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I bought this a couple of weeks ago but finally had a chance to use it today. I needed something small and easy to use with a flush trim bit on some overhead work. (Making the edge of a 3/8" thick oak board match a somewhat uneven plaster wall). I was very happy with how it performed today.
It's the Hercules 20v cordless trim router from Harbor Freight. It just came out this year. Over the past few years HF has really stepped up their game in several areas. They still sell cheap low-end stuff, but several of their "upper tier" brands are meant to compete with the big boys, and IMO they're nailing it. In power tools, they have three main brands:
It has the features you see in similar cordless trim routers...soft start, variable speed, fast and micro height adjustments, and a clear dust chute that attaches to a vacuum. It does not have a built-in LED light, but that would have been no use to me today. My only critique so far is that the dust chute seems a bit loose when attached. I don't know if that would be a problem in normal use because I didn't use it today. (Working overhead with the tool upside down, I didn't want to also have to deal with a vacuum hose while I was using the tool.) All in all, I'm very happy with the purchase, and based on my experience with three different tools, I have no problem recommending the Hercules products to anyone.
Two other HF brands that have caught the attention of the pros are the Icon mechanic's tools and the Badlands Apex winches. Pretty much all of the off-road recovery guys I watch on YouTube are using Badlands winches now. These are guys that do more hard work with their winches in a month than most guys do in their lifetimes, and I've yet to see one fail. A 12,000 pound capacity Warn winch is about $750. The equivalent Badlands winch is $570. Another $30 gets you the Badlands model than comes with the synthetic winch line.
It's the Hercules 20v cordless trim router from Harbor Freight. It just came out this year. Over the past few years HF has really stepped up their game in several areas. They still sell cheap low-end stuff, but several of their "upper tier" brands are meant to compete with the big boys, and IMO they're nailing it. In power tools, they have three main brands:
- Chicago Electric (the original, cheap "semi-disposable" tools)
- Bauer (comparable or better than Black & Decker and similar brands...suitable for the average weekend warrior), and
- Hercules (trying to give Milwaukee and DeWalt a run for their money and doing a pretty dang good job if you ask me)
It has the features you see in similar cordless trim routers...soft start, variable speed, fast and micro height adjustments, and a clear dust chute that attaches to a vacuum. It does not have a built-in LED light, but that would have been no use to me today. My only critique so far is that the dust chute seems a bit loose when attached. I don't know if that would be a problem in normal use because I didn't use it today. (Working overhead with the tool upside down, I didn't want to also have to deal with a vacuum hose while I was using the tool.) All in all, I'm very happy with the purchase, and based on my experience with three different tools, I have no problem recommending the Hercules products to anyone.
Two other HF brands that have caught the attention of the pros are the Icon mechanic's tools and the Badlands Apex winches. Pretty much all of the off-road recovery guys I watch on YouTube are using Badlands winches now. These are guys that do more hard work with their winches in a month than most guys do in their lifetimes, and I've yet to see one fail. A 12,000 pound capacity Warn winch is about $750. The equivalent Badlands winch is $570. Another $30 gets you the Badlands model than comes with the synthetic winch line.