Metabo 18v LTX Combi Drill and Impact driver Kit.

[wayneburgess]

The problem over here with Milwaukee is getting hold of them.

Either you can't get something at all like the taper shaped wood bits that look awsome by the way.

Or if you can get something, you pay megga bucks for it unless you wait an age for prices to drop, or find a one off bargain on e-bay.

The other thing seems to be many suppliers have fired them off, saying they are real bad over here on the support side of things.

[Conductor562]

Ohio Power Tool ships international. I'm not sure, but I imagine that if you ordered it from the United States a US warranty would apply. http://www.ohiopowertool.com/

[wayneburgess]

Thank you

[Conductor562]

The 5 year warranty says it applies only to tools purchased in the United States. I would think that buying it from Ohio Power Tool would qualify as such. I've dealt with Ohio Power Tool before and their customer service is great. I typically use CPO Milwaukee but they don't ship international.

[wayneburgess]

I will keep hunting, normally it costs me more in shipping than the item.

[Eric - TIA]

Wayne that would suck. A tool freak who can only hear what cool products are out there, but can't get your hands on them. Is this purgatory?

[PutnamEco]

Wayne that would suck. A tool freak who can only hear what cool products are out there, but can't get your hands on them. Is this purgatory?

That is how I feel a lot of the time, no Protool, can't get a regular circular saw with a riving knife, no flip saws, or combo miter/table saws, Festool is holding out some tools from us, like that funky saw table that you can mount one of their track saws in. When you find out what is available in the rest of the world it kind of seems like we are the ones being deprived sometimes...

If you can take looking at websites in other languages check out what is offered internationally.

http://www.makita.co.jp/

http://www.protool-online.com/ is in English

http://www.bosch-pro...owerkzeuge.html

http://www.mafell.de/index.php?id=16

Even our supposedly homegrown companies offer tools elsewhere in the world that they don't offer here. look up the Dewalt D27112, DW394, DW876, and DW721,

[wayneburgess]

Sometimes makes you feel like a bee banging its head on a sweetshop window.You can see what you want you just can't get to it.LOL

[Eric - TIA]

Your right. It sucks seeing cool tools you just can't get your hands on. We went to a show and talked with a Metabo guy. He was telling us about all the cool stuff they have in Europe and don't offer in the states.

[wayneburgess]

That annoys the heck out of me.It should be the same everywhere,not just some things available in one place.Or only available in U.S or U.K voltage and not both.

You can't buy those big hawg drills over here either.

[PutnamEco]

You can't buy those big hawg drills over here either.

Wow, What do you guys use for drilling big holes? I just skimmed through a couple online UK tool websites and it would appear your Milwaukee tools and the U.S. version of Milwaukee tools have quite a few differences in their line ups. I don't think we have any circular saws in common.

[wayneburgess]

Now you guys might get what I mean when i say we have many things we are forced to do differently.

That is one of the reasons I think we get shorter warranty over here, I see guys all the time going at drilling holes you blokes would use a hawg to drill and they are using an 18v.

Don't get me wrong we have right angle drills, but nothing as big as the hawg tools you guys have.They said at one time it was because over here we did not build using timber for walls we used bricks for virtually every wall and we use slate, stone and thick tiles on our roofs not shingles.

But these days timber framed buildings are much more widespread yet still no hawg tools.

[PutnamEco]

Don't get me wrong we have right angle drills, but nothing as big as the hawg tools you guys have.They said at one time it was because over here we did not build using timber for walls we used bricks for virtually every wall and we use slate, stone and thick tiles on our roofs not shingles.

But these days timber framed buildings are much more widespread yet still no hawg tools.

I would have been stopped dead in my tracks more than a few times if it wasn't for my Hole Hawg and large spade handle drills. Wasn't any WAY a cordless drill could have handled some of those holes.

[Conductor562]

I wish Milwaukee made a more traditional spade handle drill, but they don't. Just the big t-handle drills.

[PutnamEco]

I wish Milwaukee made a more traditional spade handle drill, but they don't. Just the big t-handle drills.

You don't think the 1600 series are traditional spade handled drills???

[Conductor562]

Well, I guess traditional really isn't the word I'm looking for. I want something with a multi-position spade handle, variable speed, and I'm not crazy about the long goofy top handle. Everyone except Milwaukee offers something that offers these.

[PutnamEco]

Well, I guess traditional really isn't the word I'm looking for. I want something with a multi-position spade handle, variable speed, and I'm not crazy about the long goofy top handle. Everyone except Milwaukee offers something that offers these.

Yes, but, with the exception of Makitas DS4000 all the other ones feel like toys compared to the Milwaukees,

[BigYin]

(Shamefully jumping into an old topic for my first post here)...

Been perving over the Metabo LTX drills and impacts, found it hard to find many discussions/impartial reviews, and non of the lads I work with or anyone I meet on jobs know anything about them, really small market share in the UK it seems. I is in the trades an'that, messing about with cordless drills day-in day-out, looking for a new kit to hold up to a wee bit abuse.

Wayne, if you're still there, do you have any experience of Hilti drills to compare Metabos to? I've always held Hilti up as the best but these Metabos look very tasty indeed, but nowhere stocks them so I can't have a look before buying.

Main thing that winds me up about the quality of most cordless drills now is the amount of runout (wobble) on the chuck. I expect an expensive drill to be pretty much spot-on. Any feedback on how the Metabo LTX drills fair in this department?

And how are they in terms of ergonomics and balance, do they feel nice in the hand for long usage? Little bit skeptical of the pistol-like handle instead of the more common T-handle. Comfortable feel obviously important for extended use every day.

