going cordless - which brand is best for me?

[Gullible]

Hi,
Some of my old electric hand tools are getting old and I am looking to get cordless replacements.

Thinking long term I will also want to replace my hedge trimmer and lawn mower and it would be good if they could use the same batteries.

I do not need full professional gear, but I'd like to get some quality brushless that will last.

So before I end up committing to a brand. What experience do people have with their cordless and what brands would you recommend?

[Homestar]

For domestic and handyman use, I’ve found that the Ryobi gear exceeded my expectations. I have a 36 volt chainsaw, and an 18 volt whipper snipper and circular saw all of which are great for what I use them for. If you want full on professional kit that you’ll be using every day, then it depends on what you will buy the most of - garden tools or power tools. Stihl makes very good and very expensive cordless gardening tools and is into things like demo saws, etc now as well. As for power tool range in a professional range, I have no first hand experience with newer brushless gear - there’s some great kit out there if you have the money.

[rick130]

Ok, my experience is with top end pro stuff and I bought into Makita's battery system 18 months ago after years with Panasonic and its been faultless.
The impact driver gets used every day, the drill several times a week. Battery life with how I use gear has been excellent, but I think most everyone uses Panasonic cells in their batteries for the pro stuff.

One work mate is with Makita and his experience is the same, our fourth year has Milwaukee, as does my old apprentice and they've had great performance from their stuff too. Milwaukee's range is incredible.
A chippie mate has gone Makita after using a mix of Hilti, Fein, Festool and Hitachi.
He's kept his Hilti hammer drill but offloaded everything else and is happy.
He reckons Hitachi have dropped the ball compared to the others in the last little while.
The new DeWalt stuff is getting good reviews as well.

[Eevo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-XDpGdLKSk

[scarry]

Like Rick said,stay away from Hitachi,it isn't the same level as the others.

For gardening tools i have no idea,but have used the latest Stihl chainsaw,and i was absolutely blown away.Quietness,power,and battery life were absolutely amazing.

[Gullible]

great response, thank you [bigsmile1]

I was edging towards Makita as they have a wide range and I like the way they double up the batteries for the higher voltage garden tools. So I guess my mind is made up.

Mikita are certainly not at the cheep end of the market. Mind you I had my 18v black & decker driver (before they were impact drivers) for over 10 years, so I tend to get my monies worth.

[County4.4]

I was using the Milwaukee 18v range of tools for the last five years but Ive since been buying Dewalt tools instead.
I started with the 54V cordless power saw, brilliant bit of gear.
Now all the tools i buy are dewalt, recipro saw , drills, hammer drill, grinders etc.
Even my 12 year old bought a dewalt chainsaw.
The 18V tools all work with the 54V batteries which is great.
Cant rate them enough.

[DieselDan]

I needed a new cordless drill and couldn't turn down the $199 for an 18V brushless AEG with a 6Ah battery + charger from Bunnings.
So I've been slowly stocking up on the other AEG stuff and so far so good. The whipper snipper is pretty awesome.
Got my eye on the chainsaw next.
AEG have got a 58V range too, but for my needs I couldn't really justify the extra cost. Happy with their 18V stuff so far.

[p38arover]

Why do people post questions in General Chat when there are assigned sections for those questions, e.g., Tool Time?

[rick130]

Bear in mind that Makita make excellent chainsaws too, they own Dolmar in Germany, have done since the early nineties so draw on their expertise in that area.
Dolmar have always been right up with Stihl and Husky IMO.
They also own Robin in Japan so they had access to very good trimmers, etc, so their OPE stuff has decades of design experience to draw on.

[350RRC]

I went AEG about 10 years ago with 18v hammer drill made in Germany.

This was on the basis of my experience with their corded tools like sander polishers and jigsaws used with fibreglass.

I have the newer brushless 18v hammer drill and impact driver and they are just awesome. The power is at least as good as corded. You have to be careful using the drill using the handle undoing coach bolts for example and be mindul of snapping bits.

