Are the Dewalt 20V XR Brushless worth it?

[icenfire01]

Looking to upgrade my cordless by replacing my worn out craftsman 19.2 with the new Dewalt 20V. I ordered the XR brushless drill and drive combo but it doesn't look like they make a 5 piece combo with the brushless setup yet, so my question is the brushless setup that much better?

 

[Fcvapor05]

I own all Milwaukee tools, no DeWalt, but on Milwaukee the difference between brushed and brushless is very significant. I would expect DeWalt brushless tools to be just as much of an improvement over brushed DeWalt as Milwaukee Fuel is over regular Milwaukee.

 

[icenfire01]

It looked to me like Milwaukee doesn't have a 5 piece combo that is all brushless either?

 

[yfz 450]

I work construction and the only cordless tools I own are dewalt. I had the original 18v impact and hammer drill combo, last winter I bought the 20v brushless when they first came out and I love them. They have way more power and battery seems to last a lot longer I don't think you will be disappointed

 

[slow]

I like mine as well, but I only have the drill and driver. The local lowes when I purchased them did not have any other 20V compatible tools to use the same battery. That was a year ago, so things may have changed.

Ryan

 

[icenfire01]

Are you guys using the 1.5 batteries, or do one upgrade to 3 or even the 5?

 

[DanarchyCustoms]

I have (4) 3ah batteries and I am not disappointed with them. I would try to get the largest battery you can afford. I love the 20v line but my impact driver and drill are the original 'non-brushless'. I still can recommend those even.

 

[Frank Dukes]

no such thing as too much tool. if you can afford the brushless combo, keep it. there are lots of other bare tool options for you to consider later. ebay is your friend for that. theres a seller on there by the name of we_are_tools that has the best consistent prices.

 

[Fcvapor05]

It looked to me like Milwaukee doesn't have a 5 piece combo that is all brushless either?

If by 5 piece kit you mean 4 piece kit or 6 piece kit, then yes, they do have kits that are all brushless:

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/combo-kits/2796-24
http://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/combo-kits/2796-26

 

[Hpozzuoli]

I am going to change all my 18v stuff over to 20v brushless this winter. I figure the investment will be worth it for longevity sake. I have a few batteries that need to be replaced so instead of doing so, it is wiser to upgrade for me. I use all DeWalt stuff.

 

[icenfire01]

I am going to change all my 18v stuff over to 20v brushless this winter. I figure the investment will be worth it for longevity sake. I have a few batteries that need to be replaced so instead of doing so, it is wiser to upgrade for me. I use all DeWalt stuff.

Im with you there, I'm just not sure if I should upgrade to the brushless stuff or just the new 20V. By the reviews everyone loves the XR (brushless) series but it also seems like everyone loves the the plain ol 20v Max series as well. It seems to me DeWalt could trim their line down a bit, its kinda confusing when you look at all their offerings at once.

 

[Wylaco]

I am going to change all my 18v stuff over to 20v brushless this winter. I figure the investment will be worth it for longevity sake. I have a few batteries that need to be replaced so instead of doing so, it is wiser to upgrade for me. I use all DeWalt stuff.

This is exactly what I started about a month ago. I got the brushless drill and driver, I have not spent a ton of time with them yet but so far I like them. I really like the ergonomics of them. I heard rumors from our Dewalt rep they are going to have some pretty cool Cyber Monday stuff this year, may be a good time to pick up everything else.

 

[MaineGuide]

I think some of the cordless tool companies hurt themselves by have so many options that sound so similar to each other.

One of the products I sell is tools and on a near weekly basis, people call me and say 'What's the difference?'

Luckily, for myself and my customers, I am a tool guy. It pays for me to know what the difference is. My Milwaukee rep. is the best about this. He will actually make sales calls with me to help show customers the right tool for them.

Brushless is the big deal right now, at least as far as the customers I'm dealing with are concerned. Currently, it seems that Milwaukee has a more complete brushless line, at least in the 18v/20v segment. The 12v segment hasn't really mattered in my market. Milwaukee is of course more expensive, but the available variety of bare tools seems to make up for that.

The DeWalt brushless has been very well received. My customers with them have been very happy. If the drill/driver and impact driver were used considerably more than any other tool, it would be a good choice. I like the compact size of the DeWalt tools, but I don't have enough usage with them to be of value. DeWalt is also manufacturing some of their products in the US, so that would be a factor for me as well. I'm not sure where the DeWalt brushless tools are made.

