|
Post by toomanytoys on Jul 13, 2018 10:10:58 GMT -5
I’ll attach a comment from a person I’ve known and interacted with for about 20 years in automotive forums. Y2K has been on of the most knowledable persons I’ve known, I usually listen to what he has to say. This thread got off on some quality issues. I tried to add the image of the post, but appearantly files are full. ”Toys-'R-Us appears at first glance to be a victim of Amazon's data honed selection and fulfillment efficiencies, but on deeper inspection into the Toys-R-Us story, it was more of a victim of a ridiculously high leveraged buy out by the vulture capitalist group KKR, who bought the company with money borrowed by the company, monetized the severable assets of the company (to get money), laid off all of the talent within the company (to shift money), and refused to invest money to modernize or even maintain the business of the company (to save money). Why save money? To service the huge interest payments on the borrowed money to buy the company, while the assets were mined and the talent was drained. The same vulture capitalist group pulled the same trick on Nabisco. Remember Nabisco? We grew up on Nabisco. And our kids grew up on ToysR-Us. No more. KKR has claimed other household brand names as well, buying them with borrowed money and burying them into the ground servicing the debt load of these highly leveraged buyouts. The tool division of Hitachi is one of KKR's more recent victims. It will be combined with Metabo, erasing the Hitachi tool brand altogether, and Metabo likely will suffer a long drawn out death that will ultimately be blamed on the marketing effectiveness and retail entrenchment of the DeWalt and Milwaukee brands. But really, behind the scenes it is just business. Bad business for many, but good business for a select few.” So it might be Metabo is not once it once was based on his viewpoint. toolguyd.com/hitachi-power-tools-and-metabo-bought-by-usa-based-kkr-private-equity-firm/
|
|
|
Post by Jointer12 on Jul 19, 2019 17:03:53 GMT -5
Amazing to read about how companies get bought and driven in to the ground!. All of my power tools have been metabo/electra beckham for the last 15 years. Older ones are fantastic. Strong and well engineered tools, some are the same tools just in different colours made for, or by mafell, starmix and lamello. Up to about 2014 there products were still well engineered. Newer ranges I guess to replace the older and dated ones are no where near as good. Just dont get the newer ones.
|
|
|
Post by yetihunter on Sept 17, 2019 22:26:25 GMT -5
I’ll attach a comment from a person I’ve known and interacted with for about 20 years in automotive forums. Y2K has been on of the most knowledable persons I’ve known, I usually listen to what he has to say. This thread got off on some quality issues. I tried to add the image of the post, but appearantly files are full. ”Toys-'R-Us appears at first glance to be a victim of Amazon's data honed selection and fulfillment efficiencies, but on deeper inspection into the Toys-R-Us story, it was more of a victim of a ridiculously high leveraged buy out by the vulture capitalist group KKR, who bought the company with money borrowed by the company, monetized the severable assets of the company (to get money), laid off all of the talent within the company (to shift money), and refused to invest money to modernize or even maintain the business of the company (to save money). Why save money? To service the huge interest payments on the borrowed money to buy the company, while the assets were mined and the talent was drained. The same vulture capitalist group pulled the same trick on Nabisco. Remember Nabisco? We grew up on Nabisco. And our kids grew up on ToysR-Us. No more. KKR has claimed other household brand names as well, buying them with borrowed money and burying them into the ground servicing the debt load of these highly leveraged buyouts. The tool division of Hitachi is one of KKR's more recent victims. It will be combined with Metabo, erasing the Hitachi tool brand altogether, and Metabo likely will suffer a long drawn out death that will ultimately be blamed on the marketing effectiveness and retail entrenchment of the DeWalt and Milwaukee brands. But really, behind the scenes it is just business. Bad business for many, but good business for a select few.” So it might be Metabo is not once it once was based on his viewpoint. toolguyd.com/hitachi-power-tools-and-metabo-bought-by-usa-based-kkr-private-equity-firm/Back when I was a scrappy teenager, my pops was a top exectuive at a company that was purchased by KKR. Without confirming or denying anything, I can say that Y2K did his/her homework with a big emphasis on the fact that I’m not denying anything and add a really long wink. That said, I had my educated gloom and doom predictions on where they’d be in two years and I just haven’t seen any evidence on my end that would point to any changes in either companies’ operations. If anything, Metabo’s been showing improvements in both marketing and distribution. Keep in mind, Metabo’s Chinese factory was in the works well before they sold out to Hitachi. Whether or not the Chinese Metabo stuff is exclusively made in that factory; I cannot answer. The Metabo HPT/Hikoki stuff is either no worse or markedly better than it was a few years ago.
|
|
|
Post by henrun on Oct 8, 2019 13:21:10 GMT -5
I don't know what's up with Metabo. Several of the units you have that failed are units I thought were fairly solid. Fairly as in "at least as good as the other options on the market".
