Cordless drills - What kind/brand?

[unclemoak]

I'm looking to pick up a cordless drill and was wondering what I should be looking for?

I'm somewhat partial to the DeWalt brand of tools, but was curious if I should be looking else where?

Is it worth it to get a hammer drill version? Thoughts on Lithium Ion batteries?


This is the one I'm considering.
http://www.dewalt.com/tools/cordless-drills-hammerdrills-dcd970kl.aspx

 

[Stuey]

Do you need to use hammer function a lot? Does it have to be cordless hammer? If no and no, buy a cordless drill/driver and a corded hammer drill - it'll end up being the same as that cordless hammer drill. But that's just me.

I like Dewalt's 12V and 18V cordless. Lithium ion batteries are great, but if you get a regular drill/driver, you're going to get compact batteries, not the XRP you see with the hammer drill. Makes them lighter, and as long as you have a backup battery charged and ready to go, you're good.

If you like Dewalt, go with them. If not, Bosch, Milwaukee, and Makita offer comparably priced alternatives. Going with Hitachi will save you some $$.

 

[Chevy350]

I just purchased that one a week ago. Weekend wrench that needed a new drill, (had a 9.6 Dewalt that I gave to my bro) and I am happy with it. Stands up on the battery, tons of power (compared to my old one anyway). The batteries charged in less than 30 mins from no charge out of the box.

Oh...its also not made in China...I would rather my money go to a US made product, but Mexico over China will have to do.


edit: i do believe the batteries are made in China.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

For my needs the Craftsman C3 line has been awesome. I've got about six different tools from the C3 line and love it...

 

[don-vee]

I scored a Matco for an amazing price on ebay, I guess maybe because nobody realized Matco made 'em. Had it for over a year, and it's been excellent so far. At work we use a Makita and a Milwaukee. The Makita is pretty underpowered, but it's also a few years old. The Milwaukee will drive big screws all day on one charge, but it's heavy as hell. I've used some friends' DeWalts, and they seem really great. Never tried Porter Cable, although I have an old-as-the-hills PC Tiger Saw and it's still tickin'. I'd be curious to try Ridgid as well.
Honestly, I don't think you can go too wrong if you stick with one of the major brands.

 

[dabirdguy]

I have the 18V Dewalt system and I love it. I have the drill, the grinder and three batteries.

 

[american lockpicker]

Get a Swiss made Bosch cordless 18V hammerdrill(the hammer function isn't used much but when you need it you will be glad you have it.)

 

[red69ss]

I have the dewalt 18 volt and love it, I've had it for about 7 years and have tested its limits and it has seldom seen a situation it couldn't handle. If it broke tommorow I would buy the same drill. I saw that home depot had them on black friday for $99 I believe.
Milwaukee makes a quality drill too, where I use to work we had a milwaukee 28 volt and it was a powerful drill.

 

[Nealcrenshaw]

I vote for the C3 as well,it feels like a Dewalt or a Bosch in your hands,at half the price its affordable and can use about 25 tools with the same battery. Preferably Lithium battery.

http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/nb_10155_12602_NB_C3

 

[pipsters]

I know people will laugh but my Black & Decker motor is made by Dewalt. Not sure what else is but the motor is the most important part in a drill IMO.

 

[bsaint]

Panasonic used to be great when I had the nimh one. I dont know if they still are.

 

[mrholeshot]

You can't go wrong with the Dewalt. I think my next drill will be Hatachi. I'm seeing lots of improvements and the price is right.

 

[bg819]

I went with the Bosch Drill/Driver and Impact Driver set for $199 from Lowes. Used them only a few times but it feels good and works great for DIY. I may go pick up the 12 volts just too have around as well.

 

[Monte]

Panasonic or Festool

 

[usdemt]

I have always gone with Makita, only because the customer service for warranty is great. I also am a DeWalt fan now that they stepped up into the game of LiIon. They were a little slow at first but the fact that DeWalts LiIon and NiMh can be swapped with existing tools is nice.

Go LiIon, you wont be disappointed, the weight difference, battery life, and longevity of the batteries is all worth it.

 

[JerryTX]

My $.02 is buy whatever has the most complete line of 18V tools that you'll need. Each brand has its own battery design so if you buy a DeWalt drill,a Makita Saw, a Bosch saw, etc then you'll have some number of chargers and batteries.

I have a lot of Ryobi stuff because a set was given to me as a gift. But all my corded stuff is DeWalt.

 

[Theloniousmonk]

 

[american lockpicker]

Breast drill is better and inexpensive too(check Sears.com.)

 

[spongerich]

I've had several Makita's including the 1st generation 7.2v one.

All have been phenomenal. The one I'm using today is about 10 years old and still going strong.

 

[Garage_Mahal]

The non-lithium batteries on the Craftsman C3 line are a joke. Just have no endurance whatsoever. If you go with DeWalt, stick with the 12v or 18v.The other voltages are consumer or throwaway grade. Some 18v are also consumer grade, but you can update to a better tool and keep your batteries and chargers. The breadth of the 18v DeWalt line is astounding. It's just a little heavy for my joint issues to deal with.

