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I looked at a lot of lists of 'Best...', and dropped the DeWalt because it labeled professional, and it seems to me waste to add for value (a $40-$50 to add) I probably never need...
"The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012
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I stopped buying "cheap" power tools a long time ago, partly because I bought a compressor so I buy air tools instead, but mostly because buying the expensive ones works out cheaper in the long run.
I also prefer to buy "Industrial" equipment rather than consumer where I can - it's designed to do the job for longer instead of being replaced every couple of years. And because it's meant to last in an industrial setting it works forever under the light loads in a domestic environment.
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Never throw anything away, Griff
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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I see your point here...
There are a few problems... The local options are very poor (they import only tool with a large profit margin, so we have to most minimalist tools for full prize or very expensive professional tools). Technically there is no air tools - again only for very high prize...
So I have to import myself, which doubles the prize (half for the tool and half for the delivery/custom). There is a point where the prize+deliver+custom will be so high that it renders the whole thing irrelevant (custom prizes are a grow with the original prize)...
So I have to look very carefully what to pick, and for that I look for something that not labeled professional - therefor cheaper - but still pretty good...
(It was the same with a DeWalt screwdriver and Makita jigsaw, both with me 8 and 10 years respectively)
"The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012
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I mostly agree with Griff, but I understand your point.
Tools come in roughly 4 categories. (mind that these categories glide into each other, so this is definitely not science)
Home use: like Black&Decker. This is crap and should be avoided. Not even meant to last.
Semi pro and Professional: Usually features the same brands (with the exception of DeWalt, Festtool and Milwaukee for example, they don't feature anything cheaper)
But if you buy Makita, Hitachi, Metabo and similar you probably won't be disappointed. Watch out for Bosch, their green tools are crap for home use. Their blue tools are supposedly professional, but they're also unreliable.
Heavy duty professional: This is the category where you usually haven't even heard about the brands, such as Atlas Copco. This is what they buy in factories where a broken tool is stopping up a whole line and thereby cost a fortune.
I have a Hitachi myself, and it just works.
Do consider putting in a few extra bucks on a plunge saw (also known as a track saw). They can do everything a circular saw can, but are safer and can do more.
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I've had Black & Decker drill and circular saw. They didn't last long before the bearings wore out, and were useless if not worse because of the work that was ruined. DeWalt may cost a little more, but it saves money in the long run.
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Having owned various power tools over the years from both Skil (/Sher) and B&D, I'd definitely go with Skil.
I still have and regularly use my 51+ year old Sher drill, and a somewhat less ancient circular saw.
Cheers,
Peter
Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012
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Kornfeld Eliyahu Peter wrote: I'm looking for POWER TOOLS.
I've been buying Milwuakee 18V tools unless I think mains powered is required.
I have a drill driver, impact driver, reciprocating saw and torch that are 18v cordless. I have a rotary hammer drill for masonary and am eyeing off a cordless jigsaw and a 235mm mains powered circular saw.
Cause you never klnow when you may need to up the power in your IT world. Plus I work for myself and in the past month have used most of these tools to get stuff done.
The hammer drill and reciprocating saw were used for the first time in their almost 3 year existance and today I pulled out the Dremel (4200) and used it for the first time, reckon it's 3 years old too.
Michael Martin
Australia
"I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible."
- Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Not a single Milwuakee tool ships to here... 
"The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012
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My next door neighbor is a carpenter and makes a living from his battery-powered Milwaukee tools. He swears by them.
Which makes me rather jealous: He can run a power tool off a battery all day (even with heavy use), whereas the best laptop battery I've ever had could barely last 3 hours. Which makes no sense to me.
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Because tools are supposed to be heavy - so a little extra battery is ok.
Around here, we want one computer model, so it has to be light for the @#$%@#$ users.
HP laptops we are getting generally start with close to a days life - downhill starts soon after.
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My desk is sturdy enough to hold a heavy battery. Laptop vendors, you know what you have to do--get on with it.
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Black & Decker can be hit and miss, they sometimes sell use of their name to other manufacturers or distributors (often a combo of both),
So not all B&D are the same (usually OK-ish but sometimes utter crap).
OIOW name is only part of the story.
Others do it too, DeWalt, Stanley...
Usually in these cases the price is the warning, esp. if it looks to cheap for 'the name'
"that saw looks just like this one, same brand, but costs only 1/4 the price and even comes with 2 free blades, why??"
