please help me pick out a new cordless drill

[Crusty Nut]

I am in need of a new cordless drill. I really like the one I have now, but the batteries are shot and replacements cost almost as much as a new drill.
I currently have a 14.4 volt Porter Cable.
My requirements are:
1/2" chuck
good battery life

Nice to haves:
hammer drill option
light that points at what your working on

Thanks for your input

 

[Joe B.]

Pretty good deal for the price....

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00917191000P?sid=I0084400010000100383&aff=Y&origin=prod#

 

[Eddie 70]

On Black Friday, I picked up a Dewalt 18v drill for $99 with 2 batteries at Lowes. I am not supposed to use it til after Christmas. I am not a big user of the cordless drills but am pretty stoked about this.

 

[GT_Rich]

I have an 18V Lithium Ion Ryobi with the autoshift feature (same as a RIDGID) and I can't say enough good things about it. I'm totally pleased. My father in-law used it for an afternoon when I was over helping him and he went out the next week and bought one too. His came packaged with a reciprocating saw, and I found that to be a nice tool as well.

 

[willymakeit]

I tend to like the Makita 18v. Seems they are the most common on jobsites here.

 

[Stuey]

imho, buy a corded hammer drill if that's what you want.

I'd recommend 18V Dewalt, Milwaukee, or Bosch if you've got the $$.

 

[malibu101]

Like Ford versus Chevy.
Like Maytag versus Kenmore.
Brand verus brand.

I am a personally am a Milwaukee man. They have not let me down, both corded and cordless, and I've used them and seen them abused in some hard applications. They are my only consideration. Although, I've worked with Bosch cordless tools with great things to say.
As well, I have an all-metal Sawzall and a right angle drill that were my grandfathers that he used for his plumbing business over that still work as well as they did over 45 years ago. Although I favor my newer variable speeds over those sentimential units.
Go with a repuatable name from especially a repuatable vendor.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

I love the C3 line from Craftsman...

I've really used the set I have. Couldn't be happier...

 

[Shadowdog500]

Does it really have to be a cordless drill?

I've been where you are at several times, and decided to go back to a corded drill a few years ago. I bought a Ryobi because they make one with a clutch. My house and shop both have electric, and I don't really miss not having a cordless as my primary drill.

I should probably sell my 14.4V Makita with the dead batteries, because I'm not ready to pay around $80 each for new batteries that look like they have been sitting on the shelve at Lowes for 10 years.

Chris

 

[Flatlander]

I am a big fan of the Ridgid line of cordless tools. I have a 14.4 and an 18 drill and dont regret buying either. These have a lifetime warranty from Home Depot, even on the batteries.

 

[crtt1976]

I have a 14.4 bosch with a 3/8 chuck, also available as a 1/2 in the 14.4. I have had my drill for about 6 yrs with no problems. Batteries hold very well. Bosch now offers the bluecore batteries that will charge in 30min. Very satisfied with my little bosch, will probably not buy anything other than bosch from now on when it comes to cordless drills.

 

[ddawg16]

I have all Ryobi....great value for the price....

But what ever you go with...take into consideration the posibility you might want other cordless tools.....I get a lot of use out of my cordless circular saw and sawsall....you don't realize it until you use it...

The sawsall is great for trimming tree branches....the circular saw for riping large sheets of plywood...

And they all use the same battery....which I have several of....

 

[bobabuee]

any rigid product is great iuse them every day hard buy some extra batterys
on ebay usually can get 2 for price of one .

 

[benjamming]

No one going to recommend SO CDR6850 with Li-Ion batteries or the CDR4450 or the CDR4850?

