There was a post a while back, complaining that Craftsmen changes their battery style when they introduce new tools. So their batteries may not be compatible with their older ones (why?)--just something to watch for.

Also....it can be harder than you think to tell what's USA made. I have some USA-made Makita tools. USA brands may not be USA made, so it's worth a 2nd look. Then there's the question of where a tool's "innards" are manufactured. Just for what it's worth.

There does seem to be agreement to avoid Ryobi for all but occasional use...

Have to agree. I bought a Ryobi router kit at HD. Soon as I got home, went to Ryobi's web site to see what attachments I could get for it. Couldn't even find it listed under their products. Looked up Service Centers and found 1 for my area (N. TX). I called them and they said they no longer service Ryobi cause it's just too hard to get parts. The local HD couldn't tell me squat, so I returned it and bought a PC off of ebay. Some folks swear by Ryobi, but I refuse to buy products from a company who is so non-responsive, no matter how much cheaper they are.

Please let me add my story. While finishing my basement in Feb. I knocked my Ryobi drill off the ladder and broke the handle off.Went to H.D. to buy a new one and found a better deal for a 12v drill and hand vacuum so I bought it.By May the charger stopped working. Went to the website and as you know found that to be worthless.I sent the charger to a listed repair facility in my area with a copy of the receipt,whats wrong with it,etc.I never heard from them and they say they never recieved it.Bull****.I went back to H.D. and told them the story. They gave me a new combo drill/vac for no cost.Great.The charger stopped working after the first charge.I went back,talked to the same guy.He said he would talk to a Ryobi rep.I get home and there is a message from H.D. to bring back the combo for anotherone.I do this.He talks me into going to a 14v combo drill.flashlight for 25 dollars more.I like it and found that it comes with a more sophisticated charger that charges in one hour.He also told me that H.D. owns Ryobi and therefore can afford to just give this stuff away when it doesn't work.
Im charging for the first time now so it will be interesting to see if it is working.

Sorry to hear the bad news about Ryobi, but I agree and am inclined to purchase USA brands. Craftsman plainly states,"made in China" on all of their cordless products. I have had good luck with Porter Cable and Milwaukee. However, since I use cordless drills everyday, I have strayed back to "corded" tools. The reason being, I had a Milwaukee cordless combo: 18 Volt drill and sawzall. I recently changed out the battery in the drill, and the battery started smoking. To make a long story short, a replacement battery costs: $85.00. A new corded drill cost $94.00.

Wow, sorry to hear about your Milwaukee, seems like they ought to replace that battery for free, their reputation is gold.

I just recently bought a Dewalt 18v combo and love it, except the circ saw, cordless saws just aren't there yet. Love the 1/2" drill and the recip, didn't know what I was missing not having that kind of power available!

FWIW, I hear Rigid cordless tools come with free battery replacement for life of the tool, don't know if it's true but probably lot's of conditions to that.

Friends don't let friends buy Ryobi.

Many of S e a r 's tools are made by Ryobi

[This message has been edited by Piffin (edited December 06, 2003).]

Glad Tom said it....Craftsman's imports all the way, but you can usually get stellar service.

Rigid is Home Depot's pet brand and they are TEMPORARILY offering free battery replacement for life as a promo...which is a pretty solid deal. I just spent way too much on a Dewalt 18v cordless drill, but it's a keeper.

Overall, I can't see the appeal of the cordless combo's and such. You get much more power, features, and reliability from a decent corded brand. I'm not a huge woodworker, but I've never been dying for a cordless circular saw....

And the service life of ALL of these rechargable batteries is about 4 years TOPS...then you're looking at 80 bucks a whack to replace them....no thanks. I've got a top quality circular saw, jigsaw, and orbital sander passed down from my old man that have been in service for many years with zero hassle....except for the arduous task of plugging them in.

-Jeff

Well said Jeff. Rigid is import too. I looked at them in H Depot. Hard to believe huh? A well known USA company in Elvrya, Ohio going overseas on us. The cordless craze is more of a convenience factor. Agreed nobody wants a cord hanging down a ladder. I do find myself asking a repetitive question to homeowners,"excuse me maam, Do you have an outlet down here?"

[This message has been edited by ubbadmin (edited December 29, 2003).]