Harbor Freight has come out with their first Hercules cordless angle grinder, and this is also their first brushless cordless power tool in the Hercules lineup.
The new Harbor Freight brushless angle grinder works with 4-1/2″ or 5″ wheels and is said to deliver 45% longer runtime and 20% more power, compared to “specifications of standard product.”
That last part is confusing, as Harbor Freight doesn’t have any other cordless angle grinder in the Hercules lineup. Perhaps the comparison is to their Bauer Hypermax angle grinder.
Harbor Freight has previously offered an Earthquake XT brushless angle grinder, which is now marked as being on clearance. The two tools have some similarities with respect to motor specs, but the Hercules grinder looks to have been completely redesigned.
That is, this isn’t Harbor Freight’s product team switching colors and brand labels, the new Hercules brushless angle grinder looks to be its own design.
The new Harbor Freight Hercules brushless angle grinder features an 8500 RPM motor, quick-adjust guard, electronic soft-start, cleanable air vents, and spindle lock.
Features & Specs
- Part of the Hercules 20V cordless system
- Model HC61SB, SKU 56903
- Brushless motor with electronic soft-start
- 8500 RPM
- Quick-adjust blade guard
- Cleanable air vents
- Spindle lock for blade changes
- All metal gear construction [do any angle grinders have plastic gears??]
- 2-position side handle
- Lock-on switch
- Weighs 4 lbs
- 13-1/8″ length
The angle grinder ships with a 5″ Type-27 blade guard and sample grinding disc.
Price: $120 for the bare tool
Thank you to Chris for the news tip!
Discussion
I think this is an interesting place to start, but makes sense given Harbor Freight’s strong customer base with interests in automotive maintenance and fabrication tools.
Personally, I prefer paddle switch angle grinders, but I also don’t use such tools for very long sessions. A lot of heavier users prefer angle grinders with lock-on power switches, as they can be much less fatiguing.
It’s curious that this ships with a Type 27 5″ disc/blade guard. Will other accessories be available, such as Type 1 guards for better protection when using cut-off wheels?
The product specs mention a 3-position side handle, but I only see 2-positions. Harbor Freight’s Earthquake brushless angle grinder had a 3-position handle (both sides and on the top). This could possibly just be a web team error.
Harbor Freight is only selling the Hercules 20V angle grinder as a bare tool, which means you’ll need a separate battery and charger. For new users, a Hercules 5.0Ah battery is priced at $70, and the charger is priced at $40. If you buy all three at the same time, there’s an in-store-only $25 discount. Meaning, if you wanted a one-battery kit, and you buy in-store and without any other promos, you’ll need to spend $205 ($120 tool, $70 battery, $40 charger, $25 discount).
There’s also a 2.5Ah battery, priced at $40, but higher capacity batteries are generally recommended for cordless angle grinders.
This is an expansion of Harbor Freight’s Hercules 20V cordless power tool line, and although it’s their second brushless angle grinder, it’s just the start of their Hercules brushless tool selection. More are surely on the way.
What do you think about Harbor Freight’s first foray with Hercules brushless cordless power tools?
