Harbor Freight Quietly Releases Cheapest High Torque Ever: Bauer v M18 v Hercules 

The M18 High-torque was $249 here, now its $215: amzn.to/3ZLqAQk Just a heads up

I like seeing that Harbor Freight actually cares enough to invest in the improvement of their products, and that they are seemingly more honest about their numbers than most of the name brands.

This is great. Good option to have for when you’re not going to use it all the time but need something strong

Thank you for vigilantly guarding us all against buyer's regret.

Man...HF stepping up their game is nice to see. Particularly with the way their warranties work. They just keeping raising the bar on quality. Can't wait for their Series 3 US General boxes to drop in May.

As a HFT employee I really do love seeing our tools get much needed improvement. Also Hercules released a tool kit 1/4 in impact driver kit. Brushless. As far as warranty I know a bit of videos ago you wondered if it's over the counter return policy is true it definitely is it's just like our extended warranties bring it in and swap it out

Between you and Project Farm. I seriously love the videos. He does the torture. You guys get the specs. Top best channels for testing tools period.

The Bauer will be a huge bargain to me, as I already have a bunch of 5.0aH batteries. As a guy who makes my living with tools, I gotta say that I’ve been fairly impressed with the Bauer stuff. I got the drill, driver, heat gun, and tire inflator when I needed tools in a pinch. I liked them so well that I brought them to my shop and use them everyday.

Same thing happened with me and my local harbor freight. The associates hadn't even heard of the wrench yet, they had no idea what I was talking about. I too finally talked the manager into looking for them and he found a bunch on a pallet. I now have the Ultra torque Hercules and the mid torque brushless Bauer. I already have high output batteries for both, so it was just the price of the tool. I'm pretty stoked!

After investing in Bauer batteries for my other tools, I thought I'd have to eat the cost to get a decent impact. They didn't even have them on the shelf yet at my local HF, thank you for this heads-up.

Seems like hf wants to compete with Milwaukee at the highend with the ultra torque, and with ryobi at the mid end with this bauer. Competition is one helluva drug.

Thanks Torque Test Channel!!! I've been waiting for this review. Keep up the good work.

I always have the perfect timing. I bought the new brushless Bauer 1/2” drive and sold off the old brushed version. Now, this critter comes along. I only had one issue from the old version for removing a lug nut and that was at a Pull-a-Part yard. The lug nut was rusted and I had the 3 a.h. battery which was not fully charged. In using new version the impact seemed smoother and less chintzy. When y’all go for the Bauer take advantage of the 5 a.h. battery deal, I did.

i saw this drop on sunday night went into the store monday morning and had them go to the back and grab it for me. ive been putting it through the ringer and im fairly impressed with this budget tool. and you answered my question with that bauer mid torque. cant wait for the next video!

Bauer has been great with their deals lately for some reason. They had a two 5ah battery deal for $80 a little while back, and right now they have the 5ah with a free brushless impact driver, 3/8 impact wrench, or a couple other tools. I've got a handful of their cordless tools like the driver, the brushless multitool, and the hot glue gun; so far I can't complain.

Just found your channel and thank you. Just a simple thank you. I own the 3/8" drive Bauer brushless impact as it was only $44.99 for ITC members. Kind of hard to pass up. Now, they currently have a 15% off ITC coupon for the 1/2' drive brushless you covered in this video and I'm tempted considering it will do the job that I need it to. The ITC bonus 15% off coupon ends today, Mother's Day 2023, so I would need to act sooner than later. I personally love my 3/8" drive model and I have 2 different batteries, 5mh and 3mh, so I have the recommended battery for power from Bauer/Harbor Freight. Your channel is killer.

Thanks for all the in depth testing. I would certainly like to see some Amazon high torque guns tested.

Always a Good Friday, new Torque test video to watch!!

I really enjoy watching all the testing you do …it really adds knowledge, for people to make an informed decision on things. Live confidently and peacefully

I love when y'all do the breakdowns

That is my browsers homepage lol. I was curios how the Bauer was going to perform. The drills seem to test good for the dollar, biggest drawback is the battery packs running highstar cells. Nice video!

Thank you for doing this test. Now my curiosity is answered without me needing to buy it first,lol. I figured that two Ryobi’s & one Metabo HPT, is enough for my three vehicles to break loose lug nuts. I’m glad that HF is stepping up their game on their Bauer & Hercules cordless power tools

I own almost every Milwaukee Fuel tool but because of this channel I branched out! I just got new Kobalt right angle $80, new Dewalt Dcf923b $100, and 2 power stack batteries and charger $100 new, all on eBay! Then I Picked up kobalt 24v weed wacker kit with 2 batteries $70 on sale at lowes! Next is Ridgid Octane High torque for back up before they are all gone and some random metabo stuff! I love this channel!

I really do love the Amazon testing videos you do. Not that I’d ever buy one, the novelty of it makes for great entertainment. And keep the flashlight videos coming

Love to see it. With my Ultra Torque living at the Kustoms shop, I was curious if this would be worth having at home, but luckily(or unluckily), I already broke the bank on the DCF891 so it’s become my de facto high torque at the home body shop. I love the size, but man it definitely deserves its wrist breaking score haha.

