Cordless Tools and Batteries

[iiibdsiil]

Hey guys,

I want to buy a cordless drill one of these days. I don't plan on using it a whole heck of a lot, but of course, I want to buy something quality. My girlfriends dad had a Milwaukee (Sp?) but I was not impressed with it. The motor got awfuly hot, and all we were using it for was pulling the wing nuts off the shutters after the last hurricane in the Keys. It felt cheap, plastic. My dad has a Rigid, and it was real funky with the handle setup. Not like the conventional type drills with the handle inset on the motor end, this thing was like a drywall style gun. Had a serious battery charger though. Accepted 2 batterys, and had like cooling fans. My buddy has the Dewalt XRP, which was nice, metal chuck, felt really solid. The Ryobis seem like crap. The Snap On drill, which I already have a battery and charger for, since I have the Impact gun and the flash light, seemed kinda cheap too. I used one quite a bit because we were doing a little bit of fabbing on a couple projects at this one shop I worked at.

What drill do you recommend?

I also have a concern with the batterys. I guess I don't really, because my Snap-on ones seem to hold up fine. But, I noticed everyone goes through batteries in like 6 months, because the life diminishes so fast. Is it gonna hurt them if they are just sitting there? They will more or less drain themselves in the time that I am not using them.

14.4 volts enough? The bigger batteries seem to really weigh it down, making it a real pain when you are in an uncomfortable position already. From what I understand, the voltage does mean more power, but also means longer power, the batteries don't go dead as fast.


My primary use will be automotive. Usually fabbing something up, trying to make something fit, drilling through metal 99% of the time. I will of course have the couple wood projects, etc.

What do you have, and are you happy with it? What can you recommend for me?

Thanks in advance guys. If you need more info from me, please ask.

- Brett

[kartracer55]

My dad has had a dewalt 18v XRP for almost 3 years now, no complaints. Thats my vote.

14.4 volts will be enough if you are going for the dewalt, because the new 14.4v line has as much power as the old 18v lines did. On the other hand, dewalt has a very big line of 18v cordless tools.

The thing I Like about the dewalts is that they have a very nice combination between Weight and power. The milwaukee drills are a little more powerful, but have a little more weight to. The Dewalt is Very comfortable to use, and it is balanced nicely, so your wrist isnt fighting to keep it level. The Nice thing about Dewalt is that they have such a large cordless tool line. Id go for the 18v model though, because They have the most tools in 18v, and you can buy just a tool, or a tool and batteries and have it all interchange. I have been prettyimpressed with The dewalt cordless grinder. It has as much power as most other grinders, It just doesnt run forever like a corded one does.

Ryobi Stuff, for the most part, is junk. They make many craftsman powertools, and they too are junk. Stay away from Ryobi and Craftsman.

AS for rigid, many people like thier stuff, but When I think of rigid I think of Monkey wrenches, not power tools.

I wouldnt bother with the snap ons, I doubt they are worth the price they are going to charge you.

Jim

[wythors]

My wife got me a Craftsman 19.2 volt cordless drill for christmas last year. It's similiar to this one (http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00911541000&subcat=Drills) , but I don't see the exact same one on the site anymore. I've been very happy with it. It came with a charger and extra battery, a stud finder and a cordless screwdriver for $99.00 on sale. I've used it extensively on a couple of home improvement projects this year and it has performed flawlessly. It has loads of torque and really long battery life. Bearing in mind that I'm not a contractor using it on a daily basis, I've been very satisfied and would recommend it whole heartedly.

[gb387]

One brand Dewalt.... I would go with 18V XRP "system" we use them at work all the time, we have just about every 18 volt tool made by Dewalt. All work great and have plenty of power.

Like kartracer55 said they are balanced very well. Dewalt has tons of 18V stuff so you can get just about any tool in the 18V the other voltages are less common and have less stuff to go with them.

For balance you WANT this style:
http://www.dewalt.com//ProductImages/PC_Graphics/PHOTOS/DEWALT/TOOLS/MEDIUM/9/DC988KA_1.gif


Not this pictured below, they are not balanced as well.
http://www.dewalt.com//ProductImages/PC_Graphics/PHOTOS/DEWALT/TOOLS/MEDIUM/9/DC989KA_1.gif

We have both at work an will always grab the first drill.

[kartracer55]

Yeah, the one my dad has is the first one.
Although save your money On the hammer drill. My friends dad has a combo kit with a hammerdrill, and hes never used it, and I know I have gotten along find with my non hammer drill.

