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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Darwin
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    217

    Default AEG Battery Tools

    Hi everyone.

    Sorry, minor rant first, then question.

    I currently have a kit of AEG battery tools. At the time I purchased them my brother had the same gear and as we were working together kinda made sense and they worked fine.

    I don't have any real issue with the tools although I'm not sure it's me expecting more or I'm working them, however the batteries don't seem to last that long. The one thing I have noticed with my kit purchased in 2017 the batteries ranged from in age from 2015 - 2016 ? older batteries.

    To add to my kit I purchased a trim router the other day (2 weeks) quite excited I was, it works a real treat, however I was rather off to find the router was a 2017 model and battery a 2016. This may not seem a big deal to many, but I figured if I purchase in 2019 I would get at least a 2018 - 2019 model. Now if it was sold as old stock then that's fine, I mean I paid 2019 price?. Moved on.

    A week later I had a battery fail, would not hold a charge. I took it back with receipt and they said this is an old battery out of warranty . Rant not last long I got a new battery. My new battery is the new force one and it seems to have more power again that could just be me. A week earlier a battery failed from the kit from the Man Shed and they replaced the whole kit --- that was a bit excessive I thought. This Men Shed kit was purchased 2018 and one of the batteries was 2015 rest 2016.

    Question - I'm seeking opinions on your battery gear, its not for me, our Men Shed maybe looking at another lot of gear, drills etc. Currently we have an AEG kit. I was thinking Hitachi - Dewalt or Makita, however I think Hitachi is now rebadged. Or is it smarter option just stick with AEG and more force batteries. I can see the value of staying with one brand of gear as batteries will fit everything tool. However I don't want to be replacing batteries all the time.

    Anyway let me know your thoughts.

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Nsw
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    64
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    1,357

    Default

    Batteries aside, the AEG gear is inferior to all the other brands you mentioned but there is also a pricepoint difference.
    Having said that, if you are satisfied with how it works for you there is no need to spend more.
    As far as warranty goes, date of manufacturer is irrelevant to length of warranty and they should be covered the same from date of purchase

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Sydney Upper North Shore
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    4,464

    Default

    I’ve had AEG for some years - a drill, impact driver, a circular saw and leaf blower. Apart from a switch problem on the drill ( which was rectified quickly with no argument) it’s been faultless.
    The drill has drilled countless holes in brick and concrete in hammer mode and I’ve used the impact in lieu of my Purpose built automotive impacts when I’m away from work.

    I have had problems with a Dewalt thicknesser and found the parts super expensive and the Dewalt staff rude and arrogant.

    I guess there are always problems with any tools, no matter what the brand.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Nsw
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    64
    Posts
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Lappa View Post
    I’ve had AEG for some years - a drill, impact driver, a circular saw and leaf blower. Apart from a switch problem on the drill ( which was rectified quickly with no argument) it’s been faultless.
    The drill has drilled countless holes in brick and concrete in hammer mode and I’ve used the impact in lieu of my Purpose built automotive impacts when I’m away from work.

    I have had problems with a Dewalt thicknesser and found the parts super expensive and the Dewalt staff rude and arrogant.

    I guess there are always problems with any tools, no matter what the brand.

    Yes they will do the job but when you use them side by side with the better brands it shows, driving in roofing or battern screws repeatedly for a few hours and the Makita etc will just keep going , the AEG gets too hot and needs a rest every 10-15 minutes plus is slower at driving them in.

    I am not knocking the product as it has a place in the market just like the Ryobi gear does. Just pointing out it is in a different category to Makita etc is and then likewise Festool is in a different category again.

    The main thing Hong is to buy a product that suits your needs and budget

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Sydney Upper North Shore
    Posts
    4,464

    Default

    Makita has a great reputation BUT they have too many models, doing the same job. Which one do you choose? Which is the high end and which is the low end?

    i was speaking to some carpentry apprentices who were all carrying Milwaukee gear. That seems to be the up and coming brand that the trade is using. When I asked them about Makita their answer was “which one do you buy - too many models and poor build quality on some ”.

    The guy that built my metal carport used Ryobi. That was from drilling to screwing down the roof into metal. He’s been doing for years and said they never let him down - go figure?

    Another Makita story - I want to buy a Brad nailer and I don’t have a compressor. Looked at Makita BUT they only sell it as a skin, not a kit. So I said In don’t have Makita tools so I will need a full kit - nailer, charger and battery. I was told they don’t do a full kit - you buy the skin then buy a charger and batteries separately.
    O/K what batteries and charger do I need. Depends, was the answer, there’s quite a number to choose from.

