Harbor Freight "brand name" tools

[theoldwizard1]

About 2 years ago, HF started to apply new "brand names" to the "upscale" hand and electric tools. I think the last time I was in a HF, they had 3 different "grades" of standard size slip joint pliers (Pittsburgh, Quinn, Doyle).

I needed a heat gun so I bough the Bauer brand over the regular gun (only about $10 more with a coupon). I really have not given it a good work out.

What is your opinion of these "upgraded" tools ?

 

[joey1320]

I think it helps overall.

Comparing the stuff at the store, you can tell the good/better/best quality, so having different brand names to go with the extra quality makes sense.

I don't care for any tool brand in particular, other than Milwaukee power tools, so to me the actual name doesn't really matter.

 

[Bubba Fett]

None of their "brands" are real. They are not named after anyone who designed a tool or founded a company. They come up with them in board rooms. Some, like Chicago Electric are meant to sound like legit company names (Chicago Pneumatic), which is deceptive.

Generally, I like look at the package to see if it's made in Taiwan. That's generally a better indication of quality.

 

[Meursault74]

I think they are a better quality than their lower end tools and are worth the extra cost in the long run. I purchased a "Hercules" Angle Grinder from HF, seems to me to be good homeowner/DIY quality tool. Not professional use everyday to make your living quality. The lower end angle grinders seemed cheap and maybe just a need this for a particular task and hope it get through it quality.

Good call on upgrading the heat gun. I had one of their low end heat guns. Literally blew up on the 3rd of 4th use. Of course out of warranty at the time. What did I expect for $10. I replaced it with a Wagner from HD, so far that one is still working after many uses over the years.

 

[Parrothead]

Are Bauer and Hercules better than the old stuff? Somewhat. The problem is that they’re right in line with other known brands. That and a 90 day warranty?!? What’s that? If you’ve got a Menard’s nearby you can buy the same tools with a longer warranty and in some cases cheaper. In orbital sanders, the Masterforce = Hercules and the Bauer = Performax and even TackLife off Amazon. They’re all made by Chervon.

 

[BreeStephany]

I would say it all depends on how you intend to use the tools, like anything from HF.

If I'm going to modify a hand tool for a particular purpose, one time use, etc., I'll go with HF. I keep a set of their larger impact sockets and a 3/4" breaker bar in my work van, truck and job trailer, have a couple of sockets and wrenches I picked up for fillers that I don't use that often, etc.

Generally, my rule has always been, if it requires power, don't get it from HF, but I have broken that a few times. I picked up one of their Bauer 35lb demo hammers, open box, mostly because the price was right, and because I only use it as a ground rod pounder, which I might use 10~15 times a year.

Their 'branded' tools are definitely of a better quality than their house brand, but still pretty low on the rungs of the ladder. If you don't plan on using them that much and can get them for the right price, go for it, otherwise, I would stay with real brands - Milwaukee, Makita, Bosch, etc.

Just my two cents

 

[Renegade1LI]

Brings up a good point, as a commercial contractor I'm starting to use more HF and other cheaper tool brands for general job use, they're disposable. For certain crews that's fine, a lot of tools don't make it to the next job, I can keep an eye on a ridgid 300, but wrenches, sockets, small hand tools, not really and many of the Taiwanese tools work and perform fine. A broom at hd is 25$, HF 12$, it just makes sense to source tools accordingly, why spend more than you have too.

 

[zendriver]

What is your opinion of these "upgraded" tools ?

They are better quality than the cheaper stuff.

I have the "Hercules" multi-tool, think is fantastic, for the price I paid.

Everyone has a choice on what they buy, where.

I used some "Bremen" locking piers yesterday, that worked fine just like locking pliers.

Not sure what else I should expect from them.

 

[Blind1]

None of their "brands" are real. They are not named after anyone who designed a tool or founded a company. They come up with them in board rooms. Some, like Chicago Electric are meant to sound like legit company names (Chicago Pneumatic), which is deceptive.

Generally, I like look at the package to see if it's made in Taiwan. That's generally a better indication of quality.

