So what’s up with the 18v Lithion Bosch?
Kind of torn between that and the LXT. I know the Makita is sweet
but it has had some problems too.
The Bosch seems to have less whistles and bells but made real well.
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Replies
Hey Henley,
Just thought I'd throw yet another wrench (or Screw-gun) into the mix. I have to say I'm a big fan of Milwaukee guns. I've converted nearly all my caliber of weapons ( from the small 12V to the V28) and I gotta say I love 'em all. I'm more than happy with the power and the balance - all the stuff you should demand from a gun but it's the extras that Milwaukee thought of that makes the difference to me. One particular favorite feature on the batteries is their 'gas gage'. It's really nice to know when I'm heading out on a quick and dirty job that I'm going to have enough juice in the battery to get me through or if I'm going to need to pack an extra battery or a charger as well. Also - with the new Milwaukee 9 Volt screw gun it's really a nice feature to have the quick-release chuck and one handed bit loading feature. I hate to admit the number of times I've had a mouth full of screws, one hand holding the work pieces together (even though I've got a room full of clamps. . . ), and then need to switch out bits while holding the gun and the different bit in the other hand. That little trick was impossible with the bosch 9 Volt.
I just recently acquired the new Milwaukee 18Volt lithium-ion Compact screw gun and can't say enough about it. What a great combination between power, balance and weight. Also in this day and age of one or maybe if you are lucky - two year guarantee on products, it refreshing to see Milwaukee's 5 year guarantee.
Just some thoughts. . .
See the problem is I bought the 18v compact about three
months ago.
I loved it for all the reasons you mentioned, and a couple
you didn't. Like a spare bit holder that actually works!
Nice belt hook also. Well, it just wasn't up to driving three inch screws all
day long. Noticeable lack of power. I found myself shifting
into low gear all the time.
Which in turn led to me striping the gear box out today. Now I'll see how they honor that five year warranty.
I just posted a question about the Milwaukee 18 volt impact driver. What is the model number on the one you just got, just out of curiosity? thanks."The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a governmental program" -Ronald Reagan
Uh - oh.
Duck! The war's about to start .....
Quality repairs for your home.
AaronR Construction
Vancouver, Canada
FWIW -
Been using the Makita 18v LiOn tools almost daily for the last two years and I am a Happy Camper. No issues. That little circ saw does great work and is well designed. The weight and ergonomics of the tools put my Bosch 18v NiCad system on the shelf.
The only tender tool is the grinder - which won't let you abuse it. Needs a delicate touch, but if Young Jack, a known tool abuser, can get work out of his, it must be OK. (He came off the scaffold yesterday with about 3/4" of cutoff wheel remaining.)
The only snake in the grass in this system has been the charger, which tends to die in service. My 3d one, dated from 11.07, is still running so the newer version may have addressed some design issues.
The ToolBear
"You can't save the Earth unless you are willing to make other people sacrifice." Dogbert
Had the 18V Makita for about six weeks now, and sure like it. Really light, with lots of torque, and tough. Already dropped it off of a roof with no damage. The little light is good for looking for stuff inside a dark tool-box...
You're in upstate NY, right?
Gets cold there. DAMHIKT
LION batteries and cold weather aren't the best of friends, no matter who makes the tool attached to them.
If you are working inside, say 40 deg and up, you'll be fine with LION. But if you're looking for something to use while framing in January, you'd be better served with the old style NiMH batteries.
All that said, I got the Makita LXT set a couple of years ago and love it. Only problems I've ever heard of are some chargers that make a racket and some hammerdrills with a bad gear box. No issues here at all. What sold me on the Makita was how the tools felt in my hand. Their effort at ergonomic design paid off as far as I was concerned.
They've got an autofeed gun out now http://www.toolbarn.com/product/makita/BFR750/
And if I was fastening things above my head all day, I'd think about the 10v Bosch stuff.
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Hey Roman, and other Makita fans... A guy I work with has the LXT. Great gun, no doubt about it.
