I agree. I have loads of the ryobi kit, its only ok for serious hobby use, not 24-7 professional abuse. The cost do reflect that though.
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MattF
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I'm still waiting for the Procore batteries to become anything less than "How much?".
The prices now though are really not much difference to Milwaukee DeWalt or makitas older models. Most places still have older brushed kits available that where once top of the range and are still very decent tools but significantly cheaper than the current top brushless kit.
I have all brushed kit for work and never feel I want more. Sometimes the duty cycles army as good but rarely a problem in reality.
MattF
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I have a mix of both, & I can honestly say I generally find brushed as capable as brushless. I've never reached for brushless specifically. I'll use whichever I grab, if it's a tool I have in both types.
Onoff
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An 18V Makita fan here. One reason is the range of fake Makita tools you can buy that take the genuine batteries.
I also run a number of other brands off Makita batteries via 3D printed adapters. I am seriously impressed with the 36V Einhell hedge cutter and also chainsaw I have. It might be the Makita batteries they're running on but the Einhell build quality is really good too IMHO.
I also run a number of other brands off Makita batteries via 3D printed adapters. I am seriously impressed with the 36V Einhell hedge cutter and also chainsaw I have. It might be the Makita batteries they're running on but the Einhell build quality is really good too IMHO.
MetalMonkey
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No?
I think perhaps a picture will help.
Everything above the line is one platform and compatible with each other.
Everything below the line is a separate and different platform, but the this battery system is licenced for use for cordless tools by the various brands at the bottom.
Hopefully that makes it clearer.
You will have to excuse Mr cheapskate here, but depending on what you use them for, don't dismiss the cheap supermarket stuff (but look for reviews).
I would like to have branded gear but can't justify the money for the use I give them.
Don't expect the quality of the above branded kit, but if you are like me and use some of them so infrequently you can't justify branded costs, they are an option.
I use the Parkside range there are plenty of reviews on here. Don't expect the quality of the others, but when you can have a number of tools for the price you would pay for one, your toolkit becomes much more diverse.
Unfortunately you have to wait for when tools become available so you can't just go out and buy one.
I have an old Hitachi drill which has been great and has done a lot of work, but it is brushed and is suffering for that now - but that was a decent drill with a 13mm chuck and cost me over £165 without vat many years ago. I have a parkside drill now to use instead of the Hitachi. It's only a 10mm chuck (but it's a steel chuck, not the hated plastic ones) and to start with I was a bit disappointed. However I have been just been using it drilling 10mm holes in 10mm thick steel and it has worked fine. The drill bare unit cost £20!
You have to remember these would often be equivalent to the lower end of the branded range, but even so they can be useful bits of kit. Don't go expecting the impact wrench to be as powerful as the Milwaukee, as its nothing like, but I have still found it useful and it's had a lot of use. Also don't expect the battery to be as good. For me it's allowed me to have a range of kit for infrequent DIY use and it's worked well for me.
I have;
Impact wrench
Impact driver
Recip saw
Drill
Circular saw
Grinder
3x 4ah batteries
1x 2af battery
1 charger
All that for about £260 - but that was before the recent price rises.
It isn't the best kit, not really professional grade, but then I am not giving it professional abuse!
My apologies if I have lowered the tone, but just to give you an alternative
I would like to have branded gear but can't justify the money for the use I give them.
Don't expect the quality of the above branded kit, but if you are like me and use some of them so infrequently you can't justify branded costs, they are an option.
I use the Parkside range there are plenty of reviews on here. Don't expect the quality of the others, but when you can have a number of tools for the price you would pay for one, your toolkit becomes much more diverse.
Unfortunately you have to wait for when tools become available so you can't just go out and buy one.
I have an old Hitachi drill which has been great and has done a lot of work, but it is brushed and is suffering for that now - but that was a decent drill with a 13mm chuck and cost me over £165 without vat many years ago. I have a parkside drill now to use instead of the Hitachi. It's only a 10mm chuck (but it's a steel chuck, not the hated plastic ones) and to start with I was a bit disappointed. However I have been just been using it drilling 10mm holes in 10mm thick steel and it has worked fine. The drill bare unit cost £20!
You have to remember these would often be equivalent to the lower end of the branded range, but even so they can be useful bits of kit. Don't go expecting the impact wrench to be as powerful as the Milwaukee, as its nothing like, but I have still found it useful and it's had a lot of use. Also don't expect the battery to be as good. For me it's allowed me to have a range of kit for infrequent DIY use and it's worked well for me.
I have;
Impact wrench
Impact driver
Recip saw
Drill
Circular saw
Grinder
3x 4ah batteries
1x 2af battery
1 charger
All that for about £260 - but that was before the recent price rises.
It isn't the best kit, not really professional grade, but then I am not giving it professional abuse!
My apologies if I have lowered the tone, but just to give you an alternative
Trevorleach
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Bloke at work uses the parkside grinder/drill and I think ratchet, he seems happy enough with them.
MattF
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If it works, it works. Nowt wrong with using cheaper gear. I still do, on occasion. If it fits the need & does the job, what more can you ask?
Technically I don't need to buy pro gear, nowadays. I do so because I can, & because they generally have that slight extra finesse, either in feel/comfort, else operation. I merely spoil myself because I'm worth it.
Blicksheep
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Makita here. Loads of tools and 15 batteries. Never had a problem and quality kit which takes a beating and keeps performing. And I keep the batteries in good form using the radio for those weeks where I don’t need a tool
Works for me
Works for me
Kram
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I only have one brushless tool, a Katsu fakita chainsaw and I can say it has plenty of power and a huge upgrade over the brushed motor tools. It misses all the important safety features required of a chainsaw so cant recommend it.
