I was checking up on availability for the new Dewalt DWST08820 ToughSystem 2.0 Bluetooth radio/charger, and came across a sponsored store placement for Home Depot, with a 3/5 star rating.
I thought the rating was odd, and clicked-through to take a look, thinking that maybe Home Depot mixed in reviews for other related products, which happens more than you might think.
Advertisement
Looking at the most recent reviews, there’s a ton of negativity.
See Also: The BEST Jobsite Radio and Bluetooth Speaker: Dewalt Tstak vs. Milwaukee Packout
Some of the complaints are unique, but there are a lot of somewhat like-themed complaints about subwoofer defects or failures. Here’s some of what recent user reviews are complaining about:
within 10 minutes I would say of playing music the subwoofer stops working it has a burnt smell
The base speaker has quit already and I don’t play it load ether
Cant put your phone close to the display or it makes it go crazy.
The radio pops and jumps between stations
I bought this radio and within 4 hours the speakers blew out so i exchanged it for a new one and again within 2 days the speakers blew
Put it into service about 9:30 am and by 10 the speakers sound like they’re blown and the BT keeps disconnecting
Cuts out all the time the woofer pops and sound quality is not as good as the original
Ive purchased 3 units and all didn’t last a week woofer blew and never turned it past mid volume
Haven’t had it 2 weeks and already one speaker sounds blown
Love the sound of it but every once in a while it’ll making a popping noise and then at least once a day it’ll just stop playing sound but the radio Is still on?!
The speaker blew out on the first use.
first use and woofer went bad.
finally get it and messed up 3rd day and radio signal is horrible. But the BT range is awesome but speakers blew 1st week
My wife had bought me one as a Christmas present and after about a week of usage on the job the sub-woofer seemed to be blown
Cuts in and out and no volume when its on
Also, it would make a loud “popping” noise every couple minutes which was really annoying. And finally, the bass would randomly drop out so it sounded like I was listening to my phone.
Was playing radio when all of a sudden we are hearing crackling sounds from the sub. Then the bass went completely out.
I also had the issue of the speaker blowing up and making loud, glitchy noises after purchasing 6 weeks ago.
Can I give it a negative review? Absolute junk. I have now been through 3 in less than 2 weeks. Randomly shuts off and two of them the woofer either blew or came loose.
User reviews on Dewalt’s website are pretty similar, and there’s also one user complaining about compatibility issues with existing ToughSystem products.
It’s possible that the user reviews are indicative of widespread issues or problems with this new model Dewalt ToughSystem Bluetooth radio/charger, or perhaps there’s just a small group of products that shipped with defective speakers or components.
Tool Nut is reporting that the music player is temporarily out of stock, and Acme Tools has an April 1st, 2020 shipping ETA. Home Depot still seems to have some in warehouses for shipping.
Buy Now via Home Depot
Buy Now via Acme Tools
Buy Now via Tool Nut
I have tested Dewalt’s 1st-gen ToughSystem Music player and their follow-up TStak Bluetooth radio/charger, and both seemed to be well-designed and well-made. The TStak player has been a wonderful performer.
Compare: Dewalt Tstak Radio via Acme Tools
I’m sure that Dewalt will sort things out. If there’s an issue with the speakers, other components, production, or design, they’ll definitely want to get things resolved before Father’s Day. Whatever the root issue might be, it should be fixable.
We reached out to Dewalt for comment, and will report back if we learn anything.
User reviews of the new Milwaukee Packout Bluetooth radio/charger seem to be off to a much better start. Home Depot has logged 59 reviews so far, with a 4.6 out of 5 rating.
Compare: Milwaukee Packout Radio via Tool Nut
Compare: Milwaukee Packout Radio via Acme Tools
Compare: Milwaukee Packout Radio via Home Depot