Walk down any aisle of a large box hardware store and you’ll notice the black and red branding right away. Alongside the pro lineups, this brand can be found at a much more affordable price. So does that mean something?
That begs the question of whether the tools are simply cheap knock-offs or real-deal workhorses worth considering on the job site. For years, name Chicago Electric. The Harbor Freight-owned brand (has had a presence in those aisles).
The brand has a reputation that is as common as it is contentious. Some folks won’t use anything else around their homes for occasional maintenance, while others avoid it completely due to what they say are reliability problems costing them more in the long run. Somewhere in-between is the truth; neither job site must-have nor bargain bin junk.
Evaluating Chicago Electric Power Tools Reliability
Is Chicago Electric Worth the Hype?
When you grab that Chicago Electric circular saw or drill, what you’re getting is something for a particular kind of user. It’s not made to withstand the day-in/day-out abuse of a commercial construction crew. It’s made for someone who wants to put together some furnitures, hang a shelf, do a moderate renovation project…in other words, the weekend warrior.
Knowing that is the key to figuring out whether you can trust these tools. Does it depend on trust? Yes it does.
And that trust come from how you use them and what you expect from them. If you beat them as though they were pro-grade, they won’t hold up. Treat them that way and they’ll often do more then expected.
Who Is This Brand For?
Most obviously, it’s cheap. Cheap as in Chicago Electric. There is no way around it.
A full cordless set of tools will run you the same amount as some other brand’s one impact driver. That low price makes these tools available to someone who might be starting out or moving into their first home. Instead of having one do-everything tool, you get many tool to choose from.
Build Quality and Engineering
Where Chicago Electric typically skimps is in terms of engineering tolerances and materials. They use a smaller motor, lighter plastic, and an easier gearbox. None of that imply that the tool isn’t good; it just means its life expectancy may be shorter when being worked hard.
Build quality is polarizing. When they first started making Chicago Electric tools, it was rough going out of the gate. Batteries would fails, gears stripped off.
Over the past decade, company has improved their builds quite a bit. They’re much sturdier in your hand now. Bits grip well in the chuck and switches are responsive.
If you compare one of their lower priced corded drills with something like a DeWalt or a Makita, there’s still a little bit of a wobble. But if you need to drill through a stud or hang drywall, that very slight imbalance isn’t really a deal breaker. It only becomes an issue if you’re looking for precision work or expect high amounts of torque over long periods of time.
Battery System and Compatibility
The other part of the strategy is battery compatibility. Harbor Freight has their own battery system which has settled down on shape. Buy a couple of packs and you’ve got a whole system for your light, saw, drill etc. It’s nice when you are homeowner.
You don’t have to cart around 3 chargers. Batteries holds a charge long enough that they can be used every now and then. They aren’t as long lived and don’t has the fast charge rate of high-end lithium-ion packs.
You’ll get fewer charges out of them. That’s the catch with the up front price break.
Warranty and Customer Service
There’s another part of this equation you should consider: warranty and customer service as a safety net.
A lot of their power tools have very long warranty periods. Some are even lifetime warranties. If something goes wrong, it’s easy to return and most customers don’t seem to encounter a difficult return experience.
If a tool breaks under warranty, you’ll typically recieve a new one with minimal headache. That shifts the risk equation. When the recourse is so available, the risk of purchasing a lower-cost item diminishes.
What was once a financial loss becomes a simple exchange.
Final Verdict on Trust
Bottom line: Chicago Electric is a brand you can trust for the jobs they are designed for. And they are designed for light to medium duty.
If you’re going to put up a deck once every five years, these tools will get the job done. If you’re running a framing crew? They won’t last through the week.
Knowing your limits is where the trust comes in. That is all this brand offers. What you see is what you get.
It’s inexpensive, it works and when it fails it’ll be replaced. That’s a good choice for most DIYers. Just make sure you know how much abuse you’re putting them through.