/diy/ - Do It Yourself

Used mostly old 12v Makita and Ryobi before, been using Kobalt in marine environments since 2016. Got the 1/2 impact, flashlight, two handed sawzall, hammer drill, drywall drill, and just got the blower. The 24v is badass, the batteries are cheap as dirt, power is decent, and the tools really do take a beating. The brushless hammer drill has taken a hell of a beating, left it out in saltwater air for a couple months. Soaked it in PB blaster and vise grips got the semi rusty chuck unstuck, still running today. Need to pick up an oscillating tool once my cheap corded one dies.

Cheapest batteries (was $20ish for a 2AH battery a while back, probably more like $30 now) made it a no-brainer for me - batteries are consumables, and since the tools are on the cheap side as well, the total cost of ownership is lowest. Fuck paying an extra couple grand over the lifetime of your toolset for a different color, especially when it's all manufactured overseas.

Downsides are limited lineup, but that's been slowly improving. I do get jealous of all the crazy stuff Milwaukee is always coming out with, like the heated jackets. I'm sure their modular systems are cool too - just never made the leap. They'd be my second choice. At least I don't go (as) broke buying unnecessary crap.