[Zambonikane]

I am at that point in every new homeowners lives and am about to buy a cordless combo kit, but i am not sure what type to get. I am torn between ridgid and dewalt. I have used by fathers dewalts in the past and they have been nice tools. We had a battery kick the bucket and bought a new drill/driver that came with a charger and battery because it was only $30 more than just a battery. The new drill has issues with its motor, it sparks alot and puts off soot and the smell of ozone. I am not sure if dewalt has taken a hit in the QC dept, but I still have faith in them. I like the Ridgid tools found at HD (at least the feel of them) but I have no experience in using them ( i just bought a 5 in random orbit sander from them that seems well built) and I also like the fact that for the $50 less than the 4 piece 18v cordless pack from dewalt, i can get the same thing from Ridgid plus an 18v cordless jigsaw by mail. I don't really need the jigsaw as I just bought an $80 skil jigsaw, but i am sure I could find some use for it. I have found it tough to find user reviews on the Ridgid name due to the fact that they are almost exclusively sold at Homey-D, so I am asking: 1. What tools will I need to finish the basement (is a recipro saw neccessary?), 2. How are ridgid tools compared to dewalt/porter cable? Any opinions are greatly apprecieated!

Mike

 

[Clarence]

I've been really happy with my 19.2v set from Craftsman. I've had it for a couple of years, use it constantly, and the original batteries are still going strong. The 5" circular saw and sawzall are stronger than I ever expected. They can cut through 2"x12" no problem.


I noticed at Christmas that the Craftsman set now adds a power stapler. I have a Bostich stapler (and brad nailer and framing nailer), but the 19.2v stapler might be nicer for occasional use instead of dragging out the air compressor and hose.

 

[bpape]

Porter Cable is very nice. I don't know much about Rigid. I have several pieces of DeWalt and love them all. No problems whatsoever. However, I have all corded tools. I personally don't like cordless tools for serious construction. Around the house for a few screws or a few holes they're fine. To hang 50 sheets of drywall they're a PITA IMO. Get a sheet up and ready to go with glue on the back and the battery starts dying. [email protected]#^%[email protected]


I also don't think you get consistent and sufficient torque on the cordless ones. Try driving 3-4" screws or lag bolts when building a riser with a cordless tool. It won't last long and you'll end up with your ratchet out - again #@[email protected]%


Overall toolset:



POWER TOOLS

Reversible variable speed drill

A GOOD reversible, variable speed, auto-depth set screw gun

Jigsaw

Dremel/RotoZip

Sander

Skil Saw or Table Saw if you're doing MDF soffit/columns

Rent a laser level that rotates to shoot the whole room celing level at once (Basement floors are NEVER flat and NEVER level and NEVER even with the floor joists above)

Rent/Buy/Borrow air compressor/framing gun/trim nail gun.


HAND TOOLS(other than the obvios screwdriver, etc.)

Rent a drywall lift for the ceiling.

Get a GOOD FRAMING hammer.

Drywall lift (looks like a see-saw - set it under the drywall and step on it to lift tight to ceiling and hold.)

Keyhole saw

Seveal GOOD taping knives of different sizes

Corner trowel/taping knife

Razor Knife with easy to change blades or breakoff blades

Drywall rasp

A GOOD Drywall Square

Framing Square

4' level

18" level

Plumb Bob

Vice Grips

Quick Clamps

and probably a thousand other things I forgot



Other

A good tool belt

Knee Pads

Continuity Tester

 

[jnolan]

Those new Ridgid tools are nice, the company changed hands in the last year or so and the new owners upgraded the manufacturing. Actually, only the portable power tools business was sold, the professional plumbing and pipe fitting tools are still Ridge Tool. That 5" sander you bought is a good example, if it says "made in Germany" on it then it's manufactured by Metabo, which makes really nice power tools. The made in china stuff is also impressive, I have a right angle impact from them that I like a lot.


I'm no fan of dewalt, sure they are nice tools but heavy and don't have any features that make them significantly better than what's out there. Their DW621 plunge router is an exception, that is one of the best on the market.


Panasonic makes a line of 15.6v cordless tools that really excels, their cordless driver is possibly the best on the market (which is why you see an aweful lot of them on jobsites).


Milwaukee has crappy batteries IMO, PC is a lot better today than they used to be for cordless tools, Makita is still a leader (I have a 12v impact driver that I'd fight to keep), Bosch's are kind of in the also ran category at this point for cordless tools. Hitachi cordless tools are refreshed, but I had to return the impact from them that I bought when it failed a week after I first bought it.


For corded power tools, Milwaukee still has the best sawzall, Skil is owned by Bosch so they have good internals (the Mag 77 and Bosch worm drive saws are identical inside), and again, I'd go with Ridgid. Porter-Cable routers, plate joiners, and such are always strong buys.... I still have the very first PC router that I bought many years ago.


