Brand New Flex Compact Kit vs A LOT OF TOOLS!
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- Flex Compact Drill Driver and Impact Driver is 12v small but has 24 volt power - so who do you compare it against. Today I put it up against several different tools to see where it fits and help you know if it's worth your time.
Link to Buy:
Flex: www.lowes.com/...
Milwaukee M12 Kit: www.homedepot....
Flex Brushless: www.lowes.com/...
Dewalt 12v Kit (Affiliate Link): amzn.to/3njXf1m
Dewalt Atomic Drill (Affiliate Link): amzn.to/425ko68
Dewalt Atomic Impact Driver (Affiliate Link): amzn.to/3HoZcAl
Dewalt XR Compact Drill (Affiliate Link): amzn.to/3HoZcAl
Ridgid Subcompact Kit (not featured): www.homedepot....
Makita TD173: www.ebay.com/i...
Instagram: @Tinkerwithtools
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Size of the 12v vs 18/24v is really more of a perspective in my opinion. The battery is no doubt smaller on the m12, but the heads of the tools are the important part imo. I sold my m12 set because a shorter fatter tool like my m18 set fits my needs better. The drills are almost the exact same length, not really enough to justify having both in my very limited shop space, so I picked the more capable lol. But I agree with you about the flex drill, it’s very impressive to get that much power out of that small of a package. Great video as always bro!
Great input. Thanks for watching!
I have being listening to you and i know that you are a Mikita guy but you keep things so Fi-ng Real without holding back the punches dude. You remind me of Impact Nation. Please keep up the good work dude.
First off thanks! I appreciate it. I do like Makita but I like just about most brands to be honest with. There are so many great tools out there.
Man the DCD800 continues to impress. I love that drill.
DCD800 + DCD850 + 1.7 powerstack batteries is an absolutely monstrous size/weight combo. Sure there's more powerful drills and impacts, but pound for pound, that dewalt combo is killer.
That said, I have been very impressed with my DCD701 and 12v xtreme 5 in 1 drivers too.
great comparison man!
All my favourite tools in one video!
I have most of the tools in this video, and i have to say that the ridgid one is my favourite small drill.
It is the most quiet one, smooth and very lightweight.
For the impact driver, i think you cannot compare all of them to the new Td173, which is super premium option, with 8 modes and the best quality components on the market (trigger, light, ergonomics)..
The Makita is a more premium impact driver. It's inclusion was mainly to illustrate that with impact drivers, the compact models aren't necessarily smaller than premium models. In this case, the makita on a 5ah battery was smaller and lighter than the flex. Other than that, yes it's a ridiculous comparison.
I bought a 16” Diablo speed demon and a 16” Dewalt twist bit today.
I’m gonna compare bits before I compare drills. I’m hoping the speed demon does just as well as the twist bit because I’m gonna get a second of the one that works better, and the speed demon is about half the price of the twist bit.
you will have to let me know when that video has released.
@@TinkerWithTools I’m probably gonna just do the test with the 999 since it’s technically the least powerful of the three drills.
I’ll be sure to tag your channel in the description.
id love to see the compact drills get put up against the normal sized impacts, as far as weight goes most of the compact drills weigh as much as a normal impact. Smaller size is nice but if im carrying it all day long weight is more important to me.
When it comes to the impacts honestly there isn’t a lot of size difference and even weight between the compact modes and the premium impacts. Typically impacts get smaller the more premium they are so the size and weight is typically a smaller difference than it is in drills.
@@TinkerWithTools compact drill vs premium impact.
Did you say that your standard lithium Flex batteries haven’t leaked?
I have not had any batteries from Flex leak.
@@TinkerWithTools As you probably know, I ended up returning the stacked lithium Flex combo due to the drill chuck being defective.
Today, I picked up the standard lithium combo because it was on sale for $249. I made sure to check the chuck before I bought it, though.
I’m gonna get the Dewalt DCD999 deal at Home Depot, and run a comparison. If I choose the Dewalt, I’ll get the DCF845 as my impact driver.
