It’s not often that you see a new power tool brand hit the market. What is even more unusual is when one of the largest companies backs the new brand. Yes, we are talking about Walmart and Hart power tools.
The Partnership
You may be asking yourself why is Walmart concerned about their power tools and why are they trying to compete with other brands? Well, take this into account. Walmart serves 37 million people a day, 90% of Americans live within 15 minutes of a Walmart store and if Walmart were a country, they would have the 28th largest economy. So with that said, anything they can do to make themselves better and why not since they have the clientele.
As far as my opinion, this is a great partnership for a variety of reasons. First, as noted, they have so much foot traffic. If anyone can bring to market a new tool brand, it’s Walmart. Second, have you seen Walmart’s tool aisle? Let’s just say it wasn’t anything to brag about. Now, they have something to show off and a reason for a consumer to walk down that aisle. Tools are uniformed, the aisle looks nice and as a homeowner, they will be able to get a wide variety of tools, for a great price. There are a variety of reasons but one of the biggest advantages I see is where Walmart can go with this brand.
As a consumer, you want one battery platform. This is where Walmart and Hart can shine where others will have a hard time. Think about the brand and the battery. Say you have a couple of Hart batteries since you already bought into the brand. As you walk through Walmart, you go down the tool aisle and now you can expand your collection using bare tools, which costs less because you have the battery. As you are walking into the outdoor section at Walmart, you notice there are lawnmowers, string trimmers, and other OPE tools that all take the same battery. Next you go into the electronic section and you see a radio which also takes the Hart battery. Then you’re in the home section and now you might see a fan that can take the Hart battery. Then you head to automotive and start seeing compressors and more. See where I am going with this?
Walmart and Hart can grow this brand by leaps and bounds. If you don’t think so, just check out what Ryobi has done for the home buyer. They offer so many products that run off the 18V battery. However, they don’t have the layout and space Hart can have with Walmart. If Walmart and Hart are serious, they can design and create so many helpful products for the homeowner and best of all, you know they will all be sold for a fair price.
Yes, it will be a long road but if Walmart is serious about this partnership, they can make a change and grab a huge part of the market. For me, I am excited to see where this brand goes. Yes, it will be hard to get that initial buyer to adapt to a new brand but not impossible. Once the consumer sees all the options and what can be done with a single battery platform, doors will open.
Hart Power Tools – Who is Hart?
About now you might be asking who is Hart? Where did they come from and are they any good? We know Lithium batteries are hard to make, design and be reliable, so can Hart tackle this task?
Hart is a company you are probably not familiar with. In fact, you probably don’t even know the parent company, Techtronic Industries, TTI. But I bet you have heard of Milwaukee Tools, Ryobi Tools, Empire Levels, Stilletto Hammers, Hoover Vacuums, Dirt Devil and Oreck. All these companies are run by Techtronic Industries. Why does this matter?
This matters because Techtronic isn’t new to the game. They have top brands and know what they are doing. They have the experience and know-how. So when it comes to batteries, these are not just a no-name battery. TTI makes reliable batteries for Milwaukee Tools and Ryobi, which means I trust the Hart batteries 110%. I am pretty confident they took what they knew about lithium batteries, what works and what doesn’t work and they created a reliable and trustworthy battery that will outlast most other packs on the market. So when it comes to batteries, I don’t think you need to worry.
Hart Power Tools – Information
So what about the tools, should you worry? Again, I would say no since TTI knows the business. As a consumer, you have to understand this line. This line isn’t meant for the job site. This line is meant for the homeowner. Yes, you will notice a difference between a $225 professional drill and the $94 2 piece Drill/Driver and Impact Driver kit.
Will Hart tools perform? Yes, our testing so far has been positive in regards to homeowner power and needs which is different than professional needs. A professional uses their tools every day. As a homeowner, you’re not relying on your tools every day so why have a ton of money tied up into tools that you really don’t need?
From a homeowner’s perspective, this fits the bill and fits the requirements. Yes, they are a newer brand to market but behind the tool is a wide variety of experience and expertise.
Hart Power Tools – Battery
As of this article, Hart offers 3 different 20V batteries. They have a 1.5Ah battery, a 2Ah battery, and a 4Ah battery. The 1.5Ah and the 2Ah batteries are great for smaller tools such as a drill or impact while the 4Ah is great for the reciprocating saw or circular saw.
