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ToolBane

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Everything posted by ToolBane

  1. On that note, I’ve seen noise about XGT X2 tools (so 80V Max, 72V nominal) being on the way, as well as a swank dual bevel job-site 8.5” miter. Naturally they will be introduced in Asia first then presumably Europe and Australia/NZ. The US still has yet to even see any XGT at all, but it’s announced that they will be on the way.
  2. Ryobi’s table saw is pretty dated and designed at a time when I would say Ryobi was really dug into only providing the bare minimum DIY utility at the lowest prices they could muster. I feel the last two years have reflected a mild (but to me welcome) shift into more mid-grade marketing and I very much hope if they replace their table saw with a newer model it will be much closer to the quality of table saws you get from Ridgid or Kobalt. I like Ryobi as a backup or DIY platform but their tablesaw is one of their few products that I would actively discourage people from buying because it is just so compromised to hit a price point. I just don’t think that’s what any company should do with a tool that carries so much associated danger.
  3. I like that they are actual innovators in the industry. Some things they develop work, others maybe not so much, but overall they do more to advance ergonomics and safety than most.
  4. Yup, Makita uses rubber gaskets on some of their tools to protect the batteries from excess vibrations. It seems to throw a lot of people off who don’t happen to know what it is in advance.
  5. ToolBane

