Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/02/09/the-power8-create-combo-tool-k.html
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Only if they are “dude approved”.
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Key problem with these things is the availability of compatible replacement pieces, including not just batteries but also tools-minus-batteries. If one part fails you’re stuck with a whole bunch of other stuff that doesn’t work with anything else. For this reason I prefer the Ryobi 1+ system. If I need a new battery they’re easy to find, and if I need a new tool I can buy just the tool without getting a new charger and battery bundled in. Even if one tool fails I still have planty of others I can use the batteries in. My current shop has 4 batteries and 2 chargers, plus a circular saw, drill/driver, recip-saw, chainsaw, light, leaf-blower, garden-trimmer, sander. When my corded router finally dies (soon!) I’ll probably replace it with a Ryobi battery one too.
I guess the one neat feature I see here is the ability to turn the circular saw upside down and build it into a platform for a table saw. That’s kinda cool, but the blade is probably only a 7", so not as good as a regular table saw.
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Don’t buy that other tool set for $500, buy this one for $500. This one’s dude-approved, whatever that means!
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Agreed very much on the Ryobi & the battery issue. If someone is just getting started in something like woodworking, this will be a wholly wasted $500 when they want to do anything with better than +/- 1/4" tolerances. With the Ryobi kit, you’ve not exactly going to get professional-grade tools, but it will be perfectly serviceable for someone who just wants to make some things at home on the weekends.
There’s a lot of people who think that they “need” Milwaukee or Powermatic to do anything, which is nuts, but it isn’t very fun to try and make something nice (and safely) with gimmicky tools.
Yeah, I thought that was confusing as well, given this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-18-Volt-ONE-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-8-Tool-Combo-Kit-with-1-4-0-Ah-Battery-1-1-5-Ah-Battery-18-Volt-Charger-and-Bag-P1894/300343012?MERCH=REC-_-pipsem-_-310710637-_-300343012-_-N
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Batteries are consumption items. If there’s no national presence for this company, replacements are not going to be fun.
I can, however, see this as useful for extremely small homes with little storage space.
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If you want to learn the best example of buyers regret first hand, this is the product for you.
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I’m gonna pile on regarding the battery concerns.
Quick questions:
- If I have the battery in the lantern, how do I power any other tool?
- If a friend is helping, can I run one tool while a friend runs another?
- Having a single battery, what do I do while it charges?
Any cordless tool system is actually a battery system with the tools that surround the battery. Without redundant batteries, one bad cell in a battery pack is a dead battery pack is a pile of quiet power tools. With this in mind, go looking for a replacement Power8 battery pack.
BTW, anyone who wants a future in electronics repair should learn everything they can about rechargeable battery packs for tools. They ain’t going away, and in the case of the Power8, your skills will bill out at a premium rate, as $500 is a significant sunk cost.
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There’s lots of productive stuff you can do during the down-time. You can nap, or sweep the shop, or have a cup of tea, or watch The Godfather (I, but not II), walk about 8 miles, of mow the grass for everyone on your side of the block. All kinds of things!
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