Let’s talk power tools

[jpmuscle]

Ok so looking to pick up some new cordless power tools. Basic stuff really drill, impact drill, etc.

But it would appear things have gotten really bougie in recent years with new offerings and whiz bang batteries and such. Typically I’ve always reached for Dewalt when I needed something but all the offerings from the likes of Milwaukee, Rigid, Makita, Dewalt, etc have made things pretty competitive.

I’m fine paying for quality and want to avoid hobby grade equipment. But I don’t know enough about who offers what with respect to warranties, battery life, power outputs, system integration, etc. If I’m going to be buying into a system essentially I want it to be the right one.

Thoughts?


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[Adrenaline_6]

The bottom line is there are really only a few companies that make cordless tools. I personally go with Makita. They make their own tools and that is all they make. Their designs are always copied which is a tell tale sign of great products.

Here are the tool manufacturers brand umbrella:
Attachment 55893

The newer brushless motor design is the way to go.

[RobertTheTexan]

Lowest end I buy is Rigid. If you register the tool as soon as you buy it, the tool will carry a lifetime warranty. I’ve got a Rigid “sawzall” and an 18v still. Both have impressed me for the price point. For a real Sawzall, I only buy Milwaukee. For a higher end cordless or screw gun I buy Dewalt. Makita is also a good brand, but keep in mind most companies are making “budget” tools to compete with the Skill, Rigid and Lowe’s brand whatever that is, I can’t recall. For a circular saw. I stick to a the Skilsaw. There are other brands, but man I’ve used that thing for years.

Read the reviews. And realize the difference between home trade and contractor grade can be a sizable jump.


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[223to45]

For the most part the newer batteries are. great. Get a lot of use per charge.

I can only talk about Snap-On, but been using same batteries since 2014. And they get used everyday.


Was a really big fan of Makita back in the day, when they were made in Japan, but they dont seem the same any more.

I would normally still choose them over the other commercial brands mainly due to ergonomics and balance.

I recently bought a Dewalt 3/8 impact to use on the Sprint Car. Horrible , wont even remove a 9/16" nut on the front wheel.

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[NWPilgrim]

Milwaukee all the way!
About the toughest of the commonly available and priced lines. Good selection of tools in both 12V and 18V. Good selection of battery capacities such as 2Ah - 12Ah in 18v. Unlike DeWalt, the battery connectors for both lines have stayed the same through NiCad and three generations of lithium. Some lower cost brushed motor tools but most are the high performance brushless motors. Unlike Makita they have always had built in high temp protection. I burned out a Makita drill, and then two years ago on a job site saw a young man do the exact same with his Makita drill. Killed both the 18V battery and the drill. I have heavily abused my Milwaukee tools and never had an overheat condition, drop in performance or break. While some brands keep upping the voltage to increase performance, Milwaukee finds ways to stick with 18V and still be a top performer by increasing battery capacity. For instance their 1/2” High Torque impact wrench is an absolute power monster using 18V batteries.

I’ve owned Makita and DeWalt cordless tools, but have got rid of them and only buy Milwaukee now. I like some DeWalt corded tools (contractor saw, miter saw), but for cordless it is all Milwaukee.

[jpmuscle]

Yea I saw the Milwaukee impact you mentioned and it’s like 750 ft lbs or something crazy.

Milwaukee seems to be at the top of the pack it seems


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[Bulletdog]

I've tried multiple brands. I keep coming back to Makita for this. They sell a drill/impact drill double kit and I love them. Brushless motors and lipo batteries, are the way to go, but even the brushed motor and NiMh battery versions are good to go.

I build a lot of stuff out of plywood and 2x4s on my ranch and I never wear the Makitas out. I wore out batteries during the old NiCad days, and I replaced some older models when they invented the keyless chucks, but I still have the older ones and they work great. I keep buying additional sets. One for home, one for work, etc.

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

I buyMilwaukee only (for battery tools) after learning some hard lessons on lesser tools. I've got a hammer drill, impact driver, impact wrench, sawzall, circular saw, weed eater, hedge trimmer, and the list goes on.

I have a Dewalt miter saw, a Bosch router, and a few others that work just fine. But, my battery powered tools are Milwaukee.

[Outlander Systems]

List of problems I’ve had with Dewalt:

1)

[FlyingHunter]

Another vote for Milwaukee. My late brother made his living with power tools and that's the only brand he used. While I'm sure their are other excellent brands, I've never been disappointed with Milwaukee.