Stuff that Sucks

[n00b]

NOT trying to start a Flame War here...so, if that starts boo-for-you and I hope a mod shuts this down.

 

Alright.

 

Bad experiences.

 

New to the toolworld I'm asking guys I know their opinion on things..in trying to naildown a single platform in order to rock cordless...what handtools are worth the price and will get the job done...which inevitably leads into "ZOMG AND NEVER BUY *INSERT BRAND HERE*".  With that, I try to pry and actual explanation, some times it works, and sometimes it doesn't.

 

Any tools or products that you've bought that either didn't live up to your expectation OR you were just flat-out disappointed with?

 

Any retailers, I'm speaking online mainly, that have shady/sketchy customer service or return policies?

 

Like I said, I'm not trying to come down and any one brand or any one business...for me, this is taking the path of least resistance and picking a collective brain that has years of experience...kinda like the battery question I asked...If I don't know something, I wanna do what I can to get in the know.

 

Thanks.

[DR99]

I don't care for Milwaukee shockwave screwdriver bits

Power tool wise I can't think of any huge disappointments off hand.

[Charles Harris]

Here are the three that come to mind right now

1. Rigid Jobmax multi tool- I had the corded and pneumatic version. It was my first multi tool. I guess it did open the door to multi tools for me. The trigger was annoying and it never seemed like I could keep it at the right speed. I feel that it lost a lot of power through the interchangeable head. I replaced it with a Bosch MX30 and I couldn't believe how much better it was. I guess the jobmax has its place and might work ok for someone that uses the other attachments most of the time. If you are looking for a multi tool there are much better choices.

2. Dewalt DCS387 compact reciprocating saw. I can't believe how much this saw vibrates. I bought the kit with the tough box. I got it home clipped the battery on and test run it. I was seriously thinking about if the vibrations would damage batteries over time. I had a corded Sawzall at the same time. I understand reciprocating saws will inherently have vibration, but the vibration from the DCS387 is crazy.

3. Harbor Freight 18ga 2 in 1 finish nailer. I know that I should have known better, but I have got a few things from there that was ok. I was building cabinets for my kitchen. I needed a narrow crown stapler. I had stopped in Harbor Freight and I saw the nailer was marked down to $15. I didn't even get one cabinet assembled. It wouldn't sink them flush and jammed every few shots. I drove over to Lowes and picked up a Bostitch stapler. It will sink them flush every time. The $15 spent on the Harbor Freight was a waste.

[DR99]

Another one the old Milwaukee M18 brushed sawzall was nothing to write home about

[n00b]

Another one the old Milwaukee M18 brushed sawzall was nothing to write home about

Really? How so?

[DR99]

It didn't have a ton of power and it had some vibration issues.

[ChrisK]

I had the M18 sawzall too Jason, it sucked. No moveable shoe and underpowered. I had it for about three months and got rid of it. No my M12 Fuel Hackzall.......forgit 'bout it! That little guy is AWESOME! Super powerful, awesome trigger control, super powerful. Love that machine. Tore up doubled up 2x4 nail embedded wood with a 3/4 facia. Didn't even slow down.

Worse table saw I had, my Ryobi 10" contractor saw. Not impressed. I couldn't cut sheet goods without nearly flipping the machine over.

[chewie17]

Milwaukee shockwave bits I agree suck. they don't last near as long as most bits. that being said I have jumped into the mastercraft maximum bits (Canadian tire brand) and they have held up wonderfully, I had one bit sink well over 1000 screws and I just threw it out the other day because it stripped 2 screws on me, 1 of which was my bad I had the bit and screw at different angles and the inevitable happened faster than I could correct it.  

 

also I have that jobmax which was said to be "not as great as other options" which I could agree with however I haven't tried any of the others the reason I got it was because of the multi-head design. I picked up the 12v and I find that with the vibration the battery might rattle a little loose? I have to play with the thing to get it running sometimes and other times I think I might have a dead battery when all the sudden it pops back to life and works fine. so depending on why you need the multi-tool, the jobmax is good at being versatile however not the best in any of its designs when compared to a model designed for 1 specific purpose. so multi uses I recommend.

 

other than that I was disappointed with hitachi drills, however it was about 5 years ago when I bought it I got it for a sweet price and I hated the thing from day 1, HUGE handle and not enough power with the 18v nib battery made it bigger than most newer drills. other than that I just use trial and error, cordless tools I recommend a platform that has everything you need plus things you may need in the future. but the first 2 I look at now are Milwaukee and then Makita.

 

hope that helps (giving boths sides to that jobmax is good because some people loves tools that most people hate)

[comp56]

I've been around tools for over 35+ years I can tell you almost all brands out there have had there disappointments.

some could not make a model of tool to save their life and some would come up with a defective model now and again.

one thing to remember is these tools are mass produced and with mass production you will end up eventually with problems.

