Replies

1. 
   AaronRosenthal | Jan 28, 2004 10:53am | #1

   My vote goes to my Milwalkee setup. IMRC would disagree, but he has his own problems <G> LOL!

   Quality repairs for your home.

   Aaron the Handyman
   Vancouver, Canada

2. 
   IMERC | Jan 28, 2004 11:45am | #2

   Milwaukee....

    

   Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....

3. 
   IMERC | Jan 28, 2004 11:47am | #3

   If I'm gonna spend your money... Panasonic

    

   Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....

1. 
   Sphere | Jan 28, 2004 06:44pm | #5

   NASA...

   If I'm spendin YOUR money..<G>

   Go Stab yourself Ya Putz! Ya think I Parked here?

1. 
   IMERC | Jan 28, 2004 11:48pm | #13

   They used AEG... Have at it.....

   I'll spend your money too but I'll try not to waste it or just throw it away.... 

   Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....

1. 
   Sphere | Jan 29, 2004 12:13am | #14

   I thought it was AEG..wasn't sure enuf to post it tho'...Not once when they were working away from the charger did the battry die..wassup wid dat?..me , I'd hollerin..bring me another battery for chrisssakes!!! (followeed by that static.ccccccrrrrrtttt).'

   30 grand for a drill? OK, I'll have two..

   Go Stab yourself Ya Putz! Ya think I Parked here?

1. 
   IMERC | Jan 29, 2004 12:35am | #15

   They had a cajillon dollar sawzall custom made for a one time special use. It didn't last 10 minutes. The back up didn't work out of the box. They finished the job with a wire saw. Same one used to cut PVC pipe. 3$... 

   Yur $$$$$ at work.... 

   Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....

2. 
   Sphere | Jan 29, 2004 12:54am | #16

   wait..you saying they took the box to space with them?..I throw mine in the dumpsta behind Hombre Desperado..and where did they throw thier box?...Does the ISS have a BFI Dumpsta?..

   "well, it's wednesday..your turn to put out the trash.."  "Awe, damn, I just took off my space tether too"....

   Go Stab yourself Ya Putz! Ya think I Parked here?

3. 
   IMERC | Jan 29, 2004 01:33am | #17

   You know they just didn't toss it in the tool box or a drawer and make it handy to have....

   These are tax dollars we're talking about here... 

   Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....

4. 
   Sphere | Jan 29, 2004 01:44am | #18

   so are astronuts paid by the hour?..what's his time card say? " I went to get the sawzall, it was broke.....8.5 hours..no lunch."..I want my tax money back!..

   Go Stab yourself Ya Putz! Ya think I Parked here?

4. 
   JHOLE | Jan 28, 2004 03:37pm | #4

   Dewalt

5. 
   MSA1 | Jan 28, 2004 07:07pm | #6

   I just bought the Dewalt six pack in october, hammer drill, trim saw, sawsall, flashlight, angle drill, and a cut off wheel(havent found a use for this yet).  

6. 
   doitall | Jan 28, 2004 07:15pm | #7

   Milwaukee 18V kit rules.  Go to http://www.heavydutytools.net

   Had the best prices that I could find.  $452.00 plus $7.50 shipping (no sales tax) got me the 18V 1/2" hammer drill/driver, hatchet sawzall, 6-1/2" circular saw. work light, 2 batteries, charger, and great heavy duty work bag that all the tools fit in (i despise plastic blow molded cases).

   Oh, yeah, at that time (March 2003), Milwaukee had a promotion and I received a THIRD 18V battery for free.

   Had Makitas, still use DW on occasion, but I'm red through and through now.  A GREAT buy and a GREAT kit.

   My $.02

1. 
   rasconc | Jan 28, 2004 08:59pm | #10

   These are great guys!  They are my elec and plumbing house, a great family and have been really expanding that side of the operation.  Tell Mark that Bob Smith sent you.

2. 
   toolbear | Jan 28, 2004 11:37pm | #12

   Thanks.  Visited the site.  Are you a happy camper with Heavy Duty Tools?