If I keep the Flex, I’ll just register it and hope for the best with the batteries.
Get it registered prior to the end of the year and you should have the peace of mind of the lifetime warranty. They may extend it but do it before the end of the year just in case.
@@TinkerWithTools Yeah, I plan on registering it if I keep it.
The end of December is actually perfect. If I decide to throw Metabo into the mix, the bolt is on sale until December 28.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE OF DRILL DRIVER AND IMPACT DRIVER?
Drill driver uses only rotational force only to drill or drive in a fastener. It's called a drill driver for it's 2 primary functions of drilling holes and driving fasteners. Impact drivers also rotate but the rotation spins a hammer that strikes an anvil inside the tool. This makes an impact not as great for drilling but for driving fasteners, they work really well.
What’s your opinion of the Hercules?
The brushless step was a really solid step in the right direction. Good performance and peace of mind with the warranty but the fit and finish isn’t that of a top tier drill yet.
@@TinkerWithTools How does it compare with Ridgid?
Similar power less refinement.
I get paid by the hour. There are 3,600 seconds in an hour. A few extra seconds isn’t going to matter.
I get what you are saying. My thought is always that those seconds will add up eventually.
Ummm.
I'm confused,entertained....
but confused
What part was confusing? The tools included or just the way the tests were shown? Or something else if that is the case?
I truly appreciate the effort and delivery.
It just wasn't what I expected....at all
I assumed a shootout of 20v tools and, well ..ehh...ill leave it there.
Please keep doing what you do and ill keep my comments to myself.
no need to keep you comments to yourself. I was just curious what part was confusing. Sorry if I came across as anything other than that.
Your tests need refinement. You talk for 3/4’s of your video and blast through tests, some of which are pointless tests flashed on screen for a millisecond. Weird.
I appreciate the feedback. It's all an on-going process
So awesome dude. Great video my man🤘🤘🤘. Thanks for all the time you spent testing and editing this brother. Your hard work is appreciated 💪💪💪
Thanks man! This one took a while so I appreciate your comment extra this week!
I'm sure FLEX is going to come out with a 2 or 2.5 STACKED LITHIUM battery soon
I hope so. It would be a welcome addition!
The Flex tools are nice but that color scheme is bad when you're working in low light conditions you're going to have trouble finding your tool when you put it down I had the dark grey porter cable drill and impact driver they use to drive me nuts looking for them when I put them down and blend into the background, when you hold the Flex drill in front of you it actually blends in with the shirt if wasn't for the white Flex
If high viz is you deal then let me tell you about Ryobi😆. Kidding of course. I get you what are saying. I once read an article on how colors for different brands got chosen. If you think about it now there aren’t too many colors they could choose that wouldn’t conflict with another company at this point.
What 🤣 people find any excuse to hate if you can’t see that’s on you 😂😂
@@eduardopineda2908 wouldn't you know it bro
Yes, this is the one I have been waiting for and you knocked it out of the park!! As I have put mine through my testing I have come to the exact same conclusions. I’m in love with the drill and am a little less enthused with the driver. The one ask that I have had in the back of my mind was an appropriately sized battery for them just like you mentioned. The DCD800 is my go to compact because of that 1.7 powerstack. If we could get a flex version of that for these tools, I really don’t think I would have a single complaint.
It would be a nice addition to their lineup with these tools. I hope they continue to build out the lineup and give us that option. Thanks for watching!
I think the 3.5 stacked lithium battery would be great with the compact.
That would be cool if milwaukee updated their non fuel brushless to be more like these new compact drills everyone has been coming out with! Great video!
A little disappointed you didn't include the new gen 2 DeWALT Atomic drills
They will likely make an appearance at some point but just didn’t have the budget to get them now.
The Gen 2 is quite good. Dewalt has some decent tools but they just have so many models of the same shit.
