Grumpy MSG

I don't know where you work or what materials you work with, but that sounds like it is part of your problem. Little used tools don't corrode up for no reason. Are you working with treated lumber all the time? Are your tools stored in a damp or wet environment? Do you work near the ocean in a salty air environment? How about using them around fertilizer? All of those things will cause them to corrode faster than they do for most people. If it is one of those environments, it won't matter what brand you have, you are destined to have short tool life a corrosion issues, especially if you don't clean up, dry off and lubricate your tools properly.

DC 9096-2s are pretty common at both Home Depots and Lowe's. You can usually pick up the 2 pack for $99 about 4 times a year, right now being one of them. They are the heavier duty batteries than you will get with the $99 "Black Friday" drills, which come with the batteries listed in the original post. Unless you are a light duty user or your tools are worn out you are better off buying the replacement batteries versus the "Black Friday" compact drill kits.

Home Depot had them last year for Christmas, wait until January and you will be able to get them for half price. I doubt Lowe's will have them. Locally, Home Depots have a selection of some DeWalt power tools and some of the hand tools (no mechanics tools) and Lowes has a bigger selection (in my opinion) of power tools and accessories, but no hand tools. It might make a good stocking stuffer, the plus side is you will notice it if you lay it down. I don't usually carry a multitool, but when I did I preferred the SOGs over both Gerber and Leatherman. I like the gear action over the sliding handle/jaws.

I don't have a 412, I do have the 411, which is the 18V version. I never thought about it before, because I carry it with the grinder in a bag with the spare grinding and cut off wheels. I throw a spare battery in if the job warrants it.

The first radio/charger (DC011) will only work with NiCad batteries, the DC012 will charge both NiCad and lithium . DeWalt has made minor changes to the tip of the battery that inserts into the tool or charger, the lithium batteries will not fit in a NiCad charger. When you are talking 7.2 -18 volt chargers, the rule of thumb is a black charger will only charge NiCad batteries and yellow chargers will charge both NiCad and lithium.

The DW745 is the compact saw with no stand, the DW744 was slightly bigger and had an X stand initially and later a folding wheeled stand available. There was the DW7441 outfeed and side support kit for the DW744 but they don't offer enough support on the outfeed side to go past 3 or 4 feet. They also had the DW746 hybrid saw that did have a wide fence, sliding table and an outfeed table available from DeWalt, They haven't offered that model for several years. They have now been replaced with 3 models DWE7480 (replaces the DW745), the DWE7490X (replaces the DW745 with X stand) and the DWE7491RS (replaces the DW745 with rolling stand). The DWE7480 has 24" of rip capacity(up from 20"), the DWE7490X has 28 1/2" (DW744 had 24 1/2") and the DWE7491RS offers 32 1/2". They also offer the DWE7499GD which is basically a DWE7491RS with an electronic guard detection/bypass feature. The new models have a modular guard, kickback pawls and riving knife set-up as well as onboard storage for various parts and accessories to the saws. All those Model numbers are for American 110-125 volt saws, I don't know what the European 220-240V equivalents would be. Personally if I had to rip a lot of sheet goods, I'd probably go with a track saw or the Ron Paulk setup. Right now I don't do tons of it so I can get by with a straight edge and a circular saw. Most of the time I find myself doing it with my 18 volt DC390 cordless circular saw, that way I don't worry about a cord getting pinched or worse, cut while making a cut.

You are definitely going to need some outfeed and preferably some infeed support for ripping sheet goods. A contractor, Ron Paulk has created a great worktable/ outfeed support system. If you look him up on YouTube you will see him explaining how he builds it.

It is all about your needs, If you think you will want more tools in the future that will use a compatible battery, the 20V line makes more sense. If all you think you will need is a drill and impact, the 12V MAX will be lighter and more compact, both of which is nice if you working in tight spaces or up and down a ladder a lot. In my case, I had the older 18V line which was purchased during an Iraq deployment about 5 years ago. I still ended up buying a 12V MAX, because of the size and weight. Crawling into a cabinet with DCD 925 is not as much fun as the DCD 710.

Sounds like yours acts just like mine. I think I have enough time to think "Is it slowing down a little?" and it stops, Mine will spin after you remove it from the hole you are drilling or the screw you are driving, but it has no torque.

Looks like you are stuck getting a new pack or two. I know I routinely see 2 packs of 9096 batteries for $99 at Lowe's and Home Depot, it probably happens 5-6 times a year. Normally they are $119. Lucky for you Labor day is right around the corner and one of them will have them on sale. Save $25 a week for the next few weeks and you will be good to go.

roadhog96, I would suggest you take a look at the TSTAK line of boxes from DeWalt if weather resistance is not a critical need, they have several different boxes available with various handle set ups/ lid configurations or drawers and DeWalt also has a foam insert (DWST 88801)available that fits the DWST 17805, 17807 and 17808. I don't know if it is open cell or closed cell foam (closed cell is more durable and more fluid resistant). The TSTAKs are lower priced than the ToughSystem boxes, but if it will live in the house versus in and out of the truck on job sites, they would be far more cost effective.

