# craftsman 19.2V power tools



## aggreX (Aug 15, 2008)

howitt said:


> Are craftsman 19.2 Volt power tools any good? has anyone owned these? how do they compare to dewalt 18 volt?


IMO the Craftsman 19.2V power tools provides similar performance and value as Ryobi. Both are great DIY choices with affordable batteries and have a wide range of power tools that use their respective battery system. Dewalts XRP lineup have more torque, speed and build quality at greater cost. The "lower" line 18V Dewalts probably provide similar performance to the craftsman/ryobi. In a few reviews the 20V Li Craftsman have performed very well compared to the professional brands.


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## Termite (Apr 13, 2008)

Craftsman cordless tools are in no way on par with DeWalt cordless tools in my opinion. You pay a lot for the DeWalt name, but the quality is definitely there. Craftsman is just fine for most DIYers, but you won't see professionals using them very often at all. That speaks to their quality.


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## Highlander (Mar 2, 2009)

The Craftsman tools are good tools for occasional users. If you just want them for weekend projects, they will meet your needs, and should last a good while. As noted previously, if stacked up against the pro tools, they will probably fall down on power and durability.

Just note; many Craftsman (Sears) and Ryobi (Home Depot) tools are made by the same manufacturer, and in many cases, the tools are almost identical. However they do not take the same batteries, so you can't mix and match.

Both lines carry a lot of tools which work off the same batteries. Once you get a few tools, you will almost certainly get more. Having only one battery type to mess with makes things very simple.

Both Craftsman and Ryobi have their advantages, and each has tools in their line the other doesn't have. The Ryobi tools have some outdoor tools you can get (hedger, pole pruner, chain saw, blower, etc), while the Craftsman has a radio with AM (Ryobi radio only has FM), and the Craftsman line has the flourescent light (Ryobi does market the same one; but not in the US).


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

*Craftsman vs DeWalt*

I have both. 

Bought the Craftsman kit several years ago on sale and IMO it works for what it was made for. A perfect example of why good tools cost more. Not that there is anything wrong with the C 19.2 for DIY. Note- the new 19.2 batteries will not fit the old 19.2 tools. However, the 14.4v units are not worth the space they take up in a toolbox. No power at all. I know, that's not what the thread is but since I have used both, I will offer that comparison as a special offer if you read this in the next 30 minutes.:laughing::laughing::laughing:

I also have a DeWalt 18v at the shop- drill and reciprocating saw. I like both. Good power for what I have used either of them for so far.

But I really would like to get the Rigid kit with recip saw, hammer drill, impact driver, etc. If I could just leave my bifocals under the pillow for the tooth fairy and get $500!


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## brokenknee (Dec 13, 2008)

thekctermite said:


> Craftsman cordless tools are in no way on par with DeWalt cordless tools in my opinion. You pay a lot for the DeWalt name, but the quality is definitely there. Craftsman is just fine for most DIYers, but you won't see professionals using them very often at all. That speaks to their quality.


I agree, the only time you see professionals using them is on TV because they are usually one of the sponsors of the show.

I am not a professional, but I am a pretty serious DIYer, I spend the extra money on quality tools just because they make the job that much more enjoyable. Having the correct quality tool makes the job that much easier.


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## PaliBob (Jun 11, 2008)

I would go for the Craftsman 11588. I am more experienced than the majority of tool users on the forum. I have the DeWalt 18V line, the Panasonic 14.4 Li-Ion line and Bosh 10.4 tools.

Attached is a shot of the CR review. They rate it a Best Buy @ a score of 66 where the other cordless drills in the Test ranged from a high of 88 down to a low of 28. These are all from big name brands.

I still have a monster ½" Craftsman corded drill that I bought in 1962. That was when most drills were ¼"

Drifting further from the original post., my very first power tool was a ¼" Craftsman drill that I bought from the Sears catalog while I was a US Army draftee stationed in 1959 Germany that cost me over a week of Army pay.