COO Taiwan is an important metric for me (for now). I can’t justify Tool Truck prices for my personal use. Other made in USA products (channellock,etc) are a no-brainer.

I do get a laugh out of the new blatantly branded “makita” and “Milwaukee” power tool and accessories sections though.

 

[jshillin]

Some of it is good, other not so much. I will say that they Bauer Trim Router has exceeded my expectations though. I've used it a lot in the last year and it's been excellent.

 

[notenuftoys]

My only experience with Bauer is the 4 1/2" angle grinder, which I've used the snot out of. For just $40 I bought a second one, just cause I'm lazy and don't want to be swapping between cutoff wheel and flap disc.

I also like the Bremen clamps - I have probably a half-dozen for welding. I'll accumulate more because I'm a tool hoarder.

Beyond that I don't have much experience with their "brand names".

 

[MarvinBerry]

I've always been confused walking into hazard freight.

First time, several years ago I had assumed they were like a tool & hardware liquidation house, that I'd see actual brand name stuff but might be closeouts, b stock... discontinued **** but nope. Not even a Stanley screwdriver.

Ok fine. But then I get confused about what's supposed to be the "good stuff" as in good better best...and then I usually just pay for the cheap tarps or whatever I needed and go to Depot right across the street or a legit hardware store.

 

[bwringer]

Agreed; I also look for Taiwan COO wherever possible. "Doyle" and "Bremen", for example, are often nice Taiwan-made stuff.

Most of their "brands" do make some sort of sense.

But I absolutely do not understand the strategy or the difference around the Bauer and Hercules "brands". Other than one is blue and one is red, I don't get why the world needed two more incompatible battery platforms. And then there's Earthquake stuff; again, incompatible with the others for NO DAMN REASON...

HF could have absolutely CRUSHED the competition if they had focused on one massive line of tools around one common 18V lithium battery platform. Instead you've got this weird multiline thing going on, and none of the platforms have everything you might need... might as well head to Home Despot for Ryobi.

Their pricing doesn't make a lot of sense, either, but I suppose that's a different conversation. They're not THAT much below the premium red or yellow stuff.

 

[M635_Guy]

The consumables don't seem to matter one way or another - bits/blades/etc. Mostly they perform poorly in Project Farm tests so I'm generally not going to buy them.

The electric overall seem to be a very mixed bag in totality, but it does seem like the price progression has some legit value in it. I recall that when AvE tore down the Earthquake impact that he was pretty impressed.

But overall I agree with bwringer. If they'd invested in a commonized battery system around 12v and 18v with more capacity options, they'd probably be doing far better than they are. Also agree about the pricing. Add all that to the uncertainty of their commitment to the battery lines and tools in general and it was a big 'ol NOPE for me.

The 90-day warranty thing is actually pretty smart IMHO. Warranty is a big cost and sort of an annoying thing in terms of accounting (you have to accrue money against your warranty term, etc.). If you engineer it well to keep service rates low (most quality-related failures happen in the first 90 days anyway) you can actually make very good money on multi-year "service plans" that not only drive profit but make seamless customer service something you can afford to do. Then you're not accruing a lot of cash against a long warranty term, and the starting prices of the tools can be a good-chunk lower. I haven't checked what they charge for them lately though.

 

[B_Bimmer]

Here today, gone tomorrow.

 

[M635_Guy]

The "name brand" hand tools above the Pittsburgh line all seem to be nice tools overall.

I've got Icon ratchets, sockets and screw drivers and they have all be excellent. The Quinn pliers set I bought for my spawn as a first-apartment gift were really nice. Ditto for the Doyle heavy-duty screwdriver set.

 

[guitarbutt]

They do seem to be quite good. I've had good luck with just about everything. They seem no better or worse than any other given brand

 

[Rickster]

I’ve got a couple of their Doyle pliers and no complaints from me so far! They’re holding up quite nicely.

 

[Witchkingofangmar]

I like the Doyle pliers I have, and even a pair of Quinn needle nose.


