Buying a new drill - Corded or Cordless?

[djcrunkmix]

Simple question: how important is it to buy a cordless drill? I am in for a proper investment and wanted to avoid batteries and such that only last a few years. If I buy a corded drill, no worries about replacing batteries/running out of juice. Not to mention - higher torque and lighter weight.

I know cordless drills are the hip things to buy, but I'd like to go old school and get a corded Fein or Metabo.

Would love to hear your opinion.

 

[treasureseeker]

I prefer cored drills other than where an extension cord is inconvenient such as working in a crawlspace.

 

[GSteg]

Part of why I like cordless is because I can often use the same battery on different tools. Even though I only have cordless tools right now, I will NEED a corded drill. Many times I've tried to mix mortar/concrete with my cordless only to end up having a dead battery. This is one area where a corded drill makes a lot more sense. For everything else I do, cordless is better.

 

[djcrunkmix]

I've noticed that cordless drills can often be used to drive screws since they have a torque ring. I haven't seen any corded drills that could be used as drivers.

 

[GoodoleBoy]

I try to avoid any cordless tools anymore if its not dewalt since most my tools are dewalt i use one charger for the 6 cordless dewalts I own from 7.2v-18v and 5 of the 6 cordless tools I have use the same batteries where I only need 2 of them saving money..Properly storing them inside the house protecting from extreme heat and cold extends battery life greatly.

Id like a 1/2" corded drill with keyless chuck and electric brake. Anyone know what one would cost these days? Ive not been serious on looking as my cordless is still ticking.

 

[Grimsaviour]

I would go cordless first unless you plan to drill a lot of holes. Drilling holes does kill the batteries faster. Most cordless drills are rated to 2000 charges as far as battery life goes. Id also invest in a li-ion 18 volt cordless, the extra power and longer battery life is worth the extra money. Do yourself a favor and dont buy a cheap drill, save some money and get a decent brand like Makita or Bosch. Dewalts are also nice but they tend to weight more than the rest. You could save a little money and get a dedicated cordless driver, they tend to be a little cheaper but they dont use a keyless chuck. They use a quick coupler for driver bits instead. In otherwords you cant use drill bits with it unless they are also quick coupler type. With the money you save you could buy a corded drill and have the best of both worlds. Good luck with your purchase!

 

[williaty]

Going to sink a screw, tighten a hose clamp, etc? Get a cordless.

Going to drill a hole, run a wire brush, mix paint, spin a buffer? Get a corded.

 

[djcrunkmix]

^ Aye aye...we are not used to reading such rational and insightful comments .

 

[OGJordan]

Most all the cordless drills out now are lighter than their corded brethren

 

[djcrunkmix]

I would go cordless first unless you plan to drill a lot of holes. Drilling holes does kill the batteries faster. Most cordless drills are rated to 2000 charges as far as battery life goes. Id also invest in a li-ion 18 volt cordless, the extra power and longer battery life is worth the extra money. Do yourself a favor and dont buy a cheap drill, save some money and get a decent brand like Makita or Bosch. Dewalts are also nice but they tend to weight more than the rest. You could save a little money and get a dedicated cordless driver, they tend to be a little cheaper but they dont use a keyless chuck. They use a quick coupler for driver bits instead. In otherwords you cant use drill bits with it unless they are also quick coupler type. With the money you save you could buy a corded drill and have the best of both worlds. Good luck with your purchase!

Thanks. I had a Dewalt and it died on me. The friggin chuck was wobbling. Returned it to Amazon for a full refund!

What do you think about Festool? Money is not an issue here but they do cost quite a bit. In access of 500 bucks for a drill is a LOT of money where I could get a Metabo for $150 bucks used. Put the rest of money into buying a good corded drill + drill bits.

 

[djcrunkmix]

Most all the cordless drills out now are lighter than their corded brethren

Dewalt is 4.7 pounds for a Drill/Driver 18v. 4.0 lbs for Lithium-Ion.

Fein BOP 10 is 3.9 pounds and can make a Dewalt look like a kid's toy.

 

[american lockpicker]

Get both.

I started out with a corded and it does just about anything but theres times when I don't have a long enough extention cord or I need it for a quick job and don't really want to mess with the cord.

 

[machine_punk]

I like both for different reasons. It seems that the battery always dies just 2 holes/screws shy of the finished project, which requires pulling out the corded drill anyway to finish. Of course, with today's batteries and quick chargers, if you had two batteries, you would probably never run out.

I usually tend to have several drills...it just saves so much time on a project when you can have the pilot drill, the final drill size, the screwdriver bit, and a countersink head all chucked up, plugged in, and ready to go for the entire project.

Overall, I generally prefer a corded drill, but there are definitely those times you 'just want to mount a towel bar,' that take more time to drag out the extension cord and get set up than to actually mount the towel bar.

 

[sscustom]

i have both makita 14.4v drill driver and a bosh drill 12v works great also have a cheap ryobi
that i bought years back with a 1/2 chuck does the job [corded]

 

[Krokodil]

Going to sink a screw, tighten a hose clamp, etc? Get a cordless.

