Over in my top 5 favorite tools of 2013 post, Stix left a comment requesting a write-up that discusses the new tools I will be looking forward in 2014.
This was not an easy task, as there is very limited information available on upcoming tools. Still, here are a couple of tools I find myself very exciting about.
1. Bosch Brushless Drills and Drivers
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Bosch’s new 12V and 18V brushless drills and drivers are expected to be released in February of 2014.
The torque ratings of these products have been swinging back and forth, as testing of production models is still underway, but it looks like the new drills will provide comparable power and improved runtime compared to current brushed models.
The 12V models look to be downright tiny, with Bosch describing them as the smallest and lightest drills and drivers in their class.
2. Bosch 12V Tool Expansion
Bosch will be releasing some nice new 12V tools in Europe, mainly a circular saw, jigsaw, and rotary tool, and I’m crossing my fingers that they will be released here as well.
3. Dewalt 20V?
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Dewalt has a new 20V grease gun out and band saw pending. I’m not very excited about these products, but know that Dewalt fans are. With greater tool selection, this might be the year for remaining Dewalt 18V NiCd users to change over to the 20V Max Li-ion platform.
Their 20V premium brushless drills are also expected to hit the market, hopefully soon.
Dewalt’s brushless cordless framing nailer is also expected to be released. Eventually? It was originally expected to be released in the USA in early 2013 but was inexplicably delayed. Maybe there were issues with the nailer passing USA building code standards? We asked but they wouldn’t discuss the matter.
One thing we’ve been asked about numerous times is whether Dewalt is coming out with a 20V cordless miter saw. We haven’t seen or heard anything credibly, just a lot of questions and a vague tip or two here and there. I would think that Dewalt would follow Milwaukee’s footsteps and release a cordless brushless circular saw first. Then, maybe they could fold the brushless technology into a compact cordless miter saw.
4. Milwaukee Knockout Punch Driver
Milwaukee’s M18 Force Logic knockout punch driver is going to be way, way, waaaay out of my price range for personal use, but I’m hoping they will come out with separate manual knockout punches as well. Not that Greelee punches aren’t good, but I’m hoping that increased competition will lead to lower prices. Although outside my needs and budget, I’m sure electricians and other daily knockout punch users will be pleased to see the M18 driver hit the market.
5. Craftsman C3 Cordless Tools, Perhaps More Brushless
Craftsman was a prominent first-time advertiser on ToolGuyd these past few months, and so I was hesitant to talk too much about their C3 line while we had a C3 brushless drill/driver banner ad in the sidebar. I didn’t want there to be confusion or a false impression that related posts were part of the ad arrangement.
This season Craftsman came out with several new C3 19.2V cordless tools: a brushless drill/driver, a multi-speed impact driver, a Max Axess ratchet, and a cordless contained-air Speeshot brad nailer. Of these tools, the brushless drill impressed me, although I find its price point to be a little high. Right now the 1-battery kit is priced at $199.99, and it’s classified as a Hot Buy, so no coupons or discounts can drop the price.
For 2014, I am hoping to see greater availability of the new C3 models, additional brushless tools such as an impact driver at the least, and lower pricing on the brushless drill. Maybe Craftsman will relaunch their Craftsman Professional cordless tool line as well? If you ask me, there are numerous reasons why they should do this.
What Did I Leave Out?
I have a nagging feeling that I left something out. The list overwhelmingly focuses on cordless tools because brands like to talk about their new cordless innovations in advance. Other types of tools tend to be announced closer to their release.
Which new tools are you looking forward to?
fred
Both Milwaukee and Bosch seem (to me anyway) to be innovating a bit more than Makita. The last batch of Milwaukee tools that I bought for the business – were Force-Logic Press Tools and PEX Expanding Tools – both M12 and M18. Some were our only foray into the M18 lineup – and much as I hated to buy into another 18V platform (we had standardized on Makita LXT) – these were game-changing enough to warrant the buys. I’ve been impressed with TTI-Milwaukee in that they do not seem to shy away from specialty professional markets. In this era where others seem to be catering primarily (if not only) to the bottom of the mass market – Milwaukee’s stance is good news. Milwaukee’s (as well as Dewalt’s and Bostitch’s) move into hand tools has been less exciting for me – but Milwaukee seems to be trying to add some new functionality (like their new magnetic – pass through handle nut drivers)
KenZ
Yes, and this is depressing for me as I bought into Makita as my tool lineup back in ’06 or so when they had close to the most 18V tools. Now they’ve fallen behind. If I were to go back in time, I’d buy Milwaukee 18V.