    Thomas

    I don’t get why they leave out features like this on their tools released outside the US. Seems like stuff everyone would want everywhere.
  6. By appearances Ryobi is essentially expanding to a broader price range. They’ll still support the same budget-minded DIY people but also have more prosumer-oriented tools available for people who want to shell out extra for specific tools without having to drop for another battery platform. It could be interesting however in the context of how it affects their TTI siblings. I’ve heard a retail price of $160, and the performance numbers are essentially identical to those of Ridgid. Also looks quite similar to Milwaukee’s mid-torque, but with a somewhat larger performance gap. On the one hand, this could squeeze Ridgid even further, but sometimes I wonder if this is almost preferable to TTI, as the whole lifetime working agreement thing really might not be the sort of thing a modern tool conglomerate wants to have comprising too much of their user base.
  7. It took entirely too long in my opinion, but Ryobi is finally going to be releasing a brushless replacement for their aging p261. This new model makes about 50% more power, at 450ftlbs (compared to 300 for the brushed model). As is more and more frequently the case among impact wrenches, Ryobi is also marketing a “nut-busting” torque figure of around 600ftlbs. It appears much more compact than the old model particularly in length. Judging by the ratings and size, it looks very much like a rebadged (and perhaps mildly downgraded) version of Ridgid’s current “mid-torque” model. This would make sense as the sister companies used to share impact wrench platforms quite closely until a few years ago, when Ridgid released their first brushless replacement while Ryobi mysteriously did not follow suit. I’ve been looking forward to this for some time. I wasn’t unhappy with the performance of the p261 per se, but it was prone to expelling far more sparks from its vents compared to any other brushed tool I’ve ever owned. Larger, flew farther, and more frequently. Sometimes up to a foot out and plainly visible in broad daylight. It also smelled unpleasant compared to other brushed tools, even other Ryobis I’ve had. Both characteristics dissipated somewhat over use but never really went away. So even though it’s always worked for it’s purpose it will be nice to be able to retire the thing. https://www.ryobitools.com/products/details/18v-one-plus-hp-brushless-4-mode-12-impact-wrench
  8. Yeah that’s normal. It doesn’t strike me as a bad idea either, as 1) the battery may be warm after charging, so cooling the battery prior to use really isn’t a bad idea, and 2) the battery may continue to be topped-off slowly after the charger indicates it’s done. I have no verification of this, but I’ve seen it claimed that Makita’s chargers may actually leave the battery with as much as 15% additional uncharged capacity. I can speculate a number of reasons as to why they may choose to do this if it were true, but it would be just that...speculation.
  9. Oh and I missed the part where you are using a Ryobi charger...most of the new ones are marketed as being able to switch between all the current battery chemistry types automatically. So you’re probably covered there.
  10. It’s been a while for me on this particular topic but my recollection is the voltage difference between most NiCd and NiMH cells is almost nothing and most chargers you are going to use are slow enough also that you can often use them interchangeably. Particularly if you have a charger that isn’t going to try and charge your batteries too terribly fast. I would use the ratio of the different Ah ratings to estimate the time it should take to charge and check the temperature of the battery every so often during the process. Pay attention to how your charger reacts to the different cells being there. Again the way NiCd and NiMH behave is similar enough it should almost be plug and play but no guarantees. I would also test what happens if you leave the battery on the charger for hours beyond the expected charge time. *IF* you notice it getting uncomfortably hot at any point discontinue charging. Even though my guess is if you do everything right you *should* be fine, the potential for fire hazard while seeming statistically low in my head still isn’t worth risking a house over so take necessary precautions. There can be additional factors that can affect what you’re able to do, for example how the new cells possibly may have a significantly higher Ah rating, the internal resistance of the cells may affect how rapidly the temps go up, plus consider the insulating of the battery casing may exacerbate how much heat collects, etc etc.
  11. Well THAT technology could be a tantalizing prospect...although that seems a little too fast to hit the market to me
  12. There hasn’t been much of any noise about larger cells anywhere else, so this is probably either a matter of more cells or newer cells of the same size that just have higher capacity. But to do more cells of say the 18650s that are used in LXT batteries, you’d have to use twice as many (20 cells) to retain a 36V nominal operating voltage. I’m having a hard time seeing how they’d want to make that fit in anything that fits comfortably on their existing tools.
  13. If it’s their next coffee maker I’m all in
  14. I 100% agree with you here. But I really don’t expect them to. Just because it would be so trivial for them to have done it many years ago by this point. It would be awesome though.
  15. Lots of YouTube videos on it. Pay serious attention to the ones focusing on safety...table saw injuries can happen in the blink of an eye! Just one wrong move and people lose fingers! Take it seriously! Always have your riving knife on. Use your push sticks.
  16. I entirely respect the pragmaticism...but if it were me and I could say buhbye to all the noise, vibrations, fuss, and fumes of gas tools I would in a heartbeat. Heck, I’ve avoided a lot of gas powered OPE specifically because of that. I feel really lucky to be a home owner in this emerging age of relatively quiet, fuss-free tools. I feel this should be an even bigger deal among the tradesmen who have to use these things all day every day. In my little cluster of homes, we have a LOT of very big trees needing major maintenance all the time. It seems more often than not I spend several hours of any given day off putting up with the incessant buzzing of gas-powered chainsaws. For the percentage of days I wake up to this level of noise going on around my neighborhood, I seriously have a mind to purchase a Makita chainsaw for no more reason than to lend it to these guys for a couple days and see if they are sufficiently enticed to switch. I think the entire neighborhood would LOVE to see the change.
