fm2176
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Simple question, complicated answer... If you're inquiring as to the best "Made in the USA" tool company, it defends on the qualifiers. For power tools, I simply don't know what is made in the US with US-sourced materials. DeWalt builds some of their tools here now, albeit with "global materials", and there seems to be a trend towards bringing that "Made in the USA" label back--like the tool section of Sears prominently featured twenty-plus years ago. I know my answer for hand tools will be controversial, as despite being the originator of tongue-and-groove pliers they are not the absolute "best" when it comes to the modern definition (fit, finish, ease-of-use, etc.), but I'll go with Channellock. They are made in Meadvile, PA, cost little more than imported off-brand pliers, and have a long history going back to the late-1800s. I have at least two pairs each of their various pliers (based on my ingrained mechanic's principle of having two of each hand tool for the job) and even bought a few pairs of older Channellocks at flea markets, to compare them to their modern counterparts. Technically, my first Channellock 440 is Blue Point (subsidiary of Snap-On), but it is the exact same as my blue-handled pair just with a red handle. Another US-made product I prefer are hammers, though I can't decide between Estwing and Vaughan. I have plenty of both brands, and love breaking out the right hammer for the job, whether it's an 8 oz ball peen for a 48 oz engineer's hammer. To summarize, I'm sorry I can't help with identifying 100% USA power tools, but I definitely enjoy buying and using tools made in the US. Even the gaudy "Made in the USA with Global Materials" label on some of my DeWalt tools makes me happy. To think that our nation was at the forefront of manufacturing 100 years ago, and that even 50 years ago imported products were somewhat exotic is astonishing. While we are very much a global economy now, 1970 saw the infancy of Japanese auto imports from a land where cheap tools were being produced and gaining a bad reputation (much like Hong Kong, China, and India tools would later on).
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Almost a year after the original post and the modular systems have expanded, with ToughSystem 2.0, additional VersaStak accessories, and a slew of new PackOut options. For better or worse, Ridgid seems content offering the (admittedly very good) basics. I've toned down my tool-related purchases, as there are few things I can reasonably justify buying, but some of the newer modular tool system components are tempting. One thing I find myself using a lot is the VersaStak drill/drive bit kit sold at Lowe's. I picked a couple up on clearance earlier this year and have them attached to medium boxes holding drills. The Ridgid and ToughSystem boxes still see a fair amount of use, but I have yet to really use my two PackOut stacks. The half-width shallow organizers, on the other hand, do see some use, with one kept at work to hold fasteners and such. It's sad, but despite (or perhaps because of) working on a federal military installation, I'm constantly finding something to repair. My most-used item right now, however, is the ToughSystem radio. I use mine daily to listen to YouTube content as I telework or hang out, and it has been going strong for about four years, through drywall dust, rain, and numerous drops.
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I have both the DeWalt 20v Max and Ridgid 18v ROS, both are very good, though the Ridgid sees more use (I also have their 1/4 sheet and belt sanders). The absolute worst sander I've used is a corded Milwaukee 1/4 sheet I picked up at the Keller Flea Market outside of Savannah, GA. I needed a sander and found the nearly new Milwaukee for around $30. That thing wouldn't hold a sheet of sandpaper at all, so I left it in my former project house for the people who took it over. I forget the model, but it was a newer one (circa 2014-ish?) that had already been replaced by an improved version when I got it. As for recently purchased tools, my wife accompanied me to Home Depot a few nights ago for some luan and other materials for a flooring project. She saw how tool costs can add up when I grabbed the only flooring roller in stock, which cost about $44. Since then, she's been on my back to sell it now that the vinyl flooring is laid down. 🤕 To be honest, that little roller worked well and I told her I need it for another flooring project at my house in two years, but after using it for the 96" x 65" bathroom, I'm rethinking the possibility of using that. I don't think I'll tell her when I order a $300+ 100-pound roller...
