Looking at getting cordless circular saw and drill combo... Any recommendations? (1 Viewer)

[jeff lam]

I am looking into getting small versitile cordless tools for small projects and building speakers. I was wondering what you guys recommend... (Hank, Brian, others...)

Was looking into the dewalt 18V ones but I just dont know that much about quality and value of the many brands. HD caries Ridgid and claim they are better than Dewalt. I figure Ryobi is low end due to the price being half as much. Anyway, I need a good quality but not too expensive cordless saw. A combo would be great but i'm mainly looking at the circular saw for cutting panels.

I already have the dewalt 621 plunge router and love the thing. So i trust the dewalt quality although I heard they have dropped the ball lately on their new gear???

I'm open to any brands that offer excellent quality at a good value.
Any help would be appreciated... Thanks!

 

[Herb Michelli]

I just replaced my craftsman cordles drill with the dewalt 983ka 14.4 volt. It has the extended run time with 3 speeds and I love it. Im looking for anything that I can put a screw in. I was in debate between dewalt and rigid, but I got a great deal on ebay so I could not pass it up. Good Luck

 

[Jasen Chandler]

I have both Ryobi and Dewalt tools. My Ryobi stuff is from thier "jobsite" line which is pretty great stuff. Honestly they perform just as good and have taken just as much abuse as my dewalt stuff has.

When I go to grab a tool I grab the one with that is closest that is how close they are in performance. My Ryobi drill does have some nice features like a magnet just above the battery that is nice to put screws on. In fact, I have a ryobi 12 v drill that is 6 years old now and performs awesome, I have used the hell out of it, both batteries still hold an awesome charge.

Rigid makes awesome tools. I have a corded rigid sawzall that is tough.

If you are looking for a circular to cut panels for speaker boxes or for thicker wood, get a corded worm drive circular like the skill Mag77. These saws have a tremendous amount of power and thier weight and balance make them easy to keep on a straight line.

 

[Jason Dalton]

For cutting panels I would go with a corded saw. I haven't used many cordless ones, but the ones I have used have been pretty weak.


Also, I have been impressed by the Rigid line. A friend of mine has a couple of Rigid sanders, man are they nice! They make my Porter-Cable sander feel like a toy. I can definitely see myself purchasing some Rigid tools in the future.

 

[Mike_Bauer]

I have had good luck with the Ryobi 18 volt systems. Circular saw, drill, etc. Home Depot usually has some good buys

 

[Eddie Horton]

Ditto on my Ryobi set. I've used and abused them on various around the house projects for several years now, and they're still going strong.

 

[Todd Hostettler]

Another Ryobi vote.

I was in Home Despot the other week and noticed they finally released a cordless sander for their 18v line.

I squealed like a little girl... which normally doesn't go over well in HD.