Hey guys;
There was a post earlier that was talking about how Dewalt was going downhill with their products eg. the cordless tools.
I have a Dewalt 14.4v XR drill and impact driver along with five batteries.
I have replaced the trigger switch on the impact diver twice now and it seems the switch is going on the drill. It costs $53 to replace the switch. Ouch! The equipment is now about 3-6 years old i think.
I have also had 2 batteries rebuilt this year as well.
I have been loosely looking for my next cordless set up as the new Li-ion stuff is coming more popular.
Been looking at a nice deal for the Milwaukee compact 18v li-Ion drill impact combo kit at HD for $199.Checked out Ridgid and Makita as well.
Hmmmmm. To fix or replace that is the question??
Any of you have the Milwaukee 18v li-ion stuff or Makita or Ridgid.
What do you guys think??
Replies
I have the Milwaukee compact set you mention. I am very happy with it. It doesn't have the longest run time, but the batteries charge quickly. It depends on what you are using it for. I like the fact that it is very well balanced, and pretty light weight. I have a set of bigger v18 tools too, which are very powerful. Great tools, but heavy. The compact M18 is my go-to for most tasks. The little white Makita is supposed to be good too, but the Milwaukee just seemed a little better built to me.
I do like the milwaukee and how it felt in my hand.
I to have heard good things about the Makita as well.Have you tried the larger 18v li-ion batteries with you set up?
I don't have the larger M18 set, but the older V18 Li Ion set. Neither the larger M18 or the V18 are compatible with the compact M18. Pretty stupid! That is one reason to go with the Makita, as they do work together, I believe. I honestly have not missed it, though, in use. But, if you plan on both sets, it would be nice to just plug in one charger.
Are you sure?
I thought the M18 XC high capacity batteries would work on the compact drills and impact as well as the compact M18 batteries.
I got the Makita 2 pc kit drill+impact and they are great. was less than 200 and a free tool by mail to boot.
I am leaning toward the Milwaukee. but I do like the Makita as well.
Have you put either one of the tools through a good day of putting deck screws and the like?
impact driver btd141 kicked butt for 2 day long run of 2-1/2" composite deck screws.plenty of power to sink em flush, no stripped heads (good screws help). others here had good things to say about this model.Hope this helps. Rich
Have you washed the switch out with WD40? Dust is the biggest problem with most power tools.
Now there is something that I have not tried yet.Thanks for the tip I'll try it today and let you know.
However last time I changed out a switch it seemed like it might be fairly well sealed, But I'll try anything to see if i can salvage this set up before investing in a new one.
Might be better to use contact cleaner? Comes in a spray can and evaporates fast and is made for switches, etc.Can get it at Radio Shack most likely.JT
I Took the drill apart this morning, Used the air hose and blew off any dust dirt ect.
Gave a very light DW40 drop in to the sliding portion of the switch (most of it is sealed so you can't take it apart anyway.)Took a freshly charged battery and it seemed like it worked.However. I went to do a small job later in the afternoon and low and behold it had that "slower speed, less than full battery feel to it again. Bummer :( the drill still works but i only got a couple of glimpses of the old full of life drill that i'm used to.I don't think that cleaning it with contact cleaner will serve it justice. (so I think)I have seen this before with my Dewalt impact driver a couple of times now.
When the switch goes it makes it seem like your batteries are not lasting long at all.I'm still on the fence as to buying a new setup with drill and impact driver with Lithium batteries.Thanks for the tip Julian. I'll keep it in mind for some of my other tools.
ray
I second the Panasonic 14 V.
After years of use my Panasonics are tight running machines.
I took my old DeWalt out and was aghast at how heavy and loose it was.
I have read reports that the Lithium Ion is not good for work below 20 degrees.
ask around on that one.
I have had 3-4 DeWalts and about 4 panasonics, before that Makitas and Hitachi
Rich
A workmate (Henley) killed the milwaukee compact batteries in short order. My Makita Li-Ion is in the shop for the second time in three years with clutch problems, and I've burned up three of the chargers. But I do like the Makita. Bought a Makita hammer drill/impact combo for 300 bucks to tide me over while the drill driver is being repaired.I ran a Panasonic 15.6 into the ground in about 4 years, but really loved the drill till I ruined it. I would be tempted by the Panasonic Li-Ion line now, but it's awfully spendy, and I'm heavily invested in Makita batteries and accessories and now Henley runs them too, so we can swap stuff as needed. The impact driver is unstoppable, but they make a heck of a racket.Steve
Sounds like the brushes are worn down. Check them out.DIA
I didn't check the brushes when I had it apart the other day but I'll give that a try as well.
Who knows maybe that will work.
Thanks for the tip.
Julian
We have our oldest Panasonic 14 V that died, we brought it back to life. Now a year later the switch went bad.
After reading this thread we tried contact cleaner on the switch. Didn't work.
A good thump on the work bench did though.
Thanks for the tip julian and Angel.
We currently have 4 panasonic drills, they get used hard every day.
Rich
I ended up buying Ryobi cordless tools.2 batteries were $45, and the tools aren't that bad if you gotta replace one. Plus they make all kinda stuff to run off the batteries. I got a little Ryobi leaf blower that is perfect for smoke testing sewers, and house drain/vent systems. I think the little chainsaw would be great for cutting roots from the sides of ditches too, but yet to be seen.I don't know what the new generation of batteries cost, or the new wave of tools cost either, but the new battery charger was about $20 IIRC, and both kinds of batteries can be charged in it.I actually see the cordless Ryobi stuff more and more on the job sites.pbView Image
I bought some Ryobi tools for the very same reason as you. Also, it's not going to be a heartbreaker if they somehow walk off on me.
But, I am very disappointed in the batteries. I think I have them about a year and I bought 4 batteries so I can cycle through them. They see regular, but not heavy use and they're just about done in.