  17. I’m guessing some of these new LXT tools are essentially the new XGTs adapted for 18V operation. Which I kinda expected them to do. No need to steal the thunder out from under XGT even as it releases, but some LXTs like the full-size drill have been a little long on the tooth for a while, so replacements aren’t surprising. With Makita apparently developing a 56V platform, IF Makita is even seriously developing anything in the way of a cordless job site tablesaw, I’m a little hard-pressed to believe they could be designing it on either the LXT or XGT platforms. I could be wrong...I may even hope I am. But a tablesaw just seems like the perfect product to kick off such a high-power platform. A full 10” TS that can go heavy all day is a big ask for the platforms currently on the market, which I believe is why Dewalt and Milwaukee made their cordless tablesaws 8.5”, while Metabo HPT’s 10” is a hybrid design. I expect the belt sander is most definitely coming, but will likely just be further into the year. I also think Makita will be doling out a bunch of brushless updates to many older tools, judging by how many of them share the same handle as the cutout tool that just got updated to brushless. It’s just a simple way to upgrade a ton of tools at almost no development cost.
  18. I think Metachi needed to be a choice in here. They’ve quietly introduced a number of solid innovations over the last few years and are solidly “on the map” as a prosumer-grade tool platform. Their multivolt format is more compact than Flexvolt and therefore can be utilized on more tools. They have the only 10” cordless table saw on the market. Their triple-hammer impact driver performs great. Their new-ish nailers are extremely competitive. They meet IP-56 standards. And pretty much everything can be run hybrid should the occasion arise...that all stacks up to a pretty solid lineup I have to say. For myself I’m already on my two preferred platforms: Makita for the important stuff whenever possible and Ryobi to fill in the gaps or for tools I simply use less often. I’m not a trades person, so having a half-dozen platforms is point blank unappealing to me. These are two of the largest platforms available and for my purposes cover more than any other combination of two companies. Although beyond that I have to say I easily prefer the ergonomics of Makita over all the other mainstream/contractor brands. They are accurate and smooth running tools, the chargers are quick, everything has good fit, and I just plain love the feel of them as I run them through projects. They are not Mafell or Festool but they get close enough for my purposes at far more reasonable prices. The 36V X2 format is an efficient and powerful solution that doesn’t force me to buy additional oversized batteries that can’t also be used on smaller tools. There aren’t a whole lot of duds in their lineup. Even the few tools that lag in absolute performance relative to certain offerings from Milwaukee and Dewalt will generally feature ergonomic considerations that give them advantages in niche applications. The only major thing Makita lacks in my opinion are 8-9Ah batteries for some of their more high-drain non-36V tools...as has been quipped about here by many. Ryobi has a number of offerings no one else has. The cordless soldering station is fantastic and probably my favorite Ryobi tool. Only Milwaukee has any comparable product and surprisingly I think the Ryobi is the better solution. The heat gun is essentially the same as the Milwaukee, another offering almost no one else has. Their trim nailers are actually great...debatably among the best on the market. Which is funny because they’ve been available for years while most of the competition’s nailers until only very recently languished in comparison while being far more expensive. Plus Ryobi has all those other oddball tools that are actually really useful like the glue gun and mini-blower. Their brushless tools are clearly not in the same league as the “Big 3” but they make up a lot of ground compared to their older brushed tools. Like Makita their OPE selection is pretty broad, but at prices that are easy for basic homeowner use. And they have 9Ah batteries to power them all with. Another company I think deserves more attention than they get is Kobalt. I admit I haven’t bought into them and frankly am unlikely to. But they have a number of tools that seem to acquit themselves well, they’re basically all brushless, while they seem to be emulating Ryobi in terms of trying to offer a broadening selection of “oddball” tools expanding their general utility as a battery platform. If I was a bit less of a stickler about certain things, I think I easily could have picked them up for my general woodworking and been pretty happy.
  19. Seems warranted. When I see the way electric chainsaws are basically performing the same as gas without all the fumes, noise, and hassle...it’s a no-brainer to me. And companies like Makita and Milwaukee have even burlier battery platforms coming down the pipeline. A lot of people will likely continue to have their romantic affection for gas tools as well as simply remaining unaware of just how powerful these battery tools already are, but in terms of having both the sheer performance while doing away with all the headaches...I seriously don’t know why more trades people haven’t already switched.
  20. Might be possible to do via TWO adapters...one for Dewalt to Makita LXT, then LXT to old-school Makita NiMH. If they’re both available. Which could also be a long-shot, to be honest.
  21. I imagine you’ve tried tightening the latch bolt itself to make sure it clenches down adequately? Beyond that perhaps you have some oily residue at the interface. You could try wiping it down kinda hard and then hitting it with basic soap and water.
  22. Well that’s inconvenient about the no-shipping to Hawaii. And I like the CXT platform as well, love the new ergonomics compared to the old 12V Max. That said I can see why you’d want to keep those old tools going. I still think there’s a place for the platform albeit not with a large number of tools.
  23. This battery is actually still available, though it may become harder to find over time: https://www.amazon.com/Makita-BL1014-12V-Lithium-Ion-Battery/dp/B004GTMUWW/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=makita+12v+max+battery&qid=1603863310&sprefix=makita+12V+Max+&sr=8-3
  24. ToolBane

    DTW300

    It shows up on Makita’s website...but it hasn’t hit shelves at HD yet https://www.makitatools.com/products/details/XWT17Z
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