Most chargers today are "smart" meaning they charge the battery, then maintain it. And most good tools come with a spare battery, leave one in the tool and one in the charger. A smart charger does not overcharge a battery that is left in it. In my experiance they are no more "disposable" than a corded unit. I have 6 cordless Makitas drills and 2 Makita right angle drills and a couple dewalts (at work). and they last as long as the corded units of the past. Most people will argue they have a 30 year old corded and will never get that from a cordless but those people don't use the tools alot. I still only get 5 to 6 years from a drill cordless or not. Normally some Idiot drops them off a building,leaves them at the site, forgets them in the rain, , destroys the chuck, steals it, chops off the cord. etc.

Lake, huh? You got one of those? Besides our Great Lake, Lake Michigan, I live across the street from Lake County, Illinois. You want lakes, we got 'em! Besides Lake Michigan, lakes in the county include: Lake Amy Antioch Lake Ashley Lake Bangs Lake Lake Barrington Benet Lake Big Bear Lake Bluff Lake Brandenburg Lake Bresen Lake Butler Lake Lake Catherine Cedar Lake Channel Lake Lake Charles Countryside Lake Cranberry Lake Crooked Lake Cross Lake Davis Lake Davlins Pond Dead Lake Deep Lake Deer Lake Diamond Lake Druce Lake Duck Lake Dunns Lake East Loon Lake Echo Lake Lake Eleanor Elmwood Farms Lake Lake Fairfield Fish Lake Forest Lake Fourth Lake Fox Lake Gages Lake Lake Germaine Grandwood Lake Grass Lake Grassy Lake Grayslake Harvey Lake Hastings Lake Hendrick Lake Highland Lake Homer White Lake Honey Lake Huntley Lake Island Lake Lambs Lake Leo Lake Liberty Lake Lake Linden Little Bear Lake Loch Lomond Long Lake Loon Lake Lake Louise Lucky Lake Lake Marie Miltmore Lake Minear Lake Mud Lake Lake Naomi Nippersink Lake North Tower Lake Petite Lake Pistakee Lake Lake Potomac Redhead Lake Redwing Slough Lake Round Lake Saint Marys Lake Sand Lake Sand Pond Schreiber Lake Shady Lane Resort Lake Lake Sheree Silver Lake Slocum Lake Slough Lake Spring Lake Sterling Lake Sullivan Lake Sun Lake Sylvan Lake Third Lake Timber Lake Tower Lake Turner Lake Twin Lakes Valley Lake Waterford Lake West Lake White Lake Wooster Lake Lake Zurich

Walt I did not even realise my 19.2 Craftsman set was made in China.I checked and you are correct.If I had known that I probably would not have taken the chance with it?But I am still glad I have it.I have the 1/2'' drill and 3/8 right angle drill set that came with a charger and two batteries in a blow molded case.I gave $100.00 for that set.I also have a 3/8 drill that came with a charger and battery and canvas case.I gave $30.00 for it.I also have the Sawsall another 1/2 drill and a flourecent light I picked up used at a auction for $12.00 and that drill looks like it was draged behind a truck well used. All of my other drills and a handheld 18 volt shop vac are Dewalt and YES made in China.I do have a Dewalt 9.2 volt that is older probably 15 years old I have not checked where it was made?If it was not snowing and cold I would go out and look.My problem with Dewalt is there batteries are to expensive. Craftsman hand tools seem to still be about the same quality as always.Except there ratchets I have some from the 70's and recent.I keep the old ones for the shop and gaurd them closley.The newer ones are used mobily just incase there lost.There not the same however still have a lifetime warranty.I have a old S-K ratchet set that is my favorite however. I use alot of Air tools and not so much electric.I recently had to replace my 1/2'' drive impact.I went with a Kobalt from Lowes im sure it came from China not sure?But it is the best I have ever had.

Hi igloo, As a woman who started out not knowing pliers from a wrench, and has since done almost everything in our whole-house remodel, I'll give you my perspective. I think I remember you saying in the past that you're a small person? Even if not, these tools are made for men. They're heavy -- I've given myself wrist/thumb problems from using my drill a lot because of the torque when it stops. So check out any hand held tools for a while to make sure they're very manageable for you. Next, it doesn't seem to me that you need a table saw. That opens a whole can of worms: tools like TSs, jointers, planers, etc, need a very good dust collection system, and that gets complicated and controversial. It's the fine dust, the dust you can't even see, that is harmful to your lungs. You don't actually have to worry as much about the typical sawdust you generate, the stuff you're very aware of, because you kick it out of your lungs when you breathe. The fine stuff lodges in them. Given that, if you start wanting to build cabinets and/or furniture, you will need a TS, and I definitely recommend buying a cabinet saw (as opposed to a contractor's saw) that costs at least $2300 or so. The Sawstop is a very good saw, from what I've read. But you're paying $1000 extra for the stop feature. Losing fingers happens often enough to seasoned woodworkers, but danger from kickback is a lot more common, and it can't stop that. For $1K less you can get others of a similar quality (I have and like the Powermatic 2000.) The cheaper ones (contractor's saws) are inaccurate in any number of ways for cabinetmaking. I bought an $88 wet saw from HD a few years ago. I installed tile on three smallish rooms and it worked like a charm. Much better to buy than rent 'cuz they're not expensive, and you can take your time with them. I'm impressed by what I've seen of Festools, but I've worked with their vacuum and a Fein Turbo III vacuum, and I prefer the latter. (I encouraged my boss to buy the Festool vac and now I wish I hadn't, it's unwieldy.) The Fein, a little more expensive, with a HEPA filter, moves around easily and is less clunky. And its suction (see stats on website) is at least as good as on the Festool. You'd have to check out whether its hose will hook up to Festool tools. If you're doing only trim work, you don't need to worry about most of these things. I'd start with just the tools that are needed. If you find you need more, you can buy as you go. Buying tools never stops. Even tho I've got an 8" jointer, cabinet saw, etc, in my basement, that work very well for my household needs (building cabinets) they look like toys compared to the ones my boss uses. So spend your money selectively and try to resist buying all kinds of things you won't use much! Sombreuil said a very true thing: Great work can be done with a limited number and quality of tools, but it takes longer and requires more experience. Don't expect things like miter saws to work right out-of-the-box. They need to be tweaked and tuned. And for a beginner this will be even more potentially frustrating, but it is a wonderful way to learn. I'm far from a pro but I've found out that it takes a lot of skill to do good work! Crown moldings are among the most frustrating things I've ever done, because no angle in your house is 90 degrees. Best of luck and I hope you enjoy the work!