MattV

I fully expect to buy more eventually, but my budget is spent for the time being

Picked up the impact driver and sawzall on black Friday deals, aaand I think I'm done spending money on toola for a bit. Kind of lucked out, as I have pretty much everything I wanted for work, and managed to get everything on a good sale except for the 3/4" impact.

An impact driver should work alright for small fasteners seems like it probably would suit your need better. Should be a bit more compact too, so it will fit in tighter spaces. If you aren't working on bigger, tighter bolts you probably don't the extra torque.

Picked the drill up as a kit with 2 1.5 AH batteries and charger. Looking forward to seeing how the 9.0AH does on my impact and the new grinder.

Found a good sale on the Fuel, so I went with that. Thanks for the advice guys.

That's sort of the question I'm asking myself, I feel like I'll eventually want the fuel model anyways. Thing is it shouldn't generally see major use (if lots of grinding/cutting is needed I grab a corded and generator), but it's nice having the utility of being able to pull out a grinder for unforseen circumstances. I'm hoping somebody has firsthand experience with the two.

I've been wanting a cordless grinder, and have 4 5ah m18 batteries. I was going to wait until I can afford the fuel version, but the brushed version is half the price of the fuel at the moment, and I could pick it up now. I've used the brushed one before and I know it chews through batteries but it shouldn't see heavy use most of the time. My question is, are the power and runtime of the fuel model worth waiting several months and spending twice as much to wait for? I'm thinking I probably will wait, but I don't know if it's enough of an improvement.

If I use the brushed 18v tools I currently have, would they hold up to dust? The reason I'm wanting to switch to brushless is for changing dust collecter filters, which means literally getting filled with dust, and I was recommended to replace them (by a questionable source). If it's not necessary I'll stick with the 18v. As far as torque, the guy training me has a mastercraft (canadian tire) 165 foot pound compact. It's available for half the price of the name brands, but the quality is iffy. I wanted something smaller in a dewalt, but the mid torque is the most compact brushless they have. I'm currently only doing oil/filter changes so I don't need high torque, which is why I half considered ridgid. Is ridgid a reliable cordless tool? It will be 4+ years (if ever) that I'm offered a mechanical apprenticeship, so the impact is basically all I need for work and I already have a selection of 18v dewalt at home. Also nobody, mechanics included, uses anything bigger than a half inch cordless as the company supplies the bigger tools. Anyways, I really appreciate the reply. As far as overall picture, dewalt 20v is at the top of my list as they seem to have more budget options than milwaukee for home use, which will make up the bulk of my tools when I eventually phase out 18v. I don't see myself ever needing the massive torque of the milwaukee 3/4" unless I go back to pipefitting (at this point not something I want to do), so I only am entertaining buying red as I loved the quality.

Hey guys, newbie to the forums here, I'm seeking advice. For the past 8 years or so, I've had a handful of Dewalt 18v tools for home use. I recently started a job that required me to supply my own tools, so I brought the impact driver and wrench to work. For the most part, the driver with a socket adapter has been enough for my needs and a much more convenient size. The problem is, I'm getting shipped off to the the pit (I'm servicing mining equipment in an open pit mine) rather than the shop, and the conditions are very dusty. From my understanding, brushless tools should be able to stand up to these conditions, which is why I need to change. Is this correct? The guy that is training me uses a mastercraft 1/2" sold at canadian tire which is rated at 160ft lbs and quite compact. I considered the same one, but I don't want to buy something that will let me down. It's mostly come down to a compact milwaukee (2755b) or mid torque dewalt (dcf894) My experiences with both manufacturers have been positive, and I like the other tools available by both. The 330 ft. Lbs on the dewalt is more torque than I should be needing, but I like that it can be used for bigger jobs if it comes down to it. I also like that dewalt seems to have more budget friendly options for some of the things I use at home. The main downside with either option is the rather hefty pricetag. Any thoughts between those 2? I was also eyeing up the ridgid one that home depot sells. I swear by ridgid for pipefitting tools, and am quite curious about their power tools. The price is amazing, which tells me the tool probably isn't great. Anybody have any experience with these?