Hercules 12v Drill Review

Tool: 12v Cordless 3/8 Drill/Driver Shop Now  

Manufacturer: Hercules

MSRP: $39.99 (bare tool) + $34.99 (charger) + $24.99 (battery)

The Hercules 3/8 12v drill isn’t the flashiest, most high-tech option on the market, and that’s not a bad thing. The motor isn’t brushless, there’s no fancy clutch technology, and you have to buy the battery and charger each separately, but it’s still inexpensive, powerful, and built for all-day use.

I know that the whole buying each component separately thing is going to give some of you pause- if you’re not familiar with Harbor Freight at least. Harbor Freight is a store that offers a variety of proprietary tools at lower prices. While there are people out there that look down on their offerings, there are others, like the staff here at PW, that think they make some pretty good tools for the price. (So much in fact, that a brand new Harbor Freight drill and battery mysteriously disappeared from our shared office with Woodsmith.) Their ala-carte offerings of tools, batteries, and chargers is one of the ways they keep costs down. All out the door, even buying separately, you’ll still end up spending less on a full kit than you will on any of the drills from the big brands.

What do you get for that low cost of entry? A decidedly solid 12v drill that does exactly what you ask. In our testing, we found no discernable flaws or issues, outside of a noticeable off-gassing smell for the first hour or so of use. The ergonomics are quite good too, though the handle might be a bit narrow if you have extra-large hands. If you’re looking at building up your tool library without breaking the bank, we’d definitely recommend adding this Hercules 12v drill to your list of options.