You probably heard of Hilti before. If you’re a Hilti tool user, what do you think about them? If you’re not, what do you actually know about the brand?
Hilti Nuron is a brand new 22V cordless power tool system. Hilti is a ToolGuyd sponsor, and we partnered with them to explore and share about their new tools and offerings.
Although they’ve been great so far, I don’t want to talk about the tools here. Instead, I want to talk about how you buy their tools. This is what shattered everything I thought I knew about the company.
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Hilti is a professional power tool company, but they operate quite differently than other tool brands.
At some point over the past 15 years, I gained the impression that Hilti is a tools plus fasteners solution. You buy the tools, you buy the hardware, and it’s a sort of “everything works” solution for bigger jobs where there are other things to worry about.
To speak frankly, I always dismissed Hilti for my personal purchases. The brand seemed tailored towards commercial contractors, and not individual users like myself. In the same way, I don’t buy mechanics tools from tool truck brands, as I don’t need their at-my-door service.
As an individual tool user, I’m not concerned with jobsite efficiency, or most of the other services Hilti provides.
But, this mindset has me missing out.
Did you know that Hilti has a tool trade-in program, valid through the end of 2022, where you can get credit towards new Nuron tools?
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Purchase or Fleet a new Hilti tool listed on the right, then turn in your old, comparable Hilti or competitor tool, regardless of condition to receive your Trade-in Voucher.
And, the same flyer where I saw this says they offer:
20 year limited warranty
2 year wear and tear coverage
1 day repair turnaround, guaranteed (some restrictions apply)
I was browsing an online forum yesterday, and someone was asking if they’ll need to buy a new cordless drill while their existing model (not Hilti) gets sent to a service center. It’s good to have backups, but a 1-day repair turnaround could work nicely for specialty equipment.
Their tool fleet management program has benefits such as tool upgrades, endless wear & tear coverage, theft coverage, and loaner tools.
I didn’t know any of this!! Obviously their fleet management program is well beyond what I and most individual users would be interested in – I’m assuming – but still!
And when I didn’t know any of this, I mean 5 minutes ago. I was simply poking around Hilti’s website, looking for a potential term (jobsite efficiency?) to sum up Hilti’s services beyond simply power tools.
Getting to my main point, buying Hilti tools involves a very different process than buying other professional power tools.
Simply put, there’s no nonsense.
There’s no “$$$ value special buy!” combo kit that was really designed to sell for much less. No “over $$$ value!” claims. No promotional tool kits that are bundled with low capacity batteries.
Some readers often lament how major tool brands’ cordless power tool promotions often require the purchase of another drill they don’t need or want.
Last winter holiday shopping season, a brand’s drill kit was the same price as a promo 2-pack with the same batteries. So once the battery 2-packs sold out, customers might buy the drill kits and be left with tools and chargers they had no need for.
Hilti’s nothing like that.
This is what it looks like when a Hilti tool order comes in.
I’ve received a sample or two in the past, and they arrived in the same manner.
Tools, chargers, batteries, tool bags – everything is a separate line item.
You mix and match everything to suit your needs.
Hilti has plenty of documentation, and an online tool selector where they match up tools and recommended battery sizes.
I receive a lot of questions about matching tool brands’ cordless power tools, batteries, and chargers together. Tool brands try to eliminate the guesswork, and Hilti takes this just a little further.
Hilti also only sells direct, which I personally don’t feel strongly about one way or another.
To be perfectly honest, I like other brands’ kit configurations and promo offerings, because pricing is still a factor in many of my tool purchasing decisions.
A power tool brand is selling their cordless sander for $119 to $159 right now, for just the tool. I bought the sander with a battery, charger, and tool bag for $99 during a holiday season sale.
But, this means you’ll pay more in between promotional seasons.
From what I can tell, Hilti’s a la carte system does away with all of this complication – all this nonsense – and it seems to work well for them.
Is it the best way for you to buy tools? Maybe, maybe not.
You buy what you want or need, and nothing more. If you want three batteries, get three batteries. Don’t need another drill? Don’t buy one.
