Hi all-
I’ve been cruising through some past postings and I notice a distinct dislike for all things DeWalt. I’m no pro but I’ve never had a problem with and DeWalt tools, so I was wondering what everyone else thought and why.
Just curious and bored at work.
Thanks
John
Replies
Not all Dewalt.
They make a compound miter saw that is....just ok.
Yeah it is a great boat ankor...
Here fishy fishy....
Perhaps I was a bit loose with my remark about the dewalt CMSaw. But that's the only dewalt tool I have ever owned thanks to the posters here.
The one I have is an earlier model than what I see in the stores now. I'm probably heading towards 4 or 5 years with it.
The new models of the compound miter saws don't have the same feel to them. And some of the components don't look beefy enough to my original in comparison.
But that saw has done all I ever asked it too without complaining, outside of a new switch. And sometimes I have violated her in use which could be a whole 'nother thread.
So truthfully, if I found it as a boat anchor I'd be tempted to bring it in for a soak in Wd-40 to see if I could coax some more mileage out of 'er.
I had to say this for fear she overheard me and I know how vindictive a lady can be if you don't treat her right.
As my good brother told me what married life had taught him, "you don't put your hand in the mouth of the sleeping alligator'.
Forgive me my darling yellow, I knew not what I said.
I don't know if this qualifies as a rant---but-----------
Yesterday I went out to purchase a cordless circular saw---I expect it will be really handy working rooftop
Was looking for a Panasonic cordless saw, Since I have their drill which I love---interchanging the batteries would have been handy. the store where I bought the drill no longer carries the saw.
The clerk tells me he can order in the Panasonic saw---but suggests I check out the Dewalt saw while he looks into ordering the Panasonic.
for About $300plus tax you get the Dewalt---WITH ONE BATTERY!. what good is 1 battery gonna do me? So I stroll over and look at the Milwaulkee cordless saw( I used an 8 1/4" corded Milwaulke for about 7or8 years---and currently love the durability of my 7 1/4" Milwaulkee).
clerk tells me he can get me the panasonic for about $325 plus tax. I tell him to give me the Milwaulkee.18 volts,2 batteries,charger,a fence, I bought an extra blade, paid the tax and still walked out the door for under $300.
My big complaint so far------the saw comes in this gigantic freakin plastic case that won't fit behind my truck seat or in my side mount truck toolbox. so I have it packed in the side toolbox without the case. Really,the plastic carrying case is HUGE. I have litterally gone on a weeks vacation with a smaller piece of luggage than that tool case.
ROAR!!!
Some of the older DW stuff was pretty good and after they became established the bean counters took over and.....
Here fishy fishy....
"Some of the older DW stuff was pretty good and after they became established the bean counters took over and....."
IMERC,
And that IS the crux of it,
They moved production overseas, and lowered the quality BIG TIME. They may still be yellow, but that's it. They are cheaper though.
Go red, buy Milwaukee!
Jon
I think that each company has their "cherry"...some have more than others...
For example, for years, the Bosch jig was the only game in town. And the Skil mag saw was the worm of choice for years.
I think Dewalt has had a a few of those, to some degree. Their little tablesaw is well liked, but I chose the Bosch. (Same $, better name, liked the extention table much better)
In the mid priced biscuit cutters, the Dewalt has a decent "rack and pinion" type adjustment, which seems head and shoulders above the competition in tha price range. A winner there.
I just picked up their new 13" surface planer, and so far the jury is out, but only because I haven't enough miles on it to give a solid opinion.
I will say this...I know most of the biggies can come up with a winner, but it takes a little more convincing to get me to go yellow, I'm open minded......but in a guarded sort of way!
When in doubt go blue!
(or green as in Festool!)Jake Gulick
[email protected]
CarriageHouse Design
Black Rock, CT
I have a DW circular saw. I spent a lot of time playing with the adjustments on the saws on display and the DW was the clear winner there. But it is heavy. Now I wish I'd bought the Makita.
