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PSA, HF Tools is closing out the Bauer SCT...

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zendriver

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Dec 10, 2014
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Indiana
Stopped by HFT on my way home from work to pick up a few cans of carb cleaner and decided to stroll down the power tools isle. I saw close out stickers on the bottom rack where they keep the SCT and sure enough it was closing out today for $59.99. Decided to pick it up as I've had my eye on it for a while.

Spoke to the store manager she says she does not know why they are closing it out but they were told to drop the prices today. Just FYI in case anyone was waiting to bite the bullet on getting one. I'll put it through it's paces this weekend as I test it on some areas on my old Scout project.
Thanks for the heads-up.

Would have never known it was on closeout. Thought about getting one a few years ago, did not want to spend the monehy.

Pretty solid unit. The paint stripping drum has a flat spot that makes the unit vibrate. the other two finishing drums are true, as is the tool itself.

For $57 bucks out the door, can't ***** too much about the drum.
 

zendriver

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Dec 10, 2014
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Wasn't there a thread recently where someone opened up a tool and found a steel bar cutoff used as a counterweight?
That might not be a bad idea.

It's a big enough drum, that having to use your arms for most of the downward force, might get a little tedious, sooner, than later.

Get in good shape - in your arms.

1740873663040.jpeg
 

PCustoms

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Jul 23, 2011
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That might not be a bad idea.

It's a big enough drum, that having to use your arms for most of the downward force, might get a little tedious, sooner, than later.

Get in good shape - in your arms.

1740873663040.jpeg

Sometimes perfectly balanced might be a brick at one end...
 

LryFx1

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Apr 5, 2011
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Location
central Wisconsin
I'm probably going to get one this weekend. At that price it looks handy to have around, even without a particular job in the works for it at the moment. Thanks for the Heads Up !

I see that this one takes 4" X 4" drums, and the Hercules version takes 4 & 1/2" drums. Has anyone tried the 4 & 1/2" drums on the Bauer tool ? Do they use the same spindle size, and fit ?
 

Ohio Andy

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Jul 31, 2024
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Columbus, Ohio
I'm probably going to get one this weekend. At that price it looks handy to have around, even without a particular job in the works for it at the moment. Thanks for the Heads Up !

I see that this one takes 4" X 4" drums, and the Hercules version takes 4 & 1/2" drums. Has anyone tried the 4 & 1/2" drums on the Bauer tool ? Do they use the same spindle size, and fit ?
Okay, I almost soiled myself. I went downstairs even though I should be in bed since I have to get up and teach in the morning. Well okay I should have been there a long time ago...

I opened the box and realized that it came with three discs, not just and then I took one of the 4 and 1/2 in and I snapped a picture of each and it looks like they all fit
First the 4 in you'll notice all the space between the wheel and the edge part

1000003537.jpg

And out for the 4 and 1/2-in wheel

1000003538.jpg
 

LryFx1

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36
Location
central Wisconsin
@Ohio Andy , Thank you so much for checking and verifying that detail !! I kinda thought that the 4 & 1/2" drums would fit from looking at the ad photos and videos, but it's wonderful to know for sure from someone who has tried using one that way.

For sure I'll go nab one up this afternoon then. It seems like there are a lot of non-HF brand wheels available on Amazon or wherever, and there are a lot of choices for grits and so forth with those that HF does not offer. Most all of those are 4 & 1/2" though.
 
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larry4406

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I too could not resist the fuming allure of the Chinese rubber smelled room...

This forum is bad.

They took 10% off the discounted price for me as well. Likely will just sit in the box for a hopeful tube steel project this summer.

Glad I saw this thread as there were only 2 on the shelf.
IMG_5688.jpg
 
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Kurt4440

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Jun 3, 2009
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Western New York
Ok, now that a bunch of us have purchased these, how are you going to store the tool and the drums?
Are you going to buy addition drums right away or, wait for a project?

I might remove the cantilever portion from a $5, yard sale, Kennedy tool box, as it is the only empty portable box I have on hand that is long enough.

Any better solutions?
 

Ohio Andy

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Jul 31, 2024
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Columbus, Ohio
I bought the fine wire brush as I thought I would use the 10% off on that. I didn't realize they would take it off the SCT.

I will probably keep mine in the"extra" 56" box.
Intended to buy the brush but here in Columbus they were out of

Haven't decided how I'm going to store yet. I'll probably put them in a plastic container
 
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larry4406

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I bought the fine wire brush as I thought I would use the 10% off on that. I didn't realize they would take it off the SCT.

