Thinking about buying red---worth it?

I am thinking about changing my tool religion--from orange to red!

I don't take this lightly.  I bought Orange back in 2007 when building my deck and the brand has expanded and the tools served me well.

However, when I bought them, they were very good tools that were priced like they were bargains.  They are still good tools, but they are no longer priced like bargains. and their tool line is a bit meager by comparison to others.

Red, on the other hand, has a virtually endless variety of tools, especially Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE).  I don't see myself replacing every single orange tool with a red one--at least not yet--but I can see myself purchasing some of the more unique tools that are simply not available in orange.

One area that I certainly could appreciate is the rocket tower lighting systems.

Anyone else out there in Red?  Have any thoughts or ideas?

Anyone out there in Orange who has become frustrated like myself?




Thanks in advance

Eric

What is orange? Dewalt? I would have thought yellow. WORX?

I assume red is Milwaukee. Is it an issue to use brand names on here?

I like Makita but I don't like the price!

At the mill that I work at, we are an exclusively red tool building.

Red (specifically the FUEL line) is definitely industrial rated. Expensive compared to some other colors but incredibly reliable in my experience. The batteries last and can take a beating.

At home I'm a green guy, but I definitely endorse red.

Hi Eric,

Over the years I have fallen in and out of love with various brands. Some have cheapened themselves …others have become overpriced.   So, I have found it best to remain flexible.  To answer your question, I find red to be quality.

I started with Bosch then Ryobi then DeWalt but I have switched to Milwaukee; one reason was the m12 tools are lighter for the wife to use and less bulky, and in some cases the smaller size for me is helpful.  The m18 tools are more my size and the weight issue is not a problem for me. I still have a selection of DeWalt and some other tools like Dura-Spin that are not offered by either of the red or yellow.

Oh, I hope this ends up being a thorough discussion. I've recently experienced a crisis of faith about my full yellow buy-in and am casting about for future options.

Also, this helped me decode some of the discussion: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=power+tool+lines+by+color&ia=images&iax=images

I'm a bit lost. Could there be a translation for those of us who don't know the tool colors/brands well enough to follow the discussion. I'd like to know the pros and cons of each brand to inform my own purchasing. We always had John Deere (green) tractors growing up, and my dad used Sthil chainsaws (orange), and I see him with both DeWalt (yellow) and Milwaukie (red) tools.  

Blue = Kobalt (at least that makes sense. Cobalt is a blue pigment)
Blue= Bosc (it's a dark blue with red lettering)
Teal-ish Blue = Makita
Green = John Deere, right? They just make tractors and lawn mowers, so maybe this isn't right. Hitachi
Yellow/Green: Ryobi
Yellow = DeWalt?
Orange = Ridgid (Home Depots house brand)
Red = Milwaukie (they have stuff labeled FUEL)

EDIT: I'm going to try to update this when new info comes forward.



From this article:

Folks in the field commonly think their favorite tool brand beats everyone else, and they refer to it by color. For example:

Yellow = DeWalt
Red = Milwaukee
Teal = Makita
Orange = Ridgid
Blue = Bosch
However, things get a bit murkier when it comes to multiple tool manufacturers using similar colors. Take Red for instance. It really depends on what tools Pros use. Instead of Milwaukee, those using framing nailers or staplers might think about SENCO. For rotary hammers or demo hammers, Hilti comes to mind.

Having attended a number of manufacturers’ tool events, the product managers and marketing folks also refer to the competition by color.

Wow!  Didn’t realize so many people were contemplating something similar.

I should have stated at the beginning. Orange is Ridgid, the house brand for Home Depot.

And yes, the M12 line is just so—handy.  It is light, easy to carry, good for overhead work.  I bought my oldest (computer geek) daughter a set of drill-driver.  Of course it was Milwaukee.

I have already purchased a pole saw and I bought a water pump.

At the very least I would like to get a drill (not hammer drill), impact/impulse driver,Circular saw and sawzall.

I will let you know how things go!!



Eric

Back before B&D bought DeWalt I had a ton of their tools. By a ton I'm talking 20 12v drills, 6 saws etc. the list went on and on. Then I found a damaged truckload sale of "RED" tools and bought my fist drill from them then B&D bought DeWalt which no longer mattered to me. Once I used my first Milwaukee tool I never even considered going back.

BUT and this is a big BUT If there is a tool I need that's hundreds less and is NOT something  I'll be using regularly I'll buy and use about any brand. BUT if it's a tool I'm going to need to use regularly I'm buying RED.  

