A reader wrote in, asking for help in selecting his first cordless power tool combo kit. He has a sizable budget, no brand loyalty, and simple needs.
Buy a cordless combo kit means buying into a power tool battery platform, which is one of the toughest purchasing decisions you could make these days.
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Taylor asked:
I’m looking to buy my first power tool combo kit and have been looking at Rigid, Makita and Bosch. Was wondering if you had any suggestions or reviews on any of those three brands. I will be buying multiple different tools of that brand. It will be used for homeowner remodeling and commercial use.
In my initial response, I told him that if all you need is a drill, maybe an impact driver, circular saw, and reciprocating saw, any of the brands will serve you well.
Right now, Milwaukee and Dewalt seem to be the leading the pack of power tool brands in the USA. I have an affinity for Bosch, but don’t know if I would go with them if shopping for a cordless combo kit. Ridgid might be the most economical, Makita tends to be pricier from what I’ve seen.
I asked Taylor a couple of questions, and he provided some more details about his budget and needs. He has a $400-$800 budget, and wants to buy:
- Drill or Hammer Drill
- Impact Driver
- 1/2″ Impact Wrench
- Circular Saw
- Reciprocating Saw
- Jig Saw
- Radio
- Worklight
The tools will be used to restore 80+ year old homes, and for some DIY and shop work.
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Our Thoughts & Considerations
This time of year, there are LOTS of deals, but one has to tread cautiously when talking about combo kits. Is the combo kit a lower priced one, or does it come with the regular “premium” versions of tools.
Dewalt’s 20V Max circular saw is my editor’s pick in our Best Cordless Circular Saws recommendations. But unless you buy a “premium” kit or a bare tool, or standalone circular saw kit, you most often get a cheaper version that has a lesser base.
The same goes with their reciprocating saw.
Do you want brushless? Brushless tools offer a combination of more power and higher efficiency, and also have higher-end features, such as multiple electronic speed and torque controls when it comes to impact drivers and impact wrenches.
But brushless tools command a higher price than brushed motor ones.
You can find the above list of tools by most if not all power tool brands I can think of. Some are better than others, but I can’t think of a single brand that takes top honors when it comes to every single one of those tools.
If I were buying into a cordless power tool brand for the first time, and had a couple of hundred dollars to spend, I would go with Milwaukee. I would buy into either their M18 compact brushless or M18 Fuel line for the drill and multi-speed impact driver, and for the brushless saws.
Milwaukee has excellent holiday promos at Home Depot, and year-round “free tool with purchase” promos that can save you a lot of money.
But, I also like that Milwaukee’s M18 multi-voltage battery chargers can also handle M12 battery packs. That way, you only need one charger to support 2 battery platforms.
Because of that multi-voltage charger compatibility, I would more comfortably mix in M12 and M18 tools. I would go M18 compact brushless for the drill/driver (or hammer drill), M12 Fuel for the 2-speed impact driver, M18 for the impact wrench, M18 for the circular saw, and M12 or M18 for a compact reciprocating saw, perhaps corded for a full-size reciprocating saw, M18 for the jig saw, M12 for the Bluetooth speaker (or M18 for a radio), and M12 or M18 for an LED worklight or two (different types). I would also get one of their Rapid Chargers.
Instead of the Bluetooth speaker by itself for $69, I would buy the M12 drill/driver kit bundle for $89. $20 more for a drill and 2 batteries and extra M12 charger. Why not?
If I wasn’t into Milwaukee Tools for whatever reason, I would plan for a Dewalt premium combo purchase, and then add in those spare tools as needed.
When you’re talking about combo kits, you’re talking about a battery platform or ecosystem. When it comes to specific tools, the recommendations are easier because you’re comparing one tool’s merits and tradeoffs vs. another’s.
But with ecosystems, you have to look at everything as a whole, which is very difficult to do.
If I were buying into an 18V or 20V Max ecosystem (as a reminder, 18V and 20V Max is the same thing), Milwaukee M18 would be my top choice, followed very closely by Dewalt 20V Max.
I mentioned that Milwaukee M18 multi-voltage chargers can handle M12 batteries. Dewalt’s 20V Max chargers can also accept their 12V Max batteries, but – and not to mince words – their 12V Max is stagnant with few options and slow if not halted innovation.
I would also consider Ridgid’s Gen5X lineup, and some of their X4 add-on tools, such as their jig saw. But when you buy into Ridgid’s 18V lineup, you’re going to be limited when it comes to expandability, which might or might not be an important consideration for you. For instance, when it comes to impact wrenches, the only Ridgid 18V option is a 1/2″ model with 325 ft-lbs (3900 in-lbs) peak torque.
I guess my personal choices and recommendations would also be different based on frequency of use. If I bought into one brand and planned to buy that brand’s jig saw, I might go cordless. If I wanted to buy into another brand, rather than have to buy replacement batteries of 2 platforms every few years, I might go corded. Do you see why this is such a difficult question for me to answer – way too many possibilities to consider.
So, there you have it. My quick answer is that I would go with Milwaukee, which does offer a surprising number of combo options that include more than just the basic 4 tools a lot of combos are centered on.
What would you recommend as far as combo kits go? Hold on to your answers about brand ecosystems, that post is coming up separately.
James C
I don’t have a recommendation, but I couple thoughts / considerations.
1. I almost regret buying 12v instead of an 18v platform. The minor size / weight reduction isn’t a big deal for my needs and there are times I wanted more power.
2. Cordless circular saws are awesome. The M12 I have is great, but again, there are times I want an 18v.
3. I think “quieter” impact-like drivers are eventually going to be a game changer for many users. I think I would rarely need the difference in power compared to a traditional impact driver, but would always appreciate less noise.