@@americafirst6016 I agree, but if you just get the newest XR stuff and the newest Atomic stuff if u want compact tools, then your usually good, the XR tools are equivalent to Milwaukee's M18 Fuel stuff, it's the best they got, in 18/20 volt at least
I do think they have too many models of impact drivers with roughly the same performance. And in my testing at the end of the day just buy the DCF840 and you get the best one at the cheapest price. All of them are pretty good, I just wish the new 845 would've swung for the fences a little more.
well, the Flex is a 24v tool vs a 18v (20v max) tool, so it will be bigger by the cells in the battery. I knew these were coming this year since they released the Kobalt versions of these 2 tools at Christmas in $99 kits.
I have the Kobalt next Gen and it’s more similar in size to the Flex Brushless I tested last week.
Hi I just bought the flex vacuum it was $129 and you got a free 3.50 amp stack battery which is worth 179 alone. I don't understand flex every time I go to Lowe's every week they have tools on clearance and they're 60% off I feel that Lowe's might be dropping their line it doesn't make me feel good in the heart knowing that these nice tools are being sold so cheap but on the other hand I buy a lot of them when I see them on sale. Let me tell you about this tremendous vacuum I'll leave it in the back of my Mercedes van so I can always keep it clean when I throw my crap in the back and have trash days where I have to take bags of trash off the job site if you use a 2.5 volt battery it will work fine but I will tell you if you put a 10 amp battery and that thing it will work like it's supercharged or turbocharged The thing just sings away really loud and the suction is much more incredibly stronger so there you go the bigger the battery the faster that thing will work now I'm talking about going from a 2.5 amp regular battery to a 10 amp stack battery I don't necessarily know if you need to put a 10 amp stack battery cuz it makes a little bit heavy but I'm sure if you put a 6 amp stack or an 8 amp battery it will work good too anyway it's a super good tool but the way they're selling these tools where you buy the vacuum for $129 and they give you $179 battery for free all these prices are just insane it doesn't leave me comfortable that the company is going to be in business or possibly Lowe's is dropping their line I'm looking forward to hopefully on clearance the tripod light that's 249 coming down in price My store where I live has eight of them they've been there for 3 months they haven't sold a one I can see them up in the top and I asked the guys that do the flex there and they all own flex now cuz they get them on clearance too they said the lights haven't moved at all they're too expensive but it's a great light so I'm waiting for the light to go on clearance and the radio. I bought the rear handle saw that was 399 for $209 on Amazon. Now two weeks ago Lowe's had it on clearance for $159 that was the kit with the charger and a 10 amp battery I kept the bat two batteries I bought two saws I kept the two batteries and I sold the saws with the charger for $159 what I paid for them and they gave you a $300 battery. See this is ridiculous this is not what I understand how does the company make money doing this. Why is Lowe's dumping all these things
I have no actual information but I will say that Lowe's especially in my area is notorious for clearance markdowns on tools/platforms that just don't sell well. I have picked up a lot of Bosch, Metabo HPT, Kobalt tools for really good prices on clearance. Now to be fair, some of those brands eventually do stop getting sold in stores (porter cable, Bosch 12v, Metabo HPT 36v) but it takes a fair bit of time. With the Flex platform, the things that would give me hope to keep buying into them are that they recently started to put tools on Amazon, which gives them greater reach. Then they are sold at other online retailers. I would love for Flex to get better placement in my local Lowe's if nothing more than to expand the platform since competition in the top tier of tools benefits everyone.
I prefer Makita tools but in 12 volt it’s hard to beat the m12 fuel line
Agreed.
Can’t wait until you get your hands on the new compact Metabo HPT drill and impacts coming out. The drill is DS18DEX and marketing claims 620 inch lbs torque and 6.3” head length.
I’m intrigued by the drill and nearly bought it a few times. If I could get the drill alone I probably would but the impact just feels like it should’ve just been the triple hammer.
They are on the list though.