    That sums up my Makita battery tool experiences and why I don’t have them.

    I have quite a number of corded Makita tools - some I love like my circular saw and some I loathe, like my jigsaw - has to be the worst jigsaw I have ever owned.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Nsw
    Age
    64
    Posts
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    Default

    Makita, Milwaukee and Dewalt would share about 80% of the market with the general tradie on building sites from what I see. I honestly would not say one was better than the other apart from which one feels best in your hands and has the best backup support and variety of tools in your area.

    For me I like the Makita gear as I find it comfortable to use and you can buy it anywhere. I have borrowed the Dewalt and Milwaukee gear from other tradies to try and whilst I found them powerful enough I just found them a bit awkward to use and sometimes cumbersome, they would probably say the same about the Makita gear i assume.
    I have in 18v AEG two drills, two impact drivers a recipro and a circular saw and none of my guys want to use them, they just sit on the shelf with the old 18v Ryobi gear collecting dust.


    Yes yes it blows me away the amount of different models Makita has, you would think it would be more cost efficient for them to trim the range down a bit, spare parts must be a huge infantry for them to deal with

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Macksville
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    62
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    390

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    I sometimes work installing HV switchgear in substations & for about the last 5-6 years very rarely see anything other than Milwaukee on site. I've had a Milwaukee 18V drill & impact driver for about 4 years & recently bought the random orbital sander. So far I haven't had any problems with them.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    se Melbourne
    Age
    62
    Posts
    2,567

    Default

    Where I work full time we have AEG cordless tools. I also have my own Makita 18v tools.
    AEG - I can only comment on the drills, drivers, angle grinder and torch that I have used.
    The drills work well and have plenty of torque (for 45 - 60mm hole saws). Pity they can not be fitted with a belt hook. The impact driver is also strong but I find the trigger can be "snappy" going to full speed when a gradual increase would be better. 1.5 Ah & 2 Ah batteries last long enough for what we do.
    125mm Angle grinder tends to stall easily if pushed. Will take 1.5 Ah battery but will flatten it quickly. Better with 4 Ah.
    LED Torch - has a belt hook. Weird way of adjusting the angle of the beam by rotating lens, not that good at directing light compared to the Makita torch.
    I have had no issues with batteries or chargers. Batteries have energy gauge that is a good guide as to when to charge them. Charge reasonably quick, but as we have plenty of batteries it is not an issue. The bigger batteries (4 & 5 Ah) get heavier than the smaller batteries.
    Makita - I own three drills, impact drill with dust extraction, 125mm angle grinder, jigsaw, impact driver and a couple of garden tools. Also a dozen batteries from 1.5 Ah to 5 Ah, and multiple chargers.
    Love the impact driver, gets used regularly - easy to vary the speed if required.
    Of the drills, which were purchased at different times, vary in quality and in the amount of use they get.
    One was purchased as part of a kit at Bunnings and is a basic drill. Does not even have an LED light. Lives at home and only gets used for light workshop jobs. The next one was the first one purchased and my introduction to Li-Ion tools. Does most jobs but would struggle with 45 - 60mm hole saws. Does have a loose ring on the nose of the chuck which is useful for lining up bits (core bits on tiles). Still in use but has been relegated after buying my third drill.
    The last drill I bought was designed to have an effective hammer function but also more torque than the previous drill. Unfortunately it does not have the loose ring on the nose of the chuck and does not take my 1.5 Ah batteries.
    The impact drill with dust extraction attachment is my go to tool for drilling into masonry. Generally 6mm holes, 50mm deep. Has done 98 holes on a single charge of a 5 Ah battery (without dust extraction) and still had charge left.
    125mm Angle grinder has plenty of torque and does not stall easily. I have used it for cutting pavers, 5 Ah battery lasted about 30 minutes.
    LED torch. Plenty of light and head has plenty of adjustment down and up so it points in the right direction. No provision for a belt clip. Just turns off when the battery is flat.
    Jigsaw. Why did I buy this when my 20 year old Makita corded jigsaw works perfectly well? I just felt like buying a cordless jigsaw and I do not regret it. Gets used more often than the corded one would have, even for a single cut. Easy tool free blade changes, blade angle can oscillate, and easy to vary the speed. I keep it in a (Makita blue) systainer with charger and blades.
    Chargers - My kits came with standard chargers which I used for years. Seamed to take ages to charge the batteries. More recently I bought a dual fast charger. Plays a tune when battery is put on charge and when it is charged. Most batteries charged in 45 - 60 minutes depending on how flat they are. No regrets buying this.
    Batteries. For a long time there was no indication as to how much charge your battery had. A real pain. I am not sure how good some of my original 1.5 Ah batteries are. Some are now 8 years old. Also the 1.5 Ah batteries do not fit some of my tools (such as impact drill, jigsaw and angle grinder. If I buy a battery now it must have a gauge, and is likely to be 5 Ah.