Any brand that is constantly innovating and has a good selection of tools would be worth considering.
Ralf
Milwaukee M18. When I was first looking for my set all of the brands seem pretty much the same for basic tools (impact, drills). What I liked about the Milwaukee set was the 5 year warranty on the tools and a 2 or 3 on the batteries. Anytime you settle for one platform though you’re going to be stuck with some great tools and a few that are so so or even missing.
Ralf
Forgot to add two things:
Slightly higher price but includes 2 extra tools and a flashlight which could be sold: Milwaukee 2696-29
Do not buy reconditioned Milwaukee tools! The savings is not great and you only get a 1 year warranty vs 5 years on new.
Andrew
When it comes to deals, I’d probably look at Craftsman, Porter Cable, Bosch, and maybe Dewalt. Those lines are the easiest to build up a collection of tools, batteries and chargers.
When it comes to performance, then you’re probably looking at Milwaukee, Makita, Ridgid, and probably one or two more brands I’m forgetting.
I’ve personally owned Hitachi since around 2007/08 when Lithium batteries where new. Makita had the strongest drill, but that came at the sacrifice of battery run time, in which the hitachi had the advantage. The Hitachi line has has treated me well, but there aren’t any deals and it might get changed with the move to brushless. Their batteries have been the same for over 7 years, though, and the tools (not batteries) had 10 year warranties when I bought them. I think they might have extended the warranty since then too.
fred
There seem to be a lot of “deals” out there right now to lure the holiday shoppers.
The best deal is probably based on what you need and what you already have (battery platform).
I’ve been bombarded by emails – including one from ToolUp.
The ToolUp deal is for a Milwaukee 2897-22 – 2 piece kit – with a choice of bonus bare tools (M18 Fuel Grinder or Fuel Sawzall) or or batteries.
Another email from Ohio Power Tool was touting Makita 18V Kits – with a bonus 36V rotohammer or 36V saw.
Toolpig
I would 100% recommend Makita. They have the largest lineup of tools by a wide margin and it is getting wider. Right now Makita has the most powerful cordless drill, the worlds smallest and fastest impact driver which out torques everything in the brushless class out in the real world. They have the top 6 1/2″ brushless circular saw. Not only is it more powerful than the fuel 6 1/2 inch circular saw it is a pound lighter in a more compact more comfortable design. The handle is perfect and the balance is amazing. The brushless Makita 18 V jigsaw beats all other jigsaws on the planet corded or cordless except for the 900.00 Mafell P1CC. Stuart, you really need to get your hands on some of these tools and actually use them for an extended period of time alongside the milwaukee fuel versions and I think your whole view of cordless tools will change.
Matt
Milwaukees gen 2 fuel and Hilti both have higher torque ratings than your makita. Performance wise i believe the makita would be in the middle of the pack with the hilti on top
Dylan
Milwaukees numbers are very inflated. They make it not as smooth or fast as Makita.
Mark S.
I think almost everyone’s numbers are inflated to some degree. Toolpigs tests however are much more telling than mere numbers. I care less about “maximum torque” than about “will it drive the lag or not”.
Mike
First, gearing is just as important as torque. The measure of torque, is probably without the chuck and on low. The compact ridgid tool is 2100 rpm. If you look at the gen5x non brushless, it’s the same gearing as all the other ridgid 18v drills (I think, I don’t go around looking at every single model lol) It’s likely that because of the gearing it just doesn’t have enough oomph. I don’t have the tools to test this, but even the gen 4x had more than 500 inch pounds of real torque. While it’s possible that it doesn’t have 500 inch pounds, it’s unlikely.
If you look at the milwakee drills your going to see 1850 rpm, until you get to the destroyer drills (over 1k in-lbs lol)
0-550/0-1,850 RPM 2603-22CT 650 in-lbs
0-550/0-2,000 RPM 2604-22CT 1,200 in-lbs
0-550/0-1,850 RPM 2603-20 725 in-lbs
Now, are lags going to be important yes, are lags of that size going to be important to every contractor, um probably not.
Jon
This is true – the Makita impact driver (td148 or lxtd09) is actually much smoother and quieter (both with no-load and impacting) than all the competitors, while being the smallest and lightest of the bunch as well. Forget RPM and torque for just a minute – the Makita produces more WORK period.
Obviously a tool which is operating that much smoother and quieter doing the same work is going to last much longer as well. Other tool companies have their individual innovations that are great but Makita has the finest overall engineering.
Dylan
Toolpigs the one who did the tests. He’ll tell you all about it
Jon Boggio
I can agree that Makita had an excellent line up and was the lead before Milwaukee stepped up. I have a M18 Fuel line up (brushless) right along side the makita drill impact combo. I will day the Milwaukee drill and impact out performed in speed and power. However I can say the makita is my second go to tool company. I agree with the post though that the M12 lineup is impressive for those jobs or tools you don’t need a massive heavy 18V tool. It’s a hard choice but I recently went to Milwaukee due to the flexibility and advances they are continually coming up with, then there is the 5 year warranty. Good luck.
Mike
That Makita brushless 6.5″ saw is excellent, a sophisticated tool with finesse BUT exactly how do you define ‘more powerful’ than the Fuel? Like the color scheme or something? The blue leaves a more powerful impression with the viewer…surely you’re not referring to torque…
Dylan
I was just in this situation about a year ago. Bought my first cordless tools, and I went with Makita. They have the most cordless tools on that platform, and almost all of their tools are the very top of the line, at least imo. I also think they do the small stuff the best, like ergonomics to make their tools more enjoyable to use. I don’t have a lot of tools but the ones I have I really like. Just picked up their brushless hammer drill (xph07) and brushless barrel grip jigsaw (not available in the states so I had to order from Canada, but it is amazing).
