5 Harbor Freight Bauer Tools Under $50 That Should Be On Your Radar

There was a time when Harbor Freight Tools was an upstart retailer where DIYers in the know could order the tools they needed at a price that wouldn't break the bank. Operations have changed considerably since the company's early days as a mail-order only outfit. In fact, Harbor Freight is now operating not only a massive online outlet, but more than 1,600 brick and mortar stores throughout the United States.

Despite the home improvement retailer's decades-long expansion, Harbor Freight continues to try and provide its DIY shoppers with plenty of bang for their buck, quite often doing so with its considerable stable of in-house brand names. Among those brands, you'll find Bauer Tools, a DIYer grade outfit that features a range of devices priced on the more budget-conscious side of the powered tool market.

Save for a few big ticket items, most of Bauer's tools are priced under the $300 threshold. And even then, some of the brand's tools are priced far more on the budget friendly end of the spectrum than the others. The manufacturer even offers a full range of tools and accessories that can currently be purchased for under $50. These are the ones that we think ought to be on your radar. 

There are any number of powered tools that might be considered no-brainers for DIYers to have on hand, but a tabletop work fan one of those tools won't be among them for many. If you regularly find yourself toiling away in a garage or basement without air conditioning, it could be the best, if not only way, to keep yourself cool on warmer days. 

Many power tool manufacturers are aware of that fact, and now offer easily portable work fans that are powered by lithium-ion battery tech these days. Bauer is one of those brands, with the power tool maker offering its own 20V fan that could prove a worthy addition to your warm weather workflow setup. For the record, this is actually a dual power fan, with Bauer's design team setting it up to run on either a rechargeable 20V battery pack or a 120V A/C outlet. Best of all, at present, the fan will only set you back a cool $24.99.

Now for the bad news, which is that the price doesn't include a battery pack or a 120V A/C power cord. However, if you have an extension cord at the ready in your work space, you should be able to just plug and play without the need of investing more than the $24.99. Users have largely praised the fan for its power and performance as well, with almost 1,000 shoppers rating it at 4.7 stars and some 94% recommending it to others.  

Like good fans, good shop-vacuums can be game-changers in your garage or basement workshop. If you are on the hunt for such a tool for your own workspace, Harbor Freight shoppers might have you believe that Bauer's 3-Gallon Wet-Dry Vac is an option worthy of your money, and the best part is, the tool is priced at an affordable $39.99 these days.

According to Harbor Freight, that is 43% less than you might pay for a comparable shop vac from competitors like Rigid. So, if you are bargain shopping, the price on this Bauer may prove hard to beat. As for its vitals, the corded wet-dry vacuum is packs a 3 hp motor, comes with a 4-foot hose and various attachment heads, and weighs in at just 7 pounds for easy transportation. It can even easily be converted to a blower when you inevitably find yourself in need of one.

If you're interested, the device has indeed been well-reviewed by those who've ponied up the $40 required to give it a test run, fronting a 4.7-star user rating on its Harbor Freight product page. That number is based on reviews from more than 4,100 users by the way, with some 96% of those who chimed in recommending it to others. The positive reviews praise the tool for its power, versatility, and portability, with users claiming they've deployed it in cleaning everything from work spaces to automobiles, even as a small number of owners questioned its capabilities.

Circling back to tools that a DIYer might deem absolute necessities, drills and drivers would almost certainly rank high on such a list. Like any other must-have device in the world, options abound. Most of the major manufacturers make at least one of these power tools, if not many more. However, few of those tools can be purchased for a lower pice than this 20V model from Bauer, which Harbor Freight sells for $39.99. Even fewer will have a stronger user satisfaction rating, too.

The impact driver features a user score of 4.8 stars on Harbor Freight's store page. Of the 848 reviews currently displayed on the tool's Harbor Freight product page, only six are below three stars, with those few noting perceived power shortcomings and potential quality control concerns. The reviews are far and away positive for this device, however, with users generally raving over its power and performance at the price point. At least one even compared it favorably to a higher-end model from DeWalt, so feel free to make of that claim what you will.

Size and lightweight design are also mentioned on the regular, with the impact driver weighing in at just over 2.5-pounds and measuring 5¾-inches in length. Despite its small size, the tool packs solid power, delivering up to 3,200 RPM to users along with 2,000 in-lb of torque. The only real drawback to this particular product would seem to be that the $39.99 sticker price does not include a battery. 

Blowers can be a big help when it comes to cleaning up workshops, patio spaces, and hard-scaped areas around your home like garages and walkways. There are plenty of major blower brands available out there for folks in need, but Bauer's 20V model easily serves as one of the best-rated by users. 

The tool currently boasts a 4.8-star user rating through Harbor Freight Tools, with almost 1,630 reviews contributing to that near perfect score. Its $39.99 sticker price is a big part of that score, with several users noting it was more powerful than expected at the price point, with the blower producing up to 200 mph of air flow and 120 CFM on its higher settings. The tool is also fitted with a textured, overmold grip for added comfort during usage and offers three speed settings to choose from. It also features an impact resistant housing for added durability, with the device still weighing in at just 2.48 pounds.

While this is not a full yard sort of blower, for smaller jobs around the house, it should supply all the power you need, with users claiming they've used it for blowing dust, dirt, and leaves, to drying their car after a wash. Like other tools on this list, however, it's worth noting that the $39.99 price tag does not include the 20V battery required to power this blower, so you'll want to build that additional cost into your budget. 

This 20V device could elevate the DIY game of any Harbor Freight shopper. Bauer's 20V Oscillating Multi-tool can currently be purchased for $39.99, but as you may have guessed, that does not include a 20V battery or a charger. So if you don't already have Bauer 20V power packs handy, you will need to pony up a few extra bucks to actually use this tool.

The good news is that folks who have paid up to add this brushless motored multi-tool to their collection have almost nothing negative to say about it, with close to 1,000 reviews resulting in a user rating of 4.8 stars. Apart from price point, the tool's versatility is a big point of praise for the multi-tool, though this package does not actually include the interchangeable heads needed for cutting, grinding, sanding, and scraping. It is compatible with heads from Hercules, Milwaukee, Warrior, and DeWalt, though, so if you've got one of those tools around already, you may be able to roll without purchasing the tool-specific options.

With battery and tool heads attached, this device and its brushless motor can produce up to 20,000 OPM on high setting, with five other speed options available via an easy-switch control dial. It weighs just 2.8-pounds and measures to just over 12-inches in length, making it easy to handle even at top oscillation speeds.