They do also sell some combo kits, but I couldn’t find any Nuron kits.
Did you forget how to find Hilti’s tool-battery recommendations chart, or their online tool kit configurator? Tool product pages have their own drop-down menus for batteries, chargers, and accessories.
When will it go on sale? When is a good time to buy? Is that a good value? What are the gotchas?
It’s the same price all the time, at least from what I can tell, and there are no gotchas.
They also make like-type tool comparisons easy, although I almost wish they wouldn’t. What’s left for me to do if tool brands answer everyone’s questions themselves?
Lastly, if you’re wondering about Hilti’s new 22V Nuron system, I’ll just say this – “uncompromise with Nuron” might just be the most accurate marketing claim I’ve ever seen. Power, performance, features, quality, balance – everything has been great so far.
I’ve been using and testing a whole bunch of Hilti Nuron cordless power tools, with more on deck, and a few more still on my wishlist. What do you want to know?
TonyT
I’m sure fred will chime in here, but I’ll say that from my perspective (somewhat involved in ordering industrial parts), Hilti’s ordering process is company (not consumer) oriented.
In other words, my company isn’t set up to buy special deals. They’d rather pay a bit more from a company that we have an account with than buy with a credit card from Amazon to get a better deal.
Stuart
Is that a bad thing?
I tend to have great experiences at suppliers more aimed towards business customers, with McMaster Carr being a great example.
TonyT
Nope, just that it shows that Hilti is oriented towards professional users (whether company or individual) not DIY.
My company isn’t likely to buy Hilti because we mostly use hand tools for assembling machines but I can appreciate their approach.
GAK
What makes McMaster so ideal is that they bring a customer facing mentality to industrial ordering. The website, the ordering, the simplicy, the app… As someone in the manufacturing/machining world (who works for a distributor!) we’re all trapped in 1980 and trying to advance from there…
McMaster looked at Amazon and just said “Make it work 100% like that.”
MM
McMaster had fantastic customer service long before their modern internet catalog. Their print catalog was common in any machine shop and was very well laid out, it was quick to find whatever you wanted even though the catalog contained a tremendous number of products. We still used their paper catalogs back when I sold my machining business in 2015–not exclusively of course, but many times it was faster than using the website.
One fantastic thing about McMaster’s website is that they have technical drawings for nearly every part which makes design work greatly simplified.
Another thing that’s worth mentioning about McMaster is their incredible order accuracy. I’ve placed several hundred orders with McMaster over 25+ years, probably over a thousand. I never once had a part shortage or incorrect item shipped. The only deviation from perfect is that I once found some extra items in a shipment which I did not order and was not charged for. That’s incredible given the sheer volume of orders. Zero problems with billing either.
it’s_jake
their CS reps are trained to not make small talk because them asking you about how your day is means less spindle time or whatever your metric is.
when they’ve messed up orders for me they had a replacement item ordered before i hung up
Aaron+S
I’ve only ever ordered bibs and bobs from them, but man that catalog was a fun browse. I spent hours with that thing in the 90s it was a world of possibilities!
TonyT
I’d say that McMaster is actually miles ahead of Amazon, because they have good parametric search, while Amazon’s search is really bad.
I normally spec electrical components, so I’m quite familiar with Digikey and Mouser; both web sites are excellent. As far as I know, neither one does special deals, unlike Newark (which has lousy search and higher prices unless you get special deals. But I’ve gotten some great closeout deals from Newark for myself).
Our ME uses McMaster on occasion, and they do have remarkably fast delivery.
For computer stuff, NewEgg used to have a great selection AND a good parametric search engine so it was easy to find a part that met your requirements (unlike Amazon), but they’ve really gone downhill.
MM
I agree that McMaster’s search is far better. If you search for something specific that comes right up at the top of the search results at McMaster. At Amazon it is likely buried in several pages of sorta-kinda-related results. Amazon is also bad, at least in my experience, about “auto-correcting” my searches because it thinks I made a spelling mistake or am looking for something different while in reality I wish it would stop trying to be smart and would just act like an old-school strict boolean search for the exact string I typed into the box.
