Nothing wrong with Home Depot, but the matched sets they have, range from the very inexpensive Ryobi to more expensive brands. Based on the information I've gotten here, though, it appears that if one is going to be using the tools, more than a couple of times a year, then spending a bit more and getting a makita, or some similar brand, is a wise choice.
I have heard mixed reviews about the Dewalt (isn't that the B&D high end, nowadays?). Don;t know much about the Porte Cable, but I'll look into that.
Very good suggestion. No, I don;t need to get an assortment, unles the price (for the collection) is so much better and I was going to replace a number of tools, anyway. I'l also look into the pneumatic tools, since many seem to think they are a better choice.
Take yer newmatic drill to the top of a 20' ladder one time...by yourself. Get back to us!
Skil has a nice, cordless package now. Its an 18v. cordless circular saw (7 1/4 blade!!), recip saw, drill, and a battery, I think...for just under $200. I wish I had seen it before I just bought my new drill.
Also, consider Harbor Freight. I just bought an 18v. 1/2" 2 speed gear box drill there...hammer drill!!...for under $30. Couldn't be more pleased. Juice tester light on the battery...keyless chuck... handy, strong magnet on the drill...bit holder there, too...level...twist out of the way battery. Extra battery was $8.95. A charge lasts me about a month.
HF has some good quality stuff.
Good luck.
Have a nice one...
Trent
Budweiser: Helping ugly people have sex since 1876!
I took a look at Harbor Freight, and I saw that they carry brand names at comparable prices. I also saw that they carry some cheap brands that I have never heard of before (Chicago Electric, Drill Master, etc.) I wonder how those compare to Ryobi, Skill and other "generic" brands.
Those are not generic brands. Chicago electric is the name Harbor Freight gives their imported tools.
Tool Shop is the one Menard's (a big chain by me) uses. MIT (something Industrial Tools) is the one at the local Ace - in the el cheapo bin.
Ryobi is a brand, it happens to be Japanese. Skill is a brand, they are still in business, although I think bought up by someone.
If your going to buy a container load of tools, the factories, in most likely China, will slap what ever name you want on it, that is what is meant by generic import tools.
They sell battery brad guns, Greg. I know PC has one...that I almost bought. I think Senco has one now, too.
I put off getting a brad nailer until just last year. Now I don't know how I ever lived without one!
Have a nice one...
Trent
Budweiser: Helping ugly people have sex since 1876!
Don't forget to drag the gas and oil out there, too. And you'll be runnin' that generator and compressor constantly...even when yer not actually usin' the tool! lol
Have a nice one...
Trent
Budweiser: Helping ugly people have sex since 1876!
Pneumatic tools are run by an electrical compressor...so I'd be careful of the electricity in wet environments. With today's available technology, you should always be using a GFCI extension cord when you use any electric tools.
Have a nice one...
Trent
Budweiser: Helping ugly people have sex since 1876!
This is Turtle.
Yes it is always better to have better tools to use and last longer but one thing that I will have every 2 or 3 years and you will have the same old one running and beat up, cord broken, and look like hell. I will have bright shinny new tools every 2 or 3 years and you will have the same old one's that your friends may talk about you having that old stuff and should have new ones. The reason i say this is I have a old Millwalkee recept saw that is about 20 years old and looks like hell and has not a bit of paint on it but runs good. My crew laugh at it everytime i pull it out to cut something with it. Also I have had to replace the Cord on it 3 times in 20 years.
TURTLE
Sorry, I *did* get the terminology all messed up :-( But, I think I got the answer to my question (in a round-about way ). Ryobi and Skill are brands, it's just that they are lower quality that others (DeWalt, Makita, etc.) Chicago Electric, Drill Master, etc. are imported, no-name, cheap stuff that is named by each store that imports them. So, in terms of my question, as to how they compare, the quality of these store-named-imports are lower qiality than the low-priced brand ones (Ryobi, Skill, etc.) RIght?
I recently needed a saber-saw.
At best, it would be used for occasional household projects, so I wasn't looking for the "mil-spec" model.
I ended up buying a "Made in China" special for $19.95 at KMART.