*Sorry, the above drifts off topic. I did not mean for that to happen. What is relevant: DeWalt Brushless=Worth It!*

 

[icenfire01]

No that's exactly what I was looking for. I was torn between the Milwaukee and Dewalt but in the end I just can't justify the price. I have been around Dewalt for years and really like their stuff, just was on the fence about brushless tech but it sounds like the way to go. Thanks for all the opinions!

 

[kctyphoon]

I'm a recent dewalt to milwaukee convert.. I honestly CANT bring myself to spend that amount of money on a top of the line drill and have the transmission gears "clacking" and binding every time you let off the trigger with the dewalt again. I replaced the transmission, brushes and motor in my old 18v nicad dewalt, and I don't feel like doing that again. Honestly, it took ALOT to finally **** it up and switch, but I don't see how anyone can hold an M18 drill or driver next to the comparable dewalt and not see how much nicer the build quality is on the milwaukee stuff, and then pull the trigger on each and hear and feel how much smoother the milwaukee stuff is.. There really isn't even an argument when you compare the top of the line hammer drills..
It was enough to make me swap brands after years of using dewalt, and when you really start to research the huge advances milwaukee has been making in every single area of the tool market its a no brainier. They are literally attacking the market with quality in every area, leaps and bounds over what any other tooling company is even close to. I mean really, they even make the best vice grips and tape measures now too..

 

[devoncoolman]

The new brushless dewalt is great for the money. I love my 20v sawzall. But my 18v milwaukee fuel impact driver and hammer drill are leaps and bounds ahead of dewalts brushless counterparts. I will say if you want dewalt go ahead they are great tools. But if you want perfection and an overall better quality tool go milwaukee fuel. You won't regret it!

 

[Agbracing]

I have the dewalt brushless and I wouldn't have anything else now. I have upgraded to the 5 ah batteries and instead of the day of works it's days or weeks of work on one charge. I highly recommend the xr series.

 

[wagon]

Milwaukee is all China since TTI bought them out and moved production overseas. They're starting to make stuff here again, but they still betrayed American workers once they got control of the company.

In any case, onto the Dewalt, I own the DCK296M2 kit, which has the DCD995 and DCF885 and 4.0AH batteries. It is a great kit. I work for an industrial supply company, so I get to play with a lot of stuff (it's hard going to work for a place with a ton of stuff I want to take home). I've sold at least a dozen of that Dewalt Brushless kit and I have had no problems heard, from guys who use them daily. I own the Dewalt, but I'm not too biased. The kit has done a lot, and those batteries last forever. I was on the fence between that and the Makita XT248.

We barely move the Milwaukees. A lot of people get turned off when they hear they got bought by a Chinese company who moved production to China. I'll add that I'd sooner buy a tool made in the USA by a Chinese company than a tool made in China by a US company. I think about who keeps Americans employed when buying stuff.

 

[cheechi]

I'm very happy with my Bosch 18v stuff. That being said, I think if you're buying into any 18v set now its hard to see something as being better than milwaukee. I was a huge fan of dewalt in their 18v era they were top dog and there wasn't really a close second. They're just skating on that now though, the 20v line is filling in slowly but surely, that's true, but they just don't have that dominant edge like they did. Milwaukee definitely does though.

All that being said, take a look at the new Bosch brushless. They are really solid, if not the most cost effective they are nice at least.

 

[kctyphoon]

I'm very happy with my Bosch 18v stuff. That being said, I think if you're buying into any 18v set now its hard to see something as being better than milwaukee. I was a huge fan of dewalt in their 18v era they were top dog and there wasn't really a close second. They're just skating on that now though, the 20v line is filling in slowly but surely, that's true, but they just don't have that dominant edge like they did. Milwaukee definitely does though.

All that being said, take a look at the new Bosch brushless. They are really solid, if not the most cost effective they are nice at least.

i kind of agree with this.. If I didn't go with milwaukee I would probably look into bosch or even makita before dewalt these days.. Honestly, they are all "good" tools.. I just feel dewalt could have put out out a nicer product at the price point they are at. I too feel they are kind of "coasting" on the overwhelming success of the 18v line.. It's too bad..

Another thing that *****, for ALL of these companies is the horrible options for sale at Home Depot and Lowes.. I mean, they don't even offer 1/4 of what these companies produce in terms of power tools, and the best stuff for most lines isn't even on the shelves.. The retailers are REALLY dropping the ball on this.. The tool coral in HD should be expanded to hold a solid section from each company, esp since they carry milwaukee, and bosch for lowes..

 

[beamrider]

*sighs*

Has anyone proven a difference between the 18v and 20v setups? Cause every 18v battery is "20v" when it first comes off the charger... I've got a Graco "20v" cordless airless sprayer. 10 Li-On cells in it, just like my Milwaukee 18v packs. They both measure out at ~20v fresh off the charger.

