When news broke of Harbor Freight’s new Hercules brand of 20v tools, many people including myself noticed the included charger was listed as a 20v and 12v charger, which implied they would be releasing a smaller 12v line of Hercules tools. Well today I bring good news as they have released the first 12v tools in the Hercules line with a drill driver, screw driver, and an impact driver.
My thoughts: Just like with 20v Hercules tools, the 12v tools will be much more practical once they bring more tools to the 12v battery platform. At the time of writing there’s no word on if or when they plan to add more, so it’s a valid point ot make. The tools themselves look very similar to offerings from DeWalt, which is no surprise considering the recent trend of Harbor Freight comparing their Hercules tools directly to DeWalt in specs and price. With the 12v drill driver and 12v screwdriver achieving a respectable 310 in. lbs. of torque, and the 12v impact driver putting out 1,000 in. lbs. of torque, these tools are pretty good on paper for brushed 12v tools. Both the drill driver and the screwdriver feature a 2 speed gearbox, 310 in. lbs. of torque and feature 0-400 RPM on speed one and 0-1,500 RPM on speed 2. The impact driver features a ¼” hex chuck and torque is 1,000 in. lbs. with RPMs at 0-2,600 and IPMs up to 3,030.
Big thanks to Cody Robertson for also spotting!
Features and Specifications:
Hercules 12v drill driver:
- Voltage: 12v DC max
- ⅜” Jacobs chuck
- 312 inch pounds of torque
- 2 speed gearbox
- RPM: 0-400 speed 1, 0-1,500 speed 2
- 12v 2.0ah battery and charger included
- Assorted accessories included
- Price at the time of writing: $89.99 USD at Harbor Freight
Hercules 12v screwdriver:
- Voltage: 12v DC max
- ¼” hex chuck
- 312 inch pounds of torque
- 2 speed gearbox
- RPM: 0-400 speed 1, 0-1,500 speed 2
- 12v 2.0ah battery and charger included
- Assorted accessories included
- Price at the time of writing: $79.99 USD at Harbor Freight
Hercules 12v impact driver:
- Voltage: 12v DC max
- ¼” hex chuck
- 1,000 inch pounds of torque
- RPM: 0-2,600
- IPM: 0-3,030
- 12v 2.0ah battery and charger included
- Assorted accessories included
- Price at the time of writing: $89.99 USD at Harbor Freight
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I’d be hard pressed to choose these over the new Skil offerings. That said, it’s good to see more 12V competition. Looking forward to seeing if craftsman will come out with a new 12V line too since their chargers are 12/20V as well.
I agree about this being a hard sell. Brushed Milwaukee tools are cheap. You also buy into the defacto largest, most robust 12 volt system. The Skil products are also a compelling choice. Not a contender, really. I saw them in my new catalog, and kept flipping.
I’m sure there are some light assembly jobs where the few ounces weight difference matters, but these don’t look all that small in size so I see nothing compelling over a ~2Ah, 18V/20V kit, brushless if you want to pay more for that addt’l size and performance improvement.
Don’t see the point at all of the 12V screwdriver, frankly I barely even see the point of the impact wrench being weak as it is and the drill having just as much torque. I suppose in tight spots where you need a clutch for precision work that would be the pick of the three but then in tight spots, I’d still get a more compact brushless from another brand.
Sort of same thing different day, the concessions exceed the savings including the short warranty period and lack of other 12V tools. I suppose a new tool line has to be born sometime and given a few years to mature, to make a fair comparison. It just seems like these are a decade too late, that HF needed to step up their game a long time ago so they weren’t playing catch-up as much.
I am a professional handyman/maintenance man and I have one of the 12 volt standard drills. I have had it for going on 9 months and have put it through some abuse. This is one tough little drill. Obviously since it is only 12 volt power it will only do so many things, but I have built decks with it, screwed in half inch by three inch lag bolts in various construction projects from decks to handrails, stir paint in 5 gallon buckets without it greatly overheating, used it to turn a drain snake into a long sewer pipe and a few other things. It is also very nimble to drill small holes or screw in tiny screws, just remember to set the clutch! I am very impressed with this little guy! It appears it swill hang around for a while as long as I treat it with some respect. If and when it gives up the ghost, I will certainly purchase another one. I am looking hard at it’s 20 volt cousin for larger work. We will cross that bridge when we get there, but I won’t hesitate to get the Hercules 20 volt drill at all. Now, Harbor Freight, how about a little variety please. Let’s get some saws, fastener guns, lights, radios, oscillator tools, sanders and a few other things on board, please. Also, when you do variety, don’t leave out the 12 volt section. I am sold.