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4. Ridgid, Milwaukee, Makita, Ryobi

I've ended up with 4 battery platforms (Metabo 18V, Dewalt 18V, Makita 18V, Bosch 12V). I sold some of the Metabo and Bosch and was looking to completely sell them off to reduce to two. I couldn't do it. I look for bargains on chargers and batteries on eBay. It only cost me $150 AUD to get into the Dewalt platform, and now I have the pick of any Dewalt tool. $150 really isn't much considering the benefit it brings. I recently forgot to bid on a genuine Milwaukee charger that went for only $38 AUD!

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Great stuff! I have the brushed version and a 6.2ah and runtime is about 7-10 minutes with a moderate load. Next time I'll run it from full to flat and get a proper time. Such good grinders. I regret not spending extra for the brushless. I'll never upgrade now, I just don't use it enough to justify getting another cordless one. The brushed is good enough for odd jobs. I once cut down an old cattle yard with it (wired together posts). A perfect job for this tool where no power was available.

A pen is a great idea. I might have to get one of those for the car. I have a Victorinox Swisstool Spirit multitool. Absolutely love it.

@dwain how did you find the vibration level compared to other saws? I just gathered up a heap of manufacturer specs for vibration (posted in the Metabo section). On paper, this saw has remarkably low vibration! Perhaps the lowest of all full sized 18V saws.

Ok, I decided on the Metabo and it has arrived. It feels great in the hand and is lightweight. With a 2.0ah battery the weight balance is towards the blade. With a 6.2ah LiHD battery the weight is centred at the trigger and feels very well balanced. This is great! I was worried the weight would sit towards the battery/tail with the bigger ones. I've been a bit of a critic of Metabo quality and this purchase was perhaps going to be the final straw. It's made in China but the quality is definitely above some of the other Chinese made Metabo I've had. It feels well made and solid. Small details like rough plastic edges and uneven rubber overmold are not really a problem with this one (but still not quite up to other brands with the rubber, very frustrating!). The battery fits tight and the motor feels smooth. Blades fit well and are easily changed. The LED light is above the blade and is not very bright. I'm not sure how useful it will be until I use it in a dark area. The adjustable shoe will definitely come in handy (one deciding factor for choosing this saw). It's hard to comment on the vibration level (I've never tried another one-hand saw) but it feels ok. The specs from Metabo rate vibration in wood at 10m/s2. To compare: -new compact brushless 18v Dewalt = 23m/s2 (!!!) -M18 Fuel sawzall = 16.7m/s2 -full sized 18v Metabo = 16m/s2 -one handed compact 18v Bosch = 13m/s2 -new brushless full sized 18v Bosch = 11.6m/s2 -M18 hackzall = 7.2m/s2 -compact 18v Makita = 7m/s2 It cuts fast enough for pruning even with the short stroke length. It would be great to have the same length as the compact Bosch, but the Bosch is heavier which kind of defeats the purpose of a one hand saw. It definitely runs harder and faster with LiHD on board.

Metabo SSE 18 LTX COMPACT

I thought the same. They must have changed their mind. (from the bottom of the first article): "Previously EPTA (European Power Tools Association) accepted only the 10.8V statement, but now 12V is also officially accepted. To align with EPTA, Bosch Professional will adapt its voltage class communication accordingly."

@dmz2084 That is correct! Bosch GSA 18V-32 brushless, Makita DJR187 brushless, and Makita DJR186 brushed are 32mm (1.25"). Metabo ASE 18 LTX brushed takes out 4th place at 30mm (1.181"). Milwaukee saws are 28-29mm.

Which brands hold the top 3 positions for the longest stroke length in 18V reciprocating saws? Tip: 2 are brushless, 1 is brushed.

This is kind of old-ish news but I just came across a press release from January 2017. All Bosch 10.8V will be marketed as 12V worldwide. http://www.bosch-pt.com.au/au/en/professional/news-promos/from-10.8v-to-12v/from-10.8v-to-12v.html And the updated model numbers: https://www.bosch-professional.com/gb/en/service/news/changeover-from-10.8v-to-12v/faq_11.html This might be the reason behind the clearance (and now harder to find) 10.8V range in Australia. I was starting to worry about its future here.

Hitachi 136Nm, not sure of the model. I remember it was promoted on the front page of the Sydney tools website for a few weeks. "Best in class impact driver, impact wrench, and hammer drill...." or something along those lines.

I do the same thing! I almost always have a drill just sitting on my desk at work. I give it the occasional spin. It's like a stress ball.

I'm really considering getting this saw for pruning trees and the odd metal/wood cuts. 1.7kg with a battery is very good. In those rare cases I need a jigsaw, this might work well for that too. A close alternative is the compact 18v Makita XRJ01/DJR1185. I'm a bit turned off by the design of that saw but it's $40 less. Although heavier, bigger and more expensive, I'd consider the new compact Dewalt if I didn't continually hear about the vibration. I really like the design of that saw (and brushless!).

