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Cordless power tools

I have had both Milwaukee and Dewalt and both have been great. One thing to watch out for though is that both brands make a big box discount version. It is best to avoid the big box stores when purchasing these. Acme tools in Cedar Rapids (think they have other locations) generally has as good and better at times prices. And they don't sell the cheap crap
 
Gunnerclone said:
Any thoughts on Ryobi? It's more in my budget level and I saw somewhere they are built by the same factory as Makita.
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I probably have 16ish Ryobi hand power tools because of their price point and when they go on sale you can pick up sets at a good price. My opinion is that hand tools are definitely something that you get what you pay for and the Ryobi line is good for a lot of garage hobbyists. Now, when I want to use a really good sander, I get our my Bosch, and when I really need to use a tough drill I get out my 20v Dewalt hammer.
 
Well, really the story is that I have ditched the desk job and have moved back to my hometown and is taking over my families farm. Obviously, I will be using these tools in some way probably most every day.

The reason why I have chosen these two brands in not only because they seem to have the best reputation for having quality tools they offer battery powered grease guns. Especially with planting season here that thing will be getting a workout. My dad has had his eye on one for a while now and has never pulled the trigger (heh heh), mostly because he has Ridgid gear and it suits him just fine and he couldn't justify buying one tool for so much money that would mostly be used in the spring and fall only, so with me being "new" to the farm I thought I would start off fresh with a brand new set of tools.
 
I keep a couple of Ryobi combo kits in the work trucks for the occasional use because of the price point. I have some dewalt with the older 18 Volts. I've switched to the Milwaukee tools as our everyday use for 1/2" and 3/8" impact, grease guns, sawzall, hammer drill, screw guns, and heated jackets. They have the best combination of reliable and available tools, warranty, batteries. I have both the 12 V and 18 V lithium for the Milwaukee
 
I think Alemite has the best grease gun but I started going with the Milwaukee because of interchangeable batteries and chargers with other tools.
 
I'm pretty devoted to Porter Cable after using Dewalt and Craftsman stuff.
 
cytech said:
I have had both Milwaukee and Dewalt and both have been great. One thing to watch out for though is that both brands make a big box discount version. It is best to avoid the big box stores when purchasing these. Acme tools in Cedar Rapids (think they have other locations) generally has as good and better at times prices. And they don't sell the cheap crap
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Agree on watching what tools you are getting in big box stores. Also a big fan of ACME Tools--if you are in the commercial trades or need access to serious power tools, it's a great place to shop. It's never the cheapest if you shop around, but they will have it in stock and the customer service is second to none.
 
cyinne said:
Well, really the story is that I have ditched the desk job and have moved back to my hometown and is taking over my families farm. Obviously, I will be using these tools in some way probably most every day.

The reason why I have chosen these two brands in not only because they seem to have the best reputation for having quality tools they offer battery powered grease guns. Especially with planting season here that thing will be getting a workout. My dad has had his eye on one for a while now and has never pulled the trigger (heh heh), mostly because he has Ridgid gear and it suits him just fine and he couldn't justify buying one tool for so much money that would mostly be used in the spring and fall only, so with me being "new" to the farm I thought I would start off fresh with a brand new set of tools.
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I bought a Lincoln rechargeable grease gun one time. What a POS. It's kept me from buying another, even another brand. Never been more disappointed in a power tool in my life, for what that thing cost.
 
Milwaukee Fuel are absolutely amazing. I manage a large egg farm and we have used all brands and Milwaukee seem to hold up the best vs. Dewalt. I know it really comes down to personal preference because both brands make very solid tools.
 
Gunnerclone said:
Any thoughts on Ryobi? It's more in my budget level and I saw somewhere they are built by the same factory as Makita.
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I have heard that they make some decent products for the money. If you are planning on using them a lot I would suggest saving up to buy name brand. But if u are just going to have them around the house to use to build stuff every once in a while then u would probably be ok buying Ryobi.
 
I've used strictly Makita at work for the past 8 or so years. Previous to that, all DeWalt. I prefer the Makita tools myself, with the exception of the sawzall. DeWalt's sawzall is and has always been better.

Buying a kit with a battery powered oscillating tool (like a Fein tool) has been a lifesaver. It makes the sawzall ALMOST obsolete as long as you buy good blades.

As far as hammer drills go, a corded Bosch Bulldog will save your life if you need to use one on a regular basis. And SDS bits can be found super cheap on Amazon. Paying $8 for one bit at Lowe's or the like is a joke.
 
Acylum said:
I'm pretty devoted to Porter Cable after using Dewalt and Craftsman stuff.
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The Porter Cable brand is owned by Stanley Black & Decker--same as DeWalt--so it's probably somewhat likely you're getting the benefit of DeWalt's R&D and/or carryover of older tech. I'd put Porter-Cable in a similar class as Ryobi (great for occasional use, but suspect of durability if using every day).

I've had 18v NiCd Dewalt for ~10 years and have no complaints. The 1/4" hex drive impact driver is good, and I think would be incredibly handy in a farm situation (get 3/8" square drive adapter and use it as a compact impact). If I were buying new I would definitely be looking brushless for the pieces I thought I would use a lot.
 
With the disclosure that I'm just a homeowner, so I only have occasional use (and thus why I hadn't participated thus far), but since I haven't seen it mentioned, I have a Hitachi drill that I love. It turned a 1-1/4" spade bit to the extent that when it bit in, it was more likely to start to twist my wrist than to bog down.
 
Our first battery powered grease gun was a Lincoln and wasn't a great design. After it broke, bought a Milwaukee and that gun is awesome, wouldn't even look at any other battery grease gun.
 
This is a little like asking someone if they're a Ford or Chevy fan. You'll get some very strong opinions.

There are several good options for cordless tools. The big names like DeWalt, Milwaukee, Bosch, Makita are all very good and relatively comparable. Those are made for daily use (professionals).

If you're a weekend warrior, Ryobi, Craftsman and similar lines can also be a good option. Much less expensive, but still decent quality and a good value.
 
00clone said:
With the disclosure that I'm just a homeowner, so I only have occasional use (and thus why I hadn't participated thus far), but since I haven't seen it mentioned, I have a Hitachi drill that I love. It turned a 1-1/4" spade bit to the extent that when it bit in, it was more likely to start to twist my wrist than to bog down.
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Psh....I bet you only have a single stage snowblower too. Do you even call yourself a man?
 
Just as a heads up if you are looking at different kits, make sure you get a hammer drill instead of just the normal drill. I have both, and I always go for the hammer drill. Also I find I use the angle drill a lot more than I thought I would.
 
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