# what brand for a cordless combo kit?



## SunnyD HVAC (Jan 8, 2009)

Milwaukee, makita, ridgid, dewalt, others, I had an 18v ridgid and have used an 18v milwaukee that was a friends before i don't like dewalts battery style of attachment thoigh they make nice hard cases I liked rigid's dual charger though they might have phased that out. 

I am just asking for opinions and experience of dependability and customer service

wouln't be cool if companies offered corded combo kits


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

DeWalt.
Sawzall
Flashlight
1/2" hammer drill
Skill saw.

Milwaulkee battery screw driver


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

I have been useing the Ridgid 18v combo for along time now, got the kit when they had the lifetime warranty on it, so far had the sawsall fixed under the warranty, cost nothing for the repair.


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## Tankless (Jun 12, 2008)

I have the 6 piece DeWalt that I got last year day after Xmas.
18vt:
drill driver hammer
impact
circular
light
sawzall
4" angle grinder
Also came with a coupon for one more free tool...I took the jig saw

It only came with 3 batteries, so I wound up buyiong another 4 plus the ones I already have.....batteries suck but not that bad....could be worse. I beat the hell out of my tools and so far the only thing that needed work was my sawzall...I repaired it because I hate my corded ones now!!


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## Dr Steevil (Jan 25, 2009)

I have Dewalt cordless tools as well, and I have to admit that right next to air conditioning, I think the cordless sawzall is the greatest invention ever.

Oh, one thing about cases. Keep in mind they have the logo on them. May as well say "STEAL ME!!" Paint over it, or ditch it altogether.


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## Dr Steevil (Jan 25, 2009)

Tankless said:


> ... so far the only thing that needed work was my sawzall...I repaired it because I hate my corded ones now!!


What broke on yours? On mine a pin that engages the reciprocating mechanism sheared off.


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## Tankless (Jun 12, 2008)

The tab that enguages / disenguages the pin to hold the blade in.


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2008)

DeWalt ! Have had 2 sets stolen out of my truck ,,, just keep buying cause they're the best !
Need to strap on my new shotgun for the next "visitor " to my truck though , heh,heh .

Ridgid just seemed way to heavy and awkward to me.
Cal


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

Hilti.


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## Dr Steevil (Jan 25, 2009)

Tankless said:


> The tab that enguages / disenguages the pin to hold the blade in.


That's what I kinda thought. The last company I worked at (large company!) had several plumbers with Dewalt sawzalls and a lot of them had the same problem as you did. Guess I've been lucky with that part so far. Other than that, though, I still like the Dewalts.


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## TotalPlumber (Sep 30, 2008)

Milwaukee 18v and 28v
hammer drill, sawzall, flashlights.
got from supply house, good relationships with supply house employees = great service on warranty work, and the occasional free battery!


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## rex (Jun 13, 2008)

bosch


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## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

Craftsman. I got the whole 19v kit for 150.00....


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## SPH (Nov 4, 2008)

Makita Lithium Ion for any cordless drill


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## I'mYourTourGuide (Jun 23, 2008)

I prefer DeWalt.

I recently purchased the 6 piece kit. . . all 18v. . . .sawzall, 1/2" drill, flex light, 1/4" driver, grinder,and 6.5" circle saw.


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## Plumbworker (Oct 23, 2008)

craftsman for sure... their cheap but dependable i have been running the same setup for 1.5 years and only the sawzall died on me....... free replacement at sears no questions asked!! the impact gun also keeps on trucking along never have any problems with it i dropped it countless times off of 8' ladders.


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## I'mYourTourGuide (Jun 23, 2008)

Those .25" impact drivers are the win!


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## plumb4fun (Feb 18, 2009)

You guys might laugh, but I bought the cheap 18 volt Ryobi set the Home Depot carries (1/2" drill, sawzall, circular saw, flashlight, and vacuum) for under $200.00, 6 years later and an occassional battery, they still run great!


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## ASUPERTECH (Jun 22, 2008)

Dewalt, 36v, 4 pc. set, a little heavy but man they will run all day at full tilt, or go 2 wks between charges. 3 yrs new same batteries no repairs so far to any thing.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Milwaukee 28v kit is the most rugged. I bought the kit when it first came out 4-5 years ago. Still on the same kit. I like how the batteries have charge gauges on them. Nothing like crawling to the back of an attic only to find out you drill doesn't have enough juice for more than one hole.

For the money though, you can't bet Ryobi. They aren’t the nicest(still better than the dewalt junk) kit out but they are by far the most tool you can buy per dollar. If you think they are junk I have a challenge for you: Take apart a Ryobi sawzall and a dewalt. You tell me witch one it built better.

