Anybody looking to put up or repair fence look into the Milwaukee fence stapler. Looked at one in a small town where they had a big hedge post to staple to in the store. Wow! And big heavy staples!
https://www.protoolreviews.com/milwaukee-m18-fuel-utility-fencing-stapler/ (https://www.protoolreviews.com/milwaukee-m18-fuel-utility-fencing-stapler/)
neat. I love staples, but not much fence to do around here (my house). one big project would make that a no brainer.
Same here. I was surprised how heavy duty the staples were. All these different electric tools are pretty impressive and effective now
I've got an electric Hitachi nailer, and it is amazing. I've got many air nailers (we used to build and trim houses) and I never use them anymore.
I just got a battery grease gun, a battery leaf blower (It's OK) and a battery weed eater.
Since I sold the farm I no longer do fencing but I still like looking. I've gradually started decommissioning my old Makita battery tools and replacing with Milwaukee M18. Last month my brother and I went to our cabin to mow and I took my M18 Fuel string trimmer along and after using it my brother ordered one and said he's selling his gas trimmer.
Milwaukee is great stuff, I have a lot of their tools in both the M12 and M18 platform. We used a lot of air finishing staplers, nailers, and framers before they started to really dial in these cordless platforms, we've never looked back. I purchased the M18 framing nailer when we started the new sawmill build and it has not missed a beat. Heavier than air but worth the weight to get rid of the hose, IMO. Never used the fence stapler, but I'll bet it works well. Looks like a beast. Let us know how it works, once you pull the trigger :).
After hand stapling some chicken wire stuff to the bottom of my barn (to help keep critters out) for 40 feet I'd decided that hand stapling was no way to live. I went and got a power stapler from HF. It's nowhere near as beefy as that Milwaukee but for the job I'm doing it doesn't need to be. Either way they are a treat on the hands and muscles. Much easier and much faster.
I am in the process of switching all my battery tools from Dewalt to Milwaukee. For light fencing I bought the m18 narrow crown stapler that works awesome. I also picked up the m12 t50 type staples for upholstery work that is awesome. Picking up the 23 ga pin nailer next. It's unbelievable how well the m18 tools perform with great battery life plus they care about ergonomics.
Looks like a nice product! With many projects here at our place 20 years ago I bought a Paslode Framing nailer and what a time saver, even lets you hold lumber with one hand and drive the nail home at the same time.
Sure wish that this fence staple gun had been around then as we built quite a bit of fence, with several mashed fingers from holding the staples😬😬
I've been getting an assortment of Milwaukee M12 tools, and I'm very impressed with the performance. All of my 18 volt (20 volt Max🙄) stuff is Dewalt, which for the most part has served me well. I feel myself drawn toward the M18 tools...
I'm pretty pleased with the M18 grease gun I have and the M18 cordless circular saw I just got. The saw is very quiet, which made me think it was not going to work or have the power needed but so far it's tearing through anything I throw at it, and I'm much more likely to grab it since I can take it anywhere.
Love this generation of battery tool options. I personally have dwalt. I like the fact that the 60v platform batteries run the 20v platform as well.
Watched a very well done video yesterday. Apparently Milwaukee thought it would be a great idea to reengineer their 1/2" impact. Went from the absolute best one on the market to worse than HF junk. There are videos of guys in Home Depot parking lots with store managers standing there breaking tool after tool trying to remove lug nuts off a passenger car.
Why do companies do such things?
Yeah I heard about problems with their new impact too. I bet heads are rolling😬
The newer version looked like it was cheaper to manufacture. They said Milwaukee was eagerly looking into the problem. If they don't make it right, it will cost them dearly.
Interesting. I'm glad I got two before they were "improved ". Big daddy and momma bear both work great.
My buddy the log truck driver bought a Milwaukee cordless grease gun, says it is the best investment he ever made. A messy job that used to take an hour is now twenty minutes. I have a Ridgid cordless drill that saved a lot of aggravation when I rebuilt my fifth wheel travel trailer, no more dropping the extension cord. ;D
Sawguy- I agree, just in the name of not worrying much about priming the grease gun makes it worth while.