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The Wegman's I almost went to is off the Dale City exit. I drove my commuter van through the parking lot, saw the crowds, and went to Food Lion instead. While the prices may not be the absolute best, Food Lion does have some deals (especially on generics) that others can't match. Case in point: soft drinks...I can get the Food Lion brands for $0.59 a two-liter right now. Mix a Diet Dr. Perky with a $13.90 half-gallon of Military Special blended whiskey (actually, not too bad in taste, especially for the price), and I have an inexpensive way to indulge. Food Lion is owned by Delhaize, while Piggly Wiggly is owned by C&S Wholesale Grocers. I used to frequent the Piggly Wigglys in Louisiana and around Fort Benning, GA and for some reason I just like the small(er) store feel. Some remind me of IGAs (which I passed a few of around the South). Winn Dixie was a place I'd stop at on occasion down there are well. Retail history has always fascinated me, from who owns what (how many non-tool guys know that Milwaukee is owned by the same company that makes Ryobi, or that DeWalt, Mac, and Black & Decker are all part of the same corporation?), to what was and what will come. I'm old enough to remember a lot of stores that no longer exist (Ames, Hills, Nicholls, GC Murphy, Bradlees, Miller & Rhoads, Thalhimers), which were staples of the generations that preceded my own. I've also seen numerous grocery store chains come and go in certain areas, and the OP reminds me of some of the experiments made by other companies (Food Lion had Bloom, and in Waycross, GA I found the only Dollar General Supermarket I've yet seen).
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SB&D still seems to use the Porter Cable brand for benchtop tools. A DeWalt drill press would be nice but I don't see where it would fit with the rest of the line. DeWalt seems primarily focused on tradesmen who by necessity travel to the job site. I'd love to see some Yellow bench tools (drill press, planer, jointer, lathe, etc), but I wonder how well they'd sell. As for FlexVolt, I don't see DeWalt implementing that technology in semi-stationary tools. The miter and table saws are excellent for job sites, especially with their respective rolling stands, but other larger tools usually stay in a shop where there's a ready power source.
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I have the EGO non-self propelled mower, Powerload string trimmer, hedge trimmer, and backpack blower. They're all outstanding tools that I need to use more (I wanted to cut the grass this weekend but it's raining again). With Ego moving from Home Depot to Lowe's, I'm going to keep an eye out for the self-propelled mower. I can use the larger battery (right now I have two 5Ah, one 2.5Ah, and three 2Ah IIRC), and keep one of the mowers at another house so I don't have to keep transporting mine. As for tools, I've been slowing way down but I picked up the Klein heavy duty wire strippers (K12055-SEN) at Home Depot for under $17 yesterday. They had a $199 Ridgid 3.0Ah battery starter kit for $59 but there were none in stock; besides, I probably have enough batteries to last me for awhile for Ridgid, DeWalt 12v and 20v Max (though I wouldn't mind a few more FlexVolts), M12 and M18, and Ryobi. There are some decent Makita clearance deals but I purposefully avoid adding yet another battery system to my burgeoning collection of tools.
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A little nerd exposition: US Aldi stores are owned by Aldi Süd, while Trader Joe's is owned by Aldi Nord. The two Aldi companies have been independent of each other since 1966. Since moving back to Northern Virginia I find myself visiting Aldi quite often. Another German-headquartered store with a similar aesthetic is Lidl: carts are "free" and the selection is a bit better with more name brands, but still pretty cheap. Both stores offer basics, have a good selection of German foods and delicacies, and usually have a more streamlined shopping experience than the typical supermarket. They also each offer tools and associated items throughout the year in their rotating aisles/bins. I have a bench press I bought from Lidl for $79, o-ring assortments, and even some forstner bits, among other one-off items. Aldi usually has two aisles dedicated to this stuff, from law and garden, to clothes or personal hygiene, to the aforementioned tools. Lidl has a few aisles of bins in the center of the store containing a lot more variety, probably designed to entice the poor husbands being dragged along to buy something to restore their manliness. Up here my choices are Shoppers (expensive compared to others), Food Lion (I actually like them for the prices), Wegman's (never been), Aldi, Lidl, Giant (growing on me, especially their manager's specials on meat), and Walmart (cheap beer and proximity makes it a go to unfortunately). A Publix will be opening before long (didn't mind them in Georgia but preferred the Piggly Wiggly). A little further north we have Trader Joe's (never been), Harris Teeter (never been), and Whole Foods (never been).
