horatio 515 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 I've been working a ton of overtime lately, and among some other stuff, i want to get a power tool setup for work. i'm trying to decide what brand to go with, and i'd like a little input. My requirements are- must be available at local hardware stores because if i break my charger im not waiting 5 days to mail order a new one from some company even if they are a superior brand. they must have a 90 deg and a cordless sawzall and they must have a cordless 1/2 chucked impact driver. Along with those i need a 18v hammer drill and hex impact driver. Right now i'm thinking milwaukee, though dewalt, ridgid and makita are aloso a thought. i know a lot of guys here are good with tools for obvious reasons, so i thought i'd ask. Suggestions? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thebuns1 4,323 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 (edited) well i know you wont want to hear this, but after trying many of the brands that are available at local stores, and i dont care what anybody says about them, i went with Snap-on. while they dont have all the tools you required, but my local guy set me up with an RA. its a revolving account. i pay him 50 bucks a week and can get whatever they make. so far, i have over 5k of tools on my truck from them, but they have outasted all of the competition. i went through 3 cordless 18v impact wrenches from dewault, milwaulkee, and ingersal rand in under 2 years. my snap-on has been going strong for over 5 years now. i also have a 1/2" cordless drill and sawzall from them. all 18v. but my hammer drill is a milwaulkee since they dont make one. if you dont want to go snap-on for some of the tools, then id go with milwaulkee. i no longer trust dewault for heavy use. not bad for light use, but not heavy. you'll go through more batteries and chargers than you want to. Edited June 30, 2012 by Captain Hero 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Agent Lemon 157 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 I want to hear about this as well. My Durabuilt from 2004 is starting to shit itself, sparking on the inside occasionally and also spitting out the occasional ball bearing. Not to mention that the speed control recently shit itself too . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thebuns1 4,323 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 well i use tools on a daily basis in my line of work, from hammer drills to impacts, to assorted hand tools. basically, you get what you pay for. but there is fine print. when you go with companies like snap-on or cornwell, most things they dont have on the truck will be special order. especially if a repair is needed on a power tool. let me preach on it.... i broke my drill about a year ago after i dropped it from the top of a 12' step ladder. while the warranty on most cordless tools is 1 year, for 100 bucks, snap-on rebuilds the entire tool. regardless of cost to repair. that involves motors, housings, bushings, electronics and so on. most others will not even touch it after the warranty runs out. i do garage doors and i burned through the dewault 18v in less than a year. they fixed it, but it never ran the same. my milwaulkee ran longer, but the batteries didnt last for shit. i blame the tool for that, not the battery. but i would buy from them again. depends on the tool. my circular saw is a milwaulkee and so is my hammer drill. i lost faith in dewault after having 2 brand new corded impacts fail when they changed their design. and they were bought out by black n decker the last i herd. so for me they are a no go unless you dont use them that much. the battery latches fail after not too much use, and the slide on batteries are much better than inserting them up into the grip. all in all, try to ge the best you can afford. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
horatio 515 Posted June 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 thanks for the info i thought about snap on, but didn't want to go with them because of availabilty. that, and while i have no problem spending a few bucks for a good tool, i'm just as likely to have it stolen by a crackhead as i am to drop it down a hoistway ( i work on elevators) either way, there won't be enough pieces to turn in to get a rebuild. lots of guys i work with use dewalt. the only real reasons i included them is availabilty and they have all the pieces i want, but the quality is definetly lacking. i push tools hard, and dewalt is too damn grumpy to really trust. milwaukee leads the pack, but before i drop a bunch of money, i'm just curious to see others people experiences Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kukurilynch 2 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 i work construction as a plumber if you want the best makita is very nice or just enough tool at a good price ryobi is ok 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thebuns1 4,323 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 well snap-on trucks usually keep this shit in stock. but with hand tools, i never had an issue. now with my power tools, especially batteries, you can tell when one needs to be replaced. especially when it wont hold a charge and will give you time to have it replaced. but like i said, they are pricey. what i did was start out small with hand tools. then worked my way up to some of their power tools. but once i did, it was hard to compare the competition for what i was using them for. but if your hard on your tools like i am, then get the best you can within reason. just use your own judgement. i tried ryobi, some of their stuff is ok. it will work if your on a tight budget, but just dont depend on it for harder use. ive heard many bad things about them from guys on the jobsites. but the good thing about them is they are cheap and easy to replace. and fatty, if you were to drop it and recover what you can, i think you could have it repaired so long as you had your salesman record the serial number into the computer at the time of sale. it will be registered and so long as you can recover the portion of the tool that had the serial number i dont see a problem. makita makes a good tool too. . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RedChallenger 149 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 I have always loved those Snap-on tools. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
