Done with DeWalt?

You seem to like all the technical details so maybe this video and others on AVE's channel will help you out. He tears down a lot of tools and talks about the good and bad of all the components in them. It can be a little hard for some to understand all the Canadian slang, but you pick it up pretty quickly. This is the Hiliti video, he's also taken apart Dewalts, Makitas, Milwaukees, etc.
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$670 Canukistan Dollars and you get a *brushed* motor? Seriously? Those contacts are going to be the first things to fail. With the copper / carbon mix in there it'll hopefully last a rather long time, but the brushes on that are an inevitable death sentence. No wonder you're supposed to get these with fleet service contracts...
 
Both Metabo and Hilti make a marvelous drill but they are usually in the 600 to 750 dollar range. They are certainly built better than a DeWalt or Milwaukee but it is hard to claim that they are built 4 times better. If I needed to take a drill to the space station or Alaskan bush I would pick a Hilti. However if I have ready access to a store, I can replace a DeWalt 3 times and still be ahead cost wise,
If you want to buy once cry once then get a Hilti, it won't disappoint. But if you are OK with replacing it a few times, a Makita or Milwaukee may provide a better overall value.

If I know @ship like I think I know him, then he's going to be willing to shell out the bigger bucks for a premium tool if the current crop of DeWalt and Milwaukee aren't meeting his standards.

Myself, I'm pretty deep into the M12 & M18 FUEL line, but I wouldn't hesitate to use DeWalt or Makita.
 
We like the 12v 3/8" Dewalts - they are small and light with a good grip, they can handle 2.5" screws, and you can buy them new still for well under $100 - very cost effective. Our oldest is 5 years, one has died, one is 3 years, and one is new. We also have a 1/2" corded big boy for heavy duty stuff.

I have to say that we do a lot of set construction with pneumatic guns - much faster and easier to strike.
 
I have to say we do a lot of set construction with pneumatic guns - much faster and easier to strike.
@garyvp Pneumatic screw guns or pneumatic brad nailers / round top staplers?
Do you glue your joints or rely solely on your pneumatically driven fasteners likely driving them so they're being loaded / stressed in shear?
Including rehearsals and performances, are your sets in use for weeks, months or years?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.
 
@garyvp Pneumatic screw guns or pneumatic brad nailers / round top staplers?
Do you glue your joints or rely solely on your pneumatically driven fasteners likely driving them so they're being loaded / stressed in shear?
Including rehearsals and performances, are your sets in use for weeks, months or years?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.

We use compressor powered 15 awg (2.5") angle nailer (for 1x3 framing), 18 awg brad nailer (for moulding), and 1/4" crown staples (for hanging luan). We do 9 shows a year and a set is up for about a month, so glue isn't really needed. 2" stock and plywood sheets are always screwed. Only a few are allowed to use the guns, and I maintain them as well.
 
Wow! and thanks for the above replies. I will have to do a lot of research but hopefully I'll find my "apple" as it were in me despising latest upgrades in a PC world.

Granted Royobi and won't happen - nor will Kia, but there is a few brands I have used in the past for other powertools that I have not considered.

-Pistol grip... probably won't happen
-Blade lock and ratcheting chuck
-20v Lithium Ion or better which is about the same weight in tool as a 14.4v.
-Chuck that won't burn one's hands when tightening.
-Platform that supports drill/hammer drill, and impact driver - perhaps other tools. (Recently bought into the impac drivers and love them.)

After all that though is the economics of battery any maintinence. Beyond a maintinence account with DeWalt (etc. who they fix,) I also do Fastenal - but they frequently take months if not loose the tools sent in. Nice that they do the right in lost or too long repair they do it for free, but you have to remember to remind them before any such lost tool gets fixed or replaced.

I for the most part have to buy and repair tools thru normal accounts. The repair of a tool will also become a consideration.

But thanks all in the above discussion - keep it coming in helping me decide my next drill.
 
Check out Fine Homebuilding magazine, they do terrific tool reviews. They're quite detailed and look at both features and performance. An architect friend turned me on to it when we first bought our house, and I've been a subscriber ever since. Their web site is http://www.finehomebuilding.com. Look for the "Tool Test" entries.
 
We use the Makita 20v cordless drills/impact drivers in our shop. They are great tools that keep kicking with daily heavy use. After about 5 years, the batteries have mostly been replaced because the charge level is probably about 60% of original. A couple arbors have started slipping a little under heavy load, no doubt because of the many heavy loads, but by and large are still going strong. I personally own the Milwaukee M18 drill/impact driver, and have had them about the same amount of time, with not so heavy regular use. Both sets are tough, and will continue to last I am sure.

