Hercules and Bauer are two of Harbor Freight’s in-house brands, so one would think the batteries are interchangeable. However, it’s more complicated than that.
Hardware retailer Harbor Freight offers tools and accessories from a variety of in-store brands, including Pittsburgh, Central Forge, Predator, and more. Two of the chain’s most noteworthy brands are its two primary purveyors of power tools, Hercules and Bauer. Both of these brands utilize rechargeable battery packs of various sizes and energy levels to power their respective power tools, like cordless drills, random orbit sanders, and reciprocating saws.
Considering both of these brands are owned and distributed by Harbor Freight, it’d be fair to assume that they’re just the same brand with different colored bodies. This, in turn, would mean that their battery packs are actually the same and could be used interchangeably. Unfortunately, this is not the case; Hercules and Bauer may both be owned by Harbor Freight, but they are still entirely independent brands with their own, exclusive battery pack frameworks, which can’t be utilized by any other brand’s products. This could technically be circumvented through the use of third-party battery adapters, but doing so comes with its own set of warnings and risks.Hercules and Bauer batteries are not natively interchangeable
Despite being owned and distributed by Harbor Freight, both Hercules and Bauer are technically independent brands, managed and manufactured by their respective companies.