Milwaukee is smart to hit up small niche markets. Even if they break even on a particular low volume tool, like a PEX tool, they make up for it in spades when those tradesmen buy their hammer drills, recip saws, sanders, etc.
fred
The other thing we liked was that the Milwaukee PEX tools allowed us to use our old Uponor expanding cones – saving us a bundle. They might have designed their tools with some oddball connection to prevent this – but seem to have had their customers – not just profits – in mind.
KenZ
Milwaukee is good at this. Look at their 12V rotary tool: They designed it to use ALL the same accessories as Dremel, including the weird screw on bits and extensions. So they supply it with the bare minimum, don’t have to stock all that different stuff. And how did that work out for them? It got me to buy one, because if I bought the cordless dremel, then…. that’s the only tool I can use with that battery/charger. Even though I have no plans for another 12V tool, I feel liberated in knowing that I can buy something from Milwaukee in the future that’s compatible. They played a psychological game, didn’t go proprietary on the attachments, and it won me as a customer. If they’d had proprietary attachments, I would have bought a Dremel.
Stuart
They did something similar with their oscillating tools. Rather than create a whole line of supporting accessories, they made the tools fully compatible with Bosch’s OIS platform. Seems like a sound strategy to me.
Stuart
I contemplated mentioning the upcoming Makita 18V X2 saw, but I find it hard to be excited about anything Makita comes out with these days. They have released a few interesting new tools these past few years, but Makita has become my LEAST FAVORITE power tool brand for a number of reasons.
Jason
Makita is being really shady about the issues with failures on their LTX 18v batteries. The thing I wondered is why didn’t Milwaukee move up to using a 7 1/4 inch blade on the new M18 Fuel circular saw. I get when cordless circular saws came out they probably didn’t have the power for the bigger blade. Is it more about keeping the tool compact it’s one of those things I would love to know the answer too.
Stuart
Definitely. It would be far better if they were straightforward with users, but a lot of users are still going to be angry. Bosch, Dewalt, Milwaukee, Craftsman, Ryobi, and other brands all came out with 4.0Ah batteries that fit ALL of their respective 18V-class tools. That Makita couldn’t do this and refused to clarify upon which tools will and won’t be compatible has seriously affected how I feel about the brand.
Ktash
It’s too bad, because I love Makita’s corded circular saws.
Jason
I know Milwaukee was in a similar situation during the era of the v18 packs, and some people got burned by the change to the M18 line but the M18 line made Milwaukee competitive in the cordless tool market. The only reason it hasn’t haunted them too bad is they didn’t have the tool blog phenomenon back then to deal with Makita does not have that luxury.
Stuart
That’s not really the same. Dewalt recently introduced the 20V Max platform, which is not compatible with their 18V tools, but if you look at their new 2.0 and 4.0Ah batteries, they work with all 20V Max tools. The same is true for Milwaukee and Bosch. Readers have reported that Makita’s new 18V LXT battery isn’t compatible with certain 18V LXT tools. That’s unheard of, and it makes matters worse that Makita won’t discuss which tools and why.
Steven B
When will DeWalt expand their 12v Max lineup? I would love to see a brushless 12V max drill from DeWalt. I am actually holding off buying a drill until DeWalt releases a brushless equivalent of their awesome 12V Max drill or some other vendor releases one with as nice of ergonomics (not likely). I was hoping to see a DeWalt 12V Max Brushless announcement/credible-rumor.
Joshua Latham
I hear that. I’m hoping they come out with some new stuff too. I love the DeWalt 12v max tools I have, just wish there were more.
Stuart
The past few Dewalt sales associates I spoke to said that 12V tool sales were not particularly strong. We might not see 12V brushless tools anyime soon. Then again, now that Milwaukee has a full line of M12 brushless drills and drivers, and Bosch planning to release a few models, Dewalt might feel pressured to move faster.
Jason
I think Dewalt is going to go with compact 20v tools as the future, and 8v line might power some of their diagnostic tools in the future. It’s all bs and guesses by me though, but the last 12v tool they added was the reciprocating saw and the 12v radar wall scanner which was pulled from stores.
Javier
Wow a dewalt 20v miter saw, that would be awesome. I would prefer a 36v brushless model but with 36v platforms being forgotten by all brands except for makita it does make sense to use a popular platform like 20v/18v.
KenZ
All brands except Makita and…. several lawn and garden companies, like Ryobi. But yes, when it comes to Hammer Drills, I’m with ya.
Although… don’t Bosch and Hilti still push their 36V line, at least in Europe?
Javier
True about the lawn and garden brands but when it comes to the big professional brands it seems all the focus on r&d is on 12v and 18v lines. While they still sell and support 36 and 28v line ups you really don’t hear about anything new coming out for those lines. Just makita
fred
Too bad about the 36 lineups – thought they might have potential – and I’m still hopeful about Makita’s 2 x 18V as a potential solution . The only Dewalt tools we used (other than out old monster RAS) were 36V circular saws. The guys liked them a lot – especially on the roof or on staging – where we found that our 18V Makita’s did not “cut it”.
joe
Those bosch 12v brushless drills look nice.
I can’t help it to think that they copied my idea though 🙂
back in june 2012 i did this to my 12v max
http://i45.tinypic.com/2nhoih5.jpg
now i see this
https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Bosch-12V-Max-EC-Brushless-Driver-PS22-Bit-Holder.jpg%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
lol..coincidence.
Jim
As a product line, the Makita LXT is extensive……globally. The challenge is that Makita North America has held back releasing some of the products into the US market. The same is true for the Makita 12V, 18Vx2 and 36V (which uses a single 36V battery). I have brought back several of the LXT tools from overseas. The 18Vx2 and 36V lines have quite an expanded offering, particularly lawn and garden tools (these are very popular in densely populated Europe and Tokyo where noise level is an issue and often regulated). I can only assume the lack of US introductions is a matter of price point and exposure. Many power tool distributors in developed countries outside the United States have a tendency to display and stock full product lines, complete with accessories, so niche tools are promoted. In the US, the mass retailers pick and choose the products from the product line they choose to carry. Releasing a niche product is more of a challenge. And, if it does not move at the right turnover rate, it is quickly discontinued. With regards to US pricing, niche tools are generally offered closer to MSRP retail price then their high volume counterparts. So, they seem disproportionately expensive. In many non-US markets, MSRP is maintained across the entire product line. I recently ordered an LXT Helmet Fan. It is not available in the US, but was able to order one out of Canada.
joe
“I recently ordered an LXT Helmet Fan.”
WOW, didn’t know someone made this. Back in june of this year I improvised my own.
http://www.dslreports.com/r0/download/2098650~7d9e5bdd0b8de05aa5030aa848025157/4546_34
How would you rate the CFM and RPMs on the fan?
How long does it run before needing recharging?
For 26 bucks bare tool, that does not sound bad if the specs are good.
thanks.
Jim
Dear Joe,
I have not received it yet. I ordered it from New York Power Tools, which is a US subsidiary of JCC out of Canada.
I am confident it performs well. I saw it in common use while recently living in Sydney, AU. They claim 20 hours runtime at low and 10 on high.
See the product sheet at:
http://www.makita.biz/product/category/cordless/bcf050/index.html
For some additional offerings, see: http://www.makita.biz/product/category/date.html
I do not wear a hardhat often, just wanted it. I am going to be carrying a huge flaming torch down Main Street in Liestal, Switzerland on March 9, maybe I can use this to keep a cool head.
It is a one-of-kind event: http://www.redbubble.com/people/blackhawkrogue/works/5939690-fire-festival-liestal-switzerland
Additionally, because of the remote battery attachment, I may be able to interface to some other non-Makita tools, while leveraging my investment in the 18V LXT Platform.
joe
Thanks man the specs look good and I like how it has two settings. I may buy one and try to rig it to work with my dewalt batteries since it would not be cost effective for me to buy a battery and charger just for the fan. My fan as it is lasts me four hours with the 12max battery. Enough to cool me down when I’m working in an attic here while it is 90-100 degrees outside…gets hot.
Speaking about hot, that run looks like its going to get real hot lol….good luck.
puppy
I hope Dewalt starts adding some depth to their range. After waiting on them to make a cordless ratchet for a while, I bailed and went with Milwaukee. I would also like to see a 20v impact wrench with more than 300 ft-lbs from them. Dewalt builds quality tools, but their limited li-ion range is a big negative.
Gregg
I was a big Bosch fan until Milwaukee M12 hit the market. I cannot get enough of their M12 lineup. I do still own a few 12v Bosch tools and really wish they would make a battery like Milwaukee’s- M12 REDLITHIUM XC 4.0 Extended Capacity Battery Pack . I even wrote Bosch a letter and they responded that they will be sticking with their current 12v battery for now. The brush-less technology is amazing, and now everyone else is jumping on the bandwagon! One of my fav new hand tools is the Milwaukee ratcheting screwdriver. I can fit so many different bits/nut drivers into it. Great little tool.
Stuart
*Poof*, wish granted. If you check your favorite Bosch distributor you should now be able find the new 12V 4.0Ah extended capacity battery.
Roman
Bosch is offering 12 v 4 Ah batteries now. You can find them on amazon and they look like Milwaukee’s in shape.
Joe M
BlackRock Tools in Canada has the DeWalt 20V XR Cordless Framing Nailer in a kit. Last I checked, it is available, not on pre-order or anything.
http://www.blackrocktools.com/dewalt-20v-max-xr-li-ion-brushless-framing-nailer-kit-dcn690m1.html
$567.95 CAD on sale right now due to the holiday thing. Though… From personal experience their “Sale Price” tends to stick around for very long periods of time. They call it their “Sale Price” but, I find it tends to be their “Regular Price” just happens to be that low.
Jason
It’s really weird the Framing Nailer is for sale but there is no social media marketing or anything going on with it. I wonder if they are worried about supplying enough kits at the moment.
Stuart
I don’t know about Canada, but it’s not available in the US. Amazon had preorder pages but they were taken down a while ago.
Joe M
Well, I can tell you for certain that BlackRock does ship to the US. It’s on their website that they do. May want to check with US customer services at your preferred DeWalt dealers, see if it’s available for special order. DeWalt has several tools in this status right now. Like the DCL023 8V Max LED Flashlight. I learned that the hard way through Facebook. Several of the announced tools are currently available for Special Order via their warehouses, and your favourite DeWalt dealers do actually have access to them.
Jason
Amazon isn’t the only place to buy tools, and I’ve found it is often not the best place to look for newly released tools. Toolbarn has the nailer listed for sale, with 42 in stock. It’s the DCN690B. A quick search of both eBay and google turn up multiple places that claim to have it in stock. DeWalt also lists it on their website.
Jason
Ok, this is weird having more than one Jason post at once.
Stuart
I know. I typically also check Home Depot, CPO, and a few other authorized dealers. While no longer listed at Amazon, it looks like the nailer is now available at CPO as well as Toolbarn.
The last I heard from a Dewalt rep was that the nailers weren’t shipping yet. I guess they are, but in small quantities.
Drew
Stuart,
Any hope for new Craftsman Nextec tools? Especially a reciprocating saw? I missed buying the one Sears offered before it was quickly discontinued, and they are rarely on Ebay for a reasonable price. I use several of their tools like their drill, lights, inflator and vacumm on a regular basis. Or do you know if any other brand will use the Nextec batteries?
Stuart
To be frank, no.
Sears left the Nextec tools out of their 2013-2014 catalog and my local Sears clearanced out most of their Nextec tools before the holiday shopping season even began.
I haven’t checked with Craftsman reps in a while, but I think they’re going to continue phasing out the product line until it’s gone.
Seth
The boys at my local store say nextec has been cut back to only the homeowner tools and they don’t think the line will be expanded again. I think it hasn’t sold well and sears is planning on phasing it out. A shame, since they could have made a nextec 12v bolt-on handle and kept it going even while cutting the tools that aren’t making a profit.
Corey
Ok, it’s January 2nd, 2014. I have given Bosch 24 hours to release their new 12v tools in Europe. I am currently waiting for them to tell me where I can buy their new saws here in the States.
*taps foot impatiently*
Tom
I still believe Makita is ahead of Milwuakee, Dewalt, and Bosch. Some said no innovation? Makita has had the only 18V full size band saw for years, the X2 36 volt saw, rotary hammer, blower, and chainsaw, brushless since what 2009? First 4-stroke concrete saw. Each tool manufacturer has some niche tools that are nice. Dewalt has been the one lagging behind the most with new 20v tools.
Dale
The Dewalt nailer is available widely in Ontario. HD had it for 560 for Christmas and my local supply store was doing it for 540 and throwing in an extra 4 amp battery. Apparently the sales projection for UK was 8000 units and they sold 20000. With that kind of demand delayed US release makes sense. They absolutely rock.
4sb8
As a self admitted tool novice (undertaking a major renovations currently) and user of Bosch’s 18V tools (drills/drivers, reciprocal/circular/jig saws) exclusively with little to no experience with other tools, I am not sure what is the big attraction to Bosch’s cordless line up. Don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed using my tools, but I find their cordless line up sorely missing many offerings that other manufacturers have (e.g. LED 18V flashlight, blowers, nailers, etc.).
I don’t mean to flame on Bosch, as I do feel that some of the tools that I have are great (especially corded Bulldog Extreme Rotary Hammer), but I see a lot of accolades to their cordless offerings and I wonder what is so different compared to Milwaukee, Dewalt, and others.
Thanks,
Stevan