TonyT
BTW, I’m not a huge fan of Automation Direct, and we rarely order from them. I will check them out on occasion, but typically what they offer isn’t the best fit for our needs, and most of the time they’re the same or more expensive than our local distributors. But they do offer a wide variety, have transparent pricing, and have a decent parametric search.
Franck B.
Yes, when I need something TODAY from McMaster, I can get it on willcall.
Superb.
Then again, same with Grainger and Fastenal, but even for a company, the pricing can induce nosebleeds. And they usually don’t have the weirder things in the local locations. Then again, I only need to worry about one McMaster location.
fred
The metal fabrication business that I bought into with partners was probably most aligned with this sort of supply philosophy. In that business we had relationships with several different supply houses like Grainger, Omega Technologies, MSC and others for parts and supplies for our O&M needs. Ours was a small business – so tool buying was modest and sporadic – facilitated by the fellow who managed our tool and parts rooms. I don’t recall that we ever had need for what tools for which Hilti was best known.
In our GC/Remodeling and Plumbing businesses, I do recall having some Hilti PATs – but also some from Remington, Fixrammer, and ITW and Simpson. I don’t recall that the guys expressed any great preference for Hilti. These were also relatively small businesses (hundreds – not thousands of employees in total) so the Hilti industrial supply model might not have been a good fit. It is altogether possible that the Hilti tools we acquired were bought at a Home Depot – then they had a Hilti section in their tool corrals. None of the old inventory databases, for which I have copies, list any other Hilti tools. Rotohammers might have been a possibility – but we seemed to have bought mostly Bosch electrics and Sullair or Atlas Copco pneumatics.
MM
I do not own any Hilti tools currently, though I have used a drill/driver, circ saw, angle grinder, 1/2 impact wrench, and SDS-Max rotary hammer belonging to others. I am quite sure these would have been the basic 22V tools, not Nuron. I had the impression from my limited use that they were very good quality tools, but they didn’t really jump out as being significantly better than contemporary Dewalt, Milwaukee, or Metabo. They were nice but they didn’t “blow me away”.
I had been unfamiliar with purchasing Hilti tools; I assumed they worked sort of like Snap-On trucks but visited construction sites rather than places where mechanics work, and since I am not a contractor I never really crossed paths with one. I learned more about their purchase process (and the Nuron line) when I was researching bandfile sanders a while back. I like the fact that you can pick-and-match the exact parts you need to put together your order–don’t need an extra charger? Don’t buy one. On the other hand, there seems to be no discount for bundling items together, and many of Hilti’s accessories have EXTREMELY high prices, and that combination rubs me the wrong way. Does Hilti really insist on charging a sky-high markup on accessories even if I’m bunding them with an expensive tool and batteries? It seems so.
I like the fact that many of their tools are competitively priced than I previously had though; and their batteries aren’t too bad either, I think in a post from a few days ago someone pointed out they’re actually cheaper than at least some M18 batteries. But many of their tools remain with sky-high pricing. For example, see my comments about the Nuron bandfile sander which I posted about back in January:
https://toolguyd.com/hilti-nuron-cordless-power-tools-2022-launch/#comment-1425134
Note my mention of that $167 sanding arm; that is a staggeringly high price for such a simple accessory, and Hilti won’t give me a break on that even if I’m buying into a whole new system with batteries, charger, etc?
James
I really value and enjoy ToolGuyd content, but the spin in this post stinks of a paid promotion (not saying that is what it is). You’re really trying to tell us that the lack of sale pricing is a benefit because it is less confusing? Or that only being able to purchase online, without ever seeing the tool in person, is better? As for “a la carte” kits, EVERY tool manufacturer provides this option (buy bare tools and batteries), they just also provide pre-made kits too. Hilti makes pretty good tools and their service is amazing. Their online selection materials are absolutely helpful. But lets not oversell. Honestly, I’m pretty disappointed in the post and the increasing “fandom” of the site towards brands that participate in your specific type of media.
