Hitachi Vs Makita Vs AEG Vs Ryobi - Which Cordless Combo Tool Set to Buy?

JackOfNoTrade on 22/01/2018 - 10:10

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking to get a good set of cordless tools. I'm no reno-expert but would like to just get a good set first off instead of "advancing over time".

Just cant decide between the brands ; Hitachi Vs Makita Vs AEG Vs Ryobi. I've used the impact driver and circular saws for the Makita brand and was quite happy with it. But on the face of it I'm leaning towards AEG just purely on the merit of its long warranty period offer, but then again if its post-sales support is crap, then the long warranty is pretty useless. Ryobi combos are kind of appealing for the price point, but I was told to skip them as they are not brushless. A dude at Sydney Tools in Bayswater said that Hitachi was the brand to pick for power.

I'm looking to get a combo that includes:
- Circular Saw
- Impact Driver
- Hammer drill
- Recipro Saw

Any kind of advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • pjetson on 22/01/2018 - 10:26
    +2

    Some of the Ryobi tools are brushless.

    • JackOfNoTrade on 22/01/2018 - 10:28

      But not the combo packs ( which would include the tools I want) as far as I can tell.

  • bighead on 22/01/2018 - 11:01

    Milwaukee.

  • hoey888 on 22/01/2018 - 11:03
    +2

    If you are DIY person then Ryobi/Ozito will be OK. Anything more than that you'll be cursing like we did not paying for better equipment.

    We use to have a older black and decker cordless hammer drill kit. Was good for general DIY, but for not home renovos it was useless. The battery was small, the power was weak…. Upgraded to a RRP $600 Hitachi Drill/Impact Set, and haven't looked back. Best and most versatile tool. We tend to use it for more trade applications. (think of putting 50 impact hex bolts in one session into wood). My friend had an Ryobi impact gun that ran out of steam after 20 bolts.

    If you shopping around just make sure you are comparing apples to apples. A lot will have smaller capacity batteries for the lower price range. Aim for at least two 3/AH batteries which you can use on the go. Use one, charge one and swap when flat.

    If you are getting a kit, you might also want to consider getting a light as well. The skin is relatively cheap for when it gets dark.

  • mgleds on 22/01/2018 - 11:14
    +1

    I purchased a Makita set that included the impact driver, hammer drill, 2 x 6 Ah batteries and an angle grinder by redemption, $650 all up. All brushless.

    You can then buy additional 'skins' (no battery pack) as you need. I'm going to buy a recipro saw soon, skinless around $190. Some retailers will also allow you to substitute items in the combo packs, so they're not so restrictive.

    The one thing I'd look at is the range they have to make sure any tool you want in the future they have. Makita have an impressive range. Milwaukee is another decent brand to look at.

  • mick123 on 22/01/2018 - 11:23
    +2

    Hitachi is the best brand out of those for sure in terms of quality but you do pay more for it.

  • dogboy on 22/01/2018 - 12:06
    +1

    I like Makitas but just for general home use and renoes.

  • blonky on 22/01/2018 - 12:07
    +1

    Hitachi or Milwalkee, AEG are good too
    Dewalt not the same as they used to be and the cheaper Makitas are no good
    Ryobi home use only

  • thisismee on 22/01/2018 - 12:43
    +1

    I Have used AEG for several years now and the versatility of the 18V tools is awesome especially recently they have released so many tools in 18V the options you have a tool for every kind of job. If you can afford it go the brush-less models :)

  • thisismee on 22/01/2018 - 12:47
    +1

    The only problem I have had was the base 18V angle grinder burnt out after extensive use but after it happened I noticed it was due to a damaged blade that had a chunk taken out of it. the blade then got caught on what i was cutting and stopped turning and the unit stopped working all together.
    Other than that all other 9 tools I have have worked perfectly for many years

    • JackOfNoTrade on 22/01/2018 - 14:11

      Thanks for that. Was the angle grinder something you could get replaced through warranty?

  • ColonialBoy on 22/01/2018 - 12:51
    +1

    Other things to consider are addons like mini vacuums or camping lights or power garden tools.

    Ozito does not have a 12V charger (for cars/camping).

  • Hiroko on 22/01/2018 - 13:00
    +1

    I have a Ryobi set at home, its reliable and great for small DIYs. If you have plans for larger jobs down the line id suggest going with Makita or similar.

  • Euphemistic on 22/01/2018 - 13:16
    +2

    I also have Ryobi at home, about 15 different skins, including the older blue stuff and a brushless drill. I've bought quite a few skins second hand from people 'upgrading'. I've bought a few packs of gear with half a dozen items and on-sold all the extras with no problem. Overall I've probably paid about half retail.

    I used it all fairly solidly over about 18months of renos (while working full time) including removing and rebuilding internal walls etc. I found it just fine for power. Pretty much the only corded tool I used was the drop saw, a circ saw a few times and a hammer drill for one task. The impact driver went great guns, not quite enough to drive in 150mm bugle screws though laminated beams, but enough for everything else - including around 750 flooring screws over a few charges.

    I have 2 4ah batteries and 3 smaller ones and they have all been great, the 4ah is better for higher power usage items like the circ saw and blower, but everything else copes with smaller batteries. The batteries haven't let me down and have probably cycled hundreds of times by now, but I don't keep track of that.

