Cordless Power Tools!?

SKILL

SKILL

SKILL

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
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Location
Melksham
I've been thinking about this for a while but a recent death of a beloved cordless drill has moved this into the forefront a bit :p

So I'm now looking to get a cordless drill and I'll probably at the same time an impact wrench to go with it.

For my uses honestly I could probably get away with any old cheap chinese stuff but the thing that I'd like some advice on is the 'ranges' essentially, so looking at things like the Milwaukee M18 stuff which includes the basics like drills and impact wrenches but also has angle grinders and torches and air compressors and sanders and polishers and etc etc etc, but what manufacturer has the 'best' range and I guess what manufacturer is most likely/proven to add to/expand that range over time?

I'm posting here because although the drill is more used for DIY than motors the majority of the tools I'd probably end up buying are for car maintenence/repair etc so more focussed on that side of things than say a more DIY focussed range...

Any thoughts?
 
I have a lot of Ryobi tools both corded and cordless, seem to do the job for me but I'm not running a garage/construction business. They are made by the same people as make Milwaukee tools (TTI).

DeWalt etc are a level up but they seem to be significantly more expensive and for a DIYer its not worth the money IMO.
 
It is all pretty much the same, and you can get converters for the batteries to cross pollinate.

Grab a Milwaukee kit - you get a combi drill and an impact gun with a 2x batteries for like £230 (or did). Check HUKD.
 
For sheer range of available products you’ll struggle to beat Ryobi.

Personally I’m invested in Milwaukee now, started out with M18 and have branched out into M12 and honestly I prefer the M12 stuff in many cases. Unless you actually need really high power it’s usually good enough but without being as heavy and unwieldy. Impact guns are a case in point, the M12 gun gets used for most day to day jobs on the car and is the one I take to the track, the M18 gun only comes out for cracking off hub nuts and really crusty suspension bolts.
 
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The Ryobi One+ range does look really good and that's just from a quick scan, gonna have to look closer at that.

Also hadn't even considered adaptors, make sense though so something to consider :)

@kaiowas Odd you say that as I've just started going through the M12 range as well, guess that rules out some adaptor stuff but they do look good with the smaller tools. I'd be pretty similar to you as well where at the track, and even most day-to-day stuff in the garage, I won't need that much torque or anything so the size is appealing. I do also have air tools in the garage/drive including an impact wrench which kinda affects things, but then you've got the air hose and I'd assume at least the M18/One+ and possibly even the M12 could beat the air wrench in max torque stuff.
 
Take you pick, all the big brands are pretty much equal to each to go with the best deals.

My first drill combo impact pack I bought was Bosch Pro (was drill and impact and three batteries for under £200 in cases so a steal )and since then I bought all further tools to match so the chargers and batteries are the same.

I wish i had gone Milwaukee though. They are great kit and have some items that Bosch dont do.
 
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dewalt ftw over here. you can get some good deals on twin or multi packs from places like screwfix or toolstation etc,,
 
Cheers for all the input.

Not quite decided, last night I was looking between the Ryobi and Milwaukee stuff, seems at a very high level that the Ryobi is more DIY/Household stuff (but does include things like impact wrenches) and Milwaukee is more Automotive/Workshop oriented, so the latter appeals but also the Ryobi is a chunk cheaper than the stuff I was looking at (not quite an apples to apples comparison though). Part of it does also seem what 'starter kits' are available, e.g. the ones that include 1+ tools, 1+ batteries and a charger...

Now looking at DeWalt, Bosch and Makita ranges for more fun reading :D

I'm sure I'll decide 'soon' :p
 
I like Greebo started with Bosch pro, although I dont have much brand loyalty.
I added another bosch combi drill earlier this year and its quite surprising how things move on. Its smaller, lighter, better chuck etc
If you buy the tools when on offer you actually pay very little for the batteries so best to just do that.
I now have 3x bosch pro batteries, 2x2ah and 1x4ah I would struggle to need more. I used almost all that at the allotment drilling 8mm holes through breeze blocks to attach my greenhouse to and by the time I had drilled that my arms ached like hell (only took like 45mins as the work was hard so batteries drained quickly), i needed to go home for a rest!
Its another consideration as well like some have mentioned in that the drill with a 4ah is noticeably more unwieldy than with a 2ah
For the vast majority of the time a 2ah will be fine and now I tend to use that unless its really heavy going

When I need to do proper drilling though I now just dont mess about and break out the mains SDS. I mean yeah it feels like a ball ache getting the extension etc out, but it goes through my hard brick so easily it takes longer to get the extension run than do the drilling
I would consider a battery SDS but really I so rarely drill my brick that its not money well spent

Agree on milwaukee offering more stuff than Bosch who seem to be more firmly in the "normal" tools area.
They are expanding a bit more though recently I noticed
 
Always used Makita. Only because my dad gave me a cordless Makita drill and since then I’ve expanded my collection, impact driver, angle grinder, circular saw, multi tool etc. I have no complaints they all work well.

