Cordless Tools Reviews

If you are working a site all day long, there are probably better choices, but for the price ($60 delivered!) it is impossible to beat. Head and shoulders above anything else at near its price!

Wish I bought a few more when they where cheap...

My order arrived today,in great shape and that I'm very happy with the results.I am impressed by the quality of the whole package.Really great quality.

Got mine this morning and it was new and in perfect condition. I don't know why these people are making this crud up, but they are NOT refurbs. If it was refurbished Amazon would have said refurbished. K-thanks. The Amazon box they came in looked like it was tossed across the room a couple of times, but the interior was fine. Highly recomended.

I used this tool for about two weeks. Previous reviewer said you cant get metal cutting wheels for it he is wrong, they are readily available at every home center and hardware store- standard 4.5 inch metal cutting wheels.

This tool totally sucks, battery life is horrible I cut 3 pieces of 1/2 rebar and the battery was spent. I cut thru 18gage
sheet metal and the battery lasted less than 40 seconds.

All the metal shavings you cut get magnetically attached to the tool body and get sucked into the motor, which will lead to disaster.

Also for cutting applications the handle faces the wrong way and is not comforable to use.

BADDDD tool!!!!!!1

I used this grinder to prep metal before and after i weld. Yes as said before, it won't last you all day, but will last about a half hour of steady on and off work. I don't have a garage so i work outside. I have to drag a bunch cables out the house to get power. Having this tool lets me drag one less cable to power cable and i don't have to mess with a cord when using it. Think of it as the same joy when using a cordless drill, its much nicer with no cords. If you don't work in a confined area, this unit will be perfect. Even in confined areas, it won't be bad. I welded a strut tower on a car and i was able to reach most places. Just have a couple of batteries on standby (batteries come off the tool hot). As for the grindings sticking to the case, just vacuum them off between battery changes. The saw will take a cut off disc. In the combo package i got, it came with one. The head can be rotated 90 deg by removing the 4 screws on the front if you need to get into tight places.

Pros:
Cordless freedom
Nice trigger button and trigger lock, no messing with a slide switch
Has plenty of power (until you get near the end of the battery)

Cons:
batteries don't last that long on this thing
length of the entire unit a bit long with battery
RPMs not as high as a corded grinder

I got the DC410 as part of the DC6KITA package. From reading the reviews, I was skeptical about the tool usefulness. I went to Home Depot and purchased a section of 1/2" rebar and a Norton 4.5"X.040" cutting wheel. Upon getting home I clamped the rebar in my vise and took a fresh batter out of the charger. With the new wheel and fresh battery, I was able to cut through the rebar 23 times. On the 24 cut the power just ran out. I rate this at 5 stars because I went into this tool knowing it was not a corded tool. The battery life seems adequate and the portability over the corded is a great bonus. If there was one thing I had to pick as a detraction from the tool, is that the handle's bolt was not molded in the handle at a perfect 90 degrees so the handle does not spin pefectly on it's axis but in a small wobblely circle. Not a big deal.

Now will 23 cuts replace a corded cut off tool? NO. But, this will make an excellent backup and will come in handy when you don't want to break out the extension cord. I actually have 5 batteries so I could in theroy cut over 100 1/2" rebar. That is plenty for most of what I do.

I was very excited to get this light...initially, I liked it. Out of the packaging, I hooked it up to the 18V battery and it worked, emitting a fairly bright beam. The sales ad says that it comes with an "extra" bulb, which was not included. I emailed Amazon regarding the issue and they sent a 2nd light to my address, instead of sending a bulb or two (?). It is worth mentioning the the re-ship did not have the extra bulb either. I had pretty much decided to just purchase the other light as well, thinking I could use one and leave one in the work truck as a spare. Then, I was using one of the lights, hit it pretty hard with a board I was using in an attic, and it fizzled. I went and got the other light, used it the rest of the morning, then went to use it in the afternoon and it was burnt out too - with little to no abuse (that I can remember). I sent both of the lights back - they aren't as durable as they should be. Instead, I ordered two of the flexible-head lights (Dewalt 18V). A few of my friends have these and have had no issues. I will leave a review for those as well when I have had time to put them to the test. All in all, this is a bright light, but if you put your equipment to the test day-in and day-out, it might not be the quality you are looking for.

