Best Battery Lawn Tool Brands - Consumer Reports
Best Battery Lawn Tool Brands - Consumer Reports
Who makes quality hand tools, power tools, lawn and garden ...
As much as I hate to spend the money, I like MAC tools and the snap on end wrenches are hard to beat I have been dragging around the same pair of pliers on my hip since high school, they have been to several continents, and they still are sharp and tight (well worth the $35 to the snap on man in ). for cordless tools we love milwakee and Makita (for chainsaws too).
Lawn and garden: we have a land pride mower ZTR almost the same vintage as the above mentioned pliers, that mowed commercial for a few years, then about 5 acres a week since, with no major repairs, I will never have any other brand of mower, period. we like echo for weed eaters, leaf blowers etc. affordable and a 5 year warranty is great.
As far as woodworking goes, we have had great luck with evolution miter saws and circular saws, they are just tough, and can cut steel or wood with nails if need be, and one of their plants is in Davenport IA, about an hour from here, great customer service and product support. All of my other woodworking tools are at least 20 years older than me, and I would not trade them for new on my life.
IMO harbor freight is not a tool store, it is a cheap shortcut to an expensive ER visit. Best idea for stationary woodworking tools is buy used older name brands. Delta still makes a few US tools but most are offshored. New Unisaws still appear to be well built and get good reviews. Powermatic is totally offshored but they seem to have quality control at the factory. The functionality of power tools hasn't changed for a real long time, unless the tools have been abused, the only thing you may have to rebuild is a motor and usually the only reason a motor is no good is if the feeder circuit was too small. The older motors are usually made to be rebuilt and usually just need bearings. A very important thing to note is there is lot of old commercial and industrial equipment floating around, its usually heavy duty but a lot of it is three phase equipment. Few folks have three phase power so they either need a new motor or they need a phase converter. A new motor may or may not be simple as some motors like table saw motors are usually custom frames so they don't interchange with standard frames. Other motors are standard frames and usually can be swapped. About the biggest electric motor you can drive with 220 volt single phase AC is 3 HP and even that is pushing it. The alternative is a three phase converter. They used to be quite complex but you can now by a variable speed drive that uses single phase input and puts out 3 phase output. They are a nice solution as they normally can be set up for a slow speed startup which reduces current inrush compared to across the line starting. One thing that has improved is the fence systems on table saws. The Biesemeyer fence is major improvement over older standard fences. Note Delta did make lower grade contractor table saws for years that were good for what they were designed for but no substitute for a cabinet saw. I haven't been in the market for new stationary tools for quite a few years but in my area, there were a couple of dealers that would snap up older woodworking equipment from places like Craigslist and would resell them, they basically just clean them up, fix basic issues and resell them.
One hint for getting good equipment is to keep an eye out for estate sales. There really is no good substitute for heavy duty construction and that means the tools weigh a lot and are difficult to move. If you have a heavy duty appliance dolly, basic rigging tools and truck that you can load you frequently can get deals. The reality is the market for stationary power tools for a homeowner is dropping precipitously, few millennials have ever had shop class and the few who did would prefer to go to a "maker space" where they can share tools and socialize. There is lot of old very good equipment sitting in the basements of homes where the husband has passed and no one in the family wants the equipment. If you go in with cash and are equipped to move it right then and there, cash talks. Usually the sellers will throw in the accessories including the tooling.
Generally a good indication for stationary woodworking tools is its crap if Home Depot or Lowes stocks it. The old firms like Delta have prostituted themselves by making home owner grade junk just to skim some of the market but its usually just offshored stuff with US logo.
I know a few folks who have had good luck with Grizzly tools, its all off shore production but they do seem to do some quality control. That said I have met two folks over the years who have had to return equipment due to obvious defects. The replacements were fine but its obvious that they don't have full control over their suppliers.
Milwaukee corded power tools still seem to be high quality but I have been bit disappointed with the quality of the cordless tools. They still look good and work but its obvious that they are built to a slightly lower standard. Corded Milwaukee tools can be repaired but its usually not worth it as the mark up on parts and the cost for labor makes it not worth it. Thank you Buzzsaw, Hogwildz, lost in the woods, StihlKicking, Jags, peakbagger, greg13 and jatoxico for all your advice. I appreciate the advice to look for older stuff at estate sales, flea markets and pawn shops. I've some old Milwaukee and even a larger Black and Decker drill that will last forever, purchased that way. Didn't know Black and Decker ever made quality power tools prior to that purchase. Jatoxico, didn't know Fiskars made equipment outside of axes, thanks. Wonder if they make a mattock? Greg13 and StihlKicking, I'll look into Mac and Matco lines. Stihl's chainsaws still seem a good bet, I use my MS 362 all the time, Their Chinese made carbs on their weed-eaters aren't worth a damn.