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Cleared Lowe's out of Bosch 7/8", 1-1/8", and 1-3/8" hole saws this morning, about four of each. Also bought out the Bosch #2 square 2-inch bits. Hole saws made in China, bits made in Vietnam. All were just over $2 with military discount, down from over $12. Also bought another bucket to quarantine them in.
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Fellow Virginian (well, until I carpetbag to the Gulf Coast in a couple of years); To put things in perspective from a (no longer professional) fellow tool user, I guess I could rely on my decades of experience as an Infantryman, Drill Sergeant, and Armorer to discount a civilian AR-15 connoisseur's opinion, but that's putting me on the same level as those who discount "DIY guys" who value good quality tools (regardless of brand) and who bad mouth reputable websites. I truly hate making these posts as I appreciate those who make their living using tools (as I once did -- footers, gutters, framing, automotive, semi-trailers, and material handling equipment). Why post such negativity in the Milwaukee forum when we could be speaking truth to "More POWA" in the DeWalt forum?
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I was just reading that article. It's a shame, given the prominence of the original ToughSystem radio. It was the first rugged job site radio that was compatible with a modular box system, did well in TIA's cordless radio death match, and offers good sound and decent features like BlueTooth and a charger. I was tempted to buy the new radio when I saw one in the overhead at my local Home Depot. I'm glad I didn't, though, as my original is going strong and I still have two new ones to back it up (couldn't pass at $90 each a few years back).
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@mohawkdec, I hate to say it, but as this forum is slowly dying, I think that formerly respected posters are becoming mere trolls. If a user dislikes Milwaukee, stay out of this forum and don't go trying to spread disinformation on brands and/or independent sites. As for my unchallenged comment, ToolGuyd is being as pro-USA and non-brand fanboy as usual: here he discusses the Stanley Powerlock promo and how he considered buying a non-Milwaukee product despite a lack of need, before deciding against it due to COO. Given the lack of response, I'll continue frequenting ToolGuyd as an objective and knowledgeable reviewer of tools.
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I've always considered Toolguyd to be one of the few tool review sites that is overtly objective and honest about its articles. Take this comparison of M18 HD and Flexolt for example, in which Stuart makes the following comment, "Both Dewalt and Milwaukee are at the top of their games right now. I am really hoping that nobody asks 'so, which one would you buy?,' frankly because that would be an extremely tough decision". His site has an entire category devoted to Made in the USA tools, and unless something's changed in the past couple of years, he's never accepted any sponsors. He's mentioned his code of ethics many times as they pertain to review samples: he sends back, gives away, or donates products after he's finished with them (as evidenced by the number of giveaways he's conducted). As for your final point, Stuart addressed his lack of trade experience here. Of particular note is his observation that "The people that design, build, and market the tools tradesmen and pros use – they’re not tradesmen or pros either." Please elaborate if you know anything I don't, as I don't want to be deceived or risk getting poor information. If ToolGuyd is as bad as you say, I'll remove it from my list of daily sites to visit.
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It looks like Lowe's is switching to Lincoln. I just picked up an auto darkening Kobalt Welding helmet for $15 (originally $79) and a bunch of brushes for $0.43-$0.71 a piece.
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DeWalt does this as well, and I'm fairly certain the "type" simply denotes a small change in materials or design.