 

[jake00]

I'd seriously consider festool

 

[metal1313]

festool are great but way more money than the competitors and arent much lighter or really anything special, imo they arent worth it

 

[jake00]

their circ saw with the track is pretty priceless in the hardwood flooring biz.. I figured the cordless drill would offer much of the same value

 

[sgrammel]

I have a Dewalt 18v. I don't use it a lot but it does a good job. Batteries are expensive..just spent $119 for two replacements...Like I said I don't use it a lot, but left them on the charger all the time....which I think led to a shorter battery life than I would have expected....that being said..I won't be leaving the new ones on the charger..I will let them run dry then charge just until 'full'. Also, look for one with a light (LED?) so you can see WTF you are drilling/screwing (...uh..with the drill). Mine is several years old and doesn't have that feature but many newer ones do.

 

[ZRX61]

hth

 

[metal1313]

i love their tools, i was actually drooling over some of their sanders today, i just wouldnt buy a drill from them..everything else yes.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

Couple thoughts, flashlight built in would be cool, I dont ever recall seeing one, hammer drill, dont bother if youre planning on running any holes in concrete over 1/4" diameter, its just not the tool for that job even though they make it.., I know from personal experience, thats what rotary hammers are for (and they do make the cordless models, batteries are a tad bigger and voltage is almost twice as high).

Something that would be really cool to have, and that Id love to see, you might consider looking for, a drill with a level built in, now there is something you can actaully use (assuming your not doing automotive work with it) As far as batteries, I like my Bosch's with Bluecore, but Im sure the lithium batteries are better.

This clearly is one of those tools, you get what you pay for. As a point of constant reference, the girlfriend keeps her 18v dewalt lying around (that she is proud of), and when parked next to my bosch 18v (on a project she is assiting me on), I can really admire the difference between to tools that have similar specs and size, but where designed and built in different galaxys, as far as ergonomics, fit, finish, and balance, all I can say is wow. I think this is one of the items that a test drive would be great, or find a real hardware store that sells tool and has them out or accessable so you can hold them. Even HD has a decent selection out of the box for playing with, you might notice differences that way and what you think fits your hand and has some balance, then factor in price. When you find something you like, post it here and get some feedback on that model, if its a turd, you will find out in a hurry.

Good luck hunting, how about letting us know what you find and why you bougth it ?

Take care, Bill

 

[CamarosRus]

I was on my way to a sellers house to look at a used Craigs List Miwaukee V-18 (1st Generation battery) Lith-Ion 1/2" Hammer Drill, with two 3.0Ah batteries and charger for $125.

Decided to stop at Home Depot to look misc products over. On a Wednesday afternoon HD wasnt all that busy. Fortunate (I think) to run into TTI West Coast manager, TTI District Mgr & TTI Field Rep. I find out that Techtronic Industries North America, Inc. ownes Ryobi, Ridgis and Miwaukee. I cant quote exact words, but I was told that quality started with Ryobi, and went up to Ridgid and Milwaukie was considered the best.

H.D. had big display of the newish M-12 (12Volt) line. TTI guy said they were sellng real well, could hardly keep them in stock. The M-12's are quite compact, Lith-Ion battery slides up into handle and no doubt are great tools.

I just felt that I wanted the 18Volt battery platform. I decided on the promotional left over black friday package 2601-22H (H must stand for H.D.) This SET contains the 2 spd 1/2" Driver/Drill 2601-20 & the 2650-20 1/4" Impact Driver is added basically as a freebie.
Also included in the blow molded red case are two 48-11-1815 Lith-Ion 23Wh (??) batteries (1.4Ah?) and Charger. ALL this for $199.
(Think about what you credit hungry guys are paying for no more powerful truck branded drills/drivers)

I did see these same set up on AMAZON under a different part number for $199 with Free Shipping.

Given everything weve read above, I just feel these are great tool at a great price.

I can buy the 18V XC 3.0AH batteries if ever have the need

I also picked up a 29pc SHOCKWAVE Impact Driver Bit Set ($20). This is Milwaukee's latest, greatest metal/design bit technology that helps prevent bit/tip breakage.