Out of the Metabo gear I miss are the:
Drills, LTX of course. Impact drill was sweet. Hammer drills, KHA36LTX was a beast! LiHD batteries. The Multicutter worked great for me though I also thought the switch a bit iffy/stiff. Grinder was my least used tool but felt good.
Overall I viewed Metabo as "solid, yet unrefined" and knowing their core has been Metal (hence the name Metabo) I think they are overreaching a bit with the carpentry tools and deviating from what they do best.
I too was disappointed with the KS18LTX57, thought it would have more grunt - which is why I got it.
I think the overall quality of several brands has slumped a bit over the years - but it is on per tool basis I judge that by.
I am heavily invested in Hitachi/Hikoki (which is collaborating with Metabo as you know) and I find the tools basic but really good. Grinder is so much nicer to handle and so are the drills which seem very much like the Metabo drills in the newer incarnations. Multicutter is excellent for Hitachi, much better than Makita or Festool and a slight cut above Metabo for cutting and ergonomics. No issues with the switch so far.
Metal drill chucks for Hitachi are a bit of a teeth grinder. On my new Hitachi drills both were dropping drill bits by the minute, left and right. Had them exchanged for a new type while I waited as it was a "known problem" and the new ones should be "fine". Also was given the advice to tighten them and then turn back until a "click" and it only works sometimes and even if you get the "click" you still drop your drills and holesaws at a high rate. To give them props once you get used to the RFC (Reaction Force Control) you can run large holesaws safely and not snap your wrists. However I have had a few occasions where the holesaw has taken a nose dive as soon as I have finished the hole... ...now I keep retightening the drill bits quite often. It is a hit and miss for sure.
Had the same issue with Festool, I think Röhm makes the drill chucks for most major brands, but the later generation drill chucks from Festool are more secure. First generation was crap and arguably worse than Hitachi.
Metabo drill chucks have been solid for me. Never an issue with Makita. Bosch Flexiclick? Well, the jury is still out on that one.
Bosch has improved their 18V line up by a far margin and for the most part they have been reliable. Issues have been battery rattling off the Multicutter (Bosch say it is fixed now) and my electrician had his new and very nice Bosch 18V drill give up the ghost unexpectedly. In all fairness he got a new one no questions asked. My 18V Flexiclick is a very nice machine but the other day I was doing a bit of holesawing in MDF with my Bosch and it started belching out some smoke... ...haven't seen smoke come out of a modern drill since I smoked me some Festool drills...
Handled a new Bosch grinder the other day and was struck at how poorly designed the switch was. Almost impossible to turn the grinder on with (EDIT:) one clean hand, let alone with gloves or sweat/grease on the hand. Showed the store rep and he couldn't do it either. I have had a few Bosch grinders before: easy to turn on and off with one hand with a slight ridge on the switch you can work with/without gloves. The new one? Very bad.
Discussing tools with the head of one of the major repair centers is enlightening. He does not sugarcoat it. Milwaukee "Heavy Duty" drills come in from the construction sites in bucketloads and they hand new ones out like candy. Same with a few other brands. For most brands there are some real lemons in the line up and Festool is included in that lemon list. The former Hitachi rep said some of Hitachis bad rep comes from the nylon geared 18V "light duty" tools that flooded the market. He would not sell them as he knew they were meant for DIY folks. They were sold at heavy discounts and some professional stores and the big stores, so professionals would pick up a pair or two and think "hey, Hitachi is supposed to be good and these are so cheap I'll get me two of them", only to wear them out in very short time, tarnishing the Hitachi reputation.
In a way it is "safer" to mix up one's Bag of tricks with the best of a few well selected brand tools. I just wish I could narrow it down to two/three. Not four or five.
As it is now I am trying to divide things up in different segments: drilling/driving, sawing, sanding etc and keep each segment confined to one brand for ease of use and battery compatibility.
