Power Supplies Reviews

This is another example of Dewalt's continuing excellence in cordless tools. I am a contractor and need to drill lots and lots of holes in concrete and wood to wire customer's homes. I regularly run drill bits from 1/4" right up to 3 1/2". I have been using Dewalt's 18V system along with corded drills until now. The 24V DW006K has the extra torque to utilize larger bits for longer times. The chuck is easy to use and holds the bits firmly. I would highly recommend this drill to anyone who needs commercial dependability and performance.

That's all that needs to be said. Not a single flaw found in over two months of use.

The 24 volt cordless hammerdrill is awesome to say the least. It packs raw power for a cordless drill. It's great for drilling though wall studs, pipes and electrical work. It's also great for masonry projects too. For the rough brutal work this drill does the battery lasts a while. If you are doing any big projects and you hate dragging the cord along with you I highly recommend this drill. Hey, even after you get it and you decide you like carrying the cord you can buy the 24 volt converter and plug it in!!!

I too am a professional carpenter and woodworker, and look closely at a tool before I buy it. The Metabo is well designed, comfortable to use, and was recommended by my trusty, local repair shop. That said, my sander is now in that repair shop, after very little use. The problem is with the dual sanding control. This sander is capable of sanding in either a finer and gentler mode, or in a faster but rougher mode. Switching from one to the other is simple. You just depress a button on the side of the tool and revolve the disc in reverse direction until it "clicks". Then you're ready to go. Unless the little button sticks in the depressed position, which will lock up the tool rendering it useless. That is what happened to me, after very few hours and with careful use. Maybe this is just a fluke, but I'll be more reluctant to buy other Metabo tools.

I bought the Ridgid version approximately 1 year ago when I learned it was made by Metabo. It has worked flawlessly on a great number of projects. I normally connect it to my shop vac. The dust collection works great. An excellent purchase.

Received my new SXE 450 today and had to try it out. I was amazed with how fast it cut the scratches out of a piece of walnut using 100 grit paper. Switched to the fine finish orbit and without changing paper, it really smoothed out the wood. I will be using this for a long time. I have a AEG model which I thought was really good however it doesn't hold a candle to this baby.

Right out of the box this nailer has worked great..

i have owned this nailer since it was first introduced. i've loved it since the moment i started using it. i have the angled and brad nailers as well. i have my own remodeling business and we're constantly using these nailers. i've never had any misfires or jamming issues. i would have to say that the top notch detail to this gun is that they all come with belt hooks. i'd say that dewalt has a niche with that one idea alone.

...shooter, but after ten months of moderate use it has completed all that has been asked of it. I have not experienced any problems with this gun in the capacity of crown molding, cabinet making or woodworking. I clean and care for this tool as I do all my other tools while running Porter Cable brads and it has not failed me. This is my most reliable pneumatic nailer to date.

This is partly my fault for not checking, but I was expecting this to be able to handle at least my computer and monitor, which it sadly doesn't. While it's great to have a surge protector it looks like I'll need to buy another one to handle my computer. In general though it's easy to use although I haven't really had a situation where it's really tested. Haven't tried the software that comes with it.

Shipping took awhile - but considering the weight of this item I still think it was excellent quick shipping service. The price was excellent - especially since I knew the model I needed beforehand and had priced it on other web sites too. When I need to buy something - I generally loook at Amazon first now.... and seldom need to go any further.

Power UPS! Everything you need to know.