@@TinkerWithTools I agree- the new bolt triple hammer would’ve been an awesome addition in that kit. I do wish they would’ve given the impact that comes with it at least two speeds or a few modes to make it more exciting. Hopefully, the drill comes out in its own kit soon too. Look forward to more great reviews
Thanks!
Ok bottom line. What is your favorite drill brand/model and impact drill brand/model?
If I am picking one brand for both I would end up with Milwaukee but individual tools, I really love the DEWALT DCD800 as a drill and Makita XDT19 as the impact driver.
Between the small head size, the power and the compact powerstack battery, I think the DeWALT atomic dcf 850 is best impact driver on the market
I really like it it for the most part. It’s nice to use and super compact.
@@TinkerWithTools impact driver I mean not wrench lol
No worries. I knew what you meant.
Nahhh. That's cap
Problem for me is flex still doesn’t have a bunch of things Milwaukee has like nailers etc.. got to stick with Milwaukee.
You have a point. The lineup is still young and needs to mature before it can compete across the board.
To be honest, I don’t think it’s fair to compare the other drills with the DCD800. It’s compact, but it’s rated at 900 uwo, which is equivalent to about 800 inch pounds. That puts the 800 in the same class as the 18v Metabo and the the 750 inch pound Flex that was their original compact.
The direct comp for these tools is the atomic but the atomic feels so underpowered here that I think it fairs better against the 800. You know I just love the 800 and slip it in anywhere I can.
@@TinkerWithTools I agree about the atomic, at least the 708.
Not trying to plug my channel, but I’ve got a video of my outdated 777 outperforming the 708, even though they have the same specs.
I owned the 777. It was actually the first video I ever made. I have since gifted it to someone but not a bad drill.
@@TinkerWithTools I got it in a kit with the DCF787 before I knew very much about power tools.
It is my only brushless set so far and I have used it quite a bit.
Do you have the DCD791?
I don’t have it. It’s the prior generation and I haven’t felt the need to pick it up at this point. Quality drill just 800 is better in just about every way.
I might have asked this before, but I’m curious as to why you don’t use Douglas fir or pressure treated wood for the driving tests.
Douglas fir is the material that ultimately made me return the DCD800. It cut off and got really warm while trying to drive 3” and 5” timber locks or ledger locks. I’m not sure what they were because I found them in an unmarked box at work, and the pictures on google appear almost identical.
There are several factors but I found that it might be more challenging but it wasn’t as consistent necessarily. I also couldn’t drive as many fasteners in as densely because of wood splitting. The OSB isn’t perfect and some viewers don’t agree with it but it’s cost effective and fairly similar sheet to sheet.
The new ridgid subcompact is a significant reduction in size with a similar increase in power.
The Kobalt compact (next generation) has a quick insert collet, if I’m not mistaken.
I’m surprised that Flex didn’t do that, as well, since they’re both made by the same company.
Yeah it’s always a confusing decision in my opinion when they don’t include it.
I’m pretty sure the compact Flex drill will beat the crap out of the Ridgid subcompact drill.
I think that’s the best head to comparison due to size, battery voltage and specs.
The flex compact is a nicer drill for sure. I think if it were my money though, in that segment I might end up with the newest Metabo mid range kit.
Your channel is a hidden gem. Keep up the hard work. Slam a beer. I like how you test them, vs some other guys out there
Thanks. I appreciate the support.
STOP EVERYTHING STOP !! PLEASE TELL ME WHERE CAN I ORDER THE MAKITA YOU WAS SHOWING IN THIS VIDEO. PLEASE TELL ME OK SUPER THANKS!!!!! PS AND HOW GOOD IS IT ?
Here is an affiliate link for it on Ebay. I have purchased three items from this seller before: ebay.us/Obs57w
And to answer you second question, it's really nice. My only gripe is how my hand fits on the handle compared to previous Makita Impacts. I have a full review on my channel if you are interested.
I think the best comparison to the DCD800 from Flex would be the entry level (750 inch pound) drill.
It’s not a lot bigger than the compact Flex, but the compact Flex is only rated at about 620 inch pounds.
