Who makes a decent corded drill?

[TimDaToolMan]

I used to think Hitachi made good drills. Maybe back when they made them in Japan.

I bought a D10VH Corded drill, and it's a piece of ****. The gear drive is noisy, the chuck is of balance and not center.

Since they are made in China, I guess they went downhill.

So who makes a decent corded? I don't need one to drill through 1/2 plate, just something well made for general house work.

 

[Mavawreck]

Dewalt. I've had mine since I was like 11 years old.

 

[The Cobbler]

Hitachi isn't the product it used to be. When used in good condition narrow crown staplers (old version) sell for more than the new style Hitachi NIB on Ebay it tells a story.
anyway, to the question, I have old corded drills so I can't comment really. but they are Makita,3/8 hammer, 1/2" hammer, 3/8 regular
Hitachi 3/8 regular drill
Milwaukee right angle plumbers drill
and the name escapes me, but it's 5/8" chuck low rpm drill . my electrician buddy gave it to me years ago with a broken gear, I replaced the gear & had a great drill ever since. use it for mixing compound mostly , it's in my van & I'm too lazy to go look LOL

edit, i forgot to add I also have a 3/8" dewalt angle drill for very rare occasions but useful when needed

 

[Heavy tech]

Makita. Or DeWalt.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LJZ]

Milwaukee Magnum or Metabo..
What I have and what I have seen hold up best in the shops.
Just sayin
Luke

 

[Strouty]

None of the newly made ones are as good as the ones built years ago. I would get a used Milwaukee Magnum. They are great, the cord is removable/replaceable, and you can get a cord that is 25 feet long.

 

[Letsgobowhunting]

All the cordless drills today are decent in my opinion. They all look the same except the color. I think it's the same Chineese factory making all of them. There is still a place for a good 1/2" corded drill in my collection. They have lots of torque.

 

[PugetDude]

The Milwaukee Magnum Hole Shooter is the Chuck Norris of corded drills.

 

[HummerJack7]

The Milwaukee Hawg drill has a 3/4" pipe handle to prevent you from breaking your wrists.
It is LOW/HIGH speed and it has reverse.

 

[HMCFab9]

The Milwaukee Magnum Hole Shooter is the Chuck Norris of corded drills.

I've got one & i'd buy another without any hesitation.
Nicest, most controllable drill I've ever used.

 

[TimDaToolMan]

Everyone seems to be forgetting something. I don't need a heavy duty drill, just one for household use (drywall screws, drilling studs, etc). It just has to be well made.

 

[PugetDude]

Everyone seems to be forgetting something. I don't need a heavy duty drill, just one for household use (drywall screws, drilling studs, etc). It just has to be well made.

Buy the 3/8" Milwaukee instead of the 1/2"

 

[jakemac]

Everyone seems to be forgetting something. I don't need a heavy duty drill, just one for household use (drywall screws, drilling studs, etc). It just has to be well made.

For light use, Makita. For general use, DeWalt. For heavy use, Milwaukee.

 

[TimDaToolMan]

What about the craftsman bolt on?

http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-bolt-on-corded-unit/p-00935592000P

 

[ADSR]

Everyone seems to be forgetting something. I don't need a heavy duty drill, just one for household use (drywall screws, drilling studs, etc). It just has to be well made.

just buy a cordless then. a cheap 3/8's M12 milwaukee will kick *** around the house.

 

[wedge40]

just buy a cordless then. a cheap 3/8's M12 milwaukee will kick *** around the house.

X2. Why deal with an extension cord when you can go grab the battery and drill and do what you gotta do. They have made major advances in the power of the battery tools over the years.

Wedge

 

[454ragtop]

While I agree with the cordless sentiment above, especially with Li-Ion bats, if you really want a corded, I'd recommend a Milwaukee close quarter drill. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauke...i_kw=&ci_gpa=pla&ci_src=17588969#.UqQGJ8KA2kg I have both the 3/8" and the 1/2", even have another Sioux 3/8, and they are the bomb. Very comfortable to use, and obviously will get into spots other drills won't.
HTH, Jim

 

[nicksnothereman]

I used to think Hitachi made good drills. Maybe back when they made them in Japan.