As for corded vs. cordless, I almost always go cordless. The convenience is worth the extra money... not tripping over power cords, being able to holster it in your bag and walk the entire job, access to tight spots. I even have a cordless sawzall that comes in really handy from time to time, and my cordless trim saw is a gem... but buy these as extras if you are doing extensive work, stick to corded if they are the only ones you have. Drills and drivers, no question about it, cordless except for big drills like a Hole Hawg.

 

[Sandwedg]

I have the Rigid 18v cordless drill from HD. Came with charger and xtra battery. The thing kicks a**. Battery charges in about 15 minutes.

 

[Ken Greene]

either Fine Woodworking or Fine Homebuilding magazine did a review or side by side on cordless drills across the price spectrum....

Lots of talk about plastic versus metal gears and the such. it was within the last year just can't remember when...

I own some Rigid tools none of them have ever let me down. Dewalt.... not bad if you like throw away... and if i wanted throw away then I'd Buy Ryobi.

 

[chirpie]

I'll jump on the Bpape bandwagon... especially if you want to save a few extra dollars.


The corded tools vs their cordless counterparts will always be cordless coming up short in the same price range for the actual power of the tool. And I don't really trip over my cords that much at all. Actually it's the "Now where did I put XYZ tool?" that always gets me, and that happens if it's corded or no. ^_^ (See my patent pending device, "The Chirper" coming to a store near you. A remote station, and 5 little adhesive back speakers, about half an inch in size that stick to your tape measure, your hammer, and your drll of choice. Hit the page button 1-5 and the tool will 'page' you. I'll make millions! ^_^ )


Plus you have to actually remember to put the battery back on to the recharger. With the few cordless tools I have I'm ALWAYS forgetting to do this. LOL

 

[chirpie]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken Greene Dewalt.... not bad if you like throw away... and if i wanted throw away then I'd Buy Ryobi.

You hit the nail on the head. (sorry, bad pun)


This is my one 'big' project and I'm done. Spending money on industrial strength tools just isn't in the cards for me as tools and building stuff isn't really my forté. Ryobi is usually the perfect fit for this mindset.


Oh yeah... isn't it nice that those woodworking magazines will actually name names and tell which product is best? (hint hint speaker mags...)

 

[MrSquid]

I've been through several cordless drills over the years and after the last one went out I bought a smaller corded drill. Once I started my basement, one of the first things I realized was I needed a nice cordless drill yet again. I picked up the 18v Rigid, and I REALLY like it. Came with two batteries, and the recharge time is GREAT.


I eventuall found that I needed to upgrade my corded drill - especially once you start drilling through studs. You'll eat through your cordless's batteries real fast, and a smaller drill won't last long if you're really chewing up a lot of wood with it. When my original corded drill got too hot to hold and started smoking, I knew it was time to upgrade. (hint... if you buy a powerful drill with a detachable side handle... don't detach it - unless you like banged up knuckles... there's a lot of torque behind some of the bigger drills) I picked up a monster Milwaukee corded drill - I'm sure it'll likely be the last corded drill I'll ever buy, or at least the last one for a looooong time.


The rest of your tools will magically show up as the needs appear. A reciprocating saw is worth it's weight in gold if you have to do any demo - on someone else's work before you start, or on your own AFTER you start. (um... yeah - that's my case)


Don't sell the value of a compressor and nail gun short. They make the job go a LOT faster, and a couple of tape measures (all the same ones to avoid inconsistancy) and a LOT of carpenter pencils will keep you from wandering around looking for stuff. A comfortable toolbelt will work just as well, but that got annoying to me after a while.

 

[chs4]

Quote:

This is my one 'big' project and I'm done. Spending money on industrial strength tools just isn't in the cards for me as tools and building stuff isn't really my forté. Ryobi is usually the perfect fit for this mindset.

I'll echo that...


While I didn't mind spending for a decent cordless drill and Skil saw, I opted for the cheapest (barely) functional Ryobi table saw I could find. I think it was like $99.00 on sale at HD!


I'm not making furniture or cabinets and there's a good chance I'll NEVER use it again once the HT is finished...basically it's a glorified Skil saw for my purposes.

 

[sm1]

I would recommend Toolking as a good source of reconditioned tools (they are really good for DeWalt and Porter Cable) and Harbor Freight for cheap hand tools (they have power tools but I've never bought anything from them). I tend to spend a lot on tools that I use on regular basis and that are substantially better than the cheap stuff.

 

[Fatman513]

I spoke with a tool service repair fella before buying my belt sander about six months ago because I liked the features and design of the Dewalt. He told me that Dewalt power tools have on average a 20% repair rate while Porter Cable and Bosch are down around 5%. I chose the PC belt sander and love it. Needless to say, no Dewalt in my house; only Delta, PC, Jet, Hitachi, Bosch, Freud, Makita, Milwaukee and Starrett. Buy quality tools the first time around and be rewarded with a lifetime of service. The only tool that's ever needed service was my Delta miter saw. After 9 years of woodshop dust it got a little gummed up. $55 cleaning bill took care of the problem.

