Cordless tool options (manufacturer)

[craigs]

+ Makita

I have a few of there cordless tools, in fact I recently found my late fathers (i think its 7v nicd) drill from 25 odd years ago, and charged the battery just for fun...still works like a dream

couple of drills, impact, noisy saw, router. Interestingly the brushed drill has a LOT more oompth than the brushless.

Fun fact, Makita are one of the only tool companies to have never changed hands or bought out/sold

 

[houtslager]

Well this is a very deep rabbit hole to go down, but as you asked here goes -
First cordless a B&D 12v pro bought 30 yrs ago lasted well till batteries no longer available, then switched to 12v DeWalt, built up a reasonable basic tool set , drill , driver, right angle drill, small circular saw , [trim saw] grinder, then all got nicked after 15 years use , just as the 3 generation batteries were dying. Stepped over to Makita 14.4v as this was less likely to get nicked when working on site, everyone else were using 18v. I had more or less the same tool set , drill,driver,right angle , multi tool , grinder and jigsaw. My car got broken into and all was taken - so I stepped over to 18v makita as I borrowed a mates set up in order to finish a job off.
These were pretty good , loved the barrel jigsaw and their multi tool. The rest well as I've got bear claws for hands just did not sit good in my hands.
Went to the states to work for a year and had to get some cheap cordless tools for work , grabbed a set from HD big box store - Ryobi 18v+ old stuff blue plastic - in 2005 lasted yonks, still got the under powered trim saw. Stepped over to their green kit, got more of the tooling sds light weight drill - great for 4,6 8 and 10mm concrete but over heats on 12mm plus. Multi tool with vari head - great for cabiinet fitting into tight spots, jigsaw ok not barrel style. Their screw guns are great, especially the AIRSTRIKE models they are quieter than all others - not got 3 , Drills - all ok , trim saw not replaced yet , but on my list.
Worst thing about Ryobi the garentee is not worth the paper its printed on as a " pro user " my tools have no garentee but as a diy'er no problem 3 yrs ??? WTF !!!
So, you pay your monies and takes your risk. I reconmend you go LOOK and TOUCH what ever make/model and then think about usage light / heavy or trade. Then buy what you need.
Hope this helps.
Karl

 

[jcassidy]

I use Stanley Fat Max 18v drill and impact driver. Drill is somewhat weak at some jobs so I revert to my 20yo B&D corded drill. Love my impact driver.
Otherwise, as a small cost-concious business out of a workshop, and I'm forgetful about recharging, I stick to corded tools. Cheaper, typically stronger, and I'm never stuck halfway with no batteries charged up.

 

[owen]

I use the bosch pro range, they're very good, and any issues (two, out of about 15 heavily used Bosch tools) I've had have been sorted easily under warranty, just by filling the form out online and sending a copy of a receipt they arrange collecting it, getting it fixed and sending it back to you. Only recent problem I've had is with one battery deciding not to work, but it's out of warranty so that's a shame.

 

[Doug B]

Might be worth casting your eye over the cordless alliance system, batteries made by Metabo that fit many other brands as well as their own. I’ve been very pleased with the cost saving being able to use the same 8ah batteries for my Metabo chopsaw & Mafell tracksaw.

https://www.cordless-alliance-system.com/

 

[TheUnicorn]

Might be worth casting your eye over the cordless alliance system, batteries made by Metabo that fit many other brands as well as their own. I’ve been very pleased with the cost saving being able to use the same 8ah batteries for my Metabo chopsaw & Mafell tracksaw.

https://www.cordless-alliance-system.com/

I've not been aware of CAS before, that sounds brilliant, I just wish it weren't for such obscure brands, i'd love to able to chop and change between the common makes (yes I am aware of adapters)

 

[Doug B]

I've not been aware of CAS before, that sounds brilliant, I just wish it weren't for such obscure brands, i'd love to able to chop and change between the common makes (yes I am aware of adapters)

True though Mafell & Metabo are mainstream the others brands tend to be more specialist in the construction industry, that said Metabo have a pretty good range of cordless tools & their pick & mix means you can get a multiple tool discount on the tools you want.

https://www.metabo.com/uk/en/

 

[Ollie78]

Can`t go wrong with Metabo or Mafell though both high quality professional tools.

This is an interesting thread and got me thinking what would I do if all my stuff got pinched or I had to start again with nothing.
I do agree somewhat with the sentiments of people saying treat each tool as an individual item and get the best of that tool.
However, there is certainly a convenience to having a bunch of the same batteries ready to go. Less to carry about and you can always swop the battery from another tool whilst charging spares.
If you are only in the workshop then this is less of a concern but you can end up with a huge charging station in the corner with 6 different batteries charging and a birds nest of wires. I think if starting from nothing again I would still buy the basics from one brand just for efficiency and simplicity.

Maffel and metabo is a compelling option and covers most things.