As for the craftsman, the Diehard battery system is pretty cool, and thats one hell of a deal for $99, but Both my dad and I have had bad experiences with craftsman power tools (most of which are made by ryobi) and we have written them off. Id say stay away from Ryobi as well, as my nieghboor has had a few bad experiences with them as well.

There was that whole panasonic Drill craze when the were first introduced, but the current dewalts have more power, and when I think of power tools, panasonic doesnt come to mind.

My dads came from sears, got itfor 269, and they had a rebate for a free battery, so hes got 3 batteries now, which is good b ecause we cycle them out.

Jim

[gb387]

Another nice this is you can count on batteries being available from Dewalt for MANY years to come... Sears changes their "system"... something like - from 19.4V - to - NOW WITH MORE POWER! 19.98648V Translation you can no longer easily get the 19.4V batteries and no longer get tools with the same battery type.

[kartracer55]

Yeah, thats a big drawback. Like I said, the beauty of Dewalt is that they have such an extensive like of 18v tools, so You can add on, to your collection, and not have to buy more batteries, you can buy just a tool.

Jim

[bmwpower]

I don't see what's wrong with Ryobi. I have the 18v set from Home Depot which included the drill, recip saw, circular saw, light, charger and 2 batteries for $199. I built my house and my garage using them. I put about 20 pounds of decking screws through ipe. I even used the drill to mix a couple buckets of mud. I don't have a complaint about them.

If you're going to use it occassionally, it seems like a no brainer. Sure, the DeWalt is nice, but for close to $300 just for the drill, I'm not sure I could warrant it.

[kartracer55]

For the occasional use, Im sure they are ok. My neighboor Has had 2 bad experiences with them, and I couldnt risk buying anything other than the uppermost in terms of quality. We dont do woodwork, we do metal work, and I use this drill for drilling steel up to 3/16 sometimes, and you really need both the power and durability. It is something I intend to buy once, and I know dewalt is a brand that allows me to do this. This drill has pretty much replaced the corded milwaukee magnum expect for the heaviest of jobs, and it has proven itself.

Jim

[Ken Greene]

if your only going to use it once in a while and in a shop/garage situation then i would say cordless is not for you. one the batteries will be dead or mainly dead everytime you want to use it. and with power readily available at your closest outlet then you will never beat a corded drill. its always got all teh power you need and is always charged.
cordless has its place as does corded one will never replace the other.

[kartracer55]

Thats true. Sometimes you need the power of a corded drill, plain and simple.

Jim

[REFLEXX]

bmwpower,

I'm with you man. I bought the RYOBI kit before starting the Garage-Mahal and they have held up very well! The drill has survived TWO 8-10 foot falls onto CONCRETE. The battery goes one way the drill goes the other and you think that it's over!

The little circular saw is a blessing for cutting 2x4s, 2x6s, etc... especially if it's at an odd angle (on the wall or the ceiling).

The Vac is useless and the light is OK.

I did buy an extra twin pack of batteries ($50) and that is a must if you plan on using two of the tools all day. It's also CRITICAL to let the battery AND the charger cool between uses.

The batteries will not last as long as the tool, look at battery price. I used to have a Milwaukee and two batteries, lasted like five years. But I went to buy another battery and they wanted $90 for ONE! It was one of the first 18v cordless and cost me $300+ with two batts and a charger. Milwaukee now in dumpster.

RYOBI comes with a three (5?) year warranty, that's good enough and by the time it dies, 1000 volt drills will be the standard!

my 2c, as always

REFLEXX :thumbup:

[iiibdsiil]

Wow, thanks for the input guys.

I have a nack (is that even a word?) for having to have the best crap. I dunno why, and it gets expensive fast. So, it sounds like I am gonna end up with the DeWalt, one of these days. I'm gonna play with everyone elses stuff again before I decide though. We'll be installing some stuff in my Impala this weekend, using my buddys DeWalt, I'm gonna fall in love, I'm sure.

[ranger_dood]

I bought the Ryobi 14.4v cordless system for my dad for Father's day last year. We've been very pleased with it. The 14.4v system comes with a circular saw, drill, and light. While it'd be nice to have the extra power of the 18v system (and the sawzall!), the 14.4 works just fine for us. We've used it for lots of things including building a horse shed and drilling through concrete to run coax.

