power tools: red, yellow, or blue. need help...

[romz26]

I need help getting started in lithium power tools. So far iam stuck on which brand to go with.

Ive watched youtube reviews and shoot outs, looked at the tool line up on what different things they offer for the battery. All three feel good in hand when checking them out at the local hd.

I figured iam going to start with a hammer/driver/drill. It seems like it will be able do more projects around the house/garage.

pros
Milwaukee- they are innovative(bluetooth 2705-20), have a car charger for their batteries, 1200in lbs tq(dont know if i need that much), decent expand-ability with the batteries. great 5 year warranty

makita(Makita XFD07Z)- no frills, seems like it has power comming from watching comparisons, charge time is under 1hour (less batteries needed), can be used for loads of other things(even lawn equipment)

Dewalt- seems like they have decent power(never really looked into it, but my uncles 20v hammer drill crapped out when using it to mix stuff, got a replacement the next day)

eventually i will have an impact wrench, grinder, recip saw, probably driver also.

whats everyone's opinions

 

[jeepdreamer]

I've used Dewalt battery stuff for decades. That being said I recently picked up a milwaukee M18fuel impact gun after being impressed by the one belonging to a buddy of mine. Impressed enough that as my current herd of dewalt tools die off (happening fairly quickly now but I use em hard) I will be replacing them with the fuel line.
Just my experience.

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[RedF]

I am very pleased with the Milwaukee cordless tools I have. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase again.

 

[v_man]

I have Ryobi stuff ... Their big 4 amp hour batteries are quite powerful . I run a drill motor , grinder , impact driver , flashlight , even a leaf blower and weed trimmer , no issues so far . They have like 40 tools that run off the battery . I know Ryobi isn't regarded as well as the other brands , but their quality has gone up lately . just my experience...

 

[jeepdreamer]

As an addendum to my post... keep your eyes peeled on Craigslist. I scored my impact from a guy that said it was a Christmas present. Got a screaming deal on a new in box impact and 2 new batteries.
I'll buy the drill and small impact when it goes on sale. That'll give me 4 batteries, 3 tools, and a charger. If you get bored, look at milwaukee's website and the the rediculously huge collection of tools available.
Also, what are you planning to use them for?

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[GordoSmasho]

I several thousands of dollars(embarassing) in milwaukee tools. Ive worked through dewalt ryobi and makita. I replaced them all. I have both fuel 18v and 12v. Have been using them to make a living for many years. I still have my original m18 impact going strong after six years of daily hard service driving anchor bolts and being dropped from lifts. I have never had a milwaukee tool fail. I have a set of tools for the garage shop. Two sets for work and one set for trail repair that never leave the jeep. I also have a 12v charger. This includes impacts, drills, hammer drills, sawzalls, jig saw, routers, dremels, multitools, inspection scope, and lantern.

 

[JackW]

I've had great luck with my Bosch tools - corded and cordless. Bosch jigsaws, reciprocating saws, routers and cordless drills are the bomb. I've cut 1/4 steel plate with my Bosch jigsaw.
My first Makita cordless drill lasted over 12 years - the second died after two years. My Makita 7" circular saw is one of the toughest tools in my shop.
Milwaukee corded drills are great too but the Bosch reciprocating saw blows the Milwaukee away. Milwaukee tools held up pretty well in an industrial environment too (Lockheed).

Dewalt is just a slightly upgraded Black & Decker in my opinion - I know some people love them but I don't.

 

[Ducky's Dad]

I have cordless tools from Makita, Bosch, Dewalt, Porter Cable, Craftsman, Ryobi, Panasonic, Hitachi, Ridgid, and probably some others. No Milwaukee, but have used them. Among the current crop, Milwaukee has leading edge technology, but a lot of the technology is crap I don't need or want, like Bluetooth connectivity to monitor battery charge or find your your tool. Milwaukee makes a great cordless tool, but very expensive and parts are a ***** to get. Milwaukee offers convenient repair, but that's expensive too. Example: A few weeks ago my corded 1-3/4" SDS Max rotohammer crapped out in the middle of a job. Called Milwaukee for repair info and parts availability and they told me parts were limited but they would fix it for $481 flat fee. That's on a $650 tool that's been well used. Took it to my local repair guy and he got it back in operation for $90 because he happened to have some old parts lying around. Great tools, expensive to buy, expensive to repair.

Makitas are almost bullet proof, not a lot of useless technology, parts always available if they do break, but tools are expensive and batteries are ridiculously expensive. I love Makita, but don't buy their cordless stuff any more, still buy their corded tools.

Best bang for the buck for pro tools goes to Dewalt. Not as robust as Milwaukee or Makita, but a good bit less expensive, parts and batteries are everywhere, and they have some odd tools that nobody else makes (like an 18V router, now discontinued; no, it's not a cutout tool, it's actually a router). I switched from Makita to Dewalt about seven years ago and have not looked back. I'm a luddite and like old school ni-cad batteries and tools without a lot of froo froo crap, so Dewalts are perfect for me, and I can afford a bunch of them so I always have backups and spares in the other trucks.