Stuart
I can understand how you might think this all seems simplistic. “Wow, they sell tools a la carte? Big deal.”
When someone asks “which Brand-X drill is better?” do you know how incredibly challenging and difficult it is to sort things out if you’re not in-the-know?
Some of these emails go back and forth a couple of times. “What about…,
” and I’m sent a link to last year’s Brand-X special buy deal that’s bundled with 1.3Ah batteries and for 50% more than its regular seasonal price.
Sometimes a reader knows exactly what they want to buy – “what’s the best deal on Brand X’x premium drill kit?” Well, there’s the kit, a premium battery version of the kit, a drill and impact driver combo kit, a different version of the combo kit, last year’s version which is still a special buy at some retailers, and a couple of other options on top of that, which are only sold at one retailer due to exclusive arrangements. It ultimately then takes a half hour of math to sort things out.
True, other brands have a la carte offerings, but with pricing that many believe is artificially high to help subsidize discounted kits and combo kits. How many users actually buy individual chargers at authorized dealers at list pricing?
A brand launched a cordless mower kit at $399, including 2x 10Ah batteries. If you wanted an extra set of batteries, it would cost you $379. So, $20 more and you get a charger and an entire cordless lawn mower. How does that add up?
I tested a couple of Hilti tools over the years, and they were well-made with competitive performance – at the least. But the brand always seemed “not for me as an individual user,” because of what I had heard and let myself believe over time.
I had always thought of Hilti as a commercial construction fasteners + tools to use with them brand, because that’s what a lot of other users told me.
But it turns out their tools are much more approachable for individual users than I had thought.
I looked deeper to better familiarize myself, and it seemed post-worthy.
Nearly every time I post about other brands’ tool deals, readers complain about how all of those deals involve additional cordless drills they don’t need, low capacity batteries they won’t use, or chargers they don’t want and have to pay for anyway.
Is Hilti or Nuron the best choice for everyone? Of course not. But for me, and I’m assuming other individual tool users, I never really recognized the brand as a competitive option. The Nuron tools I’ve tested so far have been fantastic, and knowing what I know now, I’d be missing out on a good choice if I automatically discounted Hilti from the start.
Maybe Hilti Nuron won’t be my go-to for everything, but this experience opened them up to me as a choice, if that makes sense.
I still understand their focus to be on commercial users, but not as exclusively as I had previously believed.
Now, they’re more “McMaster Carr” to me, than “Grainger.”
Mateo
I think that a big part of what James doesn’t like about the attitude/direction of the article is that emphasis on a la carte options. Which is probably more of a consumer/market issue honestly.
People like to complain. People like to complain tools are expensive. People like to complain they don’t need certain bundles. People like to complain individual tools/batteries are too expensive. People like to complain it takes too long to find good deals. Etc.
So I feel like you deal with these sentiments being aired more than most of us, and that’s why you wrote the article with such a direction. Which makes perfect sense.
Part of the backlash on that a la carte approach is that you exclude the discounts/savings (artificial or real) of combo kits. And then people realize that the price difference between most manufacturers a la carte is pretty slim. Which makes them upset because some feel self righteous for finding the “sweet spot” of value, quality, and performance. Anyone spending more is a sucker and anyone spending less is getting noticeably inferior tools.
TLDR people like to complain, tools are expensive, sell extra tools from combo kits on eBay.
And this was not targeted at James at all, I had a similar gut reaction going through the article the first time. “People” means consumers.
And the new Hilti tools are just too ugly for me.
Stuart
The Hilti shopping experience is just very different from what I – and I assumed most readers – are used to or aware of.
It seemed interesting to explore, and the post is somewhat unfiltered as I kept finding more surprises the further I went down the rabbit hole.
I found myself wishing that more cordless brands were a little more like this, with trade-in upgrade discounts, and less pricing gimmicks.
It started off “here’s how they ship your tools,” and I got carried away.
