Kobalt 24V Tools

[Tenex]

I'd like to open up a discussion on Kobalt's new lineup of tools. I've been yearning for a cordless 3/8 impact wrench for awhile now and I had my eye set on the Milwaukee 2754-22 being that it's the most powerful and has the best warranty, but $330 is out of my budget so I've staved my desire. The spec sheet of the new Kobalt line is a serious improvement and carries an identical warranty to Milwaukee. This doesn't need to be a thread about impact wrenches per se. I just want to hear from those who have taken the plunge. The new tools haven't hit any of my local Lowe's yet and the situation may be similar nationwide so it might be awhile before anyone can give a thorough review.

Check out the new lineup HERE

 

[Tenex]

I went into my local Lowe's and they had the new drill and impact driver on display. None of the other tools were present, but the tags are there. Needless to say they don't have the tags quite figured out yet.

 

[ishiboo]

Looks like an interesting line. It seems anyone can come up with a spec and have a tool made for them, the difference for me is the available selection of tools... and why I switched from Bosch to Milwaukee.

When I was in HD a few days ago, they had a ton of Ryobi out... and the selection looked pretty good including several tools I wish Milwaukee made such as a cordless inflator, a 18 gauge brad nailer (yes, the Milwaukee version coming at the end of the month), a bunch of outdoor tools, several sanders, chemical sprayer, a 6-port charger, crown stapler, caulk gun, etc.

The bare tools were very aggressively priced I thought, and if I was shopping I think Ryobi would be at the top of my list. They are missing a big impact, ratchets, etc.

Nobody makes a COMPLETE line, IMO... it's frustrating!

 

[Two Door]

650 ft lbs from a 1/4" impact? Huh?

Maybe the spanish byline should be considered.

 

[djcslice]

650 ft lbs from a 1/4" impact? Huh?

Maybe the spanish byline should be considered.

Looks like a typo. En espanol it says 1/2in and based on the picture it looks like a half inch driver.

 

[Tenex]

I know everyone says that when buying power tools you should consider the whole lineup. It makes sense if you have need for several tools. All I want is a drill and an impact wrench. Any other power tools I'm considering either need a compressor or I would rather just have a corded tool. We don't need to debate the corded vs. cordless, it's just my preference. I'm not using my tools to make money so purchasing several cordless tools seems like a waste.

 

[kctyphoon]

They are made by Chervon I believe.. Kobalt seems desperate to attract some attention to the least selling brand of power tools.. They do seem like a big step up, they are all brushless. The battery packs hold an extra cell to get to the 24v marks, and they accomplished that by relocating battery circuitry into the tools instead of every battery, so packs are still the same size as other 18v tools. The 1/2" impact is 650ftlbs, and I saw one demo where the drill was very close to the Milwaukee Fuel using 1" spade bit..

If they won't see a lot of use I'm sure they will be fine. I don't think I'd buy them myself, although the specs do look impressive for the cost. They do have a smaller 3/8" impact wrench too.. According to this article, their first release will include 7 tools..

http://www.popularmechanics.com/hom...duces-a-new-24v-cordless-power-tool-platform/

 

[Two Door]

They do have a smaller 3/8" impact wrench too..

http://www.popularmechanics.com/hom...duces-a-new-24v-cordless-power-tool-platform/

Yes, that is the description on the price tag for the drill/driver in the first photo.

 

[arz71]

I'd like to open up a discussion on Kobalt's new lineup of tools. I've been yearning for a cordless 3/8 impact wrench for awhile now and I had my eye set on the Milwaukee 2754-22 being that it's the most powerful and has the best warranty, but $330 is out of my budget so I've staved my desire. The spec sheet of the new Kobalt line is a serious improvement and carries an identical warranty to Milwaukee. This doesn't need to be a thread about impact wrenches per se. I just want to hear from those who have taken the plunge. The new tools haven't hit any of my local Lowe's yet and the situation may be similar nationwide so it might be awhile before anyone can give a thorough review.

Check out the new lineup HERE

Nothing wrong with the Kobalt if you go to their site and they got them on there with the specs.

One thing is they will have them at any of the stores which is a plus. Seen them and they look/feel like they are put together well. The batteries are less expensive as well.

The warranty as well they will be able to handle that in the store a big plus.

