DeWalt or Makita?

[Spectric]

BUT now i also want the small cordless 1/4" - cant justify yet

Yes I have that router in the 110 volt version and a big reason was that it can take 8mm shank cutters which are going to be more rigid than the 1/4 so although it cannot replace my big 1/2 inch Dewalt for some jobs it can do a lot of the other jobs and is just so much easier to handle, plus it has variable speed unlike my old Bosch 600. The one accessory I have purchased for it is the big base from Benchdogs and this gives it a bigger footprint so helps stability and a set of there guide bushes with the centralising mandrel.

 

[Sideways]

Looks good but how much depth of cut do you lose with that two layer base ?
It looks like far more than a single plate.

 

[Spectric]

but how much depth of cut do you lose with that two layer base

Because it is a fixed base router and not limited by the plunge depth then I have found I can compensate for any base thickness by just moving the router body lower and with the guide bushes it is much easier to centralise with there cone being the opposite way round, ie pushed into the bush and not pulled. This means you can just remove the router to change from the cone to your cutter much easier than the normal way round.

What you need to allow for in the overall cost are the router bits, you could just use your existing 1/4 cutters but I think that 8mm shanks will give that bit more in rigidity so a worthwhile investment and Wealdons do have a good range in 8mm shank.

 

[Bingy man]

I too changed from dewalt to Milwaukee and have no regrets. I’m happy with the performance of all the cordless I have apart from the circular saw ( 18 v ) which does seem to struggle especially with wet / damp fence panels . So as soon as there is a tool or deal on offer I’ll grab it - I now have 2 normal chargers and 2 fast chargers. Several of my drills etc came with 2 batteries and I have purchased a couple of spares so should I buy a bare tool there are plenty of batteries to go round .. I don’t think there is much between the likes of bosch, makita , dewalt and milwaukee and even hilti . The weight and balance is also important as using a heavy drill above your shoulders all day is hard going ..

 

[mg123]

Its an age old question that a lot of people get hung up on.
Personally I'm with (and have a bias for) Makita. But if you're set on dewalt or makita, you can't go wrong with either, check the current offers, decide what you really need/want and go for it.

Makita seem to have the largest range from the big players, which is what swung me that way.
They also do the "best" multi tool with their Starlock dtm52z. They're more expensive for the blades due to the fitting (I'm still weighing up this item myself), but the reviews are highly positive.

I'd also consider Bosch and Milwaukee as they both come highly recommended

 

[Bingy man]

I too changed from dewalt to Milwaukee and have no regrets. I’m happy with the performance of all the cordless I have apart from the circular saw ( 18 v ) which does seem to struggle especially with wet / damp fence panels . So as soon as there is a tool or deal on offer I’ll grab it - I now have 2 normal chargers and 2 fast chargers. Several of my drills etc came with 2 batteries and I have purchased a couple of spares so should I buy a bare tool there are plenty of batteries to go round .. I don’t think there is much between the likes of bosch, makita , dewalt and milwaukee and even hilti .

 

[Doug71]

As said you won't go wrong with any of the big brands.

I use Makita mainly because where I served my apprenticeship everything was Makita, we never had any problems with it so I just carried on using it.

Milwaukee seem to be taking over the world at the moment, for people just starting buying professional cordless tools it seems to be the platform of choice.

 

[Seascaper]

only a DIYer with ` lot of dewalt tools some corded most cordless
i just went with dewalt because of some special deals on kits and batteries at screwfix, and was open to various makes - BUT knew once commited i would stay on the same cordless platform
and expanded cordless tools over time
I suspect not much between the two - but not trade and see trades who have come to my house and family have often have 1 or other makita or dewalt - although i have seen a few more using Milwaukee, over moving over to the Milwaukee system

just take a look at future purchases and cost etc

I have - cordless
jig saw
circular sw
planer
grinder
combi Drill
impact driver
Multitool
rightangle drill
ricip saw

corded
Sliding mitre saw
SDS Drill
Router 1/2'

maybe forgot something
as i say just a DIYer BUT i have refurbished a bungalo and family houss over the last 7 years - so a lot of DIY

Hello,
Makita are far better, designed to work and last. I made the mistake of buying a Dewalt tool some years ago and it is so badly designed one can’t understand how it was designed and it was an expensive tool so I have felt committed to still using it due to the expense. It put me off Dewalt and and I now stick with Makita and Bosch when it comes to saw tables. Anyone who chooses yellow as the colour for their tools is catching your eye as a marketing tool.

