fm2176

Milwaukee = Apple in the tool world. 🙃 I have plenty of Milwaukee tools, but what you say is true. I picked up my Gen 2 Fuel drill and impact driver kit for $125 or so last year, after the Gen 3 made it "obsolete". In retrospect I wish I'd have picked up more...found a cart full of them and only grabbed one for my brother and one for me.

This is good news for Ego, IMHO. The whole time I lived in Coastal Georgia there was an Ace Hardware up the road, while the nearest Home Depot store was 35-40 miles away in Savannah. Claxton (home of the fruitcake company) and Hinesville each have a well-stocked Ace. Ace is prevalent in smallish southern towns, while HD seems to stick to major metropolitan areas or near interstates.

I can't attest to this first hand, but will say this: the 20v Max trimmer is a great light to mid-weight trimmer, but even on high power it can get bogged down by thick wet grass and weeds. Using it to cut brush may not prove to be the best solution, but I'll defer to others here.

These look interesting. One problem I've had with mine is that the latches work loose when the boxes are jostled too much. I used to live in a converted cotton mill where it was either drag my tools up and down about twenty stairs, or go twenty times the distance to deal with four steps. I learned real quick that it was simpler to unstack the boxes and make multiple trips. Hopefully the resigned latches are a bit more positive.

It's been a week or two since I bought four third and fourth, but the M12 Rocket light is on clearance for $120, with a free 2.0Ah battery included as part of the current promo. Also, YMMV, but the M12 Surge kit is $199 with a free battery, just $50 more than the bare tool with three 2.0Ah batteries and a charger included. The free battery promos are a good opportunity to stock up. I use mine almost daily with my heated gear (gray and black hoodies and soft shell jacket). I also use my various Rocket lights when I host parties or dinners, as all of my furniture is outside. Now that it's getting colder the Ridgid forced air heater is getting a bit of use.

Well, if Milwaukee is that poor of quality, maybe invest in some nice Black and Decker tools; I don't know, perhaps Drill Master? Considering the OP posted this September 23rd asking for suggestions and hasn't visited since, I wouldn't be surprised if this thread is merely a hit piece on Milwaukee. Poor grammar and spelling, no qualitative comments, and most egregious of all emphasizing that M18 Fuel is JUNK! A truly disappointed or angry person wouldn't recommend buying duplicate tools from the brand they despise, while an objective person would admit that maybe some user error or other factors are involved. I've been visiting various "fanboy"--er, aficionado--sites for years: firearms, tools, knives, trucks, etc. You know, sites where we come together to discuss common interests even while harboring an affection for certain brands over others (me? Smith & Wesson, GMC, Cold Steel, DeWalt, among others). Throughout those years, I've seen too many posts like this where the OP badmouths a certain brand or type of product under the guise of seeking advice. If the OP is being honest, I apologize for your bad luck. I've had one issue with my M18 Fuel tools, incidentally a trigger on the 2763 impact wrench. I sent it in and got it back a week or so later. Since then I've used both the standard and One-Key Fuel Sawzalls, the Gen 1 circular saw, and a few different driving tools (two M18 Brushless compact drills, Fuel Gen 2 drill and impact, One-Key impact, 2767 impact wrench, and I'm probably forgetting something here) as well as various lights and batteries up to the 9.0 HO without fail. With luck like yours (if you're being honest), buy multiple Ridgid tools and register them. That way you're covered for life (including kitted batteries) while retaining the ability to earn money with your tools. Oh, and even Octane tools are less expensive than their Fuel counterparts.

I've been using mine with 120v AC quite often; with all three mounted on the Ridgid tripod in my kitchen to help create more airflow.

The M18 Fuel mixer is on clearance for $100. I picked one up Thursday and have run it a few times.

Well, I went on a spree; the Milwaukee M12 promo got me, with the M12 Rocket lights on clearance for $120. I bought two more of those with the free 2.0 batteries (bought another last weekend, so I have four total [plus two M18 tripod lights--the Rocket and the original] for hurricane season/off-the-grid work). I also bought the M12 Fuel Gen 2 drill/impact driver combo in the Packout case for $162 w/discount. I'm going to avoid the big box stores for a few weeks, as I've spent entirely too much in the past month.

