Illini

For all the people with more plumbing experience than me, which is probably 99% of the board - is Drano safe for PVC? I ask because I have a newer house (about eight years old) and we have PVC pipes. Somewhere there is a clog that is causing my utility tub to start filling up with water whatever the washer drains. I took off the trap on the utility tub and ran a 25 foot snake through it and didn't encounter any thing stopping my progress. And then went down to my basement opened up the cleanout and ran the snake back upstairs no problem. I tried running the snake down from the cleanout towards outside of the house, but I did encounter something stopping my progress about 10 or 15 feet in. I made the mistake of thinking that I had fixed the problem, but when we tried running a load of laundry, the utility tub backed up with water again and now I can't go check the cleanout because there's too much water backed up from the first floor. That's my reason for seeing if I can pour Drano down the PVC pipe safely. I have the nagging suspicion that it might be something like a sock from my 22-month-old daughter because they are small enough to get caught a machine sometimes, so if that changes your answer let me know.

Those look really cool, Comp!

Given that you were looking to buy your tools overseas, have you considered buying them from a Canadian retailer? I say that because the Canadian dollar to euro exchange rate is currently one Canadian dollar equals €.69. With the number of tools you're looking to buy, you could potentially save yourself enough money to get in extra battery or two if you bought from Canada instead of the US. Not to mention the fact that some tools such as the brushless Circular saw are not available here in the US. Kmstools.com and atlas-machinery.com are two places with good reputations. Regarding the LED light (torch), Makita has a new floodlight that works on either an 18 V battery or via a cord. You would need adapter for the cord, but that wouldn't be any different than what you would need to do for a Makita charger bought in the US/Canada anyway.

I think that Dewalt is slowly starting to get better with their offerings and hopefully they will start offering things like inserts in the future. I remember as of like a year or so ago they only had one kit offered in a tough system box, but when I was looking in HD the other day I saw three or four different kits packaged in tough system boxes. The Tstak thing just seems like some sort of bone headed decision because they were worried it would cannibalize sales from the tough system, never mind that it could provide an incentive for users to move up into the tough systems as their needs grew. As for the current offerings, you have to wonder how much of that is due to the North American market and the perceived return on their R&D investment (much like Ricky alluded to). If you look at Tanos (Systainers) and Sortimo (Bosch resells their LBoxxes here) they have whole racking and storage ecosystems that you just don't seem to see here in the US. I'm just a DIY guy, so I really couldn't tell you if the average contractor would see the investment as worthwhile.

I had been thinking of diving in to Milwaukee for the Sawzall as well, but now that Makita has the two new brushless recipes coming out, I'm going to wait. Not to mention I don't have the funds now anyway.

I feel you pain, Comp!

I would like to see the following brushless tools from Dewalt if only for the innovation that completion brings: circ saw, recip, grinder and jigsaw (barrel grip). In addition to the Dewalt 20v platform I am invested in Makita 18v, so most of the bases are already covered for me (or will be by the early part of next year), but it would be nice to have choices for those brushless tools I don't have yet.

My vote would be for a Skilsaw as well. My corded backup is an older, made in the USA Skil 5155 that used to belong to my Mom before she passed away. She used the snot out of it as she was the handy person around the house (pretty sure it had to do with growing up on a farm as all four of her younger brothers are great woodworkers and/or car restoration guys) and it still works today.

Nice find on the Knipex, BMack. Thanks for sharing the link!

Thanks for all the replies guys. I think I'll probably go with the Bosch L-boxxes seeing as I already have a few and maybe in the future I'll see about systainers. Those sortainers Chris mentioned look pretty interesting.

Thanks for the information, Chris! It is good to know they will stack with systainers, especially if my budget eventually allows for a Festool purchase or two (I'd love one of their track saws).

Has anyone used the Makita Makpac cases? If so, how would you say they compare against Bosch L-Boxxes? I have a number of Makita bare tools that I have acquired over the last year or so and I don't have any storage for them currently. I don't have a great deal of storage space, so I was looking for something that can stack well vertically. I already have some Bosch L-Boxxes and I like them, but the obsexxive part of my brain has issues with storing one brand of tool in another manufacturers storage unit (plus I like to know at a glance what tool I am looking at). I might also consider the Dewalt tough cases, but I think they are a bit more heavy duty than I need. I am also on a budget, so systainers are out of my price range (sorry ChrisK!) I am a DIY guy, so I don't have to worry about having to constantly stack and unstuck the boxes, nor do I really cart them around much at all, in case that factors into anyone's opinion.

Looking good!

The impact driver at around 1:07 looks like the Dewalt DCF895.

I can't wait to get my hands on one of these. Now I don't have to have Fuel sawzall envy anymore. Makita is just hitting it out of the park lately!

Now that is taking ventilated disc brakes a bit too far...

For what it is worth, I picked up a DCL 050 with 4Ah battery at HD for $75 last year shortly after Black Friday. I haven't looked closely at the special deals that they are starting to put out now, so I don't know if the deal will come around again.

I have seen the Makita 4Ah batteries for $84.00 in several stores. I am also watching the Makita XT257M kit that Jimbo posted. Hoping it drops further soon.

Haven't seen anything from you in awhile, Wayne. Glad to see you back on the forum.

Never mind, I just saw in another post that was the SuperCut that they messed up on and sent you a drill instead.

If I remember correctly, they had messed up your drill order by providing the wrong batteries, but they were supposed to be correcting that. Did they ever get you your new batteries? And what was the new order but they messed up? I have been considering ordering some stuff from them, but I may hold off.

Is it $148.06? If so, the next drop should be to somewhere around $49 - $58. I say that because if the price ends in .06, that is usually 25% off regular price. After that it drops to 75% off regular price, which would end in .03. I can't tell you for sure what the next up would be, because the regular price on that saw used to be $229, but I think it is now just $199.

I know you had been looking at the Makita X2 before. What is it down to in your local HD?

I was assuming the same thing, Kruton. Which is kinda funny because I even own the X2 circ saw.

I think you want to take a look at what tools you really want / will be using and then whether Milwaukee or Makita's lineup better addresses your needs. I am with Dwain in that Milwaukee's impact and circular saw seem to compare favorably with Makita's, but I don't think Milwaukee has anything in the league of the Makita's brushless jigsaw, nor do they have a comparable cordless drywall screw gun or cut out tool. That being said, I personally am most heavily invested in the Makita 18v (and to a smaller extent the Dewalt), but that doesn't mean that I don't have the occasional bout of big red envy.