Rechargeable Power Tools - Recommendation?

[kenmac]

Ridgid brand from H.D. did offer a life time warranty on even the batteries.If you can get the ridgid customer service # you could call & ask if this offer is still good.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Last Christmas, I picked up a new 18V Milwaukee set at Home Depot for $400 bucks. The set included the hammer drill, sawzall, circular saw, flashlight, job site radio, three batteries, charger and a soft case. Of course the tools work well but I must say that I use the flashlight more than I thought I would.

My 18V Dewault was about worn out and the batteries were shot so I gave that one away. I also have a Porter Cable 19.2V which has servered me well but the batteries are shot and expensive to buy. I tried to rebuild the battery pack but my soldering gun would not work right. Maybe I will try one of those rebuild places that you see advertised.

If money were not an issue, I would buy the new lithium ion technology (see the July issue of Fine Homebuilding for an excellent article on that).

For Dewault batteries, I understand you can go to the Black & Decker service stores and buy replacements cheaper than Dewault. There is a little nub that has to be filed off so they fit correctly.

 

[Bedlam]

Ditto on the flashlight. I use mine more than I thought I would.
I plan to buy 2 new batteries to use with the tools and keep the flashlight in the house with the other charger, and two of my "slightly used" batteries.They are still good, but not too strong. But work fine with the light.
Oh,I also "save any AAA batteries that go dead in the radio etc.And reuse them in the clocks. They are "DEAD" for the radio and other things, but sometimes run the clock for a year plus.
typical Yankee in me.(Hey in the spell check yankee is capitalized Y.I guess we have respect LOL
Allan

 

[SPYDERLK]

Theres a lot of good information in this thread. I want to chime in about an issue I have experienced that I dont see here. Chuck grip.Both in the hand while tightening, and of the tool afterward. I have used several drill makes; Porter Cable, DeWalt, Skil, Makita, Harbor Freight, Kawasaki, etc. Of these, and any I may have forgotten, the Makita stands out clearly as having the most friendly chuck. I have the Makita 6333D - - 14.4V and 1/2" Jacobs chuck. I bought it for the voltage-compatible with a tractor or car battery- and capacity to hold all popular sizes. Imagine my surprise to find a chuck you could grip so well that your hands turn into crossed box end wrenches. As the chuck gets tight the rotation turns into very small notching movements, seemingly aiding tightening and certainly inhibiting loosening in operation. The jaw grip on the tool is very good and easy to achieve. The only downside I ran into in Makitas application of this chuck was the keeper screw grossly limiting the insertion depth of the drillbit - an issue mainly with large bits. I ended up removing the screw - a metric lefthand shoulder screw. I planned to get one with a shorter shoulder, but Ive had no problem just leaving in out. This is a strong drill but not a hammer drill and wont loosen the chuck under its own power. If it does Ill deal with it.
Ive had the drill about five years. When a battery wears out Ill make an extension cord adapter to go to a vehicle battery.
Larry

 

[mudcat]

DeWALT uses the same chuck.

 

[California]

This raises a new question:

Is it worthwhile to get a 12 or 14 volt cordless kit and run it from a vehicle battery occasionally? Or recharge it while driving?

One of my applications will be pruning in the orchard with the jig saw (or even chainsaw if available), so 12 v corded service might be a useful feature.

Any comments?

 

[SPYDERLK]

DeWALT uses the same chuck.

I think not. None of the DeWalts Ive used nor any of the pictures Ive seen of them match the chuck used on the 6333D. They are all fatter and shorter chucks with smoother outsides affording less grip purchase. The one on the Makita is a little longer and slimmer and is fully encased in a black plastic composite having a very aggressive surface design. It is model #13HT12HDS. I believe this is their top of the line hand tightening chuck.
Larry

 

[RobertN]

Is it worthwhile to get a 12 or 14 volt cordless kit and run it from a vehicle battery occasionally? Or recharge it while driving?

I have the vehicle charger for the 18v DeWalt. I am not sure how it charges to 18v, but it works well. I am thinking maybe they use a charge pump scheme...

 

[California]

RobertN, thanks for the comment. I went ahead and got the 18 volt Ryobi kit (5 pcs) plus the chain saw. About $250 total with tax. The quality looks excellent, recognising that this is intended for light maintenance rather than earning a living.

As I was looking at the chainsaw ($60), an old HVAC tech walked up and recommended it. He said it is excellent for his work. His typical application is a few minutes to cut a new duct opening.

Extra Ryobi batteries are $40 per pair and I read somewhere they are 1.7 amphour. The initial pair in my kit should be sufficient for my occasional use.

I also looked at the HF combo set @ $80 with batteries 1.2 ah and extras $10 each. That might serve for light work such as hanging drapes but not shop work.

The pro grade sets are far more expensive and I don't need all day trades-quality battery life.

One last comment - I got the rebate card offering full reimbursement for the Ryobi rotating laser level purchased on the same sales slip, and what the salesman told me was the qualifying level. Got home and discovered the base level isn't rebated, only the more expensive multitask level kit - so it's going back. Also its manual says its plus or minus a half inch in 20 ft and I don't want anything that inaccurate in my toolkit.

Thanks everyone for a lot of good advice.

 

[mudcat]

I think not. None of the DeWalts Ive used nor any of the pictures Ive seen of them match the chuck used on the 6333D. They are all fatter and shorter chucks with smoother outsides affording less grip purchase. The one on the Makita is a little longer and slimmer and is fully encased in a black plastic composite having a very aggressive surface design. It is model #13HT12HDS. I believe this is their top of the line hand tightening chuck.
Larry

My mistake. I thought you were talking about Jacobs more rugged all steel design with carbide teeth and ratchet tightening. One of the reasons I bought a DeWALT was because it didn't have plastic on the chuck. It just wouldn't last long in my line of work.