Power Tools Reviews

Some friends and I, one of which works for PORTER CABLE, a couple of contractors and myself went to build a wheelchair ramp as a church project for an elderly couple. The guys laughed at me when I showed up with my Dewalt DW939 saw. About an hour into our work the power went out in their neighborhood. I handed my saw to the professional contractor that was doing all the cutting and he used it and said it cut smoother than his milwalkie 7 1\4" corded. We did the whole ramp and only had to replace the battery toward the end. Both of the contractors and the guy from Porter Cable all said that they were going to get one ASAP!! My DW939 saved the day!!!
My only complaint was fixed in the DC930 and that was the ergonomics of the handle. the DW939 is fine if you are cutting short distances but when cutting across a 4x8 sheet it is hard to hold your hand parallel to the cutting surface.

I have been cutting 2x8s and it does a great job. Especially nice is being able to cut thru the 2*8 at a 45 angel. The blade lock makes changing the blade easy.

The safety latch seems a bit awkward. One has to push the button in before pulling the trigger. For me, the button is in the wrong place and would be easier to push down rather than in. But this is a minor problem.

I haven't used the saw enough to stress test the battery

I bought this saw to cut down sheets of plywood before bringing them into the bsmt where there is a table saw. I've had no problem with the battery and love the freedom of throwing it into the back of a vehicle in case wood at the lumberyard is too long. It's weight makes it easy to handle and while I can see an extra battery might be nice, it's been a joy to use.

I've had this vacuum for several months now and am still very pleased. I'm not one to get excited about housework or anything related, but this vacuum is fantastic. We have two large dogs and I have to say, the dust is down a bit and the carpets have lost that "dog smell".

I could not believe the amount of filth that came out of my carpets. I called people, I was like an info-mercial for this thing -- it really sucks up the dirt.

This vacuum is great on large carpeted areas. It works well on area rugs too, but watch the height settings, if it is too low it really puts the wear and tear on the rug edges. As stated in other reviews, the drawbacks are that you have to use the attachments if you really want to get carpet edges and corners. Also, it is not the best on bare floors and the floor setting switch is a bit hard to turn (I thought I was breaking it the first time I changed settings).
These drawbacks are minor in comparison to the amount of crud this thing gets out of my home. I don't even mind the frequency of emptying the container -- I am glad each time that all that stuff is no longer in my carpet ( you will be amazed!).
Last thing, if you do not like to actually touch dirt, I wouldn't recommend a bagless. There is contact with the dirt while cleaning the filters and emptying the container. However, if overall cleanliness is for you, then so is this vacuum. This vacuum picks up like no bag having vacuum ever could. I love it.

I purchased this vacuum cleaner about half a year ago, and it is still working extremely well. I previously had another Eureka Whirlwind vacuum cleaner (some earlier model I purchased about 5 years ago); well, my previous model kept clogging, and clogging so I definitely needed something new. So, as you can imagine I was a little bit apprehensive about purchasing another Eureka; however, have no fear... this machine is awesome.

To be quite honest, I put a lot of credence in the reviews and opinions of other reviewers... and I think most everybody was dead-on right. This vacuum definitely has good sucking power. I think that a price you pay for this is the fact that the machine really wants to go... albeit it is not really 'that' difficult to handle. Weight wise, it is a little bit heavier than my previous vacuum (but realistically not that much more)... besides, with that weight you definitely get really good stability while vacuuming and utilizing the accessories.

The carpet/hard floor switch is an awesome shift when you need to do hard floors. I must admit, though, that this is not the best unit for getting edges. The accessories are easy to use. And most important, I've had absolutely no problems with the unit; someone wrote about a suction problem... they should probably check to ensure that they seated the canister properly.

Before I purchased this vacuum cleaner, I looked up several on Amazon.com and read the reviews. I was most impressed with the reviews and ratings for this one and also the 4885 which has a couple more bells and whistles but is apparently the same model, otherwise.

I tried to find the 4880 locally, and no one had ever heard of it! I was told it was an "old model," things like that. Actually, according to the Eureka WEBsite, it's quite a new model. Anyway, I decided to purchase from Amazon.com so I ordered, and it came in just a very few days, faster than promised.

Well, everything the other reviewers have said is absolutely true! The first time I vacuumed my house, I got three cupfuls of dirt and pet hair; I had to empty the dirt cup and rinse out the filters three times! I didn't know whether to cheer or throw up! By the way, the dirt cup is large and both the cup and the two filters that are removable are easy to get out of the machine, rinse out, and put back in. Be sure to use your spray attachment on your sink to get all the dirt out, and also let all the pieces dry COMPLETELY before you put them back into the machine.