I have a DW 1/2" hammer drill. It's about ten years old and I only payed a bit under $200 or so. I have to admit that I'm surprised at how much smoke they put into that tool. It's still running, and I admit that maybe I abused it a bit, but I still keep wondering...should I be impressed with all the smoke they stuffed into it, or should I be upset that it doesn't take more abuse to let the smoke out?? For under $200 it has been a pretty decent tool but it's not like I use it daily. I expect to spend $500 replacing it with a really good 1/2" drill and a good hammer chipper/drill (well, when the time comes).
I have a DW compressor. The Emglow (sp?)name isn't on the thing, but it sure looks just like the Emglow. I justified buying it thinking that DW hadn't had enough time to screw it up yet. It seems OK, but it is my first compressor so I have nothing to compare it too.
I think that's it. Someone once posted here that DW's had no soul. As I buy better and better tools that makes more and more sense to me.
I would consider DW most seriously if I was buying a portable table saw, a power mitre saw, or a portable thickness planer. Not saying I'd buy it, but I'd be sure to look at them
Rich Beckman
Another day, another tool.
I'm fine with DW tools. Mostly cordless stuff because that is the system I decided to go with. I had the unusual constraint that it had to be 12-volt because of all the remote work I do (and caving, camping, dog-sledding). So the ability to recharge directly from a vehicle is important (or run straight off a vehicle battery! - I've made up adaptors). And to use the DW 12-volt batteries to run vehicular stuff - lights, radios, etc. If I only need a few amp-hours, it beats hauling around a 60-pound lead-acid battery.
One of my DW 3/8" cordless drills has a weinie chuck on it but the 1/2" chuck on the other is great. The 5.25" cordless saw is marginal - but hey, it's a cordless saw. Flashlight is nice and bright and I use it more because the battery costs nothing to recharge.
The DW 1/4" hex impact driver is GREAT. I hear good things about the turquoise one too. Screws per battery, max torque, big screws w/o pre-drilling all beat cordless drills and few corded ones! I swear I'm gonna adapt it up to 3/4" lug nuts for my next tire change over. 3 cars x 4 tires x 5 lug nuts (off + on) = 120 nuts to spin twice a year.
I think every tool company has their shining stars and their hunks of garbage. I would have to say though, that Dewalt seems to have more than their share of trash. The 12" slider is a real workhorse, but for the most part they seem to be more interested in marketing than building high quality tools these days. Went through a half dozen of their circ saws before I figured that out. Had an 18V cordless drill that was crap. I find all their cordless batteries seem to have a shorter life expectancy than other brands....I don't have any scientific proof, but that has been my experience. That darn radio doesn't get many stations at all, AND I LIVE OUTSIDE OF BOSTON!!! The framing gun I tried was cheesy and I don't like their hybrid framing saw (stick with Bosch wormers) but most of all, that whiny little b itch on my last framing crew had a Dewalt tool belt!
That's all the reason I need to not buy Dewalt. Very rarely will I buy a tool simply because of the brand but usually I will NOT buy Dewalt simply because of the name. I like Milwaukee corded drills and sawzalls. Bosch cordless and Bosch wormdrives. Makita LS1013, impact driver, belt sander. Hitachi nail guns. Porter Cable routers, lazer (Robotoolz repackaged), jig saw, laminate trimmer, and ROS. And I've got a Rigid portable table saw that I'm thinking of proposing to!
I try to really research tools before I buy them and have got to say that I am VERY happy with my collection these days. I just still can't get that Hitachi sawzall to die so I can bust out the brandy-new Milwaukee I bought about 6 months ago!
Interesting how it differs for everyone.
My DW 18 V drill has given me nothing but pleasure for yearsssssssss and the batteries worked great...lasted me forever.
I just bought new ones off of E bay for cheap. The EX ones (extended life). The old batteries still work but not great.
My Worm Drive corded saw has also given me pleasure. Even for a right coaster...lol
My DW uncorded is OK.........the saftey trigger is hard to deal with. Pizzes me off.
The jig saw I'm not happy with.
The compressor I like a lot.
My 12" CM chopper is fantastic but heavy (can't have everything though).
My original lil blue chopper is still choppin as good as the day I bought it......Wayyyyyyyyy back when.....before we called em' choppers. (Makita}
Why did tools get worse? $$$$$? Laser choppers..ughh
I always loved my B&D saw but when it went south the cost was way more than the price of the saw. Yep, a B&D!
