Buying power tools soon enough... Want one brand

[Greenman]

Milwaukee is always solid, for hand tools.

DeWalt is good for the price, but I'd put the about on almost equal rating personally, depends on what is cheaper.

I still like Milwaukee.

I can't say anything bad about Bosch to be honest, I just prefer the other two.

I'd say look for the best deal on you want out of those three IMHO.

I've had very bad luck with Milwaukee power tools and don't buy them anymore. Though they still make some very nice hand tools.

 

[jlee]

I was just making him aware of the torque rating of this thing. With 650ft-lbs forward and 1100ft-lbs reverse (I think they call it "nut" busting) this thing is a beast. Its waaaay more than the average Joe needs. That's more torque than most air impacts in a cordless. It's also pretty frickin heavy.

It would be nice if it had a "low" or more mundane setting. I don't want to break a wrist if this thing gets away from me nor do I need all that torque for every job.

The W5150 is in the 190ft-lbs range reverse which is probably better suited for most needs.

190 ft-lbs is nothing -- mine has 750ft-lbs (Ingersoll Rand 2135TiMAX air wrench) and I could use more.

 

[Subyman]

Hilti is what a lot of professionals use, but they are pricy. Dewalt is a great alternative if you want to buy them from a big box store. I've used Makita, Milwaukee, Ryobi, black and decker, Hilti and Dewalt. I prefer the Dewalt driver (well other than Hilti, their stuff is awesome.) I'm using the brushless 20V impact drill and regular drill right now and they work great. Tons of power. I've even mixed thin set with the regular drill :whiste:

 

[videogames101]

Milwaukee used to be the best, now made in china like everybody else. Not sure which brand to go for anymore...

 

[Safeway]

I've used DeWalt, Bosch, Milwaukee, Makita, ... any premium brand will work well.

I don't care as much about brand consistency for my plug in tools, like my Bosch oscillating saw, Festool miter saw, etc.

 

[oleguy]

I'll be the guy who asks how frequently or intensively will you be using these tools? I don't tend to use my power tools much, maybe a couple of times a month. So I went with a line that had a battery pack that crossed realms so when I used my summer lawn tools, I didn't need to have another set of batteries around the house or multiple chargers. So far, with my light-duty work for putting together garden boxes, and a few indoor projects, the Ryobi line gets the job done. Would I bring them to a work site to frame a house? No. But since I bought the trimmer first, I just kept going with the brand. It will be interesting to see how they handle finishing the basement this summer.

But yeah, if you actually make a serious hobby out of your tools, do weekend construction for friends, or even have a property that needs more than just simple maintenance, you might want to splash out the cash for the pro-style tools.

 

[TridenT]

I'll be the guy who asks how frequently or intensively will you be using these tools? I don't tend to use my power tools much, maybe a couple of times a month. So I went with a line that had a battery pack that crossed realms so when I used my summer lawn tools, I didn't need to have another set of batteries around the house or multiple chargers. So far, with my light-duty work for putting together garden boxes, and a few indoor projects, the Ryobi line gets the job done. Would I bring them to a work site to frame a house? No. But since I bought the trimmer first, I just kept going with the brand. It will be interesting to see how they handle finishing the basement this summer.

But yeah, if you actually make a serious hobby out of your tools, do weekend construction for friends, or even have a property that needs more than just simple maintenance, you might want to splash out the cash for the pro-style tools.

It's hard to say what I'll be doing. I'm not interested in throwing down $300+tax for a Milwaukee 2604-22 right now. I might just get a corded drill with a speed/torque settings. (Black and Decker makes a "MATRIX" one that gets decent reviews for the $36 it costs)

I think I need corded tools as a backup anyway.

 

[Subyman]

Corded drills are fantastic if you will be using them in a shop. They are a different league.

 

[996GT2]

Thoughts on what to do? I might get a cordless impact wrench along with a drill/driver. I would like to stick with one brand for the sake of batteries and brand consistency. Thoughts? I was wanting to get an IR because they have good impacts but... Milwuakee seems to be where it's at for drill/drivers.

