This is the cheapest impact driver in the 18V class to still hold some ground against Pro models.
The kit includes the tool, one 2.5 Ah battery, and charger for a cool $99. The Hercules impact driver, just like we’d expect from all Harbor Freight brands, excels in the value category.
Point being, the ergonomics of the two brands is strikingly similar… which is to say that the Hercules is pretty comfortable to use.Īll impact drivers are loud and obnoxious – kind of like Managing Editor, Kenny Koehler talking about the in and outs of copywriting violations and social media. It’s close enough to make us wonder if Stanley Black & Decker is making these for Harbor Freight.Īs a matter of fact, with a little finagling, we were able to attach the DeWalt battery pack to the Hercules driver (though it wouldn’t fire up). It’s a bottom half finish in 9th, but it really doesn’t feel bulky.Īs far as the actual ergonomics go, we can sum it up like this: do you like how the last generation of DeWalt impact drivers felt?Įssentially, that’s what you’re holding onto with the Hercules. Attaching the 2.5 Ah battery only adds a pound – good enough to settle in as the 6th lightest.Īs far as footprints go, this Harbor Freight impact driver measures 5.8″ from tip to tail, and 7.5″ high (without the battery attached). Without the battery, it weighs in at 2.1 lbs. Hercules is one that doesn’t overburden us. Weight is an important consideration when it comes to most tools, even though most of the impact drivers we tested aren’t overweight. Bosch’s IDH182 (another brushed model) barely touched 100º after the same treatment. With less than 2 minutes of use, it pushed over 120º F. I ran through just the torque tests again to see what kind of heat our FLIR One Pro LT picked up.
We noticed that the Harbor Freight impact driver ran hotter than the rest by a pretty significant margin. We definitely put all of our impact drivers under some load, but nothing that we consider abusive. It is able to consistently break 3000 in-lbs of torque, placing it in a 6-way tie for 6th place. When it comes to breakaway torque, the Hercules improves its position considerably. To put that number into perspective, the leader in this test puts out 2656 in-lbs of fastening torque. Ranking 14th, the Hercules impact driver averages 1497 in-lbs of torque. While the Hercules does drive quickly, it does more speed work than strength training. Driving a 1/4″ ledger screw, it holds onto 565 RPM. Making a strong start, this Harbor Freight impact driver pushes all the way to 3rd place in speed under load. Head over to our Best Impact Driver main page to get the details of our testing methods. The two main performance areas we test impact drivers are speed and torque. Head over to our Best 18V Impact Driver page for updated results as new models hit the market. It’s probably not a big deal if you only use it occasionally, but seriously consider the extended warranty if you have your mind set on this one. The problem is that there’s more heat build-up in this model than any of the others and no way to assure you it will last longer than its 90-day warranty. It’s got enough power to get the job done and it’s under $100. Its sweet spot is in the hands of the DIY/weekend warrior, or as backup for a Pro. It’s safe to say that the Hercules impact driver pleasantly surprised us with its performance against the big boys.