Hammers Reviews

Each of these tools has performed exceptionally. The reciprocating saw and especially the blower go through battery life quicker than I expected, but the circular saw seemed to go much longer than I expected on a single battery. I built 70 feet of wood fence last week and used the circular saw to notch the posts for the cross members, rip a couple fence planks to size and other assorted cuts, and a single battery lasted the entire job and was still working full steam! Even though the battery time was more than ample even for the reciprocating saw and blower, I would get at least one extra if you are going to use these tools moderately. After reading reviews on the blower, I feel compelled to comment. I installed two exterior doors a few days after receiving this combo kit and kept the blower at close reach to keep the work surface area clear of debris. I patched about a hundred feet of cracked concrete and used the blower to clean inside and along the cracks before applying the patching mix. After finishing with my router table, I used the blower to clean all the chips and dust away (while outside). These are the kinds of jobs I believe this blower was made for, and it excels at them. My six-year-old son putters around with the blower while we work on things, and I noticed the other day he successfully cleaned the entire garage floor working around all obstacles. We usually use brooms and the air compressor, but this blower was much easier to use and did a better job. My opinion of this kit is beyond exceptional.

I will try not to bore you, or to "plug" the Makita brand. I am giving you my personal opinion as per my experience over the past 2 years.
A little background...I am a carpenter/remodeler and work with a friend of mine. We have alot of Makita in our trailer, as well as other brands, like Dewalt, Porter Cable, Craftsman, Bosch, David White, etc. As you can see, we are not partial to one brand. We try to buy the best we can find, at a price we are willing to pay. Being professionals, we are less inclined to worry about price, and more concerned in quality and ease of use features.

As with all tools...do your homework. Ask valuable questions and answer them honestly. Do YOU really need 18 volts, or are you trying to better your neighbor? Do you NEED a cordless hammer drill?

Me..? Yes I do. If you read my review on the DK1052DL kit (here in Amazon) you will get alot of info on the 6347 M-Force drill, 5620 Circ saw (my favorite), and the JR180 Recip saw. I love that kit and stand by it. The reason I bought this kit is simple to me. After having great experiences with the DK1052, I wanted a hammer drill but really needed the jig saw. The best price I could find was $270 and $299 respectivly. Buying the complete kit is really the only choice. Granted, 2 batteries aren't always enough for me (which before is why I bought a 6347D drill kit in addition), but for a homeowner/enthusiast it's a great kit.

The recip-saw that came with this DK1032 has a different, updated blade holder than my other one. This one has a "knob/collar" that you turn to release the blade, which stays in the "released" position after the blade "pops" out. All you do is stick another blade in, and the collar rotates to the lock position. Nice feature. We'll see how it holds up. The older one I have has a "slide" lever, which works fine, even though it has been loaded up with drywall dust.

The Circ saw is excellent (see my review of the DK1052). Another person had commented on not being able to make great miter cuts when building a deck. Don't try to do it freehand. This is a circular saw, not a miter saw. By the time you set up a jig in order to get a clean, straight line, you can have the cut done on a miter saw. This saw is like any other circ saw...it will cut where you point it...it will get off line when you do. When you have a sharp blade in it, it will cut until the battery dies.

The drill impressed me when I first saw it. Same weight as my 6347. Basically the same type of clutch torque setting too. I like this drill better than some others, because of the 2 rings by the chuck. One is the torque ring, and the other is the drive/drill/hammer ring, which can be changed independantly of the torque ring. Some other drills, you have to rotate the torque ring all the way from a torque number to drill then to hammer. With the 8443, you can go right to hammer from the torque setting you want to use for that fastener. It doesn't spin as fast as a corded drill, but it's a cordless, it's not going to.

The jig saw is great too. I've used it to cut steel studs, sink openings, fiber cement board, etc. The Ridgid cordless jig saw we have on board has a better tool-less blade change than the Makita. It has a springed lever (much nicer) where Makita has a clamp style. The Makita has a knob on top, you have to slide into the "activate" position, turn to open the jaws, insert the blade, turn to tighten, and then slide the knob into the "deactive" position. It does hold the blade tight, and the knob doesn't get in the way when done correctly, but the Ridgid can be change in about 5 seconds, and the Makita takes a little longer. But the Makita has tool-less base plate positioning, and can be moved back to allow a closer cut to an edge (ie...cutting a floor up close to a wall).

Next..the blower. Yes it seems a little goofy to have, but it's there...might as well use it. I don't use it often, but it does come in handy. Example is when we finished a deck recently, we used it to blow the saw dust off before the customer saw the deck. It was easier than dragging the shop-vac out. I've also used it when doing a filter service/clean on a furnace.