The DeWalt tools were a good buy for the bucks until they were bought out, after that the quality went down. It didn't tank but it took a hit and that was obvious.

So for occasional use about anything will suffice for tools seeing regular use quality counts and is CONSIDERABLY cheaper in the long run!

We all pay to play so get the best bang for your bucks and needs!!!
 

Larry, that’s how I felt about Crsftsman.  I just loved my old Craftsman tools, but now I feel like they lost their soul.


Eric

Anne,

It’s been about 20 years, but for a time, John Deere did put their name on a brand of power tools.  And of course they were Green

I like both my red stuff and my neon green. The red has awesome batteries and allows me to use them all over our property, for longer times than my own body will go. The only neon green we have on batteries is a small chainsaw that doesn't hold power nearly as long as I would like, but the corded neon green stuff is great, where I can get a cord to go. Both have tolerated our many abuses far better than I would have expected.

Do you regularly do projects with other folks? As for me, father in law, son in law & my neighbor luckily have the same style, so it was easy to pick colors for maximum interchangeability.  Around here the most popular is green. It's not the best but good for doing light fixes at neighbors houses.  Next most likely to find is yellow where folks use tools in a slightly harsher environment.  Red is for folks that don't care what neighbors have. I have both green & red.

Now if we are talking lawn mowers Green Works 40 volt lawnmowers are great. Again, an item that was wife requested so she didn't have to fight a gas mower. We also have their pole saw and weed eater.

Robert,

Separately I would like to buy into the Greenworks 80v line.  Specifically I am looking at the 18” saw, trimmer, maybe a blower.  I am not certain what else I would need from there.


Eric

Eric Hanson wrote:Separately I would like to buy into the Greenworks 80v line.

I have two members of that line:
https://www.greenworkstools.com/products/80v-42-cordless-battery-crossovert-riding-lawn-mower-w-twelve-12-4-0ah-batteries-and-three-3-dual-port-turbo-chargers
https://www.greenworkstools.com/collections/80-volt/products/80v-20-cordless-battery-single-stage-snow-blower-w-4-0ah-battery-charger (for the deck)

They do what they're supposed to but are kind of no-frills. I'll get more things to go with the batteries as time passes.

Christopher,

Ok, if you had to recommend a battery chainsaw platform, what would it be?  Since I am considering Milwaukee, might the Milwaukee saw do it?

No idea!

I own a DeWalt battery chainsaw and it gets the job done. I wouldn't buy it again because of philosophical differences with the parent company, but it seems like a fine saw. And it's the only one I've used. I'd reflexively buy Greenworks today to be on the same battery platform as my other new tools and someone here (John, maybe?) especially likes them.

Eric Hanson wrote:Christopher,

Ok, if you had to recommend a battery chainsaw platform, what would it be?  Since I am considering Milwaukee, might the Milwaukee saw do it?

If you already own 18V Milwaukee tools or plan to then that's the way to go since the batteries are interchangeable across almost all their large tools. Yes they still have some smaller stuff like my daughter's M12 tools that she works with everyday. They are perfect for the lighter work of installing security systems. Where they are not as good for framing or demolition. Right tool for the job ya know!

I have switched to Milwaukee tools and for the most part it has been good.

Today: they kind of get you. It is not the tool itself, but the batteries and charger that adds up, so once you go with a brand, well you are kind of locked in unless you want to buy a new charger and battery for every tool you buy.

I have had ZERO issues with my 18 volt line of Milwaukee tools... except for my Cordless Framing Nailer. I am NOT a carpenter, nor do I use it often so when it started to no longer drive spikes fully into wood, I got frustrated. I took it back knowing it was not abuse or overuse. It took a few weeks to go from return to getting it back (about a month) but Milwaukee went good on it, replacing $165 worth of parts. It drove spikes again fully for awhile, but now it is at 75% fully driven to 25% not fully driven. With shorter nails (not 16 pennies) it drives them fine.