geepelton 105 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 I've used it all. I like Rigid Tools because they offer a lifetime warranty on battery's which ALWAYS go bad over time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sim_Player 1,939 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 (edited) I install siding for a living and have had the same 18v Dewault tool set for over 5 years. My only complaint is the one battery that stopped taking a charge prematurely (but I may have left it dead for too long). I probably have 1000 hrs on the cordless circular saw and it's still going strong. I take good care of my tools though. A builder friend bought a Milwaulki tool set and the drill died quickly. Good luck. Edited June 30, 2012 by Sim_Player Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dad2142Dad 6,559 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 Makita all the way, have used their stuff at work and home for years. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RED333 1,025 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 I am with Hero on this one, Snap-on or Cornwell or Milwaulkee. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
patriot 7,197 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 Remember: A LOT of Snap-On is made in China now. Do a little Internet research too. After spending some time reading reviews you'll have your answer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thebuns1 4,323 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 Snap-on makes their power tools here. at least their impact, drill and sawzall is made here. all their wrenches ratchets and sockets are made here. their files and chisels are made in spain. their chargers are made in japan, and the batteries are made in china. some of their stuff is made in china, but their website tells you exactly what is and aint on any given tools description. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G O B 3,516 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 Value for the money- DeWalt, Porter Cable, Millwalkie,Bosh. Makita is light duty only, I have burned up dozens of their crappy tools, they are the lightest power tools and easy to use - but they do not hold up to hard usage like the others will. Porter Cable tools are the best handling and durable, but you pay for what you get! Milwalkie is the easiest to repair, and the parts are easy to get. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
csspecs 1,987 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 What line of work are you in? And what scale of work? The construction side has a few sets of Ryobi 18volt lithium tools. The reciprocating saw broke after three years, I was able to repair it but it went down again after a few months. The sets are due for replacement as they are almost 4 years old and the batteries are just to expensive to buy one at a time.. We have been looking at Makita since they supply two 3AH batteries with their 18 volt tool kit, where as Ryobi has moved to supplying two 1.5AH batteries. We had used a lot of Dewalt tools in the past but in the end they cost more and died just as easy. And the batteries are very expensive for what you get. We used the cordless tools for drilling holes in light plate and installing bolts and sheet metal screws, brushing scale off metal before welding ect... Nothing extremely hard, and if something was really taxing we normally just got the larger corded tools to handle it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
zenman223 460 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 I ran the main toolroom for 2 years on a power plant construction site that had 5 toolrooms and Ive seen alot of tools get used and abused. Believe me, guys are REALLY hard on tools when they dont have to pay for them!! In my experience HILTI makes the best power tools money can buy but it takes ALOT of money and you cant find em at your local hardware store. If you want top of the line though HILTI is where its at for power tools. They consistently held up day in day out more so than any other brand we had and we had most all brands in one form or another. I would say based on your requirements of being easily available any of the brands you listed will work. I would give the edge to Milwuakee though, the ones we had did hold up alittle better than the others (aside from the Hilti's) You'll hear good and bad for all the tools at your hardware store b/c there all pretty equally light duty tools and some just dont last long.. As others have said stay away from dewault though their stuff is JUNK, we kept more dewault drills out on repair than we had in the tool rooms 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RedChallenger 149 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 Popular Mechanics (Dec 11) tested cordless drills and #1 was Milwaukee. Test included B&D, Bosch, Chicago Electric, Craftsman, DeWalt, Hitachi, Makita, Porter Cable, Rigid, Rockwell, Ryobi and Skill. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YARP 300 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 I've used Milwaukee and Dewalt a bunch, both worked pretty well. I've gone back to running corded versions though, you get more bang for your buck in performance and they last longer. Having a generator is always nice to for a whole slew of reasons, 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
storm6490 2,768 Posted July 1, 2012 Report Share Posted July 1, 2012 (edited) The best way to buy them is in a kit. My team and I beat the ever loving shit out of the makita sets. They are very good cordless tools ande are beaten by multiple users in the worst conditions. Make sure to get corded tools if you plan any new construction or bigger jobs. Nobody makes a cordless skill saw worth a shit. Edited July 1, 2012 by Stryker0946 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
horatio 515 Posted July 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2012 thanks for all the info i work on elevators, bouncing between construction, mod and service/repair. I've been 60+ stories up in trump tower chicago freezing my nuggets off stacking elevator guide rails in the wind, to crawling the pits of chemical plants in 140 degree heat. the reason i'm mostly interested in cordless is, while yes, there is a huge tradeoff in power, balancing on a ladder while trying to tie off a cord just sucks. also, there are times, especially when trying to balance, when more torque is not your friend. usually if i'm drilling more than 3/8 steel i try to setup a magdrill, but sometimes that just takes to long. maybe i've just had bad luck, but i've had nothing but bad experiences with ryobi. i was using one today, and even the 18v lithium batteries could barely make it through 6 or 7 cuts through 2" unistrut. i've found dewalt does burn out fast- a year is a good life for a battery, which is just silly. they do have everything im looking for though. i've had great luck with milwaukee corded tools, but not much experience with there cordless stuff. that, ad im not sure if they carry everything im looking for Quote Link to post Share on other sites
csspecs 1,987 Posted July 1, 2012 Report Share Posted July 1, 2012 Yeah the Ryobi is more made for cutting wood and at most 1 1/2" EMT. The drills are more geared toward 1/4" steel or less it seems. Have you looked at the Milwaukee M28? They look to be well reviewed. They are VERY expensive by comparison, but if drilling thick plate is a common task I'd imagine the extra power would help. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
