Review: Battery Powered Tools for the Homesteader
©2017 C. Henry Martens
Over the years I’ve owned a mess o’tools. Many are still with me, as I rarely break them, and even less often lose them. If they have become casualties, it is because they weren’t good enough to keep.
My biggest gripe with battery-powered tools is that the batteries are included in the kits and the manufacturers never seem to price those kits as though the batteries cost anything. Then when the batteries wear out, a couple of batteries can cost as much as the original kit. The tools are fine, but somehow the batteries are gold. This makes no sense to me, and it makes me think the manufacturers are in collusion with each other… because I would buy a tool solely on the knowledge that I could replace components reasonably if they break. Often, just as with many electrical items, the new technology has changed and the new batteries won’t power the old tools. One of my fantasies in life is to win the lottery and give tool manufacturers some competition geared toward people that use tools.
As I said, most of these tools come as kits, and I’ve bought several. Of those I mention here, I will have either owned them myself or used them because they were available on a job.
Hitachi: A really great set of tools that included a drill driver, a circular saw, and a reciprocating saw. Being my first set, they used NiCad batteries. I had no problem with them until they failed to charge after years of use. Suddenly a charge would barely cut through a two by four. I owned these tools for over ten years. Really difficult to throw them in the trash, knowing the tools were fine but cheaper to replace them with a new set. The battery replacements were close to a hundred bucks a piece, but the tools were functioning as well as the day I bought them. I really liked the drill driver especially. It was light but had plenty of torque, and the bit holder at the front was out of the way and convenient.
Milwaukee: Nice set with a drill driver with the hammer drill selection, a circular saw, a reciprocating saw, and a flashlight. Lithium batteries, and I’ve noticed they aren’t holding a charge as well as they used to after eight years. But they haven’t suddenly given out so far, either. We’ll see if they last as long as the Hitachi. The reason I bought this set was because the driver reminded me of the Hitachi. Nice and light and torquey. The hammer option has come in handy, too. Putting screws through metal roofing has been easier. I never expected to use the flashlight at all, so it went to the bottom of the bag and gathered dirt, but I have occasionally dug it out, and it’s a decent light that is adjustable so you can point it where it is needed.
DeWalt: I’ve heard people brag these tools up for years, and I’ve always thought if I could find a good deal on them I would make the leap. They are just too pricey normally, but on a sale I bought a driver, and then a circular saw that used the same battery. I have to say that these were disappointing. They are heavy… and did I mention they are HEAVY? I have to ask… why? I wonder if heavy tools equate to quality in some people’s minds? The driver was as good as any, although heavy, but the circular saw was a chore to use. I’ve never had a saw that liked to wander as much as this one. After a couple of blade changes, I gave up and used the blades with other saws. The batteries only lasted about three years. I ended up buying a single battery and selling the whole mess at a yard sale, the tools looking almost new. I felt sorry for the guy with the big grin buying them.
Ryobi: Well, if the DeWalts were bad, these were stinking terrible. They didn’t last a day under normal use. I don’t know how the company is still in business. I thought I’d gotten some unusually bad equipment so bought a corded grinder, and within fifteen minutes it was shooting sparks from inside of it and sounding like it was going to fly apart. I have no idea how long the batteries might last as these tools went back to the retailer to be refunded under warranty within a week.
Makita: I’ve had several Makita tools over the years, and I’ve thrashed them. I can’t remember ever breaking one. This is what I bought to replace the corded Ryobi grinder, and it is still humming along after a couple of years of hard use. I have a relative in the building trades, and Makita is what he uses. If the Milwaukee tools ever give out, I’ll probably try Makita.
Ridgid: I don’t own these as they seem kind of primitive to me. They just don’t appeal. But I have another relative that does extremely wonderful custom cabinetry with them and swears by them. He is the kind of guy who judges how good food is by how much it overlaps the plate, so maybe he has a point. He swears by the lifetime warranty, but that makes me wonder how often he has to use it. If the batteries have a lifetime warranty, maybe the tools are worth considering.
Dremel: I bought a slick little battery powered unit to do some fine work where I didn’t want to be dragging a cord around. Just like most of these experiences, the battery is trash and the tool looks like new. I just don’t use it enough to justify a new battery.
I have to add that I used to buy Black and Decker back in the day when corded tools were the norm. They always gave me good service. In fact, I had my first circular saw for long enough that the plastic blade guard warped and was melting against the blade as I used it for years.
I’ve heard things have changed in the tool industry, that some brands are listening to bean counters about how to make a cheaper product, and if that’s so, it is why they won’t be listed in a very few years with brands that have given quality service and been worth the price. But that’s the way of the world. Bean counters lure them in with tales of higher profits, and then they turn into Kmart/Sears and eventually get replaced by people who will soon be listening to bean counters.