My skill saw so rocked that I bought one (all metal) offa Ebay for almost a bill about half a year ago aas well as a PC.
Way cool saws.
My red Millw. reciprocating saw was so incredable. Lasted me fifty billion years. Still have it in the back of my van to bring it in to have the neck fixed from a three story drop. Been using the PC Tiger which is just OK.
PS....MY "FORD" exteded van is still like the day I bought it in 1995 even with the few dings and spilled oil based paint on the bed (5 gallons.ughhhh).
Extended vans so rock...Just add extra leaf springs so you can carry extra loads to reside the Eiffel Tower in the "Virtual House " we're gonna do.....lol
BE old
andy"My life is my practice"
My Dewalt cordless tools were all junk so I switched to Milwaukee and Bosch. Got a planer and portable table saw that are yellow and I love them. Everything else I have is either PC, milwakee or bosch, not necessarily in that order.Greg
Werner Building & Remodeling
Huntingdon PA
I agree about the Dewalt batterys not lasting very long. and they're not cheap! I think once they sell you a tool they got you by the short ones. someone should put an hour meter on the batterys to see how long they last.
And the reception on thier radio sucks. can I say that?
The current incarnation of DeWalt ( B&D bought the name) is a young company started up by Wall Street type money managers who hired a few engineers to study ergonomics and tryu to be on the cutting edge of the newest generation of tools for the masses - oh, and make a lot of money doing it.
The latter being the primary motivation, there have been times that bringing a tool to market first to capture market share has gotten ahead of product testing and developement. The people in marketing have a release date . The engineers in the back room play second fiddle to the front office salesmen.
They also have some weak metallurgy, because of trying to balance cost and quality instead of putting quality first.
The result of all this is that they produce some very fine tools and some squashed lemons. You get to buy one andtake it home before you find out which you have. If you have read more of what I have written here in the tools section, you know more of the specifics why i believe all the above thru personal experience.
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
got the dewalt 705 chop saw... no problem here
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I have a 14v rt. angle drill DW..I love it. an old (15yrs) 12 v..drill still works..needs 2 new batteries..1/2 rt. angle corded drill love it..1/2 hammer drill..could be better..41/2 angle grinder still going after thousands of hours..I hate the trigger tho'..recently picked up a like new power planer..pawn shop..100.00..works great..( my bosch was junk). all in all I can say I like the DW tools I have mentioned..never bought thier saws.
I have the bosch 12" slider, a delta 10" compound, a freud 8.5" slider, A PC and a milwaukee sawzall (milwaukee ate the gears) a milwaulkee circ saw, a bosh jiggy saw, makita and PC and Ryobi cordless drills, a smattering of other stuff..I buy what I can justify paying for, and what feels good to me..and what friends have and has been good to them..worst tool I own..my second rotozip..cant keep a fan in it. and my PC finish nailer..wont fire when the nails run low.
All of my tools have worked hard, and I got exactly what I expected from most of them..that DW Rt. angle corded drill, picked me up off a ladder when a holesaw locked up..I didn't ease down till I let off the trigger.
View Image
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations.
I've had great luck with all things yellow. I use the 708 to miter copper gutter. The only reason I bought it was the 12" blade which I needed to cut 6" ogee gutter. There's probably $50 worth of copper shards in the motor and it keeps on going. Oh, by the way, I bought it from Harbor Freight reconditioned 5 years ago. I really like my DW worm gear. I've had good luck with DW batteries also.
I tried to love PC tools. Every one I've had died a quick and painless death.
I like the look of the new Milwaulke cordless stuff, but I've got 10+ DW batteries and tools, so I'm not too likely to try any out.
some people just can't stand the fact others make enough money to buy nice tools?
Jeff
Buck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
Worked for a contractor that went out and bought four 12v drill kits in the mid 80s. within the month all six batteries and three of the drills were shot. This was back in the day when cordless, and I think DeWalt as a brand also, was new so everyone was impressed at first. They were never very strong and even under light work they just gave up.