   Amazon can't seem to deliver.

   TB

1. 
   doitall | Jan 29, 2004 01:51am | #19

   http://www.HeavyDutyTools.com  RULES!!!!  I just received a Milwaukee jigsaw that I ordered Jan 23 - only 4 days ago!  Give them your business, they won't disappoint you.

   Quick delivery and GREAT prices!!!!!

1. 
   raybrowne | Jan 29, 2004 01:58am | #20

   I'd say DeWalt or Milwaukee, I like the Dewalt regular drills but the Milwaukee right angle and sawzall are great. I got the new Grainger catalogue today and they had an awesome looking Milwaukee 1/2in. 18volt cordless d-handle drill, really cool looking. They had a Milwaukee SDS rotary hammer 18v too, looked sweet. Haven't seen these items elsewhere before, pretty cool looking stuff, shame the radio doesn't charge batteries.

   -Ray

2. 
   toolbear | Jan 29, 2004 07:14am | #21

   Nice to hear from a Happy Camper.  Just might try them.

   I ordered the Bosch 18v combi kit from Amazon back on the 16th and all I have to show are a series of deal in shipping messages.  They might be able to ship next month.  I am trying to cancel it.  Guess how much follow on business they will be getting.

   TB

7. 
   dIrishInMe | Jan 28, 2004 07:18pm | #8

   I have a Dewalt that I like.  Came with the vehicle charger which is pretty convienent too (Truck charges the 18v tool batteries).  Makita has a nice setup too.
    

   Matt
1. 
   caseyr | Jan 28, 2004 08:44pm | #9

   I have the 19.2v Porter Cable drill and trim saw.  I like it except for that the keyless chuck on the drill won't grip as tight was I would like.  Running time of the saw when ripping full sheets of 3/4" plywood is short, but I think that would be a problem with any cordless saw.  I have not tried other 18v tools but I have several drills and a saw that have lower voltage battery packs.   

8. 
   GregWerner | Jan 28, 2004 10:15pm | #11

   I vote for Milwaukee. Has never let me down. Think I'm going to try the Bosch soon. I have their 18v hammer drill/driver and love it. Never had a Dewalt that lasted very long.

   Greg

9. 
   Homewright | Jan 29, 2004 12:55pm | #22

   I had the Dewalt 18v drill, 5 1/2" circular saw, light kit for 3 years and it was ok.  By the end of that time, the chuck would loosen when driving screws or drilling plus the bearings were on the way out.  It got pretty sloppy by the end.  I've checked Milwaukee but didn't care for the balance of the drill.  I'm looking at the Bosch 24v system because I always liked my Bosch 12v drill and have store tested the other tools in the kit.  Have fun shopping...

1. 
   MisterT | Jan 29, 2004 03:34pm | #23

   My 3 cents:

   Cordless sawzall and circ saw are handy jigsaw might also be handy but dont see much advantage over corded.

   18v is a must for any corded saw.

   Buddy has the milwaukee set

   runs good and has plenty of power.

   Only complaint is that tha batterys are EXTREMELY hard to remove from the saw.

   Poor design

   Anyone else have this problem?

   as far as cordless in general, Panasonic rules!!

   Head and shoulders above the others.

   They just dont offer a 18V saw or sawzall yet.

   3.0 amp hour batts on my multi drill are the bomb.

   I can't imagine How sweet the 3.5 amp-hour batts are.

   Milwakee Bosch and PC were in the pack behind the panasonic.

   Makita has a lot of devoted followers here also.

   Dewalt batteries are disposable crap!

   Mr T

   Do not try this at home!

   I am an Experienced Professional!

1. 
   IMERC | Jan 29, 2004 04:20pm | #24

   Dry lube the batteries.. Topcoat works well. Keep it off the contacts. 

   Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....

2. 
   toolbear | Jan 29, 2004 04:42pm | #25

   "My 3 cents:

   Cordless sawzall and circ saw are handy jigsaw might also be handy but dont see much advantage over corded."