Milwaukee seems to have the best offerings of multiple tools on the same battery platform(I also own an M18 Sawzall which is great), as they have some nice battery worklights, transfer pumps, etc. Most of the big dogs have your basic complement of drill/hammer drill/drivers.

When I'm looking to see what new tools are actually worth buying, I just drive around to the new construction around to see what the professional construction folks are using. You see a lot of Milwaukee, Ridgid, and occasional Makita and DeWalt in this sector.
 
I have had great luck with the Ridgid line of cordless tools. What I like best is the lifetime warranty on the tool and batteries that are purchased with tool(s). This is of a tremendous value to me as all batteries will eventually go bad, and Ridgid will replace them no question asked, and typically with a newer model. As far as durability of the tools, I have yet to have to replace a tool, only a few batteries. Warranty work is handled via phone and mail-order. The last one I did I called a number, read off a few numbers and had my replacement battery in two days.

I look for deals at Home Depot online as they run some great specials on kits with batteries, tools and chargers for decent prices. Unfortunately you can only purchase from Home Depot, but you can buy online if there isn't a store near by. I pick up a few kits here and there and have plenty of batteries and chargers.
 
I know at least in ohio and new england there is a HUGE love for the akita drills and drivers as being light, fast charging but with enough power for what we do. A lot of people I trust swear by them. That being said I've been using the same dealt impact and drill for the better part of a decade now and have never had any issues with them, where as I've seen ryobi and ridgid stuff fail around me (limited failures, but failures nonetheless). Outside of drills and drivers our shop has a bunch of hitachi and dealt chop saws and though I prefer the hitachi's they have had more issues. The dewalts seem slightly lower quality but more dependable to keep working at that level.
 
Went to Berland's House of tools today, looked at the Festools in their own alarmed room and came out with the catalogue. 18v for minimum voltage for my needs and hammer drill for me had a "D" handle shape with motor in front of trigger. I could get used to this shape. The $400.00 might have been about or chaper than what I paid for the DeWalt DCD997D - so I was not too scared off from that price. (Have to check the PO system in what I actually paid - was very expensive either less or more but about the price if I remember right.) BHC-18 is the "D" handle model but while it would probably make a good SDS type Hilti hammer drill, it's drill speed is only a maximum of 1,100RPM.

Wish I spent more time there in checking out all brands of drill, and spending time with all on display I could see at a tool store offering all brands. Only bought a few small things in a visit to see a tool store I have not been to in like 12 years and buy a magnetic LED flashlight amongst a few other small things. What's new offered in tools was the main purpose of the visit. But I had to get home, a small child date at Chuckie Cheese. Will go back I think in seeing and play testing tools. Having a place to see and feel tools - all brands of them is much better than seeing some brands in any one store, visiting many stores, but still not seeing all choices.

Festool drill/Hammer Drill PDC 18/4 is very interesting in RPM settings - four gears but the last gear 3,800 RPM's is a lot fast for most all applications. It's a T-Handle though in back to scratch in one of my wants. I saw DeWalt is still offering pistol grips for at least drywall screw shooters. Will go back and play test other brands, but so far it seems I'm stuck with the 20v system others where I work have bought into as the next generation of 14.4v. Already using all sorts of 20v DeWalt, perhaps I'll just have to buy some DeWalt gloves while using their tools. But not done yet in research into my next generation drill.
 
I HIGHLY recommend Milwaukee Fuel tools with the M18 Red Lithium batteries. I run a High School theater and we bought an entire set a little over a year ago. I could write a book about what I love about these tools but to keep it short:

- They are durable and easy to use. My students are tool rookies and they have no problem using these tools and the tools have no issues being abused by the kids.

- They have every tool imaginable. We have drills, a hammer drill, small impact drivers, a big impact driver, circular saw, jig saw, angle grinder, porti-ban saw, sawzall, portable LED lights and they all use the same batteries. Milwaukee has a bunch of other tools that are compatible as well.

- The batteries are amazing. I can build a stock platform using a small impact to drive all the screws and when I'm done and put my battery on the charger, it doesn't need to charge at all. The batteries have a built in charge meter so you always know how much charge is left and although I haven't timed it, it seems like the batteries charge super fast.

If you want to look at them in person, Home Depot (in Wisconsin at least) carries the basic Fuel series that we have and also a higher end series (not sure the difference). I am not associated with Milwaukee tools or Home Depot at all. I've used Makita, DeWalt, and Black & Decker(yuck!) tools and the Milwaukee tools come out far ahead in my experience.

Also, my co-worker literally grew up building high end houses for his dad's company and swears by the Milwaukee brand.
 