Mark S.
I’ve heard a few horror stories about their batteries, can’t say I’ve seen a problem with them (my dad has a compact drill/driver he picked up on Ebay with an older battery and they are still going strong). Have you seen this issue or is this disinformation from the competition?
Dylan
Unfortunately I’m not the best one to ask for that question. My original kit of impact driver and drill with 3 3.0 ah batteries is still under a year old. Even though I live up north, they haven’t experienced the brunt of winter yet. Better to ask someone who’s had them longer. I heart the stories tho, and I was willing to take a chance because they have the fastest charger and really good run times. Especially since my dad had an old black and decker drill that took forever to charge, charging batteries in half an hour was amazing to me. Can’t wait for the 6.0 batteries to come to the states ?. Also I’m sure a lot of it has to do with the way people take of batteries too
Dylan
Sorry I couldn’t help more
fred
We bought into Makita in a big way and were buying BL-1830 batteries in bulk to get the price down. As I recall – about 10 years ago we started having some failures (batteries that would not accept charge). I eventually heard that the problem was something to do with the battery and/or charger logic and/or 1 weak cell causing havoc. Over the years we continued to scrap a few batteries but not a high enough percentage to scrap our Makita tools.
NERemodeling
No longer a problem at all… maybe back when they first released the line but I do t think it was ever as big of a deal as people make it out to be…. I have owned Makita tools for about 7 years and maybe have had 3 or 4 packs die of very old age… that is out of probably around 20 packs that I have owned at one point or another. I still have 16 going strong, some new this year and some as old as 2009.. I use them professionally every day so they go through a lot of charge cycles and I don’t take it easy on my tools. Also they stay out in the trailer all winter long. The tools and batteries are top notch bombproof
fred
We probably had to scrap something less than 10 Makita BL1830 batteries out of the 100 or more that we bought in 10 years. We had a few M12 batteries that also seemed to not accept charge after what we thought to be a too-short time. We did not consider either of these failures as unacceptable – and they may have just been flukes – “bathtub curve” type incidents – or even possibly the fault of some inadvertent misuse on our part. For a homeowner user, I can see how even a single premature battery failure can be frustrating and costly (especially as a percentage of invested cost) – but we considered both the Makita 18V and Milwaukee M12 Li-Ion platforms as very good.
magic
Makita has recently retroactively upgraded the warranty on their batteries to 3 years.
This should help with those concerns.
Makita’s cordless blower is the 2nd most oft used tcordless ool in my garage, behind only the radio. Whether I just got done grinding, welding, doing the lawn or whatever, it makes cleanup fast. I also use it after I wash my pickup to get water out of door handles and other crevices, and I use it to blow dust off it after I mow. Once you have one, it’s truly indispensable. Milwaukee has a red clone of it btw.
I’d go makita. I grew up with my dad’s makitas, but he went dewalt when I did, and I wound up going back to makita.
magic
Amd with the XPH07 hammer drill, I rarely bust out my impact anymore. Lags or screws on low speed are painless, and fast.
BikerDad
Brushless. Toss up between DeWalt (my personal preference), Milwaukee (more tools available) and Bosch. Many folks will recommend Makita, I simply have an irrational disdain for them, so I don’t. Note that my disdain is irrational, so it can be dismissed for those dedicated to rationality.
If cost is no object, then I would go with two platforms. Festool for cordless track saw and jig saw, DeWalt/Milwaukee/Bosch for the remainder. Yes, the Festool cordless track saw will cost as much as the hammer drill, impact driver, sawzall and radio put together, but it is so much more capable than a garden variety cordless saw.
magic
That’s how I feel about milwaukee. Brand new chop saws burning motors up, loose motor in an M18 Fuel impact. The whole got bought out by a Hong Kong company and production goes to China. Makes me feel like they’re junk.
I’m sure the tools are probably good, I just can’t bring myself to buy one.
Brandon
That is amusing. Basically all major power tools are produced in china any more. Even your makita.
Dylan
The best Makita stuff is made in Japan actually
magic
Yes, that’s true. However, there is no “American Heritage” or jobs lost when a company like Makita manufactures in China.
And like the other guy said, the best Makitas, like the port a band and their heavy duty 7″ grinders are still Japanese made. They have 5″ grinders they’ve made stateside for decades, and even some corded tools. Milwaukee makes Sawzalls here, but not the cordless ones.
A Chinese company buying an American one and reducing staff to engineering, sales, marketing and distribution is worse than a foreign one having a similar force here, as the blue collar american worker is not betrayed.
Stuart
You do realize that, after Milwaukee was bought by TTI, they’ve created MORE USA jobs, right? Milwaukee has poured tons of money into their R&D and testing. I visited their expanded facility soon after it went up 3 years ago, and I believe they’ve expanded it again since then.
Back in June I randomly came across quite a few job listings indicating that Milwaukee was adding even MORE USA jobs.
https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/milwaukee-tool-jobs-062015/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I just checked now, and they’re hiring MORE people yet again.
https://www.linkedin.com/vsearch/j?page_num=1&f_C=164989
What basis do you have for saying that they’ve been reducing jobs? I’m not saying you’re wrong, but I have yet to see any facts or evidence to indicate this to be true. Everything I’ve seen points to the contrary.
These are some of the 27 job listings they’re currently looking to fill:
Industrial Designer
Design Researcher
Electrical Engineer
Test Engineer
Project Leader
Motor Engineer
Engineer – Hand Tools
Sr. Engineering Technician
Senior/Principal Motor Engineer
Senior/Principal Electrical Engineer
Engineering Development Program (Electrical Engineer and Computer Science)
These, and more, and in the USA.
magic
I don’t have a button to reply to you on your post, Stu.