Is it working for me? Heck, no, but I am nearly there. Keeping each "task" within ONE brand always leads to that compromise I hate to make but sometimes it is better to have that quirky 18V jigsaw with the excellent 18V multicutter in the same Systainer II and always at hand instead of five different systainers, battery platforms and chargers.
|
|
|
Post by henrun on Oct 8, 2019 13:38:26 GMT -5
I am not sure in which direction Hikoki is heading. It seems they still have a core of very good engineers that aspire to make quality tools other than those gap fillers in the line up that are made outside of Japan. How long before sketchy marketing exec's will run that company down I don't know. Makita seems to be doing well. DeWalt I don't follow at all and Milwaukee I don't know much about either. Festool has taken a serious turn for the worse with their new company policies both towards handling service/warranty issues, how they act towards their dealerships etc.
I know long time and die hard Festool dealers that are really fed up with Festool. Festool probably has growing pains and they don't handle it well. They don't stock parts as they used to (and promise) and the dealers hear that "just temporarily out of stock" too often to believe that excuse any longer. And, yes, it has affected me as a customer on more than one occasion. Festool is no longer a reliable and cordial tool supplier.
I know the rep well enough for him to know who I am when I call but he is a victim to the change of direction Festool has taken lately. Festool is a prime example of a company that probably hired a bunch of well paid economic consultants to cut some corners and make them "more effective" but those people have no clue on the long term effects of their cheap-skating though it is obvious from the customer perspective as well as the dealership perspective. Metabo in Sweden suffers from very poor marketing and very little interaction with the professional dealerships. Makita is also centralising their European market - thereby losing touch with the professional market and has very little representation over here at the moment. The big chains sell Makita gear and combo kits at a lower price than my local professional dealer can buy it from them as a reseller. So they no longer stock more than what they have to. Bosch reps are also on the low key side of things but every encounter I have had so far with Bosch reps has been excellent and very cordial. Hoping their refreshed range gains some traction. I do think their new ProCore batteries might be on par with the LiHD batteries from Metabo/CAS.
|
|
|
Post by kraftt on Oct 8, 2019 20:19:29 GMT -5
I don’t know if there is the economic incentive anymore to service the skilled tradesman - vs what the pro-sumer market (light use) coupled with the increasingly larger scale of global construction projects market, where supplied tools are treated as more of an expendable than an investment.
|
|
|
Post by huntsgemein on Oct 9, 2019 6:37:55 GMT -5
Henrun, what you've been saying is quite true in my experience. The Millennium was a bit of a high point for Festool. They bought Kraenzle about that time, thus inheriting expertise in small dust extractors, Holz-Her was acquired for their SCMS & Belt Sander expertise, plus their in-house designers came up with the innovative Dominoes.
But in the intervening 2 decades nothing much of any consequence at all has happened at Fuss Tool R&D HQ. Apart from a gigantic 20 year coffee break, followed by some long service leave, with a subsequent sabbatical of navel-gazing, apart from the ubiquitous cost-cutting & quality trimming seminars of course. Maybe once or twice a month the office staff might give 'em a bit of a poke with a cattle-prod just to ensure they're still breathing.
I've basically shed all my remaining Festools, even those I thought I'd never divest ( Rotexes, Deltex, RS1C etc.), principally because of the abysmal vestigial residual sales & repair "network" (an oxymoron if ever there was one), meaning that their unique consumables, spares and repairs are now ridiculously slow and almost inaccessible. My local "dealer" doesn't even stock any product whatsoever, merely ordering in what a customer is prepared to prepay for!!!
Plus of course the fact that just about each & every post-millennial Fuss-Fool purchase has been extremely disappointing, not even fulfilling the capabilities that the manufacturer crows about. That all their Jigsaws are rubbish is a given. They've never ever been able to make a decent one yet. Their cordless "range" is some 5-10 years behind even the budget players in features, performance & even (dare I say it) quality too. My Kapex ($1500!) was way overpriced in terms of actual quality & features, and their once-superb sander range fairly well eclipsed by the best of the rest these days (Mirka & its Rupes, Indasa, Metabo, Carshine, Delmeq etc. clones).
