Power tool recs?

[fleaches]

Now that I finally have a garage (and no longer have access to a machine shop) I'm looking to get some power tools for home projects - - jigsaw, circular saw, small drill press, etc. I'll probably mostly be shopping around on Craigslist, but would rather get tools that are decent quality rather than something I'll have to replace in a couple of months. Are there any particular brands/tools that are better than expected for the price? Anything to definitely steer clear of?

Thanks all!

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[stealurface831]

if you are buying a drill press, it better be an old one. anything from the last few decades is shit. i have 2 old deltas. one is from 42', the other from 56'. i also have a delta bandsaw from 36'. they are ridiculously heavy but completely american made and can be had for cheap, too. all i did was replace a few bearings and belts. motors run perfectly almost 100 years later.

[skibrd]

Dewalt and Milwaukee gave both been really good to me personally and at work. Can’t seem to kill either. Salt water and ships are not easy life for tools, but our Dewalt cordless drills seem to hold up to the abuse. Their heavy duty stuff wasn’t as bomber, so we pretty much switched to Milwaukee for the heavier corded saws and heavy duty cordless tools, and that stuff just takes a beating and keeps going.


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[SirVicSmasher]

jigsaw get a Bosch .
circular saw get a magnesium skilsaw
chopsaw Dewalt or makita
drill press something older (like 50 years)
my .002

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[Foggy_Goggles]

chopsaw Dewalt or makita

Bosch GCM12SD...I mean doesn't Dewalt still have the bevel adjust on the back? That's the dark ages.

[adrenalated]

I think it was Foggy that one time recommended to just pick a color of tool and be a dick about it...
I have the red ones (Milwaukee) in both 12V and 18V and they have served me well for the last several years of moderately unskilled remodel projects.

[hutash]

Anybody making some sort of universal charger, or adapters to various chargers?

Now that some many tools are cordless it. makes life convenient, but unfortunately I have a few different tools from different companies, and want to add more, but the proprietary chargers/batteries are a PITA.

[dufferdan]

Anybody making some sort of universal charger, or adapters to various chargers?

Now that some many tools are cordless it. makes life convenient, but unfortunately I have a few different tools from different companies, and want to add more, but the proprietary chargers/batteries are a PITA.

Unfortunately I think at the moment, every company (unless related) has different battery gear.

I have a Skillsaw and a Craftsman compound mitre saw. Drills are older Craftsman 18 and 19.2 volt. I hate waste, so had one battery of the 19.2 volt repackaged for $40. I’ll do the other one as well and both for the 18 volt and give that to a kid. You can re-pack NiCad but not Lithium ion. You can do it yourself, but the gear was 32 bucks, so happy to pay 8 for the labour.

I am sick of storing my tires for $50 per pair per season, so will be buying a decent little air compressor and associated kit (impact wrench, tire filler tools, pressure gauges, etc) before spring. Also a 3 ton vehicle lift.

Full Craftsman ratchet set, drill bit sets, pliers, wrenches, soft grip wrenches (for changing plumbing fixtures with no scratches), micrometer for current...etc...

That stuff has largely been my needed gear for simple home stuff for 30 years. And I am not handy by any means.

If you are keen on actual woodworking, or butchering (band saw!), the other gear would be cool....


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[mattig]

After using an 18v circular saw for years, I upgraded to corded skil mag 77. Night and fucking day.

Love dewalt drills, 20v, brushless, smaller and lighter the better. I understand milwaukee is good too.

Don't care if they're all made in China now. I've beaten the fuck out of that thing and it's like brand new.

If you want to be a real snobby bastard, check out Festool for saws.

And of course you'll need a saw stop table saw, or so I'm told by 7-9 fingered long-time wood workers.

Trigger clamps. Highest ratio of "use it" to "how much I thought I'd use it" of any tool I own.

18v finish nailer isn't far behind.

[North]

They all work. I own something from just about every brand. If going cordless and trying to commit to one brand, make sure they have the tools you want or think you might want in the future. They mostly all have the same cordless offerings, but there are some outliers. For instance, I went Makita because I wanted a tracksaw. Milwaukee has some fun stuff for automotive work (power ratchets, etc.)