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Agreed. I bought the Packout stack at the holiday price in 2018 and have since added a few other components. Regardless, the merits of Packout over the DeWalt and Ridgid modular systems, I have to admit that the premium Milwaukee charges makes Packout a much lesser value. Tool boxes get scuffed up inside and out, but my five-plus year old Ridgid and four year old ToughSystem boxes are still holding up despite costing much less. The only major issue I've had was a loaded DS450 that a helper was carrying by the side handles. One handle broke off, cracking the box, and DeWalt promptly replaced it. That said, I have seen a few Packout boxes in the back of various work trucks in my area. My first thought is that the owners are certainly trusting, as none have been secured and that bright red screams "steal me" to anyone with a passing knowledge of tool brands. My second thought is that the boxes are more likely full of plumbing parts or rusty tools than they are of like-new Fuel goodness. Call me paranoid, but every time I have modular boxes in my bed, they are individually locked and double cable locked to the truck itself, and usually partially hidden under materials. If Milwaukee's black Packout components were to be released here, I might use them more.
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Good points, most DIY types don't need to spend $500 on an M18 Fuel kit when they can get the same types of tools in a $150 Ryobi kit. With the benefit of hindsight, though, I think we can say that Porter Cable's 20v Max system is a bit risky as a long-term investment now that SBD is pushing Craftsman. Sorry for cutting up your quote, but I wanted to highlight those parts. As to your recurring theme, investment versus returns do mean a lot. I have some Packout boxes but even now I use my ToughSystem ones for most jobs. Prior to the ToughSystem dropping in price, I was perfectly happy with my Ridgid boxes.
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Well, I lost that battle. Got enrolled too late, had computer issues, got busy at work, and decided to drop the class. Go figure, this work week is slow so far, as evidenced by my thread in the Power Tools forum.
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Now for some links from the TIA Forum. Back in August 2012, @Conductor562 asked about buying some Ridgid X4 tools for door prizes. There were still X3 kits available, and Gen5X was a few years away. Now we have Octane tools taking advantage of the latest battery designs.
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Eight years ago Eric posted about a new Kobalt drill, part of the 18v platform released in 2011. Even so, battery technology was advancing at a seemingly unprecedented rate and the standard 1.3Ah-3.0Ah batteries were soon to be replaced by similarly sized 2.0Ah and 4.0Ah versions. Also, Ni-Cad was in the process of being supplanted by Li-Ion, leading some brands to make transitional tools such as Kobalt and Porter Cable 18v, while others committed to releasing entire new platforms (DeWalt). In 2013, Kobalt updated the 18v line with a new name and upgraded batteries but little change to the tools themselves. Three years later, Kobalt decided to ditch the 18v class altogether, with the announcement of 24v Max. Now, with the influx of SBD Craftsman, the question is raised at to the fate of the traditional Lowe's house brand.
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TTI isn't the only corporation guilty of having some missteps (see V28 post above). Stanley Black and Decker (SB&D) not only neglected their 12v Max DeWalt line, but also released a rather decent (in my opinion) 18v line of tools, only to toss it to the side a few years later. Around a year after they launched, ToolGuyd did an assessment of Porter Cable's 18v lineup as they seemed to have replaced B&D Firestorm tools at Lowe's. A few years later, Dan announced a giveaway of the PC 18v drill TIA had reviewed the previous month. Well, a year after the giveaway, Porter Cable 20v Max tools were getting ready to make 18v obsolete. I'll be honest, this was both a blessing and a curse for me. My first lithium-ion tools were the PC 18v line and they are what turned me into a bit of a tool addict while providing a crash course into the tool market. Not knowing how tool trends worked and the habits of manufacturers as they make room for new products, I eagerly bought every 18v tool I could find. I even jumped on the PC 12v Max wagon. The tools were on clearance at both Lowe's and military exchanges, and I had what I call a "project house" that I was renovating without electricity. By the time I started buying DeWalt, I owned every PC 18v tool except for the grinder, thermometer, and hammer drill. I also had five 1.3Ah batteries, offering a colossal 6.5Ah of power. Yep, you read that right, SIX-POINT-FIVE COMBINED AMP-HOURS! I used these tools for a number of projects long after this 18v Li-Ion system was killed. My tool situation changed rapidly starting in 2016, though, as I bought into DeWalt and eventually into Ryobi, Ridgid, and Milwaukee. I finally gave all of my Porter Cable tools to a young Drill Sergeant I worked with who was about to be medically retired. For all I know, he's still using them.
