dwain

Welcome Joseph. I fall into exactly the same category as yourself

hmmm thanks for all the tips! so now im looking at the craftsman LOCKING flexible ratcheting wrenches ....

Hey all (looking at you Conductor ) Got a little birthday money, and am thinking of spending it on some ratcheting wrenches. I currently have some regular (cheap) wrenches, and OK ratchet/socket sets. On one hand, I wonder if I'll use a cordless scrwedriver for the majority of my automotive/handyman uses, but some flex-head ratcheting wrenches sure look nice ... Do you think they're a good investment? WIth my budget I could afford the 7 piece set with flex-head or 12 piece set without. I'm leaning toward the flex-heads, they look mighty useful.... http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002NYD3U/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER http://www.amazon.com/GearWrench-9412-Metric-Ratcheting-Wrench/dp/B0002NYD1C/ref=lh_ni_t?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

As others have said, its a discussion forum! We're here to discuss (there's not much else to do on a forum!). Yes, here in Aus (like Europe) our tools and batteries are branded 18V XR. The confusion is Dewalt's fault I have Dewalt and Bosch 18V platforms and love being able to choose the best from both lineups. I flirted with getting Milwaukee also, but decided that was the path that lead to madness... If I was starting from scratch, given Milwaukee's cracking lineup, I'd personally have them and then have to choose between Dewalt and Bosch, and it would be hard!

the XR branding has been around a lot longer than the brushless tools. I bought my '18v' XR kit way before the first brushless tool came out (dcf895). Maybe it was more referring to the batteries or system than the tools themselves. See here, the 985 pack has XR labelling: http://www.dewalt.com/tools/cordless-drills-drilldrivers-dcd980m2.aspx

ok. XR does not mean brushless, their entire 20V Max range is 'XR' (for extended runtime). They should have left the XR branding for brushless like Milwuakee did will the 'FUEL' branding.

huh?

it wasn't in the intro I'm not sure it would affect the results greatly, as they haven't been out in Aus for that long, and the Li-Ions should hold their charging capacity pretty well in the first couple of years...

i think that its worth having the function IF it doesn't add too much weight and length to the tool. my experience drilling masonry with a 'non-rotary' drill is ... avoid if possible. And if you can't avoid, I would think the weight of the 985 would be a small cost of minimising the pain of masonry work with a regular drill.

i think it might have been the led lighting that tipped the scale, but it was super close. I tend to think the 3 speed milwaukee prob should have won. the 3 LED lights which stay on for 20 seconds are super handy.

yeah there is a lot to consider. Re: the saw test, it was only 1.2m of cutting each test, and on a used (but reasonably new) blade, i don't think that would be significant. In any case, I did the 2ah cuts second. LVLs would be fairly consistent in density, but the user push is the hard to control aspect... where can you find the discharge rates of batteries?

no doubt the runtime is the biggest gain in performance from larger batteries, everyone accepts that, and most tests done by TIA are about runtime (total screws etc.). But the question here is whether a bigger gas tank (i.e. 4AH) also affects power (which is not the same as speed). I think many people (myself included) expected that the power would not be affected by battery size, and that if it did, it would be the higher draw tools (like circular saw). My testing has given exactly the opposite results.

Yeah the Bosch isn't leading the pack for for stock removal. Makita and Hitachi do better. The Dewalt (though 3 amp) also fairs poorly in this spec.

if manufacturer claims are to be believed, Dewalt SHOULD have more power. Dewalt 2.1J x 4500bpm = 9450J/min Bosch 1.7J x 4850bpm = 8245J/min Since the Compact 36V is apparently 'optimised' for 4-10mm holes (with specs to match), the Dewalt could actually be more powerful, weird as that sounds. http://www.dewalt.com.au/powertools/productdetails/catno/DCH254M2/info/specifications/ http://www.bosch-pt.com.au/au/en/professional/power-tools/c131421/p16226/cordless-rotary-hammers/gbh-36-v-li-compact.html

http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/power-tool-forum/index.php?/topic/3865-does-a-larger-battery-give-more-power-results-inside/

I just bought the Bosch 5" ROS20VSK. It's my first ROS, but after lots of research I went the Bosch over the Dewalt. That dust filter is amazing. I honestly don't feel the need to wear a mask or glasses unless I'm sanding above chest height. If this is high on your priority list, look no where else. Check out this comparison that I found helpful. http://www.toolsofthetrade.net/work-order-tracking/tool-test--5-inch-random-orbit-sanders_6.aspx

Yep, agreed in all respects. The videos are awesome, the forums are fantastic. Everyone is encouraging and thoughtful whilst giving each other some light shit. I love it.

the only things that could possibly be affecting the result are user error (which wouldn't be much), that i got the 4.0ah's second hand, or that the 2.0ah are US sourced, where the 4.0ah are Aus. I could do it again, but I believe Dan & Eric may shed some light on it shortly

nah, couldn't notice the difference really.

OK, so I did a bit of a circular saw test today. I used an LVL offcut, 460mm long and 42mm deep, three runs with each battery. Each battery was on 3 bars charge. Obviously there's a bit of difficulty with this one as user error plays a part (cutting straighter is easier on the saw), and i decide how hard to push the saw. I tried to push the saw to cut the length as fast as possible, which sometimes meant letting off the pressure to let the blade speed up again. I stopped the saw once on each battery. 4.0ah test - 78 secs 2.0ah test - 69 secs Surprised again! Its true the 2.0ah batts are newer, but the 4.0ah's would still have much more capacity. Are you surprised?

Isn't the Dewalt Recip a great contender for best recip thats not the FUEL?

what skins are you going to want in the long run (after these three)?

Yeah I wouldn't take too much from my testing. I'm a bit concerned that heat of the batteries/drills could have played a part. I also wonder whether a battery gives more power at certain parts of its charge level, and I wasn't perfectly consistent on this I was always fascinated by the tool fight TIA did between Milwaukee and Dewalt brushless tools. The milwaukee went faster at the start but slowed down so that the Dewalt caught up. These sort of experiences make it very difficult to be sure of any tools comparable output. http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/2012/08/friday-night-tool-fight-dewalt-vs-milwaukee-brushless-impact-drivers/ I could do one with my circ saw, but how do you think it would be best tested? I suppose I could push the through some framing timber as fast as it 'feels' possible (i.e. without slowing the blade so that it feels it will cut out). Could try it in some old hardwood too ....

Javier, is there any way you could do a runtime/power test with both on 4.0ah batteries? Or running the Milwaukee on 2ah? Wouldn't have to be video'd necessarily (we trust you ).The possibility of battery size affecting available power, and the Milwaukee possibly running better at the start of testing are really messing with my head! http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/power-tool-forum/index.php?/topic/3865-does-a-larger-battery-give-more-power-results-inside/ http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/2012/08/friday-night-tool-fight-dewalt-vs-milwaukee-brushless-impact-drivers/ If you can't, no matter. Still appreciate the excellent video!

i did a little test regarding battery sizes over here: http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/power-tool-forum/index.php?/topic/3865-does-a-larger-battery-give-more-power-results-inside/?p=28858