Cordless Tools

[Aplus 525]

Who here uses cordless tools on the job?

Right now I've got a 14.4v drill/circular saw combo I've been using the past two seasons, but it just doesn't have the guts or battery life I'd like.

I noticed Sears has what seems to be a good deal on a Craftsman large combo kit with 19.2 volts.

The kit has a drill, a recipricator saw, a jigsaw, a circular saw, & a flashlight, with 3 batteries and a case, for $199.00.

I'm wondering if this set will hold up halfway decent.

[One Tough Pressure 580]

I use my DeWalt Cordless tools at my day job. I have a 12v drill and the 24 volt Hammer Drill, circular saw, and reciprocating saw. The 24 volt also has a transformer that fits where the battery goes so you can run off the wall if needed.

[tropical wave 22]

Tony,

I think that 19v setup is relatively new...I was looking at them myself, for the price it sure looks good.....Ive had craftsman cordless tools that last longer than the B&D Ive had...but I have a Dewalt drill that is awesome..... I would think that with 3 batteries, unless I'm "building" a deck, they would be good enough for general repairs....I'm going to give em a try.... the price is nice, and with the sears card it makes it even easier to look at it as $10 a month....

I have a question related here...does anybody use, ever heard of or ever even seen a cordless orbitol that can be used with defelting pads for wood restoration jobs? been lightly searching and coming up ZIPPO.....????

[Brad 14]

I have the Craftsman 18 volt set with circular saw, drill, flashlight, two

batteries, and charger. It holds up good for me, I've used it for everything

you could probably think of it take's a hour to recharge so a third battery

would be perfect. I'm looking for a cordless pw wand!!!!!!!

[jnoden 15]

I have the craftsman 19.2 drill and love it. Had it for a year now and completely finished my basement with it. Has good power for drilling and battery can not be overcharged because charger stops when charged. Extra batteries are a good thing though to ensure you always have one that is charged.

[Applied Pressure Cleaning 14]

Always remember you get what you pay for. Not to say that a craftsman drill will not do the job you need, but that there are better tools out there. I'm a tool technician for my day job, while pressure cleaning on the side. There is a reason dewalt only has a 1 year warranty on their tools, while milwaukee has a 5 year. If your looking for my opinion go with a better brand. That way not only will you be able to get the job done, but you won't get laughed at by other contractors. Milwaukee has a 28 volt lithium battery tool pack that is lighter than all 18 volt tools on the market. The price of that in a 4 pack is about $600, maybe more. It doesn't come out till October.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Mike

This is what I found...

http://www.abccatalog.com/store/viewitem.asp?idproduct=2887734099

Don Phelps turned me on to this site, they have some decent prices.

Rod~

[tropical wave 22]

Mike

This is what I found...

http://www.abccatalog.com/store/viewitem.asp?idproduct=2887734099

Don Phelps turned me on to this site, they have some decent prices.

Rod~

Thanks Rod, are you guys (or others) using a grinder with a 4.5" wheel with defelting pads? or a regular orbital sander, or maybe even a vehicle polisher ? the sanders I have now really stink, was looking for options.....

that is a good website ..... thanks for passing it on

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Ours is the makita 3500rpm variable speed with a 5/8 arbor hole with a backing plate. It is listed as a 9" grinder/buffer.

Rod~

[Aplus 525]

Well I picked up the Craftsman tool set mentioned above. A heck of a deal for $199, and although I haven't used it yet, the tools seem well built, a nice sturdy case, and the batteries charge in an hour.

Maybe not as good as other set priced $400-600, but for what I do, it should be just fine. Heck my old 14.4 did the job the past two years, my biggest beef was the batteries took 3 hours to charge.

[R L S 14]

I use a Craftsman 19.2 voltEX cordless drill it is awesome. It came with a 1hour charger which is nice also. When I bought mine I paid $12 for a two year warranty that covers everything including the batteries. If I drop it,run it over or hit with a hammer I get a new one.

Richard

[CCPC 26]

The main thing to consider when purchasing cordless battery powered tools is the quality of the battery pack, as this is usually the first thing to go. Avoid buying tools with NiCad battery packs because they go to crap in no time and of course the cost to replace the battery pack, in a lot of cases, is more than the tool it's self. Go with the NI MH battery powered tools.

[Aplus 525]

I totally agree about NI MH technology, but it's just not as widespread in cordless tools as NiCad is. I'm guessing here, but I think the NiCad is a cheaper solution, which allows the tools to be priced lower. Like for me, I wasn't really in the market for more cordless tools, but for 2 hundred bucks it's hard to beat, and I like the assortment of tools.

If the tools were priced at 400 bucks, even though they included NiMh batteries, I wouldn't have bought them. Too much money right now.

Maybe in the future battery technologies will advance enough to allow better solutions at lower prices. Then I'll probably buy another set, but this one will do fine until then.

[Christopher 102]

Hello APlus,

Have you used the 19.2 drill yet? I saw one with a tight spot right angle drill both at Sears for $100.00 . I am trying to decide between the Sears, Ryobi and the Black&Decker. The Black&Decker special edition puts out 390 inch pounds of torque while the Hitachi only has 350 for $149.00 and the Dewalt has only 350 for $169.00 . The Ryobi does not say on the box and I have not gone to Sears yet but would like some opinions. I do have the Ryobi 14.4 drill and it is pretty good but I would like something stronger and last longer. So Everyone, Please let me know your opinions. Thank You.