Grumpy MSG

I don't use a ton, but I have the old 18V DeWALT (model unknown and I am too lazy to look). It comes out while working inside cabinets and boxes. I bought it as a bare tool, I think it was worth it. I suggest getting one in a battery line you already and either use it to add batteries to the line too or purchase a bare tool to minimize the price.

I could see a small cordless compressor being available, similar in size to the 1 gallon HDX. I wouldn't expect it to run air tools. but it would probably work nice to run an airbrush, making it very portable. As for other stuff, there are some things they are looking into via the DeWALT Insights program that nobody has mentioned. To participate requires acceptance of a non-disclosure agreement, but you do get to offer input on tools while they are being developed or priced.

We learn more from accidentally getting wrong than we ever do from accidentally getting it right...

Item must be purchased at the store, contact local store for availability. Unfortunately my local store hasn't seen any.

I haven't seen one of the most critical pieces of info, which gear are you trying to drill in. With a bit like that I suggest the slowest gear it has. Another thing to do is to drill a pilot hole so it has an easier time trying to go in a straight line. Look at the tip of your bit and look at the sharp point. Use a bit just a little smaller than the point. It will probably be about 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch or 3 MM or so. drill it the full depth needed for that hole, even if it means going and getting a new bit that is long enough. After that drill your hole using light pressure, don't be leaning hard on the drill to drive it through the wood.

If they did you would have needed 2 different power supplies one for 60V and one for 120V.. I look at the two saws and they seem backward to me, at least the way I use a table saw versus a miter saw. When I use a miter saw I spin it up make a cut and let it stop, move board and do it again. 15-30 seconds of run time at a crack. On the table saw it seems like I am always using it to rip boards, it doesn't mater whether it is plywood or 1X or 2X, I always have it running for a couple of minutes at a crack, usually making all the cuts at a specific width, shut it down move the fence and make the cuts or dadoes at that setting. I think they would have been better served had they gone with a 10 inch blade and dual batteries on the table saw. Realistically though I probably would never buy one. One of the smaller cordless miter saws might be in the future should I need to do a big trim job and need to carry it from room to room. I already have a big sliding compound miter saw and cord or not I don't want to drag it around unless it is on a rolling stand.

Sounds to me like you two are talking 2 different ways of accomplishing the same goal. One sounds like a rip guide, a T shape usually and slides in and out of a clamp on the saw. the other is clamped to the piece being cut and the saw butts up against it and slides along it to make the cut. Bremon, I am sure the reason they are not one size fits all is that the markings on the rip guide is for a specific base plate. One saw might be 1 1/2" from the blade to the edge of the base plate while another might be 2" so the markings may be different as well as the size of the sliding rail may be different from saw to saw. As for blade right or left markings, it would just cause the markings to be upside down because you are spinning it 180 degrees. As for the other kind, I have 2" wide, 1/4" thick bar of aluminum that is maybe 54" long that I use for straight cuts on plywood. I use it with small clamps which hang under the plywood and the motor clears the clamps easily. I know I have seen various clamps and tracks that work in a similar way at both Lowes and Home Depot that aren't that expensive.

As far as switches go most 4 1/2" grinders that don't have paddle switches tend to have a locking sliding switch that you better have a firm grip on or the grinder will twist or jump out of your hand when you fire it up. Triggers tend to be on the bigger 7/9" grinders.

If you are already into Festool, why not look into a Festool impact driver? I don't know about work lights or radios from Festool, but you could go with Ryobi for lights and radio and use relatively inexpensive batteries.

My recommendation is do a little research, and go with a single brand/ battery type for the tools you want. If you are a homeowner/ DIYer, don't be afraid of some of the less expensive brands like Ryobi or Porter-Cable. You can get most of what you want for $200 with them, whereas with DeWALT, Makita or Milwaukee, you will get the impact, 2 batteries and a charger. Now I wouldn't hesitate to run them several hours a day on a jobsite, but if I were just building a deck or shed and then let the tools sit for 6 months, I'd be looking at some of the lower priced stuff. It really is all about how hard you are going to use it.

You have already left. Even though you did a test of hammer drills and the DeWALT was about 10% faster than the Milwaukee. You quit DeWALT because of their multiple battery platforms. You hate them, you are taking your toys and going home. You can save yourself some time and not even complain about them any more. If I were to ask why does Milwaukee have 12 volt chargers and 18 volt chargers instead on one that does both, or perhaps ask why you need circular saws in both 12 and 18 volts, I would probably catch some fecal matter for such thoughts or questions. So I won't ask those questions, because I don't have any of the their cordless tools ( but in no uncertain terms am I giving up my Tilt-Lock corded circular saw). I will admit I have a tool addiction, but I try to be very pragmatic in my purchases. I want one or two battery platforms, my old 18V DeWALTs are relatively low milage, so chances are they will be around for another 10 years, with replacement or overhauled batteries to extend their life. I did pick up a few 12V Max tools a drill and impact kit and later a driver with clutch and 1/4" hex shank holder, which I use more often than an impact now. I picked them up because the price was great and I wanted compact and lightweight. I could have as easily bought Milwaukee, but I don't really need all the other stuff they sell and the chargers I have now will work with the 20V Max should I ever buy the tools.