 

[Windows]

Seems like Milwaukee, Makita, DeWalt, & others are always doing battery promos with their kit so if you can wait for these promotions getting a battery & charger is almost free. Even when battery/charger are not free, comparing equivalent tools where one is on sale and the other is not, you can still come out ahead even if you have to pay real money for battery & charger. It can be a pain to have to manage multiple battery types, so you may not want to mix for that reason, but the up front cost for a mixed setup doesn’t have to be a factor if you keep your eye on sales.

 

[Windows]

Maybe someone who knows about such things can comment on the cost benefit of purchasing a “tool kit” or “tool set”, a bunch of tools from one manufacturer as a bundle. I don’t know if these are retailer or manufacturer defined sets or whether they’re good value, but might be worth considering.

 

[Daniel.l]

I watch a youtuber Dean Doherty who fixes power tools everyday. He recommends Makita, because of the repairability and the availability of individual parts. If something goes wrong in your Milwaukee basically the whole inside motor switch assembly is one unit which is the same price as a new tool and DeWalt are starting to do the same thing. Although DeWalt and Milwaukee have a wider variety of tools and some tools like impacts may have more power I don't think its relevant for woodworking as such.

I own all DeWalt tools and they have done me well apart from one drill that needed repairing and a little maintenance on an impact but if I was to start fresh I would go Makita

 

[Dr Al]

As others have said, you won't have a problem with either Dewalt or Makita (or Milwaukee, or Bosch Professional) so some of it will be down to personal choice.

I went with Makita 18 V but later also picked Bosch 12 V. The only Bosch tools I've got are a lamp and a drill/driver; the drill was the main reason I went for a 12 V battery system as I wanted something really small and portable. If the voltage is different, there's no reason why you need to use the same manufacturer.

One of the reasons I went with Makita that I haven't seen anyone else mention is that the company is Japanese rather than American. That means that everything's pretty much guaranteed to be designed around metric standards so if you need to add a custom fence or a longer adjustment screw (or you just need to replace that screw you dropped on the floor and can't find any more), it's really easy to buy a standard screw and it'll fit: you don't have to go hunting round for someone to sell you a UNC or UNF fastener. The same applies to Bosch (as they're German). Any Allen keys that you need will also be metric.

That's not to say that Dewalt or Milwaukee don't use metric (I've never checked), but it seems quite likely they'll be built with American nonsense threads which makes life much more difficult.

 

[Spectric]

Milwaukee seem to be taking over the world at the moment,

But mainly in cordless, there corded range seems limited in comparison to others.

 

[RickSails]

I suggest-
1. Make a list of everything you might ever need, e.g. track saw? gardening tools as well? Then ask yourself, does the manufacturer have all these?
2. I know of 3 battery systems that work across manufacturers.
2a. Bosch 'Power for all' 18v (considered domestic)
2b. Bosch 'AmpShare' 18v (considered professional)
2c. Metabo (release button is on tool which makes them awkward to detatch)
The other manafacturers using these battery platforms tend to make specialist tools so this may not be a benefit for you. Although Fein might be worth considering for their Multitool ... which they invented.
3. Some battery systems are higher voltage, e.g. Flex, which will provide more 'grunt' if you need it. Makita cleverly have two 18v batteries in series on their Track/Plunge saw making it 36v. Some DeWalt tools and batteries can operate at 18v or 54v but note an 18v only battery will not power a 54v tool.
4. Some manufacturers have 5 year warrenties e.g. Flex and Hikoki.
5. Toolboxes are worth some thought. Manufacturers supplying their tools in Tanos Systainers include Festool, Fein, Metabo, Mirka, Mafell, Lamello, Sthil, UJK-Axminster. Bosch and Flex supply in Sortimo L-BOXX. Flex and Milwaukee are leading the field with rolling boxes and toolboxes with drawers instead of lids catching up with what car mechanics and kitchen designers have been doing for years.
6. Thieves are attracted to big name brands Bosch, DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee etc. Lesser known brands might be less attractive.
7. Cost - if you are starting out do you need big names? How about Parkside from Lidl - super cheap, and if they don't last, you have not lost much if you have to replace them.
Hope this heps.