Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Power Tools). This thread is read-only.
Usually dont go to lowes but was there today.
I noticed a kobalt miter saw with poor castings. Look at the top of the photo. I know its a poor photo but its the best i got. Also not pictured is a poor fitting baseplate.
Anyone else notice this or is it a bad apple. Never really cared for kobalt myself. Maybe it runs better then it looks but I dought it.
I might be wrong but I don’t think Kobalt pride’s themselves as being the best on the market, and I don’t think they are even close however I’m sure they are producing products worthy of the DIY’ers and probably not take notice of the flaws you pointed out….
comp56 wrote:
3 minutes ago, comp56 said:I might be wrong but I don’t think Kobalt pride’s themselves as being the best on the market, and I don’t think they are even close however I’m sure they are producing products worthy of the DIY’ers and probably not take notice of the flaws you pointed out….
Yeh. I am sure it meets a homeowners needs.
I just can’t help but wonder how is it on the inside. I mean do they have poor fitting an finished parts there to?
I know I am probably over analyzing something but I can’t help it.
Isn’t Kobalt one of those brands that are aimed towards homeowners…kinda like Ryobi and HD
Fletcher94 wrote:
55 minutes ago, Fletcher94 said:Yeh. I am sure it meets a homeowners needs.
I just can’t help but wonder how is it on the inside. I mean do they have poor fitting an finished parts there to?
that can be said about a lot of products, QC is there just not as crucial in the fit and finish as other brands…you want a nice looking saw your gonna pay for it …..it all comes down to the bottom end. They could probably touch those castings up so you wouldn’t notice but that might be another 1/2 hr labor which might turn into an additional $50 retail price
DaveJr. wrote:
2 hours ago, DaveJr. said:Isn’t Kobalt one of those brands that are aimed towards homeowners…kinda like Ryobi and HD
I don’t know bout u but I would take a ryobi any day over kobalt
CATERPILLAR wrote:
Just now, CATERPILLAR said:I don’t know bout u but I would take a ryobi any day over kobalt
Definitely but all I was trying to saying was that Kobalt is the house brand for Lowes that is geared to homeowners like Ryobi is at HD.
DaveJr. wrote:
31 minutes ago, DaveJr. said:Definitely but all I was trying to saying was that Kobalt is the house brand for Lowes that is geared to homeowners like Ryobi is at HD.
Yes I agree
I think @KnarlyCarl had posted about this too. It’s pretty bad if multiple people, not looking for it, notice how bad the quality is
It was a while ago so I may be misremembering the forum member but it was DEFINITELY the Kobalt saw.
BMack37 wrote:
39 minutes ago, BMack37 said:I think @KnarlyCarl had posted about this too. It’s pretty bad if multiple people, not looking for it, notice how bad the quality is
It was a while ago so I may be misremembering the forum member but it was DEFINITELY the Kobalt saw.
Cordless circular saw had the base plate rocking back and forth real bad, very sloppy. May have just been display model
Nothing to hang my hat on but I don’t go to Lowes too often for power tools, but I have never been impressed with their power tool lineup. I don’t own any of their tools, I don’t own their hand tools but truthfully the hand tools seem to be solidly made. The reason I don’t own any Kobalt power tools is because of things like what Fletcher pointed out. I’m not a pro. I have a regular job I report to and though I do a lot of physical inspections of equipment and am highly trained to do this, I am not a mechanic. But I do have a very well laid out and thoughtfully equipped wood shop and at not one point have I ventured into Kobalt power tools and @Fletcher94 is actually right. Even when they were putting their new 24v cordless line out, it FEELS cheap. I don’t know why, I’ve handled them enough to know I don’t like them. I could be completely off base but for several years I have just not been interested. And this coming from the guy who thinks the Black and Decker 20v Autosense is a fantastic bit of kit. Their miter saws don’t impress me at all. I have owned a Ridgid miter and it was crap too though. I will say they have been improving their lineup at least “physically” so when I go in I almost always look at their power tools but for years I just haven’t been impressed. I will say when Ridgid comes out with a new tool, I always look at it and think…..hmmmm….and I have personal experience with one of their crappy miter saws, but they seem better built, and more thoughtfully designed.
Recip saw is the worse, it’s feels like in a couple places it’s just a rubber grip with nothing under it, squeeze and it will cave in a bit, now their drill and impact seem nice but are very stocky
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That picture look terrible. Obviously they don’t take any pride in what they are putting out there. It is rather sad. I tend to hold tools in high regard. I’m in awe of some of the high end tools. Sadly, I have come to the conclusion that not everyone should have a $700 sliding compound miter saw or anything else that is meant for everyday use. I recently (somewhat reluctantly) bought a Kobalt sliding miter saw on Black Friday sale. I was really wanting the Dewalt or another high end brand. But, reality set in. I will use the saw twice a year, if that, do I really need a professional model. So, I rationalized getting a saw that isn’t top notch, may have some fit and finish issues (haven’t seen them yet, but wasn’t looking too carefully) and may not have all the bells and whistles. My point is that not everyone needs the “best” and not everyone will look that carefully at tools and may not even care if the saw looks like the one pictured above. As long as it cuts a board and gets the job done, they are happy.
I would never buy kolbalt power tools I would go with ridgid over kolbalt just don’t trust them just yet
I’ve been wanting to see their new cordless power tools with long bits to see if they have any wobble.