Cordless Power Tools ... SET GO!

7402 Views 25 Replies 18 Participants Last post by doc5339, Jan 2, 2021

howntek

Discussion Starter · Aug 20, 2018

So my wife has always bought me craftsman cordless tools ( hey do not get me wrong. I grew up on craftsman tools but those are not the same as they are now and who knows what future holds with bankruptcy and now Stanley owns them) .. Well I need/want a cordless impact as mine is dead and I want to fork off and go with a new brand and start the replenishment of my power tools with new brand.

Not by any means a power user. But don't mind spending money for quality . Rigid has the best warranty. But... any good?

Milwaukee, Makita..... Porter and Dewault are both Stanley so are they bout the same?

1 - 20 of 26 Posts

Riptide9

· #2 · Aug 20, 2018 (Edited)

I have been a huge Rigid user and they have held up to a wicked beating over the last 5 years with no failures. But take a look at the new Bauer and Hercules tools at HF. I am switching over to the Bauer 20v tools since they feel as equal or better quality as Rigid but way less pricey.

Some examples
https://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools/cordless-drills/20v-hypermax-lithium-14-in-hex-compact-impact-driver-kit-63528.html

https://www.harborfreight.com/20v-hypermax-lithium-12-in-impact-wrench-tool-only-63629.html

Don't forget that you can get awesome coupons for these. I got the 1/2 450ft lb impact driver for $89

ChuckTheRipper

· #3 · Aug 20, 2018

Unquestionably Milwaukee. The above recommendation is horrible; the prices on those harbor freight tools are damn near the same as any of the top brands, not worth it.

Riptide9

· #4 · Aug 20, 2018 (Edited)

ChuckTheRipper said:
Unquestionably Milwaukee. The above recommendation is horrible; the prices on those harbor freight tools are damn near the same as any of the top brands, not worth it.

?? Sorry, but have to disagree

Milwaukee 1/2 M18 (18v) kit is close to $490 (tool alone is $220) and the 2.4ah batteries are $72 ea

Bauer 1/2 (20v) is $89 with coupon and the 20v 3ah batteries are $30

If you are looking to change from Craftsman then you will probably be looking for a platform that you can expand from ie drills, impact drivers, jigsaws, skillsaw, etc that you can use the same batteries from. Do the math and see how much more you will save and then try one yourself to see the quality you get for the price. This is about as close to a Milwaukee tool copycat as you could get for a lot less money. I have the 1/2 20v impact driver, a impact driver kit, jigsaw, hammer drill kit, and now 2 1.5ah and 4 3ah batteries for less than the one Milwaukee kit. Put those HF coupons to work!

ChuckTheRipper

· #5 · Aug 20, 2018

Riptide9 said:
?? Sorry, but have to disagree

Milwaukee 1/2 M18 (18v) kit is close to $490 (tool alone is $220) and the 2.4ah batteries are $72 ea

Bauer 1/2 (20v) is $89 with coupon and the 20v 3ah batteries are $30

If you are looking to change from Craftsman then you will probably be looking for a platform that you can expand from ie drills, impact drivers, jigsaws, skillsaw, etc that you can use the same batteries from. Do the math and see how much more you will save and then try one yourself to see the quality you get for the price. This is about as close to a Milwaukee tool copycat as you could get for a lot less money. I have the 1/2 20v impact driver, a impact driver kit, jigsaw, hammer drill kit, and now 2 1.5ah and 4 3ah batteries for less than the one Milwaukee kit. Put those HF coupons to work!

What're you talking about? The Milwaukee hammer drill/ 1/4" impact combo is $250 and you get 2 1.5ah batteries, the fuel kit is $350 and you get 2 5ah batteries and a hard case. If you're looking for something you can expand on, there literally no better option than Milwaukee. Dewalt is close but not anywhere near as nice.
Also, if you work on your vehicles, the 1/2" impact is untouchable by anything on the market and aweeeeesome to have. Their weedeater is awesome, and the leaf blower is GREAT. I hardly ever pull out a broom in my shop anymore, I leaf blow that shit out the doors.

spinuck

· #6 · Aug 21, 2018

I have the Dewalt 1/2 inch 20v. Got it after using a friends to remove my pitman arm nut and steering gear. Works great in my opinion.

I think, like most things you're going to get people talking up the brands they like/trust. See if you can try some out and make a decision from there.

Reactions: 1

rhpoker

· #7 · Aug 21, 2018

spinuck said:
I have the Dewalt 1/2 inch 20v. Got it after using a friends to remove my pitman arm nut and steering gear. Works great in my opinion.

I think, like most things you're going to get people talking up the brands they like/trust. See if you can try some out and make a decision from there.

:smile2:

snout

· #8 · Aug 21, 2018

This guy has really good videos.