Lastly...I don't think there is any skimping going on with the tools. These are the exact same things you get if you buy them separatly. The only difference is you don't get a case for each individual tool, or additional batteries and chargers.
If you want a great all around kit...Definatly consider this one. The price is right for all the tools you get. And they are excellent tools. Remember, these are cordless tools. They cannot, and should not be expected to, do jobs that require a heavy duty corded tool. VERY few cordless tools can. Do your homework.

This toolkit is absolutely wonderful. I'm especially impressed with the drill and the jigsaw. I use the drill all of the time. The blower isn't good for much, but other than that this toolset is the kit to have. However, it only comes with two batteries, i've bought more since, because 5 tools with 2 batteries doesn't go very far, even though the batteries last longer than any i've ever seen.

So far, this router meets all my expectations; it's precise, reasonably quiet, and particularly suited for use in a router table. The only thing that bugs me is the cutting depth adjustment screw: why 5 turns per inch? Either 4 or 8 turns would make a lot more sense, and make it much easier to set a specific cutting depth from a "zero" start. However, I like the tool well enough that I guess I'll learn to live with this quirk.

Great tool very powerful .A little heavy but very well made compared to other companies out there.Iwould highly recommend this tool to anyone who does a lot of router work.

I recently purchased the 5616-20 router. As I was waiting for it to be shipped I read some reviews that had me concerned. It seems that under the table mounting was not allowing room for the collect wrenches. When I received my router I proceeded with the task of mounting it to my table. Mine being a homemade table with a �" aluminum plate meant that it was necessary to drill mounting holes. Which interfered with the existing holes. So I rotated the mount by 90 degrees. This put the opening for the "T" wrench up front and allows me to utilize both front and back wrench openings from either side to change collects. Making it an easy job. I am 100% satisfied with the performance of this router.

Because pouches are widely attached at each end....contents spill when crouching or bending. Contents of large nail pouch partially blocked by immovable tape pouch. More stitching needed on quick square slot...as mine quickly unraveled leading to second nail pouch droop. Would Not buy again.

Before spending the money on Occidental you should take a look at www.skillers.com . They have a very innovative system of work wear which may be right for you. I was considering one of the occidental systems but the price was concerning me. A similar system is available from Skillers for less than half the price. Before you decide, just visit Skillers.com .

These are the best belts on the face of the earth, as far as I am concerned. Where I live in California, Occidental is the industry standard for construction workers' tool belts. This belt in particular is great. Tons of room. I have had them for over 3 1/2 years, and there are no threads coming loose, no nail pouches drooping. The big pocket on the left is partially blocked by a pouch above it, but it is not a problem. I stuff all of my gun nails in the pocket, and they are still very accessible, and the pouch above it works great for a 30' tape. They are quite bulky, and many times when I am hoping down from between trusses or joists, the pouches get caught and dump their contents, so I would not recomend them for a trim carpenter or a remodeler, where you can't scratch or bump into stuff around you. Other than that, if you are looking for a real set of bats, look no further.

I guess this set must be marketed at the kind of person who's kind of clueless about tools. You know: "I don't know what a Mac or a SnapOn is, and I don't know Craftsman from Craftmaster but I know the best plastic containers in my kitchen are made by Rubbermaid!"

Alrighty then. Well, then you know to expect that the quality of this set will be decent. And it is. Just. Not great. Nope, if you go down to Sears and get any of the same tools with the Craftsman name on them, they'll be better than their counterparts in this set. Or go to any decent department store with a tool department, and you'll find Stanley tools, which are at least as good as these, and probably cheaper.

Now, these tools do come in a spiffy little case. You can find the same types of tools in an almost as spiffy case at those same, aforementioned, department stores. But this one may be a bit spiffier. So if that's of prime importance to you, then maybe this set has your name on it. But I don't really understand why you'd value the case over the tools.

Bottom line: Adequate tools in a spiffy case, at a price you can better at your local department store. Nothing much to get excited about here.

Mostly everything you need for small jobs. Could use a needle nose pliers and a small adjustable wrench but it keeps you from running to the large tool box in the garage for small jobs and last minute requests especially late at night.

Good, sturdy, essential tools, that come housed in an exceptionally sturdy, highly portable and attractive carrying case. The marketing in the product description unnecessarily inflates the value by touting its 56 pieces (the fluff being nothing more than picture hangers, brads and wood screws!); it's a great kit without that lameness. Outstanding buy.

