Rigid Drill Kit Dying

CGofMP

Boy am I DISSAPOINTED to hear so many people pan the DeWalt.

Half a decade ago my father bought me a Dewalt Cordless Drill for Christmas... At the time I had never used a cordless for any real purposes. I drug around 100 feet of extension trip-wires and seemed to have good luck.

Long story short I used it now and then and really began to love it. In the last 2 years I have used it nearly constantly on any project involving drillbits or screws... have used it a lot.

Recently I have noted the battery has stopped charging as well and I messed it up a little by being stupid and working while tired. I shifted the speed setting when it was still going. This resulted in it having an occasional screeching sound inside and the chuck not turning. Dumb dumb dumb

Anyway, even with that problem it has still been giving me superb service for the subsequent 9 months.

Just last week the keyless chuck locked up on me and I had to use extraordinary measures to get the bit back out... It is dying slowly.

Wanted to replace it with another one, but reading here about the fact they are not what they used to be has put a damper on my plans to replace it with another DeWalt. What a shame. Of course Mr. Finley comes along and says DeWalt are still quite good. +confusion!

Milwalkee and Panasonic are sounding pretty good. Have a Sawzall by Milwalkeee and have had good results with it... maybe thats the way to go. I must admit Panasonic tools sound a little funny. Keep thinking of a drill with a built in AM/FM radio. Wonder how tough they are.

Thanks for posting your experiences guys.

Teetorbilt

My Panasonics are humming along just fine, not due to a built in radio.
Bear in mind that you aren't going to catch one on sale @ HD for $89.95 either.

CGofMP

Good to hear on the Panasonics....

As for the HD comment.... I like to buy good tools ONCE.

now I have no illusions that this applies to electric tools... but the mindset is there, so I would expect to spend multiples of that figure for a GOOD cordless electric drill.

I have a few woodworking tools and others that belonged to my grandfather, will someday be getting stuff that was great-grandfathers... I guess it runs in the family.

Thanks for the info and the warning anyhow!

Charles

Teetorbilt

Charles, One of the mantras here is 'you get what you pay for' get used to it, you'll hear it a lot.

Glasshousebltr

Mike thats one of the Durabuilt tools I was talking about getting a good deal on. I paid 69.00 for the whole kit. It was brand new but the charger didn't work, let me rephrase, the charger didn't charge, light came on, but no juice, I tryed to by pass a few condensors/switches and the baby fried on me.

At 69.00 it was still a hell of a deal.

Check it out.

Bob

Mike Finley

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magnum

I couldn't agree more Mike. I just landed 3 deck jobs and immediately thought about all the srews we would have to put in. I called my fastern supplier and asked for a Muro gun price $380. Then he said buy all the srews from me and I'll rent you the gun for free. Check his screw price $3.00 more a box but it will save me on average of 1 1/2 hrs. per deck (400 sf.). I lucked out on the free rental but would have bought the gun anyway.

CGofMP

Mike,

You must have missed theline in my post that says "now I have no illusions that this applies to electric tools... " You then went on to describe this and that (cojent points all I might add) about certain electric tools.

My point was one of mindset. I am of the opinion that I would rather buy a good tool one time and have it work well for me for a very long time. The reasons for this are twofold. 1) In the long run, I save money on replacements. I can buy 2 or 3 knucklebusting sets of sockets made in china for the price of a well made American set. It costs me more up front, but in my experience the well made set will last me a much longer time if not 'forever' saving me bucks in the long run. 2) The second reason is, I REALLY detest breaking tools in the middle of a job. The cheap stuff will cost me more in frustration and time going to get a replacement than buying good stuff in the beginning.

Again, I am NOT expecting electric tools to outlast me. I DO expect it of most all my hand tools. This saves me money and time, and like a well worn set of boots, I get used to 'my favorite hammer' or whatnot.

Wrenches, sockets, squares, certain layout tools, certain juig, vices, clamps, levels, hammers, shovels, pliers, crowbars, and other similar items are not subject to too much revision in technology or materials. They are also not items that if treated well should go to pot.

As I say, you make good points for dumptrucks, and drill drivers, I would not expect to hand them down... but I DO expect to not have to replace something as simple as a hammer or crescent wrench because of non-abuse breakage.

Damn I wish I lived in Littleton Colorado.... I'd be going through your garbage this evening looking for servicable equipment :-) If you ever wana throw it in the mail instead of the trash just let me know

Glasshousebltr

There is no way in hell I could ever count the tools I rode to thier grave. It seems at the end they all end up with duck tape holding them together.

But you have to remember, I've been at this a long time.

Speaking of tools taking a crap, my router just went for the dirt nap on those oak beams. I borrowed one from a friend, an old craftsman, the dam thing put mine to shame.......when it worked.

Bob

CGofMP

If you go about looking to replace it, I have had a VERY good run with my Porter Cable... providing they are still as good as they used to be and have not done what DeWalt allegedly has in recent years, I opine that you will take a while to ride this one into the dirt.

old27

Ill need to take out a second mortgage to buy Panasonic tools...sheesh.

My 18vDewalt combo kit is this: the hammerdrill/drill is the balls. the sawzall (sorry reciprocating saw) sucks; good for real small jobs i guess. the circular saw has the blade on the wrong side, aka a worm drive..hehe... (good for small jobs i guess) got a free angle screwdriver (7.2) with it...useless except for using the battery in the dewalt radio, which is the balls. the flashlight: excellent. So I guess i paid 500 for a screw gun and a flashlight. Crap, I didn't realize until this very moment that my kit is not very good. Think about it though: 18v xrp or whatever hammerdrill/drill is 250+...batteries are 70+ and you get two...they throw in the flashlight, which i saw today for 79...I guess the deal isn't that bad...you geta case and a useless sawzall and circ saw for free basically.

Great topic.

How are the makita combo kits?


-old27

Ducowti

That sounds faulty to me. I don't know to what degree the following may have played here but something else to consider is rechargable batts have memories. Despite what you hear about new ones, NiMH, etc, they have memories. Whenever you get a new rechargable product - celphone, palm pilot, cordless tools, whatever - you should run down the battery out of the box until is *completely* dead and then FULLY CHARGE and FULLY DISCHARGE at least two complete cycles.

I have always had batts that, when put through this, outlasted and outperformed identical products used by family or friends who did not go through the pain in the arss cycles.

Duc

Teetorbilt

Ducowti, there are a number of good articles on battery management, at least one has been posted here and they all conflict with your statements. What you stated applied to the old NiCad batteries. The new batteries are much different.
You can get up to speed at the DeWalt site. I have read similar articles in many mags lately.
In essence;
Do not run batteries flat, charge when they start to get noticibly weak.
Do not charge hot batteries, allow them to cool first.
Do not allow batteries to go dead from lack of use.
Most of your better tools have a charger with a reconditioning mode.

Ducowti

Thanks Teetor...I'll have to bone up on current thoughts FWIW the above has been my experience but maybe I'll find different w.my recently purchased Rigid set...stay tuned!