Cordless Drills
Welcome to the forum, where are you working - I used to be a Carp here for a few companies also.
Thanks also for the review on the Ridgid and Milwaukee tools, I am yet to
play test the Ridgid thus for me at least it’s useful to know about the ergodynamics of their
line. What model number was it and given 14.4v I assume it was a
T-Handle type? I would assume a 400/1,400 variable speed
rating as normal. Something further to study is if they are manufacturing the tool or having someone like Roybi make them for them. Craftsman used to or still has Roybi do this. Roybi makes a lot of other brands of
power tool if not Skil another leader in making other people’s products. I know Ridgid and Home Depot are arm and arm just as True Value Hardware and Skil are arm and arm, just can’t remember what I read about the initial Ridgid table saw product launch/partnership with Home Depot. Funny, went to Home Depot looking for a Ridgid
pipe wrench - a thing the company is known for in quality and could not find a one, yet they have the
power tools. Will have rather’d the pipe wrenches as opposed to something with China as a brand but such is the downgrading of Home Depot’s offerings of late.
Of late, Home Depot for me is seriously going down hill in product offerings and quality in a way Builder’s Square did, than Menards followed once Builder’s was not in competition. Can’t wait for a local Lowes given some quality still on their part. I also question “home brands” in general with the exception of the Ace Hardware brand (Probably made by S&K or Allen) that has every
bit the product support as Craftsman. I keep getting these broken ½" drive Huskey
socket wrenches used for tightening
truss bolts sent to me. We buy Craftsman, but on the
road, crew chiefs buy what ever is available. In any case, they break but have a full warranty as normal to most brands of tool. Problem is either that model number which is breaking is discontinued or it’s constantly out of
stock - something not unusual at Home Depot anymore in having empty shelves at my local branch. After you wait in
line for exchange approval, you can’t exchange something Huskey unless it’s the same thus I have at least three wrenches in the trunk of my car waiting for the moment I can replace them. Can’t decide if it’s discontinued or out of
stock, too many empty slots on the shelf. Constant empty slots and things they used to carry but no longer do. Used to have all kinds of Klien tools, now just a few at best and normally locked up.
In any case, I know what you mean about a almost randomness to carps having their own tool preferences. Haitachi along with Panasonic make some darned good tools I would say also. They were designed for the electronics industry in
line use but have a definate home with the Carpenters. My largest selling
point in figuring out what brand to buy besides at the time I bought into DeWalt it was the only brand on the market with now normal improvements was that given the shop was also DeWalt, or at least this was the main brand used. I bought into this
system 10 or 12 years ago when DeWalt was the only one with fresh innovations in quality for a second generation tool after the
Makita initial development most copied. In any case, with DeWalt I have found that if I run out of fresh batteries, I am not stuck without
power because if nothing else, I could pop a shop 12v battery into my 14.4v drill and go at it if not borrow from any number of sources. Are you finding a lot of shops are sticking to the 12v battery DeWalt drills or have most gone up to 14.4v now? Not a huge amount of carps I expect at this
point are using a larger drill than 14.4v - too much weight, or has this changed also? Been going on six years now since I was a Carp thus I don’t know what is the
current trends.
DeWalt early on - before the other brands also had lots of other tools I could use the same battery
system for before other brands came out with similar products. I have four tools and at one
point 10 batteries and five chargers for them. Now I have two batteries and two from the shop intended for my use. When I run out of
power, I wander over to the carp/repair area and swipe some more batteries still. This is the advantage using similar brands has. Granted now the 14.4v
system is with the exception of the new three speed
T-Handle (an excellent tool) not coming out with anything new for 14.4v. No cordless jiggsaw on the market as could be useful, I think 14.4v is on it’s way out in popularity. Too many 18 to 24v home owners out there looking for more
power.
