First power tools

So I'm looking into purchasing my first few power tools. I already have plenty of wrenches/sockets and basic hand tools. I'm mostly looking at drill and impact wrench/drivers (is there a difference?) sets. Will also probably pick up a grinder so I can make some of the rusted stuff I'm buying used look a bit better. Looking for opinions on brands, where to buy, etc. Price is an important point to me, but I'd rather spend more money now and have something that I can rely on than spend less and have to replace it later. Also set on portable power, as I'm never near an outlet, or air compressor. Lend me your opinions

dewalt makes a nice kit... but i dont like dewalt.

that is probably going to be your best bet though to start off. then later just start piecing what you like.

I prefer dewalt grinders, milwaukee sawzall, hilti or bosche drills, snap on impact, and i can keep going.

everyone has there own preferences. do some research on the DIY sites, electrician and carpenter sites. you will find out a lot

Yeah I've found so many conflicting views I figured I'd ask here since its my Jeep that I'll be working on, and I think that whatever I get for my Jeep will be able to handle any other small stuff I may decide to tackle.

hey man check Craigslist.... there are some deals on tools out there. I think a lot of small shops and back yard mechanics are having a tough time so there are some good deals to be had.

craigslist is fine, if you dont mind stolen tools. i do.
dewalt 18v batteries last a lot longer then most in the price range, theres a reason 8\10 construction workers use dewalt.

craftsman drills/impact driver are OK for home use, the worst part is the chuck on the craftsman stuff. the dewalt xrp hammerdrill has the best chuck in the industry IMHO. dont buy the basic dewalt.

i prefer ridgid grinders. pretty much all corded sawzalls are the same.
bosch makes good stuff, but its pricey. theyre the ONLY company for corded hammer drills though.

pawn shops usually have a lot of power tools

xcm said:

craigslist is fine, if you dont mind stolen tools. i do.
dewalt 18v batteries last a lot longer then most in the price range, theres a reason 8\10 construction workers use dewalt.

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I agree that some of the stuff on CL can be stolen but usually you can tell if its stolen... IE ask for manual or original receipt. Also if they have a nice garage and lots of tools I will assume they are just upgrading or need some money.

Also didnt Dewalt get bought by someone recently?

dewalt is made in mexico, but let that get to you, better mexico than china.

my local craigslist is mostly stolen stuff, and frankly, you'd be crazy to let someone from craigslist come to your garage... lol. it can be brand new, in the box and be stolen.


for pure home shop, i'd recommend the craftsman 19.2v system, the older basic one. they got 1 OK drills, an OK sawzall, and an OK circular saw, etc etc. they got GREAT lantern lights for these batteries, theyre $20 each. combined with $35-40 batteries they make a great shop system. their impact driver is GREAT for driving screws, i use it at work all the time, holds its own against dewalts in everything but battery life. i find the extra oomph of the dewalt only strips screws or causes you to go off the screw head, scratching to shit whatever you're working on. a fully charged craftsman driver is good enough for me. They have a shitty small radio thats garbage... and their dual chargers allways have 1 of the plugs burn out within a week. their warranty sucks. but most stuff lasts good.


for work, or if you just prefer the higher end dewalt stuff, the 18v dewalt sawzall, circular saw and impact bite like NO OTHER. their xrp hammerdrill is available with the awesome chuck, which alone is worth the price. it's great to have a cordless drill that can do a quick 1/4" plug into concrete, without setting up a full hammerdrill and cord. it IS heavy, but its a full size man drill. build up them forarms. dewalt has the good radio/charger. it's ipod ready but doesnt have all the B/S the other jobsite radio's have.

either way, choose 1 system that does everything you want. you dont wanna get into 2 types of batteries... i do, and it sucks. if dewalt made a good lantern light, i'd probably get rid of my stragler craftsman tools (only got an impact, and lanterns)

stay away from ryobi, obviously. the new fad of micro tools is lame, unless your smuggling them into a foreign country...

I think I'm going to go with this system:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...s&cName=Portable+Power+Tools&sName=Combo+Kits
I'll have to buy the grinder separately, but there are next to no combo kits with it anyways. Do you think the 1/2" impact is a good idea?

ive been eyeballing that impact for a while. but all my experience is with the older 19.2v battery pack.

post back how it does on lug nuts!!!

Well my thought of going with the newer version is I won't have to worry about any of the memory problems of the older ones, apparently they last longer and I won't be out of date as quickly.

