Heated Jackets & associated power tools

I've noticed heated jackets in the shops for a few years now. They wouldn't keep selling them if they were useless. Anybody here who uses them care to make any comments ?

Total Tools and Bunnings have the Makita jacket and charger for $199. I could justify this if it meant I dont have to heat the shed, and the bonus is I can wear it outside the shed.

Didn't want to buy one just for the jacket so I looked at the prices of the Makita power tools.

Wow ! Expensive compared to the Ryobi tools that I already use ........... and I cannot find a Ryobi jacket.

So am guessing that Makita is tradesmen tough quality gear and my Ryobi tools are casual weekend diy occassional use ?

Strange thing is I think I've given my Ryobi drill quite a hammering over last 7 years and it seems fine, havent used the other tools quite as much, a bit grubby now but they still work. Have had a couple of dud batteries that now only charge up half full.

Any comments welcome.

Bill

Don't do it Bill - next stop is the electric chair!

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Originally Posted by steamingbill

I could justify this if it meant I dont have to heat the shed, and the bonus is I can wear it outside the shed.

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Except everything you touch and use in the shed will be chilly.

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Originally Posted by steamingbill

So am guessing that Makita is tradesmen tough quality gear and my Ryobi tools are casual weekend diy occassional use ?

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That is the conventional wisdom I think, but plenty of people have Ryobi gear for a long time. It's probably also to do with quality of build (feel and friendliness), noise, power etc. I have several Makita tools and they're all good (in some cases "for what they are"). After market batteries for Makita are readily available on the net and are significantly cheaper for what appears to be the same or better life.

It's getting harder to trust brands. You'd think a Festool impact driver would be the dux nutz, but my Makita for half the price absolutely KILLED it (have done head to head). The Festool Ti15 was only on the market for about 2 years before it was withdrawn from sale.

Very common here (in Canada)
I've seen ones by Makita, Milwaukee, DeWalt (I think) and Metabo.

Not sure if Gippsland gets cold enough, but here when it's minus 20 they make a huge difference.

IMO, the Makita ones are worth the spend because makita also does one of these
https://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/hom...id=400&hei=400

I haven’t tried the jackets myself as I don’t really feel the cold but I know a couple of other tradies that wear them and love them in both Milwaukee and Makita
in general the Ryobi gear is handyman quality compared to the Makita etc gear available but if it does what you need it to do then it is perfect for your needs.

If if you do decide to get a jacket have a look at the tools available to suit the brand you are considering. You may not want them now but who knows down the track, you might want to buy a skin that is compatible with your jacket battery

i think the Milwaukee jacket runs on the 12v system whereas the Makita does one for 12 and 18v which is probably better for other tool skin options

My son has the Makita version for the obvious reasons. He swears by it. Lots of early morning starts in the Cooma area and such.

TT

Never had, needed or wanted one but I will echo what the others have said about battery systems. Pick a brand that has lots of tools that you will want to buy and use that all use the same battery system.

I use AEG; I have quite a few of their cordless tools now as they are sticking to one battery type. Plus they have a 6 year warranty on the tools and an unbeaten 3 year warranty on the batteries. And they make an 18V heated jacket.

I regard Ryobi as suitable for brand snobs who won't buy Ozito, yet prefer paying more for lower performance & quality.

Thanks for the replies. I have noted FenceFurniture's and ChiefTiff's comments re quality of tools. Will compare AEG warranties with Makita warranties for future reference

The quality/cost/how_much_will_you_use_it_? issue is an old chestnut that has been discussed a lot and I aknowledge that I am guilty of reviving it with this thread - I didn't realise that serious builders regarded Ryobi on a par with Ozito.

Ironically I've got a few Ozito tools that have also done their jobs very well since 2009 bushfires - a brute of a drill for lots of holes in railway sleepers, a monstrous great big electric jackhammer for breaking rocky ground, metal cutoff saw, stapler, hot glue gun.

With something like a heated jacket you are doing one of two things.

you are either buying into a particular manufacturer's battery technology and tool selection

or you are accepting that you might have several stand alone battery systems to store and maintain.

For the typical cash strapped buyer who can't claim a tax deduction, either option can be the right one.


My "recommendation" of Makita is somewhat tongue in cheek, driven by Makita including a coffee maker amount their skins.

other considerations might include the sound quality / weather proofness of a manufacturer's job site radio / battery charger combo.

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Originally Posted by steamingbill

Thanks for the replies. I have noted FenceFurniture's and ChiefTiff's comments re quality of tools. Will compare AEG warranties with Makita warranties for future reference
.