That is the main benefit of the cordless Milwaukee grease gun to me- it primes immediately. I've had manual grease guns nearly send me into fits of rage before because they refused to prime!
For a simple thing, a grease gun can be maddening at times. I think I've learned how to head off most problems now, but it only took me 70 years. Guess I'm a slow learner. Happy to be in the battery world now, but I still use a couple old ones with special types of grease.
Don't get me wrong, my Milwaukee grease gun is far superior than the Lincoln it replaced, and it is a great place to store empty tubes of grease and dead batteries. :D
What was wrong with the Lincoln grease gun and what v batteries
The Lincoln was OK, replaced the trigger and the pump motor over time, felt like I should have gotten more service life out of it for what I paid but it was OK.
The Milwaukee is just better, pumps faster, with more pressure, and is simple to bleed unlike the Lincoln.
On the impact they replaced a fully caged planetary gear drive with three little pins about the size of the ones that are on the WM debarker in and out motor. They don't last in that application so why would one think they would work in an impact is beyond me.
I agree, I was so proud to buy the Lincoln and thought I was paying for the top quality tool. it disappointed more than anything, maybe expectations were too high. I just use manual guns now. when i think I might use it, the batt. is dead off the charger, even though not used.
I own a variety of battery tools. Its hard to go outside of one brand as you have to also have to get the charger, the battery and the tool. Like printer cartridges, they get to your wallet with the batteries.
I have a large set of Dewalt tools that work well. I bought them during one of their big specials at Home Depot. Buy the 4 piece set and get two more tools free or a tool and batteries. So I of course got the batteries. I use the hammer drill all the time to remove lug nuts. It also really helped assembling my HM130max mill with all its nylon lock nuts.
My only Milwaukee tool is the branch trimmer. The battery charge lasts a long time and surprised me for the work it was doing.
The Stihl Hedge Trimmer is an internal battery and its better than average. The trimmer is pretty light, cuts well.
Ryobi Battery caulking gun. Great time saver. As the load on the battery for this isn't much, I don't know what to say about Ryobi.
I was disappointed in my Hitachi Small drill batteries. One battery was defective out of the box and sometimes the battery isn't charged even though the charger indicator light stops flashing. It does charge fast when it does work. The drill itself is a good tool.
One other thing I did was buy a micro spot welder(its pricey) and rebuilt some battery packs. Some old Black & Decker stuff was reborn and a battery powered air mattress inflator was saved as well. Its pretty good, if I have a job where I'm drilling a pilot hole, then driving a wood screw in I have multiple drills to switch between with multiple batteries.
I have the 20 volt Porter-Cable drill and driver set and have had good luck with them.
I also have a Ryobi 18 volt ONE + hand planer that came with 2 -- 3 amp hour batteries. And a good charger.
I then bought a combo set of Ryobi tools that include a drill, saws-all, and a 5 1/2" saw. It was a buy 2 get one free from HD. However, it only came with 1-- 1.5 amp hour battery and a slow over-night charger. But they are ONE + tools and i can use the 3 amp hour batteries in them as well. So for now I am good with the Ryobi purchases.
Interesting on the Milwaukee impact, o bought one a couple months ago, and so far I've not had any issues. I really like my Milwaukee grease gun, too, but I've not put a lot of time on either tool. It does prime easily and is easy to refill.
You will be able to tell from your model number, he explains it in the video.
https://youtu.be/iusvoa21daq (https://youtu.be/iusvoa21daq)
No he doesn't. ;D
IIRC it's an A or B designation in the code, he shows a picture of the box with the number difference.
If there was an Olympic event for a grease gun tossing contest, I'd be a gold metal contender. I have a pneumatic grease gun that has served me well.
I do have one little complaint about my Milwaukee grease gun - my plunger tends to hang up on the lip of a cartridge even when there's no deformation in the tube. Seems to have more flare than it needs even for bulk loaded grease. I've figured the work around but it's not just as simple as it ought to be.
@blackfoot griz (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=11659) That's funny. My friend's dad had a short fuse, more than one grease gun went across the road into the neighbor's cow pasture.
