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DeWalt cordless tools

Dargo

Dargo

Like a bad penny...
I've always been a pretty big fan of the 18v DeWalt tools I have owned for the last 6 years or so. I liked them so well I recently bought a complete set of the DeWalt 36 volt cordless tools. For the most part, the 36v tools have as much or more power than regular corded tools. The batteries in the 36v tools also last a long time and are no heavier than the 18v batteries.

Now, here is my issue; I just had a 18v battery go bad just over a year after I bought it and DeWalt isn't standing behind their warranty. :mad: I suppose it's good that this is the first time I've ever needed to use their warranty, but I'm honestly a bit disappointed in DeWalt. Since I never have had any issue, I didn't keep the receipt (or can't find it) for the 18v DeWalt battery I bought at Lowes.

I took the battery back to Lowes and they told me that I needed to contact DeWalt directly. That is easier said than done. Have you ever gone to DeWalt's website and tried to find a way to email them or call them for a warranty issue? Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems as if it is designed to prevent someone from doing such a thing. After an hour or more of looking I finally found a way to email them. Three days later I received an email saying that all DeWalt batteries have serial numbers on them and all I needed to do was to reply to that email with the serial number.

Well, I did that....weeks ago. :( As a matter of fact, I've done it several times now and I've still not heard any reply from DeWalt at all. Maybe I shouldn't be, but I'm a bit peeved. I probably have a couple grand in DeWalt tools and now I am not so comfortable with the company standing behind their product. Now I'm wondering if I made a mistake by spending some relatively big bucks on numerous 36 volt DeWalt tools. Anybody else had any experiences with DeWalt; good or bad?
 
I can't speak bad about Dewalt but we have a Dewalt store in Pittsburgh. I took two batteries down a couple years ago (no receipts) and they sent replacements within 2 weeks.
 
I haven't had an issue yet with my DeWalt's but a good friend has had the same type of experience as you. As I recall, his was something about "buy this tool, fill out this form and we'll send you this other tool for free". He did everything per their directions but nothing ever came back to him. Regardless of whom he contacted nor his approach (including copies of everything), DeWalt wouldn't honor it.

Their handling of warranty issues and customer service is terrible.
 
bczoom said:
Their handling of warranty issues and customer service is terrible.
Click to expand...

Bummer. I think that is what I'm finding out. They'll find out that I won't go away very easy, for whatever that may be worth. It's too bad since their tools seem to be decent.

On a similar subject, I was at Lowes picking up some jigsaw blades and noticed the new decked out 12" sliding compound miter saw by Hitachi is now made in China where the same saw I bought last year is clearly marked "Made in Japan". I'm glad I bought last year! My 36v DeWalt stuff says it's made in Mexico whereas my 18v DeWalt stuff is all Chinese made. :(
 
http://www.dewalt.com/us/service/company/contactlist.asp

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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Phone: Call DEWALT customer service at 1-800-4-DEWALT[/FONT]

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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Postal Mail: Need to mail something to customer service? [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]DEWALT Customer Service[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]626 Hanover Pike[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Hampstead, MD 21074[/FONT]
 
I've bought a few 18V DeWalt tools recently. They are not the same quality of my old 18V tools. Monica bought me a 4 piece kit for Christmas that came with the Hammer Drill, 6 1/2" Saw, Flashlight, and Recip saw. I had to take the first kit back and exchange it for another because the drill wouldn't go into gear and kept slipping in low. High worked fine. Exchanged it, second set was fine. I had already sent the receipt in for the free tool Lowe's was offering at the time. Figuring they would catch that it had been returned, I sent the second receipt in. I got both tools through the mail. When I was doing the "smurf tube" as Jerry calls in the house I decided I needed :yum: a Right-angle drill. I bought the 18v version. Same thing as the previous hammer-drill. High worked, but low slipped. I ended up exchanging it as well. Actually I bought another one over the weekend. Took it back as well, but I used the receipt from a month ago. They were doing 15% off, just told them since I hadn't opened it, I didn't need it. So I saved myself $37.

I want the 18V impact wrench, but I'm a little hesitant to buy it. I'm afraid Black & Decker is ruining the DeWalt name like they did the Black and Decker name years ago. I might start looking at other makers, just too bad B&D owns most of them too, so they will start going down hill as well.
 
Oh, now I'm totally screwed! I finally got to actually speak with someone at DeWalt and they told me that even though they can tell by the number on my 18v battery it is only a year or so old, since I don't have my receipt from Lowes I'm shit out of luck. :mad: WTF??!! I thought DeWalt was a reputable company and made quality products. I have to assume "made" (past tense) is the key word. Now I've wasted money on that battery that is shot in less than a year and DeWalt's official word is "can't help you".

Now, to make matters worse, I happened to break out the 36 volt hammer drill to use it yesterday. It won't turn a 1/2" bit through a 2X4 because the clutch in it won't stop slipping. What a POS! Oh well, at least I thought I'd use it to screw in hangers until I got it replaced. At least it should be able to do that. Well, half way. It could screw in a small 1 1/2" screw but it can't back one out. No matter what you do the chuck simply releases the bit if you run the screwgun in reverse! :mad: Well, doesn't this suck!

