What are you going to need in the cordless tool category? That is the question you should be asking yourself. Gonna be shooting screws into 2x4s and drilling a few holes? Buy whichever brand feels best in your hand. Gonna need/want a bunch of trade specific or automotive tools? Milwaukee is the...
The military (and likely NASA) use it because they were the lowest domestic bidder. Not that I have a problem with them, but being a top notch company likely had little to do with their government contracts.
I use Energizer Ultimate Lithium in my Aimpoint optic and anything else valuable or exposed to temperature swings. Supposedly they won't leak, and while expensive, they are considerably cheaper than an $800 red dot. They also have a 20 year shelf life, which is nice.
I believe the most likely scenario would be Craftsman being bought by an investment company like Cerberus or Bain that specializes in distressed investments. They would simply retain the status quo and slowly begin implementing changes to make the brand more profitable. The dreams of Craftsman...
Definitely. There is nothing better. I tried the Snap-On version 5 or 6 years ago and they worked great... until they broke at the joint while cutting steel fence wire. Stepped up to the large size when I took them back and they broke too. Bought a set of Channellocks and they have held up...