This was before anybody heard of Vietnam so I was part of the 180,000 US force in Germany waiting for WW III to start. I was a Private about to be promoted to PFC because I had come in first in my Army training as our 155 Artillery Battery's Fire Direction Center (FDC) Specialist. When our unit arrived in Germany in December 1958 we took over the all the 155 self propelled howitzers and the tracked APC armored personnel carriers of the unit that we replaced.

One of the APC's was the FDC's and since we didn't have an FDC Sergeant our First Sergeant had me take over all the responsibility for the APC and related tools and maintenance equipment by signing a 640 item inventory log. That meant that I was responsible for not only for not losing gear but also for all of it passing inspections.

Our little FDC had an APC driver, Two Telephone operators and me. We all had the same FDC training but since I was the Specialist, I was nominally in charge (no rank), although we were all drafted at the same time. We all worked together to pass inspections whose toughest challenge was to keep all the APC maintenance tools free of rust. All the tools, wrenches and sockets were a flat black finish (no shiny chrome) so working in the wet snow they quickly attracted a patina of rust. The only way to get rid of the rust was with gobs of Army issued steel wool. What a drag.

There had to be an easier way. I went over to the PX and checked through their copy of the Sears catalog and found my salvation in a ¼” corded drill with a wire wheel brush and lamb’s wool bonnet attachments. It took three weeks to arrive by ship (this was before jets) but there was no problem with power because we had 120 VAC on Base. 
Nobody on the Base had any power tools so there was quite a stir when word got out on my new treasure.

The Machine Gun Sergeant first made a deal with me that he would take over all maintenance and cleaning of my APC’s 50 caliber machine gun to let him borrow the drill with the polishing bonnet for polishing carbine stocks in the Weapons Room. Plus he knew I liked to shoot the 45 caliber M3 grease guns, so he put me on his M3 practice list.

The First Sergeant was also impressed with my initiative he made me exempt from KP and Guard duty after the drill arrived and then made me the first PFC in our group of draftees.

That was a great Drill.


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## brokenknee (Dec 13, 2008)

PaliBob said:


> I would go for the Craftsman 11588. I am more experienced than the majority of tool users on the forum. I have the DeWalt 18V line, the Panasonic 14.4 Li-Ion line and Bosh 10.4 tools.
> 
> Attached is a shot of the CR review. They rate it a Best Buy @ a score of 66 where the other cordless drills in the Test ranged from a high of 88 down to a low of 28. These are all from big name brands.
> 
> ...


Fist of all thank you for your service. I am also a veteran that was in the Army toward the end of the Vietnam war, although I never went to Vietnam.

You made the above statement I highlighted without really giving any qualifications for doing so. If you are talking about your military experience almost fifty years ago I do not see how that is relevant. 

Are you, or were you a professional tradesman? By making such a statement you are implying that you are more qualified than anyone else to give your opinion. There have only been five of use to reply to this thread. Do you know any of us or what our backgrounds are? You may well have more experience than all five of us put together, (but I doubt it). However I do not see how that makes you more qualified.

Tools have change dramatically in the past ten years not to mention fifty. Fifty years ago Craftsman quality was a top priority. While quality is still somewhat of a concern for Sears, I believe price is more of a concern as they will frequently change suppliers based on low bid.

I have owned a few Craftsman power tools and they are OK, just a minor step above Black and Decker IMHO. 

Back to the OP question, are Craftsman power tools any good? - They are alright.

Has anyone owned these? - No, but I have used them and prefer Dewalt or Ridged.

How do they compare to Dewalt? - Already made my OPINION clear.

The OP will have to determine if the extra cost of a professional quality drill is worth it to them. Any drill is OK if you only need it to drill a couple of holes, but if you are planing on using it all day long (such as screwing down deck boards) for more than one or two projects. I would recommend more of a professional model.

That being said, have a nice day.


