Bauer Tools is a popular brand in the tool world. Bauer Tools is owned by the parent brand, Harbor Freight, and is exclusively sold through this entity. Other brands Harbor Freight owns include Hercules, Admiral, Vulcan, Maddox, and more.
Harbor Freight was founded in California in 1977 by young Eric Smidt and his father. Today, the brand and its subsidiaries are in their 1400+ stores across all 50 states and on their company website. They call themselves “America’s Favorite Tool Store,” headquartered in Calabasas, California, and employ over 26,000 people.
The Bauer name is stamped on over 175 products, including tools and accessories. They produce all manner of power tools, such as drills, impact wrenches, fans, toolboxes, and more. Although it’s just one of many brands exclusive to Harbor Freight, let’s see if America’s Favorite Tool Store is, what should we call it…farm to table?
Verdict: Are Bauer Tools Made in the USA?
No. Bauer Tools are made in China. They only have sales, distribution, and corporate offices in the US.
Harbor Freight is a very American company – well, aside from the fact that its products are not made domestically. Its domestic operations are limited to sales and distribution. Distribution centers are located in several California cities, South Carolina, and Illinois.
Below is an excerpt from the Harbor Freight website. It states that they searched “worldwide” to find the industry’s leading manufacturers. Given that they don’t mention America in the blurb below, it’s obvious that they didn’t find what they were looking for here.
A search for “Made in USA” on the Harbor Freight website is…quite sad. It yields one item, an American flag. What’s even more sad is that this flag is $20, but they also stock imported American flags for less than a quarter of the price.
Back to Bauer Tools specifically… gliding through their products on the Harbor Freight website is not an informative journey in terms of manufacturing details. None of their products specify where the item was made or feature an “imported” label. We expanded our search outside the retail site and found more telling information.
Following label from the back of the product box of a Bauer 20V Brushless ½” Drill/Driver Tool:
The following label from the back of the product box of a Bauer 8V Cordless Variable Speed Rotary Tool Kit:
The label tells all: China is the word. Bauer claims that they scoured the globe for top-notch manufacturing partners for their tools. Maybe they really did find that in China, but wouldn’t it just make more sense for “America’s Favorite Tool Store” to make things in…America?
With consistent requests and pressure, consumers can ignite change. If American manufacturing is important to you, don’t hesitate to contact your favorite brands, like Bauer Tools, to encourage them to return home.
Popular American Made Bauer Tools
- None that we could find
Popular Bauer Tools Not Made in the USA
- Bauer 8 in 5-speed Bench Drill Press with Light
- Bauer 20V Brushless ½” Drill/Driver Tool
- Bauer 8V Cordless Variable Speed Rotary Tool Kit