I could get 3 years warranty on the batteries and 6 years on the skins.

Can’t comment on Makita cordless, but they’ve lost me with their corded angle grinders. Might as well buy Ozito.

DL

[goingbush]

I went AEG about 10 years ago with 18v hammer drill made in Germany.

This was on the basis of my experience with their corded tools like sander polishers and jigsaws used with fibreglass.

I have the newer brushless 18v hammer drill and impact driver and they are just awesome. The power is at least as good as corded. You have to be careful using the drill using the handle undoing coach bolts for example and be mindul of snapping bits.

I could get 3 years warranty on the batteries and 6 years on the skins.

Can’t comment on Makita cordless, but they’ve lost me with their corded angle grinders. Might as well buy Ozito.

DL

Now that you mention Ozito , I lent my AEG cordless to someone and needed a Cordless drill in a hurry so went to Bunnings and bought a Brushless Ozito Hammer drill kit . Im suitably impressed this thing has guts and I don't really care if my AEG doesn't come back .

Absolutely craps all over a Triton cordless I also had about 12 months ago (brushed) which burned out in a few weeks of use.

Would only ever buy brushless now.

[AK83]

.....

I do not need full professional gear, but I'd like to get some quality brushless that will last.

....

Another vote for Ryobi(18v Plus One system).
Recently got a few more tools, the multitool is handier than I expected it to be.
Have had my drill for about 10 years now, never a problem. Not THE most powerful drill, brother in law is a builder and has Makita and Dewalt, definitely more powerful, but expected to be considering the price difference.

18V chainsaw is handy for camping. Compact, lightweight, and still does the job, on the proviso that you may need more time to do it. (have to remember to sharpen the chain too! [bigwhistle])

18V trimmer, is about the only tool I'm not happy with. As a simple edge trimmer it works fine(but then again clippers or a scythe would do too!). I have a 300mm garden bed which gets zero care, other than attacked with a whipper snipper.
Ryobi is just not up to it, and I think primarily because of the single line design.
I have buffalo and couch mixed up, and on some sections along the edge of the path the Ryobi also struggles(which I assume is parts of the couch) .. then breezes through other parts.

125mm circular saw will struggle with some hardwoods, but if you take care will still cut.
Planer has never caused me any issues. Planes everything I've yet tried.
multitool worked fine the other day cutting 2mm aluminium, nice finish too.
Impact wrench couldn't undo a D2 wheel bearing, but I'd expect that. Staked nut not unstaked either. But other than that, never had a problem so far. Only caveat with this tool is it really needs a larger battery.
I have 1.5's and 5's and I get maybe 4 or 5 shots to remove something hard with the 1.5's and it stops dead. battery is still fine in other tools, and the 5Ah keeps it chugging along.

Only tested the grinder(125mm) on a small piece of 3mm steel, worked OK, nothing like a 240v, but still usable. If you need to do a lot of cutting of thicker steel, this could be an issue I think.
My 240v grinder is a cheapo Ryobi too(given to me by someone). Even so, still feels a lot more powerful.
Did get to use a dewalt a few weeks ago .. can't say it felt a lot more powerful by comparison.

I like the large LED torch stand they have too for their One+. Had to get one of them.

[Disco-tastic]

...Impact wrench couldn't undo a D2 wheel bearing, but I'd expect that. Staked nut not unstaked either. But other than that, never had a problem so far...

Is that the single or 3 speed one? I have the 3 speed which has up to 360Nm of torque and it undid the LCA bolts on the D3 just fine. Not the most powerful (theres a Milwaukee eith 700+ and a SnapOn with 1000+Nm) but i think it was only $160? I also use it to drill bugle screws into hardwood, as the impact wrench has no chance.

I think theres a new brushless version too which would be even better.

[Vern]

My Milwaukee rattle guns are rated at 610nm and the other at 1627nm. Will undo anything I have put in front of it so far

[350RRC]

My Milwaukee rattle guns are rated at 610nm and the other at 1627nm. Will undo anything I have put in front of it so far
That’s just awesome, wish I could justify the expense!

