Cordless Tools Reviews

The XRP battery performs noticeably better than the standard XR battery, at least when used in my DeWalt 18-volt cordless drill. I do not notice an increase in power, but a decent increase in run time. Also, the clips are improved and so the battery is much less likely to slip out of the tool. Three to four stars for the battery.

On the other hand, the light is a piece of junk. The flexible neck is exactly that, "flexible." It doesn't keep its shape, especially if the neck is horizontal to any signficant degree. The entire light looks and feels cheap. Save the few extra bucks and purchase the XRP battery separately.

If you have the DeWalt 18V line, this is a good deal. Extra batteries are usually sold in pairs, and the snake light is good to have around (even your neck.) The Amazon price with free shipping is very attractive, but a recent week-end sale price made it a no-brainer. Try pricing these separately on eBay, then add the shipping. No contest.

Some people probably shouldn't be around tools at all.

I had the snake light for about two years. When I sold all of my DeWalt tools and moved to Bosch, I gave it to a friend of mine who still has DW 18v tools.

I absolutely loved that light. It is the ONE item from my DeWalt days that I still miss. The handiest thing about that light is that you can hand it around your neck and keep for hands free for working. It is a must have for attic work. Unfortunately for my friend, his light was stolen a coupld of weeks ago. He still gripes about that darn thing everytime we get in touch. I just called him to give a heads-up on the current deal with the XRP battery and the snake light combo. He will probably have it ordered before I get this review finished.

Anyway, the batteries are good, the light is great, and the price is right. No reason not to get in on this combo pack if you already have DeWalt 18v tools.

I purchased my Remington Chain Saw at Home Depot a month ago. It was great for removing the lower (ground) branches off a Spruce tree. I chose electric for the on-demand electric power as opposed to gas pull-start for indoor jobs and work in confined spaces. I completed two small backyard projects as well.

After three minor projects, the chain required sharpening. My Stihl 031 easily cuts through a cord or two before sharpening is needed.

The bar does not have a brake function like my two lawn mowers which makes this saw a disaster ready to happen. Users should exercise extreme caution! This saw is not child/teenager safe!

The automatic oiler is a continuous drip or should I say LEAKER! MFG suggests you drain all unused chain/bar oil after each use. This is inconvenient. Of course, I read the operating manual after I saturated the carpet in my Suburban with the seeping oil.

Remington appears to be another subsidary of Home Depot. Home Depot does not provide product support on this saw. If you do purchase one, buy on the internet and save yourself $30.00 less the S&H charges. You will probably get more knowledgeable customer service and part/warranty support as well.

I would not buy this saw again.

I have just returned the second drill because the clutch gave out again. After this let down I am going to Milwaukee for my drill/saw kit. I usually love DeWalt tools, they have worked forever, not this time. The saw works great now but I am worried it will quit in the middle of a job too.

I bought this thinking it would do all the heavy lifting that my pole saw (Remington) wouldn't or couldn't do and the opposite was true. After the blade came off twice, it became so dull after 10-11 small diameter trees that I couldn't even use it. I had to pull out my little, electric Remington pole saw to take care of the rest of my trees (dropping them and cutting them up). I'm going to get another chain and get the original one sharpened and if round 2 is as underwhelming, I'm taking it back to Home Depot and getting something else.

1.7AH is no longer "High Capacity". Be careful about which type of battery your 12V Makita takes--thumb springs, end clip, both, or the new MForce slide design. If yours can take the thumb spring batteries, then spend $... more on the 2.0AH version. Your old charger will likely take it but may not take the newest NiMH batteries. Plus, the NiCd's have a longer shelf life.

The saw probably works fine but it will be a while before anyone gets to use it! I bought the saw as a Christmas present. Great price-except it came in a trashy box with no case, no battery and no charger! How can one find a battery and charger for the saw on short notice. This item is not a complete package as a gift. I probably would not have bought it if I would have known the battery and charger were not part of the package. The blurb says, saw only and some blades. You would think that meant you would at least get one battery since the battery makes up part of the saw handle!
Be careful, don't compare this saw to the one you would get at a hardware store. The real thing comes in a nice carrying case with one or two batteries and a charger. With this item you get a powerless saw and a couple of blades. I feel there was a bit of deception.

Milwaukie has a battery this same size that is now 2.4 amps for the same price on other websites! Prices for this may change. I am just letting all know there is a longer run battery out there than this , I bought one here and another else where and the 2.4 runs alot longer!!

I have had great results with the Milwaukee 18v power tools, until today when I discovered that one of my batteries was dead just like so many other reviewers have written about. The voltage at the terminals is about two volts, and the charger does not recognize it. I sincerely thank all those reviewers who wrote about charging the battery above the 3 volt point so the charger will see it. BTW, I have been very careful to charge the batteries every couple of months whether I was using them or not.

