Do I Regret Buying Bauer Cordless Tools from Harbor Freight 4 Years Later?
Vložit
- čas přidán 8. 11. 2023
- I bought my first Bauer Cordless Tool in 2019. By the end of that year I decided to sell off all my Milwaukee M18 Cordless tools to get all Bauer tools to stay in just one 18-20 volt battery tool system. Ive been using the Bauer tools ever since. Here is how my experience has gone over the last 4 years.
- Auta a dopravní prostředky
yeah... uh.....i have quit a bit of the bauer brand and there not bad at all.... normal wear n tear for beating the crap out of em....
only issue i ever had was a couple bad batteries and the wingnut on the cordless circular saw to raise and lower the plate broke.
cordless air pump is extremely handy...... for a home owner not running these tools 24/7 like those construction workers,
bauer you cant beat.
portable vac .... is real handy, (both the small hand held jobber and the shop vac ) i use both of those all the time....
ive bean running the bauer now for a good 5 years and really had now problem other the normal wear and tear
so yup, im good and glad i didnt have to spend a fortune on the famous "break the bank brands"
I can second the air pump thing, I have 37” tires on my truck which take a ridiculous amount of time to air up even a few psi and also somehow are like a literal nail magnet and since I’m airing them up so often and for so long I’ve gone through literally 8+ 12v or cordless air pumps in the last year or two and the only 2 that have lasted have been the cheapest 12v hyper power flash light air pump combo from Walmart and the Bauer cordless drill looking pump, the more expensive $30-$70 slime and hyper power air pumps have burnt out within 1 use usually and I’ve had several. I put my Bauer in storage mistakenly so I gotta go find it because now the cheap hyper power just went out but I used that Bauer more than any of them before it got lost in storage and it was still kicking, only issue I had with it was the lack of a trigger lock but you can use a zip tie and if you get it just right you can slip it on and off to lock the trigger when needed
It's funny how on the Internet everyone says professionals should use DeWalt or Milwaukee but every professional I've seen at my house uses Ryobi.
Ryobi is garbage. I purchased a combo kit for home diy and both drill and impact died within 15 days. Thankfully I got my money back and went with Ridgid!
@@jakeek1946 That may be, but it doesn't change the fact that almost every professional I see uses Ryobi.
Ryobi are great if you're not some gorilla armed moron who abuses his tools. And you can buy 3 ryobi for the price of 1 milwaukee, Marita, or Dewalt. So if you leave a tool behind on a job, or someone steals it off your truck it's not as painful a hit. Sure, pro grade is nice, but use some common sense, people.
@@jakeek1946was it the brushed kit or brushless version?
I don't think they were very professional. A professional will not have Ryobi or anything cheap 😂 they will spend the money on the tools that last and are the best!! If you have a shitty saw your cuts will be off no matter how good you are!! If you have a shitty impact driver it will burn out on that deck same with a drill, every tool has to make repetitive and demanding task. In order to earn money. A professional will have tried these budget tools and have upgraded through the years and never have a tool go out in the middle of a job, because that green or brushed tool makes you look bad when you have to pack up and go get another to finish the job. A professional have been through this and will most likely show up with one of the big five brands of TOOLS!! Your top of the line brushless Milwaukee DeWalt Makita lxt xgt Bosch.... flex has been kicking ass and taking names and I've been seeing them on a lot of job sites now. A professional will have a buy once cry once attitude!! And warranty and longevity of a tool will be highly considerated. So with that said not all harbor freight tools are created equal the new brushless Hercules is a good deal for someone who doesn't make money with there tools and some that do but with only a few tools with that 5 year warranty it's going to be a no deal 🤝 for most contractors. With that said this is my opinion but most of it is fact. Every electrician will have klein tools and or knipex find a professional sparky without these two major brands and I'll write ✍️ you a check!!! Same with tools the big 5 build America!!!!!
I feel the same about my ryobi lineup. For 90% of homeowners, pro grade is a huge waste of money. I've use ryobi for over 20 years. I have NEVER had a ryobi tool break on me. Moderate to rough diy usage. I have over 15 ryobi tools that I've accumulated.
Your videos really help me switch.. I thought I needed a contractor brand as a DIYer so I bought a couple Makita tools. I had very few tools as they are very expensive. I almost went back to Ryobi but I have a HF less than five minutes away. My closest THD is over 30 minutes away. I have so many Bauer tools now and they are awesome. Thank you for all your honest reviews!
Always look forward to you Bauer videos
Thanks for watching. Going to try to push more out here in a bit.
Always enjoy your vids! (Liked and subscribed, of course!)
