BEFORE YOU BUY HERCULES 20V TOOLS WATCH THIS! The Good, Bad and the Meh.

[@PitbullSoco]

Did you consider Ridgid? Big lineup, lifetime warranty on tools AND batteries, constant promos going on for a battery pacl and get a free tool etc. I have a mix of ridgid and Milwaukee and i absolutey love both lines

[@UltimateToolReviews]

I am, currently waiting for a deal to jump into the line.

[@PitbullSoco]

@UltimateToolReviews check out the homedepot deal going right now...$129.99 for 2x 4ah Max Output batteries and free tool. See if any of those tools peak your interest🤷‍♂️

[@bighairsmallmotivation4642]

ive been using the hercules line for about 2.5 years in professional mechanic use and i can say for the price its amazing. the 12v tools tend to be meh, kinda underpowered, but in terms of the 20v tools they outperform dewalts high torque and an older milwaukee one. i accidentally let a car down on the anvil of my ultra torque and it held the whole car up (2016 ford flex) and ive had no issues. best bang for buck tool line

[@Tom-x3m9g]

I bought all the Bauer and Hercules tools that I will ever need. And a lot of batteries to go with them. I still go to Harbor freight all the time but I'm running out of things to buy. My shed looks like a Harbor freight display. LMAO. Good tools and great value.

[@CALDues]

I hate to brag, too much, but got the Hercules bandsaw, vacuum, and grease gun with starter packs and three $1 knifes on the stock up and save weekend knocking $25 off the top of each. Mind boggling savings! I also bought into the Bauer line and have probably 25 tools combined and had no problems with anything so far. Love it.

[@jhippl]

I agree if i wasn’t already in the flex lineup id get all herc. They have some nice stuff like the cordless hvac vacuum on top of that they are coming out with a rear handle saw.

[@dillard715]

I already own the vacuum pump. It’s ok. Nice for roof top work but still grab my field piece if I am able to plug in. That’s 8cfm an Milwaukee is 5 cfm. With a 8.0 battery you can get about an hour an half of pump time.

[@fahs]

Funny you say that... I have both platforms. It's interesting how nice it is to have more than one.

[@BKD70]

where did you see that about the rear handle saw?

[@jhippl]

@ sema vid here

[@EricMagsamen]

The warranty isn't that confusing, Hercules Brushless are 5 year and non-brushless are 90 days. All Bauer 20v are 90 days, brushless or not. And as you mentioned, the ease of utilizing the warranty and the price points is worth buying. HF has turned a corner for sure. They still have throwaway products but even their Pittsburgh line is lifetime warranty.

[@joeguereca3154]

My take on the tool world today is if it pays for itself it did its job

[@aksting]

Also note that the Hercules 20V vacuum can use 120VAC. Unlike the other brand examples you mentioned. There is an 8 Ah Hercules charger that has a fan.

[@donnie017]

I'm already in the Bauer family, my small older B&D corded W/D vac started to make funny noises and smell like it was 🔥 😮. I let the wife choose between the small corded Bauer or the 20V only W/D vac to replace it. She liked the 20V and so did I. So far so good. It'd be awesome if the Bauer was duel powered like the Hercules but for the price I paid for tool only, I really like it. I already have 5 amp batteries and they have no problem powering the unit. I still have my big Rigid corded unit for the big jobs but I really like the Bauer for the quick stuff. Have a great Christmas, Indy.

[@UltimateToolReviews]

Bauer is an interesting line, super close in price to Hercules, thanks!

[@Tom-x3m9g]

I use the Hercules shop vac way more than my other more powerful corded ones. It's easy to just grab a battery and go. Especially great for smaller jobs. Keeps my shed clean. I use a plastic piece of old pipe to extend the hose for the floor, works great!

[@PANZERFAUST90]

Craftsman's chargers also do both twenty-volt and twelve-volt batteries, although I've never seen a twelve-volt battery from them so......

[@Auto-Bots.Custom.Detailing]

HF is awesome if you know how to shop there… they definitely have items you dont want, but also really have a great icon and hercules tools and warranty… sorry Lowes and Home Depot. Ill go with Harbor Freight.

[@coty7228]

I wish Hercules would bring back a jobsite radio, I’d like to keep all the same batteries for everything.

[@BKD70]

I agree with you. I kinda "lost" mine because my wife adopted it as "her" radio, so I was going to get another one... but they are no longer in the store. I asked the manager about it, she said that they had to pull them off the shelves, and that they are NOT discontinued... so maybe there was a problem with them that they pulled all the inventory and stock off the shelves to go for rework, and it will come back at a later date... she wasn't sure. They did that with the big Hercules spotlight. But my Herc radio has been flawless.