First of all why do you want a power UPS? There are some very good reasons. (1) You never want your machine to go down incorrectly because of a blackout. (2) You want to work with clean power only. (3) You want to monitor your PC power. (4) You want to prevent your PC from being damaged due to a power problem like a lighting strike and want surge protection. The first rule about UPS is to never trust the insurance claim. Get your PC insured elsewhere. These companies have a tendency not to support their insurance claims. I have a PC running some very high specifications with over six USB devices, LCD monitor, printer and Ethernet equipment, with everything on at the same time. I have never gone above 325W of usage and average between 250W and 300W when managing a high spec game and doing lots of background tasks. Even though I have a 400W Power Supply Unit (PSU) I will be upgrading to a 500W PSU because it is better quality model. The way I can monitor how many Watts I use is with UPS software and hardware. So the question you need to ask is how many watts you will be using. The short answer to this is you don't know until you install the UPS and software that tells you how many watts you use because that appears to be the only way you can monitor your wattage at this time. You need to estimate what it is. I would say a high-end domestic PC (not a server) would use 300W max if it has one of every device you can think off turned on. As soon as we add things like another PC, or several printers, or several monitors, then we can start to overload a 325W UPS. This brings us to the first thing we need to learn about any UPS - Overloading and balancing. The overload feature is a warning system that turns on when you have overloaded the UPS capacity. Overloading does two things. It can in theory eventually damage the UPS and it voids the warranty. Most UPS are 325W but there are 800W - 1000W and even greater models out there for home networks that use more than one PC setup but to be honest you are probably going to get a UPS per PC setup rather than expensive bigger UPS for a network. So check the UPS rating. What UPS you choose depends on how much you want to load on it. Next thing you need to check with the UPS is if it comes with a USB connection. If it does this is a big plus because it means you can control it from your PC and the UPS comes with software. Now if the UPS has this feature then you can do loads of stuff like turning off UPS sound alarms, controlling how your UPS handles a blackout, how long it uses the battery before shutdown or hibernation, if it sounds an alarm or not, if it run self tests, data collection and monitoring, notifications and sensitivity settings. If the UPS does not come with a USB connection and software then you probably should be looking for an UPS designed for computer use rather than a UPS for non-computer equipment. Most UPS have LED indicators that tell you the status of the unit. The next thing to understand is that testing your UPS is not done by breaking it out of the box, connecting it to the mains, plugging your PC in and then turning off the house's power with the circuit breaker. You must charge the UPS first! So read the instructions. Usually you must attach the battery to the UPS (plug it in firmly!) and wait before using it. Then perform the test using the software first! Then you can consider trying to simulate a blackout in your home to see if the PC stays up. Usually a UPS is programmed to shutdown your PC if the blackout lasts for a few seconds. Nearly all UPS models with a USB connection can be customized for the shutdown event or how long the PC should hold for on the UPS battery. Most UPS devices allow you to connect a modem phone line into the device and then run a phone line into your modem. This is important because power surges on a UPS that do not have this protection can damage a PC through the unprotected phone line running into the modem that usually runs to the PC somehow. This is nasty problem with the degree of security that a UPS can provide. If it doesn't have this function then it is not going to provide 100% surge protection with a PC that is on-line. Networking a UPS PC to another PC without UPS can also increase the risk of surge protection problems. It is not recommend that you network a UPS PC to a non-UPS PC unless surge protection and the warranty are not an issue. One last thing is that some UPS have input regions on the UPS for surge protection and other input regions are not surge protected. Also with some models the batteries need to be replaced after a few years if you end up using them a lot. This is everything you need to know about an UPS before you choose one. It is basically now about downloading the technical specs of the UPS and making sure it provides you with what you need. The two top brands are APC and Belkin.

I purchased this drill about 4 months ago just in time for some heavy construction in my house. This drill has a very solid feel and it's comfortable in your hand - even after hours and hours of driving drywall screws. Like many other comments, I have yet to it a hole that it won't drill... it's so powerful. With a masonary bit and the drill in "hammer" mode, I was able to drill through plaster, cinder block and stucco as if it were balsa wood.

My only complaint is that for some unknown reason it can be very difficult to shift. It's as if it gets jammed in its current position. It seems that if I reverse the direction back and forth, squeeze the trigger a few times, it will eventually work. It's annoying but not enough to make me give this anything less than 5 stars. I did not have the problem with the non-sanded handle that some did.

This is a top notch drill just like everything else I have owned from Dewalt. I do recommend that you buy this as part of a combo package, the prices are considerably less per tool when purchased as a package deal.

This is a good drill/driver. Heavy duty, nicely balanced. Chuck is easy to grab with serrations for easy tightening and loosening.

Dewalt has always been a good product in my book.