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Meanwhile, 9.5 years ago, ToolGuyd offered a preview of the recently announced DeWalt 12v Max line. At the time, no one would guess that the seven tools in the preview were to comprise the bulk of the 12v Max collection for almost nine years. A pivoting reciprocating saw and a few lasers would later be released, and some accessories such as radios/speakers, heated gear, and USB power source could use 12v Max batteries, but as everyone here knows, the system sat stagnant while Milwaukee continued pumping out M12 products and cornering the market in the US. Nearly nine years after announcing the 12v Max line, Dewalt announced a massive update to the tools in form of the Xtreme subcompact series. Too little too late? Perhaps, I still have my original 12v Max tools but caved in and bought into M12. At the moment, Milwaukee offers larger and more varieties of batteries, several generations of both brushed and brushless (Fuel) tools, and prominent end cap displays at The Home Depot. DeWalt offers better ergonomics, chargers and radios that are compatible with all 12-60v Max batteries--from the old 1.3Ah 12v to the 12Ah FlexVolt--and a dominant presence at Lowe's where their largest competition seems to be their sister company Craftsman.
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To start, consider the early TIA reviews of the Milwaukee V28 combo kit. Eric reviewed each tool separately as well, and linked them all to each other. Given the time stamps of the comments I think these reviews were written in Fall 2008. Now, this was before I had a need (or desire) for cordless tools so I can't speak from experience, but opinions seem mixed at best, with users liking the power while berating the longevity of the batteries. Well, lo and behold, there's this subsequent article and, for a time stamp, this one. Less than two years after the original TIA review, Milwaukee revamped their 28v line. Ten years later, M28 still seems to be around, but where's the marketing? It seems that Milwaukee has chosen to put most of the effort into M12 and M18, making it doubly painful for those who traded V28 for M28. Anyone own either 28v line of tools? Do you think M28 will be around in another ten, or even five, years?
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A trip through the archives of Tools in Action and ToolGuyd displays how far the cordless tool market has come in the past decade or so. Early articles on each site capture the look of the 2008-2011 tool market, and there are many gems that cover the tools available back then--established brands, new products, and optimistic predictions of what the future would look like. Well, it's the future, and I'd venture to say that few of us expected the cordless job site to look like it does now back in the dark days of 2009. The tools have gotten smaller, smarter and become brushless, and a number of brands have cut the cord on tools that necessitated a generator or other power source just a few years ago. Not everything has changed, though, as Ryobi One+ was already over a decade old and the M12 and M18 lines were getting off to a decent start. DeWalt, on the other hand wouldn't release 12v Max tools until 2010, with 20v Max coming about a year later. Anyway, the point of this thread is to examine exactly how the cordless tool market has changed since 2008. If you have the time, share a few articles from way back when along with anything you want to add.
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I've always heard this about leaving batteries on a charger, but do Li-Ion batteries discharge this rapidly? I ask based on experience with multiple batteries I own. I had both 18v and 12v Max Porter Cable batteries that had dates as old as 2010, still have DeWalt 12v Max batteries with similar dates, and have a bunch of other batteries of various dates and types from the likes of Ryobi, Ridgid, Dewalt, EGO, and Milwaukee. None of these have discharged appreciably despite months of sitting in my truck or a random tool box. Case in point, two Bosch 12v batteries from a kit I gave my daughter early last year: they sat in her car until a few weeks ago, and when I checked them in the drill they reflected a full charge.
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Nice...I must admit that I overlooked the utility of corded tools. I have a lightly used corded Porter Cable drill as well as both reciprocating and circular saws I bought to replace the Milwaukee tools which were stolen. This was only a year before my cordless conversion.