Really nice review. IMO these new Bauer tools should be a top pick for the DIY user.

I just dont see the aging Milwaukee 2767 being worth $280 these days with plenty of mid-range brands making that level of power. Hopefully we get the new high torque soon.

RE: The HF Bauer, Same with me i had to ask a manager at HF about this model, they had them in the "back" storage, they werent out yet on display. I needed this to take off my Lug Nuts and it worked great.

Excellent review - a vote for more Amazon reviews - I could watch tests of those no names all day.

Love the videos! I would love to see the Bauer with 8ah and maybe vs other Bauer impact models. Thanks for the vids!

Episode idea: Test ideas on how to remove wildly over-tightened lug nuts and lug bolts after your best high-torque method thoroughly rounded off the bolt. You could test the different styles of rounded bolt removers, try welding a new nut onto the bolt, or drilling the nut off, etc. Make sure to simulate the lack of access to the nut that many wheels cause (can only get to them from top top because they are in a recessed hole)

Was really impressed with the quality of the Hercules tools .

Would honestly love to see a test on that HF compact bauer 20v 1/2in impact you mentioned.

Thanks for this video i had the baure mid torque but once i got the email for the new high torque i returned it so fast my store said they didn't even have the high torque on shelfs yet

yes please review the smaller bauer 1/2 brushlees impact

This will be a nice tool to have for those emergency tire swaps on the side of the road. 😂

Something you forgot to mention is that during March and April you can get a FREE tool when you purchase a 5AH bauer battery. I got the new brushless impact driver with my battery but there is 7 or 8 other tools to choose from. Crazy value

Ive been using the hercules high torque model professionally and it really does get the job done although it does struggle with some bigger jobs like heavy duty or lifted trucks with heavy aftermarket wheels, and also the battery isn't very well secured to the tool so it likes to fall off sometimes, its a good value for the lube tech whos starting out. Only thing I regret is not getting the ultra torque model.

Would love to see other non Amazon budget brands like Worx and Masterforce

Just got the BAUER HIGH TQ and have a ADAPTER coming to RUN FLEX BATTERY it should put out more RPMs with the 6AMP STACKED LITHIUM

I appreciate the info I was planning on headed to harbor frieght tomarrow but wasn't sure if I wanted to Bauer or hercules definitely helped me decide

Not bad at all! Especially if you are already in the Bauer line, this would be a great upgrade. 🐺🔧

I RARELY need anything other than my 3/8” stubby for what I do so honestly… I’m tempted to pick this up for the few times a year I need a high torque.

Really not sure how worthwhile the Bauer is compared to the Hercules high torque. The Herc high torque is now priced at $159.99 with the 5 year warranty while the Bauer is still $129.99. If you add a 2 year warranty you're at $169.99. If you can catch it on a good sale price or already have Bauer batteries and charger then maybe. Otherwise I don't see the point unless you are OK flying with the Bauer 90 day warranty. Of course HF may end up lowering the price on the Bauer as they have on the Hercules impacts, particularly the compact 1/2" which started life 2 years ago at $99.99 and is now at $64.99 (still want to see a TTC re-test on that one!!, hint hint!)

Grabbed one immediately. Works great

And you put this out right after I get home I guess this the next tool for the camper

Many questions answered. Thank you.

Market competition driving prices down! awesome to see! I wish all our Canadian monopoly businesses had to content with competion like we're seeing in the world of mid\high torque impacts.

I bought the Bauer 2085CR-BR (shorter 1/2" Impact) and it does what I bought it to do. For $60 its dang cheap for a knock around 1/2 impact and its fairly short so it will fit into smaller spaces. I would love to see you guys eventually throw this impact onto your tester for comparison. Thanks for the great videos!

I've been waiting a long time for a good 1/2 Bauer impact gun. The old one is the ony thing from them that I have bought that I absolutely regret getting. I've been eyeing this new one since it was quietly announced. As soon as I saw this review, I went to HF and bought one....they offer ly had the in the back of the store.

Would be interesting to see the numbers with the new 8ah 21700 cell batteries

It’d be interested to gut both and see what the visible differences in build quality are if there are any.

Awesome review

I still love my SeeSii gen 1 mid torque. I was sad to see this SeeSii high torque fail. lol

HF has been killing it for the last year or so. But honestly I'd pay the $50 premium for the Hercules High Torque and its 5 yr warranty

SeeSii also have a right angle impact wrench akin to the m12 and kobalt. It would be good to see a comparrison between those.

Nice, I was curious how this was going to do. Have you guys ever considered testing the newer Hercules 5Ah batteries with the black top? I’ve read that they switched cells for the worse from the older blue top model which is what you’ve used in testing.

Great Review - Thanks!

Thanks for this vid. I was just about to buy that new Bauer but after seeing this vid I think I'm going with the Hercules Ultra Torque..

Bought the 2960 mid torque from Milwaukee and I love it..