Until someone proves otherwise, 20v is a marketing tool, and nothing more.

 

[tarbellb]

A couple of things.

Yes brushless is a improvement over brushed, but depending on your work it really might not matter.

Two, if your looking for a complete line of tools Makita and Milwaukee has by far the largest selection. You dont need to buy all at once, you may find better deals in smaller packages.

Three, dont be fooled by Dewalt= USA, (some) is only assembled here, nothing else.

 

[icenfire01]

Well I finally got to play with new XR series drill last night, all I can say is WOW! I have been around the DeWalt 18V stuff since it was fresh on the market, and I have wore our 8 of the Craftsman 19.2v batteries of my own, but this new drill is whole different animal. I have been 5 gal of joint compound with my cordless drill this last week and was considering ordering a cheap 1/2" corded drill because I thought it was too hard on my 19.2 cordless. I tried my fathers older 18V DeWalt and on low it would get hot and burn thru a battery in less than 2 pails. The new brushless didn't even know it was mixing anything. I tried mixing on low speed (the only speed I could with either the 18V or 19.2v) it motored through it like nothing! I switched up to high speed to see what it would do, damn near spun the bucket on the floor!!! If any of you are on the fence about the new brushless series, I would not hesitate to bite the bullet.

 

[icenfire01]

It sounds like a few people here work pretty closely with some of the reps for DeWalt, do any of you know when they will be coming out with a full line of brushless tools? I would really like a circular saw and recip. saw to match the drill and impact driver.

 

[77thor]

Brushless: Definitely worth it.

 

[davidfite1978]

*sighs*

Has anyone proven a difference between the 18v and 20v setups? Cause every 18v battery is "20v" when it first comes off the charger... I've got a Graco "20v" cordless airless sprayer. 10 Li-On cells in it, just like my Milwaukee 18v packs. They both measure out at ~20v fresh off the charger.

Until someone proves otherwise, 20v is a marketing tool, and nothing more.

From what I've read, the whole point is that it is a marketing tool. I don't think they tried to sell it as 2 more V of power/runtime, it was simply to distinguish the brands. I agree it's misleading, but there's not really much to argue about. It's marketing through and through.

As for the Brushless conversation... all my DeWalt stuff is 18V nicad, but I just got the brushless multi-tool for my birthday and it's awesome. I must have used it 15 times over the weekend. I plan on switching to all 20V (brushless if available in each tool...). And as for the combo-kits, I wouldn't buy any 4 or more combo kits after making the mistake of buying the 18v combo kit. They put the crappy version of the sawzall in the kit. Better to buy a drill/impact combo and then add each other piece as needed.

 

[cheechi]

^ that's the gospel right there. Been through that too many times with Dewalt. I remember when they relaunched in the 90s everything with the Dewalt name was top tier. Didn't last long though.

My Bosch 4 pc combo kit (this was around 06 or 07) did not have the crappy version of anything. In fact, you couldn't get the hammer drill outside the combo for quite a while there.

 

[johnems]

I have the 6 pc set it scares me how well they wok. Truly the best bang for the buck IMO.

 

[theoldwizard1]

For a Homeowner/DIYer, brushless is not worth the additional cost.

I would shop CL for looking for lightly used DeWalt 18V. Even if you have to buy a battery they should be WAY CHEAPER !

 

[Beemer533]

I have no issues with the standard 20v Dewalt stuff, but the Brushless tools last quite a bit longer, it is very noticeable.

Also their Brushless impact with the 3 speed is awesome...

A couple of things.

Yes brushless is a improvement over brushed, but depending on your work it really might not matter.

Two, if your looking for a complete line of tools Makita and Milwaukee has by far the largest selection. You dont need to buy all at once, you may find better deals in smaller packages.

Three, dont be fooled by Dewalt= USA, (some) is only assembled here, nothing else.

I'd say some assembled here is still better than nothing...

 

[Beemer533]

*sighs*

Has anyone proven a difference between the 18v and 20v setups? Cause every 18v battery is "20v" when it first comes off the charger... I've got a Graco "20v" cordless airless sprayer. 10 Li-On cells in it, just like my Milwaukee 18v packs. They both measure out at ~20v fresh off the charger.

Until someone proves otherwise, 20v is a marketing tool, and nothing more.

Yes it is marketing, Dewalt says that.. It is to differentiate the "old" 18v with the new 18v (20v) stuff...

And the new 20v setups are in fact better from other aspects, like weight and ergonomics.. Even vs the 18v liOn the new 20v are lighter, and with the batteries not in the grip, they feel a lot better to use, IMO..