    I only have the blue circ saw, and to be honest it's pretty ordinary. Doesn't have a lot of power, but was better than using the corded one a few times. Everything else has done exactly what it was asked without hesitation.

    Consider what you want to do with your tools, and what corded backup you already have before shelling out on Makita or hitachi in the chase for more power. If I had known I was going to be doing such a large reno, or known it was going to be a Bunnings exclusive brand when I first bought my Ryobi drill I might have a different brand now, but once you start, there is a lot more expense to change over brands.

    TLDR: Ryobi brushless is fine for moderately serious renovations.

    • Euphemistic on 22/01/2018 - 15:29

      oops. TLDR meant to read Ryobi NOT brushless is fine… Brushless would be better, but worth the extra $ for most DIY? I think not.

      I might seem like a Ryobi fanboi, but in reality I suspect I'd be a fan of whatever brand I owned if it had been as decent as what I've got. I don't expect the world from it, and originally purchased Ryobi due to their one+ range of skins. Since then near every other company has done the same with a multitude of tools that suit one battery platform.

      I haven't had any need for warranty claims, and the only things that have failed me are two drills that I bought second hand from a builder, both faulty. One smelled like it had worn brushes so I sold it 'for parts'. The second is a hammer drill that I've hung on to that has an issue with the trigger - sometimes it only gives about 20% power until you press the trigger 'just right'.

  • JackOfNoTrade on 22/01/2018 - 14:10

    Thanks everyone. really appreciate all the suggestions and opinions so far :-).

    Anyone had any warranty claims experiences so far? Was it good, bad, etc?

    • timthetoolman on 22/01/2018 - 20:58
      +1

      No warranty claims with the above, but had to take my Milwaukee drill back to Total Tools, still waiting after about 5 weeks ( granted it was over Christmas), so the ease of Ryobi/Aeg is very handy with easy replacements at Bunnings etc.
      If you aren't using it for trade work, I'd suggest AEG or Ryobi, they both have tonnes of skins and are quite cheap, and often on special.
      They will do what you need, just depends which you prefer the feel of in person ( unless there are some serious power upsides to one that I haven't seen)

      • Euphemistic on 22/01/2018 - 22:01
        +1

        I don’t see much Ryobi gear on special. However, Bunnings do clear old stock so if you are lucky you can pick up a check item here or there. They also usually have a cheap(er) drill kit or similar ‘starter pack’ around Christmas and Father’s Day.

  • BertieBrown on 22/01/2018 - 23:17
    +1

    Unless you’re working somewhere where there is no power, which would be an issue for recharging anyway I’d not worry about a cordless circ b/c they chew up a fair bit of a power; you also don’t really want to be half way through a cut and then have to change out the battery. They also get covered in crap, so I prefer to have something cheaper that I can just easily dust without having to worry about it being quite costly.

    Out of those, I’d go for the tools with the best batteries (largest for the price) b/c ultimately that’s where you’re investing with cordless tools and as others have said returns is so much easier than warranty run around with something like Ryobi, from memory AEG gets sent away for repairs.

    FWIW had a newer Hitachi angle grinder (cheap model) and after only very limited use it died, though it got replaced I wasn’t super happy, considering my old mans Blue Bosch grinder is about 10 years old and still going with a fair bit of usage.

    As for brushless, yeah sure it’s better but for most people IMO it’s not worth the jump in price.

    • Euphemistic on 23/01/2018 - 06:39
      +1

      If you jump into something like desalt, make sure you are aware of the prices of other skins and batteries. It could cost you a lot more in the long run. They often have a cheap drill and battery kit to get you in and hope that you will spend up big on other kit in their range.

  • whooah1979 on 23/01/2018 - 06:48
    +1

    Ryobi

    Get these from bunnings and you can't go wrong. Their consumer guarantees will beat their competitors.

  • RandomBob84 on 06/05/2018 - 20:08

    The same company own Milwaukee, AEG and Ryobi.
    You will notice AEG is mostly a mix of the other Milwaukee and Ryobi.
    Its good as you get the 'good' garden items filtering up, and from Milwaukee you get the good tools filtering down.
    You just have to do a bit of research as to which tool comes from which model. Like the impact drivers, i think AEG have 3 or 4 of them. The top model is from Milwaukee and the others i think are from Ryobi (if you compare specs they are exactly the same on paper).
    And the thing that made me pick AEG is that you can get them pretty cheap but brand new on gumtree as people will buy a big kit but then sell off the items they dont want. THere is always 'some' new stuff on gumtree that is AEG. THe main reason was AEG and Milwaukee are the only two brands that i know of that have a powered ratcheting wrench…
    So as they say look into what you may want and see which brand does that. I do like how makita have a 36v range that is simply two 18v batteries, so you dont need to invest in more different batteries…

  • Micko179 on 19/08/2018 - 16:01

    I have crap loads of both Ryobi & AEG, same Company (Techtronics) in Ryobi I have Circular Saw, Multitool, Impact Wrench, Numerous Hammer Drills & Impact Guns/Drivers. Ryobi Circular Saw is Left Handed & a pain to use! I have several AEG kits, Mostly double of everything, some Brushless(Hammer Drills/Oil Pulse Impact Drivers/Impact Wrenches etc) AEG can be bought very cheap off Gumtree(but keep in mind no warranty)

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