Cordless Tools Reviews

i'll preface this by saying i'm a professional carpenter and make my living using my tools.

i have owned or used worm-drives from skil, makita, and bosch, as well as sidewinders from porter-cable, makita, hitachi, skil, and dewalt. this milwaukee is my saw of choice in nearly every situation--it is light (4+lbs less than a worm-drive), powerful, accurate, and the tilt-lok handle is a great feature. at first, i thought i'd not use the tilt-lok often, but i end up using it in a different position several times a day. another feature easily overlooked but crucial is the positioning of the secondary handle. i most often cut one-handed anyway, but when i do grab the front handle, my hand and wrist are far enough forward to stay well away from the blade sightline.

my only (small) complaint is that i'd prefer the dust collection to be a bit more organised. porter-cable saws do a great job with this, and i wonder why the other manufacturers can't seem to get it together.

if i had it to do over again, i'd spring for the blade brake model--the blade can do a lot of damage in the 8-10 seconds it takes to spin down.

I received this saw as a birthday present, allowing me to retire my old underpowered and inaccurate Black & Decker "Sawforce" saw. The Milwaukee arrived in perfect condition and purred like a kitten from the start. I have been very impressed with every aspect of this thing, most notably:

The tool-less ability to change the base plate angle as needed;

The POWER. It cuts wet framing lumber and quarter sawn white oak with equal ease;

With all that power, I have not experienced any binding, stalling, kicking, burning etc;

The tilt lock handle is fantastic. I cannot conceive of using a saw without it now that I have it;

The blade that came with the saw is quite good.

Overall I cannot say enough good things about this saw. Its relatively light, very accurate, powerful, and feels like it will outlast me. Buy one yourself and you won't be sorry!

I bought this saw about 5 months ago to replace an old Makita and have used it almost daily since. I did a lot of research before buying using online reviews and magazine comparisons. After reading the reviews and having previous experience with other Milwaukee products, I opted for this one.

The tilt-lok handle makes it very easy to change positions, allowing for maximum control and comfort while sawing. I especially like the adjustable front handle. It makes beveled cuts a snap, keeping maximum leverage right where it needs to be. Once you use it, you will miss it if you have to use anything else. With 15 amps, I haven't found any wood too tough to cut with it even with a dulling blade. I purchased the edge guide about two months ago. This is a necessary addition if you cut lots of plywood.

I am becoming quite a Milwaukee "fan-boy". Every tool of theirs I've bought has been a winner. As long as they keep making tools with this kind of quality, performance and features, I'll be a user for life. This saw will be a welcome addition to any serious woodworker's shop or contractor's truck. If you're still undecided, give this saw a try. You won't regret it.

I own just about every 19.2v PC tool. This is a stout product line and the Tiger Saw (I always just called them "sawzalls") from PC can cut through anything with the right blade.

You will need more than one battery, as has already been stated, but if you want lots of power, you are going to sacrifice battery life. That's just physics. This tool has lots of power, so I make sure I've got backup batteries. I have a multitude of them since I own so many 19.2 devices, so keeping a fleet of batteries charged is a non-issue for me. PC's newer chargers and batteries are better than they were three years ago, so anyone who had bad experiences with the older chargers really should contact PC for a replacement.

One recommendation: when you get the saw, it will come with a very basic blade. Keep it, but go and order yourself a couple of other blades, because the one it ships with will not impress you. I would suggest a long, combination blade for general use, a carbide blade for cutting metals, and a fine-tooth blade for more precision work.

Nothing beats a good sawzall, and this is a great one.

As a professional plumber, the sawzall is my primary tool. Almost every time I do a job, its one of the first tools to come off the truck. The only trouble was when I do renovation work. It was always such a pain to drag out the old PC Tigersaw to make a couple of cuts. Draging it in, finding a plug, pulling an extension cord, all made me think of using a hacksaw. Not really liking any of the red or yellow corded saws, I was thrilled when PC came out with the cordless saw last year. I ordered myself one for christmas and took it to work. Needless to say, I was very happy with it. It works almost as well as its corded brother with the exception of the short charge. But if you are cutting more than two batteries worth(I have the drill and saw set too), then you should have pulled out the corded version.

