Which cordless kit? Craftsman or Porter Cable?

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mrsilv04

mrsilv04

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I'm needing a new cordless tool kit. My 14.4 Black and Decker Firestorm set is shot.

Here's the two choices. Prices are comparable with each other. I'm not a professional contractor. If I were, I'd buy a DeWalt kit and pay the price.

I'd be happy with either set, but I was curious about other viewpoints.

Contender #1 - Porter Cable 18v. Ni-cad.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_36099-79992-PC41...nicad-combo-kit

Contender #2 - Craftsman 19.2v. Ni-cad.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00911404000P?prdNo=5&blockNo=5&blockType=G5
 
I've had the Craftsman C-3 kit for about a year now. There are a lot of additional accessories to grow it. I been happy with it. The batteries when they go on sale go for a good price.
 
Either set is as good as the batteries. Batteries won't last long in a circular saw.
Cordless drills and cordless reciprocating saws have there uses.
A flashlight's a flashlight.
 
Originally Posted By: Y_K
I would not pay anything for Ni-Cd.


When the same kit with Li-ion is nearly twice as much?

Craftsman = $229
Porter Cable = $245
 
I see. Sorry. Then, try to stay on top of training cycles for the batteries to avoid a sudden power loss in the middle of a project. It may go down in half and then it takes a lot of time to kick the bucket, yet the power is dying and dying and dying
 
Originally Posted By: Y_K
I see. Sorry. Then, try to stay on top of training cycles for the batteries to avoid a sudden power loss in the middle of a project. It may go down in half and then it takes a lot of time to kick the bucket, yet the power is dying and dying and dying


There's nothing to be sorry about. I welcome your input.

If I knew that the Li-ion batteries had twice the run-time of Ni-cad, and had twice as many recharge cycles, then I'd more easily be able to understand the value.
 
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Originally Posted By: Y_K
I see. Sorry. Then, try to stay on top of training cycles for the batteries to avoid a sudden power loss in the middle of a project. It may go down in half and then it takes a lot of time to kick the bucket, yet the power is dying and dying and dying


There's nothing to be sorry about. I welcome your input.

If I knew that the Li-ion batteries had twice the run-time of Ni-cad, and had twice as many recharge cycles, then I'd more easily be able to understand the value.





Check out a website called 'battery university'. It has a lot of info on different battery types and their advantages/disadvantages. It's kinda like the BITOG of batteries.
 
Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
If I knew that the Li-ion batteries had twice the run-time of Ni-cad, and had twice as many recharge cycles, then I'd more easily be able to understand the value.

The latest crop does weigh half and serves 2-3 times longer like HXP batteries from Hitachi. Here is an example I am just a happy user
 
Personally, I'm not a big fan of Black & Decker (Porter Cable/DeWalt) tools. Parts availability doesn't seem to be very good, quality is no better than TTI (Ryobi/Ridgid/Milwaukee), and they are not as generous with the warranty as TTI.

If you do have a warranty issue with a Porter Cable and the store doesn't just give you a replacement, I'd suggest taking it to an actual DeWalt service center. The third party places that the big box stores tend to use don't get the support from Black & Decker that their own service centers do.

I don't have any recent experience with Craftsman. I do have a Craftsman drill with ni-cad batteries that's about 7-8 years old and still works great (with light use, I have a Hitachi for bigger tasks). I have no idea if their new products are made by the same supplier or have the same quality though.
 
I guess I should have shared that I have access to the same tools (corded versions) for jobs that require a heavier duty tool.

Dad still has a full set of Milwaukee corded tools from when he owned his Electrical Contracting business, and he only lives 15 minutes from me, round trip.

He has a Sawzall, a 1/2" right angle drill, a 3/8" Rotohammer, a builder's saw...etc.

So... these cordless tools are only going to see duty for lighter jobs. Otherwise, I'll get the right tool for the job from Dad.
 
Originally Posted By: TooManyWheels
Would having your existing battery packs rebuilt be enough to make your tools usefull again, or are the tools themselves worn out?


Thanks for mentioning this. I did consider it.

Both battery packs are shot. One *could* be rebuilt, but the other one cannot. Plus, the battery charger itself is shot.

In addition, the drill was starting to get some slop in it, and I'm afraid that it would have been the next to fail.

It seemed like it was a better use of my money to upgrade the entire set for $129... versus spending $35 for one battery pack, something less to have the other one rebuilt, and then who knows what for a charger, for a set of tools that are over 10 years old.
 
I've got a collection of 19.2v Craftsman tools (drill, jigsaw, flourescent light, 7" circular, sander, spiral saw, and 4 port charger. I've got the big Lithium battery, small lithium battery and 3 NiCad's.

That being said I don't think I'd buy them again. Why? Sears seems to be abandoning the C3 line. You can't get any of the "different" tools - the spiral saw is nowhere to be found, they had a cool fan, there used to be a caulk gun, airless paint sprayer, staple gun, and a few other neat tools. The Craftsman C3 line is made by TTI and they also make Ryobi and all those tools are still available in Ryobi. I'd look into the Ryobi 18v line as it's a decent line and you get a lot for the $.

Performance wise the tools have been great. We're in the middle of a gut and remodel of our basement. I've been using the tools heavily and they have not disappointed. The circular will blow through a NiCad like crazy but with the big LiIon it's pretty serviceable for 2x4's and the occasional sheet of plywood. The drill has sunk tons of drywall screws and the sander has sanded a bit.

Another option for occasional use would be a 12V system. I fell in love with the compact size of the tools and have started a collection of the Milwaukee M12 system with a hammerdrill, impact driver, and oscillating tool. They have great power and decent battery life. It's something to think about.
 
The Porter Cable set you mentioned was going for $129 at Lowe's on Black Friday. I would have bought that set, but I'm not in the market for a new set.

It included 2 batteries as well. For $129 that's one great price. Not sure when the sale will be over.

Regards, JC.
 
I love Craftsman, but not their power tools anymore. They're made in China by a Chinese company called Chervon (not Chevron) and lower grade.

What do you expect for such a cheap price too? You'll be buying them again in a couple of years.

B&D tools range from total nylon gears plastic thing for well, cheap prices ($35) for an orange B&D to some good DeWalt or P-C stuff that is on the top end, with mixed quality in between.

I would buy a Panasonic driver (they make their own batteries and they're the best) will last most of your life or a Milwaukee or a Bosch. The recip saw - a Milwaukee, and the circular saw - the same.
 
For $140 out the door, I'm going to try the Porter Cable kit. It states that it comes with a 90 day "return it for any reason" return policy.

As the Ni-cad batteries that it comes with wear out, I can switch over to Li-ion if I want to. Hopefully, by that point in time, the Li-ion batteries will have come down in price.

I'm a little shocked that some of the Li-ion battery packs for power tools cost as much as an 84 month battery for my truck.

Plus, I like the "family" of products that Porter Cable belongs to... DeWalt/Porter Cable/Black and Decker. I've had good luck with my B&D kit, it was a good set for what I paid for it.... so I'll give them my business again.
 
For that price you can't go wrong. That's only $35 per tool, not including the batteries, charger, and bag...great deal.

Some Li-ion batteries retail for as much as $200 a piece. $100-$150 is more typical, but some are ridiculous.
 
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