Zack
I clicked around their site a bit, and it looks like Hilti’s direct to consumer bare tools are around double to triple what I’ve been paying for my Metabo HPT stuff. $300 for a 7 1/4” circ saw, for example.
Milwaukee often runs double what my green stuff costs ($230 for a red brushless oscillating tool, vs $100 for a green one…weirdly it doesn’t look like Hilti makes an OMT).
The value proposition for Hilti in the trades is obvious. I’ve seen their trucks in my area. If you’re running a fleet, handing in a busted drill and getting a working one saves time and money.
As a hobbyist, I can see “graduating” into Hilti for tools that are used frequently in one’s craft AND require skill/technique. For some people, a sheet metal nibbler might qualify. A masonry drill certainly might qualify, for someone who does a lot of that, as a smooth running tool will give a cleaner hole.
For a straight die grinder Hilti might make sense. Their GDG 6-22 is double the sale pricing of my Metabo HPT die grinder.
A regular drill/driver or an impact driver? Not likely. The basic ones do a fine job and it helps to have lots of them with interchangeable batteries so you aren’t forever switching drill bits.
For me it’s a lot easier to spend premium dollars for chrome sockets, ratchets and wrenches. I’ll have them forever. Cordless tools are not forever. I’m sure some of my cordless tool will be going strong beyond the end of support for the battery platform, and they’ll eventually just be e-waste.
Franco
I had purchased maybe once or twice from McMaster Carr 8-9 years ago; at the time it seemed like most online buying experiences I have had. The changes people speak of, are they more recent?
As for Hilti, I have no Hilti tools but expected everything you mentioned above to be the way they do business (similar to my company does in the IT business).
I am pretty sure that they have account managers for just about all the accounts/customers. The exception could be for accounts below a certain threshold, then they would have just have an inbound call team for these customers or website.
The bigger the company, the less they care about all the other frills, sales, specials and promos. Actually, the bigger the company, all the aforementioned is built into their account. Accounts that spend more, have built in special pricing, “deals” are made for them and even promo or testers can easily made available to these accounts.
My biggest account was a 30 billion/year company and spent close to 10 million a year with us. You can be sure that my manager, his boss and his boss’s boss all knew of this account (as well as other similar accounts). When they needed anything, ways were found to accommodate them. Smaller accounts would not be so easily be accommodated.
Hilti’s business model seems to be something of this sort.
Robert
Hilti is Swiss, perhaps from a German dominated canton. They seems to have a Germanic mindset of like you say, “no nonsense.” I’ve seen their tools used extensively on sites in Europe. In casual conversations I was told the contractors really like the fleet management. They contractors said they rather pay the premium and not have to worry about the small stuff so they can concentrate on the work. If the new Nuron 22v cordless tools had come out when I was building out my tool collection, I probably would buy into them as I adhere to buy once cry once.
KMR
Hilti HQ is in Liechtenstein not Switzerland. Very similar and often mistaken as being part of Switzerland, but Liechtensteiners are quite proud of their independence and will make it known they’re not part of Switzerland (although Switzerland is obligated to provide military defense services to Liechtenstein). The vast majority of Liechtensteiners are Germanic, with a considerable number of them having settled there after WWII including my family: “for the tax benefits that the principality offered (among other reasons).”
fred
A nice place to visit if you are staying on Lake Constance
KMR
If you’re near Lake Constance, you can visit Fredy Lienhard’s private car collection / auto museum (very limited public hours) in Romanshorn. Easily places in the top 10 automotive collections / museums that I’ve visited. http://www.Autobau.ch
Fredy Lienhard was the owner of Lista (industrial cabinets). Obligatory tool talk tie-in.
fred
We missed that one. We did visit the state art museum in Vaduz – which I recall is supported by the Hilti Art Foundation.
We had visited some of the iconic car museums in northern Italy – but neither my wife nor I are really car enthusiasts.
My other “tool talk tie in” is that we did have Lista cabinets in our metal fabrication factory.