My concern isn’t necessarily with white collar jobs, as I don’t see those going anywhere. I am glad Milwaukee is employing in America, but I wish their employment listings included assembly and manufacturing jobs.
White collar jobs being exported aren’t typically an issue. My concern is for the blue collar worker.
I honestly do not have stats on Milwaukee’s workforce before and after the buyout, but most tools I see are Made in China. It’d be an interesting stat to see, and if employment has shown a growth, I’ll gladly shut my mouth and stop hating on Milwaukee.
I have a 4-year degree from a university, and I work in sales, but I still see the importance of having Americans employed, even if they haven’t done the whole college thing. It may not directly affect my career, but it’s very important to me. Dewalt doesn’t have a clean record either, but I don’t buy dewalt. Shareholder location isn’t terribly important, but I feel the Chinese buyout / job elimination angle drives it home very well.
magic
Further, is there any way to know whether this is job creation, or replacement?
I’ve been to the Miller Electric plants, a few miles from Milwaukee, and while I know they make a lot overseas, and import quite a few components, I felt a much stronger tie to the company after the tour. I definitely understand where you are coming from after visiting Milwaukee. I know what it’s like to see a lot of fellow americans working toward a common goal, giving huge insight into an industry one’s involved in. I dealt largely with the supervisors and managers, but seeing regular folks doing the dirty work, putting machines together, was moving. Honestly, that trip even had me feeling better toward Milwaukee, even though they’re made elsewhere, like everyone else.
Still love the site, whether you agree or disagree with me.
Gilbert
“MILWAUKEE M12 & M18 Platform, all the way.” Get the best of both worlds to get the best results. You also get the most tool selection. Oh, definitely go with “FUEL BRUSHLESS” sele
Gilbert
Selection. Sorry….. Purchasing non brushless is like back in the day buying tape instead of CD music platform. Like mentioned, brushless gives you better battery efficiency, more power, and a all around better running tool.
magic
How often do people have to change brushes on cordless tools?
I bought into brushless, but for the casual user, I can’t find justification for it. It’s a way to lower production costs while raising the price. Sure it increases battery life, but how much of the gains in torque result from a brushless motor rather than regular old product evolution?
Same with inverter welders. Production costs fall, but the price often increases, and the reliability of a transformer can’t be beat.
JMG
I have changed the brushes on one cordless tool (SDS drill) in more than twenty years of using cordless tools. Most times in the past the batteries were what would give up the ghost and early on in the cordless tool offerings, it was cheaper to upgrade to a new tool the latest tech than it was to replace the batteries.
Mike
Not that simple. The CD analogy is appropriate, but for reasons you may not have meant. Sure CD’s offer a certain minimum threshold of quality superior to basic run of the mill magnetic tapes. But there are many types and grades of audio tape, which easily offer benefits beyond what any CD is capable of. What is certain though is that tape costs about 100x what a CD costs to the manufacturer.
Brushless tools are similar…they are not just inherently better. They really have to be built well to be reliable. And as tool demand goes up so too does the cost of brushless technology.
Currently, brushless tools are most useful for impact drivers, drills, oscillating multi tools, rotary/cut-out tools, small angle grinders.
Traditional motors still have a place, they are not obsolete by a long shot. They can produce high torque cheaply, can be repaired, and are more durable generally.
The brush vs brushless is best characterized(IMHO) like so: brushless absolutely gets better runtime. Brushed tools may, or may not, depending on the specific item, be more reliable and sturdy, and potentially more powerful. Brushed tools often easily live for 50 years+…things like triggers and chucks wear out in brushless tools literally just as easily as in brushed.
Our electrical infrastructure grid becomes obsolete faster than power tools. There are many 1950’s tools still kicking that hit the market when houses had 30amp service. Homes today often have 200amp service…roughly seven times as much juice.
Brushless tools absolutely cost less to manufacture. Also, the hassle of changing brushes is WAAAY over-exaggerated. In the very rare occurrences when brushes do need swapping, it takes like maybe 30 seconds to five minutes to accomplish. Usually all you need are the new brushes and anything that can turn a low torque slotted plastic fastener. Keychain 4-way screwdrivers(the $0.99 items always on display at auto part store checkouts) usually more than adequate.
Gilbert
Sorry….. Purchasing non brushless is like back in the day buying tape instead of CD music platform. Like mentioned, brushless gives you better battery efficiency, more power, and a all around better running tool.
Mark S.
Picking a platform depends an awful lot on your focus. If you are a contractor who uses their tools day-in and day-out, then going with a brushless 18v/20v system would be the way to go (Milwaukee Fuel, Dewalt XR, Makita BL, Bosch EC). The Gen5x Ridgid tools come pretty close in terms of durability but I really question their specs, seen a lot of actual head to head competitions that result in claims disproven.
If you are a casual contractor (read: part-time) a brushed system may be an economical option but with brushless getting cheaper by the week (not much but a little) it may be more cost-effective to save up for a brushless system. Ridgid’s Gen5x or 4x platforms along with Dewalt/Makita/Milwaukee/Bosch could still hold up well though (Dewalt’s 18v line seems nigh-on-invincible given its age).
If you are a prosumer/DIYer brushless usually isn’t necessary – you’re not using your tools every week let alone every day and justifying the cost of a brushless platform doesn’t make much sense. Ryobi seems to have the best bang for the buck (their 18v platform anyway, their 12v system is meh at best) and they have a lot of innovative tools for DIYers that even Milwaukee with their massive 18v system can’t quite match – keep in mind that Milwaukee is geared towards the contractor and while you certainly could use Ryobi in contracting their selection in that area is a bit sparser. Porter-Cable 18v was pretty darn good but the 20v system isn’t really an improvement – the tools are well constructed and you can get 4Ah batteries more readily with the 20v system but the ergonomics of the tools seem more off than with the 18v.