This is the first cordless recip saw I ever owned, and it turned out to be a great pick. I got it with the hammer/drill/driver in a combo kit. After considering what the competition offers, I bought the PorterCable 19.2V line partly because of brand loyalty, but also because of the saw's compact design and 2,900 spm speed. This saw is heavier than the Milwaukee, Dewalt, and Makita models, but it is shorter in length and easier to manage with one hand despite its weight, and has more power. It gets into tighter spaces than the others, and its speed is faster, too. Now, I cannot do without this tool. Using the right blade, it literally cuts anything, from plywood and studs, to drywall, to sheet metal and pipe, or old tires, or bricks. I have used it doing renovation work in the attic and under the house where cordless convienience and power is needed. I like to reverse the blade and turn it upside down to use like a sabre saw, pivoting on its foot to do plunge cuts. Believe me, life got easier real fast after buying this. One thing though, the saw can sap a battery quickly when doing long extended cuts in tough material, like for door and window openings. But its performance and conveinience makes up for that. I can't wait to try this saw with an aggressive wood blade for trimming trees and cutting limbs on my property. Look for more of my reviews on the PorterCable 19.2V line and recip saw blades.

The drill functions great, but from the begining I had problems with what I beleive to be the charger. It could be the batteries but I doubt it becouse at this point even the lights on the charger are completely out. Im willing to purchase another kit at $250 + s&h only becouse now Ill have two drills and four batteries.(Im hoping my batteries are fine)

Other Drills used: corded bosch hammer drill, corded hitachi, and cordles 14.4v and 18v Ryobi.

.... The first time I was using the Porter Cable, I thought someone was charging the battery when I wasn't looking. This thing just keeps going. The power is unreal. I just ordered a second one, does that tell the story?

Received yesterday and I used it putting the new Brazilian cherry floor with walnut borders at night. This is my first ever cordless drill/driver. All I have for the past ten years for drilling is a less than $40 Craftman 3/8" corded drill. It has served me well. I did a bit of research on what I will get for this cordless drill/driver. I went to stores to handle similar models, DeWalt, Bosch, Makita, etc. I picked this one for the value and quality. It is a very nice tool at first look. I wish that I had it when putting the floor in our master bedroom. It's very comfortable to handle, although it's on the heavy side. But for this class, it's normal. Well balanced. I used it drill counter sinking holes with 3/8" plugs in Brazilian cherry since the air floor nailer could not face nail it (it's so hard), I have to set nails once a while even when blind nailing. The drill operates smoothly. Love the electronic brake feature. The clutch setting for driving the screws is also very nice. I used a magnetic bit holder instead of the one comes with it, worked well. Have not tried hammer drilling just yet. Only thing I would ask for is a level bubble, not that I have to rely on that, just I am so used to with my other drill and often to get an idea how much I am off when drilling.

My Dewalt drill sat unused for almost a year, both batteries dead. I bought one of these batteries recently and have only had to charge it twice in about 2 weeks of moderate use. I'm definitely happy with it so far. I forgot how much I loved having my Dewault cordless drill around. I'd buy it again. Curious to see how long it lasts. My guess is it will last as long as the originals. Batteries are batteries.

My former landlord gave me a dewalt 12 volt drill (with two batteries and smart charger) when my wife and I bought a house three years ago. After three years of putting up crown molding, fencing, a closet, and countless other projects, the drill seemed ready to give up the ghost. However, these little gems have revived my trusty dewalt (just recently I heard that I should not have discharged the batteries all the way down before recharge. Being an old school, wary-of-nicad-memory, kind of guy, I always tried to grind them down to nothing before recharge). Who knows? Anyway, these replacement gems work great. Highly recommended.

I was unsure of buying a non-DeWalt battery for my drill. Fortunately, this battery has performed exactly the same as my original batteries. I like it so much, I purchased two.

For me, the main reason to purchase this tool set was to build the Costco SUNRAY playground playset in my backyard.

As a new homeowner myself, I did not have any tools. And this is the list of the Required tools from Costco for building the playset:

Tape measure, Carpenters level, Claw hammer, Wood clamp,
Standard cordless drill with medium Phillips bit,
1/4" and 3/8" ratchet,
1/4", 7/16", 1/8" drill bit,
7/16", 1/2", 9/16" deep well socket,
9/16" box wrench.