The Hepa filter is the third filter. It's not removable/rinsable, and should be replaced about twice a year according to directions. Not much gets clear through to the Hepa filter, though, because the two other filters precede it.

Here's another tip. Run the cord up through the looped handle before you plug it in. That will hold the cord up and out of the way better than you can achieve with most other vacuum cleaners. I figured that out myself; it's not in the instructions. By the way, the instructions are clear, simple, and well illustrated.

As others have said, the machine is heavy, but the rollers seem to pull it forward though it is technically not self-propelled. It is smooth and quiet to use. It does not have edge-clean so you will either have to use the attachments for that purpose or use your handvac which is what I do.

This is a VERY satisfying product to use, quite fun, actually. I was suspicious about what my last vacuum cleaner was leaving in my carpet, and now I KNOW!

After reading the many previous reviews, I was sure this was the vacuum cleaner I wanted, and now that I have used it for a few days, I know I was absolutely right. If you have pets or a woodstove as we do, two dogs and a cat, plus bringing wood in through the house, this vacuum cleaner is one you should consider very seriously. My husband was annoyed with me for wanting to replace our old vac, but he is believer, now.

Amazon.com reviews of products really help keep the buyer from making bad purchase mistakes. It's a wonderful service. Thank you, Amazon.com!

First off, I really like the solid feel of this brad nailer, and I've been pleased with its power. Its weight helps minimize recoil, and its grip is more durable than the foam on one of my coworker's Senco brad nailer. In terms of feel, I perfer this brad nailer over the comprable Paslode, Porter Cable, and Senco models (all of which are available on our job sites).

I gave it only 2 stars because it's very sensitive and has a flawed firing mechanism. The nailer often double fires and misfires. It's like the driver bump-fires way to rapidly or doesn't align well with the brads, and as a result, two brads are often hit followed by a total misfire in which no brad gets hit (but the driver still comes down and puts a dent in the wood). Double firing is really annoying, especially on stain-grade wood, because it means that we have to spend extra time finishing the additional brad mark. The second brad that gets fired sometimes isn't countersunk, and in bad situations, pretzels--maybe because it comes out of the gun while the user is pulling it away from the work piece. Compared to my Paslode T200-F18 (which I currently rely upon exclusively), the Hitachi's driver just doesn't hit the brads accurately enough. I know this because in a side by side comparison, the Hitachi tended to pretzel much more often than the Paslode.

For the money, this would be a good brad nailer if I could tweak it so that it never double fires. I installed a sequential trip mechanism that Hitachi sold me for around $10 (I don't remember the exact price), and that reduced the tendency to double fire. Hitachi should offer this item for free. I also tried removing the safety spring and taping back the safety on the nose like one of the other reviewers suggested. That solved the double firing and misfiring problems, but resulted in a dangerous tool. If I were doing benchtop work, the missing safety would probably be OK, but when I'm up on a ladder installing trim, constantly changing hands with the nailer, and putting it in and out of my tool belt, I like having a safety.

If you want a flawless brad nailer that you can trust to never double fire from the first time you handle it, it's probably worth spending more for a different brand. The price difference of a more expensive nailer isn't much compared to the value of the work carpenters & woodworkers create. In my opinion, the only thing worse than double firing is not countersinking the brads, and the Hitachi has plenty of power to avoid this latter problem, provided it only fires one brad at a time.

This tool deserves 2 stars instead of the 3 I originally gave it, but I couldn't alter my original rating.

I bought a set of Craftsman Nailers(stapler, brad, and finish), and I also bought the Hitachi NT50AES(I don't know what the S model is). After firing 200 nails on the Craftsman Finish Nailer, the guide that holds the strip of nail broke(plastic crap). I pulled out the Hitachi nailer and it finished what the Craftsman couldn't. For the same price or lower, the Hitachi nailer is solidly built, metal was used where it should be, grips well, the gun is balanced, can do what more expensive brands like DeWalt, Makita, and Porter Cable does for a lot less. Since Hitachi is not well known, many hardware stores don't carry Hitachi brand nails, but I used Porter Cable branded nails and it worked without a misfire or jam. I am now inclined to sell my Craftsman nailers in eBay and start building up a collection of Hitachi tools. I think this tools will last a lot longer and I can pass it on to my grandchildren, if I ever get married and have kids and my kids have kids. ;-p.

