muddychip

Here is an illustration of what you can do.

It's predominately Makita teal here in NZ unless you are a sparkie or plumber. I'm one of the odd chippies investing into Dewalt cordless tools. That said, Makita's cordless nail guns rarely see the light of day because Paslode is a far superior choice. But I am keen to see what they do with this upcoming 16g brad nailer. Milwaukee is a growing choice with a lot of new apprentices in NZ because Placemakers (a popular supplier) phased out brands like Dewalt and mainly replaced them with Milwawukee M18 line.

These 10.8v tools are bloody adorable.

I had to trim down couple of pressure treated 4x2 using both Makita and Dewalt OMTs. I switched between the two every 5 minutes or so to reduce blade burnout and motor overheating. From experience, there was a noticeable heat rising from the handle grip of Dewalt's BL multi; I could feel the heat transfering into my hands. A possible reason for Makita's multi staying cooler could be its big bulky body grip, which was a bit uncomfortable in long usage.

Cheap legit Makita 5/6ah batteries? Yeah, nah, bro. You won't get it here unless you go for "replacement" batteries with inferior build (crap you always see on trademe) or parallel imports (no warranty). Brekkie sales rarely touch batteries so forget it. BL skillie. What brand are you looking at the moment?

*drool* Makita cordless plunge saw and I suppose it will be a x2 battery. 16 gauge nailer also sounds sexy. I wonder how it will compare with Dewalt's 16g nailer. That said, I have yet to see a tradie or a contractor rocking a Makita cordless nailer.

I know DCV584L is available in the UK but it's hardly new (literally same as its predecessor expect Flexvolt battery compatibility). A proper Flexvolt vac will be awesomepossum! I can picture it beautifully with my skillie, XR planer and future purchase of the plunge saw. I've seen some of the EU users with DCS576 that can be used with a Dewalt saw rail (or even Festool). I am hoping I can buy the base plate separately and replace it (if the job demands it). But yeah, it's one of those little things with Dewalt. Why can't they clarify that there are two different models of the Flexvolt circular saw. Right now, I am holding out on the sabre saw (recip) because I really could use a rafter hook on it (esp when you consider its weight).

Ouch! Team Red takes the L. Anyway, I will stay loyal and look at between DTD154 or 170. Now, why do you have to embarrass me like that?

Here is a photo of Makita's orbital sander. You can see the buttons wearing out. It's only cosmetic but still... you know? This unit is few months old and shared by the boys (aka no love).

It comes down to "better to have, and not need, than to need and not have" doesn't it? What do you think of the new buttons? Do they feel durable?

I will throw more money at the Flexvolt line if they announce a dedicated shopvac. As far as I am concerned, Dewalt doesn't share with us, the consumers, the future direction of the Flexvolt range. Is it because they don't know yet? Flexvolt has an alligator saw, which is a niche tool. If they want to fill the gaps in the market, I can think of more useful tools like cordless trimmer/router and shear. Hell, I am already looking away from Flexvolt since Makita is releasing a cordless rear handle saw and trimmer router. Don't get me wrong, I love the Flexvolt tools like the circ saw and grinder. But Dewalt needs to do more and stay connected with the tradies.

Ugh! I can't decide between Dewalt DCF887 and this. I am a long time Makita user when it comes to impact drivers but I don't like the new glow in the dark rubber and clear plastic nose. I abuse the crap out of my rattle gun and I noticed some of the boys have the rubber and clear plasric torn or cracked. I am not sure about those push buttons too. In comparison, DCF887 has a solid body all around. It's cheaper. But I heard about the bad chuck wobble, whether it makes a difference in impact drivers; I don't know. I also don't know about the dust and water resistance. My Makita's DTD152 has been left in the rain and covered in silica dust many times but still runs without a hiccup. Which impact driver to upgrade? Hmmmmm....

My mate has Makita's latest OMT (DTM51) and I did not know that it is brushed. Heh, more reasons to like my Dewalt's multi despite its tendency to overheat faster than Makita in continuous usage. The key looks similar to Makita's x2 sabre saw.

I had a similar experience with my Flexvolt circ saw. The Flexvolt battery required a little more force to click in and out of the unit . In comparison, my regular 18v lines have no problem. On closer inspection, I found out there is a slight play with the battery connector terminal in the circ saw. I felt gutted because it was brand new so I google'd around and nothing. I went down to Bunnnings and Mitre10 (our equivalence to homedepot) and checked their display units. To my relief, they all had a slight play with the connector. I ignored the battery in/out irreqularity and continued using my skillie for few more weeks. Now, the Flexvolt batteries go in and out of the circ saw smoother.