Guess What I Found at Lowes...

[Stuey]

Kobalt Power Tools!

I heard a rumor about a week ago about this, but didn't know the details until I spotted them in person. They're calling them "professional grade", and the specs at least look to be about up to par. The prices are mid-level, in the range of the newish Porter Cable cordless tools

Kobalt Cordless Power Tools Preview via TG

If/when I try 'em out, I'll post back. I think it may be fair to assume that there are going to be heavy sales and pricing incentives in November/December.

 

[BlindViper]

They look remarkably similar to my makita LXT tools.

 

[Altec]

Guess I gotta go back to Lowes. Snoop around.

You ever get funny looks taking pictures in the store? I try to be like James Bond when I take pictures. Pretty easy with my Droid phone.

 

[Stuey]

Guess I gotta go back to Lowes. Snoop around.

You ever get funny looks taking pictures in the store? I try to be like James Bond when I take pictures. Pretty easy with my Droid phone.

Not really. One of these days I need to start going in with my SLR. My Droid photos are so-so, and I sometimes set it to vibrate to avoid the sounds that give away what I'm doing. I plan to get a new phone in a month or two, and will hopefully find one with a better camera.

 

[bargainzplus+]

Noticed those the other day. They had standard kits with either Ni-Cad and Lithium batteries. The Ni-Cad batteries are extemely heavy and seem overbearing for the tools, however the lithium ions are similar to milwaukee/makita design. If anyone trys them out let me know because they seemed decent for the price.

 

[Stuey]

Noticed those the other day. They had standard kits with either Ni-Cad and Lithium batteries. The Ni-Cad batteries are extemely heavy and seem overbearing for the tools, however the lithium ions are similar to milwaukee/makita design. If anyone trys them out let me know because they seemed decent for the price.

The NiCads looked a bit bulky but I didn't have the time to feel 'em up.

 

[robertwhite]

Saw them the other day. Absolutely the WORST ergonomics of any cordless tools made in the last 10 years. Horrible balance, no grip angle and why would you start a new line and have NiCad batteries? Ancient technology.

And yes, they are most likely made by Makita.

 

[Stuey]

Saw them the other day. Absolutely the WORST ergonomics of any cordless tools made in the last 10 years. Horrible balance, no grip angle and why would you start a new line and have NiCad batteries? Ancient technology.

And yes, they are most likely made by Makita.

Why NiCad? Lower cost means lower retail prices.

Why do you think the same cordless 18V NiCad Dewalt drill kit pops up every fall before the winter holidays and every spring right before Father's Day? So many more consumers will buy a $99 drill compared to a $150 one.

 

[Skin]

and why would you start a new line and have NiCad batteries? Ancient technology.

Because it gives them an excuse to sell seperate LION battery kits and chargers like Cman does. I'm sure it also had to do with costs. They probably get them dirt cheap.

 

[Stuey]

I see nothing wrong with this for a retailer-specific consumer brand. A NiCad kit makes a lot of sense.

There is also a 4-piece li-ion kit and a compact li-ion drill/driver. Those that want NiCad will buy NiCad, those that want Li-Ion can buy Li-ion. Has nothing to do with separate add-on batteries and chargers, imho.

 

[ert01]

I prefer Nicad batteries in my cordless tools... I work outside most of the year and when winter hits here the lithium ion batteries don't hold a charge for 15 minutes. I can get decent life out of my nicads and they won't be totally shot afterwards.

 

[Altec]

Saying Nicad is ancient is just silly. It is proven. Why do so many applications use them still? Because it works... Simple.

 

[socalbodydude]

I just got the Craftsman 12 volt right angle impact and the 12v mini drill. They are pretty sweet. I did check out the 10.8 volt bosch it was a little quieter and slightly smoother but I honestly can't say it was better. And for the price difference theres no comparison to the craftsman. I've had them for a month now and still haven't really used them. I bought them to speed up assembly, dis-assembly of cars.

