Cordless Drill Purchase

[bigtiller]

I hope I didn't get suckered into another tool purchase.
I just bought a Makita XT248 hammer-drill/driver & impact driver combination based a large part on recommendations from a few threads here on TBN the past few months. I hope it works out better than the last set I had.

I gave up on the Ridged package that I purchased over a year ago. I came to the conclusion that it was for light duty work and that is not the way I roll. Makita 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Combo Kit (2-Piece)-XT248 at The Home Depot

 

[huddleston]

i have the LXT 18 volt combo set and i really like it, yours is a heaver version then mine so you should enjoy yours also.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Relax... you just bought the best. Work them hard.

 

[DFB]

Brushless is the new direction they all seem to be headed...and those 3.0ah batteries really make the tool!

 

[EddieWalker]

Congratulations, that's what I started with. Then I bought the saw, the sawzall, the flashlight and the vacuum cleaner.

I've found that Bosch or Milwakee make the best drivers for the impact driver. DeWalt has the biggest selection, but they don't last very long. Bosch is always my first choice for drill bits and attachments.

Eddie

 

[Dizno]

I gave up on the Ridged package that I purchased over a year ago. I came to the conclusion that it was for light duty work and that is not the way I roll. Makita 18-Volt LXT Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Combo Kit (2-Piece)-XT248 at The Home Depot

Is there not a lifetime warranty on Ridgid? What went wrong with them?

 

[bigtiller]

Is there not a lifetime warranty on Ridgid? What went wrong with them?

The jaws on the drill never did clamp tight enough to drill a 3/8 hole in steel, even with a 1/8 pilot hole. The trigger on the drill, reciprocating saw and impact driver would not power the units if squeezed slowly for a slow RPM. It worked most of the time if I went full throttle. And the small batteries would die out on the saw if I pushed it too hard for a fast cut. I never did finish a cut in wood or steel without the saw stopping, I always had to release the trigger and start again. I cut up some thick cardboard for the garbage once, it ran great then.

 

[bigtiller]

Congratulations, that's what I started with. Then I bought the saw, the sawzall, the flashlight and the vacuum cleaner.

I've found that Bosch or Milwakee make the best drivers for the impact driver. DeWalt has the biggest selection, but they don't last very long. Bosch is always my first choice for drill bits and attachments.

Eddie

Are you satisfied with the sawzall? Power? Run time per battery?

 

[droptop]

The problem with ANY coordless purchase is that the first tool that you buy almost locks you into a brand. Having the batteries and charger make it easy to buy the accessories to go with them. You have made a fine decision on Makita, I have the drill, driver, radio and plan on getting the cordless grinder. I am so happy that I made the right decision when made the first purchase, and didn't go for the cheap option.

 

[Coyote machine]

That set should be excellent. I have an earlier 14.4 volt one and it's still going strong- from before the Li-ion batteries, brushless motors and fast chargers they include today.
I also have the latest Ridgid kit with drill/impact driver, and bought the stand alone circ-saw bare tool. I covered them with Ridgid's lifetime warranty plan on all the pieces including batteries. Haven't had any trouble with any of the Ridgid cordless tools I have.