Hitachi makes a good tool, but they are hard to find around here. Their miter saws are the best (I have Hitachi, Makita, Dewalt, Ryobi, Delta miters, so lots of time to compare). If you have a good source for Hitaci cordless tools, consider them.

Some Ridgid tools are great, some are crap. But the good ones are really good.

If you are getting stuff for DIY rather than heavy pro use, think seriously about Ryobi. The price is right, they have a lot of tools to choose from in their 18V line, including some stuff that you can't get from others, like 18V chain saws, pole pruners, blowers, etc. I bought my first Ryobi cordless a few weeks ago because I needed a cordless random orbit sander and a bunch of batteries for it. Only three companies currently make that tool: Makita, Ridgid, and Ryobi. The Makita and Ridgid with batteries and charger were triple the price of the Ryobi.

Bottom line: If money is no object, get Milwaukee. If you are a prudent buyer, get Dewalt. If it's for DIY stuff, get Ryiobi.

Re Porter Cable, Bosch, Craftsman, Panasonic: Meh!

 

[nwoods]

I second the Bosch jigsaw. Smoothest jigsaw ever, but mine is corded.

It's stupid expensive, but I think SnapOn makes the best cordless Impact drivers. Nothing touches them in torque per size of tool.

 

[rambrush]

Craigs list was mentioned above but here we have several Pawn Shops loaded with loads of tools complete with Batteries and chargers for a great price. kinda like try before you buy high dollar equipment. Also when I built a place up in Montana, pawn shops were a savings for Milwaukee hole hawgs and other saws and tools. Saved a bunch of money there and just found a pro tile saw on craigs list for a 1/3 cost of new. a little tlc and its as good as new. I am currently using Dewalt and had good success so far. Keep in mind battery powered tools seem to last longer if they are in constant use daily as in a contractor setting and not so good for the do it your selfers as they tend to sit on the shelf or in a charger unit awaiting someone to stop by and use it.

 

[Ducky's Dad]

Whichever system you settle on, make sure it has all the stuff you'll need. Having multiple battery systems to deal with is a real pain. Starting from scratch, try to go with the newer brushless tools because they are more efficient and run longer on a charge, they are a bit more compact and are lighter than the older tools, but are more expensive. A lot of commercial contractors who use Dewalt are switching from the older 18V system to the newer 20V Max system, and a lot of the 18V tools are showing up in the used market. And the "20V Max" stuff is just marketing hype. They are still 18V packs that will charge to 20V max, same as the old packs. If you are willing to buy used, Craigslist is your friend, especially around tax time. My experience with pawn shops is that they try to charge way more than the tool is actually worth, and I usually negotiate with them, with some success. You need to know your tools to make that approach work, and be prepared to walk away. If you go with nicad batteries, buy a system that holds the battery packs together with screws (like Dewalt 18V), because it's a lot more efficient to have your nicad packs rebuilt than to keep buying new batteries. L-ion batteries are not yet practical to rebuild because the rebuild costs almost as much as a new battery. A good shop can rebuild your nicads to nickle metal hydride, and that seems the optimum for my use. But make sure your charger will work with the NiMH cells. And use conditioning chargers to keep your batteries in good shape between uses.

 

[rambrush]

Ducky's Dad that was a great post. well said. Yep you need to negotiate with pawn shops as price marked is not the buying price. I have cell phone with me and google prices when I come across things I am interested in walk away if its not priced low enough. But if tool needs a new cord or other minor items and the price is decent I will make the purchase and order required parts to make it almost new again. As for the 20v mention being actually 18v packs that was interesting and I need to do more research on that factoid.

 

[CCH]

I don't use tools daily anymore, and have done well with the Ryobi 18v li-on stuff for DIY. If you aren't making a living off your tools, it performs well and holds up well. Lots of options too. My drill has seen regular duty around the house for about five years. Still able to use the original battery.

 

[Ducky's Dad]

As for the 20v mention being actually 18v packs that was interesting and I need to do more research on that factoid.

It's just like your nominal 12V truck battery being fully charged at something higher than 12V. Odysseys are fully charged at 12.85V, Optimas are fully charged at 13.1V or 13.2V, depending on which Optima it is.

Two of the guys who work for me occasionally use only Ryobi. Both are former licensed general contractors and are cheapskates. They abuse their tools and treat the Ryobis as throw-aways. When a tool breaks, they just run down to Home Depot and get a fresh one. The only time my Dewalts break is when I let these guys use them. So I don't let them use my tools any more.

 

[I Leak Oil]

I think it depends on the tool as well. Dewalt makes great drills, drivers and grinders. Makita makes some nice circular saws and Milwaukee offers some of the best in reciprocating saws. Sucks that the batteries don't cross over from one to another.