Best deal on cordless combo kits

[alohavw]

Hello fellow GJ'ers. I am currently looking for a decent combo kit that my wife will get me for a present. Anyone out there know of good deals currenty or coming up out there? Here is one that looks not that bad but don't know much about the brand.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_623082-3425...L=?Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=

I usually use corded but would like to get into cordless tools. Looking for something that would give me confidence to cut the cord. lol

Thanks!!!

 

[Askme42]

You don't know much about dewalt?

What tools are you looking to get? Whats a price range?

 

[Cope]

DeWalt is a good brand, and the brand I have. I would recommend going with the 20V line, and maybe getting a drill. impact, batteries and charger. There is nothing wrong with the set you linked to.

 

[chrisexv6]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=269830

This.

Follow the instructions to maximize the discount.

Personally I would go with the highest Milwaukee or Makita kit (which will give 150 off) or the mid-range Makita kit (which gives 100 off).

Only reason to consider the mid-range Makita kit is that the hammer drill in the high end kit is HEAVY.

 

[alohavw]

You don't know much about dewalt?

What tools are you looking to get? Whats a price range?

would like to keep it under 400 if possible.

 

[alohavw]

Looks like I will be checking Home Depot out.

 

[chrisexv6]

Looks like I will be checking Home Depot out.

For 400 or under any of the kits in the HD promo would be good. The Ridgid kit comes with the most tools, but the Milwaukee, Makita and DeWalt kits are arguably "better quality" (the Ridgid stuff gets good ratings and feels well built, but is heavy).

The non-Ridgid kits leave you with plenty of $$$ left for bare tools to add to the system.

-Chris

 

[Voi]

Hello fellow GJ'ers. I am currently looking for a decent combo kit that my wife will get me for a present. Anyone out there know of good deals currenty or coming up out there? Here is one that looks not that bad but don't know much about the brand.

Were you trying to link to item # 623082? The eight piece 20V Porter Cable kit?

I think the drill and/or impact driver in that kit have gotten decent reviews but I'd double check and see exactly which ones are included in that kit and check reviews on them.

Some of the tools in that kit are real battery hogs, especially with brushed motors. I would consider the reciprocating saw, circular saw and angle grinder to be short term use items only. The jig saw and oscillating tool probably won't last long either.

Do you have corded versions of any of those tools already?

 

[kctyphoon]

This.

Follow the instructions to maximize the discount.

Personally I would go with the highest Milwaukee or Makita kit (which will give 150 off) or the mid-range Makita kit (which gives 100 off).

Only reason to consider the mid-range Makita kit is that the hammer drill in the high end kit is HEAVY.

***first paragraph deleted since I don't think the info I posted was correct******


Anyway, to the OP - I would stick with any of the big 4 name brands - milwaukee, makita, dewalt, bosch (in that order, in my opinion) - but any of them will make you happy - Porter cable at the very least, and I personally wouldn't consider anything else.. I wouldnt consider buying anything that wasn't lithium either, but I don't think buying a brushless set is worth it in your case..

I just picked up (yet another) milwaukee m18 set from HD for work.. $299 gets you the brushed m18 hammer drill, and impact driver, with two 3.0 amp hr batteries AND $100 towards another tool (sawzall bare tool is $129). You can also pick up the m18 LED flashlight with ANOTHER 4.0 battery for $89.. That would get you a hammer drill, impact driver, sawzall, flashlight - three large lithium batteries and charger for about $430. The flashlight is available w/o the battery for $49, that would bring your price down to $390 - but the extra battery is definately worth that extra $40..

Just one of many possible choices, and you are now set to buy any other bare tool you might want or need, and are well invested in one of the most respected names in power tools..

 

[kctyphoon]

Well that makes zero sense, considering you can get the $150 off with Dewalt, Makita, and Ridgid. Milwaukee is subsidizing the competition now?

Take the 2797 (if that's what you're trying to get) and the Ridgid radio (unconfirmed by myself, not sure if others have) or the 8v Ryobi (I have personally confirmed this and posted the receipt) to the self-checkout. Scan them both and you should be good. Not sure why every other HD that this has been tried at allows it but yours wouldn't.

Well I just revisited the "hot deals" thread - and about 10 pages have been added since my purchase - the reason it probably didn't work for me was because I tried to use the m18 flashlight w/o the battery ($49, and I wanted a flashlight) , so that's why it didn't ring up with the discount for me - Worked out to my advantage anyway since I already have the 2797 kit at home, and buying the brushed set for work (I didn't pay for this anyway, but had to make the most of the available limit I had to spend) allowed me to "liberate" the flashlight/4.0 battery combo for myself to take home at no cost to me, which worked out since I wanted a flashlight and another battery since I recently bought the brushless sawzall as a bare tool also.

I have no control over what two HD sales reps told me, both from different stores.. Each said the deal is through milwaukee, for the milwaukee tools obviously.. how it actually rings up at the register is an entirely different story.

 

[alohavw]

Thank you for all the responses. Choices, choices.... Looks like I will try to take advantage of the 150 HD deal unless some great deal comes up before January.

 

[bareass172]

The $150 HD deal is very attractive for sure, but if you don't pull the trigger on it I always recommend (and get flamed for) Ridgid. I use the hell out of my set and it's never let me down. The reason I like it so much is the lifetime warranty. Any problems and they replace it, INCLUDING batteries. I've bought several cordless sets over the years and always hated junking them when the batteries finally outlived their usefulness. Now I don't have to worry about that anymore. The batteries WILL fail eventually, it's a fact, now it's one less thing to worry about. If you're really looking for your first cordless set I can't imagine it'd disappoint you.

