Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Power Tools). This thread is read-only.
Here’s the dilemma:
I have $700 to spend on cordless tools, but I don’t know which battery platform to get myself into.
The only brands that I am looking at are DeWalt 20V and Milwaukee FUEL, so please feel free to express your
thoughts on either brand.
Currently, I have some DeWalt 20V Impact Drivers and Hammer Drill/Drivers, so I have a foot in the DeWalt Pool.
I mainly use corded tools, so I’m spoiled by having unlimited run time and lots of power.
From what I can gather, it seems to me like if I go with Milwaukee I won’t be sacrificing power and the run times are awesome.
I just don’t know how powerful the DeWalts are. I hate being stuck behind a tool that won’t work well, or slow me down.
I’ve already had some bad experiences with cordless Ryobi’s and I hope I don’t get the same problem’s from DeWalt.
The main tools that I am looking at are a Cordless Circular Saw and a Cordless Reciprocating Saw.
The next in line would be a cordless SDS Hammer Drill.
Do the DeWalt versions come close in terms of power to corded versions?
I already know that Milwaukee is on par with corded in terms of power.
Here’s the list of tools that I’m looking to purchase from Dewalt (Total: $637 )
Circular Saw – DCS391B ($119)
Reciprocating Saw – DCS380B ($119)
Miter Saw w/ One 3.0Ah Battery and Charger – DCS361M1 ($399)
Amount Left: $63
And the list of tools I’m looking to purchase from Milwaukee (Total: $603)
Circular Saw w/ Two 4.0Ah Batteries and Charger – 2731-22 ($404)
Reciprocating Saw – 2720-20 ($199)
Amount Left: $97
I appreciate any thoughts, comments or suggestions.Thanks TIA forum in advance! Take care.
Honestly id go for makita or milwaukee from what everybody who use them has been telling me and im with yoy im a corded guy but the makita circ saw is on the top and the fuel m18 is right behind if not tide but dewalt isnt close when it comes to saws from what iv heard i know im prob going to jump on makita because it looks like the closes to power and run time as a corded
torontotoolman wrote:
Honestly id go for makita or milwaukee from what everybody who use them has been telling me and im with yoy im a corded guy but the makita circ saw is on the top and the fuel m18 is right behind if not tide but dewalt isnt close when it comes to saws from what iv heard i know im prob going to jump on makita because it looks like the closes to power and run time as a corded
I haven’t even considered the Makita, I’ll have to take a look at what they offer as well. Thanks for your input, I greatly appreciate it, especially because I think you push your tools hard.
Nalu is U can hold out for a lil more time I would wait till Dan and Eric show us new tools from Dewalt show they went to, I own both Dewalt and Milwaukee but I’m not a pro contractor either so I can’t say how they would do in the pro world. I will say milwaukees fuel line is top notch and they have a variety of mechanics tools that fit the job I do I love there impact wrenches especially the 2763 beast! For everything else my DIY needs I own the Dewalt 20v line and I love my yellow team. U won’t go wrong with either nalu.
Bigmikez wrote:
Nalu is U can hold out for a lil more time I would wait till Dan and Eric show us new tools from Dewalt show they went to, I own both Dewalt and Milwaukee but I’m not a pro contractor either so I can’t say how they would do in the pro world. I will say milwaukees fuel line is top notch and they have a variety of mechanics tools that fit the job I do I love there impact wrenches especially the 2763 beast! For everything else my DIY needs I own the Dewalt 20v line and I love my yellow team. U won’t go wrong with either nalu.
Thank you BigMikeZ. Yeah I can hold out for a bit, but the itch is hard! lol. I do like my DeWalt drills and drivers, they’ve worked very well and I’m happy with them.
I doesn’t sound like Dewalt announced any brushless saws at the event. Thats just from what I saw online.
DR99 wrote:
I doesn’t sound like Dewalt announced any brushless saws at the event. Thats just from what I saw online.
That’s what I was concerned about. I didn’t want to buy these brushed tools, only for DeWalt to come out with some brushless tools a few months from now.
