Bosch or Dewalt SDS

[Electrics]

I have recently used Ridgid and they are built to last forever. Not so commonly available though. My DeWalt stuff seems tough enough, but I'm not using it every day.

At those prices i would want lifetime free replacement guarantee.

Do they do power tools like cordless drills etc?

 

[nicebutdim]

I have recently used Ridgid and they are built to last forever. Not so commonly available though. My DeWalt stuff seems tough enough, but I'm not using it every day.

Ridgid make great tools, but if going to that sort of price range Hilti would make more sense for the wider range of tools on a single battery platform.

 

[UNG]

Big problem with Makita is the range of tools they produce and the issue exists with other manufacturers, albeit to a lesser degree.

Not sure why the range of power tools a manufacturer produces is a problem
I think the problem most manufacturers have is called development and progress.

Take combi drills as an example: you can buy an extraordinary number of Makita combis, from an ever changing range, that runs from junk up to very capable tools, but people (not unreasonably) expect high performance from a big brand name.

How do quantify what is junk and what is not, if you base this fact on price alone then I don't think you are making a fair judgement. Another point to bear in mind is the cheap look like Makita tools out there that are ridiculously cheap and fall to bits after little use

At one end of their range you get the DHP453 (not a bad drill for occasional light work, but won't last long in the hands of a tradesman), while at the other end is the exceptionally capable DHP486. A lot of people don't make any distinction between a £40 drill body and one that is closer to £200. It's the same with Dewalt, although their range hasn't been quite so extensive and confusing. Makita provide a 3 year warranty, which gives some level of reassurance.

With Makita and the other manufacturers you have to be careful of the end of line clearouts they do, a lot of the Screwfix / Toolstation cheap special offers are end of line items
Not sure of the point you are trying to make, but I was always taught to choose and buy a tool to suit the job in hand another thing I was taught was to treat my tools with respect and look after them. The problem these days hardly anybody reads the specs on the tools they are buying and will often exceed the tools limits
I remember the early days of the hammer drill you would often see 2, 3 or more tradesmen leaning on one machine when the wall was a bit tough it didn't make it drill the hole any quicker but very often killed the machine a lot quicker

I find Makita batteries to be very reliable, but they've been left behind in terms of capacity and output. Where significant power is required, they have two options: twin battery (works well) or 40V (different platform). Not sure what Makita will do to catch up, but if it involves a different battery platform there's a good chance I'd take my business elsewhere as tools wear out.

How big a capacity battery do you want before you then complain about weight or tool balance in an ideal world may be we need the backpack battery like Stihl produce
For most the 18v platform suits their needs, the 40v platform is for the larger and more power hungary tools may be in time there will be an adaptor to use 2 18v batteries, the Dewalt 54v stuff has been around for a while but I have never seen that many trades using it so will the Makita tools o the same way

Who makes the best tools? There isn't a simple answer, but from the big names I'd say Milwaukee are probably taking the best route in terms of protecting their reputation, having more or less abandoned the bottom end of the market. While Makita and Dewalt continue to service the DIY market with cheap tools, people are going to question the quality of their products.

I will agree that there is no real answer as to who makes the best tools as it all comes down to how they are used and / or abused by the person on the end of them, I saw a brand new Makita 8406 with a 117mm diamond core bit get burnt out by a builder before it had cut one hole in a standard brick cavity wall, that was just totally abused there was nothing wrong with the machine it was just how the operator used it, I have the same machine and it has cut dozens of similar sized holes with little or no attention and still looks as good as new

The above intentionally omits Bosch Professional as I don't know enough about their current tools - in the past they've produced many excellent products, but also some total junk.

Had some Bosch kit about 25 - 30 years ago mainly 24v hammer drills and the batteries were prone to failing and at £100+ for replacements it was expensive to run them

 

[nicebutdim]

Not sure why the range of power tools a manufacturer produces is a problem
I think the problem most manufacturers have is called development and progress.

