Cordless sawzall and skillsaw: advice?

[Ben Brewcat]

It's WAY past time I got a cordless set of these for removals. I'm guessing 18V is the way to go? What do folks like/dislike about the rigs they've used?

[Hambone]

I bought the 18 volt black and decker set for +/- $100 a couple of years ago. Included drill, skill saw, sawzall, vac, and stud finder, and carry bag. I really like them. I bought an extra charger and 2 extra batteries. The skill and sawzall runs down the battery pretty quickly.

[Sundance]

If you're on a tight budget then I would recommend
shopping ebay....... Get a quality unit and steer clear
of any tool that still runs on NiCad batterys. NiMH
are a far better choice and have come down in
price.

I have run Panasonic cordless tools for nearly 10 years
on the job with great durability. I've had Porter Cable
and DeWalt but they don't hold a candle to the Panasonic
line.

Voltage can be enticing but deceiving. My 15.6V Panasonic
drills have more torque than the DeWalt 18V.

[J-Bees]

If you're on a tight budget then I would recommend
shopping ebay....... Get a quality unit and steer clear
of any tool that still runs on NiCad batterys. NiMH
are a far better choice and have come down in
price.

I have run Panasonic cordless tools for nearly 10 years
on the job with great durability. I've had Porter Cable
and DeWalt but they don't hold a candle to the Panasonic
line.

Voltage can be enticing but deceiving. My 15.6V Panasonic
drills have more torque than the DeWalt 18V.

I don't agree with ya: But I never tryed a Panasonic so can't call ya a big fiber..........

I have owned since 1987 a cordless 12 volt Dewalt drill it still goin, goin, goin, goin, and I use it most everyday.

[Sundance]

I don't agree with ya: But I never tryed a Panasonic so can't call ya a big fiber..........

I have owned since 1987 a cordless 12 volt Dewalt drill it still goin, goin, goin, goin, and I use it most everyday.

Don't agree with what??????? I shopped hard core
when I shelled out for my initial cordless drills. Compared
all brands and Panasonic 15.6V has more torque than
the DeWalt 18V.

Not sure why anyone would "fib" about a stinkin drill??

[iddee]

deleted

[power napper]

We have both the Craftsman 18v and the 19.2v battery powered tools. It seems like the 18 v batteries last a lot longer in life-years longer to be exact.
Both are craftsman tools-saws, sawzall, lights, drills-they were purchased in kits with carrying cases.
The saws are mighty handy when removing boards in a cutout situation, nice to be able to use when no A.C is available.
I do not have any experience with all the name brands or higher quality tools, but the craftsman is just fine for the occasional need.

[MapMan]

If you want to get a Sawzall, you'll have to get a Milwaukee Tools brand, since that is their trademark... And, if I wanted a reciprocating saw (or circular saw) for demo work, I'd get a corded model. The battery models don't have the power or torque for any amount of extended work. Trust me on that.

I have both corded and battery models (18 and 24V), and every time I get into some "real" demo work, I have to swap batteries, which even with NiMh is often. The corded models, for some reason, keep on going. If you want to buy some battery models anyway, I have Porter-Cable, and they work. Dewalt is okay as well. Corded - buy Milwaukee, their tools are way above other models in quality and durability.

MM

[Hobie]

I can't talk details, but my husband has a wide variety. From what I gather, the 18V is a must if you want any power, but the tools are heavier. He also has a spare battery so it can be swapped out when the first inevitably goes dead when you need it most.

As for brands, he has Makita (old, not 18V), Dewalt, Porter-Cable, so I can not deduce a preference. However, as Mapman said, the Milwaukee corded tools appear to be the best, because they are stored carefully and are not the ones used for every day use.

[Sundance]

MM is correct on corded tools. If you are going to do
extended demo work they are better. My work truck
has a corded saw in both reciprocating and circular
for any extended or particularly nasty work.