I have had the Milwaukee hammer drill and circular saw kit for around three years. It came with two batteries, the first of which died around 8 months ago. I accepted it, grudgingly, but with the apparant death of battery number two today I was fairly unhappy. My previous drill's battery (old Craftsman) lasted around eight years. So I was ready to shell out some cash for new batteries, but happened to see the other reviewers discussion about the 9v battery trick and a problem with the charger not recognizing the battery when it didn't show a charge of at least 3v. So, I tried the trick, and suprise, I have two very functional chargable batteries. Used both tonight to continue finishing off our bonus room. No issues. Thanks to the intelligent reviewer for sharing his insight. Milwaukee, if you read the reviews on Amazon of your products, which I would do if I were in your shoes, you really should address this problem with at least the folks that registered their cordless tools with you.

CHECKED AT LEAST 15 SORCES TO REPLACE MY MILWAUKEE 18 VOLT 2.4 AMP BATTERY. AMAZON WAS THE LEAST EXPENSIVE AND AT THE TIME OFFERED FREE SHIPPING. WHAT A PLUS!!
RON Z.

The charger is very convenient. Power related to AD/DC is extremely useful. High-tech design and features. Sucking and blowing power does not measure up to the price. It has an extremely disappointing performance. It feels like a child toy rather than a useful tool for a personal computer or laptop. Will not recommend anyone to purchase this item due to the lack of performance.

If I live to be 140, I know my last dying gasp will produce more suction than this "vacuum." It is basically useless in other ways as well. The bristles on the brush attachment are far too stiff, rendering them incapable of curling around small components to loosen dust particles underneath. The exhaust vent (which doubles as a rather asthmatic "blower") is positioned in such a way that it actually blows much of what little dust is picked up back into the item you're vacuuming. And to top it all off, when I placed the unit into its charging station, it would not seat properly on the leads, so it wouldn't even charge. In short: just another made-in-China piece of junk.

It may not have the suction power of a larger, more expensive model, but it works fine in combination with air cans. The problem with using compressed air by itself is that much of the dust it blows off your PC components just swirls around in the air and then settles back down. If you blast the dust off of your PC and then suck it up with this, you'll do a much better cleaning job.

The Blower -- My DeWalt 18 volt vacuum/blower does a much better job of blowing dry debris from our 20'x24' deck on one battery charge. The McCulloch MX9898 took two fully charged batteries to do the same job, and it took twice as long to do it.

The String Trimmer - What a pathetic joke. One fully charged battery only managed to trim 10 to 15 feet of 6-inch grass along my wood fence. The second battery never got a chance to become discharged, as the string kept breaking off (5 times) inside the cutting head before I could cut another 7 or 8 feet.

The Hedge Trimmer - This attachment will be going back unused. I don't intend to waste another minute of my time with this technological miscarriage.

I expected much more from brand names like McCulloch and Ryobi. Shame on them.

I'll come up with a few extra bucks and buy the Black and Decker CCC3000 18-Volt Cordless Lawncare Center, which is what I should have done in the first place. Shame on me.

"Availability: Usually ships within 1 to 2 weeks".

I don't think so. I placed my order on July 21, 2004, and it is now August 21, 2004 and my order has still not been shipped. The current shipping estimate is between September 1 and September 8 with a delivery date out to possibly September 16. When I originally ordered the product the delivery estimate was between August 6 and August 17. I will tell you when I actually get it and its performance once I receive it (if I receive it).

Update: Received item on August 30, 2004. It took 39 days from the order date. I unpacked the unit and while I waited for one of the batteries to recharge, I decided to see what it would take to change the edger line on the spool. It took me 7 minutes to remove the spool and 30 minutes to remount the spool. Since the Black and Decker unit I had been using only took 5 minutes for the entire operation, I decided I would not have enough patience to perform this function. I repacked all the items and reshipped the unit back to Amazon.com.

This unit is a great idea (three units in one) with a great price. For $119.00 you get an edger, blower, and hedge trimmer. You get two batteries and a mounting strip that attaches to your garage to hold all the components and recharge one of the batteries. Replacing the edger line on the McCulloch in a timely manner does not look practical.

I went to Lows and purchased a cheap ($29) Black and Decker electric edger (ST4000). This unit has a similar design (unfortunately) to the McCulloch; however, the spool can probably be changed in 5 minutes (I am hoping). I prefer the design of my old unit where the spool is carried at the top of the unit next to the handle. This new Black and Decker design has the spool at the bottom of the unit like the McCulloch.

Each of the three tools provided by this kit is significantly weaker than a top of the line standalone model... but they get the job done.

Blower: The weakest of the three. This one is barely functional. If your primary interest is for a blower then look elsewhere.

String Trimmer: About half as powerful as one of the large corded or gasoline trimmers. I find it easier to set and replace the string with this trimmer than others I have tried. Most useful for small trimming jobs.

Hedge Trimmer: The best of the three tools. Does an excellent job cutting through even small (1/4" diameter) branches.

Battery life is generally short, but I find it useful for quick jobs and work in stages. I can spend half an hour a day after work trimming a section of the yard or bushes and then recharge it for the next day. The unit is very light and simple to operate.

If you have 'serious yardwork' to do then get something else. If you want a simple tool for minor touchups and quick jobs then this is a viable option.