But, he went through three or four chargers.
I've read about the hammerdrill gearbox thing.
And the reviews over at Amazon are full gripes about
the chuck loosening up and having excessive run out. Starts to sound like "Made in China".
I know mmoogie here went through a couple of chargers, you might ping him and see what his thoughts are.But I haven't had any issues at all. And, I'm fussy enough that if there were, I would have been looking for something else.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Henley and I work together. He's seen what's good and bad about my LXT. I think what bothers him the most is that the little rubber strips on the side are lifting up and flapping in the breeze ;-) That, and the lousy bit holder, and my 4th charger that, while still functional, makes a racket for a few minutes when starting up. Oh, and the chuck does indeed loosen up and drop bits out of it sometimes.But the power and balance are great, and the light that stays on for a few seconds after you let go of the trigger is great. That nice fast 3rd gear is good too.Steve
Edited 11/11/2008 6:58 am by mmoogie
Ahh, that explains it. I was wondering if you two knew each other.No problems with my drill so far, but I have to admit that I use the impact for just about everything. Just got the right angle impact the other day, too.Maybe Apple has a new cordless drill? ;)Best,
Steve'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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The impact is on my x-mas wish list. Never heard of the right-angle impact. That could be useful.
I don't think it's been out for too long. All of a sudden they had that, a right angle drill, the auto feed screwgun and some others on the market.http://www.acetoolonline.com/Makita-BTL061-18V-LXT-Cordless-Angle-Impact-p/mak-btl061z.htm'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Found a deal on Amazon- LXT drill driver+impact driver combo $ 350.00 when all is
said and done. To good a deal to pass up so lets hope for a good
charger. PS
Moogie is correct. There is no way in heck I'll put up
with little rubber bits flapping around! They come loose
their gone. Unlike some people who yell"DON'T TOUCH IT!"
When ever I get near.
You know, the more I think about this, the more I think you're barking up the wrong tree. If you're driving 3" deck screws all day, then a rechargable isn't what you need. Just go get a $70 corded DeWalt like I did, and use it when you got AC and no issues with pulling a power cord somewhere.
I use my rechargables for trim and light duty, and use the big old corded 1/2" driver and 3/8" when I need it for all day. That big old 1/2" sure mixes SR mud good...
I do Historic renovations and remodels mostly. So
contrary to Breaktime law I screw framing on a daily basis.
Every piece is a custom fit and unique so the slower fastener
is more then made up for in accuracy and versatility. So, I need a cordless driver all day all the time.
Hmmm...don't understand. My old DeWalt and Sears 1/2" are both variable speed and have loads more torque than any cordless. The charge/discharge cycles and high temps caused by those is what kills batteries. You can buy two corded for what you'll pay for one cordless.
BTW, I've got a belt hook that's adjustable and it holds ANY driver. Can't remember the name right off. Think I got it at HD.
No doubt the corded are stronger and more durable.
Just one draw back...
If you are comparing driving screws with an impact vs a regular drill - give it up.With an impact gun, you can literally drive a 4" screw while holding the impact gun above your head with a light hold on it.To drive that same screw with a regular driver, you'd need to get all your weight behind the driver to avoid it camming out.For remodeling - no reason to own a corded screw gun. maybe for decks or drywall...They may be loud, but man they drive some screws...JT
So, the question is, who makes a decent CORDED impact driver (that's not a boat anchor)?
You're in upstate NY, right?Gets cold there. DAMHIKTLION batteries and cold weather aren't the best of friends, no matter who makes the tool attached to them.If you are working inside, say 40 deg and up, you'll be fine with LION. But if you're looking for something to use while framing in January, you'd be better served with the old style NiMH batteries.Thats what I thought also. My bosch 10.8v lion driver doesn't seem to work well in the cold. But then in the recent JLC a guy tests impact drivers by encasing them in a block of ice and driving lags. They obviously dont work as well as they did when warm, but most of them do ok. So now I don't know what to think. I want to get a v28 kit but it's cold around here about half the year. Have you seen that test? Whats your own experience with lion batteries in the cold. Do they work at all in the cold, or is it not even worth it in the winter?