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## PaliBob (Jun 11, 2008)

brokenknee said:


> You made the above statement I highlighted without really giving any qualifications for doing so. If you are talking about your military experience almost fifty years ago I do not see how that is relevant.
> 
> Are you, or were you a professional tradesman? By making such a statement you are implying that you are more qualified than anyone else to give your opinion. There have only been five of use to reply to this thread. Do you know any of us or what our backgrounds are? You may well have more experience than all five of us put together, (but I doubt it). However I do not see how that makes you more qualified.
> 
> That being said, have a nice day.


Sorry to offend but when when I said


> I am more experienced than the majority of tool users on the forum


 I was referring to the whole DIY population not in any way to the responders to this thread. When I said


> I would go for the Craftsman 11588


 I was clearly giving my personal opinion without adding any adjectives. I was responding to the original question.

That said I'll admit to being an old curmudgeon although I don't consider myself ill tempered. Check my profile

Again I am not in any way implying that I am more qualified in any way, although my whole history has been tied to tools both professionally and personally.
Note to Howitt: Let us know what you decide


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

I've had a variety of battery powered drills over the years. Craftsman quality and ruggedness is probably down, compared to some of the other brands. But so is the price. And in today's economy, that's important to a DIY who will likely never see just how much his drill can take.

Frankly, although they do seem to last, DeWalt is highly over-rated in my opinion. Most of their tools are awkward feeling to me, and they are just about all way too heavy. The 19.2 Craftsman probably has to be one of the best balanced tools I've ever used.

I have used my present Craftsman 19.2 (and it's earlier little brother, the 14.4) for about 8 or ten years now. No new batteries, no repairs, no problems, and I only got the 19.2 because someone stole the 14.4.

Although my tools are used on the job daily, year in and year out, I do have to admit that I'm probably easier on my tools than most other contractors I see working around me. For instance, my Craftsman is used for what it was made for. I break out my corded Skil Xtra Tool for hammer drilling. And I have a couple of screwguns for drywall work. I don't mix mud with it. That's what the 1/2" angle Milwaukee is for.

Almost all the Craftsman is used for is cabinet installation and door and window installation. And, for me, it outperforms any other tool I've tried.


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## PaliBob (Jun 11, 2008)

Willie T said:


> .......I don't mix mud with it. That's what the 1/2" angle Milwaukee is for........


 Here is my Craftsman Industrial rated 1960's Mud Mixer. I assembled the Heathkit Speed Controller in the 60's because the Craftsman has only one speed, Fwd and rev.

The black plastic case is also original. The cheapo plastic hinges are long gone so I use a bungee cord to hold it together.

The Heathkit controller is also ancient. It uses two SCR's because Triacs were still not commonly available. One SCR was used to switch the positive half of the sine wave and the second SCR the negative.


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## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

Bob-
That is just WAY COOL! Or should I say GROOVY!


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## howitt (Mar 4, 2009)

after reading the posts I am thinking of buying a dewalt cordless tool set. I was curious of peoples opinions because I was thinking that dewalt is just better marketed.


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## PaliBob (Jun 11, 2008)

Howitt, You should have good luck with the 18V DeWalts. I bought the 18V set Circ Saw, Recip, Hammer Drill, & Light when they first came out and have been happy with them. After going through three sets of batteries (old age) the advice I'll give is don't buy any cheap Chinese replacement batteries. I bought a set, and they didn't last three months.

For replacement batteries I take the mine down to Batteries Plus in Culver City. They open the battery case take out the old battery cells and weld in a new set of 3000mAh cells cheaper and better than the originals.

http://www.batteriesplus.com/t-storeloc.aspx


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## brokenknee (Dec 13, 2008)

300mAh? Did you mean 3000mAh? Also curious, did the batteries packs originally have NiMh installed? or were they NiCd? 

If you did switch the battery type did you have to change your charger? 

The reason I ask is I started rebuilding my own battery packs about a year ago, I have also rebuilt some for friends and relatives. I have been rebuilding the packs with the 2200NiCd batteries with tabs from http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=162. 

I have thought about using the NiMh for the higher capacity available, but have been told (on the web) that the older chargers will not work with the NiMh because of the internal chemistry of the battery will not allow the charger to detect when to properly start or terminate the charge.