 

[kctyphoon]

Kobalt vs Milwaukee Fuel drill speed test..
Not a great video, but the only one.. Looks promising..

 

[HolyGrail]

I really like the way they look......I dig the blue color, but then again my fav color is blue. I hope they do well. More choices is good for us.

 

[kctyphoon]

I swear I think the poor ascetics is what holds brands like Porter Cable and Kobalt back in the power tool debate. The last time I looked the Porter cable impact driver actually had higher specs than some of the Dewalts.. I hate the Koblat blue, but these look less offensive to me..

 

[Spudland_Dave]

I swear I think the poor ascetics is what holds brands like Porter Cable and Kobalt back in the power tool debate. The last time I looked the Porter cable impact driver actually had higher specs than some of the Dewalts.. I hate the Koblat blue, but these look less offensive to me..

As for the specs...I question that... Any MFG can skew the tests to where they get the results they were looking to advertise.

And as for the holding back the brand...I think it has less to do with aesthetics and more to do with the "whole system" thing...Chicken & The Egg situation.

Turn back the hands of time a handful of years and DeWalt was king...IMHO not because they ever had the "Best" tool, but because they had the most expansive collection of tools in the "System". Look at the old V28 Milwaukee or DeWalt 36V tools...they just didn't take off because they each only had a couple of tools available. Same could be said of other brands like Makita, Bosch, etc. It kinda ***** have 6 systems to maintain...so DeWalt won because you could get everything from a 18V Pencil sharpener to a 18V Lawn Mower (Just joking about the tools but you get the idea)....

Milwaukee is starting to win the battle right now for the SAME reason. Every few months they roll out some other new M18/M12 tool....

So Here we got Kobalt with the usual Drill/Driver, Hex Impact, 1/2" Impact, 3/8" Impact...which is all well & good but you know damn well Joe homeowner over there wants the small cordless "Leaf blower" and a LED Work light...then next week when they got a project will be shopping for a cordless finish nailer...etc..

 

[BrokewrenchLS1]

Pricing seems a bit high for an untested house-brand line of tools with, as mentioned, a limited variety. When I can buy Dewalt, Milwaukee, or Bosch for the same price, why take the risk on Kobalt, especially now when I'm buying a system of tools?

If I remember right, their 18v lineup didn't fare so well, at least in terms of sales and line-up expansion.

 

[arz71]

Hopefully they will turn around their hand tool line as well.

The new 24v lineup looks pretty good.

 

[PapaGrande]

Only good for a couple more days, but Lowes is running an in-store promotion that you can trade in any cordless power tool from a competing brand and get 24% off any single Kobalt power tool.

Didn't see any stipulation that the tool work or include a battery. So you should be able to trade in a broken B&D drill with no battery and get 24% off the $250 top on the line Impact Wrench with a charger and 2 batteries.

I just bought a Milwaukee, but have not opened it. I also happen to have over $200 in store credit from Lowes. So am thinking of returning the Milwaukee and using the promo to get the Kobalt with no cash out of pocket.

 

[PapaGrande]

Top of line actually just comes with one 4.0 Ah battery. Still a good deal at $190 + tax after trade in.

 

[moron88]

something i just noticed, the batteries are actually affordable. $80 for the 5 AH, $50 for the 4AH and $20 for the 2AH. the 20 volt 4AH pack is $99! power tools are far down the list for me but i know where i'm looking first when the need arises.

 

[PapaGrande]

Traded in a cordless drill with no battery, got $60 off the Impact Wrench kit.

 

[Tenex]

Only good for a couple more days, but Lowes is running an in-store promotion that you can trade in any cordless power tool from a competing brand and get 24% off any single Kobalt power tool.

Didn't see any stipulation that the tool work or include a battery. So you should be able to trade in a broken B&D drill with no battery and get 24% off the $250 top on the line Impact Wrench with a charger and 2 batteries.

I just bought a Milwaukee, but have not opened it. I also happen to have over $200 in store credit from Lowes. So am thinking of returning the Milwaukee and using the promo to get the Kobalt with no cash out of pocket.

This promotion ends on 7/18. Damn I wish I had something to trade in.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

[rice rocket]

I know everyone says that when buying power tools you should consider the whole lineup. It makes sense if you have need for several tools.