Mike
I created a modest kit of DIY style tools. Drill, impact, circ, sawzall, grinder and jigsaw. I added 4 batteries – 2 each from tiers 2 and 3. My total was $2200. There are certainly people willing and able to spend that amount but I do not see the value of the brand outside of the fleet management. If I use my tools to earn my living this makes a lot sense. I have not used a lot of Hilti tools but I have always been left with the impression they are fine tools but not special and as a DIY’er I just do not have the demands would ever justify that purchase in my use case.
Stacey Jones
I don’t have any Hilti. Seems like a brand targetted at businesses.
Ct451
It seems like they’re branching out into other sectors and targeting their existing customers with new tools. I have seen many drilling concrete with Hilti and then use Makita and DeWalt for other jobs. A contractor installing an air-con unit can sink 8 bolts into concrete with any driver but needs something good to get though 3 feet of the stuff.
Their innovations in what they’re known for are great but the general power tool market is different. Of course they can make quality power tools in China but so can many others for less money.
Mike Finneran
Quality of service can and should be very important. McMasters offers supplies often not easily sourced anywhere else and or without having to buy industrial quantities to get what I need. That service adds value for me so I am willing to pay a premium for it on a per piece basis. This post contends Hilti add enough value to the DIY’er to justify bloated price compared to major consumer brands. I disagree. If these tools are not your income source there is no real justification to buy into the line. People can equip their shops however they like. This post is clearly meant to influence that choice from a paid sponsor. This conversation was not organic discussion. Stuart is entitled to his opinion and he disclosed this was a paid post. This is a topic that beaten to death over the years.
Stuart
I never said or implied that this adds value to DIY’ers.
To me, “individual users” encompasses contractors, electricians, plumbers, etc, who often buy tools for themselves, as opposed to commercial construction users who usually have their tools selected and purchased for them.
There might be some tools that suit demanding DIYers’ specialty needs, but in general Hilti is a professional-use brand.
Mike
Individual user certainly implies DIY’er. Since you want to highlight semantics, tradesman would have been the appropriate term.
Zack
Personally I’m glad Hilti is sponsoring Toolguyd. I’d love to see some side by side reviews of Hilti and Milwaukee cordless tools.
And it’s great that Hilti is trying a direct-to-consumer model.
I think you’re saying that Hilti cordless tools will be a luxury purchase for a DIYer rather than a value-for-money buy-once-cry-once candidate where you really do get the value in the end. I guess…is that bad? Even buying nicer tools than I need, my DIY hobbies are cheaper than many other forms of entertainment. The best aggressive bang for buck is probably Ryobi, but nicer tools are pleasant to use, and if some people want to support Hilti over TTI or SB&D with their hobby dollars, I’m all for it.
Richard
I’m a prosumer and rarely do I wear out or break a tool without notice. Holiday season lets me stay stocked in premium(ish) gear but I have to be patient and looking year round.
It might be overhead for someone in the trades but for me it’s kinda fun to find a great deal on a tool I think I’ll need in the next few months.
Stuart
Oh, absolutely!
For personal purchases, I like a good deal and can spend time researching.
For professional, I need something that works and don’t want to have to sort through a ton of fine print to get it.
Julian Tracy
I have currently a Hilti vacuum and a Hilti sawzall, a DX36m ramset tool and a Hilti laser distance meter – all bought used. I have previously owned their very excellent side winder/worm gear circular saw and their drywall collated screw gun setup.
The Hilti tools I own and have used have all been extremely well made, etc., but they are tools for people that are spending someone else’s money.
Take the vacuum I have for instance – it’s probably a $1100 vacuum. It’s great, but no better than the Euro-made $500 Makita/Flex/Metabo options.
Their rotary lasers too – even a simple line laser setup is near $700.
Just absolutely stupid pricing for good tools. And like Grainger – you’re getting the sucker list price if you walk into buy anything instead of the good guy price the account dudes get.
Jim Felt
I’ve had an account with Grainger (and later Zoro) for nearly 40 years. Their discounting to me seems simply volume based. However, their near weekly specials seem very favorable for merchandise that’s seldom available as readily as they can provide.