I sure do like this light. Light is bright, and lasts a pretty good long time. The only thing that I didn't like about it is that if you set it down on the battery, and raise the lamp up and point it down, it becomes unbalanced. but...that doesn't hinder my using it...love the light.

I have used this flashlight for about one year and it has become alost the only flashlight I use. In Cabinets it illuminates the entire space, no fumbling to re-aim or balance or juggle. In crawl spaces you can set it up and work in a wide area without having to fool with the light, like a portable flood light. This and my LED headlight are all I need anymore. Great tool, and no worries about having fresh batteries!

This product is a good idea. You can hold about five coils of roofing nails at a time. Unfortunately, it broke (belt loop) the first day that I used it. I plan on repairing it with rivets. Would a 2 liter pop bottle with the top cut off and a riveted belt loop work about as good?

The product is something that has been needed in the construction/remodeling industry for quite some time. It beats sticking the coil of nails in a tool pouch. I would like to see some flexibility in the product when attached to the tool belt. I found when using it and bending over, the nails had a tendency to roll out of the caddy and down the roof.

The Prazi Coil Caddy is a great idea. Helps a lot while roofing because it saves you steps. I don't like the sharp edges; just keep it behind your hip.

Black and Decker had a great idea but has not gone far enough to perfect it. The driver bits, of course, are made poorly and are very difficult to find..just try to find one. The quality is horrible as I broke two phillips head drivers while replacing a small deck on my house (24x8). I've had phillips bits strip before but I've never had them break off until using this tool. It does jam pretty easily and is a pain to reload. With some work and carbide tiped drivers it could be a winner instead of a looser. Too bad black and decker did not follow thru with some quality control to make their good intentions work.

Cutoff a lot of manhours in the decking installations. Be prepared for some jams though everytime you reload. I went through about 18-20 screws just fine then had to unjam the head. Unjamming is easy enough though. Saves a lot of wear and tear on your back!!

I have used other systems like Quik Drive and Superdrive screwing systems. They are expensive and use special screws, which are quite expensive and don't have as a wide range of screw sizes unless you buy the most expensive units which are over $250! This driver from Black and Decker is a great product in that it can take screws up to 3". I have run through 3 boxes of deck screws and have not yet had one misfeed nor have I had any problems with the Robertson driver. Based on other feedback, I purchased extra driver bits from Dewalt.com and they were only $1.58 for a 7 3/4" driver. That's a good deal.

In short I am extremely happy with my Screw Feeder, especially taking into consideration the low price and the savings with using standard screws ---- this is a no-brainer --- if you need to screw floors, decks or ceilings, get this unit, your back and wallet will thank you.

I have found this on the intrnet for $39.95

While now dated and surpassed by newer models, the Univolt drill kit was the first cordless tool to demonstrate that this drill and battery could be a serious tool.

On a darkening afternoon, it was possible to screw down seven or eight 4x8 sheets of plywood to complete a roof deck, before the storm hit!

The Univolt battery lasts for a mornings work and generally recharges during lunch for the afternoon session.

While the product line has changed with the upgrade to the Yellow Dewalt line, the consumer level Black and Decker units, especially the new Firestorm models should be given serious attention by the homeowner, or professional needing a less expensive but very servicable tool.

While now dated and surpassed by newer models, the Univolt drill kit was the first cordless tool to demonstrate that this drill and battery could be a serious tool.

On a darkening afternoon, it was possible to screw down seven or eight 4x8 sheets of plywood to complete a roof deck, before the storm hit!

The Univolt battery lasts for a mornings work and generally recharges during lunch for the afternoon session.

While the product line has changed with the upgrade to the Yellow Dewalt line, the consumer level Black and Decker units, especially the new Firestorm models should be given serious attention by the homeowner, or professional needing a less expensive but very servicable tool.

A good tool design is nothing if the battery is junk!

I have owned this set for a little over a year now. I use it almost daily. I wish I had bought a cordless skill saw and saws all years ago. I have not had any trouble.

After my reconditioned, Black and Decker Firestorm drill starting having charger and battery problems, it seemed like it was time to finally buy my cherished, professional, hi-vis yellow DeWalt drill. And what the heck, maybe a reciprocating saw too. Well, if you're buying a drill and a saw, you may as well get a combo kit as the value is much better...right, Honey?