Or is this just a ploy to get me to buy Milwaukee DR99??? lol kidding
I’m not a pro and some of my power tools will often find themselves sitting in my garage for months at a time. Yes, it’s sad, but I just don’t need to use my recip saw all that much but when I do, I’ll use it nonstop for several days on end tearing apart old decking, etc. Personally, I like the fact that Milwaukee has a 5 year warranty. If a tool can survive daily abuse for 5 years on a jobsite, I feel comfortable that it’ll work when I need it to. I’ve spent way too much money on disposable power tools that fail when you really need them.
So there it is – my 2 cents are for team red. I won’t dispute that they’re more expensive and you can get a lot more bang for your buck with the Dewalt – oh yeah, and that 20v miter saw is really tempting…
Honestly I don’t think you would go wrong picking either brand.
+1 for the Fuel Sawzall. Its an awesome tool.
With the promo’s Milwaukee runs with the free tool or bare battery I found they tend to be a slightly better deal. The problem is Dewalt is pretty slow with tool releases not to say that Milwaukee has been perfect with their approach either, but it does make you kinda meh about the brand. I would have been a Dewalt guy the only thing is I bought the 20v lineup when it launched and had zero bare tools or additional tools. That’s what moved me other to Milwaukee they had done their v18 to M18 battery change 2 or 3 years before Dewalt did theirs.
Well at this moment the only very decent cordless reciprocating saw is the Milwaukee’s Fuel in my opinion. Nothing has been leaked yet on a Dewalt Brushless recip. Makita’s Brushless recipro prototype has been shown to select people in this year World of Concrete so i personally can’t wait for it to to be released.
The strongest ( and longest runtime ) cordless circ saw at this moment ( any many comparison reviews online prove this ) is the XSH01 Dual 18V Makita Circular saw.
Slightly below but still very very strong with amazing runtime would be the Brushless Milwaukee Fuel circ saw and the new Makita Brushless XSH03 circ saw.
Dewalt does not offer a similar cordless circular saw yet.
My 2 cents: Makita or Fuel.
if you don’t mind running two platforms (I don’t), then I’d use this opportunity to get into the Milwaukee Line. With the exception of the 18Vx2 Makita saw, Milwaukee M18 FUEL has the best circular saw, recipro saw and rotary hammer drills.
I own the dewalt gear. The circular saw is great, but not on the same level as the BL models by Milwaukee & Makita. The recipro saw is probably the second most powerful on the market, but vibrates like a bastard.
I enjoyed your comparison videos on the circular saws.dwain wrote:
if you don’t mind running two platforms (I don’t), then I’d use this opportunity to get into the Milwaukee Line. With the exception of the 18Vx2 Makita saw, Milwaukee M18 FUEL has the best circular saw, recipro saw and rotary hammer drills.
I own the dewalt gear. The circular saw is great, but not on the same level as the BL models by Milwaukee & Makita. The recipro saw is probably the second most powerful on the market, but vibrates like a bastard.
I bought one of the compact DCS 387 saws. When I unboxed it and tested it I couldn’t believe how much vibration it had. I would be concerned it would shake the switches and battery apart. I returned it and bought the Milwaukee fuel. Dewalt needs to update their recip saws.
If anyone is looking for the makita 18vX2 saw. Home Depot has them on clearance for $58.03. I was able to get four at that price.
We think a like makita and fuel all day hahahkornomaniac wrote:
Well at this moment the only very decent cordless reciprocating saw is the Milwaukee’s Fuel in my opinion. Nothing has been leaked yet on a Dewalt Brushless recip. Makita’s Brushless recipro prototype has been shown to select people in this year World of Concrete so i personally can’t wait for it to to be released.
The strongest ( and longest runtime ) cordless circ saw at this moment ( any many comparison reviews online prove this ) is the XSH01 Dual 18V Makita Circular saw.
Slightly below but still very very strong with amazing runtime would be the Brushless Milwaukee Fuel circ saw and the new Makita Brushless XSH03 circ saw.
Dewalt does not offer a similar cordless circular saw yet.
My 2 cents: Makita or Fuel.
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Given the tools you are looking at (recip & circ), I would say that Milwaukee is your best bet right now. I say this as someone who is invested in both Makita 18v & Dewalt 20v lines. I would love for Dewalt to step up their brushless game in the recip, circ, etc. areas, but I have actually been investing more in Makita lately as Dewalt seems to be dragging their feet.