About a year later, on the same site, another boss bought another four 12v DeWalt drill kits. Everyone thought they wouldn't last long but this group was much better. They were still going a year later. Of course by todays standards these were pretty miserable as drills but they hung tough.
Never thought too much about it but I think a lot of the original DeWalt issues were pretty poor. Only later did they get better. Perhaps peoples perceptions are an artifact of this history.
That said I never though of DeWalt as ever being a Top-Line tool. They are not bad but they are not the best. Pretty much average on all counts. Of course I think that cordless units, of all types, have vastly improved over time. Mid-line units today easily beat top-line of a decade ago.
Dewalt corded tools seem much the same. Mid-line, not quite professional grade, without the improvements over time. The corded tool lines have topped out in performance IMHO because the technology is well known and already exploited. Most improvements in corded lines has been in added features not base performance.
I made the mistake of buying three 12 volt Dewalt drills and spent about 600.00 bucks on them. This was when they just came out. They had really bad trigger switches, they lasted 2 months tops at 25 dollars each. I bought 6 or 7 switches and got fed up. I stayed away from yellow tools ever since.
From what I hear many have been soured on yellow tools by the generally poor perceived quality and performance in their early years. Construction folks might not be the smartest, you excluded of course, but most seem to have long memories. Once burned we associate the pain with the entire company.
People who have tried DeWalt after they got it right, more or less, and have not been burned are less shy about spending their hard earned money on the yellow tools. Let this be a warning to tool companies. Get it right before selling it. An initial reputation for weak, defective or poorly designed tools can take decades of good performance to bury.
Hey, buy a Bammer.
Bammers are good in my book. I spend a month running one during a summer. We were adding a cooling tower and someone forgot to install blocks in a 12" reinforced concrete wall. Had to cut a few 'doors'. 7' by 4' openings. I voted for a diamond saw but was handed a demo hammer. Use what you got I guess. It was very late in the job so I think they were doing a favor keeping me employed.
Sucker was heavy but it never missed a beat. Even after being run for hours and the barrel becoming too hot to touch it kept going. They sealed the smoke in tight on that one.
I have also been impressed by corded Milwaukee hole shooters and the similar hammerdrill model. Seem to keep their smoke in really well. A bit pricey but durable.
Funny you should bring this up....I was just taking note of how many Dewalt tools I own the other day....and I`m one of the bashers!
I gave it some thought and what I decided was that I seem to buy Dewalt when the particular tool is not crucial. My Makita sliding compound is crucial...my Bosch router is crucial...my Skil Mag wormdrive is crucial...etc. I absolutely love the Dewalt cordless drill....thats crucial. Aside from that though, I basically see Dewalt as a decent tool for the money....kinda like Sony used to be with electronics. I purchased enough of their stuff...but never believed I was buying the best.
I rcently replaced two Dewalt drywall guns with a Makita....the guns were OK, but I was never completely happy with them. I also recently purchased a Dewalt cutout tool....its not that important a tool in my arsenal and the only other exposure I`ve had was with the Rotozip....I wasn`t happy with that from day one.
All in all, Dewalt is OK....but once you`ve purchased a clinker of theirs, you`ll be swearing them off as well.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
"DO IT RIGHT, DO IT ONCE"
I own two DW chopsaws, a 705 and a 708, and I really like them both. They are very good at not hurling small offcuts, which is something my ancient Makita chopsaw (iron casting - no bull!), and my Hitachi C8FB both did a lot. Their fences, handles, and miter scales are very nice, but after the Hitachi anything would be an improvement. The Hitachi was a great saw...except for the miter scale.
My Dewalt corded drills are not as good. I have a sense that they are noisy and strain too hard for the job they are doing, even the DW124, which weighs like a worm drive saw. The biscuit joiner is great, but it has that same cheap motor sound. Same with screwgun.
A lot of guys have big problems, and I have been spared, but I treat my stuff kindly, so it tends to last well. I have also avoided a lot of DW lines that simply felt wrong somehow. Must be my tool radar kicking in to rescue me from lemons. As a previous poster said, they seem too market-driven and not enough driven by excellence.
Bugle
The whole reason you don't see the fuss is stated in your post:
You are not a pro!!!
