Long story short, yesterday I woke up to a flooded basement. I got everything to a point where I could go to bed and finish up today, and one of the things I need to do is drill a hole in my outflow pipe to prevent air locking. I grabbed my Craftsman charger, and found that I'm now down to one serviceable battery, which started my search for a new tool set. Kobalt makes a true 24 volt system with lithium ion batteries, brushless tools, impressive specs, and a great price. But Dewalt, Milwaukee, and the like have been around longer and are battle tested. I'm just curious if anyone here has had any experience with the Kobalt tools, good or bad. It's tough going off internet reviews, as brand loyalty seems to play a bigger role in the tool world than even the Ford vs. Chevy wars in the car world!
I can't say for Kobalt, but Lowes does back up their stuff real well. I've been using my Dewalt 20 volt for the last four years and still going strong.
Contractors all seem to use dewalt. My father in law used to do a bunch of heavy installs for filing systems and he tried a handful of others but always went back to dewalt as the others would die or has less availability of batteries. That being said the dewalts get heavier quicker than some of the li-ion options bit they are built very well. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
It really depends on the amount of use to justify the cost. If you only use it 3 to 4 times a year the Kolbat may be fine. If your into heavy usage go with the big three Dewalt, Makita or Milwaukee; in that order.
Milwaukee stuff crushes everyone. Drills, impacts, and saws have twice the power of Dewalt or Makita. The only thing I’m not sure about are the 1.5 or 2.0 batteries, if you go that route. The 5.0 and 9.0 batteries last forever Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I bought a low priced Ryobi LiIon drill maybe 8 years ago and love it. I'm mostly using it as a screw driver and for light drilling for weekend house projects, and for any serious drilling I use my corded drills. But I am impressed with the battery life and the quickness of the charging system. An unused battery seems to hold a full charge for weeks, and dead batteries charge in about an hour. I dont have any Kobalt tools, but I imagine they are similar to Ryobi. I was looking at Milwaukee in the hime center yesterday and noted how small they were. These newer high priced tools are more compact and lighter weight, which are nice features to consider if you can afford them. For me, I'll spend my money expanding the variety of tools in my collection. I have my eye on a new cordless circular saw.
There's a time and place for cordless tools. Having spent nearly twenty years installing a product the at hung on sheetrock screws, I saw Porter Cable, Dewalt, Panasonic, and other brands of cordless screw guns. They all have a lifespan on the batteries. Just so many cycles until they won't hold a charge. Purchasing two replacement batteries cost about the same as a new tool, charger, and two more batteries. If an enterprising company would make a corded replacement for the battery pack I'd be interested.
I looked at replacement batteries. It's cheaper for me to buy new tools than replacing batteries for the set I have...
Im UK based so never heard of Kobalt sorry so I cant say too much, I have just upgraded to a DeWalt 18v brushless (had Ryobi for years) The DeWalt seems good (I say seems, as I got it at 20% off) as with buying it on a deal I have not had chance to use it yet, most times in past tools have been bought for a certain job or project in mind.
It all depends on what you plan on doing with your tools. For general home maintenance, any of them are sufficient. When I was younger with young kids at home, price was the deciding factor. I have had a Ryobi cordless for years and would like to replace it with a Dewalt, Mikita, or Milwaukee when the time comes. Sent via Tapatalk
Interesting factoid in Aussie Dewalt are not allowed to sell the cordless system as 20v because they are 18v.... same drills same battery pack just labeled differently. Very good drills I have 2 and a grinder and two impact drivers. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Side note. The li ion sets while light and capable of higher speeds also don't give a ton of warning before they die. In my experience they slow down a small amount and then stop working where the other battery options will slow but continue to run. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
After using and throwing away multiple brands of cordless tools I’m really impressed with Dewalt. I used them for years with my last job and they always worked well. For home use I’ve gone through Black and Decker and Craftsman drills and will not buy them again. I’m still limping along with a large Ryobi set I bought years ago but have had to replace the batteries. Before working any any project I would have to make sure I had both batteries charged because they never seemed to last long. I got a Dewalt 20volt drill as a gift a few years ago. I can use that sucker all day long and it holds a charge for at least 6 months. I’ll eventually replace all my cordless tools with Dewalt. On a side note, I still use only powered circular saws and Sabre saws. The batteries on those guys always seem to go too fast. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
My problem is I am cheap which always seems to cost me a lot more in the long run. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
My brand of choice over the 25 plus years of wood working has been Dewalt (palm sander, orbital random sander, drills/bits). Nothing against other brands mentioned so far. I just like the service the Dewalts have given me over the years and see no reason to change brands.
Interesting you should mention woodworking tools. My Ryobi orbital sander just died and I am going to be looking at a Dewalt as a replacement. Sent via Tapatalk
I do not believe you will go wrong with the Dewalt. They have been good for me. I have sanded everything from Ironwood to soft white pine with great results.