Those damn Linear sanders - LS130 - are actually SLOWER than sanding by hand, terribly prone to clogging with paints & those ridiculously overpriced profiled bases start to break down into dust within months of purchase! My last job-lot arrived nicely pre-aged (yellowed) & already in the preliminary stages of breakdown! That little 3-way Rotex 90 is just an evil, unruly little bugger that's just as likely to damage delicate substrates as it s to perform as required. The rest of the range is now just a bit too big, too heavy & too powerful to be comfortably used in all but ideal horizontal positions in comparison to the much lighter, economical, cleaner running and quieter EC motored competition.
I've kept a big old ex Holz-Her Bs105E sander and an old Kraenzle CT22 Vac, & disposed of all the rest. Maybe 20 tools in total. It's just not worth the hassle of waiting & waiting (3 months on the last sandpaper & base order) & running the risk of being without an important tool because it's now "away for repair" for an extended period.
From now on, I'll be deliberately choosing just about anything but Festool's rubbish!
As for Metabo's offerings, well I've never (yet) had an issue with their repair & service network. It's worked for me on the occasions it's been requred (cordless batteries, grinders & drill repairs etc.), promptly, courteously & efficiently. So even if some individual tools are perhaps made better by some other manufacturers, the outstanding warranty, service , parts & consumables backup is much more valuable to me personally.
Likewise, Bobbie Bosch has similar warranty service in my experience, even if the dealer network is perhaps still a bit thin on the ground. Their batteries (same cells as the CAS), performance and longevity are pretty good, and their warranty service equally efficient too. They still make the best SDS Plus, Max, Hex & Demo hammers in the business, plus the second-best (or even one better) grinders too, & that little corded & cordless pair of recipros make all others look pretty primitive, crude & slow!
My tool repairer has a huge pile of dead Milwaukee Fuel motors in a midden display on his floor. He doesn't sell 'em, as he relies on trade customers for sales, & lucrative Milwaukee warranty claims to keep the repair side of his business afloat. A simple motor swap gives him a bonus payment for a less than 3 day repair turnaround! He mostly sells Makita still to his trade customers.
|
|
|
Post by henrun on Oct 10, 2019 15:59:08 GMT -5
Huntsgemein: It really resonates with my take on the whole market as it stands at the moment. I can't drop names but today I had another talk with one of the top three Festool dealers in the country. I have a good report with all of the top three/four on first name basis and unfortunately even the die hard ones are wondering what is up with Festool nowadays. The one I spoke with today is a regular visitor to the Festool factory and is quite well in touch with what's going on. The vendor is specialized in Festool and Schneider tools and stocks the entire catalogue in store (!). Over the years my accumulated tool tally of Festool tools is in the region of 40+ tools. That almost qualifies me to have a valid opinion on Festool tool range and quality. After picking up some accessories and having a lengthy discussion with the rep today he asked me if he could qoute me from our conversation and leave my name with Festool as he thought some of the remarks are made were a different "angle" on what he had felt too and that my assessment was spot on from a market perspective, as he saw it. He would forward the main points of our discussion next time he visited Germany. I was also told that Festool home market in Germany is by far the biggest market with around 70 to 75% of the total sales.
Sure, the population of Germany is around 83 million people (which honestly does not say much about the potential customer base in sheer numbers) but considering the global scale of things a total export of "only" around 25% of the produced goods is not that much for a single country that has almost world wide representation.
I can't work out the potential customer base but given that the world population is at 7.7 Billion at the moment one can only assume that the German home market is quite small on the global scale even though they sport the largest population in the european union. Just going by numbers Germany is around 17th in population on a global scale - which again does not really mean that much considering how large the population is in the most populated countries world wide. Germany is a "small" country with a relatively "large" population.
This perspective and domestic/export sales ratio gives me the impression that you have to understand the German market to understand Festool corporate decisions. The German woodworking market seems very conservative and not totally up to date - as told by the reps over here. Same goes for Mafell. They way they communicate and conduct their businesses seem very archaic. Tools that could/would sell like hot cakes on other markets are at best luke warm on the stale german market which does not inspire innovation for "common tools" that are more frequent on other markets.
The CMS line is discontinued now since it has run a lengthy course with sales in Germany dwindling a bit to the point Festool seems fit to retire the line. It would sell better in a few other markets but again, representation is key. With growing pains that is perhaps the best decision though it is a bit sad to see part of their innovative legacy keel over and disappear.
