do you have cordless tools from multiple "systems"?

[bwringer]

All my cordless stuff ( including the weedeater ) is ryobi. when I decided to get a cordless impact I went with the biggest , strongest 1/2 drive milwaukee had to offer so I wouldn't have any issues with stuck fasteners. ( my air impact has failed a few times ) I also bought the 3/8 drive version. I see ryobi now has a 1/2 inch cordless impact that boasts 1000 ft lbs breakaway so might get one to keep in the truck.

Ryobi's new brushless stuff is quite good, and an excellent value. I have the 600 foot-pound mid-torque 1/2" impact with a couple of 4AH "High Performance" batteries, and I'm very happy so far. Their older brushed impact was far too weak to be worth considering, but the new brushless mid-torque and high-torque are very competitive.

The HP batteries have a couple of extra contacts, and this and a few other HP tools make use of these to extract more energy when needed. And of course, these batteries still work with my older Ryobi stuff.

There's a HUGE amount of value in having a stable battery platform with a wide selection, and it's a little baffling that more brands have not figured this out.

Basically, it's crazy to spend "professional tool" money on tools that aren't mission critical to your job/hobby. While I love my Milwaukee stuff for wrenching, I realized that I could buy all the homeowner tools from Ryobi for what Milwaukee wanted for just a circular saw. I'm exaggerating a bit, but the point remains.

-Ryan

Yep, if I were a pro I'd probably go Red or Yellow, but Snot Yellow is a far better value and I'm not really giving up much, if anything, with the newer Snot Yellow tools.

Im slightly surprised of the amount of OPE guys here have that is battery powered.

WTF does OPE mean? TLAs are a PITA.

 

[Bucko]

I bought my wife the ryobi glue guns for Christmas because she crafts alot and wanted one. I have a few ryobi tools left but pretty much only use the reciprocating saw for a thrash tool in the yard and bought a adapter to use 20v Dewalt in it as my ryobi batteries are aging out.
I got her a complete kit for the mini gun and the large gun as a bare tool and grabbed the pack of assorted tips for the big gun. The small gun has a internal battery that charges off a docking station plugged into the battery and the big one runs straight off the battery. She has not used it yet so no feedback on it.

 

[35k0]

If you can, buy the bare tool and get a 3d printed adapter to make your current batteries fit the new tool. For instance, I use ridgid 18v tools and I use the ridgid lithium batteries in my kids power wheels and a black and decker weed whip via 3d printed adapters.

 

[Jsf721]

Yes, Milwaukee for HD stuff Hammer Drill, Impact gun, Circ Saw both M18 and for items of convenience Screw driver M12

Ryobi One 18V for everything else because they are good enough for how I use them (not too much) and the price is right in the larger kits. If I wear them out I will decide on what replaces them when and if that happens

 

[Ilikeike]

For the smaller 12v tools, I don't think anyone can touch the Milwaukee M12 line.
The solder gun works great also.

My bigger stuff is all DeWalt 20v brushless at home and work.

And I have 1 Dremel cordless tool, I bought it before I saw that Milwaukee had basically the same M12 tool. The battery's are almost identical, just a bit different to keep from sharing charger.

 

[johninct]

In a perfect world I would but I try to buy the best tool out there regardless of battery platform. In the past, I bought a tool because I had the battery and while a good tool, I should have bought a better tool.

 

[MarkH]

As a person who has used cordless for years. You will have different platforms if you use a wide variety and number of tools. There is too many cases where we loved the tool but could not get the batteries. So to not have to replace whole systems for the shops at once we just get new tools and batteries for the most critical uses. As more batteries die and Batteries Plus cannot fix them we slowly switch over time. At times the system we switched to is no longer available when we get to the last tools. So on to the next one.

 

[javyLSU]

Im slightly surprised of the amount of OPE guys here have that is battery powered.