Here's the worst part; I bought it on 2/1/08, which is past 60 days ago. To get it fixed I must ship it off and wait for it to be repaired. Oh, but wait, the company I bought it from is "no longer an authorized DeWalt reseller" according to 'Jeff' at DeWalt. So what, right? Wrong!! Now the pricks at DeWalt tell me that I have no warranty on my 36 volt tools! :wtf: :finger2: Yup, that's their policy now according to DeWalt. I know times are hard, but that company that I once considered a high line company must really be in the shitter and are screwing their customers to try to stay afloat. Unfortunately I have about 2 grand of DeWalt tools and equipment. After this nice encounter with DeWalt I have officially spent my last dollar with them!! After being a long time advocate of DeWalt tools, I now highly recommend avoiding them at all costs. Their tools have gone to hell quality wise and the company will absolutely do anything to keep from spending any money after the sale.

I now nominate DeWalt as the top "Has Been" company. I wonder how many other companies there are that were once representative of quality that are now just pure shit?
 
Well that sucks...

Brent - I don't know how far back, but if you give Lowes your credit card that you used for the purchase, they can pull up the receipt. When I need to make a return, I don't even look for the receipt. I hand them the item and the credit card and they can confirm the purchase. They might be able to re-print you a receipt.

Dargo said:
I wonder how many other companies there are that were once representative of quality that are now just pure shit?
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There's quite a few. Shall we open a new thread and try to name them all?
 
Well, I own a bunch of DeWalt tools, but you may have convinced me to switch over to Rigid with their Lifetime battery replacement policy rather than replace all the batteries I've had die in the past 2 months...
 
Sorry to hear all that Brent. That does suck. I was just ready to get me an 18volt drill too. I thought DeWalt was the obvious choice ....
How's everyone experience with Ryobi? Not familiar with Rigid that Erik just mentioned.
 
Erik said:
Well, I own a bunch of DeWalt tools, but you may have convinced me to switch over to Rigid with their Lifetime battery replacement policy rather than replace all the batteries I've had die in the past 2 months...
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I also went with Ridgid on '06 when I needed a new cordless drill. I couldn't be happier.
 
DaveNay said:
I also went with Ridgid on '06 when I needed a new cordless drill. I couldn't be happier.
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My BIL who is in the HVAC business went with Ridgid about a year ago and loves them. He said that he has only had to have either one or two of the batteries replaced under their lifetime warranty, but he was not given any hassle even though his tools look like he has dragged them behind his work van. The batteries for my POS 36 volt DeWalt are "nano phosphate lithium ion" and cost about $150 each! :eek: The 36 volt DeWalt is supposed to have even more power than their corded tools (per their stats), but mine have not run long enough to tell. Well, to be honest, I've only used the hammer drill so far and it didn't make it 5 minutes. I suppose I ought to try the circular saw, sawsall and grinder that came in the kit and see if they work.

My builder has gone to all Bosch or Hitachi. I just found out today that he had a big fight with DeWalt a couple of months ago and bought all Bosch 36 volt stuff rather than DeWalt. Heck, the very cheap Ryobi 18 volt caulk gun I bought a year or so to caulk all the joints in my driveway has been fantastic and battery life has been great.

Part of what I honestly expect is superior service when I pay a premium for a top of the line tool brand. I know quite well that part of the cost is for the name. I'm fine with that as long as I get superior service with that extra cost. When I get treated like shit, like others I've spoken with, I'll never buy DeWalt again. I suppose I'm fortunate that my 18 volt stuff is "older" and better made than their new shit. If I needed to buy new cordless tools now I'd have to look hard at Ridgid or possibly even the cheapo Ryobi. The only comments I've heard from professionals who have bought them are that they really don't have the power of the older DeWalt tools have or what the new Bosch or Hitachi tools have. But, for the price difference...
 
Doc said:
Sorry to hear all that Brent. That does suck. I was just ready to get me an 18volt drill too. I thought DeWalt was the obvious choice ....
How's everyone experience with Ryobi? Not familiar with Rigid that Erik just mentioned.
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Ryobi makes a decent quality "homeowner grade" tool.
not as much torque as the big boys, and the batteries don't last as long, but at 1/3 the price is plenty for most jobs. (and the replacement batteries are $40 a pair)

Rigid is the Home Despot house brand - i have yet to hear of anyone being less than pleased with their quality. Pricing is up there with DeWalt,but then there's the lifetime repair/replacement warranty that some say includes accidental damage and specifically mentions brushes and batteries. wife likes the 18v LiIon drill I got her in December to replace her B&D firestorm 18v I "smoked" one night trying to drill a 3/4" hole in a 2x. (I was drilling the hole, it stopped, whined, and then white smoke started pouring out of it - 13 months old)
 
I thought I'd post an update since my email and letter writing campaign to DeWalt finally got someone's attention. One of my letters asking if DeWalt was in such financial hardship that they were forced to steal from their customers apparently made it to a 'real' DeWalt manager's desk. He replied to me asking why I assumed that DeWalt was having financial hardships. I replied in turn that, in general, when a company begins failing to honor their warranty that the next step generally is bankruptcy.