Honestly though I think all of them have a good range and really I’d just pick your favourite colour or whichever ones you can get on offer at the time you buy.
 
If I wasn't so invested in Parkside stuff, I'd probably go for Ryobi. They seem to be really pushing what could be done with common batteries. They're the first to add a solar charger afaik.
 
Have been looking for months, but haven't needed a drill yet so have just waited and waited.

Like the look of the M12 stuff but its not cheaper than M18 so what's the point.

Have looked for Ryobi stuff but haven't really seen any cheaper deals either than the Dewalt bundle offers that you get on the likes of Screwfix.

Have looked for drill only kit (no impact driver, will get little use tbh), but its not much cheaper than buying the bundle.
 
If you want a variety of kit, I'd go for makita e.g. I have cordless lawnmower, hedge trimmer.


I have some ryobi tools (eg a pole hedge trimmer, reciprocating saw) and battery adaptor as it was cheaper, but honestly the quality of finish and handling is a lot lower. It feels very fischer price compared to makita.

Id say makita /dewalt/milwaukee/bosch are all a step above the diy brands like ryobi Parkside etc.
 
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I've been working on my Parkside collection for a little while now. Some of the rarer items I've had to get shipped in form abroad. There's still a few bits that I'm on the lookout for. I'd like a few more of the 40v / performance range which are quite a step up in power and quality from the standard stuff. They cost a lot more though.

So far I've managed to accumulate....

Performance range
40v Hedge trimmer
40v Bush cutter
12v Drill
20v SDS drill
20v Reciprocating saw

Standard range
Chainsaw
Pole saw
Hedge trimmer
Garden blower
Lawn mower (+ spare)
Jet wash
Car polisher
Impact wrench
Combi Drill
12v Angled drill
12v Stapler
12v Jigsaw
Multi purpose tool
Orbital sander
Plunge saw
Circular saw
Planer
Type inflator + air pump
20v Soldering iron
20v Jigsaw & sabre saw
Usb + led adapter
2x Work lights
Handheld vacuum
Coffee maker
4v Grass trimmer
4v Glue gun
4v Handheld sander
4v Rotary tool
 
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Got a few Ryobi bits for general stuff which is fine.

I think from now on I'll be heading more towards DeWalt as it just feels more, well, powertooly if I get my backside in gear to do all those projects I keep meaning to do.
 
Dont see the value:

Ryobi kit - brushed motors

Dewalt bundle - brushless only £60 more.
www.screwfix.com

DeWalt DCK2060M2T-SFGB 18V 2 x 4.0Ah Li-Ion XR Brushless Cordless Twin Pack - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Versatile twin pack comprised of a brushless combi drill and brushless impact driver. Both tools feature all-metal gearboxes and bright white LED work lights. The combi drill features 15-position adjustable torque settings with screwdriving, drill driving and hammer...
www.screwfix.com www.screwfix.com

.

But what is annoying is the Dewalt £200 kit (reduced from £250) comes with 2x 4Ah batteries, and the kit with 2x 2AH batteries is the same price. It should be £50 cheaper then I would buy it.
 
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danlightbulb said:
Dont see the value:

Ryobi kit - brushed motors

Dewalt bundle - brushless only £60 more.
www.screwfix.com

DeWalt DCK2060M2T-SFGB 18V 2 x 4.0Ah Li-Ion XR Brushless Cordless Twin Pack - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Versatile twin pack comprised of a brushless combi drill and brushless impact driver. Both tools feature all-metal gearboxes and bright white LED work lights. The combi drill features 15-position adjustable torque settings with screwdriving, drill driving and hammer...
www.screwfix.com www.screwfix.com

.

But what is annoying is the Dewalt £200 kit (reduced from £250) comes with 2x 4Ah batteries, and the kit with 2x 2AH batteries is the same price. It should be £50 cheaper then I would buy it.
Click to expand...

You are looking for the

DEWALT DCK2062D2T​


There is one on ebay, it's a factory reconditioned unit, for £165, free p&p

I have bought DeWalt reconditioned before now and they are basically brand new.
 
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