And so I ended up buying...Hitachi. There's no question the DeWalt's were nice. Milwaukee's high-end cordless drill is also excellent (it's chuck is #1). But I went with Hitachi for several reasons. The drill included in this KC18DL kit, the DS18DMR, is first rate. I am a weekend-warrior, not a daily pro, but I've been working with my tools almost every weekend the last year, and the difference between a consumer-level Firestorm drill and the DS18DMR is just stunning. If only I had known what I was missing the last few years with the old drill. The extra torque, RPM's and all metal, 1/2" capable chuck are just superb. I also found this drill, which is quite heavy with the 3Ahr battery, balances against the top of your hand very well because the motor housing extends back far enough (go to a store and try a few drills to see what I mean).

The CR18DV recip. saw and C6DC2 circ. saw are described as 'pro' quality, though maybe the circ. saw is not quite the same high-quality feel as the drill gives. If you're shopping for combo kits, the KC18DL kit seems to be going away. Check the new kits carefully...they do not all have these same series of tools.

Also included in this kit is a work light (typical krypton bulb) but which turns out to be one of my brightest flashlights now. It's not the piece of throw-in junk I was expecting, and of course like all tools in the kit, it runs off the same 3Ahr batt's.

Also, the charger had a couple of welcome surprises. It includes a 20ft (or longer?) cable that connects your tools directly to the charger should both of your included 3Ahr batteries wear out. The charge time per battery says 27 min for 3Ahr, but so far it's been faster, about 20 min (although that will probably lengthen...see next paragraph). The charger also has 3 LED's showing you stages of charging, kindof convenient.

One review complained about battery life. I don't know all the circumstances there, but Hitachi uses NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride), not NiCD. All rechargable batt's need to be used a few times to obtain max life, but NiMH is more sensitive to this. From past experience, 10+ charge cycles would not be unusual before you obtain max. batt. life. This is likely why the batteries initially take only take 20 minutes to charge. Once seasoned, they probably will take 27+ min, and have a correspondingly longer life per charge. Also, with the high torque, high RPM Hitachi advertises, you pretty much want the most amps/hour you can get. This kit included the largest, 18VDC 3Ahr versions, but 2 and 1.5Ahr, although lighter, would not run these series of tools nearly as long.

In the 2 weeks I've had the kit, I think it's fantastic. I never thought about owning green coloured tools, and like many diy'ers/pros, Hitachi wasn't even on my list at first, as BD/DeWalt and Skil and Rigid and others are so well known. But Hitachi makes industrial equipment (i.e. bulldozers) too and I figured probably have the know-how to make good power tools. It seems they have used that knowhow for the tools in this kit. The tools -- esp. the drill -- are excellent, and the value of buying it in one box made it too hard to say no.

Nothing comes for free, if you pick free shipping they will make you wait until you are old and grey.

This heat gun is ultra fast-to-heat-up and stays put at your set temperature because of its high-tech thermo-reactive properties. It has an ultra-accurate, cool-looking, bright green temperature LCD display on a black background, which makes it visible in the dark. It is located in the ergonomically correct location (on top). Three different air-flow settings allow for ultimate control and air pressure/heat ratio exertion.

The intuitively-designed shape includes separate temperature control (by 10 degree increments) and fan speed control buttons. Unlike most variable guns, the integrated stand allows for a fully erect stance--when needed--with optimally located trigger controls located side-by-side on the handle.

The double-insulated, ceramic-encapsulated heating element is safe and efficient. If you vaporize herbal substances such as tobacco using a heat gun, you want a ceramic core so that it doesn't give off toxins. Moreover, this product has a stunning five-year warranty, partially because ceramic heating elements last longer.

I highly recommend this item to everybody ranging from heat gun novices to legendary heat gun users. It has great controls, a sturdy feel, and a long warranty to back its obvious integrity. Enjoy the control of a professional product with luxury features. A lot of thought went into the multi-faceted, ergonomic design and I am a proud owner.

This heat gun is all a heat gun should be. Its reliable, provides even controlable heat for many applications. The gun provides three different air flow settings along with an infinitly variable temperature selector. The digital readout is a very nice plus which first indicates the set target temperature and then shows the increments until it hits the target. This kind of control opens up the amount of uses to more temperature sensitive applications. If you must have the best this is it; though i wish it had a case! As mentioned below it took a few weeks to ship because this product is not normally stocked. The previous reviewer should of figured this out...