When that drill was on for $99, would say go for that drill. When it's up closer to 200 then I struggle to recommend it as much.
@@TinkerWithTools I wish I had bought it when it was $99.
If the compact Flex impact driver had a quick insert collet, I would be really tempted to buy it.
Hopefully they will come out with a new generation that has a quick insert collet.
This was the second generation of tool releases and they didn’t do it here. The quick eject is the best version of the non quick insert collet in my opinion but that is only available on the top impact driver.
@@TinkerWithTools The compact is the second generation to be released, but I was referring to a second generation compact line.
Milwaukee is already on gen4 M18 and gen3 M12, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Flex releases a new generation that has features that consumers are asking for.
Yes hopefully. But unless they start to release impacts like Makita I would bet it would be a few years at least.
What’s the best speed bore you have used?
I have used Irwin, Diablo, Spyder and Flex. The flex have performed well, but have limited sizing. The others sell more sizes. Irwin works well but I have issues where the self feeding tip becomes ineffective after repeated use.
I’m going to run a head to head comparison to decide which drill I want to keep.
I’m going to sandwich a 4x4 between two 2x4’s and attempt to drill a half inch hole through all three layers in one shot.
In order to give both drills the best chance of success, would you recommend a self feeding spade bit or a self feeding bore bit? I’m trying to reduce binding so I can just see which drill feels more comfortable completing the task.
I think you will end up in speed 1 with that amount of material either way but I feel like in my testing that the boring bits go through material more effortlessly that a spade bit does.
@@TinkerWithTools I will see, but I have heard that the Flex should be able to do it. I also have faith in the 999.
I really only need that much power occasionally. I build stuff at work out of 2x4’s and 4x4’s, but want to eventually build something in my garage.
I like to build stuff to last forever, so I reinforce the joints that are going to be under the most stress with all thread or carriage bolts.
All with do the job it’s just a point of whether they stall in speed 2 or not. The 999 does have speed 2 which is nice for something things as it’s a good middle ground.
@@TinkerWithTools I think an auger bit would be the best choice, but they are expensive, especially at the length I would need.
What’s your opinion of the DCD999?
It’s new power in an 8 year old drill body. I want and update with less weight but there is a lot to like about the 3 speed gear box and the power. 998 tests better slightly but both are pretty good.
@@TinkerWithTools I heard the 998 is stronger, but some people say they’re identical when using the 21700 cell XR battery.
I also think that Dewalt kept the 996 body because people loved that drill.
It’s big and bulky for me but I get some like it.
@@TinkerWithTools It reminds me of the Bosch. Some people swear that the 996 was the best hammer drill they’ve ever had.
@@TinkerWithTools I’m asking because I got a Flex that had a defective chuck right out of the box. The kit I got is no longer a stock item, so I got a really good discount, but it’s gonna be really hard to exchange it.
Home Depot has a good hack on the 999 right now.
Why does everyone obsess over tools getting smaller? I’d prefer to not worry about what size drill or fastener I’m needing to use and not have to spend 400 dollars to do so
I think the main reason to not be lugging a giant tool around for jobs that don’t require it. Maybe not be the preference of all but a lot of people prefer a smaller tool when possible.
Would a long twist bit be better than a speed bore for my test?
no, I don't think a twist bit would be better unless that is the application you would be using it with. Try to think of your real world applications and do those.
@@TinkerWithTools I’m trying to figure out what is going to drill the hole all the way through with the least bogging or binding.
The reality is that I will use whatever does the job without causing a crazy amount of stress on the drill because I’m just drilling through wood.
Maybe that is part of your video. Testing the bits as well.
@@TinkerWithTools I’m trying not to spend too much money on bits for a head to head because they’re not cheap, and I would have to buy two of each bit.
I get the desire to have multiple bits. You can go to great lengths to have multiple bits but when you get to the more expensive bits it’s hard to justify.