But, no, massive inventory but never “cheap”.
fred
Grainger used to drive our accountant crazy. You apparently did not know what your final cost was per item at the time of purchase – because back then they might provide a rebate based on your quarterly sales volume. They did have superb customer service and turnaround on orders.
With Zoro – some of their 25% or even 30% off deals seemed almost insane. We bought a Millier diesel welder using one of these deals.
MIKE+GUENTHER
I was familiar with their rotary hammer drills, their powder actuated fastening system and they had a neat epoxy delivery system for installing bolts and other metal or steel pipes in drilled out holes in concrete. Quick set time and something like 30,000psi tensile strength.
Jim Felt
Two of my favorite contractors use Hilti and over the years I’ve also visited their local outlet. Never a so-called “sale” and never a lack of stock plus amazingly fast repair turnaround. Oh. And everyone working there knows their product lines. Everyone.
This new 22v platform seems to me at least more ergonomic in my hands then some of their previous offerings. Though certainly not anywhere near comparable to their seriously heavy duty gear.
And yeah I even bought their $100 plus manual 10oz. caulk gun. Dumb. Not at all logical or better in my/our use. Zero.
Bruce
We had a Hilti tool setup for several years. 18v, something, not really sure. They ended up being a poor choice for our uses:
1. Heavy, so heavy that they were hard to use. It’s not the first 100 screws, it’s the 400th.
2. Bulky, large enough to be impossible to use under desks or other tight areas.
3. Expensive. Blowing 400 bucks on a drill is fine, blowing 400 bucks on a drill and still having to buy a Dewalt so you could reach everywhere it wouldn’t fit. That is no OK.
Just not a good choice for our uses.
Jeff
How do they come up wit 22 volt? With 6 cells nominal voltage would be 21.6, max voltage would be 24.
Zack
Probably just rounded 21.6 up to 22.
Andrew
The article says ‘Hilti also only sells direct’. There are Hilti tools listed on HomeDepot’s website. Does the article only mean Nuron tools?
Stuart
When I drafted the article, there were no external sources for Nuron cordless tools.
I checked last night, and there are new Nuron SKUs on Home Depot’s website. Given the quantities listed (e.g. 100 each of every battery size, 25, 50, or 75 of different tools), it seems they just received these shipments.
Jeff
How do they come up wit 22 volt? With 6 cells nominal voltage would be 21.6, max voltage would be 24.
Ct451
Nominal voltage can be 3.7 or more depending on the cells as well as the electronics.
Collin
22 is easier to advertise than 21.6. 21.6 doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.
21.6-24 volts is approximately the range of the battery pack voltage in a charged state. Any number between 21.6 and 24 would have worked.
Hilti is also using proprietary battery cells which may have a very slightly different nominal voltage.
Rob
I didn’t have any Makita cordless until three or four years ago. Never had any cordless Dewalt nor Milwaukee up until last year when I had a few to try. The Hitachi nailers were in recent years as well.
The most striking and annoying thing I’ve discovered about these brands is their big box store presence and associated “deals” which only amounts to batteries marked up outrageously for the sake of free battery promos and “value” kits or having to wait for the “right time” to make a purchase.
I ain’t got time for that.
Also ran, welcome to the club. The grass isn’t as green as you think it is in Hilti land, however. If you have monthly billing, you won’t have any issues. If you are a “cash and carry” customer, good luck with their credit/debit processing quirks. Multiple duplicate authorizations…every time. I thought it was just when you have something shipped. Nope, it happens at the store in person too. I’d pay cash but the last time I did, they sent me a bill afterward.
But it’s Hilti, so every last employee will coddle you through the frustration.
Mike
Ran a DX350 for years back in the day, great performer. Their cordless line is way out of my budget though – have never seen them on a jobsite.
rpb
They’re all over jobsites that spec other Hilti products. All hilti tools on the recent Target facade work and remodeling.
Rob
Stu, the trade in offer only applies to Hilti’s credit accounts (as in monthly billing with terms). Personal use and one person businesses will not likely be approved.