dewalt going downhill - Electrician Talk - Professional Electrical Contractors Forum

mattsilkwood · 01-27-2009, 08:45 PM

is it just me or have you guys noticed the quality of dewalt stuff going down hill the last few years?

when i first started out they were the best imo, and they lasted to.

ive had two that the trigger burnt up on within the first couple of weeks, then i had one that the planetary gear stripped out.

edit to add: they were all warranty repairs so no cost to me except the pita of not having them while they were repaired.

william1978 · 01-27-2009, 08:55 PM

I was thinking the samething the other week.

MDShunk · 01-27-2009, 09:03 PM

I know DeWalt has been awfully popular over the years, but I never was a big fan. They were supposed to be Black and Decker's high line, but once the DeWalt stuff got made yellow, it never was as good as the B&D grey and black stuff it was supposed to replace. I know lots of guys have gotten good service from them, but they never quite passed muster from me. I have owned two DeWalt tools... a corded 4-1/2" grinder and a corded 3/8" VSR drill. Burnt them both up within a year of use. Give me some Black and Decker Timberwolf and Macho stuff, please. I'll pass on DeWalt.

(What ever happned to Rockwell tools? They were solid tools too.)

seo · 01-27-2009, 09:42 PM

I like Panisonic the best. I have had very good luck with the product.

Minuteman · 01-27-2009, 09:52 PM

I think they have been learning from Detroit. Can you say, "Planned Obsolescence".

480sparky · 01-30-2009, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDShunk

....(What ever happned to Rockwell tools? They were solid tools too.)

When my Dad retired from construction several years ago, he kept his Rockwell drill. He bought it new in 1953 and was the first power tool he ever owned. Other than replacing the cord once in a while, it's still going strong.

TOOL_5150 · 01-31-2009, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 480sparky

When my Dad retired from construction several years ago, he kept his Rockwell drill. He bought it new in 1953 and was the first power tool he ever owned. Other than replacing the cord once in a while, it's still going strong.

Id like to see a pic of that if possible.

~Matt

ramsy · 01-31-2009, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fnfs2000

DeWalt has been Junk for years, nothing beats Metabo.

You should write Consumers Union and find out why Metabo has never appeared in Consumer Reports annual cordless drill ratings. All the major brands, plus Ingersoll Rand and Mansfield were included this year.

Upon your mention, I spy Metabo's 18v impact drill with metric chuck and torque settings. NASA uses something similar in space for the ISS. If this Metabo SBP18-PLUS 18.0 Volt Cordless Impact Drill had appeared in CR's November 2008 cordless-drill line up and proved muster, I might believe there exists a rival for my Makita.

EBFD6 · 01-31-2009, 10:21 AM

I have never been a fan of Dewalt.

I have always been a Milwaukee fan, but now I am growing pretty fond of Makita.

480sparky · 02-01-2009, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOOL_5150

Id like to see a pic of that if possible.

~Matt

Ok, so it's not a drill, but a screwdriver.

Rockwell 379R Screwdriver
No. 10 Positive Clutch Reversible
115V AC-DC 3 Amp 1000 RPM
Series No 11010

fnfs2000 · 02-06-2009, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramsy

You should write Consumers Union and find out why Metabo has never appeared in Consumer Reports annual cordless drill ratings. All the major brands, plus Ingersoll Rand and Mansfield were included this year.

Upon your mention, I spy Metabo's 18v impact drill with metric chuck and torque settings. NASA uses something similar in space for the ISS. If this Metabo SBP18-PLUS 18.0 Volt Cordless Impact Drill had appeared in CR's November 2008 cordless-drill line up and proved muster, I might believe there exists a rival for my Makita.

Does hilti make their ratings? Well that may be possible now that they are in the big orange junk box store. At least my local store pulled them from shelves and are now only available for rent.

How about Festool or Fein? They are better tool lines than anything in junk stores. Are they in reports? Those are pretty main stream as far as quality tools go, there are many other good ones that are not so well heard of.

Consumer reports is really not geared for professional users, its for the general public walmart homedepot shoppers.

electricalperson · 02-06-2009, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 480sparky

Ok, so it's not a drill, but a screwdriver.

Rockwell 379R Screwdriver
No. 10 Positive Clutch Reversible
115V AC-DC 3 Amp 1000 RPM
Series No 11010

we had drills like that in school. pretty good tool. i actually like corded pistol drills a lot i got a 8 amp milwaukee magnum that will break your arms off if it catches

kbsparky · 02-06-2009, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattsilkwood

is it just me or have you guys noticed the quality of dewalt stuff going down hill the last few years?...

It's you.

Quote:

...when i first started out they were the best imo, and they lasted to...

Still are.

Quote:

...ive had two that the trigger burnt up on within the first couple of ]weeks, then i had one that the planetary gear stripped out....

Must have been a bad week there. We have not seen similar problems.

Quote:

...edit to add: they were all warranty repairs so no cost to me except the pita of not having them while they were repaired.

At least they stood behind their products?

We were Milwaukee fans for years, then had similar problems, with the gears stripping out, bad triggers, etc.

Since we switched to deWalt, we have had good experiences with them. Don't get me wrong, we will wear them out, and have to buy new ones from time to time. It's just that they hold up well over the years, and we do use them daily.

ramsy · 02-06-2009, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fnfs2000

Does hilti make their ratings? ..How about Festool or Fein? ..Those are pretty main stream as far as quality tools go ..Consumer reports is really not geared for professional users, its for the general public walmart homedepot shoppers.

Don't think Consumer Reports has regularly tracked cordless tools beyond, drills, and circular saws. No Roto hammers, Hilti, Festool, Fein, or Metabo. Cordless-roto hammers can be switched to drill mode, but the CR category doesn't exist yet. How do you compare Roto hammers, besides buying each one separately?

Arc Angle · 02-06-2009, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramsy

Don't think Consumer Reports has regularly tracked cordless tools beyond, drills, and circular saws. No Roto hammers, Hilti, Festool, Fein, or Metabo. Cordless-roto hammers can be switched to drill mode, but the CR category doesn't exist yet. How do you compare Roto hammers, besides buying each one separately?

Hilti makes some really good stuff that can stand up to some abuse. Spendy, but you get what you pay for.

I like the Dewalt 36 volt battery packs. I tear them apart and reuse the cells to power my rc helicopter. They dont have the power of a lipo battery, but they don't explode like lipos either. 6 cells is 22 volts for me.

fnfs2000 · 02-06-2009, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramsy

You should write Consumers Union and find out why Metabo has never appeared in Consumer Reports annual cordless drill ratings. All the major brands, plus Ingersoll Rand and Mansfield were included this year.

There is why metabo does not make the list, its outside their homeowner box store shopper scope.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramsy

Don't think Consumer Reports has regularly tracked cordless tools beyond, drills, and circular saws. No Roto hammers, Hilti, Festool, Fein, or Metabo. Cordless-roto hammers can be switched to drill mode, but the CR category doesn't exist yet. How do you compare Roto hammers, besides buying each one separately?