    Summing up there are Pluses and Minuses between AEG and Makita. I do not think either one is overall better than the other as each has good and bad points.
    Look at what you might do, and what tools are available in each range, but this could change next month. Price may or may not reflect quality. Some brands are only available at one chain, others at most good tool shops (or the internet). Talk to those that use them and perhaps have a try. What works for one may not be the best for you.

    Attached image. How many tools do you need to build a simple shoe shelf? One impact driver and three drills with the following bits; countersink, clearance hole and pilot hole. Also shown is the case to carry one drill, charger and a heap of bits and attachments.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Darwin
    Posts
    217

    Default

    Hi,

    Thanks for the feedback, some interesting information provided. I do have a Milwaukee drill however one battery is dead and a replacement was about $230.00, may get it out and run with my AEG gear and see how things go. I will agree to the comment the AEG stuff needs a rest I have also found this more so with grinders and sanders, although my brothers gear which is older AEG seems to have much more power and does not need to rest.

    I guess quality has taken a hit to meet the market in $$$ terms.

    The tradies that worked here, all had Hitachi gear and that gear did heaps of work and seemed to have power to burn. As mentioned it will come down to what you are doing and budget. Considering this gear is for a Men Shed it needs to be robust and not cost the earth. Not like its working hard and the main items we would be looking at are drills.

    If I was working as a tradie I would seriously look at Hitachi or Milwaukee, Festool maybe another step up but the PRICE of their gear not sure its that good. Not likely to find out either lol. I have also never looked at the torque of the tools / batteries if this is noted.

    Will advise what we go for .

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Hunter Valley
    Age
    56
    Posts
    1,342

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Brian45 View Post
    I do have a Milwaukee drill however one battery is dead and a replacement was about $230.00
    You might be getting a bit ripped - I just checked on Sydney Tools, assuming you're using 18V range, and a 5Ah battery there is $139, a fair bit cheaper than $230.

    For that price, you'd be buying a 12Ah battery - which is OK, but a bit overkill for a Milwaukee 18V Fuel drill IMO - unless you'e going hard all day long (in which case, I'd still argue for 2 x 5Ah batteries, as it buys redundancy, and you can charge them quickly anyway).

    I started with a Milwaukee drill, and I hate "cheap and nasty" tools - I look for reliability.

    I've kept buying Milwaukee, and am still using the original 5Ah batteries I bought about 6 years ago now (to be fair, not using them all day every day).

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Melbourne
    Age
    79
    Posts
    601

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    Our son and I bought AEG at about the same time ,his gets a bit more work than mine, he found the battery charge lasted less and less Then his charger failed
    About 6 months later my unit had the same issue with the batteries
    I bought a 12 volt brushless Milwaukee drill and impact driver kit now about 3 years old going great, good time out of each charge,got a 3ha battery for $89
    The good thing about these latest batteries is that they can stay in the charger on floating charge
    Our son bought the Dewalt kit around the same time so it will be Interesting to see how we go
    I now have Milwaukee rotary hammer drill, and a reciprocal saw which has to be one of the best tools I have ever bought in my workshop ,even in the garden for pruning

  13. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Darwin
    Posts
    217

    Default

    I should of said that battery price I quoted ($230) was from many years ago, I have not looked at resent prices however at $130, I can work with that.

    My initial decision to buy AEG was my brother had a kit and we built an extension on his place and a lot of other big works and they just never stopped, batteries lasted ages and they did not need to rest (for want of a better word). I also like to get quality tools and aim to buy the best I can afford, however since I have stopped building work (retired) more into hobby stuff I figured AEG would fit the bill. Based on my kit and comparing to my brothers I just feel AEG quality has gone backwards in the time frame of 3-4 years my brother had his kit before mine.

    My kit which I purchased in 2017 seems ok on drills its only when you get into the sander, I need to let it rest as it overheats after awhile, battery is fine, bit of a pain to be honest. Although as it turns out its only a two beer cool down period not a total failure.

    My look at the cost of a Milwaukee kit or at least drills etc for our Men Shed.