I have a bunch of Bauer cordless tools (not as many as you, though!), and I'm very happy with my decision to invest in their line as well. The only issue that I've had (that I can think of right now, anyway) is with their pole saw. For some reason (and I'm pretty confident it's NOT from overuse or abuse!) it got to where it would start up fine and appear to be ready to cut, but when I would even lightly touch it up against the wood to cut, the chain would stop dead and it would do nothing but squeal. The weird thing is that the exact same thing happened to my Lynxx chain saw (also HFT, for those who don't remember that line). I've taken it (the Bauer) apart and cleaned it thoroughly, put on a brand new Oregon chain, and no change. Frustrating, but I guess with thar many Bauer cordless tools, one's bound to go bad. (I did have it for a number of years before it went bad, so that's something, I guess.)
Anyway, I concur that Bauer seems to be a good choice for a weekend warrior who wants reasonable quality, durability, and reliability, without spending an arm and a leg.
Again, I appreciate what you do in bringing us good info and quality reviews and content. Keep up the good work!
I picked mine up in 2018, I got the drill driver and the impact in fall, then bought the circular saw right after Christmas. Then I was one of the very first people to buy the chainsaw, I bought it out of the back at my local store before it had gone out on shelves. No regrets, I upgraded to the hammer drill, so I dont have the original drill driver anymore, but I still have the original impact driver and it still works great to this day. The impact driver is probably my most used, most abused tool. I've dropped it in, mud, gravel, onto concrete, and the body is scratched up, but it still works great! No regrets here at all.
I've had one battery failure and returned one tool. The tool was the "Shear Shrubber" that thing is pretty weak, I'd not recommend it. The hedge trimmer is the last tool I bought and I would recommend it, I go after blackberries with it, and it works pretty well.
Have the atlas version and the thing is a beast. I've taken out young saplings with it
@@nickabel8279 oh I would love to get the Atlas 16", but don't really have a need for it. The Bauer works great for around my house. I've taken out large shrubs with it and it gets the job done.
@@Zombiereaper1 I was talking about the hedger (grabbed the pole hedger too).
I did get the 16 saw to replace my lynx though.
It compliments my echo 18 n 23 very well.
Sometimes just popping in a battery to make 3 cuts is the perfect answer
I’ve enjoyed your series of baur videos. I have a pile of ryobi but have recently became a Hf addict. Considering migrating to baur. Never had and issue with ryobi but lately the batteries have been shitn out on me. Fairly new ones at that.
I'm a Milwaukee guy and I wouldn't be too surprised if they all came out of the same factory but where MW really shines is in the warranty support and customer support. Whenever I sent in a M18 or battery, even if it wasn't covered under warranty, they sent me a brand new whatever it was. Every time. Milwaukee's got your back. Are they indestructible? No. Do some of the items need improvement? Yes. Are they as good as the corded Milwaukee tools, I don't think so. But service goes a long way.
That makes sense. If you can afford Milwaukee and even more so, have a need for Milwaukee, that’s a better route honestly. Service goes a long way for certain types of customers.
@@DereksWorkshopAndProjects Black Friday, dude! You can afford MW if you time your purchases right.
Think Bauer copies alot of DeWalt designs so think mw is made in a different factory
Thank u sir, helped me with my decision
Bauer is odd with their torque claims, but it’s a good tool for around the house. Like its $40 for just the driver.
I’ve done the same thing but gradually as my Milwaukee tools fail, I replace with Bauer. Same experience as you, honestly can’t tell the difference. They work great. I haven’t seen a reason to go to Hercules.. on average the price difference is under $20 on the same tool and I just can’t believe the Hercules can really be that much better… I don’t want to get into another line of batteries to deal with. The only failure I’ve had was also with the 1/2” drill / driver… happened within a month of buying it and ended up swapping it out twice on warranty, the third one has been really solid.
I started with Bauer 20V family about 3 years ago with the drill/battery/charger/bag combo pack. (1.5amp) I've since then added a fast charger and two 5amp hr battery. I've picked up the brushless impact drill and impact wrench. The tire inflater, which I've used countless times. THe orbit sander, the chainsaw, the high volume inflater, and most recently, the cordless trimmer. My one complaint is that the plastic is super cheap. Other then that, they've been perfect for how I use them, and I use them often. I plan to purchase several more as spare money comes up and need arises. I do wish I had purchased Milwaukee tools, but I also wish I had the cash to purchase them. I figure I've saved $600+ with Bauer over Milwaukee. And since I'm a DIY/homeowner who doesn't use them daily, I'm good with the savings.
Bauer punches way above its weight! 💯 Happy with every Bauer I've bought.
Amen!