The LiHD batteries are great, they really are. I'm not the most experienced cordless user but I would agree that they have the best battery tech. If the tool demands it, LiHD actually do provide extra power (as claimed by Metabo) but they also seem to maintain a very consistent level of power. 1 bar of remaining charge still feels a lot like 4 bars. My Makita and Dewalt batteries seem to fade out a lot more once they hit 3 bars and below. Standard Metabo batteries are lighter but slightly larger than most brands. They all have very easy to press fuel gauges and feel really well built and tough. Dewalt batteries seem built like toys when compared. The Makita fuel gauge is very hard to press but their batteries also feel tough and well built (but look cheap) . I use a 6.2 LiHD on the brushed grinder and recip saw and after hard use I've never had the battery feeling more than just slightly warm. 7.0ah LiHD are on the way!

Perhaps the compact DCD796. I just bought this drill a few weeks back and it's great for DIY. Tons of power/speed and probably the most comfortable grip of all drills. Smaller and lighter than the Milwaukee. See

I'd be interested to know how the vibration compares to the one handed saws like the Bosch and M18 hackzall. Anyone tried both the Dewalt and one of the other brands? I'm looking for a small saw for pruning trees (a couple of hours use at a time).

No prob. I wish I had of asked for opinions before I started buying them. I buy purely online, so I can't compare other brands beforehand and I simply fell for the hype (well, I thought the hype would apply to all Metabo tools). I would have saved a fair bit of money with all the buying and selling Metabo that I've done. How many comparison tests has Metabo come in last place or close to last? A few of Oztooltalks at least. They usually win the grinder tests.

I've got a lot of negative to say about them. As mentioned their limited line is a big downside. I tried to be pure Metabo but just couldn't stick with it exclusively. This was more out of wanting better options from competitors. I believe their range is getting better; they now have a one-handed recip and cordless multitool. I also suspect there are some duds in their offerings (like other brands). I owned and since sold the 200Nm impact wrench. My torque wrench said it could only achieve 160Nm (I have also tested it with a 175Nm Makita impact diver and that exceeded 180Nm). I'd say stay away from their brushed impact driver and impact wrench. Their Chinese made stuff seems poorly made, at least from a cosmetic/detailed point of view, but I also doubt they could hold up the "Metabo is tough" reputation. From the stuff I have had, or still own, their grips often have wide seems in the over-mold which is uncomfortable. I've also had a couple of tools have different thicknesses of over-mold and a very noticeable step between each side of the grips (this is VERY uncomfortable). I've also found the plastic housing to not line up correctly around the tools. They just seemed very "slapped" together tools, perhaps a poor production process. The internals may have been great perhaps, but the outside wasn't. The impact wrench I had also had sharp edges on the plastic at the top of the grip that scratched your hand. It was horrible to use. I've since bought Dewalt and Makita tools, and their build quality and attention to detail appears far ahead of some Metabo stuff. Some tools hold the battery tight, others they rattle around. I remember a comment made in a review somewhere about this being a sign of quality. I think its more luck that some are holding tight. Their BS 18 Quick drill is very rough running and in no way smooth, to the point where I cringe when using it (it feels and sounds like you are putting an angle grinder to rubber). Again, I may just have another dud. Some of their drills and impacts do not keep the LED on after releasing the trigger. Their 18v compact blower is lighter weight than the Dewalt version, but isn't as powerful and feels very cheaply made (I sold the Metabo and bought the Dewalt which is heavier but much better quality with a comfortable grip!). The 18v multitool turns off too suddenly and twists in your hand. It was also a very heavy tool that seemed tough and well made. I sold this to get the Dewalt however. The full sized 18v recip saw is quite good for an old brushed model (with LiHD anyway) and i'm hoping a brushless is on the way soon. I still own this, but if I owned Makita at the time I bought it I would have gone for the Makita brushless instead. Their German made cordless grinders are great (I own the 18V brushed) and I suspect their German made drills are just as good. However, in the photos I have seen of them, they also suffer the wide seam issue. Why Metabo? Other brands seem to have better over-mold and have nice, smooth grips. It just looks poor quality. I recently bought a Dewalt DCD796 and the outstanding job they have done on the fine details and smoothness of the over-mold is far ahead of Metabo. Their 2ah compact batteries are lighter weight than 2ah Makita and Dewalt. I used to be a huge Metabo fan, but I think some of the hype has lost touch with the tools they actually put out (Chinese made stuff anyway). Take a good close look at Metabo tools and compare them to others, in some ways they are not as well made (and looked slapped together), and the hype is just hype. Please take my comments in context (I'm just a DIY user). I've also never owned or flogged a tool (or competitors) long enough to see how tough they really are.

This new drill looks like a beast. 3 speed with 3800rpm on the third! Also 120Nm of max torque and made in Germany. https://www.metabo.com/uk/en/tools/cordless-tools/cordless-drill-screwdriver/bs-18-ltx-3-bl-q-i-602355660-cordless-drill-screwdriver.html Hammer version https://www.metabo.com/uk/en/tools/cordless-tools/cordless-impact-drills/sb-18-ltx-3-bl-q-i-602357660-cordless-impact-drill.html

Impact driver! Makita's DTD154 or TD170.

I'm not sure who makes these. There are no brand markings anywhere on the packaging or bits. I got them from ebay. The magnet housing is plastic and removable so you can swap worn out bits.

PH2 bits with a removable magnetic screw starter/holder. I've never tried the Hitachi bits but these appear to be similar. The magnet is VERY strong.