Tool Purchase

[campersam9]

I am in the middle of updating. my hybrid . I had to purchase some tools in order to accomplish my goal.
Started out impact nut driver, quick realises drill bit set, Oscillating saw, air nailer and some hand tools.
In my search for a good at a good price was hard. The battery impact driver was a total loss. I purchased a driver for $135.00 charger and one battery. After about an hour into the job it smoked. I returned that and went to Lowes. There I purchased a Craftsman impact nut driver set for $89.00 It works fantastic. What store and what mcg do you recommend? Harbor freight was more expensive and burnt up! Do yo stick with one mfg or purchase all brand's?

[Onyrlef]

Originally Posted by campersam9

I am in the middle of updating. my hybrid . I had to purchase some tools in order to accomplish my goal.
Started out impact nut driver, quick realises drill bit set, Oscillating saw, air nailer and some hand tools.
In my search for a good at a good price was hard. The battery impact driver was a total loss. I purchased a driver for $135.00 charger and one battery. After about an hour into the job it smoked. I returned that and went to Lowes. There I purchased a Craftsman impact nut driver set for $89.00 It works fantastic. What store and what mcg do you recommend? Harbor freight was more expensive and burnt up! Do yo stick with one mfg or purchase all brand's?

I use a Milwaukee M12 impact driver as well as an assortment of other M12 tools which I've not been disappointed with. Nail guns have come a long way in the past 20 years or so, most any brand will last as long as you keep a few drops of oil in them. Key to buying a nail gun is make sure the store stocks a wide variety of nails, and see if they have a generic for that type gun. Duo-Fast guns will last forever, but they only use Duo-Fast fasteners and they're high as cat's back.

[us71na]

I worked on a ramp project this week and was impressed by the Dewalt brushless impact driver. It work faster than the Rigid and other brand drivers that were on site.

[Jagiven]

I like my cordless tools to be all the same brand. One battery works for them all. The batteries is were the cost of at. The tool is the cheap part.

I have dewalt, because I was given a nice tool kit decades ago. And have stuck with them. My second choice would be Milwaukee as they have some nice unique tool setups. 3rd choice would be Ridge sold at Home Depot due to their battery warranty.

Stick with one brand, that all ise one battery.

[travelingjw]

I have had a Bauer Harbor Freight impact for 3 years. No problems. 1 battery charge will last me for about 10 - 15 set-ups and tear downs before it shows even half full.

[Happy wife / happy life]

My go to cordless tools ( nut driver , drill ) are Milwaukee brand. Tools that I don’t use on a regular bases are corded. Corded tools are generally less expensive than cordless. I stay with Mikita(angle grinder , rotary sander ). Milwaukee ( sawzall ). Dewalt ( 1/2 inch impact wrench ). Skil ( worm gear saw ) and Black & Decker for the 1/2 inch drill. Remember any new DIY project requires new tools! A least that’s what I have been telling DW for the last 48 years!!

[bucko]

Milwaukee or Dewalt. I use these on my job, and we beat the daylight out of each. They both handle rough use and keep on working. 40 volt units.

[robkelly]

Another vote for Milwaukee or Dewalt. I use Dewalt only because they are available at Lowes which is close to home.

[JB13502]

As others have stated, find the brand that works for you and stick with it. That way you don't end up with a mish-mash of batteries.

I switched to the Milwaukee 12 and 18 volt brushless designs, and they have served me exceptionally well. My son is still using the 18 volt Ridgid tool set that I bought more than 10 years ago and used to gut and rebuild an entire house.

I switched to Milwaukee from Ridgid because I had purchased a Milwaukee string trimmer. Being the tool-whore that I am, I ended up duplicating everything in the Ridgid set, plus cordless tools that I didn't have (like the oscillating multitool, angle grinder, etc. Otherwise, I would still be using the Ridgid set. Their lifetime warranty is hard to beat.

It's really a balance of how much you want to spend, and how often you use your tools. Home Depot has some great Father's Day deals on Ryobi 18 volt tools right now. While I wouldn't consider them a daily use tool, for occasional use they just might be the ticket and they come with a 3-year warranty.

[DocBrown]

As said the balance of how you use your tools, and how often needs to be considered. That and sticking with one brand to maximize use of batteries.

If I was a contractor, it would be nothing but either Dewalt or Milwaukee. But neither of those makes sense for how often I use them. I use my drill maybe a couple of times a month, and my jigsaw maybe 4-5 times a year, and more recently a sawzall that I didn't think I needed but now can't live without.

About 7/8 years ago I took a chance and bought a Porter-Cable 20volt drill in a case with 2 batteries. One of the best things I ever bought. Really reliable with excellent torque and great battery life. I also bought a Portal Cable jigsaw a few years ago. Also excellent.

My sawzall was an emergency purchase to get a specific job done. It ended up being a Black and Decker. It's actually overall better than I expected it to be but battery life is lacking. I'll replace it with a Porter-Cable. I really can't believe how much I use it though.

[JB13502]

Originally Posted by DocBrown

My sawzall was an emergency purchase to get a specific job done. It ended up being a Black and Decker. It's actually overall better than I expected it to be but battery life is lacking. I'll replace it with a Porter-Cable. I really can't believe how much I use it though.