You may note that I have not made mention of Hitachi, Hilti, Festool, Metabo, Fein, or Black and Decker. Festool is absolutely fantastic when it comes to corded tools for woodworkers and while their 18v system is no slouch it is also not cheap and well out the price range of the average consumer. I have little to no experience with Hilti, Metabo, or Fein cordless tools. Hitachi’s corded tools really aren’t too bad but I’ve had rotten experiences with their cordless counterparts. The drills and drivers are pretty okay but their saws are pretty bad, lots of runout and breakdown.
Sorry for the length of this post but that’s my two cents worth, three adjusted for inflation and exchange rates.
RX9
What kind of 1/2 impact wrench does he want? Many manufacturers make both a compact and full-size impact wrench in that anvil size.
What’s more, they often have them in a brushless and brushed version, and with a choice of different anvil types (pin detent, hog/friction ring, ball detent, etc.).
What kind of circular saw does he want? There are brushed and brushless models co-existing in several manufacturer’s lines. In addition to this, several blade sizes are available, all the way up to the standard 7.25 inch.
What kind or reciprocating saw does he want? There are one and two handed options in brushed and brushless form.
Given that his tools will be used restoring old houses, I would recommend DeWalt if the focus is on carpentry/nailing, and Milwaukee if the focus is on plumbing/electric. If the focus is on value, Ryobi is probably the best choice, with Porter Cable coming in second. Makita has a hyoooge 18V range, good build quality and decent prices.
That said, I have the Brushless (Fuel) 7.25 inch Milwaukee 2731 Circular Saw and it is an absolute gem: lightweight, relatively quiet, powerful and reliable. It’s expensive, but worth every penny. I also have the DeWalt brushed DCD 980 drill, and although it is a bit heavy, it is built like a tank, very reliable, and loaded with power.
There is a lot that goes into choosing a platform, but I will say this, choosing a voltage isn’t the concern it used to be. Many manufacturers, including DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Hitachi, throw in multi-voltage chargers on their 18/20V class sets. You may decide that one application fits best into the 12V system and another needs 18V power.
mike aka Fazzman
I think right now id go with Milwaukee mostly because they have the largest arsenal of tool options and batteries.
Im a big Bosch fan too so cant leave them out.
Lukas
My personal opinion is that Milwaukee is the best (and most expensive) for cordless and I like Bosch a lot for corded. On job sites in my area the most common brand I see is Makita. Makita is the cheapest of the big three so I’m sure that’s why it’s the most common. I’ve used them a lot at work and they get the job done. When it came to buying cordless tools for personal use I went with Milwaukee.
Mike
Dewalt all the way their tools don’t die plus it’s owned by a American company I would never buy Milwaukee it’s made and owned by China who hate us so why would you buy from them
magic
What difference does it make who owns it if the tools themselves are all made in China? Dewalt, bring part of Stanley Black & Decker, a publicly traded company, surely has owners in the middle east and China. Tech Tronic Industries may be HQ’D in china, but the founders are English and German, as I recall, and being public, they’re surely owned by Americans as part of the mix.
adam
As a fan of its woefully barren 12v lineup, I was dismayed to notice today that Ridgid has its 18v battery connections opposite from the premium competitors. Having the female terminals mounted on the tool, and not on the battery, doesn’t bode well for longevity in Ridgid’s current lineup.
I’ve seen more than a few dropped DeWalt drills resulting in broken handles, which make Ridgid’s gimmicky grip light-switch appear a needless weakening of the housing’s most vulnerable point.
It might be better to compare the most frequently used tool. If left-handed, the DeWalt reciprocating saw’s blade release may be annoying, as the Milwaukee could be for right-handed users.
Bruce
I’ve run Ridgid tools in a maintenance environment going on 10 years now. They may not survive a drop off a 12 foot ladder onto concrete, but they’ve put up with everything else. Buying new, who cares if the tool survives? It has a real honest to God lifetime warranty. Break it, get it fixed, and for batteries bought with the kit, lifetime replacement. OR you can spend 30% more and get a tool that you’ll never get fixed because it’ll be cheaper to buy a new one.
I broke a Gen 4 impact driver, drove it down to my local tool repair shop, they looked up the warranty, fixed it, and gave it back to me two days later.
I think for the average home guy, the Ridgid offer a great bargain.
For a contractor, I’d go Dewalt or Milwaukee because I think you get better performance. But they should also be making enough money to replace their tools more often.
Anton
If money is no object and you’re using them every day then Milwaukee. Mainly for the variety of tools available. Even though Makita might have more selection, they seem less common.
If you are actually going to try to stick to that budget, I don’t think you can do it with anything other then Ryobi. I think their six tool combo is the best bang for you buck. It comes with the better drill, driver and batteries for $259. $60 for the jig saw, $70 for light, $40 for radio, $120 for the 1/2 impact buts you at $550. I would also either buy the 2 pack of 4ah batteries or upgrade the impact to a kit for $60. I dont think it works out under $1000 for any of the professional grade stuff.
Jay
Would not buy a combo kit per se. Not every maker nails it on all their tools so I pick and choose the tools regardless of who makes them. Currently using Makita and DeWalt cordless tools and plan to add a cordless Milwaukee M18 Fuel 7 1/4″ circ saw very soon. Others tend to buy into one battery platform for simplicity’s sake but I find that far too limiting.
It’s like saying you will only ever date redheads turning a blind eye to all blonds and brunettes.
