Tracksaw or Drill/Impact driver kit

[Mike Wellner]

I had a $200 gift card to a local store, but now its about $105 after a drywall screwgun. My question is what would you choose if you had one choice?

A) Dewalt 102" Tracksaw
B) Dewalt Li Ion Impact Driver/Drill kit ($429 at that store)

Reason for (A), it would be so much easier to cut 4'x8's when I dont even have a panel saw, plus would be easier to store and cut sheet goods by myself.

Reason for (B) Securing 2"x4" studwalls to concrete (treated base of course). Maybe I could borrow one for one time use.

[Jim Terrill]

Get the tracksaw. You can pick up a ridgid 18v Li-ion cordless for $89 at HD right now and that will work fine for securing 2x4s with tapcon screws, where having less torque prevents you from overtorquing them by trying to force them in when the holes are too short. I have put plenty of tapcon screws in with underpowered cordless drills, the key is drilling deep enough holes.

[Chuck Isaacson]

I would wait until the Makita goes back on sale at HD for $200. My wife got an 18V Li Ion Makita drill with an impact driver on black Friday. I am waiting for it to go on sale again and I am going to pick another one up. As for the track saw, I would get the Festool.

[Mike Heidrick]

I own the Dewalt tracksaw and it is awesome. Also, i would get a pneumatic impact.

[Mike Wellner]

I have no like for Ridgid/Ryobi and now Milwaukee except I do own a oscilating sander and jointer. I used to be a Makita fan but no more. So if its a drill/driver in the near future, its going to be a DeWalt Li Ion.

[Jim Terrill]

I have no like for Ridgid/Ryobi and now Milwaukee except I do own a oscilating sander and jointer. I used to be a Makita fan but no more. So if its a drill/driver in the near future, its going to be a DeWalt Li Ion.

Any reason? I have been pretty happy with the Ridgid tools I have, a lot of people like the spindle/belt sander, I have been very happy with the milwaukee 2 1/4 hp router kit. Ryobi is pretty cheap stuff but Ridgid and Milwaukee seem to be ok. And Makita still gets high marks from pretty much everyone I know...

Dewalt on the other hand I have been less than impressed with. I had one (corded) drill melt itself down and the batteries get less cycles IME than the Makita lithiums.

[Mike Wellner]

Any reason? I have been pretty happy with the Ridgid tools I have, a lot of people like the spindle/belt sander, I have been very happy with the milwaukee 2 1/4 hp router kit. Ryobi is pretty cheap stuff but Ridgid and Milwaukee seem to be ok. And Makita still gets high marks from pretty much everyone I know...

Dewalt on the other hand I have been less than impressed with. I had one (corded) drill melt itself down and the batteries get less cycles IME than the Makita lithiums.

I refuse to buy any of their stuff. You can get the same thing at Harbor Freight coming from the same county. And its a ripoff. Prime example, you can get a cheaper version of the Milwaukee Hole Hawg made in the same factory from Harbor Freight. Ryobi, Ridgid and Milwaukee are all under TTI/One World Technologies.

[Jim Terrill]

I refuse to buy any of their stuff. You can get the same thing at Harbor Freight coming from the same county. And its a ripoff. Prime example, you can get a cheaper version of the Milwaukee Hole Hawg made in the same factory from Harbor Freight. Ryobi, Ridgid and Milwaukee are all under TTI/One World Technologies.

If you can find me a bodygrip router at HF, let me know and I'll take 2 for my DT jig. My point is that in some cases you may be able to find identical products, in some cases you can't, making a blanket statement is not reasonable. As for being under the same brand, Lexus and Toyota are the same brand, are you telling me that they are the same cars? I think not.

FWIW, hf tools have their place, I have a hf dust collector.

[Mike Wellner]

If you can find me a bodygrip router at HF, let me know and I'll take 2 for my DT jig. My point is that in some cases you may be able to find identical products, in some cases you can't, making a blanket statement is not reasonable. As for being under the same brand, Lexus and Toyota are the same brand, are you telling me that they are the same cars? I think not.

FWIW, hf tools have their place, I have a hf dust collector.

