Power tool brand for decent quality great price

[cheeryble]

I can't remember if it was Wickes or Homebase in England where 15-20 years ago I bought a fairly hefty cordless drill which never broke down, and had quality batteries which lasted. They had a range of tools. I can't remember the brand but they were definitely NOT the price of normal quality tools. ( i had a lovely Wickes double handed SDS hammer drill which never failed and was also reasonably priced while not super cheap.

 

I'm not using tools daily any more, so i don't need the best but I am considering getting a bit better kitted up with both power and hand tools and i would like them to last.

 

I'm guessing there must be at least one brand of power tools probably from China that has built up a reputation for decent quality at a really good price.

 

The question is does anyone have any recommendations?

 

Thanks 

 

Edited January 20, 2019 by cheeryble

[NCC1701A]

 

28 minutes ago, cheeryble said:

The question is does anyone have any recommendations?

Dewalt.

 

 

[Tanoshi]

Hitachi.

Not the cheapest, nor the most expensive, but if you want reliable, hard wearing good quality power tools then look no further.

 

Bought my first Hitachi cordless combi drill 35 years ago, then soon replaced the unreliable De Walt and Bosch collection of SDS cordless drill, circular saw, jigsaw, router and sliding compound mitre saw with Hitachi.

I replaced the cordless combi drill 5 years ago when the batteries finally gave up the ghost, but everything else is still in full working order to this day.

 

I used these 6 days a week for 30 years on site, renovated three homes and never had an issue or breakdown.

Last year I brought the 18V 4amp battery combi drill from the UK to Thailand.

 

Panasonic also have a good reputation. De Walt and Bosch are overpriced and over rated.

Steer clear of Ryobi, absolute crap.

[Tanoshi]

7 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

 

Dewalt.

You do know your essentially buying a Black and Decker?

DeWalt is a trade name of B&D.

 

It's like owning a matchbox toy, when you could have had a Tonka.

[VocalNeal]

Quote

I replaced the cordless combi drill 5 years ago when the batteries finally gave up the ghost, but everything else is still in full working order to this day.

 

If in BKK and they are NiCads it is fairly easy to get new cells fitted. Just take the battery pack to Amorn and they will do it for you.

 

Done that a few times on a couple of well used Dewalts. Until the chuck packed up on one and ....

 

When replacing it is worth looking at the accessibility of the brush holders. Some have screw covers while others need to have the tool disassembled to access them.

Edited January 21, 2019 by VocalNeal

[johng]

This drill seems to be quite popular with Thai tradesmen.  (Bosch copy)

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/26mm-900w-3-i162572014-s195927027.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.2.213e4683PCf5BI&search=1

[VocalNeal]

Yep. Keep your eyes and ears open. I bought a Hilti Rotary on a special offer once. 1800 baht.

 

The popular with tradesmen logic also works for pressure washers. Check out which one they use everyday when the AC guys come to clean the aircon units.

[Kwasaki]

Plenty to chose from in Global house I have the cheapest battery drill they sell works a treat. 

[eyecatcher]

I think on a diy basis, pretty much any brand will suffice.

If i was on site, earning my living I would not go beyond Bosch and Makita.

 

I have hitachis, maktecs, Stanleys that I bought just to do simple jobs but have lasted 5yrs getting daily use.

I really dont think it matters unless you are the equivalent of a petrol head.

[cheeryble]

Thanks for the great advice confirms my thoughts that going economical can be ok (also not ok like the Ryobi). I actually have a B and D corded hammer drill or I’d buy the Bosta. But would like a cordless drill with decent battery (pref 2) for small drilling and screwdriving. The only other thing I have is a cheap but ok angle grinder so I guess a circular saw is on the cards may be cutting up a few sheets of MDF soon.

 

Bonus question:

Has anyone stained MDF with dark oak finish......wondering if it would look well or would we know it was MDF underneath?

 

 

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[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, cheeryble said:

Bonus question:

Has anyone stained MDF with dark oak finish......wondering if it would look well or would we know it was MDF underneath?

what do you mean by stain? in Thailand stain is often brown paint.

 

If translucent it will be dark brown MDF. 

 

If using most Thai Stain it will be really smooth dark brown, but of course will not have any grain. 

Edited January 21, 2019 by sometimewoodworker

[Tanoshi]

1 hour ago, cheeryble said:

Thanks for the great advice confirms my thoughts that going economical can be ok (also not ok like the Ryobi). I actually have a B and D corded hammer drill or I’d buy the Bosta. But would like a cordless drill with decent battery (pref 2) for small drilling and screwdriving. The only other thing I have is a cheap but ok angle grinder so I guess a circular saw is on the cards may be cutting up a few sheets of MDF soon.

Try Thai Watsadu as opposed to Global or Home Pro for price comparison.

Most battery drills come with 2 x batteries, make sure it's 220/240V, combi type preferable for multi use and the bigger the amp of the battery the longer and more powerful it will be.

I couldn't find 18v 4amp in Thailand which is why I brought one over from the UK.

 

1 hour ago, cheeryble said:

Has anyone stained MDF with dark oak finish......wondering if it would look well or would we know it was MDF underneath?

Difficult to stain mdf uniformly. Overlapping with brush or cloth application gives varying shades.

Depending on your use, mdf doesn't last in Thailand due to high humidity, unless it's covered with Formica, or varnish to seal it. Plywood wood be harder wearing.

Whichever, you need to seal or cover it to stop the termites gaining access.

 

I recently bought some hardwood sheets, 60cm x 3m x 12mm for kitchen worktops.