But seriously, if I were starting from scratch and only wanted one battery platform I’d probably go Milwaukee M18 fuel. Would rather go with Makita but then you’d miss out on Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel circ saw. If Makita had it’s circ saw ducks in a row things would be different but since they don’t, Milwaukee gets the nod.
Not all the tools Taylor asked for are in this combo but it’s a good start.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IK27OFE
Dylan
Actually Makitas brushless circular saw is very comparable to the fuel. Almost the same design but a little faster and more stable. XSH03Z is the model number
Jay
Almost bought that saw. It is very highly regarded. Decided to wait because the blade is opposite what I’m used to.
JMG
I spent an hour or so reviewing different combinations of top of the line Makita products from various online tool companies in an attempt to satisfy the list of tools wanted. While there are some older Makita combo kits that might fit within the budget and somewhat satisfy the basic needs of the list, they do not contain the latest tech. Keeping within the list of tools, and specifying brushless tech as much as possible along with an led light, brought me to approximately a $1000 budget, using the current holiday discounts and free tool offerings. From personal experience, I would expect the examples used in the list I chose to last in excess of ten years under moderate to heavy use, basing my choices on the comment about possible commercial use. As far as the LXT batteries go, I had one single failure since that platform was introduced and it was due to overheating a 3ah battery on a SDS drill that did not have the protective electronics. All of the rest of the LXT batteries I have are still in working order, although the capacity is somewhat diminished on the oldest units.
I find it incredibly difficult to make any specific recommendations, as there are so many excellent choices available fro all the different tool groups. i presonally have found, from long term use, that Makita, Dewalt, Panasonic and Milwaukee have had great durable offerings. companies that have failed to meet expectations for me, in some form or other, have been Bosch, Hitachi and Ryobi, over a period of forty or so years of construction. I am not saying that these companies produce bad products, just that they had items that failed me personally, in a commercial and/or rough use environment. Out of these, the most failures were from early model Bosch cordless offerings. If I were starting over from scratch, based on my previous experiences, I would take a hard look at the current offerings from Milwaukee or Makita, with some Dewalt items filling in positions not available from the previous two. If I were looking at only light and intermittent use, I would consider the Ryobi cordless line due to the price factor and the variety of their cordless offerings.
NERemodeling
Hands down makita. They really do make the best tools. They are just well engineered and bombproof.. tour going to cook through your budget fast though. Stick with their BL (brushless) line if you really expect corded performance from your tools and you will never be disappointed.. if you can wait in February they are releasing a new 1/2 wrench and 2 new reciprocating saws in the spring and one more recip saw in the summer.
Buy a your cordless tools based on the battery platform, quality and expandability. If that means only starting with a few core pieces and slowly building the set over time then that is the best bet
Jerry
First, you need to determine use. Are we talking professional use, serious do it yourself work, general DIY work, or occasional homeowner use? There is no point in buying high priced pro tools if you are only going to use them once a month. On the other hand, even for a serious DIYer, a little extra $$$ often buys better performance, longer runtime, and more durability.
I guess first, I’d think about all your potential needs, not just now, but what you think you may be doing in the future, and see if those tools are available in the lineup you are considering. As someone who bought what seemed like good deals at the time, and wound up with 4 battery platforms, and is now trying to consolidate to 1, I cannot stress enough how inconvenient it is to need this charger for this job, that battery for that job, along with the hassle and expense of up keeping several battery types going. Would have been cheaper and much more convenient to decide on one battery platform from the start.
That said, I really don’t think brand matters all that much as most major brands are pretty good anymore, you just need to decide how much you want to spend, and how heavy your uses are.
Hugh
I would go with Milwaukee. They have the most tools out there on their m18 or m12 platforms which really help get the job done. If you need a specialty tool most likely they have it. They come out with the most new tools on an active approach to the market, rather than a reactive like other brands.
Makita might have some brushless saws out there but the don’t have a recip saw out there or large impacts wrenches. By the time the first Gen brushless combo kits come out in the US , Milwaukee will almost have its second Gen out. So in short if you feel like waiting until Makita catches up to Milwaukee and brings tools to the states then go for it.
The tools are made in China argument is getting a little tired isn’t it? Most major tool companies use some sort of Asian country to manufacture there tools. It is a mute point to make that argument that they make their stuff in “China”, da who doesn’t? That dead horse just keeps getting beaten. I’m sure if you wanted to go pure USA you could get some nice hand tools maybe!
Matt
Thank you for that Hugh
Dominic van Lievenoogen
You should inform yourself beter before saying things like this. Makitas 18v platform is FAR bigger then milwaukees.
The number of top tier brushless tools in makitas offering is also slot bigger then milwaukees.
Milwaukee had their 2 years of fame. Makita woke up and their total lineup is slot more interesting then milwaukee .
The only reason for going Milwaukee right now might be a cordless recip saw or cordless nin compact impact wrench. And Makita had already announced and demoed their brushless versions of those tools and they both ourperform milwaukees offerings
Hugh
Interesting you claim that Makita’s brushless line up is larger but I see no bandsaw, no recip saw, no 3/8 compact impact wrench, no 1/2 or 3/4 impact wrench, no 7 1/4 saw, no holehawg . I’m talking about what is available for purchase now not the near future. How do you know these future tools are better, have you used them? Where is Makita’s 12v much less brushless 12v?
Mums
Are we taking into consideration several small, but no less important factors, imo, when purchasing a new kit.
– battery level fuel gauge. Perhaps not the deciding factor but there are a few companies who have yet to incorporate it and with Makita finally hoping on board, maybe Hitachi is one of the only majors left to not have a fuel gauge.
