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RIDGID Cordless Tools
I've been using dewalt with pretty good experience, but some of their corded tools are not as impressive or long lasting as I thought they should be.
I use the dewalt 18 volt set - All work pretty good, but I still pull out a corded circular saw when cutting longs cuts in OSB (at least for 3/4 OSB) and I use a corded hammerdrill, as the battery pack drill gets tired after one hole.
But, the best, most favorite tool I've ever owned, which continues to amaze me: The dewalt 18v hex shank chuck impact driver. I've never used such an amazing tool for fasteners (drywall screws, lags, deck screws, anything you can turn). The short overall profile, speed, "feel" and torque is amazing. I'd give away the dewalt radio, saw, jigsaw, drill, flashlight, as long as I got to keep the impact driver.
My brother swears by the Makita impact driver. His is a fair bit lighter, with a 9.6 battery pack.
The neat thing about the impact drivers, is you can reach tough places, and when you are on a ladder, reaching behind your neck, and can't really apply the driving force, you don't need to anyway. The "ratcheting thud" of the impact driver just helps it find home.
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RIDGID Cordless Tools
I have a Dewalt 12V cordless drill. It has been great for all my uses around the home. It originally came with 2 batteries, and now after a couple of years it seems they have lost some power. So I bought a new "XRP" battery ($50) which seemed expensive - but I am really happy with it. It seems to hold the charge indefinitely and is extremely powerful.
One thing I have had trouble with is the battery charger. I thought these chargers were supposed to time the charge and then maintain the charge. (At least that's what the manual stated.) Well I discovered that if I left the battery in the charger too long the battery actually lost the charge. I started having to watch the clock and manually pull the battery off the charger after a couple of hours.
So I bought a new charger for about $90 and had the same problem. So I returned the new charger and still watch the clock when I charge my batteries. Anyone out there ever experience this problem with Dewalt chargers? Is there something I am missing here?
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RIDGID Cordless Tools
I have both the Dewalt and Ridgid 14.4 volt drills. I have the Dewalt a lot longer than the Ridgid but so far I have no problem with either. I'm changing the subject slightly here but I have a Ridgid table saw that I love. I came close to buying the Dewalt table saw at the time but I'm glad I got the Ridgid instead. I could have gotten the Dewalt for a hundred dollars less than the Ridgid due to a relative's discount but still chose the Ridgid. That was a little over a year ago and they were offering lifetime warranties with any Ridgid product purchased before February (2004) if I remember correctly. I often think how glad I am that I went with the Ridgid. It has a solid fence, the table is larger and framework a lot more solid. I agree with the comment that Ryobis aren't the best. I own own one of those too and consider it far from a quality item. Just my 2 cents.
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RIDGID Cordless Tools
An easy way to control how long the battery charges is to use one of those timers, like for turning your house lights on and off when you're on vacation, and just set it to go off in an hour when you plug a dead battery in.
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RIDGID Cordless Tools
I've got an ancient DeWalt 7.2V drill/driver and a couple of batteries. The charger has red and green lights on it, and I've left batteries in there for weeks at a time. When the green light comes on it seems to go into a maintenance mode. Never had a problem with them overcharging. This drill has been real good to me, but it was a little underpowered for some stuff. At Christmas I was given a 14.4V Craftsman set. It seems OK but if it were me I would have chosen DeWalt again.
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RIDGID Cordless Tools
Being the cheap ass I am, I wait for the sales on craftsmen.
I had a 18volt for 4 years, light and drill kit. Un beleivable how long it hold a charge. Will drill 75+
31/2" screws and never slow down. One battery finally died. I am real hard on tools so I was not disapointed.
For $79 I bought a new 19+ volt drill and light craftsmen.
2 batterys quick charger and case. Here is my take on it.
Cordless tools are like computer (recently anyway) If you spend $250+ on a brand name tool and there is an advance in technology that does not use that system you are screwed! Your stuck with it, old outdated tech. Although it may still work fine you may end up buying a new set of tools just for the new line. Anouther reason I dont buy the named cordless tools is for the fact that no matter what you buy the battery will go dead. Dead is dead and you have to replace it or the tool. For what alot of named battery's cost I can buy a brand new tool in a craftsmen name. usually get a higher volt tool also for the same price. Thats my thinking anyway and for recharged tools I think it makes sense. For corded tools recently I have decided to buy nothing but the top names.
Hardwood!!!!! a green cordless set of tools? 
When is JD going to come out with thier own line of gasolene? Dye it green and sell it for $3 a gallon.