Milwaukee all the way…..you won’t regret it…..the 3 tools you are wanting Milwaukee has that market by the balls…..as for your ryobi their tools are not even in the same playing field…..good for the guy that is building a dog house and has the weekend to do it…….
this also helps
The Dewalt Saws come with a 5 amp hour battery. Milwaukee Fuel saws come with a 4.0 Ah battery. Everyone one is hung up on brushless saws, but a Dewalt brushed saw with a 5.0ah battery has pretty close to the same run time as a brushless Milwaukee with a 4.0ah battery. Brushless motors in saws don’t have as big of an impact in run time as they do in other “lighter duty” tools, like drills/impacts.
my opinion is based as a user not a saleman….. a decision for a battery platform is not based on one tool Milwaukee makes the 3 tools he is after and they make very good ones……..just sayin……
@gatorb888
True ! The difference in run time might nog be so great. But that brushless more will put out more torque under load and keep going in a situation where the brushes motor will start to bog down
Gatorb888 wrote:
The Dewalt Saws come with a 5 amp hour battery. Milwaukee Fuel saws come with a 4.0 Ah battery. Everyone one is hung up on brushless saws, but a Dewalt brushed saw with a 5.0ah battery has pretty close to the same run time as a brushless Milwaukee with a 4.0ah battery. Brushless motors in saws don’t have as big of an impact in run time as they do in other “lighter duty” tools, like drills/impacts.
Yes I noticed this also. I’m sure the runtimes would be similar between a DeWalt Circ Saw with a 5.0Ah and a Milwaukee Circ Saw with a 4.0Ah battery. My personal concern however is not about run-times. I can easily deal with low run-times by having one or two other batteries being charged. Like I said, I’m more of a corded user, so I won’t be using a cordless all day. I just want a cordless tool that will match the power of my corded tool when I need it.
As far as brushless vs brushed, I’m really not hung up on one or the other. I just need something that will deliver as much power as possible. From what very little I know about motors, I gather that brushless is more efficient, equating to more power at the rotor. If I am wrong, and I often am, then I would love for it to be clarified for me and others as well.
I hope this is not turning out to be a Red vs Yellow thing. I own many different brands of tools and I love them all. I just want to know that when I put my corded tool down and reach for a cordless, it won’t slow me down. If the DeWalt can deliver that, then that will be the one for me. In the end, I’ll probably have to try it out and see how it works but currently I think I’m headed towards the Milwaukee FUEL platform.
Thank you for your input Gatorb888, I really appreciate it. I’m a huge DeWalt tool fan, and I’ll be buying more tools from DeWalt for sure. I use my DCD995 all the time and I’m proud to own it.
comp56 wrote:
Milwaukee all the way…..you won’t regret it…..the 3 tools you are wanting Milwaukee has that market by the balls…..as for your ryobi their tools are not even in the same playing field…..good for the guy that is building a dog house and has the weekend to do it…….
this also helps
Thanks for this!
kornomaniac wrote:
Well at this moment the only very decent cordless reciprocating saw is the Milwaukee’s Fuel in my opinion. Nothing has been leaked yet on a Dewalt Brushless recip. Makita’s Brushless recipro prototype has been shown to select people in this year World of Concrete so i personally can’t wait for it to to be released.
The strongest ( and longest runtime ) cordless circ saw at this moment ( any many comparison reviews online prove this ) is the XSH01 Dual 18V Makita Circular saw.
Slightly below but still very very strong with amazing runtime would be the Brushless Milwaukee Fuel circ saw and the new Makita Brushless XSH03 circ saw.
Dewalt does not offer a similar cordless circular saw yet.
My 2 cents: Makita or Fuel.
Thanks this was very useful in my decision
Illini wrote:
Given the tools you are looking at (recip & circ), I would say that Milwaukee is your best bet right now. I say this as someone who is invested in both Makita 18v & Dewalt 20v lines. I would love for Dewalt to step up their brushless game in the recip, circ, etc. areas, but I have actually been investing more in Makita lately as Dewalt seems to be dragging their feet.