But the 18 volt Milwaukee tool I covet the most? Their cordless pop rivet gun. That to me seems so cool, but I almost never pop rivet things, but when I do I dream of holding that supple tool, hitting the trigger and watch the pop rivet hold things together. Yep, I'll just say it, I'd rather hold that then the wife! (Teasing)

When I first got my Ridgid tools, it was 2007 and I was getting ready to build a deck off the back of out house.  We designed the house to have this specific deck and I deliberately did not want my contractor doing it so that I could say that it was my hands that build at least a part of my house.  At the time I had a decent collection of corded tools and a single, 13.2 volt Craftsman 3/8 drill.  I really loved that drill for its day, but I needed something to complement it--something in the 18v range.  Also, the quality of Craftsman had taken a nose dive (acquired in Christmas of 1996, I think this was Craftsman's peak).  By 2007. Craftsman barely still had cordless drills, to say nothing of the plethora of other tools that were becoming available on other platforms.  When I was in college (second time!) in the late 90s, all of the tradesmen carried around DeWalt 9.6v drills and they loved them.  I was a tad jealous, but I could afford nothing as I was in college.  My Craftsman 13.2v was a gift and seemed like a huge leap over all those DeWalts!

And the DeWalt line exploded, more and more tools coming to market that I never even considered eligible for cordless operation.  By 2007, I was going into a new brand and DeWalt was definitely a contender. But Ridgid seemed to fit the bill as well.  They had a 4-tool kit (hammer drill, 6.5 inch circular saw, recip saw and a flashlight--barely a tool) and this was essentially the same as DeWalt.   I got the Ridgid as it was about $20 cheaper and the lifetime service agreement covered batteries (and I put this to the test.

Over the next few years, I was convinced that I made a wise choice.  Ridgid kept coming out with new tools and improved version of old tools.  One aspect I liked (and apparently only me) was the light mounted in the chuck.  This meant that there was a cone of light that surrounded the screw, hole or whatever was needing the drill.  On most items, there is a harsh shadow exactly where you want to place the drill.  This feature has come an gone.  I have on and I really like it.  Ridgid seemed to peak with there Gen5X series which expanded the lineup and offered features otherwise only found on more expensive brands (hello Milwaukee).

Gen5X was followed by the Octane line which was universally panned.  They were not bad tools but it was hard to see what advantage they offered over the previous line,  Perhaps the greatest advantage was in the batteries.  These offered several "advantages."  For one, if a tool began to bog down, the tool could talk to the battery pack and tell it to add extra oomph to get through the difficult material.  It was pretty amazing to see a tool make a difficult cut without bogging one iota.  Secondly, the batteries could talk to your phone via Bluetooth.  This meant that you could track down a battery on a worksite if it "wandered" off.  And you could turn it off altogether if someone else decided to acquire it, making it useless.  It would still let you know where it was so it was easy to find if there was a police report.  Sounds nice, but the feature never caught on.  Thne no=bogging part did become a standard part of the high-end batteries but that was that.

And the tool line stopped expanding.  Every other tool line kept coming out with endless varieties of new tools.  DeWalt, Milwaukee and Ryobi (especially Ryobi)) never ceased to make some new tool that fit the 18v line.  Off-grid garage-door opener?  Ryobi has you covered!  By contrast, Ridgid not only stayed with the same old tools, their selection actually decreased.  They did hyper focus on an SDS drill--a sorta hybrid between a hammer drill and a jackhammer.  Why that particular tool I have no idea.  Just how many people were thinking "at last, Ridgid has the SDS hammer that I was waiting for!"  They are not cheap, require specialized bits--that are not cheap!  And most of their  work can be done with the hammer drill common to just about every platform.

And strangely, Ridgid offers virtually no tools in the Outdoor Power Equipment range (OPE).

For some time I have been eyeing Milwaukee and last winter, after a nasty ice storm I broke down and bought one--a 12' pole saw.  I had a Kobalt brand, but I smoked the motor (brushed).  The Milwaukee is brushless and got me into the Red platform.  That pole saw sliced and diced the whole rest of the tree into manageable pieces (the rest of my chainsaws were being stubborn).  I really like that tool.  I have since bought the water pump.

I would like to start out with a simple kit--a drill (NOT a hammer drill--adds weight and I never use it), a impact or impulse (even better) driver) a 6.5" circular saw and a recip saw.  I have all of these in Orange, but I would like to get brushless versions, especially the saws.  I would really like to have a recip saw that is brushless, has a light aiming at the exact point being cut, and has an orbital action.  Also, when I pick a Milwaukee, it just feels solid.  I can try to twist it but absolutely nothing creaks or groans.  It is solidly built.  Eventually I would like to get an impact wrench--for quick bolt changes, and a few other odds and ends.