Going to drill a hole, run a wire brush, mix paint, spin a buffer? Get a corded.

I agree with this. Also depends where you are going to use it. In your own workshop -corded. On the road, various jobsites - cordless.

 

[Lomotil]

I avoid any cordless tools like the plague. Homeowner/DIY jobs rarely require one, although I did pick up a little B&D 12V on clearance at Target for small jobs, and it's been quite handy as a screwdriver on several occasions, and the battery really surprised me with how long it'll hold a charge.

But when I need a drill, I need a drill. When I need to drive a bunch of 3" self-tapping deck screw into wood, I wouldn't even attempt it on any battery. A/C power is the only way to go. Unless you happen to need said device in an area that doesn't have power.

 

[shampoop]

If you're going to be using it very often, cordless. If infrequently corded. My reasoning is mainly just that drills last a very long time and in 10 years your batteries are going to be dead. So if you don't use it very often it's not worth spending more money up front for cordless, and more money down the road when it's time to replace the batteries.

 

[shannonw]

If you don't know which you need you'd prob be fine with cordless. But if you may do something besides basic stuff get the corded and deal with the cord hassle. Corded will have rpm, torque + run time, none of which is gaurenteed with the cordless. With drills you know when you need to get a better one

My house i had the normal ryobis, was doing a dock roof, and it had rpm to start the metal roof screws but wouldn't screw em down into the steel. Got an 18v rigid (which has been pretty good set) it had enough torque.

For corded used a hitachi 50 dollar one for years that was getting long in the tooth (sleeved chuck, bearings a bit loose). recently had to drill in sch 80 steel pipes, dock pilings, bunch of lumber, etc....wouldn't even think of using cordless. Went and got a makita 3/4 hammer drill with solid chuck ( concrete block house i use hammer features more than anything) and was glad i did.

I'd say with the cordless if you use it a lot 2-3 years they get weak, but you can stretch it out for picture hanging,etc for 5 but i've never had them have much run time after 2-3 but the newer ones are li-ion.

Also keep in mind the kits i've never used the saws that come with them. So you're basically paying 250+ for a drill and flashlight. Next time i'll avoid the kits, flash lights are cheap.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I like having both. My cordless is a lightweight Black & Decker 3/8" with the old VersaPak batteries. Great for drilling a couple small holes in drywall or wood. Because it has a (crude) torque adjustment, it will drive screws.

Everything else, I use my 1/2" 1/2 hp Craftsman professional. It's a beast. More than once I thought I broke my wrist when the bit got stuck. I had a 3/4" bit turned down to 1/2" and BENT it when the bit jammed in a 2x4 !

 

[Todd.Brock]

I have a corded dewalt for 3 or 4 inch deck screws I use to hang 2x4 ledger boards or to run in lag bolts. I have the 10.8 v makita drill and impact that are really small and light and do 95% of the light stuff around the house. I onlydebate an 18v cordless when I have a project like a deck to use in con junction with the corded dewalt

 

[woody 73]

I have both drills and don't get me wrong they are both fantastic,but buying those batteries just kills me. Someone posted that now dewalt is going to use a different battery and I worry about all my old dewalt tools. (although I can get them all rebuilt); personally if it were me I would look for a good used corded drill,then buy the latest new model drill for those times that you will not have any place to plug it in.

One more thing stick with the same company,it gets confusing looking for different chargers.

Hope this helps.

Woody

 

[Monte]

Fein BOP for drilling, thread cutting etc.
Festool C or T series for driving screws

 

[diesel research]

metal? wood? plastic?

 

[domain]

I personally have a both. I have a Makita LXT 18v Hammer drill and a Dewalt compact drill which are my go to tools for drilling. Being Li-ion, they are both very light, powerfull, and have always held their charge until I need it. I also have a cheap Craftsman corded drill for just about everything else. Usually if I will be using the drill on steel plate for a long amount of time, to save the expensive cordless.

 

[JeremyManning]

It depends on what you will be doing with it but why not buy both, one of the small lithium ion ridgid from home depot is cheap. It is small and handy for many jobs where high torque is not needed and you definitely don't want a cord(eg putting up facia and soffit on a three story house).

 

[rock mafia]

I have two 18v LI makitia drills, a drill press, and a corded bosch drill.

Corded drill has not been out in at least 2 years.

 

[crewchief888]

depnds on what you're drilling, and how often.

i use both.

i lot of my drilling (around the house) involves 1 or 2 holes, cordless makes more sense, less **** to drag around.
at work i rely on air power
in the garage, my cordless is usually dead, so i use 3/8" & 1/2" corded drills.

 

[strnjss]

I've noticed that cordless drills can often be used to drive screws since they have a torque ring. I haven't seen any corded drills that could be used as drivers.

I bought a $12 corded Harbor Freight 1/4" drill and let my brother borrow it. He drywalled his entire house with it, and put up all of his doors with it too.

It drives screws perfectly. I don't know if a nicer corded drill would do that too, or if it's just that the HF one is weak enough to do it well, but it did it better than his DeWalt 1/4" cordless

 

[catfish]

Corded is best , gives you more power.

