Looking to get into a tool ecosystem

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We are in the process of moving house and our new house has a 20 year old kitchen that we are ripping out. We will be fitting the new kitchen ourselves and doing other jobs around the house so I am looking to get a few tools to get the job done.

In particular I need a circular saw that can cut through a kitchen worktop, and potentially a new combi drill.

I’d quite like to get into an ‘ecosystem’ with multiple tools using the same batteries, etc but I don’t have loads of budget at the moment.

I currently have an Erbauer Combi Drill which I really like (although apparently they’re now on a different battery type), and I also have a Ryobi SDS Hammer Drill which I like (I bought bare as I already had a Ryobi Strimmer that had the battery).

I’ve read mixed reviews of both Ryobi and Erbauer and don’t have the money for the ‘proper’ Dewalt and Makita stuff so looking for advice/recommendations.
 
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I dont have Ryobi , but have been looking and seen recommendations here , as they have a good range.

My personal range of tools is now Dewalt a lot of cordless with some corded where portability is NOT important for me as a DIYer , Sliding Mitre Saw , also my SDS is corded as i wanted the power

I use one of the cheaper Dewalt cordless Circ Saw (165) with Freud and Saxtonblades 40/48 T and i have cut 40mm worktop , but that was for a garage , and i was not looking at the finish
but i would expect that Tooth rate to get a good finish
 
I dont have Ryobi , but have been looking and seen recommendations here , as they have a good range.

My personal range of tools is now Dewalt a lot of cordless with some corded where portability is NOT important for me as a DIYer , Sliding Mitre Saw , also my SDS is corded as i wanted the power

I use one of the cheaper Dewalt cordless Circ Saw (165) with Freud and Saxtonblades 40/48 T and i have cut 40mm worktop , but that was for a garage , and i was not looking at the finish
but i would expect that Tooth rate to get a good finish

It's always difficult isn't it. The only real experience I have with Ryobi is the SDS Hammer Drill but I've only had that for about a year (and probably only used it 5 or 6 times). We do have a Ryobi lawn mower which I like but that's wired rather than battery powered.

I just worry that I'm leaning towards Ryobi because they look good/cool, but as I don't do a whole lot of DIY, I want something I'm not going to need to replace whenever I want to do something as most of the time I do DIY when we've not got a lot of spare cash (otherwise I'd just pay a pro haha).
 
i think the key here is your comments
but as I don't do a whole lot of DIY, I want something I'm not going to need to replace whenever I want to do something as most of the time I do DIY when we've not got a lot of spare cash
If you dont have the cash to afford , ranges like Dewalt , Makita, etc etc then you are looking at the lower price range.
Parkside (Lidl) and Aldi do a budget range , if you dont do a lot of DIY , then that may be an option.

BUT

what DIY are you planning or can see over the next 3-5 years
what tools are you looking to get
and what would be the budget

I purchased over a few years, and also added to family presents grouping together - my Dewalt twin chuck cabled SDS Drill was from my 4 kids at £170 , which they wanted to buy
 
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If you've never broke one of your ryobi tools then it's the most cost effective ecosystem to get into.

You cannot go wrong with the Erbauer track saw, it's amazing something that capable is £150.
 
i think the key here is your comments
If you dont have the cash to afford , ranges like Dewalt , Makita, etc etc then you are looking at the lower price range.
Parkside (Lidl) and Aldi do a budget range , if you dont do a lot of DIY , then that may be an option.

BUT

what DIY are you planning or can see over the next 3-5 years
what tools are you looking to get
and what would be the budget

I purchased over a few years, and also added to family presents grouping together - my Dewalt twin chuck cabled SDS Drill was from my 4 kids at £170 , which they wanted to buy

We are in the process of doing up our new house before we move in, so will be doing a lot of work in the immediate future (ripping out and fitting new kitchen, new flooring, new office with some cut down furniture, new bathrooms are on the horizon, and with young children they will be wanting things building I'm sure.

In the immediate future (within the next week), I am looking to buy a Circular Saw and Jigsaw, then looking to get a second drill so the mrs can help. Will also need a sander at some point and just go from there really.