The 1.5Ah and the 2Ah battery do not offer a fuel gauge to see how much charge is left on the battery which is a little disappointing. However, the 4Ah battery does have a fuel gauge to see that charge.
All three batteries use a slide charge which means you slide the charger on top. Some manufacturers have a base where you place the battery into a base. Does it really matter? Well, that is up to you.
Hart Power Tools – The Tools
Hart already has a huge selection of power tools. I am not going in-depth into all the power tools in this article but I wanted to cover some of the items below and our initial thoughts. Follow us on Instagram and we will be posting other articles on Tools in Action with more in-depth reviews. To see their full line of power tools, check their website out or check out Walmart.
As you would assume, the Hart brand offers kits to get you started along with some of the most popular tools. Above is a 4-piece kit that runs about $180 which is a great price for any homeowner to get started with a brand. You get the tools plus two batteries. If you don’t need the saw and light, you can pick up the drill and impact for $180. Yes, it’s the same price but the reason being is you get higher amp batteries.
If you buy either kit, you can add on the saw for about $70 and the 1/2″ impact for $120.
Here is where Hart is separating themselves. The line isn’t just power tools. They offer the homeowner other tools for daily use such as an inflator, a speaker and a handheld vacuum. As a homeowner, you can easily get daily use out of these tools especially if you have kids.
So what about specialty tools? Well, Hart has you covered there also. You can pick up the buffer, sander, rotary tools for the hobbits, lights and a small blower.
Hart isn’t just about the tools and the batteries, but the accessories to accompany the power tools. They offer a wide variety of hand tools along with different bits for drills, impact rotary tools and more.
For those who need extra power on the go for their electronics, they offer a power source that hooks up to the Hart battery and has 2 USB hubs. My kids love these and I use them all the time for their iPad and other smaller electronics.
Hart Power Tools – Our Thoughts
So here is the deal and will be a little repetitive from above. For me, I like these tools considering the overall picture. Yes, if you compare them to a professional power tool, the professional power tool will win every day, all day. However, their price point isn’t close to a professional power tool. They aren’t designed for the professional, they are designed for the homeowner and I know some of these will outperform most of the other homeowner power tools on the market, so with that said, yes I am a fan. And yes, some of the tools do offer professional features but without the price tag.
I like the power, I like the variety of tools offered and I love the price of these tools.
Hart Power Tools – Wrap Up
I will say this, as a homeowner tool, they will keep up with your work and your tasks. They are powerful and for the price, it’s a no brainer. With the experience of TTI and the backing of Walmart, this is a brand I can trust that will be around and not like other brands that only last a year or two. If you are looking to get into a line of power tools that lets you expand your horizon without costing you your retirement savings, Hart is a great option. The fact you can get them in the store or online makes it that much easier to buy and just another reason to take a close look at this line.
I just went to wal-mart and got two hart weed eaters both quit working in the first two weeks. so guess i am out about 2 hundred dollars and still don’t have a weed eater that works. not happy
That stinks. You should be able to return them. That’s pretty sad if they don’t work. I could understand one might be a dud but if two of them don;t work, well that’s a different story.
I am looking for a line of lightweight quality power tools for an older female DIYer. How do the Hart tools measure up? I don’t see the weight listed on the power drill. I like the idea of the Hart power line tools, but how does their weight compare to DeWalts lightweight power tools?
They are nice but would probably go with Ryobi. Ryobi has more tools to pick from and they have some lightweight tools, especially if you go with a 1.5Ah battery.
Battery packs specifically say not to use in temperatures below 50f or above 84f!!! What good is the heated jacket then because your not going to use it above 50f!!!! Then I’m summer your not supposed to use the power tools if it’s above 84f! So basically these are useless selling us junk!!! Anyone else read that disclosure in the paperwork! I noticed it when I purchased the heated jacket and it clearly states not to use battery pack in locations below 50f!!’ I’d like to k ow why they selling a jacket that people intent to use outside in the winter and literature included with jacket tells you not to!!!
That’s interesting, I will have to check it out. Are you sure that is not the battery storage range when the batteries are not in use? TTI makes Hart which is the same as Milwaukee and Ryobi so I would be surprised if this is the way TTI would build their batteries.