Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Pub Talk). This thread is read-only.
Via Gizmodo
A couple good tools and a bunch of DIY quaility tools. I can’t believe a circular saw did not make their list.
Here is my list. I think real men need real tools. I might not recommend a couple of these tools to the average homeowner, a home owner may be better served by a track saw vs the table saw. The chainsaw is a bit on the large size geared more towards someone who actually has a few trees on their property and may have to deal with there disposal should they fall. I can not recommend cordless tools for yard work unless it is a very small yard, even with the best of them your only going to get about 15 minutes run time from a battery.
- Milwaukee circular saw. 6394-21
- Milwaukee Sawzall 6538-21
- Makita cordless hammer drill LXFD01 (an older 4 pole model)
- Panasonic cordless impact driver. EY7550LR2S
- Bosch jigsaw JS572EBL
- Bosch portable table saw 4001-09 with stand.
- Honda lawnmowerHRX217VKA
- Stihl chainsaw MS440
- Stihl string trimmer FS 250 R
- Stihl backpack blower BR 600
If I were to lose the yard tools they would be replaced by a multi-base router kit, a multi-tool, a 4 1/2″ angle grinder and a palm sander.
What do you all think?
I would certainly drop the Stihl string trimmer and replace it with this Makita. At around 11 pounds it’s the worlds lightest commercial duty 4 stroke which means no more mixing gas. It will be my next weedeater purchase $400 price tag be damned!
In my mind there’s no question that the new Milwaukee Fuel M18 Hammer Drill is king of the mountain at the moment.
I’ve got the 6394 and it is indeed a fine cutting machine. Especially when fitted with 24T Freud Diablo Demo Demon.
Now I want to cut something….
Conductor562 wrote:
I would certainly drop the Stihl string trimmer and replace it with this Makita. At around 11 pounds it’s the worlds lightest commercial duty 4 stroke which means no more mixing gas. It will be my next weedeater purchase $400 price tag be damned!
I’m not entirely sold on 4 strokes. Most of the 4 stoke equipment I have come across is not as simple and reliable as the 2 stroke equipment that is available. If you really want light weight you’ll want 2 stroke as well. the added complexity of the valve train in 4 strokes does not help in keeping the tools light weight.
If I was shopping for light weight I would be looking at Redmax trimmers.
Makita can be hard to find parts and service for, especially out here in the sticks of rural Florida. We have multiple Stihl dealers some of them very dedicated, due to the logging operations in the area. Even one of our area grocery stores carries Stihl parts…(you might be a redneck joke in there somewhere). There are reasons you don’t see a lot of Makitas out and about. Not that they don’t put out a quality product.
FYI Makita bought Dolmar and rebrands them to suit.
Conductor562 wrote:
In my mind there’s no question that the new Milwaukee Fuel M18 Hammer Drill is king of the mountain at the moment.
I would love to recommend the Festool T18+3 but to many people freak out over the price. I’ll take a German tool over a Chinese one any day.
I’ll not argue that FesTool build quality is second to none, but look at where it specs out. For that price it should be a super beast, but it isn’t.
I can handle an 11 pound weedeater.
Conductor562 wrote:
I’ll not argue that FesTool build quality is second to none, but look at where it specs out. For that price it should be a super beast, but it isn’t.
It is like comparing a Chevy Blazer to a Mercedes G class. Look at where they spec out, for the price of the Mercedes shouldn’t it be a “super beast”?
There is a lot more to tools than specifications. The solid state clutch alone is worth the difference in price, no less all the other extras they throw in and all the optional equipment that is available, and how all Festools all integrate into a system.
Conductor562 wrote:
I can handle an 11 pound weedeater.
I can handle a beast of a string trimmer, I want a massive string trimmer that I can convert to a hard blade and have trees falling over with the mere thought of that tool coming near.
I’m not crazy about the PTO system and prefer a dedicated tool. All that aside, for $625 you get an 18V drill with no hammer action and less than 400 in. lbs. of torque in a best possible case scenario. The Festool is a fine machine, but it’s not twice the tool as the Milwaukee M18 Fuel, the Dewalt 20V Max, or the competing Bosch or Makita models.
and for $325 less my Milwaukee clutch works great!
Conductor562 wrote:
and for $325 less my Milwaukee clutch works great!
Ah, the difference between great and excellent… when you drill is in the lower torque settings does your drill adjust the speed of your drill to an appropriate level? When your drill gets to the preset torque setting does it emit a pleasant tone or does it sound like someone dropped a rock in a blender?
It is not a “PTO” system, it has actual dedicated interchangeable chucks, and it could be left as dedicated one chuck tool if you had so desired, but who would want to sacrifice that versatility? That would blow you savings right there having to buy up to five extra dedicated tools.
And how many different chucks comes with your drill and how easy is it to change them? How is that right angle drive working out for you?
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and the offset chuck?
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Do the tools case fit together (and attach) well to the other tool cases and parts storage/toolboxes in the line? And do you have any other matching options for a tool case?
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Is your charger backwards compatible with your other tools in the range?
Should I mention that Festool is already on their second generation of brushless tech.
Festool is assembled by people making a decent wage with good benefits rather than someone making near slave wages and your purchase wouldn’t be supporting communism.
Conductor562 wrote:
I’m not crazy about the PTO system and prefer a dedicated tool. All that aside, for $625 you get an 18V drill with no hammer action and less than 400 in. lbs. of torque in a best possible case scenario. The Festool is a fine machine, but it’s not twice the tool as the Milwaukee M18 Fuel, the Dewalt 20V Max, or the competing Bosch or Makita models.
It is not a “PTO” system, it has actual dedicated interchangeable chucks, and it could be left as dedicated one chuck tool if you had so desired, but who would want to sacrifice that versatility? That would blow you savings right there having to buy up to five extra dedicated tools.
Festool is one of those manufacturers who don’t exaggerate their tools performance like some other manufacturers are known to do…
Festool does offer a Hammerdrill in their Protool line the PDC 18-4 TEC LI , they just don’t offer it here. I want one bad. It is a four speed drill going up to 3,800 rpm
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Man, I love the sound of a drill or impact when it clutches out! It’s one of those sounds like a 5.0 Mustang with Flowmaster exhaust that you can’t not like. As for the right angle drive, my Milwaukee 2615 works great. I like a straight handle design as I primarily use it in tight spaces which is what a right angle drill is designed for after all. In these situations the Festool looks as though it would be awkward and bulky. I will concede that the offset chuck is pretty cool. I would never use it in the type of work that I do, but it’s cool nonetheless. I dont use cases. I throw what I need for the job in a big contractor bag and away I go. I am glad to see a nice case though and hope other manufacturers follow suit as we’ve discussed before.
Conductor562 wrote:
Man, I love the sound of a drill or impact when it clutches out!
That is the sound of tools wearing out. The electric clutches can go through many more cycles without fear of wear.
As for the right angle drive, my Milwaukee 2615 works great
Even Milwaukee is starting to switch over to electric clutches now
I actually prefer right angle impact drivers like the Makita BTL061Z.
Dedicated tools are usually better but often times not as handy. Especially when you have to throw yet another tool in that contractor bag rather than just slip a small accessory in your tool belt. You might really appreciate this if you had to work at height where space and weight start to become serious considerations.