I watch Project Farm all the time on youtube and it seems like Bauer beats out Hercules in his comparison videos where both lines are featured in a certain video category, which is interesting.

For electric stuff I stick to brand names. For hand tools and such I have no issues using HF with the lifetime warranty.

 

[Mr_B]

ignore the names and buy based on reviews and your own preference from inspection of product .

 

[joshmodelskidoo]

I like how the Pittsburgh pro and quin socket sets are identical except color and a colored stripe for metric and standard but cost several more $. I think the icon line is nice but almost identical to Pittsburgh pro for several times the price. I like them for projects im working on and need a specialty tool and i can usually walk in and get one. I needed some heater hose pliers last year and oriley was $14 for 1 pair that was the wrong size and hf had a 3 pack of different sizes for $10. I do tend to go to Home Depot, menards, napa or oriley first but it depends what im looking for and if I feel like taking the extra time to go there. I don’t hit up hf for higher quality items but more for something that is used very little and without all the extra features I don’t want to pay for.

 

[bwringer]

I'll definitely agree with something mentioned above: they have a lot of room for improvement in the consumables department.

Blades, abrasives, etc. are universally pretty crappy, and drill bits are still pretty awful. I think I paid $10 for a set of Hercules drill bits out of morbid curiosity a little while back, and while everything else sure looks nice, the damn things just aren't great at, you know, poking holes in metal things. I really like the case and the extra drill bits in common sizes, but they're only really usable for soft stuff.

I watch Project Farm all the time on youtube and it seems like Bauer beats out Hercules in his comparison videos where both lines are featured in a certain video category, which is interesting.

I've noticed that too. They really do seem to be different stuff for some reason.

Again, I remain utterly baffled by why they have two totally different house brand tool lines in the same store, with many of the same products but completely unclear messaging about what's different or which to choose.

 

[TudorTom]

I've got Icon ratchets, sockets and screw drivers and they have all be excellent.

I bought a 3/8" ICON ratchet last time they went on sale. After using it for a week, I went back and bought the 1/4" and 1/2" versions. Are they 100% as good as my Snap-ons? No. But I wouldn't hesitate to call them 90% as good...while being around 75% cheaper.

For power tools I've always stuck with Ryobi or Dewalt depending on the specific tool & how often it's going to get used. I probably would have come out ahead financially had I gone with Bauer/Hercules/etc, but never gave them a solid look due to concerns about the future availability of replacement batteries. But seeing as how there are already people making adapters that let you use other brands' batteries on the HF power tools (like Milwaukee batteries on the Bauer tools ) I could see why folks would be willing to take a chance on them. I doubt it would take take very long for aftermarket versions to show up if HF discontinued them.

 

[DadsTools]

I recently bought two corded Bauer power tools, a 4-1/2" angle grinder and a 7" rotary polisher/sander. I bought the Bauer brand thinking it would be better. Had to return both because they were defective, both gear boxes made clanging noises on deceleration after switching off. The rotary sander backing pad wobbled so bad it was scary (this sander has since been pulled from the website). Didn't dare trying to actually use them. Bought brand name ones from Lowes. Work great, and around the same money as the Bauer. The sanding discs were junk. The fiber disc rubber backing pads were so off-center that they vibrated in a die grinder wildly--no way you could use them anywhere near their RPM rating, ok in a hand drill though (at least, a dewalt hand drill!).

I had bought some stuff from there before that worked fine for the money. This gave me a false sense of confidence going into this latest round of purchases.

 

[M635_Guy]

I think the icon line is nice but almost identical to Pittsburgh pro for several times the price.

This is 100% not true in my experience.

They do themselves a disservice by using very similar handles in some cases (on things like ratchets and pry-bars, etc.), but everything Icon I've tried is better than the Pittsburgh Pro stuff.

For throw-away or only occasional-use tools it probably doesn't matter at all, but for stuff used often I think the Icon stuff is worth it. Impact sockets might be an exception to that - people seem to really like the PP impact sets - but I went with Sunex, so no 1st-hand experience.