Anyone who needs to use these tools hard on a daily basis will quickly find out thier shortcomings.
Sure they have some diehard supporters.
Usually guys who think a tool that costs less is a better deal.
Or guys who don't want to admit they bought a 500$ POS.
Sure they put out some good tools, Ones they have not redesigned yet!
and some %age of thier other stuff will actually last (if you make enough stuff some will last longer than the rest)
Dewalt WAS an industry standard 25 years ago.
40 years ago, so was B&D.
Now they are little more than a name and a memory.
So get back to work before I tell your boss!
Mr T
Do not try this at home!
I am an Experienced Professional!
Remodeling Lead Carpenter w/ 20 years exp.
+ A Construction Engineering Degree
Located in Elmira, NY
Incessantly Whining Liberal
Sarcastic Smartass
Cunning Linguist
Family Man
Dog Lover (NOT THAT WAY YOU PREVERT!!!)
Lota guys here use the stuff. Best way I can describe it is cheeeeezy.
Only thing by DW I own is a chopsaw. Nice and heavy and does a superb cut. As its only used for finish work it should last a long time. ( I have the unrealistic expectation that my tools will last longer than I will )
Hitachi are fast becoming my favourite. They seem to be way tougher now than Makita used to be. My Hitachi 9.6 cordless drill has done a heap of work and just wont stop. great wee tool. wish they still made that one.
Their new reciprocating saw looks like a grunty machine. think I need one.......
Everything, 100% of it, depends on how you look at it.
DW
I have a Dewalt 12" slider and compressor that are great. My router is fine too.
I wish I'd had bought a different drill, but it works.Coming to you from beautiful Richmond, Va.
I think that there is always going to be better grades of tools, it just depends on what your expectations are and how you care for your tools. A lot of guys like Milwaukee hammer drills, and for a lot of jobs they are ok. But two years ago I was in charge of a project remodeling a warehouse over Christmas. I bought 2 Hilti hammer drills to drill over 2000 3/4" holes because if it failed my dealer would deliver me a new one on December 25th. I have a couple of yellow tools and they are not the best, but I take care of my tools. When I was in collage I worked on a framing crew and I bought a cheap dewalt reciprocating saw about the same time that another guy bought a Milwaukee. We both used our saws about the same amount, he beat the crap out of his saw, dropped it, left it out in the rain, by the end of summer it was toast. I still have mine. By the way I don't think that dewalt has really gone down in quality as much as porter cable has in the past couple of years. And finally sometimes you buy lower grades because you know that it is going to die a quick death regardless of quality. I was plumbing a dry charge system, that is a room filled with battery acid. Chop saws lasted 2-3 months before the fumes and condensation caused the motor housings to fail. I also went to wal mart and bought a black & decker jig saw to cut cement backer board because I just couldn't force myself to use my Bosch.
I suppose I should clarify-I am no longer a pro. I worked in a millwork shop some years ago (sure, different from what you do, but we all use tools) and we used our stuff pretty hard as well. Primarily the 703 chopsaw and the 3 hp plunge router, and we used them to death and never had any problems. I have a 14.4 v cordless drill that I've had for 9 years and it still works ok (but with new batteries).
What prompted this post is I needed to drill some holes for concrete anchors and I borrowed a neighbors DW rotary hammer, and I was really surprised at how whiny and weak the motor sounded (and how cheap the plastic clamshell casing seemed). It did the job fine but it got me thinking: was this an exception to my experience or was it more the rule these days?
No, I no longer make my living this way (full time, anyhow) but I'm also no Harry Homeowner looking to buy a "pro" tool for a great price-I know when it comes to this you get what you pay for. But DW charges just as much as everyone else so I wanted to see what everyone else thought.
Dewalt portable table saw--love it
Dewalt 14.4v cordless drills--tools are adequate but not great, batteries suck
Dewalt belt sander--like it, new enough so that I could change my mind
Dewalt 'skilsaw'--well reviewed, I may buy one
I won't buy any more of their cordless stuff. The hand tools come with a huge plastic box that's useless to me.
