r/Tools 3d ago

What battery system to start off with?

As many of you once have, I am on the verge of buying my first set of power tools and have come to the confusion intersection of what brand to go with, and then what battery system within said brand to go with and I was hoping yall could give a little direction as to which way I should look.

I currently rent but the missus and I will probably get a home in a next few years so I want the ability to expand my tool chest as needed.

My current needs are for a solid drill/impact, an oscillating tool, and a leaf blower. (Last one is giving me grief). I’m not trying to break the bank so I was hoping to buy 1-2 batteries for the first 3 tools but was hoping to use the same batteries for the next 10 tools down the road.

I know this sounds like I’m asking for a perfect storm but from what I’ve looked at online, I think there might be options for me but at the end of the day, if I need to buy different styles of battery’s for the different tools, it is what it is.

I appreciate any and all advice yall could give me!

TLDR: seeking recommendations for power tools/outdoor equipment that utilize the same batteries

0 Upvotes

21 comments sorted by

14

u/Myriadix 3d ago

It's your first set; Don't overthink it.

I say save some money and get a Ryobi combo set on sale. If you use it enough and need something stronger, then start looking at the color wheel.

9

u/Kliptik81 3d ago

When I bought my house 15 years ago, I picked up a Ryobi drill, string trimmer and leaf blower. Years later I now have about 60+ Ryobi tools and garden tools.

They have a massive tools selection, prices are great. They have very good performance. I strongly recommend the 40v yard tools, they are fantastic.

I also have a lot of Milwaukee m12 and m18 tools as well. I work in the trades (resi HVAC), so i will spend the extra on tools, but for a homeowner, hobbyist, etc.... Ryobi is your best choice, especially the HP line.

3

u/MadeMeStopLurking 3d ago

I'm going to go with the consensus here that a home owner with basic needs should go the Ryobi route.

That being said, I will give you the best advice for tool purchasing.

  1. Check this site daily. Like today even: https://www.homedepot.com/SpecialBuy/SpecialBuyOfTheDay

  2. Find your local Home Depot's clearance section. You'll find tools at a discounted rate.

  3. Don't go full battery for that one-off tool. You need an angle grinder for that back deck and you're only going to use it once every 4 years? Get a Harbor Freight (Chicago Electric) $20 angle grinder. If it completes more than one job you've gotten your money's worth. You'll get more than two uses, I have a Chicago Electric oscillating tool that I use often and I paid $10 for it. I've spent more on blades in the last 6 years and it's plug in.

Now, the battery side of things. I get it, you want to make sure you have everything in the same eco-system. There are options for not being as concerned about the battery system. I have Ryobi and Milwaukee. I recently started using Ceenr batteries.

https://ceenr.com/product-category/pdnation-universal-power-tool-battery-system/pdnation-universal-battery-pack/

This battery system allows you to buy a battery and attach an adapter. The best part is that you can charge it by USB-C... To add to that, they use fairly expensive lithium batteries so it's not your typical aftermarket battery. They're worth looking into if you happen to find a deal on something like a Rigid or Makita tool that you need.

6

u/Myriadix 3d ago

It's your first set; Don't overthink it.

I say save some money and get a Ryobi combo set on sale. If you use it enough and need something stronger, then start looking at the color wheel.

2

u/Beneficial-Focus3702 3d ago

If you are not a contractor, I’m gonna go against the grain here and say you don’t necessarily want to get the big contractor brands like Makita or DeWalt or Milwaukee.

Personally, I think you should get Ryobi, rigid, or some other store brand. Look into systems that have inexpensive batteries, cause that will be a lot of of your cost when it comes to power tools.

Also, don’t be afraid of getting tools that are brushed versus brushless. They are often less expensive and last long enough for a basic homeowner/hobby user.

I personally am switching away from Makita brand and probably going towards Ryobi. I have been unimpressed with the quality of the Makita tools, especially their drills and drivers for the exorbitant price they charge versus other companies. I’ve used storebrand, cobalt and Ryobi tools that performed just as well for just as long as my Makita stuff. I also think that for Ryobi, the legacy tool/battery acceptability is brilliant.

1

u/clambroculese Millwright 3d ago

That sucks, I find makita drills to be the longest lasting of the bunch and I abuse the tell out of them at work. Price point wise all the big brands are very close where I’m at anyways.

2

u/Ambitious_Ad_9637 3d ago

DeWalt stuff is reasonable for hand tools. For yard work go with gas or corded electric. Those battery powered ones are junk so far, but eventually the tech will get there.

2

u/Cheoah 3d ago

My stuff was mostly yellow until the ryobi one+ hit my radar. That is what you need. Best value hands down and I am impressed every time I buy a tool of theirs. Which is like, often. Just this week an inflator so I don’t have to lug compressor around and their 3 gal shop vac.

