# Kobalt cordless tools



## MUDFLAP (Nov 28, 2010)

Was at the local lowes today, noticed their new kobalt cordless line (at least i think its new, dont get in there much) $260 for the 4pc kit 2 batts charger and bag. Anybody tried them out yet, the drill looks fairly stout, with metal gear housing, nice all steel ratchet chuck. 550 in lbs torque, Might pick one up, 5yr warranty on the tool,3yr on the batts, almost cant go wrong for the price.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

> Might pick one up, 5yr warranty on the tool,3yr on the batts, almost cant go wrong for the price.


Nope. as long as they honor it that's hard to beat.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

someone posted the mitre saw on here a couple weeks back, looks identical to mastercraft maximum garbage.

its nothing more than flashy home owner grade stuff


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

woodworkbykirk said:


> someone posted the mitre saw on here a couple weeks back, looks identical to mastercraft maximum garbage.
> 
> its nothing more than flashy home owner grade stuff


Yup, home owner grade crap packaged to look like Pro stuff, to help them think they are succeeding with their projects.


I don't know why a professional tradesman would buy less than top of the line commercial rated tools.

One does not see the Rolling Stones buying guitars or an Indy Car race team checking on tires at WalMart...:laughing::no:


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

> One does not see the Rolling Stones buying guitars or an Indy Car race team checking on tires at WalMart...


Its a cordless drill Griz, as long as it rotates its going to do just as good of a job as my 500 dollar drill set. Yeah its probably trash, but any brand that is willing to stand behind their products with a good warranty says a lot.


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## MALCO.New.York (Feb 27, 2008)

Kobalt Mechanics Tools and Chests are pretty darn good.


That is all that I can add.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

My Bosch doesn't carry a five year warranty. Too bad bLowes is discussing closing more stores in my area, or I would pick one up. A five year warranty is no good if there is no place to take it.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

or when the off brand cheapo stuff fails when you need it most.

What's the use of a warranty when you have to keep using it?


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

> or when the off brand cheapo stuff fails when you need it most.
> 
> What's the use of a warranty when you have to keep using it?


That was also my logic before I had every piece of my Hilti set break in and outside of warranty. Good thing I had old Dewalt set and Ridgid back up. :thumbsup:


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Inner10 said:


> That was also my logic before I had every piece of my Hilti set break in and outside of warranty. Good thing I had old Dewalt set and Ridgid back up. :thumbsup:


Ya, sh!t just does happen.:thumbsup:

My experience has been the odds are with me that the quality tools will perform when i need them to. :thumbsup:

Do I have and use Dewalt & Rigid bits, yup.:thumbsup:

Some of the best drill bit sets I have ever used come from Costco.:laughing:


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## WildWill (Jun 6, 2008)

If you buy high quality tools you'll be working with high quality tools. Wouldn't you rather be working with the good stuff?


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

i know a few guys that have bought hte mc maximum junk. two of which bought the impact drivers... said they werent balanced meaning when you pull the trigger it looked like the bit was bent. it was how bad the chuck was out of alignment. another guy buys the mitre saw only for hardwood flooring,, every 6 months he simply throws the saw to the curb and picks up a new one... its a tax right off for him


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

> every 6 months he simply throws the saw to the curb and picks up a new one... its a tax right off for him


Tell him that buying an expensive one and depreciating it yearly is also a write off.


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## MUDFLAP (Nov 28, 2010)

I always wonder about the " WHAT WILL I DO IF IT FAILS IN THE MIDDLE OF A JOB" crowd . If you work for nasa, and a tool fails while you are tethered to the space shuttle working on a satalite, that would be a problem. In the 22yrs i have been in business i have had tools fail (mostly due to employee abuse ) but never has it resulted in an emergency situation, i have always had a backup, or something else for the guys to do while im gone to get a part or replacement, probably needed to go get lunch, or something else anyway. But if you really are working so far out in the boonies , that tool failure would stop a job, i would want a back up unit regardless of what brand my primary tool is. Even if it is the almighty black and yellow.


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## Winchester (Jun 29, 2008)

If using crap tools doesn't bother you, then by all means use them. My main employee loves his crap mastercraft tools and doesn't understand why I "waste my money" on good tools. :laughing:

He leaves his stuff unlocked... out in the rain, or whatever. because they're cheap.

I lock my stuff up and take care of it.

two different perspectives... whatever works for you


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

exactly, with pro grade tools you will notice its performance slowly diminish then it eventually will die.. with imitation junk tools they just die on you in hte middle of something.. had that happen when i started out.. the boss had a cheap craftsman cordless for the crew to use.. i was driving a 2 1/2" screw and all of a sudden it started puffing smoke... and that was it for the drill 3 months old


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

woodworkbykirk said:


> exactly, with pro grade tools you will notice its performance slowly diminish then it eventually will die.. with imitation junk tools they just die on you in hte middle of something.. had that happen when i started out.. the boss had a cheap craftsman cordless for the crew to use.. i was driving a 2 1/2" screw and all of a sudden it started puffing smoke... and that was it for the drill 3 months old


Craftsman cordless drills are made by Ryobi...does that explain it?


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## MUDFLAP (Nov 28, 2010)

Well.... I do prefer to use a quality tool, thats why i was asking. as far as i can tell so far, no one has tried them,or really knows, but since they are not DEFALT, they must be junk ? you know dewalt puts their name on some junk too, you go below the XRP, and its pretty much all homeowner grade.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

MUDFLAP said:


> Well.... I do prefer to use a quality tool, thats why i was asking. as far as i can tell so far, no one has tried them,or really knows, but since they are not DEFALT, they must be junk ? you know dewalt puts their name on some junk too, you go below the XRP, and its pretty much all homeowner grade.


From everything I read they are trying to compete with Rigid and have a priceline similar to PC. So they should be decent, but probably not the best. But who knows. I may pick up a set this Christmas if they go on sale to try them out.

Is either that, or give Angus the satisfaction of buy a Makita set, and that ain't gonna happen. And if it does, he will never know.


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## Winchester (Jun 29, 2008)

MUDFLAP said:


> Well.... I do prefer to use a quality tool, thats why i was asking. as far as i can tell so far, no one has tried them,or really knows, but since they are not DEFALT, they must be junk ? you know dewalt puts their name on some junk too, you go below the XRP, and its pretty much all homeowner grade.


it's not because they are not dewalt. Dewalt aren't that great either.

The reason is because they are a store brand tool, and store-brand tools are 99.9% of the time not heavy-duty professional level tools.

"Lowe's and manufacturing partner J.H. Williams launched Kobalt in 1998, with the intention of competing against rival retailers Sears and The Home Depot and their respective *Craftsman* and *Husky* tool brands. Since 2003, Kobalt hand tools have largely been made by the Danaher Corporation."


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