storm6490 2,768 Posted July 1, 2012 Report Share Posted July 1, 2012 if you're drilling steel and working on schindler or otis elevators you are paid well. blow some cash on the hilti since you are needing cordless for tasks otherwise intended for corded tools. way freaki g expensive and difficult to find repair shops around here anyway. heavy but bomb proof and way more heavy duty. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
zenman223 460 Posted July 1, 2012 Report Share Posted July 1, 2012 ^^What he said This is all you need, http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hilti-Cordless-Power-Tool-Combo-Kit-BRAND-NEW-NEVER-USED-/221054665133?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3377e281ad#ht_623wt_1336 Hilti really is top of line tools. I was amazed to see how long these things held up compared to the rest of the tools we had on site. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
horatio 515 Posted July 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 i've been looking into the milwaukee fuel line- brushless motors that run cooller, longer yada yada. They've been getting good reviews. i'm trying to stay away from hilti, not so much because of the cost, but to be frank, their ergonomics suck. i've used a handful of their tools over the years, and without a doubt, they can do the job. But using them felt like i was wearing two left shoes, which, technically, also does the job. It just makes it unpleasant. maybe that has changed over the last couple years, i'll have to try to find a store and check it out stryker- yes im paid pretty well. my trade consists of 7 different trades and i have to be very proficient at them. the guys who aren't have a nickname. injured. (if they're lucky) we have one of the highest fatality rate percentages ( not fatalies per thousand) and the margin for error is incredibly small. that being said i work for a small independant now, though i used to work for kone, which is one of the largest. strangly i find a lot thicker,heavier big steel with the small companies because they have more of the old stuff that was buit like a tank. the big companies tend to lose the old stuff when it gets, well, old, because the office tends to push the customer to modernize it or charges them a crazy rate to make money one way or the other. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G O B 3,516 Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 thanks for all the info i work on elevators, bouncing between construction, mod and service/repair. I've been 60+ stories up in trump tower chicago freezing my nuggets off stacking elevator guide rails in the wind, to crawling the pits of chemical plants in 140 degree heat. the reason i'm mostly interested in cordless is, while yes, there is a huge tradeoff in power, balancing on a ladder while trying to tie off a cord just sucks. also, there are times, especially when trying to balance, when more torque is not your friend. usually if i'm drilling more than 3/8 steel i try to setup a magdrill, but sometimes that just takes to long. maybe i've just had bad luck, but i've had nothing but bad experiences with ryobi. i was using one today, and even the 18v lithium batteries could barely make it through 6 or 7 cuts through 2" unistrut. i've found dewalt does burn out fast- a year is a good life for a battery, which is just silly. they do have everything im looking for though. i've had great luck with milwaukee corded tools, but not much experience with there cordless stuff. that, ad im not sure if they carry everything im looking for If you are working on elevators and buying your own power tools for work than you are a rat bastard! If you have a card in your pocket, those are company tools. If you do not have a card then you are giving your labor away cheaply. I'm a retired member of Local#10 and know a little about these things! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
horatio 515 Posted July 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 You are correct in saying those are company tools. I didn't mention all the finer points in post because i didn't want to bother the rest of the posters with elevator talk. I have these tools from the company. I have to carry 3 different chargers for the various brands.. Do you know why i am exploring this option? The company is required to provide the ( specialty) tools, and they do. I don't like them. As far as im concerned, they can give them to me and they can sit in my basement. The company is still on the hook to pay for them so they haven't saved any money, or gotten anything out of me as a "rat bastard" ( btw, how is it looked on to slander a fellow memeber, if i am? ) The agreement does not mention anything about having to provide a specific brand or style of tool. I'm looking into this because i have a preference tools, and i want something i like to use, not because i want to be a company suckhole or give myself the illusion of an advantage over another worker. If i may ask , im assuming you own a saiga. Do you shoot it as it came? Or did you prefer to change it? Is izhmash at fault for not providing a gun to your exact specifications? also, i want to say thank you for your years of service. the things that the iuec has would not be possible without men and women like yourself, and i thank you again for it. I have held my tongue out of respect for you, and though i don't need to know the number of years service, i know you have made sacrifices for the good of the whole. i would ask that before you make any other assumptions of myself, you ask a few more questions. I have walked lines. i have left jobs to not cross picket line and been left to wonder if i would be able to feed my family. i have been laid of in these times for a period and never thought once of doing the dishonorable thing. If you'd like to discuss this any further, i only ask that you pm me instead. thanks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HB of CJ 1,263 Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Years ago we did kitchen remodels and new construction finish work. Settled upon air tools for everything that drove nails/screws and 220 vac for all the saws. Commercial Craftman were very good...back then 30 years ago. Don't know nowadays. Good luck. HB of CJ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G O B 3,516 Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Craftsman does not make power tools. They buy them in huge lots from the major manufacturers. When they are changing manufacturers, they sell the last of the ones from the previous contract cheaply! It is easy to tell who made the tool, they are identical to the brand name tool except the color and branding.I once got a Craftsman branded Bosh jig saw for less that 1/2 what the Bosh branded one would cost! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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