[weeds]

My Milwaukee rattle guns are rated at 610nm and the other at 1627nm. Will undo anything I have put in front of it so far

I grabbed an 813nm skin the other day...was tempted to get the 1354nm

[AK83]

Is that the single or 3 speed one? I have the 3 speed which has up to 360Nm of torque and it undid the LCA bolts on the D3 just fine. .....

The 360Nm 3 speed.
Didn't know about a brushless version, will have a sticky-beak.

I did say that I didn't unstake the nut too tho, so I really didn't expect it to budge.

[Disco-tastic]

The 360Nm 3 speed.
Didn't know about a brushless version, will have a sticky-beak.

I did say that I didn't unstake the nut too tho, so I really didn't expect it to budge.Haha I misread it as wheel nut which is why I was so surprised!

I just checked and the new model is brushless, though only rated at 270Nm with an auto stop setting at 120Nm

18V ONE+ Brushless Impact Wrench | Ryobi Tools (https://www.ryobi.com.au/power-tools/products/details/18v-one-brushless-impact-wrench-r18iw7-0)

[Ancient Mariner]

My Dewalt mini line trimmer[thumbsupbig]

[rick130]

My Dewalt mini line trimmer[thumbsupbig]Sweeeet!

[Ranga]

Another vote for Ryobi 18V. Started with a chainsaw 7 years ago when doing half a big lap. Fantastic for firewood, and the new brushless version I demoed in Bunnings looks much faster and probably more efficient. Lost count of all the other tools I have, but non have failed and seem to be good bang for buck. The range of tools is amazing.

Bought the small single-battery 18V mower recently, on the proviso I could take it back if not satisfied. It does our small suburban yard just fine, and the best thing the wife loves it because she can start it!. Only a narrow cutting deck, but on a small yard, who cares? Plus it weighs about 10kg. Inherited the single line trimmer, and it's rubbish. Replaced it with the new brushless version, and it works a treat!

I reckon virtually all brands are probably good value in this day and age.

[DiscoMick]

We have a bunch of Ryobi electric tools including a chain saw, edger, blower, drills, sander etc, all running off a collection of Ryobi batteries and they are great. The chain saw is just like a circular saw with a long blade and rips through. Very happy.

[ozscott]

I have had AEG and Milwaukee m12. I love the Milwaukee. A good mate is moving from a large Ryobi One Plus 18v to M12 Milwaukee. The power of the M12 Fuel (ie Brushless motors) is out of control. 12v that's like 18v of only a few short years ago. I also love the range of lights they do - camping and spots etc. But most high end stuff is good now. Lots of choice.

Cheers

[350RRC]

I think that a lot of responses to the OP have gone a bit OT (including mine to some extent).

Domestic use means different things to different people. People who use their domestic tools for commercial purposes at times have higher expectations and maybe require a bit more reliable grunt.

I bought a Ryobi sander polisher the other day for $159 to essentially replace an AEG WPZ 1000 that has sanded and polished thousands of surfboards, etc, that parts can't be found for anymore, especially an armature. The RA gearhead is fine, armature has been rewound, commutator is worn out. It has switches that could be pulled apart and cleaned or replaced and had quite a few new sets of bearings.

The Ryobi is totally gutless, etc....... but hey I'm not doing commercial fibreglass stuff for the wider public anymore so it'll be just fine. Haven't even looked at the warranty and must remember to register online.

I'd pay a fair bit to get the AEG going again, just cause it was a beautiful tool to use and reliable in a harsh environment.

The opinions of all those using Ryobi cordless in domestic situations are very valid if they match the OP's expectations.

cheers, DL

[350RRC]

My Dewalt mini line trimmer[thumbsupbig]

Love it. Try it with the square section line.

As they used to say 'You'll be so glad you did".

