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Post by jimbouk on Jul 1, 2017 3:39:01 GMT -5
Anyone got the latest Panasonic drills, had a look and play in the merchants the other day a very impressed.
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Post by kraftt on Jul 1, 2017 17:07:56 GMT -5
I've been eyeballing them recently to see what's new, but I still can't kill my original (antique) Panasonic that has all the power I need. Balance, ergonomics, great clutch (cleaned once), great chuck, fast charging, guess I don't have to mention reliable, etc. They used to have a greater presence in North America but not so much anymore.
However, I thought since I've started down the path with Mafell that if I pick up a cordless saw I could save some money when I need to update my drill by only buying the Mafell drill body and sharing batteries.
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Post by bicycleclip on Jul 2, 2017 4:07:33 GMT -5
I've been eyeballing them recently to see what's new, but I still can't kill my original (antique) Panasonic that has all the power I need. Balance, ergonomics, great clutch (cleaned once), great chuck, fast charging, guess I don't have to mention reliable, etc. They used to have a greater presence in North America but not so much anymore. However, I thought since I've started down the path with Mafell that if I pick up a cordless saw I could save some money when I need to update my drill by only buying the Mafell drill body and sharing batteries. I've got mixed feelings about cordless. For convenience it's great. If I was framing I would buy a cordless KSS60 like a shot, But in terms of longevity I have doubts. Battery technology changes quite quickly. Every 8 years I reckon. Perhaps that's a recent thing. For example there's a 24V kss400 on UK ebay right now. Ni-Cad batteries? Pretty soon replacement batteries would need to be sourced from generic maker. Especially given the relatively low numbers of Mafell products in circulation. Added to this, I don't trust companies not to use battery tech as a way of ensuring obsolesence, if you know what I mean.
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Post by kraftt on Jul 2, 2017 6:56:45 GMT -5
I’ve stated elsewhere here something similar to your sentiments about batteries. For my old Panasonic I eventually did have to purchase generics (work great) and have rebuilt other tools battery packs on my own. There’s a healthy growing aftermarket supporting this (following the circus) and I think it extends now into updates with generic chargers too. I imagine to add to the planned obsolescence it’s not just about the battery's size or weight but also the diminishing size of motors, specific voltages tweaked to their proprietary pack, that we are already seeing leveraged. For myself when I don’t use the tool on a daily or weekly basis it’s reassuring to grab a corded line voltage tool and not have to think about charge. Never going to get rid of my milwaukee right angle & hole-hawg corded drills even though they now offer cordless versions of these beasts. But everything in tools has or is going cordless. I’d guess even less time before we see model changes given the competition and increasing speed at which battery technology is changing. I look at the cordless MT55 18bl with that considerable added bulk (and I assume weight) and give it two years (3max) before they introduce a new configuration. I wouldn’t complain if I owned one, especially not having to find a separate circuit when using with a vacuum, but some things require so much on site set up anyways that a cord isn’t the end of the world.
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