I bought the single tool that nearly every adult in civilized nations (and far too many kids) use on a daily basis. The tool that many of us here spend too much time on. A new phone... After previous phones failed to survive my (literal) abuse, I looked at rugged phones before deciding to go with the Blackview 9700. Fairly impressive specs according to coworkers that know more than I do, IP68 rating, and drop proof from 1 meter. I found a video on YouTube showing the company abusing the phone, and reviews appear decent. At $424 it's the most expensive phone I've owned, but I figure that some people spend twice that annually for the latest Apple nonsense.

Bought the black Milwaukee heated hoodie and a black insulated cap, as well as the Wal-Mart Vaughan hammer to try out. I think I have about twenty hammers now, so stop...Hammer Time! At least I'll be warm when I destroy them all.

Picked up two Commercial Electric wire strippers and a pair of electrician scissors for about $1.50 each. Also, Milwaukee cold weather gear is back...Picked up the grey insulated fleece hat and thinking of getting a black one. If I cut off the red Milwaukee label it's authorized for wear with my Army physical training uniform. I may get a pair or two of the cold weather Milwaukee gloves. They seem nice and I like the regular and demolition versions.

Oddly enough, five years ago Lowe's was my preferred store. It helped that it was the only big box home improvement store within 30 miles but I genuinely enjoyed shopping there. It seems as though 2013-2014 was when they finalized their shift away from attracting pros. I missed the Knipex clearance in 2013 due to being in a nice mountainous country with primitive rocket technology. 2014 saw them clear out Wiss and Ideal for Southpaw and Fatmax. Late 2014 was when I started making the drive to HD instead.

As others have said, failing to buy from an authorized dealer will void the warranty for some brands, especially those officially sold at only one or two chains. I haven't had any problem warrantying my DeWalt and Milwaukee tools, though. DeWalt sent me a DCB102, DCB204, and ToughSystem rolling box while Milwaukee repaired my 2763 impact without questions. I started buying Ryobi for some of the "very cool gadget lover tools" the poster above speaks of. Even now, my most-used tools are the Devour sweeper, large (for a cordless model) wet/dry vacuum, and inflator. I did pick up one of the promo impact driver kits for $36, though, mostly for the compact battery. I've also got a blue (P205?) drill that looks archaic even compared to the still-bulky cheap (but still produced) impact. Unless he's expanded or switched brands, my neighbor swears by his Ryobi drill. Last I checked, it was the only cordless tool he owns, and though he runs the electrical contracting company instead of doing the dirty work nowadays, he still works that drill out both at the job and around the house. In other words, everyone has "their" brand, and not everyone is willing to spend more for something that may or may not last longer. My Milwaukee Fuel 2763 developed a faulty trigger shortly after I bought it. The DCB102 worked like a champ until one port stopped charging a couple of months later. I'm not a pro, but I find it ironic that my less expensive brands (Ryobi and Ridgid) have yet to have a problem. That said, I've even found one of my Ego 5.0Ah batteries may be faulty (it seems to have fluctuating run-times) and have to get replaced. All this, and even my old Porter Cable 18v stuff was still fully functional with 4-9 year old 1.3Ah batteries when I gave it to a coworker. One final note, early this year, HD clearance out a lot of older lithium-ion batteries that were replaced by newer designs. Then you have people like me who could have easily parted out that impact kit for twice--or more--what I paid for it (I didn't as I plan to celebrate my retirement from the Army and move back home with a torture test to end all torture tests). You see this every year during the holiday season.

I agree; older technology, perhaps, but tried and true, and with a second battery to use while the other is charging. I don't (think) I have any of DeWalt's 3Ah batteries, but I do have a Ridgid or two that seem to be similar in size and such. For my needs, the 2Ah batteries are perfect for smaller tools, while saws, vacuums, and other higher-demand tools use a 5Ah or larger.

Do you use modular toolboxes such as the Packout, Versastak, or ToughSystem? If so, what is "your" brand, and how do you prefer to use them (setup, etc.)? This post from ToolGuyd inspired me to write this: https://toolguyd.com/craftsman-versastak-organizer-lower-profile-better-space-utilization/. I'll admit, my boxes see little use at the moment, but whenever I spot a deal or a new box at the right price, I pick it up. As such, I have a few Craftsman Versastak boxes (but only one rolling box); three ToughSystem setups with additional boxes; a Packout setup; and two Ridgid stacks with organizers and crate-style boxes. Of these, the Ridgid and ToughSystem setups have seen far more use than the other brands. Even so, I've found my optimal storage solution to be a large, medium, and small box, with an organizer on top for hardware. Power tools and other larger things go in the bottom, hand tools in the medium, and batteries in the small box. Additionally, I have boxes set up for different types of work such as drywall, plumbing, or electrical. I've seen the pictures of van and garage setups, and I'd like to experiment with both eventually. Until then, though, I'll just peruse these forums gaining ideas.

