Any experience with cordless tools brought back from overseas?

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Any experience with cordless tools brought back from overseas?

kryptonjohn

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#227485 9-Jan-2018 11:02

Places like Home Depot in the US seem a lot cheaper than here for better grade cordless tools (Dewalt, Milwaukee etc) so was wondering about bringing some back from next trip - maybe get the tools over there but get the batteries and charger here... any gotchas with that?

Next trip is a family holiday so 5 of us travelling together. Can we pool the GST exemption limit so I can spend more? Or would I get away with saying my 13yo daughter actually did want that cordless impact driver for herself?

Cheers

JohnO

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#1932633 9-Jan-2018 11:13

From NZ Customs

https://www.customs.govt.nz/personal/travel-to-and-from-nz/duty-free-shopping/

The duty-free concession only applies to items you’re bringing with you for your personal use, or as gifts, provided the items:

are not being carried on behalf of another person
are not intended for sale or exchange.

If you’re travelling with other people, you can’t combine your $700 concessions.

Children can only claim the concession if the items are for them, and are items a child would own and use.

Its gonna look pretty suss turning up at Customs with a family all carrying various power tools,

kryptonjohn

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#1932634 9-Jan-2018 11:15

wellygary:

From NZ Customs

https://www.customs.govt.nz/personal/travel-to-and-from-nz/duty-free-shopping/

The duty-free concession only applies to items you’re bringing with you for your personal use, or as gifts, provided the items:

are not being carried on behalf of another person
are not intended for sale or exchange.
If you’re travelling with other people, you can’t combine your $700 concessions.

Children can only claim the concession if the items are for them, and are items a child would own and use.

Its gonna look pretty suss turning up at Customs with a family all carrying various power tools,

I agree, but could claim that I asked them all to get me a tool for as a birthday gift! LOL.

richms

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#1932635 9-Jan-2018 11:16

Batteries can come back too, so long as they are under 100 watt hours which the dewalts do by being 3 separate 18v batteries until they are put into a tool at which time they are connected in series together. That is where the biggest savings come from but there are limits per person on how many etc and they seem to change all the time so check what the airlines say.

Chargers are normally a simple modification from 110 to 230 - Big Clive did a video on a ryobi one which was replacing the MOV protection and removing a link from memory, and I have seen similar on forums for a Milwaukee.

Richard rich.ms

kryptonjohn

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#1932636 9-Jan-2018 11:17

richms:

Batteries can come back too, so long as they are under 100 watt hours which the dewalts do by being 3 separate 18v batteries until they are put into a tool at which time they are connected in series together. That is where the biggest savings come from but there are limits per person on how many etc and they seem to change all the time so check what the airlines say.

Chargers are normally a simple modification from 110 to 230 - Big Clive did a video on a ryobi one which was replacing the MOV protection and removing a link from memory, and I have seen similar on forums for a Milwaukee.

Interesting - thanks for that.

pdh

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#1932666 9-Jan-2018 11:57

Very good deals often available at Home Depot / Lowes (chain stores).
Especially for kits of multiple tools.

From personal experience, I can confirm that AEG 18V tools (here in NZ exclusively at Bunnings) are completely interchangeable with the Ridgid line in the US (exclusively at Home Depot).

Just make sure that all of the Lithium batteries fly home in your carry-on bags.
Big no-no to put the batteries in checked baggage.

kryptonjohn

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#1932678 9-Jan-2018 12:02

Was thinking those "Ridgid" tools looked familiar. I think those same tools come in manu different brands around the world.

I also suspect the airlines would not want like you having the battery and the tool in the cabin - just imagine some small child deciding to see what happens if you drill a hole in the side of the plane! Best check-in the tools and carry on the batteries?

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kryptonjohn

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#1932710 9-Jan-2018 12:23

turns out the Home Depot 18V ridgid/aeg brushless combination of drilll/impact driver/185mm saw comes in just under NZ$400 anyway so no GST... (NZ$850 at bunnings) happy days!

pdh

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#1932762 9-Jan-2018 12:57

Never felt the need for the tool itself in the aircraft cabin ;-)

You may be correct on the 'many different brandings', but I believe that 'AEG' is used for 'rest-of-world', while 'Ridgid' had better traction (old US brand name) within the US & Canada.

There are some tools (in their 18V range) that only appear in one brand/market. For examply, there's a nice little lightweight air compressor (Ridgid) which runs on one or two 18V batteries. Not in AEG's lineup and couldn't fit one in my baggage ;-)

I have a number of the tools -some bought here, some there - and 2, 4 & 5 A batteries. All play nicely and seem good quality.
I actually bought 2x5A plus charger from Bunnings here in October - even though I was flying home from the US that month.
There just wan't an available 'good price' for those newer (larger) batteries at Home Depot - while there was at Bunnings.
Plus I needed an extra charger - so 'buy local' just happened to work.

The tool bodies do always seem a better buy over there.

Item

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#1932868 9-Jan-2018 14:13

I already have some Milwaukee M18 tools, batteries and charger...I have ordered "skins" for tools twice now off Amazon US and had them delivered here as even with postage, they were so much cheaper than locally...

That said, with the exchange rate what it is, I would double check the current price difference between buying in the US and getting from somewhere like LovenTools.co.nz, especially when you consider the advantage of the local warranty.

kryptonjohn

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#1932874 9-Jan-2018 14:15

Thanks. Looking through Amazon everything I found didn't ship to NZ (was looking at Ryobi and Dewalt at the time) (and have been burned by YouShop). Will have another look.

Brunzy

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#1932940 9-Jan-2018 15:57

If you have a Home Depot near you( there’s one 10 min walk from my sons) it pays if you drop in now and again , as they have one day in store specials as well as the weekly ones.
6 months ago I picked up a Milwaukee 18V impact driver,LED torch, battery,charger and canvas bag for USD 90
A few weeks later a 12v drill,Impact driver,charger,two batteries & bag USD 99 +(7% tax)

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#1932980 9-Jan-2018 17:02

kryptonjohn:
turns out the Home Depot 18V ridgid/aeg brushless combination of drilll/impact driver/185mm saw comes in just under NZ$400 anyway so no GST... (NZ$850 at bunnings) happy days!

If you mention $400 as a significant number remember that you will be accompanying them so a higher limit applies.

kryptonjohn

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#1933132 9-Jan-2018 19:47

Bung:
kryptonjohn:

turns out the Home Depot 18V ridgid/aeg brushless combination of drilll/impact driver/185mm saw comes in just under NZ$400 anyway so no GST... (NZ$850 at bunnings) happy days!

If you mention $400 as a significant number remember that you will be accompanying them so a higher limit applies.

Oh. What's the limit?

Jase2985

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#1933135 9-Jan-2018 19:52

read the second post

chevrolux

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#1933144 9-Jan-2018 20:12

Don't put any spare batteries in your luggage. I had my dewalt 18v drill kit in a suitcase. Drill + 2 batteries + charger.

Air NZ flight from Wellington to Auckland... a flight I've taken more times than I've had hot dinners... pick up bag in AKL and see the security label on the handle. Open up kit, and they removed the spare battery, but left the one connected to the drill. And then a nice little note saying the battery had been disposed. I was filthy.

Although, never read in to what the actual rules were, but their (Av-Sec) actions spoke fairly loudly.

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