Riptide9

· #9 · Aug 21, 2018 (Edited)

ChuckTheRipper said:
What're you talking about? The Milwaukee hammer drill/ 1/4" impact combo is $250 and you get 2 1.5ah batteries, the fuel kit is $350 and you get 2 5ah batteries and a hard case. If you're looking for something you can expand on, there literally no better option than Milwaukee. Dewalt is close but not anywhere near as nice.
Also, if you work on your vehicles, the 1/2" impact is untouchable by anything on the market and aweeeeesome to have. Their weedeater is awesome, and the leaf blower is GREAT. I hardly ever pull out a broom in my shop anymore, I leaf blow that shit out the doors.

"The Milwaukee hammer drill/ 1/4" impact combo is $250 and you get 2 1.5ah batteries"

The 1/4 driver kit with charger and 1.5ah battery (20v not 18v) $59
The hammer drill kit with charger and 1.5ah battery (20v not 18v) $65

Total $124 Savings $126 1/2 the price of the Milwaukee

"the fuel kit is $350 and you get 2 5ah batteries"

The 1/2 inch 20v impact driver is $109
The 3ah 20v batteries are $29

You could get the driver and 8 batteries for the same price and still be $126 up from the savings above

Warranty is 2 years for $17 - no questions asked no hassle instant swap out at the store

The OP said he wasn't a power user. This is one option for less than half the price

Just my 2 cents

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snout

· #10 · Aug 21, 2018

ChuckTheRipper said:
Unquestionably Milwaukee. The above recommendation is horrible; the prices on those harbor freight tools are damn near the same as any of the top brands, not worth it.

I agree with you that Milwaukee is a great option. I also like the Dewalt US-assembled product line. Some people like spending every weekend at HF buying junk and exchanging junk. Personally, I have better things to do.

Reactions: 1

ChuckTheRipper

· #11 · Aug 23, 2018

spinuck said:
I have the Dewalt 1/2 inch 20v. Got it after using a friends to remove my pitman arm nut and steering gear. Works great in my opinion.

I think, like most things you're going to get people talking up the brands they like/trust. See if you can try some out and make a decision from there.

My milwaukee 1/2 is the model before the current one (700/1100) vs the newest (1000/1400)
I also have the newest dewalt 20v max USA one out, it is not even a comparison between them. The dewalt is garbage compared to the Milwaukee. 99% of other tools in their lineup are comparable I would say, just not the impact. Lol.

spinuck

· #12 · Aug 23, 2018

ChuckTheRipper said:
My milwaukee 1/2 is the model before the current one (700/1100) vs the newest (1000/1400)
I also have the newest dewalt 20v max USA one out, it is not even a comparison between them. The dewalt is garbage compared to the Milwaukee. 99% of other tools in their lineup are comparable I would say, just not the impact. Lol.

I'm sure the Milwaukee is better. I tried both and the Dewalt seemed just as good and was cheaper. It's done anything i needed, but i don't use it daily or anything. Point was that the OP should try some before spending a few hundred on an impact. Maybe you could loan him yours?

BigTB

· #13 · Oct 7, 2018

ChuckTheRipper said:
My milwaukee 1/2 is the model before the current one (700/1100) vs the newest (1000/1400)
I also have the newest dewalt 20v max USA one out, it is not even a comparison between them. The dewalt is garbage compared to the Milwaukee. 99% of other tools in their lineup are comparable I would say, just not the impact. Lol.

I can't speak to the newest Milwaukee, but I have a Dewalt, Brushless, 20V, 1/2" impact and it is awesome. It is very possible that the newer Milwaukee is better, but the Dewalt I have is really nice. It has a ton of power and it is the smoothest cordless impact I've personally used. Feels like better quality than any other cordless Dewalt tool I have.

If I was starting over, I might start with Milwaukee tools. But since getting into the Dewalt 20V system out of necessity a while back (needed a new cordless drill to complete a job while working on site, and went into the local hardware and bought what they had) I've stuck with Dewalt so everything uses the same batteries. No major complaints. Actually, that first drill I bought made a terrible grinding noise right out of the box. Walked it right back into the store and they exchanged it. Second one worked well, and still does. And I won the chuck lottery too, because it is probably the straightest I've ever had on a cordless drill (My corded Makita is better).

I also have a Bosch 12V mini impact that I use often and like. Has served me well for years. I remove and re-install a lot of cover panels at my job, each with many 5/16", 3/8" or 10mm fasteners. That little Bosch is a lightweight, Godsend for zipping the panel screws out. I know the other companies make similar tools now, but my Bosch is still getting the job done for me. It is also awesome for putting in self-drilling screws in metal.

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j3ff3ry_j33p

· #14 · Oct 7, 2018

my suggestion to OP --->
http://a.co/d/iXxIKdy

It fits in the small places,too.

&#55357;&#56841;

:jeep2:

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Mason

· #15 · Nov 28, 2018

OP seemed leery of Dewalt because it is owned by Stanley, and they are buying craftsman. Well MAC is also owned by Stanley. In fact the MAC branded cordless tools are just a red Dewalt. I have all 20v dewalt tools, they are all great.

I know guys that have Milwaukee, and they say they are also great. To each their own. They are both the 2 top end brands and neither will steer you wrong. Pick a brand and run with it.

