What cordless tool "kit" should I get???

[crash02]

I'll start off with hello my name is Jason. I'm a long time lerker and first time poster.

I need to replace all of my tools do to a fire. Most of my hand tools were Snap-On but my question now is about my cordless tools. I had a 5 piece 18v Dewalt kit with a hammer drill, impact driver, circular saw, reciprocating saw and flashlight. I would like to get the same tools again but don't really care about the flashlight. I would like to get as close to contractor grade tools I can get without spending the big money to get Hilti/Metabo tools. I have it narrowed down to Dewalt, Bosch or Makita. Neither Bosch nor Makita offer the same tools in a 5 piece kit that Dewalt does so I would have to piece together a set.

Here are the tools I'm looking at
Dewalt Kit 20v 3.0amp DCK590L2

Bosch 18v 3.0 amp
Drill and Impact driver CLPK221-181
Circular Saw CCS180B
Recip Saw CRS180B

Makita 18v 3.0 amp
Drill and Impact driver LXT218 (Several Amazon reviewers have said drill chuck wobbles)
Circular Saw BSS610
Recip Saw BJR181Z

I initially decided on Bosch but found out they moved to China. I'm not sure about the quality now. Has it dropped off? I have never owned a Makita tool at all and the wobbling chuck issue bothers me some. I didn't have any complaints about my Dewalt kit other than the battery life was getting bad on both batteries. Do any of you have any insight that can help me decide what to go with? Are there any other Brands I should look into?

 

[IndyGarage]

Try a set of Milwaukee 28V's and you'll never pick up another 18V tool again. You can find some good kit deals online or on ebay.

 

[amolaver]

i think you're doing yourself a disservice if you don't consider the milwaukee m18 line - http://www.milwaukeetool.com/ProductCategory.aspx?CategoryName=m18-cordless-system

i've been largely happy with my ryobi 18v one+ stuff (only lithium batts) until i got the 1/2" impact which is nearly useless since it can't take off lug nuts torqued to 75ft/lb. bought the milwaukee, and it spins off my 1 ton truck's lug nuts torqued at 150ft/lb with no effort whatsoever.

the big bosch and the SO cordless impact are all very similar power-wise, but the milwaukee kit (impact + 2 batts) is about $100 cheaper than the bosch, and ~$300 cheaper than the SO (which i think only comes with one battery). milwaukee has a HUGE range of m18 tools (see the link above) - broader coverage than any of the brands you mention i believe. i'm planning on buying more milwaukee and when the ryobi batts die off, i'll replace the tools w/milwaukee stuff.

yes, i believe all the tools are made in PRC. compare warranties as well - i think the milwaukee has two years on the batts vs 1 for bosch/makita/dewalt but i could be mistaken.

ahm

 

[gmwelder86]

I love my makita set, and thet have a TON of different tools I think something like 30+ so you can find almost anything you want in there cordless system. I have their drill, impact set and added the sawzall, drop light and radio all work great.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Christmas (Black Friday) is coming. Wait another 5 or 6 weeks and you will see some big sales.

Rumor is, shop early because many retail outlets and online stores order the same or less products as they did last year.

 

[diesel research]

I am looking at makita vs bosch. Any decision for me will need to center around the 3/8" impact.

 

[Monte]

@Jason:
Hi and welcome to the forum !
My personal choice would be Bosch because they have a good lineup of tools and many of their 18 Volt cordless tools are still made in Germany/Switzerland like the rotary hammers, angle grinder and jig saw. Their largest 18 Volt impact with 650 Newtonmeters is "assembled in USA" for example. The drill + impact of the set which you are interested in are made in Malaysia. The circular saw and the recip saws are from China. The recip saw from Snap-On is "assembled in USA" from Bosch parts. If you have luck you can still find swiss made cordless drills. Looks similar like the one from the set but has grey colored parts in the handle. The myth that good cordless tools are from japanese companies was true maybe 30 years ago or maybe 20 years, but nowadays you can purchase good cordless tools from other companies like Bosch too

 

[Cobra_Bob]

Subscribed. I’m looking too. Only thing stopping me is I’m concerned about battery life. I would only use them a couple times a month. I heard that the batteries don’t like occasional use. Thoughts?

 

[89GLH]

I bought the Porter Cable set mostly for the cordless 4.5" grinder. Very helpful for junkyard trips.

 

[american lockpicker]

Go with Bosch.

 

[honcho]

Subscribed. I’m looking too. Only thing stopping me is I’m concerned about battery life. I would only use them a couple times a month. I heard that the batteries don’t like occasional use. Thoughts?

There is so much misinformation on battery life floating around the internet!

BatteryUniversity.com has tons of facts about the various battery technologies. Here's a link about prolonging Li-Ion battery life since that's the "modern" technology in most of the tools being considered by the OP

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries

Regular users of cordless tools get the most value from their batteries, regardless of battery chemistry. Li-Ion has some clear advantages like high capacity, lighter weight and lower self-discharge rates. In my mind, the biggest disadvantage of Li-Ion, especially for occasional tool users, is that Li-Ion batteries start deteriorating from the moment they are manufactured.