I have to say, it's the best made, smoothest running saber saw I've ever owned. ( previous saws;. Craftsman, B&D, SKIL )
Seems more than adequate for the job. If you add up the total run-time for most househokld tools, I doubt you'd exceed FIVE HOURS ! ( and that's alot of run-time )
Lower quality? No. Simply different specs. Some are production tools...some are handyman tools. Both are good quality...but within their own realm.
No...that's not correct.
Wrong. Within their own right, the quality is good.
A good analogy...sailing. If yer going 5 miles along the Atlantic coast, a 30 hp motor and the Queen Mary or similar super liner will both get you there. One will cost more...and be over kill for the task at hand. They will both have the quality to get the task accomplished.
But if yer goin' from New York to England, the 30 hp motor probably won't make it. The QUALITY will still be there...but will be overshadowed by the enormous task at hand.
Enter into the equation...prejudice. Many folks are prejudiced as to the tool and the retailer selling it.
An example? If I had a choice between a DeWalt & a Ryobi...I'd take the Ryobi every time!
Have a nice one...
Trent
Budweiser: Helping ugly people have sex since 1876!
That's a very good point.
Have a nice one...
Trent
Budweiser: Helping ugly people have sex since 1876!
I'm so confused :-( I mean I understand the logic, and I understand that part of this is personal preference, and all that, but from an "amateur handyman's" stand point, let's see. If I needed a cordless drill to have around for the ocasional use, an inexpensive 14.4 V Chicago Electric would be fine. However, if later on I wanted to, let's say, finish my basement, then I'd need to go out and buy a more expensive model. Is that right? Or unless I use the cordless drill on a daily basis, to make a living, then a cheaper model would be O.K., even if I decide to do some bigger projects around the house?
Like someone else said in this thread, it'd be good if someone had experience in long term use of many different models, so they could give a comparative opinion. But, that is not a very common thing, so...
BTW, why would you take the Ryobi every time, if you had a choice between a DeWalt and a Ryobi? I think I'm missing something.
Finally, I want to thank you, and every one else, for your thoughtful comments.
Unless you plan on using the tool every day, the Black & Decker, with the 2 batteries sounds like a good deal. Even if you find something less expensive than that (at least 14.4 V), it would be good for a weekend-type use.
Chicago Electrical is great. I have a couple of their tools, and they do as good a job as my Makita's, plus I don't have to worry about dammaging them or losing them, because I can replace them very easily. I do, however, get the rolling of the eyes when friends see me using a very non-distinct loking tool, while their DeWalt driver is clearly marked "DeWalt". I don't care .
You can also buy the cheaper model, use it, and when you get enough "I wish it had...", then go look for a good model, that does what you are looking for in a tool.
You can _always_ sell used tools at a garage sale.
If you buy, say a $40 hammer drill, and after putting in a couple dozen fasteners, decide you want a bigger, better one, but by then you will know what it is your looking for.
There is an awful lot of brand name favoritism out there in the tool world.
The right tool is the one that gets the job done, at a price you can afford.
Long term does not mean anything. It is the amount of use that determines the life span of the tool. You can buy a cheap tool, use it a few times a year to cut a few pieces of wood, drill a few holes or drive a few screws, and it will probably last as long as the most expensive tool. My Ryobi 18v cordless is a few years old, and if I add up all the times it was actually running, it would probably only add up to a couple of hours. I probably pick it up no more than 10 or 12 times a year and use it for a couple of minutes of actual running time. If you are using a drill/driver for wood, it probably takes less than 5 seconds of running time to drill a hole or drive a screw. The biggest continuous job I did with my Ryobi drill was installing a vinyl picket fence on 3 sides around my inground pool two years ago. The fence consisted of 14 - 8' sections, screwed between 4x4 PT posts, and included 2x3 studs that I slid into the hollow plastic fence rails for added strength. Each 8' section required 4 hangers with 6 screws for each hanger (2 to hold the hanger to the 4x4 post and 2 screws on either side of the hanger to hold the rail), for a total of 24 screws per section. Including the hardware for two gates, that's probably around
360 screws. At 5 seconds per screw, that's about 1800 seconds, or 30 minutes of actual running time ( I did have to replace the battery at least a couple of times).HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.