Power tool choices, Need some help

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Procarp john

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Hey guys 23-year tradesman here. Recently Milwaukee has denied a couple of my warranty issues with some tools that were totally bogus. I have been a Milwaukee guy since the beginning and the tools are breaking very quickly. I'm thinking about making a move and it's a big change for me in tools. I wanted to get your opinion on what brand of tools are working for you? Thanks my brothers
 

Tughillrzr

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Love the tools. Usually no problems.
But I do own a ton more of rigid and never been denied warranty repairs and it’s lifetime on batteries. Just make sure to register the tools. Rigid is coming out with a variety of new tools this year. You try to see if a different repair shop will handle it?
 

James Henry

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Go to Lowe's and check out their inventory. Lowe's will let you return just about anything for any reason.
P.S. I own some Ridged tools but I would still investigate Lowe's.
 

Tuttles Revenge

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My guys have a mix of mostly Milwaukee but I do see some Dewalt out in their trucks.
 

Martin Boring

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I have ran Dewalt 18V for years with no issues. I have been around Rigid and didn't care for the drill chuck just didn't seem to stay tight. I did buy a Milwaukee PEX tool coming up three years ago and haven't had a issue with it yet.
 

Procarp john

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I've done some research,
Milwaukee Makita and DeWalt have removed their warranties if you read the fine print 100%. After reading up on each of the companies off there websites I think I'm moving to Hilti.
 

WorthFlorida

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Warranty's can kill a company. As everyone knows, all tools eventually wear out or break therefore, the warranty might read "the life of the tool" or "manufacture defects" or " "limited" lifetime warranty. I worked at Sears for 11 years and it was a constant fight on warranty issues. Sears lifetime warranty were for non electric hand tools only, many thought is was all Craftsman tools. We had one guy that would buy old craftsman hand tools at garage sales, then come in with a box full of old but good sockets and want each replaced. The manager said sure, at one piece per week we'll do an exchanged. That guy probably went to another Sears store. During the 1990's when Best Buy got a big foothold of the market share taking customers from Sears, they got caught up on warranty cost. Suddenly they has huge signs on the wall by the registers about returns and warranty disclosures.

The real problem is too many abuse warranty claims and will lie outright in front of you, unfortunately, honest people lose out.
 

WorthFlorida

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I've done some research,
Milwaukee Makita and DeWalt have removed their warranties if you read the fine print 100%. After reading up on each of the companies off there websites I think I'm moving to Hilti.
Web sites usually won't state where the tools are manufactured but I haven't found a single DeWalt electric tool not made in China.
 

JohnCT

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Web sites usually won't state where the tools are manufactured but I haven't found a single DeWalt electric tool not made in China.

Being made in China isn't the problem necessarily. I mean, they have the modern machine tools and technology to make pretty much anything that will be as good as domestic, but it comes down to money. You can go to a trade show and sign up with a Chinese company who will build you anything you want if you enter a bonded contract to purchase a certain amount. They'll build the tools, print the instructions, and box them just like you want. It's up to the buyer just how good a tool (in this case) they want. Because labor is cheaper there, most items built in China are done for price, and there's a lot of junk that comes out of China for sure.

If Milwaukee, DeWalt, Rigid, etc. has a tool built in China, it's up the them to determine how good a tool they will get off the boat.

John
 

WorthFlorida

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Unfortunately, it is not the quality problem for China made goods, it was where the great middle America moved too. At one time probably millions of Americans manufactured everything from toasters, nail clippers to spigots and faucets that supported their small towns. Now we are caught with chip shortages because there is not one chip plant in the USA making chip for the auto industry. Even Lionel trains, one of the most Americana icons, are all made in China. It's always "we need to save the company to be competitive", but it only means lower cost for the product, not necessarily lower the retail cost. Because of China, we can buy iPhones at $1100, however, some parts are USA made. It's a battle that my baby boomer generation started.
 
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Plumbs

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I've had great luck with Ridgid tools. I even had them send me a brand new reciprocating saw and batteries to replace some that were over 10 years old. It's nice not having to spend almost $100 a year replacing batteries like I used to do with dewalts.
 
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