(FWIW I have several Icon ratchets that I found eons better than the PP equivalents, a set of Icon metric chrome sockets and screw drivers, and would easily recommend all of them. I went PP for my 1/2" breaker bar since it falls into the "occasional use" category)

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Seems to be good. I know the Earthquake line is top notch from my experience. Using them professionally they hold up great. I don’t have any experience with the Bauer or anything. I know the Bremen and Doyle pliers are nice. I know some of the Pittsburgh stuff is nice like the sockets. The Icon is pretty good from the few tools I have too like the pick set and a big ratchet. Almost every mechanic I know has the Earthquake stuff and says really nothing beats it for the price which I agree with.


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[Robbie B]

I've got a set of the Doyle channel locks and one of the adjustable wrenches. They're actually reasonably nice. The adjustable especially. It has less play in the head than the crescents and a couple other brands I tried. I use them daily and so far they've done what I expected them to.

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[BDT/NWMN]

Walmart, Home Depot, NAPA, Harbor Freight, and similar chain stores have what are known as "store brands",or "house brands". Most of these items are manufactured by independent companies under contract. These various contracts can begin or end this week, last week, or next week. The presence or lack of full extension drawers on ""US General" tool boxes is one example of Harbor Freight's various contracts. The presence of lack of ""quality control"" during this contracted manufacture of many of these store or house brands can be a **** shoot. I am game for certain store branded goods, but generally favor products from a Name Brand Manufacturer..

 

[zendriver]

Harbor Freight "brand name" tools

It should not be that big of a mystery on why they sell different “brands”

Different levels of quality and features -

“Good-better-best” And then price accordingly.


No different than most any other retailers in existence. If you disagree, we should go and look how many different power miter saw’s Lowes carries.

Also let’s not forget the HarborFreight as a tool retailer, not a manufacturer.

Whatever names they decide to put on them are no different than when Sears put craftsman Kenmore weatherbeater so forth on their retail products.

This is nothing new

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[toddmorr]

Only thing new is that hf seems to have a lot less patience with their brands than say Sears did. I don't have data to prove that, it just seems that way..

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[Parrothead]

Only thing new is that hf seems to have a lot less patience with their brands than say Sears did. I don't have data to prove that, it just seems that way..

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They killed the Lynxx 40v outdoor stuff in 2 years. They’re killing the 12v Earthquake stuff right now

 

[Kev442]

IF HF truly had good-better-best in power tools, their warranties would reflect that.

Menards varies by product, but generally:
Tool Shop: 90 days- 1 year
Performax: 1-2 years
Masterforce: 2-3 years
Are they perfect? No. They change the products/skus all the time just like HF.

 

[Kscardsfan]

People are attracted to the three tiers of quality approach. Think Ford-Mercury-Lincoln or to get really old school, the Sears-Roebuck no name-Dunlap-Craftsman model. I’ve got a smattering of harbor freight no name or Pittsburgh hand tools, a pair of Quinn pliers, and some Icon stuff. There are definite visible improvements from one tier to the next. Like someone else said, if it’s Taiwanese it’s likely a pretty decent tool over the PRC **** in the bulk bins.

 

[Bubba Fett]

I don't trust their power tools, as their quality control seems hit or miss, and I want a brand that will be around for more than a few years, and batteries to be available.

For their hand tools, again I make sure it's made in Taiwan. However, some of their brands, like Doyle are priced high enough that you may as well go with Channellock, which is USA-made and guaranteed for life. Their Bremen locking pliers are great, but that may change when Malco Eagle Grips hit the market.

 

[Kscardsfan]

I don't trust their power tools, as their quality control seems hit or miss, and I want a brand that will be around for more than a few years, and batteries to be available.

For their hand tools, again I make sure it's made in Taiwan. However, some of their brands, like Doyle are priced high enough that you may as well go with Channellock, which is USA-made and guaranteed for life. Their Bremen locking pliers are great, but that may change when Malco Eagle Grips hit the market.

I just use coupons or do without. I’ll go to the Home Depot closer to me if I’m going to pay full price.