If I were starting again I think Id buy a set of brushless Fakita tools paired with parkside batteries (not amazing but they are cheap).
I mostly have Lidl parkside 20v and 12v tools and batteries, generally they do what I need tho the grinder doesnt last long before it needs to cool down.
If I were starting again I think Id buy a set of brushless Fakita tools paired with parkside batteries (not amazing but they are cheap).
I mostly have Lidl parkside 20v and 12v tools and batteries, generally they do what I need tho the grinder doesnt last long before it needs to cool down.
Most of my kit is Dewalt but I have a fair bit of 14.4v Snap On stuff
I used to be a believer in one brand but I would rather have the tool that I like/suits my needs and the reality you just can't do that 100% with one brand.
The only failure I've ever had on my Dewalt kit is one battery and it only failed because my son ran it on a Ryobi adapter and cooked it.
My eldest is all Milwaukee and his stuff does get used hard but has had to send stuff back under warranty 4-5 times.
I used to be a believer in one brand but I would rather have the tool that I like/suits my needs and the reality you just can't do that 100% with one brand.
The only failure I've ever had on my Dewalt kit is one battery and it only failed because my son ran it on a Ryobi adapter and cooked it.
My eldest is all Milwaukee and his stuff does get used hard but has had to send stuff back under warranty 4-5 times.
I'm all into Milwaukee after replacing a few Snap-on battery tools at work and seeing how good the Milwaukee's were built.
Bought the Parkside Professional drill and was a bit disappointed as it's no where near the quality of my M12 Combi drill even after reading all the reviews bigging up the Parkside kit.
Saying all that I bought some Aldi 40v battery grinders (£20 each on offer?) And they've been excellent, one disk per tool rather than swapping about.
Bought the Parkside Professional drill and was a bit disappointed as it's no where near the quality of my M12 Combi drill even after reading all the reviews bigging up the Parkside kit.
Saying all that I bought some Aldi 40v battery grinders (£20 each on offer?) And they've been excellent, one disk per tool rather than swapping about.
Munkul
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I'm not meaning to diss on parkside/fakita, but honestly, it doesn't compare to proper professional grade tools.
I think the people who reckon it's good gear, don't use pro grade tools regularly to compare. And they also don't hammer their gear or use it to make money with.
And yes, I've had a couple of fakita and parkside bits to compare with milwaukee/makita/hilti.
Parkside stuff was OK, bit rough but did a job.
Fakita impact gun was ok. but underpowered compared to real one, but built well enough for light duty stuff
Fakita brushless grinder was absolute garbage. munched batteries, switchgear fell apart, handle and guard were turd, just absolute waste of time and money. Made the mistake of taking it to a site once, and it failed on me, so actually it cost me money to go home and get a different one.
A real Makita brushless variable speed grinder is worth every penny at £125-ish. The amount of work I've done with my two... mostly low speed high load stuff with flap discs and fibre wheels, which is harder on motors and batteries than high speed.
I think the people who reckon it's good gear, don't use pro grade tools regularly to compare. And they also don't hammer their gear or use it to make money with.
And yes, I've had a couple of fakita and parkside bits to compare with milwaukee/makita/hilti.
Parkside stuff was OK, bit rough but did a job.
Fakita impact gun was ok. but underpowered compared to real one, but built well enough for light duty stuff
Fakita brushless grinder was absolute garbage. munched batteries, switchgear fell apart, handle and guard were turd, just absolute waste of time and money. Made the mistake of taking it to a site once, and it failed on me, so actually it cost me money to go home and get a different one.
A real Makita brushless variable speed grinder is worth every penny at £125-ish. The amount of work I've done with my two... mostly low speed high load stuff with flap discs and fibre wheels, which is harder on motors and batteries than high speed.
I don't think you can blanket it so evenly. There are a few bits of parkside stuff that are really good. Equally some are awful.
I tend to buy parkside tools if I am unsure 0f the use they will get then if they get used heavily and die I buy a decent brand. But some items just won't die. There multi tool for example I have truly abused the vibrations are horrible but it won't die in 0rder for me to buy a name brand.
And the 12v interchangeable chuck drill driver is an awesome tool. I use it constantly and have no problems with it would recommend it to anyone, and I am not kind to tools atall. OTOH the belt sander died in short order, the router is **Language** and the compact recip saw doesn't cut. All have been replaced with big brands.
Onoff
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A very real downside is if this cheap stuff goes wrong you will very likely not be able to get spares. Buy it, keep the receipt and use the 3 year guarantee if it comes to it. I've invoked the Lidl Parkside 3-year guarantee twice, on the same (tbh useless 230V SDS drill). Initially dealing with Lidl in the UK was a bit of a nightmare from memory but once I got onto Kompernaß it was all German efficiency, RMA numbers by return and pre paid postage, easy drop off points. I got the same style brand new drill back. That then went wrong too! I did get another RMA back but it was mid Covid and I never sent the drill back. Pretty sure if I'd have bought a Makita 230V SDS I wouldn't have had any grief.
I totally agree Parkside really isn't aimed at pro users, but then you have a couple of things to consider. Using my gear doesn't earn me a living so if it fails its an inconvenience, not costing me £s, and the other thing I can't do is offset against costs and save 20% vat.
The parkside gear works well for me. Have given some pieces a bit of hammer and they have kept going (impact wrench, recip saw). The grinder has failed and I need to sort the warranty out, though that too has done some work.
I like the milwaukee stuff and would like to have the gear in that range, but that would likely be 1K+ so out of my price range.
If I was a professional tradesman would I turn up with only parkside gear - no, but I would have the odd occasional use item if it made life easier. You also have to remember that parkside has less magnetism to those that will gladly take other people's gear.
MattF
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