   True, but whoever collected that row of neatly boxed power tools from my garage got the jig saw too.  So, if Bosch wants to throw one in with their combi kit, I'll try it. I'm down $500 deductable.

   Had the DW corded jig saw.  Instruction set was opaque.  Always wondered if all the saws had that much climb-out.  I would have liked the top and the bottom of the blade to remain in plumb on the curves.  

   TB

1. 
   EUGENE978 | Jan 30, 2004 09:28pm | #26

   Some HDs are clearing out their Bosch 18V kits.  Sorry, I don't recall how much off.  The one that I was at, was offering an additional 10% off.

2. 
   Paulgern | Feb 01, 2004 09:57am | #27

   i started with the pc. traded it in for the mil. traded it in fo the bosch-24 volt. now i'm happy. if run time is important to you try the 24 volt. the 6 1/2 saw is heavy for a cordless saw but well balanced, i dont even notice the wt anymore. the drill is heavy and i only use it when i have to have two drills set up, one with a bit and my makita impact for driving screws. course, they dont make a 24 v jig saw yet. when they do i'll get it. i would have gotten the pansonic set if the saw had a larger blade. good luck. paul.

1. 
   RichMast | Feb 01, 2004 06:21pm | #28

   They do make a 24V jig saw - I checked it out at JLC Live last time.  Kind of pricey, though, I think about $200 for just the saw.

   Rich.

2. 
   toolbear | Feb 01, 2004 06:59pm | #29

   What do they charge for those 24v batteries?  The 18v. ones are spendy - hence the attraction of the Ridgid offer:  free batteries for life.  (Offer expired.)

   TB

3. 
   RichMast | Feb 01, 2004 09:11pm | #30

   $100-$125 last I checked.  Kind of pricey so it pays to take care of them.

4. 
   Isamemon | Feb 02, 2004 02:16am | #35

   are you sure the offer expired, I just got a mailer from HD saying bats for life

   as far as our crew, cordless  sets we have dewalt, sears, ryobi and makita

   with the drills it does not seem to matter what people grab, however the newer 18 volt drill, makita, no one likes the chuck, easy to get off center and still tighten

   the makita saw gets the most use, balance weight, and depth of cut

   except now i need those little latch things for the  makita case, source ?

10. 
    Mctrouble | Feb 01, 2004 09:27pm | #31

    I have been using the millwaukee brand 18 volt for a few years now and I love it.  The batteries last a long time and they are tough, I have dropped my driver a few times now and have not had any trouble. 

1. 
   toolbear | Feb 02, 2004 08:20am | #37

   Amazon pulled their head out and shipped so I will get to drive the Bosch kit for some years.  I am now storing the better power tools in my office. 

   TB

1. 
   ClaysWorld | Feb 04, 2004 07:23pm | #40

   Now that your getting that Bosch by all means look into getting a 15 minute charger. Wow what a great unit. It just removes the battery problem. It also does all there new style batteries from 9.6-24V. been using it for about 3 months and it's just great. And if it does what they say it does" doubles the life of the battery" It pays for itself.

   The units I'm using are 14.4v, when I checked local for some extra batteries they wanted like 80$ so I had to go online and got acouple for 40$. I also like the drill cause it's1500rpm, it is the brute so it's faster then the regular.

   Clay

1. 
   toolbear | Feb 04, 2004 11:25pm | #42

   Please tell me more about the 15 min. charger - where sold, etc. and where you found replacement bateries for only an arm, vs. arm + leg.

   TB

1. 
   Paulgern | Feb 05, 2004 04:59am | #43

   i get my batteries on ebay. i got burned once with some makita 12 v but before that andsince then i have had good results. i think the the last 24 v cost 65, and it was the 2.4amp. now that i see that the jig saw is 24 v i'll start looking for it. paul.

2. 
   ClaysWorld | Feb 05, 2004 09:07pm | #44

   Now you made me check my filing system, works great, now if I can only get me to file stuff.