One of the best decisions I’ve made. Everything but my lawnmower is now battery powered, and I have much less maintenance to deal with every year. I also don’t miss pulling that cord to start my OPE…

 

[engineer2]

I'm 100% Makita LXT 18V. With 275 tools available, they make everything I need. So far:
Drill
Hex impact driver
Recip saw
LED work light
1/2" impact
1/4+3/8 ratchet
Jigsaw
Air pump
7-1/4" circular saw
Leaf blower
String trimmer

 

[loganb]

Makita 18v and Milwaukee 12v checking in

 

[finn]

Im slightly surprised of the amount of OPE guys here have that is battery powered.

You’ll quickly understand when you have a couple of chainsaws, a lawnmower, a splitter, and a generator that all need fuel system maintenance at the same time.

Haven’t touched the non starting pole saw for three years, the trimmer needs a recoil mechanism, two of the saws won’t start, nor will the lawn tractor. Put a new carb on the generator last fall, and yes, I drain the system and use non ethanol fuel.

Most of this stuff isn’t used regularly, and, with the exception of the generator, lawn tractor, splitter, and large saws, could be battery powered.

 

[JradM]

This thread is right up my alley!

I've got Dewalt 12v and 20v, Bosch 12v and 18v, Worx 20v, Ryobi 18v, Ridgid 18v and Porter Cable 20v - AND I picked up an M12 hoodie with a spare battery over the holidays.

In my case this is a result of deal-shopping. Every time I recall adding a platform it was because I could get a kit for the same price or better than a bare tool. I'll admit that at times I've just be waiting for an opportunity to jump into a platform - like Ryobi for example.

I don't understand how you one-platform guys do it. Don't you get annoyed when there's a cool new offering from one brand you can't buy? Or you stumble across a cheap tool for a brand you don't own? That must be terrible!

There are drawbacks to this approach of course. If you work away from your house or shop, odds are you'll need to carry more than one type of charger. You might also find it annoying if you don't have enough batteries for one of your brands (personally, I'm reasonably pleased with my complement, but I also have a half-dozen different battery adapters just in case). I would do it all over again given the chance though.

If I were trying to limit the variety a bit, I would at least buy into Ryobi along with whichever pro-brand I chose. Too many times Ryobi has a tool no one else does, or sells it for way cheaper.

Go get yourself that glue gun!

Edited to add: I forgot Black & Decker 20v and Craftsman V60!

Black & Decker came into my arsenal just because I stumbled onto some on clearance and realized my PC batteries fit.
Craftsman V60 was clearance too - but full kits (hedge and string trimmer).

 

[NUTTSGT]

You’ll quickly understand when you have a couple of chainsaws, a lawnmower, a splitter, and a generator that all need fuel system maintenance at the same time.

Haven’t touched the non starting pole saw for three years, the trimmer needs a recoil mechanism, two of the saws won’t start, nor will the lawn tractor. Put a new carb on the generator last fall, and yes, I drain the system and use non ethanol fuel.

Most of this stuff isn’t used regularly, and, with the exception of the generator, lawn tractor, splitter, and large saws, could be battery powered.

I have all that stuff you mentioned. Running 90REC ethanol free has solved my issues.

However, for those with smaller lots and not much yard, i can see how the battery OPE works for them.

 

[M635_Guy]

WTF does OPE mean? TLAs are a PITA.

Outdoor Power Equipment

Basically, it's crazy to spend "professional tool" money on tools that aren't mission critical to your job/hobby. While I love my Milwaukee stuff for wrenching, I realized that I could buy all the homeowner tools from Ryobi for what Milwaukee wanted for just a circular saw. I'm exaggerating a bit, but the point remains.

-Ryan

You're exaggerating more than a bit...

I'm 100% fine with Ryobi, and have recommended them to several of my friends who aren't looking for tools at the FUEL level. but overall they're a lighter-duty product line. They're awesome for having a very stable battery system, though it makes some of their tools bulkier than I'm willing to have. So I chose differently.