For some tasks, a staple provides a stronger attachment than a small headed nail. A nail depends upon friction between the nail and the wood for its holding power. Sometimes the material being attached just does not provide a good friction grip, although the underlying material does. In these cases, a staple works better because the crown traps some of the upper material between the two legs. The upper material can't come loose unless the staple pulls out or the material breaks. That's why I went in search of a stapler

Before I purchased this stapler, I tried the Senco SLS20 stapler. The SLS20 was just not powerful enough - it would not drive one inch staples into maple through a drawer bottom. This stapler solves that problem. It's powerful enough to handle any wood I choose. I also like the oilless feature, not only because there's no oil to mar the work I'm doing, but also because I always forget to oil nailers that require oil. Although I haven't owned this stapler long enough to comment, other users have commented that the SKS is rugged and reliable over time.

While the SKS is a powerful stapler, there are a number of shortcomings to it.

1. The unit is big and heavy which makes it hard to maneuver.
2. There's no depth adjustment on the gun (the documentation erroneously says there is). To change the depth adjustment you have to buy a different driver and install it, or grind the existing one. You won't change the drive depth very often with this unit.
3. The gun does not detect when it's out of staples but keeps firing (blanks). The operator has to notice that nothing is being driven and re-load the stapler. The driver marks the surface even though no staple is driven so it's not easy to notice that nothing is being driven.
4. The air exhaust is not adjustable so you get blasted in the face under certain conditions.
5. The documentation is miserable - worse manual I've ever seen.
6. The gun is extremely expensive when compared to other narrow crown staplers.

All-in-all, it appears to me that the SKS is an old design that Senco keeps around, perhaps because there's not enough competition in this segment of the market to cause them to bring out a more modern design. I would recommend shopping around before you buy the SKS. There must be better staplers out there but I don't have enough experience yet to recommend one to you.

Update May 4, 2004: After using the SKS-L stapler for a few months, an additional problem appeared. The spring on the magazine is fairly weak. When the magazine gets low, the spring is not strong enough to push the staples into firing position and the gun fires a blank. The problem is intermittent - the gun may miss two or three staples and then begin firing again for a few staples. Because of the marking of the wood by the driver, you can't tell if a staple has been driven except by attempting to lift the wood to see if it is attached. The problem does not happen when the magazine is full.

Senco support has been fairly responsive to my problem and is sending me replacement parts.

I have had the sks stapler for about 7 years now and it is used dayly in my woodworking shop producing arch. millwork and cabinets. this tool has prformed flawlessly and has seen heavy use (21000 plus fastners) I would recomend this tool to any one wanting a multi purpose gun. Just check out most shops and you will see that they too are useing this gun. hands down the best! woody

This, by far is the best staple gun on the market(you will get what you pay for).. I've shot over 10,000 staples through everything from siding,sheathing to fence boards out of this stapler without one jamb. The oil-free feature makes it and even more "Must Have".. From the General Contractor to the "Weekender"..

This hammer is not as good as the titanium stiletto but at a third of the price I had to buy it.
I preferred the stiletto because of its light weight in the tool belt and excellent balance but I simply could not afford to replace it.
However this is the best of the bunch in the number two slot. Interesting enough I bought this hammer at $19.97 instead of the price listed here at Amazon. Perhaps someone needs to take them up on their offer to beat the price by 10 percent!

First of all I am a Post framer for a very large company in Washington state. I used to use an estwing 22 oz. curved handle hammer, but never liked the feel and balance of it. I bought this hammer from Lowes for 19.99, and have loved it ever since. The oversized face makes it nearly impossible to miss the nail, and the shape of the handle is amazing. I can hold the handle in the middle to start a nail, then drop it down, and it just slides into my palm like it's attached to my arm. No messing around when it comes to driving nails either, I can sink a 16 penny in a couple of whacks. This hammer is amazing for the price, and it beats the hell out of my estwing.

I have not tried the Titanium hammer yet so I can't compare but I have about 10 framing hammers, some steel, wood and fiberglass handles. Of all the hammers I have this Stanley is my favorite. It's feels real natural in your hand, especially when you grab the hammer close to the head to start a nail and after starting the nail let the hammer slide through your hand and your palm just seems to fall perfectly in place into the "sweet spot" of the handle. What I also really like is the size and shape of the face, it's a little wider than most and the sides of the face are tapered back instead of straight. This makes it really easy when toe nailing to just smack the nail with the edge of the hammer face. The price is cheaper than most of my other framing hammers as well.

I purchased this unit after test-renting a Bosch 11316 Demolition Hammer in order to dig 25 very deep tree holes in the hard, California clay soil where I live. The 11316 was massive overkill for the job (I used it on 30-40% power all day), and often sunk deep into the cement-hard soil just under its own weight!