Being "brand loyal" isn't much of an issue now. Clever Chineese guys with 3d printers make adapters...
I can use my Milwaukee M18 brad nailer on DeWalt 20v batteries.
Dads obsolete 18v nicad Milwaukee tools (they were to powerfull for the batteries) are very happy with the DeWalt batteries also.
Bought mine on Amazon.
DeWalt has made 18v nicad to 20v adapters for a while now...
Ed
The only battery tool I dislike in my battery Dewault weed eater. There's nothing wrong with it, other than it's a weed eater, and hate weedeating..!!
I have the same one, YH. While I dislike weedeating as well, I dislike it less than pulling on the gas one that wouldn't start and then throwing it across the driveway😂
You are right, it starts every time! I can't make excuses anymore.
It needs an optional "I don't want to weed eat today" hidden button or design feature.
You guys are funny.
I'm right with you on priming grease guns. It's amazing that some so simple can be so maddening!
I have a small one just for the mill guide bearings. It will cavitate or not prime with a new tube. I have started putting it in my warmer head down to decreased the viscosity. a couple wraps down on the head and a couple pumps, and you are off to the races.
for guys that use a ton, Lincoln makes a 12 v plug in case that holds 12 cartridges and keeps it warm so it is easier to prime. especially in the winter.
You guys have any issues with the Milwaukee battery chargers?
I recently bought a Milwaukee drill driver to see how I liked it. I have an issue that when I put the battery on the charger it blinks red, green. I believe this is indicating a battery issue. However, it does it with both batteries and if I fool with it long enough it will finally work. The batteries seem to be really loose in the charger. Tool works well, used it to put trailer decking screws in. But the charger sucks big time. Throwing it into a cow pasture may be my Olympic event!
I have that happen occasionally. Seems to be related to the contacts not all connecting. Seems to happen most frequently with the 5ah batteries. I find the 5ah batteries tend to be a little out of spec on the molded cases. I've got five chargers and they all seem to be fine but some batteries can take a little wiggling to connect properly.
We have 13 chargers here. Only time I get that is when a battery is really cold, or just went dead from a high load application. Let them normalize, and they charge.
@samandothers (https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=18664)
I did and it was a silly mistake on my part, to the point where I thought I had a bad battery, so I went and bought a new one. The mistake? I didn't push the battery onto the charger hard enough.
It felt like it clicked in, the lights were doing stuff like you mentioned, and nothing was happening. For whatever reason when I brought the new one home I think I pushed it the same amount to get the same results, then really gave it a shove and it clicked in place much more securely, lights lit up properly and charges like a champ. Now I leave a battery on the charger and one in the grease gun (or circ. saw).
Try pushing harder.
Just so you guys know, leaving batteries in the charger is a bad idea.
Once they are charged the charger turns off and will slowly discharge the battery. They should be removed as soon as they are full charge.
I do that with mine and they will hold a charge for months on end. some of my batteries are over 10 years old and still work great.
I'm not sure about all the brands but the Milwaukee stuff is designed so that it can be left in the charger. No real need to do that with litium ion but won't adversely affect it. Good idea to RTFM for the particular brand. With the old nicads, they shouldn't be left in the charger and they don't maintain a charge very well when sitting aroung either. Double whammy. Lithium ion sure makes life better!
Except for getting flooded in a hurricane. Florida is having a bit of a problem with the battery packs in EV's that took a swim.
Yes, well - I guess it comes down to choices. Choose wisely.
Are there any pictures or reports of ev's self destructing when the batteries submerge? That's a lot current draw when the salt water gets above the battery terminals. Could get exciting..
Yup, that's what is happening, they corrode and ignite.
Man! Good call! An EV car fire is legit, I don't know if water would cause such a thing but... Can you imagine a garage full of them going off at once?
Uh, anyone in charge thinking about such things? Eh, I'm sure they are, don't worry about it!
Torque Test Channel is live now with a letter from Milwaukee. All H96B will be warrenteed with H96A parts.
my battery powered weed wackers never last a year, but somehow always make it past the warranty/return/refund period.
:snowball:
JJ
Have had a weed trimmer since 3/2017, with bump string and battery charger. Has never missed a lick, is all I can say.
