This Harbor Freight Hercules Compact Circular Saw Is Nearly Identical To DeWalt's (For Half The Price)

Hercules is one of Harbor Freight's foremost in-house labels, providing a selection of power tools at competitive prices. With that said, the matter of whether Hercules power tools are any good is somewhat up to individual interpretation. Still, at least in terms of on-paper specs, some of its offerings rival those from competitor brands like DeWalt — while managing to cost considerably less.

One such example is the Hercules 20V Brushless Cordless 4-1/2-inch Compact Circular Saw, which doesn't deviate too much from DeWalt's Atomic 20V MAX Cordless Brushless 4-1/2-inch Circular Saw. As their names imply, they're both cordless circular saws that operate on 20-volt batteries. Both feature 4 1/2-inch blades, dust ports for minimizing mess, electronic blade brakes for safety, key-enabled blade removal systems, and the ability to cut at 45 and 90-degree angles. As for the all-important price, Hercules' model is $99.99 at Harbor Freight, while DeWalt's runs $199.00 at Home Depot. Looking over these specs, it's clear that there's a lot of overlap between Hercules and DeWalt's circular saw models. However, they do differ in some key areas that any potential buyer would likely want to know about.

Moving beyond their price points, there are some noticeable differences between the Hercules and DeWalt circular saws that could influence one's buying decision. Perhaps the most notable deviation between them is their respective cutting abilities. Hercules claims its saw can cut 250 feet of 1/2-inch oriented strand board (OSB) per battery charge, while the DeWalt is advertised as being able to cut 339 feet of 3/4-inch OSB. They both operate at different RPMs, too, with DeWalt reaching 4,500 rpm and Hercules reaching 4,800 rpm.

The two circular saws differ when it comes to their dimensions, too. Hercules' circular saw is 5.9 inches tall, 17 inches long, and 4.5 inches wide, with a weight of 5.6 pounds. Meanwhile, DeWalt's comes in at 7.75 inches tall, 17 inches long, and 4.5 inches wide, at a total weight of 5.5 pounds. Their cut depths at 45 and 90 degrees differ as well. Hercules' maximum depths are 1-1/8 inches at 45 degrees and 1-11/16 inches at 90 degrees, while DeWalt's are 1 inch at 45 degrees and 1.563 inches at 90. All in all, most of these differences aren't too striking, but if you're torn between the two and curious about what you get from either at their respective price points, these are specs worth keeping in mind.

Both Hercules and DeWalt have plenty of great tools and customer goodwill behind them. As far as their circular saws go, however, which is the right buy for you is entirely up to your needs, budget, and overall tool preferences. You may even prefer a piece from the other major circular saw brands on the market instead.