Which power tool company?

D

D. Hinton

Active member
A couple of my power tools were recently 5 finger discounted. So having to replace drill, sawzall, etc.
Which ones have held up well for you?

There's an Ace hardware right across the street from my once a week fill in that carries Milwaukee , There's a lowes 7 miles from my house.

Dewalt?
Bosch
Porter cable
Milwaukee
Hitachi....Hitachi is what I've had majority of.
 
Of that list, if you want the best, most probably Milwaukee would fit your needs. That what most of the hard core pros use around here. I am partial to Home Depot's "Ridgid" line of tools. I have, hard ridden Ridgid tools of over 20 years, still going strong.

Of course, this is a ford/Chevy thing, and you'll get a million opinions...

Good luck with this one!

Jonn
 
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I manage a department with 120 facility maintenance mechanics. Company requires each mechanic to have his own hand tools. Power tools are supplied by the company. The only drills/drivers/impacts that have been up to the task is Milwaukee. The rechargeable 18V are robust enough to withstand the abuse that the mechanics give them. The heavier stuff is 120V corded and it has proven tough to kill. We previously used Dewalt and they were disappointing. The advantage to sticking with one brand of rechargeable power tools is battery interchangeability.
Joe
 
I have been very happy with my Milwaukee cordless stuff. It is so well built it is amazing. I had a suggestion here years ago to go that way (thanks!) and I?m so glad I did. I have quite a pile of tools and batteries at this point and every piece has been good.
 
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D. Hinton said:
A couple of my power tools were recently 5 finger discounted. So having to replace drill, sawzall, etc.
Which ones have held up well for you?

There's an Ace hardware right across the street from my once a week fill in that carries Milwaukee , There's a lowes 7 miles from my house.

Dewalt?
Bosch
Porter cable
Milwaukee
Hitachi....Hitachi is what I've had majority of.
Click to expand...

I've used all of the brands mentioned except Hitachi. IMHO they are all good brands, each has a particular tool which will out perform the other brands for that particular tool. Are you wanting corded tools or battery powered? I feel Dewalt and Milwaukee are at the top in their cordless offerings. If you are looking at corded tools, it may be just about picking a particular tool rather than a brand.

Personally, in battery powered tools, I've had better results with the Dewalt. This may be due to advancements in technology over the time period in which my tools wore out and got replaced. Each new tool was better than the last, so I naturally associated it with my choice of brand, when in fact all tools at that time, may have been superior to the tool being replaced.

As for corded tools, especially wood working tools, I find myself owning a lot of Bosh tools, a fair amount of Dewalt and some Porter Cable. If any one of those walked away, I'd probably buy an exact replacement. Just because I'm pretty pleased with how they all function.
 
Dave pretty much nailed my experiences. No one manufacturer excels across all tools. Some make one tool better than the others while not as good with a different tool. I think in some cases the company that originated a tool has a leg up on the competition for that particular too. Below is a list of which manufacturer I prefer for a given tool. Some I have, some I want.

Sawzall - Milwaukee
Circle saw - Skilsaw worm drive
Cordless Impact Driver - DeWalt (There's a reason they say they come in "pawn shop yellow")
Corded Drill - Milwaukee
Right-angle drill - Milwaukee
Random Orbital Sander - Porter Cable (more compact) or Bosch (better dust collection)
Belt Sander - Porter Cable or Makita
Sander Polisher - Makita
Router - Dewalt or Porter Cable
Sliding Compound Miter Saw - Hitachi (now called Metabo)
4" grinder - Metabo
Jigsaw - Bosch
Gas nailer - Paslode
Pneumatic nailer - Hitachi
 
Eric et al~


Interesting thread. Like Joe, I was going to just say "Milwaukee", but...."it depends" might be a better way to go.


For example, I have 3 jigsaws. The most expensive Porter-Cable is strong and has a nice cast base - but, the base doesn't tilt and the ergonomics are atrocious (same for a big router I have of theirs). My Dewalt is fine - but the "stamped out" base does not inspire confidence. And, it's "down" right now because my new eye situation helped me to insert a fresh new blade wrong end in.... Finally, I still have my 1976 Black & Decker Jigsaw that set me back $13. Still does some jobs very well.


Eric~


I'm curious about the Metabo (nee Hitachi) compound sliding bevel mitre saw. I have been planning to get a 12" from Milwaukee (6955-20). I see that the Metabo requires less bench space - and it is much less expensive. Other reasons to opt for it over the Milwaukee?


BTW: I love my DeWalt cordless drills - that technology paired with square-drive deck screws has been a big leap forward over my lifetime.



All the best,


SJS

 
Steve Sanford said:
I'm curious about the Metabo (nee Hitachi) compound sliding bevel mitre saw. I have been planning to get a 12" from Milwaukee (6955-20). I see that the Metabo requires less bench space - and it is much less expensive. Other reasons to opt for it over the Milwaukee?
]
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Have you looked at the Bosch 12 inch compound slider? I was close to getting one, but I got the hitachi 12 compound slider (which has been good). I wish I?d got the Bosch just because.
 