 

[Garage_Mahal]

BTW, I can't believe that people still don't know that Black & Decker / Stanley owns DeWalt, Bostich, Delta and Porter-Cable. All three lines of battery powered hand tools are designed by the same engineers. Black & Decker is targeted at the consumer market. Porter-Cable, IMHO, has had it's tradition of building tough tools ridden into a downmarket spiral that is a shameful misuse of a long history of quality. I wouldn't give a dollar for the differences between today's Black & Decker line and the Porter-Cable battery products. Stick with the pro grade DeWalt if you are buying from Stanley.

 

[woody 73]

BTW, I can't believe that people still don't know that Black & Decker / Stanley owns DeWalt, Bostich, Delta and Porter-Cable. All three lines of battery powered hand tools are designed by the same engineers. Black & Decker is targeted at the consumer market. Porter-Cable, IMHO, has had it's tradition of building tough tools ridden into a downmarket spiral that is a shameful misuse of a long history of quality. I wouldn't give a dollar for the differences between today's Black & Decker line and the Porter-Cable battery products. Stick with the pro grade DeWalt if you are buying from Stanley.

Interesting post, I can never keep it straight anymore (Stanley Borg).

I like the Dewalt tools,but I miss the corded tools,those batteries are getting expensive...

 

[Spam16v]

I have a small bosch lithium for snky snky work, have the matching driver that runs on the same battery, along with a flash light... I LOVE flashlights.

And I have an 18v Lithium SO CDR6850 for real drilling.
(not mine, google'd image)

If it needs MOAR, it's a corded 1/2" Sears (when that sh*t meant something) drill that'll break your GD arm if you're not careful.

 

[afazz]

I have two DeWalt 18v (pre-lithium ion, ~3 years old). One is an XRP hammerdrill, one is a regular XRP drill.

One thing I don't like about the hammerdrill is that the chuck has some axial play in it. It's only about 1/16" or so, but when you make contact with the drill bit you have to push another 1/16" before you'e applying any pressure. It's because the hammer mechanism only engages when you're pushing down on the bit, though the play is there even in non-hammer mode. I have used the hammer mode and it works really well, but for non-hammer drilling I usually grab the standard XRP.

We have Milwaukee 18v Lithium Ions at work. They're nice drills, but the trigger lag (due to the useless LED) takes some getting used to. Four of my friends have the Makita 18v Lithium Ions and they're very nice - super compact and lightweight, but they match the power of my DeWalts. All things considered, they're all good products and won't let you down.

 

[nate379]

I have a C Man 19.2v I bought in 2002 and it's still working great. Bearings are about done it it, but for the about of use and abuse it held up to I'm not complaining.

I have a few others to include a $350 Dewalt XRP and they just collect dust for the most part.

 

[waltmcq]

home depot

 

[59 wagon man]

i've had craftsman dewalt milwaukee and makita over the years but i would now reccommend ridgid sold by homo depot. even though it pains me to say it the warranty is the best around lifetime on everything batteries included . as long as they have the lifetime warranty they are the best one in town. check out the price on a replacement battery

 

[usdemt]

BTW, I can't believe that people still don't know that Black & Decker / Stanley owns DeWalt, Bostich, Delta and Porter-Cable. All three lines of battery powered hand tools are designed by the same engineers. Black & Decker is targeted at the consumer market. Porter-Cable, IMHO, has had it's tradition of building tough tools ridden into a downmarket spiral that is a shameful misuse of a long history of quality. I wouldn't give a dollar for the differences between today's Black & Decker line and the Porter-Cable battery products. Stick with the pro grade DeWalt if you are buying from Stanley.

Thank you I have never been a fan of the newer Porter Cable stuff, but I literally almost got hit by a guy when I voiced my opinion that I wasnt a fan of it.

 

[cashishift]

I have DeWalt..

most tool offerings.. + their radio is the best

 

[Thedroid]

I do like the Dewalt, but I don'htt like the hammer mode. If you need it in a pinch for a hole or 2 , it might work, for anything more you'll be torturing yourself. I use drop in anchors frequently, and I really tried to give the built in hammers a chance so I didn't have to drag a cord and the Hilti with me. It only took a few holes to decide that lugging the Hilti was actually less work. Maybe they work on block or green concrete, but the old seasoned stuff laughs at these drills. I agree about the runout in the drill chucks also. Real noticeable with small bits at high speed.

 

[cashishift]

I do like the Dewalt, but I don'htt like the hammer mode. If you need it in a pinch for a hole or 2 , it might work, for anything more you'll be torturing yourself. I use drop in anchors frequently, and I really tried to give the built in hammers a chance so I didn't have to drag a cord and the Hilti with me. It only took a few holes to decide that lugging the Hilti was actually less work. Maybe they work on block or green concrete, but the old seasoned stuff laughs at these drills. I agree about the runout in the drill chucks also. Real noticeable with small bits at high speed.

someone many moons ago said to forgo the hammer mode on a cordless drill and get a corded one..

i bought the nicest dewalt that didn't have a hammer... and then years later bought a dewalt hammer drill for 40 bucks on craigslist from an electrician who didn't need it anymore.

 

[TA^Guy]

I have a 18v DeWalt hammer drill like the one the OP posted and I love it. It replaced a older 12v Craftsman that took for ever for the batteries to charge and didn't last too long.