One thing that I used it for most recently was to bore a bunch of 1" holes through 3/4" ply and a bunch of 2x4's while running network and phone wire in our new house. I must say that having only two batteries in this case was not enough, and those things were getting pretty damn hot! That's the only time I had to pull out the trusty Black and Decker corded drill to finish the job (that thing is older than I am!).

My brother has the 18v Ryobi system, and he's used it for a TON of stuff around the house, including redecking his pool (which entailed both screwing the new plywood down, and also ripping it all up the middle (and this was 1/2" treated stuff!).

can't say that I've had a bad experience with Ryobi, that's for sure.

But it's a consumer name, so probably isn't going to be "good enough" for you.

at work, we have a Milwaukee cordless hammer drill, and lemme tell you, that thing rocks! We use it to drill into block and brick when running wires and mounting cameras in the school. It's seen a lot of hammering, and keeps on ticking!

[l_bilyk]

You WEREN'T impressed with milwaukee? Milwaukee makes the BEST electric tools. I don't care if anyone disagrees with me - they're wrong. lol

If I didn't have milwaukee, I would use makita (actually i do...). They are nice and light. I don't really like dewalt drills. They seem to be just as heavy as milwaukee but not as strong. IMO they are about as durable as makita drills.

[l_bilyk]

At work, we have a Milwaukee cordless hammer drill, and lemme tell you, that thing rocks! We use it to drill into block and brick when running wires and mounting cameras in the school. It's seen a lot of hammering, and keeps on ticking!

I have the 18v model. BEATIFUL tool. batteries cost like 100 dollars if you ever lose one :(

[79rallysport]

You WEREN'T impressed with milwaukee? Milwaukee makes the BEST electric tools. I don't care if anyone disagrees with me - they're wrong. lol

If I didn't have milwaukee, I would use makita (actually i do...). They are nice and light. I don't really like dewalt drills. They seem to be just as heavy as milwaukee but not as strong. IMO they are about as durable as makita drills.

I agree with you about Milwaukee being the best CORDED electric tools. However I think that DeWalt is starting to take over in the CORDLESS electric tools department. But either one, you can't go wrong. Both make great tools.

[rickairmedic]

I agree with you about Milwaukee being the best CORDED electric tools. However I think that DeWalt is starting to take over in the CORDLESS electric tools department. But either one, you can't go wrong. Both make great tools.

I use my cordless tools every single day on the job I have had them all The Milwalky 12 volt drill started letting the magic smoke out way too soon .I have a dewalt 9.6 and 18volt currently but honestly I use my Ryobi set exclusively I picked up the $99 set at the orange box store with circ saw drill and light 18 volt and have added the hammer drill too the set for $49 they get used constantly and I have no complaints with their new 18+ line of tools for personal or profesional use :D.Now mind you I absolutely looooooove my milwalky super sawzall but it has a cord atatched to it ;).


Rick

[rsitzejr]

I have an 18V makita that is ok, and a 12v DeWalt XRP I wouldn't trade for anything. Has way more power and torque then my 14V makita had. Make sure you get the XRP model. One reason I went with the 12V is that the batteries are handy for testing automotive electronics with. Quick and easy power source.

[eschoendorff]

I bought the Ryobi 14.4v cordless system for my dad for Father's day last year. We've been very pleased with it. The 14.4v system comes with a circular saw, drill, and light. While it'd be nice to have the extra power of the 18v system (and the sawzall!), the 14.4 works just fine for us. We've used it for lots of things including building a horse shed and drilling through concrete to run coax.

One thing that I used it for most recently was to bore a bunch of 1" holes through 3/4" ply and a bunch of 2x4's while running network and phone wire in our new house. I must say that having only two batteries in this case was not enough, and those things were getting pretty damn hot! That's the only time I had to pull out the trusty Black and Decker corded drill to finish the job (that thing is older than I am!).

My brother has the 18v Ryobi system, and he's used it for a TON of stuff around the house, including redecking his pool (which entailed both screwing the new plywood down, and also ripping it all up the middle (and this was 1/2" treated stuff!).

can't say that I've had a bad experience with Ryobi, that's for sure.

But it's a consumer name, so probably isn't going to be "good enough" for you.

at work, we have a Milwaukee cordless hammer drill, and lemme tell you, that thing rocks! We use it to drill into block and brick when running wires and mounting cameras in the school. It's seen a lot of hammering, and keeps on ticking!

