Best brand rechargeable tools

[CDKennedy]

I am going to invest in a drill, impact driver, small power saw for my new build. I have decided to go with Lithium ion 18 volt. Brushless motors appear to be the next advance. My research leads me towards Bosche. Would anyone like to give their opinion regarding other brands?

 

[Stuey]

I am going to invest in a drill, impact driver, small power saw for my new build. I have decided to go with Lithium ion 18 volt. Brushless motors appear to be the next advance. My research leads me towards Bosche. Would anyone like to give their opinion regarding other brands?

Bosch, Dewalt, and Milwaukee are good choices.

The "Best" ones depend on your budget and how you want to use the tools.

 

[Davefr]

Panasonic

 

[Farmall450]

Look around some, you'll find there are a ton of threads on this, it boils down to opinion mostly.

 

[DodgeMech]

I like yellow more than blue and red

 

[theoldwizard1]

The "Best" ones depend on your budget and how you want to use the tools.

This is especially true when it comes to brushless technology. DIYer will never use a brushless tool enough to "pay back".

DeWalt was "King of the Hill" for many years. Milwaukee seems to be the new king.

 

[Tyrol67]

Bought an 18 v Milwakee set when I started my build, but that was 10 yrs ago. Things change, opinions differ, but here's my experience.
1st, that kit was huge to have on the build. Never realized how valuable a cordless circ saw and sawzall would be. For quick jobs, I still pull out that cordless circ saw. It rolled off the roof, 13' high, and bounced off the rocks twice. Still works great. Drill was put to the test driving many larger and longer screws ( hybrid timber frame). Brother in law beat the **** out of the drill in hammer mode one day drilling into basement concrete when I wasn't looking. It does the job, but when you have a lot, a real corded hammer drill makes sense. My helper pulled out his shiny new 'yellow' kit during build, and back then, the Milwaukee easily outlasted him on batteries. You can see his sadness when his quit and i was still driving screws hard. I have rebuilt or replaced batteries, but still use everything today. Got a free Makita cordless impact driver back then, and I must admit, it's a nice tool, good batteries and still works great. But, the Milwaukees took all the beating.

 

[ABSTIFFGS]

Been very happy with Milwaukee M18 drill, impact driver, and circular saw.

 

[Techie1961]

You won't go wrong with any of the top brands (i.e. Milwaukee, Bosch, DeWalt) and stay away from the off brands like Ryobi and stuff you would find at Harbor Freight. Look for support in your area for one of the top brands.

I personally am a Milwaukee addict and have been for many years.

 

[Stuey]

You won't go wrong with any of the top brands (i.e. Milwaukee, Bosch, DeWalt) and stay away from the off brands like Ryobi and stuff you would find at Harbor Freight. Look for support in your area for one of the top brands.

I personally am a Milwaukee addict and have been for many years.

Ryobi tools are actually well regarded. They're not in the same class as Milwaukee, but they offer decent performance at a good value.

 

[Miller6386]

I am going to go pick up the Milwaukee M18 drill and Hackzall today. Then going to find a bare tool impact to match and will be offering up my Bosch drill and impact with all the extra batteries. Need to get everything consolidated to 1 brand so all batteries match

 

[add2255]

Milwaukee fuel they are awsome have impact drill and ratchet could not be better

 

[techenthusiast]

What is the difference between brushless and non brushless?


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[cwlo]

I think part of your decision needs to be based on your hand size and strength. My Makita 18v tools tend to be a bit lighter and smaller than Milwaukee for example, which tends to be larger and heavier. Both are very good, but I prefer Makita for my own use, and the quality is excellent.

Chris

 

[Monte]

Fein, Festool

 

[Marvelicious]

Ryobi tools are actually well regarded. They're not in the same class as Milwaukee, but they offer decent performance at a good value.

Ryobi is better than they really have any right to be! If I made a living with these tools, I'd never even consider Ryobi - my theory is that if it is a tax write-off, why not buy top of the line? Since I don't make a living with these tools, Ryobi has served me very well. The sawzall is a touch worthless in my opinion, but I've never encountered a cordless sawzall that truly impressed me. I also managed to wear out the 18v drill after about a decade of regular use, which was an excellent excuse to go buy the lithium version.

 

[CDKennedy]

I appreciate everyone's input. I will swear by my Milwaukee corded tools that I have used for years - sawzall, drills and powersaw. I want the lithium ion batteries for primarily the weight savings and after that was longevity and shorter charge time. An Li drill seems to weigh about half as much with that type batt compared to Nicad and the impact drivers even less. I picked the 18volt as it was common enough to compare prices of different brands. So it has come down to Milwaukee, Dewalt and Boshe for me.....

