kjones

I would say that it looks more like the Porter Cable, which also came out before the Rigid. But I have never seen this either, so I am curious if it is actually coming out.

That is freaking awesome! Great job!

That is a killer set up! Amazing!

Good review! Sometimes "scientific" tests can get too far away from "real world application", so I like what you did. I am glad that you had such good results with the DeWALT. As far as the Makita an higher voltage portion, you are right in that the 18v makita will have more power and run time than a 12v MAX, but you are also right in that there have been a lot of issues with Makita's batteries, and even tools. One thing that is pretty surprising as well, is that with the screws you are talking about using, the DeWALT 12v MAX impact may even perform faster than the Makita 18v impact. What I would recommend looking in to is a DeWALT 20v MAX kit if you are needing more power. The 20v MAX is priced very competitively, and will have the best combination of ergonomics, light weight, battery life and service coverage, and overall tool performance. Good luck to you in your tool search!

I have never heard of using the motor to open or close the chuck being a problem. I will not go so far as to say what is the proper way to use it, but I always (as in EVERY time) use the motor to tighten or loosen my chuck.

I'll have to track it down. I know that it is hard to find, but I have found it for some customers before.

There is a replacement LED buld for the 18v snake light already.

The DC9180 is the XRP lithium ion DeWALT battery, the DC9181 is the compact lithium battery. We still make both, but what you see carried in retailers fluctuates often.

Both Sony and A123 use a lithium phosphate chemistry, and both are very good batteries. I won't speculate on the reasons for the switch, but the Sony cells are proven with their use in the compact lithium since their launch, so I am not worried about it.

You are correct sir!! The track saw clamps to lock into that whole, allowing you to use the padded part on your material.

It is not obsolete, just re-branded. The Nano batteries are now called the XRP lithium-ion. As far as I know, as was already mentioned, there really aren't replacement parts for any batteries (except shells), as rebuilt batteries are not recomended.

The presets on both the DC011 and the DC012 are backed up by secondary AAA batteries, not the DeWalt battery. Mke sure that your backup batteries are good and you won't lose your presets. And if a couple of days worth of run time on one battery charge isn't enough for you, than I would say that your expectations are a little unreasonable. I can understand being dissatisfied with run time of less than a day or something, but who cares if you have to swap the pack out every full day or two?

All DeWalt 18volt batteries are compatible in all DW 18volt tools, so yes you can use Lithium ion batteries in your older tools, and vice-versa. However, you cannot charge a li-on battery in a "black" dewalt charger, so you will likely need to upgrade your charger as well to one of the yellow colored, multi-chemistry chargers ($70) before you can charge lithium batteries. While you certainly can just replace the brushes for a small amount of money, I always recomend the full GRC service, as they will replace all the worn out, strained, or tired out components of your tool (in my case this meant new plastic clamshells, new chucks, transmissions, motors, and switches-- really pieced together brand new drills), and all for around $95 per drill. Check with your local service center for actual prices, but they should be in that ball park. I recomend getting some prices from your DeWalt service center, then you can make an educated decision as to what option works best for your specific needs.

Yah, the motors do get tired out over time. They can lose their power, run batteries down faster, etc. getting them serviced can be a great option though if you still have good batteries. I recently had a couple of my DC988's rebuilt, and they work great. I can put them up against anything the compeition has out right now and still beat or hang with them. (I have done this in tool demos frequently over the past year). If getting them rebuilt is not for you, than you can always check out getting some bare tools off line, or at shops like ACME, Western Tool, or whatever construction suppliers you may have in your area.

If they are slowing down, in my experience, it is more often than not a sign of tired components in the drill, not bad batteries. The biggest sign that the batteries are getting old is significantly reduced run time. Both are completely possible though, so the best thing to do is to take the tools and batteries in to your local service center and get there opinion on the matter.

GRC is usually just under $100 (usually between 95 and 99 bucks). It's a great deal if you have good batteries, as your drills will essentially be brand new. If you are needing new batteries as well, than get a new kit.

The clamps that attach to the miter saw are upgraded as well. It is essentially just an upgraded edition of the previous model. The idea however is that there are now three different sizes of stands available.

I am a little confused about that statement. What do you mean by (2) batteries? Do you mean that they should package 2 batteries with tools? If that is the case, the majority os toosl sold with batteries do in fact come with two, the saws and grinder are exceptions to that of course. As to Li-on vs. NiCad, everyone has their opinion. The reality is that there are definite benefits to both chemistries, and that the deciding factor should be the intended use for the tool. If you are gonig to be working in extreme temperature conditions, or work your tools extremely hard, go with NiCad. If you are working in more "normal" conditions, go Li-on. Honestly they are both great, and I have lots of each so that I can plug the appropriate battery into any of my 18v tools to fit my use for any given day. I was also skeptical about the artificial draw down on the Li-on batteries, as I do not want to lose power when I don't have to. Having used this feature now hwoever, it is actually really nice. It only affectsyour last screw or two, and just slows down the speed a little bit, so you know to chnage the pack.

I could see it being useful to run a laptop or charge a cell phone, etc. Maybe even run my coffee maker while I'm camping. Maybe we could see a new line of DeWalt tools, "Guarenteed Campsite Tough". Who is with me?

Good thing that DeWalt is the only major tool brand sold at Home Depot that has not/will not sign the exclusive contract, and will not compromise quality to "compete" with Rigid or any other questionable quality tool (caugh caugh Makita and Milwaukee!!!)