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RIDGID Cordless Tools
With tools and most other things, I always (within reason) try to buy what I consider the best to be had. That way if the tool fails or does not live up to expectations, I can blame the company and not myself for being a cheap ass and saving a few dollars. Nothing is worse than buyers remorse because you went cheap. I had always bought Milwaukee. One reason was the lifetime warranty. Most people do not know it existed but it did. I say did because they just changed it late last year. corporate just emailed me and let me know anything older than that will retain the lifetime but new will only get 5 years. Great, now I must search for older Milwaukees to on ebay and auctions to fill my needs. Kind of like craftsmen hand tools, they are worth as much broken as new since you can just get a new one if it breaks. Milwaukee doesn't give new, just fixes the old one.
I stupidly bought a 5 piece 18v cordless set of Dewalt. Now I have no warranty and a lesser quaity tool to boot. I liked the design and features of dewalt better but now regret it due to poor quality. Kind of like chevy.
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RIDGID Cordless Tools
Denwood
I hear what you are saying and agree with your thinking.
If your a contractor and use them everyday. If your like most of us though and use your cordless on a few big projects a year and on and off on smaller jobs thru the year, I have to disagree. I have had more power from my creftsmen then anyone could ever need and the battery life is awesome. Think about that five yr warrenty your talkin about. It dont warrent the battery I would bet (Just a guess) and for the tools? Hmmm Think about what was available for a selection 5 years ago? Why would you want a five year old over priced under powered cordless tool. The advances in these tools are like computers!!!! Next year there will be anouther type with more power or torque or something new that will require a different set of battery systems. If you bought a re-chargable light maybe a drill and trim saw 5 yrs ago (remember those under powered short lasting batteried and bulky saws) And paid preimium price for a name brand like 200 more than a non name for the combo! What would you think now? Anouther $500 for a set with all the new power and selection?
Dont get me wrong, I know what most of you are saying and I agree with most of it especially with corded tools. But unless you are a contractor and use it for a living every day, I think craftsmen makes a decent cordless that will last you (till you want a upgrade)for half the money.
IMO save the money and every few years buy new technology with more power and a brand new warrenty. To be honest with you my shop had a 4 year old cordless drill. At the time it was top of the line. Last year my 19.2 volt craftsmen would kick the crap out of that milwaukee that was old tech and out dated (in power and battery life!). I can buy 2 craftsmen for what that milwaukee was at the time.
Hey thoug to each to own ya know and you wont go wrong with a top name. I also have a firestorm 14 volt (something like that) I bought it in a hurry when I forgot mine at home on a weekend building project up north. If any of you want it send me the shipping cost and I will send it to you. Its a peice of garbage unless your using 1" screws and dry wall for material.
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I have owned and had very good luck with my 14.4 volt DeWalt cordless drill/driver. Still on the orginal battery.
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Broken, I can see your point about cordless, but most of my tools are corded, so we do agree. It was my contractor partner that stirred me to buy the dewalt kit. Their 18 volt cordless was without par. in features, 3 speeds, hammer, 1/2 inch cap. and in a lot of our rentals, power can be out during rehab. I am in no way a contractor, my wood tools get used a lot less than yours but it is so convenient not to need an extention cord. I especially liked the lifetime warranty because I am not a contractor and in 10 years I will use it less than a contrator in 6 months. Milwaukee wrote me a couple emails about their warranty and said most breakdowns happen in the first 2 years and almost none after 5 years. For a contractor that is fine. They price jobs knowing tools will need replaced. Mine are mostly for my own enjoyment. My only milwaukee cordless is a 12 volt 3/8 drill. It did break, gear box stripped and they fixed it for free. It is about 10 years old now and the original batteries are as good as my dewalt that is only 2 years old. I noticed a rapid decline in charge held in dewalt after 1 year and my partner has broken several of his dewalts, now in trash with no warranty. One thing that really bothered me about the dewalt drill is the variable speed feature. It says right in the owners manual "NOTE: Continuous use in variable speed range is not recommended. It may damage the switch and should be avoided." It recommends using variable speed only for starting holes or fasteners. Why can't they just make a quality switch that can be used at any speed at any time. I don't recall any corded say that or even my Milwaukee cordless. I don't just want to run wide open all the time, and I sure don't want this junk to break with no warranty. I know I should have gone Milwaukee or even craftsman but that word makes me shudder when it refers to power tools. Please don't take offense to that broken, but I have always considered craftsman a tiny step above chinese, but for cordless you may have a point.
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