All that said, there are a few things about my orange collection that I love and won't change.  First off is the mega-flashlight that my daughter calls the "blinder."  It puts out 2500 lumens (or so it says) and I have no plans to check it.  What I know it that it is extremely bright.  If I had to send emergency morse code to astronaut on their way to Mars, this might be the tool to send those light pulses!  I have a tire inflator that is very nice to have and a fan that is quiet (almost silent), moves a surprising amount of air and batteries last so long I forget that I have them in the fan in the first place.  A real problem I have is completely draining my batteries because I turn my fan to the lowest setting which still moves air and is nice and cool but is so quiet that if I need to go, I forget about that battery and it runs to zero!


One last note:  As has already been mentioned, it is the batteries (on any platform) that really get you.  Lately I have been buying 3rd party batteries from Amazon for a fraction the price of the name brand.  This summer I bought a two pack 18v, 7AH Ridgid batteries for $45-$50.  AT $25 per battery pack, this is far below even the smallest 2AH battery pack and well below the 6AH battery pack.  I once did the math and concluded that I was paying somewhere between 1/8-1/10 the price for the name brand.  Now I won't get the fancy circuitry that allows the battery to put out more oomph during bog-down, but so what.  These batteries are perfect for a flashlight, a fan, or almost any tool not being pushed to the limit.  I have one that is daily attached to a little 18v to USB connector so I can plug my phone in from wherever I like.  It ran for two years straight, being charged almost every day.  A Lithium Ion battery in good for about 500 charges but this went well over the 500 charges.  For anyone who wants to talk down these batteries, I will let my experiences speak for themselves.

So I know that this was a bit rambly, but I am at the point where I want my tool collection to be future proofed and for me, Red seems like the way to go.




Eric

I knew RIGID as a brand that started out making good tools for plumbers. Then they started marketing other tools made by another company. No thanks.

The battery thing is less of an issue these days. There are adapters to allow most tool batteries to work with most other tools of same voltage. I just bought a cheapo 6 inch no name hand chain saw for $10. As an unexpected bonus, the battery fits and works fine in my Makita tools and vice versa.

If I had to start over and Makita didn't exist, I would go with Milwaukee. They seem to be the most similar in quality and construction.

https://www.protoolreviews.com/power-tool-manufacturers-who-owns-them

This is more than a year old but interesting. Some things may have changed already.

Apparently RIGID has an orange version and a red version made by different companies. The orange version is made by the same Chinese company that makes Milwaukee tools.

Another reason for me to stick with Makita. According to that link, they've committed to no more gas powered garbage tools since 2022.

In its early days, Milwaukee was unsurpassed. I am a building contractor by career. Used to see electricians using all metal case angle drills, had to be 30 years old and still going. Never did like the Sawzall, Porter Cable Tiger Saw was far better. Milwaukee makes a very good circular saw, would have nothing else. Have a 1983 vintage 3/8 drill that I believe just needs a new switch, used nearly every day until recently. What I noticed with Milwaukee drills, the newer iteration of existing models did not have the power on very low speed as did the earlier versions. Only comparing two 3/8 drills here so not a large sample size, one 10 years newer than the first, 1983 vs 1993. They also made a 10" miter box for a time, I really like this saw. Have no experience with the battery powered tools, always used plug in. Have recently been buying Bosch.

I have been in the trades for a couple of decades. My very first trade job was working as a helper with a guy who did major renovations along the NC coast. It was his business and all he had ever done. He was about 20 years older than me. By the point I started working with him, he had very strong preferences on tool brands.

It interested me because there was not a one brand loyalty going on across the board with him. There certainly was in categories like cordless tools because of the batteries not being interchangeable.

I have found, over my time, that most of what he had preferences on was indeed the best you could have for lifetime cost. Something important to understand is the lifetime cost of a tool or category of tools. A lower upfront cost could equal a higher lifetime cost in cases of replacing the batteries or the tool itself.

There are some tools that are just better corded like chop saws, skill saws, hammer drills, etc. Unless you are hammer drilling a few holes or only cutting a few boards. I have a battery powered skill saw and battery hammer drill and in the cases I mentioned, I do use them. If I get my chop saw out and set up, I need the power and reliability of the corded type because it'll be used over many hours that day. If I have a lot or things to use the grinder on or a lot of holes to hammer drill, I get the corded models.

I got into the habit early of buying my own tools and not using company provided tools with the understanding that the company would replace the batteries and/or tools when I wore them out. This allowed me to be working the same jobs with guys using other brands. I have seen almost all of the brands used and have been able to compare how often the tools and batteries failed.

