"iBoaterer" wrote in message
...


Ryobi has very good cordless tools. You can go with Craftsman, but
you'll be paying twice as much for the same, exact Ryobi. The only
difference is the outside. Everything inside is the same as Ryobi.
Made
in the same factory, same line.

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I bought one of the 18 volt cordless Craftsman "kits" at Sears back in
2000. It had the drill motor (with hammer drill setting), the little
circular saw and a "Sawsall" type saw

I used them almost daily in Florida building a very large, fenced
horse paddock for my wife's horses, decks, and all kinds of projects
over the past 13 years. They rarely sat idle for more than a few days
because with a barn and horses, there is always something to repair or
build.

Last winter I used them daily building the stage and additional rooms
at the new guitar shop. They must have had 100s of hours of use and
abuse over the 13 years. I had three NiCad batteries that were the
originals that came with the set and they also lasted for 13 years of
fairly heavy and regular use. The batteries finally gave up the ghost
about halfway through the construction at the guitar shop last winter.
I would have bought new ones if I could find them, but I figured I had
certainly got my money's worth over 13 years, so I ended up buying a
new set. Decided to try a PortaCable 18 volt set. So far they seem
fine but I doubt they will last 13 years under the same level of use
like the Craftsman set did. I don't know who was making them for
Craftsman back in 2000, but they were good.