Rechargeable tool system recommendations?

[Jtphoto]

Many years ago, i bought a Dewalt drill/impact combo 12v. Ive used the little 1/4" drive impact for tons of things. I have 2 sizes of Milwaukee 1/2" drive M18 impacts. The smaller one bridges the gap and seems to constantly wear a 3/8" drive reducer.

I use to use the 1/4” driver a lot but a little while back I bought a small DeWalt 1/2” impact ( max 150ftlbs) just for the wheels and smaller components, the big hi torque is used for the big jobs.

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[Slate]

 

[dragoneggs]

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.

If I was a lot younger, I could see me migrating to Milwaukee but I have been a Dewalt guy for too long and too many tools. Can’t say I am unhappy because I have only toasted a couple of a long list of tools and have lots of batteries that are still treating me good.

 

[UTME]

I have Milwaukee and really like them. Impact, ratchet, grinder and inflator.

 

[Pig-Pen]

I switched from makita to ryobi about 20 years ago. Never had any issues with any of their stuff. They have a large range of tools that work on their 18v system. I looked at HF for the future but they just dont offer nearly as much.

dewalt is great but $$. If i were a pro i would probably go with dewalt but for homeowner usage im more than happy with ryobi.

 

[Gangplank]

Another Ryobi fan here. The wife bought me a set as a gift to replace a Craftsman set that was beat up. With the Ryobi days sales I now have every tool I need (and some I don’t. lol!). Big fan. Batteries last and they take a beating + the price is great.

 

[wibornz]

Milwaukee. Nuff said. Pick up tools and batteries when they're on "special buy" at HD.

Occasionally, you can get good deals from other e-tailers.

My main problem with HFT/Hercules stuff is the weak/short warranties. Not that most warranties are worth much these days.

I use Milwaukee tools. I broke the m12 cordless ratchet. I mailed the tool back to them to fix. They sent me a new one. Milwaukee has a 5 year warranty and stand behind their tools.

 

[SadRobot]

If I was a lot younger, I could see me migrating to Milwaukee but I have been a Dewalt guy for too long and too many tools. Can’t say I am unhappy because I have only toasted a couple of a long list of tools and have lots of batteries that are still treating me good.

My brother and I are both Dewalt people although I recently learned I've been pronouncing it wrong my whole life. We always put the emphasis on the "De" part as in DEwalt instead of what it really is which I guess is deWALT.

 

[GATORB8]

My brother and I are both Dewalt people although I recently learned I've been pronouncing it wrong my whole life. We always put the emphasis on the "De" part as in DEwalt instead of what it really is which I guess is deWALT.

That sounds like the southern pronunciation.

 

[SadRobot]

That sounds like the southern pronunciation.

Ha well I've never lived in the south. I grew up in Philly which has it's own weird way of saying things so maybe that's why.

 

[Chris A]

Find AVE on YouTube he tears them apart and tells you what they did right and wrong. Note not G rated. I have Milwaukee but honestly they seem to be lowering their standards. Trigger switches that cat be replaced and batteries don’t seem to be as lasting. Personally I think Makita is the best made but limited product line. I purchased Dewalt when it first hit HD was in the repair shop at 6mons and dumpster at 12. They seem to be better now but I already moved on. Ridge as mentioned is about the same as Milwaukee ( same manufacturer) but I got tired of fighting with HD and there lifetime BS. Like HD selection but Lowes has better CS. I would search out the product line and go with the one who offers you the most appealing options for you.

 

[phageghost]

Find AVE on YouTube he tears them apart and tells you what they did right and wrong. Note not G rated. I have Milwaukee but honestly they seem to be lowering their standards. Trigger switches that cat be replaced and batteries don’t seem to be as lasting. Personally I think Makita is the best made but limited product line.

AvE is in another class of tool reviews for sure. Based on his tear downs I agree that Makita seems to be the best build quality but also agree that the lack of selection limits the appeal. Milwaukee batteries have been doing fine for me, producing all the magic pixies I need out of the jeezless thing.

 

[Heimkehr]

Milwaukee batteries have been doing fine for me, producing all the magic pixies I need...

That settles it. I'll now refer to my M12 batteries as Magic Pixies.

 

[Pig-Pen]

My buddy just told me that Rigid replaced his 15+ year old hammer drill under warranty. They sent him a prepaid label and box to ship it back. They determined it couldnt be fixed, so they sent him a brand new one.

he said he’s had his 15 year old rigid batteries replaced under warranty as well. He said HD has been good before but recently gave him a hassle. He said they referred him directly to Rigid who was great to deal with. He said Rigid told him HD is not longer directly covering the warranty claims and now just refer people to Rigid.

you do need to register the product when you buy it.

 

[txj2go]

I've been checking lots of videos and reviews over the past few years. Last year I got a new drill and this year I'm considering a new mid-power 1/2" impact.

What I've found is that for the most part DeWalt, Milwaukee and Makita are all fairly equal. I have seen videos where the operator was driving screw after screw and after awhile the DeWalt and others would overheat and either damage themselves or just shut down, but the Milwaukee managed the long term load better. I've also noticed that as different models come out one brand might pull ahead of another brand for a short time.

I think Ridgid and Ryobi are close to the above. For occasional use I think they would be perfectly fine. If a person is going to use their tools hard then I would stick with the main 3. Also it seems that the lower tier brands such as Lowes and Walmart are now pretty good and you can save enough that if you wear out or lose the tool you can just get another one.

Also important of course is what types of tools do you plan to buy and do the brands offer all of the things you might want.

I've been looking at reviews for 1/2" mid torque tools and I'm trying to decide what power level I want and what brand to pick. I have had Ridgid before and most of my tools now are DeWalt so I'm looking at those brands. I bought a Ridgid set many years ago and found afterwards that both batteries were bad. I had lost the receipt so couldn't warranty them. A couple of years ago I bought a new battery so I could use the tools again. I've since given the whole set to my daughter but any potential buyer needs to understand that Ridgid advertises a good warranty but they make it difficult for you to actually use the warranty. Right now there are some good deals available (i.e. "special buys") available on some of the tools I'm considering.

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