dwain

i love having two lines, so I can avoid the weaker tools in one brand. For instance, I have: Dewalt 20V: BL Drills, BL Impact, Circ Saw, Recip Saw but Bosch 18V: Multi-tool, jigsaw, grinder, SDS, Planer If I started again though, one of my lines would be Milwaukee. Then the choice between Makita/Metabo/Bosch/Dewalt would be super tricky....

dont think us aussies ever got the 2ah battery

Good work NER Yeah we didn't have any 3/4" /19mm flooring stock at hand, so used 23mm. which is a little over 7/8". It wasn't common stock, but if you're used to working in metric you don't have to try to work out the nearest 1/8, 1/16 or 1/32 measurement. You just say 23mm and people will know how thick it is EDIT: The majority of measuring tapes over here have metric on one side and imperial on the other, which helps a bit. But many are starting to drop the imperial altogether.

indeed it was an interesting read! I'm fairly capable of doing a pretty quick (and dirty) conversion in my head between metric and imperial for timber sizes, are you guys used to something similar? or is metric such a foreign idea that its not needed by your average builder?

Thanks DR. i can see how that would throw the yanks a bit. but if w're honest, Imperial is very outdated. The framing lumber sizes you refer to as 2"x4" etc, are not in reality even close to those sizes, so are very innacurate descriptions. What I'm saying is that I'm happy to include the Imperial conversions etc in my write-ups, but I can't see us referencing Imperial measurements in our videos. I love this forum, and appreciate the huge support you guys give, but if its a roadblock for some Yanks, we can't do much else about it. Thanks Chris! (and all)

Thanks all, we really appreciate the support! It's so strange to me that an American brand doesn't give the US consumers access to everything they make...

Two ripper saws.

That's a very nice deal! Its one helluva unit. Interesting to hear! What's your thinking?

welcome!

post it here just put a link to it in your first post, and the video will embed

i thought so, welcome. I'm from Melbourne If you miss the sound of Aussies, see the link below

thanks all, and thanks BK, will do

oztooltalk is having a very slow start to 2015, but in the pipeline is: 6-1/2" Milwaukee vs Makita Circular Saw comparison (editing now)EGO 56V Chainsaw reviewOther BL Makita tool reviewsbrushless impact driver round-up (down the track) Anyway, this is a sweet tool, write-up to come.

No doubt Dewalt are releasing plenty of good gear. I appreciate the upgrades/variation of existing offerings, but for the 20V users, the Framing Nailer and multi-tool were the last exciting tools. The cutout and grease gun are also good additions, but they're a bit short on brushless improvements. If we see the BL HT Wrench, Mitre Saw, Finish Nailer and a few surprises (PLANER surely!) this year, I'll be back on the wagon. Maybe Milwaukee are just ridiculous, and Dewalt live in that shadow too much. It's not like there any slower than Bosch, Metabo, Hitachi etc.

i can vouch for the Dewalt set, not that I'm a tradie. I've dropped mine a few times recently and the finish seems to hold up very well...

Welcome Ozintx! Your username doesn't refer to an Aussie living in Texas does it?

i know, i own both but since it doesn't have a regular chuck, it is a driver, not a drill. i think you'd regret getting only a screwdriver.

most people recommend a drill over an impact driver, if you have to choose only one, and I agree. the 710 is a very comfortable drill, but a little long compared to the competition. also Dewalts 12V line is pretty poor compared to the likes of Milwaukee and Bosch. having said that, if you only want a drill, and (like me) you don't want the fat grip of the other brands, I'd gladly recommend it.

oh wow, there you go. Its a pity TIA couldn't include it in their (reasonably) recent comparison.

wow, i would not have expected that, it doesn't seem likely. i have the bosch, but not really used the Makita. Makita do have the tool-less blade changed on their more recent model. the BL motor is handy though, multi-tools chew through the juice...

it needs a multi-tool, jigsaw, higher capacity batteries and a more compact drill to be competitive.

you're quite right. i just saw that video recently, and have started looking into it. it looks the the brushed model was released in the US with only one speed, while international release (to Australia at least) had 2 speeds. Australian Milwaukee site details: REDLINK™ Intelligence provides optimised performance and overload protection with 2-Mode DRIVE CONTROL™that is a very strange decision. so the brushless update in still single speed in US, i wonder what we'll receive...

i don't believe TIA have reviewed the 2nd Generation brushed impact driver (could be wrong), but oztooltalk did, and posted it on TIA. It definitely has 2 speeds, with a mechanical selector (unlike the FUELs electronic button). its a great tool, as is the Gen2 compact drill. Red Link Plus is just Milwaukee speak for communication between the tool and battery to protect from overheating etc. All brands have it, and talk as if they're the only ones who do: http://www.kmstools.com/blog/milwaukee-fuel-series-part-2-red-link-intelligence/ if there was a significant price difference between the 2sp brushless and the 3spd FUEL, i'd happily put the money elsewhere.

i suspect the differences are less than Milwaukee make them out to be. take the impact driver for example. they're both brushless, there's 10Nm torque difference, and 2 sp vs 3sp. i can't see the 'brushless' version having lower build quality or having less 'intelligence; inreality. The cynic in me thinks its a master stroke. Call this other line 'brushless' so that this line seems comparable to the other brand's premium BL tools. That way the FUEL line appears to be a major step up from the competition. I don't buy it really, I reckon they're all great tools.

the BL Makita (and apparently the Metabo) are also very high performing cordless grinders, if you're looking for options.