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Dave -

The DeWalt drill/driver has a plastic clutch gear that failed in all 10 I bought about 5 years ago. I switched to Milwaukee because they have metal clutch gear and I get 2 years on the batteries. Dewalt only 1 year.

Joe
 
Steve & Tod

I've been using Hitachi 10" sliders for years and they are remarkably reliable and repeatable. Adjustments are very well laid out with visible markers and stops (detents) on all the typical angles. I recently bought a 12" Hitachi after reports I read about it not taking so much bench depth. It has been compared to the Bosch and Festool in terms of the minimal bench depth needed but unlike the Festool it is affordable (I got mine for $249 on sale because Lowes wanted to get rid of the last one they had with the Hitachi logo instead of the new Metabo logo). A professional woodworking friend of mine has the Bosch and hates it due to it's lack of holding settings and inaccuracy. To me Hitachi is an example of a company that invented a tool still being ahead of the pack. I think is frequently true. Has anyone ever built a better circular saw than the worm drive Skil? Nope. Has anyone made a Sawzall better than Milwaukee? Nope again.

Eric
 
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Joe Daly said:
Dave -

The DeWalt drill/driver has a plastic clutch gear that failed in all 10 I bought about 5 years ago. I switched to Milwaukee because they have metal clutch gear and I get 2 years on the batteries. Dewalt only 1 year.

Joe
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Joe,

Interesting, The cordless hammer drill I have has never failed me. I also have a string trimmer and hedge cutter that all take the same 20 volt batteries. I wonder if the gear issue was/is specific to only one model number. I use my DeWalt to drive a couple different ice augers. This is a demanding task for any drill. The Milwaukee drills were failing with the gear housing breaking an ear where the secondary handles attaches. I don't think Milwaukee has changed their design but they may have upped the tensile strength of the material used.

(or not) Most of the cordless drill manufactures have specifically excluded ice auger usage under their warranty.
 
Eric Patterson said:
Steve & Tod

I've been using Hitachi 10" sliders for years and they are remarkably reliable and repeatable. Adjustments are very well laid out with visible markers and stops (detents) on all the typical angles. I recently bought a 12" Hitachi after reports I read about it not taking so much bench depth. It has been compared to the Bosch and Festool in terms of the minimal bench depth needed but unlike the Festool it is affordable (I got mine for $249 on sale because Lowes wanted to get rid of the last one they had with the Hitachi logo instead of the new Metabo logo). A professional woodworking friend of mine has the Bosch and hates it due to it's lack of holding settings and inaccuracy. To me Hitachi is an example of a company that invented a tool still being ahead of the pack. I think is frequently true. Has anyone ever built a better circular saw than the worm drive Skil? Nope. Has anyone made a Sawzall better than Milwaukee? Nope again.

Eric
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Looks like we have the same saw. Good to hear about the Bosch :).
 
Joe Daly said:
Dave -

The DeWalt drill/driver has a plastic clutch gear that failed in all 10 I bought about 5 years ago. I switched to Milwaukee because they have metal clutch gear and I get 2 years on the batteries. Dewalt only 1 year.

Joe
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I?ve had a Milwaukee impact driver for years and wanted a second. I just bought a surge (new hydraulic impact) and wow it is nice (and quiet). I just can not kill my drill driver either.
 
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Good morning, Eric~


Thanks very much.


I used my Dad's circa 1960 Skilsaw for decades - until I dropped it several years ago - from the barn loft onto a concrete floor. I presumed the warranty had lapsed....


My local (family-owned) lumber yard sells Hitachi/Metabo. I'll stop in later today.


All the best,


SJS

 

Sorry to hear about your lost tools.

Eric's list pretty much matches my arsenal. I had mostly Milwaukee and Porter Cable. Several years ago I had an intermittent switch issue with my then 15-year old right angle drill. I took it to the Milwaukee repair shop. Got a call the next day and picked it up. They replaced the switch and the bushings (as I recall). I asked them them what I owed and they responded nothing and apologized that I could not use the drill and had to bring it in. I have more red tools in my shop since.

I do prefer the Metabo grinders.

Tom
 
I love my 12" Milwaukee compound slider, but i do wish it had a laser beam. I've had nothing but Milwaukee battery drills since the 12v days, and they've never failed me. My portable table saw is Bosch, and it's great. Routers are all Porter Cable, and all good. Jig saw is Bosch, Sanders are PC and Bosch. As I look around the shop, other than my old iron Craftsman table saw, all I own are Milwaukee, PC and Bosch. I made my living with these tools before I retired, and nary a fail. Many of them are headed up to Canada with me next month to build our camp; I trust they'll get the job done (LOL, not so sure of myself, though).
Gary
 
D after being in the small construction business for 25 yrs, i have been with them all. stay with the miulwakee they are the iron horse of the industrury
 
At work we go through all the Brands. As for the hammer drill the Hilti is in a league of there own.
As for the other battery tools. Seems most issues are with the Batteries dying. Then when you try to replace2 batteries it seems to be cheaper to buy a new unit. for less money they seem to go on sale a lot.
Keep in mind 12 volt the next year is 14, then 16, 18 now 20 volt. Also the new batteries got smaller and lighter.
 
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