(And hello forummers, nice forum)

[wayneburgess]

Hello BigYin,

First of all welcome to the forum.

I use my LTX every day and the lads on fleet with Hilti have all been amazed by my gear.

The feel is solid and like I said for a pro they are just amazing I am not so sure the D.I.Y user would get the use out of the tools they are for working all day every day.

As far as chuck wobble there is none at all not even the slightest bit of lateral movement,so even tiny drills for very accurate work are no problem at all.

The smoothness of them,the lack of vibration in your hand when you do a 12 hour day plus drive to site and back you wont get that twinge in your wrist where a badly balanced drill has had you tensing the muscle to compensate.

I think unless you need one of the more specialist tools Hilti make that Metabo don't then it is a no brainer and the Metabo is better in my opinion.

Just be careful with the impact driver I think it is too powerful for joiners/carpenters and the Max 12 pro is more than powerful enough for site work unless you are driving 3 inch and 4 inch 10's and 12's or above all day in which case the 18v impact will do that no problem at all.

I like to think I do not pamper to one manufacturer and don't conform to the view that one brand makes the best tool in every part of the range but up to now all the LTX that I have bought have out performed my workmates tools side by side on real world dusty tough busy site work.

My only niggle is they do not have a belt hook.

Best I have ever used by a country mile.

[BigYin]

Hello there Wayne, wow that's fantastic feedback cheers, you sure you don't work for Metabo (wink wink)!! Only kidding, great to get some 'real world' views on how they fair for trade work. Been getting the feeling they are a bit special, looking at the specs and videos and the few sparse reviews I could find, but nowhere to have a look.

I tend to think pretty much any reasonable drill feels fine for DIY (no offense to any DIY people reading, no snobbery here, I know a couple of DIY guys who are better than some tradesmen I know) but good balance and feel make one heck of a difference when you're using one for hours every day.

So these Metabo's sound the biz. I'm amazed how light they are on the specs actually for having 100nm torque, usually only get near to that with Hilti's which are bloody heavy frankly, even the new lithium's (perfect balance though). Not sure I'm convinced they can be that strong at that weight but I wait to be proved wrong.

Very pleased to hear about no chuck wobble, seen so many new drills from 'trade' brands with a silly amount of wobble. Even looked at the new Hilti lithium combi's recently and even a few of them weren't great, not terrible by any means but not what I expect from a £400 drill, maybe standards slipping?! my trusty old boat-anchor Hilti ni-mh cordless is absolutely perfect.

You know what you're on about with the tiny drills in accurate work thing, that and when running long lags is when the wobble really pees me off. Dewalt is the worst for it that I've seen, crazy amount of runout.

Thanks for the heads-up what you say about the 18v Impact for carpentry, I do quite a lot of first-fix so be good for that and get the wee one for the finishing.

Been on the verge of forking out for a six or seven piece Metabo kit for a while now, in light of your glowing praise I think I'm gonna take the plunge and hope for the best. Only other option was Hilti really but they're crazy money and not convinced their cordless stuff is amazing enough to justify the price. Don't like Dewalt. Makita good but dubious batteries. Bosch good stuff but doesn't really grab me. Hope Metabo fits the bill. Bit worried about their after sales service, their customer service line person was completely hopeless the other week, but I'll take a chance, Hitler took a chance and it didn't do him any harm!

Cheers Wayne, big help, will maybe post a follow-up once I've used the tools for a while (if it's not too cheeky to resurrect the thread).

Oh yeah and the no belt hook thing, that's been putting me off a bit. I've got a holster but they're a bit shit compared to hooks. I just found out about 'Monster Hook' tool holders, google it, gotta be worth a shot, look perfect for a drill without a belt hook.

Dan.

[Conductor562]

Great! Now I've got 2 Brit's to try and decipher. Just kidding fella's : ) I love the British spin on things and being friends with Wayne somehow makes me feel smarter and more cultured than the other people in the West Virginia hollows. Welcome to the forum Dan!

[PutnamEco]

Re: Wayne & BigYin

What do you guys think of ProTool? I hear even less about them then I do Metabo. They are totally not available here in the states and the Festool that we have available here is some IMHO pretty impressive stuff. The electric clutch on their drills is very innovative.

[wayneburgess]

my experience is of Festool rather than Protool but they are very similar indeed.

Protool are o.k in a workshop environment but would never take one on a rough tough building site.

[PutnamEco]

my experience is of Festool rather than Protool but they are very similar indeed.

Protool are o.k in a workshop environment but would never take one on a rough tough building site.

Why not? I take my Festools all the time and never had a problem. From what I've been told Protool is Festools more durable "professional" line. Have I been misinformed?

[BigYin]

Yeah I thought the Protool stuff was supposed to be really heavy duty site worthy tools. Festool for the workshop, Protool for site with the inevitable drops of ladders etc.

Would've loved to buy Protool but crazy expensive, almost £500 for one cordless drill I think (with all the attachments)! Would love one though, I've read reviews with people saying it's hands down the best drill made to date. Love all the attachments too. Metabo seem to be the only ones offering something similar, just not as refined.

Not made me mind up on Metabo yet. Came across a terrible review of the drill on Ultimatehandyman forum, really slated it, and the customer service seems not to be the best.

I'm now debating whether to go Panasonic or Metabo. Panasonic are supposed to be amazing drills. The idea of the dust and water protection sounds good too. Anyone have any experience? Panasonic or Metabo, which is best?

Last year I had a shot of a mates Panasonic 15.6 Nimh drill, loved it, felt real top quality, nice to use all day. Wish I'd bought one actually, a local cash and carry warehouse place was selling them for £80 with 2 batts charger and case.