I can see where someone would think I was suggesting an insert for each tool, I was suggesting an insert cut to fit the shape of the drawers or boxes, where the user cut the insert to fit the tool or tools. I know they have one for one of the TSTAKs with the pluck type foam, but I don't know if it is open or closed cell. That piece doesn't matter to me anyway since all I have is ToughSystem boxes and drawer units.

The magical google search term you are looking for is "5S foam". The 5S/ Kaizen process has it's ties to post WW II Japan. the 5S' are (in English equivalent): 1. Sort- remove unnecessary items from work area 2. Set in order- customize work area to improve efficiency 3. Shine- clean work area and tools 4. Standardize- create a consistent workflow and processes 5. Sustain- sustain the improvements Any number of companies manufacture or sell closed cell (closed is better because it wont absorb spills) foam for the intended purpose. A few companies include: www.creativesafetysupply.com www.toolfoam.com (Cascade Tool and Foam) www.fastcap.com I am sorry I couldn't insert links to their pages, but every time I try to use the link function it opens a little window and it doesn't work for me, I literally have to shut down internet explorer to close it. You can look on YouTube and find plenty of videos concerning to create the foam inserts for whatever tool box you want. after a little bit you will find out, that by creating your own inserts to meet your own needs, it is better than DeWalt creating one insert and attempting to meet everyone's needs/ expectations. For example, I may want to store the drill and several drill bit sets in one drawer of the ToughSystem 2 drawer box and put the impact driver and it's bits in the second drawer. other folks might prefer to put the drill and driver into the same drawer and all the bits and accessories in the second drawer or I might use a different combination of tools that other folks might not use. Personally I like the Cascade Tool and Foam brand foam, they have a guide on how to use a heat gun to adhere multiple layers together, that is why I included them. The other brands come as kits to make it really easy to outfit a toolbox. I do wish that DeWalt had come out with a kit for each of the boxes with an insert cut to fit the box, but then there might be issues with how thick the foam needed to be to secure different tools..

trogo pretty much hit it on the head with his review. The sockets offer a good selection 7/16-1", 13-24 MM{no 20,23) in deep and standard 1/2" drive , 1/4 -7/8", 10-21MM (no 20) deep and standard 3/8" drive 5/32-9/16", 4-14MM deep and standard in 1/4" drive. All 3 ratchets are similar in design, but vary in size,. button release for socket retention, a lever for direction change, an oversize oval cross section with some texture on the sides of the handle about an inch wide on the 1/2" drive and 5/8" on the 1/4" drive. The finish is a high polish chrome. There is some knurling at the base of the sockets, not very deep or wide and about a 1/2 to 1" wide stripe (again not very deep) on the extensions. Overall I would say the socket portion of the kit would meet most people's expectations of a good tool box. It also comes with some Allen and Torx drive sockets as well as some standard L shaped Allen wrenches. On to the part that I found wanting, the set comes with an 11/32, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16 and 5/8 combination wrenches, On the metric side it came with 10, 11, no 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 MM. That is it on both of them. I would have preferred the wrenches go from 1/4 to 1", at least they should have gone to 3/4, and the inclusion of 11/32 instead of 5/16 is baffling. On the metric side They should have started at 8 and not left out the 12 (which is one of the most popular size heads) and gone up to at least 19 but preferably 22MM. As for appearance and finish I would compare them to Snap-on. I haven't used them long enough to tell you whether the chrome plating will hold up like Snap-on's. In general I find there are two thinkings in tools, really smooth, polished and easier to clean up, and the rougher easier to grab texture when dirty or oily which takes a little longer to clean and degrease after the job is complete. These tools definitely fall into the first group like Snap-on or Mac would, in comparison Craftsman or SK would fall into the latter

You have an alignment issue. Think of the trunions on your saw as being like door hinges, the pivot points need to be parallel to the blade, the miter slots and the fence. They also need to be parallel to the top of the saw. If you think of it being like a door being out of plumb. if it is out of plumb in one direction it will hang crooked in the doorway (assuming the doorway is plumb) . That would be more easily measured like the blade being out of parallel with the fence and miter slots. If the door is out of plumb in the other direction it will either rise up off the floor or swing down to the floor into the room it swings into. That is the effect you are seeing when you swing the saw to a 45 cut. Your trunions are not aligned parallel to the top of the saw. My suggestion to you is, since it is a new saw take it either to the place you purchased it and trade it for a different saw or take it to a DeWALT service center and let them look at it and make the necessary adjustments /repairs. It shouldn't cost you anything but time.

It is not as bad as you think. For starters there are several different guard designs that DeWALT has used. The oldest had 2 bolts and shims that held it on and kept it aligned behind the blade. The most recent is a modular design that allows you to keep a riving knife behind the blade if you have to remove the guard. Since you are a beginner remember that any time you are messing around the blade ensure the saw is unplugged. It sounds like you have the saw fully raised and the anti kickback pawls are as close to vertical as they can get. What you can do is pull pawls up or to the rear of the saw as you lower the blade. Most of your cuts will be 1 1/2 inches or less so they don't normally get that close to vertical and feel like they are trying to dig in.