Put a demo blade on it and who needs the chainsaw for light limbing, eh?

[mrpavette]

I don’t think Dewalt is as good as they used to be. My Dewalt sawsall, chainsaw broke and I have issues with their weed wacker. I think Milwaukee is a better tool, but expensive. I’d also agree to stay with one brand, but sometimes may be hard to do. Since everyone don’t have every tool battery operated.

[t18skyguy]

For cordless I use Bosch 18 volt products. I like that you can press a button on the battery and it gives you the remaining charge. They are excellent tools.For corded I like Hitachi( now bought out by someone) and I also like Makita. Makita is spendy but very high quality.

[norty1]

I still have a Milwaukee corded Sawzall that I inherited from my dad. It must be over 40 years old, maybe 50 and will just not die.

I want a cordless model but this one is like an old friend.

[jimmoore13]

I have Porter Cable drills, oscillating saw, etc. As others said, pick a brand so you can collect batteries that run everything.
Porter Cable is DeWalt lite. They work well and hold up. I have plenty of batteries, and they are all interchangeable.

I made the mistake of buying a set of Ridgid 12 volt tools...impact driver and drill. The impact driver (for screws) is good, but the drill stinks. The chuck is shallow and won't hold a bit.

Now the good stuff. Battery impact tools are fine as far as they go, but they are anemic...If you want an impact wrench, you need a compressor and an air tool. You don't need Ingersoll Rand...just Campbell Hausfeld or similar. The difference in power is night and day.

So, you need a compressor. They are great for winterizing a rig. Get a decent compressor...which will run lots of tools...and it will have the CFM capacity to blow out your rig easily.

Next, there's NO SUBSTITUTE for a corded drill. I have a 1/2" DeWalt that is powerful enough to break your arm. There are times you need that power...such as drilling a 1/2" or larger hole through your frame.

Please excuse typos and spelling...knocked this out in a hurry.

[JB13502]

Originally Posted by jimmoore13

Battery impact tools are fine as far as they go, but they are anemic...If you want an impact wrench, you need a compressor and an air tool. You don't need Ingersoll Rand...just Campbell Hausfeld or similar. The difference in power is night and day.

Not necessarily true, Jim. I have a Milwaukee 1/2" high torque impact wrench that I wish I had bought way before I bought it. I can't tell you the last time that I used the pneumatic wrench. The Milwaukee isn't light, and it sure ain't cheap, but it's a beast. I've yet to find the lug nut that it won't get off, including my rusty old plow truck. It rides with us on every trip, just in case. Knock on wood, it hasn't been needed on the road (yet).

Originally Posted by jimmoore13

Next, there's NO SUBSTITUTE for a corded drill.

Agree 100%. I think that this also applies to reciprocating and circular saws as well. I've used too many cordless tools that just stop mid cut or mid drill due to too sensitive an overload protection (especially wet pressure treated wood). The cordless tool will eventually get the job done, but sometimes it's just plain faster to get out that trusty corded tool.

[JB13502]

Originally Posted by norty1

I still have a Milwaukee corded Sawzall that I inherited from my dad. It must be over 40 years old, maybe 50 and will just not die.

I want a cordless model but this one is like an old friend.

Same here Norty. I have a corded Milwaukee Sawzall that I got in the 80's. It doesn't have the quick chuck for blades, you have to use the Allen wrench attached to the power cord, which makes changing blades a bit of a hassle. But like you said, it's a trusted friend. Plus it still looks cool in it's metal case. When's the last time that you bought a tool that came in a metal case?

[jimmoore13]

Originally Posted by JB13502

Not necessarily true, Jim. I have a Milwaukee 1/2" high torque impact wrench that I wish I had bought way before I bought it. I can't tell you the last time that I used the pneumatic wrench. The Milwaukee isn't light, and it sure ain't cheap, but it's a beast. I've yet to find the lug nut that it won't get off, including my rusty old plow truck. It rides with us on every trip, just in case. Knock on wood, it hasn't been needed on the road (yet).

Good to know.
My comment is based on the fact that a mobile RV repair company came to fix/replace a broken main leaf spring. His battery impact wrench handled everything except one shackle bolt. We worked together with all kinds of tools attempting to break it free...at $100/hour. No luck. I didn't have an impact wrench, but I do have a decent compressor. I hopped over to the nearest True Value and grabbed the only air gun they had...their store brand, "Master Mechanic." Most likely a badge engineered Campbell Hausfeld or similar. The air gun popped the nut loose with zero effort.

The air gun wouldn't do me any good in the field...a pancake compressor can't really provide the CFM @ pressure needed to run it, but at home, and for the OP's rebuild job, I thought it would be good to have.

I'm a bit of a tool nut, so I may look into that Milwaukee for on the road.

[Zuidy]

Craftsman here only because of ease to purchase from Ace Hardware. Also the same battery works for drill, impact, and leaf blower that stay in the fifth wheel. For my yard care I’ve now gone with Ego brand.

[bykerhd]

I went with Ryobi 18V quite a while back.
Prices were reasonable and the tools have proven very durable.
I have used friends Dewalt and Milwaukee tools and liked them but cannot justify the expense of switching over to them as the Ryobi tools do the same work for less money.