Harbor Freight expanded their Bauer 20V Max cordless power tool lineup today with a new 6-port battery charger.
The new Harbor Freight Bauer charger features 6 sequential charging ports, plus 2x USB outlets.
Charging times range from 35 minutes for each 1.5Ah battery, to 140 minutes for each 8Ah battery.
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The charger can be placed on a worktable or other flat horizontal surface, or wall-mounted. It also has a large handle for easier portability.
With the handle on the side, there’s clear visibility of status indicator lights on the top.
Battery Charging Times
- 1.5Ah: 35 minutes
- 3Ah: 55 minutes
- 5Ah: 85 minutes
- 8Ah: 140 minutes
Each USB-A port can deliver up to 2A for charging smartphones and other such devices.
Price: $80
Model: 2105C-B
SKU: 58673
Discussion
I’ll quote my daughter on this, since her views mirror my own: $80 for that is not bad. For what it is, it should cost more.
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It’s a sequential charger, which means up to 6 Bauer 20V Max batteries can be charged, one by one.
If you have a full set of 6 batteries, each with 5Ah charging capacity, it will take up to 8.5 hours to charge all of them.
That makes this more appealing as an end-of-the-day type of charger, or a charger one visits throughout a longer project.
Bauer users should be aware of the sequential charging times, which in my opinion are reasonable for a product like this. Basically, don’t expect to load it with 6 depleted batteries and expect them all to be fully charged after a lunch break.
Bauer also has a 2-port simultaneous charger for $60. If there’s demand for it, maybe they’ll offer a larger multi-port simultaneous charger as well.
Harbor Freight says the charger has ETL certification. ETL is an OSHA-approved nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL).
Saulac
The only reason keeping me from buying into HF red or blue is I could not tell which one is supposed to be the better one.
Stuart
Hercules is their higher tier cordless and power tool brand.
Doug in Post Falls
But is it though? Agree entirely on specs, yes it is, but disagree entirely on product selection. Maybe HF should give up on Hercules and concentrate on Bauer.
Jamie Lee Davis
They have a history of dumping tool sku’s and platforms in the past. I can’t trust them.
Doug in Post Falls
Agree entirely and for that reason I’ve never been inclined to purchase HF battery tools. HF improving other inventory lines so perhaps a new leaf could be turned over here. Or maybe not.
Scott K
I’ll start by saying I’ve never been into a Harbor Freight. I was always under the assumption that they mostly sold cheap junk – that opinion has changed over the last few years as you’ve posted more articles on their efforts to become competitive in other markets. I also never had much of a need since there has always been a HD closer to my house.
Your focus has been on storage, power tools, and mechanics hand tools – have you ever bought consumables from HF? Things like glue, blades, or fasteners? I’m not in need of anything at the moment, just curious if you can get what you need for various projects outside of tools.
Stuart
No. Harbor Freight is too far and inconvenient compared to Home Depot for consumables. Home Depot has free shipping on a lot, and carries brands I know and trust.
I think HF raised their tool and equipment quality bar, and they HAVE put effort into higher quality Hercules power tool accessories.
From their website they carry Gorilla wood glue. I’d like to see them continue increasing their selection of name-brand consumables and supplies, but I’m not sure how much it would take before HF became a destination retailer for me for those types of products.
ITCD
In terms of name brand stuff they also carry SuperLube, Evaporust, and some other chemicals that are all brand name. They seem to love sticking to their house names for most everything else though, even when rebranding from companies like Imperial and Mayhew.
Steven+B
HF is very mixed. For example, the worst clamp I’ve ever seen is sold there (60″ aluminum style F-clamp). It’s the pinnacle of their junkiness, in my mind. However, their tool chests are the best I’ve personally seen. I’m not a pro, so don’t have access and exposure to snap-on, but I think it’s better than the offerings from Lowes and Home Depot.
Their cordless power tools? I’d not invest in them. If you need a single tool, they’re fine. However, they’re not much cheaper than Ryobi and Ryobi is supporting tools from the 90s. I dislike Ryobi, but have bought tools from them when DeWalt didn’t have an equivalent. I am happy to pay a premium for a DeWalt or Milwaukee because I know I can buy parts in the future and their products are well supported….and TBH…if I could get over the hideous Ryobi color scheme, one could say the same about Ryobi. Bought a HF Cordless Drill 10 years ago? Good luck finding a new battery for it, let alone a replacement part.
Their consumable fasteners and such? Amazon is cheaper and they’re honestly old Harbor Freight quality. It seems like their push for quality is focused on a few brands of hand tools, storage items (the steel drawers), and now a few power tools. Their other areas, like small parts storage, router bits, blades, etc…still old HF…cheapest quality sold. I bought a few of their parts assortments. They have nice packaging, but some of the bolts had way too much slop, and one long bolt was so sloppy, I could pull a nut across threads. They were not machined correctly.
In contrast, I normally buy from the major sellers on Amazon or my local Ace and nuts run smoothly along the bolts….like normal. Their fastener packs are dollar-store quality.
fred
The nearest HF is about 6 miles from me. That compares to HD – one being about 2.4 miles away and the other about 2.5 mikes.