The lifetime cost is important for use around the home and professionally. In many cases, like DeWalt, the guys were replacing/charging almost 2x as much as I was so it gave me some valuable perspective to validate the preferences of my first trade boss I mentioned above.

Also, almost all products all go on significant sales at different times of the year.

Here are the ones I validated, over time, that were used by my first trade boss. Some of them have been in service for me for a long time and the newer models may have reduced quality.

Relevant to this thread:

-Makita, hands down, for cordless.
-Milwaukee cordless cable stapler. For stapling Romex, other wire for rough in. I would buy the Makita if they made one. Not very useful on the homeowner scale due to price.

Not relevant to this thread that I can think of:

-DeWalt 12" chop saw
-Ryobi chop saw stand
-DeWalt 8" jobsite table saw, Rigid contractors 10" table saw for lots of field use (cast iron top so it gets broken out if it will be used a lot), Delta 10" table saw for a stationary shop saw
-Makita corded 7-1/4" skill saw
-Milwaukee corded 10-1/4" skill saw for notches and posts
-Milwaukee corded sawzall
-Hitachi coded angle grinder
-Porter cable routers
-DeWalt corded sheetrock screw gun
-Bosch hammer drill
-Bosch lasers
-Rockwell multitool
-Rockwell material support stands
-Paslode nail guns
-Echo for any gas tools including chain saw, pole saw, trimmer, concrete saw, etc.
-Johnson non magnetic aluminum levels
-Estwing hammer 24oz for framing and 16 oz for trim
-Stanley 20oz hammer with graphite handle for all around use and carried in tool belt
-Knipex hand tools
-Stanley fat max 35' and 25' tape measure
-Swanson METAL speed square, framing square
-A bunch I am not currently thinking of or I did not notice one performing better across brands

This may look like a random list of products/brands I just happen to have but it is not.

I would watch a few Torque Test Channel videos about specific tools you need.

The only real downside I know of (and this may not be valid anymore) to Milwaukee tools is that last time I checked they were the only brand that didn’t have battery adapters. When I met the partner I live with they were already on Milwaukee and I was on Bosch and I couldn’t find any battery adapters- they’re available in both directions for Bosch, dewalt, makita, and I think some of the less popular brands too, but Milwaukee was distinct.

I’m not sure how the lawn care stuff is, I’m on EGO for that.

Ok, the last couple of posts make some very good points.

I see no reason to be brand loyal when it comes to corded tools.  Since every corded tool plugs into every outlet, no one brand stands out.

But if we are talking battery tools, then it is less a matter of brand loyalty and more a matter of brand compatibility.  I know that there are adapters, but some of the modern features will not work with the adapters--for instance, the no-lag function requires the tool and battery to talk to one-another.  An adapter won't allow for that.

As I am looking across the spectrum of tools, I am favoring Red.  Yellow is a serious contender, but Red seems to win out.

I should add that when I bought Orange, I had to scrounge for every penny, and while I was not afraid to spend more for quality, that quality needed to have a real, measurable substance.  At the time, Orange just hit all the right buttons and edged out Yellow (Red being too rich for my blood).

That was twenty years ago and my finances are better now.  Now I really want to buy something where I am not going to have to re-buy it again.  Red seems to fit that bill for me, but for all those yellow owners out there--who am I to say that you are wrong.

I think that when I go red I will have to decide if I want a tool pack or just slowly acquire tools one at a time.



Eric

Anyone know when each brand tends to run their sales? I'm leaning towards makita myself.

I started my career in the trades as an electrician, so Milwaukee Red was my preference from the beginning.
When I started buying my own tools all I could afford for home was the Red m12 platform.
They have proven to be excellent tools.
The batteries, not so much.
The same can be said for the Red m18 line.
The batteries stop taking a charge and will even  brick a charger.
I kinda blame myself.
My ADHD means even favorite expensive tools sometimes get abused.

After early bad experiences with Ryobi, I tried them again.
What spurred me was borrowing and using one of their old blue tools equipped with a brand new battery.
No one else has that kind of backwards compatibility for batteries.
Then I found out I could buy a tool plus a battery for less than the cost of a Red or Yellow tool by itself.
Then I found them in pawnshops.
Some batteries have failed me,but they seem to last as long as  the Red batteries do.
The tools deal with my ADHD induced abused pretty damn well, and I can afford to have back ups.

