We have Ryobi 18 volt ONE+
Started with the vacuum cleaner and added a drill/driver and a light.
These work great but the drill/driver is huge and the vacuum is loud.
[OP]
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We have Ryobi 18 volt ONE+
Started with the vacuum cleaner and added a drill/driver and a light.
These work great but the drill/driver is huge and the vacuum is loud.
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Milwaukee is probably top of the heap right now. If My old Makita’s start crapping out, that’s the way I’d go.
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DeWalt 18 volt and now 20 volt. However the 12 volt line is looking better all the time
Almost switched to Milwaukee 12volt and still think it might have been a better move than the 20volt DeWalt
Ron
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I started with DeWalt a long time ago and stayed with them because of the battery lock-in.
Mike
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
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Years ago I started out with Ridgid because of their Limited Lifetime Service Agreement. Their unavailability of many consumable parts turned me off on that brand. I have since switched to mostly Makita and Milwaukee and haven't been disappointed by either brand yet.
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I started years ago with ryobi and have probably 20 of their 18v tools. But also have milwaukee 12v drill and driver, and a makita router.
Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything.
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Makita and Festool for corded power tools. But any cordless tools I buy now are Milwaukee 12v, they are increasingly dominating the market (particularly for mechanics tools.) I still have Milwaukee 18v for the heavy stuff (recip etc) and the lights, though. Note that for the warranty you should be buying them from an authorized dealer (amazon is not an authorized dealer for Milwaukee.) HD, Acme etc are. HD seems to get the new tools faster than other vendors, FWIW.Originally Posted by Dave Sweeney
I still have a number of Dewalt 20v tools, but tool for tool they are being edged out by Milwaukee now.
Last edited by Doug Dawson; 04-05-2021 at 11:37 AM.
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The thing I appreciate about Ryobi is they have kept battery compatibility between generations. (I have an unusable DeWalt driver that is unusable because of their battery lock-out!) I think the new Ryobi brushless tools are a significant improvement within their line, though they don't seem to be quite as heavy duty as the DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Makita.
I spent some time looking at the 12V lines because I wanted a more compact driver. Clearly Milwaukee 12V tests the most powerful in that range, but I found it as large as the Makita Compact 18V tools and very heavy for its size. I ended up with a Bosch even though it's the wimpiest in reviews because it was also the physically smallest and I figured it was powerful enough the tasks I wanted it for.
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I like the bosch stuff they are very well made, cons with bosch are its not available in person for most of the stuff, its also a much smaller family, and the batteries are expensive. I have brute drill, impactor, bandsaw(like this for the size 2-1/4 opening is perfect for 2" copper), and grinder.
I also have the milwaukee 18v stuff. Not as high quality IMHO. Most of the outdoor stuff is great for small yards or if you have to cleanup after landscaper, I also have drill/impactor for truck, area light is pretty amazing, and i have pex cutter/2 expanders. I do like that there are a ton more tools in this system
Festool Very High quality, very limited options
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I started many years ago with Dewalt tools and have been very happy with them.
Like most, I've continued expanding with them mainly because of all the batteries that I already have, but I've yet to be disappointed with any of the tools.
Dewalt now has over 200 products that use the 20V battery, so it looks like I might need to build a garage extension soon.
It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
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I add my vote for Makita 18V; but, I can't speak for the entry-level tools. Over the past 15 years, they keep getting better. For corded, I prefer Bosch.
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I gave up trying to stick to one ecosystem. At some point I realized that (in my situation) choosing one brand was a self-imposed, artificial limitation.
I started with DeWalt 20V, and that's where the bulk of my core tools are. I definitely like the ability to throw a 60v battery on the hammer drill or grinder when I need it.
However I finally broke down and bought some Ryobi stuff (glue gun, nailer) for things that DeWalt doesn't make or were lightly used that I didn't feel the need to blow out the budget. I also have a Bosch FlexiClick, which is a great solution for which DeWalt doesn't have an option. I probably could have just switched to Milwaukee, but that was going to be more costly than just being in multiple ecosystems.
Since I'm a hobbyist, I honestly never run into problems. If I were running a shop/business where multiple people needed tools and I needed a bunch of batteries for continuous use, it could be problematic.
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I use DeWalt 20v with a couple of 60Vs, I converted from their previous nicad line when they released the lawnmower. I've also got 12V Bosch tools, since they're nice, and I REALLY liked the design of the trim router.
In both cases it is because of a specific tool, and nothing else. Generally speaking the big names in this space won't let you down, so what you need to do is check on some of the more esoteric tools that might only be available in one of two lines. For example, I believe Milwaukee is the only line with a cordless soldering iron. DeWalt is (or was) the only line with a Lawn Mower (I'm aware of E-Go, and the new Ryobi, but they're not Bosch/Milwaukee/Makita/DeWalt).
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I'm pretty heavily invested in the Dewalt 20v lineup. I chose them after seeing Dewalt's long term support of the 18v line. I'm just about ready to start replacing things and will be switching to Milwaukee because they have a more complete ecosystem. To be honest, the only thing I absolutely had to have to stay with Dewalt was a right angle impact driver. I could have lived with a separate group for my automotive needs, but not having the right angle driver in my quiver is getting to me.
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In the past I have had Proter Cable and Makita. I currently have 18V and 12V Bosch. Over Christmas I bought into the DeWalt 20V becuase I wanted a couple of cordless nailers for indoor trim after I replaced all the Flooring. I also wanted a string trimmer so that also figured into the deal. I haven't had any issue with any of them so choose the tools that you might want now and in the future and go with that. I think you will be fine with about any of them.
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