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## PaliBob (Jun 11, 2008)

brokenknee said:


> 300mAh? Did you mean 3000mAh? Also curious, did the batteries packs originally have NiMh installed? or were they NiCd?


Yes 300mAh was a typo. I corrected it.
The batts are all Ni-Cads. I had my first 18V tool set stolen, so when right away I got replacements I ended up with three DeWalt Ni-Cad chargers. When NiMH came out around 2002 I didn't think of changing since I had so many chargers.

Broke, You made a great find on the 2200 batteries. At that price you can't go wrong. Good for you for doing it yourself.


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## brokenknee (Dec 13, 2008)

I haven't been able to find any 3000mAh NiCd batteries on line. The highest capacity I was able to find is 2600mAh. That is why I thought maybe you had changed to the NiMh chemistry.

When I checked with batteries plus when I first started to rebuild my own packs, I thought they said they used 2400mAh batteries in their rebuilds. I was not aware they made 3000mAh batteries in the NiCd chemistry.

I do know that my local batteries plus store will not just sell the sub c batteries to build your own packs. They first told me I couldn't do it without a 5K spot welder. When I told him I could send him a number of sites on the Internet explaining how to do it; he said it would void the warranty. I told him that would be fine as I could understand that. He then finally told me he considered me "competition" and would not sell me the batteries.

I then told him I would just order the batteries off the Internet. 

It is really a shame since I strongly believe in trying to support your local economy when possible.


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## PaliBob (Jun 11, 2008)

brokenknee said:


> .....The highest capacity I was able to find is 2600mAh.........


 I couldn't find one either. It looks like I was lied to about 3000mAh.

When I was there I did see that cool spot welder ar work


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## brokenknee (Dec 13, 2008)

It is nice, but at 5 thousand bucks it is a little hard to justify to the wife. :laughing:

I did find one online for about three grand. Still don't think I could justify that.


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## hankscorpio (Feb 10, 2009)

*Craftsman*

I have the Craftsman Pro Series 20 amp Li-Ion. Its been great so far. The drill has plenty of torque (500 in lbs). The speed however leaves a little to be desired. The Circ Saw is about as good as any other cordless i've used. The batteries themselves though have been great. They last forever and go full speed until they die. The indicator lights are nice too.


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## clintb (Mar 13, 2009)

brokenknee said:


> I haven't been able to find any 3000mAh NiCd batteries on line. The highest capacity I was able to find is 2600mAh. That is why I thought maybe you had changed to the NiMh chemistry.
> 
> When I checked with batteries plus when I first started to rebuild my own packs, I thought they said they used 2400mAh batteries in their rebuilds. I was not aware they made 3000mAh batteries in the NiCd chemistry.
> 
> ...


For any sub C battery needs, check out the R/C (radio controlled) side of the universe. There are tons of shops online that sell Sub-C NiCd cells with or without tabs. BTW, the highest capacity of NiCd Sub-C I could find, from a quick search, was 2400 mAh. That does coincide with the transition from NiCd to NiMh, from what I remember...and it's been a while!

** For anyone else reading **
DO NOT try to charge NiMh batteries with a charger designed for NiCd. You'll over charge them in a hurry.


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## brokenknee (Dec 13, 2008)

clintb said:


> For any sub C battery needs, check out the R/C (radio controlled) side of the universe. There are tons of shops online that sell Sub-C NiCd cells with or without tabs. BTW, the highest capacity of NiCd Sub-C I could find, from a quick search, was 2400 mAh. That does coincide with the transition from NiCd to NiMh, from what I remember...and it's been a while!
> 
> ** For anyone else reading **
> DO NOT try to charge NiMh batteries with a charger designed for NiCd. You'll over charge them in a hurry.


 
You are correct on mAh rating; I was thinking about the 2600 NiMh AAs I use in my flashlight. 2400 mAh was the highest I was able to find also.