Asking about bad experiences from forum members is not really fair for the brand in question to rule them out.

Tool companies are designing tools for different area's of the market, from DIYer's that need the tool once every six months to the pro that may not shut the tool off for days at a time.....

the other thing about tools is the proper care and use...you can have a brand new tool get ruined in less than a day because someone does not know how to use it and then they blame it on poor quality.

there is always power in numbers, you see a company that is investing in research and developing by presenting new and innovating

tools. 

most of the best tools out there are usually out of reach price wise from the average buyer and with good reason.

Tools also have improved 10 fold from just a few years ago along with that the prices have dropped.

I remember buying a mag drill 15 years ago for $6500 made by Weldon (now that is not a name you think of when it comes to tools, but bet your bottom dollar they make some wicked tools) who is going to buy that to put some hole in a wall if your not a company. 

so you buy the cheaper version and bingo it don't last .

don't get me wrong my point isn't the most expensive is best just saying there are many many variables....

to get the proper analysis of tools in general.

[Charles Harris]

Chewie17,

I thought the jobmax was handy when I hadn't used anything else. My 110v one would act weird sometimes too. It would fluctuate speed without adjusting the trigger. It was when I got the Bosch I realized how much difference there was. I feel like if you could use the Bosch MX30 on a couple cuts you might have a different opinion. I'm not trying to say the jobmax is useless. I'm just saying there is a huge difference between it and some of the newer dedicated multi tools. I think of it like comparing an 12v NiCd Black & Decker 3/8" drill to a M18 Fuel 2604 hammer drill.

[chewie17]

Chewie17,

I thought the jobmax was handy when I hadn't used anything else. My 110v one would act weird sometimes too. It would fluctuate speed without adjusting the trigger. It was when I got the Bosch I realized how much difference there was. I feel like if you could use the Bosch MX30 on a couple cuts you might have a different opinion. I'm not trying to say the jobmax is useless. I'm just saying there is a huge difference between it and some of the newer dedicated multi tools. I think of it like comparing an 12v NiCd Black & Decker 3/8" drill to a M18 Fuel 2604 hammer drill.

 

I use my jobmax more for the jigsaw lately, that's why I have had issues, the multi-tool works well for me, and you are right if I bought I dedicated model I would probably be saying the same as you. but from where I stand right now the jobmax is serving its purpose well enough for when I need the tool in a pinch. I knew it wasn't going to be the greatest tool and I wasn't expecting much but with that said it has out-performed from my expectations and I find it to be great for the simple fact it is more versatile than a dedicated multi-tool. that's all I was trying to say about it I guess lol

[PeteW]

as for online retailers i use ToolNut.com and so do a ton of people on here, they are great and everything with my orders went great. for in person stores Home Depot and Lowes are the best and they have great return policies.  

[DR99]

I had the M18 sawzall too Jason, it sucked. No moveable shoe and underpowered. I had it for about three months and got rid of it. No my M12 Fuel Hackzall.......forgit 'bout it! That little guy is AWESOME! Super powerful, awesome trigger control, super powerful. Love that machine. Tore up doubled up 2x4 nail embedded wood with a 3/4 facia. Didn't even slow down.

Worse table saw I had, my Ryobi 10" contractor saw. Not impressed. I couldn't cut sheet goods without nearly flipping the machine over.

I think that was Milwaukee after thought saw. A crap we invented the Sawzall and should offer one with our new M18 battery platform!!

[Charles Harris]

I use my jobmax more for the jigsaw lately, that's why I have had issues, the multi-tool works well for me, and you are right if I bought I dedicated model I would probably be saying the same as you. but from where I stand right now the jobmax is serving its purpose well enough for when I need the tool in a pinch. I knew it wasn't going to be the greatest tool and I wasn't expecting much but with that said it has out-performed from my expectations and I find it to be great for the simple fact it is more versatile than a dedicated multi-tool. that's all I was trying to say about it I guess lol

I could understand having it for that use. It sounds like you are making good use of the interchangeable heads.

[DR99]

They stopped making a bunch of the Jobmax heads.

[chewie17]

I better get that sawzall head when it goes on clearance then right? lol

[ChrisK]

I think that was Milwaukee after thought saw. A crap we invented the Sawzall and should offer one with our new M18 battery platform!!

I hate to diss Milwaukee, but maybe they should've put some more thought into that one. I have had two Milwaukee tools that sucked. The first gen M18 compact drill (chuck was defective on first and second unit and that sawzall. I've had a couple of warranty claims though and although beside Ridgid, I've only used Milwaukees warranty but they were awesome to deal with. Interestingly enough, my first Bosch multi had to go back with a manufacturer issue so Bosch was the only other return I've done with a tool. Believe it or not, Bosch was a bit of a pain to make the claim but unbelievably fast when it was done.