So now I have to decide if I'm going to get 2 of Ryobi's lithium ion batteries (and charger) or 4 more of their nicads.
Don,I agree that the NiCads do wear out faster than I would like.And like you said I like 4 batteries too, that way when 1 starts to go belly up on me I'm not hurting too bad.I've heard that the Lithium Batt's go strong right up until the end and then it drops out fast. How many cycles do thy last? I don't know yet.pbView Image
I was a big Panasonic fan as I had their NiCad 15.65 volt saw and drill kit and a little 9.6 volt drill and they seemed to be better built than any other tools I owned.So a couple years back I bought their fancy newish 12volt impact driver - not a cheap one, was about $249 or so. I had it for a week - dropped it once about 3' to the floor - battery tabs broke off. The rubber grip stuff was starting to peel off, and then to cap it off, the tabs on the battery that DIDN'T drop to the floor broke off too!Panasonic was no help - I would've had to send the entire kit in and have a few weeks of downtime. Had it been Bosch, they'd have sent me a new kit and a call tag...I ended up returning it to Sears - Bought in online.I still have a lot of respect for them, but they lagged in the cordless combo tool options and I'm still not sure what the heck that flaky impact driver was all about.They make the very BEST razors in the world.JT
WD is flamable...
also it's a crud magnet and will only make any problems he has worse...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
panasonic 14.4v combo kit, get it when they offer the 3rd battery for free. the drills are great and the charge lasts all week with normal use
I have the large 18v Makita LiOn kit (lower price per tool). It went on line in December, 2006 and has been in use since then. One of more of the tools is used daily.
I am a Happy Camper.
I bought a naked jig saw for the collection and a dust blower - which is a very useful little tool.
I usually buy a pair of batteries each fall from Amazon (best price - 60). One of the original batteries has died. The rest are going - some stronger than others.
The 6.5" saw is an elegant tool. Serious feature set on it. The ergonomics of the tools is fine. One feel and my Bosch 18v NiCad set went into the tool library. Makita made their stuff feel coarse and clunky and heavy.
The ToolBear
"You can't save the Earth unless you are willing to make other people sacrifice." Dogbert
I got tired of having 6 different chargers and switched to all Ridgid this summer. I love the battery life and quality of tools. I was swayed by another carpenter who had a 5" circular saw. The battery life on the saw was great. Here's some tips on the life time warranty.
You must buy the tool from Home Depot to receive the life time warranty.
You must register each product on the web. You set up an account at Rigid.com.
Only batteries bought in a combo are included in the life time warranty. Batteries bought off the shelf from Home depot have a 3 year warranty.
I recently volunteered to put together a school playground. I bought a 3/8 socket adapter for the driver and put in the big battery. It ended up being the favorite tool for the professional playground guys. At noon, I changed the battery (it hadn't died yet) and it lasted the rest of the day. I am more than satisfied.
You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.
Marv
Hey Marv.
I have an older 18V nicad cordless kit from Ridgid and I do like it .The drill has a lot of power and the saw is nice too. However I don't take them with me all the time because of the weight of the old batteries and the tools (mainly the drill.) I have looked at the ridgid Lithium stuff and I Do have some interest in them. They seem light enough and hopefully enough power too.Like most guys I don't beat the hell out the tools on a day to day basis but when I'm doing decks and alike I give em a good workout.Do you have any of Ridgid's lithium tools yet and if so how are they holding up?
Do you have any of Ridgid's lithium tools yet and if so how are they holding up?
As I said, I just bought them this summer and they are holding up great. I'm think I will add the Saber saw to the mix but they don't sell it in my store. I will go the Ebay route.You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.
Marv
I have the Milwaukee compact 18v and it works well for small projects but runs out of power quickly. I bought the Hitachi combo 18v driver drill and impact driver. It is the larger ion battery and I think it is the best cordless drill I have ever used.
I have a Makita set and at work we have a couple of sets of Makitas that get thoroughly abused. I trust 'em. Love the cordless circ saw too.
Vern.
I invested in the Milwaukee 18v NiC some years back and have always been pleased with it. Since then of course the LiIon market has taken hold and the tools are smaller and easier to manage. Milwaukee makes 2 different Lith batteries, one that fits their compact models, and one that fits the older NiCad. I may switch over to them when the old pair wears out (I'm on my 3rd set).
It would be nice to have the compact tools but it's not worth the $$ to me at this point. I have 2 hammer drills, the circ saw, and a sawzall.
My newest cordless tool though is a Makita 18v Li impact gun, the black & white compact. God I love that thing! I especially like the light that comes on whenever I pull the trigger.
The Milwaukee has been very dependable but if I were to re-tool to the compact Li, I would definitely get the Makita. In all the years (30 or so), I have never had a problem with a Makita tool.
Yeah I have have been hearing good things about Makita as well.So if pulling the drill apart again and checking the brushes does nt pan out to fixing the problem I'll give the Makita stuff a second look.After reading the recent tool reviews from FH and JLC on drills and impact drivers. It would appear that the Milwaukee drill is better as far as drills go and the Makita Impact driver is better for Impact drivers.Sometimes I get caught up in too much info and research to make my purchases but they're my tools and I have to work with them on a day to day basis so I guess in the end it's worth the extra trouble.
I've used or sold a lot of them, and have a preference toward the Makitas. Light and powerful, pretty ergonomic. I have the older (and here I thought I was doing good upgrading) V18 setup, and it works well for me, but aside from the skilsaw and fuel guage, I like the Makita a bit more. Make sure you get the 2-speed hammerdrill if you go that route...the 3-speed seemed to appear in the shop a lot for repairs.
THe Panasonics are great, but very limited in the tools offered. If all you need is a drill and impact, go with them.