  14. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Nsw
    Age
    64
    Posts
    1,357

    Default

    If you keep an eye out at the trade outlets like Total or Sydney Tools they often have deals going if free batteries or a tool skin etc with the purchase of a kit etc which can close the price point gap to the cheaper AEG gear. They seem to take it in turn between Milwalkee and Makita
    i recently got an email to bring in my Makita gear and they will swap it for Milwalkee like for like. The competition is pretty fierce for the tradies dollar

  15. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2023
    Location
    New Zealand
    Age
    32
    Posts
    1

    Default Aeg is absolutely fine

    Hey mate I'm a 15yr house builder, specialize in new builds, so when I started my apprenticeship my parents bought me a full makita kit, this was when lithium ion batteries were very new and then as the tools evolved I upgraded with them then about 6 yrs in they started playing up so I changed to Milwaukee, (best tools I've ever used) 4 yrs in absolutely no problems at all but very expensive, then my gear got stolen so didn't really have long enough but the way they performed probably had another 5+ years of life. For the last 5 years have had aeg tools.
    So the cons I've had so far

    The older pro batteries don't hold charge even when not being used

    Impact Wrench gun isnt very strong ( in nz only 1 veriety) so I use corded one for heavy bolts, you can also buy an adapter so you can attach normal shanked bits that only fit the impact driver, which makes higher gage screws easier to screw

    The multi tool isn't very strong ( in nz only 1 veriety) I have a cored one also

    PROS

    Very good quality tools and very cheap
    new force 6 and 9 amh batteries go all day and can hold its own against makita and Dewalt

    The online redemption offers, I bought a 12 piece kit beginning 2022 cause I liked the tools and got a free aeg frame and Brad gun kit came with x2 4 amh batteries, charger and bag

    Very big selection and cheap to replace individual tools

    This brand is made by Milwaukee so I'm not 100% sure on this one but I've heard similar materials are used and similar quality, the tools I know are alot heavier then makita like Milwaukee are so more metal parts less plastic

    2 yr warranty

    I've only used the circular saw out of my new kit and not because my old one broke, because it cuts deeper, the rest of my kit is basically untouched
    All and all I think it's a very good brand of tool hasn't let me down for my heavy usage 50 hour a week job plus all the extra cash jobs I do
    I hope this helps a little with anyone who reads it I highly rate aeg and with the way the brand is evolving (the higher voltage tools) I don't think I'll change
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian45 View Post
    Hi everyone.

    Sorry, minor rant first, then question.

    I currently have a kit of AEG battery tools. At the time I purchased them my brother had the same gear and as we were working together kinda made sense and they worked fine.

    I don't have any real issue with the tools although I'm not sure it's me expecting more or I'm working them, however the batteries don't seem to last that long. The one thing I have noticed with my kit purchased in 2017 the batteries ranged from in age from 2015 - 2016 ? older batteries.

    To add to my kit I purchased a trim router the other day (2 weeks) quite excited I was, it works a real treat, however I was rather off to find the router was a 2017 model and battery a 2016. This may not seem a big deal to many, but I figured if I purchase in 2019 I would get at least a 2018 - 2019 model. Now if it was sold as old stock then that's fine, I mean I paid 2019 price?. Moved on.

    A week later I had a battery fail, would not hold a charge. I took it back with receipt and they said this is an old battery out of warranty . Rant not last long I got a new battery. My new battery is the new force one and it seems to have more power again that could just be me. A week earlier a battery failed from the kit from the Man Shed and they replaced the whole kit --- that was a bit excessive I thought. This Men Shed kit was purchased 2018 and one of the batteries was 2015 rest 2016.

    Question - I'm seeking opinions on your battery gear, its not for me, our Men Shed maybe looking at another lot of gear, drills etc. Currently we have an AEG kit. I was thinking Hitachi - Dewalt or Makita, however I think Hitachi is now rebadged. Or is it smarter option just stick with AEG and more force batteries. I can see the value of staying with one brand of gear as batteries will fit everything tool. However I don't want to be replacing batteries all the time.

    Anyway let me know your thoughts.

  16. #15
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Location
    Sunshine Coast
    Posts
    713

    Default

    Ask 100 people what tools they like and you'll get 110 different answers... One thing is for sure. Price is indicative of which will perform the best. Obviously, there'll be outliers that will try to prove this wrong, but it holds true... So, your budget will dictate what you're going to purchase and deal with in performance.


    I'm mulling buying the cheapest, sh*&iest tools I can find for the job site. No one will want to borrow them, let alone steal them, so I can literally drop them on the floor and walk out at the end of the day and not worry about packing up and keeping an eye on them... And I think I can get about 6 months out of them before they self destruct, which will essentially pay for them in saved handling costs. Anything after that is money in my pocket.

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