[Conductor562]

It didn't have a ton of power and it had some vibration issues.

It also lacked orbital action and an adjustable shoe

[Conductor562]

Since we're picking on big red.......

The most disappointing power tool I ever owned was the Milwaukee 6020 1/4 sheet sander. It was built like a tank, but the paper clamp system sucked so bad it rendered the tool useless. It was a total piece of shit.

The Milwaukee sub-scanner was pretty much useless too. It was essentially a $250 stud find. It would sometimes work under ideal conditions....sometimes

Avoid any power tool from Harbor Freight

I try to avoid any hand tools produced by Apex with the exception of Armstrong, this includes Cooper, Weller, Plumb, H.K. Porter, Wiss, Allen, Crescent and Gearwrench. Gearwrench is ok, but the quality is not what is used to be IMO.

As for what I like, you really can't go wrong with any of the big 4 for power tools. Milwaukee, Dewalt, Bosch, and Makita all produce good stuff. Makita had a big battery issue they tried to sweep under the rug, but that's been corrected.

I run Milwaukee because they are good quality, they have an awesome selection of tools, and have been really innovative in recent years so I don't find myself drooling over another line. They still haven't produced an M12 pop rivet gun though, and that upsets me.

For hand tools, you really can't beat the industrial brands. I'm a Proto guy personally, but Williams, Armstrong, Wright, and SK will all give you excellent quality tools for half the price of the trucks.

The best value in hand tools is Blackhawk which is owned by SBD. You can check out my article on it here:

http://professional-power-tool-guide.com/2014/05/blackhawk-tools-a-well-kept-secret/

[n00b]

Makita had a big battery issue they tried to sweep under the rug, but that's been corrected.

 

What was the issue? 

 

How long ago was this?

[Shuutr]

Similar to the job max I got a Neo Ultimate Multi Head tool. I got it on clearance somewhere so it's didn't set me back much and it was a do-everything. Tool.

For what I use it for most, cutting up boxes, it works ok. And if ridgid made a tool that just did that, I'd probably buy it.

Problem: you can't find spare parts. The batteries haven't crapped out yet, but when they do my options are limited. The saw blade isn't at lowes or Home Depot so I'll have to sharpen it, I guess.

I have a better multi tool (dremel and Milwaukee) I have a better drill and ratchet (Milwaukee). So eventually it'll get trashed, but these off brand tools become useless pretty quick.

[NERemodeling]

What was the issue?

How long ago was this?

I definitely wouldn't have called it a "huge" problem I have been professionally using makita 18v tools for the last 7 or so years and have batteries from 5 years ago that are still working fine. The problem was that when lithium battery tools were frst released, over discharge protection wasn't built into the tools and batteries like they are today.. When lithium ion battery's are allowed to discharge beyond a certain voltage it will permanently damage the battery.. this issue has long since been solved, for like at least 5 or so years. The batteries that have a star on the housing are definitely protected..

I owned old batteries without stars and never once had a battery fail me within less than 3 or so years of hard use.. all my current batteries have been going at least 5 years with no issues.

All tools and batteries sold today will have no issues.

[Conductor562]

What was the issue?

How long ago was this?

Fast discharges and outright failures. I'm gonna say it started probably 5 years ago or so. They denied the hell out of it for a long time, then discretely started replacing them.

The started using different cells and I'd say it's been a good year or 2 since I heard of any complaints.

Makita went stagnant for awhile and appeared to be riding on their reputation with little innovation and lack of new tools. They advertised that they had the largest 18V line on the market, but that was only true because they offered like 30 drills with little to distinguish them from the other models. They've got their head back in the game somewhat now though. Last spring their top hammer drill got flat out humiliated in Coptool's drill fight and Dan & Eric had one damn near catch fire on video. They eventually released their new monster drill and 36V circ saw that got them back in the conversation, but it wasn't too long ago that they still didn't even offer an oscillating multi-tool.

I took Makita off my "do not buy" list and returned them to the buy list last summer. They patented a battery status gauge like 3 or 4 years ago, but I'm still yet to see one. They also offer a ton of shit in Japan that you can't find here including an extensive power equipment line and a bicycle that runs on their LXT batteries

[DR99]

It does look like Dan and Eric are not on Makita's no list anymore after the smoking incident.

[ChrisK]

Hahahahaha oooooops. I have to admit, the Makitas I have now are pretty sweet machines though! Really an incredible improvement in every way.

But I do remember the smoke show like it was yesterday.......Dan had an Afro, Eric was wearing bell bottoms.....there was a spinning mirror ball and in the back ground, playing softly was.....dare I say.......Blondie? Leave it to those darn Makita people to get their panties in a bunch over a little burnt motor and grease. Geeeesh!