I have the older version of this drill, and I have had it for about 5 years. I am a homeowner that sometimes gets involved in heavy duty construction. I have used this drill to drill concrete, landscape timbers, metal, and every type of wood out there. I used it to remodel my rental property and it worked great with drywall. It is heavy as stated in the other reviews but you expect weight to come with any heavy duty tool. The first thing I had to do to it when I bought it was take some sandpaper to the seam on the back of the handle. That sucker cuts right into you. This was easily repaired in about a minute so I consider this to be nothing more than a nuisance. I have dropped it several times including from the top of a ladder but it has survived with nothing more than cosmetic damage. I had a 26 ft camper and I even used this drill to raise and lower the jacks and crank the slide out. I once nearly broke my wrist while doing this. The drill has so much torque that it twisted my arm around when the slide hit its stop. I finally had to replace the battery packs this week. I guess I cannot complain about this since they lasted so long. The stores charge outrageous prices for the batteries so I bought mine through a popular online auction site for about half the price. I would recommend this drill to anyone except for those who want a lightweight drill. It really is bulletproof. Is it any wonder you see so many contractors using it?

I've always used Milwaukee Sawzalls and I only replaced it with this one because I finally got sick and tired of having to use a wrench the change the blade. I know, they make tool-less blade change models, but I bought this on the advice of a friend who had one. Let me tell you, this is a BEAST! Heavy and powerful to the extreme. The 15-amp motor combined with the orbital blade action will make short work of anything that it touches. The blade literally springs out when released...great for those hot blades. No more burned hands. If you want a truly powerful cutting tool, look no further. This is it.

This saw is absolutely the best recip saw I've ever used! This saw's features and anti vibration technology,as well as the great Heavy duty steel case are not just gimmicks Makita is putting out there to sucker you in.They are true!This also has a true orbital with several settings based on material being cut,and the speed control dial is excellent.This tool is well balanced with a great ribbed grip on body and the handle is comfortable and won't crowd your hand(just lock the 2 finger trigger and there is still room for your hand under it!)This thing can purr or roar.Here's the thing-I'm a Makita guy,BUT I haven't always been,I once loved the "red one",but there starting to rest a little on their lorels.I switched my other tools to Makita's A couple of years ago,and have not been disappointed since.Don't buy a tool because of it's legend or high price,buy it because it will get the job done today,tomorrow and beyond.This saw get's the job done!!Period.And what I have discovered about Makita is there tool's perform just as claimed!Search around for other reviews etc.,you'll see I'm not alone in my opinion.

I bought this saw to cut two holes in an old roof that was now inside under a new roof. I went into the attic with a dozen blades and prepared for the expected typical beating that every one of this type of saw is known for. The old roof was about 1-1/2" of wood and 1" of asphalt. I cut two access holes in 13" by 24" in a matter of minutes and could not believe how painless it was. The original blade was still going. I've used many different recip saws over the years, but this is the only one really worked.

Great for getting into tight spaces. Changing over from low to fast speed isn't that big of a deal. I've ditched all my spade bits for self-feeding auger bits once I tried this drill. Just brace yourself and hold on...it'll do the work.

**UPDATE: I can't seem to change the rating to 5 stars which is what it should be!

I added this to my arsenal when helping a buddy build a huge deck. This thing has loads of power and could not be bogged down. Used it with the right angle head on and off. Worked perfect for tieing the deck joist to the house floor joists. With a decent auger bit, drilling even big holes was effortless. My only issue with the tool is that switching out angle head is kind of a pain.

The Milwaukee Right Angle Drill 3107-6 applies allot of torque to spaces you otherwise would have trouble reaching with a regular drill. It is ideal for drilling holes between studs for electric, cabling or plumbing. The unit is basically their 7 amp variable speed D handle drill featuring triple gear reduction with a Right Angle Drive (RAD) unit attached that can be set in either low gear at 355rpm or high gear at750rpm. The D handle drill without the RAD will achieve 500 RPM. Changing chuck speed from high to low or visa-versa requires removing the chuck, reversing the RAD unit and then replacing the chuck on the other side. This is fairly easy but it takes about 2-4 minutes and requires a couple of tools that are provided. The Right Angle Drive (RAD) can be easily swiveled 360 degrees providing versatility to meet any drilling angle.

Using the drill is a pleasure as it has so much torque it just seems to eat the wood up. No standard hand drill I ever used has this kind of power. The build quality of the unit is of the highest standard and will likely last a lifetime of moderate to heavy use. This model is also fitted with Milwaukee's "quick lock" cord allowing easy replacement in the event the cord becomes damaged.

