Aftermarket tool batteries VS factory batteries.

[dickfoster]

The older Milwaukee, Porter Cable, Black and Decker Professional corded tools were good quality tools imo. I still have several of these that I use today. The cordless tools are not comparable though, I don't see where these brands are much different from the others such as Ryobi for less cost.

Well the Black and Decker brand has gone to h e l l IMHO. Most of their stuff is made for apartment dwellers it seems. I know they own other brands for the premium and pro tool markets. I think they own DeWalt while Skil, another brand that went to cheap, owns Bosh for their better stuff. I like Porter Cable stuff too but it mostly depends on the tool as to who makes the best. For a sawzall I'd say Milwaukee, for a router Porter Cable and for an oscillating saw the best is still Fein who invented it. As for sidewinders I guess many of them are better than Skil now. Although B&D sold the first pistol grip drills they are no longer the best, far from it.

 

[FredH]

I second the Oscillating tool Fein makes . My Brother has one and it has been our " go to " tool for over 3 years now on all the remodeling We have done at Our Mom's house .
Not sure what brand his sawzall is , kind of a green , dark color ????? Name brand I remember but which brand is ??? Anyway I am surprised it still works :confused3:
Reason being , We were installing one of those walk in tubs , so I was under the house cutting the old drain pipe for the shower / tub combo that was in the before . So of course , the drain had to be right up against the foundation for what ever reason , could not see behind it next to the sill plate . So what happens to be running along that sill plate ? The old 220/240 line that went to the dryer they had before they switched to gas 10 years earlier !! :shocked:

Yep , Fred whacked that line , Which My Dad had No idea " Why " it was still hot :confused2: The light show was pretty spectacular to say the least . Blew sparks up through the hole in the floor for the drain were Our other brother was working . The look on his face when he pressed his eyes to the hole and looked at Me about 16" away was awesome . " You O.K. ? " . I was fine , Bro's saw still worked but the blade that I had been using was pretty much melted to nothing about 1/2 way down it .

Been a few years since then and saw still works great although We did have to chuck that blade .

Fred H.


Makita is the brand of sawzall he has . Just remembered :laughing:

 

[ultrarunner]

Maybe Metabo?

Very popular in Germany when I was there for those in the trade...

Never had a bad Makita... they also tend to carry parts which I've found not to be the case for the long run with others.

My brother was looking for cordless tools... I said Makita and he went all out... so far so good.

That said I do like my Dewalt Biscuit Joiner, 40 year old Skil Worm drive saw, my 25 year old Bosch Sabre Saw, my Makita Chop Saw and Milwaukee Magnum pistol drills..

My hardest working tool is my Sawzalls... but they also are the only tools I have worn out or broken...

 

[lexluther]

I tried rebuilt and black and Decker brand for my Dewalt battery..both were crap. Also tried to rebuild my own...not worth it. Factory seems best, but Dewalt stopped making them, which is infuriating. Switched to Ryobi tools, they are backwards compatible, and the batteries which is the part that wears out on cordless tools...are half or one third the price of the major brands.

 

[Gregster613]

Thank you Fred -- I'm going to order a set (or two) and give them a try. Since they've worked well for you I don't see any reason to be wary. Appreciate the link. Greg

 

[John_Mc]

My old, very old Makita cordless tools have lasted decades...

Always very careful to fully discharge by switching the battery to the flashlight and then full charge...

That is necessary occasionally with NiCad (though not every single cycle), but not necessary with Lithium Ion batteries.

 

[FredH]

What about the Rigid brand by Home Depot ? I see they have lifetime battery replacement with a lithium battery . I am Fine with MY C3 craftsman , But Bro and Me are looking at getting a couple of drivers for both our sisters . It would be less hassles then for them if a battery went bad ?

Fred H.

 

[dickfoster]

I tried rebuilt and black and Decker brand for my Dewalt battery..both were crap. Also tried to rebuild my own...not worth it. Factory seems best, but Dewalt stopped making them, which is infuriating. Switched to Ryobi tools, they are backwards compatible, and the batteries which is the part that wears out on cordless tools...are half or one third the price of the major brands.

If your Dewalt tools are 14.4V you can get lithium replacements from Battery Ship which are much much better than a NiCad that anyone makes. They also supply a free charger for the lithium replacements.

 

[lexluther]

If your Dewalt tools are 14.4V you can get lithium replacements from Battery Ship which are much much better than a NiCad that anyone makes. They also supply a free charger for the lithium replacements.

Well, dang...good site, thanks!

 

[aczlan]

What about the Rigid brand by Home Depot ? I see they have lifetime battery replacement with a lithium battery . I am Fine with MY C3 craftsman , But Bro and Me are looking at getting a couple of drivers for both our sisters . It would be less hassles then for them if a battery went bad ?

Fred H.

Dad started out with a 12v drill in 2003ish, they have replaced several sets of batteries, the drill (with a 14.4v drill as they stopped making 12v drills) and we have been happy with it. Its a really nice drill, I would say its at least as nice as a Dewalt.
The 12v or 14.4v drills would keep up with an 18v drill no problem.
With the warranty, make sure to make a copy of the receipt as they will want a readable copy for the warranty and thermal paper goes blank over time. IIRC, was at one point a 2-3 year time limit on the battery warranty (with ni-cds at least), so read the fine print on that.

Aaron Z