I came across a huge Greenworks 24V cordless power tool combo kit on Amazon, and am not sure how to feel about it.
It’s priced much higher than I would expect for the brand – a whopping $1000.
They give you 3 Li-ion batteries, 2x 4Ah and 1x 2Ah, and a single 65W USB-C power brick with two cables. The batteries are said to be “fast charge ready.”
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It seems that Greenworks has followed the lead of some other DIY brands in nixing the standard charger. The batteries can be recharged via USB-C, and can also be used as power banks.
I’m having trouble taking Greenworks and this tool kit seriously, partly because of how they marketed their tools in the past, and partly because of, well, images like this one.
Where are the safety glasses? Most cordless power tool brands have protocols for how their tools are depicted, and proper safety gear is usually a strict requirement.
“More power,” they say – up to 400 in-lbs of max torque. For a 24V Max cordless power tool with a brushless motor, that’s not a lot.
Greenworks cordless nailers? A brushless angle grinder? USB-C charging?
Is it time to pay more attention to Greenworks and their 24V like of cordless power tools? Personally, I don’t think so, other than periodic check-ins such as here. What’s your take.
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S
I think greenworks is very similar to the (dis)array of offerings from porter cable.
My brother in law picked up a similar porter cable set for around-the-house projects, and generally couldn’t be happier with it. He’s been recently transitioning to ryobi tools, mostly due to the variety of lifestyle options(inflator, blower, fans, bug light, etc) that they offer, but keeps the porter cable set in the garage for his wood working and house projects on the weekends.
This is also how I see this greenworks set working. For the occasional user in a non-professional environment that doesn’t require gobs of power, and all the included tools cover the intended use cases.
Even shopping deals, that’s probably at least a $2k kit to get the same functionality out of a Milwaukee or Bosch setup. But that said, I don’t think DeWalt even offers all the same tools.
Stuart
Milwaukee and Bosch are pro brands capable of demanding work. I’d say Greenworks is at best Ryobi-grade.
Peter
After dealing with Ryobi’s 18 and 40v offerings I would not recommend them.
Tools are okay, the lifespan of their batteries is almost laughable.
AP
Never used them but it’s a hard sell when you have Ryobi and their extensive line of tools and lifestyle products under the same 18V battery platform. I’m assuming they’re in the same quality tier, though.
Saulac
Not sure if it is first time or not, but I appreciate the “See it at Amazon” link button instead of the normal “Buy it at Amazon”. Your effort did not go unnoticed!
Stuart
Thanks! It seemed fitting.
Peter
Yes much appriciated!
Rick
Greenworks have the same deal at the same price on their own web site:
[link removed]
But they appear to be engaging in a very shady practice in the comments section: if someone reviewed one of the individual tools bundled in the combo kit, they incorporate that review in the comments for the entire combo kit. I think that approach is just trying to deceive the customer into thinking that the bundle itself has high ratings. Just indefensible.
Anyway, the deal seems very poor value when compared to Ryobi bundles on offer at Home Depot such as this one:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-ONE-18V-Cordless-12-Tool-Combo-Kit-with-1-1-5-Ah-Battery-and-2-4-0-Ah-Batteries-and-Charger-PCL2200K3N/321520790
Terry Burton
I’m not sure about Greenworks but concerning lower grade power tools… I own several Craftsman V20 brushless drills and I am generally happy with them. I even like some of their V20 miter saws. With that said, I would trash most of their other saws before giving them away. It’s pretty embarrassing how low quality these products are. I wonder why Stanley B&D / Craftsman offers decent drills but misses the mark so badly on most of their other offerings? Thankfully, I own and love my Milwaukee M12 and M18 power tools. I also have a Craftsman V20 orbital sander that I’m happy with.
Doresoom
Why are they installing OSB with a brad nailer in those marketing photos?
Stuart
Remember this one?
These things are a big part of why I have difficulty taking them seriously.
TomD
Cropping it to 0% MORE POWER seems somehow appropriate.
Mike
Nice bend in that drill bit!
JoeM
Greenworks, last I checked, made large Outdoor Power Equipment, such as Lawn Mowers, Backpack Blowers, and, yes, Powered Snow Shovels. No, I don’t mean Snow Blowers, they do those as well, but they made the smaller Powered Snow Shovels as well, at least at one point. For this larger class of year-round OPE, Greenworks seems pretty competent, but not the standards we expect from EGO and the various competitors in this arena.
That they’ve entered the Power Tool arena is interesting, but not worth paying into, or paying attention to. The USB-C power systems they’re using are basically everywhere. And, as I have been reminded recently, one feature or another doesn’t make something innovative, it is potentially just a gimmick. I feel Greenworks falls into this category for Power Tools. They’re not doing anything special, or new, they’re basically giving everyone a glimpse at what awaits us when a full battery charger is removed from a system, replaced with Mobile Device Chargers. I gotta say, it isn’t executed well. There was a time when we were very excited for Bosch or Makita working on Wireless Charging docks for their tools and batteries, and that disappeared as fast as it showed up. Perhaps there were problems, perhaps they were underperforming, who knows? (I bet Stuart does, but that’s a Tangent. I need to find Sine and Cosine so I can return to my point.) This is another attempt at grabbing hold of something familiar to amateur users who are used to power bricks, and charging their phones, and other devices, but aren’t willing to invest in proper tools for the job.
Speaking of investing, the price tag is sky-high for a first-timer release of these tools. I remember the Pre-Lithium Ion days of the 18V DeWALT Legacy System, offering 9-12 tools from their long-established catalog, and it was just around $1200 CAD. I know that’s over 20 years ago pricing, but still. Bigger kit, reliable tools, proof you can trust the price is worth it. Greenworks doesn’t have that right to claim that price for the handful of tools they’re offering here. Not worth it. Keep them as OPE makers, and it’ll be fine.
Stuart
They’ve had cordless power tools for years.