    When I read your first post I was ready to send you a couple of alternatives that I also use. But by the time I got to the end off the thread you had your unit shipped.

    The batteries came from ToolKing out of Colorado. I had good service from them. toolKing.com .

    And the battery charger came from toolfetch.com ,as I see the billing on my credit card it shows NY. the thing that got me was not to long after I got the charger Bosch had been offering a couple of there tools with the charger as a bonus,Rats I hate that. Any way the charger was actually dropshipped from Bosch. The charger is a BC016 with shipping 107.82 but I think there are better deals now. That was 09-05-03

   Hope that helps, any more questions and I'll be more than happy to help, Yep I'm a sucker for a deal. Especially when it's tool deals.

    Clay

3. 
   toolbear | Feb 06, 2004 04:12pm | #45

   Thanks for the data.

   Whoever dies with the most tools wins.  Plus, the male heirs are Happy Campers.

   TB

11. 
    buildem2 | Feb 01, 2004 09:33pm | #32

    i have a bosch kit i would recommend getting a 24 volt kit

12. 
    JOAT | Feb 01, 2004 10:04pm | #33

    I DRIVE APPROX. 2000 SCREWS A DAY I HAVE OWNED PORTER CABLE, MILWALKIE, PANASONIC, DEWALT THEY ARE ALL GOOD DRILLS BUT I PURCHASED A CRAFTSMAN 1/2" 18V AND IT LASTED JUST AS LONG AS THE OTHERS AND IT COMES WITH 2 BATTERIES 1 HOUR CHARGER AND CASE FOR $89.00 VS $249.00 AT LEAST CHECK THEM OUT!

1. 
   Isamemon | Feb 02, 2004 02:19am | #36

   Joat,

   how have your trigges held up. we went threw 2 trigers with our sears,

   its now parked on the  spring tool sale bench

   however out here where everything is wet half the year might have something to do with it

   Edited 2/1/2004 6:20:29 PM ET by hammertime

1. 
   JOAT | Feb 02, 2004 08:49am | #38

   I HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE TRIGGERS, BUT BELIEVE IT OR NOT I ALSO USE IT UNDERWATER LIKE ALL OF MY CORDLESS DRILLS BECAUSE I MAINLY BUILD INGROUND SWIMMING POOLS SO MOISTNESS MIGHT NOT BE YOUR PROBLEM.

13. 
    Steve1 | Feb 01, 2004 10:30pm | #34

    i've used 14.4 makita for about six years and i'm just getting to point where i can tell which 2 batteries are six years old, others at 4 years and two years of age are fine, however i just use them for drilling and driving screws

14. 
    ravenwind | Feb 03, 2004 07:34am | #39

    I've got the  Millwalkee tool set with the radio, circ saw, hatchet sawzall, 1/2 in hammer drill and flashlight. with three batteries, cant remember how much ? think 600.00 bought the extra battery.      love it ,  im going to buy the millwalkee cordless jigsaw soon  its only a 12 volt  but it comes with a universal charger and two batterys, so i can charge all my batterys in the twochargers  ,   if I had known bosch was comming out with a radio and Millwalkee  only makes 12 volt jigsaw, I might have gotten the Bosch.    my partner Steve is going to save up for the Bosch set and I bet he'll be quite happy with his too,     there both great tool makers .....    I know i wouldnt get the DeWalt set because the radio isnt that good except it charges batterys , thats a good feature  ....... but ive had bad luck with there batterys..... 

              and im not against  DeWalt as i have there 12in chop saw and here 12in dual compound sliding saw.   just so all you yellow lovers out there know i like some yellow........................................................................Dogboy 

15. 
    Dahveed | Feb 04, 2004 08:53pm | #41

    I had the PC set, but returned it. I have since bought the Bosch set you ordered and love it. I have had no problems and have been very pleased with all the tools. Bosch has a nice warranty, not that I have had to use it.

    Good Luck with your purchase...