I have even used a battery powered angle grinder a couple times at work , thing was a joke.Didn't have enough power to cut through a small piece of metal.

 

[Grimsaviour]

Thanks. I had a Dewalt and it died on me. The friggin chuck was wobbling. Returned it to Amazon for a full refund!

What do you think about Festool? Money is not an issue here but they do cost quite a bit. In access of 500 bucks for a drill is a LOT of money where I could get a Metabo for $150 bucks used. Put the rest of money into buying a good corded drill + drill bits.

Well I've never had the pleasure of trying out festool but a lot of people say good things about it. Its supposedly geared towards professional use and is built to last.

Personally i just bought a new Makita LXT 18v li-ion and i'm really enjoying it. It took over from my old Dewalt 9.6v that serviced my needs for years (at home). I've used different brands at work as well. Just pick something you think feels tough and will last.

If money is no problem I'd buy:

18v cordless
hitachi's 9.6v micro driver( beautiful machine, very compact)
Corded drill of your choice
Bench mounted drill press.

Hehe

 

[djcrunkmix]

@ Grimsaviour - Thanks for the information

I think I am going to buy a Metabo drill, Festool driver and a Fein corded drill.

 

[speed bump]

For 90% of the drilling I do I couldn't see owning a corded drill. I have 3 or 4 Cman C3 batteries and have never been without a battery. Rarely does it not have enough torque the 1/2" I have used to drill multiple 3/4" holes in 1" steel without. A problem.

I am in the market for a big *** corded drill though. Other than that I use a cordless impact driver for driving screws because even my little Hitachi beats the **** out of just about any drill for 1/10nth the weight and air drills when I have air handy.

 

[RivennHewn]

I go for the disposable type, but i got both a couple of times for what you'll get a Fein for.

 

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

Cordless are like computers. It will be outdated in 4 or 5 years, and in less than 10 years it will be very difficult to find replacement parts.

I have an old Craftsman drill that is 55+ years old, still runs, and I even use it occasionally. I have been buying cordless tools since 1984. I probably have close to 20 tools that are no longer feasible or impossible to use.

 

[groa944]

Does anyone make a corded drill with a slip clutch on it?
That would be an excellent compromise, and something that would make me use my corded drill much more often.
Last time I was drilling through stainless, I was using a fairly powerful corded drill. If the bit would grab as it punched through the sheet, the drill would swing and nearly break my wrists. Having a clutch would certainly have helped to prevent that. Never seen a corded drill with one though.

 

[sberry]

But when I need a drill, I need a drill. When I need to drive a bunch of 3" self-tapping deck screw into wood, I wouldn't even attempt it on any battery. A/C power is the only way to go.

Mine will drive screws till your arm cant stand it.

Corded drill has not been out in at least 2 years.

Its a rare day I use a corded tool, cordless is so much safer in so many ways too, don't have over torque, have clutch, no cord to trip over. There are a couple of classes of tools, my mills have a gob of power for installation and construction work. So widely used and vital on farm that have 4 drills. Never a day goes by that I dont use one several times.

 

[kms]

Most cordless drills are rated to 2000 charges as far as battery life goes.

If memory serves, this is not quite correct. DeWalt licensed a superior Lion technology which does allow for 2000 charges, but I believe that most other Lion batteries are only good for 500-1000 charges.

If I'm correct (I'm pretty sure, not positive though) the case for the DeWalt rechargeables is much stronger given that nowadays they aren't really that much more expensive (if at all).

I'll try to verify this, unless someone else does it first.

 

[Grimsaviour]

Cordless are like computers. It will be outdated in 4 or 5 years, and in less than 10 years it will be very difficult to find replacement parts.

I have an old Craftsman drill that is 55+ years old, still runs, and I even use it occasionally. I have been buying cordless tools since 1984. I probably have close to 20 tools that are no longer feasible or impossible to use.

If you get 10 years out of a cordless id say you got your moneys worth. corded drills also go out of style, look at the incredibly heavy bulky corded drills of the past. Hardly nimble wouldnt you say? Nothing lasts forever under professional use either.

 

[Grimsaviour]

@ Grimsaviour - Thanks for the information

I think I am going to buy a Metabo drill, Festool driver and a Fein corded drill.

sounds like fine choices to me, good luck with your purchases!

 

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

If you get 10 years out of a cordless id say you got your moneys worth. corded drills also go out of style, look at the incredibly heavy bulky corded drills of the past. Hardly nimble wouldnt you say? Nothing lasts forever under professional use either.

My old corded Craftsman will still plug into any common 3 prong 120 volt outlet. Hardly "out of style". I would have a hard time finding batteries for the cordless tools that I purchased 25 years ago. These tools were used professionally by me, and taken good care of. All of them are still functioning, they just don't have batteries that will hold a charge.

I have very few tools that have become obsolete like my cordless tools have. I have worn out a lot of tools, but that's different. Cordless have an immense value in my work, but they aren't the only option.