I happen to like DeWalt 18V tools where you can choose between Li-Ion or NiCad packs but it appears that they're on their way to history in DeWalt's lineup since the introduction of the 20V tools. Plus, most of the 18V tools were made in Mexico which in my opinion, as our neighbor, is a better place to make things than China but my little purchases aren't going to change the economics of manufacturing.

Happy Hunting!

 

[rkevins]

I have black & decker firestorm, if I were to buy new I an thinking of ridged for the reason of their lifetime waranty if you register, also free replacement parts, batteries for life .. that just my $.02 worth

 

[jdcompman]

I love my makita set, and thet have a TON of different tools I think something like 30+ so you can find almost anything you want in there cordless system. I have their drill, impact set and added the sawzall, drop light and radio all work great.

+1 I love my Makita Li-Ion tools!

 

[krogsmash86]

makita is the way to go i like them better than snap on

 

[crash02]

Thanks for the help. I'm going to see if I can look at all of the tools in person this weekend and see how they feel to me. I'll make sure to check out the ones I listed as well as the ones that have been suggested.

 

[Trey T]

dewalt 20v, does it have a different connection from he current 18v

 

[dodge610]

You might want to look at the craftsman C3 system ive had one for more than a year with no complaints. Very wide range of attachments plenty of power at least on every thing ive used it for and no complaint whatsoever on battery life.

 

[Monte]

Remember: Makita tools don´t have motor overload protection and deep charge cell protection so you could eventually kill the batteries....

 

[diesel research]

Remember: Makita tools don´t have motor overload protection and deep charge cell protection so you could eventually kill the batteries....

Interesting. What else can you explain in the bosch vs makita debate?

 

[Badger 13]

Yes, the Dewalt 20v max is a slide on battery, and will NOT work with the 18v tools. I researched for over a year on the same question, not that I needed
5 tools, but I wanted a new hammer drill, 1/4" impact driver, and a new reciprocating saw. I had a 18v Dewalt reciprocating saw, and 1/2" drill which I sold, purchased the new Dewalt 20v max, 3.0mah batteries, and could not be happier. The hammer drill / impact kit was model DCK290L2, and the reciprocating saw was DCS380L1. I found a company in TN that had prices so low on the new Dewalt line that I could not turn it down. Not sure if I can mention the company, but if anyone is interested I would be more then happy to supply the name of it.

 

[Monte]

Interesting. What else can you explain in the bosch vs makita debate?

not much
Bosch batteries can be charged between 0 and 45 degree celsius, Makita between 10 and 40 degree celsius.

 

[acer66]

Monte, do you know if all the circular saws from Bosch accept the 3.0 batteries?
I just got the CCS180K and the website list only the 2.6 and a smaller one as compatible.

Thank you

 

[Monte]

Monte, do you know if all the circular saws from Bosch accept the 3.0 batteries?
I just got the CCS180K and the website list only the 2.6 and a smaller one as compatible.

Thank you

yes, the 3.0 batteries are compatible with the 2.6/1.3 batteries/tools

 

[Carl B]

Just for others following.. this most likely won't help the O.P.

For me - I had a Makita 12V Drill {3/8's inch?} - that I was very happy with for about 4 years. When it died {main drive shaft broke}... I bought another Makita but the same model was no longer available.

The new model Makita was now 14.4V - but the drill itself was just a little larger/heavier. I had it for the next four years and never liked it as well as the first. When the batteries quite holding a charge... I shopped for new battery packs... YIEKS!! It cost about $5.00 more to simply buy a new drill with new batteries and charger.

So this time at my son's recommendation - I bought the Milwaukee with LI-Ion batteries. My son has had his for about three years and was very happy with it. We are both home owners and car hobbyist. So our use is mostly light duty for screwing fence slats back in place, screwing 2x4's together or drilling holes in relatively thin sheet metal.

My son has the units with 18V {I think} and they have larger heavier battery packs. He likes the fact that you can stand the tool on its battery pack without it falling over. I choose the 12V because the tool was lighter and easier to hang in my utility belt. {I always lay my tools down anyway so they can't fall over or off anything}.

When I was looking for a Drill - I found that you could purchase a two tool combination set for slightly more than the single Drill. The set I was looking at had a Drill and 1/4" Driver... Having a 1/4" driver might me handy..

Shopping even farther I found that if I bought them in a set - they came with Two batteries and a charger. If I paid slightly more and bought them separately when On Sale - I got 4 Batteries and Two Chargers.. plus two individual cases from them. I liked the idea of having extra backup batteries handy if or when needed. So why not have them?

So in the end - - if I paid slightly more - I bought the Hammer/Drill in 12V and the 1/4" Driver, then bought a fairly compete 1/4" driver/bit set with a few drill bits included... might as well have them handy...

Bottom line - this always seem to happen. I spend three times as much as I had planned too and wind up with twice the capability I personally need. Nonetheless it was well worth the money and so far - about a year later - I'm very happy with both tools. Light weight, powerful and more compact than my old Makita. One "option" I really like is that I can buy larger and thus longer lasting {more service amp hours} battery packs if I need them. So far I haven't found any jobs that require them..

