Help deciding on tool system for home and garden

[Ruahrc]

I am a relatively new homeowner (less than one year) and wanting to get some power tools to help with household maintenance/repair as well as some small projects I have in mind.

I have been doing a lot of research into this topic and am having trouble finalizing my choices.

My initial plan was to get a single battery system that would accommodate all of the tools I need: drill/saw/impact/trimmer/edger/etc. however I came to realize that no one tool system covers all of this adequately and also may not always get me the optimum tool for the jobs I want to do.

My needs are fairly light. I have right now an el cheapo HF 18v NiCad drill and what I am concluding from it is that I would vastly prefer the smaller weight/ergonomics of a 12-volt system for most of my tools. I do not plan on building decks/sheds or re-roofing my house so I think in the majority of cases the 18v would simply be overkill for the job and also less well suited for the tasks that I envision doing. Things like general house work (drilling holes, installing electrical box, etc) and projects like building some shelving/small woodworking projects, cutting 2x lumber to build planter boxes, trimming tree branches, repairing a fence, light duty automotive work such as rotating tires, changing oil, etc. all seem to be easily handled by modern 12v tools (especially brushless tools which I intend on getting). Heck I have managed 85+% of these types of tasks with hand tools.

Looking at 12v tool systems I really like the Bosch 12v offerings (based on look/feel in the big box stores) however the limited nature of their 12v lineup and also the fact that many of their latest 12v tools are only available in Europe makes me lean towards Milwaukee for their better fleshed out 12v lineup and far greater availability. I do not plan on getting everything right away however the M12 system has several tools beyond standard impact and drill driver that I could see myself getting when the need arises. Especially the 12v circular saw and the fuel hackzall both of which are apparently great little tools.

What I need to figure out however is the gardening tools. Since nobody has 12V gardening tools I was thinking about 18/20V gardening tools. My gardening needs are pretty light I do not own a huge property. I think an 18v/20v hedge trimmer/string trimmer should be more than enough for my needs. Mainly I need the string trimmer to touch up the corners that the mower cannot reach and also to edge along the sidewalk. I could honestly probably get by with hand hedge trimmers or even a corded hedge trimmer (string trimmer/edger definitely needs to be cordless factoring in distance from outlets) but I may as well get the cordless luxury off the bat .

Is there an 18/20V gardening tool system that also includes some expandability to fill in some gaps on power tools I may not be able to get in the M12 series? Such as a cordless wet/dry vacuum, or compressor, etc? The idea here is to limit the number and type of battery systems to as few as possible, to maximize interoperability and minimize redundant equipment (batteries/chargers).

Sorry this is a bit of a ramble. thanks for looking
Ruahrc

 

[kctyphoon]

for lawns and such - dewalt, echo, and some others have come out with cordless systems, but youll need to invest in a separate battery system, sisnce those are mainly 40v, or 58v systems now.. they have lawnmowers, string trimmers, hedge clippers, blowers, chainsaws....

i think makita is the only one offering 18v or 36v (2 18v packs) lawn and garden stuff... but dont expect them to be cheap..

search youtube - youll be impressed with the echo stuff..

also, and again - youll probably be better off going with an 18 or 20v platform if you are only getting one.. milwaukee and dewalt both sell the cordless wet/dry vac.

heres the echo :

he's aslo a member here.. he does the best reviews IMO..

heres the 18v makita stuff.. you wont get anything like the performance and runtime of the others i suggested though..

 

[theoldwizard1]

I like the Milwaukee M12 series, but the want an a lot of extra for their Fuel series (brushless, longer running, more power). 75% more for M12 Hackzall to M12 Fuel Hackzall ?!!!

They do have a pretty good tool selection in the M12 series, if you shop online For a new home owner, a 3/8" drill is a great starter. The model 2407 has a 2 speed transmission in it, which can be very useful I have found a 1/4 hex impact drive valuable, but I do more building than you probably do. Their Hackzall also does a nice job of pruning trim limbs !

Milwaukee make a couple of different size M12 batteries. Stick with the lighter ones, but you really do need at least 2 battery packs.


Battery garden tools just have not caught on, probably because the motors don't have enough power or the batteries don't have enough run time. The few "god ones" that are out there use proprietary batteries. Stay away from any of the ones "As Advertised on TV !" If you want to stay electric, buy a 14 gauge 100' extension cord for your blower, string trimmer, hedge trimmer and lawn mower ! They even make electric (corded) snow blowers !! You will be happier.

 

[theoldwizard1]

heres the echo :

he's aslo a member here.. he does the best reviews IMO.

At 58V, the echo system should have plenty of power !

 

[Steevo]

Bless you for wanting to edge along your sidewalk. It makes me crazy how many people in my neighborhood think that that it is OK to just run a mower around their yard, leaving all of the edges, fence-lines, etc, untrimmed.
I have neighbors with 12"~18" tall weeds/grass along their curbs, because they only mow, and what they can't mow, goes wild.

 

[Ign]

Bless you for wanting to edge along your sidewalk. It makes me crazy how many people in my neighborhood think that that it is OK to just run a mower around their yard, leaving all of the edges, fence-lines, etc, untrimmed.
I have neighbors with 12"~18" tall weeds/grass along their curbs, because they only mow, and what they can't mow, goes wild.

Oh the horror! You NEED to live in an HOA, then you'll have control over such things.

OP: you'd probably be best served by Ryobi's One+. It's not brushless, but it's affordable, offers most of what you need, and will likely be close to 12V brushless in performance even if not in size and heft.

Or, if you're set on 12V brushless for driving tools, I vote M12 and 40V Ryobi for lawn stuff. The 40V really isn't that much more expensive than the 18V (although you won't find cheap 4 packs of 40V batteries, you also won't need many 40V batteries), and ya never know - maybe you'll want the cordless mower down the line.

As for your last paragraph, DeWalt is introducing a 20V max string trimmer & it would also offer a shop vac. I'm not aware of any compressors/inflators except the Craftsman Nextec (no longer available but I have one and like it) and .....drumroll..... Ryobi One+ offers a compressor/inflator, do they not?

 

[eddiemeddiem]

Another vote for the Ryobi 18v one+ platform. Probably the most expansive array of cordless tools from any manufacturer. Reasonable prices. Sufficient power, and you can just walk into Home Depot and pick something new up if you need/want it.