We have a semi reasonable budget at the moment as we have tools worked into the budget for the work but what I meant was that I don't want to be buying again when we have no money to cover tools if that makes sense.
 
Erbauer track saw
Roybi orbital sander
Laser level
Decent hammer

If you have young kids then spend and get a decent extractor like a CTL MIDI £400 spent there is well worth it.

Also get a comfortable pair of ear defenders, goggles and respirator. Spend here too on items that you WANT to wear.

Don't buy anything untill you have specific need for it, it's not like you can't get next day delivery anyway.
 
Circular Saw and Jigsaw
In addition i would suggest a Drill & impact driver,
you dont necessarily need cordless for the Circ Saw & Jigsaw , I had corded for years , and only went cordless 3 years ago, so been doing DIY on my houses and friends and family for 40 years. although a great advantage to now being cordless
I have quite a bit of cordless all dewalt and 5 batteries, covers most things I had to do a house refurbishment
Again just as a DIYer
the Drill & impact driver are often sold in sets with 2 batteries , and often on offer.
so if you get cabled jigsaw and Circ Saw, you dont need to worry about batteries
Drill & Driver , the driver i have has 3 switchable levels , and i find those very very useful, and cordless is great.
perhaps a cordless Multitool

have you looked at toolstation / Screwfix / FFX - for any deals ?
 
Thanks I'll have a look at the suggestions.

I've just had a look at plunge/track saws and they look pretty good for cutting straight lines (didn't even know they existed) but I'm worried that I'll buy one and not use it again.

Yes, I had forgotten to add a multitool to the list. The original kitchen was built prior to plumbing being installed so I need to cut the sink cupboard out as pipes literally go through the back of the cupboard so planning on a multitool for that, also for cutting a new bath panel, etc..

I have been looking at Screwfix and Amazon mainly. There are twin packs on Screwfix but I wouldn't say they were 'deals' specifically. There are also some offers on Ryobi's site but it comes back to which brand to go for.
 
Tool ecosystem is a new one on me - despite some of my work colleagues being obvious examples of pond life
 
I'm mostly Makita now, and haven't looked back, however few things worth considering if you don't like the price:
  • If you did go Makita, I'd consider 2nd hand charger unless Screwfix or someone else is doing a deal.
  • Check for knock-off Makita batteries. They're not quite so good as the genuine Makita ones I have a couple of Axion ones that cost a fraction of the price and are still working 10 years later.
  • For 2nd hand Makita batteries (at least 18v 3.0Ah ones) you can open them and change the cells, Makita don't make it impossible for you to do that and there are youtube videos telling you how, I believe they use the 18650 batteries common in laptops.
  • With the 2 genuine Makita batts I got with my Combi (on special offer) and the two Axion ones I now buy everything bare.
BTW: relatively new there seems to be a Draper 20v Storm Force range which you could check out.
https://www.drapertools.com/category-products/8792/20V-Storm-Force-Power-Interchange-Range
Don't know about quality but Draper stuff is OK-ish.

For the worktop, I wouldn't be cutting with a circular saw, I did mine with a jigsaw, and it had the plastic boot on it to avoid marking (that comes with the Makita 18v one although I don't really like the way the soft-start kicks in so don't recommend it). Now I've got a plunge saw I'd use that. In fact, since the plunge (track) saw arrived, I've virtually given up on my circular saw. It has too little accuracy and for jobs where the plunge saw isn't convenient I find myself reaching for my hand saw because I know it's going to put the cut where I want it. Come to think of it, I use the chop saw a lot less since the plunge saw as well.

I consider the plunge saw (with 1.5m track) one of the most useful tools I've ever spent money on. It's probably on a par with my impact driver. Dare I say it... life changing :). But my plunge saw is Makita, don't know how the quality compares with cheaper brands. And it needs 2x18v batteries. I've never used a corded plunge saw but I can't imagine it's a great experience.

I think cutting a worktop is an infrequent enough thing that if I had no money I'd use a hand saw and get some exercise. I'd rather have Makita combi and a hand-saw than a budget circular saw and budget combi. I've even cut caber floor with a hand-saw, for a young, DIYer the quality of the job will be no different and you may appreciate that you haven't wasted money on landfill tools.
 
