Milwaukee is great…
But if its just doing a deck…save money and buy everything at harbor freight. The stuff works just fine, usually.
I am a fan of all my Milwaukee stuff. Impact wrench, impact driver, drill, grinder, electric ratchet, leaf blower. Going to hopefully add a couple more to the mix here soon.
Friend of mine worked for DeWalt, he worked in warranty repairs. Any small tool that came in, he would either fix and send back out or deem unfixable and they would replace. He said the only real reason to go with a higher priced DeWalt over something like a Milwaukee is if you are such a heavy user that the tool is worn out in a year or less. They do free replacement in a certain timeframe, so serious users will get 2-3 tools out of them for buying just one. His example was a place that shines tanker trucks. They blow through a grinder with a polisher on it in 3 months or so, they aren’t worth fixing, they are just worn out. So they buy one, DeWalt gives them 2-3 more in that year, then at year end they buy new again.
For the DIY guy, there is no reason to pay the higher DeWalt price.
I’ve been really happy with my Ridgid tools. Everything I’ve bought has seemed to be well thought out and unusually durable.
Pro Tool Reviews is a good place to look for reviews.
Dewalt has an adapter to allow using the “20†volt batteries on the older 18v tools. Not much point in replacing perfectly functioning tools IMO.
Milwaukee has better battery warranty if the batteries came as part of a combo kit.
Makitas cordless track saw was considered one of the best last year. Not sure if that’s still the case.
I ended up with a pretty good deal.
I got a DeWalt 6 tool combo that is normally a $700 set for $449. I had over 200 in gift cards and then also have a $50 bonus from CC I’ll use after it posts. In the end I’ll have paid out of pocket a little over $230.
Tools I got:
2 drill
Reciprocating tool
SawZALL 😉
Sander
Circular
2 batteries.
As noted previously, I also got 3 additional XR batteries for 170 that have a 2, 4 and 8.
I was going to say if your old DeWalt still work well, get some new batteries. Sounds like a great deal and best of both worlds. Tools, bikes, and guitars; nothing like getting some new ones, but why get rid of the old?
Milwaukee Tools are by the far the best tools out there. .
Really? I think most would argue with that and start with Festool as one of the best tools out there, generic statements.
For the record, I own, Festool, Makita, Milwaukee, Rigid, power tools, my Makita cordless drill is probably 15 yrs old now and still my go to drill, my milwaukee stuff is my most recent purchases( M12 drill, cutoff saw, recipricating saw and I do really like them), and my Festool’s well using them is like a wet dream and I don’t want to put them down (but your gonna pay for that experience) Rigid, got one of their first cordless drills, what a mess, hate it, missed out on the lifetime warranty and then thing sits waiting to get thrown in the trash but I feel guilty throwing out a barely used cordless drill even though it sucks its heavy etc…
But rarely would I say 1 company makes the best of all power tools, but in the cordless tool rules your kind of tied to 1 battery system.
But rarely would I say 1 company makes the best of all power tools, but in the cordless tool rules your kind of tied to 1 battery system.
To be fair, Dewalt does allow using it’s “20v” lithium batteries on its 18v tools. So it’s not required to invest in a complete new set of tools. OTOH, to say Milwaukee tools aren’t good is at best laughable. Festool is overpriced, especially for a weekend warrior and possibly even for most contractors. If I were doing a lot of metal working, I would go with Fein. Just wish they made wood working tools, they put all of the metal working stuff we sell to shame.
But rarely would I say 1 company makes the best of all power tools, but in the cordless tool rules your kind of tied to 1 battery system.
To be fair, Dewalt does allow using it’s “20v” lithium batteries on its 18v tools. So it’s not required to invest in a complete new set of tools. OTOH, to say Milwaukee tools aren’t good is at best laughable. Festool is overpriced, especially for a weekend warrior and possibly even for most contractors. If I were doing a lot of metal working, I would go with Fein. Just wish they made wood working tools, they put all of the metal working stuff we sell to shame.