Cheap, durable and backwards compatible, they are now my go to for battery powered tools.

I have given my old Red m12 stuff to a young friend of mine who has no spouse or kids and lives with with their folks.
They can afford to buy new going forward, I cannot.
I'm still holding onto my Red M18 stuff, but only out of inertia, literally none of the batteries work anymore.
If I find a deal on batteries I might put them back in service, or gift them to my friend.


One more shout out , this time for Harbor Freights Bauer line.
They are competitive, and they would be my choice if Ryobi wasn't available.
I have bought some for my kid, and I will continue to buy replacement batteries for the devices, and expand  his collection of tools.

I think I was the last hold-out for corded tools, but I am over that now. I got enough high capacity batteries and quick-chargers that I never run out of battery power. If my drill battery dies, I just swap in the battery for my framing nailer I am only sporadically using, or the jigsaw, or whatever. It really does not matter, they fully charge in half an hour and with their quick battery checks, you can see instantly where they are at charge-wise, then while taking a coffee-break; charge them up. Add in an assortment of high capacity and low capacity batteries, and you can have lighter tools or heavy-demanding tools with more power.

Slowly I have been replacing my corded tools to cordless. My next purchase will be my Multi-Tool just because often times I am making cuts for electrical outlets and the like and have the power shut off at the breaker. It sucks to have to run a cord from another part of the house just to make a cut. With that tool, most cuts a short in duration and really ideal for cordless operations. After that perhaps a battery powered trim router… another grab-and-go type of tool without having to look for an outlet to get the job done.

I am still a hold-out on some things like skillsaws because I use a lot of homemade lumber so it has to bore through tough, thick wood. I have an out of control fetish for worm drive, left-hand saws so I can see the line I am cutting, but a battery powered skillsaw seems underpowered. I do have one but seldom use it. I also have a lot of routers and those too are corded. The only reason for that is because I often have exact cutters and cutter heights set so I hate swapping out cutters all the time. Some are set up for ¼ inch bits and some for ½ inch. I got craftsman, porter cable, bosch… like eight of them between the different brands.

I had a bad experience with a Dewalt cordless drill in my young days (batteries stopped taking a charge after less than a year) so I swore off cordless for years. Apparently in the interim the technology improved.

Now my boss uses all “yellow” so that’s what I use too, and I like them a lot. They are tough (survive much abuse), the batteries hold up and keep recharging, and the tools themselves work great and are well designed.

But I am not a brand loyalist. I have no emotional attachment to Dewalt and I’m sure Milwaukee or Bosch or whomever else have technology that is competitive.

From just glancing around it seems like Milwaukee makes a wider variety of power tools—like, a gadget to do this, a gadget to do that—but I could be wrong, and Dewalt makes all the gadgets to do all the things I need to do at least.

It does seem like most serious professionals use either red or yellow power tools. Blue, orange, and lime green are for home DIYers. Bosch is for hobbyists. Possibly other brands are more popular in other trade niches like framing or plumbing that I’m less in contact with, but electricians, HVAC, and elevator guys all seem to coalesce around Dewalt or Milwaukee. I presume that’s because the wisdom of crowds has determined these are the best/most durable/etc. brands for that type of work, but then again crowds can be wrong. Who knows.

And then of course when it comes to non-power tools or corded tools, yeah go with whatever. My pouch of pliers, screwdrivers, and cutters is a mix of Klein, Ideal, Knipex, and Channellock.

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:Anyone know when each brand tends to run their sales? I'm leaning towards makita myself.

Typically Home Depot has the best prices on Makita during major holidays. When it goes on sale at Home Depot, other retailers typically match that price so you can order from somewhere else if you want to. Home Depot has a 10% military/veteran discount that still applies to sale items most of the time and free shipping on most items.

You can also sign up with Price dot com, enter the item you want and set the notification amount 1 dollar lower than the current non sale price. You'll get a notification when the item price drops. It also tracks price history on items. There are other sites that do the same thing nowadays.

One key thing to keep in mind with most battery tools is that the cheapest way to get batteries is with a tool purchase rather than buying the batteries on their own. We bought a small single battery trimmer for the kids to use around the property. We could have bought the "tool only" or the tool + QTY4-5AH batteries + dual battery charger. The price for the batteries and charger was much less than I have ever seen the batteries on sale for by themselves. This is a good way to get several batteries and chargers for a really good price along with the tool you want.