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I wouldn’t use warranties as a gauge to quality. Ozito probably has the best warranty in the industry but no one will argue they are the best
Look at new cars, the best warranty on offer is from Chinese made cars and the worst probably German.

AEG tools are not the old quality German product they were but a revived name brand made in China sold exclusively through Bunnings I believe.
They carry a great warranty which makes them good value for money but they are not tradesmen quality tools like Makita, Milwaukee,DeWalt etc. I have a bunch of AEG 18v gear sitting in the shed gathering dust replaced by better gear.You don’t see AEG, Ozito or Ryobi on the building site although the large Ozito rotary hammer drills are brilliant and keep up with the big brand names drilling concrete all day.

Having said that the handyman range brands may suit your needs just fine.I am not a mechanic so don’t need to buy the best spanners available , just need to buy a set that will do the DIY jobs I do.

Bugger the heated jackets. When a tool maker comes out with heated long-johns, then they'll ensnare my soul!

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Originally Posted by Beardy

You don’t see AEG, Ozito or Ryobi on the building site although the large Ozito rotary hammer drills are brilliant and keep up with the big brand names drilling concrete all day.

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I'd argue that. Many a site I've been on has the odd Ozito tool... from when a tradie forgot to bring <xxx> and 'twas quicker to duck into Bunnies & grab an Ozzie than to go home.

But no tradie I know would consider buying one - or AEG or Ryobi - when they're specifically going tool shopping.

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Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

Bugger the heated jackets. When a tool maker comes out with heated long-johns, then they'll ensnare my soul!



I'd argue that. Many a site I've been on has the odd Ozito tool... from when a tradie forgot to bring <xxx> and 'twas quicker to duck into Bunnies & grab an Ozzie than to go home.

But no tradie I know would consider buying one - or AEG or Ryobi - when they're specifically going tool shopping.

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Yes and I have done the same, I couldn’t find the key for my grinder so off to Bunnings I went..... it was cheaper to buy an Ozito grinder and use its spanner than it was to buy just a spanner on its own.

</xxx>

Other reasons for buying Ozito, Ryobi or AEG include the risk of the tool being stolen or left behind, or damage due to abuse such as masonry dust or water (big puddle or rain). More cost effective to buy the same tool multiple times than a better quality tool once.

I myself have a combination of Festool mains power (for more accurate and clean work) and Makita cordless drills, grinder and garden tools.

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Originally Posted by steamingbill

Thanks for the replies. I have noted FenceFurniture's and ChiefTiff's comments re quality of tools. Will compare AEG warranties with Makita warranties for future reference

The quality/cost/how_much_will_you_use_it_? issue is an old chestnut that has been discussed a lot and I aknowledge that I am guilty of reviving it with this thread - I didn't realise that serious builders regarded Ryobi on a par with Ozito.

Ironically I've got a few Ozito tools that have also done their jobs very well since 2009 bushfires - a brute of a drill for lots of holes in railway sleepers, a monstrous great big electric jackhammer for breaking rocky ground, metal cutoff saw, stapler, hot glue gun.

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Oooh, no; I'm neither a builder nor particularly serious. I did however spend many years in environments where I could deliberately destroy tools just to see how much abuse they could physically take. Turns out Dewalt and Milwauki are the strongest, but Dewalt make everything an optional extra and Milwauki are overpriced. Makita always have one slightly-not-100%-important bit that breaks, Bosch (blue) are either weak or have woeful quality control. The brands I have relatively little experience of are Festool and Metabo.

I have seen just about every brand of tool used by tradies with the exception of Festool; Ozito branded SDS drills and 9" angle grinders are favoured by builders because they are very tough and have a 2 year no-argument replacement policy at Bunnings (if it breaks within two years, they take it back and walk out with a new one. If it breaks after two years and one day, they just buy a new one). Very, very few Ryobi; and those were usually expected to only last that one job.

I spruik AEG simply because the 18V range are the best bang-for-buck cordless tools that I personally have ever owned. Other's mileage may, and will; vary.

I have a Milwaukee heated jacket which works fine. Runs on 12v via a standard male power jack. Most manufacturers have a power source type adaptors that accept their battery and provide a 12v out and sometimes a usb 5v source too. Granted the brand of jacket you buy will come with it own adaptor to suit the battery, however you only need to supply the jacket with the correct voltage. Power doesn't need to come from the matching brand battery.

I've looked at Bosch jackets as they have the same connection and use 12v. I'd just sell the bosch adaptor online and offset the jacket cost.

I've tested running the jacket on various 12v sources, an old car battery, agm battery, though the cigarette lighter in the car, 12v DC power adaptors... you get the idea. All worked a treat.