tool failure review

[Neal Clayton]

makita bhp451 18v drill (the green one).

tore up the gears just this morning after ~3 years of daily use. new gear assembly costs 57 dollars online. batteries and charger still going strong.

so i suppose that's the general amount of time one could expect before a failure.

not bad, imo.

bought a second one to keep my helper going and ordered the part for the old one.

[Will Overton]

Maybe longer with sharp drill bits and proper pilot holes.

[Jerome Stanek]

My Dewalts are going strong after 16 years of everyday use just need hew batteries every so often.

[glenn bradley]

I've got a Makita that has been running for 10 years and a DeWalt for 8 (rebuilt batteries in both). The DeWalt was used when I got it.

[David Helm]

Been using my Milwaukee 18V for over ten years (including screwing down many, many deck boards, cedar, trek and other composites and Ipe). Been through 6 batteries and am on my second charger. The drill just keeps on going. Three years seems short to me.

[Harold Burrell]

I've been using my stanley for almost 30 years now. No problems.

Oh, wait...

You're talking about power tools, aren't you. Sorry.

Well...mine is cordless.

[Steve Griffin]

Yep, nothing here to be concerned about. 3 years of daily use, most tools need rebuild or replace. I'm surprised your batteries are still good--don't expect them to make it much longer.

My experience with Makita brand longetivity is very good. My almost 20 year old makita circular saw, my 10 year old drills and 8 year old bisquit jointer and router have outlasted most other colors of tool I own.

-Steve

[joseph merz]

i get ruffly 2yrs to my batteries . the 14v milwaukee impact had the motor replaced i believe 3 times . but that was over some 6 years . had 8 batteries .3 chargers . i was sending in those batteries for rebuilds mostly ,tried new ones and generic . rebuilds cost less and seemed to last as long .this time i bought a panisonic ,hoping the insides are better . bearings and such.

[Will Blick]

this is a good thread, I always wondered how the different makers faired in longevity...of course, I assume the comments above are about cordless only, as the corded tools are in a different class...

I have had bad luck with Makitas, battery life and the drills seem to weaken quickly, become a bit unstable. Switched to Bosch, slightly better than Makita, both the longevity and stability of the tools, specially their impactors. Still, it seems after 2 - 3 years, replacement is ineveitable. I consider most of my tools as low to mid usage. They are treated very well as they don't travel.

I have heard the Pannasonics are the best built drills...but never used one.

[Neal Clayton]

Maybe longer with sharp drill bits and proper pilot holes.

that would make too much sense!

most of that 3 years was driving deck screws and trim screws into old growth yellow pine (hard to get a screw through) without pilot holes so that contributed, i'm sure

Yep, nothing here to be concerned about. 3 years of daily use, most tools need rebuild or replace. I'm surprised your batteries are still good--don't expect them to make it much longer.

-Steve

this particular model came with two batteries and one standalone charger. if it were a single battery probably so, but with two you're alternating back and forth so...

[Tom Walz]

Sort of related

I took 3 Makita power packs in a portable, sliding, compound, miter saw and bought a bunch of fir 2x4’s. I made cuts, avoiding knots, let the power packs fully recharge and did it again.

In thirteen tests (a test started with a full charge and ended when the saw wouldn’t cut);
Power Pack One made 1062 cuts for an average of 76 per charge.
Power Pack Two made 1004 cuts for an average of 72 per charge.
Power Pack Three made 1169 cuts for an average of 84 per charge.

[Ron Kellison]

makita bhp451 18v drill (the green one).

tore up the gears just this morning after ~3 years of daily use. new gear assembly costs 57 dollars online. batteries and charger still going strong.

so i suppose that's the general amount of time one could expect before a failure.

not bad, imo.

bought a second one to keep my helper going and ordered the part for the old one.

This reminds me of my Grandfather's double-bitted axe. He swore it was the best axe he had ever owned. He was using his second head and third handle but as far as he was concerned it was still the same axe!

[Ron Kellison]

I have a Dewalt 14.4v drill that is on its second pair of Ni-CAD batteries after 4 years of moderate use. The current set of batteries is just over 18 months old. One of those is now showing problems holding a charge. I was muttering dark thoughts when I discovered that my local HD was selling a Ridgid 18-volt Li-Ion with 2 batteries, a 20 minute charger and a carry bag (no plastic!) for $99. Easy decision!! Now I'll just have to remember to register it for the "lifetime" service warranty.