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Another vote for Milwaukee. I use Craftsman - they were the first to have a huge range of tools on the same battery packs, so I've got literally more than 12 tools including my hedge trimmer and weed whacker on the same batteries as my drills and saws. Milwaukee I've used in a couple of scene shops and a few other stagehands I've worked with own them; it's a step up to more industrial quality than the craftsman without sacrificing the wide variety of options. I think price-wise, if I were starting new, I'd go Milwaukee because it's a good balance on cost vs value; as others have said Hilti or Festool is great if you're going to the space station, but for everyday use they're not enough better in quality to warrant the price.
YMMV.
 
Thanks both on the Milwaukee comments (and all for advice), My variouse corded Sawzall and various hammer drills are a great testament to quality. I will also be looking into, Hilti, Panisonic, Porter Cable, DeWalt, Skill, Makita, Bosch and Fein further so far on punch list for what they offer. Interesting the comment on high end Milwaukee to further check on. Festool for me is crossed off the list at least. Yes probably a good tool, but if I have to go T-Handle, it will either be the DeWalt brand and as said I'll just deal with it with gloves given it's for the most part the current shop battery pack standard, or one of the others if pistol grip and or falling in love with a new tool. Were the Festool D-Handle not mostly a hammer drill... I think I could have gotten used to it.
 
You seem to like all the technical details so maybe this video and others on AVE's channel will help you out. He tears down a lot of tools and talks about the good and bad of all the components in them. It can be a little hard for some to understand all the Canadian slang, but you pick it up pretty quickly. This is the Hiliti video, he's also taken apart Dewalts, Makitas, Milwaukees, etc.
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I was just about to suggest this guy. He's crude, but honest. Standards are high, but he has years experience as a field tech of some kind in the Great White North. If he says a tool is good, it's a fair bet it's going to hold up in your shop. He's also hilarious, but not for everyone, so your mileage may vary. For what it's worth, the shop I worked in during my MFA days had Makita pretty much exclusively, and they have held up very well.
 
Thanks I will. But also thought of something as I'm prepping a supplies for install parts/tool box today. If I don't like the chuck - change it. Granted it won't change the lack of motor locking mechanism, but it would provide me with a clutch better designed which ratchets and is more comfortable on the hand while I'm fighting the motor gears slipping during this.

T-Handle I suppose I'm going to be stuck with given the 20v battery system in use - though I might still go alternate brand. Next step for me is also finding another shoulder holster for a T-Handle. When on job site, my Oxidental (sp) Leather pistol grip holster is a constant, been using it for like 23 years now along with my versions of custom tool belt and pouches.
 
Just picked up the DeWalt hammer drill/impact driver combo. Built a new control booth, 2x8 joists, 2 layers 3/4" ply. Put the entire thing (8'x14') with one charge on the impact driver. GREAT tool. The hammer drill.. keep it around for holes. The impact driver is the best tool to use as a screw gun.
 
Four years ago I bought two Dewalt 18v drills, and two Dewalt 18v Impact drivers for my student technicians. They are sturdy and get the job done, but one impact driver died at the end of its 3rd year. So last year when I went to replace it, I saw that the 20v impact drivers were only $99 each on Amazon. Bought two of those and now the kids fight over who gets the 20v. Then answer is usually me and whomever on the crew is most useful:D.

As for my personal tools. I bought myself a Milwaukee 18v drill and absolutely love it.
 
I bought a non-brushless 20v DeWalt Hammer drill, and other than lack of pistol grip, all of my complaints are reversed. Even used both drills this week while on a project - as with the 14.4v pistol grip - I use my tools dependant on speed and power for what bit I'm using. One tool per bit.

At home, my elder 14.4v pistol grip once I fixed the forward/reverse switch DeWalt wouldn't, works great and seemingly at a higher RPM than the other later and last version of pistol grip I have at both work and home one of. Than for slower speed and more power, I still have the first generation of T-Handle 14.4v. I often require three to four cordless tools when not just using a drill press, and I use all a lot both at home and work.

Anyway, the 20v non-brushless DeWalt tool recently bought was overall a great replacement for what I want - other than pistol grip which seemingly has gone out of style. In recent use, I used both 20V and the 14.4v Pistol grip for thre different bits in my needs. Yep, the brushless drill had a lack of blade lock and one could feel the gears of the motor moving and stripping as I ratcheted a bit into place. I also didn't like how it shocked to a start in a not normal drilling of the material. My current 20v DeWalt with brushes seemingly has a blade lock and the motor was held tight as I tensioned a bit. It also started like a normal drill when I pulled the trigger.

With the 20v drills, a little more care is needed to actually lock and center the bits, as with the power to only old school tighten a bit so far with the motor, than finish tightening it by hand. Than loosen it and verify that again. But for the most part you can use such tools most or all the day dependant on battery.
 

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