Stain to suit, but I preferred the 'pine' effect, so just gave them 4 coats of 'yacht' varnish, sanding each coat with wet and dry paper. Labour intensive, but the result was worth it.

[Tanoshi]

5 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

what do you mean by stain? in Thailand stain is often brown paint.

 

If translucent it will be dark brown MDF. 

 

If using most Thai Stain it will be really smooth dark brown, but of course will not have any grain. 

MDF is usually sandy in colour.

It's a combination of hardwood and softwood fibres compressed to make a medium density board, usually denser than plywood, but very susceptible to damp or humid conditions unless treated.

Many different stains and shades available.

Teak, light oak, dark oak stains available, plus stained varnishes, similar to paint.

 

Personally, I prefer to stain separately, then clear 'yacht' varnish to seal.

[cheeryble]

Hi STWW and Tanoshi

The finish I want is not the "brown matt paint" type which is often used for wooden houses.
Rather I want something with more of a soft lacquer look.
It’s for open wardrobe shelving and maybe drawers, and should match these doors furniture and posts






20150831-002A7104.dng

I hadn’t thought of the damp effect

The shelves etc will fit in between various sized sections like this which go round two walls of the dressing room



I think a test may be called for with an off cut.
Just gotta find an offcut


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[Joinaman]

i would avoid MDF if possible. Was my standard do it all board back in the UK, could get Fire resistant, water resistant, standard, lightweight, ec. Here its just standard and i found even with coating all sides with wood care type varnish, it still soaked up the moisture in the wet season and became covered in black spores. Ripped it all out and replaced with decent plywood

[Tanoshi]

8 hours ago, cheeryble said:

The finish I want is not the "brown matt paint" type which is often used for wooden houses.
Rather I want something with more of a soft lacquer look.
It’s for open wardrobe shelving and maybe drawers, and should match these doors furniture and posts

Those examples look like veneers, rather than varnished timber.

Just google 'images of wood veneers in Thailand', lots of choices.

 

A friend recently had a new kitchen fitted, hand made, English style. Everything was plywood and covered in a veneer of his choice.

If your using a darker veneer, you'll get a whitish edge on the cuts, which shows along the edges.

Use dark brown boot polish on a cloth to rub along the edges after trimming.

[sometimewoodworker]

On 1/21/2019 at 10:50 PM, Tanoshi said:

If your using a darker veneer, you'll get a whitish edge on the cuts, which shows along the edges.

Or you can get the corners properly mitred and avoid seeing the substrate rather than the butt joints that are easier to do.

Edited January 25, 2019 by sometimewoodworker

[cheeryble]

5 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Or you can get the corners mitred and avoid seeing the substrate rather than the butt joints that are easier to do.

Happily if i use blackboard or ply whose edges may look a bit grotty unless filled, rubbed down and coloured, the sides an back will be not visible, only the top and bottom which will have good finish to take stain same as doors I showed and the front, visible edge will be trimmed with half dowel or whatever and also take colour well.

[kamalabob2]

No end to "inexpensive" power tools in Thailand. Repairs can be a challenge on the fake names. Maktec are made in the same factory as Makita tools. Same Makita Tool company, different components in the Maktec tools. If an expat was looking to buy a proper set of genuine Milwaukee 18 volt tools with three long lasting batteries it is worth looking for the set on sale in 2019 in Thailand. This cordless power tool set I viewed in Buriram includes two 18 volt 5ah batteries and one 18 volt 12ah battery. This is not something you would see at Global House or Thaiwatadu. The cordless tool set is priced less than my daughter's last Huawei  mobile phone. The Milwaukee Tools will last twenty years longer than that mobile phone. 

[sometimewoodworker]

3 hours ago, kamalabob2 said:

The Milwaukee Tools will last twenty years longer than that mobile phone. 

The tools may last that long, but the batteries will not 

[kamalabob2]

So far my Milwaukee 18 volt batteries have worked fine in a garden blower that my wife uses daily. I've owned a Makita 18 volt drill for several years and no challenges to the battery. I'll buy the Makita 18 or 36 volt chainsaw on Wednesday in Buriram so my wife can use it in the village for small projects. I'm tempted to get the Makita calking gun when I build another house in Thailand. 

[johng]

Who wouldn't be tempted by the "caulker" wearing the white dress ?

 

 

[cheeryble]

Do they deliver?




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[Guest StephenB]

Been using a 18v Bosch drill, no fancy stuff on it. Its been launched off a roof onto concrete below 8M at least. Sweated all over it like a rain forest almost everytime I use it. Charged each battery over 100 times I reckon. It has thermal protection on charging the batteries and also if the drill gets too hot. With the two batteries included there is virtually no down time waiting for batteries to charge, and this while putting in bags of fairly large screws. The machine is a work horse.

[user343434]

In Germany it was Metabo and the Bosch "blue" Industrial series considered the name for DIYers

since I am living in Thailand I bought:

Dewalt Jigsaw

Dewalt Drill

Makita Reciprocating saw

Makita Grinder

Dremel Minitool

Welpro welder   

 

a Bosch blue series hammer Drill, which gear failed after screwing some Screws into PvC pipes which I find quite poor for a Bosch.

More poor was that SCG didn't take it back after only 5 days or didn't offer any service beside recommended me to buy a Dewalt. I followed this recommendation and bought one (at Thai Watsadu)

The Welpro welder 200A is ok for some little tasks but stops fast if used longer.

 

All other machines do perform great especially the Makita Grinder which I continuously overused this spring building an aquaponics backyard system for my wife's hobby.

Also the Jigsaw for cutting plywood and pipes

and Drill from Dewalt was well challenged mixing 120 ltr Polyester Resin, it went smoking hot but still does its job with full torque..