I used to think this was the case, I've now changed my view.

Tools are best purchased in their kits; the markup for kit vs bare tool rarely equals the cost of the battery plus charger. So it never makes sense to buy bare tools when a kit is available, and thus you'll always end up with more batteries.

If you accumulate more than three batteries, it's usually more than you can humanly burn through (one in the tool, one charged ready to go, one on the charger). Two is usually plenty for most.

If you take this to heart, adopting multiple platforms makes the most sense and then you can cherry pick the good tools from all the brands. Why compromise?

 

[Know Wosad]

I cant see re-inventing the wheel. Milwaukee and DeWalt have ruled the battery game for a long time and their budgets will always continue to allow for development. Those other guys don't stand a chance. Makita even lags a little but has their focus in other directions.

 

[PapaGrande]

In my case, all Ihave interest in is automotive. I already have a small Porter Cabke cordless screwdriver. So my entire shopping list is

1) Powerful impact wrench

2) Maybe a compact impact wrench

3) Charger & batteries


Kobalt makes what I need at a very reasonable price point.

 

[Taylorfain2009]

I will say, I really like kobalt hand tools. Ratchets, drivers, sockets, etc etc. if you break one they will send you a new one pretty much no questions asked. Just providing proof it was broken. I run dewalt drills, impacts, and saws. However I have a little compound miter saw from kobalt that has really held its own. It's perfect for trimming, wood flooring, and small projects since you can just pull it around with you and move it wherever. I actually dropped one off a roof when I was doing some shake siding. Don't ask me how that happened but it did. All it broke was the guard. I used it the rest of the day and the company still warrantied it. It's also nice because you can run normal circular saw blades in it. I run dewalt blades in it.


However they need to step up their compressor game. I bought the 20 gallon stand up compressor. It's super loud, very slow filling, and the regulator broke within half a month. So that was returned. I have read reviews and that seems to happen to everyone else also.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sanny81]

I was sooooo close to buying the 3/8" impact wrench lastnight. Had it in my hands as I wandered the tool section thinking it over....at the end of the day after also having to get the battery and charger it would cost me over $160. So instead I went home and ordered the 3/8" Astro Nano for $102.

 

[digdug18]

I think I'm going to pick these up myself. Current pricing is $249 via website for 2 batteries, charger and impact wrench. Though in my local store, they listed it at $299.

I'm using it in collision shop, used everyday. I'm liking the 5 year tool warranty, and 3 year battery warranty.

 

[Badboy]

Picked one set up today for $149.00...See how they work out.

 

[vlpronj]

Just figured I'd jump in and mention there's a sale going on for the 24v batteries...

https://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?v=1&p=93806112#post93806112

Kobalt 24-Volt 1.5-Amp Hours Lithium Power Tool Battery $10 @ Lowes
Kobalt 24-Volt 1.5-Amp Hours Lithium Power Tool Battery [lowes.com] $10

- Kobalt 24-volt max 1.5-amp Li-ion battery provides more power and runtime, so you can get the job done fast
- 1.5-Ah and 30-min recharge means longer runtime and less downtime (charger sold separately)
- Quick-read fuel gauge keeps tabs on the amount of charge, and internal battery monitoring protects it from extreme temperatures, over-discharge, and over-charge for longer life
- Compatible with all Kobalt 24-volt max cordless power tools (sold separately)
- 3-year limited warranty gives you peace of mind


Kobalt 24-Volt 2.0-Amp Hours Lithium Power Tool Battery [lowes.com] $20

- Kobalt 24-volt max 2.0-Ah Li-ion compact battery provides more power and runtime, so you can get the job done fast
- Power indicator displays charge status and can be used whether the battery is on the tool or off
- Internal circuitry protects the battery pack from extreme temperatures, over-discharge, and over-charge for longer life
- Recharges in as fast as 30 minutes for less downtime on the job (charger sold separately)
- Compatible with all Kobalt 24-volt max cordless power tools (sold separately)
- 3-year limited warranty gives you peace of mind