DL

[Ancient Mariner]

We have about 70 young trees planted in a double row along a fence line and to trim around them without damage with the big trimmer nearly impossible.With the mini and a piece of curved sheetmetal no probs then follow up with the bigger unit. I pinched the aftermarket head off the Honda witch just needed a 8mm grub screw to stop the left hand thread unscrewing.It uses square section line and I am really pleased how it performs but no idea of run time yet as i need to make some AC filter medium guards over the motor vents.The only Ryobi tool I have is a 3/8 ratchet impact with an adaptor and Dewalt battery .I think using a dewalt battery in a Ryobi would give more power and longer run time but only guessing [bighmmm]


Noel

[Vinnie]

I use Bosch blue, Dewalt and now Hikoki (Hitachi) and they're all great, but that's really irrelevant to what you're after and they don't have all of what you're looking for anyway. I think if you stick with either Ryobi, AEG (if you want better quality) or even Ozito (if they have the range) for home use will be fine. They all have good replacement warranties, so if you burn them out, take them back and get them replaced. Most cordless stuff these days is 6 years, but you have to register the purchase with company and the 3 I've mentioned are all available at Bunnings which are easier to take tools back to and have either fixed or replaced. All the tools everyone has mentioned are good, but if it's only occasional/recreational use you just have to work out whether you want to spend the extra money. Good luck.

Vinnie

[trout1105]

Hi,
Some of my old electric hand tools are getting old and I am looking to get cordless replacements.

Thinking long term I will also want to replace my hedge trimmer and lawn mower and it would be good if they could use the same batteries.

I do not need full professional gear, but I'd like to get some quality brushless that will last.

So before I end up committing to a brand. What experience do people have with their cordless and what brands would you recommend?


It all depends on what your budget is and what you want to use them for[thumbsupbig]
I bought a set of cheap Ozito cordless tools and 4x batteries, These consist of drill, teck gun, rattle gun, chainsaw, grinder, and a sander.
Since buying them I have been using the rattle gun to undo the wheel nuts on my D2a easily and various other stubborn nuts and bolts including the Boat trailer springs, I have built a 4m x 6m shed and have renovated my bathroom using these tools, I have also used the little chainsaw to cut wood when away on trips.
Not to mention various other repairs around the house ( the house is over 100 years old) and they haven't missed a beat or have let me down so far.
I would say that by now these tools have already paid for themselves But If I had decided to go the Dewalt or other top line brand choice I would have to do a hell of a lot more work with them before I broke even with them.

If you expect to get 10+ years out of your tools and will be using them "Hard Core" then I advise getting the best money can buy (Bloody Expensive) But If you are only going to be doing occasional work with these and don't want to spend a fortune the Ozito gear packs a punch way above its "Pay Grade"[thumbsupbig]

[Ranga]

Haven't even looked at the warranty and must remember to register online.

Typically 6 years for Ryobi if you register online. Not sure how Bunnings are with warranty, but suspect with the volumes they do, they'd probably replace them without too much fuss.

[trout1105]

Typically 6 years for Ryobi if you register online. Not sure how Bunnings are with warranty, but suspect with the volumes they do, they'd probably replace them without too much fuss.

Usually If you have the receipt Bunnings will refund or replace just about anything still under the manufacturers warranty without question, Unlike the Vast majority of other retailers [thumbsupbig]

[rover-56]

Just bought an AEG impact wrench. Loosened rusted on 1 inch tractor wheelnuts that nothing else I have would move. Including a breaker bar with a 1m bit of pipe (which bent).
Model BSS18C12ZB3 18v brushless. 360Nm.
If it keeps doing that I am happy.
I bought from an Ebay seller, downside is AEG insist no warranty unless bought from Bunnings.
Yeah? we'll see about that if it breaks.
Terry

[Fattima]

Was in the US recently and brought back a 54V (Called 60V over there) DeWalt chainsaw, already have one of their line trimmers. Bloody impressed with it so far, eats red gum no dramas.
Have some older Hitachi stuff and it is going strong after many years of abuse, they are the older battery style so cant get any gardening equipment for them.