Happy with it, for sure. But it is Stihl FSA 56.
For the EV fires in FL, this is one account.
Electric vehicles are exploding from water damage after Hurricane Ian, Florida official warns (https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/electric-vehicles-are-exploding-from-water-damage-after-hurricane-ian)
Appears maybe global warming is the cause? :D :D
Quote from: Southside on October 06, 2022, 07:17:13 PM
You will be able to tell from your model number, he explains it in the video.
https://youtu.be/iusvoa21daq (https://youtu.be/iusvoa21daq)
The video is no longer available
Milwaukee probably paid the guy to take it down 😂
They have a new video up.
Well now isn't that special...
So now EVs are polluting the environment with saline electrolyte and other chemicals being washed away by the fire department. Did you see how long it takes to put out one of these fires? Hours!
Interesting about the adapters for batteries. I hadn't picked up on that. I have a makita drill sitting around with no batteries.
Needed a radio in my side x side and decided to go with a m12 one. Made a quick release mount so I can take it anywhere I am working. Nice sound from a tiny radio.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34694/IMG_2566.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1665321716)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/59695/D4E93D7E-CE3D-4163-93C2-53C0ED2C041A.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1665481824)
Compare dual vs single batteries when shopping. I was looking at this saw it's supposed to be pretty good. Cuts 3 5/8 and is compatible with the Festool rail system. But like someone said on here the cutting side is on the wrong side. Anyway the reviews on the two 18v packs outperformed the 40v single pack models they said. The rpm was faster on the 36v and batteries lasted a little longer than the 40v
Quote from: Crusarius on October 07, 2022, 11:31:33 AM
Just so you guys know, leaving batteries in the charger is a bad idea.
Once they are charged the charger turns off and will slowly discharge the battery. They should be removed as soon as they are full charge.
I do that with mine and they will hold a charge for months on end. some of my batteries are over 10 years old and still work great.
I use DeWalt batteries/tools. I have one fast charger and one regular. Question-
do they act the same toward a battery once fully charged?
Quote from: Southside on October 07, 2022, 01:21:57 PM
Except for getting flooded in a hurricane. Florida is having a bit of a problem with the battery packs in EV's that took a swim.
I have wondered how much moisture my brushless DeWalt tools can take?
Quote from: 21incher on October 09, 2022, 09:27:41 AM
Needed a radio in my side x side and decided to go with a m12 one. Made a quick release mount so I can take it anywhere I am working. Nice sound from a tiny radio.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/34694/IMG_2566.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1665321716)
cell phone gets radio anywhere I go
the charger shouldn't matter. Most companies have built some type of protection into the charger to supposedly prevent the discharge of batteries but from my personal experience they still discharge over time if left on charge.
Quote from: Crusarius on October 11, 2022, 09:16:45 AM
the charger shouldn't matter. Most companies have built some type of protection into the charger to supposedly prevent the discharge of batteries but from my personal experience they still discharge over time if left on charge.
I agree they do discharge or at least Dewalt's do. Now I can just remember to pull them. I have started putting my charged batteries in a box and the dead ones next to the chargers so I know which are which.
also a good idea to bring the batteries inside if you do not have heat in the shop. when they get below a certain temperature they will not charge.
I started in the cordless dark ages with a few Makita 9.6 drills.
They worked good but the long handle couldnt survive a drop on the floor or ground.
Someone mentioned Ridgid cordless drill.
I bought a ridgid drill 20 plus years ago
Lifetime warrantee on EVERYTHING.
Several batteries, one charger and one chuck so far.
The only downside is the servicing dealers near me have stopped handling Ridgid and and I now have to send to a place near RochesterNY.
I also have some Ryobi and DeWalt stuff and an Echo chainsaw.
Cordless rules.
I was going to buy a new in box cordless 40v Ryobi power washer on EBay for 200 bucks less than new but the warranty is five years on the Ryobi and without a store receipt in the fine print they won't warranty it.
make sure you put your receipt in plastic or a book, better yet take a picture.
I find all my receipts from box stores are printed on thermal paper, and turn black or become unreadable.