Thanks for the followup Flex tool video. I think I'll still go with the dewalt lineup.
Glad it was helpful!
What is your opinion on the 3rd gen combo set compact and drill driver set
Are you talking about the M12? If so, they are both great. The impact driver was a minor upgrade over the gen 2 impact but the Gen 3 hammer drill is pretty impressive.
What is your overall opinion of the 750 inch pound Flex and the impact driver that comes with it?
It's a good drill. I still like the DCD800 more. I haven't ever used the impact so I can't comment on that. The big downside with this flex drill is just that compared to the others in it's class, it's heavier mostly because of battery size being 24 volt and the fact that flex tools typically aren't feather weights.
@@TinkerWithTools None of the Flex drills are light, but they seem to be very well balanced. The gen 4 Milwaukee is lighter than the mid level Flex, I believe, but something about the ergonomics seemed to really irritate the tendinitis in my right elbow when I held it for more than a couple of minutes.
I know you like the 800, but I did not have a good experience with it. A couple of other people have said they don’t like it either.
I would consider the 800 inch pound Ridgid, but I don’t think it’s a great value this year.
I have considered the 998, but I haven’t heard anything great about Dewalt impact drivers, and I don’t really want to mix brands if I don’t have to.
@@TinkerWithTools As for the weight, Kobalt is also 24v, but lighter than Flex.
I’ve just heard that the Kobalt are pretty inconsistent in performance, though.
The Kobalt isnt a bad drill but and it’s generally cheaper but it is less powerful and the chargers are less premium too. It’s really that mid point in the chervon lineup to the premium point that flex is designed to fill.
The big battery makes this a no go for me. Prefer the m12 Cp batteries
They certainly are lighter.
Gotta do a re-test now that Milwaukee came out with their own M18 compact (albeit non-FUEL) drill and impact drivers!🤓 could be fun! Roughly similar pricing, AND the Milwaukee compact (3601-20) drill looks freakishly similar to Flex’s compact drill👀 something else to note
I have tested the impact drivers (last week) and the drill video comes out tomorrow morning.
@@TinkerWithTools NOICE, just subscribed so I’ll be looking forward to it!👌🏼
the dcd 800 is the new xr. it’s not the atomic line. they released a new atomic which is the dcd 794
Realizing I missed changing that text in the edit. You are correct. It is the compact XR that replaced the dcd791.
I agree.
And what the dcf 840 in line?..
Not xr or atomic?.
The new xr is dcf 845 not yet in indonesia..
I have dcd 805 n dcf 840 .
Hallo.. i am from indonesia.
On speed one with the dcd850 when it stops, you're supposed to keep your finger on the trigger it will start again and send it home. It's a feature that the 12v extreme has as well along with the new dcd845
That’s cool, thanks for the info!
I did let it restart but during testing I didn’t want to wait for it to finish. Some people love that feature. I’m not a huge fan.
Yeah its kinda a pain but guess I see why some might like it.
no M18 gen 4 in testing?
I tried to pick things that were similar in size but I strayed from picking the top performers. That Gen 4 is more of a comp to the flex quick eject.
Dewalt makes alot of good tools but they are one of the worst when it comes to impacts. The atomic 850 is the only decent one they have. Everything else is junk
They impacts are okay for me... but there are just so many of them that offer similar performance. Like you, I like the 850 and the 840 is a great value impact... but they are just too close in performance with no top tier.
To many screens. Should only test 3 at a time at the most. I love your videos but i like head to heads. Love to see the dewalt xr or atomic drill against the flex CD
I appreciate the feedback. As for the other request, I'll add it to my list of ideas... the XR (DCD800) would smash it though (and most other drills).
DCD 800 with the Atomic 850 its a wrap!! That small Atomic 850 puts in 4" lags all day. I'm in the solar industry and we lag everything into raffter. Ive seen Milwaukees Fuel and a few Dewalts XR motors start smoking and start sparking😂. Jus about 2 years in and it still puts that work in
That’s a mean combo!