Thoughts? I will probably expand my cordless tool needs later and I'd like the brand to supply well. For now, I want a lethally strong (automotive applications) impact wrench and a good drill/driver for construction/carpentry jobs.

What's the over/under on TridenT ignoring everyone's advice here and buying Black & Decker after 5 pages of responses?

:hmm: I'd never buy Black & Decker. If anything, I'll ignore everyone's advice and get all 20v Ingersoll-Rand. 700ft/lb torque on that 20v impact wrench is really convincing.
http://www.ingersollrandproducts.co...ols/iqv20/w7150-1-2-20v-high-torque-impactool

It's hard to say what I'll be doing. I'm not interested in throwing down $300+tax for a Milwaukee 2604-22 right now. I might just get a corded drill with a speed/torque settings. (Black and Decker makes a "MATRIX" one that gets decent reviews for the $36 it costs)

I think I need corded tools as a backup anyway.

 

[oleguy]

It's hard to say what I'll be doing
...
I think I need corded tools as a backup anyway.

While I realize that corded tools never run out of juice as long as you have a powered outlet handy, is there another reason you need one for backup?

If "range anxiety" (not sure what it would be called in this case) is your concern, I was able to use a single Ryobi battery to drive 60 pilot holes and 60 deck screws while building my garden box last week, and it still had enough charge left to be swapped into our lawn trimmer and finish half the yard. True, it's not the base battery as the drill came with two of the mid-range packs, but the batteries do charge in a pretty short period of time being Li-ion.

If it's about power output and the ability to handle really tough jobs, then yeah, you might need the extra juice that can come from a 120V outlet, or if you're worried about fatigue as a cordless battery is heavier that it's corded counterpart. I also haven't tried to drill into masonry with my Ryobi, so it's entirely possible it will fail in that particular task.

 

[natto fire]

It's hard to say what I'll be doing. I'm not interested in throwing down $300+tax for a Milwaukee 2604-22 right now. I might just get a corded drill with a speed/torque settings. (Black and Decker makes a "MATRIX" one that gets decent reviews for the $36 it costs)

I think I need corded tools as a backup anyway.

So this whole thread is basically just trolling us then? You don't get enough satisfaction from trolling OT, so you figured you'd try your hand at the garage?

 

[996GT2]

So this whole thread is basically just trolling us then? You don't get enough satisfaction from trolling OT, so you figured you'd try your hand at the garage?

Isn't that what every single TridenT thread basically is?

 

[Greenman]

Hilti is what a lot of professionals use, but they are pricy. Dewalt is a great alternative if you want to buy them from a big box store. I've used Makita, Milwaukee, Ryobi, black and decker, Hilti and Dewalt. I prefer the Dewalt driver (well other than Hilti, their stuff is awesome.) I'm using the brushless 20V impact drill and regular drill right now and they work great. Tons of power. I've even mixed thin set with the regular drill :whiste:

I've never been able to make a case for most Hilti tools. I was just shopping rotohammers last night and comparing Hilti and DeWalt. The DeWalt tool was $550 discounted, the comparable Hilti was over $2k with no discount available. So if the Dewalt tool only has 25% of the Hilti life I break even.

The only Hilti tool I own is their 60 pound electric breaker, and I bought that because it's the hardest hitting breaker made, worth the $1k premium over the DeWalt.

 

[jlee]

I have a Black & Decker drill (20v lithium) that works great for the ~$32 I paid for it.

How many "construction jobs" is a programmer living in an apartment in California going to be doing? My stepdad builds houses, so maybe we have different definitions here.

 

[garndawg]

So this whole thread is basically just trolling us then? You don't get enough satisfaction from trolling OT, so you figured you'd try your hand at the garage?

If so, this thread has served to make me feel better about spending $250 on a new set of DeWalt 20v tools, so there's been good gained from it despite the OP's intent.