You a few potential causes. The first would be the shape of the actual boards you are running through the planer. If they don't have a somewhat consistent thickness they will have trouble being drawn through the by the feed rollers. The other potential problem would be damaged or dirty feed rollers. I have run a bunch of oak fence boards through mine and at times they are a little thin and need push. You do need to take a good look at the boards before running them to make sure that you se the depth based on the thick parts of the board, not the thin. The worst board I have run had almost 1/4 inch of difference between the thick part if the board and the thin, which happened to be on one end.

Obviously you didn't read the non-disclosure part on the DeWalt insights site. I would recommend against discussing it until the product comes out in accordance with that agreement.

I gave a quick look at homedepot.com, it has them available. It says free shipping, I don't know about free to Canada though. http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/catalog/servlet/Search?keyword=dewalt+tough+system&Ns=None&Ntpr=1&Ntpc=1&selectedCatgry=SEARCH%2bALL

I don't think you have too much to worry about. I doubt you will be trying to load the boxes with 100 pounds and then trying to lift them by the handle. I imagine once they got above 40 pounds, you will find yourself using the cart or making multiple trips...

The three saws are nice designs. The new modular guard/ riving knife looks like an easier to use feature (a lot more convenient than my 1st generation 744's guard). The X stand and rolling stand function similar to the 744's stands. I also like the inverted T-slots for the miter gauge as well as the onboard storage. Overall they are a nice step forward for DeWalt. The DWE7491RS is more capable than the DW744XRS with the 32 1/2" rip capacity, while the DWE7490X has 28" of rip and is comparable to the DW744X package (DW744s only have 24 1/2" rip capacity). The DWE7480 meanwhile has 24" of rip instead of the 20" of the DW745. They look like the will run about $40 to $70 higher than the 744/745s, at least for now: http://www.tools-plus.com/dewalt-electric.html#dewalt-electric-table-saws

Don't use the driver sockets you showed in the picture with an impact wrench. Chrome does not withstand the shock of the impact tool and will start to flake off pretty quickly. Flaking chrome will slice you up worse than a paper cut and since it will probably be on the dirty side, the chance of infection is pretty good.

Dave, You are correct in the 18V being the older system. DeWalt has said they will continue to support the 18V line. According to them there are just to many tools out in the field running that battery to abandon it. They do have both NiCad and Li-Ion battery packs available for them. The 18V batteries and the 20V batteries are not interchangeable (one inserts into the grip of a drill, while the other slides on). Right now if you want the newest/ latest/ greatest products available (like the brushless motors on some tools), you should probably go with the 20V. Cost wise if you want the Li-Ion batteries, the 20V kits would probably be a little less expensive. I went to one vendor that usually has competitive prices and found: !8 Volt NiCad 4 piece kit, $379:http://www.tools-plus.com/dewalt-dck450x.html 20 Volt Li-Ion 4 piece kit, $485:http://www.tools-plus.com/dewalt-dck491l2.html That is a $6 difference, with a "snakelight" type flashlight in the NiCad kit and a swivel head in the 20V kit. If you are like me and like to look in pawn shops and discount stores for little used tools, the 18V line probably has the advantage right now. Another option to help lower costs is to be on the lookout for Re-manufactured tools, they come with the same warranty as new, but may have a scratch or two on them. If you decide to go with the 18V line, the one quick rule of thumb for US tools is black chargers only charge NiCad, yellow chargers will charge NiCad and Li-Ion.

I can't Imagine someone wanting to use an older 18V battery in the newer tools, unless that person had a lot of usable older battery packs. At that point I would have purchased an older style bare tool instead of a slidepack tool. If you did try to make an adapter, it would have to slide on the handle, have a well not quite 2 1/2" (about 60mm) deep for the battery to fit into. I am guessing all total (adapter + battery pack) would probably add at least 4 and probably closer to 5 inches of length or height, dependent upon battery location on the tool. That would make most tools pretty awkward to use in my eyes. If you went old tool/ new slidepack battery, your adapter would slip into the battery well and latch. The new battery would slide onto that. I am guessing that would add an inch (25mm) or so to the original battery location. Since the new battery bodies aren't as tall, I am guessing the total height/ length change old versus new battery would be + or - 1/2 inch. As for the electronics question, I currently only have 18V tools, so I can't look and compare the manuals for a stempack impact or drill versus a slidepack impact or drill. It would be interesting to see if they have the same trigger modules.

Actually the 20V Max line and the older 18V have similar voltages. The choice to go with the 20V Max labeling was to avoid confusion like many Bosch users are going through when they go to purchase new batteries. I imagine the old 12V and the 12V Max lines will have some folks a little confused when it comes to replacement batteries. What I would envision for an adapter is one that latches into the tool like the old battery and then allows the new pack to slide on. I could see a price point of about $25 to $35 US dollars to allow purchase of one per each tool you would like to extend the usable life of. It seems to me it would work well for the tools you use once and a while, not the ones you use every day.