Edited 3/3/2004 12:19:16 PM ET by davidmeiland
There's one point I haven't seen mentioned is that DeWalt has more than one quality grade, at least in some of their tool types. For example, when I last shopped for cordless drills, the DeWalts with the rubberized inserts on the handles were a heavier duty design and more expensive than the homeowner grade ones with the plain plastic handle. I suspect that at least some of the bad experiences come from using homeowner grade tools for professional duty. I think the DW catalog may specify the grade of each tool.
That said, I generally don't see DeWalt as anything better than medium duty tools. I have some DW cordless tools for the simple reason that they fit my deteriorating, stubby-fingered hands better than the other brands. They've held up with no failures for about 6 years of moderate semi-daily use. I doubt they'd be really satisfactory for full-time construction use.
Dave
I have not used any of the DW rotary hammers but one model sure looks like it was made on the same line as the Bosch Bulldog or a Makita version. I love the Bulldog for it's price, have it and one the next step or so bigger.
I do remodeling and repair on about a half-time or less basis, mainly to support my tool habit.
Not sure whether this is a gloat or should be an apology according to some but I have a pretty large pile of yellow tools.
The favorite is the 705 cms, a super although heavy tool. But I have not seen one lighter as good.
An old 12volt original type with batteries that need replacing. Was given by widow of friend. Probably ahead of it's time when it was new.
A 12 compact drill, probably should have a Firestorm label but worth the pittance I paid for it.
A 12v HDuty drill that is one of the favorites and 12v impact that I would consider having grafted to my hand. Tried and resold the Makita version ( to be fair it was not the very latest with the overmolded handle). Dw had more torque and felt better in hand.
A 14V HDuty drill and trim saw that I like very much. Just bought the 14V hammer drill version on the evil e-bay. Have not got it yet.
A 24V hammerdrill, recip, circ saw set that has earned it's keep many times over. Currently having a little slippage problem with drill which I probably caused by adding a little extra hammer action while drilling. Just bought a replacement for the heck of it, another e-bay deal. Supposedly a display.
Circ saw 364, love it except lately have been using the Makita hypoid pseudo worm.
Drywall gun that I love but it is the only one I have used.
Right angle drill DW120 and spade handle DW140, good so far.
Biscuit joiner and DW733 thickness planer as yet unused.
Hand planner, love it, got it NIB at sears clearance for $40.
Jigsaw is ok but would rather have had Bosch. Got it used for $35, like new.
I bought a large Makita set that was a very good deal but ended up selling it to a customer. Only tools that I really liked was 14.4v hammer drill/driver and the blower/vac. The recip had a very awkward safety switch, circ tended to over heat.
Bought older style Milwaukee 12V drill mainly to get batteries I could use in Mil. radio (which blows the DW away for sound). Drill must but be Milwaukee's answer to B&D line. Not too swift, all other Mil stuff I have seen is superior though.
Like my Hitachi 10" cms and twin stack, considering I have $227 in them together
Love my Ridgid TS3612 table saw and bandsaw.
Got to do this while wife is out, hope the UPS guy comes while she is out. But look at all the tax deductions, dear! Just think when I decide to quit I can become a Power Seller if e-bay is still around (yeah, I know that is if the tools are still alive, but then folks seem to buy a pile of this stuff as-is).
Bob
Bob, it sounds like we are of the same mindset-I get all my stuff delivered to me at work because my wife would never know if I added anything to the shop collection.
I keep reminding her of her Bernina sewing machine and wall full of cloth. Tell her I do not begrudge it but quit griping when I buy a tax deductable tool.
I like to have the right tool for the job but there is a point of equilibrium where it takes longer to find and put away the right one than it would have taken to do it as good and fast without many of them. By and large I may be there.
Dewalt Promotional video. Interpret it as you will...
Jon Blakemore
Reminds me of my 24V hammer drill.
I just can't seem to throw out a broken tool. Thats right, when a tool craps out I clean it up and put it on a shelf in my garage with all the other broken tools. I just know some day someone is gonna break in and clean me out. I'll get the last laugh.
Yea and wait til ya gotta go deal with them cretans at their service center. I got one more Default tool waiting for it to die them I can finally get away from them
Darkworksite4:
Gancho agarrador izquierdo americano pasado que la bandera antes de usted sale
It's Bush's fault any ways...