I've owned on of these for 3 years and use it almost daily. I like this brad nailer a lot. It's been totally reliable and has all the power I need. It never double-fires and only jammed up once when the brad hit something under drywall. The wider-than-normal contact area on the nose means I don't have to worry about leaving a dent in stain-grade material. Although I usually dislike the cheap blow-molded cases that comes with a lot of tools, this one is actually sensibly designed. For 80 bucks, it's hard to beat. The only thing Hitachi forgot was a hook to hang the nailer off of your belt or a ladder, so I guess I'd really rate it 4 7/8 stars.

I've read the other reviews, and YES there is a problem with the gearbox on the earlier produced drills. I have 3 of these drills, and one in three has the failed gearbox, and I blew out a switch in another one. Big deal. Get used to it, switches and batteries ALLWAYS fail on cordless tools. So this means I spend $35-40 for a gearbox, ONCE. The replacement gearboxes don't appear to have the problem of "stripping". I use me drills everyday and I BEAT THE S**T out of them ! No problems. So like everything else in life, it's all a matter of perspective. Personally, unless the drill explodes in my hand , My money goes to Makita. It has for over 25 years. I'm writing this review just for the sake of putting a different light on things for folks. Power tools fail, switches break, gearboxes explode, batteries die, etc.. It's part of life, EVERYTHING breaks!
Written by a regular guy who just happens to use power tools everyday to make a living, day in - day out. IF a tool is junk, I'm not afraid to say so!

I have had my drill for nearly two years. I am a full-time carpenter {soon to get my license] and woodworker. I really use my tools hard,but take good care of them. They provide my livlihood, and I buy the best. This tool, from the day I got it, sliped from the "locked" position to one of the torque settings. I didn't think much about it, so I twisted it back, and I have done so ever since. It won't stay locked in the drill mode. I have gotten used to it, but as one reviewer noted, it only gets worse. One of the batteries is caput, the other is failing. So, in conclusion, I have every reason to think that this tool has a flaw. What is a fellow to do? My Makita is failing, and I need another drill. I sometimes think I have used every tool and brand known to man, and have an opinion on each one [not true, but....] still, I have to choose,and Makita makes a good drill here. I understand the consequences, but I still choose the Makita battery drill over all the other brands.

I have been very pleased so far with this drill. I work in the shop every day, and use this drill frequently. It has good balance, excellent torque and battery life, and a good feature set. The additional power provided by the higher voltage batteries has been extremely useful in broadening the usage of the tool.

I've owned this sharpener forseveral years andbought it itmostly tosharpen jointerand planerknives. I addition to the included 1000 grit stone,I'vepurchsedtheexpensive 4000 grit stone toproduce whatI had hoped theultimatedge.Unfortunately neitherstone is balanced, neitheris round orflat andeven at the slow rotational speed shake, rattleand roll anddespite taking great,time consumingcarein settingup the complicatedbut inaccuratebladeholder the blades failsto makecontinuouscontactwiththestone andresults rangefrom mediocre to poor.I ended up making myown device grinding mybladeson the rim of a 180 grits silicon carbide 7 inchdiameter stone rotatingt 1400 RM, resulting in an excellenthollow groundedge far sharper than the Makita hitandmiss mess. I do polish the back ofthe kblades on thmakita 4000 grit stone, savingtime and labor versushand honing but itisan abusive price to pay fora merchanical strop. thespecial chisel sharpening guide iseven worse andI've returned to mnual shapening on King wetstones. I haveused the Makita in therestorastion of antiquechisels for the basic grindingaway of tiny rust spots but flatteningand final polishinghas tobe performed on a Kanaban plate and valve grindingcompounds. A machinistI know iswilling to truethestones but ata costof $100 each.I passed and am reasobablyhappywith myhome-made device.Oneday,I'll have aceramic stonemadeforit with a 400 gritorso and sell the Makita to a dreamer willingtospendtheextra moneyto fix what Makitafailed to do.Mysuggestion: PaSS on this failure to deliver(at any price, nevermind almost 300 bucks. Tryto find an ancient Oliver Machinist helper( very rare and veryexpensive but works whereas theMakita fails miserably.The antique Oliver will sharpen justaboutanytool you'll comein contactwith, drills, augers and turningtools included forwoodworking andmetal worksalike.

This unit is flimsy and not easy to set up. It's not easy to set up because the design of this machine is done very cheaply. If your using a course stone you will run out of water very quickly, which is not convenient. Very messy to use too. I did get the unit set up to sharpen some jointer blades and the results were ok. I honestly don't know much about sharpening and that is why I was hoping this machine would be straight forward to set up,use and get very good results. It's not. A good quality sharpener for blades and tools must cost a lot more! If possible, see one in action before you buy it.