The higher the AH of the battery, the heavier and taller the battery gets. I like the 5AH personally and I have stuck to the 18volt category. Some tools have an option for 18 volt x 2. We have a 16" dual battery electric chainsaw by Makita. I use it when I get my gas chainsaw stuck in a log, to notch posts, little jobs and to teach the kids to safely use a chainsaw. Now they have a 40 volt line but that is mostly for larger tools and I have no experience with it and probably will stick to the 18 volt line.

I’m still abusing the yellow (Dewalt) drill and hammer drill brushless combo kit and batteries I got about 15 years ago. They are covered in glue now from a couple of big glue camper projects so they dot look so good anymore, lol. However I found a red (Milwaukee) angle grinder alongside the road so started collecting red as well. Only the circular saw seems a bit weak.

The yellow brushless drill is so powerful it can hurt my arm if it catches on something.

Ned Harr wrote:I had a bad experience with a Dewalt cordless drill in my young days (batteries stopped taking a charge after less than a year) so I swore off cordless for years. Apparently in the interim the technology improved.

Funny story Ned… I jumped started the grid on a Milwaukee M-18 battery about a year ago. True story as crazy as it sounds…

I was working at a hydroelectric station when one of the units kicked off-line and got a call to go in and fix it. Everything was fine, so I restarted the unit but the jenny would not go online. The Motor Operated Potentiometer on the auto-sync was acting up. Voltage swings were so high that it would not allow the auto-sync to phase in with the grid. It being early Saturday and with no help, and nothing to lose, not to mention high power prices; I took a M-18 Milwaukee battery, connected a wire to the outlet lugs of the battery and dialed the MOP to where I was getting 4160 volts out of the auto-sync.

Bang…and I mean BANG!

It shook the whole dam, all 88,000 cubic yards of dam as the phasing was not quite right when she dropped in with the grid, but it went, did not throw the protective relays to my utter surprise and jacked the grid by another 8 megawatts for the weekend.

It was fine as long as it was running and not trying to sync, but for whatever reason it would not motor the MOP to the right voltage. Using the battery (18 volts on a 24 volt control circuit) you could dial it in using the ohms reading on a fluke meter to get it to where it would drop in with the grid. I no longer work there but the last I know they were still doing that to put the unit number two online.

Crazy times, but one tale to tell the grandchildren someday.

Bit of an outsider of dubious heritage, but I'll throw in Harbor Freight's Bauer line (brick red) as a possible contender here, given very low prices for an arguably pretty rugged high performance and comprehensive tool line. Have a look, they are relatively new/unknown and I think still in the process of building a rep, thus good quality for very low price at this point:

https://www.harborfreight.com/bauer

I just have a rotary hammer and air compressor so far, but in my experience and word on various forums, they are pretty legit relative to a lot of what you'd find/expect from HF.

Ridgid is not 'Home Depot's' house brand, it is owned by Emerson Tool. Never knew Ridgid had any business making tools beyond their superior pipe tools. Like Milwaukee making nailguns and skilsaws.
Ryobi is an in between entry level brand, based on the couple I had. For folks who shop only price, HD has you figured out.
TTI a HongKong company owns Milwaukee and licenses the Ridgid as well as the Ryobi names to produce consumer level power/cordless tools.
Ridgid has a marketing agreement with HD, presumably allowing HD to dictate cost terms in exchange for marketing. Seems to be the way HD works.  
These three brands are pretty well represented in HD tool aisle seems to me. Cannot even buy a Skil wormdrive saw there anymore, only the also ran/wannabees. For power tools you get what you pay for.

DeWalt started marketing cordless power tools direct to framers around the late 90's, in competition with Milwaukee. I remember a sales rep walking on to my slab. The yellow tools were too light/weak and the batteries did not compare. My experience using tools owned by others and my crews. I never liked them. My crew in DeathValley had a bunch of them in 2018, the 18v line, saws and impacts. Much better tools but I tend to be brand loyal.
I am also dead set against framing with 'battery' saws. Just like cigarette smokers I always seemed to find my carpenters walking across the slab looking for a 'charge' Even with 5ah or bigger batteries. God gave us 100ft cords and 15amp wormdrives to make us productive and happy.