 

[Torn Mind]

Research which Dewalt and Black and Decker tools are badge engineered and which aren't.

I think the M18 Fuel impact wrench delivers the most tourque if you are anticipating the really difficult auto tasks, like axle nuts.

But Rigid's limited lifetime warrant, provided you don't forget to register, could sway you there.

 

[tracerbullet]

Has anyone here used the newer Craftsman stuff? I suppose it would work for me - I'm the "weekend warrior". Pretty handy, and pretty busy w/ projects, but definitely not a pro.

My last set of Craftsman cordless is still working, it's the batteries that are done. I wouldn't mind a little step up from it, the tools while lasting for me were pretty featureless.

Otherwise I've been looking at Dewalt, Ridgid and Ryobi. Seems I can't hardly go wrong with any of them for what I'd be doing.

 

[garndawg]

Has anyone here used the newer Craftsman stuff? I suppose it would work for me - I'm the "weekend warrior". Pretty handy, and pretty busy w/ projects, but definitely not a pro.

My last set of Craftsman cordless is still working, it's the batteries that are done. I wouldn't mind a little step up from it, the tools while lasting for me were pretty featureless.

Otherwise I've been looking at Dewalt, Ridgid and Ryobi. Seems I can't hardly go wrong with any of them for what I'd be doing.

I used to swear by Craftsman, I mean "Tim Allen"-esque loyalty...

But after several bad experiences, both with the quality decrease and complete lack of enthusiasm on warranty claims, I've now completely sworn off anything Sears. Here's a few over the last couple of years:
- Shop vac with the hose diameters just a hair different, so that ShopVac(TM) brand attachments won't work with it. Gotta' buy Craftsman(TM) attachments, donchaknow...
- Torque wrench locking plastic collar broke, wouldn't replace
- Workmate-clone, heavy, top table (particial board) broke in half after third use, won't replace and won't sell replacement boards at any price
- set of screw-out extractors broke on first use, was a "wear item" no replacement
- an so on...

I have several thousand dollars of Craftsman tools that I'm slowly replacing with other brands as they break/wear out. Most of my remaining are socket/screwdriver/toolbox type equipment.

Besides, I don't think Sears will be a going concern for very much longer, so that "lifetime" warranty won't be worth much when they go under.

 

[jlee]

- Torque wrench locking plastic collar broke, wouldn't replace

Yeah, I had one fail as well. I should just throw out the rest of them (or Craigslist em) because I will use Harbor Freight torque wrenches over Craftsman now.

Most of my Craftsman tools are older. I've noticed newer ratchets feel..clunky. Not as nice as the old ones.

 

[Torn Mind]

Sears is in deep, deep trouble with their CEO basically having the various departments inside the company compete with each other. That means that there's tons of backstabbing between departments within the company, and that ultimately has the company cannibalize itself. Now, why is he doing that? Because he is a Ayn Rand devotee dedicated to implementing that philosophy regardless of "reality". Craftsman's decline is just a part of the whole picture. Watch out, Sears might not survive as we know it in the next few years.

Even the weekly circular has departments competing for ad space. It is ridiculous.

 

[tracerbullet]

Thanks. Hate to hear it, but thanks. I'll be sticking to Home Depot for the next purchase.

 

[Pacfanweb]

I have all Makita 18v 3Ah stuff and I like it (never had any issues with it). Haven't used all the brands so really can't comment.

Same here, except I have used all the brands, and I prefer Makita.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

996GT2 called it.

Anyhoo, since ryobi has switched to li-ion I've had good luck with their 18v tools. I liked the fact that some of the older tools were compatible with the newer batteries. I've had one ryobi cordless drill hanging around over 13 years now and with the newer batteries it still does what I need it to do. Meanwhile I watched some friends switch brands when the battery systems died or changed. Alot of extra money spent.

I' don't do home improvement projects all the time, but when I do.....yeah :biggrin: