# If you had to pick ONE company for all power tools, corded and cordless, which one?



## TCWood (Aug 27, 2010)

I've been searching the web for at least a week now reading tons of threads on which tool company to go with these days. While I know the real answer is really - it depends on a tool by tool basis - but of course with cordless tools I kind of have to pick one because of the batteries and chargers (major $$$).

The threads I've read basically go like this,

"Makita is the best!"

"Makita is crap. They used to be the best. Go with Dewalt."

"Dewalt is just high-end Black and Decker. They're no good now either. Go with Milwaukee!"

"Milwaukee? You're nuts. I'm a contractor and everybody I know uses Makita or Dewalt."

"Hey, I'm a contractor too, everybody I know uses Hitachi now."

"What about Bosch guys?"

"Bosch is overpriced crap. Although I want tools X, Y, and Z from them because they're awesome!"

"Hey folks, I just switched from Makita to Panasonic, and I can't tell you how happy I am."

"Well, I just switched from Panasonic to Makita and everybody at the job site wants to use my tools."

....

You get the idea.

The more I read the more it seemed to boil down to Makita or Dewalt for cordless, then Skil for worm-drive saw, Porter-Cable for router, etc.

So, I'm confused as could be.

Technically right now my portables and cordless are all Black and Decker and Skil. To be honest, they get the job done, but that's mainly because I only use them for small small jobs and leave my drill press and stationary saws for the real work. Who knows whether I'd say they were utter rubbish if I didn't have my stationary tools.

BUT

As indicated in my other thread or two, that's precisely the situation I'm in now. My shop is across the country. I'm building a second shop, but it has to fit in the little room left in my apartment bedroom.

In a few days there will be a significant sale at a hardware/tool store nearby. Makita, Dewalt, etc. will all be on sale - but the biggest sales will be on cordless sets (buy set A - get your choice of tools B, C, D, E, or F for free). I'd like to take advantage, but I can't figure out which brand to go with.

Speaking with the store, they highly recommended Makita all around, but especially for cordless. Then in Home Depot I was told to go with Bosch. After a few more conversations I was led to believe that Makita is great, as is Dewalt, but Dewalt is heavier and Makita is more expensive generally.

I started a thread at another forum with a poll. The overwhelming majority there says Dewalt, with Makita coming in second.

I read reviews online for cordless tools. They seemed to favor Makita.

Any help resolving this would be appreciated.

I just basically want to know if, for whatever bizarre hypothetical reason, you could only buy one brand for all non-stationary tools - which would it be? Thanks in advance!


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## jharris2 (Jul 9, 2012)

Man that's a loaded question but a good one.

We all have our preferences. Mine is DeWalt and I have no complaints.

It is a very good idea to keep your cordless tools to one brand. Doing so will allow you uniformity/interchange of chargers and batteries.

For instance, I recently needed to replace my old cordless drills.

I bought two Dewalt kits that each contained one drill, two batteries and one charger.

When I decided to by a cordless circular saw I bought it "naked" that is, without charger or battery.

Everything interchanges and I'm never without fully charged batteries for my drills or saw.

Should I decide to buy another cordless tool it will be DeWalt and compatible with my previous purchases.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*OK. This won't help at all*

I have cordless tools in Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita and Rigid, nothing in Bosch.

I have a Bosch Job Site saw which I highly recommend.
I have heard great things about Bosch routers.
I have a great Bosch sliding compound mitersaw 10"!

I have Dewalt, Porter Cable, Milwaukee, Trend and Freud routers, nothing in Makita or Rigid.

If the lifetime guarantee for Rigid tools is still in effect from Home Depot, which includes batteries... I think, then why not consider them? Their stationary table saws is very well liked, and other corded tools seem to get good reviews. The bandsaw not very well reviewed by some liked by others...? My latest Rigid purchase was a 2 tools set in 18V Lithium hammer drill and impact driver, strongest in class AFAIK, for a steal at $280. Included 2 tools, 2 large batteries 3.0 AH and a charger that look like a small Empire State building with many flashing lights. My son also got one for his work as a auto technician. He loves his and carries around where ever he goes...just in case.

I have at least 6 - 18 V Dewalt drills, an 1/4" drive impact, a sawzall, and 3 portable saws..... and about 10 batteries that won't charge and about 10 that still do....probably my fault for not keeping them charged up.

I have switched over to Milwaukee 18 V Lithium Ion for drills and impacts, and "love" them. I have the little Makita 10.8 volt compact drill and impact for tight places and it's great. 

That's all I got for Ya..


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## Gary Gill (Jan 27, 2013)

I have been using the Black and Decker Fire Storm products. (18 volt line) The drill/screw driver, circular saw, flashlight, weed trimmer, leaf blower and hand vacuum. The batteries do degrade but I haven't had one outright die. They still take and hols a charge. Works for me.


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## Davisjr70 (Mar 31, 2012)

I guess for me it's what power tool I've use on a job site or when I was in high school taking carpentry class. This will decide my purchases. 

In high school one power tool that was used a lot amongst my fellow school mates. Was a Bosch jigsaw. Years later I purchased on myself. Still own it to this day, some 20 years after school. There was also quite a few Delta stationary tools. Never purchased any myself but I liked using the Delta brand. 

On the job site (I worked for a homebuilder) we mainly used Dewalt cordless drills. Purchased them myself and have been happy with them. This past christmas I received the bare cordless tool of the 1/4" impact drill, circular saw and reciprocating saw. All interchangeable with my old batteries. Very happy with them. Except my batteries are old and one of them is starting to not hold my of a charge as of late.


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## Fred Hargis (Apr 28, 2012)

I'm not sure one company has it all, but I suspect for me Bosch would be as close as anyone.


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## Loganville Tiger (Dec 23, 2012)

Wow, got me thinking about just what i own and what manufactures I am partial to. After taking a mental inventory, pretty clear I lean toward Milwaukee and Porter Cable. 

Milwaukee - jig saw, circular saw, saws all, right angle drill, 3-1/2 HP fixed base router, 3/8" corded drills and 14.4V battery drill.

Porter Cable - 1-1/2 HP plunge router, belt sander and plate jointer.

Looking to upgrade my battery drill to the newer 18V style batteries.

I am a DIY home improvement and hobbyist so they don't get a ton of work. I have no complaints to speak of with any of them.

Never owned a DeWalt, Makita or Bosch product though have used them. 

It is all a matter of personnel preference I guess.

LT


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## jharris2 (Jul 9, 2012)

I've got a mix too. If you consider features and performance its tough to stick to just one brand. 

Mine?

Porter Cable, Makita, Rigid, Delta, DeWalt, RotoZip (used once), Craftsman, Dayton, Skil (older worm drive), Hitachi and Bosch.

I'm leery about Delta right now because of the parts situation. I'll consider them again if and when I ever get a dust chute for my jointer.


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## mengtian (Nov 8, 2012)

The quality of company products vary year by year (even for the same model sometimes). I do not beleive you can say company xyz and leave it at that.

Also, what do you expect from the tool and how often will it be used? A casual hobbyists might be fine with a Skil drill press but needs a robust router like Bosch.


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## WarnerConstInc. (Nov 25, 2008)

90% of my power tools are Festool, including cordless drills. 

Now they don't make everything so, the other things I need I buy the best one I can find. 

I can't afford cheap tools.


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## jpolak1764 (Feb 17, 2013)

No one size fits all when it comes to quality and variety. Safety and money are paramount. When I say money, not cheap. Like Warner says, I can't waste money on cheap tools. Time is money and if the tools perform and they don't cost you in down time, they're a winner. 

Safety is important too. With age and time around tools, I've noticed reactions are so different then they used to be. Keep safety at a forefront and know your limits. 

Do the best you can and learn as you get experience. 30 years ago I could only afford the craftsman $29 saw circular saw, jig saw and drill. Slowly I made money and upgraded, always upgraded. Now, I look at how much time I have left in this world and think differently. My tools do not need to last me 30 more years. They are not taking the pounding they did in my prime, but I'm spoiled and like nice things. Depending on the tool I've been getting best brand reconditioned (with warrrenty) as well as yesterday's best brands of tools from ebay and craigslist. I have a Porter Cable Sawzall that is 25 years old. I remember using it daily, now once or twice a year. It looks awful but could be used daily at anytime again.

A little suprise. This cordless 19.2 stuff I bought from Sears 8 years ago is the longest lasting cordless stuff I've ever owned. It is not being used commercially, but I laugh every time I use it because it was dirt cheap. I use it at camp, trimming tree stands, around the house, occasional odd jobs for friends, etc. 

Know your needs and longevity of needs. Purchased a nice Matkita generator once (top of the line at that time) used it to build a few houses and sold it. If it wasn't a top of the line, re-selling may have been difficult.

The grave is too small for all I want to take with me. Shop with your head not your heart!


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Dewalt all the way......I've beat the heck out of mine and it still works as good today as the day I got it all.


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## Joeb41 (Jun 23, 2012)

WarnerConstInc. said:


> 90% of my power tools are Festool, including cordless drills.
> 
> Now they don't make everything so, the other things I need I buy the best one I can find.
> 
> I can't afford cheap tools.


I have to agree with Warner. When your tools are your bread and butter you can't afford to skimp. Now in retirement I still try to buy the best I can afford but no one manufacturer makes everything I need.


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## pidaster (Feb 22, 2013)

I'm not brand loyal.
For cordless drills I've had Dewalt, Black and Decker, Ryobi, Makita, Milwaulkee, and Craftsman. Out of all those brands and models, the Makita has been the best. My most recent purchase of Milwaulkee has left me disappointed.
I've only had a few routers but my Dewalt router has been better than two sears units. Porter Cable is likely the next or maybe a Bosch trim router. I've got a few other Bosch tools that I've been happy with.
All of my other power tools are just what models had the best reviews as much as I could afford at the time.


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## Saxe Point (Jan 29, 2013)

I've got Milwaukee cordless driver & drill. Fantastic.


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## craigwbryant (Jan 22, 2012)

For cordless stuff I am partial to Ridgid. Why you ask, simple, a few years ago while re-surfacing the dock at our family lake house my father and I accidentally dropped a Ridgid cordless drill in the lake (I saw "my father and I" because to this day there is a debate about whether or not he failed to hand it to me or I failed to grab it). After I spent about 15 minutes swimming and found it, we sat it on the dock for about 10 minutes, swapped out the battery in it, and it kept on trucking. I am sure many of the other brands could do the same thing, but I'm not one for wantonly tossing my power tools into the lake!


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## JohnnyTooBad (Dec 9, 2012)

I have to admit I'm in the DeWalt camp. I also have a B&D Professional corded drill, which I really like a lot. I bought a lot of my DeW stuff back when my company (a defense contractor) was owned by Emhart (maker of Kwikset locks), who owned B&D/DeWalt at the same time. They would bring a couple of tractor trailer loads of refurbed tools to our parking garage and sell them at about 1/2 of retail with full warranty. So I bought a lot of stuff. This was probably 15 years ago and every one of those tools is still going smooth and strong, except a 12v cordless drill that got dropped from a ladder. I have a Bosch SCMS that I like a lot, but don't know enough to say it's better or worse than others. If all you are referring to is cordless, I'm not a lot of help on specific tools, as I generally don't like cordless tools except drills, since I'm a home owner DIY type, so for a lot of stuff I'd prefer to drag a cord and get the lighter, more powerful tool while not having to worry about batteries going bad in tools that get little use.

I did get a new LiIon battery for my DeW 18v drill about a year or two ago. bought on line for about $40 and love it. So availability of good quality aftermarket batteries is probably a consideration


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## TCWood (Aug 27, 2010)

*Ok, let's change this a bit because I know this question is tough.*

How about this question instead. I'll limit it to cordless, and ask:
*
If you were going to buy a fairly complete cordless SET tomorrow (hammer/drill/driver + impact driver + cordless circular saw + cordless reciprocating saw + charger + angle grinder), and you knew you had to rely on it for at least the next 5 years, which brand would you buy it from?*


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I really don't think it matters*

This is a highly competitive segment of manufacturing. The trades guys will not put up with any brand that doesn't hold up. 
I was just at Performance Tool, in Pontiac, MI a huge supplier of contractor tools. They had impressive displays by Dewalt, Bosch, Makita and Milwaukee ... and Festool. The largest was a separate "room" full of Bosch products. A 1/4 wall was full of Dewalt, and a Makita display looked really nice. I was there to purchase some Milwaukee batteries and ended up with a right angle 3/8 drill, bare tool, for just $99.00 as well. They are having a tool promotion through March and if you bring in any battery tool, a battery and charger...don't have to work, you get $100 off any 2 tool kit. I'll be back because you can't buy 2 - 3.0 AH batteries for what they get for the tools!

They have a website also: http://www.performancetoolcenter.com/18-20-volt-1/


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## WarnerConstInc. (Nov 25, 2008)

IMO, anything besides a cordless drill should have a cord on it. 

Cordless recip saws and circular saws are still a joke. I have tried them all and never found one that I was happy with.


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## Saxe Point (Jan 29, 2013)

TCWood said:


> How about this question instead. I'll limit it to cordless, and ask:
> 
> If you were going to buy a fairly complete cordless SET tomorrow (hammer/drill/driver + impact driver + cordless circular saw + cordless reciprocating saw + charger + angle grinder), and you knew you had to rely on it for at least the next 5 years, which brand would you buy it from?


Based on your reference to "at least 5 years", I'd go Milwaukee. That's the length of their warranty. But the Ridgid fans will point to the lifetime service agreement. I own Milwaukee.


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## MTL (Jan 21, 2012)

If I could only choose a single brand I would go with Rigid because of the warranty. That said I only have three Rigid tools. I have the porter cable cordless set and have no complaints there. I heard recently that one of the brands made their batts interchangeable (nicad liion) I think it was.... (the like green ones) can't remember the brand. I used to be a dewalt fan but late nineties early 2000s the drills did not hold up well. No problem with the motors but the cases cracked and fell apart a lot.


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## jpolak1764 (Feb 17, 2013)

I'm telling you the crapsman cordless stuff, if you are not a contractor, is the way to go. Contractor you need a commercial brand. You won't regret the decision. I know what you are all thinking; I laugh every single time I use them. 8 years and going strong. I do not even have the new battery system. My batteries and charger are 8 years old and still going strong. 19.2 Die Hard. I have the saws, drills, drivers, and light


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## MTL (Jan 21, 2012)

I know this has been a topic before. But just a reminder, don't junk your old batteries, you can rebuild them easy enough. Like a third avenue f the cost of just replacing them.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I pretty much have chosen only one brand for my tools. I have very few tools of any type (hand, hand held power, free standing power, etc) that are not Craftsman. These tools have done yeoman's work for me. 

George


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## vinnypatternmaker (Mar 27, 2011)

Hi!
One company...how's about 2? Milwaukee and Bosch. If batteries weren't in the equation (we like to buy tools with interchangeable batteries/chargers), so we get stuck less often, then the answer from us would be broader in scope. Dealing with cordless tools, we generally try to stick to 1 or 2 brands.
What's wrong with standardizing most batteries/chargers/or adapters? Don't MOST tools run on ~120/240 V current? Isn't 3-phase sometimes a PITA? Try to stick to comfortable match-ups :yes:! The tool industry seems reluctant :laughing: to adapt, so we must purchase accordingly!?!
It's a diffucult question to answer, because one brand may be great in routers, but suck in drills :smile:!
Sometimes we even like C-man! They make some good routers :yes:!
We do run our tools somewhat rough, but since it's mostly *our* money, we treat them all well. Still an ongoing tough question, however.
Best,
Marena and Vinny


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## jharris2 (Jul 9, 2012)

TCWood said:


> How about this question instead. I'll limit it to cordless, and ask:
> 
> If you were going to buy a fairly complete cordless SET tomorrow (hammer/drill/driver + impact driver + cordless circular saw + cordless reciprocating saw + charger + angle grinder), and you knew you had to rely on it for at least the next 5 years, which brand would you buy it from?


DeWalt 

Edit: I like the Ridgid warranty on tools. If their warranty on Batts were the same I'd consider Ridgid when shopping.


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## jharris2 (Jul 9, 2012)

WarnerConstInc. said:


> Cordless recip saws and circular saws are still a joke. I have tried them all and never found one that I was happy with.


H'lo Warner,

I have a DeWalt cordless CS among others.

It definitely isn't a joke. It has plenty of power and accuracy for what I use it for. 

I prefer it to my 7 1/4 Makita CS for breaking down sheet goods and just about any quick cuts because it is lighter and more convenient.

Having said that, cordless CSs definitely have their limitations.

I don't use mine for ripping anything over 3/4 or if I have to do alot of cutting.

I do use it alot for cross cutting 
1 1/2.

Anyone considering a cordless CS should take into account their intended uses and the limitations of this tool.


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

I use my cordless 18 v recip saw all the time, I have a corded Milwaukee, but I prefer the cordless dewalt. Works just as good, and no cord. I've cut everything from 1/2 inch thick 4 inch steel pipe, to hundreds of framing members, and even used it With a 12 inch blade to cut though the roots of a tree I was yanking out. Drove the blade straight into clay, and cut a 4 foot circle. It's never failed me. 


I agree there are probably some single category tools that may be better, but the question was what one brand for everything, that given I still say dewalt hands down.


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## red (Sep 30, 2008)

I'm a DeWalt tool guy. If I need a new cordless or corded tool I head for the yellow. I always have had good luck with their tools so no need to look elsewhere.

Red


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## TCWood (Aug 27, 2010)

So... ok. A LOT of you and people on the other forum I asked a similar question are saying Dewalt.

Is Makita not on par with Dewalt? I was looking at the prices and promotions for a sale at a nearby store that starts tomorrow. There's not very much going on with Dewalt deal-wise, but there are some major deals going on with Makita.

Skip the deals on Makita and spend the (comparable) extra money on Dewalt, or take the bait and go for the Makita deals?

One deal I thought was particularly nice was that I can buy a cordless drill and impact driver set, and I can get a free cordless circular saw or recip saw. That would be handy when sawing lumber at the local lumber yard.


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## jharris2 (Jul 9, 2012)

I had two Makita drills that I bought '94. They performed well and I has to replace them last year. Not bad!

Go for the deal.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*tool technology has changed*

Batteries have changed, tools are "brushless" if you want...The tools of the trade that lasted for years and could be dropped from ladders, may not be the same quality today OR they may be better...who knows? Makita is a well regarded brand and I would have no problem with getting the new ones. I started out in 1970 with Black and Decker Professional drill at K-Mart with 7 1/2 V batteries....the damn things still run. The next models were Makita the blue ones with 9 V batteries. I had 3 drills and 6 batteries. I gave them away to a friend in the trades. Then I got the 18V Dewalts... 3 drills, hammer drill, 3 speed HD drills, compact drills, 5 3/8" compact circ saws, sawzall and 1/4" impact driver. I have 10 batteries that are dead and 10 that still work. 

I am now acquiring 18V RED lithium Milwaukee drills, impacts, 6 1/2" circ saw, 90 degree right angle drill, and what ever else that goes on sale.

I did get a Rigid 18 V lithium drill and impact driver on sale recently because it was a great deal and the tools are guaranteed for "life" and possibly the batteries....I donno?
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/catalog/servlet/ContentView?pn=SF_TH_PR_RIDGID_Power_Tools_Warranty


My point is there are no long term comparisons of the newer high tech tools to go on until they have been market tested.
Go for the Makita if it makes sense and they are on sale.


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## TCWood (Aug 27, 2010)

same on corded?


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## TCWood (Aug 27, 2010)

I've got to wonder if what's going on here is Makita realizes they're losing market share so for the moment they're doing these promos to get it back.


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## Steve S. (Jul 11, 2014)

DeWalt Drill and Dewalt Impact Driver make great pair while working so you don't have to change bits or drives. Keep countersink drill in the one, Phillips driver on the Impact. Charge quick, hold a charge great. I actually went with the 12 V because they are extremely light, and small enough to get into tight places. Plus both have built in LED lights that activate with the drill trigger


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## DarrylR76 (Aug 11, 2014)

Dewalt - no question. 

-Darryl


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## Chamfer (Sep 6, 2014)

Im with Warner, call me old school but anything aside from a drill/impact should have a cord on it.

When I finally decided to invest in a quality drill/impact combo last Feb I opted for the then brand new 20v XR brushless Dewalt combo. Ive used a lot of other brand drills and impacts and mine are by far the best. Coming up on a year now and they see almost daily use and have been outstanding.

Everything else I own has a cord and I wouldnt have it any other way.


EDIT: as for corded tools Im partial to Dewalt but have an assortment of brands. Dewalt TS, MS, circular saw and framing gun, Milwaukee sawzall, Craftsman router, B&D jig saw, Rigid shop vac, Bostitch finishing nailer, Porter Cable brad nailer, Central Pneumatic palm nailer, Kobalt portable compressor for work and Husky compressor for the shop.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

As far as I'm concerned all tools are junk today. I think the least troublesome is Dewalt. I think the best value for corded tools is Chicago Electric. The worst cordless is Chicago Electric.


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## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

lol this is a very old thread.

some of the cordless tool lineups have even changed since this thread was active.


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## chuckha62 (Mar 27, 2014)

At the risk of re-resurrecting an old thread, I'd have to say there is no way to pick just one across all the tools that a manufacturer makes. In some instances one manufacturer may have their signature tool that is the "best" out there, but other products they produce are not quite up to par.

For me, I will always prefer the corded Skill 77 worm drive, the Hitachi sliding compound miter saw, the Bosch Jig saw, the old Delta Unisaw, the Bosch Cordless drivers/drills (used to use nothing but Makita), the corded Milwaukee Magnum Drill, Hitachi air nailers, the list goes on... Everyone has their preferences, but for me, no one manufacturer offers the "best" across the board.

Just my $.02, YMMV.

Chuck


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## tewitt1949 (Nov 26, 2013)

I've got craftman saws...TS..RAS........No problems
Hitichi .....router and sliding compound saw......Great no problems

Hitichi........cordless drill...........no problem 4-5 year batt life
porter cable....... cordless drill.....no problem except battarys. 4-5 years.

Rockwell floor drill press. Works good

Rockwell wood lathe.... Works good.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Milwaukee cordless!*

I've had Dewalt 18 Ni Cad tools for 10 years at least. They were fine except the batteries failed too often, so when there was a tool on sale, including 2 batteries, I bought that instead. I accumulated a lot of tools and dead batteries.

Somewhere along the way I acquired a 1/2 Milwauke HD hammer drill and a sawzall 18 V Ni Cad. Good tools, powerful and well made. I was impressed.

Along came the 18 V LI Milwaukee tools, impact and drill drivel on sale, so I bought the pair of them. Great tools, powerful and well made. I got a few more pairs and then a bare tool 6 1/2" saw, a right angle drill, 3/8" impact driver, etc.... I love them. 

Fine Wood Working FEB 2015 issue, pages 49-53 did a test of cordless 12 V tools. The Milwaukee "Fuel" tools 2594-22, totally outperformed the others in screw driving test by almost a 4 to 1 difference. Priced a bit more than the Dewalts but no comparison in performance. :yes:


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## BioNerd (Dec 7, 2014)

Milwaukee all the way


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## Mort (Jan 4, 2014)

I've been wrestling with this lately. I have a Craftsman 19.2v drill/driver and impact driver (and 5 1/2" CS, but its a pile of crap) which are currently running fine. But...