Milwaukee has a pretty broad M18/M12 options in terms of price points (brushed, brushless non-FUEL in some cases, etc. ), so it's not "professional tool" money for everything, right? (Not sure about DeWalt, but think they're similar)

I think the 80v is dead. I really like the trimmer and blower I have. Luckily I got 2 batteries with both on specials, so I ought to be good for a while.

As recently as this summer they were still offering pretty much all the tools, though I think only the biggest ones carry 80v in-store. I also got 2 batteries. You can use the GreenWorks 80v batteries with a small mod remove the plastic lockout.

Seems like a lot of overthinking, just buy whatever you need from whoever has the best tool, after you get a few of each it really doesn't matter. As a GC I have every platform they all cost about the same, even at home I keep all different platforms, they are so close in quality & performance, I do like the flexvolt system, especially for yard tools. A lot of times it comes down to who is offering a better package for the price. I love my ryobi hot glue gun & inflator, I get a lot of use out of my ryobi pin nailer, but I don't care for their finish nailer. Their just is no perfect all inclusive system.

It boils down to what fits your personal way of doing things. I hate the idea of a bunch of different chargers and batteries, and don't have a lot of space/outlets in my garage anyway. Between M18/M12, the Kobalt 80v and the Ego 56v, I'm at four platforms and three chargers and it's not my favorite - lol.

 

[m6z]

That was my plan when I bought the Milwaukee string trimmer and blower, but I'm just too cheap to replace my old NiCad Dewalt stuff since it still works. I've got some corded Dewalt stuff too.

 

[M635_Guy]

I'm slightly surprised of the amount of OPE guys here have that is battery powered.

I don't think it would work in commercial applications (probably), but of my 1/2 acre battery tools are friggin' perfect - I do not miss oil/gas/starter spray/etc. at all...

 

[JradM]

I don't think it would work in commercial applications (probably), but of my 1/2 acre battery tools are friggin' perfect - I do not miss oil/gas/starter spray/etc. at all...

The instant-on of cordless OPE is what appeals most to me. I have the Dewalt Flexvolt chainsaw, for example. I'm using around my farm, not as a professional tree trimmer. I think it's great to pull it off the shelf, make a quick cut and be done with less noise or hassle of filling/mixing gas, etc. Even when I'm using it for longer sessions, its just more pleasant to be able to put it down while I move branches or whatnot, without having to listen to it idle or start and stop the engine.

Similarly, my 20v blower gets pulled out for quick jobs that I might not bother with if it were gas-powered. Blowing snow off my vehicle, for example. Would I pull out a gas blower for the 20 seconds it takes to clear off my car? Not likely. It wouldn't even warm up before the cordless blower was done.

For some tools, going cordless just changes how I use a tool or do a job entirely. E.g.:

• if I have a tree branch to prune, I'm most likely going to grab the cordless reciprocating saw. Since this is on a farm though, it might be a couple hundred feet from the nearest outlet. I wouldn't bother if I had to run a cord. I'd do it by hand or get a chainsaw.
• Maybe I need to loosen a big bolt on my tractor loader. Were I stuck with corded or pneumatic power and just needed it for a bolt or two, I'd grab a breaker bar. However, I've got the big Dewalt impact gun - no need to find an extension cord or wait for my tank to fill up, the bolt would be off before I could setup the alternative.

 

[BonzoHansen]

As recently as this summer they were still offering pretty much all the tools, though I think only the biggest ones carry 80v in-store. I also got 2 batteries. You can use the GreenWorks 80v batteries with

80v nothing in lowes around here. Can still order batteries

 

[u2slow]

I don't understand how you one-platform guys do it. Don't you get annoyed when there's a cool new offering from one brand you can't buy? Or you stumble across a cheap tool for a brand you don't own? That must be terrible!

Its quite easy: drill, impact, flashlight, dustbuster-vac.