Yeah I’ve heard Makita being mentioned a few times. I’ll have to take a look at what they offer as well. Thanks for the feedback
Makita offers a lot actually im in kinda the same vote as you minus the dewalt plat form but im gonna prob be growing on makita for my cordless and millwaukee aswell i feel they are the best bet for power oh and bosch for me dewalt is on the low end on my tool listNaluRash wrote:
Yeah I’ve heard Makita being mentioned a few times. I’ll have to take a look at what they offer as well. Thanks for the feedback
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I haven’t used the cordless dewalt sawzaw or circular saw so I can’t speak on witch ones better. I do however use the millwakee fuel line and am very pleased. I have the circular saw an sawzaw and they both perform great, just like my other fuel cordless tools. You won’t be let down my the millwakee.
torontotoolman wrote:
Makita offers a lot actually im in kinda the same vote as you minus the dewalt plat form but im gonna prob be growing on makita for my cordless and millwaukee aswell i feel they are the best bet for power oh and bosch for me dewalt is on the low end on my tool list
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Thanks for the tips man. I think I’m gonna go with the Milwaukee FUEL line for my cordless tools. I love Bosch corded tools, I’ve got a Table Saw and a few Routers as well as some Rotary Impacts from Bosch.
Fletcher94 wrote:
I haven’t used the cordless dewalt sawzaw or circular saw so I can’t speak on witch ones better. I do however use the millwakee fuel line and am very pleased. I have the circular saw an sawzaw and they both perform great, just like my other fuel cordless tools. You won’t be let down my the millwakee.
Thanks for your input!
NaluRash wrote:
Thanks for the tips man. I think I’m gonna go with the Milwaukee FUEL line for my cordless tools. I love Bosch corded tools, I’ve got a Table Saw and a few Routers as well as some Rotary Impacts from Bosch.
remember to post pix Nalu of the new toys.ur gonna love the Fuel line
Milwaukees a great choice one of the.most powerful impacts in the game great reliable line a cordless tools and like mike said show picsssNaluRash wrote:
Thanks for the tips man. I think I’m gonna go with the Milwaukee FUEL line for my cordless tools. I love Bosch corded tools, I’ve got a Table Saw and a few Routers as well as some Rotary Impacts from Bosch.
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I have the bosch 18v circ saw and was incredibly disappointed… bosch has always been a decent brand and the circ saw left me crying lol
I own the Milwaukee fuel drill/driver and impact, love them both.
used my buddies tools (dewalt 20v brushed, and Makita 18v brushed) prefer the Makita over dewalt… if you are in the market I agree with the fuel or Makita lines, they are my lines I will be growing into for sure!
I also have been keeping my eye on ridged tools, they have lifetime warranty and I have some corded tools and I am thoroughly impressed by them as well. I am by no means a tool snob but dewalt has went from top of the line to middle of the pack in a matter of a few years.. its sad but tools are tools and the best way to get a job done is to know when to jump ship and swap the platform to one that can perform.
good luck and do your research!
Im.glad there all people who share.my thoughts and opinions because i agree with what you said and i agree with you 2 tool brand picks those are the same i.will be growing with aswell. I never owned a bosch circ saw but i jave heard things about there worm drive circ saw i believe its bassically the same as skil and i wanna try the makita worm drive as wellchewie17 wrote:
I have the bosch 18v circ saw and was incredibly disappointed… bosch has always been a decent brand and the circ saw left me crying lol
I own the Milwaukee fuel drill/driver and impact, love them both.
used my buddies tools (dewalt 20v brushed, and Makita 18v brushed) prefer the Makita over dewalt… if you are in the market I agree with the fuel or Makita lines, they are my lines I will be growing into for sure!
I also have been keeping my eye on ridged tools, they have lifetime warranty and I have some corded tools and I am thoroughly impressed by them as well. I am by no means a tool snob but dewalt has went from top of the line to middle of the pack in a matter of a few years.. its sad but tools are tools and the best way to get a job done is to know when to jump ship and swap the platform to one that can perform.
good luck and do your research!
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I have an idea, just send the money my way and I’ll spend it for u.
