DeWalt 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!!!

After having received two boxes of varying grits, I was impressed with the quality for the reasonable price. The pads held up very well and I got a lot of use out of each pad. As a weekend woodworker, I think this isa a definate do-over when it comes to purchasing more sanding pads.

Mirka makes some of the best sand paper for these small orbital sanders. Buy with confidence. I have purchased all the different grits with the same satisfaction.

I purchased a box of 50 discs in 80 grit mfg by Mirka. Was not sure what the quality would be since I had not heard of this brand name. I used on western red cedar with Bosch random orbit model 3107. My sander is agressive and these discs were totally up to the job. I sanded about 60 square feet before I noticed a slight drop off in sanding efficiency. I could have kept using the disk, but put on a new one to keep my project moving along. In total, I sanded about 150 square feet and was on my third disc when the day ended. I had no trouble with clogging, grit falling off, or the paper backer tearing. This is a quality product and I would not hesitate to buy other grits.

The material is fine. No problems.

The problem I have is that my order was not completed. After not receiving either of the sandpaper packs I ordered, I e-mailed you. One of the packs was sent but the other has not yet arrived and I am wondering if it will come. Maybe you can help on this.

Mike Hewitt

I worked in a custom cabinet shop for 12 years and all we used was Mirka sandpaper. Now that I'm on my own I continue to use Mirka sandpaper. It last long and does an excellent job! I wouldn't think of using anything else. I like to stick with what works.

First of all I have to say that the reason why I happen to be writing this review is because I was on Amazon ordering another box of these sanding discs! There is no higher praise in my book than a return customer!

Now for the review: I have to agree with the other positive reviews and say that I have long been a fan of these Mirka sanding disks. I am a home woodworker whose projects range from DIY stuff around the house, to refinishing, to building fine furniture projects. I have been using these discs for years (in every grit from 80 to 220) and could not be more pleased with the smooth surfaces they produce with my rather inexpensive sander.

I completely agree with the assessment that although these are not the absolute best hook and loop discs on the market, they have performed every task I have asked of them. Overall, I would give this product an A- for quality/performance, and an A+ for value.

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.

First off, I own the older model of this DeWalt nailer. I bought it about four years ago when they were offering the $50 rebate. I am a residential remodeler and use this tool a fair amount, but not as much as someone who just does framing. This nailer has some features that I really like. It has tool free depth adjustment, a rafter hook (althought I would feel more confident if it was metal rather than plastic), and I like that the magazine can be removed easily to clear jams. This feature has come in handy on a few occasions. The tool is lightweight and is fairly short from the nose to the rear, which helps when trying to negotiate tighter spaces. The power is okay but not knock your socks off. It will sink a nail flush into an LVL beam, but not much deeper. So far it has been fairly durable. There are a few complaints I have about it. For some reason it tends to misfire quite a bit. It doesn't jam very often, it just doesn't fire a nail on about 5% of the shots. Also, when I am shooting 2 1/4" nails for sheething, the paper strips tend to get "bunched up" and can cause occasional jams. This can get frustrating because when it comes to sheething you're trying to shoot as many nails as possible in a short amount of time. I don't know if DeWalt has fixed any of these problems with this new model. I have looked at it in the store but haven't tried it out yet. It looks like they have made some decent upgrades though.

When I got this gun I was really pleased. It's light and fairly powerful. But after framing about 20 houses in the last year or so it just couldn't hold up. The power dropped dramatically and then the nose and trigger gave up.It probably would do great under a less stressful workload.

I have had this nailer for several months now, and it has done nothing but perform flawlessly. Whether framing or sheathing, it has never misfired once. It has never jammed. The tool free depth adjustment works great. The rafter hook is something I could not live without. The quick release jam clearing feature is also great. (Although I haven't had to use it for clearing jams). This is simply a phenomenal nailer. The only way I would be happier is if DeWalt would include a kit box with this gun.

These bits do a great job. I'm about to buy spare drill bits for the set. True, there are cheaper versions. I've destroyed several. The "cheaper" versions have set screws that strip out quickly, or spin because you can't tighten them enough.