Don’t think I said Milwaukee tools aren’t good. If I did that was not my intent. As I said I use the M12 stuff a lot. Festool is overpriced, like any top of the line product. When you get to the top you pay a lot more for each incremental step up. But I love my random orbital sander it’s so smooth and quiet and the dust extraction just works, only sander I have used that I would call a pleasure to use. Love my Fein Multitool.
Yes for a weekend warrior Festool is beyond what you need. But people buy better than what they need all the time. I have no regrets with the money I spent on my Festool stuff. Nor do I regret my Milwaukee tools, My Makita is the first cordless drill I bought and still my go to one. With the Milwaukee being 2nd (don’t have a festool cordless). Of course I also love my corded pole saw that i bought from … Harbor Freight. Still works great when ever I need it, but I am not a lumberjack.
Honestly only have a few tool regrets that damn rigid cordless drill, and at some level my PM66, a year or so later would have bought the Sawstop, but in reality, probably could live without a table saw. But it does make some cuts faster, and bought it with money I received after my Grandfather past, so I wanted something that would last. My 6" delta pro jointer was probably a tool I could have done without also.
But rarely would I say 1 company makes the best of all power tools, but in the cordless tool rules your kind of tied to 1 battery system.
To be fair, Dewalt does allow using it’s “20v” lithium batteries on its 18v tools. So it’s not required to invest in a complete new set of tools. OTOH, to say Milwaukee tools aren’t good is at best laughable. Festool is overpriced, especially for a weekend warrior and possibly even for most contractors. If I were doing a lot of metal working, I would go with Fein. Just wish they made wood working tools, they put all of the metal working stuff we sell to shame.
But it still one battery system as in Dewalt, I dont think there is a tool company out there that takes a competitors batteries. and that was my point, If you like company X’s drill and company Y’s Saws, your either compromising or stuck with 2 sets of batteries. I think it would be awesome if a tool company figured out how to make adapters so you could use a different companies batteries. Or even better yet an industry standard battery pack. Maybe in time, doubtful but maybe in time.
Still would love to try the Milwaukee heated Coat, did they ever make a heated gloves for their batteries? need to google.
Milwaukee 18v is great stuff. Doubt you need 20-24v
The circular saw is worth its weight in gold. Zero need for a corded. I have since been slowly switching everything to Milwaukee including a portable vacuum and leaf blower.
The one handed saw makes a saw-z-all look antiquated!
Batteries last all day when you get the big capacity ones.
Tell that to my 15amp Makita grinder with a concrete diamond blade grinding concrete.
I should clarify- all day on intermittent use tools. Saws, impact screw gun, etc
Sanders, vacuum, or grinders that are constant use…. Yeah, might need to swap up batteries !!!
But rarely would I say 1 company makes the best of all power tools, but in the cordless tool rules your kind of tied to 1 battery system.
To be fair, Dewalt does allow using it’s “20v” lithium batteries on its 18v tools. So it’s not required to invest in a complete new set of tools. OTOH, to say Milwaukee tools aren’t good is at best laughable. Festool is overpriced, especially for a weekend warrior and possibly even for most contractors. If I were doing a lot of metal working, I would go with Fein. Just wish they made wood working tools, they put all of the metal working stuff we sell to shame.
But it still one battery system as in Dewalt, I dont think there is a tool company out there that takes a competitors batteries. and that was my point, If you like company X’s drill and company Y’s Saws, your either compromising or stuck with 2 sets of batteries. I think it would be awesome if a tool company figured out how to make adapters so you could use a different companies batteries. Or even better yet an industry standard battery pack. Maybe in time, doubtful but maybe in time.
Still would love to try the Milwaukee heated Coat, did they ever make a heated gloves for their batteries? need to google.
Yes, Milwaukee makes heated gloves, we also consider the Milwaukee jacket superior to the Makita version. I don’t have either but some of my co-workers received the Makita jackets as a promo, they’re not overly impressed with them.