I'm a dewalt person, but they are pricey, and I, too, bought some bauer cordless power tools. The router and miter saw is awesome. Unfortunately, their 18 gauge brad nailer kept failing me. It would work for a but on a project and stop working or it would jam constantly, so I was sad I finally returned it and they refunded my money back, not the full refund but half. I still would recommend Bauer also. I bought my son his first cordless tool, which is bauer. I'm going to purchase the update ryobi 18g brad nailer because I got frustrated with Bauer. Hopefully, they will fix jamming issues and why it stopped working all of sudden and last straw was when a object almost hit my wife from the bauer nailer
I just bought 4 Bauer tools, my first, because they were good tools that came free (2), or unique tools at great price (2). Now I own Rigid, Banks, Bauer, Bosch corded, Dewalt, Makita, Milwaukee 12V. I probably won't go Milwaukee 18V though. Too many superior choices.
The only thing I think Bauer is missing is a Cordless Pressure Washer. Dewalt has one and I think either Milwaukee or Craftsman has one but I think it would be a great addition to their line up. It would only have to be a few hundred PSI for just maintenance cleaning on stuff like houses and cars and would be great for ranches to clean out water troughs and all the equipment especially if it came with a 5 gallon bucket lid hose attachment to just run out and do really quick sub 5 min cleaning projects
As far as the drill with the bad chuck there is a good chance that you could have replaced the chuck. now with the pump if you were using it in water that had more additives than the pump was designed to handle it may have cooked whatever transformer circuit they had in the converter. I got into the Hercules line pretty far before I realized that the Bauer line gets the new stuff first and has a few things the Hercules line just doesn't but I'm also 4 years into Hercules and haven't had any failures so far. I have things like worn blades and tool bits but I expect that and they hold up better than others for their price.
Idk about the bauer leaf blower but the atlas one ruined with ryobi no issues.
I love rocks and wet leaves with my 40v regularly.
I've slowly been replacing my ryobi with bauer and Hercules.
Have atlas too.
At this point i have most of the stuff.
And while I'll admit none are perfect or at the absolute top of the class..
When you factor in cost and particularly additional battery cost (who really has one battery for a tool) they're right up in the top.
The announcement of the bauer hand held chain saw and atlas auger (and cultivator i found out from a manager).
Are 2 things im really wanting to check out.
Now if they'll just release s snow blower and a zero turn...
I have the bauer oscillating tool, brushless grinder (that thing is a beast), and 7 1/4 saw all with adapters to use my dewalt batteries. no issues they've been bulletproof, but be realistic and pay for the warranty on a tool you use every day. I dropped my saw off some scaffolding and bent the table but it otherwise worked just fine, swapped it at the store and was able to continue working.
Makes sense. They’re good tools. Thanks for watching!
I used strictly Milwaukee fuel since 2017 and I had nothing but issues with the chuck on the drivers and triggers
I just picked up a drill today the 1791C-B1 kit , after charging the battery and I installed it , I tried the drill and it smelled like it was burning up. I saw sparks inside when I turned it on.
Has anyone experienced that at all ?
Do you think Hercules is worth the price difference or just having both, sometimes Hercules it seems is same price as the equivalent Bauer, which I don't understand?
The blower and grinder are junk but my drill impact driver.amd impact i use all the time love those
The brushed grinder isn’t the best but the brushless grinder is a pretty good deal. I like both blowers I’ve had.
I have several bauer tools i use for my full time job in a John Deere dealership.
Really? They work good for you? I assume you’re in assembly or a mechanic?
@@DereksWorkshopAndProjects Yes mechanic and i have the 3/8, 1/2, grinder, driver and drill Love them all then at home I have the chainsaw also plus a small corded shopvac
@@markmiller3221try out the heat gun! Great for shrink wraps and such
Bauer batteries are trash. Purchased four 8AH and two 5 AH batteries this summer along with two fast chargers. Two of the 8AH and one of the 5 AH failed within 5 months - won't charge and cannot be "jump started". I'm out $260. It's a shame as I like the Bauer tools but I am ditching them and continuing on with Milwaukee. Worth the premium.
I used to use ryboi tools and went with Bauer tools best Decision that I have ever made
Really? I’ve been desperately wanting to know truly how much better or worse Bauer is than Ryobi. Interesting to hear:
Well I have the right angle grinder and it's not bad that being said the chainsaw is a whole matter all together I had soooo much trouble with it that I finally gave it to my Son. I had problems with the chain kept coming off considering that I have been cutting for over 30 years I think I know what I'm doing.
The chainsaw is slowly becoming one of my least favorite as well. I reviewed it. Thought it was good for what it was, and it’s been a little underwhelming as time has gone on.