I've also ordered 1/4" Hex x 3/8" square drive adapter to use impact driver with 3/8" Impact sockets. Cant quote the specs, but I'm thinking this impact can keep up with or surpass the S.O. 3/8" impact Gun (???)

Thanks for reading,

 

[BlindViper]

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

A cordless hammer drill is good for a hole every now and then. I have this set I use it at work. The battery life is amazing. The power is more then my 18v dewalt. Both drill have a light and carry clips. If you have never used a cordless impact for screwing you are really missing out.

 

[T>D>C]

I work at a manufacturing plant and our maintenance guys are provided drills and they use them like they did not pay for them. They use mostly Dewalt now but Milwaukee's in the past (I have been there for 27 years). Both have held up well to the abuse. I bought Dewalt because it appears to be easier to find in my area. I always try to buy made in USA 1st whatever I buy but it is getting harder and harder to do (unfortunately).

 

[N/E Sooner]

I do a lot of woodworking and have never been disappointed with Festool products. They are somewhat pricey but like most things you get what you pay for. My second choice would be Milwaukee you can't go wrong with their stuff.
http://www.festoolusa.com/products/cordless-drills

 

[neverenoughtools]

I bought the Ridgid ( Home Depot) 18 volt power tools....1/2" drill (2of em) , impact driver,circ. saw . reciprocating saw, 12 volt mini drill......my decision for the investment was their lifetime warranty on batteries and that they offer a lifetime service agreement which you need to register to get it. I have used all of them extensively and they KICK ***.

 

[tdkkart]

I work at a manufacturing plant and our maintenance guys are provided drills and they use them like they did not pay for them. They use mostly Dewalt now but Milwaukee's in the past (I have been there for 27 years). Both have held up well to the abuse. I bought Dewalt because it appears to be easier to find in my area. I always try to buy made in USA 1st whatever I buy but it is getting harder and harder to do (unfortunately).

This was almost exactly what I was gonna say. All of our guys use company supplied DeWalt also. The thing that impressed me was how much smoother the DeWalt runs compared to my 19.2V Crapsman.

 

[chevybuff]

Guys have ya'll everthought above having the battery packs rebuilt. I just paid $35.00 a piece to have 2 batteries rebuilt.
John

 

[ponjohn]

I'm a little late to the party but anyway....I used Ryobi products commercially about 4 years ago, siding, windows and gutter business.

They lasted a long time even after being dropped from 15+ feet. I had 8 18v batteries. When I sold the business I kept these. All the batteries failled within 3 months and now for home use I have one Li-ion.

I have two drills, one circular saw, one jig saw, one "swazall". They all work great to this day.

Point is, I don't think you can beat the value.

 

[Shadowdog500]

Guys have ya'll everthought above having the battery packs rebuilt. I just paid $35.00 a piece to have 2 batteries rebuilt.
John

Where do you get them rebuilt? Is the rebuilt battery as good as the original? Maybe my Makita will run again?

Chris

 

[ponjohn]

You can buy the individual cells on the internet.

I suppose if you opened it up to get the exact size and capacity it could be done rather easily.

 

[NRChopshop]

Makita Lithium Ion 18v Hammer Drill/Impact Combo. I use it every day all day at work and here at home. Light, plenty of power, and the batteries last a lot longer than comparable units that ive had. Im fully satisfied with these tools.

 

[NRChopshop]

I work at a manufacturing plant and our maintenance guys are provided drills and they use them like they did not pay for them. They use mostly Dewalt now but Milwaukee's in the past (I have been there for 27 years). Both have held up well to the abuse. I bought Dewalt because it appears to be easier to find in my area. I always try to buy made in USA 1st whatever I buy but it is getting harder and harder to do (unfortunately).

Check the box......DeWalts are made in Mexico now

 

[59f100]

dewalt cordless--they have plastic gears, i bought one the gears stripped,exchanged it for new. gears stripped again,exchanged it for ryobi 18v lith. great drill

 

[Burl]

I have the same one as Chopshop, in my opinion the best I've seen. I think the best feature is the keyless one-handed chuck.