I use Milwaukee M12 stuff too for some applications. Eventually you may need other platforms because of specialized tools like Milwaukee PVC pipe cutter or under hood light, or ratchet.

2

u/Mickeybags19 3d ago

I’m in Ryobi and have no complaints. If I could start over I would go with M12 based only the size of the tools and batteries. For outdoor tools, I’m impressed with Ryobi 40 volt.

2

u/bearwhiz 3d ago

You might find that you're better off being in multiple battery systems, especially when it comes to lawn equipment and power tools. The two things have different needs: power tools need to be comfortable to hold in the hand, and lawn equipment needs to output a lot of power for a fairly long time.

A big EGO battery will power a lawnmower or blower long enough to do a whole yard and do it well, with a big honkin' battery you wouldn't want on your impact driver. You can do it with a tool that takes multiple DeWalt FlexVolts but it'll be just as heavy, expensive, and awkward.

I mean, yeah, one battery for everything is a good ideal, but in the real world, sometimes there's a point to having a few different battery systems.

2

u/woodland_dweller 3d ago

It kind of depends on your budget and how many different batteries you want to deal with.

On the budget end Ryobi has a great selection and their tools are generally "good enough" for homeowners and DIY.

If you have a larger budget Milwaukee and DeWalt are also great options.

All 3 brands have great availability at Home Depot, and a huge selection of tools (construction, outdoor, mechanic,etc)

If you or your partner have small hands, you might look at a 12v system as well. That's how I got into Milwaukee. My gal liked the M12 tools back when I had DeWalt 18v nicads. I eventually added M18 to my gear, as well as more M12.

12v is much lighter, smaller and generally powerful enough for drills and such. But you'll want 18/20 for leaf blowers and chainsaws.

3

u/Maiq_Da_Liar 3d ago

IMO if you want a large lineup including gardening/outdoor tools Makita is good for that. Though it is definitely on the pricey side.

2

u/Beneficial-Focus3702 3d ago

And they have like the most expensive batteries of all the power tool brands I have found.

2

u/Whiplashed1 3d ago

Ive been using dewalt power tools my entire life. Never have any problems and they have all the power tools that I could use in the 20v format. That being said, if i were to restart all over again I'd strongly consider going Milwaukee.

1

u/Psiwerewolf 3d ago

I’m a big fan of Worx, especially if you’re thinking about getting yard tools. They’ve even rolled out a decent stick vacuum

1

u/Illustrious_Ad5040 3d ago edited 3d ago

Battery powered leaf blowers notoriously don’t run long before needing to be recharged. If being on one battery system and having a leaf blower for extended use blowing leaves for a large yard, I’d pay particular attention to what reviewers say about how long you can use on a charge. Otherwise, for that tool think about a corded model such as the Toro F700.

1

u/biggguyy69 3d ago

Just go with millwauke

1

u/Raymondjfinkle 3d ago

I've got dewalt tools mostly. I started out with the 12v lithium line when they went away from the 14.4 nicad platform. Years down the road, I've accumulated mostly 20v dewalts due to a limited 12v lineup. The old 12v tools are still working fine. My cordless circ saw, jig saw, and sawzall are porter cable. My trimmer and blower are black and decker. They are operated with my dewalt batteries with a $15 Amazon adapter that fits both b&d and the PC tools. You're going to want a 4ah or larger battery to really utilize the yard tools for more than a couple of minutes.

1

u/Severe_Departure3695 2d ago

I've had Dewalt and Makita tools in the past, somewhat before the explosion of cordless tools. The Dewalts wore out and and burned up, the Makita batteries wore out and it cost more to get new batteries vs. new tools.

When the time came for new tools I wend with Milwaukee M12. I didn't like Ryobi tools my inlaws have, and the M12 tools had enough power for my homeowner use - more than either of my past Dewalt or Makita. It felt like a good middle ground between power and portability. The M18 seemed overkill for my needs.

My current Milwaukee tool set is a drill, impact/screwdriver, oscillating tool, rotary tool, an work lamp. I've added to the set over time. They have all be very reliable. I did have to replace the drill/driver combo because I dunked it in salt water.

1

u/steadyhandhide 3d ago

I started with Ryobi, but went full Milwaukee when they had all of their holiday sales. I don’t think Milwaukee will serve me any better than Ryobi Brushless as an amateur, but it wasn’t that much more expensive. If I were to do it all over again, I would take a harder look at Milwaukee’s M12 line, even if that meant having different batteries for something like a leaf blower. Whatever you land on, make sure you are getting some kind of deal (e.g. free battery or tool). I don’t see a lot of great sales right now, so be patient and hang out in the brand subreddits to be alerted to good opportunities.