[@jim3922]

i’m not super happy with the Hercules 20v line. I’m a part time landlord, handyman, and use most of my tools pretty lightly. I think the Bauer line would have been better for me. To me Hercules 20v is “ok”. They need to refine their designs and right now, all the 20v tools I’ve bought are… immature. HF doesn’t seem to be improving them much either. In contrast, I have several corded Hercules tools and they are excellent. That vacuum is way too loud for me. Now that I’ve used the StealthSonic, my expectations for vacuum noise has drastically changed. The handles on the drills don’t fit my hands well. If I have to push hard, it feels really… flat. I don’t know how to articulate it, but I don’t like them. The metal housings on the tools make them heavy(drill, oscillating tool), to me. I’d rather have some plastic to lighten them up. I don’t drive my car on my tools or anything. But I do carry them onsite, up flights of stairs, and use them for a while. So weight is a concern for me. I’ve had several of the batteries’s fuel gauges not work right. The work flood light has the power button in a spot where I hit it accidentally a lot. My primary line is Ryobi, I’m not happy with those either. Based on my 1 Mikita drill, They blow Hercules quality, human factors design, batteries out of the water. If you can afford them, I’d go that way.

[@dasshape00]

Got the combo kit with charger and 2 5amp batteys for 219 on a deal in November maybe October... started selling most of my millwalkee stuff and replacing with Hercules

[@gnarwhal2642]

If you need some 3/4 impact sockets, harbor freight is clearancing the Pittsburgh pro 3/4 impact sockets for half price. For the price that Hercules vac is hard to beat. I just looking for bags that compatible with it for easy clean up.

[@UltimateToolReviews]

I saw those, but I rarely use 3/4 so I skipped them. I was really surprised to see the herc vac to be better than the Dewalt.

[@dynadork3312]

I picked up a Hercules 5" deep cut portable bandsaw a couple weeks ago on a weekend sale and walked out of the store with the saw, a 5AH battery and charger, and 2 blades for less than $100. Even if that's the ONLY tool I end up with in their line I'm still way ahead vs. the comparable Milwaukee saw at $379 for the bare tool. The Milwaukee is undoubtedly the better tool but at 4x the price... eh. HF also sells an 8amp charger but of course that's an extra expense. Then again at the prices they sell this stuff at, it's hard to whine too much about it.

[@BKD70]

I don't know that I would say "undoubtedly"...

[@dynadork3312]

I've used both. We have a 2729 at work and it's a bit smaller and lighter and feels more powerful, and the new 2929 just expands that gap, but at well over 3x the cost vs. what I bought the Hercules for no way is it worth it if I'm spending my own money.

[@Pierfy87]

I love your videos. Keep up the good work! I just wanted to point out that you compared the Hercules standard charger to the Makita rapid charger (DC18RC). Makita's standard charger is the DC18SD. I don't know off the top of my head what the output of the DC18SD is but wanted to give you the heads up.

[@Pierfy87]

@@UltimateToolReviews I think it varies. The DC18SD is the charger that comes with the two 4Ah battery starter kit on promotion at HD right now with the free tool. It also is the charger that comes with the two tool sub-compact set as well and the 7 tool combo kit for $449.

[@e.z.e.932]

dewalt's warranty is confusing and I don't trust it. They state 3 year warranty on a lot of the 20v tools, but then they include "1 year free service contract". So, it sounds more like a 1 year warranty than anything and that they'd be quick to claim "normal wear and tear" on anything over 1 year so they didn't have to cover it.

[@Veau88]

Herc has an 8amp charger with a fan…and a dual bay charger

[@richardblock4506]

I had the Hercules 6-1/2" circular saw at the cash register and was asked about an extended warranty and was told No 5yr warranty and Not brushless, so I passed.

[@BKD70]

Why? It's a great saw. Are you buying a tool, or are you buying a warranty that comes with a tool? You made a mistake there my friend.

[@arthurnewman3483]

They change the name of the tools to get out of the warranties of the older sold stuff

[@BKD70]

Examples?

[@Daniel-uf1xx]

I’m currently in the 18v makita and m12 Milwaukee. Kinda sucks Hercules got late in the game( as far as expanding their tools) maybe in the future when one of the brands fails or Hercules has a crazy deal I can’t refuse.

[@Daniel-uf1xx]

Coming back to my comment. I finally pulled the trigger on the bandsaw and paddle grinder… awesome tools for the right price.

[@david-rios]

Milwaukee does the same thing with their chargers

[@AG-eb8yy]