Needless to say, he didn't like it that I was spreading the good news of how DeWalt refuses to honor their warranty all over the internet. So, rather than having me send the 36v drill in for 'repair', he paid for the shipping for me to ship it in for a replacement. I received a replacement 36v drill and used it quite a bit today with no problems (as should be expected). At least now I can say that the 36v tools last quite a bit longer on a charge than the 18v ones I have. Supposedly the new Lithium Ion batteries don't have any memory effect and they claim that they will take 3000 charge cycles. We'll see. I hope so. This 36v tool set began with a rocky start. Maybe it will turn out okay over time.
 
I don't use tools the way you do, I'm far more modest in my abilities, but I've got the 18volt Ryobi 1+ tools and don't see any reason to upgrade. I do have 8 batteries, 2 wall chargers and 1 car charger, so I am realistic about the need to swap batteries to maintain full power, but overall I'm happy with what I've got. And given the grief that DeWalt has put you through I don't see me switching brands anytime soon. I doubt a serious toolman would choose the Ryobi set up, but then again, it is a whole bunch cheaper than DeWalt and is not really built to their standards.
 
This has been an interesting thread.

All my cordless stuff and quite a bit of the corded stuff has always been DeWalt. I have never had a bit of trouble with any of it but it's getting a little long in the tooth. Heck, my 2 cordless drills still use 12v batteries. I was thinking of upgrading at the end of this year to 36v stuff and, ofcourse, I was going to go with DeWalt. I don't think that's going to happen now after listening to you guys. I have a couple of friends who are remodlers and they use Rigid tools and equipment almost exclusively. I have a couple of Bosch tools that I like very much too. I suppose I better start doing some research and get ready to buy my Christmas present to me. :shifty:
 
I have some Ryobi tools, and they seem to do fine for me. I have 18 volt batteries that I have replaced once............and need to be replaced again............but these guys are 5 years old! I used a drill for work when I installed computer networks and never had an issue with them, except the chuch will loosen up and drop a bit now and then. I am going to get the 1 plus batts this time and maybe wear out a tool with them............

I have a Hitachi power screwdriver (small) and it is great!
 
I picked up a set of 28 Volt Milwaukee tools last fall and I have worked them pretty often and hard and have not had any problems. Batteries charge quick and are the lithium - ion type. These tools have lots of power I use the impact gun to change the tires on my vehicles it takes four off and puts four on with plenty of battery left. There are some places that will replace the batteries in the power packs at about half the cost of buying new battery packs.
 
Some years ago I bought a Ryobi Job Site series 14.4v drill and I used the heck out of it. Great balance of weight and power, and pretty gosh dern durable. The cordless circular saw I bought on eBay to go with it worked well for the small jobs, particularly plumbing, but I would'nt bring it to a framing project. I bought a Milwaukee 18v hammer drill and recip saw for the heavier stuff. I was never impressed with the Milwaukee -- the batteries stopped holding a full charge within a year or two and I had to buy a new "conditioning" charger (per the dealer) to bring the cells back to life. The drill itself wasn't all that durable either. Well, both my cordless sets died recently, so I just bit the bullet and got the Makita 18v lithium-ion stuff. I haven't put them through their paces yet, but my first impressions are good. The hammer drill weighs about the same as my Ryobi 14.4v, but good lord does it have some torque. I pulled the trigger on high speed and when I let go, and the brake grabbed, the drill twisted in my hand. I tried the recip saw, and the 2900 spm was notably more impressive than the 1900 spm of my Milwaukee. The circular saw has a 6 1/2" blade, so I look forward to using it on some framing jobs I have on my to do list. They were also running a special where they send you a 3rd battery upon receipt of proof of purchase. The negatives are: the hammer drill doesn't come with a T-handle, but I can probably use the one from my Milwaukee. It also has a worklight on it that I think is just a useless drain of the battery. I might change my mind, however, when I'm running electric in my attic and the bulb burns out in the attic light.
 
*(^&*(#$#

I bought some new batteries for my drill and circular saw probably 2 years ago to replace 7 year old batteries that weren't holding charge very good any more. Now all of a sudden one of them won't take charge the charger just throws an error and the other one just gets enough of a charge to barely turn the drill. If these had been used commercially I could understand, but these batteries aren't. The "old" batteries I replaced still work better than these new ones. Glad I just bought a new 4 piece set and a right angle drill so I at least have some batteries to use.

I know I'm past the warranty point, but still this just shows how much DeWalt has gone down in quality. 7 years vs. 2 and the 7 ones were used a whole lot harder and charged a whole lot more times than the newer ones. I'll probably start looking at Bosch.
 
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