I don't know the exact percentage, but my guess is there is probably 60-75% usability of old tools with new packs. The chargers will not work with it (it would be unsafe if they did). My understanding is the products with doors (the vacuum) and some of the lights won't, but the drills, saws and impact drivers will work with the new packs.

You are 100% right, if you are the guy who is only allowed to do demolition and aren't doing any of the construction.

There is going to be a healthy supply, they were the most numerous tools on construction sites for years. I think the number was almost 50% of the market for more than half a decade. Not stocking batteries for the most popular tools would be like tire dealers saying "All the new cars run 16 inch or bigger tires, so we aren't going to stock 15 inchers any more."

If you are the only squeaky wheel, chances are greater that they will ignore you.

The reason DeWALT went with 20V Max versus 18V was strictly a marketing decision. They were making a change in the battery mounting system. Going from slide in the grip to slide on the grip. They did it purely to reduce confusion. Bosch went through a similar change first and had issues with people having one tool and ending up with the wrong battery mounting system when they purchased replacement batteries or usually when the owner sent someone else (like the wife) to pick up an extra battery. They did it strictly to avoid the confusion. They were working to prevent issues with the dumbest guy in the room, not the smartest. The more surprising thing to me is that they didn't do the same for the 12V lines although there are far fewer of both the 12V Max and 12V NiCads out there. I think it is because the 14.4 was so much more popular with more available tools.

One thing you might not be thinking of when comparing costs on the fast versus slow chargers is the battery life. Fast charging batteries might cause batteries to have a shorter service life. It may be more convenient to have faster charging and fewer batteries, but if you shorten the life of your batteries by 25%, the costs will add up quicker than you think.

Since he has 20 Volt already, go with that. You can probably pick up a bare tool DCF883B for $99-129. When Christmas rolls around look for a 2 pack of batteries or double charger and a battery in the same price range.

I guess it could be called a HVLP inflator. It wouldn't take much for any of the brands to adapt a 12V vehicle power (used to be called a lighter) compressor to run off their 12 volt batteries. It'd be cheap and easy. As for cordless tools, I'd love a DeWALT 12V Max 18 gauge brad nailer and 23 gauge pinners. I would also like the 12V batteries to have the fuel gauges. I know you aren't suppose to store the batteries at full charge and I remain baffled as to how you are supposed to ensure it is at the right level. I know Milwaukee's line is a lot more popular and has a lot more tools available, but I like that the same charger works for both the 12 and 20 volt lines.

It must develop some, it uses a twist lock retention system to ensure it doesn't blow off due to restriction. If you told me it had a 5, 8 or 10 PSI capacity, I wouldn't be surprised. I think it's purpose is to avoid huffing and puffing while blowing something up with your lungs.

For you Milwaukee folks, I know my DeWALT DCE100 blower came with an adapter to use it as an inflater /deflater (depends which port you hook it to, I don't know what kind of pressure it develops and it won't work to inflate tires, but it will for air matresses, pool floats and low pressure balls. Does the Milwaukee equivalent come with one too?

They take a little work to remove and reinstall them. I have removed some and moved them. You can probably slide a screwdriver under one side and turn it to pop it up a little, then slide it to the other side and do the same. I think it is a good feature that they are tight so they don't fall out when you open the case.

I guess that M18 High Demand 9.0 poster that keeps getting shared pokes a hole in that statement. DeWALT has some products they are offering in the new line that Milwaukee doesn't have a comparable product, just like Milwaukee has a lot of products in their 12V line that DeWALT doesn't have an answer for. With this line's introduction, I can see the possibility of the 40V line being solely for outdoor power equipment or possibly losing support like the the old 24 and 36 volt lines. Too many contractors still have a lot of tools from the old 18V XRP line out there, so I can't see them cutting support for it any time soon. 5 or 10 years down the road, who knows? I really don't know how many real advantages the bigger, bulkier tools offer like the 56 pound miter saw or the 8 1/4" table saw (Why 8 1/4"? It limits the blade choices too much). Then again I am a guy who really likes the DWE7491, but really can't justify buying one when my DW744 is still running strong. I still have a lot of the 18V XRP line of tools and won't be replacing them any time soon. If anything some of the old tired batteries will get overhauled. I do have a few tools in the 12V MAX line, but that was because I got great deals on them and would rather carry them up and down a ladder than the older 18V XRP hammer drill. I know I could have went with Milwaukee on those, but if items are close, tie always goes to DeWALT for me, because I have a service center within 30 miles.

Go on Ebay , I am sure you can find it. I am sure some of the European members of the forum would love some of the US products and would be willing to work out a trade for something the US gets but Europe doesn't.

That is essentially what regenerative braking does. Like you have noted, with anything you won't have 100% efficiency. Going down hill might provide 70 or 80% of the energy needed to get up the next hill. On old school electric railroads, the Virginian was one that was partially electrified, when a train went down hills and engaged the regenerative braking it actually sent current into the system instead of consuming it.