I bought a D10VH Corded drill, and it's a piece of ****. The gear drive is noisy, the chuck is of balance and not center.

Since they are made in China, I guess they went downhill.

So who makes a decent corded? I don't need one to drill through 1/2 plate, just something well made for general house work.

I got something like that (maybe older model; too lazy to go check if that's the model), it's served me well but rattles like a bucket of teeth. For the price I paid (reconditioned) I'd say I'm satisfied with that purchase. I guess they were pieces of **** because they reconditioned a whole lot of them.

The problem is that most of the stuff in the lower price brackets isn't really made for extended use. Dewalt or ridgid would probably suit you better, then there's higher end stuff but probably won't last much longer. 9 amp would be better.

 

[TimDaToolMan]

This has good reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0094B9BHE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Would seem handy and a lower over all cost, since you can buy a sander, router, and other attachments for it.

 

[Davefr]

Buy the 3/8" Milwaukee instead of the 1/2"

^^^ What he said. Just shop the flea markets or G-sales and you can find great quality corded USA drills like B&D Industrial or Milwaukee hole shooters.

These things were USA made and big bucks when they were new. They'll last forever. I don't think I've ever had to pay more then $5-$10 when I see them.

Corded drills still have their place around the home:
-You don't have to wait for the battery to charge.
-They don't run out of juice halfway thru the job.
-You don't have to shell out >$100 for new battery packs because the old ones only lasted 2-3 years.

 

[wmartin]

Everyone seems to be forgetting something. I don't need a heavy duty drill, just one for household use (drywall screws, drilling studs, etc). It just has to be well made.

It's a tricky thing since smaller corded drills never seem to be that great. It must be a super price sensitive market.

I like the idea of corded here, since it's not a thing that is used all that often but you'd like to have last for 30 years or whatever. Those Milwaukee close quarters drills look like a good idea since they are useful in different ways, although I don't know if they would be very good at driving screws.

 

[Revere Cycles]

The Milwaukee Magnum Hole Shooter is the Chuck Norris of corded drills.

I paid $5 for mine at an estate sale. It has never once let me down, and I would definitely buy another. Definitely the best drill I own.

 

[iroc409]

I have Milwaukee & Dewalt, and am happy with them. Two of them are newer, one 3/8 Dewalt is older. The newer Milwaukee is nicer than the newer Dewalt, but so far the new Dewalt does pretty good.

The new Dewalt I have is pretty funky looking, but it's balanced well. It has a steel no-key chuck, Jacobs but not USA. I bought it only because I should really have a high speed drill for some of my woodworking.

 

[crewchief888]

i typically use a cordless drill for stuff around the house

but....


a few years ago, after both my corded drills let out the magic smoke, i picked up corded B&D 3/8" and a 1/2" hammer drill @ HD on sale for approx $100 for both.


not the greatest drills out there, but more than sufficient for an occasional DIY/remodeling

 

[mattygee]

I have the Dewalt 3/8 corded drill...Nice tool.

 

[bonneyman]

I found a great old Skil drill at a Habitat for Humanity thrift store for $15. Had a new switch and cord put on it - works perfect.
I'd scrounge at the local estate sales and thrift stores and find a vintage unit to restore before paying full price for a new unit.

 

[pauls_workshop]

I like the Ryobi cordless a bunch and also picked up a Ryobi corded that is similar design otherwise, with the same kind of torque adjusting clutch as the cordless type but corded. Really a great homeowner corded drill for less than $30 off ebay or similar. - Paul

 

[Coach James]

Truthfully, for general purpose household stuff, anything from Skil, B&D to Milwaukee will work if you don't abuse it. My corded drills are older Ryobi, B&D, Milwaukee, Hitachi and C-man, but my friends have 2 or 3 year old cheaper brand drills and they have worked fine for them.

Coach

 

[TimDaToolMan]

I wonder if I should go cordless?

I was talking to someone today who is kind of a tool pro. He said the new cordless tools have a lot better battery.

He said he put a new roof on his garage with a dewalt cordless on only one charge.

The new cordless has Lithium ion batteries, the old ones had nicad and were not as good.

 

[ADSR]

M12 will be all you'll ever need around the house.

