Conductor562

If your a DIY guy who uses your power tools occasionally I wouldn't have any reservations about Ryobi. They're designed with that type of user in mind. However, if you use your tools daily they won't hold up. They simply aren't designed for it. They're a fine tool for their intended use though.

If you need anywhere close to 25 batteries for a days work you either own the company or you need to give some serious thought to investing in a union book. When I was on my last demo job I had a Sawzall and 2 batteries and I couldn't wait for the damn things to die. If you're burning through 6 batteries in any tool faster than you can get 1 charged you need therapy, not electric power tools.

As we found out awhile back, the overload protection is located in the tool rather than the battery so I think it's entirely plausible that it would still work. The tool wouldn't know the difference between the battery and the adapter so I don't know why it wouldn't.

Don't get me wrong, I agree that the electric tools make more sense for all day use. DC power generates more head than AC, no question about it. Think about this, I've got 2 M18 batteries that came with my kit and with the additional tools that I purchased I'm using 2 batteries to run 6 tools. I'm a DIY'er / Hobbiest so this set up typically fits my needs. However, on remodeling projects I sometimes run into a pinch. If I've got someone helping me the batteries sometimes can't keep up, especially if one of us is using the Sawzall, circular saw, or vacuum. I've got electric versions of these tools to compensate for this but if I had an adapter like the one I envisioned, I wouldn't have to. It's added versatility, simple as that. It wouldn't replace electric tools in heavy industrial applications, but for DIY'ers, hobbiest, installers, and many other residential type applications it would be spectacular. It gives you added capability when you find yourself in situations above and beyond what you're equipped for.

25 batteries? If You're getting 20 minutes run time on a particular tool you're using 3 batteries per hour. The batteries have a 1 hour charge time so it's entirely possible to keep moving with 6 batteries. In reality it could be less because how many people using a Sawzall actually have the trigger pulled back a solid 8 hours in a given day? Even what we consider constant use is still somewhat intermittent. The Incredible Hulk couldn't burn up 25 Sawzall batteries in a day.

When you think about, the workload on the tool really doesn't increase that much. Few users actually find themselves waiting and waiting because if they're that dedicated to their cordless tools they have enough packs to keep moving. For these people it eliminates the need for having half a dozen batteries and 3 chargers.

A couple months back I caught a glimpse of a new set of striking screwdrivers from Klein. I remember thinking what a great idea this was because nothing about knocking the perforations out of metal conduit or boxes with a $25 screwdriver is fun. I've been watching the Klein section at HD for them but I've yet to see one. However, when I was there today with the wife assessing how much it's going to cost me to replace the appliances I melted I did notice a set of comparable Dewalt screwdrivers. Rather than incorporate punch capability into their screwdriver as Klein did, Dewalt seems to have incorporated screwdriver capability into a cold chisel. The handles were hard resin type and though they still seemed fairly comparable. Rest assured these things were built tough. You should have no reservations what so ever about beating open a bank vault with them. Props to Dewalt for their spin on the concept.

That's why Fluke is the best meter on the market. That's probably also why they aren't available at Home Depot.

The idea is that the people who do find their cordless tools sufficient would have the ability to run forever. It would eliminate virtually all downtime. It certainly wouldn't eliminate electric tools, but it would expand the viability of cordless ones. Take my Sawzalls for example. My M18 performs awesome! I have no complaints what so ever about it in regards to it's cutting performance. However, due to limitations in run time it's mostly relegated to small jobs. The only reason I have a corded model is because of this. The same is true of circular saws and jig saws as well. Instead of having 2 of each I could have purchased an adapter and rather than having duplicates of 3 tools I could have parlayed my savings into 3 completely different tools. This would be especially handy now cordless tools have expanded so much. It wouldn't be for everyone, but it would be great for people like me.

Nope. Sadly it's a product of China. All the other meters I looked at while at HD were as well.

He seemed really impressed with Dewalt's 12V Max line.

Thanks bud. Just trying to share my experience with the next guy.

There may be some kind of issue preventing this from happening. I'm certainly no electrical expert, but I can't imagine 110V AC not being able to sufficiently power an 18V DC tool. There is a patent out there and I found a couple videos of people who had created similar devices. Whether of not it totally viable I cannot say, but it is a nice idea.

Oh, and as information I only melted a transformer on my AC. $82 to fix it. Could have been a lot worse!

Noticed the guy who does my HVAC work had nearly all 12V Max tools on his truck. When I asked him about it he couldn't say enough good things about them. He owns the company and says he's going all 12V on his service trucks but keeps a few 18V's around for installs. He mentioned price and weight as big factors. I know this isn't really news, but it's the first time I've seen a professional outfitted entirely with 12V tools. Just thought I would share.

The other day I was sitting around thinking and came up with what I thought was a great idea, until I found out it was already patented. I envisioned an 18V battery pack with a cord. The internal components would consist of an inverter rather than battery cells. The idea is that with this conversion pack any compatable cordless tool gains the ability to run off 110 AC in addition to the battery. The advantages are obvious. The user gains the ability to eliminate downtime due to recharging periods and never again have to choose between electric or cordless or fork out the cash for both. For the price of a conversion pack you'd have an electric and cordless everything. I can see where the manufacturers would have some reservations about it, but from a consumer perspective how awesome would this be?

