Hercules High Torque and Ultra Torque Impact Wrenches: How They Stack Up Against DeWalt and Milwaukee

Introduction

Harbor Freight’s Hercules line has stepped firmly into the top tier of cordless impact wrenches with two new brushless half-inch models: a high torque model and an even more ambitious ultra torque model. Together they replace the brand’s older brushed large-footprint Earthquake design and represent its new flagship impacts for the foreseeable future.

The launch also brings new 8 amp hour and 12 amp hour battery packs built on 21700 cells, a platform move clearly aimed at the biggest names in the category. The headline question is simple: can Hercules seriously challenge DeWalt and Milwaukee at the top of the cordless impact world? Based on independent torque testing, the answer is closer to yes than most people expected.

Evaluation Criteria

The comparison here rests on a few consistent measures. First, five-second forward working torque, which reflects real-world fastening. Second, a ten-second reverse max torque test, performed three times with the median shown. Third, best-case runs with freshly charged batteries. Finally, power per dollar and power per inch of tool length factor into overall value.

Battery size matters too, so testing included both standard 5 amp hour packs and the new large 12 amp hour 21700-cell packs to see how each tool scales with more capacity.

Hercules 59398 High Torque Impact Wrench

The Hercules 59398 is the more affordable of the two new models at $200 retail, advertising 1,200 foot pounds of nut-breaking torque and 700 foot pounds of fastening torque. Those figures are deliberately familiar: the DeWalt DCF899, a long-standing bestseller, advertises exactly the same numbers for roughly $50 more.

In testing, the two trade blows. In the five-second forward test, the DeWalt edged ahead at 424 versus the Hercules’ close finish, but in the ten-second reverse test the Hercules came out on top at 599 over 546. On best-case runs the pair finished nearly inseparable at 627 versus 629, closer than two test runs from the same DeWalt tool typically are. The Hercules is also 0.4 pounds lighter than the DeWalt, though slightly longer at nine inches.

Hercules backs brushless tools like these with a five-year warranty, a notable step up from the standard 90-day coverage, and the brand states the warranty can be honored over the counter at the store. That combination of matched performance, lower price, and long warranty makes the 59398 a genuinely strong DeWalt alternative.

Hercules 59380 Ultra Torque Impact Wrench

The Hercules 59380 “Ultra Torque” is aimed squarely at the Milwaukee 2767, the high torque model that has defined the super-powerful half-inch category for years. The Milwaukee typically sells for around $250 to $260, and the Hercules undercuts it while delivering remarkably similar measured performance.

The ultra torque weighs 6.2 pounds and stays at nine inches long, and its specs mirror the Milwaukee’s closely. In the five-second forward test it posted 560 against the Milwaukee’s 572, one of the highest scores seen in that test. In ten-second reverse it reached 718, just under the Milwaukee’s 728. On best-case runs the Hercules actually pulled ahead at 778 versus 740, and with a 12 amp hour battery the gap narrows further in most scenarios.

Fastening claims differ slightly, with Milwaukee advertising up to 1,000 foot pounds and the Hercules listing 900, but the published test-length data from Hercules is a refreshing level of transparency for the category. For most tasks in forward or reverse, these two tools are effectively interchangeable.

DeWalt DCF899

The DeWalt DCF899 is not new, but it still sells extremely well and remains the benchmark for the 1,200/700 foot-pound claim that Hercules directly targets. In testing it proved a very close match for the cheaper Hercules high torque, winning the forward working torque test and losing the reverse test, with best-case runs nearly tied.

One caveat worth knowing: DeWalt tools show some variability between units, with borrowed 899 examples having tested as high as 582 in median reverse runs. The 899 is a proven, widely supported platform, but the Hercules undercut of about $50 with the same advertised figures and similar measured performance makes the value case for the DeWalt harder to make today.

Milwaukee 2767

The Milwaukee 2767 remains the high torque everyone chases, and it held up well. It posted 572 in the five-second forward test, among the highest scores recorded there, and 728 in ten-second reverse. The Hercules ultra torque matched or beat it in several runs, and a leaderboard comparison put the ultra torque fractionally ahead overall on points when price is factored in, while the Milwaukee retained the lead on pure averaged power.

At its typical street price of $250 to $260, the 2767 is still a proven flagship with an enormous ecosystem. The new ultra torque simply offers very similar performance for less money, which is exactly the disruption Hercules was aiming for.

Long-Run Testing and the 30-Second Question

Hercules publishes 30-second test numbers, which is unusual since the industry has historically settled on 10-second or shorter tests. Long runs introduce the well-known speed wobble, a feedback loop of vibration that causes the tool to swirl rather than stay planted, and it can affect any brand’s cordless impact or even air tools.

In a clean 30-second attempt, the ultra torque reached 860 foot pounds, landing closer to its advertised range than the shorter tests suggested. Even so, a perfectly clean long run proved essentially impossible, which is why short standardized tests remain the fairest way to compare tools.

Buying Advice: Which One Should You Get

For most buyers, the Hercules 59398 at $200 is the easiest recommendation. It matches the DeWalt DCF899 in measured performance, saves about $50, and carries a five-year warranty on the brushless platform. If you want maximum power in the Hercules lineup, the 59380 ultra torque delivers near-Milwaukee performance, and on a power-per-dollar basis it scored as the better deal of the two.

The unsung hero of the launch may be the 12 amp hour 21700-cell battery at $140, roughly half the price of comparable high-output packs from Milwaukee. Fitted with one of those packs, the ultra torque kit comes in around $370, delivering performance within about 20 foot pounds of a setup costing roughly $500. If you already own DeWalt or Milwaukee batteries, the ecosystem argument still favors the big brands, but for anyone starting fresh, the Hercules platform is the best value this segment has offered in a long time.

Conclusion

Hercules’ new high torque and ultra torque impact wrenches are the brand’s most credible flagship tools yet. The 59398 trades blows with the DeWalt DCF899 at a lower price, while the 59380 stands toe to toe with the Milwaukee 2767 for noticeably less money. Add the five-year warranty, honest published test data, and affordable large battery packs, and the top of the cordless impact wrench market just got a lot more competitive.