JJ
Depending on the mfg., many open box but new items are not covered by warranty other than sellers word or the ebay warranty. Having an ebay receipt doesn't work, so the deal has to be VG to make sense. I bought several items that way-most recent was a high dollar cordless titanium saw from DeWalt that was part of an open box deal from an honest seller.
Amazon you get some internal warrantty but not the whole enchilada on Amazon Warehouse deals. I bought a cordless 1/2" impact that was quite obviously "new" looking, never had a bit or socket on the drive, but also not under regular factory warranty. often your better off buying the parts and to fix stuff yourself.
My Makita 5" sander the hook & loop disk is $43 for an OE part, plus SH. An aftermarket, also from Asia is $6, free shipping and takes 3 screws to change one.
That's why I was very hesitant on getting this 600 dollar cordless pressure washer off EBay. https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-40V-HP-Brushless-Whisper-Series-1500-PSI-1-2-GPM-Cold-Water-Electric-Pressure-Washer-w-2-6-0-Ah-Batteries-and-Charger-RY40PW15VNM/318559157 (https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-40V-HP-Brushless-Whisper-Series-1500-PSI-1-2-GPM-Cold-Water-Electric-Pressure-Washer-w-2-6-0-Ah-Batteries-and-Charger-RY40PW15VNM/318559157)This item is new enough there just isn't many for sale except a few brand new in box for almost retail and more. The best deal I found was a brand new one in unopened box for 415 free shipping. I counter offered at 390 and 395 but he was firm. It was a tuff decision because they are not running any sales on that unit and brand new off EBay was a great deal at 400 but through the store you have a five year warranty and the way stuff is made especially a pressure washer with a pump.
I have a RIGID drill & driver set that I bought about 5 years ago and they're still going strong!
It's hard to believe, but there is a lifetime warranty on the set, even a lifetime warranty on the batteries!
Does anyone have or used the Makita grease gun and how do you like it? They were a little late to the game introducing one compared to Milwaukee and dewalt.
I'm on the Makita platform and would like to not have different batteries and chargers kicking around.
I haven't heard anything of them, but I've never really known Makita to put out a dud.
That's kind of my thought. In my opinion the durability of Makita electric motors can't be beat , they're just flat out tough. When it comes to carpentry tools they don't always offer the finer adjustments I was looking for but barring a catastrophe they are very dependable tools.
I have a Lincoln grease gun that runs on meat and potatos and a battery life of 80+ years if properly cared for, it weighs less than anything from Milwaukee, Makita or any of the other planned obsolescence brands.
X2 what barbender said. Being late to the party can be a good thing. Staying with the same batteries as your other tools makes life better.
My vote is to stay with your battery platform. I have all Ridgid here at home and Craftsman at the farm. If I was starting fresh it would be different, but I ain't so it is not. I am not gonna throw tools away. ;D
The last outfit I worked for was kind of a lab for cordless grease guns. Basically 20 machines and every operator had their own grease gun.
We went from Lincoln and Alemite to all Milwaukee over the years. The former would have gear failures a lot of times.
The Milwaukee weren't without issue either, I had one fry the circuit board and the local warranty place was lacking a bit. Installed a new circuit board ("you did troubleshoot to make sure there wasn't something else that caused the board to fry?" "Oh sure, yeah") which promptly cooked🤦 But, overall they held up better than the others, and batteries were cheaper and more readily available.
I haven't been around a Makita grease gun. I have had a Lincoln grease gun since cordless came out and it been a great gun. I run Dewalt cordless tools but did buy a Milwaukee cordless grease gun late last summer on sale. It came with a battery and charger. I wanted another gun for a different grease that I used to use a manual grease gun for. I have put many cases of grease threw the Milwaukee and like it. Probably will buy another when the Lincoln dies.
In my book Makita is junk from my personal experience. I've got a few toters full of 20v stuff. From multiple defective batteries, weak motors on drill, various parts broke on circular saw and reciprocating saw. The two tools that didn't have problems were hand blower and impact driver.
