Rechargeable tool system recommendations?

[Mudduck]

I use my m12 tools far more than the m18 tools for both automotive and household chores.

It's nice not to have a big/heavy 18v battery hanging off the end of an electric ratchet.

I used my M12 drill yesterday to mix bags of concrete in a 5-gallon bucket. I never have issues with Milwaukee tools. Dropped my M18 driver off of a scissor lift 30' up, and finally did it in.

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[Duece McCracken]

Milwaukee, Ryobi Ridgid and HART are all TTi China made and owned. Dewalt is owned in the USA by Stanley Black and Decker gets parts from Mexico/China and USA assembled. I have access to most every tool on the market due to our Tool channel. HF Hercules is the great bang for the buck, Milwaukee has the coolest tools and comes out with the latest releases, Dewalt is slow to release but the 20V line is a solid line, good reliable tools. Homeowner on a budget go RYOBI. Want the latest cool tools go Milwaukee, want a solid brand reliable brand go Dewalt especially for saws. Its like Chevy, Ram and Ford. Just depends on what you like. I use mostly all Milwaukee and Dewalt. They send us tool samples all the time, but I am still buying Milwaukee and Dewalt.

Personally I think Dewalt is a little better quality than Milwaukee. Milwaukee just releases things so fast they usually come out with Gen 2,3 etc. to fix issues. We have seen less problems with DeWALT. But Milwaukee still impresses and have a great 5 year warranty. As far as batteries its about the same although the Milwaukee 9.0 batteries had a huge failure rate, backed up by the reviews on ACME tool. I spoke to Milwaukee corporate and there were like nothing to see here and tried using magic marketing on me to make shut up about it so I didn't post it to our followers. Harbor freight is crazy power and lasts, got to check the price point as their warranty is separate.

My 2 cents - Been doing tools for years and we have 3.4+ million followers total. So know a little and have used them all. @toolsinaction everywhere

Funny you mention this, I have a bad 9.0 M18 in the garage as we speak. All my other M18 and M12 batts have been great. Heck I have some from like 2011 that still have a great runtime. That 9.0 though did not last. Very disappointed.


I use Milwaukee at home and at work, great stuff. M12 line is amazing power/size ratio.

 

[Jeep Wick]

I'm a long time Dewalt user (at least the impact drivers and drills) and am looking to replace my "system". It's been long enough that I doubt any reasons for my original decision are even valid anymore, so I'm interested in what cordless tool systems you all recommend and why. Here are my requirements:
- Must be a commonly available brand (no macto/snapon/fein stuff where I have to have a specialty sales setup to get parts)
- Primarily used for impact driver and drill (others matter, I just don't have many other cordless tools, so I'll focus on those
- Cost matters, but I moreso want the tools to be reliable and durable, and am willing to pay a premium if worth it.
- not JUST automotive. I'll be using this for other general household work light carpentry / framing, etc.

I've been using craftsman power tools for years, my old set still works after 15+ years. I've got some of the new ones from Lowes and I'm real happy with them. The only outlier is a 1/2" dewalt impact and that's pretty awesome too.

 

[m3reno]

Working on high rises being built in NYC we used Makita, Milwaukee, Hilti and Dewalt. The clear winner was Dewalt. The Hilti drills would burn out and were the most expensive, Makita had issues with the longevity of battery. Milwaukee was good but Dewalt had a better hands to tool feel.

 

[goose77]

Funny you mention this, I have a bad 9.0 M18 in the garage as we speak. All my other M18 and M12 batts have been great. Heck I have some from like 2011 that still have a great runtime. That 9.0 though did not last. Very disappointed.


I use Milwaukee at home and at work, great stuff. M12 line is amazing power/size ratio.

Yea, they had big issues with the 9.0s. all other AH batts from them seemed to be normal with the occasional dead one due to low voltage from non use. They can be jumped with another battery though.

 

[Atomic-Mouse]

Milwaukee all day long, I do have an older Dewalt drill that just refuses to die but all my most commonly used tools are all Milwaukee. I accidentally ran over a M12 grease gun with my 15 ton excavator, soft ground helped reduce the damage but a good portion of the plastic was broken some missing. After cleaning out the dirt and using a tailpipe expander to fix the grease cartridge tube it still works to this day. It just doesn’t look pretty anymore. The M18 hatchet is now my favorite tool to carry in the Jeep, never leave home without it. during a ride I don’t put bar and chain oil in it because it does leak overtime.

