I have just made a new trigger part for one of my rifles. It was a foray into the area of making a very close tolerance part out of steel. My first thought was that a Dremel rotary tool would be needed so off I went. The prices for what I wanted were too high for me so I went to an auto supply shop and bought a Rockwell tool on a black Friday special. Rockwell might be an America. brand name but this tool was made in China. It was well presented and so far it works satisfactorily. As it turns out the tool was no substitute for a bench grinder, good files and a lathe mounted sanding disc.It might be handy in time to come but I am pleased that I did not spend a lot of money on something that I didn't really need.
When I was working construction, I used mainly Hilti and Milwaukee with some Makita. All the DeWalt guys would heckle me... But they realized sooner, not later, their DeWalt tools didn't hold up to commercial, and more importantly, industrial use, the way my Milwaukee stuff did.I don't have any DeWalt cordless tools; don't intend to change that, either.The funny thing- my brother in law is- among several other titles- tool buyer for Dominion Power. He refuses to approve DeWalt tools when any of the lineman need equipment. |Hilti, Milwaukee, Makita, even Ryobi can handle the use and abuse. But his experience with DeWalt mimics mine- good enough for home use only. I'm not saying it is junk- it isn't. But I've only broken one Milwaukee tool in 3+ decades of using them, and technically it was a neighbor who broke it using my Hole-Hawg as a freaking cut-off tool cutting up a trailer using angle-grinder wheels (not cut-off wheels!). Yeah, I never loaned that bozo a tool ever again. "This thing doesn't cut very well..." yeah, no joke- max RPM is like 1200 RPM on hi-speed range. Using an angle-grinder wheel as a cut-off wheel is stupid enough, but at only 1200 RPM, you'll be there FOREVER. Or until the helical overheats, all the grease boils out, and the helical eats itself.Meanwhile I've seen co-workers drop a DeWalt 3/8 impact driver off a 6 foot ladder, land on the collet, and when picked up, metals chunks fall off the tool. Even my ancient Ryobi (the blue 18v unit) has survives falls off a roof.However- I do have a DeWalt corded portable table saw- I usually use 7 1/4 blades in it, not the bigger 8 1/4 (mainly to take advantage of slightly narrower kerfs and more blade options) and it's been a good saw. Cut a lot of trim, repaired more than a few paddles (mostly Bending Branch), and handled a lot o household projects. I first tried Metabo (Hitachi, another name I once trusted) and had to return (stripped worm gear on blade height adjuster), then a Makita (misaligned frame; could never get the blade to sit true).
Battery tool prices are insane.I'm just glad Home Depot has Ryobi Days in the summer, the prices aren't necessarily cheap and you're not getting the largest premium max output batteries but you can get a bit of a deal plus usually pick a free tool which takes some of the sting off.If I needed better I get it, but Ryobi tools work for me and are pretty darn decent these days.I can remember a time when the only affordable cordless power tools were Black & Decker stick battery garbage, but now even the cheapest budget drill that Harbor freight sells for under $20 blows that junk out of the water.
Any of you boys have a saw blade on your weed eater? Seriously considering buying one. Cuts faster through limbs than my chain saw!
I think I'll stick with a pole saw. Last thing I need is a saw blade frisbee flying out of control.
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