[SoVT Joey]

Get the red ones. But seriously do it. I have the battery powered table saw. I never use my plug in one anymore. And all the m12 and m18 power tools.

And I never thought I’d say it but the battery powered weed whacker is pretty sweet for 90% of the time. You just can’t brush cut a field.

I’ve been using Milwaukee for like 8 years now daily. And I’ve broken a lot of shit. And they warranty what they can. The batteries are far better then dewalt. They have a ton more options.

Makita is just as good. They lack some of the general home owners tools for outside but their shop tools are killer.


I was stuck between Milwaukee and Makita and made the choice based on the fact that a lot of the guys i work around use Milwaukee so there is a better chance someone has a tool that someone else doesn’t have in a pinch.

Milwaukee fuel is better but you probably won’t need it for a lot of home projects. It’s higher quality but if you aren’t using it every day you won’t know. I have a regular and fuel skill saw. No difference except a bigger blade by 3/4” and the fuel costs twice as much when I drop it off a ladder to its death.

But definitely buy a old drill press. Or the new grizzly ones are pretty kick ass. Not cheap though.


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[Shred Baron]

Anybody making some sort of universal charger, or adapters to various chargers?

Now that some many tools are cordless it. makes life convenient, but unfortunately I have a few different tools from different companies, and want to add more, but the proprietary chargers/batteries are a PITA.

I’ve seen some adapters to make millwake/dewalt for on to craftsman tools on eBay or amazon. I have no clue if they actually work but they exist. Realistically the actual cells are almost identical between most 18v/20v batteries. They’re a standardized 18650 li-ion cell, but each tool maker buys from different battery maker (Panasonic/ whoever/ cheap chinesium). The electronics may be a bit different to charge and balance between batteries though.


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[cydwhit]

Get the red ones. But seriously do it. I have the battery powered table saw. I never use my plug in one anymore. And all the m12 and m18 power tools.

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Another vote for the red ones, and old drill presses. I can't believe the hell I've put my M18 tools through, and they just keep ticking. Slowly expanding within that ecosystem since, as mentioned, they're probably the most comprehensive for carpentry, auto, and general home stuff.

That said, I'm pretty intrigued by the Metabo HPT stuff (used to be Hitachi). Their MultiVolt system allows you to use their tools with the battery or corded, which is pretty slick for some jobs. For example, when I'm screwing off a deck, I'd love to be able to just plug in my impact driver instead of destroying the battery.

[DolphinSki]

As someone who recently was in your same spot, I'll say go with the red ones. So far I've been really happy with my Milwaukee tools the last few months.

Also, I've found I want everything to be cordless. Maybe it's because my shop is small and I do a lot of work in my backyard, but from now on I'm buying pretty much everything I can cordless.

[old goat]

And of course you'll need a saw stop table saw, or so I'm told by 7-9 fingered long-time wood workers.

Saw Stop saws are very nice, even if it didn't have the brake.. I use one at the Truckee Roundhouse and a neighbor has the contractor's model. But just because you have a Saw Stop doesn't mean you can skip the guard. Every time you trigger the saw you have to buy a new brake and probably replace the blade. About$150. If you can't use the guard because it's not a through cut, at least use the splitter to help prevent kickbacks, along with a featherboard. The Saw Stop brake system doesn't prevent kcikbacks.
If you think you'll be switching between a regular blade and a dado set frequently maybe don't buy the Saw Stop--because you have to change and recalibrate the brake every time you go back and forth.

[EWG]

There are a ton of threads on this already.

Someone brought it up below, but different brands have different sweet spots.

Bosch for jigsaws. No question.
Milwaukie or Makita for cordless hand power tools. I have Makita. I like it better but it's personal preference.
Milwaukie Sawzall
From long ago I am a devoted follower of Makita circular saws
Like others mentioned I'm a fan of old Delta drill presses

And if you ever see a festool anything used on craigslist or at a garage sale, buy it.

Hope any of that helps.

[fleaches]

Thanks all for the tips, I'll see what I can dig up.

