Hi, frenz!
TL;DR: Milwaukee M12 by way of Rotary Tool, High Performance Jig Saw, and REDLITHIUM™ XC6.0 Battery in a bundle.
After (entirely too) much deliberating, I chose to begin my spiraling descent down the abyss of power tools with the Milwaukee M12 system. Here are the things that swayed me in the end:
- They make a fair bit of stuff, and I don’t exactly have any super specific needs at the moment.
- Just about no one seems to have any complaints about Milwaukee’s quality on the whole.
- In fact, there’s ample anecdata that they’re actually on the better side of things.
- The prices aren’t horrendous at all. Sure, it’s not cheap stuff, but it’s not a multiple of any other major brand either.
- The tools themselves appear well designed and generally aren’t bulky.
- One of my closest friends lives nearby and has just headed down the same path after serious research, so a bit of sharing might occur, which isn’t nothing. In fact, the aforementioned bundle doesn’t come with a charger, and I was able to avoid buying one separately as he has an extra he’s letting me have.
I’d almost gone with Ryobi instead, since I’m barely even a hobbyist, and my most used tools are just good ol’ hex L-keys, but looking at size differences of some of the tools—namely their
jig saws—made me rethink that, as I’m still an apartment dweller with some space limitations.
Thank you all for responding, both here and on Telegram! I really mean it—I read all the replies and considered them along with anecdata I collected in other places. Much wubz!
@eizbaer My apologies, but I read your post and completely failed to even look at the linked thread. Oops. Now I’m too scared to do so, in case it changes my mind…
@Perc I too expect to end up with a Ryobi tool or two, as they have a pretty ridiculously wide range. Good to know that adapters exist (and work!), even if I end up having to buy an M18 battery.
@NecroJoe Yeah, I feel like Milwaukee + Ryobi might end up being my life as well. I feel like it’s not too bad unless I end up with one battery each from five brands…
@Matt2000 I couldn’t really justify M18 at this point, but I wouldn’t be surprised if eventual home ownership changes that.
@93Flareside Yay Team Milwaukee!
@CraigB Yeah, the endless walls of green at my local Home Depot nearly had me sold on their own. It’s a rather strong presence, ha.
@jack_christie Availability definitely played a role in my choice. I expect to have my tools in two days, and in today’s Supply Chain Issues™ world that’s hugely valuable.