I own both Mil and Ryobi. If they are lying next to each other I always pick up the Milwaukee. The ryo is just my spare.


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

I use the Milwaukee 18volt but the Ni Cad batteries are crap. Once I upgraded to Lithium Ion not more problems. I just purchased a hammer drill kit off Amazon with a charger, 2-Lithium Ion batteries and a case for $158.

Mark


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## SunnyD HVAC (Jan 8, 2009)

*breaker one 9*

the milwaukee power plus ni cads had a recall
http://toolmonger.com/2007/07/11/milwaukee-power-tool-battery-packs-recalled/


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## Scott K (Oct 12, 2008)

I bought my Milwaukee V28 set in late 2006 and it kicks ass. I love the charge indicator, the drill is so much smoother than my previous DeWalt XRP, and the sawzall and circ saw are awesome. 

Last year I bought the V28 Right angle drill. Now that was one hell of a good investment. Great for drilling holes for waterlines in wood and metal, as well as it'll handle the 2 9/16's self feeds as well.


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## SunnyD HVAC (Jan 8, 2009)

*12 v lith compact power tools*

I love my little rigid 12v lith drill the chuck is nice for drilling and a built in led light nice when working in dark confined spaces. http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/R82007-Lithium-Ion-Drill/EN/index.htm 

Milwaukee: many 12v tools I hope I can get a chance to test their performance. Stores should do demonstrations of products to show the products value and uses.
http://www.milwaukeetool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category_27_40028_-1_200137_192137

Bosch: 12v max I driver, I like the multi direction tool head, 
http://www.boschtools.com/Products/Tools/Pages/BoschProductCategory.aspx?catid=637

Hitachi America ltd.
http://www.hitachipowertools.com/store_item.php?iID=611&arrPath=1,2,22,p611,


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## invictus (Jan 19, 2009)

We have 4 Dewalt 36 Volt 4 piece sets. Absolutely love 'em. As long as you have plenty of charged batteries in the rotation they will save you tons of time. No problems yet. Sawzall kicks serious something. We had to cut 2x6 footing walls out to core drill. They framed first and we cut out where we wanted our plumbing pipes. The building is 4 hundred feet long so tons of cuts made. Me and another guy raced sides, he had a Milwaukee corded sawzall. I had a dewalt 36v with 3 charged batteries in rotation. I smoked him by 40 minutes and made probably 150 cuts through the wood on the concrete. A battery lasted 30-40 minutes under constant use. The flashlight is bright and a battery powers it for 4-6 hours straight. Circular saw is nice cuz its 7.5 inches, but still binds up on occasion. The drill has the torque, but is kind of heavy and unnecessary for most applications. Wish Dewalt would come out with some more 36v products.


My next favorite tool is a Bosch 18v drill, it is light weight and has the torque for alot of small stuff i do.

Fast becoming my fav is the new M12 milwaukee set. The copper cutter is sweet, although the main use I have for it is to cut off copper stubouts.
The little saw is sweet for cutting off johnny bolts.

In my humble opinion the M12 set with the copper cutter and little saw is a must for any plumber wanting to save themselves time and effort.


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## SunnyD HVAC (Jan 8, 2009)

*just on tools of the trade website found a compact*

I found this overview of compact and sub compact drill drivers
http://www.toolsofthetrade.net/industry-news.asp?sectionID=1490&articleID=884891&artnum=1


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## Scott K (Oct 12, 2008)

I bought the Milwaukee 1/4" 12 Volt Lithium Ion Screwgun last year when they first came out (it was the first tool that came out in the M12 line)and it's excellent for drilling screws and carrying around on the tool belt drill holster. Also gets into tighter places than my V28 drill which is why I bought it. 

In the test posted above it rated the best in the subcompact class.

The only thing that sucks about the 1/4" screw gun is that it comes with a nylon zippered case, which the zipper promptly broke recently. But I noticed the impact M12 impact came in the nice plastic case MIlwaukee is known for. Luckily, they had one of the Milwaukee M12 impact cases at Home Depot recently for sale for $5, which I picked up to replace the zippered case that came with my screw gun (the screw gun and impact are the exact same size! It even has room in the case for a MIluwakee bit organizer if you want.


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## SunnyD HVAC (Jan 8, 2009)

*keyless chuck for impact drivers*

http://www.thefind.com/hardware/info-drill-chuck-adapter

I picked up a dewalt 3/8" chuck made for impact driver the other day from lowes


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Ron The Plumber said:


> I have been useing the Ridgid 18v combo for along time now, got the kit when they had the lifetime warranty on it, so far had the sawsall fixed under the warranty, cost nothing for the repair.