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[RShea]

Want to be serious about the cordless battery tools then most go Milwaukee or DeWalt- pros use them hard and they both have fans. Want to go budget and not spend as much money then most DIY on a budget look at Ryobi which have a pretty large selection of items. Not as good for all day every day use. Brushless is better than the brush versions also. Makita and Bosch also have a few followers. The batteries and chargers are all proprietary and people tend to stay with the same brand. There are a few that have come out with universal adapters for the batteries and chargers adapters but they tend to be clumsy from what I've read about them over on Den of Tools discussions.

If you want better quality but better budget- Reconditioned Milwaukee are out there: https://www.cpomilwaukee.com/reconditioned_products

The other items you mention - drill press, Full table saw, etc. are really going to depend on what type of projects and needs you have. Used from a tool and die shop closing up or off FB Marketplace or Craigslist would be the avenue to go for the larger base units like those.

[RShea]

Want to be serious about the cordless battery tools then most go Milwaukee or DeWalt- pros use them hard and they both have fans. But pick only one and do not mix as the batteries and chargers have to be considered. Want to go budget and not spend as much money then most DIY on a budget look at Ryobi which have a pretty large selection of items. Not as good for all day every day use. Brushless is better than the brush versions also. Makita and Bosch also have a few followers. The batteries and chargers are all proprietary and people tend to stay with the same brand. There are a few that have come out with universal adapters for the batteries and chargers adapters but they tend to be clumsy from what I've read about them over on Den of Tools discussions.

If you want better quality but better budget- Reconditioned Milwaukee are out there: https://www.cpomilwaukee.com/reconditioned_products

The other items you mention - drill press, Full table saw, etc. are really going to depend on what type of projects and needs you have. Used from a tool and die shop closing up or off FB Marketplace or Craigslist would be the avenue to go for the larger base units like those.

[John_B]

What do folks have to say about the Ridgid "lifetime service agreement"? I've wanted an impact wrench for tires for years and our drill just shit the bed. I just bought a drill/driver/impact wrench combo and I'm curious what I'm in for when a battery or drill craps out in 5 or 10 years.

[old goat]

Re full size table saw--if run at 110V it will likely trip the breaker in the average garage. Unless serious cabinet and furniture making is planned a contractor's saw like Dewalt or Saw Stop would be a better and much cheaper option.

[SoVT Joey]

What do folks have to say about the Ridgid "lifetime service agreement"? I've wanted an impact wrench for tires for years and our drill just shit the bed. I just bought a drill/driver/impact wrench combo and I'm curious what I'm in for when a battery or drill craps out in 5 or 10 years.

By the time your battery craps out the technology will be so far ahead it won’t matter.

And if you bought just a regular 1/4” impact driver and plan on doing tires I hope it’s a small car or your are going to be highly disappointed. You are probably desiring a 3/8” or 1/2” impact wrench which is not the same as a impact driver. I know my impact drivers usually snap my 1/4”-3/8” adapters when I put it on my super duty lug nuts. Maybe you will have different luck though.


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[Foggy_Goggles]

By the time your battery craps out the technology will be so far ahead it won’t matter.

Yes and no. Home Depot does stand by the Rigid battery warranty but their batteries tend to crap out earlier, go figure. I just had a couple of Dewalt batteries go bad. The are 5 years old, get used everyday and sometimes sit in my trailer @-20. I'm thinking that the average homo won't have a problem with batteries.

I personally don't like Ridgid Tools but yeah...pick a color and be a dick about it. Yellow and red are most popular, blue seems about the same as yellow, orange is for people from the city, white is a bit cheaper but fine...what am I missing?

[Skidog]

Yes and no. Home Depot does stand by the Rigid battery warranty but their batteries tend to crap out earlier, go figure. I just had a couple of Dewalt batteries go bad. The are 5 years old, get used everyday and sometimes sit in my trailer @-20. I'm thinking that the average homo won't have a problem with batteries.

I personally don't like Ridgid Tools but yeah...pick a color and be a dick about it. Yellow and red are most popular, blue seems about the same as yellow, orange is for people from the city, white is a bit cheaper but fine...what am I missing?

you missed ryobi green.

[Foggy_Goggles]

you missed ryobi green.

I don't could those as real tools but probably fine for light use.