can have good stuff made for us, too, for the same price as the good stuff you're already using."
just an FYI , HF just came out with a 8AH battery for the Bauer line. its not marketed as an HO but figured it might be worth a test
Hercules with a chair from the top rope!
They've been killing it lately over the big brands too. Great video as always!
The Bauer lineup is larger, so they end up higher in sales numbers because of the larger assortment of available tools...but for the slight bump up in price I think Hercules is a good way to go with their 5 year warranty, beating out Dewalt's 3 year warranty of good luck trying to get them to fix any of their stuff that breaks...with Harbor Freight its a simple walk in and swap it out warranty. I have a lot of yellow tools, but the cost difference for a DIYer at home between yellow and the Bauer or Hercules is pretty big, once you have the batteries and chargers, the bare tools from Bauer/Hercules are a no-brainer. They'll get your DIY chores done just fine, and leave money in your wallet, more so than Dewalt...I remember back when the Dewalt bare tools were $99, now they're $150 and up and the quality just doesn't seem to be there anymore sadly.
As an engineer I love the engineeriness of this channel. The data is so much more in depth and I really enjoy it. This video is a good example for those who struggle with the difference between HP and Torque. I personally think HP is more important for a drill and torque in an impact but it's good to see The Herc balance them, just make sure you've got good quality bits because torque can hinder installing 3" deck screws. Despite all the fantastic engineeriness of the tests I'd like to add my humble suggestion. I think power efficiency is important. Sure the Herc has good output but what did it cost. An 18v 5Ah battery is going to be 10 cells arranged as a 5S2P. If a fully charged cell is 4.2v and fully discharged is 3.2v then you get the difference between 21V (cough DeWalt) and 16v or 5V of usable power. There should be a meter capturing the amount of power used and the power out of the tool. If the Milwaukee starts at 21v and ends at 20v it uses 1/5 of its available volts. The Herc might have used 1.5 or 2v. I'm assuming 18v is nominal volts or 3.7v per cell in parallel and volts measured before any voltage regulator in the circuit. Anyway, it's likely the more efficient the tool or closer to 100% efficient the more reliable the tool will be. Even measuring the temp of each tool before and after the test would be useful. Efficiency will certainly affect a battery's overall life span. Then if you REALLY want to get engineery measure the amount of energy required to fully charge your dead battery, then the output efficiency. These are all important factors over the life of your investment.
If you catch the sale at HF it's half the price so hopefully that single Milwaukee tool can last as long as two Herc drills.
I picked up a DCD130B mixing drill this past week, would be fun to see how that thing does...if it didn't rip your test rig apart with its mountains of torque.
I just bought that HB drill kit that came with a battery and charger for $97. A free extra battery came with the kit, which really sweetened the deal. A feature that I am interested in which this drill doesn't have is auto stop.
I wonder if you calculated the power from the torque measurement, then calculated the torque from the power measurement, and compared the two? Could be nice to validate both rigs :)
Attaching a long drill bit and seeing the amount of cam out the chuck has would be very interesting to know on each Brand and model.
The safety source has the bare tool 2803 listed for $95, and the kit listed for $199. Sadly they’re both sold out. The 2904 bare tool is available at $139.
This is great to learn! We use our drills with cutoff Allen wrenches chucked up to reach in and take bolts out. 3.0 ho gang here!!
What about testing the Bosch 18V-50? I own one of these merely because of price but I wonder how it compares against the "premium" brands
Thing is once you end up with several tools on one battery platform it's tough to justify switching brands unless the other brand is significantly better.
I tend to weigh the overall length of the tool pretty highly because if I can't fit it in the space, it doesn't matter how good it is.
I think that's one of my issues with the current power tool industry; the lack of an industry standard is so obnoxious that I really don't like any of them because I do not want to be a member of a platform. It's like a coerced brand loyalism. I already have a 20 volt DeWalt, Ingersoll, Rand, and Makita collection Man, I'm looking to add a 12 volt line but these chargers take up so much space needlessly.
@@jinxtacy On the other side of the coin, the European battery brands are interchangeable but they don't seem to have the best tools. ie price/quality/innovation At least they didn't when I started down this path..
@@garyp.7501 I think part of the issue is the development of battery tech has been so massive. The prices of batteries and their chargers kind of make the idea of another platform just not appealing. Then again I'm not some industrial commercial user that pushes the tools day in and day out so my tools don't make me money so the costs are quite high. I'm slowly starting to see value in something like Hercules, Kimo, Bosch as slightly better replacements for the homeowner area where Black&Decker once stood.
Bauer actually does have a high output battery option now, the new 8ah is 21700 cells.
Keep up the testing it really saves me time when I can use your videos as a benchmark instead of online forums. Also, could you test more Metabo HPT products 18V and 36V please and thank you.
The main thing I like about the Herc is the battery prices. They have been good cells, not different quality than "top brands" I guess you would say.