My point is same county same quality. I will absolutely will not pay the premium when I can get the same quality at Harbor Freight. I prefer to pay more for tools that last, and I expect to buy them once. Expect me to buy Festool in the future. DeWalt Li Ion in this case because its within my price range for non-PRC tools even through some to half of the DeWalts come from there.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Securing 2"x4" studwalls to concrete (treated base of course). Maybe I could borrow one for one time use.
I've use both a hammer drill and Tapcons and a Bostitch F28WW framing nailer - either of which (IMHO) would be better suited for wood to concrete joining.
If you do use a framing nailer, make sure its "concrete rated".
(& don't get any of your body parts - like your head or your groin - in the path of recoil ;))

With the Tapcons, there isn't a great deal of torque needed to run them. Matter of fact, too much torque - as w/an impact tool, would probably strip the heads off.
I used an electric drill to run them semi snug, then did the last quarter turn with a small nut driver.

BTW.
One thing you want to be 100% sure of also, if you're framing in a basement, is whether or not you have a floating floor before you secure the sill in place with a fastener.


P.S. - I voted track saw. I use my Festool one all the time for a lot more than breaking down sheet goods.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

I picked the drill/impact. I wouldn't pay $429 for the Li-on batteries though. Get the XRP batteries my dad has had a set for 5 years and they are still going strong..

Reason for my choice is that I rarely use my tracksaw but use my impact driver every day.

[Jeffrey coil]

Tracksaw without a doubt. I have the Dewalt and use it more than you would!

[Anthony Anderson]

My point is same county same quality. I will absolutely will not pay the premium when I can get the same quality at Harbor Freight. I prefer to pay more for tools that last, and I expect to buy them once. Expect me to buy Festool in the future. DeWalt Li Ion in this case because its within my price range for non-PRC tools even through some to half of the DeWalts come from there.

Wow...I was going to reply, and offer some input, but it looks like I would be wasting my time. Good luck in your decision.

Bill

[Mike Wellner]

Wow...I was going to reply, and offer some input, but it looks like I would be wasting my time. Good luck in your decision.

Bill


15 years I have been buying tools both hand and power for woodworking and automotive applications. I try to buy products that last, and I still have the majority of power tools that were purchased 10 to 15 years ago with a few exceptions. Gave away 12V Makita from when they first came out, 1998? Present 18V Makita still purring and strong along with a few other Makitas. Tiawanese Delta 36-600 didn't last 11 years without trouble, sold that to someone who is still using it, replaced with used Delta 34-444. I am Anti-PRC and I do my best to avoid their products. And I am a very firm believer in paying for quality, and buying it right the first time.

[lowell holmes]

My 12 volt Ridgid drill has battery issues and it's not a year old.

[William M Johnson]

I would go for the track saw, but I evaluated all of them and bought the EZ Smart System - many advantages over the Festool and Dewalt, including price.

But you cannot get it at HD so I guess that means the impact driver. I have the Ridgid. It is a great tool.

Bill J

[Frank Warta]

I refuse to buy any of their stuff. You can get the same thing at Harbor Freight coming from the same county. And its a ripoff. Prime example, you can get a cheaper version of the Milwaukee Hole Hawg made in the same factory from Harbor Freight. Ryobi, Ridgid and Milwaukee are all under TTI/One World Technologies.

This one is interesting, I get that you don't want to support PRC and on a humanitarian level (maybe not the angle you're looking at) I can understand that. Without devolving this into a political debate though your comment about the hole hawg caught my attention. When I look at the specs on the HF version they don't line up to any of the Milwaukee versions. Maybe HF is just selling an older rev? I know the body's look identical but it looks like it definitely has a different transmission and probably a different motor then anything sold under the Milwaukee umbrella. Basically I was just wondering if this was some kind of inside knowledge you had or an assumption because they look so similar?

[Mike Wellner]

I would go for the track saw, but I evaluated all of them and bought the EZ Smart System - many advantages over the Festool and Dewalt, including price.

But you cannot get it at HD so I guess that means the impact driver. I have the Ridgid. It is a great tool.

Bill J


Not Home Depot, but a local store called LM Fleet

The kit looks attractive, so I may lean towards it.