I'd say that how the tool fits your hand, how long you plan on holding it at a time and the overall balance of the tool - - is perhaps more important to me than just its shear power. If I need shear power I'll plug in a wired tool or hook up the air tools.

FWIW,
Carl B.

 

[acer66]

yes, the 3.0 batteries are compatible with the 2.6/1.3 batteries/tools

Thank you, I have a hard time to get all the info`s I need about the Bosch tools.
So I hope you or other do not mind to ask some more questions.
Do you know if the tools in the combo kit are different than the stand alone ones?
I also have can not find the Bosch kit the OP is referring to, the one I found has 2.6 batteries and not 3.0.

Thank you

I'd say that how the tool fits your hand, how long you plan on holding it at a time and the overall balance of the tool - - is perhaps more important to me than just its shear power. If I need shear power I'll plug in a wired tool or hook up the air tools.

FWIW,
Carl B.

That might be the most important thing.

 

[Monte]

Thank you, I have a hard time to get all the info`s I need about the Bosch tools.
So I hope you or other do not mind to ask some more questions.
Do you know if the tools in the combo kit are different than the stand alone ones?
I also have can not find the Bosch kit the OP is referring to, the one I found has 2.6 batteries and not 3.0.

afaik the tools in the kits and the "tool only"/stand alone tools are the same.
Some tools come with 2.6 AH batteries, the newer ones with 3.0 AH.
On the long run all tools/kits should come with 3.0 batteries.

 

[acer66]

Monte, do you know by any change what the weight penalty
between the brute 18V DDH181-01 and the hammer version HDH181-01 is?
I did not find any info on the Bosch site, also and that is hopefully my last question before I drop the coin,
do you have any experience/knowledge how big the difference between the 2.6 and the 3.0 amp batteries are?

Thank you

 

[ash95608]

BOSCH the only way to go. The company has been around since 1886 thats 125 years thats got to say something.

 

[Coach James]

Black and Decker has been around for over 100 years also but I have no great faith in their tools.

Coach

 

[ash95608]

True, but I have quite a bit of Bosch tools and they are one of the best I have ever used. Bosch is a huge company that spend tons of money in research and development. They make tools, appliances, automotive parts that are in European cars US made cars and even japanese cars, also very large amount of medical equipment that are used in hospitals around the world that save lives. Most automotive assembly lines that manufacture cars use Bosch tools.

Black and Decker has been around for over 100 years also but I have no great faith in their tools.

Coach

 

[plumber84]

ive just replaced all my dewalt stuff with makita, sds drill, circular saw, jigsaw, 41/2" angle grinder, 14v drill driver, 14v impact driver and 14v combi drill the quality is better than my dewalt stuff and the batteries are cheaper to replace, ive recently used a new festool combi drill our carpenter just bought amazing tool IMHO.

 

[Monte]

Monte, do you know by any change what the weight penalty
between the brute 18V DDH181-01 and the hammer version HDH181-01 is?
I did not find any info on the Bosch site, also and that is hopefully my last question before I drop the coin,
do you have any experience/knowledge how big the difference between the 2.6 and the 3.0 amp batteries are?

Thank you

The regular version weight is 2.1 KG, the hammer version weight is 2.2 KG

I don´t know if there is a noticeable difference between 2.6 + 3.0 .... 0.4 is not that much.... It´s the advertised AH rating with brand new batteries anyway, after charging + discharging several times the rating looks different anyway.



Re.: Bosch
Robert Bosch the founder of Bosch was apprentice at the company of Emil Fein, the inventor of the hand held electric power tool in 1895, Bosch also worked for Thomas Edison so i think he knew what he did ...and the company still knows nowadays

 

[mattrogers]

I actually have those Makita tools you listed: The LXT218 combo (The BHP454 is a better drill than the larger combo pack drills) and the circular saw and reciprocating saw. I also picked up the cordless jigsaw, too. I picked 'em all up piece by piece, to get the better drill, and I don't think I need a cordless flashlight.

I haven't used the Bosch to compare, but I'm quite happy with the Makita. The batteries hold a charge forever, and the charger is awesome (it plays music when it's done charging--How cute!)

 

[acer66]

I just had, again, some great experience with Bosch customer service.

Another thing which might be important to some is if the tools come in a bag or case.
I like cases because I go on job sites and need to protect them,
but at least with Bosch you can consider yourself lucky when just get a bag.

 

[Greatbear]

Bosch. Of all the tool brands I own, Bosch cordless has the best electronics and motor control. Very quiet, no audible squealing or buzzing at low/mid speeds, and very easy to modulate. Makita 18V gear is no different than the ancient 9.6 volt stuff, the motors buzz loudly, but modulation is not bad. Both are high quality tools, but Bosch to me seems to have the edge in this respect.

 

[acer66]

Did someone say Bosch?
View media item 14641The pic is a little off topic, but it was interesting to me that all the power tools I used yesterday were Bosch tools.
One thing about the Bosch 18V Lithium line is that they offer a track system for some of them,
I do not have any experience with that but I will get one for dealing with sheet goods.

http://www.boschtools.com/products/tools/Pages/BoschProductDetail.aspx?pid=2602317031