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## joseph.cynthia (Mar 21, 2009)

I do not have own the Craftsman 19.2 but a friend does. She is a very casual user and I'm sure it does what she needs it to do. However, I do own the following combo pack:

http://www.dewalt.com/us/products/tool_detail.asp?productID=17802

I paid $199 on sale at Home Depot. This has been a very good deal. The reciprocating saw is very powerful and has cut any tree/branch I have attempted. I've also used it to cut concrete board. I have also used the drill for everything around the house. It is also very powerful for such a small drill. So my recommendation is you would be extremely happy with the Dewalt combo pack if you can still one available. They are on clearance so you'd better check before it's too late. I saw one today. 

I also have a Ryobi 18v lithium drill P202. It is good but not quite on the same level as the Dewalt. Hope this review helps.


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## PaliBob (Jun 11, 2008)

Thanks for the review. DeWalt makes good tools. I have a ten year old DeWalt 18V combo where the Recip saw blade change needs a *HEX* key.


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## tomustang (Nov 25, 2009)

Hey guys, just wanted to add some of my experience with the 19.2V line, so an 8 month bump :whistling2:

When the system just came out I've bought the 3 piece kit including 1/2 Drill/Driver, Fluorescent Light, Stapler. Included was the bag, charger and 2 batteries. At the time it was only $120 (holiday sale) Through the course of all 3 tools I've put the drill though so much abuse and it still runs hard just like the first day I had it. The stapler however was used in the first month and ended up braking due to poor design, they wrapped the staple holder around with plastic and with all the vibration, shattered the casing, rendering it useless. Worst experence with any part, they have since revised the stapler. The light, well it lights up :thumbup: and comes in handy working on cars, instead of getting a wired light. 


After my heavy use of using the drill for countless reasons, dropping off several 1 story roofs, throwing it out of the way, covered in dust, powdered glue, industrial jobs I've been at, I decided to add on to the lineup with:

*Pad Sander* - Works great on any project I've encountered, I also buy the harbor freight sanding pads which are cheaper
*1/2 Drill/Driver with Lasertrac *- High and low setting come in handy, the low setting is a monster though and you could hurt yourself if you're not holding it right, I still use the older drill, since I got this one for $30 at sears*
Radio* - Signal is average, can plug into the laptop, only downside is the mono speaker
*5 1/2 Circular Saw* - Now this is the only tool I barely use on thicker woods, usually on plys1/4 to 5/8, it does the job but feels like it lacks the power a bit. It could just be the type of blade since it has the least amount of teeth on it*
Orbital Buffer* - Haven't tried it yet since my wife got it
*Blower/Vac* - This is amazing, does exactly what they say it does. You can do light blowing of leaves and it's a small vac for the shop (sawdust etc.) As long as what you're vacuuming whatever can fit thought the screens it can suck it up

*Batteries *- I've been though the 2 original batteries so far, I don't remember when I bought the kit but it was when the lineup just came out. They were used a lot, stored in my enclosed back porch, survived a year in the desert when I moved and decided to die around the same time. I would estimate a bit over 5 years use

Now at several jobs I've been at the dewalt and crafstman set are present. The Dewalt's are usually a must to have it in any shop. But since higher prices cause budgeting they do turn to the craftsman 19.2 lineup and end up being the second choice. Now I've never seen people fight over either drill when it comes down to using either but they both get the job done and hold respect evenly. 

I'm probably missing more info but I just wanted to add to the 19.2 line since I hear "just buy dewalt, they're the best" when most people don't even try anything else.

If anyone has any questions about the ones I have let me know, I could provide more info on the 19.2 side.


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## Yoyizit (Jul 11, 2008)

howitt said:


> Are craftsman 19.2 Volt power tools any good? has anyone owned these? how do they compare to dewalt 18 volt?


(19.2/18)^2 = 1.14 = 14% more power from the 19.2v, other things being equal.
If you know the battery capacities and drill motor prices & specs, you can figure out the watts/$, in-lbs/$, rpm/$ and watt-hours/$ for each.
Reliability is a state secret, but a drill motor that runs cooler should last longer.


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