I got both the right angle and the drill for $100. can't beat that. I prefer the li-ion stuff. the battery is also universal and replacements are like 25 bucks. takes 30 mins to fully charge.... Not saying nicad is **** but the new batteries are alot better.

 

[Crash913]

I was pleasantly surprised with the look and feel of the corded reciprocating saw. I didn't look for any warranty details but being Lowe's store brand it may make them a good buy.

 

[Stuey]

I prefer Nicad batteries in my cordless tools... I work outside most of the year and when winter hits here the lithium ion batteries don't hold a charge for 15 minutes. I can get decent life out of my nicads and they won't be totally shot afterwards.

Saying Nicad is ancient is just silly. It is proven. Why do so many applications use them still? Because it works... Simple.

Li-ion batteries are still improving, and pretty soon their cold-weather performance issues may be a thing of the past.

For me, the advantage of Li-ion is greater longevity, greater energy density resulting in lower package weights, and a far lower self-discharge rate.

Once the Li-ion production costs drop a little more, NiCad will most likely be phased out even further.

 

[robertwhite]

I was pleasantly surprised with the look and feel of the corded reciprocating saw. I didn't look for any warranty details but being Lowe's store brand it may make them a good buy.

Warranty is 3 years, I believe. If you are looking for "house brands", Home Depot (Ridgid) DESTROYS Lowes Kobalt in every way. Ergonomics are fantastic, battery life is great nd they have LIFETIME warranties, including batteries. Plus they use Emerson motors

 

[zer0cell]

I agree... I would rather stick with Ridgid, with the lifetime warranty and already proven good to great performance than to switch to the Kobalt brand at this time... Although I do sort of prefer the Kobalt hand tools over Husky. (not including the sockets/wrenches... on those I have no real opinion either way)

 

[raley]

does the kobalt stuff have a lifetime warranty like the ridgid?

 

[Stuey]

5-year guarantee.

As far as I am aware, Ridgid does not offer lifetime warranty, only on the batteries.

 

[Gpgtp]

5-year guarantee.

As far as I am aware, Ridgid does not offer lifetime warranty, only on the batteries.

http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/Power-Tool-Warranty
Wrong...

It's a "service agreement" applies ONLY to the original owner, with reciept

 

[Stuey]

http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/Power-Tool-Warranty
Wrong...

It's a "service agreement" applies ONLY to the original owner, with reciept

This is what I was referring to:

The Lifetime Service Agreement provides the original owner of qualifying RIDGID® Brand tools a lifetime of free replacement batteries

From what I remember, to be eligible one must register their purchase with Ridgid.

 

[mrholeshot]

Nothing else Kobalt. Today made by Makita in two years it will be BD Firestorm. They started out with Snap-On quality Hand tools and now we are at HF quality. Once burned twice shy

 

[robertwhite]

5-year guarantee.

As far as I am aware, Ridgid does not offer lifetime warranty, only on the batteries.

http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/Power-Tool-Warranty
Wrong...

It's a "service agreement" applies ONLY to the original owner, with reciept

Absolutely is lifetime on any cordless tool that you took 5 minutes to register. Batteries AND tool itself. I have used the warranty several times without any hassle. And no, the receipt is not needed, just your customer ID number.

 

[Stuey]

Absolutely is lifetime on any cordless tool that you took 5 minutes to register. Batteries AND tool itself. I have used the warranty several times without any hassle. And no, the receipt is not needed, just your customer ID number.

Yep, relearned something today.

Technically, though, it's a 3-year warranty and "optional" lifetime service agreement. After refreshing myself with what's covered I realize that I've seen this at least several times before. It's a pretty darn decent policy, but I wonder how many people neglect to register during the 90-day after-purchase signup window.

 

[robertwhite]

Yep, relearned something today.

Technically, though, it's a 3-year warranty and "optional" lifetime service agreement. After refreshing myself with what's covered I realize that I've seen this at least several times before. It's a pretty darn decent policy, but I wonder how many people neglect to register during the 90-day after-purchase signup window.

First thing I do is register for the lifetime.