For remodeling, basement finishing, or extensions this drill really shines. Trying to accomplish drilling many holes in wall studs with a standard electric drill would be very time consuming if not impossible for simply not being able to fit one between the studs. If however you do this kind of work every day as a business I would consider either the Hole Hawg or the new Super Hole Hawg. These units are more expensive but feature higher chuck speeds and a transmission that allows you to select the high or low speed without the use of tools. This will allow you to get work done faster when on really big jobs. But for the home owner that enjoys remodeling this Right Angle Drill is really the best choice as it is two tools in one when you consider the D-handle alone with the RAD unit removed.

Built like a tank and as much power as you could ever need this drill definately delivers. The only variable will be your choice of bits, I have to place my vote on the Milwaukee self feed bits as they cut very fast and will last a long time between sharpening. So if you have some branch circuits to run or some plumbing to install go get this drill and some self feed bits. It will make the job go much easier.

I have no idea what Mr.John P. Wolfe is talking about...

We have over 20 of these and have never had one single problem as Mr. Wolfe says he did......
We shoot UP! DOWN! SIDEWAYS! EVERYWAY you can think of...
And use both the NS100A and the NS150A guns.

The #1 problem any owner will have will occure when sawdust, and other harsh grit is left in and around the gun.

The #2 problem is caused by NOT oiling the gun! 20 drops per 1000 staples or brads for that matter is a good starting point.

The #3 problem is caused by not enough air pressure. 50 lbs is a good safe point to use.

The #4 problem is not using PORTER CABLE BRAND staples, nails or brads.... and this can be a big one for some off brand nails!

This is a very good gun! Porter Cable only puts out GOOD GUNS!
In fact I have to say that 75% of all complaints people have with these guns are due to one of the above reasons!

*Porter Cable* 100 years and still #1 in the industry!

ShowCase Cabinet & Door Co.
"Quality At Every Angle"
Since 1976

This pneumatic stapler was an unexpected new advance for me,coming free as a bonus after buying a Porter-Cable compressor/finish nailer/brad nailer package. At first, I didn't know where you use a stapler instead of a nailer. I didn't even know why they call it a "crown" stapler-it's not used for crown molding. It sat unused for several months.

Then one day I saw some professionals putting up stucco wire-a chore I'd always hated-with a stapler. Bingo. As soon as I started using this stapler instead of a hammer and roofing nails, the time consumed dropped by about 75%. And the job was actually fun, instead of a thing that elicited curses and involuntary procrastination. You put the wire up on the wall, and after a very satisfying bam bam bam, it's done.

I'm sure the pros use a wider staple, or a staple with a wider "crown", so to speak. With this unit, you have to take a couple seconds each time to center the nose on the wire because the staple is only a quarter of an inch wide. Aside from that, it's a dream tool for a nightmare job. I actually look for stuff to use it on (soffits, cedar shingles) because it's such a pleasure to use.

I have had this stapler for three years. Every time I pick it up it delivers. I pull the trigger, it drives the staple. I have driven thousands of staples and no jams so far!!! I oil the tool regularly and filter the air. I treat it correctly. As far as I'm concerned, if you treat this tool right, it will treat you right. You don't have to BABY it but just treat it at least like you like it. It will perform for you in kind! I haven't had any problems finding staples. When I recently needed a framing nailer I didn't look far. The Porter-Cable framing nailer was what I got. It's great too... that affirms my assumption: Porter Cable makes great products!!!

Get it before it's too late!!!

The Baldor arrived with a cracked wheel so the honeymoon was very short lived. Since sparks fly out the rear unabated (along with bits of wheel and tool) I bolted the grinder to a small plywood box I built to contain the sparks and other detritus that spins off any grinder and set it on a non skid mat.

My main problem is with the tool rests. For this money I expect they should be solid and easy to adjust. They are neither. Unless I really crank them down, they will shift when pressing a tool down. Adjusting them with a wrench is difficult on a good day since the bolts are tucked down in between the wheels and the motor. I finally exchanged their bolts for some small plastic jig handles, so at least I can adjust them a little easier.

Otherwise, the Baldor runs smoothly and quietly, now that I have unbroken wheels mounted. For such an otherwise well made machine, it was disappointing to find it such a pain to use.

This replaced a Delta GR250 that bit the dust after about 5 hours of use.

