Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Power Tools). This thread is read-only.
im going to be purchasing a hammer drill and impact driver combo very soon. (wholesalepowertools.com) i ve read the test reviews between the tools already but still cant make my mind up. any one use these tools? my only hang up is the milwaukee combo is cheaper and so are extra batteries compared to dewalt. the hammer drills are 2611-24p with free impact driver ($338 shipped, + $99 per battery at Home Depot) and dck275L kit which is the dcd970 hammer drill, dc827 impact and 2 lithium battiers ($399 shipped, + $89-$149 per battery at HD). i’ll probably break down and get the dewalt but im just lookin for any other opinions before i buy. thanks.
Dewalt li-ion batteries have 3x-5x lifetime compared to Milwaukee. You can get them new on eBay for $70-80 USD, shipped. There is nothing to think about.
Who’s better… Ford or Chevrolet? Answer is as broad as the person’s involved. However, you asked on a Dewalt forum. The answer you will find here will be mostly biased towards Dewalt for good reason. So without being to biased.. let’s breakdown the facts and you can decide for yourself.
Dewalt has not changed it’s 18v battery compatibility platform since 1996. Milwaukee has changed it’s platform 3 times in the last 5 years none of which are compatible with one another. Dewalt compact batteries will fit all Dewalt 18v tools, Milwaukee 18v compact batteries do not. Dewalt currently has the largest 18v platform, larger platform means a larger variety. Dewalt also has a radio that will charge it’s batteries. Milwaukee does not.
Dewalt has a 3 speed all metal transmission which gives you a broader range of application speeds. Dewalt’s clamshell is made from Xenoy plastic. Milwaukee uses a ABS plastic clamshell. Dewalt uses a Rohm self tightening chuck for better bit retention. Milwaukee uses a Jacobs ratcheting chuck. Dewalt’s motor is made from Neodymium Iron Boride rare earth magnets. This material is currently the strongest type of permanent magnet. Milwaukee uses a lower grade magnet. Dewalt handle grip is 360 degrees adjustable. Milwaukee uses a three position grip, and if tightened to hard, or dropped can cause the handle grip to break off from the body. As Joomla responded, Dewalt uses better battery chemisty and a better warranty. It’s not prorated like Milwaukee’s.
As far as Impacts are concerned, I personally do not like the Milwaukee Impact driver. It’s bulky, top heavy, overheats under minimal use. The quick connect on the Milwaukee is very small, and not pleasant to use.
Those are just my thoughts…
when does a review comparing Milwaukee M18 red lithium vs. 20v Max vs. Makita 18v batteries happen? Also, I heard rumors of dewalt putting a battery fuel gauge on their batteries?
This is a useless feature and I hope that does not add to the cost. I have some Milwaukee and Bosch tools with this feature but I don’t see any benefit in having it. If the charger can’t keep up I buy an additional battery. I stick the battery on the charger when I’m done….
tmccarty wrote:
I heard rumors of dewalt putting a battery fuel gauge on their batteries?
Is your battery meter on your lithium powered cell phone useless?