Somewhat of a funky taper on the drill bits, but they work well. Not as adjustable (drill bit length) as I thought or as the packaging would lead you to believe. Finally, these are many times more expensive than some of the cheaper countersinks out there. If you have a "serious" need for countersinking, then this is a good set.

I had an opportunity to purchase and use a set of these tapered countersink bits on a job where we had hundreds of countersunk pilot holes to drill. I used a drill bit stop placed on the shaft of the countersink to regulate the depth. They performed flawlessly. I later used them to pre-drill holes in plexiglass by turning the countersink around backwards and using a rubber washer as a cushion. I am a believer in using the right tool for the right job. I haven't ever seen any better bits of this type from any other vendor. *****

So really that's 3 and a half stars but I'm giving more weight to the tool than the price. I don't own one of these, my deck building partner does. We build a few decks every summer as side jobs for tool money. We also are both in the middle of remodels, so we've put this tool through the paces. I've used this tool for literally hours over the last few years he's had it. It works, it costs a Franklin instead of almost 2. If you are using it occasionally it will do the job (thinking average homeowner here.) If you use it frequently or if you are a bit of a tool snob (like me) buy a milwaukee. (see my review there) The vibration on this tool is pretty severe in comparison. I don't think the ergonomics are near as good, and for cutting wood... you can't beat orbital action.

To sum up, there is nothing "wrong" with this tool, and it's certainly faster than a handsaw. All things considered you are way further ahead buying this than a no-name knock-off for whatever $$. It's just not what I would consider a professional quality tool. I left my sawzall at home today for 2 deck demolitions, had to use this one, and won't make that mistake again. It did the job, it's just not a joy using it like mine.

I ordered this saw to do some remodeling work in my condo. This saw ate through the 2-1/4 inch plaster/masonary walls like butter. I took out two medium sized walls in about 8 hours time, including cleanup.

The saw has no balancer in it, so it does get a bit uncomfortable to use after a certain time frame. However, to get the balancer feature, you really have to step up the price.

Changing blades is relatively easy with the keyless quick change. Just watch out for the hot blades!

Bottom line, I would have no problem recommending this tool to anyone in need of a Sawzall. I plan to use it in several more wall demolition projects. It is perfect for occasional use. Contractor types may wish to buy a higher priced model.

This saw is fantastic! I have used and abused this saw. I have cut everything, metal pipe, wood, fencing, even tree roots down in the dirt while trying to loosen a stump. Never had a problem. Keep sharp blades handy though.

Pluses - Has a good motor, spins almost like a dentist drill. Good plunge action. I like its size. Good speed control. Good dust collection.


Minus - Base is poorly designed and I can't use a straight edge with it. The casting of the base is rough and not straight and the base plate edge is not a good reference for the center. My Porter Cable 8529 base plate is better referenced. At least it lands on a 32 inch gradient on my strait edge. I will make a base plate to use in conjunction with a bushing so that I can use a staight edge for dados in plywood.

The bushing center is off by about .025" toward the right (fixed handle). It is at least centered between front and back.

I hate the plunge lock mechenism. I want the handle to act like a handle that I can grab without fear of unlocking the plunge lock and having the router pop up. This would be real bad if using a splining bit or a keyhole bit.

I like the position of the PC 8529 dust collector better. The dewault dust port extension gets in the way when inverting the router to change bushings, bits.

I like the PC 8529 height adjustment better. The Dewault has two height adjusters. The micro adjust knob on the Dewalt is for veneer work or tweeking once you've set the main height adjustment and made a test cut. Also, one turn of the micro adjust doesn't correspond to a convenient gradient like 1/8". The PC height adjustment is one continuous thread and each turn is 1/8". Although cumbersome turning the knob, you can get 59/64" without a test cut. The PC height adjust is however, better suited for the router table

DeWalt's 2 hp Plunge Router is the best choice for a middle of the road place for the plunge router. It's both basic and heavy duty for most tasks. The dust collection port is a added plus improvement over DeWalt's version of the Elu plunge routers. This is a plunge router that defintely has a significant place in my shop but, in my opinion, the plunge router is really not the best router to use for router table use if that's how you plan to use it. Best stick to a fixed base, if that's your need.