The Baldor is not cheap, but you'll leave it to the grandkids. I can't comment on the rests, as I've set this up with a OneWay Wolverine jig / rest kit. Good power tools almost fade in the background in use. You simply forget about the tool and complete your task. This grinder is one of those tools. You can actually forget it's running.

I feel the Baldor is a great value. It's far from cheap, but the quality and utility is 100% there. My old grinder was simply cheap, and not a good value even at the low price.

This grinder is light years better than any Asian import grinder out there. The motor is vibration free and runs very strong for only 1/4 hp.

The box was very solid with the grinder shrink wrapped to a piece of wood that was the same size as the bottom of the box.
The shrink wrap had been torn around each grinding wheel. Since there was Amazon sales lititure in the box, I assume that the shipper at Amazon was checking for broken wheels. Since another reader complained of broken wheels, Amazon obviously reads customer reviews.

Since this is a low speed grinder (1800 rpm), it is really intended for sharpening tool steel, lathe chisels, etc. There are only a few low speed grinders available so this is really a specialty grinder. If you just want a general purpose grinder for sharpening lawnmower blades and such, you probably would be happy with the Baldor Big Red, 1/3 h/p 6" grinder as it turns at 3600 rpm, is cheaper and still has the same great Baldor quality.

The blade guards are heavy-duty cast iron and the exhaust chutes direct all of the waste out the back. This is a blessing or a curse depending on your perspective. The guards fit very close to the sides of the wheel so there would be maximum containment if a wheel were to disintegrate. The spark guards are very stout and adjust easily and stay put.

The wheel guards on all the imports that I looked at other than the Jet 8" have flimsy sheet metal guards with flimsy, poorly adjustable tool rests. I would much rather have the Baldor's heavy-duty guards in place if a wheel disintegrates rather than one of the imports guards.

I don't have a problem with the tools rests as one other reviewer did. They are very adjustable and very solid for what they are, basic tool rests. (If you are using this for sharpening lathe chisels, you will probably be installing an aftermarket jig anyway). I find them easy to adjust, just keep a wrench handy. My only real complaint was that the ground surfaces were protected by brown plastic packing tape. It required a razor blade and some solvent to get the adhesive off. All in all, a very minor complaint for such a high quality, solid machine.

The eye shields are very solid. They are large and made of 3/16 Lexan and adjust quite nicely. They mount high and out of the way. Time will tell whether they will stay on the machine or I will take them off, but as long as they hold up to the harsh environment, I will use them. The eye shields on all of the imports were pitiful.

The wheels included are high quality Norton Silicon Oxide general-purpose wheels. Not good for fine work like sharpening lathe chisels, but nice and round and balanced. Save them for sharpening your lawnmower blades and put on some Norton White Aluminum Oxide wheels for the fine work.

I could have bought an import 8" or about three import 6"s for less than this high quality 6" but after reading reviews of the imports, and looking at them at the store, I know that I will not ever have to worry - "Is this going to be the time that it will give up the ghost" before flipping the switch. My grandkids will be able to use this tool, and my kid is only 2!

One of the reviews here suggests using a modified sine wave inverter such as the Xantrex sold here at Amazon. If you read the inverter owner's manual or do a quick Internet search you will see that use of an AC Dewalt (and some other cordless tool chargers) together with a modified sine wave inverter will dramatically shorten the life of your charger. Don't do it.

As for this product, it works as advertised. Why only 3 stars? 2 reasons: A) At the current price this item really is overpriced for what you get; B)The (50% less costly) AC charger offers "Tune Up" mode, which extends battery life. But if you have no access to AC power this is the way to go.

I'm remodelling in the evenings and weekends at a site with no power. More than once I've had to stop early because I was about to drain my Dewalt batteries completely. Having this buys me about another hour each week in productive time. You still have to plan your usage when using a high-drain item like a saw, but the added flexibility is still worth it. The only downside is that, to be safe, you need to run your vehicle for a few minutes to ensure that the charger doesn't drain your truck battery. Dewalt advises no more than two charges between starts. That will do for most of my evening efforts anyway, but there are some reading this who will have to be careful. In any event, this gives me much more flexibility when working at an inconvenient site - highly recommended.

I used the 18v tools to build an entire remote cabin where there was no regular electricity. The vehicle charger works great connected to a 12 volt solar power system.