My shopping at HF has been almost exclusively for consumables. Boxes of chip brushes and nitrile gloves are typically on my shopping list when I visit my dermatologist’s office which is less that 2 miles from the HF
TomD
The “yumcha” category of tools has been getting better and better. HF is now equal or above many “store brands” especially for hand tools, and some are pretty obviously exactly the same.
I suspect the same is true of the power tools – where decades ago they’d’ve been pitiful junk, they’re now Masterforce or equivalent.
PETE
I bought some recip blades for a project. I think it was a three pack. Anyways all the blades broke during the project. I went to home depot and bought one blade- idk who made the blade, but it outlasted the three from HF that broke.
I also had a concrete mixer that i bought there. It was literally broken out of the box and they made me pay 15-25% for a re-stocking fee even though it was unused- There was a gear that wasn’t made right.
I will buy some tools that i plan on never seeing again to go in some work trucks there lol
Chip
These type not brand, chargers have always worked well for me.
It’s like magic set them up at night,and in the morning everything is ready.
This type system requires more batteries.
The single charger constantly charging a small amount of batteries isn’t great for longevity IMO
I am currently being told on fb,a forge 6 has the same “capacity” as a 12ahr.
Slow charging batteries less in a larger rotation ,has resulted in fewer charge cycles.
I’m told my 9ahr and 12’s are prone to failure.
Despite using batteries daily to make a living ,my five 9’s (some from 2018) are still going strong.
Hf has never been a destination for me,except zip ties,cheap paint brushes, etc.
However after falling down a rabbit warren of building a porta band tables on YouTube, I will be making a special trip for the HF convertible table.
Could I spend 3 hrs including gathering materials, and weld a better built ?
Yes but sometimes modifications of an existing design is simply easier.
Wd40 removing stickers and HF do have a purpose lol.
Eric
The 6AH forge batteries are supposed to equal (or surpass) the 12AH batteries in output current, which equates to maximum tool power. A 6AH battery is still half the capacity (runtime) of a 12AH battery, however.
Nathan
Yeah, I don’t own any HF battery tools, but I do love the form factor. What I can’t figure out is: why doesn’t DeWalt have anything similar? Milwaukee and Bosch have had carrier-style battery chargers for years, and now even HF has one. My question is: why doesn’t DeWalt have something similar? I’d gladly shell out for a convenient “charge your batteries overnight” setup for my 20v.
Saulac
I appreciate how compact and simple it is, compared to major brands’. There is a little “fleet” on the side, so the thing can sit level on its side with the handle ontop. In which the ports would be more protected from the environment.
“Pefection is achieved when there is nothing left to take away”
NoDak Farming
My local Harbor Freight is only about a block from Menards, so it’s pretty handy to stop in at at. Customer service is usually better than some stores just because it’s easy to find an employee around to answer questions. I have bought a Franklin Stud Sensor there. (Made in USA From Global Components). And a few Doyle hand tools that I’m quite pleased with, for what they cost. I intend to buy more of the Doyle tools, and I have a few Icon branded tools in mind that I want yet. Harbor Freight has two different vises that I’ll end up getting. There is one vise that slides into the receiver hitch of a pickup. And that’s something I think will come in handy at the farm.
If you visit enough tool discussion forums, you’ll find plenty of people touting their impact sockets as being decent “bang for the buck” items. And some people swear by their 1/2 drive breaker bars that can take a surprising amount of torture for their cost. Their composite ratchets have received some kind words. I have a 1/4 drive one that is a pleasure to use.
Anyways, I’d encourage people to stop in at a Harbor Freight location at least once. The sheer amount of products that they have neatly organized into their small footprint stores is impressive. You’ll find plenty of items that feel good in the hand and most likely will serve its purpose just fine.
Vards Uzvards
Franklin stud finders are not made for the Harbor Freight specifically, although price seems to be slightly lower, compared to Amazon.com, right now at least. Franklin sensors serve their function pretty well.
Scott K
I recently bought a Franklin to replace a cheap Zircon that never worked well for me. I love the Franklin and regret all of the frustration that came with not buying it sooner. It worked very well for me on a recent project. I bought mine refurbished by Franklin on Amazon which saved a bit and it came looking brand new.
SlowEng
I like the design of the charger much better than the Milwaukee and Ryobi ones I have. It looks very slim and easy to intergrade into a modular toolbox.
jayne erin defranco
Once a joke in the tool world HFT has really upped their game. My first cordless drill many years ago was a 9.6 volt number which was all I could afford at the time. I used it diy style for a long time and never had a problem. This setup is intriguing. If I was in the Bauer platform I’d consider it.
KENNETH D SANDMANN
Hey.
Well huh I understand the hesitation but I finally bought the harbor freight Bauer brushless impact driver then the brushless angle grinder, short brushless reciprocating saw and now brushless half inch impact. I’m tickled pink with them – at the (sale) price I paid they are absolutely amazing. My trusty old DeWalt drill died and I’m wasn’t looking to invest like a grand in updated or different platform. Anyhow something’s at harbor freight are junk but some are total gems. Helps that I live 4 minutes from a harbor freight but then again I live even closer to Lowe’s and Menards lol, for me travel wasn’t a factor.