I've been in the process of researching an electric sharpener and have decided upon the Makita 9820-2. I've noticed several reviews that raise the concern over the lack of a coarser wheel.

Highland Hardware (www.highlandhardware.com) has developed their own "Green Wheel" for this unit, a 120 grit wheel that will ..."grind the hardest steels as aggressively as a course wheel on a bench grinder". They also have a HandTool jig for sharpening chisels and other tools and a 6000 Grit Fine Wheel. Hope this helps!

I have to agree with many of the other reviewers who like this router for its smoothness, power,and low noise level. The grips are great, it plunges nicely, and the quality of materials seems top rate. However, my experience with this router has revealed two flaws that greatly detract from what would otherwise be a truly fine machine. While these flaws are not necessarily deal-breakers, those of you who are considering buying this tool may want to be aware of them.

First, as another reviewer has pointed out, it is impossible to accurately center template guides within the base plate. The user must screw the template guide holder into the baseplate, and since the holder does not precisely register into the baseplate, it is thus extremely difficult to accurately center the guides. If you use template guides and require even a moderate degree of accuracy, this flaw is a deal-breaker. Do not buy this router. On the other hand, if you never use template guides or plan on parking this baby in a router table, you'll have no problems. This would be a fine router for those purposes.

The other problem is another quality/design issue that can be remedied but is a moderate annoyance. On my machine, the release/locking lever for the plunge mechanism came loose on several occassions, making it impossible to plunge and lock the router at a desired depth. There is a small set screw in the lever mechanism that works loose and has to be constantly tightened and adjusted. This problem is not an isolated incident as it also has occured with two other cabinetmakers and their identical routers in my shop. In the end, having tired of constantly fiddling with our machines, the three of us adjusted the mechanisms as best we could, applied Lock-Tite to the set screws, and hoped we did it right because there would be no way to disassemble the levers once the Lock-Tite cured. Fortunately, the fix worked fine, and all three of us are happily using our machines without any problems. Again, not a deal-breaker and the problem was fixed, but this seems unnecessary for a $200 router.

The other router to consider in this price range is the DeWalt DW625 3 HP plunge router. Though it has more power than the PC 8529, it is the same size and weight. It's also variable speed and would be great in a router table. I've never been a huge DeWalt fan (many of their products seem overrated and overpriced), this seems to be an excellent machine. Several of the guys in my shop own them and use them for the dual purposes of plunge operations as well as major hogging through lots of material (the extra hp makes a big difference). Add it to your list of possibilities.

I like all the features of this router and for the most part, everything works great. This router follows the PC reputation of quality. I also have a 1 3/4 hp PC 690 and it seems to have more power than the 8529 which is rated at 1/4 hp more. Also, be careful with this router as I accidently dropped mine and the soft start circuit went bad. 80 some dollars later, I was back in action, but am really leary about buying another soft start router.
I don't much care for the trigger lock, but it works.

This is a great router, with good power, excellent precision, and is relatively quiet.

That said, I feel I ought to address the issue with the guide collar mentioned in several other reviews. To quite: "it is impossible to accurately center template guides within the base plate." This and other statements to this effect can only be from users who didn't bother to read the manual. The collet is shaped like a centering cone, and when you fully plunge the router with a guide collet in it, it centers itself. Then you just tighten the screws. Actually, this is pretty much how you center every other router to it's guide collet, so I don't know if these other guys have ever used routers before...

Much improved over the 7529, by the way.

I have used the combo kit for about 4 years. The drill has a lot of torque but the chuck gave up it's grip after 3 years of occasional use. I replaced it with the new all metal chuck from pc not available on all of their drills. pc told me it grips better and will last longer. So far I am happy with it after a year. Now to the saw: It cuts okay when the battery is fresh but if anything is binding on the blade such as when the work is not properly supported you will use up the battery in a hurry.Torque drops off quickly as other reviewers have pointed out. This probaly explains why some people can not get more than 30 cut 2x4s on a charge.If everything is set up right you can get over 100 2x4 cuts. Also for some reason plywood eats up the batteries faster than cutting 2x4s. Except for the occasional cut I have not been using it much for these reasons.You would have to have a big pouch full of batteries to get any serious work done with this saw. The batteries and charger have given me fits. I am on my 3rd charger in 4 years and the first two just outlived the one year warranty. PC had nothing interesting to say about it. I have also gone through 3 batteries. Beware that there are various capacity replacements out there and make sure you get the largest available.After using Makita batteries, Bosch batteries, and older Portercable 12 volt batteries I would say I got the shortest life out of the 19.2 volt pc batteries.Now that Lithium Ion technology has arrived I would get a different brand such as Makita , Milwaukee , or the yet to be released Dewalt. You will get much longer run times with this new technology. KS Maryland