Yep... I've got the 18V Ryobi hammer drill and flashlight. And yes, I've actually used it to drill into cement blocks. And I've drilled into 3/16" stock (even though I had NO BUSINESS doing that!) without cutting oil (oops). I've had mine for two years with the original batteries. I love it. Now I don't use it every day, but it's always been there when I needed it.
It's put up with my abuse so far. That's all I know.

[moparfreak]

I've got a milwaukee 18V, and it's been a beast for me for several years. I've dropped it several times w/ no adverse effects. Metal chuck is solid and takes punishment. It is a bit heavier, but it's well balanced, comfortable, and I like to have a little bit of weight behind me when I drill. I plan on getting a cheap 9V or 12V crap brand to do any really light drilling or driving into wood. When it comes to metal though, I turn to the Milwaukee.

Adam

[kartracer55]

Yeah, I agree milwaukee makes the best corded tools, dewalt has it over on them for cordless though. Nothing beats the ORIGINAL sawzall

DeWalts use Jacobs chucks too, IDK about the milwaukees.

Jim

[jfelbab]

Ken is right. NiCad and NiMH batteries lose a lot of power every day even if not used. They lose 20-30% a month. If you let them drain too far before you recharge them they won't charge at all. The batteries develop crystals internally and are then shot. If you have priced the batteries you will find that you can frequently buy a whole new drill and two batteries w/charger for slightly more than a single battery will cost. The 19.2V Sears Craftsman drill with two batteries and a charger goes for around $90, less if you join the Craftsman Club. A new single 19.2 V replacement battery is $60. So for $30 more you get two batteries, a new charger and a new drill. Most cordless devices are still NiCad which develops a memory if not discharged fully then recharged regularly. NiMH doesn't have the memory but drain quicker than NiCad when not used. These devices are intended for reasonably regular use. If you feel you want one of these devices for only sporadic use get a cheaper one like Sears Craftsman.

[ranger_dood]

The Ryobi 18v One+ batteries are $40 for two from Home Depot. Can't see anything wrong with that!

[BECC]

I have a 14.4V makita and the battery started leaking after about 6 months the other battery is fine and at $70 for a new battery I just use the one.

Has anybody tried the Harbor Freight - Chicago cordless stuff? A handyman buddy of mine says if you take care of them they last but you cant beat them like a Milwaukee or others.

I had a 9.8V Ryobi that the wife got me a few years ago and it is a trooper - the bearing held up to 2 remodels

[Coach James]

I've got a 14.4 Hitachi and it's done fine for me, but I don't use it all day long. If someone needs a pro level quality go with Dewalt, malwaukee, Porter Cable or Makita. If you just need tools for around the house then Ryobi or B&D is fine.

I just never understand people that buy a $49 Skil cordless drill then complain because it doesn't perform like a $200 Dewalt. I've got friends that are pleased with their B&D and Ryobi stuff, but they are twice a week users not 5 hours a day 5 days a week users.

Any opinions on Metabo or Bosch? I've used Bosch jig saws and rotary hammers and thought they were excellent.

[kartracer55]

I dont know about Bosch cordless tools, but they make some nice corded tools. My neighboor swears by them. When I thinkof MEtabo I thin of grinders... nothing else.

Jim

[JasonK]

I bought a Craftsman 19.2 combo kit. I cut nearly all my boards to build my garage with the 4.5 circular saw. I am noticing that the batteries are not lasting as long as they used to. It came with a quick charger. The kit came with a sawzall, light, circular, and drill. Paid about 175.00

[jfelbab]

I bought a Craftsman 19.2 combo kit. I cut nearly all my boards to build my garage with the 4.5 circular saw. I am noticing that the batteries are not lasting as long as they used to. It came with a quick charger. The kit came with a sawzall, light, circular, and drill. Paid about 175.00

That is the bane of all cordless tools. Batteries degrade over time. Watch for the complaints from all the Hybrid car buyers in a year or two.

You can try draining the batteries fully in a tool and then fully recharging them. Sometimes they develop memories and a deep cycle can occasionally restore some capacity.

Sadly these batteries are typically overly expensive when purchased alone. As I mentioned in an earlier post, you can get two 19.2v batteries, a new charger, and a drill for around $80-$90 or you can pay $60 for a single 19.2v battery for Craftsman.

As an aside, I have that same Craftsman set of tools. The tools work very well. The only tool they need to add is a 19.2v hand shop vac.