Modern battery operated tools

[Ele115]

When I got started with cars (Boats really) we didn't even use a lot of air tools. Then we began buying air tools and those made things a heck of a lot better. Now everything is battery powered and they are to the point that they are really good tools. My favorites are ( all of these would be rechargeable) the sawzall, the angle grinder/cutoff wheel, the caulk gun and of course the drills we used since their inception. The junkyards are very picky as to what you can bring in because they don't wants sparks and fires (or injuries) so I bring in the sawzall and cookie cutter for cutting off roofs, quarters etc. They won't allow a plasma cutter. Some will cut a clip off for you, but the price is about 4 times higher. I'm impressed with how many good tools we have now. I just used my battery sawzall to trim a bunch of rose bushes that got a little out of hand. I didn't have to get the chainsaw out and fire it up, this was quiter and cleaner and it took me about ten minutes to do about 45 feet of bushes. I love it!

I want to hear what you think. What do you like and dislike? What have you been doing or buying? The brands you prefer. Maybe horror stories whatever. The world has changing a lot. If you went in time machine with these tools to 1961 and show a mechanic, he would have a stroke.

 

[HooToTheCore]

I bought an air 3/8 inch drive wrench. Wish it was battery. But it works a lot easier than a standard ratchet wrench.

 

[rklein71]

I use heck out my battery powered 1/2 inch impact wrench.

 

[Poolshark314]

I love the Milwaukee tools. I like it because they have car tools, home tools, and yard tools all in the same battery ecosystem. The compact impact wrenches are great and still have plenty of power to loosen bolts

 

[budascuda]

I have used them ALL, yes, ALL .....
BUT, i never start a build without my "American" built Porter Cable 1/2" quick chuck drill, for me, that's just how it is if you work for a living.
I can't afford some fancy looking battery powered tool made "overseas" to go "haylam hoyla" on me in the middle of a job.
don't get me wrong, I do use other brands of tools, battery or corded, but never from the "overseas"

Now, talking about the over seas, Germany or France, Italy..... are all "over seas", but when tools are manufactured
in those countries, the name of the " country itself" is used
Why do we even use the term overseas! Lets call the spade, a spade! that way we can buy it a heck or a lot cheaper, let me tell ya........

 

[tonysrt]

The NICD battery tools were terrible for battery life. The nimh and the lipo's have much improved the operation of battery operated tools. I had a 30 foot tree with a 3 foot trunk fall and had to cut it up and bought a $30 Harbor Freight electric chain saw and it cut that tree like it was butter. I don't think a battery chain saw would have done a job that good with charging every 10-15 minutes.

 

[Ele115]

I love the Milwaukee tools. I like it because they have car tools, home tools, and yard tools all in the same battery ecosystem. The compact impact wrenches are great and still have plenty of power to loosen bolts

I love the Milwaukee ones. They seem to make everything and I have everything. Very good luck with them. Their big impacts will do class 8 truck lugs nuts with no problems

 

[Chryco Psycho]

The key for me is the batteries buying tools that take different batteries or batteries that go obsolete after a year or 2 is not good
Makita has always been a good tool for me & Milwakee as they use the same batteries for all the tools & offer a lot of variety in tools .

 

[DetMatt1]

I have used them ALL, yes, ALL .....
BUT, i never start a build without my "American" built Porter Cable 1/2" quick chuck drill, for me, that's just how it is if you work for a living.
I can't afford some fancy looking battery powered tool made "overseas" to go "haylam hoyla" on me in the middle of a job.
don't get me wrong, I do use other brands of tools, battery or corded, but never from the "overseas"

Now, talking about the over seas, Germany or France, Italy..... are all "over seas", but when tools are manufactured
in those countries, the name of the " country itself" is used
Why do we even use the term overseas! Lets call the spade, a spade! that way we can buy it a heck or a lot cheaper, let me tell ya........

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Hey I didn’t know you were a cabinet/furniture guy, Is that your own shop?
unfortunately Porter Cable tools are junk since being bought up by Stanley and are no longer American made however I will buy their older tools used at estate sales and such though because when their stuff was good it was really good. Dewalt is junk to imo… I’ve always had decent luck with Makita, Milwaukee, some Bosch and even a little Panasonic. For a brief time they were making the best battery drills and impacts and also a wicked little metal cutting circular saw.

 

[Chryco Psycho]

Dewalt is just Black & Decker higher priced tool , Stanley has been buying up many tool companies including B&D & dewalt .

 

[Cuda Hunter]

I build homes, every day of the year. I use the dewalt impacts and corresponding tools. Nothing lasts like a dewalt on a jobsite. I've had impacts drop 3 and 4 stories and still work. I've broken every type of tool out there. used to be a milwaukee guy and had everything. Dewalt changed that.

The impacts have changed the construction industry. I remember having to really teach green horns how to use a standard drill. Some days we install 10,000 screws with a drill. The impact has made it so that a totally newbie can start a screw job and be a pro by the end of the day. Big Difference from drills of old.

I still have 18V's that work just fine. Batteries still work also. I carry a box with an impact and batteries and random tools in my truck for emergencies. Can't live or work without these dewalt impacts.