Here fishy fishy....
How about that 17 car?
That I'd like to have!
You mean "credit". Bush's credit
Yea and the rest of the Reps..:>)
Darkworksite4:
Gancho agarrador izquierdo americano pasado que la bandera antes de usted sale
"but most of all, that whiny little b itch on my last framing crew had a Dewalt tool belt! "
awesome...
I've got a DW 706. That is IMHO the bost technically advanced saw on the market. For half the cost of sliders it has 75% the capacity. It will actually cut larger crown than any slider IN POSITION. I happily tortured a 14.4 v driver for 2 years. Now I a Ridgid set. Like most of the others I buy diferent tools from different makers. I like Bosch a lot for precision tools and SDS stuff, PC for nailers, Stanley fat max for hand tools, etc.
Mike
Re: "Now I a Ridgid set."
Hows that Ridgid set working out for you?
Recently I got a 12v cordless drill, the high capacity HD version, and it has impressed me so far. Lots of torque. Batteries last a long time. So far no complaints.
I like it a lot. It was a returned item that looked perfect, the recip and driver were probably used twice. Got it for 100 off the retail price. I don't like the weight and bulk of the drill, but I have since got a hitachi impact driver that is my "main" driver. I have used the saws a lot for a couple of months now and really love them, plenty of power and run time. I recomend them a lot.
Mike
I have a 705 12" chop saw I bought in '95, still going strong. The return spring feels tired, and I should replace that. After releasing the trigger, I occasionally find myself reaching under the head while the blade is still spinning (the brake has seen better days), I have a nasty vision of the spring letting go, the head falling, and guard retracting, and the still spinning blade taking a chunk out of my hand.
Drills? Bought I 12x cordless about 8 years ago. I absolutely loved it. Great ergonomics, the batteries held up for years. Eventually I just plumb wore the thing out. Replaced it with an 18v set. The 18v drill I'm not a big fan of. It doesn't fit my hand as well, I always seem to have to reset the forward/reverse switch. I prefered the 12v chuck to the 18v chuck. Haven't had any issues with the batteries.
I disabled the safety on the cordless circ saw that came wt the kit. I'm lefty and ergonomically it really ticked me off. For me it was more of a safety liability than asset. Liability from disabling it is not a concern for me.
I do have an old random orbit, I want to say a 421 model, but I'm not sure. Works great, although the clutch is worn. It's about 7 years old or so, but it's my comfortable first choice when needing a ROS.
I have a biscuit jointer. Zero problems, about 7 or 8 years old, and it's rock solid.
I also have a circ saw, it's maybe 2 or 3 years old. I bought it mainly for it's balance/heft, I keep a diamond blade in it, it's my semi-sacrificial stone saw.
Overall, I like eveything except for the 18v cordless kit. I overlooked a few shortcomings when I bought it due to my enthusiasm for the 12v cordless drills. If I had the chance for an unlimited tool mulligan, I'd keep everything except for the 18v kit.
I do have a drywall cutout tool that's a couple of years old, but since my goal in life is to never work rock, I don't have much of an opinion on it. Those that have used it don't complain.
Best? The 705, the biscuit joiner, the 12v cordless.
Middle? The 421 ROS, the circ saw.
Last? The 18v cordless kit.
I thought I'd get in here too.
When I first went into business I thought DW was "the stuff". I had black and yellow dreams. I am on my second 12" chop saw (the current one is a slider) because the first one was stolen.
I am very happy with DW although I do not buy tools for the brand name only. I have a DW plate joiner and have owned a DW cordless drill. When I couldn't replace it with the same style (I liked the finger guard) when it went bad, I went to Porter Cable drill (which I now have 2 of). I have quite a bit of Porter Cable like a crown stapeler, trim gun, circular saw and recip saw. I am in love with my Bosch Jigsaw and I Paslode guns aren't bad either.
When I am shopping for tools, I usually take them for a spin or check them against the FHB Mag test run articles (that's why I bought the Porter Cable circular saw and QuickDrive system).
Cheap isn't always best ... it's just money!
Splinky