Of all my tools, I have gotten most use out of my Makita 4" grinder and 1/2" hammer drill. Both run on AC power and have never let me down. With the Jeep, having a grinding wheel that can handle cutoff wheels is priceless, and full AC power means you'll never have to rely on a stack of expensive, yet short lived batteries.

I'd love to plug in, but 90% of where I do work that's impossible.

i have burnt up a few dewalt drills. they changed the clutch design, and they suck!

also, you can buy the dewalt chuck and toss it on drill

arguing corded vs cordless is irrelevant, if i spent time running cords to everything i need a drill for, i would never finish anything. having a cordless drill next to you is priceless.

if your drilling a TON of holes, yeah, bring out the corded drill. but if you think cordless tools are allways dead, youve not worked with good cordless tools!

i too have burnt up a dewalt drill, but my entire company uses, and abuses them, and they get good lifetimes. at least 2-3 years of day to day abuse. i often switch between two to keep em from overheating. i'd love to compare em to hilti, but i just cant get past the red tax =\.

the chuck im refering to, isnt just a regular jacobs chuck, its only found on the higher end dewalt xrp. i wish it was available seperate, so if youve got a potential source you can recommend, i'll take it! mine is bent from being carried in a toolbag constantly.

I have DeWalt corded drill and angle grinder, both of them were bought at Lowes and have held up fine to my limited use. My dad has cordless Craftsman set that includes a drill, circular saw, and a couple of other things, and it seems to work alright but I don't like Craftsman power tools. My dad also has a Black & Decker cordless sawzall and skil saw, and they work better than I thought than I thought they would.

If I had a bunch more money than I have now I'd buy a bunch of DeWalt stuff probly.

ehall said:

I have DeWalt corded drill and angle grinder, both of them were bought at Lowes and have held up fine to my limited use. My dad has cordless Craftsman set that includes a drill, circular saw, and a couple of other things, and it seems to work alright but I don't like Craftsman power tools. My dad also has a Black & Decker cordless sawzall and skil saw, and they work better than I thought than I thought they would.

If I had a bunch more money than I have now I'd buy a bunch of DeWalt stuff probly.

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old black and decker is better then new dewalt.... almost the same shit actually

black and decker? maybe they dont sell that stuff out west, because the only stuff they sell under black and decker out here is martha stewart stuff. i get that you dislike dewalt, but that statement is a joke! black and decker wouldnt last a day on any of the jobsites ive been to.`

xcm said:

black and decker? maybe they dont sell that stuff out west, because the only stuff they sell under black and decker out here is martha stewart stuff. i get that you dislike dewalt, but that statement is a joke! black and decker wouldnt last a day on any of the jobsites ive been to.`

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might wanna read up a bit on tools....

Black and Decker is a publicly traded stock (BDK) and the worlds largest tool company. Black and Decker makes much more than just tools, but since this site is dedicated to tools, I will only focus on the Black and Decker tools. When it comes to tools, Black and Decker is an amazing company.
It all started in the early 1900’s when Duncan Black and Alonzo Decker opened a small machine shop in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1917 the company received a patent for the pistol grip trigger and switch on its drill. Ever since that first patent, the company has grown to the tremendous size it is today. Now, Black and Decker markets their products in more than 100 different countries and has manufacturing operations in eleven countries.
A lot has happened over the years, but in 1992 Black and Decker bought the Dewalt line of tools. These tools were designed for professional use on jobsites. Dewalt has a great reputation and has well established itself in the heavy duty tool market. In 2004 Black and Decker made another important purchase by acquiring Pentair’s tool group which includes Porter Cable, Delta and a couple of other brand names.
Today Black and Decker is truly a power house with their tool inventions, tool divisions, and purchases of other companies. As a company they have always tried to keep tool brand names separate. This has helped Black and Decker stand out, for instance, when you ask most people who owns Dewalt? They will answer Dewalt. Black and Decker markets the Black and Decker name for occasional home users or DIY’s. Their tools can be found at home improvement stores, retail and Online retailers such as Amazon. If you are an occasional home user who will not put to much strain on your tools, take a look at Black and Decker. They will give you a big bang for your buck!

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owning dewalt, isnt the same as selling good tools labeled black and decker. show me a good black and decker tool.

"When it comes to tools, Black and Decker is an amazing company" nice, unbiased source, huh?

i was questioning if they sold another line of tools back east or something, but i didnt know they owned dewalt. black and decker is still a brand, AND a company, their BRAND tools dont even belong in a mans garage.