'Problem' wasn't a great choice of words, but I was getting at a point made later in your response - correctly specifying tools. Often people see a drill as a drill and buying a low price option means getting a bargain, when it may be that they're buying something that doesn't suit their intended purpose.

This person often wont recognise their mistake and will instead blame the manufacturer.

How do quantify what is junk and what is not, if you base this fact on price alone then I don't think you are making a fair judgement. Another point to bear in mind is the cheap look like Makita tools out there that are ridiculously cheap and fall to bits after little use

That's a fair point. I have a lot of Makita tools and rarely have had any failures. The small number of failures that have occured were down to pushing a tool too hard to get a job done there and then. If I'd had the right tools to hand, those failures would not have occurred.

With Makita and the other manufacturers you have to be careful of the end of line clearouts they do, a lot of the Screwfix / Toolstation cheap special offers are end of line items
Not sure of the point you are trying to make, but I was always taught to choose and buy a tool to suit the job in hand another thing I was taught was to treat my tools with respect and look after them. The problem these days hardly anybody reads the specs on the tools they are buying and will often exceed the tools limits
I remember the early days of the hammer drill you would often see 2, 3 or more tradesmen leaning on one machine when the wall was a bit tough it didn't make it drill the hole any quicker but very often killed the machine a lot quicker

Those end of line clearance offers often represent real value, but as you point out it is important to ensure that they're fit for purpose.

Currently it is possible to buy the DHP482 for around £40. It's far from the most capable combi drill Makita make, but I've had one for several years and it's still performing like the day it was bought.

These brings me back to the crux of the point I was trying to make - if you present a builder with a choice between paying £50 or £150, they'll often go for the cheap option, but many will expect £150 performance. When they kill that £50 drill, it's down to the fact that the particular manufacturer 'doesn't make tools like they used to'.

How big a capacity battery do you want before you then complain about weight or tool balance in an ideal world may be we need the backpack battery like Stihl produce
For most the 18v platform suits their needs, the 40v platform is for the larger and more power hungary tools may be in time there will be an adaptor to use 2 18v batteries, the Dewalt 54v stuff has been around for a while but I have never seen that many trades using it so will the Makita tools o the same way

How big do I want? 5Ah is plenty for me. Run time is more than adquate for me and I have enough spare batteries to ensure that more demanding jobs aren't a problem. In fact thte only issue I have with Makita batteries is 2Ah 12V batteries don't last long on the multitool, but they also make a 4Ah version that would solve this problem.

The point here wasn't about what I want, but about expectations. Many people will now tell you that Milwaukee's 9Ah batteries or Dewalt's flexvolt system are the answer to the great unanswered 18V power tool question. As such, they will look down on other systems as being inferior. Without an equivalent, it is likely that many people will move away from Makita.

It's very likely that Makita will come up with some response to the options offered by their competitors but, as stated, I'd be very disappointed if they introduced a different platform that wasn't compatible with LXT tools and batteries - I hope we're past the point of changing battery interfaces!

I will agree that there is no real answer as to who makes the best tools as it all comes down to how they are used and / or abused by the person on the end of them, I saw a brand new Makita 8406 with a 117mm diamond core bit get burnt out by a builder before it had cut one hole in a standard brick cavity wall, that was just totally abused there was nothing wrong with the machine it was just how the operator used it, I have the same machine and it has cut dozens of similar sized holes with little or no attention and still looks as good as new

I destroyed an 18V SDS through sheer brutality, but it was the best option available at that moment in time. Now I mostly use a 12V and keep a twin 18V for bigger jobs.

The point I'd been making in that paragraph was that no one manufacturer makes the 'best tools'.

Had some Bosch kit about 25 - 30 years ago mainly 24v hammer drills and the batteries were prone to failing and at £100+ for replacements it was expensive to run them

Those were great tools and far ahead of the Ni-MH batteries of the time.

 

[Mikegh]

The one time I had a warranty issue with Bosch the service was incredible

Trigger on my 18v SDS wasn't fully responsive

They sent a courier round to collect and returned it by courier, all in a short overall time frame