But for cut outs, and quartering a deer or elk, a quality
cordless is fine. My Panasonic reciprocating saw cuts
mostly angle iron for hanging doors and openers. It
will cut a lot of 2" angle before I swap batteries.

My Panasonic trim saw (5 1/2" circular) will cot well
over 100 2x4's before battery swap.

[Ben Brewcat]

Good points all. I probably could get away with a trim saw; it's really only for shallow cuts in sheathing or the like. Pretty unusual to have to use it, it's almost always the sawz... reciprocating saw. And for cutouts I don't think I've yet put more'n 15 minutes of total run time on either the reciprocating saw or the circular, which is why I was thinking cordless. I would use these infrequently enough for anything but cutouts that the short-use models would be OK.

$100? Seems like I'm seeing them for more like $300. It seems like it's the batteries that are the spendy part?

[BenC]

I'll be darned if I'm paying for a skillsaw or sawzall, catchy names but there are better reciprocating saws and circular saws out there to be had. As far as cordless: Lithium ion batteries aren't worth a darn when it gets cold out. The regular (NiCd?) hitachi tools sold at lowes and other places have very competitive/attractive prices in the store but you will wind up paying in the field- the batteries can come off the charger and be dead again within 1 or 2 minutes and the tools; well lets just say you'll be getting a lot of warranty (or after warranty) work done. You get what you pay for. 18v Dewalt, decent tools and battery performance for the price, same could be said for Bosch and Makita. Can't comment on Panasonic saws, although their impact driver is very nice. As mentioned earlier, batt circ and recip saws are the hardest on batteries, it's important to set the circ saw depth to the minimum needed and keep the blade perfectly straight in the kerf if you want a good runtime. For making one small cut, I might grab a cordless saw, anything else (a cutout for instance), I'll be using a corded saw even if that means firing up the generator and fighting cords.

[Sundance]

I have cut many feet (like 100) of 1/2" plywood
on a single battery with my Panasonic saw. And
not having to screw with cords often saves me
a lot of time.

[KQ6AR]

I'm a big fan of the 18V cordelss dewalt tools. We use the heck out of them at work, & they last years.

I bought my wife the 4 piece set for her birthday a few years ago. She loves it.

[Hambone]

I bought my wife the 4 piece set for her birthday a few years ago. She loves it.

Now that's a great wife!

[Oldbee]

Which brand is actually,.. 'made in America'?

[Hobie]

I bought my wife the 4 piece set for her birthday a few years ago. She loves it.

Actually, I'd say, what a great HUSBAND!!!

Just a thought... I've seen some (for lack of a better way to describe them) - mini circular saws. Those might be really handy for cut-outs where you don't need a 8" blade. They look a tad pricey. Here's a random link, grabbed without price shopping:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...P?sid=BVReview

Someone may make a cordless model, don't know.

[Hambone]

I know B&D ain't the best, but I was buying on a budget and need one. On walmarts website tonight my package was $182.00. Cheaper in the stores than their website. I use my corded tools for most my stuff. But for small jobs, I have no complaints with my set.

[Ben Brewcat]

I'll be darned if I'm paying for a skillsaw or sawzall, catchy names but there are better reciprocating saws and circular saws out there to be had.

Allright allright! I'll concede the too-broad of brand names as long as I never see anyone say frisbee or kleenex or any of the other common-use infringements! Does everyone truly say "facial tissue"?

[wayacoyote]

I bought the Black & Decker package: drill/driver, circular saw, reciprocating saw, flashlight. It is a couple of years old. 14.4v I think. Anyway, the Drill works great though the batteries don't last as long as they did. The Circular Saw doesn't last long any more, but used to cut plywood and 1-by material all day and 2-by material well enough. These will be remidied with a new battery.
The reciprocating saw is another issue. It has never been impressive. If I need to cut a few nails loose or maybe a couple of plastic or copper pipes or a single 4-by. Fine enough. But even with two batteries, it just seemed to sap the juice long before the other appliances.