 

[bushmechanic]

Panasonic

Agreed by far, if they've got the sort of thing you need.

If you may find yourself expanding in the future, be sure they offer the products. If they don't, Milwaukee would be a good second choice.

 

[CDKennedy]

[What is the difference between brushless and non brushless?

No expert here. Only what I've read. The Brushless motors use a printed circuit board to the "field" as opposed to brushes applying power to the armature. The brush style, around and proven forever, have more friction which is supposed to give the "brushless" a little more power, less load so longer batt time and longer tool life. So THEY say. But I'm buying in...

 

[mattyrattypoo]

Festool, Fein, & Metabo get my vote! You can't go wrong with Metabo's 5.2 AH batteries.

 

[928'er]

Ryobi tools are actually well regarded. They're not in the same class as Milwaukee, but they offer decent performance at a good value.

Ryobi and Milwaukee are manufactured by the same company - TTI (along with AEG and Ridgid).

 

[jmm]

I've been a pretty loyal Makita user since I got started in the business. When good cordless impacts got cheap, I bought two Makitas, and they still serve me well. However their product line hasn't changed much in recent years, while the competition has gotten better and cheaper. In a year or two, I'll probably swap my Makitas out for Milwaukee or MAC (a Dewalt with a stronger, more shop resistant housing); I've played with those some, and they're where it's at. Highly recommended.

 

[Durka]

Panasonic

Surprised that name isn't more popular in cordless tools. No experience with them myself. A buddy informed me that's all they use at the Ford plant.

 

[Stuey]

What is the difference between brushless and non brushless?

http://toolguyd.com/power-tool-brushless-motors/

Ryobi and Milwaukee are manufactured by the same company - TTI (along with AEG and Ridgid).

Common corporate ownership doesn't mean anything. Stanley Black & Decker manufacturers Stanley, Proto, Dewalt, and Mac Tools tools, among other brands'.

Ford makes the Fiesta and the Mustang.

Ryobi and Milwaukee tools aren't designed the same, nor are they built the same.

 

[southalabama]

Best is subjective

I'm partial to dewalt.

 

[Miller6386]

I have had GREAT luck with my Bosch drill and impact the last 3 years. But today I just bought a new Milwaukee M18 drill and hackzall.... I will be switching all my cordless stuff to Milwaukee just for the huge variety that they offer and the fact the M12 and M18 stuff can use the same charger. I just wish that Bosch would have come out with a smaller hackzall style tool for what I need as opposed to having to cart around the big sawzall I have.

 

[pauls_workshop]

Ryobi's line is the most complete by far of any of them. Best value for the buck. Parent company is TTI which also makes Ridgid (a premium version of Ryobi) and Milwaukee (a more pro level tool than either). Ryobi's new 4.0 amp hour lithium plus batteries are really good. Check them out before deciding. If you are a true pro user, Milwaukee or Bosch are highly regarded, but much more pricey than Ryobi, which gets the job done too. Or if you want free batteries for life, go with Ridgid. - Paul

 

[jim2664258]

I have had GREAT luck with my Bosch drill and impact the last 3 years. But today I just bought a new Milwaukee M18 drill and hackzall.... I will be switching all my cordless stuff to Milwaukee just for the huge variety that they offer and the fact the M12 and M18 stuff can use the same charger. I just wish that Bosch would have come out with a smaller hackzall style tool for what I need as opposed to having to cart around the big sawzall I have.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HK9B2W/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Miller6386]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HK9B2W/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Thanks, I actually saw those but didn't want to be forced into having 2 different chargers in my bag. If they offered that same thing in the normal 18v I may have stuck with it. However now that I've drank the "red" Kool aid I see all they have to offer that will come in VERY handy.

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[Rossco]

I like the Dewalt 18v.

The tools can be bought bare. Full explodes part diagrams.

I also think do / did offer the largest lines.

 

[bcradio]

If I was going to buy new, I'd go with Milwaukee. They seem to be the most innovative as of late.

My current setup is Dewalt for 18v and 36v and Bosch for 12v. I have been happy with these so far as well.

 

[Techie1961]

Ryobi tools are actually well regarded. They're not in the same class as Milwaukee, but they offer decent performance at a good value.