I didn't realize Makita had a 20v line. Thought that was only dewalt. Did you buy the tools from a big box store? I buy all mine from a small authorized Makita dealer, there is a difference in tool quality. The only time I've had issues is when I got in a jam and bought something from the box store. Those tools don't last, I won't buy them there anymore.
X2 what NWG said. All the brands have different tiers just like chainsaws. Usually the big box stores have the lower tier tools. Sometimes the lower tier tools are ok but they don't hold up as well. It takes a little poking around on the manufacturer website to understand the differences and find the right product number. Makita is 18v now, like most of the others. There were some 20v tools from most a few years ago, but now I think Dewalt is the only one making 20v stuff. Shop wisely.
Could you guys give some verifiable examples of big box stores selling different quality tools? I don't mean the obvious pro/homeowner grades, but for instance a Makita pro line impact driver being different quality from two different retailers as it seems is being suggested.
You're right. The BB stores do offer some of the better tier. It comes down to understanding what's what. I find it a bit confusing but that's just me. I just find out the actual product number of the one I want and work from there. With all the deals, specials, promotions, combos, etc., it requires doing some homework. Based on feedback here and from friends and such, it seems like most of the tools offered these days are pretty serviceable especially if you go with a brushless design.
Yes most if the brushless stuff from the big manufacturers is pro grade, so you're usually safe with that.
I've gotten a few duds from different colors of tools. They were covered under warranty.
I bought a Milwaukee 18V battery grease gun and so far it works fine. I have a 12V drill and 3/8" impact wrench for the O P E equipment I work on.
I bought the drill years ago and decided to keep it in the Milwaukee family.
I've ran Dewalt for years just because that's the original platform I got into. I've recently gotten into the Milwaukee 12V line pretty extensively, and I've been pretty impressed by the tools. I honestly think if I was starting over tomorrow it would probably be with red tools.
At one point I was doing carpentry. I started running the Milwaukee 7 1/4 tilt-lok skill saw because I liked their features and how they hung in my hand, bought them at home depot because they were "cheaper" than anywhere I looked. Used to get six months out of one and it was done motor cooked.
Was at the local tool and nail store one day and started asking why their saw was more money. Figured it was just because it was a smaller shop and they couldn't compete which I understand. The owner asked me to get mine out of the truck which I did. To look at them they were identical, then he showed me the product serial plate. Same first numbers but some of the end numbers or letters were different. He explained the differences are all internal. He said if I bought one and didn't see a difference over time he'd refund my money. I bought one and I still have that saw years later, it's beat from being used hard and dropped multiple times yet still runs strong. He convinced me for sure.
Maybe it's just my luck but last year TSC had a Makita sale, had a moment of weakness and grabbed a 3/8 impact thinking it would be handy in the toolbox. Pulled the trigger twice to see it work , third trigger squeeze nothing. Took it back they gave me another one. Got it back to the shop, same exact thing. Returned it and got my money back.
The other thing I've found is the service at any big box store is much less than helpful and flat out frustrating. Not trying to tell people where to shop just saying in my experiences buying from the box stores hasn't worked in my favor.
The other thing to look at is the actual model number like btulloh mentioned. In any brand they offer multiple models of the same tool be it impact, drill or whatever it may be. It can be hard to figure out what's what but there is definitely a difference. Like anything the differences show the longer and harder you use them.
I do agree the possibility of getting a dud is there with anything especially these days yet I do think the odds are less with better quality tools.
From the beginning until now the cordless tool situation has been a trip. As someone else mentioned, I have a couple of 5 gallon buckets full of outdated drills, mostly Makita and B&D.
I started yellow, so sticking with that, and pretty good luck so far. My younger son who is in construction, started out turquoise and is now mostly red.
It is impressive what cordless tools have evolved into. All the brands have certain features I really like even some of the straight homeowner tools have good features.
It's the cost of changing platforms and having to deal with multiple batteries, been down that road it's expensive and a pain all at the same time. That's one thing I like about corded tools, all brands have the same power supply.
For now I'll stay with what I have and use the dickens out of them.
I would go red, but have too much yellow. I still prefer the 18v batts so I can tell when I need a recharge. the Li Ion just quit. some of them are bad out of the box. I prob. have 25 tools. a few have rarely been used. you can get an adaptor for 20 V batt in an 18 V tool. neh!. most used are the drill and impact.