Absolutely a great all purpose plunge router kit! As stated in other reviews this is not the best choice if you are focusing on primary use in a router table because of the on/off switch location. But, everything else is great! I'm very happy with the quality of construction and performance given me by this outer. This unit is definitely one of the best routers in its class. It has all the features one could possibly want. I recommend it!!!

This planer did a terrific job and it's first challenge was on Hickory. However, I found my self chasing the cord all the time. The cord is like a wet noodle and in fact within the first hour I cut the cord and had to splice and eventually replace the cord.
The machine worked terific but the constant keeping up with the cord made it uncomfortable to work with.
Yes, I would buy it again but I would hope that DeWalt can change the cord configuration and flexability to let the user concentrate on the work instead of where the cord is tracking

I sold my Porter Cable planer and bought this one as I didn't like the way the depth adjustment worked. The DeWalt has a much easier dial to use. It has somewhat of a positive click to the settings, and I have never altered the depth of cut inadvertenly while making a pass with it. My only gripe (with all these planers) is that they have the chips exiting the machine just below the motor's air intake. With heavy cuts chips get sucked into the air intake and have to be cleared on to prevent overheating. It would take a bit of enginering to get air flowing in the same direction for both the ejection of chips and the air for cooling, but it would be a nice addition. This tool gets a lot of use for tweaking cabinet to fit walls and floors during installation and other fine adjustments for products made. The hand(block)plane has been in semi retirement since I purchased this tool

Simply great, I have no complaints whatsoever. I have perfected this really goofy method of tapering boards now. You can rotate the depth adjustment while you're planing and get pretty good tapered boards. It works pretty good. Ever need a piece that's 3" wide at one end and 2 3/4" wide at the other? You guys that work on old houses know what I mean. I'm sure this is in the manuals list if things not to do....like don't use the planer in the bathtub. I only wish that they would increase the price $20 and include the dust bag. (Part# DW6656) Power planers spray shavings like confetti so you'll want the bag if you plane doors inside the house. I don't think anyone else even offers a dust bag. I loved the huge case. Dust bag fits inside the case.

Joiner appears to be brand new. First thing I did was check/adjust everything for square. I discovered that the fence was twisted wile looking down it(perpendicular to the base). It would rock back & forth with the joiner vertical on a flat surface. I swapped fences with one off a friends and it was fine (his rocked with my fence on it).

I called Dewalt and they sent me a new fence that I should get it in a week or so.
When doing mitered face frames the joiner will often slip when cutting the slot as the piece isn't wide enough to contact the two corner stops. In this aspect the PC would be prefered as it has an abrasive bad the width of the base (also it has a larger fence surface to register with the wood piece).

Altogether I would have prefered the Porter Cable, but couldn't justify the higher price.

This unit arrived in perfect condition and was indistinguishable from a new one except for the "Reconditioned in Mexico" sticker and the "R" embossed into the housing. There were none of the alignment problems mentioned by several other reviewers.

I've been using the Plate Joiner the past several weeks to cut slots into the sides of hardwood deck boards for use with ipe clip fastening system. The wood is very dense and hard and so far the Joiner has worked flawlessly through hundreds of cuts. I've had absolutely no problem with any adjustments drifting throughout the job.

The only complaint that I have is that the dust port clogs every dozen or so cuts. Letting the Joiner reach full speed before cutting extends the cleaning time somewhat, but it's still a nuisance to have to clean it so frequently...sawdust accumulates at the junction between the cloth bag and the plastic sleeve and then backs back up into the machine. DeWalt needs to redesign the bag system to eliminate any obstructions in the air path. An active dust collection system, such as a Shop Vac, obviously completely eliminats this problem.

All in all, I highly recommend the DeWalt. It's very well built and the reconditioned units are an exceptional value.

At first this jointer did not work well. The slots it cut were not parallel to the wood piece. After reading a review of a new one, I looked at mine--same thing. The fence was not parallel to the blade. There are two screws that hold the fence to the body. I loosened them, put the body on a plate of glass and clamped it. I then pushed down on the fence portion, and tightened the screwd. After doing this, it seemed like a new machine. It works great now.