Ollie

 

[akirk]

The Bosch DIY range (green - not the blue pro range) is also a part of a wider battery alliance: https://www.powerforall-alliance.com/en/

Not sure that I am overly bothered by all batteries having to swap - My bosch lawnmower has a different battery, the battery vaccuum cleaner has its own charging, as does the Dremel etc. - so I simply have a section of the garage which is a charging workstation... if I had to run several brands, it wouldn't be an issue - the key is buying lots of tools as then the price of the battery is lower pro rata

 

[Andy F]

If you do end up with multiple manufacturers and different battery types, you can get adapters for the batteries so they are interchangeable and you dont have to buy extras,
Here is an example, but I think all manufacturers are covered:

 

[Knotty Norm]

I imagine your choice will depend on what you will be using them for, how much you will use them and the extent to which you will be dependent on them. My Dad always said - buy the best tool you can afford. Good advice 40 years ago from and for a professional, but with the choice of tools now available and given that some (for the amateur and DIYer) will get light use over a lifetime, cheaper options may well suffice. As a hobbyist I opted for Ryobi tools and invested in two good batteries (5AH) - I am very happy with them so far. All the best.

 

[Rich C]

I have DeWalt cordless: drill, impact driver, impact wrench (absolute beast at 950 Nm), strimmer, hedge trimmer.
I have two 5Ah batteries and that is sufficient for my needs, mostly. The drill goes through bricks without much fuss, it's one of the metal gearbox ones rather than the cheaper plastic versions. The impact driver popped the drive shaft nut off the wife's car in seconds, and that is torqued to 400 Nm and then has a notch hammered into the nut.

I also have a Graco Ultra which uses DeWalt batteries (it came with two 2Ah). My other DeWalt batteries were very handy when I did a lot of spraying recently as it absolutely rinses batteries - I hammered through both 2Ah and one of the 5Ah.

 

[billw]

When we enter some sort of normality I'll go and have a look at some, but judging by the internet it seems Makita is both reasonably priced and has a wide range - a lot of them are just totally unnecessary but it does have all of what I could see myself needing in the near future.

In the meantime I'll rely on my corded drill and a manual screwdriver!

 

[TheUnicorn]

I also have a Graco Ultra which uses DeWalt batteries

this thread has been a real eye opener, I would have confidently told you yesterday that tool manufacturers didn't make tools / batteries that fit other peoples tools / batteries. I stand well and truly corrected

 

[Cirks]

Although I agree with the “buy best you can afford” philosophy, I don’t think anyone has asked how much you’re going to use the tools and what for. If full time professional 12 hour day usage then the brand, quality,warranty might be quite different than if buying for occasional use. I’ve ended up buying some Ryobi kit recently because for what I need it made sense (multiple tools at sensible prices) but might have made a different decision IF my needs were different. However, perfectly happy with Ryobi at present.
I’m a keen photographer too and loads of people would recommend Leica when someone asks what’s the best camera to buy but without asking what you’re going to photograph and what your budget is makes the recommendation pointless.

 

[Chris_Pallet]

I have started my dewalt collection, only as a friend gave me an impact driver and the reviews of dewalt are great plus the batteries I need are thin.
But I do agree with the comments of getting the make to your needs,
I needed a belt sander, the bosch came out top for what I needed plus £70 compared to the £270 dewalt without any good reviews! Lol..

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Cirks ^^^^^ Yes. The size of battery is also relevant to making a choice. I had a chap doing some work for me when his boss went of f with his tools. He borrowed my DeWalt with a 2ah battery and said how much nicer to use it was than his Makita with a 4ah or 5ah ................ for the work he was doing at the time, as it was so much lighter. I don't need my tools hour after hour, I don't drill steel or concrete (I've pillar drill and an SDS) so a 2ah battery is more of an advantage than a disadvantage - once in a while cutting firewood with the jigsaw I could do with a bigger battery, but nowhere near often enough to justify buying one. If I ever buy another battery tool I might consider a deal that included a larger battery, but as I don't do any work away from home it's unlikely.

 

[Cirks]

Don’t know if same with other makes but with the Ryobi orbital sander you DO need a 5ah battery as 2ah doesn’t last long enough (5ah is about 45 mins)

 

[gmgmgm]

I picked Makita because of their ridiculously wide range of tools. Have a look on Google image search to see: there must be hundreds, from the normal to the niche.

I made the assumption that all of the mainstream makes would do drills etc. just fine, so it was more about the extras. (Maybe Festool's cordless drills are a bit better, but I've never used one). Makita does a great range of outdoor tools (chainsaws, strimmers, hedge trimmers etc.) which use dual batteries, and this tipped the balance for me. I'll never go back to small petrol tools.

But I think you can't go wrong picking e.g. De Walt or Makita. And now you can get battery adapters, you can mix and match even more.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Horses for courses. I don't work outside the home and have a compressor, so I bought an air driven sander .