5 Hercules Tools You Should Steer Clear Of (According To User Reviews)

Hercules is well known as one of Harbor Freight's premium brands. It's a power tool range (and includes power tool accessories, too) that fits neatly within Harbor Freight's catalog of in-house brands. Users frequently rave about the Hercules catalog, and comparing the brand to Harbor Freight's lower cost option, the choice is obvious. Hercules comes out as the better tool brand, with better functionality and an enhanced warranty. But not all tools in this subsection of the Harbor Freight catalog are equally valuable to the user. Some Hercules gear actually seems to underperform when put to the test.

Buyers at Harbor Freight frequently give their feedback to help others make informed decisions. In many cases, they offer glowing recommendations or suggestions on how to best leverage a specific tool for the best results. Yet, when a piece of equipment doesn't quite hit the mark, they're quick to offer critical feedback, too. In the case of the Hercules lineup, there's not much to grimace over, but even with most of its equipment garnering positive feedback, there's always some room for improvement. These five tools sit low in Hercules' lineup, with some of the weakest overall reviews in the product range. Each one has at least one specific point of failure that many users have highlighted in their reviews, potentially signaling a small sliver of the Hercules catalog worth avoiding.

The 1-3/8-Inch Bi-Metal Plunge/Flush Cutting Blade for Oscillating Multitools is an accessory tool designed to make your life easier when using this all-encompassing cutting solution. The blade features bi-metal teeth and a high strength weld to give the unit enhanced durability and plenty of hardness aimed at tackling all kinds of cutting requirements. The accessories also laser etched to include depth markings in both SAE and metric measurement systems to increase its functionality and usefulness. However, buyers give this a 3.7 star average rating across 167 reviews. Unfortunately, the cutting solution misses the mark on an important function that can't be ignored.

Multitool owners quickly learn that their power tool can be used across a huge range of tasks. The oscillating multitool functions primarily as a plunge cutting solution that can accommodate specialized, precision cutting needs where other tools fail. It can also support sanding and many other tasks with the help of additional attachments. This blade is designed for compatibility in cutting wood, metal, plastic, and drywall. Unfortunately, buyers frequently report that the tool is incapable of cutting metal at all and instead shreds the teeth when put to this task. Considering that buyers looking for a multimaterial blade are more likely to be using this solution for cuts beyond the standard wood-specific accessory (myself included), this tool quickly becomes unhelpful.

Hercules' 12V Brushless Three-Inch Cut-Off Tool features a brushless motor and a compact design. The tool delivers up to 20,000 rpm blade speed to support precision cutting through all kinds of material, including tile, metal, and PVC. It features a counterclockwise blade spin and a tool-free adjustable guard to keep you safe and capable regardless of the cutting task you're approaching with the tool. This solution also introduces an LED light to illuminate the work surface and take the guesswork delivered by shadows out of the cut. The tool also weighs less than two pounds, making it a lightweight cutting solution that's easy to maneuver in support of all-day cutting needs.

It's important to note that this is part of Hercules' 12 volt lineup rather than the full-sized 18V system. As such, the tool features smaller overall dimensions than solutions found within the brand's flagship lineup. It can support cuts up to 3/5 of an inch in depth, and Harbor Freight notes that it's both powerful and long-lasting on a single battery charge. Unfortunately, these claims don't always hold up to user scrutiny, and many buyers have noted that the tool doesn't offer enough power to support the needs that it was purchased to tackle. Buyers also frequently note that it heats up quickly and requires time to rest between uses more frequently than expected. These issues come together to deliver a 4.2 star average rating from 146 total reviewers.

A great idea that unfortunately doesn't live up to expectation, the Circular Saw Beam Cutter Attachment is a classic customization tool that promises to enhance the utility of your circular saw significantly. It might look like something that many users won't actually need, but the reality is that circular saws don't provide enough blade clearance to reliably make their way through thicker posts and beams without demanding successive cuts on a workpiece. With this attachment tool, Hercules is offering the ability to cut through beams up to 12 inches thick in a single pass. The tool is also available to Inside Track Club members for $50, making this enhancement immensely cool and cost-effective all at once. Unfortunately, it misses the mark for many buyers on the note of usefulness.

Harbor Freight claims that this accessory solution "mounts securely to most conventional and worm drive 7-1/4 inch circular saws." With that being a standard size for the tool, many buyers have invested in this solution only to find that it doesn't actually fit their unit. Users give the product a 4.0 star average rating, with 149 buyers adding their two-cents to the conversation. Those who were able to install the tool find it to be exceedingly helpful. However, tool users owning numerous brands, including Milwaukee, Makita, DeWalt, and Skilsaw all reported it as non-compatible, as well as one user noting that a "Harbor Freight worm drive saw" also didn't work with the tool.

The 20V Cordless 280 Lumen Stick Light from Hercules is a tool that has built up a solid reservoir of goodwill from users. There are many good reviews touting the light's ability to brighten up workspaces, and plenty of buyers note its portability and versatility as strong highlights. However, only 89% of buyers would recommend the product to others, a notable decrease from the typical rate for Hercules tools. It also sports a 4.3 star average rating across 117 reviews, marking a slight dip from the typical Hercules tool and placing it down near the bottom of the brand's product offerings. There's actually a clear reason why this tool underperforms. Digging into the reviews, we notice that a substantial number of buyers have complained that even though the tool is a high quality illumination option, if you drop it, it will break almost without fail. The tool features virtually no real durability when meeting the ground at impact velocity.

With that being said, the tool features Hercules' five-year warranty coverage and costs just $25. The head rotates 280 degrees, and it can provide up to 48 hours of continuous illumination. The hanging clip allows you to place the tool just about anywhere you might require, and it offers half and full brightness settings for plenty of utility across use cases. All this marks it as a tool that may still be useful to buyers. But understanding that even a single drop can render it inoperable is critical, and can't be ignored before you invest in the equipment.

Hercules offers a number of carbide hole saw tools. The 4-1/4-Inch Multimaterial Carbide Hole Saw is one that has received negative feedback, and has amassed 103 total user reviews, reducing the potential for skewed results from a few poor experiences. The three-inch model is another that frequently attracts poor reviews, and it seems that this negativity centers on a single point of contention. These hole saws are designed to deliver up to 57% faster cutting power when cutting through wood (compared to a typical bi-metal hole saw). The tool features premium carbide teeth and a thick backing plate that helps it retain its shape and functionality even when handling long or highly intense cutting demands. The tool is rated to support cutting requirements in wood, plasterboard, brick, block, drywall, and in wooden material with embedded nails and other impediments.

As is the case with many other specialty cutting accessories, there's little incentive for many buyers to invest in an enhanced solution that can tackle numerous cutting tasks unless those additional requirements are part of the project. However, this tool has received a 4.4 star average rating, and its three-inch equivalent only gets a 4.1-star rating, from 54 reviewers because these hole saws lack the ability to actually cut through dense material like concrete, block, and brickwork, according to users who have tried in vain.

All of these tools are found at the bottom end of the ratings' spectrum among products in the Hercules brand catalog. They all have some glaring deficiencies that make them less useful than their features and product specifications might suggest. Users have given them all low ratings, with numerous 1-star ratings, in particular. All of the products also have more than 50 reviews, smoothing out any inconsistencies that might otherwise be present due to small sample sizes.