The brushless 20's are awesome too. I prefer them but have not replaced all my 18's as they won't seem to die.

Dewalt's impacts have more torque than others. Batteries last way longer.

I also kick around a few makita's and an old milwaukee but they don't perform as well as the dewalts.

 

[Bret Schneider]

Can't even remember the last time I used my shop's 60 gal air compressor since battery tools have become so prevalent. No hoses to drag around. It's great. Even have a little 20v Dewalt air compressor to use for airing tires. Besides powering my air hammer and air nozzles not sure what I still need the compressor for....

 

[budascuda]

Hey I didn’t know you were a cabinet/furniture guy, Is that your own shop?
unfortunately Porter Cable tools are junk since being bought up by Stanley and are no longer American made however I will buy their older tools used at estate sales and such though because when their stuff was good it was really good. Dewalt is junk to imo… I’ve always had decent luck with Makita, Milwaukee, some Bosch and even a little Panasonic. For a brief time they were making the best battery drills and impacts and also a wicked little metal cutting circular saw.

Yes Matt, I gave up the academic life in pursuit of happiness!
I just couldn't keep my mouth shut! Lol

And I do exactly the same thing, pickup old Porter cable tools and either use them as parts or put them to use right o away.

 

[heminut]

I'm with Cuda Hunter, I love my Dewalt stuff! I was a dealership mechanic back in the 70's and used a 1/2" air impact extensively. I still have that impact gun but it has not been out of the bottom drawer of my tool box for at least 2 years now. Itried electric impact guns several years ago and was not the least impressed with them. Fast forward to a couple of years ago. I threw a tire tread on my 5th wheel RV ($1700 damage!) and my best friend whips out a Dewalt 1/2' electric impact to change the tire. That thing zipped those lug nuts (torqued to 90 Lb. ft.) right off with no hesitation! First chance I got, I went out and bought one. It resides under the back seat of my Ram with a set of Harbor Freight impact deep sockets. If I need an impact while working in the garage now, I pass up the air impact in the tool box and go out to the truck and get the Dewalt.

I had a small battery powered Craftsman drill that I used around the house that I literally wore out. I replaced it with a Dewalt drill that uses the same 20 volt batteries as the impact. I don't know if I'll live long enough to wear that one out!

 

[70chall440]

I too drank the "battery operated power tool" koolaide some time ago. I went with Makita initially and now have way too many to change brands. I currently have a full set of the green Makita 18V that includes a circular saw, drill and impact driver. Then I bought a set of the white Makita 18V which had the drill and a driver and I recently bought the 18V Makita angle impact (fantastic tool). I also have a 18V Makita 1/2" impact which has been awesome.

Really my only complaint is that the batteries are too expensive. They do last a long time but every 3-5 years I have to get 1 or 2. I also have a Milwaukee 18V drill and grease gun (which is fantastic). I found the drill in UT on a dirt road so of course I had to get a charger and then an extra battery... and this worked out because I wanted a battery powered grease gun and Milwaukee had one.

Like I said, I am in too deep to change brands but I have looked at the Rigid tools a few times, I like their corded tools and they have a lifetime battery deal for their battery powered tools which would be nice.

Tools are awesome and I have a lot but there always seems to be another one I feel I need (just bought 2 digital torque wrenches, valve spring compressor for my 5.7 Hemi, and more).

 

[jeryst]

I bought a brand name battery operated "kit" years ago, and it was junk. That soured me on them, so I bought corded and air. I know they have made major advances since then, but at my age, I'm just too old to start replacing everything. Glad to hear that they are now viable tools, and they can only get better.

 

[fasjac]

I have used them ALL, yes, ALL .....
BUT, i never start a build without my "American" built Porter Cable 1/2" quick chuck drill, for me, that's just how it is if you work for a living.
I can't afford some fancy looking battery powered tool made "overseas" to go "haylam hoyla" on me in the middle of a job.
don't get me wrong, I do use other brands of tools, battery or corded, but never from the "overseas"

Now, talking about the over seas, Germany or France, Italy..... are all "over seas", but when tools are manufactured
in those countries, the name of the " country itself" is used
Why do we even use the term overseas! Lets call the spade, a spade! that way we can buy it a heck or a lot cheaper, let me tell ya........

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Porter Cable is what it use to polish with.
You could probably use it to cut with just fine as well. Good stuff

 

[Ele115]

My son has been buying older Snap On and Mac (Pre-China junk) when the deals come up from mechanics retiring. He knows the older stuff is best and there are tons of deals out there. He doesn't even wrench really, but he's amassing some real gems.

 

[jimynick]

I started with DeWalt and went to Rigid, because my buddies who worked with them all day swore by, versus at, them and Rigid's offering a lifetime warranty on both tools and batteries cinched the deal. My boys gave me the 1/2" impact and it has 3 torque settings, with the top one able to twist off wheel studs I'll bet. A small tightening usually exceeds a 90lb.ft reading easily. I just bought myself the 7.5" skilsaw but haven't had a chance to try it out. Rebuilding a wall in the cottage come spring should cure that.

 

[70chall440]

I just got a 18V Makita 4 1/2" angle grinder for Christmas.