 

[SS5150]

I've used Makita 9.6V drills at work (automotive) for several years and the drills outlast the batteries.

I just recently picked up the new Milwaukee M12 Li-Ion driver/drill and M12 radio set for I want to say $179.99 or $189.99? Got it at Home Depot. It's been real nice so far but I've only used it around the house. I also spent $25 and got the M12 flashlight at the same time, in case my work Makita died on me.

I've got 4 pod style 9.6V Makita batteries that need to be redone.

 

[Crusty Nut]

Thanks for all the input. I knew you guys wouldn't let me down.
I put the Milwaukee 18 volt drill/impact combo on the top of my list.
I'll let you know how I like it after Santa brings it to me.

 

[tweidman]

The Hilti cordless drills are nice. I would look at those too, before making a choice.

 

[tcianci]

I "upgraded" from my Ryobi stuff to the Makita Lithium Ion stuff. Since the Makita stuff costs about 3 times the price of Ryobi, and I have been very satisfied with my corded Makita power tools, I figured I was making a good choice. I couldn't have been more wrong! The first thing that died was a battery, just slightly out of warranty...they did give me a new one. Then the high speed gear in the drill strips (the same thing happened to my Buddy's Makita drill a few days later. Even though they were out of warranty, Makita fixed them both for no charge. (We got them back with a notice that they failed because they were used beyond their limits, I have pushed my Ryobi drill at least as hard or harder without a single failure.) The drills did work but they sounded like ****, the chuck on mine had worn to the point that 1/16th drills wouldn't hold any more.
The chuck also had a nasty habit of jamming even though it has been cleaned and lubricated. Then my battery charger croaks...no more good will from Makita but they did sell me a used one for a decent price. (my buddy's charger croaked a few months later). Then a few weeks ago, the reciprocating saw craps craps out too. Needless to say I have had it with the Makita cordless stuff. I even went out and bought a Ryobi Ni Cad 18V drill and impact driver set for like 90 bucks from HD just so I wouldn't be stranded. I do like the 6 1/2 inch circular saw and the flashlight. I wen on line and did a lot of research and specs comparison and finally purchased the Ridgid Lithium Ion 18V stuff. It has a 1/2 inch hammer drill with light, an impact driver with light, the 6 1/2 in circular saw has a light also, although the 45 and 50 degree stop mechanism is total junk. The circular saw is very powerful but much larger than the Makita. The worklight is sorta cool in that it uses a standard 9 watt compact fluorescent lamp (40 incandescent equivalent) The reciprocating saw does not have a built in light, but it does have an orbital mode and cuts like the wind. The Ridgid stuff has a lifetime service agreement that even covers batteries so that is a plus.
I didn't post this as an ad for Ridgid tools because I haven't had them long enough to judge their overall worth but it was more to caution against the Makita stuff. Like I said I have lots of Makita tools...Table saw, corded drill, power planer etc, but the cordless stuff is junk.

 

[jmh21586]

On Black Friday, I picked up a Dewalt 18v drill for $99 with 2 batteries at Lowes. I am not supposed to use it til after Christmas. I am not a big user of the cordless drills but am pretty stoked about this.

IMO the best deal out there on black friday. Home Depot had the same deal. I just bought that exact damn drill this spring for a little under $200.00

On black friday you could get that drill plus a cordless sawzall, for what I paid for the drill alone last spring.

Sooner or later we tool guys have to get smart and start thinking ahead for what we will need and start buying the stuff around black friday and Christmas. Craftsman is a prime example. Their stuff goes on sale big time around Christmas every year. Did you guys see the deals on shopvacs for example?? Even the Dickies thread that someone posted here. Stuffs like 50% off!!! Hell I even bought a TomTom GPS at Walmart on black Friday for $60. Don't know what I'll do with it, but I got it cheap.

Tis the season to stock up.