A really good cordless drill?

spongeworthy · Post by **spongeworthy** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 6:52 pm

Hey everybody:

I'm in the market for a new cordless drill. My 14 year old DeWalt has bitten the dust.

Anyone have a recommendation?

Post by **Piledriver** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 6:54 pm

Dewalt or Bosch.

Bugfuel · Post by **Bugfuel** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 8:04 pm

AFAIK, DeWalt is made by the same company as Black & Decker. B&D is the cheaper home & hobbyist product line, while DeWalt is more geared for the pros. Having used plenty of both, I'd go for the DeWalt if I had the money.

MNAirHead · Post by **MNAirHead** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 4:15 am

Before the opinions..

Is this for your garage or for an all around use?

For garage use, most folks find corded drills have more power, less cost and less hassle. You can find tons of VERY high quality Bosch, Sioux, Milwaukee etc corded drills at pawn shops.

I wear out tons and tons and tons of tools.. (I'm a fan of keeping some money in the bank.) I've found Makita, Hitatchi and some other brands out of US favor are excellent values - when on a foreign work site it's rare to see Millwaukee etc.

I'm a fan of buy American.. many of the "US" products are not "US" made unless they're the super high end grade... if this is your misson - read the label beyond the branding label.

Quick reminder.. most folks overbuy the tools and underbuy what it's driving (bits, abrasives, wheels etc).

HINT.. if you're going to use this for extended periods of time, consider a visit to an industrial supplier. There are many grades of tools.. if buying new it's nice to have someone older than 15 who's seen customers use things for years and had to scramble when it failed.

What will you be using it for.

T.

PS.. on the Black and Decker notation .. I own tons of "BLACK AND DECKER INDUSTRIAL" (they're an ugly gray color).. out of everything I've owned, these seem to be more durable than some of the Dewalt products I own.

spongeworthy · Post by **spongeworthy** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:54 am

I would be using mostly on my car in the garage, but occasionally for other duties.

I like corded drills also, but I prefer cordless for the ease of use. Especially when I am far from a plug.

turboblue · Post by **turboblue** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:05 am

Tried the cheap stuff, no joy.
All my cordless shop tools are Makita.
Good stuff for a somewhat fair price, cry once..........

Opt for the better chuck though.....

MNAirHead · Post by **MNAirHead** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:26 am

dittos on the Makita..

Buck for buck they seem to hold up the best..

I've had bad luck with the hardware store variety of battery tools.

Turbo --- did you use a Jacobs chuck or is there a better option out there.

T>

turboblue · Post by **turboblue** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:39 am

MNAirHead wrote:dittos on the Makita..

Buck for buck they seem to hold up the best..

I've had bad luck with the hardware store variety of battery tools.

Turbo --- did you use a Jacobs chuck or is there a better option out there.

T>

Mine is the standard keyless chuck that came with the drill.
I think it is a no name POS.
I will be replacing it with a Jacobs keyless next time I am out somewhere that has them.

My cordless tools are 14.4v.
Seem to do the job but much lighter than the 18-19 volt stuff.
I got a cordless 3/8" impact in a kit first. Use it daily.
It came with two batteries and the charger.
Then bought a drill and flashlight by themselves.
No use paying for extra chargers, cases and batteries.

MNAirHead · Post by **MNAirHead** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:48 am

Any tips on keeping battery tools fresh and long lasting... biggest challenge is battery mortality.

Bugfuel · Post by **Bugfuel** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:46 am

MNAirHead wrote:Any tips on keeping battery tools fresh and long lasting... biggest challenge is battery mortality.

Get a drill that's easy (and cheap) to find just replacement batteries for...

They go bad, can't help it. I suppose you shouldn't let them sit empty for any longer than necessary. Personally, I run them completely down the first couple of times before charging. Then keep them on the charger when not in use, and not run them all the way down. (Assuming weekly use at least). Otherwise store them off the charger but fully loaded, and charge occasionally?

helowrench · Post by **helowrench** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:19 am

I have been (ab)using my ryobi 18v cordless stuff for 5 years now. Abused as in mixing concrete in a 5gal bucket with a 3/8 chuck cordless drill and a paint mixing bit.

I mixed 30 or so 60lb bags that way-enough for 225 feet of fence (posts every 10ft)
I bought it as part of the required materials (I have to have it, Honey, to do the job) to add 900sqft on to my house. It has been taking any and all abuse that I have handed it since then.

The only problems that I have had has been involving the batteries.
Occasionally I have to clean the battery contacts. And as with any cordless stuff, I killed the batteries after 2.5 years. Regular use, with paying attention to them does help battery life. When performance drops, put it on the charger. As with ALL batteries, using the last 10% from the battery on a regular basis WILL shorten the life considerably. I have treated the new set of batteries ($40 got me 2) with a little more respect, and am seeing a much better lifespan from them.
The next set will be the Lithiums that have just come out, and Ryobi has made sure that the new 18V Lithiums will fit all of the older 18V NiCad tools (I am sure that they will require a different charger though)

I completely agree about the bits and other tools. Performance and longevity is directly related to the quality (not necessarily cost) and care during use of every part of the tools that you are using. From the hand holding the drill, all the way to the bit doing the drilling and the lubricant used on that bit, and the material being drilled.
Any shortcut along the way will seriously hamper the results.

And for those of you who like corded drills, I would much rather use air powered tools, than corded.

Rob

aircooledtechguy · Post by **aircooledtechguy** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 8:00 am

I've been using a 14V DeWalt cordless drill for about 7 years now. What a great tool!! Gobbs of torque if you need it and it came with a keyless chuck. Batteries will go bad after a few years and mine need replacing now, but I just keep the spare on the charger and all works well.

Chris V · Post by **Chris V** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 11:50 pm

I used to use Dewalt 18v XRP...but retired them to the house, after chuck issues, motor issues, and battery issues...

I now use 28V Milwaukee...as do a couple co-workers, all with no issues whatsoever.

I know a few people who use the 18v Makita and Makita compact and only know of one battery failure from mis-use.

I believe Makita and Milwaukee are the only companies offering cordless portabands.

I've heard nothing but bad things about the Bosch powerbox stereo/CD player and have only encountered one person who ever used their 'real' tools.

Post by **doc** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 6:16 am

I was recently given a Fastool (German) cordless drill. Very high end/very high dollar. I would have never sprung for it. But I am completely amazed by the tool. It'll break your wrist with the torque, if your not wary and I can't wear out a battery.

High end only, I think. May not be a "value" for the hobbyist. But thought I would mention it.

doc

MNAirHead · Post by **MNAirHead** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:06 am

Chris V wrote:I used to use Dewalt 18v XRP...but retired them to the house, after chuck issues, motor issues, and battery issues...

I now use 28V Milwaukee...as do a couple co-workers, all with no issues whatsoever.

I know a few people who use the 18v Makita and Makita compact and only know of one battery failure from mis-use.

I believe Makita and Milwaukee are the only companies offering cordless portabands.

I've heard nothing but bad things about the Bosch powerbox stereo/CD player and have only encountered one person who ever used their 'real' tools.

Bosh USA primary focus for tools is woodworking.