Comments on: Review: Milwaukee 6021-21 Random Orbit Palm Sander W/Bag

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 04:35:08 +0000

What I should have done is never buy power tools from a box store. It’s really not worth saving a few bucks if it means that the tool has been dumbed down from its designed specs, is less reliable and is going to stop a job just when I need it or, just as bad, be impossible to align accurately because of cheap plastic internals.

Now I buy all my power tools at tool shows, locally from AW Meyer or online through reputable dealers like Woodcraft. If I’m paying for a name brand, I expect name brand performance. Otherwise I might as well purchase a generic from Harbor Freight, which is even cheaper.

By: Harley

Harley — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 04:14:32 +0000

They must have a real sloooooooow shop then, our HD turns repairs around in 10 - 14 days. Only time it takes longer if parts are backordered.
Should have done like everyone else, purchased another and used it while yours was being repaired and return it when yours comes back in. There is a 90 day no questions asked return policy. Just save the receipt and you’ll not have a problem.
The old “Buy to rent” scheme. Happens all of the time.

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 22:29:58 +0000

I would have except Home Depot’s Tool Crib manager told me that the turn-around for repairs was four to six weeks. I was in the middle of a construction project so that was unacceptable.

I have a non-HD Milwaukee hammer drill and
a franchised repair outfit, Coney Island Tools, fixed its broken switch and replaced the sticky chuck by the next afternoon.

By: Harley

Harley — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:58:35 +0000

Home Depot is now the Home Center exclusive distributor for Milwaukee Tools. The tools will still be available at other retail outlets such as piping supply outlets and plumbing supply outlets.
If Steve had returned the saw to Home Depot it could have been sent in and repaired at no cost to him. The Milwaukee tools have a Five year warranty.
The company that manufacturers Milwaukee tools is Techtronics, Inc.(TTI) who also produces the Ridgid, Ryobi, Craftsman, Homelite & Hoover branded items.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 02:43:05 +0000

Here’s some support:

http://kpt.com/knowledgebase/view/10/whydoeshomedepotrippeopleoff.html

You’ll find similar issues with other name brand products, like faucets. In some cases, there will be a slightly different model number, like a ‘T’, denoting that it’s private labeled for HD. But in the case of my Super Sawzall, it was the same model number that I’d get from a local tool house. But I was clearly able to see at that franchised tool place that they weren’t the same tool internally. The piece that broke in mine was plastic. Worse, it took two weeks to get it fixed because they couldn’t use the standard metal replacement piece they had in stock because it had to mate with a plastic gear, which is also metal in the standard tool.

A former Bosch district manager confirmed this for me at a NJ woodworking show a couple of years ago.

By: Fred

Fred — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:54:59 +0000

Steve - Wow! I had no idea this happened, although it makes perfect sense. Home Depot wants to rake in a little more profit, meet a price point, etc. I am surprised that manufacturers will sell-out their quality targets to HD, though. But, I guess HD has a LOT of buying power. I’d be real interested in an article with pictures. If you write one on your site, let me know and I’ll link back to it here.

Amalie - no doubt. Orbit sanders are a truly indispensable tool.

By: Amalie

Amalie — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:07:54 +0000

I am a great fan of the random orbital palm sander, in general. We have a super cheap Black and Decker Firestorm model, which does not have a variable speed motor and cost around $40. We’ve used the hell out of it for almost everything, and it’s still kicking– we even did a large portion of our floors with it, both edging and tackling some uneven boards.

They are truly an indispensable DIY tool.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:05:01 +0000

Just be aware that Milwaukee (as well as other power tool brands sold at Home Depot) makes a “Home Depot” edition version of its tools which allows the latter to undersell the competition. I discovered this the hard way when the Milwaukee demolition saw I bought from HD died after a year. I took it to a local franchised Milwaukee repair dealer who opened it up and said, “Oh, a Home Depot model”. He showed me the plastic parts which are metal in the standard model. He also gave me a $77 repair bill that otherwise would have been covered by Milwaukee (although it was one of those HD plastic parts that failed).