I had a cheaper Ryobi drill with batteries and charger. They did me well until I went to use them and there was a hole melted through the side of the battery and drill. They weren't being charged or anything, just sitting on the shelf. Could have been a nasty fire and they wouldn't do anything for warranty. Stay away from them now and only buy pro tools. Would love to own some Fein and Festool but too expensive. I do own a Fein multimaster though. Awesome tool.

 

[Techie1961]

Ryobi and Milwaukee are manufactured by the same company - TTI (along with AEG and Ridgid).

That doesn't mean a whole lot if it's true (I wasn't aware of it). Ryobi is a homeowner's line and Milwaukee is a pro line. Until you take one apart, you can't appreciate the difference in quality and componentry.

 

[GortonsFisherman]

That doesn't mean a whole lot if it's true (I wasn't aware of it). Ryobi is a homeowner's line and Milwaukee is a pro line. Until you take one apart, you can't appreciate the difference in quality and componentry.

It is true, and no, it doesn't mean a thing. The only guys that believe the two lines are at all similar performance-wise are guys that own Ryobi. Maybe that's all you need at home, and that's fine, but let's not be delusional.

 

[quattroJoe]

When I was in the market I narrowed it down to Milwaukee and Bosch. Milwaukee's larger line of tools on the common platform as well as their lead in offering brushless tools sold me. I don't regret it one bit, but I do think you'll be very happy with either.

 

[KinzeMech]

"Best" is highly subjective, without some defined criteria.

Longest lasting (durability), best battery life, best selection of tools to fit that common battery, best value for the dollar, most powerful in a given size, etc.

I don't think anyone is going to throw craftsman out there as a candidate for "best", but that's what I use, and cannot fairly make a complaint.

Pros in their favor are a fairly broad selection of tools, and a good value price. The 4.0Ah Lithium batteries have made a remarkable improvement in tool performance (their NiCD's are absolute garbage). I have their new brushless 1/2" drill, and it has been thoroughly impressive. I can run it side by side with my old (11 years old) 1/2" drill that still runs great (durability, no?).

Cons are the tools are not always the most powerful available (I have a 1/2" impact wrench specifically in mind here), and the fact none of them are sold WITH the 4.0Ah XCP battery (Have I mentioned their NiCD batts are garbage yet?).

 

[bareass172]

Ridgid is lifetime guaranteed, including the batteries, with their lifetime service agreement. That was good enough for me because the tools do everything I ask of them, and that's a lot. I've had bad cordless tools in the past, these ain't them.

Everytime I mention Ridgid here people try to say that the LSA registration is complicated. It's not. They also mention warranty is difficult. I walk into Home Depot with a broken tool and walk out with replacements (although I've only ever dealt with a bad battery that was bad when new). Others also try to tell you that the warranty is a scam and has all sorts of exclusions - read it for yourself, it really doesn't.

Ridgid was my solution to throwing away cordless tools when they or the batteries stopped being useful.

 

[92GreenYJ]

I have really been digging on Dewalts power tools lately. I am slowly phasing out my cheap black and decker cordless stuff and replacing with Dewalts offerings. The difference is night and day and I can't believe I ran so long with the black and decker stuff. My power tool drawers now are filled with Dewalt and Milwaukee for the most part. Both corded and cordless

 

[ecotec]

For most of the last 20 years, if you walked onto any job site and looked in the gang box you saw Dewalt. Now, you see Dewalt and Milwaukee. You want to get down to as few battery systems as possible. While I think you would be fine with any of the pro level cordless (Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita, or Bosch), I do agree that Milwaukee is the most innovative. For my work (electrician), a mix of 18v and 12v Milwaukee is the best option. If you do not have much money, I bet you can get great deals on Milwaukee right now. They are evolving their line towards brushless, so you can get good deals on non-brushless.

For all the electricians out there: Who is exited about the Force Logic knockout tool?

 

[jptbay]

Ridgid is lifetime guaranteed, including the batteries, with their lifetime service agreement. That was good enough for me because the tools do everything I ask of them, and that's a lot. I've had bad cordless tools in the past, these ain't them.

Everytime I mention Ridgid here people try to say that the LSA registration is complicated. It's not. They also mention warranty is difficult. I walk into Home Depot with a broken tool and walk out with replacements (although I've only ever dealt with a bad battery that was bad when new). Others also try to tell you that the warranty is a scam and has all sorts of exclusions - read it for yourself, it really doesn't.

Ridgid was my solution to throwing away cordless tools when they or the batteries stopped being useful.

I have to echo these sentiments.

Not the best, but good value and performance. Used the lifetime warranty three times so far, could not have been easier.