Jags, you're right about those old cast iron tools lasting. My first experience with Chinese junk was the purchase of a vise. It has but one moving part and they managed to make that bind. My late Dad's vise from the year one continues to work perfectly, unfortunately at by my brother-in-law's house. Buzzsaw, you're lucky to get Channelocks every Christmas. That's all I have in pliers and the like, other than one set of Bluepoint tongue and grooves. Makes for a nice display hanging on the wall in the garage. Inherited some of my grandpa's old William's box end wrenches as well, although some of them are stripped.
Peakbagger, appreciate your advice on three phase equipment, especially the 3-phase converters. Any particular models I could look into? Also, I've heard like you, Powermatic's quality control in Asia has deteriorated. I've been looking at some of their older floor-standing equipment on eBay, but have to figure out what year they stated declining. I was looking at their current model bandsaw at the local Woodcraft Supply outlet. They told me to avoid the Powermatic model, but instead recommended some brands I was unfamiliar with. (Laguna?, maybe was one of them). I usually don't trust salespeople anyway. Built my house largely with an older Delta contractor table saw and an Hitachi compound miter saw. Always wanted a Unisaw with a Biemeyer fence. I wonder if Grizzly might be one of the companies selling stationary woodworking equipment that comes out of a factory in Taiwan and is relabeled as various other brands.
Peakbagger, I'll keep my eyes open for estate or private sales. I purchased an old pallet jack to move my wood boiler, that may come in handy moving heavier equipment. Good tip. I didn't know shop classes have disappeared. What a shame. Before Delta started making second rate equipment, I always wanted to replicate our old High School wood shop's floor-standing Delta equipment at home. That's the only part of school I liked. Never heard of a "maker space" either.
Thanks again all.
Mike
As far as wood working equipment goes. I have allot of grizzly stuff mainly because I live 30 mins from a showroom (that they just closed) And they do have good stuff they also have junk you really have to be careful buying from them. Last I heard General still made very good tools. And there is allot of very good woodworking equipment that comes from Germany and some from Italy.
As far as handheld power tools go I use only Milwaukee cordless tools they work well and have a fantastic warantee. If they break within 5 years they will fix it. We use our tools very hard so they will break and it is nice to know we can send them back and get them fixed for free. For corded stuff I have some Milwaukee allot of Bosch and some Dewalt. I try to stay away from Dewalt but we use their angle grinders because no matter what grinder we buy we will destroy them cutting out mortar joints so we get the Dewalts that are readily available and relatively cheap The Grizzly tools I have seen over the years seem to be a standard pattern sold by other firms. The old Woodworkers Supply equipment looked identical to Grizzly except for the paint job. The motors on the Woodworkers Supply tools were real junk, I remember being in store one time where they were opening up crates of new equipment to supply motors to customers whose motors had failed. Grizzly's claim to fame is that they have QC inspectors at the actual factory's. I have a four post Delta planer that is a Taiwanese import. It was designed by Delta and built pretty well but its obvious that the prints got circulated around as there are many clones. I was looking for a spiral cutter head for that particular model and the same cutter head fits multiple models from different manufacturers. Stationary power tools take a lot of castings and machining and that has mostly gone off shore.
That's the issue that most US manufacturers that outsourced production to China found out, the prints would get sent over and one shop might have done a good job but once the order was filled the shop would keep producing the equipment and would outsource parts to other firms that would cut corners, next thing the US manufacturer would be competing with clones of their own gear. About 30 years ago I went to a big machine tool show in Chicago, Bridgeport was still making milling machines in the US and they had a big fancy display, I went into one of the back halls and there were 5 or 6 Korean, Taiwanese and Japanese companies selling identical looking equipment for 1/4 of the price. Some of them would ship with a crate full of spare parts almost enough to build another Bridgeport.