Quote from: newoodguy78 on March 15, 2023, 08:37:12 AM
I didn't realize Makita had a 20v line. Thought that was only dewalt. Did you buy the tools from a big box store? I buy all mine from a small authorized Makita dealer, there is a difference in tool quality. The only time I've had issues is when I got in a jam and bought something from the box store. Those tools don't last, I won't buy them there anymore.
You guys were right it was the 18v lithium ion. Makita was the first ones out with this line and batteries before Dewalt came out with their 20v stuff a few years later.
I don't know if the battery charger or all five batteries are shot but none will charge including two that were several years newer batteries
I've used B&D, Hitachi and Makita in the past. I decided to upgrade a couple of years ago. Home Depot ran this big tool sale where they had all the top brands on sale with package deals. Buy this 5 piece set and get two tools or one tool and the small batteries free. I looked at the different sets and read a bunch of reviews. Milwaukee was so darn expensive, so I opted for the DeWalt set, a free tool and extra batteries. Got a real nice carry bag with it.
I did buy the Milwaukee tree lopper with extension pole and two batteries. Runs a long time on one charge.
Do you happen to have any friends using Makita? I'd be tempted to try those batteries on a different charger, all 5 not charging makes me a little suspicious.
I seem to recall you grabbing a red circular saw quite often over any other earlier this year :D
Oh yeah that one's a runner, I really liked that saw. Good thing it didn't take my batteries it might've ended up in a certain gang box northbound :D :D
I might just buy a charger and see
There is also a problem with lithium batteries if they discharge below a certain level. To the charger they appear "faulty", like a shorted cell. If you try and force a charge into a lithium battery with a shorted cell, it will probably catch fire. The charger doesn't know, so it just refuses to charge.
Sometimes it's possible to "jump start" a cell, get some charge into it, and then the charger recognises it as "OK" and will recharge it. Problem is that if it's actually a shorted cell, it catches fire. Exercise caution.
I have a lot of yellow batteries, some that are 4 or 5 years old. I had a couple times when a battery wouldn't charge. Might have been the same one, need to mark it next time. Anyhow, I just repeatedly kept putting it on and off the charger until it got above the minimum voltage for the charger to work.
I learned with my M18 stuff and I think it was mike belben saying they will not charge if they are cold. I found this to be correct.
On cordless I can't say. On corded tools yeah, the big box stuff is inferior. I've been through a half dozen or so Makita corded saws, same models and Ikeep the trashed ones for parts till there is nothing worthwhile left. I bought one at Lowes in a pinch. When it died shortly after, yup it is different inside and not better.
I went Kobalt a couple of years ago, the batteries are cheaper. The impact is stronger than my corded one. The drills die if you stall them so we've been thru 2 warranty replacements... which is walk in, plop down the old one and grab a new one. I'm not sure who is making those. DeWalt and Craftsman, Bostitch, Stanley, Irwin are B&D. Which at one time was a good company, the old B&D industrial tools were good, but that was yesterday.
I have a Makita skill saw (corded) I got in Albany at a Sam's club. used hard for over 30 years. I use cordless more now. I have two new in box for my kids, so I hope they are good (Lowes 20 years ago). Most of my routers are porter cable cause that is what my dad had. His was corded, a metal housing and a two prong plug. I am always looking for a deal. hard to know now if something is a great deal, as the brand name is no longer a guarantee. The only good thing is the BB stores do not take it personal if you return something.
Looking around the shop this morning. I have two Mall drills 75 years old, a Craftsman 40 years old, and a couple more "batteryless" drills all in perfect working condition. I also have the usual assortment of "cordless" drills. About half have dead batteries no longer manufactured. The good ones have batteries in some stage of decline.
I wonder which type has the best cost per hole? Might be other thoughts on the value/cost of cordless tools.
Don't get me wrong, I want that cordless when I'm outside climbing around on a framing job. At the workbench something with a cord will suit me fine.
It was all air in the shops, that is probably the lowest cost, stall it till you're bored :D