 

[Toeside]

What's with DeWalt getting bashed? I always thought DeWalt (actually, Black & Decker, right?) made quality tools?


I had a Craftman 15.6v cordless drill I bought in Jan 2000 when we bought our first house. It lasted about 2 years and both batteries were shot. About 18 months ago I bought an 18v DeWalt and it's been great. Of course, I'm no contractor, so it's not used that often.


I'm almost finished with the framing of my room. So far I've used the following:


Compound Mitre saw (but only straight cuts so far)

Table saw (had to rip a bevel)

Cordless drill

Circular saw

Drywall square (used as a straight edge for subfloor)

Framing square

Recipricating saw

Super Wonder Bar

Tape Measure (of course)

Craftsman branded rotary tool

Utility knife

Bullseye laser level/stud finder

level



I think that's about it.

 

[Fatman513]

Quote:

actually, Black & Decker

There then lies the problem.

 

[Toeside]

Quote:

Originally posted by Fatman513 There then lies the problem.

But not necessarily. Many companies make multiple lines of products, from entry level to high-end.


Cars:

Toyota/Lexus

Nissan/Infiniti

Mercedes/Maybach


Speakers:

Harman companies (JBL/Infinity/etc)



So...about DeWalt, is it just one of those recognizable names like "Bose", so people assume they are good? Or, maybe the Black & Decker affiliation is somewhat recent, and DeWalt "back in the day" was a quality tool.

 

[Ken Greene]

I've been around tools for 25 years, the first 15 of those doing residential and commercial construction. Dewalt tools started to show up on the job sites durring this time because it was cheaper then the compatition (makita, milwalkee, Port cable, Delta). These tools were good for a awhile but they didn't seem to hold up as well over the long hawl. An now I'm not sure if the big guys came down in price ar if Dewalt went up, but now seem to command nearly the same prices. but the longevity never improved.

I've had a Makita 9.6 cordless drill for 22 years and i used it just last weekend I have replaced the batteries once about 4 years ago but the tool is stil doing its designed job today. At work in the last 13 years we have had to replace the dewalt drill twice for burned out gears.

 

[No Clue]

I bought a Dewalt cordless drill before starting my theater project. It is the best tool I have ever owned and as I added more power tools according to need, I bought Dewalt (miter saw, nailgun, drill accessories). I've never had a problem with any of them and they are a pleasure to use. I've also noticed just about every contractor that comes to my house brings dewalt. They have raved about them also.

Ridgid tools look like a great quality tool to me and I would have no problem trying those either. I particularly would like to have one of their table saws.


Steve

 

[dynamowhum]

I like corded tools as Bpape and Chirpmeister do. I have a couple of cordless drills as well. I've had Dewalt cordless for 3 years and have really abused it. My dad gave me a ryobi set for Christmas two years ago, while it has a higher rpm than my equivalent dewalt, the batteries on it are already dead.

 

[miltimj]

Here are my favorites for various tools:


DRILLS

Bosch for anything heavy duty (it's my favorite tool)

Makita/Milwaukee would be 2nd choice

For light-duty, Dewalt would be okay


SAWS

Milwaukee for reciprocating (Makita 2nd choice)

Makita for skilsaws (though for 1/2 - 1/3 the price, Skil will work for a while, but are lighter duty)

Delta for miter saws


HANDTOOLS

This is where I am pickiest -- they absolutely must be guaranteed forever. Once that is engrained, then they should be from the same manufacturer since it's easier to replace from the same place. I prefer Craftsman because there are a ton of Sears stores across the country. Snap-on are probably very slightly "better" (from comfort/use standpoint..durability is a non-issue when guaranteed forever), but more of a pain to replace regularly.


The two things that are musts are tape measures and hammers... both of them break relatively easily (whether it's the claw on the hammer, or dropping tape measures off the roof).. I've gone through about 4-5 Craftsman hammers (the wooden ones... I love them... I put a tennis grip on them and I can pound forever), and as many tape measures when building houses/apartment complexes, and they're always free (after buying the first one).


Black and Decker are cheap (price & quality), Dewalt is mostly marketing... like Bose speakers. Light-duty, won't last as long, etc., but are typically comfortable to use for the most part.


Oh yes, and I'd never use anything cordless other than a dremel and drill (those reciprocating saws and skilsaws have no power and die quickly).. get a good 15+V cordless drill such as Makita, and not one of those all-in-one sets. If you're going to be working a lot with the drill, you're going to be near a power supply.


Anyway, that's my $0.02... YMMV

 

[markfh]

Get a couple of really good levels. Some string and a line level. And a plumb bob.


There isn't much you can't do with them and they work better than those fancy laser levels... IMHO.