One's probably made in say China, the other in say USA / Germany / UK (yes UK make good tools too, just not many these days. Not just China, many German brands cheap lines often ex Poland (not as bad, China is definitely the king of crap but Poland / Hungary are Euro but they're not German quality.)
Simple version/summary.
Top quality is rarely on sale
Could it be mid range on special? After checking the price check the "Made in"
Message Signature
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It really depends on how much you intend to use and on what? Light duty, home owner stuff or really going to give it a work out? Soft wood, pines or hard wood? Why buy an expensive saw for light duty and if you're going for it spend the money and get a good one.
Technician
1. A person that fixes stuff you can't.
2. One who does precision guesswork based on unreliable data provided by those of questionable knowledge.
JaxCoder.com
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It seems like twice a year (based on the cases when I had the need)... No real hard wood - way to expensive for the things I do... In the past I built a deck, some bookshelves, a twin bed, a kind of maze to the kids... stuffs like that...
"The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012
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I've switched almost all of my power tools to the Ryobi 18V One+ system, and haven't regretted it a bit. I thought they'd be under-powered, compared to line powered gear, but I'm impressed. Yes, there are times when I dig out my ancient Skil saw, but it's been many years now...
Will Rogers never met me.
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I agree. I had several B&D battery tools and they were underpowered and useless - and the batteries dies after just a few recharges.
I started with a Ryobi drill and I now have a complete set of fairly powerful, reliable tools and lots of batteries none of which have died on me.
Considering that Ryobi is pretty much Home Depot's "own brand" and are "consumer standard" they seem to work surprisingly well.
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
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I love a bargin but take OG's and Mick's advice.
Milwaukee and DeWalt are the best and you can get really good specials for skin only.
I choose Milwaukee and have never looked back.
"Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read." Frank Zappa 1980
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The 15 amp Skil saw is promising to be able to pull more power than the 13 amp one, so it should be less likely to slow down in the middle of a cut.
You will also need a 14 gauge extension cord to reduce the power loss as heat in the cord. (And don't keep the cord tightly wound up while it's being heated.)
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I do a fair bit of home renovation and odd jobs for others. My advice is to buy the best you can justify spending. If $50 buys a better tool, then spend it - you won't regret it. I used to purchase "bargain" tools but got frustrated because they wore out in the middle of projects, or produced dubious results. For my money I'd avoid B&D as they just don't last.
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend; inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. -- Groucho Marx
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Picture the scene (you may wish to close your eyes for the first bit): I'm having a shower. I'm wet, my hair is wet - and it's long hair, this pony has been growing for twenty years and I can use it as a blindfold if necessary - I reach for the towel, and the cat lets himself in. This is not a good sign, he prefers to have his Pink Blobs act as doorman.
Then he starts yowling. This is his "I caught this!" noise. He strolls past the bathroom and I can see it's quite large, probably mammalian. And moving. It's a mole. A live mole.
So ... throw clothes onto wet body, find glasses - kitchen so they don't steam up - find cat: mud patch on carpet, no mole. Cat looking intently at the chair under the stairs ... The very heavy chair under the stairs. Right beside the "miscellaneous pile of cr@p" under the stairs which is Herself's filing system.
Ten minutes to shift this lot, carefully (don't want to hurt or alarm the rodent, no idea how fast they can run but I do know they can dig like crazy) - it's (hopefully) contained, let's try and leave it that way.
Spot the bugger: snuggled into a corner with it's head under some "essential important object" that Herself hasn't touched in a few years. Pint glass in one hand, I grab with the other, and boom! It's in the glass, upside down, very angry and swearing it's head off in Moleman. Cat watches this process with a faintly amused "is that the best hunting you can do?" look on his furry face. Does he help? Does he buggery.
Over the road, release mole to hopefully have a good life.
Oh well, I needed to hoover under that chair, it's been a while ...
And at least I'm dry now, except for my hair.
Total today: 2 birds (dead), 1 mole (live). Remind me again why we have a cat, will you?
Sent from my Amstrad PC 1640
Never throw anything away, Griff
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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OriginalGriff wrote: Remind me again why we have a cat, will you?
Instead of kids maybe?
"The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012
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I'm an experienced mouse hunter, up to three mice a day, and I can tell you that the best weapon was within reach while you were in the shower: a towel !
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If I had up to 3 mouse a day to hunt down I would be forced to move (by wife)... And I live in the forest practically...
"The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012
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