Same here...
I've whacked em for a couple of batteries so far.
Right now I have a battery that has to go in and a bad battery connector on the light.
Been about 6 years...


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## trick1 (Sep 18, 2008)

Picked up my new Makita L-Ion hammer drill and impact driver combo kit a couple weeks ago. Awesome set!!! Light and easy to use. The led light really helps out in dark areas such as under cabinets of between joist bays. I replaced a Bosch Brute Blue Core cordless and there's no comparison!


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## JK949 (Mar 18, 2009)

I've found DeWalt 18V to be overpriced and under-performing. The reciprocating saw action feels jagged to me. The hammerdrill doesn't have enough settings, and the snake light is garbage.

My Milwaukee 18v 4 piece set feels better to me in every way over my co-workers Dewalt sets. 

Flashlight is rugged

Hatchet sawzall has regular and orbital settings. Adjustable handle position, battery location, guard height and feels much smoother to use.

Hammerdrill has more settings.

Most importantly, I got it on closeout at Home Depot for $260.


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## Scott K (Oct 12, 2008)

JK949 said:


> I've found DeWalt 18V to be overpriced and under-performing. The reciprocating saw action feels jagged to me. The hammerdrill doesn't have enough settings, and the snake light is garbage.
> 
> My Milwaukee 18v 4 piece set feels better to me in every way over my co-workers Dewalt sets.
> 
> ...


Are you sure your 18 Volt Sawzall has an orbital setting? I have the V28 and it does not have orbital settings and the reason I heard was because orbital settings use too much power in cordless tools so they didn't include it.


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## JK949 (Mar 18, 2009)

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/webapp...tegoryId=192137&fromSearch=Y&productId=684469

sure does, check the specs.


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

I prefer the 18 volt Lithium Milwaukee. 

Mark


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

ToUtahNow said:


> I prefer the 18 volt Lithium Milwaukee.
> 
> Mark



Mine is the Makita

Mine is still going strong, I did make the company buy me a new bat, after I used in under a house, I was not going to take any power under there, battery died a week later, after it was submerged in the water under the house.

Yes onr company replaces and buys all our tools to include bats. We lose a tool, they say just buy a new one.


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## pauliplumber (Feb 9, 2009)

I have a Dewalt 18 v set (sawzall, hamdrill, skillsaw, miniscwewdriver, snakelight) About 8 years old. Overall I would give the set a C. They all still work but the sawzall will seize up when wet and is now real loud. There's a lot of play in the blade attachment as well. The hammerdrill is ballsy but the chuck is garbadge, it either locks onto the bit and I need channellocks to get the bit out, or it won't tighten properly and the bit falls out. The skill saw (limited use) works fine. The mini screwdriver is great for screws and works well. I really like the snakelight too, I use it on almost every job. I think the Dewalt 18v batteries are pretty good, work well even when left in the cold overnight.

If you live in a cold climate and are thinking about purchasing a set with lith Ion batteries, you will have to bring your batteries in at night. Cold weather will discharge the batteries, and you can't charge them when cold. I might stick with Ni Cads for this reason.


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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

Makita 18V Lithium-Ion. Nice stuff.

Worst battery tool I ever owned was DeWalt. What a piece of crap. Never again.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Some friends of mine got the ridgid combo kits when they 1st came out along with 30 other plumbers at the company. They had a pallet loaded with all the defective batteries in about a month. Most of them sold the kits when they got the replacements because it was costing them to much in there commission work every time they were without the tools.



Redwood said:


> Same here...
> I've whacked em for a couple of batteries so far.
> Right now I have a battery that has to go in and a bad battery connector on the light.
> Been about 6 years...


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## ranman (Jan 24, 2010)

all makita for me.

i used to have Milwaukee 18 volt. one of the batteries blew up and burnt down my house in 2007. so i will not buy hem again. there was a silent recall on the batteries . i found out after the fire


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

I have NO luck at all with any battery tool. I gave all my DeWalts to my son. Now I have a Milwaulkee drill and killed 2 batteries in less than a year. Guess what my son is getting next?


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Bill said:


> I have NO luck at all with any battery tool. I gave all my DeWalts to my son. Now I have a Milwaulkee drill and killed 2 batteries in less than a year. Guess what my son is getting next?


Ahh let me guess Milwaulkee drill :laughing:


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

Ron The Plumber said:


> Ahh let me guess Milwaulkee drill :laughing:


Thats right!
How did you guess?