– one handed bit inserts per impact driver. This is a must for me. My impact is my go to tool. And as minute and simple as it may seem, having a one handed hex collette make a difference in a tight spot or on a ladder etc.
– ergonomics. Perhaps the most important thing about a tool is how it feels to you. Its balance. Its grip. How steady and powerful it feels in your hand. Blindfold yourself and place the final three picks in front of you….
– battery availability. I know we all want runtime. 5ah, 6ah and up. We are begining to get spoiled. Junk the 1.5ahs of old. But to have a 2ah at my disposal, especially in my belt for ladder or crawlspace work, to still have decent runtime but at a lighter weight …. Is a plus to me.
– how much drill do you need? Are you driving lags into old hardwood or driving drywall screws into wallboard all day? Or both? Masonary drilling/driving? Find out what will handle what you need done.
– a saw is a saw to me. Especially cordless. Circs and recips, imo, will provide similar specs when used accordingly. Make sure you get good blades. Some may be brushless and have more power or runtime and im not technical enough to break it all down but i think out if any of the brands you listed you will be satisfied with their saw performance.
– what generation are you buying? I wouldnt rush out and by a dewalt xr kit right now with a 3 speed impact and and a more compact line coming out shortly. And dewalt has yet to release brushless saws (unless i am in the dark). Basically i wouldnt rush into something just to have the better next gen tools come out and make me second guess my purchase. But thank you 90 day money back guarantee.
Lastly, to hell with brands. Find tools that work. Plain and simple. And if worse comes to worse, just pick you favorite color scheme.
Mike
How is this even a question? METABO. To be clear: Bosch, Makita, Milwaukee, DeWALT cannot even be classified as a competitor to Metabo, in terms of performance and durability. METABO is just a better designed and built tool. That’s a FACT. A science fact! Could probably pick up a circular, recipro, hammer drill, maybe an impact driver for under $800. I’d stick to a corded Bosch for jigsaw, not a tool to cheap out on-if a jigsaw is actually needed. Lots of times, they don’t wind up getting used that much. Metabo does have an awesome 18v light and a great radio, rebranded Sangean I think. Most importantly—hands down Metabo’s newest LiHD batteries are two steps ahead of everybody else. Those new LiHD batts are truly spectacular, I assume we’ll all be hearing more about them in the near future. As for impact WRENCH, if your needs are serious DIY or beyond, I’d consider a specific platform. Ingersoll Rand is probably the best route-they offer both high torque and extra long life options, as well as the best right angle impacts. Milwaukee and MAC(DeWALT too) both offer high torque models at the priciest end of their offerings, but are pretty weak on right angle tools and such. I-R is the way to go with auto impacts, battery or pneumatic.(though they have much fiercer competition with air guns, Chicago Pneumatic, Proto, Snap-On just to name a few)
Mums
How available are Metabos in the US? Besides mail order? Do i order several batt packs on top of the tools just so i dont have to wait or pay extra shipping for them to be delivered promptly? If they were available at our box stores metabo would be a tough competitor. But if i were buying into a system i would like to be able to buy locally. Im in upstate NY so perhaps metabo hasnt made it to my market…. But i have always been interested in test driving them. Especially the pulse hammer drill with electric clutch
Hugh
I don’t think those Li Hds are going to be as impressive add you claim. Furthermore they look to be a bigger battery back just like the milwaukee 9.0s. I can’t tell though because all I have is pictures. I wouldn’t suggest anyone purchase a brand of tools that doesn’t have much local support. I can walk into any service center were I live Dewalt/Makita/Hilti/Milwaukee/even your Bosch. I am aware of one specialty store that has a metabo cordless grinder collecting dust.
Why doesn’t Metabo have a bigger presence in the US or even Bosch? Do they make more money with the rest of the world that the simply don’t care? I don’t care what is across the ocean it doesn’t do me any good here! I’m going to buy from brands that can get their products here locally. I don’t need it to be in big box stores, it just needs to be somewhere were you can look at it perhaps test it out.
Lynyrd
I ask this primarily of ToolGuyd writer; as well I prefer Bosch tools however don’t understand why they are so slow to add tools to their line up. Their battery technology leads the pack, but most tools don’t have a gauge, they’re not coming out with a lot of brushless tools, they haven’t updated the circular or jig saws, they don’t have the handy “hacksaw” type saw in 18v, and forget about hand vacuums, nailers, routers, planers, and so on.
It also appears Bosch continues to lose shelf space at Home Depot as DeWalt replaced Bosch for professional measuring devices, and Lowes seems to be clearing out a few models.
What is the experts opinions on why Bosch is not keeping pace in cordless tool development and why they are losing space in Big Box stores?
Any insight is appreciated.
Mike
FWIW: Bosch FNH180KL-16
Bosch PLH181BL
Bosch BSH180B
Bosch VAC120BN
Bosch GAS18V-LI
https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/bosch-cordless-finish-sander/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I also hear good things about the 12v jigsaw. Bosch is very strong in some areas; their brushless 18v multi-tool is pretty impressive. They have several 18v brushless SDS rotary hammers that deliver superb performance. And their 36v tools are still market leaders here in the US. Though it is hard to ignore Bosch’s lukewarm marketing attitude in the USA. They are huge in the EU, and almost ubiquitous in Germany. Sort of like what Ryobi is here, it seems the Germans consider Bosch ‘cheap’ ‘regular’ ‘DIY’ tools. Some of the prices in Germany are quite low as well. Not to mention the dozens of tools they sell in the EU, but not here.
As far as Lowes and HD shelf space here’s my theory(speculation): profit margins too low. The retailers want lower prices from Bosch, Bosch won’t deliver. You can bet your marmalade that B &D/Stanley and Milwaukee however do have room to wiggle.