I don't know enough folks who have bought AC VF drives to recommend a brand. Hard to go wrong with a GE (broken link removed to https://www.wolfautomation.com/products/ac-drives/ac-drive-3hp-230v-single-phase-). I know two folks who have bought drives from Automation Direct but it looks like they only go up to 2 HP. Both are still running.
Lawn and garden: we have a land pride mower ZTR almost the same vintage as the above mentioned pliers, that mowed commercial for a few years, then about 5 acres a week since, with no major repairs, I will never have any other brand of mower, period. we like echo for weed eaters, leaf blowers etc. affordable and a 5 year warranty is great.
As far as woodworking goes, we have had great luck with evolution miter saws and circular saws, they are just tough, and can cut steel or wood with nails if need be, and one of their plants is in Davenport IA, about an hour from here, great customer service and product support. All of my other woodworking tools are at least 20 years older than me, and I would not trade them for new on my life.
IMO harbor freight is not a tool store, it is a cheap shortcut to an expensive ER visit. Best idea for stationary woodworking tools is buy used older name brands. Delta still makes a few US tools but most are offshored. New Unisaws still appear to be well built and get good reviews. Powermatic is totally offshored but they seem to have quality control at the factory. The functionality of power tools hasn't changed for a real long time, unless the tools have been abused, the only thing you may have to rebuild is a motor and usually the only reason a motor is no good is if the feeder circuit was too small. The older motors are usually made to be rebuilt and usually just need bearings. A very important thing to note is there is lot of old commercial and industrial equipment floating around, its usually heavy duty but a lot of it is three phase equipment. Few folks have three phase power so they either need a new motor or they need a phase converter. A new motor may or may not be simple as some motors like table saw motors are usually custom frames so they don't interchange with standard frames. Other motors are standard frames and usually can be swapped. About the biggest electric motor you can drive with 220 volt single phase AC is 3 HP and even that is pushing it. The alternative is a three phase converter. They used to be quite complex but you can now by a variable speed drive that uses single phase input and puts out 3 phase output. They are a nice solution as they normally can be set up for a slow speed startup which reduces current inrush compared to across the line starting. One thing that has improved is the fence systems on table saws. The Biesemeyer fence is major improvement over older standard fences. Note Delta did make lower grade contractor table saws for years that were good for what they were designed for but no substitute for a cabinet saw. I haven't been in the market for new stationary tools for quite a few years but in my area, there were a couple of dealers that would snap up older woodworking equipment from places like Craigslist and would resell them, they basically just clean them up, fix basic issues and resell them.
One hint for getting good equipment is to keep an eye out for estate sales. There really is no good substitute for heavy duty construction and that means the tools weigh a lot and are difficult to move. If you have a heavy duty appliance dolly, basic rigging tools and truck that you can load you frequently can get deals. The reality is the market for stationary power tools for a homeowner is dropping precipitously, few millennials have ever had shop class and the few who did would prefer to go to a "maker space" where they can share tools and socialize. There is lot of old very good equipment sitting in the basements of homes where the husband has passed and no one in the family wants the equipment. If you go in with cash and are equipped to move it right then and there, cash talks. Usually the sellers will throw in the accessories including the tooling.
Generally a good indication for stationary woodworking tools is its crap if Home Depot or Lowes stocks it. The old firms like Delta have prostituted themselves by making home owner grade junk just to skim some of the market but its usually just offshored stuff with US logo.
I know a few folks who have had good luck with Grizzly tools, its all off shore production but they do seem to do some quality control. That said I have met two folks over the years who have had to return equipment due to obvious defects. The replacements were fine but its obvious that they don't have full control over their suppliers.
Milwaukee corded power tools still seem to be high quality but I have been bit disappointed with the quality of the cordless tools. They still look good and work but its obvious that they are built to a slightly lower standard. Corded Milwaukee tools can be repaired but its usually not worth it as the mark up on parts and the cost for labor makes it not worth it. Thank you Buzzsaw, Hogwildz, lost in the woods, StihlKicking, Jags, peakbagger, greg13 and jatoxico for all your advice. I appreciate the advice to look for older stuff at estate sales, flea markets and pawn shops. I've some old Milwaukee and even a larger Black and Decker drill that will last forever, purchased that way. Didn't know Black and Decker ever made quality power tools prior to that purchase. Jatoxico, didn't know Fiskars made equipment outside of axes, thanks. Wonder if they make a mattock? Greg13 and StihlKicking, I'll look into Mac and Matco lines. Stihl's chainsaws still seem a good bet, I use my MS 362 all the time, Their Chinese made carbs on their weed-eaters aren't worth a damn.