I have limited need for battery tools otherwise. The rest are air or corded.

 

[Brownsfan]

I have Kobalt 24v and Milwaukee M12. I absolutely love the M12 fuel impact driver. And the m12 soldering iron is amazing. Now for bigger tasks for the money the 24v Kobalt stuff is great. Best value in battery powered tools out there.

 

[jd_1138]

It makes sense to be in 2 systems. I am in Makita and Ryobi. It gives you flexibility for picking and choosing. Plus it doesn't cost much more to acquire 1-2 batteries and a charger for the other system (just buy a combo kit to acquire the tool/battery/charger). My core tools are Makita (impact driver, regular drill, circular saw), but I have a lot of inexpensive tools in Ryobi like jobsite radio, lights, etc.

And I have picked up a couple of Ryobi impact drivers, regular drills along the way. If you're doing a large project with relatives or friends, you can hand each of them a drill.

Sure being in one platform means the batteries can be used on all the tools, but it just seems to be a very limiting experience with not much upside.

 

[sparky 1971]

I have four systems. About 30 M18 tools, 15 M12, a Bosch 12v screw gun, and a Makita 7.2v stick driver.

 

[jblnut]

Battery compatibility really doesn't matter in a home or shop environment. Where it starts to matter is working off a truck where space is limited and precious..

Ive got a mix of everything in the shop. I have Dewalt 20v on the truck.

Ryobi, Milwaukee, Porter Cable, Bosch, Hitichi, Craftsman and one Hilti cordless tool in the shop. Everything in the work truck is DeWalt 20v or 60v stuff. The availability of space is huge. I have way more outlets in the shop than in the work truck

 

[Hal]

I started with a Hitachi drill a long time ago, because that was available locally, never got anything else, because drills and saws were about the only tools that existed at the time, and the performance of the drill cured me of any wish for a saw.

Then I got the 18V craftsman drill, big heavy thing, batteries didn't last that long, and when I went to replace it, the C3 19.5V stuff had come out and I went for it. it got a lot better when I switched to LI batteries. I still have two drills, half inch impact and the ratchet. I burned out another drill and half inch impact, and gave up on the flashlight, because the bulbs (@4.99 each} couldn't take any abuse.

With the current state of Sears/Craftsman, I decided not to go any further with that platform. I will run that stuff until it drops, or the batteries give up.

I caught a good sale at Home Depot and picked up a Ryobi hammer drill, half inch impact, and LED utility light, with four batteries. I will probably stick with that for a while.

 

[TailGunner3000]

I currently have 4 platforms in use. Many DeWalt 20v and Ryobi 18v tools. 2 Bosch 12v tools ( my favorites) and a single 18v Milwaukee impact wrench (great tool). I will likely add to all of those except the Bosch. Will also look into adding Milwaukee 12v.

 

[kbeefy]

I have 18v Dewalt (5 tools), 12v Bosch (3 tools), 12v Dewalt/Mac (2 tools), 20v Dewalt/Mac (4 tools), 40v Dewalt (3 tools), 19.2v Porter Cable (1) and 19.2v Ingersol (1).

 

[M635_Guy]

80v nothing in lowes around here. Can still order batteries

It's all still available online at this point (mowers/trimmers/etc.)

 

[Black300zx]

I started with Ryobi, because of some of their niche products. No complaints, but I've been bitten, fairly hard, by the M12 bug, and very slightly the M18 - they still don't have everything I need and I, too, have looked hard at the Ryobi glue gun, solder iron, etc.

You can take any animal in North America with a 30-06, yet other rifles continue to sell. Different guns, requiring different ammo, etc. No one questions that.

Pretty much same here. I started w/ Ryobi 18v (starter "kit" my dad got me when I moved out) which I expanded upon a bit initially. I then found all of the great M12 automotive tools, so I turned into a 2-system guy. M12 stays in my garage and my wife's heated vest. Ryobi 18 stays in my basement mini-shop and shed. Between the two systems, just about any tool I've needed has been covered. My 18V tool needs are low-demand enough (or infrequent enough) that the Ryobi stuff gets me by just fine.