Milwaukee was my goto brand for cordless as well as corded drills and SawZalls, (they invented the tool/brand), pretty hard to kill. Those were Milwaukee's wheel house.
I still have and use my old 18v tools from 20+yrs ago as well as 30+yr old 120v Magnum 1/2 drills and an Anniversary SawZall. Outstanding tools.
I had a want to replace my 18v cordless stuff, the Milwaukee batteries were discontinued. Got my hands on their 1/2 impact wrench, very stout piece. When I got a cordless drill to try....not the same at all...kinda disappointed.
Folks had complained over the years about the weight of my Milwaukee cordless, but to me that was a feature, a very robust tool, especially compared to the DeWalts I ran into at work. I had made a lot of money with it. Their batteries were superior, but subject to internal fracturing and failure if dropped from a ladder, say.
The current MW cordless was the exact opposite, too light for me to believe it could last 30yrs.
Around that time I got my hands on an 18v Makita drill / 1/4 impact set with 5ah batteries. Very nice set, good batteries, reasonably robust/powerful. KMS Tools in B.C. has good sales that have allowed us to acquire a multitude of extra batteries, as well as a couple of tools. A 1/2 impact, very robust, not as much power as Milwaukee. Also, Lil'B's 36v chainsaw. Very handy trimming and limbing in a size she can handle, no difficult (for her) pull start like her Husqvarna. Replaces a cordless SawZall/SkilSaw for small wood tasks. Makita has become my off-grid set, flexible, infinite solar recharge.

I look at the proliferation of the last 10yrs in battery tools in both quantity/type and brands as a solution in search of a problem, folks trying to rope you into a brand loyal battery corral or an 'upgrade' to Li-ion from NiMh. Most of the second tier of tools in terms of necessity do jobs better done by hand or by power tools you already use, avoiding the waste of money.  
I can throw a welder or generator in the back of my truck, or plug into it's on board inverter, have power anywhere I need, so the 'it's too far away' is no excuse.
I would now rank Makita and Milwaukee about even, DeWalt maybe second even with Ridgid, Ryobi way after that.
You won't get burned buying any of the top three, just avoid the useless little entry level puck battery packs, wait and pony up for at least 5ah batteries, and get an extra charger.  
For anyone looking, Bluff Valley Battery rebuild battery packs, reasonably. Keep an old tool set in service.

Steve Zoma wrote:

Ned Harr wrote:I had a bad experience with a Dewalt cordless drill in my young days (batteries stopped taking a charge after less than a year) so I swore off cordless for years. Apparently in the interim the technology improved.

Funny story Ned… I jumped started the grid on a Milwaukee M-18 battery about a year ago. True story as crazy as it sounds…

I was working at a hydroelectric station when one of the units kicked off-line and got a call to go in and fix it. Everything was fine, so I restarted the unit but the jenny would not go online. The Motor Operated Potentiometer on the auto-sync was acting up. Voltage swings were so high that it would not allow the auto-sync to phase in with the grid. It being early Saturday and with no help, and nothing to lose, not to mention high power prices; I took a M-18 Milwaukee battery, connected a wire to the outlet lugs of the battery and dialed the MOP to where I was getting 4160 volts out of the auto-sync.

Bang…and I mean BANG!

It shook the whole dam, all 88,000 cubic yards of dam as the phasing was not quite right when she dropped in with the grid, but it went, did not throw the protective relays to my utter surprise and jacked the grid by another 8 megawatts for the weekend.

It was fine as long as it was running and not trying to sync, but for whatever reason it would not motor the MOP to the right voltage. Using the battery (18 volts on a 24 volt control circuit) you could dial it in using the ohms reading on a fluke meter to get it to where it would drop in with the grid. I no longer work there but the last I know they were still doing that to put the unit number two online.

Crazy times, but one tale to tell the grandchildren someday.

Wow, that’s nuts!

Lots of helpful opinions & information here.  Here is a basic list of 18v tools I want to acquire:

Compact Drill/Driver (NOT hammer drill)
Impact/oil impulse driver
Circular saw
Sawzall
Maybe a Torque Wrench

Other Goodies:
Lighting
Holzall
16” Chainsaw (might bump this up)



Eric

Eric Hanson wrote:Lots of helpful opinions & information here.  Here is a basic list of 18v tools I want to acquire:

Compact Drill/Driver (NOT hammer drill)
Impact/oil impulse driver
Circular saw
Sawzall
Maybe a Torque Wrench

Other Goodies:
Lighting
Holzall
16” Chainsaw (might bump this up)



Eric

In my experience an oscillating saw is way more useful & effective, and adaptable to different situations, than a sawzall (reciprocating saw). I’d recommend that instead, unless maybe you have some good reason to the contrary.