 

[goose77]

Working on high rises being built in NYC we used Makita, Milwaukee, Hilti and Dewalt. The clear winner was Dewalt. The Hilti drills would burn out and were the most expensive, Makita had issues with the longevity of battery. Milwaukee was good but Dewalt had a better hands to tool feel.

Love the Dewalt 20V grip, they are very comfortable. Hilti has a great onsite repair program for bigger construction companies they make sense. The people at Makita are mostly dicks lol. I don't deal with them much although their impacts are pretty cool.

 

[goose77]

Milwaukee all day long, I do have an older Dewalt drill that just refuses to die but all my most commonly used tools are all Milwaukee. I accidentally ran over a M12 grease gun with my 15 ton excavator, soft ground helped reduce the damage but a good portion of the plastic was broken some missing. After cleaning out the dirt and using a tailpipe expander to fix the grease cartridge tube it still works to this day. It just doesn’t look pretty anymore. The M18 hatchet is now my favorite tool to carry in the Jeep, never leave home without it. during a ride I don’t put bar and chain oil in it because it does leak overtime.

Ha I just used mine yesterday to cut up some pallets and you are so right, no oil is just fine and no mess on this little guy. I just wish it had a tool-less chain adjustment. Im loving this thread lol

 

[Opus]

If I had to start over, it would probably be Milwaukee or Mikita. But my Craftsman C3 tools are still doing okay.

 

[acsak]

I really like my Milwaukee M12 tools. You get more power from the M18 line, but I've found the M12 is more than capable to do anything I'm working on. I still use a breaker bar to loosen any tough bolts, and the 3/8" M12 impact has enough juice to handle everything after that, including suspension work.

I think the important thing is go with a brand that's generally known as reliable and is well-known enough to pick up at most hardware stores. After that, take a look at the product line and see what lines up best with the projects you have planned. This way, you'll only need a handful of batteries to get you through any project.

If I didn't have Milwaukee, I'd probably go with Makita. Haven't heard anything bad about them. Also, Ryobi seems to get a bad rep, but they have a massive product line, and you could potentially save a bit on tools you only use a handful of times.

All depends on what is most important to you!

+ 1 for the M12 line. I have a hammer drill and the 3/8 drive impact and I use them all the time. Did some serious concrete drilling with the hammer drill when setting up a recording studio and it did great. Sure M18 is stronger, but I’ve never had a problem with the 12 volt line and they’re lighter for overhead drilling like I was doing. I use the impact all the time on the Jeep. Did a suspension job with it, rock rails, steel bumpers, everything. And the M12 line is smaller which is nice in a 2 door! Throw it in a small bag with some sockets, and use the inverter to charge up if needed.

 

[Kleiss1]

Ridgid. Lifetime warranty on tools and most of all batteries.

 

[SWVA JLUR]

Dewalt for me, and absolutely no issues. If I was to start over, I’d have to seriously consider Milwaukee. My son uses Milwaukee for his HVAC business, and I’ve used them and was impressed. Can’t go wrong with either in my book.

 

[vetygud]

Through the years I've had DeWalt and Rigid. Now I have multiple M18 and M12 tools. From large and small impacts, hacksaw, hammer drill and pole saw. I carry both M18 and M12 air pumps. The M12 pump is good for airbags and the M18 is my tire fill pump. I use my 3/8" M12 ratchet wrench a lot. Great tools for my needs.

 

[dsgrey]

Milwaukee and Ridgid are top of the line and were the only tools plumbers and electricians bought when I worked wholesale sales in the 80s. As a homeowner, my Craftsman hand tools are 40+ years old. My battery operated yard tools are Ryobi which have served me well at a lower price. Ironically, I have a B&D battery drill that's several years old and has taken a beating.

 

[Redcanyon77]

I was a long time Dewalt fan/tool owner for the last 25 years. I’ve probably invested well over 4K with my current cordless collection. As of lately I’ve noticed their quality has dropped. I’ve never had so many newer tools fail. Primarily the cordless routers.
Im out and slowly making the transition to Milwaukee on my replacements. Couldn’t be happier. It’s a very noticeable higher build quality.

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