Mike
Hey Stuart, not sure if I interpreted your line about Makita pricing correctly, and I’m not an expert on retail pricing, but I thought Makita prices on tool packages are pretty low, comparatively. On single tools, they’re all over, but I could have sworn their big kits are closer to Ridgid prices than Milwaukee, but I could be wrong.
Mums
Their new(er)bl hammer drill and impact kit is priced the same as the 2nd gen milwaukee kit. Larger kits are in the same ballpark.
Toolpig
Matt, Mike, Mark, Hugh, I buy any and all tools cordless or corded. I try to have the best tool of the category. I have and use DeWalt 20v Max, Bosch 18v, Festool 18/36 v Milwaukee M12 M18, and Makita 12v /18v lxt. A guarantee I spend more time using these tools not only on the job but in my free time testing and playing with them. It’s easy to choose a brand and stick with it and say it’s the best. In 2005 Makita was on top. A few years later it was DeWalt and shortly after that it was Milwaukee. I will come right out and say even though the stuff was made in China Milwaukee’s tools have had some of the top spots for the last three years. If your only frame of reference for tools is Home Depot then yes I will say unequivocally that Milwaukee has the best cordless line. If you dig a little deeper or you will find that the new wave of Makita brushless tools is dominating every other line today. The Makita xph07 drill will do things with “1090” inch lbs of torque that cause the Fuel2 “1,200” inch lbs drill to pour smoke out of the vents before shutting off. The Makita BL saw does indeed have more power than the fuel saw. In ripping 2×10 Douglas fir, the Makita is significantly more powerful and zips right through where the Milwaukee goes into protect mode. Heck! The Makita rips faster than my Bosch Wormdrive with a brand new blade! I have videos showing all of this on Instagram. If you don’t have an account find somebody who does and check it out on their phone or tablet
Hugh
I was responding to the question it’s self
Hugh
Sorry pressed wrong button. I was responding to the question its self.
I have a rainbow colored toolbox as well, meaning I have Dewalt/Hilti/Milwaukee/Makita/Bosch /Festool tools. I work for none of these companies nor do I hold stock in them.
The question was about a combo kit and then add ons. Correct me if I’m wrong but you can get that and other tools with Milwaukee.
Toolpig
As for Metabo… I agree they are great tools. The LiHD looks very promising and I look forward to their cordless table saw and sliding compound miter saw . My issue with them is Acessability and service. The only Metabo tools I can find locally within one hour are the grinders (I have 2 and a concrete planer)and a few hammer drills but they all have cords . Also in the ultimate drill fight to the death video on YouTube Metabo did not survive neither did Dewalt or milwaukee, the only two left standing were Bosch and Makita
550
” My issue with them is Acessability and service” The same situation in europe “in many countries” + no advertising /marketing, as long as I can remember.
(Metabo corded tool owner) but I do not buy their cordless tools.
Mums
Did they add the one handed quick change hex guy to the impact in the makita xt257tb kit??? The one that comes with new fuel gauged batts? Or is it standard pull and lock?
Matt
To be honest I’ve owned makita brushless Milwaukee gen 2 brushless and now Dewalt brushless. My new Dewalt 996 model drill has way more power then the 2nd generation Milwaukee fuel. Dewalt also has Flexvolt batteries now which work on 20v tools and they have quite a few new brushless tools out now also. Dewalt is the way to go
Matthew
I just recently went through this myself.
I am a pretty serious DIYer (former tradesman, but career change – oh well) and wanted to get some new tools. My newest cordless were more than a decade old and needed replacing. So off to HD I went (closest big box).
I stood in the tool aisles just before Black Friday 2016 and tested everything they had on the floor (really gotta love HD for their usable displays!) and couldn’t really tell much of a difference between any of the colors of the rainbow there (other than Ryobi – just “felt” less durable).
I ended up going with and buying into the Ridgid battery system. I started with the Compact Brushless Hammer Drill and Impact Driver and I got the Black Friday deal of a 7 1/4 brushless Circular saw as the free tool (and the kit came with 2 – 4.0 AH batteries and a charger).
I have since added a flashlight, the 3 panel worklight (BEST LIGHT EVER!), 2 more 3.0 AH batteries, dual charger with passthru, and a 5″ orbital sander. Not a bad start to an eco-system if I do say so. I will be adding more as they go on sale.
DeWalt and Milwaukee were out for me – I don’t need that extra step up for the price difference. Makita and Bosch just didn’t fit right in my hands, so they were non starters as well. But the deciding factor – to be honest the warranty!
All my tools are now registered and have a lifetime service warranty, including the batteries that I bought as part of kits! I mean seriously – who gives a lifetime warranty on batteries?! The 2 3.0 AH batteries were not part of a kit so I “only” have a 3 year warranty on them.
I already have most of these tools in a corded version, but the time to go cordless was here. I really wanted to stick with a 7 1/4 circular saw so I didn’t have to buy more than 1 size blade. Same thing with my mitre saw, table saw and radial arm saw – all 10″. The fewer consumables I need to replace the better.
I see that AEG has a 6.0 AH battery available now – so hopefully they put the Ridgid name on it and bring it to North America, same goes for their work radio/charger. I would really like to be able to charge a battery and listen to music with the same device – not a huge deal breaker in my small shop though.
The only thing I don’t like about Ridgid is the fact that they are only available at 1 store. It’s a good thing there are 4 of them within 90 min drive of my home – so I can usually get something if needed. That is the big difference with Milwaukee and DeWalt – they are sold everywhere! That very nearly swayed my decision, but I am so far very happy with my choices.
The tools perform (most important), they fit my hands well and they look good.
Thanks for reading my $0.02