Jags, you're right about those old cast iron tools lasting. My first experience with Chinese junk was the purchase of a vise. It has but one moving part and they managed to make that bind. My late Dad's vise from the year one continues to work perfectly, unfortunately at by my brother-in-law's house. Buzzsaw, you're lucky to get Channelocks every Christmas. That's all I have in pliers and the like, other than one set of Bluepoint tongue and grooves. Makes for a nice display hanging on the wall in the garage. Inherited some of my grandpa's old William's box end wrenches as well, although some of them are stripped.
Peakbagger, appreciate your advice on three phase equipment, especially the 3-phase converters. Any particular models I could look into? Also, I've heard like you, Powermatic's quality control in Asia has deteriorated. I've been looking at some of their older floor-standing equipment on eBay, but have to figure out what year they stated declining. I was looking at their current model bandsaw at the local Woodcraft Supply outlet. They told me to avoid the Powermatic model, but instead recommended some brands I was unfamiliar with. (Laguna?, maybe was one of them). I usually don't trust salespeople anyway. Built my house largely with an older Delta contractor table saw and an Hitachi compound miter saw. Always wanted a Unisaw with a Biemeyer fence. I wonder if Grizzly might be one of the companies selling stationary woodworking equipment that comes out of a factory in Taiwan and is relabeled as various other brands.
Peakbagger, I'll keep my eyes open for estate or private sales. I purchased an old pallet jack to move my wood boiler, that may come in handy moving heavier equipment. Good tip. I didn't know shop classes have disappeared. What a shame. Before Delta started making second rate equipment, I always wanted to replicate our old High School wood shop's floor-standing Delta equipment at home. That's the only part of school I liked. Never heard of a "maker space" either.
Thanks again all.
Mike
Their Chinese made carbs on their weed-eaters aren't worth a damn.Their lower end stuff uses Chinese components some are even Chinese made but their pro stuff is still very good
As far as wood working equipment goes. I have allot of grizzly stuff mainly because I live 30 mins from a showroom (that they just closed) And they do have good stuff they also have junk you really have to be careful buying from them. Last I heard General still made very good tools. And there is allot of very good woodworking equipment that comes from Germany and some from Italy.
As far as handheld power tools go I use only Milwaukee cordless tools they work well and have a fantastic warantee. If they break within 5 years they will fix it. We use our tools very hard so they will break and it is nice to know we can send them back and get them fixed for free. For corded stuff I have some Milwaukee allot of Bosch and some Dewalt. I try to stay away from Dewalt but we use their angle grinders because no matter what grinder we buy we will destroy them cutting out mortar joints so we get the Dewalts that are readily available and relatively cheap The Grizzly tools I have seen over the years seem to be a standard pattern sold by other firms. The old Woodworkers Supply equipment looked identical to Grizzly except for the paint job. The motors on the Woodworkers Supply tools were real junk, I remember being in store one time where they were opening up crates of new equipment to supply motors to customers whose motors had failed. Grizzly's claim to fame is that they have QC inspectors at the actual factory's. I have a four post Delta planer that is a Taiwanese import. It was designed by Delta and built pretty well but its obvious that the prints got circulated around as there are many clones. I was looking for a spiral cutter head for that particular model and the same cutter head fits multiple models from different manufacturers. Stationary power tools take a lot of castings and machining and that has mostly gone off shore.
That's the issue that most US manufacturers that outsourced production to China found out, the prints would get sent over and one shop might have done a good job but once the order was filled the shop would keep producing the equipment and would outsource parts to other firms that would cut corners, next thing the US manufacturer would be competing with clones of their own gear. About 30 years ago I went to a big machine tool show in Chicago, Bridgeport was still making milling machines in the US and they had a big fancy display, I went into one of the back halls and there were 5 or 6 Korean, Taiwanese and Japanese companies selling identical looking equipment for 1/4 of the price. Some of them would ship with a crate full of spare parts almost enough to build another Bridgeport.
I don't know enough folks who have bought AC VF drives to recommend a brand. Hard to go wrong with a GE (broken link removed to https://www.wolfautomation.com/products/ac-drives/ac-drive-3hp-230v-single-phase-). I know two folks who have bought drives from Automation Direct but it looks like they only go up to 2 HP. Both are still running.
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