For the most part, this sharing of batteries was a major advantage to me in that there was lots of them around and they were easily replaced. Also each battery is stamped with a date meaning within a year if it goes bad, you don’t need a receipt to exchange it for a new one. There was one lot number of battery that had a improved design flaw about it which made them fall apart quickly. Easily replaced. Given how many dealers sell their tool, it’s also an easy replacement. I normally marked both my tool and battery so at the end of the day I could get back my own thus theft was not much an issue. On this issue of warranty, finding a repair shop that will do warranty work on Haitachi, Panasonic, Ridgid and other brands however can be a challenge. You might have to
send it in for repair and maintenance if you don’t want to void the warranty.
Milwaukee was just bought out recently. Big question about if the company will remain in it’s high status or if it will become the next DeWalt in the industry. Their corded drills and
SawZall is already an industry leader much like DeWalt’s heavy
power tools were highly respected at the time Black & Decker bought them out. Defiantly something to watch. I always liked the Milwaukee
power tool, had some concerns about reversible battery packs in contacts not in use being exposed to the elements, but they were very nice drills. Especially liked the clip on flash light for them as a major selling feature.
Here is the article if helpful:
By RICK BARRETT
[email protected]
Posted
Posted: Aug. 30, 2004
Milwaukee
Electric Tool Corp., a maker of
power tools for construction professionals, is being sold to a Hong Kong tool company as part of a package valued at nearly $627 million.
Milwaukee
Electric Tool is based in Brookfield and has about 375 employees in the Milwaukee area. For now, at least, the company's Brookfield employment will not be affected by the sale, company officials said Monday.
Previously announced plans to transfer a small number of remaining manufacturing jobs from Brookfield to a Milwaukee
Electric Tool plant in Greenwood, Miss., will continue, the company said in a conference
call with journalists.
The company will keep its Brookfield headquarters and will continue to focus on product development here, said Dan Perry, Milwaukee
Electric Tool president and chief executive officer.
The toolmaker is being sold to Techtronic Industries Co., the Hong Kong maker of Ryobi tools and Homelite garden care products.
The sale includes Milwaukee
Electric Tool's sister company, Atlas Copco
Electric Tools, a
German toolmaker. Both companies are being sold by Atlas Copco AB, of Sweden, which has owned Milwaukee
Electric Tool since 1995.
Earlier this year, Atlas Copco AB said it was selling its
electric tool business after it had not reached the goal of being No. 1 or No. 2 in its markets, which include competitors such as U.S.-based Black & Decker Corp. and Bosch GmbH of Germany.
The conglomerate said there were limited synergies between
electric tools and its other industrial-product businesses.
Techtronic, which makes Craftsman tools for Sears, Roebuck & Co., stands to
gain from buying Milwaukee
Electric Tool because the Brookfield company is well-positioned in sales of
power tools to building contractors and other professional users.
Techtronic wanted the company's distribution
network as well as its products, said Bob Freitag, president of Techtronic Industries' North American Hardware Group based in Anderson, S.C.
"It gives us a lot of ammunition to be more competitive," he said.
Techtronic, originally a maker of cordless tools for other companies, bought brands such as Ryobi, Homelite and Dirt Devil vacuum cleaners to increase its profit margin and
gain ability to set prices.
Techtronic boosted profit at acquired companies, such as vacuum cleaner-maker Royal Appliance Manufacturing Co., by shifting production to China from higher-wage locations.
Combined, Milwaukee
Electric Tool and Atlas Copco
Electric Tool had sales of about $700 million last year. Operating profit for the two companies was $49.8 million for 2003, Atlas Copco AB said.
In the mid-1990s, Milwaukee
Electric Tool had more than 800 employees in the Milwaukee area, including manufacturing employment. The 80-year-old company makes drills, saws, grinders and other tools and has factories in Mississippi and a plant in Mexico.
Techtronic will assume $86 million in pension liabilities for 3,100 workers, which it will subtract from its payment to Atlas Copco AB.
The pension obligations are payable over 20 years and are tax deductible, Techtronic said.
Bloomberg News contributed to this report.
Sort of like coming full circle.
