So what brands are we all using for power tools?

[Phil Thompson]

Dewalt for me, have a mains Metabo chaser, but everything else is Yellow and Black.

Mate has an old AEG chaser, its a good job, dont think they make them now, but id have been buying it over the Mfe30 at the time if they did.

 

[Vortigern]

Hitachi nice and cheap or was until it was called Hikoki. Chucks, replaced twice. 18v 5ah battery (got 4) 2 with the drill. Also Hikoki jig saw, grinder and circular saw all very good at their job. Never owned Makita too expensive and have heard of problems, which for the price, well I won't pay for a name. Can work all day with the drill had it for eight years no probs.

 

[AJshep]

Moved from blue Bosch to Milwaukee, I've used Dewault but it's never lasted, even the Xrp drills have only lasted a couple of years.
I think us electricians are pretty hard on our drills in general, so whatever brand you buy make sure it's a top of the range version, especially if your going to be drilling through joists.

 

[davesparks]

If you want to see some honest, and fun, tool reviews, look up AvE on YouTube.

 

[PEG]

I've got a good mixture of marques...Hilti has always been a favourite (except their jigsaw...the royal child they should have hid in the dungeon)

For emergency/throwaway/single job use,i have used Erbauer...and feel ashamed as some of their kit is really good ...their corded reciprocating saw has out-worked and out-lived,many of my pals expensive copies.

I also have a Hilti TE72 which must be 30+years old...it will not fail or die,and will sink any earth rod,all the way to hot magma

 

[ryan1988]

Used to use Makita then my kit packed up and also had some bits stolen from a site.

I have some Hilti tools, and I have a few Makita 230v and 110v tools still.

However most of my kit is made up of the Erbauer EXT range. In all honesty it's what I could afford at the time and for the price of their tools with the 2 year warranty at any screwfix it was a no brainer for me.

And they have lasted a while already and been through the wars being put through their paces of 1st fix, various maintenance and install jobs.

Pretty happy with them to be fair they have surprised me

 

[Strima]

Dewalt 18 volt which does me. Mainly because a previous employer didn't want a lot of it back...

 

[Edtwozeronine]

DeWalt 18 volt for me too, used a driver and drill in some fairly wet conditions once due to needing to get a days work done on a roof - when in came an incredible down-pour! Wiped them off afterwards and put them next to a boiler in the kitchen overnight; tested them the next day, no problems at all! Been using them ever since.

 

[ferg]

Dewalt 18v for me.

Reasonably priced if you shop around and I have no complaints.

 

[telectrix]

Dewalt 18 volt which does me. Mainly because a previous employer didn't want a lot of it back...

didn't want, ot couldn't find you???

 

[FatAlan]

Committed down the Dewalt route now. Accumulated a few batteries now so able to buy bare units. Have a couple of the 54v tools but recently one of the batteries has started playing up and not charging. Anyone else had similar problems?

 

[Strima]

didn't want, ot couldn't find you???

They weren't on my tooling list, same as the ladders, PPE, drill bits, hand tools etc.

All that was there was my test equipment and a bare 18 volt reciprocating saw which I wanted to keep...

 

[sam400]

I committed to Makita a few years ago and currently have over ten 18v tools. I have decided there pretty poor.
Most of them have broken and had to be repaired or completely burnt out. Last purchase was the 481 drill - paid about £150 body only it is absolutely dreadful! can’t stand using it.

If I had the money I would replace it all with Hilti,
Prob going to move over to Bosch next.

Having said that I have access to the De Walt 54V
grinder and recip at work and they are solid well built bits of kit with mains performance

 

[bjouis]

I committed to Makita a few years ago and currently have over ten 18v tools. I have decided there pretty poor.
Most of them have broken and had to be repaired or completely burnt out. Last purchase was the 481 drill - paid about £150 body only it is absolutely dreadful! can’t stand using it.

If I had the money I would replace it all with Hilti,
Prob going to move over to Bosch next.

Having said that I have access to the De Walt 54V
grinder and recip at work and they are solid well built bits of kit with mains performance

I'd always used Makita but my recent experience with them is shocking too. And they're expensive.

The little 12v impact driver i've got is pretty good with a full battery but the cordless equivalent is the worst drill i've ever used aside from a green Bosch. The chuck came loose so you can literally swivel it around and it never fully bites on a bit, always fall out as you're working. Shocking and battery life is terrible too.

Considering i'm not using it for anything heavy it's a disgrace really. Will never use them again. I had a crappy Pro Tools hammer drill that literally broke up concrete all day every day without problems. It only failed when i dropped it up a ladder and the handle smashed off, and even then with some tape it kept going for a while before finally the hammer function wouldn't stay on anymore. I think it was like 40 quid new or something.

 

[sam400]

Yea it’s the chuck that really annoys me too!
Every single hole you drill the bit falls out,