Easy to remember. Brushless = 5 year. Basically everything new, literally made in the last year or two and pretty much everything going forward. The 12v tools mostly suck. Only use 4Ah batteries, the 2Ah shouldn't even exist. The ratchets are good value ESPECIALLY at the new reduced price ($55 tool only, but it's brushed and so 90 day warranty.. they just reduced it by half so I'm assuming a brushless version is coming soon once most of their brushed stock is gone). The 3" brushless cutoff, it's 70% as good as the m12 fuel, lacking a reverse direction setting and a dust extraction port on the depth guide. But for $50 and a $35 battery.. without any sales, in reality probably $50 for both, and you don't even need a new charger because the 20v is the same one, it's hard to complain. Speaking of chargers just get the 8A fan cooled charger. The 4A is basically trash. The dual 4A simultaneous is less useless, maybe get one of those but for sure at least have one 8A charger. You NEED the 21700 cell batteries for most of the tools to reach their full potential, and that means using an 8Ah to use that full potential for a useful amount of time. This applies ESPECIALLY to the grinders and saws. Easy to remember. Brushless = 5 year. Basically everything new, literally made in the last year or two and pretty much everything going forward. The 12v tools suck. The ratchets are good value ESPECIALLY at the new reduced price ($55 tool only, but it's brushed and so 90 day warranty.. they just reduced it by half so I'm assuming a brushless version is coming soon once most of their brushed stock is gone) You NEED the 21700 cell batteries for most of the tools to reach their full potential, and that means using an 8Ah to use that full potential for a useful amount of time. This applies ESPECIALLY to the grinders and saws. The current 7¼" circular sucks, they're coming out with a rear handle sidewinder blade left 7¼ circular saw Soon™, should be a lot better. The Jigsaw will be out before then. Both brushless. The impacts are incredible. Particularly the ¼" hex impact driver is incredible, 550 breakaway torque. They ARE releasing a rear handle sidewinder blade left(!) 7¼ circular saw Soon™, should be a lot better. The Jigsaw will be out before then. Both brushless. The current 6½ is worthless, it's not even brushless, throw that thing in the landfill, an m12 fuel it is not. Speaking of circular saws, the curren brushless 7¼" circular kinda sucks, I keep that Hercules 12" Beam Cutter on mine now it's basically permanently been converted to a chainsaw. The impacts are incredible. Particularly the ¼" hex impact driver is incredible, 550 breakaway torque. You already know the Ultra Torques are no joke. The high torque.. no idea why it exists, at only $10 cheaper and doesn't really save any weight. The compact impacts.. well the ⅜" is technically a little stronger than the ½".. watch torque test channel. But the compacts are a little underpowered. I'd go straight from hex impact with square drive adapters to ultra torque, personally. More compact anyway and better specks. The 5"x5" portaband is phenomenal. They're releasing a compact version (3¼"x3¼" iirc) soon, I'm sure that will be great. The hackzall is great. The sawzall.. for wood, it's great since it's permanently in orbital mode which means that for metal.. it's good, but that's what the portaband is for. Palm router, slap a 8Ah on it and you can't even tell that it's not a corded makita. Angle grinder, 8Ah mandatory as well, kills batteries fast but with the 21700 cells it's a joy to use and this is a good reason to get that 8A charger. The ¼" die grinder I can get away with a 4Ah usually, I'm not doing a ton of material removal with a die grinder. Overall, best bang for your buck hands down is Hercules. And that's mainly because of the battery prices. $100 8Ah WITH A FREE TOOL this month is bonkers. I've never spent more than $50 on any brushless Hercules tool (besides ultra torque) and I own the whole line. Not having to return the shitty charger and 5Ah battery starter kit to get the $40-$50 tools is a good deal. The 5Ah batteries and older 2-2.5Ah are only useful for the 3 flashlights/1square work light (works 120v corded too..) and the desk fan/mini blower/vacuum imo but I keep a 12Ah on my vacuum, as well as dual 12Ah on the 10" miter saw which is a standout performer especially with the Hercules miter saw stand, by far the best deal you can get even at full price and the saw drops to $300 every month it seems. All 4 lights as well as the fan are rock solid performers btw. Overall 9.5/10 phenomenal tools and incredible value

[@UltimateToolReviews]

I agree with everything you said, HF just needs to really flesh out the entire line quick, they have way to many holes right now.

[@jondoe2262]

Hercules currently have a $100 battery with free tool which could be the 1/2in high torque

[@UltimateToolReviews]

Nope

[@BrightLandsCarFan]

It’s their “compact”, which really isn’t a great buy IMHO… they’re sorta big for a compact and TTC says the torque figures aren’t great even for a compact.

[@jondoe2262]

@@BrightLandsCarFan I seen it has 500 lb break away torque so I assumed it was the high torque but I see now the high torque is 700lb break away. Thanks for the insight. I still think I might buy it, it'll just be for taking the lug nuts off my car and truck

[@BKD70]

@@BrightLandsCarFan True... it's not a nut buster, but it's still a really handy impact, I use mine all the time. It earns its keep.

[@strangefolk666]

they dont even need the receipt just the phone number haha

[@NOCOVET1]

I have Kobalt, Rigid and Flex for heavy work. The Flex line is prohibitive due to the cost of the batteries. These lines of tools are suitable for most all tasks at an excellent price. Skil, Kobalt and Flex are owned by Chervon. Skil is my 12V line, Kobalt is my everyday and Flex is my show off tools :) Have a Merry Christmas and God Bless!

[@nonplayablecharacter4815]

I’m probably the biggest makita hater. Overpriced for average performance