Great! Now I've got 2 Brit's to try and decipher. Just kidding fella's : ) I love the British spin on things and being friends with Wayne somehow makes me feel smarter and more cultured than the other people in the West Virginia hollows. Welcome to the forum Dan!

The other day I found myself suddenly in the market for a multimeter. When I say suddenly I mean suddenly, but that's a whole other story. I had a $5 Cen-Tech meter that I got as a gift about 10 years ago that died awhile back but I wanted something a little nicer this time around. HD is the closest place around so I naturally went there. I had hoped to run across one of the new Milwaukee meters but no such luck. My urgent need had limited me to 2 Greenlee models, 2 Klein models, and 1 Ideal model. After a few minutes I settled on the Klein MM200 ($48.99) and away I went. Out of the package the first thing I noticed was the hefty, quality, feel of the tool, especially the test leads which came with protective caps for both ends when detaching the leads for storage. The meter is auto ranging and features all the typical functions of a meter of it's type such as current, voltage, continuity, capacitance, etc. with an AC/DC voltage testing range of up to 600 volts and an AC/DC current range of up to 10 Amps. The additional feature that really sold me on this particular meter was the temperature function. Via a supplied thermocouple this meter has the ability to take temperatures ranging from -4 to 1,832 degrees. I may not use this function regularly, but it's very nice to have the capability. Beyond what I consider standard features this meter features a very easy to read back lit display which I was happy to know does not time out after a short while though the tool itself times out after 15 minutes of non-use. The meter is very easy to use. Klein presents a lot of functionality in a simple, uncluttered way. On the back of the tool there are built in holders to store the test leads and a till bail with which to prop the tool up when needed. This wasn't the meter I wanted, but I can't imagine being any happier with it. This is an awesome meter for the price. I could certainly see professional users dealing in industrial or other high voltage applications wanting more than this meter has to offer. These users would require more than 600V capability and I assume would prefer CAT IV leads rather than the CAT III 's offered with this unit. However, for DIY'rs, hobbiest, or anyone who deals in applications under 600V, this meter is certainly worth considering.

Are professional users really using cordless outdoor equipment? I read a review awhile back on Stihl's cordless blower which rated with middle of the pack performance and a 20 minute run time when equipped with the larger battery. Are pro's satisfied with average performance and limited run time? I guess someone must be buying them. I guess it's no different than what cordless power tools were 20 years ago. They'll eventually evolve into a viable solution, but they've got to start somewhere.

I did a literature search on their website but no luck. Call them! The number is 1-800-4-RIDGID

I don't know much about it other than I had to sit through 2 days of hibernation inducing, safety oriented, bullshit before the power company would let me work on their boiler chambers. Now I have overly obsessive safety shoved up my 2 hole abrasivly and often by the railroad in order to maintain my certifications. I liked it better when safety training consisted of "don't get ran over by a train because it will likely hurt".

I'm with ECO. Doesn't sound like a bearing. I would have to think there would be a squeal involved if it was.

BTW, I really, really, wanted the new black screened Milwaukee Multi-meter, but I need it today and my HD doesn't carry it. The Klein is great though! Even has temperature test capability and the proper temp lead was included. I may type up a review this week.

Sorry guys, I've been a little out of pocket. I was on vacation last week and came home to a certified disaster where a tornado had knocked out all the utilities except gas and the trees in my yard were snapped off waist high and located 2 houses down. I hadn't used my generator since we moved into the new house so after what should have been a 7 hour drive home turned into 14 and I didn't get until after midnight, I scrambled to slap together a 220V cord to hook it up. Long story short, I got my ground in the wrong slot, my multi-meter died a year ago, I fed half my panel box 220, melted 2 TV's, 1 DVD player, my desktop, my garage door opener, and (at the very least) the transformers in my central air unit. I was tired, pissed off, and careless, and now my homeowners insurance agent hates me. Anyway, I was at HD today buying a new Klein multi-meter (which by the way is awesome) when my HD guy told me he'd heard rumors of a 36V line of Milwaukee tools which would consist mainly of outdoor type equipment. I don't have any precedent by which to asess his credibility because I'm usually the one feeding him his information. Now Dan and Eric probably already know the inside scoop and I'll look like a total idiot, but this seems like an odd market for Milwaukee to get into. They've never dabbled into that kind of market as far as I know and they've got similar products out through Ryobi. I suppose it's fathomable as other manufacturers have kinda jumped into this type of thing, but surely Milwaukee wouldn't pit their brands against one another like GM did seeing how that worked out. I'm not saying pro's find themselves reaching for Ryobi much, I'm saying pro users of this type won't be reaching for cordless tools much and Milwaukee is certainly a pro market tool. Cordless outdoor tools would seem to me to be a homeowner market but I'm certainly no market research pro either. Maybe there's a market I don't see, but it seems a little far fetched to me. How about you guys? Is there a significant market for this?

Sounds similar to the LEED program here in the states. Certain jobs you can't get on without a current LEED card.