I've run the chainsaw a lot around my place, but I've got 4 total trees that I deal with and a bunch of shrubs. For a small property in an urban setting I think the chainsaw gets the job done. I also like the fact that it's kinda slow, but torquey, makes it low kickback and really approachable for a beginner without much experience running a chainsaw. It is definitely not great for cutting firewood, or for dealing with larger trees.
I also have the pole saw and that works great.
For chainsaw I think atlas would be your better option. Double or quadruple three volts.
The Bauer mini chain saw coming out around spring should be interesting though
@@Zombiereaper1 Very true. It works ok for small stuff. I would like to get the pole saw.
I am in the telecommunications business have been for along time I’ve gone through many of the “name brands” but after my m18 fuel hammer drill and driver went “missing” I bought the brushed kits of the Bauer counter parts. Now I don’t build houses but o I have enjoyed them so much I now have 8 3ah batteries 2 of the trash 1.5 and one 5ah batteries and I have taken advantage of the two battery free tool deal they have going on router, sds, 7 1/4 circ saw and recip saw all brushless were recently added to my existing hammer drill and impact, 1/2 high torque, inflator, palm sander, vaccum, work light and cutoff tool. I for sure will upgrade to a brushless impact driver and hammer drill once my brushed ones die. Would I like all said tools and batteries to be Milwaukee m18? Of course I do but I’d rather buy guns lol
I sure wouldn’t mind all Milwaukee tools, but hard to beat Bauer when the cost to buy them is coming out of your pocket!
When a DIY er buys Bauer, they can afford to get the right tool for every job. If they go for Milwaukee then they end up trying to use a sawzall for a jigsaw job.
Bauer is the best budget tools for the price. Not pro grade tools.only for Diy home gamer.
I dont think Milwaukee are any better than Baur tools. Theyre all either made in China or assembled from Chinese parts. The only difference is the money you spend.
Hmm. But not all Chinese made items are made the same. Have you seen performance comparisons? Generally Milwaukee beats most other tools in performance. The quality is also a little better. But the value of Bauer is what makes it worth it to me.
@@DereksWorkshopAndProjects I've seen different tests which I take with a grain of salt. I doubt China really has any quality control. IMO.
But Milwaukee are made by Milwaukee at a Milwaukee plant. Bauer are made by different 3rd party manufacturers that sell to different companies that label the tools with different names.
Power tools are easily repaired when broken...if you can get the parts. That's not a problem for any brand name tool. For Harbor Freight tools, you cannot get the parts. They don't exist. When your warranty is over, or when Harbor Freight discontinues the brand(which they do regularly), any tools from them are on life support. Once they go, thats it.
I think it’s a little more complex than that. Sure, I agree with you that it’s not a Harbor Freight plant over in China. But I do think that Harbor Freight has contracts with these companies to produce them to their specifications, design, and engineering. I could be completely wrong but I am confident that I remember hearing harbor freight has engineers on staff designing these tools. However they do it, Bauer and Hercules aren’t white label tools. They are more like halfway in between I think. I guess I might even want to ask, how you know it’s not a third party manufacturer with contracts over there making tools for Milwaukee to their specifications and engineering too?
I'll keep my Bauer,do good work and save a ton of money.
If you're using Bauer tools professionally your not doing heavy duty jobs.I like my Bauer tools but they can't compete with XR DeWalt tools. You get what you pay for.
I don't think they were very professional. A professional will not have Ryobi or anything cheap 😂 they will spend the money on the tools that last and are the best!! If you have a shitty saw your cuts will be off no matter how good you are!! If you have a shitty impact driver it will burn out on that deck same with a drill, every tool has to make repetitive and demanding task. In order to earn money. A professional will have tried these budget tools and have upgraded through the years and never have a tool go out in the middle of a job, because that green or brushed tool makes you look bad when you have to pack up and go get another to finish the job. A professional have been through this and will most likely show up with one of the big five brands of TOOLS!! Your top of the line brushless Milwaukee DeWalt Makita lxt xgt Bosch.... flex has been kicking ass and taking names and I've been seeing them on a lot of job sites now. A professional will have a buy once cry once attitude!! And warranty and longevity of a tool will be highly considerated. So with that said not all harbor freight tools are created equal the new brushless Hercules is a good deal for someone who doesn't make money with there tools and some that do but with only a few tools with that 5 year warranty it's going to be a no deal 🤝 for most contractors. With that said this is my opinion but most of it is fact. Every electrician will have klein tools and or knipex find a professional sparky without these two major brands and I'll write ✍️ you a check!!! Same with tools the big 5 build America!!!!