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Over the years I’ve owned a mess o’tools. Many are still with me, as I rarely break them, and even less often lose them. If they have become casualties, it is because they weren’t good enough to keep.
My biggest gripe with battery-powered tools is that the batteries are included in the kits and the manufacturers never seem to price those kits as though the batteries cost anything. Then when the batteries wear out, a couple of batteries can cost as much as the original kit. The tools are fine, but somehow the batteries are gold. This makes no sense to me, and it makes me think the manufacturers are in collusion with each other… because I would buy a tool solely on the knowledge that I could replace components reasonably if they break. Often, just as with many electrical items, the new technology has changed and the new batteries won’t power the old tools. One of my fantasies in life is to win the lottery and give tool manufacturers some competition geared toward people that use tools.
As I said, most of these tools come as kits, and I’ve bought several. Of those I mention here, I will have either owned them myself or used them because they were available on a job.
Hitachi: A really great set of tools that included a drill driver, a circular saw, and a reciprocating saw. Being my first set, they used NiCad batteries. I had no problem with them until they failed to charge after years of use. Suddenly a charge would barely cut through a two by four. I owned these tools for over ten years. Really difficult to throw them in the trash, knowing the tools were fine but cheaper to replace them with a new set. The battery replacements were close to a hundred bucks a piece, but the tools were functioning as well as the day I bought them. I really liked the drill driver especially. It was light but had plenty of torque, and the bit holder at the front was out of the way and convenient.
Milwaukee: Nice set with a drill driver with the hammer drill selection, a circular saw, a reciprocating saw, and a flashlight. Lithium batteries, and I’ve noticed they aren’t holding a charge as well as they used to after eight years. But they haven’t suddenly given out so far, either. We’ll see if they last as long as the Hitachi. The reason I bought this set was because the driver reminded me of the Hitachi. Nice and light and torquey. The hammer option has come in handy, too. Putting screws through metal roofing has been easier. I never expected to use the flashlight at all, so it went to the bottom of the bag and gathered dirt, but I have occasionally dug it out, and it’s a decent light that is adjustable so you can point it where it is needed.
DeWalt: I’ve heard people brag these tools up for years, and I’ve always thought if I could find a good deal on them I would make the leap. They are just too pricey normally, but on a sale I bought a driver, and then a circular saw that used the same battery. I have to say that these were disappointing. They are heavy… and did I mention they are HEAVY? I have to ask… why? I wonder if heavy tools equate to quality in some people’s minds? The driver was as good as any, although heavy, but the circular saw was a chore to use. I’ve never had a saw that liked to wander as much as this one. After a couple of blade changes, I gave up and used the blades with other saws. The batteries only lasted about three years. I ended up buying a single battery and selling the whole mess at a yard sale, the tools looking almost new. I felt sorry for the guy with the big grin buying them.
Ryobi: Well, if the DeWalts were bad, these were stinking terrible. They didn’t last a day under normal use. I don’t know how the company is still in business. I thought I’d gotten some unusually bad equipment so bought a corded grinder, and within fifteen minutes it was shooting sparks from inside of it and sounding like it was going to fly apart. I have no idea how long the batteries might last as these tools went back to the retailer to be refunded under warranty within a week.
Makita: I’ve had several Makita tools over the years, and I’ve thrashed them. I can’t remember ever breaking one. This is what I bought to replace the corded Ryobi grinder, and it is still humming along after a couple of years of hard use. I have a relative in the building trades, and Makita is what he uses. If the Milwaukee tools ever give out, I’ll probably try Makita.
Ridgid: I don’t own these as they seem kind of primitive to me. They just don’t appeal. But I have another relative that does extremely wonderful custom cabinetry with them and swears by them. He is the kind of guy who judges how good food is by how much it overlaps the plate, so maybe he has a point. He swears by the lifetime warranty, but that makes me wonder how often he has to use it. If the batteries have a lifetime warranty, maybe the tools are worth considering.
Dremel: I bought a slick little battery powered unit to do some fine work where I didn’t want to be dragging a cord around. Just like most of these experiences, the battery is trash and the tool looks like new. I just don’t use it enough to justify a new battery.
I have to add that I used to buy Black and Decker back in the day when corded tools were the norm. They always gave me good service. In fact, I had my first circular saw for long enough that the plastic blade guard warped and was melting against the blade as I used it for years.
I’ve heard things have changed in the tool industry, that some brands are listening to bean counters about how to make a cheaper product, and if that’s so, it is why they won’t be listed in a very few years with brands that have given quality service and been worth the price. But that’s the way of the world. Bean counters lure them in with tales of higher profits, and then they turn into Kmart/Sears and eventually get replaced by people who will soon be listening to bean counters.
Click here to receive the Apocalypse Observer Newsletter in your inbox
www.readmota.com
To comment, scroll down and type in your comment. Under Comment As, you can select Anonymous or Name/URL (you don't need to enter a URL). Then hit Publish
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