This is is nice quality saw that works well, but has one drawback. It eats batteries very quickly. And when the battery even starts to get low it completely looses all torque power. The only way to work with this saw is to have at least 3 batteries available and charged before starting work. But it will cut like a workhorse as long as you feed it batteries.

PURCHASED THE QUAD PACK BUT HAD SOME SPECULATION ABOUT THE SAW DUE TO PROBLEMS FROM THE PAST WITH OTHER BRANDS. AFTER ABOUT A DAYS USE I AM COMPLETELY SOLD ON THIS SAW. HAS ALL THE POWER YOU NEED TO DO WORK THAT IS MADE FOR CORDLESS TOOLS. THIS SAW , IN MY OPINION , IS HANDS DOWN THE BEST I HAVE USED. IT FEELS SO COMFORTABLE WHILE USING I PURCHASED TWO SPARE BATTERIES SO I WONT HAVE TO BOTHER WITH A CORDED SAW. YOU CANT BELIEVE HOW MUCH TIME THIS SAVES YOU IN A PRODUCTION TYPE ENVIRONMENT AND HOW MUCH NEATER THE SHOP LOOKS WITHOUT CORDS EVERYWHERE.

After extensive research I purchased this vaccuum knowing that Bissell was a great brand & I'd get great bang for my buck. It was trued for the first 2 months & then as time went on I lost suction until it quit on me all together. I returned it & exchanged it for the same model thinking perhaps that one was a lemon. I've had it now for 3 months & it's the same thing. The dirt goes into the 2 side compartments & all along the filter. It has to be cleanout out ( with your fingers digging out the dirt ) every time you do even a light vaccuum & the filters clog immediately. I've constantly had to wash them with is no small feat to get them clean. After 3 months of having this one I'm returning it for another brand. It has nice features so it's a shame that it doesn't perform better.

We have only used it a couple of times yet, but are so far very happy with it. It is a tremenous improvement from our old vacuuum and is very easy to use (empty canister, attach tools, etc.).

My husband and I read the reviews on the Bissell 35951 CleanView Revolution Plus Upright Bagless Vacuum before our purchase and they are all true!!! It is a great light weight vacuum that works like a heavy weight! We are very pleased with our purchase.

It does whatever it advertises. Its definitely a good buy. We had a Dyson before and it is defintinely better and also its less then half the price.

I needed an upright I could carry up and down stairs without further damaging my bad shoulder, and I didn't want to sacrifice suction. I've been nothing but impressed with what this vacuum picks up, and I can pick it up. I take the detachable cannister upstairs while vacuuming the stairs and then run down for the light-weight upright housing when I need it. Emptying the large dirt collection container is easy and it's rewarding to know how much cleaner the house must be after what's been thrown away. The filters are easy to clean. I highly recommend the "deluxe" version which comes with a second set of filters to pop in while the first is drying. Also, the bare floor tool really does do edges well. Down side, the hose and wand could be a little longer. I'd buy it again, though, I'm very happy with my decision.

This is an excellent vacuum! It sucks up dog and cat hair with no problem. It's also very quiet. I'm very satisfied with my purchase.

Purchased in February, has not worked out of the box. Unit will not charge. Unit has been under warranty repair for the past 2 months. It was junk, right out of the box. I will not purchase another tool or accessory from the above.

This item will not fully charge and/or the charging light does not work. I contacted the company and they sent me a new battery but the unit still does not fully charge.

This is a very useful item and a value for money. Compact and well constructed. Stands firm in the trunk. Just make sure that you cover it in a plastic or something so that any rainwater or snow does not fall on it causing any possible short circuit as two clips are always active.

Only complaint I have about most of jump starters is that their tongs/clips are not very easy connect. Many times some car battery terminals so different in shape than these tongs can effectively clamp to. Only if they could change the shape and specs of battery terminals and also the tongs on jump starters to match, it will be more convenient.

Good investment. Just make sure to charge from time to time (once in 3 weeks or so). Last thing you want is to need a jump start and see that battery of your jump starter is all drained.