Just to make my point further, a friend had recently bought the Dewalt 20V kit when he started a remodel on his house. I went to help him and brought my Ridgid set. After a couple days of grabbing whatever tools were handy he returned his Dewalt set and bought Ridgid because he liked mine so much.

People will tell you the warranty is a complicated hoax. Read the details yourself and don't believe hearsay. The warranty covers everything and it's not complicated to register or use.

 

[kctyphoon]

There is a 4 piece Makita kit that was just marked down to $299 in HD . Lithium batteries, drill, impact driver, light, and circular saw.. If that get you $100 towards another tool, the bare tool sawzall is $119 or $129.. So that's 4 tools, a flashlight, and 2 big batteries.. Yet another choice

 

[brooktre]

I'm not a big user (just use around the house). I bought the Rigid drill and impact driver kit with 2 batteries about a year or so ago. The warranty is what sold me because I've had other cheaper cordless tools that became wothless when the batteries failed. Registering was easy and the tools work very well. I can recommend them.

EDIT - I should have said that these were the 18v Lithium Ion type.

 

[Ternencewe]

I might ensure and see which kinds are usually contained in in which set and check out opinions to them.

 

[mango_420]

I've gone the way if Bosch. Batteries are easily available at local Lowes. DeWalt is great too. My NiCad DeWalt has served me well for years too.

All Bosch tools are lithium..

 

[Bruce57]

The plastic chuck on the Dewalt drill is junk and won't hold bits. The other tools are OK. In my opinion the Porter Cable 20v impact and drill are better.

 

[Big Bad Jon]

The plastic chuck on the Dewalt drill is junk and won't hold bits. The other tools are OK. In my opinion the Porter Cable 20v impact and drill are better.

Agreed, I hate DeWalt drills. The chucks are completely worthless.

 

[bareass172]

Have you actually used the LSA? I have not (I don't own any Ridgid tools), but like you say, you hear horror stories. Several have claimed that the closest service center is miles away, or that it takes several months to get a replacement battery. Just curious if you've had a different experience with it.

I had to use it once when I had a battery **** out early in it's life. I'm guessing it was just bad from them, it just never held a good charge. I will admit that when I called Ridgid they did want me to bring my entire tool kit into my HD store so they could "check it all out". I told them that I could not do that, that I use my tools everyday for work and could not be without them. I didn't have to argue or press beyond that, they said to just take the battery in and they'd take care of it. Sure enough, I walked into HD with the bad battery and they handed me a new one. I did have to come home and call Ridgid to give them the new serial number so they could update my records. They needed to remove the serial for the old battery and add the serial for the new one so I'd still have the LSA on the new battery now. Again, this was a painless phone call, no hassle at all. I know that some would argue, but to me a couple of phone calls is worth the warranty when the tools get old and actually start breaking...

The follow up phone call is the key though. I have a friend who's drill broke so he brought it into HD. They replaced his ENTIRE kit (a bit overkill) with a new one, but he forgot to make the call so he lost his LSA.

I dunno, I've used a lot of cordless tools over the years (I used to do contracting work) and I've had bad tools. These haven't let me down yet, and I punish them.

I'd go Milwaukee because of that deal right now, but if not this would be my next option partly because of the warranty.

 

[alohavw]

Thanks again fellow GJ members!! I still haven't had the chance to go down and look at the tools due to the holiday season and my line of work. Looks like Milwaukee, Ridgid and Makita is the ones to look at.

 

[alohavw]

There is a 4 piece Makita kit that was just marked down to $299 in HD . Lithium batteries, drill, impact driver, light, and circular saw.. If that get you $100 towards another tool, the bare tool sawzall is $119 or $129.. So that's 4 tools, a flashlight, and 2 big batteries.. Yet another choice

Is this instore? I can't seem to find this kit online.

 

[MrGiggles]

Were you trying to link to item # 623082? The eight piece 20V Porter Cable kit?

I think the drill and/or impact driver in that kit have gotten decent reviews but I'd double check and see exactly which ones are included in that kit and check reviews on them.

Some of the tools in that kit are real battery hogs, especially with brushed motors. I would consider the reciprocating saw, circular saw and angle grinder to be short term use items only. The jig saw and oscillating tool probably won't last long either.

Do you have corded versions of any of those tools already?

I have the drill and impact from this kit.. Lowes had a BF deal on them for 99.00 with two batteries. I am very happy with them. The impact will take the lug nuts off my car, and both are very lightweight. Battery life is good too.

 

[kctyphoon]

Yes.. It's this kit


And the drill is a hammer drill too..

 

[Fugio]

My wife got me the Milwaukee M18 combo set plus the M18 Sawzall for Christmas. Then she informed me that I'm getting her the same thing in the M12 size. Their all wrapped under the tree right now! I had no idea I was so thoughtful!

 

[alohavw]

Yes.. It's this kit


And the drill is a hammer drill too..

The store close to me has it for 399.99

 

[kctyphoon]

The store close to me has it for 399.99

The one by me had the original price at $359 (or close to it) with a red "now $299" sticker on it.. It's not uncommon for some stores to not have items marked down to the correct price.

It's the end of the year - new tools will be coming out.

 

[Askme42]

My wife got me the Milwaukee M18 combo set plus the M18 Sawzall for Christmas. Then she informed me that I'm getting her the same thing in the M12 size. Their all wrapped under the tree right now! I had no idea I was so thoughtful!

I keep trying to convince my wife she needs some m12 stuff.

 

[alohavw]

Ok guys will buy one before the end of the HD deal. Here is the 2 sets I'm currently looking at.

Dewalt DCK296M2 drill/impact combo and the Dewalt DCS391B circular saw OR the Milwaukee #2797-22 drill/impact combo and the Milwaukee #2630-20


Both sets would be great to have but anyone have opinions/comments/recommendations on which set you would choose.


Thanks!