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

Ryobi makes both the Craftsman and Ridgid line of cordless tools.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

ChrisConnor said:


> Ryobi makes both the Craftsman and Ridgid line of cordless tools.


Or, is it Emerson makes them or, owns them?:laughing:


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## pauliplumber (Feb 9, 2009)

I've been thinking about trying a Ryobi or Sears set next. I can get two of their sets for about the price of one Milwaukee, Dewalt, Makita. If I have two sets I will have a backup incase I'm on a job and one tool fries. I do mostly service so they don't need to be extra heavy duty. There batteries are also much cheaper to replace. Just a thought....

On 2nd thought, I'd hate to show up at a HO's house and see they have the same set that I do.


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

you cant get better than DeWalts 18v kit, for the money there is no better.


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## spudwrench (Sep 15, 2009)

What about the Porter-Cable Ni- Cad sets that are on sale? $157. Not building a deck, buy for residential work?


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## JK949 (Mar 18, 2009)

GREENPLUM said:


> you cant get better than DeWalts 18v kit, for the money there is no better.


Makita 6 piece Li-on kits on closeout at HD for $399. Check your local store.


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

spudwrench said:


> What about the Porter-Cable Ni- Cad sets that are on sale? $157. Not building a deck, buy for residential work?


I noticed the Porter Cable stuff was way cheaper than I expected at Lowes. They have 18v Lithium Drills for under $150. Has their quality dropped off recently? I always thought good things about Porter Cable.









Paul


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## Miguel (Aug 10, 2009)

rocksteady said:


> I noticed the Porter Cable stuff was way cheaper than I expected at Lowes. They have 18v Lithium Drills for under $150. Has their quality dropped off recently? I always thought good things about Porter Cable.


They used to be good (and mebbe still are) but since Black & Decker bought them all up I'm betting they're 2nd fiddle to the flagship DeWalt lineup. Y'know they also bought out that pfunny pfaucet co. too, eh?


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## pauliplumber (Feb 9, 2009)

Not sure if it's a local thing or not, but I saw at Lowes today they had 18v Ni-cad Dewalt batteries in a two pack marked down to $99.00. Cheapest I've seen them.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

pauliplumber said:


> Not sure if it's a local thing or not, but I saw at Lowes today they had 18v Ni-cad Dewalt batteries in a two pack marked down to $99.00. Cheapest I've seen them.


 Thanks for that info!!! I will be checking. Also I will be sending the tip tomorrow pauli.:thumbsup:


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

ChrisConnor said:


> Ryobi makes both the Craftsman and Ridgid line of cordless tools.


Actually, the TTI Group owns Ryobi, Milwaukee, AEG, VAX, Dirt Devil, Homelite, Hoover and Stiletto. Under license, they make some Ridgid and Craftsman tools and Kenmore vacuum cleaners (and maybe others).

Mark


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## choyboy (Feb 8, 2010)

Milwaukee 18 volt is what I've been using for the last 5 years with no problems. Still going strong. Ever wonder why Milwaukee is one of few companies who give 5 year warranty on their tools? Built to last. Check out what the general contractors are using on their job sites and ask them why.


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## pauliplumber (Feb 9, 2009)

1. Post an intro

2. I like Milwaukee tools too. Almost everyone agrees their batteries are junk. I'm not sure I would buy a kit for this reason. After using the Hackzall for about a year, BOTH batteries are almost shot.


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## caseysbuilding (Mar 11, 2009)

I like Hitachi


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## beachplumber (Feb 7, 2010)

Who has the best warranty. Ridgid had the lifetime do they still?


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## CBP (Feb 5, 2010)

I have a couple Porter Cable sets that I bought before dewalt/B&D took them over. Much better than the dewalts, the sawzall is more compact and fits into a 16"stud or joist space, and the circ saw feels like a circ saw, dewalt's is kinda awkward. 

Since they were bought out, the new ones are not nearly as good, I'd compare them to ryobi or the off brands that all the big boxes carry. That was dewalt's intention when they bought them, to take another player out of the professional line so they can dominate the cordless market.

Believe it or not, the absolute best cordless drill I've ever owned was a 15.6v Panasonic (I know, I was surprised too!) I could drill with a 2-1/8 and 2-9/16 selfeed all day on a single battery, light and compact. It actually took a tumble off of a 8' ladder, into the sump pit full of water, and came out working like new!


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## mssp (Dec 15, 2009)

18v Dewalt had my kit for about 8 yrs now. I have only replaced batteries one time. Have the radio charger 12volt charger for the truck and the 2 battery charger in the bag. I can charge 4 battteries at one time:thumbup:


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