Kobalt 24-Volt 4.0-Amp Hours Lithium Power Tool Battery [lowes.com] $50

- Kobalt 24-volt max 4.0-Ah Li-ion battery provides more power and runtime, so you can get the job done fast
- Power indicator displays charge status and can be used whether the battery is on the tool or off
- Internal circuitry protects the battery pack from extreme temperatures, over-discharge, and over-charge for longer life
- Recharges in 1 hour for less downtime on the job (charger sold separately)
- Compatible with all Kobalt 24-volt max cordless power tools (sold separately)
- 3-year limited warranty gives you peace of mind

 

[Tenex]

Just figured I'd jump in and mention there's a sale going on for the 24v batteries...

https://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?v=1&p=93806112#post93806112

Kobalt 24-Volt 1.5-Amp Hours Lithium Power Tool Battery $10 @ Lowes
Kobalt 24-Volt 1.5-Amp Hours Lithium Power Tool Battery [lowes.com] $10

- Kobalt 24-volt max 1.5-amp Li-ion battery provides more power and runtime, so you can get the job done fast
- 1.5-Ah and 30-min recharge means longer runtime and less downtime (charger sold separately)
- Quick-read fuel gauge keeps tabs on the amount of charge, and internal battery monitoring protects it from extreme temperatures, over-discharge, and over-charge for longer life
- Compatible with all Kobalt 24-volt max cordless power tools (sold separately)
- 3-year limited warranty gives you peace of mind


Kobalt 24-Volt 2.0-Amp Hours Lithium Power Tool Battery [lowes.com] $20

- Kobalt 24-volt max 2.0-Ah Li-ion compact battery provides more power and runtime, so you can get the job done fast
- Power indicator displays charge status and can be used whether the battery is on the tool or off
- Internal circuitry protects the battery pack from extreme temperatures, over-discharge, and over-charge for longer life
- Recharges in as fast as 30 minutes for less downtime on the job (charger sold separately)
- Compatible with all Kobalt 24-volt max cordless power tools (sold separately)
- 3-year limited warranty gives you peace of mind


Kobalt 24-Volt 4.0-Amp Hours Lithium Power Tool Battery [lowes.com] $50

- Kobalt 24-volt max 4.0-Ah Li-ion battery provides more power and runtime, so you can get the job done fast
- Power indicator displays charge status and can be used whether the battery is on the tool or off
- Internal circuitry protects the battery pack from extreme temperatures, over-discharge, and over-charge for longer life
- Recharges in 1 hour for less downtime on the job (charger sold separately)
- Compatible with all Kobalt 24-volt max cordless power tools (sold separately)
- 3-year limited warranty gives you peace of mind

I spy with my little eye, a shill. Those are the regular prices. Nothing special.

 

[vlpronj]

I spy with my little eye, a shill. Those are the regular prices. Nothing special.

Nice. I post something from a deal site I visit a lot, and I get an accusation.

Bless your heart.

 

[powertrip]

Its been a awhile. Anyone have any updates on their Kobalt 24v tools?

 

[Sasquatch912]

I got the drill and impact driver. So far, so good.

I also got the kobalt 80v weedeater. It does a good job as well

 

[powertrip]

I ended up getting the 24v 1/2 heavy duty full size impact wrench for $75 bare tool only. I don't own any batteries or a charger but for that price I couldn't pass it up. I wanted to upgrade to more power over my Crafstman c3 2nd gen impact wrench that is rated at 300ft lb. this Kobalt is rated at 650ft lb. Online reviews and youtube reviews are very good. I don't mind picking up a charger and battery, especially since the 4.0 batteries are only $50 and the 2.0 batteries are only $20. Just wanted to see if any other members have used this impact. I will be using it at home mainly for lug nuts and such so it wont be used in a professional situation everyday. It will be mainly for maintaining my personal vehicles. Anyone got any input? I also would appreciate if you don't have anything useful to add please done comment. I have read so many posts by members saying things like, I hate the color, it just feels cheap, something is off with it or I hate Lowes. That doesn't help the discussion at all. The way I see it the more tools entering the marketplace the better. It gives us more choices and increases competition for quality and price. Milwaukee, Dewalt and Makita are top brands and I'm not knocking them. But for what I need it for plus the price and warranty it looks like a winner. I just wanted some trusted opinions.

 

[eclou]

Lowes has the 1/4 impact and drill brushless combo for $149 right now for labor day. Only has 1 2.0 battery but you can buy another for $20. The Porter Cable brushless combo is also $149 but with 2x 1.3 batteries