I expected to spend two hundred dollars in Homedepot to have the complete set. Luckily I checked Amazon first and found the Allied 39025 tool set.
Sixty dollars and three days later, I have almost every tools I need.

I am no expert on tools, but after three days of intensive use, I feel this tool set is very solid, especially taking consideration of the value.
The drill is very powerful too.

If there is anything more I'd hope for, it would be an extra battery. But with the current price, I have no complain.

...SO if you are paid to put wooden things together, fix plastic things or do any of that jazz on a daily basis, then you should know better. Much better.

For someone like me, however, who occasionally puts cupboards and wardrobes from Ikea together, this kit is simply the best value for money I could find online and offline.

I've had it for about 3 months and it still performs as new. The drill doesn't come with diamond crystalized drill bits to break into safes; it comes with bits to drill holes into dry wall and brick wall. And it does a great job.

The plastic casing supporting the tools/holding them in place, feels a bit cheap but that's about the only problem I can identify.

Here's why I was interested in this tool set and why it's pretty much perfect.

a) Hated having to search through a giant toolbox over & over on every project because everything is tossed on top of each other. EVERY tool, component, etc has its own slot and it's a nice tight fit so if you drop it, the 178 pieces do not fall into one giant heap of tools, sockets, etc ...

b) While quality is important, if tools are just tools to you and you don't need/want a $1,000 tool set - these might not last three generations but they are all solid and work great and at a price where I don't have to worry about if people might make off with some tiny wrench.

c) No real compromises on what you get. Unlike other sets, it not missing some main tool. This one has a screwdriver, wrench, plier, crescent wrench set, hammer, saw, etc, etc ... not to mention the cordless drill. Look at the ZOOM photo - and unlike other sets where 100 screws count as part of a "115-set" tool kit, 99.5% of what you get are actual tools or actual attachments to tools. (there are $1,000 tool sets without a hammer!)

d) the box is nice. It's not pretty but it's solid heavy plastic and the pieces require effort to get in each slot - again, that's actually a good thing as I've had sets that look pretty in the picture but if you drop the tool kit, all the pieces fall in a heap and no one really likes to pick through 50 socket heads to put everything back or the 'holder' is some flimsy plastic that yellows, cracks or just gives up the ghost. This is very solid.

There's even a little extra room in the middle when it's closed that you can keep gloves and a towel there.

About the only thing missing is that if the bolt is very long, the crescent wrench does not have an extender and you can't really reach the nut but that's pretty obscure - not to confuse anyone - there is an extender if the nut is merely a ways from your hand but not if the bolt is exessively long.

Other than that, finally a set that will serve 99.9% of your average home, car and even some computer repair use (it has torx and even a tool/magnet retriever if you drop a screw somewhere) - ALL solidly built in a solidly built case with a slot for EVERYTHING. And of course, a great price also! It's excellent!

After I got this saw, I no longer use my corded Dewalt saw. I have kept it, mainly because the dewalt was the first tool I every bought. The bosch has plenty of power and a long battery life. It works as well as my corded saw.

I got mine when Bosch first ran their free tool promo a few years back and it's been one of my favorite tools. No cords, no hassles. It has a good runtime and has plenty of power. The toolless blade change is great and the dual stroke is nice for when you need to be more/less aggessive. With two batteries and a one hour charger, you won't run out of power. It may never replace a corded recip saw for extreme use, but a corded saw will never be as handy as this saw

This cordless reciprocating saw seems to have as much power as some corded saws. It works great for jobs where I don't want to run an extension cord. It has selection for two different stroke lengths. Quick release for changing blades. The Bosch 1645K 24V saw has a great balance of power, durability, weight, comfort & convience.

I had bought a Sears 19.2V cordless reciprocating saw which came with 2 batteries. However, the batteries would not hold a charge (both of them) and the brief time it work the saw seem to bog down. Believe I paid about $110 for the Sears. After the returned the Sears unit I purchase the Dewalt and couldn't be happier. Used it to cut wood and metal with excellent results. It's heavier than the Sears model but the Dewalt really works well and the battery has staying power. I paid $179 for the Dewalt with free Amazon shipping. As always its best to spend a little more money and get a quality unit.