The new Ryobi hp range of tools are similar (not the same) as some of the Milwaukee kit, they are owned by the same parent company.

Ryobi are a good dependable brand, they aren't Stella and they aren't as cheap as they once were, but good enough for most.

Milwaukee is a brand to have a worthwhile look at, they have a very good range of tools, and there tools are very good and reliable.

Personally I wouldn't touch the cheap Lidl and Aldi tools, I've tried them and they haven't lasted and weren't particularly good at doing the tasks they were designed to do. However there is a few on here who swear by them.

Makita I've seen mentioned, there been some people complaining about the constant changing of battery types. Unlike DeWalt and Hitachi (maybe others) that have brought out backwards compatible batteries.

Myself I've got Hitachi, They are quite pricey these days since the big DIY sheds (Screwfix, b&q etc) stopped stocking most if not all there kit, but this has meant they have removed the budget stuff they did do from the range. There kit is now mostly only available at specialist tool outlets and online resellers.the range isn't huge like others but what they do do works extremely well, unfortunately this means that for me.to go cordless on everything I will need to buy into a 2nd system.

I've recently started to swap my kit out for cordless gear and I'll never go back to corded wherever I can. My hitachi cordless circ saw has handled every I've thrown at it including building a large pergola and kitchen worktops, nice straight cuts and accurate too, my dad was super impressed with it. If the other branded gear is half as good you be ok.
 
You can save a lot buying used tools , bought all my dewalt cheap some for less than a cheap tool is new.
That's a good idea as they appear expensive new, but the only times I have been asked to repair any they have only needed new brushes that were simple enough to replace. They seem very robust well made machines. Personally I'm not doing enough work these days to justify changing my old ones (mainly corded)
 
Makita I've seen mentioned, there been some people complaining about the constant changing of battery types. Unlike DeWalt and Hitachi (maybe others) that have brought out backwards compatible batteries.
I've been a Makita 18 volt user for about 15 years now, with 27 different tools (trade, and I counted them for this reply), and in that time there have NEVER been "constant changes of battery types".

What has happened is that some of the newer, heavier "battery hog" tools such as the recip saws are now specifically designed not to accept the smallest batteries (1.3Ah and 1.5Ah). Not a surprise there, really, as the smallest batteries were really only designed for use with the smallest drills and impact drivers (something that doesn't affect me)

The thing which does affect me is Makita's recent introduction of a 40 volt battery range only a few years after they had brought out a 2 x 18 volt (sub) range. These 40 volt batteries are not compatible with any previous tools and this lack of backwards compatibility is what has ticked off a number of existing (mainly trade) users. Simply put, Makita have changed direction with the heavier trade tools meaning e tra batteries and chargers will need to be purchased, which begs thecquestion for the future for trade Makits users, "why stay Makita?". It doesn't affect the main 18 volt single battery range, although just why Makita chose not to bring out either dual voltage batteries (e.g like the DW Flex Volt 18/54 volt or Hitachi 18/36 volt batteries) which could be used with existing 18 volt tools as well as new higher voltage ones, allowing a seemless transition,
or higher amperage 18 volt batteries (e.g like the Milwaukee 12Ah, Bosch 12Ah and Metabo 9Ah ones) is the big question

As to changing horses mid stream, both Hitachi (now renamed Hikoki) and DW initially went to "stick fit" 18volt Li-Ion batteries whrn they mived from NiCd and NiMh batteries (for backwards compatibility) before changing to slide fit batteries. So they are all as bad as each other...

The one thing anyone buying 18 volt Makita needs to be aware if is that as well as the main (trade) range, which use the LXT battery system, Makita also sell a DIY range, comprising a drill, impact driver, jigsaw and lamp which use an incompatible battery system, called the G-series

I'd have said avoid them (G-series), but TBH there are so many Chinese battery adaptors out there which allow you to marry tools from one manufacturer with batteries from another these days that it really isn't the issue it once was.
 
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