I returned mine after a few weeks use. The main problem was that the batteries often "stuck" and couldn't be removed. Also, the drill is very heavy, which I guess could be expected from an 18 volt tool. I also own one of the recently discontinued DeWalt 14.4 volt drills, which I prefer to the Milwaukee.

I really liked this drill,until I used the a DeWalt. I am a union carpenter from Toledo.I use the drill in many diffrent tasks from door hardware to drilling for Tapcons.Itis a rugged tool,but it is not balanced at all.It is also very long and heavy.The hammer mode is very very slow.I have used the DeWalt 14.4 also and think that it is a better design.The only decent tool from Milaukee is the 1/2" magnum corded drill in my opinion.

This is a real workhorse made in Germany. I have used one daily for over 5 years in a Woodworking/cabinet shop. Our Dewalts, after heavy use suffered from from front end bearing/chuck slop. This drill has an optional flashlight, (that attaches forward of the trigger) which is great for under cabinet work. If you don't like the weight of an 18 volt drill this one is a real winner. Example: I have cut 4 1/2 " holesaw holes in 3/4 inch ply, 1 1/4 " holes in solid ash and maple and drove countless screws up to 4 "

Purchased to replace portable air tank. I used it three times [two bicycle tires and partial inflation of car tire to 36 psi] over a period of approximately six months.

Attempted to inflate a water device and battery indicator was 'Low' after 3-5 minutes. After charging for four days, it still reads 'Low' and strange noises coming from the case - but not enough air to inflate volleyball!

I bought this 4 months ago to replace a Campbell Hausfeld air compressor with almost 20 years of service. My old compressor used 12V DC current only (cigarette lighter)and this one has a built in battery. The battery is of little use to me because it won't hold a decent charge; it never really has despite charging according to directions. I charged it overnight for use this morning. The charge inflated the tire from 19 psi to 23 psi before going dead.....4 measly pounds on a "fully" charged battery. The tire size is 235 65 17, so not a small tire by any means, but 4 pounds?? I used the cigarette lighter cord to finish the inflation to 32 psi.

Sturdy construction, adequate length hose to reach valve stems at their highest point, fairly quick inflation compared to my old compressor. Storage area for cords WAY too small, expect to do some serious stuffing to fit these back into the storage space once they're unraveled....or you may even give up after a few minutes.

This is perfect for bicycle tires using only the internal battery. But, expect to use the cigarette lighter cord if you plan on inflating auto tires.

It's just frustrating when you expect a product to perform as you thought was advertised. Except for the small storage space, I would have absolutely no complaints on this product if it DIDN'T have the internal battery to begin with. But since it does, it should at least hold a charge enough to inflate a set of tires that are each a few pounds low. Ok, even 2 tires each a few pounds low would be borderline acceptable....but a single tire 4 pounds on a "fully" charged battery....not acceptable.

This review is based on my using this product only a few times so I can't comment on its longevity or holding a long-term charge. I bought this because (1) I am too lazy to go to the gas station to put air in the tires and many gas stations don't even have air hoses anymore anyway, or else they charge you for air; and (2) by the time you get to the station the tires have warmed up and the pressure isn't accurate anymore.

The build quality of the unit is satisfactory. Everything is clearly labeled and the instructions are brief but clear. The hose and accessories fit tightly in the compartments provided and there isn't room for anything else in there.

I charged it overnight, hooked the air hose to my car tire and turned it on. It is pretty noisy and the air fills rather slowly but then this isn't an expensive compressor so I don't think it is realistic to expect anything more. It took about 30 seconds to add two pounds of air. The air hose made a tight clamp on the tire valve and the embedded tire gauge is adequate although it is best to use a more detailed gauge since the supplied one does not have marks for each pound of pressure, only in increments of 10 pounds. I noticed that the reading per the embedded gauge matched my separate tire gauge, however (which is also made by Cambell Hausfeld so maybe they're in cahoots with each other).

All in all, so far I am glad I bought this because it is much easier to add air in my garage instead of driving to the station. I just hope this thing lasts, which based on how it has performed so far, it should do the job for a while.