This tool is quite powerful and last a long time on a single battery. This was part of the DC6KITA. I have tested each tool and have reviewed some. This one is not exception. On a fresh battery and with the supplied blade I continual cut 2x4's until my hand was sore from holding on. The power is nice. It did not seem too bog when pushed hard through the wood. Battery life suprised me by never giving up. On a full demo job where cutting throught various materials is necessary it might show it's weakness in longevity.

Having purchased a 1/2 rebar to test the DC410 cut-off tool, I proceed to test the DC385 with a 18tpi metal blade. It worked quite well. The power was still there. No bogging. Of course pressure was needed to help the teeth bite, but that is to be expected.

Also the adjustable shoe is a new feature. It does not have much range of motion but at least it is there.

For most all home projects this is going to be a wonderful tool. In owning many XRP batteries and having several chargers, I don't forsee buy a corded saw. I have given this 5 stars, but there is only one thing that slightly bothers me. The blade is not centered in the shoe becuase of the 4 way blade clamp. Now I gave it the 5 because I would rather have the 4 way clamp than have it centered.

This tool is quite powerful and last a long time on a single battery. This was part of the DC6KITA. I have tested each tool and have reviewed some. This one is no exception. On a fresh battery and with the supplied blade I continual cut 2x4's until my hand was sore from holding on. The power is nice. It did not seem too bog when pushed hard through the wood. Battery life suprised me by never giving up. On a full demo job where cutting throught various materials is necessary it might show it's weakness in longevity.

Having purchased a 1/2 rebar to test the DC410 cut-off tool, I proceed to test the DC385 with a 18tpi metal blade. It worked quite well. The power was still there. No bogging. Of course pressure was needed to help the teeth bite, but that is to be expected.

Also the adjustable shoe is a new feature. It does not have much range of motion but at least it is there.

For most all home projects this is going to be a wonderful tool. In owning many XRP batteries and having several chargers, I don't forsee buy a corded saw. I have given this 5 stars, but there is only one thing that slightly bothers me. The blade is not centered in the shoe becuase of the 4 way blade clamp. Now I gave it the 5 because I would rather have the 4 way clamp than have it centered.

This is an outstanding kit. I had a Dewalt 18v drill and needed a rip saw and circular saw, but at $200 -$250 each it just made sense to get this kit for $599 w/ free shipping. Plus the rebate for a free tool, which I ordered the jigsaw. I did debate getting the Craftsman or Rigid kit for about half the price. So what sold me on DeWalt? I noticed during a NASCAR race, after a mutli-car wreck, that several teams were using the DeWalt 18v Reciprocating Saw cutting away fenders! I didn't see anyone using Craftsman, Rigid, or Bosch?

I started using the kit immediately. The first project was a double tier floating deck at about 600 sq ft:

Rip saw with a 9" blade went thru 6x6 treated posts with little effort.

Hammer drill drove about 500-600 deck screws quick and controlled. It also went thru the concrete without hesitation.

Circular saw is great as well, trimmed deck boards, cut angles on the posts, and portability is so nice when you don't have to worry with cords.

Cut off tool is wonderful; I usually had to use the torch but it was always a hassle getting the tank moved around to the job, but I walked my fence row a trimmed 15 tension bars in about 8-9 mins.

Only down side was the XRP batteries held up for 2 posts on the rip saw and then it was dead. The drill and circular saw did what I expected as far as lifetime. The only thing that I did not like was the Hot/Cold feature on the charger. I had an older battery that this feature never affected, but the new XRP batteries seemed to always set this off. The manual says it helps extend the overall battery life, but this needs to be remembered if you only have a couple of batteries. When this "Feature" is on the batteries DO NOT charge! So the quick 1 hour charge they advertise now takes 2-3 hours (1-2 hours for the "Cool Down" and an hour to charge it).

Tools did an amazing job. Overall I am VERY satisfied and will continue to buy DeWalt.

