Was probably lucky for you it was not available. Why are you buying a 18v powertool? Are you going out into the woods or out onto a jobsite where you cannot change batteries more than like once every four hours? Driving any big screws or drill bits that you cannot
plug into a wall
outlet and use a real drill for?
14.4v should have been more than sufficient in my opinion to give you 2 hours of constant work on a battery, cost less (especially a few years from now in fresh batteries) and not offer a sufficient difference in performance - just less weight (and that will
play a factor some day.) Can’t imagine other than being a more manly man the need for 18v over 14.4 volt.
Black & Decker is still the home owner grade of tool and DeWalt while owned by them is still the industrial grade with the exception of Black & Decker Industrial Grade - most often made by DeWalt. Other than that... Nope a Firestorm or what ever Black & Decker currently is, is not a DeWalt.
Black & Decker now owns Porter Cable and Delta? Not totally sure about that, could be in having not checked and otherwise missed that, but at least I do believe they locally to me now share service center buildings which could say a lot or nothing. Just as Bosch doesn’t own Skil, they shared the same service center or does Bosch also own Skil?
Milwaukee.... decent tools had to talk to the repair shop manager after a fourth or fifth
call to get a few wee mistakes corrected. Like gee where are my tools? Gee were is my second tool? gee where is my second tool? Gee I got my tools plus one can I
send this back so I'm not paying for this extra part? Gee, can I get a refund on this part since I didn't order it yet paid for it and didn't get any help last time I was promissed? This granted any service center could have similar problems and I did also with DeWalt service - just half the calls needed so as to correct the problems of sending a
driver out to pickup the tools. Gee, here is half the tools sent in for repair. Gee, where is the rest of the tools sent in for repair. Seems they were in a seperate bucket and the counter help didn't look about our shop for them - but they are all ready to pickup now... Gee, great
send a
driver back out - just ship them - your expense at this
point. Skil/Bosch, not a problem normally, this other than a part they keep telling me is not discontinued and is on order or re-on order every time I
call, just seems that it takes like six months to forever in getting it. Really that part is not discontinued even though Grainger Parts says it is. I'll just hold my breath until after six months now, that part finally comes in.
Makita service center - having visited them all in major brand service center recently... fine with service, just a total lack of any interest -to the
point of say someone coming up to a person standing at the counter, let's help them as opposed to chat amongst ourselves or eat lunch. Even once finally helped, err, you have done this kind of thing before - helping customers correct? Ah' the
Makita guys pissed me off the most because I was right there with cash on
hand - this as opposed to just the
blind person on the phone dealing with incompitent service people.
I'm telling you this is a GREAT drill. I love mine so far. Haven't built a set with it yet so I can't tell you how long it goes between charges... I've only driven about a dozen screws so far. But it's SWEET... even has a little
LED built in to shine on your work. But alas, they are $200.
I think Black & Decker and Craftsman have both come out with Li-Ion's in the $100 range but they aren't going to be the same quality. I've had terrible results with several Craftsman Cordless drills in the past. They kept falling apart and my Dad kept buying me new Craftsman's for Christmas to replace the old ones. I love their
hand tools but can't recommend them for cordless. I've had a B&D 18v (not Li-Ion) for about 4 years now and I'm very happy with it.
I think if my brain remembers correct theres some sort of corporate connection between B&D and Dewalt now and speculation that they are the same product with two lables. Has anyone heard this?