Festool can't catch up with the larger players like Makita, DeWalt, Milwaukee or Bosch when it come to the common battery tool range. In part because they are too small a player and in part because they are not in touch with that 25% of their foreign market - which could expand if they really wanted to represent 75% of their total sales instead of the other way around. A few years back I had a lengthy conversation face to face with a german Festool rep on a demo in Sweden and he was genuinely interested in how our market worked; what tools we would be using and why. He took notes and he mentioned that they do things differently in Germany in comparison to the rest of the EU/world market. I don't know how far up the corporate ladder his accumulated input during his travels has reached inside Festool HQ but there is a risk of the feedback being filtered out in the company. Festool has a group of tradesmen that test their tools but I can't be the judge of how representative it is in regards to the market or market potential. Knowing myself I honestly only discuss tools with a few select people over here in our little bubble.
I don't hang out with other carpenters all that much though I have run into quite a few over the years. Also I have found I sometimes use the machines out of their "intended" range or specific use and that is something that is often overlooked.
I just rant on the internet, it is my pressure valve and it is nice to be in a group of tool nerds anonymous.
|
|
|
Post by aas on Oct 11, 2019 6:23:00 GMT -5
Unfortunately we live in a world where products need to function for 'warranty time' + 1 day. Everything is becoming throw away, tools included. I still use my Type 4 Elu MOF177E purchased new in 1990(ish) - and when I look around my workshop, piled high with Mafell, Festool, Mirka, Lamello - I do wonder how much of it will still be working like new almost 30 years later as the trusty Elu does. I think the CAS is a great idea, a shame Festool doesn't jump on board - for Metabo though, the start of this thread, I've almost sold everything on - still have the 18v grinder, BS18LTX quick drill, Impact driver and wrench, LED floodlight - plus a 230v grinder - I'll be reluctant to buy anything else from them, even the 18v grinder may go. Big drills / impacts : Metabo / Mafell Saws : Mafell Sanders : Mirka Routers : Festool but a bit of everything Construction tools (drylining, SDS, saber saw etc) : Makita 18v Anything light and small that I use day in day out : Makita 10,8v (called 12v now)
Obviously doesn't cover all my tools, but not a lot of Metabo left in there.
|
|
|
Post by Ajw373 on Jun 26, 2020 14:24:49 GMT -5
Multitool MT18 - sticking switch, almost impossible to turn on and off, needs a pull down with both thumbs.
Grinder 125mm (forgotten the model) - switch turns off on it's own, repeatedly; swivel battery base is so loose it vibrates and has had to be taped up Circular saw KS18LTX57 - 5m cut of 27mm timber and it's getting hot, 10m it's smelling, 15m it's smoking and won't turn, needs to be left for an hour to start cutting again; slop in the gearbox shaft so the blade moves in and out, standard blade is pathetic.
Mitre saw KS18LTX216 - batteries almost impossible to get on and off now, need to push in the battery release button to be able to slide a battery in. Not a lot of use, in as new condition. Mini sabre saw 10,8v - batteries fall out with the vibration unless some rubber is forced into the battery catch to stiffen it up. (vertical cuts with batteries facing down).
Powermaxx SB - used maybe 10 times, as new, smells of burning and loses power when tightening a smallish screw. 10,8v lamp and torch - won't stand up on their own without the large 4,2 or 5,2 ah batteries, which are ridiculously expensive. LED projector and tripod - very big frame, not a clear smooth light, tripod fiddly. A10M (OK it's Mafell, but Metabo based) switch replaced as it stopped working. LiHD batteries - 3,1ah and 5,5ah seem to drain very fast - less than 2 years old - charge very slowly.
The good stuff... Drill - BS18LTX Quick Impulse - very nice drill Impact wrench - SSD400 - compact and powerful BS Powermaxx - basic drill with no problems, but nothing special Tried contacting Metabo about the shaft slop on the '57 - no reply... several of these tools need warranty work. In the meantime, I will have to buy replacement tools to use...
Out of interest you mention sticking some rubber in to a latch on a Sabre saw to keep the battery in. Can you elaborate a bit more on how you did that? I have a similar issue with two of my Metabo tools, the worst one is a multi tool which only occasionally works now, battery very loose and the other is my impact driver, though with that I can reseat the battery and it works. But that multi tool. Grrr. Seems like vibration is a big issue with these tools.
|
|
|
Post by huntsgemein on Jun 26, 2020 22:57:18 GMT -5
Fein still seem to make the best multitools. In regard to vibration (some cheaper clones of the original Fein models are truly awful) it seems that the original maker has managed to supress them best.