Can you do a 3/8 impact test? Everyone always wants the big bad high torque tests but a 3/8 and maybe even 1/4 would be great also

Just got one love it already have all the batteries can't go wrong

I have the milwaukee and i like it. Original bought it for axle replacement. Then needed it to replace engine mounts which touch out to be great. Breaks them 14 year old bolts right loose

My old IR coldless gave up the ghost and I need to replant axle and both front lower control arms on the daily. I think this will fit the bill

I have the new Hercules ULTRA Impact and it's a beast! HF has come a long way

I mean this is awesome considering I already have a 5 year old Bauer 1/2 inch, 3/8,1/4, grinder,circularsaw, Bluetooth radio, fan, light, and usb charger for home use and always looking for more. I do believe I will add this to the collection. We only Use Milwaukee at work but like I said most of my Bauer stuff is better than five Years old and never had a problem. Plu

Would love to you guys keep bringing these Amazon brands into the light 👍🏻

Amazon high torques is a must make must see video, the carnage should be beautiful.

Let’s assume same power, but it needs a long term quality test for longevity!!!!!! Another awesome video 👍👍

I'm a tile & stone contractor going on 40 years. The cheap power tools at HF work just as good as one of the name brands, but they do not work/last very long. Great for an at home do it yourself-er, but not made for every day use on job sites. You get what you pay for.

Awesome review worth every second spent watching, this is the go to channel to get the beans on the tools you're interested.👍🏻 Who will win the FIRST PLACE BEAN FLAN?🏁

Random using the Support Haiti hat to show it's 2010 lol tf

Sweet I was looking for a backup HT Impact

I have this one with the 5ah battery. Quite a good unit.

Now that ive had this for a year now, i can say it does every thing i ask. Thing is a beast,full time mechanic.

I bought a Bauer 1/4 impact for $50 6.5 years ago and it finally quit on me today. And I used it regularly and abusivly lol dropped off ladders 14+ feet up, dropped off second story walls and roofs, forgot it in the rain and snow for 3 months… and has always until today maintained 90lbs torque when I used it for lug nuts

Please buy an adapter for the Bauer so you can run Milwaukee or DeWalt 21700 batteries and retest to see if any gains can be made. You have mainly done this with Ryobi tools, but there are readily available adapters for Bauer as well. It would be interesting to see what a bargain tool could bring to the table with top shelf lithium powering it.

the pins on the tool side might be gapped too far where they contact the battery terminals on the seesi? just a thought

This is the tool I've been waiting for, the lastest big 1/2" Bauer impact was such garbage, I was waiting for this to drop. Except last month I found the Flex on sale for $170 for the entire kit. So I guess I can't complain!

there has never been a better time to be in the market for a half in cordless impact... that's for certain. Looking forward to those mystery amazon heavy hitters teased at the end of the video.

Gotta love how the SeeSii, the LED light keeps working though the tool does not... In fact it keeps working even w/o the battery on it! lol I get there's some capacitance there but that thing is on for several seconds with no battery?!?

Strangely searching that model number brings up a wet and dry vacuum (though it is correct per HF website) and I can't find it anywhere on Amazon

I would love to see the kobalt right angle impact vs the Seesii right angle impact.

I had quite few Aliexpress impacts. Most of them stalls with original Makita battery, i think this is some overcurrent protection. Best brand i found is heimerdinger, would like to see those tested

Will the existing 20v DeWalt adapter work for these? Might swoop one of I don't have to get new batteries and chargers

Will buy soon ty

I wanted to see the parts store impacts tested a.k.a oreilly’s power torque and such

My Makita LXT's that I bought in 2006 are still kicking. No way would I drop any amount of coin on those Amazon specials 🤣 I do want to pickup a brushless high torque. That'll probably be within the year. Great content as always 😃

Can you Compare the high torque to compact version? Think it will be interesting to compare the value of them all

Would like to see the New CAT cordless tools tested one day Have a graphite battery so be interesting to see the pros and cons 👍🏻👍🏻

I know what I'm getting for my birthday next month!!

Nice. I'm happy with my $80 ridgid octane. Thanks direct tools outlet.

Here in Europe, we've had the Parkside Performance high torque at €129, rated for 1356Nm fastening and 1898Nm loosening. Would love to see some Parkside tools on this channel in the future!

Can review any of the new Ridgid tools, the new sub compact impact wrench, the new impact driver, or the high torque hammer drill?

I purchased the Dewalt DCF900 kit at Lowes about 6 weeks ago for 345 out the door. I just priced the Bauer out for 248 out the door. I'll take my Dewalt hands down for the extra 90+ bucks and the extra power.

Can you guys test their compact model next?

This may be a contender for something that I only need to swap out wheels on my car a few times a year.

This channel made me realize how much I wanted/needed an impact wrench. I finally got one and can't wait to use it. Also, please continue doing your cordless drill tests! I just got a Flex drill (1400 in lbs model) kit for a very good deal ($140) and i have a very limited idea how it compares to milkwalkee's m18 fuel. From other videos, they seem similar in power, but I like how you do your testing!

Hi I live in England and thinking of getting the DeWalt 899 impact drive just wondering if you'd recommend it and which gen /899?? Thanks for any advice Steve

Thanks,I forgot I'd seen this. I subscribed btw.