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Bigmikez wrote:
remember to post pix Nalu of the new toys.ur gonna love the Fuel line
I sure will. Thanks for your feedback, I really appreciate it
chewie17 wrote:
I have the bosch 18v circ saw and was incredibly disappointed… bosch has always been a decent brand and the circ saw left me crying lol
I own the Milwaukee fuel drill/driver and impact, love them both.
used my buddies tools (dewalt 20v brushed, and Makita 18v brushed) prefer the Makita over dewalt… if you are in the market I agree with the fuel or Makita lines, they are my lines I will be growing into for sure!
I also have been keeping my eye on ridged tools, they have lifetime warranty and I have some corded tools and I am thoroughly impressed by them as well. I am by no means a tool snob but dewalt has went from top of the line to middle of the pack in a matter of a few years.. its sad but tools are tools and the best way to get a job done is to know when to jump ship and swap the platform to one that can perform.
good luck and do your research!
Thanks for your input.
I don’t have any cordless Bosch tools, but I love most of the corded tools they have. I’ve got a CS5 sidewinder that I use all the time and it’s been really nice. I didn’t know about Rigid’s Lifetime Warranty, that’s pretty darn sweet. I agree with you, I’m not a tool snob either. I just haven’t invested much into cordless tools and I’d rather not have a bunch of different batteries and chargers laying around, lol.
It seem’s like Makita and Milwaukee have been mentioned a lot here in the forums. I’m gonna go with the Milwaukee FUEL line, I’ve already got a bunch of their hand tools that I really like.
How did you come up with that figure to spend? Just wondering.
chadlanthier wrote:
I have an idea, just send the money my way and I’ll spend it for u.
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What a great idea! That would be so much easier for me! lol
nordraw wrote:
How did you come up with that figure to spend? Just wondering.
It’s just the amount I’ll be getting for a small side job.
ive liked most all of milwaukees tools, I have more hand tools and power at the moment however I was a little disappointed with their 1/4″ hex bits, I find their S2 bits wear really fast, however their screwdrivers have held up well. I actually just purchased a ridgid 12v drill and impact solely for woodworking projects and because I purchased their 12v jobmax and wanted more batteries for that also. I did some research and thought that they aren’t much less torque or rpm than the Milwaukee fuels and I needed more batteries anyhow so I decided to bite the $109 price tag… (nice and cheap lol) looking forward to seeing the pictures in the near future, and you wont be disappointed with the choice!
U know people complain that dewalt has been dragging their feet lately and Milwaukee has been cranking out the new tools, but a while back Milwaukee was the one dragging their feet. At one point or another all tool companies have slow points, that’s because they are focusing on new innovations for their company and not just jumping on the next big fad. In a couple of years every tool out their is going to be brushless and that is going to be out dated technology. My point being is, we all have a lot of tools from different tool companies. that however doesn’t mean we jump ship just because the next greatest fad has not come out.
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Just wanted to thank the TIA crew for all your advice. After the recent news from the Milwaukee Symposium, I’m very glad that I went with Milwaukee for the cordless platform. Thank you everyone that offered advice and opinions, I really appreciate it.
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No prob Nalu we will always be here to help U spend ur money on Tools bro;)
LOL that’s a good one proto!! The only way to keep this condition in control is to keep buying more TOOOOLS!!!! 😉
Haha…you guys crack me up. I think everyone in this forum has a case of “GAS” aka “Gear Acquisition Syndrome”. For others, it’s even worse, it’s called “TIDNBCLWGD” or “Tools I Don’t Need But Can’t Live Without Getting Disease”. Sometimes the owner of the tool can pass a virus unto the tool itself, in these extreme cases it’s called “Pegboard Trophy Virus” “PTV” for short. This is when the owner buys a tool and hangs it up on a pegboard for the remainder of the tools existence, a real tragedy. Lol
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A lot of people are going to Milwauke I personally prefer Dewalt. I tried to switch to red a while back and keep havering problems with my hammer drill I have broke numberus chucks and moters I have had it rebuilt several times and replaced twice. Besides that I like Milwauke even though I don’t use them any more I upgraded and got 20v max and love it the best $600 I have spent in a while.
Stick with dewalt totally
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