The 11241 is a fantastic tool - it digs with a clay spade at a moderate pace, dramatically reducing workload for terraforming (moving a lot of dirt, as I did with a retaining wall), and for trenching, digging, and moderate-duty demolition.

BEWARE - it takes 3-4 hours of use before it really *works*. Out of the box, brand new, you will swear this thing is broken. Read the manual - it vaguely refers to a 5 hour break-in period. Trust me, not much happens for the first 2 hours - I recommend finding drilling applications.

So far, I've trenched, drilled holes in concrete, done terraforming, and some serious digging for tree planting and
other gardening tasks. The weight of this unit is ideal for the application, and the power is just sufficient. (5 stars would be reserved for a bit more power - it takes a while to get through some applications where old roots are in the way - the 11316 cut through them like a hot knife through butter).

I've yet to try this unit on concrete - I suspect it will do a credible job, but not great, due to its moderate power output.

I have the clay spade, acaling chisel, and two bull points of different lengths. All work very well.

One superior aspect of this unit over the 11316 monster - the vibration isolation is really nice in the handle. My wrists can tolerate 2-3 hours/day of this work, where 2 hours of the 11316 caused me a week or so of serious aching.

Do yourself a favor, invest in this hammer, you will be glad you did! It is designed and built to last. The BEST of the BEST! Performance is outstanding.

I couldn't be happier. Bosch has never let me down--Great tool, Great Company!! I have nothing but praise for Bosch power tools. If your in the market for this tool ,look no more!

I think the real selling point of this one is the holster. For contractors (especially roofers), a holster is a necessity for the job -- and how often do you see a retailer that sells slap-tacker holsters? And you can trust the quality of every tool Bostitch puts their name on. I'd say this one is a keeper for anybody in the market for slap-tackers.

I purchased this item for a carpenter that I sometime work for. He gave me his Arrow hammertacker becuase it always jammed.Your product has been jam free since he has had it (2 years). I used his old stapler today while working off of a 28 foot ladder. It worked so well that I threw it to the ground and decided to order 2 of them , one for me and one for him (he left his on a job).

I've owned every slap hammer stapler you can imagine. This is one of my favorites. It is so simple.If you like jams this tool is not for you. It just doesn't jam up like the others that are more complicated. I refuse to buy any more of the arrow and duo-fast staplers. I have some of the 100.00 Stanley H2B's but they are just gathering dust. I prefer these cheap little slammers any day of the week.

The Bostitch appears well made and it is a good deal with the included stapler. It will drive 1 3/4 nails easily although in cold weather it is necessary to increase the pressure to 100 psi. So far I have only nailed one square of shingles, but it has already misfired once - not a good sign. The misfire was due to a misfeed but did not seem to be a nail problem since I was using Bostitch brand 1 1/4 nails (not generics).

This has been a very reliable nailer for me. It make easy work of putting on a roof. It is light weight, and nails quickly.

The nailgun is as good as everyone says, and the Hammer Stapler is a great addition. It works fine for quickly tacking on felt, housewrap, vapor barriers, etc. Not a bad deal!

I'll begin with the con. The manufacturer, pursuant to a customer rep with Amazon, is the one who annotates the product description on this site. If that's true... shame on DeVilbiss! The main thing that is missing are the AIR REQUIREMENTS! Hello! So, before you buy this nifty package, be certain your air tank meets the requirements. The average SCFM Req. is @ 90 PSI: 5.3. Operating at 125 PSI, any tank smaller than 9 gallons gives you bare minimum performance. Meaning, expect the compressor to be churning non-stop.
The wrenches, air hammer, and rotary tool are well made... durable, to say the least. Instruction guide is at best, adequate. Loading one of the chisels onto the air hammer is the only difficult assembly scenario out of the entire kit. The chisel spring does NOT attach and secure that easily. And, I think the kit could have been stacked with more grinding stones--of various assortment.
If you have not operated or owned air tools before, albeit this kit is not a professionally rated kit, I would recommend the purchase for novices. You won't be disappointed.

I am a small-time ATM thief working in east Chicago. I shop-lifted the new DeVilbiss ETK20 Ex-cell 72 piece tool kit from a local hardware store, and have been happy with the quality of the kit. Before using the DeVilbiss tools, knocking over an ATM was a risky and time consuming process. Now that I am working with a truck mounted compressor rig, my work progresses smoothly and in half the time. No more close-calls with local law enforcement! Thanks DeVilbiss.

I bought this kit at Sam's Club and love it! I'm currently renovating my house and can't believe how fast I can get things done with the right tools. Also, the carrying kit is perfect for keeping everything in its place.