Haven't read the article, but I'd like to. I'll have to look for it.And the above mention of cold and LION is not from personal experience, but from what I've read here, and likely at the JLC forums. So it could be more griping than an actual issue. Ask those guys above in NY state. They'll have a much better shot at the advice you're looking for.I'll ask DW, too. She's a chemist often working on battery tech. Might not get a practical answer out of that, though.
Been my experience that the cold does knock them down a little faster than the NiMh I had previously. But I think part of that is perception because of the way they die in general. When the Lithium batteries run out of gas, they do so with little or no notice. You get maybe one or two more screws out them when you notice the drop in power, and that's it.I read that JLC article too., and was a little surprised at how well the lithium batteries did in the ice-cube test. The non-lithium did better, but not a lot better.Steve
Edited 11/12/2008 6:33 am by mmoogie
same problem with Li's here during the winter...
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!!!
I bought the Ryobi 18V impact driver from HD about three years ago for $69.00 (less batteries) I like it better than the $200. plus Dewalt driver I also have.
The Ryobi is low priced but the batteries are usable on their whole line of tools and you can get two or three for the same price as one of the high dollar brands and it works just as good
Never say anything bad about a person untill you have walked a mile in his shoes, by then you will be a mile away from him and you will have his shoes.
I also have the Ryobi and I'm very pleased with its performance, especially considering the price. The batteries, however, don't seem to hold a lot of power, but that's ok because I bought 4 Ryobi batteries for less than the price of 2 "top-of-the-line" batteries.
My experience is with the nicad batteries. According to JLC, the lith-ion batteries are pretty close. See this post for some numbers: http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=111735.7
If Ryobi worked "Just as Good" as the pro tool brands, then why wouldn't everyone buy them instead of the high dollar pro tools?
c'mon, lets get real here! Maybe for a disposable tool its Okay, but under extreme everyday conditions I doubt that Ryobi tools would last. I firestorm recip saw cuts wood, that doesn't make it the same as a Milwaukee sawzall!
You may be right but someone posted a reply showing tests in which Ryobi performed better than some of the "high dollar pro tools" in a screw driving comparison.
I don't drive screws all day long but I have used the little Ryobi almost daily for three years and I like it better than the Dewalt and I have no problems with the batteries or the charger or handels flapping in the wind.
I'm sure most professionals go to the higher priced tools because of bad experiances with some of the #### thats out there but if I see good reports about a tool I'm not afraid to try one because its cheaper.
I just had a guy from Overhead Door Co install a door for me that was using the Ryobi driver which probably gets a pretty good workout. Try one, its cheap and if it does'nt work for you just give it to your kid
Never say anything bad about a person untill you have walked a mile in his shoes, by then you will be a mile away from him and you will have his shoes.
Another vote for the V18 Milwaukee. Li-ion and Ni-Cads are interchangeable for cold weather. Battery flips for better balance.
The Milwaukee however is not a screwgun it's big, it's heavy, it's a drill.
Hate to say it again, becoming a broken record...HILTI! HILTI! HILTI! 14.4 Li-ion, can't be beat. Going on one year of serious work, used almost daily from construction to mechanic work around the ranch. Can't kill it, can't even seem to hurt it. If you get it hot or the battery is drawing heavily and gets low - it shuts itself down so as not to damage the battery. No problem with charger or driver - don't expect any based on other tools.It isn't that much more and it is a way better tool!
The Hilti warranty is outstanding, no one even comes close.
I was checking them out on the Hilti sight this morning.
Tried to find a price and got a strange pop up warning- Error -405- " If you have to ask"
Hilti is what I use and love it. Used to use DW but not anymore. But the best thing is that my brother cant claim it is his. ;)Where there's a will, there are 500 relatives
Panasonic is my opinion, who do you think makes the batteries for the rest of them.