ankur

yikes! i'd have to respectfully disagree on the value... this isn't bad if you really need the tools, but that kit was on sale for $99 the entire holiday season last year. i picked one up even though i already had the driver just because of the value for the batteries and impact. i'd hold off until the thanksgiving months to score an even better deal if you can wait, especially considering this is just the entry-level offering.

yup, they sure did raise the price. by $50 on each piece if you buy it separately. it certainly seemed like too good a value when it came out. guess they've been monitoring the forums and gotten good enough feedback to raise the prices. good for them, bad for us.

while i respect everyone else's decision to be impartial, i'll be the one to be honest with you. milwaukee is better. thank you for your time...

WOW. that's a fantastic deal! i wouldve bought both of them, too. good for you!

i can hardly tell the difference between the fuel and brushed lengths. i can't imagine it would make much of a difference 95% of the time. how often in that other 5% would the brushed be able to do the job either? that's why they came out with right angle drivers, right?

i agree completely on their warranty experience. the blade clamp on my m12 jigsaw completely fell apart the second time i used it and they actually sent me a brand new saw instead of just fixing mine. i wasn't too pleased when it happened, but having a brand new saw replacement within a week from the manufacturer sure was impressive. i've heard other brands take quite a bit longer to return the tools. even if i didn't love the tools i would probably stay with the brand just for their warranty.

how in the world can anyone justify that kind of money on storage?! even if the tools inside are worth tens of thousands, i just don't see how this could ever make sense other than to show off. sure they give you more customization options, but do they really hold tools any better than the others? not everyone makes boxes as big as these, but seems like you could work around that given the money required to get into a setup like this. why not fabricate your own chests?! crazy, just crazy. i'm having a hard time trying to justify the $700 for the milwaukee combo...

and many more to come. pun intended?!

that's a slick little tool. lucky you already had a US charger. i hope red comes out with something like this.

wow, those are really nice compared to the standard red. does anyone know if you can buy cases that arent molded for specific tools? i stop by the milwaukee service store every now and then, but they only have molded cases that don't fit any of my tools. the bags that come with the tools are okay for storing, but they really don't provide any protection.

wow, amazing deal. i'm in the atlanta area and rarely find good markdowns, certainly nothing like this. best i can hope to do is grab one of the good sales before they sell out!

i'd go with either the hitachi or dewalt. the milwaukee m4 doesnt really fit into their current product line as its older and relatively featureless. if i had to choose between all 3 i'd say dewalt like everyone else. i've never used a hitachi product nor do i know anyone who has one, so there has to be a reason for that.

those look really solid. does anyone have experience using ridgid's warranty? do they really honor all that they say, and are they quick to return the product back to you?

This is great, i never knew they had a different way to look things up. definitely gonna try this next time, thanks!

it doesnt matter how "okay" you are with your own personal unethical behavior, eventually it catches up to you. the guy was a beast in his prime, but mentally he's done because of all his personal issues. if he can't get his head straight, no way he'll ever return to greatness in golf. it's a shame really, i grew up really admiring him.

i wish i had more reason to pull the sawzall out. finding creative uses for it is great. i bought some attachments that allowed me to grind away some grout around shower tiles that needed to be removed. so much easier to remove a small section than the whole wall. it's easily my most borrowed tool.

drill/driver for sure! for the longest time that was the only powered tool i had. i can't imagine how mentally painful it would be to hand drill holes, not to mention the time involved! yikes!

those are really slick ladders, i didnt even know dewalt made those. how's the weight compared to a werner?

i'll also add that even though i'm a milwaukee junkie, there are other 12v tools from makita, bosch, and even ridgid that should work great for your needs. in my experience buying a kit with a couple of tools is a much better value than buying just one tool, but you know your budget. For example, HD sells all 4 of those brands in a 2-tool kit with a couple of batteries and case, with each running between $100-$130, and thats the regular price. i wouldnt bother with premium features like brushless because it doesnt sound like you need all that extra capability. i know from personal experience that the milwaukee batteries, even the standard slim packs, provide exceptional runtime for light duty work. no idea about the other brands in that regard, but the ridgid warranty is the best in the business and they'll replace your batteries forever if they wear out. if i were you, i would just go to HD and try out the different brands to see what "feels" best to you since they are fairly comparable in price when not on sale.

milwaukee 2101, if you wrote the # correctly, is an older screwdriver that i would personally stay away from. it isnt any cheaper than the m12, and the platform seems dead. it is nice that the handle can be adjusted, so based on your particular situation it might be a good fit, but generally speaking the m12 is leaps and bounds better. i would go for the drill/driver over the screwdriver for the added power and functionality, but if you truly want a quick change option for bits without having to use a holder than the screwdriver is really nice. impact is just too much for what you want to do, and its really not that easy to control the trigger for delicate work.

I much prefer the smaller form factor of the compact battery in the m12, and i can personally feel the weight difference with the xc. i do like that the xc and other 12 volt slide packs can actually stand on their own, though. i work in some messy situations and it's not always ideal to lay the entire tool down just to make a mess of it when i could just get the bottom of a battery dirty. it is nice to see another manufacturer stepping it up in this segment though. certainly means milwaukee will keep pushing forward with new tools and innovation to stay ahead of the pack.

the ryobi display always draws my attention, but they just don't seem to have a quality feel to them. i think it's nice for a diy homeowner because they make so many different types of "tools" that are compatible with the batteries. trim the hedges, a blower, a nailer, heck they even have a miter saw that works with the system. might be a good entry level system for a pro starting out on their own who just doesn't have the wallet for the nicer stuff, but i can't see it holding up well when they have to be moved around so much.

Doof, i'm with you. i'd rather save a few bucks to be able to add to my m12/18 line later on. i haven't been impressed with the hand tools nearly as much as their power tools. not that they're bad, but there's nothing cutting edge about them that someone else doesn't do just as well for the same or better price. i also don't need wire strippers on every tool in my bag. i'm not an electrician. but that seems like a weird value-add.

Unless you NEED to upgrade or add tools, I would strongly suggest waiting to buy any milwaukee kit until they run a promo, which they do at least a couple of times a year. I've found great deals at HD. Last year i got the M12 kit with drill/driver and impact, 2 std and 1 xc battery, and charger on sale for $99. I also picked up an M12 jigsaw as one of their daily deals for $50, which included another battery and charger. granted these are the entry level offerings and not the Fuels, but still an amazing deal for a product that does 95% of what I need. You could also check ebay if you really want to buy ASAP. i bought my first M18 milwaukee set brand new from a reputable seller for a great price couple of years ago.