I prefer corded versions myself: less convenient, sure, but some early alternative makers' clones were very power-hungry with little effective "charge life". The supercut tools have the greatest angle of arc, meaning the fastest cutting & grinding performance, yet allow comfortable operation for extended periods, such as degrouting bathroom tile, for instance.
They just seem to be able to suppress the inherent vibes best.
As a flat delta-type sander, however I consider all multitools to be fairly useless, especialy in comparison to the best of the more traditional "old school" delta sander competition such as F/tool's original Deltex, or Bobbie Bosch's GDA/PDA 280/240 tools.
The Supercut in particular, & to a lesser the Multimaster still seem to be the best-in-class for all the other tasks for which the tools were designed. Whilst Fein themselves also make cordless versions of their top models, I think I still prefer their mains powered iterations: almost all of my own tasks are of a "renovation" nature in older houses where mains power is almost invariably available.
|
|
|
Post by aas on Jun 27, 2020 6:23:28 GMT -5
Out of interest you mention sticking some rubber in to a latch on a Sabre saw to keep the battery in. Can you elaborate a bit more on how you did that? I have a similar issue with two of my Metabo tools, the worst one is a multi tool which only occasionally works now, battery very loose and the other is my impact driver, though with that I can reseat the battery and it works. But that multi tool. Grrr. Seems like vibration is a big issue with these tools. This is on the old style 10,8v batteries, there are two tabs that you squeeze to remove the battery. Once you take it out, you will see a gap between the tab and battery base - I put some rubber foam in there... all long sold now though!
|
|
|
Post by Ajw373 on Jun 27, 2020 16:22:14 GMT -5
Ah thanks, I see now that it’s a different type.
Anyway wondering if anyone has a possible solution to battery loose issues with the 18v products? Rather annoying that I have issues with two seperate tools both of which are high vibration tools. I’ve actually pulled the handle part of the multi tool apart and can not for the life of me see what has broken it worn down for the battery to be loose. Though with the Multitool I am wondering if half the issue might be a dry solder joint, as mentioned even though the battery is loose I cannot see why it wouldn’t be making contact with the pins on the tool.
|
|
|
Post by aas on Jun 27, 2020 20:25:45 GMT -5
I don't think the 18v batteries have the best seating or locking system - I've still got a few, mainly for the Mafell tools - sometimes it's a fight to get them off. The Metabo bandsaw seems to have a dodgy connection, sometimes it works sometimes not, need to remove and re-fit the battery.
|
|
|
Post by yetihunter on Jul 8, 2020 3:23:58 GMT -5
I don't think the 18v batteries have the best seating or locking system - I've still got a few, mainly for the Mafell tools - sometimes it's a fight to get them off. The Metabo bandsaw seems to have a dodgy connection, sometimes it works sometimes not, need to remove and re-fit the battery. Metabo’s choice to put the spring loaded catch/rail in the tool is your culprit. I’ve taken some cordless Metabo’s apart...because they died for no reason...because I feel that their Chinese plant produces junk..I digress...it’s a really wonky connection system. The molding of the housings is actually really nice, and the parts all have perfectly manicured slots and dimples to go into. Alas, it’s all heck of one handed whack a mole getting it together. The cordless tools I’ve opened, specifically the grinder, you can follow dust/debris all the way from the head to the toe and the toe is where that battery locking mechanism is (a spring and three plastic parts). The bandsaw is drawing lots of metal debris into the housing with both the blade and the fan. I would not be surprised if it traveled to the battery terminal area and caused some grief. The design of the mechanism itself is probably part of your woes, too. There’s a plastic against a spring that goes to the center of a plastic fork that goes to another plastic part with the fins that serve as two stops at both rails or passive elements to both rails. Nothing is aligning this stuff except for the housing and the fact that it’s all squished against each other. Common intuition says that those fins aren’t coming down evenly. There’s just no way that the user is getting equal pressure on both sides when pressing that unlock button. So, the battery is inclined to come loose on one end and not the other, leading to a jam, slight enough to not know it’s there, but it is. Everyone else has batteries that work perfectly, but they had to reinvent the wheel and make it a rectangle. I don’t get it. They use really nice plastic housings, great parts inside of them, beautiful motors of their own manufacture, go through the trouble of having over-molded triggers, heavy duty this, and heavy duty that....and then they always find a baffling and amateurish way to introduce a dealbreaker.
|
|