I will probably keep mine in the"extra" 56" box.
Intended to buy the brush but here in Columbus they were out of

Haven't decided how I'm going to storm yet. I'll probably put them in a plastic container
Yeah the wire brush was out of stock at my store as well. I will add it to the list of things to look for.
 

rust in the eye

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Oct 2, 2017
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This place IS a bad influence.
I also bought one, not that I need it right now.
I had previously sworn off power tools from HF after some crummy ones. An exception, a Bauer orbital sander bought for a specific project and considered disposable has continued to serve me very well so I expect this tool will be fine and at the price with three drums a bit of a no brainer.
 

zendriver

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Dec 10, 2014
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Put mine in a large plastic chest, I keep most all of my bodywork stuff in.

I kept the nice, sturdy carton it came in, to ship a old Thor drill I'll sell on eBay.
 

LryFx1

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Apr 5, 2011
Messages
36
Location
central Wisconsin
I just got home from grabbing up one of these today. They took the 10% off the tool for me also. And I got the free cable ties also. I had to go to a HF that is not one of the two that are closest to me, but It was a beautiful day for a drive, so no big deal. All three stores are anywhere from 40 to 50 miles from my place, just in different directions. The two usual stores I use would not set one aside for me to allow time to get there, because it was a close out item. The third one said no problem and had it at the front counter waiting for me.

I took it out to the car, and then thought I should go back in to look for a 4 & 1/2" wire brush drum for it. That was out of stock, but in the clearance rack in the back of the store there were several 4" 240 grit drums for 12.97 ea, so I grabbed two of them. I got the 10% off on those too, as well as another pack of free wire ties.

I have not unpacked or played with it yet, but will do that sometime this week. Or tonight yet ?

If this tool works as decently as the others say, I'll be very pleased with this day ! And ya, this forum is a real enabler for acquiring new tools, but at the same time I would have never found this deal without reading about it here.
 
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Achilleus

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May 30, 2011
Messages
160
I went in to HF today to see if the 40-grit drums were on sale - they are not, they are still $30 a pop. But I ended up getting one of the Bauer machines for $60 (down from $150), which includes the 40-grit drum, plus another two, and the machine itself. Seems like a no-brainer to me, and now I have two.

For comparison, I think the Eastwood has a little bit of an edge when it comes to overall feel and quality - it sounds more solid and the trigger is a lot better. Where the Bauer wins is the cable - thicker than the Eastwood. They are completely different in their builds, so one is definitely not just a rebranded version of the other.

If I had to choose one that would still be working after 500 hours, it would be the Eastwood. But they both feel quite substantial. Both have spare sets of brushes.

For stripping paint off siding or decking, definitely go for the 40-grit hard black drum. I tried all the others and they are all **** compared to that, being very slow at stripping, and wearing out in no time.
 

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Brandon_Lutz

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Sep 2, 2007
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429
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Forest Hill, Louisiana
Ok, now that a bunch of us have purchased these, how are you going to store the tool and the drums?
Are you going to buy addition drums right away or, wait for a project?

I might remove the cantilever portion from a $5, yard sale, Kennedy tool box, as it is the only empty portable box I have on hand that is long enough.

Any better solutions?
I have not thought about how I'll store mine yet. I did use the stripping wheel today on a test piece of my project vehicle. I took the rust and paint down to bare metal on the old outer rocker in about 2 minutes. I was impressed at how easy it was.
 

DGersic

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Mar 12, 2017
Messages
6,333
Location
DeKalb, IL
I bought the fine wire brush as I thought I would use the 10% off on that. I didn't realize they would take it off the SCT.

I will probably keep mine in the"extra" 56" box.

Wire brush? I haven’t seen HF having one of those. I got some abrasive fibre brush drums off of Amazon last year.
 

Damon L.

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Joined
Mar 23, 2008
Messages
169
Location
SE Minnesota
Ok, now that a bunch of us have purchased these, how are you going to store the tool and the drums?
Are you going to buy addition drums right away or, wait for a project?

I might remove the cantilever portion from a $5, yard sale, Kennedy tool box, as it is the only empty portable box I have on hand that is long enough.

Any better solutions?

I put mine in a surplus 24" tool bag with the spare drums. It'll sit on a shelf most of the time anyway.
 
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