The last thing I needed was another drill, but seeing the Octane kit for $80 led to a purchase. They claim it was originally $159 (I think they were $129 at Special Buy pricing), but it includes the Bluetooth 3.0Ah Octane battery, which is currently $69 down from $99 regular. I have a full complement of core Ridgid, DeWalt, and Milwaukee premium tools, so one of these days I'll torture them all to see if the Ridgid' s "industry leading" 1300 in-lbs of torque means much. Regardless, if you're in the market for a newer premium drill kit, $80 isn't bad for what you get with the Octane.

No, there are no outputs that I'm aware of. It's a loud enough system for a small jobsite but lacks the punch of an amplified stereo system.

With the advent of new (and much larger batteries), has anyone noticed unannounced updates to older tools? I recently read about the ToughSystem Music+Charger 2.0, which seems to be capable of using FlexVolt batteries, and am aware of Milwaukee's offer to retrofit some of their lights and other products with parts to enable them to fit HD and HO batteries. However, if Ridgid announced anything about updating their fan, I missed it. I picked up a third fan earlier this year and only recently paid enough attention to realize that the battery bay is larger. I'd tried fitting a 9.0Ah battery in the older ones to no avail, but found that the new one readily accepts these (much) larger batteries. Sure enough, the battery compartment is larger despite the overall size of the fan being the same. This is both great and disappointing. Much like some people passed on the original ToughSystem Music due to its inability to take larger batteries, I'm mildly upset at the fact that my older Ridgid fans are incapable of accepting the newer batteries. On the other hand, I'm glad that Ridgid seemingly rectified this by modifying the fans. After all, battery and tool technology has far surpassed what manufacturers likely forecast when they designed older cordless products.

Military...HD and Lowe's each provide 10%. Special Buys get the discount at Lowe's but not HD as they use a coupon system. Sears (when you can find them) offers 20% last I checked (tools only) and 40% during Memorial Day a few years ago when I picked up a Knipex pliers wrench and an Estwing hammer. Kind of misguided, in my opinion, as I was buying sharply discounted tools instead of remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice. This is honestly the only time I reference my service outside of wearing a uniform during the daily commute on occasion. I don't take the free meals and other "thank you for your service" stuff and plan to retire to relative obscurity in a couple of years. No hats, no license plates, but maybe the occasional unit t-shirt to honor my brothers-in-arms.

Apples to oranges, I know, but I have the Ego mower. If the grass is wet it sucks, stalling quite a bit. With dry grass it drives on in mulching mode. I was looking at DeWalt 20v or even 40v but for better or worse reviews and pricing got me into Ego instead.

Sad to see this unfold, I'm not as active as I once was. I appreciate all of the modern tool systems, being just old enough to have used fairly archaic cordless tools in the past (DeWalt/B&D Univolt--have my Ranger kit in the garage as I type this, though the batteries are shot as should be expected). I took my Gen 1 M18 Fuel saw (2731?) and my Flexvolt wormdrive-style saw outside yesterday to cut up some treated 2x6" for the fire pit. Both worked fine, though the latter was noticeably more powerful. The last time I used my Ridgid brushless circular saw I was impressed, though it lacked the power of either of the aforementioned saws. In short, we can't go wrong with any of the primary modern brands. I own DW 20v, 12v, 8v, and a sole 18v recip saw; M12 and M18, Ridgid 18v, and Ryobi 18v. Had a Bosch 12v drill but gave it to my daughter. If I were still in construction I'd be glad to use any of my platforms...based on what I own, though, I'd use Milwaukee if I were still an auto or material handling equipment tech.

I've only registered a couple. DeWalt seems to go off the date code...so far I've warrantied a DS450, DCB102, and the DCB204 with no issues.

Well, I received the new battery yesterday. I was expecting maybe an older stock one, but the new one has a 2019 date code.

No, 2015, damned fumble fingers on my phone.