 

[crewchief888]

I wonder if I should go cordless?

I was talking to someone today who is kind of a tool pro. He said the new cordless tools have a lot better battery.

He said he put a new roof on his garage with a dewalt cordless on only one charge.

The new cordless has Lithium ion batteries, the old ones had nicad and were not as good.

if you are the "point of no return" on old cordless stuff, or are looking for the "best of the best"

li-ion and brushless motors are the latest and greatest.

but cost more than non brushless

my milwaukee 18v fuel is giving me 3-4 weeks on a single 4.0 battery charge.
i use my 3/8" dr impact daily.

 

[bobcatdan]

I wonder if I should go cordless?

I was talking to someone today who is kind of a tool pro. He said the new cordless tools have a lot better battery.

He said he put a new roof on his garage with a dewalt cordless on only one charge.

The new cordless has Lithium ion batteries, the old ones had nicad and were not as good.

A good cordless drill will run with any 3/8" corded. The 12v Milwaukee is a damn good drill for home use. I own one corded drill, a 1/2" hole hawg and only because I got it stupid cheap.

 

[crewchief888]

M12 will be all you'll ever need around the house.

i just picked up a (nonfuel) 12v milwaukee drill yesterday at HD for $99.
grabbed the LED flashlight as well.

all i really went in for was to find a LED flashlight that would last more than a month....

but now i have a compact cordless drill to keep in my service truck, as well as a nice bright flashlight


FWIW

HD has a ridgid 12v drill/flashlight combo on clearance for $99 as well.

 

[jabberwoki]

Bosch, last time I looked there was still some made in Europe but check.

 

[Packard V8]

Agree, a new Milwaukee M12 is the best all-around homeowner buy. However, one thing which is seldom mentioned is for homeowner use, batteries die just sitting on the charger for weeks at a time.

I've got a really solid B&D Professional drill, even has a metal gear drive housing. However, over the years of very light use, both batteries died and are NLA. I guess I'll have to send them to a rebuilder.

During the same several years, all the corded drills waited patiently and are good to go today.

Go to some garage/yard/estate sales and watch craigslist. I'm covered up in Milwaukee, Craftsman, DeWalt and Skil corded 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drills for $5-10 apiece.

jack vines

 

[TimDaToolMan]

The M12 is $99.99 and has 275 in lbs.

The c'man C3 is $62.99 on sale and has 340 in lbs of torque.

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-c3-l...p-00935703000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

 

[dmeadow]

I've got a Makita corded. I'm not sure if it is this one, but it looks exactly like it:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000539VP/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I wouldn't recommend it unless they have improved the keyless chuck. It is very difficult to crank down and it is always letting go of the drill bit. By contrast, my DeWalt cordless has a keyless chuck with some sort of ratcheting mechanism that is easy to tighten to the drill bit and holds it tightly.

 

[TimDaToolMan]

I'm still liking the Craftsman Bolt-on/ Black and Decker matrix.

Has anyone used one before?

I mean you can get a router, sander, impact, jigsaw and trim saw attachments for it that would be cheaper than buying the whole slug of tools separate.

 

[Shadowdog500]

I like the Ryobi cordless a bunch and also picked up a Ryobi corded that is similar design otherwise, with the same kind of torque adjusting clutch as the cordless type but corded. Really a great homeowner corded drill for less than $30 off ebay or similar. - Paul

+1! For a typical homeowner this is more than enough drill, and the clutch is a great addition. I have several of these, you can get them for $30 to $40.

Chris

 

[PugetDude]

I'm still liking the Craftsman Bolt-on/ Black and Decker matrix.

Has anyone used one before?

I mean you can get a router, sander, impact, jigsaw and trim saw attachments for it that would be cheaper than buying the whole slug of tools separate.

For very occasional use maybe (not)...but there is a reason most serious DIYers and Pros don't go this way. When your cheap Chinese-built power head dies, you lose not just your drill, but also your router, sander, impact, jigsaw, and trim saw as well.

It's like a Shopsmith; capable of doing a lot of tasks, none of them particularly well. There are better options available for all these tools, and you won't be married to just one platform as you add them. (A platform that WILL become obsolete, BTW)