Been using the 18V DeWalt tools on the job where we put them through hell. Yes, we smoked some drills and fried some batteries but the tools went down fighting. Been watching the sales at Lowe's & HD hoping to finally get myself a good set of cordless tools for the house. I have to tell you, this kit at this price on Amazon....well, I couldn't match it anywhere else. I don't know how they do it but Amazon always seems to have what I'm looking for at very attractive pricing. Anyway, I finally have a kit that has everything I wanted and more. You'll wonder how you lived without a right angle drill. Only complaint is that the portable light is pretty much a waste - would have preferred a jigsaw. I know folks have complained about the 18V batteries not lasting but I've never had that problem. Just wish they weren't so expensive to replace when they do finally die.

Traveling out to client location and installing cabinets and fixtures, this is a must have kit...It is amazing what power these items have.

Great saw, great service, great price. Couldn't have found a better deal anywhere, and couldn't have found a better saw. The tremendous service and delivery from the Amazon.com people is unbelievable.

I have the entire 24V kit, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I like the AC/DC converter feature, so that when the uncommon dead battery situation happens, you're not left without power. DeWalt: How about a 24V jig saw, plate jointer, miter saw and handheld planer? I'll buy them whenever they come out.

I cut a 3.5" solid hardened steel blower shaft in half with this saw with one blade, faster than if I hauled a oxy/act rig up to the roof, or ran around trying to tap off power somewhere for a corded saw. This saw never stalled once and still had plenty of power left in it. This is one heck of a time and energy saver for me. Believe it from me, I'm a Commercial Air Conditioning Repairman.

BECAUSE FOR YEARS I HAVE BEEN PRAYING FOR AN ANGLE DRIVER THAT ACTUALLY WAS WORTH BUYING. WELL EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY MILLWORK INSTALLERS AND CABINET MAKERS, LOOK NO FURTHER AND PRAY FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
OK, STILL AREN'T CONVINCED? WELL ASIDE FROM RELATIVELY AMAZING TORQUE COMPARED TO ANY OTHER CORDLESS ANGLE DRILL, YOU ALSO GET THE IMPACT FEATURE AND THE ABILITY TO GET INTO EVEN SMALLER AREAS
COMPARED TO THE DEWALT AND THE OTHER (OUTDATED) MAKIA 9.6 V. THIS DRILL WILL DRIVE A 3" SCREW INTO PINE, WITHOUT PREDRILLING IN SOME CASES.

I've already written a review about how much I love all Makita impact drivers, however, if any one model gets a special mention, it's this one. No where do you need the benefits of an impact driver more then in a small crampt location with no room to get behind the screw for more push. With the benefits of impact, (less cam out, greater torque, needs less pressure behind the screw, etc.) this tool is a hands down winner. I gave one to a friend who is a cabinet maker and he is talking about buying a second just in case it ever gets discontinued. Every person I know who uses this tool swears by it. Get a full set of 1/4" drive bits like the DeWalt Rapid Load Set. Throw both in a work bag and your set. Just make sure that any bits you buy are full shank with an indent. Otherwise, they don't stay in the chuck. But one trick is to keep one of those short phillips heads in your bag because in a pinch, loading it trims an additional 3/4" off your already incredibly low tool width at the head with bit. That get you into just about anything. Just the bit has a tendency to fall out since it's missing that indent. I use both this impact driver and the full size models and honestly could not live without them. (Actually I probably would live but very unhappily.)

I've already written a review about how much I love all Makita impact drivers, however, if any one model gets a special mention, it's this one. No where do you need the benefits of an impact driver more then in a small crampt location with no room to get behind the screw for more push. With the benefits of impact, (less cam out, greater torque, needs less pressure behind the screw, etc.) this tool is a hands down winner. I gave one to a friend who is a cabinet maker and he is talking about buying a second just in case it ever gets discontinued. Every person I know who uses this tool swears by it. Get a full set of 1/4" drive bits like the DeWalt Rapid Load Set. Throw both in a work bag and your set. Just make sure that any bits you buy are full shank with an indent. Otherwise, they don't stay in the chuck. But one trick is to keep one of those short phillips heads in your bag because in a pinch, loading it trims an additional 3/4" off your already incredibly low tool width at the head with bit. That get you into just about anything. Just the bit has a tendency to fall out since it's missing that indent. I use both this impact driver and the full size models and honestly could not live without them. (Actually I probably would live but very unhappily.)