5 DeWalt Tools You Should Probably Avoid (According To Owners)

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You always want to do a bit of research before you commit to buying a brand-new tool. These are expensive items that you want to make sure are capable of completing the job you need them for. For those who use DeWalt, not every tool is going to be a quality choice despite the high price point. Unfortunately, some users have had negative experiences with these tools, like the dreaded DeWalt Max Cordless Snow Shovel.

We've gone through Amazon and DeWalt's website to highlight a handful of tools that you may want to avoid buying before you start your next project. While we can't promise those tools will fail you, they did so for many of the user who purchased them. We based this article on their reviews, taking into account their experience with the tool's quality and how well it was shared for completing a task. We'll go into more detail at the end about why these tools were chosen and why they made the list.

When it comes to using a pressure washer, it needs to be strong enough to remove difficult dirt and grime from multiple surfaces. A benefit of a tool like this is clearing spots that would have given you trouble if you were cleaning them up by hand. Plus, it can help you clean places far better from a short distance, without needing to get close to them. Unfortunately, consumers have had troubling experiences while using the DeWalt Pressure Washer.

Customers who picked up this product and used it found that, while it was able to spray water, it failed to provide enough power to remove dirt or heavy grime. Consumers reported that the quality of the product went down the longer they used it. This happened over the course of months, rather than years. Some reviews say that the plastic materials of this tool would steadily crack and deteriorate with limited use. Additionally, the battery it comes with lasts so little that some users haven't been able to clean their vehicle on a single charge. Because of these experiences, the item has a low average review score of 2.3 stars on DeWalt's website, and it's hard to recommend to new users.

If you're getting tools for your job, you expect efficiency, meaning that you want to make sure the tool gives you the best results every time you use it. If that's you, then we recommend you stay away from the DeWalt Coil Roofing Nailer, which users say can have you repeating an entire day of work or plugging your ears the whole time you're using it.

A consumer who has purchased and used this tool during a roofing project claims to have run into problems all the time, which forced them to frequently use a hammer to remove the nails and try again. Having to redo your work twice or readjust something after using a tool is frustrating and a waste of time, but if you're a professional, you're also losing money, which makes you want to go for a different product entirely. That's what most users seem to do.

Many consumers believe this is a recurring issue with a particular series of the DeWalt nailers, as many had similar issues with the 15 Degree Coil Framing Nailer. DeWalt isn't one of the best framing nailer brands, that much is clear, but it's fair to expect the company to perform a little better than this.

Band saws are serious pieces of equipment. Not only are they expensive, but they are instrumental in precisely cutting wood, metal, or even plastic for any professional or at-home project you might encounter. Usually, it doesn't really matter if you don't go with the absolute best brand of saws, but many consumers who purchased the DeWalt 20V Max XR Band Saw believe that you should look elsewhere. Their primary frustration with this item is that it requires you to hold down two buttons to use it, preventing you from doing your best work.

The dual switch activation is a feature on this product, but many consumers say this undermines the use of this tool. Traditionally, a band saw might require you to use one finger to activate a button. When you have two buttons simultaneously, you're unable to make precise cuts, which prevents you from doing your best work. You won't be able to create smooth cuts or pivot the material you're working on to make it worthwhile. There are other band saws that customer reviews believe you should go with instead, despite saying the quality of the cuts is reasonable when you can get it to work. Safety is essential with any heavy equipment or tool you're using in a workshop, but for most users, this seems to be a step too far.

The DeWalt Drywall Screw Gun is a somewhat popular product that several consumers have purchased and enjoyed. However, quite a few wouldn't go as far as to recommend it, for one simple reason. Traditionally, a drywall screw gun is designed to get the screw through the drywall without damaging the paper it's going through, controlling the screw's depth. However, reviews highlight how, when using the product, the tool struggles to hold the screw in place, despite having a magnetic head. This initial moment is crucial when you're utilizing this tool, as there's always a chance the screw could go into the wrong spot.

Additionally, some reviews share that when they wanted to use a new bit for the DeWalt Drywall Screw Gun, they encountered problems trying to swap it out. One user claims they had to go above and beyond to extract the original bit, as the design of the tool forced them to remove the magnet around the tip before being able to swap it. In short, avoid this screw gun if you can. If you're in the market for one, there's always the Makita Drywall Screw Gun, which has great reviews.

The DeWalt 20V Max Laser Level would be an ideal choice for construction workers or contractors working on massive projects where everything needs to be on the same level. Unfortunately, consumers advise against getting this expensive tool, as it fails to meet expectations. Many consumers have taken to Amazon to share how the item was poorly constructed, sometimes arriving to them damaged and not working correctly, becoming a massive waste of money for nearly $1,000.

On top of reviews detailing the subpar construction of the item, others have had problems with the tool's laser, which they say is hard to locate and can be wobbly. This is a significant issue for an item that needs to maintain a high accuracy level at all times. The receivers also reportedly didn't work properly for some users, causing issues when trying to make measurements at a decent distance. Some consumers have noted that it works fine until about 50 feet, when the machine is supposed to support up to 150 feet.

With these recurring issues and the price for this tool, it makes it hard for consumers to want to support the company, with many recommending getting another tool, like DeWalt's regular laser level tool, and returning this one.

When selecting the items we wanted to feature for this list, we focused on the experience users had with the products. A primary concern was how much use could a consumer could get out of a certain item, and how much they would recommend it to someone else. We looked primarily at Amazon and the DeWalt website, sampling the reviews found there for shared experiences between users.

We picked the tools that stood out thanks to their poor reviews, and which could not fulfill the task they were designed for. Price was not a significant factor for these items, if not for the fact that users usually expect more out of an expensive tool than a cheap one.