Cordless tool set recommendation

[Chadi]

Hey everyone. I'm looking to by a cordless drill but also want to have the option to by a recip and circ saw (that use the same battery) as well. I would prefer not to get the Ryobi products. Can folks recommend a good brand that offers multiple tools?

Thank you

Chadi

[os1kne]

I have a DeWalt 18v set and I like it very much. I think that if you go with any of the quality name brands (DeWalt, Makita, Bosch, Milwaukee) you are likely to be pleased. The only thing that got me to choose DeWalt was a really good deal, that I couldn't pass up. I do like that they seem to have a huge selection of 18v tools and have good availability at local stores. Good luck.

[maxparot]

Dewalt, Ridgid, Bosch, Milwaukee, Makita, Portercable, Hitachi they are all quality tools Hitachi of late has been priced reasonably. I'd look for a Lithium Ion battery system if I were in the market for a new kit today.

[Uncle Cracker]

I have gotten great service from my DW 18V tools. I have only had to replace my batteries (I keep 4) once in the last 9 years, and that's when Lowes was dealing on the 2-packs for $75. But I think the earlier suggestion to look for a LiON set is a good one. There are numerous advantages.

[Cheeky]

I have the Milwaukee V28 recip, drill and circ saw. It's fantastic. looks like they changed it now, and have started to produce more of the items in the 4pc kit offshore. i don't know if that has affected the quality, but i like mine, a lot.

3 things i really like about the V28 Lithium Ion: the run time, the power, and the LED battery level guage.


also have an 18V Ridgid drill, which is very nice too. You can get a great deal on one of those at Home Depot for $99 right now. It's just as good as any other NiMh drill out there.

[crokett]

I still might look at the Ryobi. I got a Dewalt 14.4V cordless drill and the Ryobi set (drill, flashlight, recip and circ saw) at roughly the same time, 6 years ago. The DeWalt battery packs died about 3 years ago. With harder usage (across multiple tools) the Ryobi packs just died 2 weeks ago and the replacements are much cheaper - 2 of the Ryobi packs for 1/2 the cost of a single DeWalt.

[Doug Jones]

Whichever you choose, look for the latest and greatest in battery technology (lithium ion). That seems to be where the biggest improvements have been in the past 5 years.

As for me, I'm a Bosch owner of the 6 piece set.

I also wouldn't count out the Ryobi tools just yet, they are making headway in their tools.

[Chadi]

Thanks

THanks for the input everyone.

[gwyneth]

I also would suggest not ruling out the Ryobis. I continue to be shocked at how well the Ryobi cordless circular saw and drill are designed and perform. Even without the lithium upgrade the batteries are much better than I thought they'd be.

The Ryobis have one important advantage rarely mentioned in cordless tool purchase. They are far less attractive to potential thieves than DeWalts or Milwaukees, especially the former--the yellow somehow acts like pollen to bees.

[crokett]

Good point Gwyneth. One of my brothers is a handyman. He now owns only Ryobi portable tools since he's had a Dewat and Bosch drill stolen in the last few years. Both times his Ryobi tools were ignored. If he needs something the Ryobi's don't do he just rents now.

[kmk]

I'd go with Panasonic. I heard the battery is much better. On a single charge you can drive more screws than any other comparable sets.

[newbie2wood]

Battery life seems to be the main concern with cordless tools. Ridgid has a lifetime replacement warranty / service for their tools and batteries.
________
Glass smoking pipes

[prlundberg]

What will the tools be used for? How much will they be used?

I agree with the Ryobi comments. If you are just an average DIYer, the Ryobis will serve you fine, and they have about as many tools for their battery system as any of the premium brands. The batteries will fail before the tools, and the Ryobi batteries are much cheaper to replace.

The premium brands make great cordless tools, but for non-professional users they are not always a good value. Especially when it comes time to replace the batteries.

If I were to buy a premium set, it would probably be DeWalt. Their new Lithium Ion batteries can be used in their old (and current) Ni-Cad tools, which seems to suggest batteries for current tools will be easy to find years from now even if technology evolves further. To me that's important, because for what I use them for quality tools should last decades but batteries will not.

It should also be noted that many of the premium brand batteries are more expensive because they are higher amp hours (running time) than the Ryobi batteries. Cheaper batteries compatable with premium tools are available, although I don't think you'll find any better deals than you do with Ryobi batteries.

[prlundberg]

Battery life seems to be the main concern with cordless tools. Ridgid has a lifetime replacement warranty / service for their tools and batteries.

Good point, I forgot about that.

[gwyneth]

The Ryobis have one important advantage rarely mentioned in cordless tool purchase. They are far less attractive to potential thieves than DeWalts or Milwaukees, especially the former--the yellow somehow acts like pollen to bees.

Good point Gwyneth. One of my brothers is a handyman. He now owns only Ryobi portable tools since he's had a Dewat and Bosch drill stolen in the last few years. Both times his Ryobi tools were ignored. If he needs something the Ryobi's don't do he just rents now.

It's not just on job sites, either, and it's weird how the DeWalt corded, while still attractive to thieves, don't seem to generate theft the same way as the cordless.

A burglar will scoop up most kinds of tools when he's already there. But DeWalt cordless tools seem to send out an irresistable invisible signal, kind of like a female dog in season.