 

[Forgottonia]

I wish some company would make adapters so you could mix and match chargers and batteries. It seems like an adapter would work, so long as the voltages match--or are at least pretty close.

 

[alinc100]

I'm laughing to myself as between my jobsites,my car,my garage I have Milwaukee,Makita ,Dewalt,Bosch and Craftsman. 12 v , 18v, 20v . All depends on the tool and the usage. There is overlap,more tools coming from all mfgs.

 

[JradM]

I wish some company would make adapters so you could mix and match chargers and batteries. It seems like an adapter would work, so long as the voltages match--or are at least pretty close.

Me too! It's not as easy as it seems though. Some tools have the low-power circuitry built-in, other brands have it integrated in the battery. Some brands now have extra circuitry so the tool runs different depending on what type of battery is connected - e.g. dialing it back for the slim-pack 18650s and ramping it up for packs capable of high-draw. Just physically connecting the packs and making the wires touch isn't enough.

However, I dream of an adapter "system". I imagine the tool end and battery end being separate parts with a universal connection in the middle, circuitry protection built-in. E.g. grab your Dewalt tool adapter half and your Ryobi battery half to make an adapter. it would be awesome for me - i have big collection of batteries but spread across many many platforms.

I make do with what's on the market though. E.g. I have a Dewalt battery adapters for Ryobi, Bosch and Ridgid tools (Dewalt seems to be the easiest to find). I'm always on the lookout for more!

However, I know my Dewalt to Ridgid adapter doesn't get my Octane Ridgid reciprocating saw into high-power mode (works fine otherwise though). I'm also cautious about running my Dewalt batteries all the way dead while connected to any of the adapters (I have no idea whether that's safe for them or not). Still, very nice as a backup if I run out of power with any of those tools.

 

[JradM]

P.s. unless you don't need more than a few tools, I think it makes sense to have Ryobi or Milwaukee M12 as your second or third options. There's so many tools on those platforms you can't get otherwise. Ryobi is nice because some of it is crazy cheap. The glue gun, for example, is both. I bought mine during a sale for $20 Canadian. Sure, you can get an aftermarket option for Dewalt, Milwaukee or Makita - but not for $20.

The M12 ratchet was unique for awhile - now you can get it from a variety of brands - but I think Milwaukee still has the best form of it because of the shape of their battery. That little stapler is cool, the inflator is neat and compact, the Surge impact driver is so slick...

 

[Rickster]

I have Ryobi for yard tools and some others; nailer, glue gun & air inflator. Milwaukee 12v for everything else.

 

[Sneezer]

My first cordless tool was a 14.4v Craftsman Professional drill - it was amazing back in the day. Unfortunately the platform was abandoned and surpassed but newer tech. I ran those old nicads forever but they finally died. Now I have Ryobi, Kobalt and Bosch tools, plus 80V yard tools. I keep one charger for each in the charging station - I rarely need to do more than one battery at a time.

 

[autobon7]

I have Bosch 18V and Milwaukee 12V......between the 2 everything I need is covered. I do have a Ryobi 18v fan but bought an adapter to use my Bosch batteries and may pick up a couple of their tools.

 

[pbon]

I like having one platform so I don’t have to buy other batteries and chargers. I have a large selection of Milwaukee M12 and M18 at my house. But at a business property, I have a small selection of Ryobi, but the higher quality versions — 7.25 circular saw, brushless hammer drill, etc. Those tools can walk off and I am not the primary user.

I think the good Ryobi is good and I might have gone that way if it existed 10+ years ago - Ryobi was cheap low end homeowner grade back then. The cheap Ryobi is acceptable to the basic DIYer who does not know better or just wants to save money and pulls out his 20 year old corded or air tools for any heavy duty work.