18 volt & 12 volt Tools Tested Well

[paul v.]

I bought the 18volt 4 pack and the 12 volt 3/8 drill. I'm HAPPY with the performance of the tools and worked them hard this weekend. I hope you find this informative... BOTTOM LINE: the tools are worth it. Even if you buy after the lifetime warrantee period 1/31/04....They ARE NOT cheap Ryobi's some people are saying...Fit and finish are contractor grade....I believe these tools will go head to head with DeWalt and Milwaukee, and I hope that statement is true a year, three years, five years from now...The speed of a charge negates any hesitation of needed power...THINGS THAT NOBODY ON THE FORUM HAS SAID ABOUT THE TOOLS:
Battery Technolgy is fantastic in the tool with cooled fan charging and 20 min on 12 volt and 30 min with 18 volt ...nobody has it....Rubber protection all over the tools and battery..i.e. when you lay the drill's down no part of the casing is stressed...I think its a fairly good design...

I'm a part time landlord with many projects. I need serious tools with power. I have mainly the entire Milwaukee corded tools(some Porter Cable), with DeWalt cordless 18 volt drill and saws...My tools get a good workout every weekend (15 hours a week on average) with mainly finish or tearout work that I perform...I rarely frame...

PROS
12 volt 3/8 drill
*very light
*power 350lbs of torque
*20 minute charge
*rubber gaurds protect drill on a drop
*Feels good in my hand
CONS
*Could they have put a cheaper Jacobson chuck on this drill (X2 version has better 1/2 inch steel chuck)
*Condition the charger....over three charge and discharg to make batteries perform(I think all batteries are like this)

The cordless 12 volt 3/8 drill performed excellent. This is smaller than the x2 and I needed a small screw gun with lots of power...

My father who mainly is an advocate of Milwaukee and American tools loved the performace of the 12 volt and hung an entire wall of sheet rock on one charge...He thinks stuff made in China is crap as well...I want to buy American but its just about impossible...My rebuttal is that Dad loved Nixon's foreign policy on China and we want them as drill making capitalists rather than bomb making red commies. Do you think if they can make nukes with percision they can make decent power tools...

Well at the end of the weekend he bought a cordless 12 volt, mainly for the unbelievable warrantee. He is an old school engineer and I think it says alot about the product if he is willing to buy....His workbench is a commercial for Milwaukee...Yes, I think Milwaukee is great except when replacing their batteries....

The 18 volt X2 hammer drill performed well and I had to drill holes for locks on four doors...It performed very well. I charged it half way through my day....
PROS:
*Torque and power 450lbs
*Hammer consitent and drill well in wood and concrete block(tested to 1 1/2")
CONS:
*Heavy 6lbs. (most 18-hammer/drill are heavy)
*Need two hands on chuck when inserting bits

The circular saw performed well. The the level setting low I could cut dry wall very effectively. It has plenty of power for finish and cut out work..
PROS:
*Power
*level setting
CONS:
*No laser guide...as in some saws...

The recipricating saw is fair..On PVC it worked well..I had over fifty cuts and over an hour before a recharge and I cut down a six inch trunk on a tree...I did not try metal yet..I need the right shank...It does the job but I find that safety switch is a pain...and the shank holder is made of aluminum...makes the saw lighter...
PROS
*light
*decent battery power
CONS
*safety switch
*shank holder aluminum

LIGHT- needed like a hole in the head but I'm happy its Xenon bulb wich is 60% brigher than krypton lights...

I INVITE ANY FEEDBACK POSITIVE OR OTHERWISE....
PLEASE ADD COMMENTS...

[ 01-12-2004, 03:17 PM: Message edited by: paul v. ]

[rofl]

You said a lot of things weren't mentioned, but I did cover some of that in the response to your previous post. You bought the same as I did. 18v kit and 12v compact drill. I personally am fine with the chuck on the 12v. If I plan on drilling anything that requires a 1/2 in chuck, I'll just use the 18v drill.

I thought you might email if there was more you wanted to know.

[paul v.]

I'm somewhat skepitcal like my old man....I have to try things myself....but I do appreciate all the guidance from other members as well as yourself...Now that I think about it...I would rather have the plastic chuck...this 3/8 drill will is used primarily as a driver....the X2 version though has NIMh battery with 18% more time...but its heavier...not so great for overhead work like the skylight I just put in..

[ 01-13-2004, 11:40 AM: Message edited by: paul v. ]

[Bo_hamrick]

Paul,

when did the X2 go to a MiMh Battery...the last I heard it was NiCd.

[paul v.]

Thanks for keeping me honest Bo...My Panasonic is NiMh NOT the X2

http://www.prodcat.panasonic.com/shop/newdesign/productcomparison.asp?Action=LIST&CatId=3111

Here is some good 3RD info on battery life.....ME I BELIVE IN NI-CAD BY FAR!!!!
http://www.mrotoday.com/mro/archives/Uptime/cordlessFM2000.htm

"It is true that Ni-MH cells will run a tool longer between charges, but we've seen the number of times that battery can be charged is considerably less than a Ni-Cd battery," says E.J. Loferski, cordless tool product manager at Milwaukee Electric Tool.

[ 01-14-2004, 05:40 PM: Message edited by: paul v. ]

[Ridgidtoolguy]

I recently bought the Ridigd 3-peice combo kit, and I have to say, they are the best power tools i have ever seen. I think the design team who did these tools did a great job. I hope paul v. , you like using them as much as I do.

[paul v.]

Yes I do enjoy the 4 pack 18 volt....I will say My favorite tool is the basic 12volt drill....buy one if you can before 1/31/04....this drill has incredible power at 350lbs torque...and is extremely light...

tongue.gif Just as a note....I'm still very happy with my older DeWalt tools.....with 15 year Porter Cable and Milwaukee....They were given to a nephew who has started a carpentry career and could not otherwise afford tools...He had to buy new battery packs....I will continue to buy Ridgid as well as other brands but it just happened that this good deal arrived with the lifetime warranty.... Most of my corded tools are Milwaukee which are great....When searching qualtity and value....Bosch and Hitachi have to included in the group...and I have a few tools from them as well....Everything is used...no dust on any of my tools...

My Ridgid line just helped me remodel a bathroom and bedroom.....

[ 01-16-2004, 04:05 PM: Message edited by: paul v. ]

[reesaber]

I know I'm the odd man out but that's nothing new. I just love that light I use it every day probably close to an hour a day 7 days a week. If it isn't for work its by the bed or my wife has it. I also have had great success with all the other tools. I've run a lot of framing screws, yea I'm wierd but if I'm building it for me I use screws, and it's running great. I haven't had the opportunity to really get on the recip saw and do wonder how it will hold up. I imagine I'm a little gun shy after the few posts with the broken shaft. I have noticed that the circular saw really eats up the batteries. Never really used one extensively till my 35+ year old craftsman died. All in all I love these tools. I will be looking at the vacs soon That is also a craftsman 35+ years and howling bad. John