Craftsman has recently jumped on the 20v bandwagon (well, the 20v style of batteries anyway), so my older stem batteries will probably become obsolete soon. Plus, even if they don't, I want to get some more cordless tools (unlike some of you, I hate cords, and if I can get something cordless that works decently, I'm all in), and Craftsman cordless tools just aren't up to snuff with the competition. At least, that's how I'm going to justify it to my wife.

I had my heart set on Milwaukee M18, with some Fuel tools thrown in there (a 1/2" impact with 1200ft/lb of loosening torque? Sign me up!), but after reading about DeWalt's 20v Max (I know they're really 18v, I don't care), I'm undecided. I may go that direction, because they have a cordless framing nailer and Milwaukee doesn't, but that may not be the be-all-end-all. 

Regardless, all your cordless tools should be the same. Corded, that's a different story. Reciprocating saw, get a Milwaukee. ROS, Bosch or DeWalt. Tracksaw, go with Festool. No batteries to juggle, and if having all the same color tool is important, just get some spray paint.


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## Gmkarr (Dec 21, 2014)

For the past 35 years I have had them all. I agree with all the others who say no one company makes it all or does it all. We all have personal preferences. That being said I would never give up my Skil worm drive, Bosch big boy hammer drill, or anything Festool. But there is a reason we do love them all!!


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## NMarshall (Dec 26, 2014)

Over the years I seemed to have gathered a lot of DeWalt tools. Reliable, reasonably priced. I got a few 2nd hand and still had no issues with them.

Recently got my first Paslode (framer nail gun), the cf325. A beautiful piece of work, though a bit pricey.


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## BellyUpFish (Nov 18, 2014)

Why stick with one brand?


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## asevereid (Apr 15, 2012)

As others have stated, there is no one brand that will satisfy all of your needs. 
Even if the company offers everything you need in their line up, your needs may not match what they have. 
For instance : I have recently jumped on the Milwaukee bandwagon... Purchasing some of the 12 and 18v lineup. But their mitre saw is too big and bulky for my needs (even though it is a great saw). 
All of my Skilsaws are wormdrives, my demo tools are Bosch, etc... 
Those particular tools all fit my needs. 
I would only recommend buying your cordless tools from one brand, unless having several different battery platforms is not an issue for you.


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## swaustex (Dec 30, 2009)

I found this thread in a search and I just thought everyone should know that Ridgid and Milwaukee are the same company. I think TTI also makes craftsman. You can see their tool lines in the Greenville airport in south Carolina.

http://www.ttigroup.com/assets/pdf/press/eng/p030813.pdf


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## Mort (Jan 4, 2014)

They make Ryobi too. 

And Stanley/Black &Decker owns DeWalt.

And Chrysler is owned by Fiat. 

And Pepsi owns Aquafina. 

So what? Companies have their basic product lines and their premium grade lines. This isn't exactly a dirty little secret.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

*Tool brands*

TC
Several of the major brands all have the same parent company. 
Black & Decker, Skil, Bosch
Stanley, Porter Cable, DeWalt
Also, several major brands might hold contracts to build private branded tools for Sears (Craftsman), Home Depot (Ridgid) and Lowes (Kobalt)
So, yes we agree, it's very confusing when it comes to making a choice. 
There are home owners grade (lighter duty) and professional grade (tools that are used hard daily). 
Within this forum you will hear where one user has had excellent service from a brand and another feels it's absolute junk. 
We don't all use our tools the same and we don't care for our tools the same. 
I've been around portable power tools for 55 years. My worst tool was a Wen brand. My best tool is a Makita router. I have a Craftsman radial arm saw thats now over 40 years old and has never been in the shop. 
DeWalt tools are readily available and many swear by the brand. I had a DeWalt 3hp table router fail after only 3 months use. (I still own several DeWalt tools)
So, there is good and bad with any brand I guess. 
My advice, regardless of brand, buy the best quality tools you can afford. The cheaper tools will be a disappointment.


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