You mentioned that rigid had the best warranty, well mahindra tractors have way more warranty than John Deere. Does that mean that they are a better tractor? HELL NO!

Just my 0.02.

blank123003

· #16 · Sep 4, 2019

i have a few Milwaukee tools and i love them. i have the m12 drill,impact and dremel, i also have the m18 impact, circular saw and sander. i love all of them and cant complain at all. i have been slowly replacing my tools to the red ones and wont go back to anything else

BigTB

· #17 · Sep 4, 2019

Riptide9 said:
(20v not 18v)
(20v not 18v)

I know this post is old, but I just wanted to point something out about this for anyone looking into cordless tools. 20V vs. 18V is pure marketing. 18650 lithium cells are 4.2V maximum, 3.6V nominal. Most cordless tools use a 5S configuration, which is 5 cells in series (high amp hour packs use a 5S2P configuration, which is two 5 cell series sets in parallel). This gives 18V nominal and 21V maximum when fully charged. Milwaukee puts "18V" on their tools, which is the nominal voltage of the packs. Dewalt and others probably thought 20V sounded better, so they went with that. Since the batteries are technically capable of voltages in excess of 20V when fully charged, they can get away calling it that.

Dewalt, Milwaukee, Bauer, Hercules, Craftsman, etc., etc. that say 18V or 20V all have lithium ion batteries capable of the same nominal and max charge voltages. The actual quality of the batteries, motors and drive systems will effect power and battery life. Whether the package/label says 18V or 20V will not.

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Tspevacek

· #18 · Sep 6, 2019

snout said:
This guy has really good videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3WB-EwdJnM

I die waiting for him to put out new shit , His stuff is well done and funny to boot. You also learn shit while being entertained.

Reactions: 1

ExWrench

· #19 · Sep 6, 2019

Late to the party here.

I had a "fleet" of Dewalt 18V tools, a couple of which I genuinely used up (drill and 1/4" impact driver) by using the chit outta' them. Most of my battery packs were close to end of life also, so I decided to bail on that tool/battery system for some brushless "20V" (yes, 18V + sexy marketing bullshit :laughing:

:laughing:

) tools, starting with a drill snapper and a screw stripper.

So,faced with "go red or stay yellow", I re-fleeted in Dewalt 20V because of past good service (or extremely good luck). The new toys have been flogged for over 2 years and I haven't destroyed one yet. Either this stuff's industrial quality or I'm turning into a total ***** in my middle age :dunno:

New drill is badass, the brushless a noticeable upgrade over my trusty brushed 18V. The brushless 20V 1/4" hex impact driver is foogin' light years ahead of the old 18V for torque control - it's like TIG vs stick welding. Angle drill, jigsaw, oscillating cutter, blower - all good tools that have paid for themselves. The brushless 1/2" impact killed demand for my IR 231C, which I think is saying something. I rarely fire up the air compressor unless I need to fill tires or blow shit off.

No problem with Milwaukee or Ridgid, but happy to report that Dewalt is still serving me very well.
But fawk Hazard Fraught :thefinger:

:thefinger:

Also, X2 on @snout's recommendation for US-"made" stuff.
Domestic content = national security, and more is better. :usa:

:usa:

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Pmedic920

· #20 · Feb 2, 2020 (Edited)

3

I have the Milwaukee impact.
Absolutely love it, very good quality and has held up (so far) to whatever I’ve thrown at it.

I also have a Milwaukee grinder/cut off. So far so good. No complaints.

I have Dewalt drill and impact driver purchased as a kit. Works well, no complaints.

I just ordered the new Milwaukee “extended reach” ratchet, have not used it yet but have full confidence that it will work as claimed and hold up well.

My tools are taken care of but are not used daily to earn a living. My opinion is based on hobbyist/shade tree home mechanic but unless something drastically changes my money will be spent on Milwaukee going forward.

Next purchase will probably be their chainsaw to carry in the Jeep, I have gas saws but the Milwaukee seems better suited for the trails as I already carry batteries for the impact, and I don’t want to carry gas/oil mix for a saw. I already also carry oil (for Jeep),in the event I cut enough to need a little for the bar, I’ve already got it.

My opinion probably shouldn’t hold much weight because my use of these tools is somewhat limited but I’m a Milwaukee guy.

Prices are not cheap but I’ve always considered “good” tools as a wise investment.

I’ve got some oil leaks on my F250 w/7.3 to work on. Purchased the extended reach ratchet for this job. I’ll update my opinion of the tool when I’ve used it. I fully expect good things.
If y’all know anything about pulling the turbo and pedestal on a 7.3, A good power ratchet that can “reach”should make the job much easier.

This is the saw that I want, and will be purchasing ASAP (funds)

I did buy the ratchet from Home Depot

I purchased the tool and batteries separately because they currently have a sale on the batteries.
I got the charger and two 3 mAh batteries for about 1/2 price.
The “kit” comes with 2 mAh battery

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