I recently had 2 NiCad 18v batteries (at least 5-7 years old) replaced at no charge on the spot (authorized shop), 2 Li-Ion 18v batteries replaced at the same shop, and he even put a 1/2" chuck on my NiCad unit.

I am having a problem with the variable speed trigger getting hot and have already called my repair guy who said "bring it on over, I have the part in stock".

Can't ask for more than that.

 

[Stuey]

First thing I do is register for the lifetime.

I recently had 2 NiCad 18v batteries (at least 5-7 years old) replaced at no charge on the spot (authorized shop), 2 Li-Ion 18v batteries replaced at the same shop, and he even put a 1/2" chuck on my NiCad unit.

I am having a problem with the variable speed trigger getting hot and have already called my repair guy who said "bring it on over, I have the part in stock".

Can't ask for more than that.

Sounds pretty effortless to me!

Update: I have received confirmation that these tools are manufactured by Chervon. Chervon makes some of Craftsman's power tools, and a few tools for quite a few other major manufacturers as well.

 

[Stuey]

Yikes, I've been getting quite a few emails about these tools. Didn't know that so many people would be interested in Kobalt.

I'm in the works of planning a comparison and was wondering... what do most people care about in a 4-piece combo kit? I usually focus on the drill and circ. saw.

 

[robertwhite]

Yikes, I've been getting quite a few emails about these tools. Didn't know that so many people would be interested in Kobalt.

I'm in the works of planning a comparison and was wondering... what do most people care about in a 4-piece combo kit? I usually focus on the drill and circ. saw.

Drill, Recip saw, circular saw, hammer drill.

I personally think that many people will be turned off as soon as they pick up a new Kobalt tool. As I said before, they have the worst ergonomics of any cordless tool I have held in quite a few years.

 

[Stuey]

As mentioned, I haven't held 'em in-hand yet, but I plan to soon. In their display banner, they put "ergonomic" as a plus against the Ridgid's "straight" handle. I need to hold them for myself before I make any judgements.

 

[zer0cell]

I was at lowes today and got to see and feel the tools in person. I do sort of like the Li-Ion drill/driver. I *might* possibly get one if I am able to take advantage of a sale. I probably would not be interested in the whole kit. I could however use an extra cordless drill as right now I only have one, which is a Milwaukee cordless hammer drill that I like a lot and have had no issues with. Then again, it would probably make more sense to stick to the milwaukee brand when buying a second drill, as the battery compatibility would be a plus... Nevertheless, I actually kind of liked the Kobalt drill better than I thought I would, based on a first impression.

 

[teicher]

They have them out on display at our Lowes. Meh. They feel sturdy, but I didn't think they were particularily ergonomic or comfortable. IMO, I thought they were less comfortable than some of the other brands. They seem fine, but nothing to get too excited about. If I had to pick between Ridgid and Kobalt, I'd definitely go Ridgid. Kobalt and Craftsman? Prob Kobalt, just because financially Sears looks a lot more shaky than Lowes.

 

[Greatbear]

The Lowe's near me has these tools in stock, but not on display.

 

[dankicksass]

I saw the Kobalt cordless power tool kits and some Task Force (Lowes entry-level brand) cordless drills on display when I was picking up some clamps and other necessities while they still had them in stock today. The Kobalt tools were on an endcap behind glass, all the rest of the power tools are tethered to the back wall but free to handle. I did finally get to see the new Kobalt ratchets and wrenches, hated the feel of the square cushioned handles.

 

[Stuey]

Checked another Lowes near me. They had fewer boxes on the endcap, and only two tools on display - a NiCad work light, and a circular saw. The effort that went into that display was pathetic compared to the first display I saw.

 

[suss427]

Kobalt Power Tools!

They're calling them "professional grade", and the specs at least look to be about up to par.

These smell like Dewalt to me... 5 Year warranty sounds awesome, and I could really use that on my Dewalt right now.

 

[american lockpicker]

I was in there the other day before my shift started(work is across the street) and noticed they have Rohm chucks(no Germany COO though.)